Ctrl + Alt + Us

Unfiltered Noise

No heads up. No group message. Just a quiet restart.

Yuri closes her laptop. She knows I'm spiraling a little.

"They looked happy," she says gently.

I nod. I'm not mad at them for being happy.

I just wish I felt like I was still part of it.

—Sayori's POV—

It's the little things that surprise me.

Like how the comments aren't as bad as I expected. There are some snide ones, sure, people speculating why we "ghosted" the internet for weeks. Some demand to know if the others are out of the picture for good.

But most are just... glad we're back.

Some even say we looked more relaxed. That we seemed like ourselves again.

That hits different.

We film a short thank you message the next morning. Nothing fancy. Just us on the couch, messy hair, holding mugs we don't drink from.

Monika leans into me a little when we sit down. It's not for the camera.

After we stop recording, she doesn't move right away. I hear her breathe, steady and quiet.

"I think we should talk to them," she says.

It's not a question.

I nod. "I'll message MC."

She finally leans back and gives me a look I haven't seen in a long time.

Hope.

And a little fear.

But mostly hope.

—MC's POV—

When the message comes through, I'm in the middle of editing a thumbnail. I stop mid-keystroke and reread it twice.

Sayori: hey... can we all meet up soon?
in person?

I type back a fast "yes" before I can overthink it.

The truth is, I've been waiting for this. Watching everyone drift in opposite directions has been like watching your favorite series split into spin-offs that never quite measure up.

I set up a group event. Private. Offline. No fans. No streams. Just a meeting room at an old café we used to hang out in during college breaks.

I half expect at least one of them to bail last minute.

But no one does.

—Yuri's POV—

The café is quieter than I remember.

There's a dusty jukebox near the window, playing a gentle tune that feels almost intrusive in the silence between us.

Sayori stirs her tea too much. Natsuki keeps her arms crossed. Monika's posture is perfect, but her foot taps a nervous rhythm beneath the table.

I look at MC, who gives me the smallest nod. He's waiting, just like the rest of us.

"I watched your video," I say to Monika and Sayori. "It was... comforting."

Monika looks surprised. Sayori relaxes just a little.

"I wanted to reach out sooner," Monika says. "I just didn't know how."

"Talking helps," Sayori adds, her voice small. "Even when it's messy."

Natsuki scoffs. "You think this isn't messy?"