Chapter 13: Poems



After a while of waiting, Monika arrived. She was panting, which made the impression that she rushed all the way here.



“Ahahaha…” she said before catching her breath. “Sorry, everyone! I forgot we set the starting time earlier than usual.” She took out her club form and handed it to Miss Watanabe.



The teacher took the paper and gave Monika a glare. “Madam President,” Miss Watanabe responds with a mix of disappointment and sarcasm. Her tone was filled with the boiling waters of passive aggression. “That’s very irresponsible of you. You made us wait almost forty-five minutes. That is something a club president should never do.”



“I apologize, Miss Watanabe. I was just practicing piano in the study hall again. I didn’t notice that it was time, please understand—” Monika tried to reason.



“Organize yourself.” The teacher said.



Monika didn’t say much afterwards, only being left with a rather sad expression. “Alright…”



Sayori stepped in to defend. “Hey, hey… it’s only her first time. I don’t think you have to be harsh on her, Miss.”



As bad as Monika was, you nodded.



Miss Watanabe readjusts her glasses and smirked. “Well, Sayori, being harsh has its uses. I’m sure your parents do it to discipline you, so it would only make sense if a teacher did as well.” She continues to explain. “Being harsh on the first time someone does something wrong is guaranteed to scare them from doing such thing again. It makes them think twice before doing so. The greater the responsibility, the harsher the consequences. Does that make sense?”



“Oh, good point… but I think it’s unnecessary for this case!” Sayori insists.



The teacher sighed. “Well, if you say so.” She spoke in a more relaxed tone, turning to Monika. “Don’t be late again, alright Monika?”



“I won’t let this happen again. I’m sorry.” Monika said, apologizing once more.



“Besides, you made a new member wait for you. It’s rather rude to make them wait, don’t you think?” Miss Watanabe said.



“A new member?” Monika was surprised and she looked around the classroom for said member.



Harumi walked up. “Yup, that’s me!” She pointed her thumb at herself.



“Oh—, you!” The reaction of Monika to this new member implied that they both met sometime before.



“So… this is our president. The president of the literature club.” Harumi smiled. “Now I remember!”



“Hm? You two met before?” You asked.



“You bet!” Harumi answered. “This girl here once challenged me to a one-on-one basketball match and a runnin’ race! Guess who won.”



There was an embarrassed look on Monika.



“Did you win?” Sayori asked.



“Hell yeah! By a long shot too.” Harumi said proudly. “What can ya’ expect from the school’s female athlete?”



“Ah…” Miss Watanabe attempts to comfort Monika, though it was difficult to distinguish if she was doing it sarcastically. “Better luck next time, president.”



“No, no.” Monika smiled. “It’s okay, it was all done in good competition, right Harumi?”



“Mhm, no hard feelin’s!” Harumi nods.



“Besides, I’m probably smarter than you.” Monika adds. It appeared that she was a little envious that Harumi was better than her in athletics.



“Hey! Ya’ don’t need to bring that up.” Harumi complained.



“Well, to be fair, Monika,” Miss Watanabe adds, “you’re comparing yourself to low-hanging fruit in that regards.”



“Yo’, teach! Not you too!” Harumi pouts.



“While your grades are better than the average student in this school,” Miss Watanabe explains, “your grades are short of what Yuri and Yuka can achieve.”



Monika sighs. “Right, whatever.”



“It’s okay, Monika. Just because you’re not good enough at some things doesn’t stop you from being a good friend!” Sayori said.



Monika just looked at her with a tad of disappointment. What Sayori said didn’t seem to help at all.



“Speaking of Yuri and Yuka…” Monika took a panoramic glance around the classroom. “Where are they, anyways?”



Harumi answered. “Yeah… ‘bout that. I’m close friends with ‘em and they ain’t comin’ today.



“Huh? Why’s that?” Monika asked.



“There’s been a situation, that’s all I’m gonna’ say.” Harumi answered.



“I see…” Monika said.



The mere mention of the “situation” made you and Sayori frown a little, but the frowns would disappear as soon as the club sponsor spoke up.



“So, president, what shall your members do today?” Miss Watanabe asked.



“We’ll be sharing our poems like we do every day, Miss Watanabe.” Monika answered.



“Very well, let’s do it then. Since I’m your English teacher, I would also like to see your poems, as well as share one that I made myself. Perhaps I can give you all a few words of advice from an expert. Shall we?” Miss Watanabe said.



Monika nods. “Okay, everyone! Get your poems ready. We’re going to share now. Our sponsor joining us is an English teacher, so I hope you listen carefully to what she has to say.”



You got out your poem, ready to see what this update had to offer in terms of poetry.



“Uh… how ‘bout me? I’m new so I had no idea this is what we do here.” Harumi said.



“Well, you can just sit and listen to whoever approaches you. I’m sure you can find some fun in that.” Monika said.



“Um… I’ll try!” Harumi smiled. None of the friends from Yuri’s social group was going to share, unfortunately.



You went to your seat and got ready to share your poem. Seeing how poems were not shared yesterday, it was implied that poems were edited or changed for today.



Your screen transitioned to the list that showed all the possible choices to share your poem to. Because of the added characters to the literature club, the arrangement of the names on the list was different from the original. Instead of having one column of names, there was two columns with three selections on the left and one on the right, with one selection beneath both columns, laying on where a line would be perfectly centered between them if it was drawn. Listed on the left-hand side were these names from top-to-bottom: Sayori, Natsuki, and Monika. On the right-hand side was the name Harumi, which was on the same row as Monika. On the bottom was Miss Watanabe. It appeared that if Yuka and Yuri were to be also available, the would be in the same column has Harumi’s. Their friend circle had their own column.



You wondered which member you wanted to share your poem to first, and the first option you picked was Sayori.



“…” Sayori was frowning a little at first.



“Sayori… is the thing with Yuri still bothering you?” You asked.



“Yeah, a little.” She answered.



“Look, we’re not going to get anywhere by thinking like that all the time. Remember, we just have to trust her decision. This is her choice after all.” You said.



“You’re right.” Sayori sighed. “We’re supposed to be talking about our poems now, anyways.”



“Then let’s get to it.” You handed Sayori your poem.



She read your poem and smiled. “I really love your poems, especially this one!” She giggled a little. “I see that you used some words that Miss Watanabe wants us to study.”



“Well, let’s just say I wanted to impress our queen, so she doesn’t execute us.” You joked around.



“Ahaha… nice one.” She said. “Reading this poem makes it almost feel like you’re writing this for me.” She fiddled with her fingers.



“Well… I want say that it’s a coincidence, but the words Miss Watanabe picked reminded me of you.” You said.



“Eeeh!? They do?” Sayori blushed a little. “Do you think she’s pushing for something here?”



“Who knows. It’s difficult to understand a woman like her.” You said. “Maybe she does see the telepathic connection we have with each other.” You joked again, this time referring to an excuse Sayori made when you two were caught cheating in her class.



“Oh, stop it you!” She giggled again. “So, Riko… will you give me your poem? I kinda’ want to keep it.” She asked.



“Sure, in fact, why don’t we just trade our poems after we share it to everyone?” You offered.



“Whaaa—, really!?” Sayori said.



“Mhm, I don’t have a problem with it.” You said.



“Ehehehe! Thanks, Riko!” Sayori smiled.



“But don’t you have to share your poem to me first?” You reminded her.



“Oh, right!” Sayori hands her poem over to you. “It might not be as good as yours, just saying…”



“Eh, whatever. I’m sure I’ll like it.” You begin to read the poem. It was the Bottles poem.



“Holy crap… Sayori, did you really write this?” You asked.



“Yeah… it’s a little different from usual, but I did say yesterday that I was going to try and make a poem better than yours! I think this was my best attempt.” Sayori answered.



“That explains it.” You said.



“Monika taught me a whole lot and I’ve been in touch with my feelings recently… but I don’t think this is the right way I should express myself.” Sayori said.



“Huh, what do you mean by that?” You asked.



“I don’t know, it just feels wrong.” She responds.



“I think you’re looking into this too much. This came out good, and that’s what matters.” You said.



“I guess you’re right. Besides, you’re going to keep this, aren’t you? I don’t think I want to make you think twice by making you doubt.” She said.



“Correct. I think it’s fine the way it is.” You said.



“Thanks, Riko!” Sayori smiled.



After having a shorter exchange over the Bottles poem, you decide to share your poem to Natsuki next.



“These words… these are Miss Watanabe’s words…” Natsuki noticed.



“Yeah, what about it?” You said, sweating a little at her judgement.



“It’s yuck! This makes it worse than your last poem!” She said.



“What!? How!?” You whined.



“Sorry bud’, but anything that reminds me of that teacher disgusts me.” Natsuki states.



“Oh, c’mon, they’re just words. They’re not going to hurt you or anything. Besides, Miss Watanabe isn’t that mean of a teacher.” You said.



“Yes, she is! Her class has a lot of work, she gives a lot of homework, and her tests are hard. And when you do them, she makes fun of you! How is she not mean!” Natsuki said with anger.



“Well, maybe you should study more.” You said.



“Maybe you should shut your mouth!” She said.



“Ugh, whatever. Can’t you just judge my poem without those words being counted?”



Natsuki groaned. “Fine.” She reads your poem again. “Well, without the words, it’s certainly better, but not better than your last one. I would say that they’re on the same level. Just keep practicing and soon you’ll be on my level!”



You rolled your eyes. “Right.”



“You know, this kind of reminds me of Sayori’s poem from last time.” Natsuki states.



“Well, I wouldn’t be surprised.” You said.



“I am! And I don’t see Sayori as your type, not at all.” She said.



“Is this a Parfait Girls thing again?” You cocked your eyebrow.



“Yes! And I can never understand how someone like her can spend time around you!” She said.



“Is that manga like your Bible or code of ethics or something?” You asked even further.



“Yes!” Natsuki insists.



You sighed. “Whatever, let’s just say we just have our own way of taking care of each other.”



“And I don’t get it. Never will.” Natsuki shook her head. “Oh, by the way,” she took out her poem, “here, my poem. Read it! I made a few changes to it when Monika gave us extra time. It’s a lot better now!” Natsuki said with confidence.



“If you say so.” You read her poem. It was Amy Likes Spiders but upon reading the poem, you noticed that many of the words and phrases were changed.









Amy Likes Spiders



You know what I heard about Amy?

Amy likes spiders.

Icky, wriggly, hairy, ugly spiders!

Disgusting!



Amy has a cute singing voice.

But she likes to sing songs I don't like!

Every time she sings the chorus, I cringe to the to the rhythm of the words.

And she likes spiders.

Disgusting!



One time, she gave me a frog.

A green, yucky, slimy, chunky frog!

She forced me to open it up.

She likes spiders too, so her hands are probably gross.

Disgusting!



Amy has a lot of friends.

They're all old and boring, just like her!

She probably talks about spiders.

What if her friends like spiders too?

Disgusting!



It doesn’t matter if she has other hobbies.

It doesn’t matter if she keeps it private.

It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t hurt anyone.



It’s gross.

She’s gross.

The world is better off without spider lovers like her.









“So, what do you think?” Natsuki asked.



“It’s quite longer than last time, that’s for sure.” You said.



Natsuki explains. “Last time, I was warming up! That’s why it was short. That was definitely not the best I could do, and neither is this one!”



“Right.” You said.



She continues. “Anyways, the message here is very straightforward. It’s so simple that the poem can just explain for itself. Sometimes you just have to deal with the fact that certain people exist, like said subject in this poem. I think you know who it really is.”



“Miss Watanabe?” You said.



“What? No!” Natsuki shook her head. “Miss Watanabe’s a jerk for other reasons. Now, that science teacher on the other hand…”



“Miss Amamiya.” You said.



“Yeah, her! Ugh!” Natsuki filled herself up with rage once she heard that name. “If you haven’t noticed, “Amy” is just a shortened-up version of that idiot’s name.”



“Huh? What’s wrong with her? She’s chill and doesn’t give out too much homework.” You said.



“You think that’s all to her? Like I said, she’s disgusting!” She emphasized. “Her fashion just freaks me out, not to mention her experiments! They either explode or reveal something vomit-inducing, and she makes me do it as part of an assignment! I hate it! Not mention her taste in music and… and SPIDERS!”



“Oh, c’mon. She’s her own person. Besides, all the stuff she does in her class is required to do for a teacher of her field.” You said.



“You might be right, but that doesn’t mean other people are going to like it! Look, I’m all for others having weird hobbies and not judging people for it but that doesn’t you have to show it off all the time!” Natsuki ranted.



“Don’t you think that type of thinking makes people insecure?” You point out.



“You’re right…” She realizes, “but Miss Amamiya? She’s the exception.”



“Alright then. What if it was Yuri then?” You asked.



“Oh, Yuri? She’s with Yuka and you know my views on that. In fact, I changed this poem because of what I noticed between them!” Natsuki said proudly. “Expect good things about my next poem now that I said that!”



“Oh, jeez.” Now you weren’t expecting the best of what could come next for Natsuki’s poems. Since the last few days in this new update never showed off any glimpse of the aforementioned science teacher, this “Miss Amamiya” woman won’t have any importance to the story.



Going down to the final person on the left column of the list, you shared your poem to Monika.



“…” Monika was frowning, which was not something she’d usually do before you shared a poem with her. Then she shook her head, noticing your presence. “Oh! Riko, hey! How’s the writing going?”



Before you could answer, you asked, “Monika, is there something bothering you?”



“Well… there is, but don’t mind it. I’m just a little overwhelmed by our new members.” She said.



“Ah, I see. The writing’s going alright, by the way.” You said.



“That’s good, as long as nothing’s going bad.” She said. “I’m glad you’re applying yourself. Maybe, you’ll write up a masterpiece one day.”



“Miss Watanabe will have to be the judge of that.” You said.



Monika looked to the side and sighed. “Right. Can I see what you wrote for today?”



“Sure, here you go.” You hand your poem over to Monika.



She reads it. “…”



“So… you’re using words that Miss Watanabe is putting up to study.” Monika said.



“Yep. Is there something wrong with that?” You asked.



“No, not at all. I think it’s a great idea to use what our English teacher is teaching us. Other than that, it’s good! It really reminds me of what Sayori wrote, just like last time. It’s like you two are made for each other.” She said.



“Well, Miss Watanabe certainly does like to put us into situations like that.” You admit.



“Oh, really? That’s adorable.” Monika said. “You two hang out with each other so much that even our teacher notices.”



You shrugged. “Can’t blame her.”



“Just don’t be convinced that Sayori is the only friend you can make.” She said.



“Hm? I don’t think I have to worry about that. In fact, we’ve been trying to get close with Yuri and her friends but… something happened.” You said.



“Oh… I see. Whatever it is, I hope it gets resolved soon. Maybe you should also talk to Natsuki, and maybe me sometime soon! I’m not, like, unapproachable or anything, am I?” She asked.



“Nah, you’re good. I wish I could talk to you more, but it looks like the time we have at this club is all we got.” You state.



Monika sighed. “I guess you’re right. I’m always busy doing school hours, so that’s out of the picture, but I suppose I should start arriving earlier if that’s the case.”



“Sounds good.” You said.



“Sorry if it sounds like I’m pressuring you or something, I didn’t mean to.” She said.



“Oh, no. It’s fine. I completely understand.” You assured her.



“Alright, anyways, want to read my poem now? Since I gave more time to work on the poems we were supposed to share yesterday, I took this time to actually write an entirely new poem. I hope you like it.” Monika said.



“Really? Alright then, let’s see.” You took the poem that Monika handed over. This poem was a completely new poem, the first new poem to come out of this update. It was titled Strangers.









Strangers



I like friends.

I know, expect, predict them.

It's comfortable for you and me.

Everything is set as it should be.



Strangers... they make me anxious.

What do I know, expect, or predict from them?

Will they be mean? Will they be rude?

Are they better than me? Are they looking down at me?

Where do they come from,

and why are they here?



I have so many questions.









“Hm…” you took a good look at the poem. “This one’s direct and gets to the point.”



“Ahahaha… It is, isn’t it?” Monika said. “While the poem I originally wrote was going to be more abstract as I wanted it to be, I just wanted to be honest this time around.”



“Honest? About what? The new people to the club?” You asked.



She sighed. “I would be lying if I didn’t say so! I was used to you and the gang but these other ones just make kind of anxious, but what am I saying? It’s hypocritical for me to tell you to socialize more while I’m leaving out Yuka and Harumi from my time. I’m sure they’re great people!”



“They are, actually.” You nod.



“If that’s the case, I should try to find the time to learn about them more, and maybe more about Yuri.” Monika said.



“You should!” You encouraged. “And maybe Miss Watanabe too.”



“Oh, don’t be silly, Riko! She’s too old to be friends with us.” And then she muttered something you couldn’t hear.



“Well, you’ll never know.” You said.



“Next time, I’ll try to make something that’s more abstract. I just wanted to take this off my chest. I’ll see what I can do.” Monika states.



“Alright then.” You said.



“Anyways, here is Monika’s Writing Tip of the Day… there’s none!” She said.



“Hm, why not?” You asked.



“Well, since Miss Watanabe is here to join us in the fun, I don’t think my tips are going to be comparable to an experienced, old lady like her. I’m just going to let her do the work, don’t mind me!” She continues. “I guess there’s one thing I do want to tell, and it’s this: remember to save your game! You’ll never know what’s going to go wrong. Sometimes, you just have to make the decision again, especially when unexpected situations are put into the fray. Just save! That’s my advice, ahahaha!”



Now, it was Harumi’s turn.



Upon approaching the athlete, you are met with a giant sleeping while snoring rather loudly. A bubble was coming out of one of Harumi’s nostrils. She was comfortable, alright.



“Uh… Harumi?” You called for her attention.



The snot bubble popped, and Harumi woke up. “Eh—” she realized that you had approached, and she sat straight up, scratching her head. “Oh, sorry dude! Didn’t realize you were there. I just got a little bored of sittin’ around so I took a short nap.”



“Eh, understandable. I don’t think a person like you would find this exciting, especially since you have nothing to show yourself.” You said.



“And you’re hella’ right! I’m really here just to support friends, y’know, and perhaps even make new ones!” She admits.



“I guess that’s a good reason to join then. Honestly, I joined just because of Sayori and even I’m getting into writing poetry.” You said.



“Oh, hahaha! Not sure if I’ll see that for me!” She laughed. “Just not my stuff, obviously.”



“We’ll see then.” You said.



“So, whaddya’ need?” Harumi asked, forgetting about the activity the club was doing at the moment.



“The club is sharing poems, remember? Since you’re a new member, you don’t have anything ready, so it’ll just be me sharing.” You said.



“Oh! Right! Well, let’s see what ya’ got!” Harumi anticipates.



You hand your poem over to her.



“Wow!” She exclaimed. “It’s good, but I don’t understand any of this at all!”



“Did you read it carefully?” You asked.



“Yes, with the best of all my abilities. I’m sorry if I didn’t get it, man. It’s just too… uh, what’s the right word…” Harumi thinks of a word to explain it.



“Abstract?” You said.



“Y-Yeah! That!” She said. “(Whatever that means.)”



“Uh-huh. That was useless.” You sighed.



“Oh, c’mon. Don’t take it too hard. I’m just a girl who prefers the real stuff, y’know? Like the news, I can get with that.” She states.



“I see.” You said.



Harumi leaned back in her chair. “Man, if you really need some compliments, I guess usin’ the words teach’ gave us is nice. And now that I think of it, this poem makes you sound like a… cheerful kinda’ guy? I’m just tryin’ to make what I can from out of this.”



“I guess you got it, even if it’s not too in-depth about it.” You said.



“Remember, dude, not into this stuff.” She reiterated. “If there’s one thing I wanna’ add it’s that this poem makes you sound like your friend over there.”



“Everyone says that, but I can see why.” You nodded.



“You two are really good friends, I can tell! Keep it up, bro. Everyone needs a friend to keep close to.” Harumi smiled. “Otherwise, you’ll never know where you’re gonna’ be without support. Life’s a team effort, they always say.”



You nodded in agreement. “I don’t know where Sayori and I would be without each other.”



“And don’t abandon ‘em… ever! That’s the worse you can do.” She said.



“Not that I would ever.” You said.



“Anyways, good poem! I hope to see your next, even if I won’t be able to understand it. Keep up the good work!” Harumi gave a thumbs up.



And finally, Miss Watanabe. Though you anticipated to see what the teacher had to say about your poem, you were also anxious. Her etiquette and attitude build the impression that she would metaphorically rip your poem down to the atomic level to find everything wrong about it. While you were interested in what she had to say, the stigma that this poem was about that to graded work in her class.



You approached her. “M-Miss Watanabe, I’m ready to share my poem with you.”



“Well, well, well. Prince Riko has finally arrived.” She leaned in intimidatingly. “Alright, student, are you anxious?” She smirked.



“…Maybe a little.” You said.



“I saw that coming a light-year away.” She chuckled. “Don’t be. I’m not going to kill you if this poem doesn’t hold up to my standards. I’ll just kill the poem.”



“W-What do you mean by that!?” You said, missing the point of your teacher’s metaphor. “Are you going to rip it up or something?”



She smiled. “Oh, no. I didn’t mean that literally. I just meant that I’ll find anything in your poem that’s rather questionable.”



That didn’t help to rid of your anxiety. “R-Right… okay.”



“Besides, I heard that your president has been giving advice about writing poetry. I’m interested to see what she taught you.” Miss Watanabe said. “Perhaps give my judgement on that as well.”



“Isn’t that a little too much?” You asked.



“Not at all. If your responsibility is the literature club, then it should make sense that what you’re teaching will actual help members improve on their writing. Besides, I think writing only poetry ruins the point of this club.” Your teacher explains.



You were confused by that statement. “Wait, how? I thought the literature club was about… literature.”



“That’s the point, Riko. It is about literature, not just poetry. This is not called a poet’s club; this is called a literature club.” She emphasized. “You don’t focus on one fraction and then equate that to the entirety. It’s not even the average. Literature is art through the English language, so there’s a lot more that can be done than just poetry, whether it be a short fable that has many iterations of itself made by different people or a document that rearranges society and builds entire nations.”



“Huh… never thought it that way.” You said.



“In summary, there’s so much you can do with literature. While writing poems is good, there’s just so much more. I hate to see it ignored, but anyways, I’m rambling too much. Enough with the chit-chat. Don’t you have a poem to share with me?” The teacher moves on.



“Oh, right.” You hand your paper over to Miss Watanabe.



She reads the poem. “Hmm…” She then smiles. “Riko, why don’t you read your poem to me out loud?”



“Wait, why?” You complained a little.



“Oh, c’mon. Don’t be shy. I believe poetry is best experienced when the writer is involved.” Miss Watanabe explains.



You were quiet.



“We don’t have all day, you know.” She pressured you.



“Alright, alright. I’ll do it.” You began to read your poem. You were stuttering until the very end. The presence of your teacher just kept on feeding your anxiety.



“Very good, Riko.” She clapped softly.



You took a deep breath. “Thanks.”



“Now, before we go into the nitty-gritty of your poem, I would like for you to read my poem first. To make things fair, I will also read my poem out loud. Feel free to follow along.” Your teacher took out two copies of her poem, handing one over to you. She was ready for this moment.



“Alright.” You read her poem while she spoke each word. It didn’t make a difference on how the poem was presented. You could still scroll down the paper to see the entirety of the poem. A new variant of "Okay, Everyone!" was playing for Miss Watanabe. It took form as a jazz tune, complete with an ascending bass, catchy hi-hats, and a relaxed sax. As for the poem itself, each verse was rather lengthy. It was very similar to how much Yuri would write, but the word choice reflected the attitude of the writer. The title of this poem was That’s Life.









That's Life



I'm old, and I know.

It's painfully obvious, just like everything that life shows.

Children cry, birds fly.

People die.

Individually, it's traumatic like a television soap opera.

But people come in masses, so all their experiences sum up to a documentary



of eternity.



I'm old, so there's much I know.

Life knows a lot too, making every intellectual look faux.

They know about you more than yourself.

They know about your friends more than themselves.

There's nothing you can do to hide, it's absolutely pointless.

Life is simply an omnipresent being, and people will just have to



deal with it.



I'm old, but I have a sense of humor.

Just like life, who seems to always laugh at losers.

You could be a loser, your friends can be as well.

It's just something that everyone has to go through.

It can be disappointing to you and only you.

But life doesn't care, it'll blow you away in a gust of wind like



a feather.



So if you see yourself in an unfortunate situation, just remember.

That's life.









“Hm… interesting.” You commented. “You made your subject very obvious.”



“Indeed.” Miss Watanabe said. “I wrote this poem in the shoes of how most students might write their poem, while implying that they know all the basics, such as similes, metaphors, and such. Saying that, this is obviously lower than the minimum I can do.” She admits.



“Ah, I see.” You said.



“As for your poem,” she relaxed in the rolling chair she sat on, “I’m giving you points for using the words I gave you in class. Nice job.”



“Mhm…” you nodded as you continued to listen to your teacher’s verdict.



“Also, I’m seeing that you’re writing style reminds me of Sayori.” She chuckled.



“Everyone says that, so I’m not surprised that you would too. If anything, I think it’s the words you’ve chosen that’s partially to blame this time around.” You said. “Is there a reason behind this?”



“Riko, just like poems, understand what I do is up to your interpretation.” Miss Watanabe said.



You wanted to see a solid answer to come out of your teacher, but you were wise enough to understand that she wasn’t the type to give out the truth easily. “I see…”



“Now, time for some critique.” She straightens up her posture. “There’s really no difference between the poem I wrote today and yours in terms of structure, so it’s rudimentary. It’s good that your expressing yourself, however, if you put rules and limits on what you can do, another path of creativity can open up in your imagination.” Miss Watanabe explains. “This is what creates history’s most well-known poets.”



“Woah…” you were amazed by how your teacher framed her perspective. “That’s some advice I don’t think Monika would even tell me.”



Miss Watanabe sighed. “I can see Monika encouraging you to express yourself in whatever ways that’s possible, and there’s no problem in that. Though, sometimes creating interesting problems can lead to interesting solutions. You can discover yourself a little further by doing that.”



“So, what do you suggest?” You asked.



She gave a lengthy answer. “Well, you can take up what Monika has left thus far and apply what I said next time. If you’re looking into something specific, yet simple, try to play around with word choice. Alliteration, repetition, and rhyme can create wonderful consonance, which is the property of sounding harmonious. If you’re out there, perhaps you play with how much syllables you want to use each line. Find the rules that you want to follow, and perhaps later on I can set a few challenges to see what you can make.”



“That’s a lot…” You overwhelmed. “Well, I’ll see what I can do then.”



“Ah, you won’t get anywhere if you’re scared. Just try, Riko. Try.” Your teacher encouraged.



“You are the expert here, so I probably should.” You went on. “Man, you just care for this club so much.”



“Shouldn’t it be expected from a teacher that covers that field?” Miss Watanabe points out. “I hate to see it so disorganized before, especially under someone like your current president. It’s very disappointing.”



“What are your thoughts on her as president right now?” You asked.



“That’s what I’m currently judging at the moment. Certainly, she’s doing the right thing by giving advice on expressing yourself when writing, but there’s much she’s missing. Her first impressions on attendance and management is very lacking too, but I shouldn’t count my chicks before they hatch, now should I?” She answered.



“I don’t think she’s bad at all.” You respond. “I think she’s a fine president.”



“We’ll see then. Let’s see if she’s up to take the responsibilities.” Miss Watanabe said.



“She will. Anyways, thanks for the advice, miss.” You said.



Your teacher winked. “No problem, Riko.”