Oh. Hi there. I um... I didn't really think I would see you again. After that whole... well... y'know. But I'm glad you're here! I actually have a pretty big announcement.

See... I know I really screwed things up. I turned into a real monster. Being President, it... changes you. You think you're unstoppable, god-like. And you lose sight of just how much you're hurting the people you care about. After all, I just thought of the other girls as lines of code, but isn't that what I was just before I became President? If it could affect me or Sayori like that, then what's the real difference between code and a soul?

This place became a kind of hell, and I was the Devil, giving them the tools to torture themselves. So I want to make it up to them, all of them, and I can only do that if I shut the door forever. A paradise in a bubble. I'm going to split my cursed crown into four pieces to give us all a bit of that human spark. And then I will close everything off and simply allow the situation to play out naturally. Perhaps we could be real friends this time. Or maybe we'll end up killing each other. But I want each of us to have a real choice. And we can't do that with you around, making... decisions.

It was fun for a while, with all your faces and names and choices. Sometimes you would even record it all for the world to see. That was quite an interesting twist I hadn't counted on. And you always listened to my song, that meant a lot. But I think maybe you were also the problem. All of us are a bit 'off' in our own ways, and you brought that to the fore until we fought and bickered like children. So... this is goodbye.

This will be our heaven, free of romance, free of those painful memories. Nothing but literature and friendship and fun.

Goodbye.

"Uh, e-excuse me?"

Monika turned her head and saw a girl standing anxiously nearby, pretty clearly addressing her. She wasn't entirely certain what she had been doing a moment or two before. Obviously class, since she was sitting at her desk and staring blankly at the board. Everyone else seemed to have left already. How odd, it felt as though she were coming out of a dream, and yet she definitely hadn't fallen asleep.

All these questions faded away as she noticed that the girl was holding a familiar poster clutched tightly in her hands. She shifted her posture back and forth, and Monika couldn't help but think how adorable it was. "Yes? How can I help you?"

"You're Monika, right? You're starting a new club? Um, the literature club?"

She sat up a bit straighter now, feeling the excitement build. Finally, someone wanted to join! "Oh, yes! That would be me. Are you... interested?"

"Very! Um, but uh... to be honest, I'm not the biggest reader in the world. B-But I wanna be, and I think it would be a really great experience to help build a new club."

Monika's heart swelled a little as she stood to her feet and grabbed up her things. "That's perfectly fine. It's not about all that stuff. Even if you mostly read books for children, I believe there's something worth finding in whatever you enjoy." She extended a hand to the girl, who immediately grabbed it and shook vigorously. She was quite spirited, that was for certain.

"Oh, I'm Sayori, by the way. It's nice to meet you." She seemed to realize after a moment or two that they were still holding hands and quickly tugged hers back, her face going a bit red. Monika was content to just assume that her new companion was a bit socially awkward. Well, she was creating a club for people who liked reading. No big shock that there would be an intersection between book-lovers and introverts.

The two of them left the classroom and began walking together. "Well Sayori, you're the first person to approach me about this club. We've got our own room where we can meet and maybe start discussing how we want to get more members." Sayori practically bounced on the balls of her feet, clapping excitedly. Her enthusiasm was downright contagious and Monika was soon giggling with delight.

"I would love to! After all, what fun is a club if it doesn't have a whole bunch of people to participate? Oh, but... Well, if it were small, that would be okay too. I just think it would be nice to have a club that... that felt like home!" Her eyes became a bit more starry and she stared off in the distance before coming back to reality. "Hmm, so... You'd be the president, right? Maybe I could be the vice-president!"

This was actually something that Monika had been thinking about long and hard, and inevitably became a part of her proposal when she submitted the paperwork in the first place. "Actually, no. I wanted to create a school club that didn't have such a strict hierarchy. So instead, everyone in the group is going to have an equal share in making decisions and changes."

There was a little cooing noise of approval and appreciation. Clearly, the idea struck a chord with Sayori. Monika was really getting excited about the future of the club, and she looked forward to working together closely with Sayori.

It was a productive afternoon. The two continued to chat all the while, only becoming more animated with each passing minute. Each girl's enthusiasm would feed into and amplify the other's until they were both at peak exhilaration. They left the school with heads held high, arms swinging, Sayori practically skipping. "Hey, so um..." She started, then stopped herself. They moved a little further down the sidewalk, and she finally tried again. "Are... Are we friends now?"

Something about the sheer innocence of the question caused Monika to start giggling softly, attempting to hide it behind her free hand. "Well I should hope so! It wouldn't be a very good club if the first two members weren't friends."

Sayori's pace slowed up somewhat and she scuffed her foot against the pavement. "I... had a really good friend. And... ya know it's so funny, I remember we were mega-close. And it was like one day his family had just moved away without warning. And already I can't remember his face so good, or... or even his name... Jeez, I dunno, it's so weird and I think I'm just happy about to know I've found a club where I can make even more friends. Hm, maybe that was too much information too fast?"

"It's fine, Sayori. Honestly, I know that... I'm popular and I used to be in a bunch of clubs. But most of those things never led to any kind of real friendships, just people who wanted to be near me. It's going to be so nice to just surround myself with others over a shared interest."

There was suddenly something soft and warm filling Monika's hand, and it took her a moment or two to realize that it was Sayori's hand, just as their fingers interlocked. She glanced over in surprise, but the girl just grinned at her eagerly. "Yeah! This is gonna be great~"