Sometimes, Itsuki likes to imagine himself living an entirely different routine.
In that routine, "saving the world" is an extremely clichéd phrase, one that wouldn't sound out of place only in a parody or in a pastiche and would hardly be appropriate for describing any job he could have. The only roles he plays are the ones in the school's drama club - and most people hesitate to tell him he's actually a terrible actor, and his exaggerated gestures would be appropriate only in a silent film. The only possible reason he could have for considering suicide is unrequited love, despite the fact imitating Werter was in vogue a few centuries ago. And, who knows, maybe his behaviour for once doesn't come off as almost sickeningly corteous (the key word is, in this case, "almost").
It is, in general, a routine that Suzumiya would only laugh at or treat with immense contempt, and he probably wouldn't dare to prove her wrong: after all, trying to convince her to change her views would be a rather hopeless attempt.
It is also, coincidentally, a routine in which sometimes after school - when Suzumiya doesn't look, since that would be rather untactful - he grabs Kyon's hand despite his schoolmate's initial protests, and embarassment so badly concealed it makes him feel a rather bizzarre form of schadenfreude. Then, he drags him off to some place they, at the moment, see fit - still not relinquishing his grip. And it just so happens that that place is never a nondescript street crossing being actually an entrance to yet another closed space, because in that idyllic, almost saccharine routine there is no closed space at all in the first place.
- the end
Author's notes: All I have to say is:
1. This drabble is basically based on one line from the seventh volume. And it probably makes more sense if you know which one it is.
2. With this, I have ventured into the territory of fluff further than I'd like to.
Point out any mistakes you spot, as usual.