Chương 16: Sudden Visitors (2)

As I heated up the pan and cracked the eggs into a bowl, the doorbell chimed again, breaking the peaceful atmosphere once more. I glanced at Sayori, who seemed just as curious as I was about who could be at the door.

"The door," I said, nodding towards it.

"Ah! Right." She quickly got up from her chair and walked to the door, swinging it open. Her surprised expression made me turn my attention to the doorway.

"Eh?! Monika?"

"Sayori, it's fancy meeting you here!" Monika's cheerful voice carried into the room as she greeted Sayori with a warm smile.

Sayori appeared slightly flustered, her eyebrows raised in astonishment. "E-Eh? How did you know where Maki's house is?"

Monika chuckled playfully. "Eh? Don't tell me you forgot..."

"Eh?"

"Oh, and I'm not alone... Yuri and Natsuki are coming too."

"E-Eh? Why?"

"Well~ I figured that we should think about our plans for the cultural festival, and we thought about using Maki's place."

"I-I see..."

Just then, Monika noticed Natsuki and Yuri walking side by side, and their gaze turned towards Monika who was standing at the front door.

"There they are~ Here, guys!~" Monika gestured, her smile infectious.

Natsuki and Yuri made their way through the gate, their expressions turning from surprise to curiosity.

"Hello, Sayori! What are you doing at Maki's house?" Natsuki inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"E-Erm... Actually, I was going to ask Maki for help brainstorming for the festival too..."

I walked toward the front door, my curiosity piqued. "Sayori, your omelet—What are you all doing here?!"

"Oh, heya Maki~" Sayori greeted with a cheerful smile.

"G-Good morning," Yuri added in her calm tone.

Natsuki then turned her attention to Sayori, her expression deadpan. "Brainstorming or eating?"

Sayori averted her gaze, her cheeks flushing slightly. "I-I mean... Maki offered, and I accepted."

"Enough chit-chat outside. Come on in," I urged.

Monika stepped inside with a confident stride. "Then don't mind if we do~"

"Sorry for the intrusion," Yuri said politely as she followed Monika.

Natsuki simply shrugged as she entered. "Yeah, yeah, let's just get this over with."

"So this is Maki's house," Yuri observed, her eyes scanning the living room. "It has a distinct Maki scent to it."

"Should I cook for all of you? Well, I think I should," I sighed, reaching for another egg in the fridge.

Natsuki joined me in the kitchen. "I'll help you, but don't get any weird ideas," she said with a slight blush. "I just don't want to owe anyone." She grabs the oil and passes it to me "Plus, I want you to see me cook." She muttered.

"Hm, Did you say something?" I asked looking at Natsuki who was clearly blushing for some reason.

"Never mind, just focus on your cooking!"

Meanwhile, Monika and Yuri, who had been watching us, chimed in.

"Those two look like newlyweds," Monika observed with a playful smile.

"You're right," Yuri added with a subtle grin.

Sayori, with her innocent curiosity, asked, "Are we going to brainstorm? Oh... They look like newlyweds."

I set the dishes on the table, a modest meal I'd prepared for the girls. "It's not much, but I hope you like it," I said with a faint smile.

Yuri took a subtle sniff of the food. "Maki's cooking," she murmured, a slight smile gracing her lips.

Natsuki eyed me suspiciously. "How did you get so good at cooking all of a sudden?" she quizzed, narrowing her gaze.

I chuckled. "Maybe I've been hiding my skills all along," I teased, trying to brush off her suspicion.

Sayori's eyes widened. "You made extra for me too?" she gasped in surprise, her face lighting up.

"Well, you usually ask for seconds."

"Genius Maki!"

Just as we settled around the table, a ping from my notifications drew my attention. Monika had messaged me. I tried to act nonchalant as I subtly read her message using my eyes' navigation.

"Did you use a cheat code on yourself?" the message read, causing me to smirk at her astuteness.

I mentally typed back, "How did you figure it out?"

"XDD maybe you should wipe the logs," came Monika's teasing reply.

"Alright, you caught me."

As the last bites were savored, I began gathering the used plates, my mind anticipating the upcoming conversation about the cultural festival—the main reason behind this impromptu gathering.

"So, about the festival? We're all in agreement that our club will participate, right?" Monika initiated the discussion, her eyes scanning each of us.

A unanimous nod followed her question.

"Perfect! But before I dive into planning, I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on what we could do for the cultural festival," Monika proposed, her eyes alight with enthusiasm.

Natsuki chimed in, her voice confident. "I think showcasing our poetry in a unique way might be cool."

"Perhaps we could arrange a live poetry reading session," Yuri suggested, her demeanor calm and thoughtful.

Sayori leaned forward, excitement dancing in her eyes. "We could have a collaborative writing booth! Visitors could contribute lines to a story we'll write together."

My turn to contribute, huh?

"I agree with all of those ideas, Maybe we could combine them somehow. A live reading where we invite visitors to participate in creating a story through poetry."

Monika's eyes sparkled with appreciation. "That's an excellent synthesis, Maki!"

"I guess we'll need to prepare for the things we need as well as grabbing the Student Council's approval," Natsuki stated.

Natsuki's statement about needing Student Council approval jolted me from my thoughts as my mind went blank.

Student Council? I couldn't recall anything about that being a part of the original game.

My confusion must have been evident as my mind raced to make sense of this unfamiliar addition.

Lost in contemplation, I noticed Monika calling my name, pulling me back to the room's present reality.

"Maki? Are you alright?" Monika's concerned voice snapped me back.

"Huh? Yes, of course," I responded, trying to catch up.

"Geez, have you been paying attention to what I was saying?" Monika's exasperation was palpable.

"A-Ah, sorry... Could you repeat that?" I stammered, feeling a bit sheepish.

Monika sighed, then clarified, "Natsuki will make cupcakes, Yuri's preparing tea, while Sayori and I handle the student council matters."

"O-Oh, got it. I'll handle the flyers, then," I replied, feeling slightly out of sync.

Monika's gaze softened, whispering in a comforting tone, "I can see you're preoccupied, but we'll talk about it later."

Her sudden sweet smile caught me off guard. "That smile was a critical hit," I murmured to myself, feeling a tad flustered.

I decided to shift my focus back to the task at hand, planning to print the flyers. There was something off about this situation, but for now, I'd just follow along until I could make sense of it.

I'll let it slide for now.