This is my second attempt at writing from Kyon's POV, and I always seem to have serious problems with it when I try. The story always starts out as third person, but then somehow slips in first. Also, kind of like a time traveler, the story begins in past tense and slowly began to change into present. The first person perspective I don't mind so much, but I have to beat back the present tense with a large stick. Some of it may have gotten by though, so sorry if I missed one or two things.

Anyway, this is just something that popped into my head today. Normally when this happens I write a lot of the story then get bogged down in errors and lack of time and such, but this actually came out pretty easily. Let me know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

I stared at the blank page. I hate blank pages with a passion, beginning a task is always the hardest part of anything for me. It was a bit like when Haruhi had the SOS Brigade writing short stories. The blank page had just sat there, mocking my inability to fill it with an epic tale that would redefine literature as humanity knows it.

But Okabe-sensei wasn't asking for a brilliant story at all, he didn't even want any real writing. All he wanted was a damn number! And yet I couldn't think of one.

"Pick your favorite number!" What kind of stupid assignment is that? Who has a favorite number anyway?

A quick scrawl behind me seemed be timed perfectly to answer my question. Of course Haruhi would have a favorite number, or more precisely a number that she herself had deemed to be the most important out of all the rest. I was glad she wouldn't be seeing my answer, whatever it may be, or she would subject it to some kind of scrutiny that would make sense only to her.

My piece of paper was still blank, as was my mind. For some reason I couldn't bring myself to write down a random number like half the class had probably done, it had to have at least a little significance. Of course, now that I need it, I can't think of any significant numbers in my life. The only numbers I've cared about in the past few months are the distressingly long ones that are at the bottom of food bills that Haruhi has forced me to pay for some penalty or another.

I toyed with writing forty-two in the appropriate box, but quickly dismiss it. I'm certain at least two other people have already put that, and the answer loses any impact it might have if it isn't unique. I doubt it would have an impact anyway, Okabe doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who would read a story about the Earth being blown up to make way for an intergalactic freeway.

"Time!" Okabe shouted, far louder than necessary in the mostly quiet classroom. "Pass up your paper!"

The student in front of me had already put her hand back to receive my still answer-less paper. I quickly scribbled a five (the number of members of the SOS Brigade, which I realized either a half-second before or after I wrote the number) and passed the sheet forward. Doing my part in the sacred paper-handling ritual, I reached back for Haruhi's divine contribution. She not so much placed as forced the sheet into my hand, as usual. Before I passed it forward I glanced at her answer.

1.618

A typical Haruhi answer. That girl would be damned if she was going to let something as trivial as whole numbers dictate her preferences. An outside observer would guess that she had just done it to be funny and wrote down a few random numbers after a decimal point. But I was certain that she hadn't. That specific number, 1.618, had been chosen by Haruhi specifically, and for some reason that would only make sense to her.

Actually, even though I wanted to say that the number didn't mean anything about anything, but I couldn't. The number tugged at my memory, I knew I had heard of it some time before. It wouldn't come though, it just danced at the edge of my memory.

Okabe had begun lecturing, and for once I tried to pay attention. But I couldn't concentrate. I kept thinking about that number. I began doing some figures on the sheet of paper I was supposed to be taking notes on. The sum of all the digits: 16. Nothing useful there, and 1.618 wasn't the only number that was like that.

Division, multiplication, addition, subtraction; none of the basic mathematical standbys seemed to make the number reveal any sort of meaning. But all the same, I was certain I had known of it before today. I shrugged, defeated for the moment; and tried to pay attention to Okabe's lecture once again. It was difficult though, he was the kind of teacher who made you wish that every other week was Golden Week.

Golden…

I almost jumped out of my seat, but realized I was still in class. This resulted in me trying to stop my jump halfway through, and I nearly fell out of my chair. But I wasn't worried about that; I had finally made the connection.

The Golden Ratio.

I still couldn't remember where or when I had learned it (certainly not in class), but I at least knew what 1.618 meant. The number, named Phi for easy reference, was a ratio that for some unknown reason occurred constantly throughout not only mathematics, but also physics and even nature itself. The ratio is simple enough: if two strings put together are 1.618 meters long, and the longer string is 1 meter long, than the strings follow the golden ratio.

I could list several examples of where the ratio appears, but I'm sure you get the general idea and I don't want to bore you. It's just important to know that the number appears almost everywhere, both in works of man and nature. If God has a favorite number, then it's safe to say that number is 1.618. Or maybe I should say that God does have a favorite number, and it is 1.618.

I resist the urge to turn and stare at Haruhi. Is what I was thinking possible? Of course, anything is possible with Haruhi, but I always seem to underestimate just what that means.

"Hey, Haruhi," I muttered under my breath, hoping to escape the ire of Okabe.

"Yeah Kyon?" she answered. I could tell from her muffled reply that she was trying to get some sleep, or maybe she was just resting since she was awake enough to reply to me.

"Why'd you pick 1.618?" I asked, trying to sound like it doesn't matter.

"I just like how the number sounds, that's all," she replied. "I happened to get it when I was messing around with a calculator one day, and decided that I liked it."

"So you don't know anything weird about it?" I said quickly, hoping for a better answer.

I can tell that she's giving me that look that just screams "Idiot!" even though I'm not looking at her.

"Didn't I say I just found it randomly? Pay attention!"

I nodded and leaned back in my chair, feeling strangely exhausted. So since Haruhi suddenly decided that a random number was worthy of her favor, what happens? The number becomes the most important number in the world not only the present, but since the beginning of the universe. I'm only mildly surprised; I can simply file this into the overstuffed folder entitled "Weird Stuff in My Life" and ignore it.

I could have tried to figure out how that makes any sense at all, time-wise, but I didn't bother. I didn't want to give myself anymore of a headache than I already had. Asking the others about it wouldn't help, I'd either get a pointless monologue, a cute "That's Classified", or a technical description that would make no sense to me at all. Besides, if the time-space continuum doesn't have a problem with it, why should I?

I tried to listen to Okabe-sensei's lecture, but he was teaching history. It was a lost cause. Instead, I just relaxed and sketched rectangles within rectangles, which all subscribed to a certain golden ratio.

I'm a little worried about OOCness, but I think I got it right for the most part. Tell me if you liked it. Even more importantly, tell me if you hated it. I crave constructive criticism, and I could care less about flames if they are based on it.

If you care about the other stuff I'm writing, namely Tides of War, I'm almost done with the second chapter. Of course, I've been "almost done" for a month now. It's the same story, I get hung up on a few points and edit aimlessly without getting anywhere. I should get it out eventually though, with chapter 3 soon to follow (soon is relative after all).

Thanks for reading,

Windfox