A new reality (Sayonika)

Ryan

It's a surprisingly nice day today, it wasn't as sunny yesterday. I'm walking to school right now, it's not too late but it's not particularly early either. I can see other students also making their daily commute with me, they're all with their own friends as well. I normally walk to school on my own, I don't have many friends. As I'm walking down the street, I hear someone shouting. 

"Heeeeeeey!!"

I don't think much of it until the shouting gets louder. I turn around and see an annoying girl running towards me, waving her arms in the air like she's totally oblivious to any attention she might draw to herself. 

'Ah... damn' I think, spinning around to continue walking.

She continues to shout and run after me. That girl is Sayori, my neighbour and good friend since we were children. She's the kind of friend you wouldn't make today but it somehow works because you've known each other for so long. We used to walk to school together but when we started high school she would oversleep and I wouldn't bother waiting for her. If she's going to chase after me like this, I almost feel better off running away. However, I instead wait for her to catch up with me.

"Haaahhh... haaahhh... man, I overslept again! But I caught you this time!" she said, breathing heavily from her short sprint.

"Maybe, but only because I decided to stop and wait for you."

"Eeehhhhh? You say that like you were thinking about ignoring me! That's mean, Ryan!"

I roll my eyes at her childish choice of words. She always spoke like she was 5 or something.

"Well, if people stare at you for acting weird then I don't want them to think we're a couple or something," I said, looking around at people nearby, no one had noticed us... yet.

"Fine, fine but you did wait for me after all. I guess you don't have it in you to be mean even if you want to," she replied.

"Whatever you say, Sayori," I mumble.

She giggles as we cross the street and make our way to school. As we get closer, we begin to see more and more people.

"By the way Ryan, have decided on a club to join yet?" she suddenly asked me.

I look up at her, absolutely bewildered. What's brought this up?

"A club? I told you already, I'm not really interested in joining any clubs, I haven't been looking either."

"Eh? That's not true! You told me you would join a club this year!" she said, frowning at me.

"Did I..?"

I probably did in one of our many conversations where I would just go along with whatever she was talking about. She likes to worry about me too much, I'm usually alright by myself with my games and anime.

"Uh-huh! I was talking about how I'm worried that you won't learn how to socialise or have any skills before college," she exclaimed," 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!"

I went to speak but she continued talking.

"You trust me, right? Don't make me keep worrying about you..."

"Alright, alright! I'll look at a few clubs if it makes you happy," I sighed," no promises though."

"Will you at least promise me you'll try a little?" she pleaded.

"Yeah, I guess I'll promise you that."

"Yaay!" she jumped up and down excitedly 

I roll my eyes at her childish antics. Why do I let myself get lectured by such a carefree girl? More than that, I'm surprised I even let myself relent to her. I guess seeing her worry so much about me makes me want to ease her mind at least a little bit - even if she does exaggerate everything inside her head.

************************************

The school day is as ordinary as ever, and it's over before I know it. I pack up my things, carefully placing each item into my bag then stare at the wall searching for an ounce of motivation. 

"Clubs," I murmur quietly to myself.

Sayori wants me to check out some clubs, I guess I'll look at the anime club first. It might be fun there.

"Hellooo?" I hear a voice from behind me, I jump up from my desk, startled.

"Sayori...?" I say, breathing a sigh of relief when I saw her familiar face.

She must've come inside the classroom while I was thinking. I look around to see that everyone else had left.

"I thought I'd catch you coming out of the classroom, but I saw you just sitting here and spacing out so, I came in." she giggled," honestly you're even worse than me sometimes... I'm impressed!"

"You don't need to wait up for me if it's going to make you late to your own club," I said, silently wishing that she would just leave me alone.

"Well, I thought you might need some encouragement, so I thought, you know..."

"Know what?"

"Well, that you could come to my club!" she said.

Dear god...

"Sayori..."

"Yeah??" she said, completely oblivious to the kind of situation that would put me in.

"... There is no way I'm going to your club."

She frowned at me when I said this.

"Eeeehhhhh?! Meanie!" she pouted at me.

Sayori is the vice president of the literature, not that I was ever aware that she had any interest in literature. The club had supposedly been proposed about a week or two ago and I'm pretty sure Sayori only joined because she wanted to help start a new club. Since she was the first one to show any interest she inherited the title "Vice President". That said, my interest in literature is guaranteed to be even less.

"Yeah, I'm going to the anime club," I said, picking up my bag, ready to leave for the club.

"C'mon, please?" she pleaded once more.

"Why do you care so much, anyways?" I asked.

"Well..." she paused before continuing,"... I kind of told the club yesterday that I would bring in a new member."

She follows me to the door. I was honestly getting real tired of her excuses.

"And Natsuki made-" I cut her off

"Sayori, don't make promises you can keep," I say, turning away from her.

She goes to speak again but I don't want to hear it. I interrupt her again.

"You don't really understand the position going to your club would put me in. Trust me with this, okay?" I say. She nods," I'm going to the anime club, I'll see you later."

I see her face fall as I walk away but I don't really care. She'll just have to tel her club members that it's a no, that I'm not coming. I do feel kinda bad though, maybe I can make it up to her later.

(AN: Ryan is such a prick y'know. Also fun fact: I named Ryan after a youtuber who I watched doing both of the endings, 8-bit Ryan.)