It was the rainy season, and with it came the annual dark and dreary tones. It was enough to get most in a bit of a slump, and, unfortunately, Kyon was one of those affected.

With no umbrella in hand, Kyon walked to school silently. He was not happy, which is understandable, considering his situation. What a wonderful way to start the day, getting soaked through, no?

Soon, however, and to his great pleasure, Kyon arrived at school. But, despite his newfound safe-haven from the weather outside, he still wasn't happy, and as he neared his classroom his mood only worsened further. He just knew that Haruhi would be sitting, waiting, ready to chastise him for whatever reason she chose next.

Begrudgingly, he entered the classroom and braced himself for the hard exclamation to follow. Yet it never came. No glare, no scoff, no complaint. Haruhi wasn't there, and didn't show up for the rest of the day.

Kyon thought little of it.

—

On the second day, Kyon brought an umbrella. The wet school uniform had proven to be quite uncomfortable, and, so it turns out, took a great while to dry completely.

He took the familiar walk to school, letting his mind wander to homework, tests, club activities, and then, Haruhi.

A little question spawned in the back of his mind: "Why wasn't she here yesterday?" But soon after, he shook it away, reminding himself that it was Haruhi, a girl who still believed in extraterrestrials. She was likely out exploring one thing or investigating another.

However, the question resurfaced when he entered the classroom. Haruhi wasn't there, again.

"Hey, even Gods get sick." He mumbled, quickly taking his seat and, once again, shoving the worries to the farthest corner of his mind.

—

It wasn't raining on the third day, but Kyon was prepared in case of a sudden downpour. One could never be sure just whatthe weather was going to do that time of year.

He climbed the hill, silently cursing it.

Damn, he hated that hill.

When he arrived at school, he felt a spark of unease. Yet again, no brigade leader sat in her seat, glaring outside at the world and all of its undiscovered wonders. Kyon swallowed the irksome feeling and remained as apathetic as ever on the outside. Now, on the inside, he began to try and figure out why she wasn't here and why she hadn't told anyone just what she was up to.

He shook his head and ignored the nagging sense of dread. The late bell had rung, and he needed to focus on his grades.

—

The fourth day reaped the same results: no Haruhi. So, Kyon decided to find out what Koizumi knew at lunch, however much he disliked him.

"Yes, it is strange, isn't it? Usually at least one of us would have received a message from her by now." Koizumi pondered.

Kyon urged him on. "Yeah… Has anything happened with," he leaned in closer to avoid the other students hearing, "closed space?"

The esper shook his head. "Not to my knowledge, Kyon. Whatever's happening with Haruhi right now is either a good thing that's simply taking up her time, or is being very well concealed."

Kyon sighed, defeated, and decided to inquire the others after school before they headed home, as, ever since the third day, brigade activities had officially been canceled until their trusted leader returned. However, they had no news to share either, and Kyon once again left for home in the muggy weather empty handed.

—

The fifth day was Friday, and everyone was anticipating the moment the final bell would ring where they could run free to do as they pleased. All but one shared their unlimited enthusiasm, and that lone soul was Kyon himself. Usual bland and boring demeanor aside, Kyon was hardly excited by the thought of the small vacation; he was still preoccupied with Haruhi. Enough time had passed from her initial absence for his mind to conjure up some ideas as to just what was going on:

Perhaps she had the flu? Or maybe she was on an unannounced vacation? Death in the family? Though it was quite possible she was only cutting class for the sake of a top-priority exploration.

By now, Kyon was genuinely curious, and, surprisingly, a bit concerned.

Through all the unanswered questions, he knew one thing was certain. One way or another, whether he'd wait it out or go on an expedition of his own, he would find out just why Haruhi had decided to make her disappearance.

—

The weekend was uneventful. He watched his sister, did his homework, and slept. He wasn't one to go out and party, drink the night away, and hook up with every girl in sight. He much preferred to stay inside, minding his own business rather than getting in everyone else's.

The two days soon passed, and Monday rolled around.

—

Subconsciously, the first thing he did on that dreary Monday morning was search for Haruhi's golden ribbons amongst the sea of students. Usually he didn't encounter her prior to the start of class, but it did happen on occasion.

Alas, the results were the same, and Haruhi didn't show up, in the hallway or class.

—

By Thursday, Kyon was, albeit shamefully, wishing upon her return. In the span of these two weeks, Kyon had talked with Koizumi, Mikuru and Yuki on multiple occasions, yet they had little to offer. Koizumi sent Kyon a daily update on the state of closed space, but there were only small fluctuations that drew no concern from the 'Agency'. These reports did little to diminish the dread that had grown with each day, but Kyon took what he could get.

When he got home that day, he lazed around until his sister arrived and the peace he once had immediately disappeared. She burst through the door, blabbering about her day, who she sat with at lunch, and what she did with her friend. Kyon nodded and grunted in approval to show false interest, wanting to end the conversation as soon as possible, but not hurting her feelings in the process. Soon, however, she tired and made to the kitchen. Kyon sighed to himself, thankful that the ten long minutes of her rambles had ended. But not a minute later she was back with a single command.

"Milk!" She yelled.

"Milk?"

"We're out, so you need to go get some!"

"Just drink water or something."

"But I want milk!"

"Well, suck it up or go get some yourself." He grumbled, glowering at his younger sister.

"Fine!" she declared, "I will!"

She stomped off towards the door, grabbing her jacket and boots on the way.

"Hey, I wasn't being serious, you know!" Kyon called after her.

"Yeah? Well, I was. I want milk!"

"Fine! If you want milk that bad, I'll get you your stupid milk. Just shut up and go play or something, okay?"

"Mmkay!" She chirped, then skipped off to her room to busy herself.

And so, once again, Kyon headed out into the rain.

—

The streets were practically empty, and understandably so. The day's weather wasn't at all popular amongst the citizens. Most people who were in their right mind would seek shelter, or, if they absolutely must head outside, brandished some form of protection from the inclement conditions. Kyon himself brought an umbrella and a warm coat, yet that didn't deter him from wanting to get home as quickly as possible.

His journey continued blandly, and as he entered the store he heard a soft buzz and felt the vibration of his phone. Taking it out of his pocket, he returned outside and waited under the brown awning while he answered the call. He recognized the number, it was Koizumi's.

"What do you want?" Came Kyon's gruff welcome. He wasn't at all in the mood for this.

"Hello, Kyon." Koizumi replied, mellow and friendly, albeit too much for Kyon.

"Yeah, hey. What're you calling about? I gotta shop and I can't wait inside the store, it's too noisy."

"I'll try to keep it short then, I wouldn't want to hold you up."

"Go on." He hurried.

"The 'Agency' just informed me that Closed Space has popped up again. It isn't anything too major, but it's enough to raise red flags. I called to reassure you that we would be taking care of it immediately."

"Right, thanks…"

"I'll call again when we've sorted everything out. Just carry on as you normally would, Kyon."

"Sure."

The line went dead, and Kyon was soon finding it hard to follow Koizumi's one order: carry on as you normally would. So, he dialed up another number, and gazed at the churning clouds while the line rang.

"Hello? Ah, Kyon, is that you?" The singsongy voice chirruped.

"Hello, Miss Asahina. It's a pleasure."

"No, no, it's all mine! What can I help you with?"

"Did Koizumi contact you yet?"

"No, why? Has something happened?"

"Yeah, I guess you cold say that." He exhaled, "Closed Space formed again, and The 'Agency' is taking care of it now. As we speak, actually."

"Oh, my…"

"Yeah."

"Did he ask for us to do anything?"

"Nothing other than carrying on as we usually do."

"Oh, okay, that shouldn't be too hard!"

"But, Miss Asahina, I have a favor to ask of you."

The ginger was now listening, interest spiked further. Kyon rarely asked anything of her, and because of that, she was very willing to help. "Yes, what is it?"

"Could you run out to the store and buy some milk, then stay with my sister? I've got some stuff I need to do here, and I can't make it home soon enough. Just knock on the door when you get there, she'll let you in when she recognizes you."

"Of course! Is that all?"

"Yes, and thank you very much, Miss Asahina. I hate making you head out on days like this."

"It's not a problem, Kyon. Please keep me updated on all of this, though."

"Yeah, I will. Thanks again."

"Anytime!" She cheerily replied.

Kyon flipped his phone shut, but continued to stare at the clouds in silence. He recalled the last time closed space appeared, what happened in it, and the outcome. Haruhi only thought of it as a dream, but would that happen this time, given it wasn't night? Or would she even be aware that she was somewhere else? He didn't know. He could only wait for the second call, given that Koizumi kept his promise.

He found a café not too far away, took a seat, and waited.

—

Fifteen minutes later, his phone went off again.

"Hello?" He said.

"Ah, Kyon? I arrived at your house, and I just thought I should let you know. Your sister and I were just about to get something to eat."

It was Asahina, and while he had hoped to hear from her at one point, she wasn't his top priority.

"That's great, Miss Asahina, thank you again."

"You're very welcome, Kyon. I have to go now, but don't forget what you told me!"

"I won't."

With that, he ended the call, and waited some more.

After five minutes, and he got another call. This time, it was Koizumi and he took it outside once again, pulling on his coat as he exited the café, money left on the table.

"Kyon?" The speaker crackled.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here. What is it?"

"Everything's been handled."

Kyon let out a sigh he didn't know he was holding.

He was glad.

"Haruhi's fine," Koizumi continued, "though we still don't know the cause of the closed space. We figure that time will tell, or Haruhi might disclose it to one of us when she returns to school."

"Right, yeah." Kyon added.

"Just be alert when you next see Haruhi, alright?"

"Alright."

"Good. I'll see you tomorrow, then, Kyon."

"See you, Koizumi. And . . . Thanks for the information; Miss Asahina appreciated it too."

"All in a day's work, but, nonetheless, it's not a problem."

Worries now dispersed, Kyon could focus again. He had to make one final call, a very short one, he hoped, and then step into the role of messenger to trick a certain god into coming out and playing for a while.

For the last time, he dialed Asahina's number, relayed the message again, and the hung up. Now, instead of a call, he needed to send a text to someone who hadn't replied to anything in two weeks.

The message read: [Alien spotted. Meet me at the park. Bring coat, it's cold.], and was addressed to Haruhi herself. He pressed send and anxiously waited for a reply, if he were to even get one.

To his great surprise, his phone went off, and the picture of an envelope appeared, signaling that he had a new message.

It was a short, one-word answer, but it was progress. Haruhi had replied with: [What?]

[You heard me. Alien. Park. Bring coat.] Kyon typed back.

[You're not messing with me, are you?]

[No, I am. There's no alien here. I want to talk with you.]

A minute's wait, then his screen flashed again. [About what?]

[What do you think, idiot?]

And, this time, an immediate reply. [What did you just say?]

[Nothing, just get over here.]

Another moment, then: [Fine.]

Kyon sighed to himself; another long wait. It seemed to his as though that's all he'd been doing that day, just waiting around for one thing or another. It wasn't exactly his ideal Thursday.

It was about ten minutes before Kyon caught a glimpse of the brunette, and when he did, he only partially succeeded in stifling the grin that sprang to his lips. He greeted her cheerily, or at least his version of doing so.

"Hey."

Yep, cheery.

His announcement was met with a deadpanned stare and no reply. Kyon, however, said nothing. He simply waited for her to speak, and several moments later, she did.

"Well, what do you want?" It was rough and curt, not unlike the Haruhi he'd grown to know.

He looked back to the café he recently left, and, coincidentally, felt his stomach growl. He didn't eat much; he was too busy jumping from conversation to conversation, scheming up now useless plans, and imagining worst case scenarios.

"Let's get something to eat." He proposed, smiling slightly at the girl. "I'm hungry."

She looked him over. "Fine, but you're paying."

"Already planned on doing so."

They entered the café, took a seat, ordered their food, and got down to business.

"So," Kyon began, "why the long absence?"

"Why do you want to know?" Haruhi countered.

"Well, maybe it's because the leader of my club suddenly disappeared for almost two weeks with no explanations whatsoever."

"Kids miss school all the time, don't they?"

"Yeah, but usually they contact their friends."

"If they have any."

"You do."

"I know."

"So why didn't you say anything? Everyone was worried about you, you know, so if this was some plan you came up with to get attention, well, it worked."

Haruhi glowered at him. "It wasn't a plan, and I didn't miss school just to get attention."

Her tone was akin to poison, and, despite being her best friend of two years, Kyon wasn't anything less than spooked.

"Enlighten me on your adventures in this week's time, then." He said, shaking loose the discomfort.

"I took care of the house." She grumbled, tracing invisible shapes onto the table with the butt of her spoon.

"Exciting."

"I watched TV."

"Nice."

"I went to a court case."

"Okay––wait, what?"

Haruhi looked shocked. Had she just blurted out the reason for her absence?

"Haruhi––"

"It's nothing."

"But––"

"Nothing."

" . . . Alright."

Their food then came, and the two ate in silence. They finished not long after, and Kyon ordered desert for them both; he wanted to bide more time, try and get a bit more information. Kyon got a coffee cake, and Haruhi got a mont blanc.

It didn't take him long to finish his treat, and soon Kyon cleared his throat and tried again."So, about this court case . . . "

"Yeah, what about it?" Came her reply.

"You gonna tell me what happened?"

"Why do you want to know so badly?"

"It's not really an every day occurrence, at least not around here."

Haruhi placed her fork down next to her unfinished mont blanc and sighed. She was unusually subdued, especially for having just had desert.

"Fine." She stated, "I'll tell you about it."

Kyon put his fork down too.

She took a deep breath, then began. "I told you a while ago that my mom worked a lot, right?"

Kyon nodded in approval.

"She was doing that because she had some money she needed to pay off, including some to my father. Apparently she wasn't doing it fast enough, so my dad sued. The court case was last week, and they've decided that they're going to get a divorce as soon as they can."

Haruhi paused, and Kyon took it all in. He now understood why Haruhi had been gone for so long, it was likely that her mother needed the extra support and help around the house.

"Sounds like you've been busy, then." He really didn't know what to say, he'd never had to comfort her before.

Haruhi's glare grew more defined, and her voice dropped lower, more angry. "But you know what?"

"What?" Kyon echoed.

"She didn't do anything about it. She got drunk last night. Drank so much that she had to go to the hospital for alcohol poisoning. I had to call in."

Silence fell between the two, and Kyon pushed the crumbs on his plate around with his fork. Then Kyon remembered something.

"Hey . . . ," he began with a slight crack. He cleared his throat and continued. "I'm sorry for thinking this was all a joke, it wasn't appropriate."

"It's fine," Haruhi said, waving her hand to dismiss the apology, "You didn't know, and besides, I probably would do something like this."

"Not to this extent though." Kyon chuckled.

A smiled played with her lips, and a spark went up in her eyes. Kyon had missed that sight.

"You'd be surprised."

The conversation died after that, but the mood stayed, and they simply enjoyed each other's company for a while. But, all good things must come to and end . . .

"Well," Haruhi breathed, "I better go now, because . . . "

"Yeah," Kyon sighed, "you go on. But . . . Call me if you need to talk about anything, okay?"

"I will." She said, standing and thanking him for the meal. She then turned to leave.

"Haruhi, one more thing."

She looked back at him.

"See you tomorrow."

A small smile crept across her face and she nodded in agreement. "See you tomorrow."

And with that, Kyon was alone with half a mont blanc and a plate full of coffee cake crumbs.

He smiled to himself.

—

When the clocks turned and Kyon arrived at school, he was greeted with a long-missed sight. Finally, Haruhi had returned to school, and when Kyon walked in the room, she glanced up at him and spoke the inevitable criticism.

"You're late."

"Hardly," Kyon scoffed, hiding a smile.

"You shouldn't be late on the first day your leader's back! It's not polite."

Kyon laughed. "Since when have you been polite? Practice what you preach, Haruhi."

That Friday was a stark comparison to the previous. Haruhi had returned and put the brigade's worries at ease. They celebrated her return with cheers of, "Welcome back!" and a hug from Asahina. With that, all was normal and well again. Weekly explorations carried on as usual, and no more complications arose.

Haruhi never ended up telling anyone else why she was gone — she didn't feel the need to. Kyon knew, and that was enough for her. He was all she needed.