Kyon got up reluctantly as his alarm clock rang its annoying call. He didn't have time to sleep in. He had to get ready for another busy day at college.
He couldn't believe it had already been five years since he had met Haruhi, Yuki, Mikuru and Itsuki, but it had. He never thought in a million years at the time that he'd be as happy as he was to have met them.
He was sure that he wouldn't have made it into the same college as Haruhi. She had always been a lot smarter than he was, but he guessed that her powers solved that problem very quickly. He knew she'd want to be in the same college as him.
Kyon looked at the clock after he picked up his bag. He was late. He dashed out the door as quickly as he could. He J-walked, he ran through the sidewalks, and he shoved through the crowds and didn't wait for anyone at the train station.
He made it into his first class just in time and was rushing through the whole morning, more relieved than ever at lunchtime.
Now he could spend time with the beautiful Mikuru.
He walked up to the table where she was sitting and sat down. She was wearing a blue sweater and a black skirt. It was a very cute outfit.
"Oh, hello," she said in her quiet voice, then she bit into her burger.
"How have classes been?" asked Kyon.
"Boring," said Mikuru. "I'm doing the exact same thing over again. My professor is acting as if I'm some academic genius when it's really that I already know all the answers."
The fact that Mikuru was from the future swallowed his insides. The fact that Mikuru was from the future had been in the back of Kyon's mind for so long he had almost forgotten. He didn't mention this, though.
"I'm surprised they haven't called you back to the future," he said instead. "I never would have imagined you would still be here, after high school was completely finished and we'd started college!"
"I suppose so…" Mikuru trailed off. "I guess I'm still surprisingly needed in this time frame."
Mikuru's gaze went nowhere in particular, and Kyon could tell she was feeling sadness.
"It's alright," he said, trying to comfort her. "You're here now, right? You like it here, don't you?"
"It's complicated," said Mikuru. "I like it here, because I have met you, and Itsuki, and Miss Suzumiya, and Yuki, and Tsuruya, too. This place has become comfortable to me, despite some of the obstacles."
Kyon's eyes immediately focused on Mikuru's large chest, which had caused Mikuru problems time and again during High School. They drove Haruhi into dressing Mikuru in plenty of revealing outfits.
"I guess I can laugh about it now," she continued with a little giggle. It was the saddest laugh Kyon had ever heard.
"I like the future, because it is where my real life is led. It was my first home, and it is where I have always lived. I have my other friends, and a family."
Kyon had never thought about it that way. He knew everyone had a family, but he never thought about how Mikuru's whole family lived in the future. Was her life here meant to be?
Kyon wished for her to pour out her thoughts to him for longer, so that she could get the comfort she deserved, but that was not possible, because they were both busy students.
After a busy day, Kyon liked to relax at home when he had finished all his work. He changed clothes and went into the living room. His sister was sitting on the couch playing video games. She was in high school now. Kyon couldn't help but wonder if her high school life was anything like his was. She had definitely changed. Her hair was longer, and she never tied it up with pink pom-poms anymore.
Watching his sister play made Kyon remember his summer as a freshman in High School. He had actually gone through his summer vacation more times than he was willing to think about, thanks to Haruhi, but the only one who remembered each repetition was Yuki. Kyon remembered his last day of that summer. He had tried to do his summer homework, but in the end he just hung out with his sister. He hoped she'd grow up to be a kind person.
He ran his fingers through his hair and went to play, too.
Some things don't change, he thought.
That night Kyon had a dream of when he was in High School, except it was something that never happened. He was alone with Mikuru, but then she transformed into the Mikuru from the future.
"I wish…" but Kyon didn't hear her finish, because before that could happen she disappeared.
Kyon woke up with a start, his eyes flashing open. He leaned over to read his alarm clock. It was three o' clock in the morning. He was hoping to get a better night's sleep for once.
So much for that, he thought.
Then he thought about his dream. What was Mikuru wishing for? Kyon quickly dismissed it as nothing more than an odd dream that one can get from circumstances happening around them.
Five weeks had passed. Student life at college had gotten more and more demanding. Never in a million years, thought Kyon, could anyone―not a person, not an author, not a highly trained guidance councilor―could possibly truly described perfectly how demanding college life was. It was getting to a point where Kyon was ready to give up, but looking at the world around him Kyon realized that there were plenty of reasons for him to continue, and with that he gained the strength to continue to push his limits. It was only a plus that he'd be able to see Mikuru more often if he stayed in college.
On a Friday night, Kyon and Mikuru decided to take a quick break from it all to go to a movie. They both remembered and laughed together when Haruhi forced them into making a movie about Mikuru. Haruhi couldn't have been more right, casting Mikuru as a time-traveler, Yuki as an alien and Itsuki as an esper. Mikuru remembered the waitress outfit and the bunny girl outfit. She remembered hoe awkward it was. Not to mention being up high on the school roof and thrown of the dock.
About halfway through the movie they were watching, Mikuru let out a sigh rested her head on Kyon's shoulder. Kyon didn't protest this action. He was comforted by the feeling that this girl needed him in a way. For once, he felt like his life was a bit more normal, but he felt special at the same time. He welcomed it.
The movie was quite emotional at the end. There wasn't a single dry eye the whole theatre. The two of them were the last to leave, they cherished their moment. When Mikuru finally looked up at Kyon, her eyes had a slight redness around them from the tears, and there were tear stains of each of her cheeks.
"Come, now" said Kyon quietly. "It's only a movie. You were really crying."
"It's true, the movie was lovely," said Mikuru, "but that's not the only reason I was crying."
Kyon thought for a moment. Even after a few moments of thinking about what Mikuru had said, he still wasn't sure what she meant. He tried to comfort her, hoping it wasn't too big a deal.
"I'm sure you'll feel better later."
The two of them walked to the sidewalk outside the cinema, and then they both went their separate ways to walk home.
Kyon knew then that he was wrong. The reason Mikuru was sad was not a little thing that would go away.
The next few days went by as normal again. Mikuru seemed unusually distant, and whenever Kyon mentioned the coming weekend, Mikuru seemed even more unhappy and always tried to change the subject. Kyon wondered if there was something happening that weekend she wasn't looking forward to, and just wanted to skip.
He guessed almost exactly what was true.
That week went by very quickly. College was its busiest yet.
"Meet me tonight around ten o' clock at the park," said Mikuru at lunch.
Kyon nodded. He decided to respond vocally.
Kyon did what Mikuru told her. He finished doing what he needed before ten so that he was at the park right on time. He had now met her and Yuki many times.
Mikuru had tears in her eyes, but she said nothing. She took Kyon by the hand and led him further into the park until there were in the centre of it.
"I don't want to leave you," she said once they stopped and she turned to him.
"If Miss Suzumiya can do it, why can't I. I'm sure feeling can force anything to happen. Please, tell me it must."
Mikuru clenched her fists tight and sqeezed her eyes shut.
"I wish I could stay with you! I wish I could stay with you! I wish I didn't have to go back to the future! I wish! I wish…"
Mikuru looked back up at Kyon, her face was now burning red, her eyes and cheeks wet with tears.
"I want to stay with you." Then she grabbed him tightly around the waist. "I want to stay with you always!"
After many moments of holding him tight, she let go and looked up at him once more. He stayed silent, for he knew he could do nothing. He was not an esper, he want not a humanoid interface, and he was not a time-traveler.
"Look!" Mikuru pointed behind him, and Kyon looked. There was nothing. It was a mere diversion to distract him from whatever it was happened, but then Kyon could see what he guess was an opening in the time frame.
It glowed bright.
"It couldn't work," said Mikuru.
She turned and started to walk towards the opening, but before she reached it, she went back to grab Kyon's hand.
"Please! Come with me."
As she ran towards the opening, Kyon stumbled along.
Mikuru jumped through the opening. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. Arm outstretched, Kyon was leaning forward in one last long stride. Just as his wrist reached the edge of the time hole, the opening shoved his hand out as it closed. After it was closed, there was no more support to Kyon's arm and he fell on the dusty park ground.
Now tears welled up in his eyes, and he did not try to stop them. He let them cloud up his eyes and pour down his cheeks.
Soon, one teardrop landed and made a dark circle on the park's path.
He heard Mikuru's voice, supernaturally taking up his mind. Kyon knew he was not crazy, as he could tell it was being spoken through her mind. He could hear it as clear as day.
Goodbye.