Today was strangely cold when I got up from bed, my room felt different, maybe it was the morning exhaustion or just my head killing me again.
I walked to the mirror and groggily rubbed my blurry eyes, soon my vision cleared and I could see my reflection.
Wait?!!.
That's not me?!!.
I did not have white hair nor do I have red eyes also why am I short?!!, Wait I'm an Albino?!!.
Actually, that doesn't sound bad I actually look good.
*Ding*
A sound popped in my head—like a phone notification, but louder, like it was coming from inside my skull.
A strange glowing screen flickered before me, hovering in the air like a hologram:
---
[You have received four daily main quests.]
[Name: Join The Literature Club]
[Quest #1: Chat with Monika — Reward: A simple poem, A sealing talisman]
[Quest #2: Give Sayori some flowers — Reward: Ability to see ghosts, A luck talisman]
[Quest #3: Give Yuri a bookmark — Reward: Occult knowledge (Beginner), A protective charm]
[Quest #4: Give Natsuki a cupcake — Reward: Minor strength boost, A magic bullet book from the 'Scarlet Devil']
---
I stared, blinking. My hands trembled.
What is this?
Was I in a game? Some weird dream?
I looked down at myself—
The uniform on my body was neatly pressed, too clean, like it had just been ironed. My skin gleamed pale white, and my eyes shimmered a deep, unsettling crimson.
I felt like I should panic—but instead, a strange, calm voice whispered in my head:
"Complete the quests. Make the girls happy."
I shivered, a cold draft brushing past me, even though the window was shut.
Make the girls happy...?
Wasn't this... Doki Doki Literature Club?
But something was different. The world felt real. The bed beneath my feet was solid. My breath fogged the glass. My heart pounded—not with fear of a game, but of something much more... tangible.
And what the hell was a Sealing Talisman? Or a Magic Bullet Book from the Scarlet Devil?!
I checked the time: 7:23 AM.
I had school in thirty minutes.
...I guess I'd find out more once I got there.
I sighed, ruffling my white hair.
"Let's see what kind of mess I'm in...",
I walked out of my room and Into a small hallway that only had two doors, I then went downstairs, the house was empty which meant I lived alone.
But for some reason I suddenly have a few memories, my parents seem to be in Russia dealing with work and I was sent here to Japan since they were going to move here in a few years.
Ok, I guess I'm not led astray now, but I would have to buy a lot of cupcakes, a book mark and some flowers on the way there, thankfully I have my own card and there was a store I can go into on my way to school.
After going our of the house and locking the door, I walked to school, occasionally seeing some other students walking by and minding their own business.
After walking for a bit, I entered the store I mentioned and bought all the needed items, the chasier was nice but I think he is also weird because he kept looking above me with a bit of sweat on his face. Whatever that meant.
I then went to school.
....
I slowly opened the door....to the class and then saw the students already loitering around, my back on my bag, I went to my seat only to see my seat mate which was coincidently Sayori moping on the desk.
"Hey why do you look so defeated today?." I asked with a smile, well a smile that isn't nervous.
Sayori looked up at me, her eyes sparkling like a lost puppy. "Ugh, the principal said if we don't have five members our literate club will be disbanded."
"Can I join then?
Sayori's eyes lit up immediately, her gloom melting away like morning mist under the sun. "Really? You'd join? That would mean so much to me!" She beamed, pushing a few stray strands of her coral-pink hair behind her ears.
I nodded, feeling a strange warmth spread through my chest despite the cold morning. "Of course. I mean, who else is going to help keep the club alive?"
She jumped up and grabbed my hand, dragging me toward the classroom door with surprising energy. "I'll introduce you to the others! They're all really nice, I promise!"
I stopped her immediately. "Wait a minute, we can do that after class, do you really want to go to the principals office?."
Sayori immediately stopped and rubbed the back of her head while she grinned. "Yeah, you're right, I don't want to go to that scary place."
I sighed in relief seeing her agree, I didn't want to meet them this early.
Soon the classes began and he'll they were boring, I already knew all these stupid fucking things.
But thankfully my prayers were answered and school ended by 3:00.
I took my bag and went out, waiting for Sayori to come out. After a minute she did while humming happily. "Let's go."
She skipped in front of me, treading her ways peacefully, I shrugged and followed her while getting ready to meet some cute and also beautiful girls....though, even if I am abit unnerved by the game back in the real world.
I stepped through the literature clubroom door and was immediately hit by the faint scent of old paper and cherry blossoms—an oddly comforting mix. The room looked exactly like I remembered from the game, except everything felt solid, real. No flickering edges, no glitches.
Sitting at a corner desk was Monika, her sharp eyes focused on a notebook. She looked up, and for a moment, I felt the weight of her gaze, as if she was reading right through me.
"Hey, you must be the new member," she said with a calm smile, but there was something... different in her voice. No smugness, no hints of omnipotence. Just genuine curiosity.
I smiled. "Yeah I am, I don't really have anything to do after school so I decided to join this club."
Monika kept her notebook and stood from her seat, then she walked towards me and held out her arm. "Welcome to the club then, my name is Monika Kamino, nice to meet you."
I grabbed her arm and shaked it. "Mark Heller, nice to meet you two, it seems the others aren't here yet huh."
She let go of my arm and chuckled. "Yeah, Yuri is probably returning books to the library and Natsuki...well she is probably dying of hunger."
"What?." I didn't really hear what she said.
"Well she didn't bring any lunch today, so she is probably sluggish and hungry, which I said she is probably dying from hunger, metaphorically of course, I would never let that happen to her. " She said with a sweet smile, it seems she cares about her club members.
"Huj, that sounds bad, how did you know that." Yeah, I don't think they met today.
Monika simply smiled. "Well at first I was just observing her but I noticed that she doesn't bring any lunch to school and anytime I see her In the morning, she had tired eyes, her stomach was a bit flat, she was very unattentive and distracting herself while reading mangas, it really worries me, I might have to visit her home one of these days and maybe file a police report against her parents for child abuse...".
...okay she is becoming scarier by the second, but, this development isn't bad. "Well...her situation sounds...complicated, should I go look for her?."
Satori was setting up tables since the beginning of our conversation, Monika's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, that would be splendid if you could."
"Okay, Sayori, I'm going to go look for Natsukiz I'll be back.", I called out to Sayori.
She gave me a thumbs up as she entered the store room. Monika gave me one last smile before going back to her seat.
[You have completed Quest #1]
[You have received a poem.]
[Name:Cherry blossom and two wild roses].
The field was green and empty,
a peaceful garden where a single blossom flowed in the air.
Woeful, yet blooming, the cherry blossom swayed
its petals falling like quiet tears,
as two wild roses bloomed,
their colors clashing in the breeze:
one red as a burning ember,
the other pale, but fierce, like moonlight.
The cherry blossom watched in silence,
its branches reaching toward the sky,
as if to whisper:
"Even the strongest bloom may wither... but together, they may thrive."
---
I blinked at the poem that shimmered before me, the words burning into my mind like a memory I should have known but didn't.
"...Well, that's not ominous at all," I muttered, pocketing the ethereal poem into... whatever dimension it was supposed to go.
The system notification chimed again:
---
[You have obtained: Sealing Talisman]
[A charm imbued with faint spiritual energy. Can ward off minor curses or seal weak spirits.]
---
I stared at the talisman hovering in my hand, its paper edges fluttering in a nonexistent breeze.
"Okay... this is definitely more than a game," I murmured.
With a deep breath, I shook off the growing unease and focused on the task ahead:
Find Natsuki.
The school was quieter now, most students having already left. I wandered the halls, peeking into empty classrooms. My mind raced, half-expecting to hear unsettling music in the background or see the world glitch around me—but everything felt... normal.
Too normal.
Finally, I spotted a figure curled up near the stairwell, clutching a small pink bag to her chest.
Natsuki.
Her head was down, resting on her knees, and she looked... drained.
"Hey," I called softly, approaching. "You alright?"
She jerked up, startled, eyes wide and a bit puffy. "W-who are you."
I sat next to her and tilted my head. "Names Mark, you might not know me."
She rubbed her eyes then gave me a suspicious glance. "Why are you here?."
"Oh, Monika wanted to make sure you are safe...but you seem a bit hungry. " I reached into my bad and brought a small box that held nine cupcakes. "I want you to have this, I can always buy another one."
She looked at my hand, contemplating whether she should take it or not. "Store brought cup cakes taste like dry cardboard paperz they aren't well made, but I am too hungry to complain...so if you really don't mind...thank you."
She slowly took the box and opened it taking one cupcake to her lips and biting on it, slowly chewing it and savouring it despite complaining earlier.
She continue ued to it as u watched her and when she was in her fifth cupcake she turned to me with a flustered expression. "Are you pervert, can you please stop looking at me while I eat, you jerk?!!."
I raised my hands defensively, a nervous smile creeping onto my face. "Whoa, sorry! Not a pervert, I swear, just... making sure you're okay."
Natsuki huffed, cheeks puffed up and pink, but she didn't tell me to leave. In fact, she just kept eating, a bit slower this time, like she was trying to pretend I wasn't there.
A ding sounded in my mind.
---
[Quest #4 Complete]
[You have received: Minor Strength Boost]
[You have received: Magic Bullet Book from the 'Scarlet Devil']
---
I blinked, watching as a faint golden glow settled into my hands for a brief moment before vanishing into my skin.
Minor strength boost, huh? I flexed my fingers subtly, feeling an odd warmth in my muscles, like I'd just downed a protein shake after a workout.
Then there was the book—a small, worn tome with a deep crimson cover, adorned with a pentagram and strange, spiraling letters that seemed to shimmer when I tilted it.
I hesitated, then stuffed it into my bag. No way was I opening that in the middle of the hallway.
"Hey, uh... do you wanna come to the club now?" I asked Natsuki gently, standing up.
She glanced up at me, her cheeks still tinged pink. "Y-you're persistent, huh? Fine... but only because you gave me these cupcakes. Don't get the wrong idea!"
I laughed softly, nodding. "Yeah, yeah. Let's go."
Together, we walked back to the clubroom. Sayori was humming a little song, and Monika was writing something down in her notebook.