Flat Earth Syndrome
a linear tale
I woke up.
Huh.
Why is it so bright?
Ah. I must have gone to sleep.
This sleeping bag is uncomfortable.
I'm going to watch her. Like she did for me.
I have to be awake when she wakes up too.
…
Sleep doesn't matter.
In fact, I'm not particularly hungry.
But when I go buy food at the commissary, I get something for Haruhi too.
She likes those ornamented carved carrots. And the chocolate. I remember that.
I'm sitting down right next to her.
If I sit perfectly still, I can hear her breathe.
…
Koizumi came to visit today.
Said that my health was finally back. Said that I should get back to school soon.
Gave me a long, serious look when I said otherwise. He didn't look too happy.
Ate the carrots. Shared the chocolate with Koizumi. Noticed that he let himself smile.
Another week of observation for me.
….
I still can't think straight after what happened. This must be terribly confusing to all of you. I think that even Nagato was rattled, because when she came to visit she spoke a river of words (for Nagato.) Asahina was… out of character? No, she was shocked too.
We were on a train. It was Golden Week. We were returning home, I think. I saved the universe again from alien parasites inhabiting zoo creatures (again), indiscreet time-traveling tourists, and mysterious esper business (again). Got to see some waves. The sun. Met a bunch of stiff-looking relatives of Tsuruya. Didn't think I made the best impression. The 'organization' got us some nice places to go.
A earthquake.
Then darkness.
…
Public Officials Payed Off, the headlines say. Yakuza Involvement in Construction? says another. It doesn't particularly matter the cause. Each Brigade member is pursuing their own line of inquiry, but it seems that no one knows exactly what happened. They're all blaming each other, I'm sure.
Sleeping on the floor is not healthy, they tell me. But I can sneak out whenever I want. And they don't notice me, because it's sweet that a girl is watched over by her boyfriend.
…
It's not that I don't want that kind of relationship. Haruhi is… special, in many kinds of ways. You could say that she's generous beyond belief, but expects others to give their all in turn. So it's not that her demands are ridiculous. It's that she's relentless in her capacity for energy - when we've gone for twenty-four hours planning some sort of scheme, she's wondering why we're all barely awake. It's one of her best qualities, and it's something to admire.
…not that I like that sort of thing.
My friends who poke fun at me tell me that I'm the longest man to ever associate with Haruhi, beating out Koizumi by several days. I get the grudging respect for that, at least.
Let's not talk about this for now. I want to get some sun. Open the blinds!
Her face turns towards the sun, like a plant. A phototropic woman. Heh.
…
Koizumi tells me that the closed spaces are getting smaller and smaller. That their esper powers are getting weaker and weaker. He says this with such a lack of tact that I almost believe him for a moment.
Nagato is getting bothered by her superiors. She's annoyed. As much as she can emote being annoyed. They're wondering why the phenomenon has suddenly slowed. A limit to self-evolution?
Asahina says that this period is a temporary calm for time-traveling. The real explanation is far more complex, but it is satisfactory.
…
Let's turn back the clock a bit.
…
I'm lying down on the shore of the beach. It's been a long day. The girls are… somewhere. I don't remember exactly where. They said they were going for food and fireworks. I don't have a umbrella to shield me from the sun, so I am slowly cooking. So tired…
They shouldn't have made me ride with those watermelons in a cart. Down a hill. Blindfolded. Hitting me with kendo sticks. Serves them right.
"Having fun?" Koizumi looms like a great shadow, and suddenly the sea breeze kicks in. I feel very, very cold.
"You can have it. I'm done with it." My watermelon fortress is tumbled all around my towel, smooth indentations from the weight in the sand holding them in place.
"There's nothing to worry about, Kyon. Can't you relax?" Koizumi sits down next to me. I don't care to look at him.
"You're lying." I turn on my stomach. "There's always something to worry about."
"You caught me." He puts his hands up. "Guilty as charged."
"Bastard. At least try to sound sincere." Green stripy patterns. A cube-shaped watermelon.
A uncomfortable slimy feeling comes from my back. I reflexively squirm, but Koizumi is sitting on me. What the hell are you doing?
"I'm putting sunscreen on you. You don't want to get sunburned, do you?" Koizumi straddles my back. It is uncomfortable.
"What makes you think that I want you doing it?" I squirm harder. The suntan is very greasy.
"I thought we were getting closer, Kyon." And he affects a galgame look. I'm not fooled. Not one bit. "Ever since that night in the physical education room-"
"You're not having fun at my expense." I feel a rush of energy. I grab for the bottle. A struggle. He's not stronger then I am, but he has incredible leverage. The bottle empties its contents everywhere as we crush it between our hands. The watermelons roll around, hitting the water with a splash. The towel goes into the air.
"Where's Kyon?" I hear a voice. Tsuruya's voice.
"By those watermelons." Haruhi's voice.
"I didn't know that Kyon was into naked wrestling." Tsuruya faintly says.
I quickly let go as fast as my hands allow me to. "You were putting on a show for Haruhi, weren't you?" I say to Koizumi.
He returns to his neutral, uncommitted look. "I don't know what you're talking about. I was trying to help, and you attacked me. A perfect misunderstanding."
Bastard.