Hanging Decorations

"So it's settled then! Anon will spend the weekend with me!" Monika was happy that she had finally found out how to convince the other two to let her talk to the player.

"Do us at least one courtesy." Natsuki said, grimacing. "Now that Anon is helping you on your... frankly pretty easy project, would you mind letting one of us have Sayori's help?"

"Ah... I agree! That would be a necessary concession." Yuri said, almost immediately

Monika shrugged. "Actually, that's fine. No, really, that's better than fine. I'll let her know her options. In the meantime, let me give Anon my phone number!"

Monika excitedly wrote down her number and handed it to Anon.

"Tch. You're not even a little standoffish about giving away your number?" Natsuki said. "I bet guys ask you for your number all the time."

"Ah, well, that's not important. Now I get to finally get to use the out of school outfit asset! I hope you like it~!"

Natsuki and Yuri rolled their eyes.

***

Yuri headed over to Sayori's house on the agreed upon day and knocked on Sayori's door. Surprisingly, Anon came out about a minute or so later.

"Anon?"

"Ah, I was just checking up on her. Make sure to keep her spirits up. I'd stick around for longer but, I don't want to make Monika wait too long."

"I see. Well, I'll do my best. Sayori is one of my closest friends." Yuri said, smiling.

"I'll see you on the day of the festival." Anon waved and headed out.

"Have a nice day...!" Yuri awkwardly entered through the door and went up to Sayori's room.

"Oh... it's Yuri...!" Sayori wiped her eyes a bit. "Welcome to my room."

"Thanks for agreeing to help me, Sayori."

"Ah... no problem...!" Sayori didn't look as happy as usual.

Yuri entered and began to organize the materials.

"Sorry... I don't know how much help I'm going to be able to provide. I'm in bad shape... If anything I'll just slow you down..."

"It's okay, Sayori, you can take it easy. Any amount of help you give will be fine. I was prepared to do it alone anyway."

"Why do you think he decided to spend today with Monika?" Sayori asked, somewhat spontaneously.

"I think he's just trying to get to know all of us. His first poem was something he thought you would like, then he wrote one for me, and then one for Natsuki."

"Ah... yeah... I guess you're right." Sayori said.

Yuri began to set up the oil diffuser. "Maybe this will make you feel a bit better. I did a bit of shopping on the way over here."

"I remember you telling me about those. I never did try it out... I guess I was just too lazy to actually go through with it."

"I'll leave it with you when I go. I encourage you to give it a try every now and then."

Yuri flipped the switch on the bottom. A soothing vapor filled the air.

"Okay, I'll let you know what the project is, and then you can decide how much work you want to do. If you feel like stopping, I'll just do all of it and you can just keep me company."

"Thanks... I'll try to help I guess."

Yuri described the decoration project. Sayori was a little impressed, and briefly smiled. "You're so good at this. I wish I could have thought of something like that."

Yuri returned the smile. "Which one of us had the idea for the festival event in the first place?"

"Yeah but, it wasn't because I was amazing or anything. I just want to show the school how great everyone is."

"Sayori... don't sell yourself short."

Yuri pulled out her knife to start cutting the ribbons. As soon as she did, Sayori's eyes were drawn right to it.

"That knife...! It's beautiful." Sayori admired it and drew closer. "How did you get something like this?"

Yuri took a deep breath. Sayori wasn't the type of person who would be overly judging. She could trust her with this. "Don't laugh but... I'm kind of... into knives. The combination of craftsmanship and danger... Ah, what am I saying?"

"It's so you, Yuri. Tucked away and hidden most of the time, but perfectly sharp and precise when you're drawn."

"As for where I got it... well, I have them made by specific artisans."

"May I hold it?" Sayori asked.

Yuri froze. Sayori was fairly clumsy and this knife was very sharp. She would never forgive herself if Sayori was hurt because she got careless.

"Maybe we should wait until you're in a bit of a better headspace." Yuri said, choosing her words carefully.

"I see your point." Sayori said, looking down. "I'm sorry."

"No need to be. I promise I will let you hold one when you're feeling better."

The conversation went quiet for a bit.

"He's amazing isn't he...?" Sayori said suddenly. "I knew he'd fit right into this club."

"I was pleasantly surprised at how good his poems could be. And he seems to appreciate the literature I was introducing him to. It would make me happy to get to know him better."

"It would make me happy too." Sayori said, but her eyes started to tear up. "I just want him to get to know how great our club is..."

"Ah...!" Yuri moved over to Sayori and gave her a small hug. "He will."

"Ignore me right now... I'm just being stupid." Sayori said, trying to fight the tears that were already coming. "I just... don't want to get in the way, but I also don't want to lose him..."

"You're not being stupid. He's lucky to have you." Yuri patted Sayori on the back.

"No he's not... I'm just going to drag him down"

"We're all lucky to have you Sayori. Please don't forget that. The club would be much worse without you."

As the decoration session went by, Sayori was having an increasingly hard time dealing with her emotions. When they were about three quarters of the way done, Yuri had to ask for a short break.

"Sorry. I'll be right back."

She rushed to the restroom.

'Ah... She's not doing well. If only I knew how to be a better friend.'

Yuri rolled up her sleeve.

'Just a bit. To calm me down, make me better at helping her.'

She gave herself a small cut with her knife.

"...haaaah..."

It wasn't quite enough. One more.

"...haaaah..."

That was a little better.

'I'd better check up on her tomorrow. I can always just use the excuse that I need to go over one more thing with her.'

She washed her face a bit, rolled down her sleeve and went back out to Sayori.

"I'm back."

Yuri and Sayori wrapped up their session. The girls headed out of the house together.

"Thanks for helping Sayori. That was much better than doing it alone."

"I think you helped me more than I helped you." Sayori said. But her smile was still sad.

"Well, see you tomorrow. And if you need anything, don't hesitate to call." Yuri headed back to her home.

She didn't notice Sayori going to check on Monika and Anon.

***

Yuri got up early next morning. She donned her uniform and perused her blades to find one she hadn't carried in a while.

'Ah, I almost skipped this one. I'll carry you today~'

Yuri hadn't forgotten how bad of a state Sayori was in. She quickly made her way back over to her house.

Sayori didn't answer the door. Yuri was starting to get a little nervous.

'Perhaps she didn't sleep in this morning? ...That doesn't really make sense though. Especially how bad she looked yesterday. Ah, well, I really should check up on her.'

Yuri made her way in. She heard a disturbing sound coming from Sayori's room.

"Sayori?! Are you okay?" Yuri rushed over to the door to Sayori's room and threw it open.

Sayori was hanging from the ceiling, thrashing wildly and trying to claw the rope off.

Yuri dashed over to the center of the room and drew her knife. She she sliced the rope, causing Sayori to collapse onto the ground and start coughing up a storm.

"Sayori... speak to me!" Yuri said, tears in her eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Why..." Sayori covered her face with her bloodied hands. "Why did you have to stop me...?"

"Sayori... I'm sorry... I should have known it was this bad..." Yuri fell to her knees. "I tried to be a good friend..."

"It's all my fault... my problems will never go away. I'll just make everything worse..."

"That's not true but... I can empathize, sort of." Yuri said.

"Just go... leave me alone..."

Yuri gathered her bravery, and decided to shhare "You should know something. I have a problem as well."

"What are you talking about?" Sayori said, through sniffles.

"Well... can we keep this under wraps?"

"...I won't tell anyone."

Yuri rolled up her sleeves to show her scars.

"Ah...!" Sayori gasped in surprise. She didn't want to believe it. "What are you trying to tell me?"

Yuri took the knife and slid it along her arm.

"Don't do it!" Sayori recoiled. "But why...! You shouldn't do that to yourself!"

"The pain just... helps me control myself. That's all."

"But... you're so beautiful. Why would you want to damage yourself like that?"

"Don't say that! You just tried to take yourself away from us!" Yuri said, intensely. She removed the rest of the noose from Sayori's neck.

"But..."

"...come on, let's get you to the emergency room."

Sayori looked like she wanted to refuse, but she allowed herself to be pulled up. "Can you do me a favor...? I don't want Anon to find out about this."

Yuri made a grimace, and turned away from her. "I need to know you're going to see somebody about it. I need proof. If I don't know you're seeking help I'll tell him. And he will never leave you alone about it."

"Well... if that's the case then you'd better seek help too! We're in the same boat here!" Sayori countered.

"Ah! ...but our situations are completely different. My problem is completely under control. It won't get out of hand."

"They aren't that different. I'm not going to therapy unless you do!"

Yuri gave an exasperated sigh. "Fine. I'll go to therapy. We'll keep each other's secrets. Everybody wins, everybody loses."

Sayori nodded. She smiled, ever so slightly. It was the most sincere smile she had managed all weekend.