Monika saw us and her eyes turned to Natsuki, seeing how she was energetic, she went back to her notebook. Natsuki then turned to me. "I haven't introduced myself have I, well whatever I'll just do it now, my name is Nastsuki, nice to meet you newbie."
I raised my eyebrow. "Aren't you a lowerclassman."
Natsuki glared at me. "Hey, I'm in the second grade, I just look...smaller than the rest."
Oh, a new development in the story too, well it isn't a big one actually. "Then you should take proper care of yourself and eat more, Monika's worried about you."
Natsuki snorted and whispered something under her breath. "...she isn't my sister so she just stop caring about my personal problems..."
I heard every word of that but did not speak. "If you're uncomfortable talking about that, then why don't we just talk for a bit?."
Nastsuki blinked, then her eyes sparkled. "Do you meant that."
*DING*
This shit is back.
[You have received a Side quest. You can choose to decline it and no consequences will happen.]
[Side Quest: Sit with Natsuki and read a manga together—Reward: A hint about Vampires, A poem.]
"Uhm yeah, but what do you want to chat about." I asked curiously.
Nastsuki smiled and lead me towards a small shelf filled with mangas and comics. "This is the literate club, we don't chat but we do read and write stuff and plan out events for the school sometimes."
I stared at the sheer numbers of the mangas on the shelf. "And you think Manga is literature."
She turned to me whilst pouting. "Manga is literature!!"
I shrugged. "I'm not disagreeing but I rather read manwahs."
She then looked at me weirdly. ",Those things are repetitive, Some Koreans really have no imagination sometimes, I'd rather stick to hard copy Instead."
I laughed as we sat on the ground, out backs against the wall, heads just right above the window. "Well, you're right, so what are you reading now."
Natsuki hesitated for a few seconds before showing me the book cover and turning her face away with a small blush on her face. "Magical girl Vampira, seeing the title I'm going to guess she wished to be a magical girl and then became a vampire.",
She turned around and immediately said. "What, no, this story follows Akira witnessing a fight between magical Vampire girls where one of them got hurt and was unable to fight, Akira wanted to help but the vampire girl stopped her until she asked how she could help, the vampire girl then said she would have to become a vampire and then she would gain the power to fight monsters as a magical girl, upon agreeing, the girl bit her and she became a vampire an— Ah, was I taking too much."
I smirked slightly, nodding as I processed what she was saying. Magical girl vampires, huh? A genre blend I didn't expect Natsuki to be into—though, somehow, it made sense.
But that chill in my spine lingered. The mention of vampires wasn't sitting right with me—especially considering the system's earlier reward list: A magic bullet book from the Scarlet Devil. Wasn't that a Touhou reference? A game where vampires, specifically Remilia Scarlet, were a major part?
Was this all a coincidence... or a clue?
"Magical girl vampires, huh?" I mused, glancing at Natsuki. "Seems... a little intense for a school club read."
Natsuki pouted and jabbed me lightly in the ribs. "Shut up! It's deep, okay? The story has themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and... stuff like that! It's not all frilly dresses and sparkles!"
"Fair enough," I chuckled, raising my hands in surrender. "I'll take your word for it."
DING
The system window blinked again, and I instinctively squinted as if it were an afterimage burned into my retinas:
---
[You have completed the Side Quest: Sit with Natsuki and read a manga together.]
[Rewards granted: A hint about Vampires, A poem.]
Hint about Vampires:
"Not all who drink blood are monsters; some hunger for salvation more than sustenance. But beware the red moon—it heralds the awakening of the Old Blood."
Poem received:
NAME:Sugar, Spice, and Something Dark.
In the sunlit room, sweetness blooms,
A cupcake's frosting hides her gloom.
Her smile is small, her hands so light,
But shadows flicker in her bite.
A girl who reads, a girl who dreams,
Yet in her gaze, the hunger gleams.
Pink ribbons tied in fragile care,
Yet sharpness lingers in the air.
Be careful when you taste the sweet—
For some confections bleed defeat.
---
My breath caught in my throat as I read the words, each line sparking a primal unease. I glanced at Natsuki—was there something I was missing about her?
The system didn't say she was a vampire—but it was hinting at something lurking in the shadows of this world. Red moon... Old Blood...
"Mark?" Natsuki's voice jolted me.
I blinked, shaking off the chill that had settled on my skin.
"Huh? Oh, yeah—sorry. Just... got lost in thought," I muttered.
She stared at me for a moment longer, her eyes narrowing slightly as if trying to read my expression. Then, with a tiny huff, she looked away, muttering, "Weirdo."
"Well you're cute." I said with a teasing smile.
"Don't cal me cute you weirdo?!."
I chuckled at her retort, she is cute. "Fine, let's just read for Like 30 minutes."
Natsuki scowled, but her blush deepened, betraying the slight twitch of a smile at the corner of her lips. She flipped open the manga with a huff, as if to cover it up, and we began to read in relative silence—though the occasional gasp or muttered comment from her was hard to ignore.
I glanced at her side profile as she got engrossed in the story—eyes flicking across the panels, sometimes biting her lower lip in concentration, sometimes her brows furrowed in frustration at a cliffhanger. It was... odd, how normal this felt. Almost too normal, considering the strange tension that buzzed beneath the surface, like the hum of a fridge in an empty room.
The words of the poem lingered in my mind, though:
"Be careful when you taste the sweet—
For some confections bleed defeat."
I didn't know if it was paranoia or intuition, but it felt like a warning not just about Natsuki, but perhaps the entire club.
After about twenty-five minutes, I stretched, my back cracking audibly. "Alright, I think I'm done with this for now. My head's spinning from all the sparkles and vampire drama."
Natsuki glanced at me, looking slightly annoyed. "You didn't even get to the good part where Akira transforms into her vampire form!"
"Oh, I'll take your word for it," I teased, smirking. "Maybe next time."
She pouted, crossing her arms and leaning back. For a second, the late afternoon sun hit her hair just right, casting a faint reddish hue.
That... eerie thought from earlier tickled the back of my brain. Was she always this pale?
I glanced at the clock—4:15 PM. Time was slipping, and I had other quests to finish.
Sayori was humming a tune softly from the supply closet, probably organizing materials for the next event. I could easily give her the flowers later when no one was watching.
But Yuri…
How was I going to hand her a bookmark without making it seem like a "gift"? She was always so reserved—awkward, even. If I wasn't careful, I might make her retreat into her shell.
I mulled it over while Natsuki packed up the manga, humming under her breath. There was an air of contentment around her now, like she'd forgotten the earlier tension—though I hadn't.
That poem still gnawed at me.
Just as I was lost in thought, the door creaked open, and a soft, deliberate set of footsteps echoed into the room.
Yuri had arrived.
She stepped in, clutching a stack of books tight to her chest, her violet hair cascading over her shoulder like a silky curtain. Her deep purple eyes scanned the room and landed on me briefly—then darted away, cheeks coloring faintly.
"Ah… hello," she whispered, voice barely above a murmur.
"Yo," I greeted casually, leaning back against the wall.
"Hey Yuri!" Natsuki piped up, already back in her usual spot, flipping through another manga. "You're late as always!"
"I… I had to return some books," Yuri mumbled, her gaze downcast. She walked to her desk and began quietly unpacking her novels and writing materials.
This was my chance.
I reached into my bag, feeling the corner of the bookmark I'd bought earlier—a simple design, dark navy blue with a crescent moon motif. I approached Yuri slowly, trying not to seem too eager.
"Hey, Yuri," I said, voice low enough so Natsuki wouldn't overhear. "I, uh, noticed you read a lot of heavy books. I thought this might help you keep track of where you are."
Without making direct eye contact, I slipped the bookmark onto the top of her stack of books as if it had just naturally landed there.
Yuri blinked, startled. Her eyes darted from the bookmark to me, and her lips parted slightly—like she wanted to say something, but the words stuck.
Instead, she gave a small, almost imperceptible nod, her fingers brushing lightly over the bookmark as if it were made of glass.
DING
The system pinged in my head again, the familiar notification flashing across my vision:
---
[You have completed Quest #3: Give Yuri a bookmark.]
[Rewards granted: Occult Knowledge (Beginner), A protective charm.]
Occult Knowledge (Beginner):
Basic understanding of symbols, runes, and energies tied to spiritual phenomena.
Protective Charm:
A small amulet in your pocket, shaped like a silver feather. It hums softly when danger is near.
---
I felt the weight of the charm settle into my pocket, and a faint warmth spread through me. Occult knowledge…? That could definitely come in handy.
Yuri glanced at me once more, her expression oddly softer—though a faint blush still dusted her cheeks.
"I… appreciate it," she murmured, so quiet I almost didn't hear it.
Before I could respond, the sound of Sayori's footsteps echoed out from the closet. "Okay, now that everyone Is here, let's plan out an activity."
Monika stood up from her seat and stretched a bit. She walked towards Sayori and stood beside her. "Before we get started we have to address out New club member, as you can see everyone here has a preference and type of things they read, but first Introductions. This here is Mark as you all have briefly met him and he is now a member of this club. I hope we all get along."
"Yes, Yes now Mark, tell us what you're most Interested in, whether it is writing, reading or even reciting a poem!!." Sayori said while pumping a hand up to the sky.
What I am Interested in...well if it's a genre of books why not. "I like looking at Occult books or any book that has more of a realistically supernatural outlook on the world."
Yuri seemed to have stopped reading and gave me a small glance.
Sayori clapped her hands.
Natsuki. Was looking down.
And Monika, she nodded in appreciation. "Oh so you like Occult novels?."
Her voice was smooth, but there was something deeper in her tone—like she knew more than she let on. The way her eyes shimmered when she said Occult novels sent a small shiver down my spine.
Before I could respond, Monika continued. "Well, I'm sure you'll get along with Yuri just fine. She enjoys that genre too, don't you, Yuri?"
Yuri jolted slightly, her violet eyes flickering between me and Monika like a startled deer. "I… I do, yes…" she murmured, her voice so soft it could have been lost in the hum of the classroom lights.
"See?" Sayori beamed, clapping her hands together again. "Perfect match!"
Natsuki, however, didn't look up. Her fists were clenched lightly on her lap, and I caught a glimpse of something dark flickering behind her usual pout—a shadow I couldn't quite place. It reminded me of the lines in that poem: Her smile is small, her hands so light, but shadows flicker in her bite.
"Don't get ahead of yourself Sayori, playing matchmaker isn't something you should to someone like me." I said as I rolled my eyes.
Sayori giggled and waved her hands in the air. "Aww, I'm just teasing! You two just seem like you'd get along, that's all!"
Her voice was light, but I noticed how Yuri's fingers tightened ever so slightly around the edge of her book, and how Monika's gaze briefly lingered on me, a glint of… something… in her eyes.
"I can get along with everyone, well not everyone but I try." I said while shrugging. "For example the person I got along with more today was Natsuki and that was because her childish attitude made her likeable...though she kinda dies have a foul attitude too.
Natsuki's head snapped up, her eyes narrowing into sharp slits. "Oi! I heard that, you know!" she shot back, her cheeks flushing red as her fists clenched tighter.
I chuckled under my breath. "Just speaking the truth, Natsuki."
She huffed, puffing her cheeks like a furious hamster, then mumbled something under her breath that I couldn't quite catch, though it probably wasn't very polite.
[You have received a Sub quest: You can choose to cancel it.]
[Sub Quest:Walk Sayori home. Reward: A poem, Exorcism Knowledge (Basic), Defense Talisman (Basic).]