Our Reality ♡ Monika x Reader

six

Sayori finally reached me, breathing heavily and smiling brightly. "That was the most exercise I've gotten in the last four years," she puffed, leaning over to regain her breath.

"I'll bet," I said, cocking a brow: she seemed exhausted for a simple sprint through the hallway. Though who was I to say that? That was more exercise than I'd gotten in my life.

Once Sayori's heart rate slowed and she could walk without her legs throbbing in effort, we made our way out the school's entrance and towards home.

As we strolled, Sayori skipped, apparently full of energy again. "Do you think we could stop by the library to work on our project for a little bit?" she asked, hopping over a crack.

"Sure," I responded. "Need to check out a few books?"

"Uh-huh!" she replied. "So we're definitely doing love, then?"

I shrugged. "I suppose, seeing as we have no other ideas."

"Well, there is the debate about the existence of God," Sayori suggested, "if you're up for researching the forty-two hundred religions in the world."

I shuddered at the thought. "Love it is."

♡♡♡

When we reached the library, Sayori immediately ran off with my sparsely-used membership card, leaving me behind to ask the librarian about the books she needed.

Abandoned, I made my way towards the back of the library where the poetry books were kept, thinking that I could find one about love. Poetry usually conveyed deep messages, and if I could find a good poem and decipher it, this project would be a lot easier.

Going to the back of the library with light steps, careful not to disturb any patrons, I tossed a glance at Sayori. She was speaking enthusiastically, gesturing as she spoke to the librarian. She spotted me watching her and smiled happily, waving.

I returned the gesture, shaking my head in disbelief as I turned back to start walking again; no one but Sayori would be so excited about such a difficult project.

Returning from the distraction, I made my way to the very back of the library. I smiled as the cozy chairs came into view, initially hidden from my eyes by the large bookshelves. I approached the shelves, skimming the titles for books that seemed suitable to my mission.

After finding a rather large collection and tucking it into the crook of my arm, I glanced around at the remaining shelves, wondering if I should search those, too. I set a book down, ignoring it when it flipped open, the pages askew. I'd fix that in a second.

As I pondered the amount of books in my arm, something flashed by my vision, the sides of my eyes glimpsing someone.

I immediately turned, my back slamming into a shelf. The books on it trembled, and I steadied the shelf, spinning back around to try to spot whatever had just dashed past me. I didn't see anything but the silhouette of a person with honeyed brown hair that whipped around the corner of the bookshelf as they darted away to a shadowy section of the library.

Monika?

Heart racing, I slowly walked towards the direction the person had disappeared, my throat tight as I peeked around the corner.

Nothing.

I stepped past the corner, swallowing hard, and internally begging my heart to calm down. I edged my way forward, fists clenched and books held in my taut arms.

As I squinted into the shadows, I leaned forward, straining to see whoever that had been -

"Y/N?" a finger poked my shoulder.