Disclaimer: I do not own The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

Summary: KyonxHaruhi, fluff. A fight in the club room yields more understanding of the normal Kyon and the extraordinary Haruhi.

The club room smells of dry erase marker and old worn books. Books: standard. Dry erase markers? Don't make me laugh. We're never that productive.

Usually.

But this afternoon is different in the fact that Haruhi has skipped on her last class—because she can just do that—to come into the club room to try out the new scented dry erase markers to see if they actually smell like the scents the labels say they are.

I close my eyes as I remember Haruhi's insane question:

"If a girl gives a chocolate-scented marker to a guy, does it count for a Valentine's Day present?"

To which I replied:

"Markers are special cases for guys. We'll only give something back on White Day if we end up eating the marker."

Her response?

"Shut up, Kyon. You're not supposed to lie to your Brigade leader."

That happened only half an hour ago. I still am thinking the same thought. For one thing, Valentine's Day is a month away. Girls are crazy to think that far ahead! Secondly, what guy in his right mind would eat a dry erase marker? Well, maybe if it was from Asahina-san…

Anyways, the result of Haruhi's brand new set of scented markers is that our white dry erase board is a myriad of colors and smells. Thank the weather that it's cold and my nose is slightly runny. Otherwise, I would choke to death. And of course opening the door is out of the question during a Brigade meeting. Windows, on the other hand, are even more out of the question as it felt like only a degree above absolute zero.

Damn January weather.

Haruhi sits at her computer and clicks thoroughly away. Briefly I wonder what sort of things she is reading to make those eyebrows of hers contour ever so slightly. Whatever it is, it must not be that interesting because she's rapidly clicks through links.

Next my eyes drift to the angelic face of the girl in the maid outfit. She notices my glance and offers a smile sweeter than sugar-flavored clouds. Having served everyone in the brigade wonderfully hot tea, Asahina-san sits down and smoothes out her white apron.

My gaze then moves to the most quiet member of the group, the one who's busy engaging herself in another novel: Nagato-san. She seems to be enjoying that book. I wonder what she's reading. I feel like I should be pat on the back for noticing the human interface's small difference in emotion.

Suddenly, Haruhi leaps out of her chair and barks, "Koizumi-kun, stand up!"

I instantly prop up my head that was resting on my elbow. What is she planning now?

Ah, what a generic question. If I could have one yen for every single time I think that exact same question, I would be rich enough to own Tsuruya's house. Right now, I can guess at least fifty different things she can have running through her mind. She could be telling him to fetch the Student Council President, to which he would promptly fetch him. She might ask him to buy a parakeet, in which case he would readily buy one. She also may tell him to dye his hair, and the next day he'd come in as a red-head. She might even ask him to just go home, in which he would do so immediately.

And so on. You'd think that I would be used to all her spontaneous ideas, but that's not entirely true. Actually, I kinda-sorta-maybe look forward to what next she has up her sleeve.

Wait. I can think of fifty things she might tell that superficial guy to do? Why the hell do I even care?

And then another thought hits me: only fifty?

As Koizumi stands up from his seat with more grace than Asahina-san, he then politely pushes in his chair and turns to face our one and only SOS Brigade leader. Or Commander. Or Super-Director. Whatever.

While it was easy to deduce that whatever Haruhi is thinking involves some sort demand, I wish I could say I could read Koizumi's face just as well. Sometimes I get the feeling that I know him better than I did a couple months ago. On the other hand, when I compare him to how much I can understand from Asahina-san, he's a complete stranger. I know him less than Nagato-san.

Which is perfectly fine with me.

As I sip on my tea, I silently look up at Haruhi. She has a contemplative look in her sparkling eyes as she looks at the handsome boy from head to toe. She taps her foot and places a hand on her chin as if thinking of something extremely pivotal. Koizumi simply stands still. He's smiling his usual and flawless grin.

Talk about awkward.

It almost…no…I squint my eyes, trying to see if I can pick up something more from that expression of hers. It's like she's actually thinking about how to word her next sentence.

What. The. Hell. How does Koizumi merit this kind attention from her?

The others Brigade members look up from their activities. Asahina-san stares from Koizumi to Haruhi with a curious expression on her face. She was probably expecting Haruhi to call her name instead. If that were the case, I would make a protest in Asahina-san's defense from the tyrant that is Haruhi. Since's it Koizumi, I really don't give a damn.

Haruhi continues to stare at the smiling esper as if she's sizing him up. Is she going to suddenly decide she wants to be a seamstress or something? As I ponder this possibility, I come to think that maybe it's been Haruhi who's been sewing all of Asahina-san's outfits the entire time!

Koizumi beings to speak, "Is there someth—"

"Shh!" Haruhi interrupts. Koizumi shuts his mouth. Wow, if only I could do that.

While you're at it, Haruhi, why don't you wipe that smile off his face, too? If you can do that, then I really will believe you have god-like powers.

I hear the soft turning of a page and look at the only Literary Club member. Dark eyes stare at our leader. She then looks at me. Then Koizumi. Then me again. She turns a page. Whoa, how did she read the page while staring at me?

Another turn of the page.

Okay, I'll stop thinking about it. Nagato-san looks back at her book, but her high sensitivity ears will pick up every syllable and punctuation of the following conversation.

If there'll be a conversation. Seriously, is today Smell-markers-and-have-a-staring-contest Day?

I look down at the half-played game of solitaire. I don't know why, but I have a feeling that I've already lost. Believe that strange intuition about the outcome of the game, I scramble up the cards and reshuffle the deck. Each flap of the card echoes in the club room as Haruhi continues her diligent observation of Koizumi of the mathematics and physics centered class 1-9.

So, yeah. Playing solitaire. All by myself. I guess it makes sense. 'Solitaire' sounds a lot like the English 'solitary' which means 'by oneself'. I wonder if they stem from one another. I only know this because my sister of all people told me just a couple of days ago.

Huh. Being out-fact'd by my younger sibling and playing a card game consisting of one player. What a life I live. Thinking this, I place the deck in the middle of the table. All fifty two cards mock me. Well, who else am I going to play a card game with? Asahina-san braiding her hair, Nagato-san's enjoying a novel, and Haruhi commandeered Koizumi to just stand there.

The deck of cards continues to ridicule me. I bet the Joker's laughing his silly hat off. Damn you! Damn you to the not-playing-with-Jokers card game! Like solitaire!

I decide to ignore the cards and look back to the only source of entertainment in the room. No, as much as I love watching Asahina-san run fingers through her hair, her attempt at braid hair is much more pitiful than it looks. Instead, I have a front row seat to Haruhi screening Koizumi.

Yeah. Right.

I don't know about Smiling-like-it's-not-a-degree-above-zero-san here, but I would be squirming under her gaze. How does he do it? What sort of psychological schooling or trauma would I have to go to always smile like that? Damn it, Haruhi, your piercing gaze is not super-effective.

At the same time, with each passing moment the degree in awkwardness in the room increases. Even Asahina-san begins to notice it as she gives up on braiding her hair. I notice that Nagato-san has also stopped reading her story.

Haruhi, meanwhile, continues to 'hmm' to herself. I, meanwhile, continue to develop theories of what she wants him to do. I can't help it, and it annoys me. Why does she just stare at him? I know girls think he's handsome and has a charming personality—he even got Asahina-san to blush when they first met, the bastard!—but why is Haruhi so intensely focusing on him right now?

I…I don't want to really think this. In fact, I'm really scared that I realize this of myself. That is…this is…the feeling when you think someone shouldn't care about someone else, the question that asks what makes that person so much more interesting, the thought that you should have more attention.

Envy.

I frown. No way! No way! No way! How can I be jealous of that guy? He's in a smarter class than me, he's better looking than me, he's taller than me…but none of that mattered before to Haruhi. Why is she paying attention to him right now?

Any why do I care what Haruhi thinks of Koizumi?

At the present moment, I want to say that I'm honestly trying my hardest to sort out what underlies what I'm feeling. Wait, no, that's not right. I think I do know the answer as to what I'm feeling but I just don't want to answer the question myself.

Well if that's the case, then I'm obviously not ready to admit this feeling that underlies jealousy. I'll just leave it at that.

Finally, Haruhi speaks. "Koizumi-kun why do you always smile?"

"Because I'm a happy person."

Liar! Or maybe you are a happy person, in which you'd been clinically manic!

"Ah-ha…," Haruhi purses her lips.

Koizumi opens his eyes as he decides to show a Koizumi-is-slightly-confused face.

"As I thought," our Brigade leader discloses. "You are boring!"

Wh—what? If it's one thing I know, it that that can't be good. I quickly look at Koizumi to see his reaction.

The esper shows no sign of change as he continues to smile brightly. "Is that so?"

"As you've been here more than half a year, you're no longer a mysterious transfer student. Agh! This throws the whole Brigade off!" She grabs her head in frustration. "Another person will have to transfer in!"

I know that this late in the year that would be considered mysterious. Haruhi, are you going to make some poor student change schools with less than a couple months before the end of the semester? That's just plain cruel.

"Koizumi-kun, as Vice Commander you should have watched out for this! I am very disappointed in you," she continues and crosses her arms. She sends a look at him that would make any guy besides us two male members in the Brigade freeze. "Well, what do you have to say for yourself?"

The smile shifts from bright to curious. Or questioning. Maybe even a bit defensive. That is, I can detect that slight change. But to Haruhi it goes from a smile to a somewhat less of a smile.

"If you have figured out everything about me then it is just as you say; I have not fulfilled my role. Apologies, Suzumiya-san," Koizumi bows slightly. When he straightens up again, his lips show amusement more than anything else.

Haruhi taps her foot three times. "I suppose that apology is accepted, but…," she looks directly at Koizumi. "…What I want to know is why you haven't left months ago? You're smart enough to realize that I would realize that you aren't mysterious anymore."

What kind of thinking is that?

"Why did you stay if you knew that I knew that? You would know that I would want you to leave once you knew I thought you weren't mysterious anymore," she says.

My head…

She furrows her eyebrows and for a moment she does not look pleased at all, like something distasteful has come across her mind after a very long time. "Do you have a crush on me or something?"

Ah.

I hear Asahina-san let out a squeak of surprise at such a bold question. Nagato is probably listening intently as well.

Taniguchi's words that Haruhi has admirers ring in my head. That, and the alternate Itsuki Koizumi's statement also comes to mind.

'I like her.'

I don't know how similar this Koizumi and that Koizumi are, but if he does have some affection for this Haruhi then it definitely doesn't help the situation. I almost feel sorry for the guy.

Almost.

Koizumi blinks. "I like you as much as anyone else in the Brigade. You are our Commander."

Haruhi continues to peer into his eyes. "So you don't like me more than any other Brigade member? Shouldn't the officers hold more affection to their commander?"

Ha!

"That may be the case, but don't you think it's unfair to hold one person at more worth than the other?"

That's funny to hear coming from you.

"So are you saying that people should treat strangers like family?"

"Suzumiya-san," he begins. "Worst case scenario would be to put the life of a family member over a stranger. Just because one has affection for a family member doesn't make treating the family above the stranger right. In fact, affection is biased. We, as equal humans, have not the right to debate one life above the other."

I briefly wonder what this guy's family is like. If he has one at all. I don't know how greedy I am for saying this, but I'd still choose family over strangers.

Furthermore, did he really just say that to Haruhi?

"But situations like that do come up," Haruhi says. "So, Koizumi-kun. Is the reason that you're still here past your due because you happen to like me?"

And we're back to the main question. And what a question it is! 'Do you like me?' Positive would create a situation that, if I remember Koizumi's words correctly, would 'make Haruhi unnecessarily confused'. A negative answer would make the question 'So, you don't like me?'. A 'yes' would mean that the girl's feeling are hurt and a 'no' would imply that she is truly liked. It's a lose-lose situation for us guys, and a situation I am very happy in which Koizumi is stuck.

Now, if only he would show some more reaction to the situation. I wonder if his answer will determine his stay in the Brigade or not. I may complain about the guy for the greater part of my time spent with him, but honestly I would rather have him here than some newbie.

The only thing Koizumi does is pause for a brief moment. His white teeth show as he says cheerfully, "You see, Suzumiya-san, it is not I that truly holds affection for you."

…Huh?

Haruhi eyes widen and she looks genuinely happy for the briefest of moments. It's gone the next second.

I can't believe it. He just dodged the question by dumping the question of liking Haruhi onto some poor sap's shoulders. Nicely done, Koizumi. Nicely done. By doing this, he is off the hook of answering her question while at the same making her feel good that someone does have romantic feelings for her. I gotta remember to use this later.

But what's the deal? I thought Haruhi found it hassle when guys liked her. Why does she seem so pleased right now?

I feel her eyes flick towards me and I catch her looking. She quickly turns away. Is that a tint of red on her cheek?

…Nah.

Haruhi seems to hide under her bangs for a second more. That second seems like an hour in the silent clubroom. Finally, she looks up at Koizumi. "You're lying. I don't like it when people lie."

"I am?" Koizumi asks innocently. "And which statement was my lie?"

His question seems to catch her off guard and she becomes a bit flustered. "N-nevermind! In any case," her smile goes back to the standard Brigade chief grin, "That lie proves that you are still mysterious."

"I wasn't lying."

What happened to you being a 'yes-man'?

Again, a brief break of character from Haruhi. "You are too! Besides, even if you weren't—which is not the case—your smile right now shows that you cannot be trusted-"

Smiles mean that he's untrustworthy? I think you came eight months too late to conclude that one.

"—and therefore you are still mysterious." She 'hmphs' to herself and looks my way.

Yeah. I can see you too, Haruhi. I must have either two heads or the strangest look on my face because she quickly turns away, covering her face. I realize that I've been smiling like an idiot for some time during the discussion. After all, it was a very interesting development. There was a chance that Koizumi might have been excused from the Brigade, a part where Suzumiya put that ever smiling guy under her glare, and the ending where Koizumi beautifully turned around the conversation and made Suzumiya fumble.

Just then I hear the vibration of a cell phone go off. Koizumi reaches into his pocket and reads something on the screen. Without missing a beat he says blithely, "Something has come up, Suzumiya-san, but you'll have to excuse me."

She mumbles and waves her hand for dismissal. A creak of a door later and that annoying smile is gone. I wonder what has come up. Him leaving so suddenly during a Brigade meeting could only mean something involving his Organization. Well, he did say some things during his exchange with Haruhi that he probably shouldn't have said. On second thought, if he hadn't said them then Haruhi really might have kicked him out.

She probably got ticked when he said that she wasn't worth more to him than anyone else.

Tch. What a selfish girl. Still, that quality of hers that she wants to be worth more than the world to everyone in the world is an extravagant desire. No way could anyone but Haruhi Suzumiya live with that.

With Koizumi gone, Haruhi went back to her seat. Yep. She was definitely secretly pleased that someone likes her. Again, the club room is silent except for the constant flipping of pages by Nagato, the click of Haruhi's mouse, and Asahina's sips of tea. I wonder if Haruhi's looking up something extremely mushy self quiz. It's probably even titled 'Does He like You?' I want to roll my eyes at the thought. I'm left to play solitaire. Whoop-de-friggin'-do.

After another half hour or so of doing nothing, Asashina-san dismisses herself. Just where is she going with that maid costume? I look at Haruhi, but our commander doesn't seem to notice that the older student just left.

A little bit later Yuki wraps up her book. As silent as the fog receding into the mountains, she leaves the club room. Normally I would have left at this time, but I have the strangest hunch that Haruhi wants to talk to me.

I sigh as I start to say something, but Haruhi beats me to the punch, "Hey Kyon, have you ever taken these types of quizzes that are in the tabloids?"

So she was taking them?

"What with that look?" She frowns. "Well, I took one. And as your Commander, I want you to know that they are highly inaccurate."

"Oh really?"

"Y-yes."

A stutter? "Uh, well. I don't use them anyway. But I'll tell my sister when she gets old enough." If that's all she has to say, then…

I begin to gather my things. First my heavy jacket, then my scarf. Damn, Haruhi. If you have something to say then just say it. It's embarrassing when you're just looking at me.

Embarrassing? I mean annoying. Yeah. But another thought comes to mind. I hesitate for a second, but then take my own advice. "Haruhi," I say, but cast my line of sight to the side. "Why were you paying attention to Koizumi for such a long time?"

I'm too nervous to see what she's expressing. Why? In any case, she doesn't answer.

I joke, "Are you a pervert or something?"

That seems to get a reaction.

"You were surveying him for at least ten minutes. If you wanted to stare at him for that long, you could've just gone to see him in the play."

Haruhi crosses her arms and then uncrosses them. She then takes five steps to reach me. Two feet away she stops and takes a deep breath. "How dare you call me a pervert!"

I blink, unsure of how to act. She seems furious.

"Besides, why do you care what I think of other people? It's none of your business!"

Whoa. What have I have done to deserve this angry Haruhi? Her fury came out of nowhere. Calling her a pervert was just an attempt at a joke. Normally, she wouldn't have gotten so uptight about it. Where was her normal ability to counter whatever I say in at least a half decent manner? Just just blew past the the debate part of the conversation and skipping right to the argument.

I really don't like it when Haruhi's angry. "Yeah, so what? You just wasted Brigade time. I guess it doesn't matter because we didn't do anything anyway!" My voice raises to meet hers.

She gasps. "If you didn't find it productive, then only you wasted time. I found today to be particularly satisfying!"

"Satisfying? Don't make me laugh. Nothing ever lives up to your expectations. Not this Brigade, not this world not even us!" If you were satisfied with the world, then you wouldn't being making so many drastic changes! Of course there is no way I can say this to her.

Haruhi staggers as if she is stabbed by Asakura's cold knife. "That's…not true."

I shrug, feeling as if I have won. "If you say so."

Haruhi is absolutely silent, staring down at her feet. For a moment it's as if he can hear the neurons in her brain tune down their wild firing pattern that most of the time serves as her brilliance.

It's then that I realize that maybe I shouldn't have said that. "Haruhi—"

But the wild girl's flames are low and she has already dressed to leave. Say something! She stops momentarily at the door to the Brigade clubroom. Anything!

The door clicks shut.

I let out my breath. I'm going to be in so much trouble with the others the next day. Since I don't want to face Asahina-san's nervous expression, Koizumi's imposing smile, and Nagato's penetrating stare for making the almighty Haruhi Suzumiya unstable, I decide to follow her out.

I quickly reach for the door and step out into the hallway, jogging to the stairwell to the left. It's much colder out here than in the clubroom. "Haruhi!" I yell down the flights of stairs. A couple lingering students turn curiously towards my voice, but none of their confused faces are of hers.

She couldn't have gotten far! I only decided to chase her a second after she left. Unless she somehow vanished—

NO.

A panic sets in. The shudders are no longer from the lack of heat. I try again, this time much more softly because I can't bring myself to say much. "Haruhi!"

"I'm right here, baka."

I turn slowly.

"I hid off to the right. You immediately ran left to the stairs."

She has a grumpy face on, yet to me any expression right now is like seeing rain coming down in a desert. Her eyes don't want meet mine at first, but she eventually looks at me and says, "What's with that expression?"

Haruhi.

You're here.

I stare at her flawless face for a moment more before remembering that I had something to say. After I clear my throat—

She interrupts me right then—even before I began to speak!—and apologizes instead, "Hey. I'm sorry."

What are you apologizing for? If you want to stare a Koizumi I promise I won't mind that much. Just please don't disappear on me again.

"It's true that I want to change the world because I'm not satisfied."

Oh.

"But the world changes naturally…so I guess you can say that the world not being satisfying is also normal," she continues and tucks a strand of brown hair behind her ears. "But I'm fine with you guys the way you are." She looks up at me and her expression appears oddly sincere. "Of course, if you end up changing too, that's also natural."

Haruhi, I believe that talking to you right now has made me change. "Every little instance in our lives affects us. There's no way we won't change." Double negatives aside, I'm surprised by my own high-school insight.

"But aren't you still mad at me? You seemed awfully jealous."

Jealous? My face gives it away and Haruhi laughs. Guess I can't deny it. "Well, maybe." I rub my nose. "I guess I shouldn't have said those things to you either." I bow curtly.

Haruhi puts her hands on her hips. "Now we're even! You've been staring at Yuki-chan and Mikuru-chan, so I thought that this would—"

Now it was my time to interrupt. "That's what this is about?" I almost laugh. We start to walk down the staircase. It's not so cold anymore.

"Well, yeah. I felt sorry for Koizumi-kun you didn't stare at him just as much as the other two girls."

That's a lie more obvious than the one Vatican told people when selling Indulgences. I'd never say that, either. For the moment, I'll just leave it as it is. Even if the world and the people in it change, even if that change seems bad at first, it will undoubtedly become better in the long run. Why? Because it is a natural phenomenon that people take for granted.

Change will happen sooner or later, but if it's one thing I do know it's that I'm not yet ready for said change. If I were, then the change would have already occurred. But since I'm not, I'll just continue on the current route.

That is to say, I'm not yet ready to admit and to face as what I'm truly feeling here. I suspect Haruhi is, too.

"Why did you wait for me? It's not like to stick around to just apologize," I ask.

"Ah! Well that's because I got your back," she says confidently. "Because I'll make sure that you won't get pushed down these steps by someone!"

Something in her voice makes me believe that she wants to protect me not just as a subordinate, but rather as a friend. I don't mind that as an excuse to walk together on the way home. Maybe changes occur in baby steps. This is one. As we walk together we not only become more comfortable ourselves, but we also become more relaxed with others watching us walk together. Hence, this moment affects us and the world and the people in it.

But since deep down I know Haruhi will be my true world, I will look forward to how she will become. With her, it's bound to be amazing. It's something that I know that I will enjoy, and it's something that I know she will enjoy just as much.

Please R&R! And I apologize for any mistakes.

As to the nature of the relationship between Haruhi and Kyon, some like to call it obvious. While that description might be the case, there's still room for a lot development between the two. Otherwise, it would just remain superficially high school romance.

...That being said, I really wanted to add more fluff to this. And maybe a kiss, but that would just seem too inappropriate at this point for their characters in such a non-life-threatening situation.