Author's Notes: This story takes place between Chapters 9 and 10 of 'Post-Credits'! It will follow Yuri and Natsuki while they wait for Monika and Sayori to return from the Void. I want to give out a special thanks to Damastah101 for helping me iron out a few things.

In any case, here's Part 5 of the Post-Credits Series! I hope you all enjoy it as well~!

Waiting For Ribbons In The Void

Promotion

"Yuri, Natsuki. I'm gonna ask the two of you for a really big favor, okay?"

"I'll do exactly what I told Elias. I'll write an ending for this story - and I'll save Monika too."

"So, I want you two to look after the Literature Club for me."

"This is my last assignment for you guys as club president."

Those were the last words that Sayori told Yuri and Natsuki as the howling winds of the Void blew through the fractures in the glitched classroom. Sayori was preparing herself to leap into the Void to go after Monika, leaving Yuri and Natsuki behind.

Neither of the two girls wanted to let Sayori go, but they also knew that they couldn't stop her.

After all, whenever Sayori said something with a bright smile, it meant that she was serious. Wisps of hope were glimmering in the oceans of her blue eyes as well. It was Sayori's gentle way of saying that she had already made up her mind.

Sayori wasn't sure if she was going to succeed. She didn't know what waited for her once she dove into the Void. She didn't even know if she would make it through at all.

But that didn't stop Sayori.

She wanted to see Monika again, no matter what.

When Sayori showed her conviction, Yuri and Natsuki had no choice but to step aside and let Sayori go.

Yuri and Natsuki walked out of the glitched classroom with heavy hearts, but they did so in a hurry. With every passing moment, the Void swallowed up more and more of the fractured, glitched classroom. The corruption chipped away at the room and threatened to spread to the rest of the game files.

Once Natsuki crossed the threshold, she hesitated to close the door behind them. She stole one last glance of Sayori inside the glitched classroom, hoping for even the slightest hint of hesitation.

However, Sayori fearlessly faced the Void before her.

So, the pink-haired girl steadied her breath and firmly closed the door to the glitched classroom. She then brought out the administrative notebook that Sayori left with her.

Natsuki opened it to the last page and she found a list of instructions written in Monika's handwriting. It was Monika's plan to stop the Void from eating up the rest of their world, summarized in three points:

First, seal the classroom door.

Then, quarantine the glitched classroom from the rest of the files.

Finally, delete the room and everything inside of it.

Natsuki skimmed through the instructions and her already heavy heart grew even heavier.

She knew that it was the point of no return.

Yuri watched Natsuki's horrified reaction from a few paces away. That reaction told her everything that she needed to know about the instructions on the notebook. She understood what they were asking Natsuki to do.

The purple-haired girl was holding her copy of The Portrait of Markov in her arms as she faced Natsuki with a conflicted expression. Yuri knew what had to be done, but her second thoughts stubbornly gripped her heart.

Natsuki felt Yuri's eyes on her, so she held the notebook tightly. She read the instructions again and followed Monika's instructions by the letter.

She untied the knot and set the strings of pre-written code into motion.

The moment that Natsuki did this, the door to the glitched classroom flickered and warped with unstable code. The hiss and crackle of static from the door intensified and frightened Natsuki's weary heart, but she kept on going.

Natsuki's hands trembled as the lines of code triggered one after another on the administrative notebook, but she kept on going.

Then, all the memories that Natsuki had of Sayori and Monika surfaced in her mind - the good and the bad. Those memories gripped at Natsuki's entire being and urged her to stop.

But she kept on going.

After a short while that seemed like an eternity, there was silence.

Yuri and Natsuki turned to the door, but it was gone. It was gone, along with everything - and everyone - that was behind it.

The quarantine was successful.

The world that Yuri and Natsuki were living in was saved.

However, when Natsuki closed the notebook, the sound of it echoed hollowly throughout the empty hall. She then held the notebook close to her tired heart and felt tears forming at the sides of her eyes.

In that silence, Natsuki became the president of the Literature Club, and their long days of waiting began.

After the door to the glitched classroom disappeared, Yuri and Natsuki found themselves in a daze.

Monika and Sayori were gone. The only path to where they were was sealed off and deleted. Their character files were nowhere to be found either.

Neither Yuri nor Natsuki could believe what just happened, so they just blankly looked at the empty wall.

It must have been a really bad dream.

That was what the girls wanted to think.

They wanted to believe that if they went back to the clubroom, Monika and Sayori would be there waiting for them.

They imagined Monika, the vice president, sternly chiding them for staying out of the clubroom for so long. Sayori, the club president, would then pleasantly intervene and suggest that they shared their poems.

That was what Yuri and Natsuki hoped for, but reality wasn't so kind.

Once the girls reached the clubroom, they opened the door and saw the truth with their own eyes.

They weren't in a bad dream. The crazy things that happened just minutes ago were real. Monika and Sayori were really gone.

That was their reality now, and they were going to have to live with it.

Natsuki clenched her fists as she realized that. She didn't want to accept that reality and neither did Yuri.

However, when Natsuki turned to her companion, she saw Yuri hanging her head low.

The tall girl couldn't bear to see the empty clubroom, so she turned away and pressed her back against the hallway walls. She then looked out the hallway windows with tearful eyes and bitterly recounted,

"This… is all my fault. I simply wished... to exact revenge on Monika for the things that she did. I was prepared... to face consequences myself. I got what I wanted… but I regret it now. I even dragged you and Sayori into this mess… and... S-Sayori paid... the p-price instead of me."

She then closed her eyes and weakly lamented,

"I should have died instead."

Natsuki's clenched fists shook at her sides as soon as she heard that. She then stomped her foot on the floor and roared,

"Don't talk like that, Yuri! Monika sacrificed herself to save Sayori and Sayori decided to save Monika. It doesn't matter who's at fault here - but nobody had to die. Don't even think about dying, Yuri!"

Yuri shriveled up from Natsuki's sharp lecture and sheepishly eked,

"I-I'm… sorry…"

Natsuki saw Yuri's pained expression and quickly apologized,

"I... d-didn't mean to say it like that, Yuri. What I wanted to say was… w-we need to find a way to move forward from all this. Right?"

Yuri replied with a frail nod and followed Natsuki into the clubroom. However, it was easy to tell that Yuri still wasn't entirely convinced. Natsuki herself felt her own doubts and frustrations overflowing in her heart.

Sayori was determined to save Monika, but there was no way to tell if she would succeed. Even the author of the story, Elias, couldn't promise that. Natsuki knew that she had no experience being the club president at all. She also knew that Yuri was still emotionally scarred from the things that happened.

Natsuki didn't know how, but she knew that she had to be strong. She felt as if she didn't have much to offer and that she wasn't really cut out to be a leader. However, she wanted to be there for Yuri at least.

Their circumstances may have changed, but Natsuki still wanted to reach out to Yuri.

So, Natsuki took a deep breath and calmed down her worried heart. She closed her eyes for a moment to compose herself. Then, she turned to the disheartened Yuri and firmly declared,

"Yuri. Sayori asked us to take care of the Literature Club. It's just the two of now, but I'm planning to take that job seriously. For better or for worse, I'm gonna be the club president. I know jack shit - so I don't know if I'm gonna do a good job. I don't even know the first thing about Python code or html or whatever. But, I'm gonna try to make this all work. That's what people do, don't they? They try."

Natsuki then looked into Yuri's eyes and wholeheartedly continued,

"I don't know if Monika or Sayori are ever gonna make it back, but I'm gonna do what I can for them. When those two come back, I want them to have something to come back to… and I'm sure as hell gonna need your help, Yuri! I want you to try this Literature Club thing again with me. Okay?"

The purple-haired girl listened Natsuki's brash yet impassioned speech with awe. She didn't know that Natsuki could speak with that much conviction before. More than that, she didn't think that simple yet wholehearted words could reach out to her like they did.

Somehow, Yuri couldn't help but feel like Natsuki's words sounded like one of the pink-haired girl's poems. Simple - yet earnest, and straight from the heart.

It was beautiful in its own way.

With that, Yuri managed to give Natsuki another nod. It was still a sluggish gesture, but Natsuki saw wisps of determination in Yuri's purple eyes.

The tall girl then hobbled together a small smile as she finally spoke,

"I may not be able to contribute much either... but I would be happy to 'try' with you as well… P-President Natsuki."

Natsuki's cheeks flushed red when Yuri addressed her so formally. She wasn't used to being called the club president at all. Hearing that title from somebody that she secretly admired didn't help her growing embarrassment either.

The new club president then put her hands on her hips and tried to think of something to say - something presidential. Natsuki's pink eyes then brightened up.

She faced Yuri squarely then raised up her pointer finger as she cheerfully declared,

"Okay, everyone~! This'll be my first order as the club president!"

She then folded her arms and happily continued,

"I want everyone to go home early today and get a good night's sleep. Then, we'll come back to the club tomorrow full of energy!"

Yuri blinked for a moment as she tried to process what Natsuki just said. Then, she started to chuckle,

"Pfft~! Oh dear! Were you, perchance, attempting to mimic Monika just now?"

Natsuki grinned brightly at Yuri and feigned innocence,

"What are you talking about? I was just trying to sound presidential."

The pink-haired girl then joined her pointer fingers together and pouted at Yuri. Then, Natsuki copied Sayori's voice,

"You big meanie~!"

When Natsuki said this, Yuri broke out into hearty laughter. She was laughing so hard that she got embarrassed and covered her face behind her copy of the Portrait of Markov.

Seeing Yuri laugh like that was a wonderful sight for Natsuki's tired eyes.

Perhaps, Natsuki thought, the two of them might be able to make it work.

There were going to be many challenges that awaited them, but Yuri and Natsuki would face them together.

Little did the two girls know, however, that those challenges were already waiting for them around the corner.

As Yuri and Natsuki were sharing their lighthearted moment, a figure with a nondescript, female placeholder sprite marched down the school hallway. She was wearing the same uniform as Yuri and Natsuki but she had a peculiar armband pinned to the sleeve of her blazer.

Then, in her hands was a sheet of paper.

It was a notice of disbandment for the Literature Club.

To Be Continued