(As I sat by the hospital bed, I couldn’t believe what was happening. MC, my childhood friend, was dying. Ever since he got in that accident, I was praying that he would be okay. And then, I took one last look at me, and the child that me and Umbris were going to have.)

MC: “Sayori…I hope that you and Umbris become the best parents ever. And…tell my little sister Himari that I’ll miss her.”

(Tears rolled down my cheek as I looked into MC’s eyes.)

Sayori: “Thank you, MC. We will do our best for you. Himari will miss you too, but she’ll always remember you in her heart.”

MC: “I’m glad. And please, don’t forget about me. Remember the good times we had together, and keep smiling, okay?”

Sayori: “I won’t forget you, MC. I promise. And I’ll try to keep smiling for you.”

(MC weakly gave me a smile before he closed his eyes for the final time. I held onto his hand, not wanting to let go. It was a painful goodbye, but I knew that MC was at peace now. I silently made a vow to always cherish his memory and to never forget the impact he had on my life. The day after his funeral, I went back to the clubroom. I could see the other girls - Monika, Yuri, Natsuki, Himari, and Kohana - all discussing something, and Kohana also had a hand on her own bump. Hopefully neither me or Kohana start having contractions.)

Sayori: (Taking a deep breath) “Hey, everyone. I know we’re all grieving MC’s loss, but I just wanted to say that I’m grateful for all of you. For being here and supporting me. We have each other, and I think that’s something we should hold onto. And, Umbris and I are going to become parents soon. It’s scary and exciting, but we’ll do our best.”

Monika: “Congratulations, Sayori. That’s great news. MC would be happy to know this.”

Yuri: “I’m sure you and Umbris will be wonderful parents. And, we’ll be here for you, all the way.”

Natsuki: “Yeah, don’t forget that we’re all here to help you out. And, we’re happy to do it.”

Himari: “I can’t believe we’re going to have babies around here soon. It’s crazy and awesome at the same time.”

Kohana: (Rubbing her bump) “Yeah, it is. I’m happy for you and Umbris, Sayori. You guys will do great.”

Sayori: “Thank you, everyone. It means a lot to me. Let’s all continue to support each other, okay?”

(The group nodded, and we all shared a somber moment together. But, I knew MC was watching over us, and that gave me some comfort. Life might be uncertain, but we had each other, and that was something to hold onto. But just minutes before the meeting ended, I noticed Kohana was starting to feel uncomfortable.)

Sayori: “Kohana, are you okay?”

Kohana: “Yeah, I think so. I just felt a little twinge in my stomach.”

Natsuki: “Oh no, is it starting?”

Kohana: “I’m not sure. Maybe it’s just a false alarm.”

Yuri: “Should we take you to the hospital, just in case?”

Himari: “Yeah, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Kohana: “Okay, let’s do that. Sayori, can you and Umbris come with me?”

Sayori: “Of course, Kohana. Let’s go.”

(We all rushed to the hospital, with Kohana feeling more and more uncomfortable with each passing moment. As soon as we arrived, the nurses quickly took her to the delivery room. But then, the nurses brought me to the delivery room as well.)