DDLC Ex: Festival, Part 2

You make it back to the classroom with about twenty minutes to finish getting ready for the festival.

As you’re walking into the room, you see Yuri’s knife that she had dropped as she ran off. Everyone is uneasy, a feeling that only gets worse as she bends down and picks up the knife. Yuri takes a few seconds to look it over, before folding it away and holding it out towards you.

“Here, I want you to take it.” she says, somberly.

“Isn’t that a little grim?” you ask. “What with it being the one you… well… you know…”

“And that’s why I want you to have it. You all helped me out of the dark place I was in, I feel like this is the best symbolic gesture of friendship I can make.”

“Geez, Yuri…” Natsuki interjects, “Not everything is all dramatic like your books…”

Yuri looks taken aback for a second. Finally Natsuki snatches it from between you and Yuri.

“I’ll be by your place to help get rid of the rest later this week!” Natsuki insists.

“A-All of them?” Yuri inquires, nervously. “Some of them are pretty expensive. I don’t even touch most of them!”

“Yes! All of them!” Natsuki responds, angrily. “Even that weird black one with the bird or whatever on the handle. I’ll help you sell it online!”

“W-well, ok, I guess…” Yuri says back meekly

“Come on! Don’t be so bummed!” Natsuki says, patting Yuri on the back. “Look on the bright side, now you’ll be able to have more books!”

“Yeah!” Sayori cheers. “I heard about this big book festival happening kinda soon, we should go!”

“Thanks, guys…” Yuri says, blushing.

“Oh!” Sayori shouts. “Where did the time go! The festival starts any minute!”

Suddenly everyone jumps into place. Natsuki runs to grab the cupcakes. Yuri and Sayori set up the table and adjust the lights. Soon everything is just about ready to show everyone just how great the literature club is.

“Yuri! Let’s go get some fried squid!” Natsuki begs, tugging on Yuri’s arm.


“Oh, but I still have to finish making the tea…” Yuri says, looking over at the boiling water.

“Don’t worry!” Sayori says cheerfully, “I’m the club president now, I’ll take care of things here.” She turns to you, almost as if she knew you were going to ask if she wanted you help. “And don’t you worry about me either! We’re gonna have plenty of time to enjoy the festival later.”

“Alright well, if you’re sure then I’ll just…” You turn to tell Yuri and Natsuki that you’ll join them, but before you can open your mouth Natsuki has jetted off with Yuri, shouting about all the food she wants.

Sayori giggles. You wave her goodbye and go check out some of the other club booths.

You see a few clubs that interest you, but they’d all conflict with the literature club. Besides, you wouldn’t leave your friends.

After looking through a few clubs you decide to try looking for Yuri and Natsuki.

Not seeing them inside, you decide to check all the booths outside. Natsuki did seem pretty enthused about the food.

Sure enough, after a few minutes you see Yuri with a small bag of popcorn. Beside her is Natsuki, marching happily along with a yakitori skewer in one hand and a rice ball in the other. She’s not even watching where she walks as she alternates bites between the two. Before you know it they’re both gone. As she opens her eyes, she sees that she’s a few feet in front of you. She grins as the pair catches up with you.

“Man, they’ve really got some good food here!” Natsuki declares triumphantly.

“You must be getting pretty full by now, aren’t you?” Yuri asks. You can tell she’s been dragged along the food booths for some time now.

“Nope!” Natsuki says with a grin, placing her fists on her hips.

Yuri’s face immediately turns to what can only be described as some mix of fear, disgust and fatigue.

Natsuki grabs your jacket sleeve.

“Come on, get some food with us!”

“Oh well, I’m not sure, I should probably…” but Natsuki interrupts you, poking your ribs with her elbow.

“I get it, wanna save some room for when you’re on your date with Sayori, huh?” she says with a mischievous grin. Yuri looks surprised and covers her mouth with her hands.

“I-it’s not a date!” you insist, “Just two friends hanging out at the festival is all…”

“Well if it’s not a date…” Natsuki says before suddenly pulling Yuri over. “Then you won’t mind us joining you two!”

While it’s true neither you nor Sayori explicitly said it would be just the two of you hanging out, it seemed implied. You don’t know what Sayori thinks, but you do know she’d be upset if you said Natsuki and Yuri couldn’t join.

“That’s fine, we’re all friends after all…” you say, defeated.


Defeated? You didn’t intend it to be a date with Sayori anyways, but it has been a while since it was just the two of you hanging out. Date or not, you always have enjoyed Sayori’s company, that’s why you’ve been friends so long. But Natsuki and Yuri are your friends now too. They’re Sayori’s friends as well. Sayori needs all the support she can get right now. Yuri too.

Natsuki continues her sly, smug grin. She’s not even sure if either of you wanted it to be a date. In fact, her and Sayori probably talked about the whole club spending time together last night. But, figuring it would make you uncomfortable, she brought up the idea of a date.

“Well then!” Natsuki says, turning back towards the food booths. “Guess you won’t mind me getting back to my thing! Come on Yuri!”

Looking as if she’s been enslaved to a Roman epicure, Yuri turns to follow Natsuki. You decide to join them, maybe you’ll see why Yuri has been looking as if she just saw a car crash.

It takes only a few minutes before you see. Stopping at every booth, Natsuki smiles her most innocent and cute smile and orders the biggest portion of whatever they’re serving. What’s even stranger is Yuri seems to be buying the food with a bottomless coin purse.

“Yuri, shouldn’t Natsuki be paying for all that food?” you ask. Natsuki crosses her arms over her chest, looking offended.

“Oh, it’s fine.” Yuri assures you. “I promised I’d take her around the festival. Besides, I get a decent allowance from my parents…”

Natsuki smiles, putting her arm around Yuri.

“Ahh, don’t worry! I pay you back with me!”

Yuri smiles in response, before realizing the arm Natsuki threw around her is holding another skewer of meat. Worse yet, Natsuki is eating off the skewer as she’s hugging Yuri!

Eventually Natsuki starts to slow down. The three of you eventually find yourselves by a bench. It’s getting to be about sunset already.

Natsuki is sitting on the ground by the bench. It’s obvious she ate way too much.

“Hey…” she says, pained from her over stuffed tummy, “Where’s Sayori?”

Where is Sayori? She should have been down by now. Curious, you set off towards the school building. But before you can even turn the corner, you hear Sayori should from behind you.

You turn to see her waving and smiling. Natsuki immediately jumps up and hugs Sayori as she makes it to the bench you’re at.

“Sorry I’m late, everyone. The tea and cupcakes made our room very popular, and I volunteered to clean up a bit inside.”

“Oh…” Yuri responds. “So does that mean the literature club is gonna get more members….”

Natsuki hears this and immediately looks hurt, as if her dog had run away.

“Nope!” Sayori says with a smile. “Everyone just came for the tea and cupcakes and left.”

Natsuki’s face immediately brightens back up.

“Yay!” she says, throwing her arms up.

Yuri looks relieved and smiles warmly to herself.

Sayori came just in time too, as the announcement comes on that the fireworks will be starting in five minutes.

You have a seat on the bench and Sayori sits next to you. Yuri and Natsuki stay standing. As the first firework goes off, Natsuki jumps and grabs Yuri tightly.

“What’s wrong?” you ask, concerned.

“N-nothing wrong!” Natsuki says, confidently. “I just-” but before she can finish, another firework goes off and she jumps back behind Yuri. “I-I just don’t like loud noises!”

Yuri puts her arm around Natsuki. Sayori gets up and pats her on the head.

“Don’t worry, Natsuki” Sayori says, with a smile. “I used to be scared of fireworks too. But eventually I learned they can’t hurt you.”

Natsuki still looks scared as the fireworks go off, but the looks starts fading as Sayori pats her head. Eventually she loosens her grip on Yuri, and looks up at the sky.

A big firework goes off, showing a brilliant starburst, full of colors. You can see Natsuki’s eyes have turned from fear to amazement. She’s totally mesmerized by the fireworks, as if she’s never taken the time to look at them before.

Sayori sits down next to you, holding on to your arm and resting her head on your shoulder.

“I’m sorry we couldn’t spend more time together at the festival…” she says.

“You don’t need to apologize, Sayori.” you tell her. “It’s gotta be hard having the festival be your first day as club president. I totally understand.”

Sayori smiles at you before putting her head back down on your shoulder and continuing to watch the fireworks.

You’ve been to plenty of festivals with Sayori before, but you feel like you’ve missed out not spending this one with her. But she’s here now, with you and the rest of her friends.

As you and Sayori sit, silently watching the fireworks, you both see Natsuki’s growing amazement and enthusiasm. Yuri is happy to see Natsuki no longer afraid of fireworks too.

Eventually they die down and the festival starts wrapping up. A few food booths stay open right until the end, so obviously Natsuki drags you all along.

Sayori is more than happy joining Natsuki. In fact, you start losing track of who’s been eating more!

“Oh! That looks yummy!” you hear Sayori say.

“It totally is!” Natsuki responds

“I’ll take two!” Sayori says, handing the second order to Natsuki.

Yuri seems relieved she has been freed from her bonds of servitude towards Natsuki’s unending appetite.

However you and Yuri are both still amazed at how much these two girls can eat. Sayori’s always been like this though, ever since you were kids.

Eventually the last of the food stands close, much to the disappointment of Sayori and Natsuki, and to the relief of you and Yuri.

As you’re reaching the school gate, Sayori asks if Yuri or Natsuki would like to stay the night at her place.

“Well, how about it?” Sayori asks.

“I’m sorry…” Yuri responds, disappointedly. “I have to be home tonight, I promised my mother I’d wash the dishes before bed.”

“I’ll come over!” Natsuki insists, with a smile. “Besides, I still have a bunch of my stuff over there!” she adds, now grinning, as if she planned to stay another night.

“Well, I hope you two have fun!” Yuri says with a smile.

“See you tomorrow!” Sayori says, before you part ways with Yuri.

As you get to Sayori’s front gate, she stops, with Natsuki continuing on and going inside.

“Thanks for today…” Sayori says to you. “I’m sorry again I ended up being so busy…”

“Sayori, don’t worry about it.” you assure her. “If anything, I should have stayed to help out.”

“Oh, no, no!” Sayori says. “I don’t want you worrying about me that much.”


As she finishes saying this you embrace her.

“Don’t think you’re some kind of burden.” you tell her. “Just because it’s my job to worry about you doesn’t mean I hate it.”

Sayori wraps her arms around you. She’s on the verge of tears, happy knowing that you’re there for her.

After a longer than usual embrace, Sayori’s door open and she releases you from her hug.

You turn to see Natsuki in her pajamas, holding a GameCube controller.

“Sayori! Come on inside already, I wanna play Mario Party!”

“I’ll be right in!” Sayori shouts in response, happily. She turns to you and smiles. “I guess this is good night. I’ll see you at school tomorrow!”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow.” you say. As you walk away, you turn, and before Sayori can close her door, you shout to her “And be sure not to lose to Natsuki tonight!”

Sayori smiles confidently, give a thumbs up before she closes the door.

Before you go to sleep you decide to check your phone one last time for the night. You notice while you were getting ready for bed you received a text. It’s from Monika.

“Hey, I heard about how the festival went. I’m glad you’re helping Yuri out. Sorry again I couldn’t make it. I hope you all had fun :)”

“Thanks, we made sure it was something you’d be proud of.”

You get a response back a few minutes later.

“As expected from the Literature Club” she replies with a thumbs up added at the end.

Even after what happened with Yuri and missing out on spending time with Sayori, you go to sleep happy, knowing that your friends are happy.