Hold You Forever - DDLC {Natsuki x MC}

-7- No Time for Thoughts and Doubts

Welcome, everybody, to ze seventh chapter!
The next arc is slowly picking up its pace, starting from this chapter!
Have fun reading!
(Please notify me of any grammar/spelling mistakes, so I can correct them ASAP)

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Natsuki's POV

"I'm here!" Sayori announced her entrance, loudly stepping into the clubroom. Only she would've had the guts to come to club last, and late, and still announce it with such pride. Despite her usual upbeat energy, though, I couldn't help but notice the absence of the still newly joined idiot. Has he already decided to quit the club? But it has only been a few weeks since he joined...

"Hey, Sayori," I asked, after mustering up the courage to do so. "Doesn't Dan usually come along with you?"

As if Sayori was not already aware of her friend's absence, she slowly turned her head from side to side, checking whether he was not actually beside her. "Oh, you're right!"

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "You only figured out he wasn't with you, just now?"

"Oh, no! I knew he wasn't here, but then I forgot that I knew..." Sayori gave a complicated look, seemingly struggling to process what she was saying herself. "Anyway, he texted me this morning. He managed to get ill somehow and decided to stay at home," she explained.

"Ah, gotcha," I replied, softly. "I'll go read something on my own then," I heard Sayori humming as I left to go sit alone. I opened the closet, hidden in the back of the classroom, which was surprisingly left untouched by Monika. My small, but very precious manga collection was still stashed away here; it was a pretty convenient spot, in my opinion. I grabbed something I hadn't read in a pretty long while: Parfait Girls. Luckily, I was still roughly aware of where I left off last time. Finally, I sat myself down in my usual spot, next to the window, in the back of the room. Close to the heater, for whenever it gets chilly. The warmth kind of tended to get me a little drowsy, though.

As I read Parfait Girls, and flipped through a couple pages, it quickly felt unnatural to me. To me, it felt weird to suddenly read on my own, sitting here, next to the window. I stuck my thumb in between the pages, letting it act as an impromptu bookmark, while I gazed out the window. It was a little cloudy outside. Only a few shimmers of blue managed to sneak through the thick layer of clouds.

I didn't scare him off, right?

I got lost in my thoughts pretty easily. It kept me from being able to read properly. Whenever I tried to read a few more panels, I seemed to have forgotten the last page. It was of no use.

It would be pretty funny, though, if I did.

My eyes felt heavy again. I wasn't tired, but the warmth from the heater really did sneak up on me like I expected. Closing my eyes for comfort, I tried my best not to fall asleep. Simply thinking managed to keep me awake.

At least he won't be here to make fun of me for falling asleep.

With my thoughts keeping me company, I lowered my head, forgetting about all kinds of stress that had been piling up as of late.

———

"Everyone?" a voice reached out from a distance.

I awoke at the sound, not from a slumber, but from the surprising comfort of my own thinking. Opening my eyes, I quickly found out I failed to read even a single page of Parfait Girls. I felt embarrassed about myself.