Our Reality (Doki Doki Literature Club!)

The First and the Fifth

Grey clouds swam across the surface of the sky, alternating between blocking the golden rays of the sun and accentuating them. A faint breeze brushed by Monika as she watched the scene take place from an open window.

"It was a brief meeting, yet... I ran into someone I ended up angering. I don't really know her, but she seems to hold a grudge against me. She also seems to believe that I find myself too good for Adobansu. To be honest, I've ran into people who don't like me before. I don't mean to say that in a vain way kind of way. I mean, I've had people hold grudges on me before even if we don't personally know each other. It's the other side of being put on a pedestal; you can make enemies by just trying your hardest and being yourself."

Monika breathed out a sorrowful sigh as she slid to the edge of the bed she currently occupied and glanced down at a pair of legs sticking out from beneath it. "That doesn't sound vain, does it?"

The rest of the body the legs were connected to crawled out from the underside of the bed with a pencil in hand. "Not really."

Shujinkou replied as he scratched his right cheek. He was a little upset that those were the only words of reassurance he could offer her. There had to be more he could say. "I mean, everyone goes through a one-sided rivalry jealously phase during their school life at least once. Like you're trying your hardest on an assignment and you're constantly wondering how the classmate sitting next to you, most likely a total stranger, always finishes the assignment before you."

Monika's cradled her knees as her head slightly tilted to her right. Her quiet, attentive gaze causing Shujinkou to wonder I his words were having any positive effects. But he continued nonetheless. "Um... Anyway, the only thing anyone can do in that situation is let go of that mindset and move on; makes for a healthier school experience."

Monika remained silent as she continued to stare at him. Just as he was beginning to think his words had zero effect, a warm smile formed on her lips. "Thanks for listening to me angst, Shujinkou."

"It's nothing. Everyone needs an ear when something's bothering them."

Relieved that his words did yield a positive result, Shujinkou reached for his sketchbook and plopped himself on his bed. The moment he positioned his pencil near the top of the page, he felt a shoulder gently bump into his. From the corner of his eyes, he watched Monika curiously lean forward to catch a glimpse of what he had so far.

"What are you drawing this time?" she asked.

"N-Nothing much, I'm just sketching out an interpretation of Solid Snake confronting Venom Snake," Shujinkou replied.

Monika's eyes scanned the page from top to bottom. It depicted two men staring each other down, their eyes filled with determination. One possessed a missile launcher while the other held a rifle with a drum in the shape of the infinity symbol. Despite their massive age difference they also looked very similar. "Solid Snake" and "Venom Snake", Monika recalled Shujinkou and Fuyu telling her about the complicated reasoning behind they're similar appearances.

But beyond the story the drawing was told, she was once again astonished by the clear amount of effort and detail he put in his work. "Incredible as always.

"Huh?"

"Your drawings are always really good."

"Thanks... I try." Shujinkou still found it a bit awkward to be complimented by his drawing skills, especially after he decided to not depreciate his accomplishments.

"Have you ever thought about entering some art competitions?"

"Not really. I usually just keep them to myself."