Obvious Disclaimer: I own nothing. NOTHING. Not any thing relating to Haruhi. You know whose rights they are. Not any OCs. They have been done already. Not even the plot. It's been done already too. TvTropes destroyed me, if you will. Possible spoilers up through book 11. But it has been almost three years, and 4 months, since it came out in Japan and as English hardcover, respectively of course. Don't buy the Paperbacks!
Chapter 1: Stranger in a Familiar Land
"Of course, if every main character who wakes up in a to them unknown, or worse, known but slightly changed world, would use their time to process as much information as possible as calm as possible in order to find a solution, then stories would be a lot shorter. But where is the fun in that? You play first-person shooter because you can't kill people in real life. So, not every story has to be realistic, especially when the main character has so much to deal with he can't think straight."
- Anonymous poster on sosbrigadedotnet, attributed to a member of the Tadamichi family
It was a beautiful morning when I woke up, as if to say that everything would be alright. It just so happened that considering yesterday's events, I was sure that would have been true. But waking up was unusual that day. You must know, I like waking up. I like it probably as much as the act of sleeping itself. I think that sleeping is one of the greatest things we have to do, yet one of the strangest. Imagine that you meet an alien, yeah, I already met one, but that's beside the point. Now imagine we explain to him the concept of sleep. Every day, after nightfall, we dress up in special clothes, go to special rooms and then lie down in special rectangles to do nothing for 6-8 hours. Sounds weird, doesn't it? But it is this exact "doing nothing" that I like about it. Sleeping isn't just that you fall asleep one second and wake up another second. Dreams, or just the void of sleep makes it worth it. When I was young, my parents often argued with each other. It was nothing serious, and by the end of the day, they were back to being sickenly sweetheartish, but even then I used to hide in my room, rolled up in my bed, just waiting until the storm was over. I can tell you that during that time I learned to love the bed, its cushions and all the warmth they had. In other words, you must know I love sleeping and I love waking up.
I shouldn't have the greatest wake up that day.
What normally happens is that at 7AM sharp, my clock radio, that is standing on my desk, would start playing the station on 89.9 MHz, which at that moment would play the news, then sport followed by the weather. This would take about 5 minutes, from then on it would play mostly western songs from the last millennia, which just so happened to be my favourite type of music. I would then stand up. Sometimes I would silently complain (why bother when nobody listen to you) and only get up when a few songs had finished, which always ended when a certain someone entered my room. But most often I just stood up and did my morning routine normally, and with little company.
So you can imagine how weird it was when I woken up by a "Piipipipipippippiipi" coming from right above me. And it was loud, I tell you.
"Wha? Just w-" I shrieked, not knowing what was happening, and my reflexes instantly tried to put out the sound of noise. Being, well, reflexes, however, I reached out with my hand and my arm and my shoulder and my body... to the emptiness that was in the direction of my desk. Landing on the floor is not a pleasant experience, but it's more a surprise than anything. Feeling the hard ground confuses you for a moment, but then you'll just stand up and go back to bed. Usually. Still looking in the direction of my desk, I stood up and rubbed my eyes. Something suddenly turned off the beeping. Finally, silence returned to the room. The question was why. When I turned around and looked at my bed, I saw this guy just lying on it. His eyes were fixed on me, and with every second they, along with his mouth and the rest of the muscles in his face, grew angrier.
I had no clue who he was.
Two voices asked the same question: ""Who are you and what are you doing in my bedroom?""
Apparently, this guy had the same idea as I, since he almost shouted the same question as I did. He was the first one of us to regain his composure and looked at me strangely.
He asked whether I was sure it was my bedroom. Because it seemed to him that I am in a room he knows: His room.
Are you kidding? I looked around wanting to defend myself, getting out my dresses to show him my belongings, but suddenly it hit me.
"Wait..." I muttered. He was right. "This isn't my bedroom."
I was tempted to scream "Disappointed" at the top the top of my lungs, but I didn't want anyone to wake up, and I think it would be unhealthy to do movie and pop culture references left and right, both because people who don't get them would be annoyed, and people who do get them would be freaked out by me knowing them.
I realised that he still waited me to finish my sentence, as he just sat there, looking at me and saying nothing. However, he moved his hand into a fist and made a fake cough in it, as if to tell me, "You're the one at fault here"
In retrospect, I deserve an award for reacting so calm, but if you have experienced things I have, nothing is surprising to you anymore.
"I suppose I owe you a few answers." was my half-hearted response. "But unfortunately for you, I don't have them either."
I've read a lot of fiction of how people act in scenarios when they wake up in a strange, new world, and I've learned one thing: Always stay calm and roll with the punches. The world doesn't have to be broken, maybe it's you. I've figured, if I am out-of-place, I might as well accept the world as it is until I find a solution. The guy still stayed silent, but then erected himself and spoke. He told me that I should just talk what I knew then.
I could tell he was still sleepy, but apparently I had his full attention. Since I didn't say anything, he continued and asked me who am I was and why I was here.
Hah, you're asking the right questions, I have no clue why I am here, I mean, I just woke up here, next to you. I know not more than you.
He asked whether I still knew my name, and that I didn't have amnesia or something.
That's right, who am I? I am who I am, Frede- Nope, not healthy. But I definitely have no amnesia.
"First you..." I said.
What?, he asked.
He was clearly confused. Hell, I'd be confused too in his place. But there is this one rule I have about meeting people, it determines which name I give them back.
"What's your name?"
Instead of answering my question, the guy made a "hah" expression, looked somewhere left of me of me for about two seconds, but then he returned his previous state and looked at me somewhat... bored. I don't think anyone would be bored when a girl, a beautiful I might add, appears in his bedroom.
Finally, he reluctantly said okay and held out his hand. He said that he was-
"KYON-KUUUUNN!" a loud voice suddenly chirped from down the house, and I heard feet running up the stairs.
This Kyon, or however he is called, and I, we locked eyes for what felt like an eternity, and we immediately understood, made a pact just by looking, exchanged text like telepaths and came to an understanding in a time that others would need to even get a good look at a person.
It should be the first clue.
"Where?" I just snapped quietly.
He answered with an abrupt reply of "There!" and pointed to the wardrobe at the other side of the room. Well, I knew I am going to make that. I sprinted over as fast as I could to the wardrobe, it looked pretty new, so I assumed the doors would open quietly. And yes, I was right, the doors opened without a sound, and I was allowed a look into the wardrobe of a teenage boy. I was pleasantly surprised, the left side of the wardrobe held drawers, the T-shirts and trousers in them were all folded, fresh in a location one could assume they belonged to. The right side was open and held jackets, shirts and other formal boys outfits. Fortunately one could push them to the back, which allowed me to get a decent sized hole to hide in. I stepped in, then turned around and closed the doors behind me, holding them together as my body would keep them open otherwise. And I did that no second no late, I could hear how, after I disappeared, someone, a child most probably, threw open the door and ran to the bed. I could hear rumbling followed by a bang, I suppose this kid threw him out of his bed or something. "Harh" came from the boy, but he was quickly cut off by the child. "Kyon-kun. Mom said that you should get up and eat breakfast." she said to him. I tried to peek through the small gap that still existed to get a look at this girl, as her voice hints her to be, but I missed the chance, as when she was finished tormenting him, she dashed out of the room like a storm and ran down the stairs with the same speed she had come with. I waited for about two or three seconds then I started to loosen my grip. Subsequently, I almost fell out of the wardrobe. Scratch the "almost", I did fall on the ground, like in those silly anime, and landed face first on the floor. I tried to stand up while I raised my hand to my head. Kyon stood from the ground and kneed next to me.
He asked me whether I liked his floor.
Oh, Kyon. You're just the king of sarcasm, aren't you? No, it's gravity who I like.
He told me that he doesn't. Gravity sucks, he said.
Actually gravity doesn't suck, but rather attracts. If, let's say tomorrow, the sun was replaced by an equally big gravitational source like a black hole, the planets would still follow the same orbit, as their is not a difference between a star or a black hole of the same mass.
He told me that he tried to do a bad pun, and I shouldn't think too hard about something like that.
Lovely. Also lovely is how we just wasted lines with a, very weak, snark battle, which we could have filled with information on who we are, what we are and most important why I am here.
He told me that he didn't know why I'm here, though he guessed he could come up with a few theories.
I know that line, but it wasn't you that was transported here, Kyon. Be a bit serious and stop quoting books.
He flinched at that. His tired face was momentarily filled with a look that said "not again". I knew how such a look, well, looks, and he gave me a textbook example.
He said, that I too was...
Heard that? I was right. So, Kyon, does that mean this name of yours is just a nickname?
He told me that yes, everyone calls him that and that when enough-
I cut him off. And when enough people acknowledge a lie, it becomes the truth, so Kyon might as well work as your real name? I played that Visual Novel too.
He began his sentence with "I.." but paused and finally corrected me in that's actually from a book, first most. But that was not important and that his name actually was-
Irrelevant. Hello Kyon, I'm Kori. I'm sixteen years old. I woke up in your bed. Nice to meet you.
He asked me what kind of introduction that was supposed to be. And what name Kori was supposed to be?!
A nickname. A very cool one at that I tell you. Everyone calls me that, so we seem to have something in common. Much better than my real name.
He sighed at that, apparently I once again made him bad. I realised that we were wasting time, so he flinched when I shook my head. He got the message and stood up.
He told me that I've got to get out of here, and he meant fast. In less than two minutes he'd have to be downstairs eating breakfast. So I should hurry. Thank God that I was already dressed, he'd have no clue what to do then. He remarked he had no coat that can turn me invisible or something.
Dressed? It suddenly occurred to me that I haven't even checked until now exactly what I was wearing, which is a shame, as I am usually very perceptive of my surroundings. Blue skirt, white blouse with red slip knot. It was my school uniform. As if that makes it any better! And not only that, I wore shoes. Indoors. If Kyon's Mom is remotely like mine, then well, this could end rather dirty, but it looked as had someone either perfectly cleaned my shoes or replaced them with clean replicas.
He observed that I was wearing his school's female uniform and asked if I thought that that's coincidence.
You go to Kitago?
He said yes, but noted that he didn't know me. He asked whether I was a freshman or a transfer student.
Eh, yeah, the former. Class 1-3. That's the one with the Steins;Gate named guy as a teacher.
Kyon tilted his head to the side and asked who that was.
Okabe, I answered.
Kyon blinked for a bit then lowered his head. He murmured something and seemed to drift off.
WAIT A SECOND!
So we go to the same school?! That'd mean I at least didn't end up so far away from home! I could maybe run and end up there in 10 minutes, given that I am in the same neighbourhood, which, given the similar layout of the bedroom does seem likely. So you must forgive me that I thought at the time I could reach home, explain the whole thing to Papa and get to school in time. Correspondingly, my next question was a stupid one. "What is the fastest way to get out of this house?", I asked. Granted, the question itself is not as bad as the answer that followed.
He told me that I could always jump out of the window. At this time, his parents wouldn't notice as the dining room is on the other side of the house and-
Got it, thanks, I said and dashed to the window. I have no clue what I thought back then, so I'll just say what I did: I opened the window, stood on its ledge and jumped down. At least I had the bright idea to shout "If anything goes wrong, meet me at the bridge." at him. He just looked at me with a mix between shock and one that said "I was just joking." 16-year old me didn't care however.
It shouldn't take much thinking to know that my landing on the ground was uncomfortable, to say the least. But I had no time to lose. Like a hamster on speed I jumped up, looked around and searched for a fence to jump over. In one smooth motion I threw myself over it and made sure I was alone on a street, which I was surprisingly, before looking around.
This was indeed my neighbourhood! There, that's the house... that... I remember the corner of, there's the shop and there... okay. Which street was this? This was my first priority. I looked around, searched and found a sign: Street 34. That's my street! I was in my street. So far, so good, now i just have to find my house which is...
House Nr. 2...
House Nr. 4...
House Nr. 6!
Oh, come on...
I had the feeling the world was shitting me. The house I just left? That was literally my house! I was right! It was my bedroom because it was my house. There is no mistaking it!
"So... To the bridge I go."
Of course I had other options, but honestly! Can you stay calm in such a situation?
In the end it didn't actually look like it was actually my house, but it was on the place my house would have been on, had it actually been on that place. But because it wasn't there, it wasn't my house. It looked, well different. The windows had different curtains, my house had red ones, while this one had blues. My house had a satellite dish, which this house lacked. My house had- I'm losing myself. The point is that I had no place to go home to. If I wanted to I could probably find a place to stay, but well, I had no time to lose, and that Kyon was expecting and deserved some answers to question I wanted answers to myself.
Where am I, when I am not in my world?
When I am in my world, why is a strange family in my house?
If I am not in my world, is there any frame of reference at all? Could I go to my friend's houses and expect them to answer? Or should I expect different people claiming to have liven there all their lives? Could I even expect the same history of the world? Are there fixed points in time that had to happen, or did someone else 'discover' America?
I should calm down, I said to myself, and began to calmly walk to the bridge.
When I say bridge, I of course mean not any bridge. On the way from my house, or to be broad, my neighborhood to my school, there was only one bridge. It was the Koukawa bridge, which bridged the, well, Koukawa and therefore was an important point of travel for many Kitago students, including me. The bridge appears somewhere between when I put away my bicycle at the train station and start walking on foot, and the beginning of the hill. This time I had no bicycle, so it took considerably longer than usual to arrive. In fact I noticed midway in, that I took in fact too long, so I started to run the way there, hoping that every step would be the last to get there.
In the end, it didn't amount to anything, just when I arrived, Kyon was already waiting for me. So he had a bicycle which made him able to reach it before me, even with breakfast and all. Why not pick me up along the way?
I didn't knew whether I should be glad that Kyon actually listened to me and that he wanted to help me or frightened that he apparently has nothing better to do than listen to a girl who just appeared in his bedroom. When he saw me, he just made a "I knew it" smirk and finally spoke up when I was in hearing range.
He greeted me with a very cliché "Hey there!"
What do you want?
He said that he wanted to know what happened to the strange girl from this morning, after she had jumped out of my window and ran away.
You told me to do that.
He explained that he had just been joking and wasn't expecting for me to actually do that. Then he asked how it is now, after I searched.
Oh, god, you really have to annoy me? I tell you what. Terrible. My house doesn't exist where it should be, my family and friends probably are gone as well, and I have no clue what to do now.
He remarked that that sounded bad.
Oh, you have no idea.
Actually..., he began but I interrupted him.
What 'actually'? I don't think you ever were in such a situation!
I almost shouted and I could feel how some students were interested in seeing a to them unknown girl struggle with her supposed boyfriend. Or brother. Or whatever they saw in us two.
No, he answered with sincernity, he had never been never in such a situation, therefore he couldn't relate to me. But, he said, he could do one thing for me.
And that would be? I am really curious what you plan to do.
"Well.." he began, then he looked left and right, making sure no one was in earshot. When he was sure, he simply told me he could at least try to help me find answers to the questions we were both asking.
What? I mean, you literally just got to know me, but you believe me and you want to help me. You got sucked in a situation over which you probably have no control, and that will make you look like a fool at least one time.
He asked what I meant with "one".
I'm a realistic person. What I am saying that it is a completedly idiotic and illogical thing to help me. What does this thing have to do anyway. You should go back to being normal.
Kyon's lips began to form a creepy smile and he asked whether he ever said that he wanted that.
So, does that mean...
Kyon, you would accompany me to the depths of hell?
He denied that. He would drag me out of it. He also complained that it was that told him to 'stop quoting books', and that I was a hypocrite.
That shut me up, and I resigned to the fact that he would follow me. Very well, Kyon. Then be at my side. At my side in this labyrinth that didn't even start to show us its complexity.
He ordered to me catch up with him, I was already too far behind.
Kyon apparently had gone ahead on his own. I can't exactly blame him, he does have to get to school in time. If I were to stand there the whole time, talking with him, I might steal him his whole time.
I ran up to Kyon and began to walk along him. In my mind my first theories began to sprout. When school was over, I would take Kyon and check every place I know that could help me. Hyou-chan's house would be first, I have a feeling that I could stay with her. It could make up for the coming season, however for the moment it felt warm enough that it could have been spring or early summer.
Now, that I mention it...
"Say, Kyon," I said, still walking. "Which date is today?"
He told me it was Friday, the 25th of May, without moving his head. He also wanted to know why I asked for this.
It wasn't spring where I come from. Does this mean I did not only travel through worlds, but also through time?
That he cannot say, but it is possible. He asked if I had ever... he looked around once again, but it was mostly unnecessary, even if there were other people close enough to hear us. Honestly, if I heard someone talking weird sci-fi stuff, I would just assume they talk about video games or books or anything.
He looked away, then returned his focus on me to as if to say 'No shit'.
He remarked that it was true... , but still, he asked, whether I ever slide before this.
Slide? What is that supposed to mean? You mean I am "sliding" from world to world or what? Next time please use Japanese, not some terrible pronounced English.
He sighed, and admitted that he just didn't like the term "Person from another world". After seeing this show last week, he thought that Slider fits it better, and asked if I agree with him.
That is up to debate. But if you like, you can refer to me as a slider. And to answer your question, no, I never slid in my life. You can call me an 100% normal human.
Well, Kyon said, I wasn't anymore, that's for sure.
Indeed, I could ever again claim to be a normal being. Meh, it had already been a bit late for that, but hope dies last as they say.
The following way up the hill was silent, neither me nor Kyon dared to speak. Looking back, I think we were just uncomfortable at the moment, and didn't had the desire to lie out our lives in front of each other just yet. Maybe we needed a moment alone not under any form of time pressure. The hill to Kitago seemed steeper than usual to me and I cursed staying up so long yesterday. I never liked that hill, but today it seemed especially steep. I could feel how my powers left me step by step. It took some time until we finally reached the school. She looked like I left it yesterday, but there was something off, that I couldn't quite catch. Was it the paint, that looked a lot darker than I remembered? Was it the different season that cast a different light on it? I didn't know, but I would later have more than enough time to think about that.
As the school gate were two girls. Well, when I say two I am understating, of course there were more girls and boys around than these two, but they were minding their own business, not looking at us.
"Heya!" one of them shouted.
Yes, two girls were calling us. Well, one girl, a big long-haired one was calling us. Her, I supposed, friend, a small girl with big breasts, stood next to her. I noticed how unnatural they looked, the big one with her green and the small one with her brown-orange-ig hair. I know dyes are not that uncommon, but damn some people choose the weirdest colours.
The big broke of from her friend and ran to us, spouting about how her friend had something to talk about Kyon. I didn't really pay attention, which I probably should have. When Kyon walked up to the small girl, the tall girl turned to me.
"Hello, you there. Yer a friend of Kyon-kun?"
Well, yes. I mean, I am, technically.
"Oh. Nice to meet ya! I'm Tsuruya. See that girl over there?" She was pointing to Miss Big Breast. I nodded slightly, still dumbfounded on what to do.
"That's Mikuru, I am her bestest friend and will do anything to protect her should you try something funny."
Lovely. A Yandere. A lesbian Yandere at that.
"What? Ah, no! Hahhahaha!"
Tsuruya proceeded to laugh like a hyena. She sounded amused.
"Mikuru and me are nothing like that, totally!"
I need to work on my judgement of people. I see I got it all wrong, I told her and asked how it actually was.
Tsuruya continued to giggle until she finally was calm enough to speak.
"Mikuru and me are bestest friends, but we do nothing like that. Mikuru is just very shy and gets easyly used for perverted things. And therefor I just thought I should warn since you seem to be a friend of Kyon-kun. You are a friend of Kyon-kun, aren't you?"
Ehh, yeessss. Kyon-'kun' and I are close friends, I said. At that she began to laugh again, this time more at me than with me. I wondered what I did say wrong that it would result in such a response. And what does "warning" have to do with me being friends with Kyon.
"Ah, sorry. It's just I heard from Mikuru that the last girl that introduced herself as close friend of him made Haru-nyan very jealous. You should be careful around her. She can be verys energetic, maybe even more than me."
This seems impossible, i wanted to say dryly, but I had to yawn instead. God, am I tired. Who is this "Haru-nyan" and why does it sound I should be terrified of her?
"Haru-nyan is Kyon-kun and Mikuru's club chief. She is very fun but like I saids you don't wanna make her angry."
So, a Tsundere with dere tendency, don't make her angry, got it.
"Haha, yer funny. I like ya, but..." she checked my hands, then my back and then looked me in the eyes, turning somewhat serious.
"Where is ya schoolbag? And I've never seen you before, yet you wear our uniform? Are you a a transfer student?"
Despite what some films or anime tell you, it's not that easy getting a new identity just like that. I couldn't just tell "Oh, yes, I'm the new transfer student", when they are no transfer students to be expected. I was wearing Kitago uniform when I am technically no Kitago student. At least, not this Kitago. Anyway, I was in a tricky situation, because this girl could find out the truth faster than I wanted to. I needed to tell a lie so believable that it convinces her not to bug any further, but simple enough it's impossible or at least very hard to pull the thread on. But even then it's far from over, as I'd probably have to stay here longer than I could ever imagine. How will that person think about that? He will probably be unhappy with me disappearing all of a sudden. But I need to worry about that later, now I'll just-
"Ohh, I get it; I get it. Verys smart."
Tsuruya suddenly started to laugh again. Hey, I haven't said a word since you asked me. And stop touching my uniform!
"Ooh? I have a feeling we gonna get along just fine, ehh.."
I am Kori. Please call me that, I prefer to... not say my real name. I don't like it.
"Oh, that's okay. Nobody ever calls me by my first name either. I betcha they don't even know it."
That I can imagine easily, as you didn't tell it to me either. I didn't say that out loud of course, instead I used the time to look at Kyon and his companion, at the same time I suppressed a yawn.
"Tsuruya-san, are you coming?"
Mikuru seemed to be finished and began calling for her. It seems Tsuruya turned her head to follow my view. She instantly called back that she'd come, turned back to me, told us her apologies that the she had to go, then she ran to her friend and disappeared together with her in the school building. I used the time to catch up to Kyon.
"So what did Mikuru-san talk with you?"
Kyon broke out of his silent thinking pose and turned to me. He began to ask me how I know-, but then he caught himself and seemed to understand something. He let out a sigh, and told me, sorry, that it was classified.
Oh, it's "classified". This phrase did revive some memories. Something here was fishy, that was what I knew. But that is unimportant, right now, what is important is- well, what now?
What do I mean with 'what now'?, Kyon complained and told me to enter the school with him, of course. He made a face as if to say "what were you expecting?" Hey, don't sound so bossy! I mean, I can't enter a foreign school like that! Well it wasn't foreign, but still what if, say, one of the teachers find me and wants to send me to class, and there is no class, because I'm not a student here.
He responded that'll bunk you in my club room, until class is over. Normally, teachers don't enter these rooms during class, and I was old enough to understand I have to stay in it.
I... Okay, I accept that, I will wait in the club room until after class, I told him. Maybe I will rest in there, I feel kinda tired.
Kyon and I entered the second year shoe lockers, what, considering I am a first-year, was very unpleasant, but luckily for us we were the only ones there. It suddenly occurred to me that I had no indoor shoes. When I wanted to tell him that, he was already holding some first-year shoes in his hands, unlabeled and apparently unclaimed.
He said, quielty, but audible, that he didn't want to know whose they were, but then turned to me and told me that for now, I can use them.
Thief. Giving me shoes he doesn't own. And what is with that envelope in your other hand? Is that a love letter?
"Ha, yes.." Kyon replied and hastily put it somewhere into his jacket. "But these shoes were in my locker, so I think it is okay when you use them. They are reserve."
Reserve, eh? Well that could work, I told him, and put on the shoes, while Kyon did the same with his. Wait, didn't he question whose they are? So he was a thief... We then took off away from the lockers, in one of the hallways. I immediately noticed how the amount of students dropped from being everywhere to the occasional girl or guy running past us.
On the way to the new building I realised that it doesn't deserve its name in the slightest. The colour was not a screaming white, but a more greyish one, one that looked older than it should be after two years of renovation. I didn't speak up, I was just too tired. Eventually, we reached a door to room, I entered it first, after Kyon had opened it.
Oh no. Please tell it's not that room. Why of all rooms, did it have to be this on? Oi, Kyon, what is this room?
Kyon was already gone, having left me alone in such a place. But why did it have to be a room I knew so very well? Why the literature club? I wanted to find this out, but the running to the bridge and the hill had drained my already weak resources. I haven't had any breakfast and I just felt tired. So I just sat down on one of the chairs and lied my head on my arms. I'll worry later, were my last thoughts as I drifted off to sleep.
I was woken up by whispered words. Apparently they weren't as whispered as they should have been.
"So you know who she is?" whispered a male, foreign voice vis-à-vis from me.
"Yes... No..." a high-pitched female voice from beside me answered. The girl it belonged to sounded sad, desperate as if she is too shy to say anything, but she had to. "I don't know who she is, that's classified.", she continued as her voice grew calmer. "Even from me. But I know where she came from: Kyon-kun brought her in this morning."
At the time, I still was too sleepy to fully understand what these people were talking about.
"Why would he do that?" the male voice replied, sounding slightly surprised.
"I don't know, but I got the order to take care of her until further orders arrive. I told Kyon about that this morning, along with that he should check his shoe locker."
"Well, that does help, because that would mean her arrival is a pre-determined event, right?"
Ah, yes. Pre-determined events. I know about these things. Because an event in the past already happened, it has to be ensured by the future. Quite a few stories, like Isaac Asimov's "The End of Eternity" build on this concept, and as a child I swallowed such stories like there was no tomorrow.
This got my attention and as I began to slowly turn awake, I started to turn my attention to the conversation.
"Yes. But she is not anyone I know, I already said that."
"That I don't doubt." the male voice replied. He sighed. "So we just have to wait for him to explain it to us... They both have class duty, right?"
So apparently they are friends of Kyon. That was at least a bit comforting. I opened my eyes and asked "Who are on class duty?"
I saw that the male voice belonged a boy who looked extremely handsome, when I am allowed to say that, he was the wet bishounen dream every girl my age has. His hair was brown like a ahorn and long enough to conceal part of his face, although he had them in way so they wouldn't. In retrospect, his voice fit perfectly. No trace of the man I initially believed the voice to belong.
"Why you're asking? Of course I mean Kyo-oh." he answered, before he caught himself. "You're awake." He made eye contact with me and his lips formed a warm smile. "Good morning, I should wish, but it is already afternoon."
I expected no less, considering I fell asleep in the morning. In order to be able to see more than just him, I raised my head, stretched my arm, and led out the biggest yawn I have ever done. And I was in for a surprise, because next to me set none other than Mikuru, whose voice I hadn't recognised.
"Mikuru-san?" I asked, obviously knowing it was her. She blinked surprised, but then a smile came across her face, it was gentle smile that seemed like no boy could resist. But fortunately I was no boy.
"Yes, that's me. How do you know my name?"
"Your friend Tsuruya-san told me of you." I answered "Just to be sure, Mikuru is your first name? "
Mikuru continued to smile, and it began creeping me out.
"Yes it is, my last name is Asahina. But you can still feel free to call me by my first name."
Asa...hina?
I brushed away my sudden sense of deja-vu. I am not here to be irritated by familiar names, yet alone go crazy and assume things that are not sure to be given. I turned my view to the next of the bunch, viewing him intensely. Now that I felt a lot less tired, I had less trouble talking with people
"Well, I am Koizumi Itsuki. Nice to meet you" he said, his smile broad as if he was high or planning something but made no effort to hide it. It seemed similar to Mikuru's.
I blinked once, twice at the mentioning of his name. Koizumi... Really? Okay, it's not that uncommon, but...
I turned my head faster than a drill entering an oil deposit, and looked at the grey-haired girl. Please don't tell me she is...
And what is your name?, I asked her. And she answered.
"I am Nagato Yuki."
Naga...to...
You guys...
Are you telling me... Could it be?
The door suddenly burst open like the gates of hell, incoming was a girl and a boy. The boy was Kyon, the girl was probably that Haru-nyan Tsuruya was talking about.
"Did you wait for us?" the girl shouted happily into the room, obviously unaware about everything that had happened inside here.
This girl made her entry with the force of a Titan that was too long imprisoned in those walls, she was radiating an aura that made clear she was the boss. She looked around the club room until her eyes locked on me. In that moment, I made eye contact with Haruhi Suzumiya.
And in that moment...
I understood everything.
Author's Notes:
Well, that's hell of cliffhanger isn't it? First off I want to say how happy it makes to finally wrote down something I started thinking of ever since I read of Seitenkan last summer. And before you ask, Kori and Kyonko are in no way related. They may share some character traits, but in the end they are separate entities. I like Kyonko very much, however I dislike the way she and Kyon were usually put together, so I wanted to do something different, which after much rework and scrapping ideas it evolved into this, which almost shares nothing with the original concept but Kori. I want to say thanks to The Messenger Crow for getting me to stop being lazy, and finally finish this, although he might not know this. Shout-outs go to The Coin by Muphrid, Kyon: Big Damn Hero by Durandall and The Anagram of Suzumiya Kurumi by kurushi for being works that showed me more about the characters that helped me to write them as not blatant cliché, but still not OOC.
I am trying to write OCs that are not Sues or Self-Inserts in any way, which is hard, since I noticed I am giving Kori many opinions that match my own. Please notify me when I am too blatant with the Sueish. Please note I am all alone on this, I literally have nobody to help me proofread, point out plotholes etc, so any kind of help, even if it's just a review, would be greatly appreciated. Also note that chapters for this will come VERY slow, mostly due to me having writer's block and never being satisfied with my work. Also, just because I have posted a chapter, doesn't mean I am finished it. I sometimes update or rewrite some small parts, they are minor, and missing them shouldn't result in much misunderstanding. They are mostly retcons for remarks a character makes that in hindsight would be OOC or incosistent, sometimes I expand hastily thrown together scenes that actually deserve better.
But now for what the Author's notes are actually for:
The name Koukawa comes from two Kanji seen in the movie version of Disappearance. I have no clue if they are actually pronounced like that, since I when looking it up while writing this note I found no matching kanji, (but apparently have done so at some point in the past) but it makes for a nice name so I'll keep it.
The japanese name used for sliders is "isekaijin" which means, you guessed it, person from another world.
The VN with "when enough people acknowledge a lie, it becomes the truth" that Kori mentions is Umineko, but as Kyon points out the concept is way older than that. But that is only one of the many references I have incorporated. Hpw about you count them all? GO!
Count the references! Save, collect, trade for swell prizes!