Chapter Text
“My, isn’t someone precocious?”
“N-No-o,” Monika wheezes, trembling and silently willing Natsuki to walk away, to just, call Yuri out of the classroom and walk away, to go back home— go, back to Sayori’s house, please, “N-No pe— pe’coww-shush!”
She hates that word. She didn’t know that she hated it until the gigantic monster Headmaster Shimizu man in front of her was saying it, gazing down at her with that weird look that grownups give other people’s babies - smiling and ‘aren’t you so cute’ and ‘oh can’t I hold her’? Monika has had more than enough of other people holding her today, even stuck-up jerk President Haruko from the Debate Club wanted to hold her and Monika had seen Yuri giggling and it was not funny, and she’s exhausted and sick of being in a carrier all day and she wants Yuri to come back and hold her and go home.
So, of course, Yuri didn’t emerge from the classroom and Natsuki continued to stand awkwardly and rather nervously in the hallway with— him, and Monika hates how he’s looking at her, and the words that he said, and she feels Natsuki’s arms tighten, at least, and knows nee— Natsuki isn’t going to let him hold her, and that might have soothed her pounding heart if not for,
Well,
“How precious. You girls have yourselves a perfect little lamb, don’t you?”
Not from him.
Her pulse is screaming in her ears, shaking more than the day this whole ridiculous stupid inexplicable business started and her thoughts barely register that he’s reaching towards her before, just like the first day, her little finger throbs in sharp terrible pain and no, no, no, no, no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no,
At least she has the presence to fling herself against Natsuki’s shoulder, but even feeling arms curl further still, protectively, probably realizing much too much all at once, isn’t enough to stop the flood of tears and the shrieking, sobbing wail that escapes Monika’s throat.
" M-Mommmmmyyyyyyy!"
And, lo and behold, purple eyes widening at the scene she’s walked into - there she is.