Hey guys. So uhhh... I kinda hit a wall with AFSI, and the construction crew is kinda taking a long time to get here, so, uhhh... Here's something to fill that little void I got. I hope you all enjoy [FILE CORRUPTED]!

DDLC is property of Dan Salvato. I own a lot of things, but my own franchise is not one of them. Probably never will be, either.


Chapter 1: The first day

"Heeeeeeeyyy!" I heard a cheerful voice shout, catching my attention. I turn around and see a happy-go-lucky-looking girl running towards me, waving her hands in the air like she just doesn't care about any unwanted attention. She was a girl my age with short, pinkish-orange hair with a red bow tilted to the side, had bright blue eyes, and wore a disheveled version of the school uniform. The jacket was unbuttoned, and the white collar was wrinkled and had a toothpaste stain on it. The vest was orange with a pattern reminiscent of scales, and a wrinkled blue skirt. Tying it all together (hehe) was a little red ribbon tied into a bow just below her collar.

That girl was Sayori, my neighbor and good friend since we were kids. You know, the kind of friend you wouldn't see yourself making today, but it just kinda works out since you've known each other for so long by that point? Yeah, it was kinda like that. We used to walk to school together all the time on days like these, but ever since we hit high school, she started oversleeping more and more often, and I couldn't afford to wait for her, else I would be late for school. But even though she chased me all this way, I was half-tempted to keep walking, just to mess with her. But, I decided to wait for her with a sigh as I wait on the sidewalk. It has been a long time since we walked to school, after all. Sayori reached me, doubling over and gasping for air.

"Haaahhh...Haaahhh… I overslept again!" She immediately stood back up with a victorious grin. "But I caught you this time!" I crack a smirk.

"Maybe, but only because I decided to stop and wait for you." She recoiled in shock.

"Eeehhhh, you say that like you were thinking about ignoring me!" She then did that thing where she pouts with her cheeks puffed out and poking her two index fingers together that made her look adorable. "That's mean, Vic!"

"Well, if people stare at us for acting weird, might as well let them know we're not a couple." Sayori put on her usual smile.

"Fine, fine. But you did wait for me after all. Guess you don't have it in you to be mean to me, even if you want to~"

"Whatever you say, Ri."

"Ehehe~"

We crossed the street together and make our way to school. As we drew near, the streets became much more crowded as other students came in, too.

"By the way, Vic...Have you decided on a club to join, yet?" I stared at her with a deadpan expression.

"A club? I'm pretty sure I told you I wasn't interested in any clubs. Haven't really been looking, either."

"Eh? That's not true! You told me you'd join a club this year!"

"Wait, what? I did?" Then again, there have been times where she just rambles on and I just agree to whatever she says, so it's not exactly impossible. Ri tends to worry a little TOO much about me when I'm content just getting by on the average while spending my free time on games, anime, and fanfiction. Sayori put her hands on her hips.

"Uh-huh! I was talking about how I'm worried that you won't learn how to socialize or have any skills before college. Your happiness is really important to me, you know? And I know you're happy now, but I'd DIE at the thought of you becoming a NEET in a few years because you're not used to the real world!" Her eyes then grew sad. "You trust me, right? Please, don't make me keep worrying about you…" She trailed off. I became filled with guilt at the sight of her sadness. I let out a sigh.

"Alright, alright. I'll look at a few clubs if it makes you happy. No promises though." I finished with a warning.

"Will you at least promise to try? At least a little bit?"

"Yeah. I promise." This was enough to get her back to her cheery self.

"Yaay~!" Seeing her so happy never failed to put a smile on my face. I couldn't believe I was letting myself be lectured by such a carefree girl. Then again, said carefree girl was the only good thing I really had left. Ever since her parents died and mine decided I wasn't worth the damn effort (Or at least, Dad did, while Mom went and 'died', too), we met just a few days later, and found solace in each others company. Sure, we were getting by on welfare checks physically, but we relied on each other for mental and emotional support. It didn't stop her from falling into depression, whereas I was already there, but I did my best not to burden her too much and tried to deal with it by putting up a stupid front, and I could tell she hid it under that cheery side so I wouldn't worry, though there were rare moments where it slipped through. As long as we had each other, it was like all our problems just… didn't exist at all. Our presence was a sort of catharsis for us. If she were to suddenly die one of these days, I… would rather not think about what I would do. After all, why waste energy speculating something that probably won't happen for a while, when I could be wasting it on other useless things? I guess I agreed so she would have one less thing to worry about - even if she did kindof exaggerate it out of proportion.

"C'mon, we don't wanna be late~!" Sayori said, running ahead. I grinned and ran after her.

"You're not really one to talk, Ri!"

"Hey!"


School went by the same way it normally did. Slow, boring, and dealt with by sleeping in class. Finally, the end comes. I pack my things and chill in the room for a bit. I don't really have any motivation for clubs, but I did promise Sayori that I'd make a serious attempt, soooo…

"Let's see, clubs… Well, I know they have an anime club…Ooh, maybe I should see if I can find a D club..."

"Hellooo?"

"Eh?" Sayori was right in front of me, waving her hand in front of my face. "Sayori?" She musta come in while I was thinking. 'We were nodding off.' THINKING… I looked around and realized the two of us are the only ones in the room.

"I thought I'd catch you coming out of the classroom, but I saw you just sitting here and nodding off, so I came in. Honestly, you're even worse than me sometimes… I'm impressed!" I sighed and gave a small smile.

"You don't need to wait for me if it'll make you late to your own club, Ri." Sayori looked a little sheepish.

"Well, I thought you might need some encouragement, so I thought, you know…" My eyes narrowed.

"...Ri."

"Yes?"

"Are you suggesting I check out your club?"

"...Maaaayyyybeeee?" Her eyes slowly rolled to the left. I sighed.

"Ri…"

"Yeah?" She put on a big grin at this.

"There is no way I'm going to your club." She did her little adora-pout again.

"Eeeehhhhh?! Meanie!" Yeah, Ri's vice president of the Literature Club. Which completely threw me off guard when she joined because I had no idea she was ever interested in literature. Actually, I am… 90% sure she joined just so she could help start a new club. Since she was the second person to show interest in the club, the first being the one who proposed the club in the first place, she kinda just inherited the title "Vice President". That said, I'm pretty sure my interest in literature isn't really good enough to warrant entry to the Literature club.

"Yeeaaahh, I'm just gonna check out the anime club."

"C'mon, please?" Sayori then used her most compelling argument… the puppy eyes. She knows how much I can't stand when she pulls them out, so she pulls them out whenever she really wants something. Granted, my resistance has gotten better over the years. I was able to withstand a whole five seconds this time! Long enough for me to throw out another question that diffused the eyes.

"Why do you care so much, anyway?" She had that sheepish expression again, but this time she did her little finger-finger-pokey-pokey thing.

"Well...I kinda told the club yesterday I was gonna bring in a new member… And Natsuki made cupcakes and everything… Ehehe…" I immediately facepalmed.

"Ri, you know you shouldn't make promises you can't keep." I honestly didn't know if she actually forgot, or she was cunning enough to plan this all out. I let a long sigh pass my lips and took my hand off my face. "Fine. I'll stop by for a cupcake, okay?" She immediately jumped for joy.

"Yes! Let's go~!"


And thus, I found myself selling my soul for a damn cupcake. I followed Sayori across the school in my usual fashion - hands in my pockets, slouched over - and was led upstairs - a part of the school I don't really know too well since it's typically used for third-year shit. Sayori, ever full of energy, swung open a classroom door.

"Everyone~! The new member is here~!" She practically sang out. I cringed a little.

"Ri, I told you not to call me a hellooo~ what do we have here?" I said as the occupants of the room registered. One of them stepped forward. She was a tall, beautiful girl with long, deep purple hair that seemed to flow down her body with a couple purple hair pins to keep it out of her face, amethyst-colored eyes, a light blush on her cheeks, and her uniform seemed to accentuate her… rather large assets.

"Welcome to the Literature Club." She said in a soft, mature voice. "It's a pleasure meeting you. Sayori always says nice things about you."

A second girl approached. She was short. Very short. She maybe came up to the bottom of my chest, if that. She also looked like a first-year, but that's beside the point. She had cotton candy-pink hair with red ribbons tied into it, one of them holding some of her hair in a side-ponytail, eyes that were the exact same color as her hair, and a somewhat angry expression with her hands on her hips.

"Seriously? You brought a boy?" She spoke with a stand-offish voice. "Way to kill the atmosphere." I could already tell she would be quite the handful. Then the third girl approached. Wait a minute…

"Oh shit, is that Monika?!" I said with a surprised smile.

"Victor! What a nice surprise! Welcome to the club!" Monika was a girl around my age with long, light-brown hair held up in the back by a large white ribbon into a high ponytail, had emerald-green eyes, and held herself with a confident air. She, too, had a surprised smile. I was completely stunned. This club…

...is full of incredibly cute girls!

"What are you looking at?" Said the short girl. "If you want to say something, say it." I grinned evilly.

"Something, say it." I repeated. She blinked for a moment.

"Wh-what?"

"Were you not the one who asked if I wanted to say something, say it?" She stumbled over her words for a moment before stomping her foot into the floor.

"I didn't mean like that, idiot!"

"Ah, but did you make that clear for a smartass?" She looked like she wanted to strangle me.

"Natsuki…" The tall girl snapped Shorty back to reality. She immediately crossed her arms.

"Hmph." Natsuki? Didn't Ri say she's the one who made cupcakes? How can someone with such a sour attitude bake something so sweet? *GASP* Unless they're sour cupcakes! Sayori snuck up behind me.

"You can just ignore her when she gets moody~" She whispered into my ear before turning to the others. "Anyway! This is Natsuki, always full of energy." She gestured to the short one. "And this is Yuri, the smartest in the club!" The newly named Yuri suddenly looked incredibly shy as she started playing with some of her hair.

"D-don't say things like that…" I took note of her behavior. Yuri seemed like she'd have trouble keeping up with people like Ri and Natsuki. Maybe she needs someone to help her keep pace?

"Well, it's nice to meet both of you." I said, offering a handshake. Natsuki turned away from it with a 'hmph', but Yuri took it, albeit with some hesitation.

"And it sounds like you already know Monika, right, Vic?" Sayori chimed in.

"That's right." Monika said. "It's great to see you again, Victor." She spoke in the same confident voice I remember, accompanied by a sweet smile. We were in the same class together last year. If I remember right, Monika was probably the most popular girl in class - smart, beautiful, athletic...completely out of my league. So seeing her smile at me so sweetly…it was a little…

"You too, Monika. We'll have to catch up, sometime."

"Come sit down, Vic! We made room for you at the table, so you can sit next to me or Monika. I'll get the cupcakes-"

"Hey! I made them, I'll get them!" Natsuki yelled. Sayori looked a little sheepish.

"Sorry, I got a little too excited~"

"Then, how about I make some tea as well?" Yuri offered as she went to do just that, while Natsuki left to get the cupcakes. Me, Sayori, and Monika, having nothing to get, went and sat down. There were a few desks that the girls arranged to form a table. It looked like it'd been widened so that there's two more seats, one next to Sayori, one next to Monika. In the corner of my eye, I noticed Natsuki grab a wrapped tray, while Yuri opened the closet. I may have been decent friends with Monika, but I felt more comfortable next to Ri, so I sat down next to her. Natsuki proudly marched back to the table, tray in hand.

"Okaaay, are you ready?" She reached for the corner of the foil. "...Ta-daa!" She said as she pulled the cover back.

"Uwooooah!" Sayori exclaimed, while Monika and I looked on in shock. The tray had a dozen white, fluffy cupcakes decorated to look like little cats. The whiskers are drawn with icing, and little pieces of chocolate were used to make the ears. "So cuuuute~!"

"I had no idea you were so good at baking, Natsuki!" Monika said.

"Ehehe. Well, you know. Just hurry up and take one, already!" Sayori hastily grabs one, then Monika. I take up the rear.

"Ifs delifous!" Sayori cheered with her mouth full and icing on her face.

"Empty your mouth, Ri." I off-handedly told her. She blushed and did as she was told.

"Ehehe…" I turn my attention back to my cupcake, looking for the best angle of attack. I then realized Natsuki has been awfully quiet. I peek over to see her sneaking glances over at me. Is she waiting for me to take a bite? I decide to bite the head off. My eyes widened at the sweet explosion in my mouth. The icing was sweet and full of flavor - I idly wonder if she made it herself.

"This is really fuckin' good." I shoot Natsuki a smile. "Thanks, Natsuki." She crossed her arms and had a little angry look that didn't really seem genuine.

"W-Why are you thanking me? It's not like I…!" I feel like I've heard this kind of thing before. "...Made them for you or anything." Oh my god we've got a tsundere, complete with the flat chest.

"...Except you kinda did. Didn't Ri say-" She stomped again as her arms shot to the sides while she looked to the side, trying to look furious and failing. She looked pretty cute like that.

"Well, maybe! But not for, y-you know, you! Baka…" I let out a little laugh.

"Alright, alright…" I decided to drop the conversation. Yuri took the opportunity to return, carrying a tea set. She carefully placed a teacup in front of each of us before setting the teapot next to the cupcake tray. I looked at Yuri in surprise.

"You keep a whole tea set in the classroom?" Yuri smiled.

"Don't worry, the teachers gave us permission. After all, doesn't a hot cup of tea help you enjoy a good book?" I thought about that for a moment.

"Huh…you got a point there…"

"Eheheh," Monika chimed in. "Don't let yourself get intimidated, Yuri's just trying to impress you." I watched with an amused stare as Yuri got all flustered.

"Eh?! T-That's not…" Yuri looked away to hide the growing blush on her face. "I meant that, you know…"

"I believe you." I assured. "Well, I may not do a lot of tea and reading, but at the very least I enjoy tea." Yuri had a faint smile in relief.

"I'm glad…" Monika raised an eyebrow, then smiled at me.

"So, what made you consider the Literature Club?"

"Um…" I slowly turned towards Sayori. She followed my gaze and giggled.

"Sayori dragged you here?"

"Yup." Her giggle turned into a laugh.

"She's quite the little bundle of energy and happiness, isn't she?" She asked. I gave a knowing smirk.

"So she'd have you think. In her own fucked up defense, though, I haven't joined any clubs yet, and she seems really happy here, so I figured..."

"That's okay! I can understand! We'll make sure you feel right at home, okay? As president of the Literature Club, it's my duty to make the club fun and exciting for everyone!" I stared at her for a moment before smiling.

"Monika, I'm surprised. Why'd you decide to start your own club? You could probably be a board member for any of the major clubs. Hell, weren't you a leader of the debate club last year?" Monika smiled and looked off to the side a little.

"Ahaha, well, you know…To be honest, I can't stand all of the politics around the major clubs. It feels like nothing but arguing about the budget and publicity and how to prepare for events…I'd much rather take something I personally enjoy and make something special out of it. And if it encourages others to get into literature, then I'm fulfilling that dream!" Sayori came up and put an arm around Monika.

"Monika really is a great leader!" Yuri nodded in agreement. I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

"Then I'm surprised there aren't more people in the club yet. Must be hard to start a new club." I said with a newfound respect for Monika. Hell, I know I wouldn't have the energy or motivation to do that, nor could I be brought to care enough to do so.

"You could put it that way. Not many people are very interested in putting out all the effort to start something brand new…" Di...Did she just read my mind? "Especially when it's something that doesn't grab your attention, like literature. You have to work hard to convince people that you're both fun and worthwhile. But it makes school events, like the upcoming festival, that much more important." She put her hand on her hip with a confident smile. "I'm confident that we can all really grow this club before we graduate! Right, everyone?"

"YEAH!" Sayori cheered.

"We'll do our best." Yuri said.

"You know it!" Natsuki said with a confident smirk.

I let out a soft smile. Such different girls, all interested in the same goal… Monika must have worked really hard just to find these three. Maybe that's why they were all so delighted by the idea of a new member. Well… most of them, anyway. Jury's still out on Natsuki. Though I'm still pretty sure I won't be able to keep up with their level of enthusiasm about literature…

"So, Victor, what kinds of things do you like to read?" Yuri spoke up.

I thought for a moment. "Well, I typically enjoy Manga and Fanfiction," I noticed Natsuki perk up at that. "But I also tend to lean towards Epic Fantasy and Mythic Fantasy-type novels." Natsuki looked like she wanted to say something, but kept quiet about it. Yuri smiled.

"Well, at least you seem to have some interest in reading…" She said with a hint of relief, but also with a little bit of sadness.

"Well...I could always work on that…" Why do I do saying things? I spoke without thinking when I saw her sadness. "Anyway, what about you, Yuri?"

"Well, let's see…" She thought for a moment as she traced the rim of her tea cup with her finger. "My favorites are a lot like yours, usually novels that build deep and complex fantasy worlds. The level of creativity and craftsmanship behind them is amazing to me. And telling a good story in such a foreign world is equally impressive." Yuri continued to go on, clearly passionate about her reading. It was kinda funny to me. She seemed so reserved and timid ever since I walked in, but it's obvious from the way her eyes light up that she finds more comfort in books than she does in people. "But you know, I like a lot of things. Stories with deep psychological elements usually immerse me as well. Isn't it amazing how a writer can so deliberately take advantage of your own lack of imagination to completely throw you for a loop? Anyway, I've been reading a lot of horror lately…"

"Like The Shining by Stephen King?" I ask, trying to relate to her last point, trying to prevent her from having a conversation with what might as well have been a rock.

"Yes, things like that!" Yuri said, a little excitedly.

"Really? I wouldn't have expected that, Yuri." Monika jumped in. "For someone as gentle as you…"

"I guess you could say that. But if a story makes me think, or takes me to another world, then I really can't put it down. Surreal horror is often very successful at changing the way you look at the world, if only for a moment."

"Ugh, I hate horror…" Natsuki groaned.

"Oh? Why's that?"

"Well, I just…" Natsuki's eyes dart over to me for a split second. "Never mind."

"That's right, you usually like to write about cute things, don't you, Natsuki?" Monika questioned. Natsuki looked shocked.

"W-What? What gives you that idea?"

"Oh, you left a piece of scrap paper behind last club meeting. It looked like you were working on a poem called-"

"DON'T SAY IT OUT LOUD!" Natsuki screeched. "And give that back!"

"Fine, fine~" Monika said with a teasing smile.

"Ehehe, your cupcakes, your poems…" Sayori chirped. "Everything you do is just as cute as you are~" She sidled up behind Natsuki and put her hands on her shoulders.

"I'm not cute!" Natsuki screamed.

"Hold up, you write poetry, Natsuki?" I was legitimately surprised. She didn't exactly strike me as the poetic type.

"Eh? Well, I guess sometimes. Why do you care?" I imitated that 'Not Bad' meme.

"I think that's impressive. I think you should share them with everyone sometime."

"N-no!" She said, crossing her arms once more and averting her eyes. Seems someone's touchy about her work. "You wouldn't..like them…" Wow, forget touchy, she's straight-up insecure.

"HEY!" I shouted, gathering everyone's attention. "From now on, there is to be no being insecure about your work from any of you."

"Ummm...Why?" Yuri awkwardly asked.

"BECAUSE!" I paused for effect. "That is my job." I said, jabbing my chest with my thumb with each word while holding the silliest straight face I could imagine. Sayori started bursting out laughing, quickly followed by Monika. Yuri started giggling, then laughing as well. Natsuki looked like she wanted to laugh, but did a good job not doing so. Finally I couldn't hold it anymore, and joined in. We quickly settled down. Then Yuri looked down.

"Though...I understand how Natsuki feels...Sharing that level of writing takes more than just confidence. The truest form of writing is writing to oneself. You must be willing to open up to your readers, exposing your vulnerabilities and showing even the deepest reaches of your heart." I raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Sounds like someone has writing experience. Maybe you should share, too. Might help Natsuki share, too." Yuri suddenly got really nervous.

"..."

"Oh come on, it can't be that bad." Sayori looked really sad at Natsuki and Yuri's adamance on not sharing.

"Aww… I wanted to read everyone's poems…" My eyes widened as I sharply inhaled. Nobody, I mean NOBODY, makes Sayori sad on my watch. I slam my palms on the desk, startling everyone.

"That's it, tomorrow, poems, everyone, no exceptions." I commanded. Sayori, Natsuki, and Yuri stared at me for a moment while Monika put a hand on her chin in thought.

"You know…That's actually not a bad idea." Natsuki and Yuri looked quizzically at Monika. "Let's all go home and write a poem of our own! Then, next time we meet, we'll all share them with each other. That way, everyone is even!"

"U-um…" Natsuki stuttered.

"..." Yuri looked down nervously.

"Yeaaah! Let's do it!" Sayori cheered with her fist in the air.

"Plus, now that we have a new member, I think it will help us all get a little more comfortable with each other, and strengthen the bond of the club. Isn't that right, Victor?" Monika smiled warmly at me again as we all started gathering our stuff.

"Wait, hold on." Natsuki pointed an accusatory finger at me. "Victor never said he would join our club!" Sayori, Yuri, and Monika realized this, and began looking at me with sad eyes.

"Well I mean, yeah, I'll join." Everyone looked happy once more. "One, I hate seeing Ri sad, two, I feel like I've had a pretty warm reception, and three, I'm already here, might as well since I'm too lazy to look for any others."

"Yesss! I'm so happyyy~" Sayori cheered, tackling me to the ground in a big hug.

"You really scared me for a moment…" Yuri said with a relieved smile.

"Good. If you had only come for the cupcakes, I would have been super pissed." Natsuki said in typical Natsuki fashion.

"Natsuki, you're too cute to pull off the angry look." I casually told her. She spluttered for a moment before stomping the ground again.

"I'm not cute!"

"Well, that makes it official!" Monika said as Sayori finally got off me. "Welcome to the Literature Club!" She said, holding her hand for a handshake. I took her hand.

"It's good to be a part of it." I said with a smirk. We let go and Monika addressed everyone.

"Okay, everyone! I think with that, we can officially end today's meeting on a good note. Everyone remember tonight's assignment: Write a poem to bring to the next meeting, so we can all share!" She looked at me once more. "Victor, I look forward to seeing how you express yourself." My eyes widened as I realized that I had never written a poem in my life.

"Shit. Welp, guess I am too." I said, rolling with the flow. She smiled.

"Ehehe~"

Yeah…pretty sure I won't be impressing anyone anytime soon, given my awful writing skills. God damn it, what did I get myself into. Meanwhile, the girls continue to chat as Yuri and Natsuki cleaned up their food. Sayori walked up to me.

"Hey, Vic, since we're already here, do you want to walk home together?" I thought as the realization hit me - We hadn't really walked home together in forever since she always stayed after for clubs. I smiled.

"Yeah, why not?"

"Yaay~"


The two of us departed the clubroom and made our way home. The whole way, my mind wanders between the four different girls. Ri, Natsuki, Yuri, and Monika. I wasn't sure if I would truly be happy spending even more time at school in a literature club, but one thing was sure, at least I'd make a few friends along the way. And who knows? I might get a girlfriend out of it. Hell, play my cards right, and I may end up the luckiest man alive. I just hope fortune favors me. I just need to write a poem tonight… God damn it.


Hey guys, hope you enjoyed. Now, you may notice that I may have deviated from the script just a little bit... There is a reason for that. I guarantee that this take on DDLC won't be what any of you expect. Anyway, gonna sign off here. Merry (late) Christmas, and Happy Holidays!

Yeah, I suck at Authors notes. Sue me.