Sweet Haruhi
Kyon's little sister…
I ran to the front door of our house and hugged Kyon as he was leaving for school.
"Hey sis," he said, patting me on the head, "what's gotten into you?"
"I'm going to be riding a unicorn today with my class," I said, and he said, "A unicorn? Really? What do they do, attach a horn to a horse's head?" and I said, "They don't need to do that. Unicorns are real" and he said, "You're such a little kid. You'll believe anything" and I said, "But unicorns are real" and he said, "Whatever." That's what he said. Honest.
Kyon…
I remember that day. How could I forget? People greeted me cheerfully as I trudged up the steps toward school and I just grunted and nodded in my usual way, then it suddenly occurred to me that something strange was happening so I stopped and looked around. My mouth dropped open. As far as my eyes could see, the buildings were painted bright colors; the pavement, sidewalks and stairs were laid with multicolored bricks and tile and the sky was bluer than blue with a beautiful rainbow arched across it. There were flowers everywhere; in every window sill and all along every street. Everybody, except me, was smiling and happy and either humming, singing, whistling or dancing. Countless birds were chirping in every tree or soaring through the skies in large flocks. A kaleidoscope of butterflies flew by and I swear there were fairies mixed in with them. I rubbed my eyes and looked again and the scene didn't change. I said, to no one in particular, "Oh no, not again!"
A Casual Observer…
How much control do we humans have over our lives? I suppose it depends on the person, doesn't it? Some people are like the mighty oak standing strong against the wind. Some (like me) are as the leaves blown about by the slightest gust. What about Kyon? Where does he fit in? It's hard to say. His is a special case. He sees things others can't see. His problem is: He doesn't want to see those things. He wants to live a normal humdrum life. He wants to get up every morning and see the world the same way he saw it the day before. Well, tough luck Charlie. You are at the mercy of a capricious teenage girl. So what else is new? Doesn't this happen to every teenage boy at some time or another? No, not exactly. This particular teenage girl and her whims don't just affect this one boy but the whole world.
Haruhi Suzumiya…
Oh yes, I remember. Kyon was so grumpy that morning. I had never seen him that way before. He even refused to join in the singing and dancing at our morning pep rally. I told him he had to sing because he was one of our lead voices, but he said he didn't know what I was talking about and wouldn't do it. I tried coaxing him nicely but that didn't work. He refused to budge. Luckily, there was another boy who knew the part and was just waiting for his chance. Kyon watched us perform with his arms crossed and a frown on his face. I didn't know what to make of it.
Taniguchi…
Are you talking about that day? Yes, of course I remember because it was so weird. I plopped down in the seat in front of Kyon and knocked on the top of his desk. "What's up?" I said and, "Nothin'" was all I got in return. "Hey! Did you check out the cheerleaders this morning? Whoo hoo! They were so sweet!" He muttered something I couldn't quite make out. "What's wrong with you this morning, Kyon? Why are you so down?" He mumbled, "No reason" while staring out the window with his chin in his hands. Well, I wasn't going to waste my time so I jumped out of the seat and socialized with some of my other friends.
If you think that's weird. Listen to this part. Kyon sat and scowled all day and wouldn't join in the fun. Can you believe it? He even made sarcastic remarks now and then. That's unheard of. The rest of us didn't know what to do. We're not used to seeing an unhappy person around here.
At the end of the day he did something very strange. I mean, stranger. As we were leaving the classroom, he tapped me on the shoulder and asked me if I knew why Haruhi hadn't been in class that day.
I said, "Haruhi?" and he said, "Yeah, Haruhi Suzumiya."
"Haruhi isn't in our class. She's in the class next door."
"Oh, I thought she was in our class."
"What's wrong with you? Did you bump your head or something?"
"Yeah, maybe."
"Hey, Kyon, you've been acting strange all day. Do you need someone to talk to? We could go get a soda or something."
"No, I'm alright. I think I'll just go to the clubroom and relax."
"Okay, I'm going that way. We'll walk over there together."
I took a few steps toward the clubroom then turned around and noticed he was no longer with me.
Kyon…
I made my way to the clubroom after class to try to find some relief from all of the happiness all around me. Everybody was so darn cheerful it was like I had fallen into children's television show. My head was swimming and all of the syrupy sweetness was making me sick.
When I arrived in the clubroom, the room was full of students I didn't know and all of them had their faces buried in books. There were bookshelves from the floor to the ceiling on both sides of the room and colorful sun-catchers were stuck all over the windows. I sat in the only empty chair and pulled myself up to the table. The girl sitting next to me looked up from her book and asked if I was there to join the Literary Club. I answered, "No, I'm here for the SOS Brigade." She said she never heard of the SOS Brigade. I tried to explain to her about the SOS Brigade and when I mentioned Haruhi Suzumiya, she said, "Oh, Haruhi Suzumiya, yes, I've heard of her, she's the president of the Adventurer's Club." I asked where I could find the Adventurer's club and she gave me directions. I left reluctantly. All I really wanted was a cup of Miss Asahina's tea and some quiet.
Haruhi Suzumiya…
Kyon was late for the meeting. When he did show up, he sat in the back of the room instead of up front with me and the rest of the club leaders. "Kyon, honey, what are you doing back there? You're supposed to be up here." I pointed at the seat next to mine. He seemed disoriented as he made his way to the front of the room and looked around like he'd never been there before. I wondered what was wrong with him.
When he reached the podium, I asked him if he had his presentation ready. He didn't seem to know what I was talking about. "You know, silly, you're supposed tell us about our fieldtrip to the Land of Enchantment." He looked at me like he had no idea what I was talking about then shook his head and sat down. Well, I wasn't going to force him to do it so I made the presentation myself.
While I was in the middle of the presentation, Kyon suddenly jumped to his feet and cried out, "It's all wrong! Everything is all wrong!" I was so startled. I spun around and faced him. "But I wasn't prepared. You were supposed to do this."
"No, no, I don't mean that." He pushed back his hair with his hands and looked at me with wild eyes. "I mean everything is wrong. This whole world is wrong. It shouldn't be like this."
I went over to him and put a hand on his forehead. "Kyon, honey, I think you have a fever. You should go see the nurse." He shook his head and said, in a sad sort of way, "Don't be so nice to me. I'm not used to it" and hurried out of the room.
I turned around and faced the club-members. "I don't know," I said, with a shrug, then finished the presentation and ended the meeting.
Itsuki Koizumi…
Yes, I remember that day like it was yesterday. That guy from the Adventurer's club grabbed me as I was leaving school and ranted about espers, time-travelers, aliens and crazy stuff like that. I thought he sounded like a raving lunatic. I tried to calm him down but he insisted that I knew something about whatever it was he was talking about. "Come on, Koizumi, you have to help me," is what he said, with a pleading look in his eyes. I told him there was nothing I could do. After badgering me for a while longer and getting the same response, he apologized for bothering me and ran off. I watched him leave and scratched my head. It was my first day in the Adventurer's club and I thought maybe it had been some kind of initiation or something. I wondered if I should stay in that club.
Haruhi Suzumiya…
I was talking with some friends in the clubroom after the meeting when a new club-member named Itsuki Koizumi asked to speak with me. He seemed a little agitated. I said goodbye to my friends and sat in a chair next to him. He told me all about his encounter with Kyon and asked if it was some kind of club initiation. I assured him it had nothing to do with the club. He was relieved. I was happy to set his mind at ease. He smiled and thanked me then left the room. I thought about what he told me and was more worried about Kyon than ever.
Kyon…
I went back to the Adventurer's club clubroom after my unsatisfactory interview with Koizumi. The room was empty so I took some time to look around. It was about three times the size of the old clubroom and the walls and floors and everything else in the room were brightly colored and excessively cheerful. I asked myself, with a shake of my head and a sigh, "Didn't anybody around here graduate from pre-school?"
I found a computer and logged on. When I couldn't find an SOS Brigade website, I tried the Adventurer's Club website. It was interesting but there was nothing there that could help me. "There has to be some kind of clue!" I cried, pounding my fist on the table. "There just has to be! Nagato, where are you?" I searched and searched again and again but there was nothing; nothing at all. I felt defeated.
Haruhi came into the clubroom and sat next to me. "Kyon, honey," she said, taking hold of my hand, "tell me what's wrong. Why were you acting so strangely today?" So I told her. And she listened. She actually listened to what I had to say. Can you believe it? As I told her about other worlds and other dimensions and espers, time-travelers and aliens I saw a fire light in her eyes. "Yes!" she exclaimed, jumping to her feet and pumping her fist. "This is just the kind of thing I've been waiting for!" She looked down at me and asked, "You're not making this up, are you?" I assured her I was not. She grabbed my hands and jerked me to my feet, then threw her arms around me and squeezed me so hard it took my breath away. I could feel her trembling with excitement. "Oh, Kyon," she said, "this is so wonderful. I've been waiting for something really mysterious to investigate. I can't wait to get started." She sighed and laid her head on my chest. I hesitantly put my arms around her. It felt nice. "You know," she said, with a giggle, "you're the last person I would have expected this from." That didn't surprise me.
We left the school together and went someplace for a milkshake. While we were there, Haruhi asked me a thousand and one questions. I couldn't get over the fact that she was actually interested in me and what I had to say. I probably told her more than I should have. No, I didn't tell her about her power to alter the world. I'm not that stupid.
After a while I took her home and said goodbye. Then I went for a walk to clear my head. As I was walking, I looked around at the bright gaudy colors and excessively cheerful people. It made me wonder what Haruhi had been watching before these changes took place. What put these ideas into her head? Then a thought struck me: What if she started watching horror movies? What kind of world would I wake up in then? The very idea scared the heck out of me. I vowed to keep her away from that kind of thing by any means necessary.
Yuki Nagato…
Oh yes, I remember. That was the night I was walking to a friend's house and saw that boy from my school. I knew he was from my school because of his uniform. He rushed up to me and said, frantically, "Nagato, I went to your apartment and they said you didn't live there and they had never heard of you."
"I… I don't live in an apartment," I said, wondering why he would be going there even if I did. "I live in a house with my family."
"Oh, um… I see, so, I suppose this means you're not an alien?"
"An alien?"
"Yeah, you know, from outer space."
"No, I'm not an alien. What's this all about?"
"Oh, sorry. It's nothing, nothing, forget about it."
Then he ran off.
Officer Katashi Suzuki…
Ah yes, I see, you're asking about that night I discovered the boy sleeping on the bench in the middle of town. I remember it well. I shook him until he awakened. He sat up and looked at me bleary-eyed.
"Son, what are you doing here?"
"Oh," he said, rubbing his eyes and yawning, "I was waiting for some friends."
"I don't see anybody around."
"I guess they didn't come."
"Don't you think you would be more comfortable at home in your bed?"
"Yes, yes, of course. Thank you, Officer."
He stood up, took a few steps then turned around and said, "Officer, I have a question" and I replied, "What do you want to know?"
"Why do we need police in this world? Everybody is so nice and friendly and well-behaved."
"Well, ahem, that's true, but there are plenty reasons to have police. Sometimes people get lost and need directions. I know this city like the back of my hand. I give good directions, believe me. And, let's see, we help with crowd control during events. There are a lot of events around here, you know? While it's true, the people are well-behaved and considerate of each other, we help keep things moving in an orderly fashion."
"So you're basically just guides."
"No, no, we're much more than just guides. I've only just touched on all of our duties."
"Thank you, officer," he said, with a wry smile I wasn't sure I appreciated. "I guess I'll be going now. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, son," I said, and continued on my rounds.
A Casual Observer…
All alone in a strange world. The people you know are not the people you know. They know you but the you they know is another you; in other words: not you. What do you do? What can you do? This brings to mind another thought: Do we really know the people we think we know? We share a common ground with others all around but each of us lives in another world inside our minds. We can only know the world inside each mind if someone cares to show it. Even then it's only a brief glimpse. What am I getting at? What does this have to do with Kyon and his plight? Maybe nothing. But then again, maybe his situation is not so unusual after all. Haven't you ever known someone for a long period of time and suddenly they do or say something inexplicable? Then you wonder if you ever really knew them at all. It's all a matter of degrees. Kyon had just found the whole world he thought he knew inexplicable.
Kyon's little sister…
Kyon asked, "How was your unicorn ride?" and I said, "It was awesome" and he said, "I'm glad to hear it" and I said, "I thought you said you didn't believe in unicorns" and he said, "I was just teasing." That's what he said. I'm not making it up.
Haruhi Suzumiya…
Kyon was surprised when I showed up in his class at lunchtime with the Bento I made for him. He blushed and gave me a little smile. It was a beautiful day so we went outside to an out of the way picnic table to eat. Kyon bought some drinks along the way. While we were eating, he told me about the other worlds he had visited. He said 'other worlds' but he wasn't sure if they were different worlds or the same world only changed. Anyway, all of the same people were in these worlds and most of them had changed in some way. For instance: In his world, as he called it, I was in his class sitting at the desk behind him but in another world I was in a different school altogether. He didn't explain how I had changed personally and I wondered why. Of course, I found all of it very fascinating. And I was finding Kyon fascinating too.
Itsuki Kouzumi…
When I saw that guy in the Adventurer's Club clubroom, I turned around and walked out again. Then I stopped and thought it over. Why should I let one obviously insane person keep me from enjoying my time in the club? Why indeed, so I turned around and went back into the room. Miss Suzumiya was talking with some club-members on the other side of the room. When she saw me, she went over to that crazy fellow and grabbed his hand and brought him over to me. "Itsuki," she said, "this is Kyon." Kyon offered his hand and I shook it. He looked me in the eye and asked, "Are you really not an esper in this world?" I didn't know what to say. "Itsuki is an esper in your world?" asked Miss Suzumiya. Kyon nodded his head. I couldn't believe she was taking that guy seriously. But actually, I was intrigued as well, so I asked him to tell me what an esper was. He said it was some kind of supernatural being. I thought it would be really cool to be a supernatural being so I asked him to tell me more about it. The three of us sat down together and he told us all he knew about espers. As I listened, I wondered if I ever was an esper and if I was an esper why wasn't I an esper now and why did I forget about being an esper? Oh brother! What was I doing? Why was I taking that guy seriously?
Taniguchi…
I was out riding my bike in the late afternoon when I saw Kyon and Haruhi walking together. "I didn't know they were seeing each other outside of school," I said to myself. They were so into each other they would have noticed me even if I had come within a foot of them. I stopped my bike and watched until they were out of sight. While I was watching, I thought about how Kyon had been acting. "It is all clear to me now," I said, still talking to myself. "I should have known it had something to do with a girl."
A jogger…
Why are you asking about that night? Was there something unusual about it? Oh, I see, you want to know about the boy on the bench. Okay, okay, but there's not much to tell really. I plopped down on the bench totally exhausted and soaked with sweat and took a long drink from the bottle of water I always carry with me. A young man sitting on another bench was looking at me. "Do you always jog at this time of night?" he asked.
"Yes, I work odd hours and it's the only time I can run. Besides, there's nobody about so I'm not dodging people and cars."
"That makes sense."
"What are you doing out here at this time of night, if you don't mind my asking?"
"Just enjoying some peace and quiet."
"Ha, ha, ha, you sound like an old man."
He didn't comment.
I could tell he wanted to be alone so I jumped off of the bench, wished him a goodnight and set off to finish my run. I almost ran over a police officer coming the other way.
A Casual Observer…
He went to that special spot again and waited… and waited. He waited for the esper, time-traveler and alien but he waited in vain. They didn't come. Why didn't they come? Where were these mysterious beings and their organizations? Why had they abandoned him? They had always come before. Why not now? He really needed someone to talk to. Even Koizumi would be a welcome sight. But Koizumi wasn't Koizumi and Nagato wasn't Nagato and Miss Asahina he didn't know. Was she even in this new world? Of course, Miss Asahina would be a welcome sight. She always was a welcome sight and would be a welcome sight even if she wasn't the Miss Asahina from his world.
Kyon…
There were a lot of people with us on our field trip to the Land of Enchantment. Three buses were packed with happy and excited students, teachers and chaperones. It took about an hour to get there. After the buses were parked and we were ushered through the gate, we were guided to a large open area with a stage and a jumbo-screen behind it. Thousands of people were standing in the open area. Haruhi and I held on tightly to each other's hands so we wouldn't lose each other. After a short wait, an orchestra began to play and the king of the fairies appeared on the screen. "Welcome to the Land of Enchantment," he said, and raised his arms. Suddenly a kaleidoscope of fairies and butterflies whooshed up from behind the stage like one gigantic colorful cloud. They formed pictures and words in the sky while the orchestra played in the background. It was a fantastic show.
After the show, we walked through some beautiful gardens, watched another show with a dragon, I mean, a real dragon, then after lunch, we went to the amusement park to ride some rides.
I stayed glued to Haruhi the whole day but there was one place she couldn't go with me. When I finished up in there and was heading back to find her, I felt something fluttering near my ear. Out of habit, I took a swipe at it. "Hey!" said a tiny voice. "Stop that!" I glanced over my shoulder and saw an angry fairy waving a finger at me. "Oh," I said, sheepishly, "sorry about that."
After the fairy calmed down a bit, he said needed to talk to me. I sat on a nearby bench and he sat on a flower pot. "What do you want to talk to me about?" I asked, and he said, "Miss Haruhi Suzumiya."
"Why am I not surprised? I know, I know, I'm supposed to keep her happy. The fate of the world hangs in the balance, right?"
"That about sums it up."
"Now the fairies are in on it too," I muttered. "I guess I should be glad somebody's talking to me."
"Hey, you want to let me in on this conversation?"
"Oh, sorry."
He crossed his arms and smirked at me.
"So," I said, "maybe you can tell me. Why haven't the aliens, time-travelers and espers contacted me yet?"
"I don't know," he said, with a shrug. "You'll have to ask them yourself."
"I've been trying to find them."
"I told you I don't know."
"I see."
"What about the dwarves and elves?"
"Dwarves and elves?"
Just then, I noticed some dwarves and elves walking down the path in front of me. I had seen them before but took no notice. I thought they were merely people in costume.
I asked the fairy, "Is there some dark sinister force amassing at the border?"
He replied, "Not that I know of."
Haruhi came up behind me, hugged me around my neck and asked, "Who's your friend?"
"This is…" I said, then looked at the fairy. He stood up, bowed low and said, politely, "My lady, my name is Jasper. It is an honor to meet you." Haruhi giggled, "May I hold you?" She held out her hand and he flew over to her and landed on her palm. They talked for a while. Well, actually, for a long while. I was glad he was the size of a bug because he was charming the socks off of her.
Haruhi Suzumiya…
I had so much fun with Kyon during the fieldtrip. He was very attentive and bought me little gifts. I wondered if he was going to try to kiss me sometime like in the tunnel of love or something. I was a little disappointed when he didn't. I had always liked Kyon and had always considered him a friend. But now, the change in him and his strange story added some spice and excitement to our relationship that I never expected. I was falling for him in a big way. There were times when I was near him that I didn't know whether I was coming or going. I welcomed that feeling and cherished it.
Kyon…
Haruhi spent the entire ride home on the bus with her head on my shoulder. When the bus pulled up in front of the school, she yawned and stretched. I stood up and let her get in front of me, then we followed everybody off of the bus. The teachers lined us up and counted heads one last time before we were dismissed. I took hold of Haruhi's hand and we walked toward her home.
We came upon a four piece ensemble playing light-pop music on a street corner so we stopped to listen. A large crowd was gathered in the street. During one particular ballad, I asked Haruhi if she would like to dance and she said yes. We moved and swayed to the music with our bodies close together and stared into each other's eyes while we danced. Her eyes sparkled under the streetlight. When the song ended, we kissed. It was just something spontaneous we did together without thinking. We stepped back and looked at each other in surprise. "Haruhi, I…" She put a finger to my lips to stop me. "This is no time for talking," she said, then threw her arms around my neck and planted her lips firmly against mine. Her mouth was soft and moist and sweet and her body felt warm and silky under my fingers. My head turned to mush as I indulged in the pleasure of the moment. Haruhi giggled when we drew apart and looked even more beautiful with a touch of red in her face. We embraced again and moved slowly to the music until the band stopped playing for the night. The walk home was like a dream and we lingered for a while; softly conversing on the sidewalk in front of her house. The night ended with a kiss and then another. Reluctantly, because it was late, we said goodnight and parted.
Haruhi Suzumiya…
I closed the door and leaned my back against it. I was happy and everything was wonderful. I had just experienced the perfect ending to a perfect day. I floated through my nightly routine, unaware of my surroundings, then climbed into bed where I dreamt of having a romantic adventure with Kyon; my knight in shining armor.
Kyon…
After Haruhi said goodnight and closed the door, I stood rooted to the spot in a daze. I looked up at the sky. It was a clear night. The stars winked and the face on the moon was smiling at me. I felt someone slap my back and say, "Hey Kyon, what's up?" I looked around and saw Taniguchi and some of the guys from school. "We're going to get a snack. Want to come with us?" I said I would and we set out together. As I was sipping my milkshake through a straw, I was only half-listening to the excited chatter all around me. My mind was on Haruhi. The sparkle in her eyes, her soft lips and her warm embrace were all I could think about. All thoughts of going back to my world had left my mind completely.
Officer Katashi Suzuki…
I saw the young man sitting on a bench as I was making my rounds and we greeted each other cordially. He asked me what I would do if I woke up in a completely different world. I figured it was just a speculative question young people like to ask, but I don't mind that sort of thing so I thought it over. "I suppose I would try to find a way back to my world," I said, and he said, "That's what I thought you would say. It's what most people would say, isn't it? But what if you found out you really like the new world? What if you decided you didn't want to go back?" I shrugged and said, "I probably wouldn't go back."
A Casual Observer…
A confused young man wandered home in the dark. He heart said stay but his head said go. Which part would win or did it even matter? He knew deep down that his choice most likely wouldn't matter, but the game wasn't over and he still had moves to make.
Kyon…
Haruhi was waiting for me when I entered the school grounds. When she saw me she ran to me and threw her arms around my neck. "Kyon," she whispered in my ear, "are you still trying to leave?"
"Yes."
She jumped back. "But why?"
I took hold of her soft hands and looked into her pretty eyes. "Listen, Haruhi, even if I leave, the Kyon who belongs here will still be here." I said that even though I wasn't sure if it was true.
"But you are the Kyon who belongs here." She had the cutest little pout on her face.
"Then how do you explain why I'm so different? How do you explain why I've forgotten so much?"
"You know how."
"Okay, okay, maybe you're right, maybe I am crazy or maybe I just have amnesia, but you know, I still have to try everything before I give up or I'll be questioning myself for the rest of my life."
"Okay," she said, with that same cute little pout, "I understand."
"You know you're making this really hard."
"Good."
At that moment, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Miss Asahina making her way through the crowd of students coming to school. I looked up and exclaimed, "It's her!"
"It's who?"
"The girl I've been looking for."
"What do you mean the girl you've been looking for?" I noticed a hint of irritation.
"No, no, I don't mean like that. I mean, in my world she's…" I stopped and thought about it, then mumbled, "a time-traveler."
"What? I didn't catch that."
I said, a little louder, "She's a time-traveler."
"Really? I always wanted to meet a time-traveler."
Mikuru Asahina…
Yes, I remember that day. It was the day that boy asked me to meet him in the Literary Club clubroom after school. I assumed he was going to try to recruit me into the club but I was wrong. When I arrived in the clubroom, he introduced me to a girl name Haruhi, a girl named Yuki and a boy named Itsuki. There were also a lot of students in the room reading books. Haruihi asked me if I was really a time-traveler. I said I wasn't, but I wondered where she got an idea like that. It didn't take long to find out.
The boy they called Kyon began to tell us why he had asked us to meet him and I couldn't believe my ears. He said he was from another world and he knew the four of us in that other world. We were the members of a club called the SOS Brigade which met in the room we were standing in at that moment. I didn't understand. I mean, if it was in another world, how could it be in that room? He went on to say, "I thought if I brought all of us together it might trigger some event that would help me return to my world."
After his strange speech, he sat down at the computer. Everybody in the room had stopped reading and were watching us with interest. I felt my face getting warm and most likely turning red. Haruhi whispered in my ear that the boy had gone a little strange in the head and we should humor him. I nodded my head but thought that she had grossly understated his condition.
After a few minutes at the computer, the boy looked up at us and shrugged. I guess he didn't find what he was looking for. He apologized, shook each of our hands warmly, thanked us and quickly left the room. Haruhi was close on his heels.
Itsuki, Yuki and I looked at each other.
"You know," said Itsuki, "I think I'd like to find out more about this."
"Do you really believe all that stuff?" I asked.
"No, not really, but I might want to write a sci-fi novel someday."
Yuki quietly nodded her head.
Harihi Suzumiya…
I caught up to Kyon in the hall and grabbed his hand. He stopped walking and faced me. "Haruhi," he said, "did you write hieroglyphs in a field three years ago?"
"How do you know about that?"
"So you did?"
"Yes."
He rubbed his chin and looked thoughtful for a minute. "That is the one constant in every world I've visited. Haruhi, would you mind going to that field with me?"
"But the hieroglyphs aren't there anymore."
"That's okay. It's just one more thing to try."
I wanted to help him and didn't want to help him at the same time but went with him anyway. When we arrived at the field, the gate was open and there was a baseball game going on. We bought some snacks and drinks from a vendor and sat in the stands. We cheered when the crowd cheered but didn't really know who was playing. We sat together in that same spot long after everyone had left. "What are we waiting for?" I asked, and he said, with a laugh, "I have no idea."
He walked me home and kissed me gently on the lips before saying goodnight. I made myself ready for bed in a daze. I sprawled across my bed, stared at the ceiling and thought about the previous three days. It had been so interesting and exciting. It was just the kind of whirlwind romance I had dreamed about. Still, I had anxious feelings. What would I do if he found a way back to his world? And, if he loved me, like I thought he did, why did he want to go back?
Kyon…
Not long after Haruhi found out about espers, time-travelers and aliens they began to appear. The first to approach me was Fumiko the alien, then there was Akio the esper, and last, but not least, was Tina the time-traveler (a foreign exchange student from America). I told them to leave me alone but they wouldn't take the hint. I still saw them around the school, the town and at club meetings.
Life was good. Haruhi and I were happy together. We did every kind of crazy fun thing we could think of and then some. But you know how it goes. You settle into a routine, start taking each other for granted and the relationship kind of loses some of its spark. Oh, we loved each other, there was no doubt about that and still do, but you can't live on that emotional high all the time.
So Haruhi had a few bouts of melancholy now and then and I had to rush in to try to cheer her up. Luckily for me, this version of Haruhi was much easier to keep happy than the Haruhi I knew I my world. Yes, I know she's the same girl but I just can't help thinking that way. Anyway, I was forced to deal with these people or whatever they are when I didn't really want to. You know how it is. Everything is a crisis. "Just chill out," I would say. "So what if the world changes a little here and there." They just wouldn't listen. There's no reasoning with some people.
Okay, this is where I'm leaving off. Haruhi and I are sweethearts. We love each other and we love being together. I don't know what the future will bring, but I hope it's every bit as good as it is now. That's all I've got to say. Haruhi is meeting me for lunch and I've got to go. See you later.
Officer Katashi Suzuki…
I saw the young man sitting on a bench as I was making my rounds. Three young people along with a dwarf and an elf were sitting around him and a fairy was sitting on his shoulder. They were having what looked like a very serious discussion. I decided not to interrupt, so I tipped my hat and went on my way.
The End