Illusions And Adoration {Monika x Yuri}

{Club Recruiting}

"Are you sure you don't want any help recruiting new members for the club?" Sayori asked, ocean-blue eyes shining with worry. Her worry was fair, but unnecessary. Monika had this one task handled. Probably. Sayori was already doing so much, and the bags under her eyes spoke volumes as to just how much she was doing. Even if this took until the school closed, Monika would do it alone as long as it meant Sayori went home.

"No, I'll be fine, I promise. Go home and get some rest! I can handle this by myself, I swear." Monika assured, smiling as cheerfully as she could. Hopefully, just this once, she could sway Sayori enough for the other girl to listen and go home. Sayori sighed, turning to pick up her school-issued bag before pivoting back to meet Monika's eyes.

"If you say so. Good luck, Monika! I'll see you tomorrow." With a small wave, Sayori left the classroom. Good. Monika let her smile drop and rubbed a hand over her face with a tiny sigh. She was just as tired as Sayori, but unlike Sayori, she knew how to hide the bags under her eyes. No matter how much she just wanted to go home and sleep, she had to get this done. No amount of procrastinating would make this go any faster. Slinging her bag over her shoulder and grabbing the stack of flyers she and Sayori designed, Monika abandoned the clubroom and started walking down the halls.

"Hi! I recently started a literature club, and we're looking for more members. Would you be interested in joining?" Monika said, giving the student she'd stopped her most convincing smile. They just stared at her as if she'd grown an extra head and walked away without giving a response. Rude, maybe, but not surprising. So far, she'd asked quite a few people if they'd join the club, but not a single one had shown even a little bit of interest. Monika was beginning to wish she'd asked Sayori to stay and help, even though that particular thought was selfish.

She'd just have to keep trying, surely someone would want to join a literature club? Maybe going to the library would be a good idea, somebody there might be interested in her club. Though...it was getting rather late, and the halls were slowly emptying. She'd just have to hurry, then - she hadn't gotten rid of a single flyer. Quickening her pace, Monika kept wandering the halls, heading straight to the school library.

"Hey, watch where you're going, you jerk!" A high-pitched, angry voice echoed down the hallway. That was...unusual. Monika rounded the corner, and - oh. A petite girl with pink hair was glaring at the back of someone turning the corner, books scattered on the floor around her. Monika guessed they were the reason the girl's things were on the floor. The pink-haired girl looked down at all the books and let out a quiet curse, not seeming to notice Monika's presence. 

Taking a tentative step forward, Monika spoke in a soft tone, "Would you like some help?"

The girl's gaze immediately snapped to Monika, and her expression hardened. "I don't need any help from you." She spat, glaring at Monika. The latter barely managed not to flinch at the sudden harshness. Perhaps the other girl was just unfriendly? She'd already turned away and started picking up her books, and Monika decided to help her regardless. Setting the untouched stack of flyers on the floor, Monika started picking up some of the books, noticing their colorful covers.

"...You read manga?" She questioned, brushing a thumb over the glossy cover of a manga issue she'd never seen before. Monika had heard of manga before, but between her many extracurricular activities and creating the Literature Club, she'd never had the time to read any herself. Maybe she could stop by a bookstore and pick some up sometime soon. The other girl whirled around at Monika's question, snatching the manga from Monika's hands and cradling it protectively to her chest.

"Yeah, and? Do you have a problem with that, Little Miss Perfect?" The girl snapped, her tone even colder than before. This time, Monika did flinch. She hated that nickname and everything it stood for, she hated it so, so much. The other girl looked slightly pleased with Monika's reaction, she noticed. Pointless insults aside, this was clearly a sensitive topic for the other girl, and Monika would treat it as such. Confrontation was not her strong suit, but she might be able to handle this. Maybe.