Hold You Forever - DDLC {Natsuki x MC}

-3- No Pulled Punches

Welcome to ze third chapter!
It's really weird to publish two chapters in one week after not even publishing one chapter in two months.
Well, welcome to my life I guess haha
Now, I hope y'all will enjoy this chapter.
(Please notify me on any grammar/spelling mistakes, so I can correct it ASAP)

———

Dan's POV

For once, Sayori went silent after our current exchange. As if she were slowly progressing information, she started pointing her fingers all around and waving her hands afterwards. "Wait, library... Dan, Natsuki, library," she really tried her best. "You two met today!"

"No."

"Yes," I said, surprisingly shocked by the denial of this girl, Natsuki. "What do you mean, 'no'? I definitely remember-"

Her eyes looked furious as she quickly talked over me. "Fine, maybe we did meet, but it was only to help me select a certain volume of manga. No big deal," I stared at her questioningly, which resulted in her blushing, if I were to trust my eyesight. Is she possibly embarrassed about the whole ordeal she was in back there?

Sayori didn't even seem to care about our shaky conversation. "Natsuki, you should've told me you met Dan!"

"What do you mean? I didn't even know his name, let alone that he was a friend of yours," she wore such a different tone compared to when I briefly spoke with her in the library, it sounded rather cold. "I had no reason to fill you in on those events, it wouldn't have been worth my time."

"Damn, do you always speak in such a harsh tone?" I asked, genuinely intrigued.

Natsuki stared at me, with her mouth slightly agape. "What are you talking about?  I'm pretty sure I speak like everyone else."

Sounds convincing.

"Sure," I simply agreed with her and ignored the actual contents of her reply. "Sayori, shouldn't we go home soon? It's getting rather late."

My friend seemed shocked to suddenly be faced with reality, before loudly exclaiming her reply. "You're right, we should go!"

"Nice meeting you, Natsuki. We'll be off now," I excused the two of us politely, not trying to linger on the bitterness of the small girl.

"Whatever," she turned her head, gripping the strap of her bag tightly, "See you tomorrow, Sayori."

"Bye bye, Natsuki!"

———

After the odd encounter of a few moments ago, I was beginning to enjoy the quiet walk home. Well, the relatively quiet walk home. "You know, I bet the two of you could get along great!" Sayori tore the silence apart like it was a flimsy piece of paper.

I sighed. "Sayori, why would I even want that? The way she behaved seems way too toxic for my liking. It looks like she'd be a huge hassle to befriend, and I have absolutely no reason to want that friendship anyway."

My childhood friend clapped her hands together excitedly. "I think this might be your chance to finally talk to some girls!"

God, she has such great power with words... "Thanks for the free insult, but no, that doesn't convince me to go through the effort of taming a beast."

"That's what you think, but it's actually a lot simpler than you think," she kept jumping energetically.

"Why?"

"Well, usually, when Natsuki isn't interested in a person in the slightest, she politely shrugs them off. But she didn't with you, as if she already cares just slightly about how you think of her!" Her fists were clenched and her eyes glazed with stars. It wouldn't be odd to say this girl was unique.

"You know that's bullshit, Sayori. She'd been defensive since the first time I met her, which was..." I pretended to think, "...today! Yeah, you're actually waffling. Get yourself checked."

She pouted. "Fine, fine. You saw through me."

"Then why are you so pushy about this?"

Sayori sighed as she crossed her arms. "You and Natsuki are just... pretty similar."

"How so?"

"You have similar interests, sometimes you behave the same, and most importantly, you both barely have any friends," she didn't say that as a joke this time either.

I rubbed my forehead, annoyed. "I have plenty of people I talk with!"

Her first reply to that was a disappointed look. "Be real here, Dan. The amount of friend you have within our age group is minimal, and that already includes me."

I hate how correct she is sometimes, I thought. "Fine! Maybe I don't have that many friends, but who cares?"

"I care! I care about both you and Natsuki, and I feel like you are both the solution to each other's problem. Wait no, scratch that. I want you two to have friends and fun times, so I figure it would be a good idea to become friends with someone in a similar position!" Sayori smiled genuinely.

"I guess that would make sense," I grunted. "If you really want it so badly, I might give it a try. However, if she just denies to let me in, I will simply call it quits on all my efforts."

She nodded in agreement. "I'm fine with that, although I doubt it will go like that. Just..."

"Just?"

"...tag along with me to the literature club, and there you'll get opportunities to interact with her. Like, talking about your interests! Shared interests, if you know any, manga maybe?"

I shook my head. "It's not like I don't know how to make friends, Sayori. But fine, I'll try that. If it goes wrong, I'll at least have a nice spot to read."

"Uwah! Thinking positively, how unlike you!"

I replied not. After a slight extension of silence, we managed to return home again. "Well then, see you tomorrow, Sayori."

"Ah, yeah, bye bye, Dan!'

———

Thank you for reading ze third chapter!
I hope you enjoyed it!
Well then my friends, see y'all next time!

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