The literature club, it consisted of five members in total: Monika the leader, Sayori the cheerful yet clumsy one, Natsuki the short-tempered and grumpy one, Yuri the shy and reserved one, and the newcomer who had moved to Japan from Europe when her parents relocated for work.

Unfortunately for the newcomer and her family, life in Japan wouldn't be so sweet. It was discovered that her father had been cheating on her mother back in Europe, leading to a massive fight and eventual divorce proceedings during her 11th grade semester. While this unfolded, she had recently joined the literature club after being shown around by Sayori.

The newcomer would end up leaving Japan a few weeks after the court case determined custody arrangements, moving with her mother to East End Toronto. Before leaving, she sent the Doki's group chat a message detailing the events that led to this sudden relocation. The only one who didn't see this message was Yuri, who was sleeping at the time after a long day of exams.

Weeks went by, making Yuri grow more and more concerned about her friend's absence. She decided to ask the others about it one day, unable to hide her worry despite her efforts to remain composed.

"Hey guys, I haven't seen our new member anywhere in the last few days," Yuri said, trying to sound casual but unable to stop twiddling her fingers nervously. "Did she go on a trip or something... maybe even gone out of town?"

Sayori's smile faded into a frown, a sad expression spreading across her face as she walked up to Yuri.

"Oh Yuri," she said, placing a hand on Yuri's shoulder, clearly struggling with how to deliver the news.

Natsuki cut her off abruptly, deciding harsh honesty would be better than prolonging the pain.

"She's gone," Natsuki stated bluntly. "She left us all a text message in the group chat that explained she was moving due to her parents' divorce. It's all her dad's fault... just cheating on her mother like that."

Yuri was shocked by this revelation, having assumed her friend was just severely sick and recovering at home.

"W-what! She left due to a divorce?" Yuri stammered, suddenly realizing she hadn't checked the group chat that day. "Did she ever tell us where she's going or anything? I-I... I hope she's alright."

Monika opened her phone and checked the message.

"She says she's going to East End Toronto," Monika replied with a sigh. "But that doesn't mean we can't always remember the times with her. I think we all should continue without her."

Yuri fell silent for a full minute as the other girls watched with varying degrees of concern. They all knew about Yuri's crush, and seeing her reaction was difficult.

"Right," Yuri finally whispered.

To Yuri, the newcomer had been her rock, her anchor in a chaotic world. Now she was gone, torn away by her father's betrayal. It angered Yuri deeply, but she tried to push forward even as her heart broke.

Five years later, Yuri still thought about her almost every day - through highs and lows, through darkness and light, the memory of the girl who captured her heart never faded. She was now in college along with Natsuki, while Monika and Sayori attended a different college in Tokyo. Yuri had specifically chosen to attend school in Toronto, secretly hoping to find her again.

The first week overwhelmed her with new experiences and responsibilities. The workload piled up daily, though Natsuki seemed to handle it relatively well despite falling a bit behind. One morning, they walked to their classes together after getting up early.

"It's been so long already without her," Yuri murmured, looking around at the busy campus. "I'm unsure if she's even here anymore."

Natsuki elbowed her arm sharply.

"Cut it out Yuri," Natsuki snapped, looking away. "I miss her too, but stop bringing it up. Besides, she still talks to us sometimes so we would know if she's alright. Just focus, okay?"

Yuri considered her words as they stopped walking, creating a moment of silence amid the noisy college halls.

"Yeah... you're right," Yuri agreed quietly. "She's probably fine and well... living her life. Maybe I'll ask her where she is now."

Natsuki managed a small smile before it quickly turned to an annoyed expression.

"Thank god you're finally getting over her," Natsuki said. "Now come on, we're going to be late for class."

As Natsuki walked ahead, Yuri sighed to herself, her hope fading but not extinguished completely.