Our Reality (Doki Doki Literature Club!)

Detour

"How is she?" Shujinkou asked. He was barely able to keep himself composed, but he had to in front of everyone. If he lost to his emotions, then how could he expect the others to win against theirs?

The doctor sighed and turned back to Shujinkou with a sorrowful expression on his face, giving the boy the answer he didn't want.

"We tried everything we could, but... the damage was too much," the doctor reported. "She's... She's gone..."

"I see..." Shujinkou said.

He slowly bent down on one knee over the coffin that held the corpse as a single tear traced the right side of his face.

"Forgive me for not being there for you," Shujinkou wept. "I should have been there..."

He stood back up and turned back to his men. They were ready to follow any orders he would give.

"Do it," Shujinkou ordered.

His fellow soldiers surrounded the coffin and sealed the lid over the corpse. Words couldn't express the grief Shujinkou felt over the whole ordeal. He almost didn't want to watch what happened next, but he knew if he did that then he would be disrespecting the fallen.

He forcefully kept his eyes trained on the coffin as his men carried it to the edge of the base. They turned back to their boss and all he could muster was a silent nod. They slowly tipped the coffin over the edge and solemnly watched it descend towards the calm sea. After watching the mighty blue swallow its latest gift, Shujinkou sorrowfully closed his eyes to reflect.

"Goodbye," he whispered. "Goodbye..."

"Shujinkou?"

Shujinkou opened his eyes and realized that Sayori was staring at him with an expression that he doesn't usually see from her: true worry.

"What's wrong, Sayori?" he asked.

"I should be asking you that," Sayori responded. Shujinkou wasn't sure what she was referring to until she pointed to his right cheek. He cautiously traced the right side of his face and followed the trail of a tear from his eye all the way down to his chin.

"Oh this? I was just thinking about a very tearjerking moment from a video game I played," Shujinkou calmly replied. "Don't worry about it."

"Oh," Sayori replied.

The two continued to continue their daily journey home until Sayori noticed something interesting from the corner of her eye.

"Hey, Shujinkou..." Sayori said.

"Yeah?" Shujinkou replied.

"Let's make a detour!" she happily suggested.

"A detour?" Shujinkou repeated. The two of them never really went anywhere after school, so the suggestion really took him by surprise. What could she have in mind?

"Yeah! This way!" Sayori grinned. The excited girl took off and immediately tripped over her feet, causing her destination to change to the ground. Shujinkou quickly ran his fallen friend's side and helped her back to her feet.

"Was that your detour?" he chuckled.

"No," she also chuckled. "That is."

Shujinkou looked towards the direction Sayori pointed to and was surprised to spot an empty playground.

"We haven't been there in awhile," Sayori said.

"Yeah... But why would you want to go there now?" Shujinkou asked.

Instead of answering his question, Sayori simply giggled and skipped to the nearby swing set. He curiously followed her over to the swings and watched her plop into one of them.