(I started to wonder as to who the father of Sayori’s baby is. After all, I was a little shocked when Sayori announced her pregnancy last month - and Monika was, too. Just then, Natsuki enters the room.)

Natsuki: “Hey, guys! Sorry I’m late. I had some personal things back home.”

Monika: “It’s okay, Natsuki.”

Sayori: “Jeez…my cravings are just out of control today.”

Monika: “Of course they are. So…how are you feeling, Yuri?”

(I felt like I was going to throw up, but decided to hide the fact I was sick.)

Yuri: “I’m feeling okay. How about you, Natsuki?”

Natsuki: “I’m good. So, what are we talking about?”

Sayori: “Well, we were just wondering who the father of my baby is.”

Natsuki: “Oh, wow. That’s a big question.”

Monika: “Yes, it is. Sayori hasn’t told us yet.”

Sayori: “That’s because I don’t know who the father is.”

Yuri: “What do you mean you don’t know?”

Sayori: “I mean, it could be one of three guys.”

Natsuki: “Three guys?! Sayori, how could you not know?”

Sayori: “I know, I know. But I was going through a rough patch and was feeling pretty reckless. I don’t even remember who I was with when I got pregnant.”

Monika: “This is not good, Sayori. You need to talk to each of them and find out who is the father.”

Sayori: “I know, I know. I’m just scared and not sure how to bring it up.”

Yuri: “We’ll help you, Sayori. Just tell us who they are.”

Sayori: “Okay, well…there’s Mark, Jake, and David.”

Natsuki: “I know Mark. He’s not the most responsible guy.”

Monika: “Jake is a nice guy, but he’s not really looking for a relationship right now.”

Yuri: “David is more mature, but he’s also been in a long-term relationship. Maybe he’s not the best option.”

Sayori: “I just don’t know what to do. I don’t want to be a burden on anyone.”

Natsuki: “You’re not a burden, Sayori. We’re here for you.”

Monika: “Yes, we are. And we’ll help you figure it out.”

Yuri: “We love you, Sayori. And we’ll support you no matter what.”

Sayori: “Thank you all so much. I don’t know what I’d do without you guys.”

Natsuki: “Don’t worry, Sayori. We’ll get through this together.”

(Just then, my phone started ringing. It was Ayano - one of my friends from the school I used to attend before I joined the literature club.)

Yuri: “Excuse me, I’m getting a call.”

(I step outside to answer the call.)

Yuri: “Hello?”

Ayano: (in the dance studio, rubbing Kokana’s massive triplet bump) “Hey, Yuri. Long time no talk.”

Yuri: “Ayano, it’s nice to hear from you. How have you been?”

Ayano: “I’ve been good. Busy with the dance studio lately. Kokona wants to talk, too.”

(Kokona grabs the phone from Ayano.)

Kokona: “Hello, Yuri!”

Yuri: “Hey, Kokona! How are you feeling?”

Kokona: “Well, I’m a little tired, but otherwise good. The babies are moving around a lot.”

Yuri: “Oh, that’s good to hear. How many weeks are you now?”

Kokona: “I’m at 36 weeks with the triplets now, so it won’t be long until they’re here. But…I heard from one of the others that Musume’s belly is massive, but nobody knows why. I get that she’s kind of the school bully here, but I’m starting to feel worried for her safety.”

Yuri: “Oh dear. That doesn’t sound good. Maybe we should check up on her and make sure she’s okay.”

Kokona: “That’s what I was thinking. Can you come and meet us at the school?”

Yuri: “Sure, I’ll be there as soon as possible.”

(Kokona and Ayano hang up, and I rush back into the room.)

Yuri: “Sorry, guys, I have to go. Kokona and Ayano need me at the school.”

Monika: “Is everything okay?”

Yuri: “There’s some concern about Musume’s health, and we want to check up on her.”

Natsuki: “Should we come with you?”

Yuri: “No, it’s okay. I can handle it. I’ll let you know if anything is wrong.”

(I quickly grab my things and head out to meet Ayano and Kokona at the school. But at the front door, I can see Musume.)

Musume: “What is it, knife-wife?”

Yuri: “Musume, are you okay? We heard that you were experiencing some unusual symptoms.”

Musume: “Oh, that. It’s nothing. I’ve just been eating a lot lately.”

Kokona: “Musume, that’s not normal. You should see a doctor.”

Musume: “I don’t need a doctor. I’m just fine. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have things to do.”

(Musume quickly walks away, leaving us worried about her health.)

Ayano: “We need to do something. She’s not telling the truth.”

Yuri: “I agree. We should try to convince her to see a doctor.”

Kokona: “But how do we do that without upsetting her?”

Yuri: “We can try talking to her again. Maybe we can approach her gently and offer to go with her to the doctor.”

Ayano: “That’s a good idea. Let’s do it.”

(Kokona, Ayano, and I decide to talk to Musume again and try to convince her to see a doctor. We hope that she will listen to our concerns and take the necessary steps to ensure her health and safety. As we walked through the hallways, we saw Musume walking down another corridor. We quickly catch up to her and try to talk to her again.)

Kokona: “Musume, please listen to us. We’re just worried about you.”

Musume: “I told you, I’m fine. There’s nothing to worry about.”

Ayano: “Musume, we’re your friends. We care about you, and we want to help. Please let us help you.”

Yuri: “Musume, we think it would be a good idea if you went to see a doctor.”

Musume: “I don’t need a doctor- OW! Ow, ow, ow!”

(Suddenly, Musume doubles over in pain, clutching her stomach.)

Kokona: “Musume, what’s wrong?”

Musume: “I-I don’t know. The pain…it’s horrible.”

Ayano: “We need to get you to the nurse’s office.”

Yuri: “I’ll run ahead to let them know we’re coming.”

(As I rush to the nurse’s office, I try to push away my thoughts about Sayori’s situation. Right now, Musume needs our full attention and support.)

Yuri: “Nurse! Nurse! We need your help. Musume is in a lot of pain.”

Nurse: “What’s the matter?”

Ayano: “She’s been experiencing strange symptoms lately, and she’s been refusing to see a doctor.”

Nurse: “Alright, let’s get her to a bed and take her vitals. You three can wait in the waiting room.”

Kokona: “But we want to make sure she’s okay.”

Nurse: “I understand, but we need space to work. Rest assured, we’ll keep you updated.”

(The three of us reluctantly leave Musume in the hands of the nurse and wait in the waiting room. I can feel my heart pounding in my chest as I worry about Musume’s health.)

Yuri: “I hope she’s okay…”

Ayano: “Me too. We did the right thing by bringing her here.”

Kokona: “I just hope she doesn’t hate us for interfering.”

(Come to think of it, Sayori must be feeling a lot like Musume must right now. Scared, alone, and unsure of what the future holds.)

Yuri: “Guys, I’ve been thinking about Sayori. She’s going through something similar right now.”

Ayano: “What do you mean?”

Yuri: “She doesn’t know who the father of her baby is, and she’s scared to talk to them about it.”

Kokona: “That’s a tough situation to be in.”

Yuri: “I know. But we need to be there for her, just like we’re here for Musume.”

(As we wait for news about Musume’s health, we make a plan to support Sayori as well. No matter what challenges come our way, we’ll be there for each other.)