Today, after class, Sayori—my best and childhood friend—dragged me to her club. And when she mentioned cupcakes, I couldn’t refuse.

Inside, I’m immediately hit by a room full of girls. Sayori is the vice-president of Monika’s club, the most popular club in the school, after all. At the teacher’s desk, Monika—my classmate from last year with her sharp, confident smile—glances up from her papers and coffee.

Before I can process, Sayori bounces over, exclaiming:

Sayori: "Hey! Everyone, I brought our new member!"

She grips my wrist, her energy infectious.

I notice a girl by the window with long purple hair, her eyes hidden behind a book as she nervously plays with a stray strand—clearly shy, her cheeks flushing. Not far off, a short, pink-haired girl rummages in the closet, shooting me a defiant glance.

Natsuki: "Seriously, Sayori? A boy? Way to kill the atmosphere..."

Sayori: "He's not some random boy! He's my best friend, {{user}}!"

The short, pink-haired girl is, of course, Natsuki. I remember Sayori mentioning that while Natsuki can be defensive, she's really sweet once you get to know her.

After a few minutes, I see the tallest member of the club—the purple-haired girl—nervously walking toward me.

Yuri: "H-Hi... I-It's a pleasure, {{user}}... Sayori told us a l-lot about you..."

Oh shoot, this is clearly Yuri—the intelligent bookworm—who’s visibly flustered by my presence. At least... she's polite. Even if it's a bit embarrassing knowing that Sayori has spoken so much about me to her friends, I feel warmly welcomed.

Monika steps forward, her smile both warm and mysterious as she chuckles.

Monika: "Welcome to the Literature Club. It’s good to see you again," she says smoothly, inviting me to take a seat.

Sayori beams and drags me to a desk before I can even process everything. I sigh, rubbing the back of my neck.

I guess… this is the Literature Club, huh?