Disclaimer – I don't own The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi franchise, any of the characters, or scenarios. Haruhi and all related characters are the property of Nagaru Tanigawa. No copyright infringement is intended and no money is being made, thank you.
A/N – This is going to be my first, more 'serious' FanFic. Let's hope I don't completely fail maybe?
A/N#2 – This fic is set three and a half years before the Melancholy of Suzumiya HaruhiAN#3 - Itsuki has confirmed to Kyon once that his outer personality is merely an artificial image he fakes in accordance to Haruhi's impression of him, and hints that his true character is something quite different, being "less pleasing" in the eyes of others.
– Quote, Wikipedia article on Koizumi Itsuki. Do not have the time to find Koizumi's exact line, if anybody can be bothered, do send it to me.
"Yo, Koizumi!" a gruff voice yelled from the darkness.
A young man leaning against a brick wall looked up with sharp eyes.
"Oh, it's just you," he muttered in disdain as the figure of a boy around sixteen came into the washed out glow of a streetlight.
"'Just me'?" the other boy said, annoyed. "Honestly, Koizumi, don't you care about anyone?"
"Of course I do!" said the one being addressed as 'Koizumi'. He was younger than the other one, probably only around fourteen years old. His age didn't show in the hard stare he gave his companion, nor in his height or build. He looked at least sixteen.
Flicking his bangs out of his eyes with one hand and tapping the cigarette he had been holding onto the ground with the other, he stepped towards the other boy, crushing out the still burning stick as he did so. "I mean, honestly, I care about myself! Is there anybody in the world worth caring about more?" he smirked.
"Anyway, Toshiro, what are you doing here?" he asked coldly.
"Nothing special, some guys were gathering together to write dirty- what?" he stopped his explanation at Koizumi's snort of derision.
"You lot. Defacing public property. Picking on the kids who aren't as confident. It's so immature," he stared at Toshiro.
"So what if it is? Nothing wrong with it, it's just a bit of fun," Toshiro defended himself.
"Fun? Honestly, this is what you call fun? You people disgust me," he turned away from his uninvited guest.
"We disgust you? And what are you doing out here, hey? Finally resorted to selling yourself?" Toshiro scoffed, walking up to Koizumi.
"Don't you dare try and touch me, or you'll be sorry," Koizumi told him, barely sparing him a glance. "And no, I'm not that far gone. Idiot. I'm just here to kill time."
Toshiro didn't pry. He knew all about Koizumi's troubled family life, and just assumed it had something to do with that tonight.
They stood in silence for a few minutes, Koizumi staring out into the park as the wind shook the trees, and Toshiro watching him do so.
Finally, there was a change in the brunette's stance as a particularly strong gust of wind blew through, and he shivered.
"Look," Toshiro sighed. "Come back to my place tonight. You'll freeze out here."
"No, thanks," Koizumi answered him shortly, unconsciously rubbing his arms just below where the sleeves of his school uniform reached.
Toshiro sighed again. He knew when he had lost. "Fine. You know, I was just trying to help."
"And I didn't ask for it, now shove off."
Toshiro shook his head, but slowly walked off.
Koizumi listened to his footsteps fading into the distance, then turned to watch the traffic on a distant highway.
Horns blares every now and then, but mostly it was quiet. He reasoned that things must have calmed down by now, but couldn't bring himself to go home.
He walked over to the park and sat down, leaning his back on a tree trunk.
* * * * *Koizumi opened his eyes once the bright sunlight hit his eyelids, and groaned as he sat up. Had he fallen asleep? He must have. It was just sunrise, and – ow, was that a stick poking him in the arse? He stood and stretched, hearing the satisfying crack of his bones as they readjusted themselves.
He looked around the empty park, still wet with mist from last night, and looked down at his own clothes. Bit dirt stained, but otherwise not too bad. He decided to walk over to the small shopping district, and watched as the shopkeepers opened their stalls.
The smell of freshly cooking bread made his stomach growl, but he was damned if he was going home.
Instead, he calmly wandered over to the bakery and watched them moving the cooked loaves up to the front of the shop.
"Hey, what are you doing out so early?" the lady who owned the shop said to him.
He looked at her coldly, walked up to the counter, and picked up a freshly baked loaf.
"That's – hey! You can't just walk out without paying!" she shouted after him.
He put his finger up at her over his shoulder, then took off running as one of the younger chefs started to chase him.
He bolted around a street corner and nearly collided with Toshiro.
"Koizumi, what-" Koizumi clapped a hand over Toshiro's mouth and pulled him off into a little laneway, waiting until he saw the man chasing him had gone.
He dropped his elder as soon as his pursuer was out of sight, and bit into the loaf hungrily.
"Koizumi…don't tell me you stayed out all night?" said the older boy, taking in Koizumi's disheveled appearance.
Koizumi shrugged. "What's it to you? Fag," he said, holding his hand out.
Toshiro automatically pulled out his packet of cigarettes and handed one to the demanding youngster.
"Got a light?" Koizumi asked, not thanking him for the smoke.
Once the both of them had lit up and taken their first long drag, Toshiro saw fit to speak again.
"You going to school today?" he asked casually, met only with a shrug.
"You should…come on, you're what, fourteen years old? Don't turn your life into a waste of space," he tried to convince him
"Yeah, fine, whatever. If it'll get you off my back, I'll go," Koizumi replied, uncaringly.
"Why the fuck are you interested, anyway? It's not like you finished school," Koizumi glared at Toshiro.
"Yeah, well, at least I waited 'till I finished middle school to drop out, when it's legal," he mumbled, just loud enough for Koizumi to hear him and roll his eyes.
* * * * *
As the door slammed open, the people milling about the classroom looked up.
Some of the guys looked uncomfortable, and some uncaring. The girls seemed either concerned or annoyed.
"Koizumi-kun, are you all right?" a girl with long, brown hair spoke up, quietly.
He looked at her through his hair after sitting down.
"…Who are you?" he asked, putting his arms behind his head.
"Uhm, Koizumi-kun, you've been in my class all this year…and last year…Takada, remember?" she said, uncomfortably, as a few people turned to look at her for talking to the class hooligan.
"No."
"Oh, Koizumi-kun, you're so funny," she laughed shrilly, trying to pass it off as a joke.
He folded his arms back in front of him, giving her a hard glare. His eyes flicked over to the doorway, where he could see the headmaster coming around a corner.
"Ah, of course, Takada-chan!" his expression changed immediately to a wide smile.
The headmaster continued walking to their classroom, checking his watch as he did so.
"I was just messing with you, of course I wouldn't forget you," he said, standing up and wrapping his arms around her, pulling her close to his chest.
As the headmaster looked into the room and shook his head at the empty teachers desk before heading to the staff room, Koizumi muttered into Takada's ear.
"I don't care who you are, but unless you have a good reason to talk to me, don't do it," he said, a perfect smile still on his face.
She still had a shocked expression on her face as he let her go and sat back down, a look which was mirrored on most of the other students faces.
"Ahh~ sorry I'm late!" their teacher called as he walked into the room.
"K-Koizumi-san, nice of you to join us today!" he said in shaky tones.
Koizumi merely 'hmm'ed uncaringly.
The teacher rubbed his head uncomfortably and pulled out a piece of paper to mark who was there today. Koizumi pulled out a lighter and continuously flicked it on and off. Nobody told him to stop.