I woke up and realised something was missing. Actually, it wasn't something, it was someone. I could never understand quite who it was, just that they were supposed to exist. Being lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice my sister walking up to my room.

"Kyon it's my first day at North High! I am so excited!" She loudly exclaimed. She had her light brown hair in a ponytail and was wearing her new, but familiar sailor uniform. I thought they would change it to something else by now... Stop calling me Kyon for Christ Sakes!

She laughed. "So your name is not Kyon?"

I sighed. Sis, why do you have to be such an annoyance?

"Kyon, do you think I'll meet someone you know?"

Unlikely. All of my friends graduated by now and I haven't kept contact with them ever since except for...

"Oh, well I guess I'll have to manage myself, hmm?" She winked. "Now get dressed, you wanted to go with me, didn't you?"

I actually said that as a joke, you just took it seriously. I got off my bed and looked out window. It was a nice day. The sky was as clear as spring water and birds were chirping in the distance. The cherry blossom pellets were falling at steady speed. If the world is so beautiful, why can't I enjoy it? Maybe, it's because I feel... lonely. I took out a cigarette and lit it. My mother always said that each cigarette takes 15 seconds of my life away, but what if I have nothing to live for?

We exited the front door thirty minutes later. We started walking up the same slope that I walked up every morning for three years. My sister didn't seem to mind walking up such a steep slope though, maybe because she was so excited about North High. Too bad she would quickly become disappointed. I looked around to see other students who were walking up the slope with us. All of them were just as excited as my sister and unsurprisingly, none of them looked familiar. However, guys were also still wearing sports jackets. I guess not a lot of changes in three years, huh?

We crossed a few more streets and there it was: my old school North High. Outside of the school didn't change too much and I don't think inside did either. We went to the familiar Entrance Ceremony in school gym which was as boring and stupid as it has been when I first attended this school. To be honest, all of this felt very nostalgic. I remember going to class after this. The seat behind me was empty. In fact, it has been empty all three years...

I couldn't go to my sister's class, not that I really wanted to. I decided to take a walk around the school to see if anything changed at all. I walked up the stairs to second floor and something caught my eye: literature club room. I felt a strange feeling that tried to force me to go inside. It was like a mix between curiosity and nostalgia, something that I haven't felt for a long time. Like a retired employee coming back to his old workplace to see what has changed. Strangely enough, I have never even been inside. My curiosity peaked, but as I was about to pull the doorknob, I saw the principal walking up the stairs.

"Hello." He cautiously said.

"Hi." I answered.

"You look too old to be a student." He said with uncertainty. "Are you taking night classes?"

"Uhh... no." I quickly answered. "I have graduated from this school and now my sister is attending it. I'm just walking around to see what has changed."

Look, can we hurry this up?

"Oh, ok." He looked at me with a bit of curiosity. "When did you graduate?"

"Three years ago." I answered and looked at the door. I really wanted to see what was inside.

He looked at me and then at the door. "Is this the club you were in?"

"No, I just feel... You know what, never mind." I turned away from the door and started walking.

"O-okay, bye then." He mumbled.

I exited the front door and started walking home. It was still a very nice day outside. I couldn't focus on the bright sun or on the cherry blossoms though. My mind was still inside that hallway. I was trying to imagine what could be inside the clubroom that would have caused such strong curiosity and nostalgia. I mean, there were around a million clubrooms in Japan, what could be so special about this one? I couldn't come up with anything. I started getting the feeling again of something being missing. Some important piece in my life like sleeping or breathing has been missing...

Suddenly, my cellphone started ringing. It was Sasaki. What now, can't you see I'm trying to understand the very concept of life?

"Hey, Kyon. I was thinking of going out tonight, how's that?" Sasaki cheerfully asked.

"No." I answered. "And stop calling me Kyon." Sasaki usually annoyed or bored me to death. I wanted someone who could make me feel happy or cheerful, at least on the inside.

"Same answer as always, huh?"

I guess.

"Well, if you want to go out, just call me ok?"

Sure. Like that will ever happen. I hang up.

I decided to go to sleep when I got home, but my eyes wouldn't even close. Stupid school, stupid clubroom... After a few hours, my sister came home.

"Hey, Kyon."

"Hey, sis." I answered without any hint of interest. My mind was still focused on that damn clubroom.

"Aren't you going to ask me about how my day went?"

Not interested.

"Well, I guess you'll never find out that I'm in the same classroom as you were when you went to North High."

"Ok..."

It was probably just a coincidence, but I actually started to get a little interested. If she's in the same classroom...

"Does anybody sit behind you in the class room?" I cautiously asked.

"Why?"

"Just wondering."

"Yes..." my sister answered with a little bit of uncertainty. "but she's unlike any other person I have ever met..."

Unlike any other...

"Doesn't have any interest in humans..."

No interest in humans...

"She wants to find aliens, espers and time travellers..."

Wants to find supernatural beings...

An image of a girl suddenly flashed in my head. She had ribbons in her light brown hair and looked very beautiful, if only a little serious. I felt the same nostalgia that I felt when I saw the clubroom and my interest has peaked yet again.

"What's her name?" I suddenly asked, trying not to show my interest, but my sister could see written all over my face.

"Why do you want to know so badly?" She replied. She looked at me like I just asked her about her breast size.

I just do, ok? I can't even understand it myself so how am I supposed to explain it to you?

"Understand what?"

Nothing you need to know about.

"Oh, come on. Is it because you know someone like her?"

"No."

"Is it because you think you might have a chance with her?"

Now you're just teasing me. I walked to my room and lied down on the bed. I tried to get the image of the girl out of my head, but it was like two phone books with intertwined pages. I slowly started to fall asleep. When my eyes were about to finally close, I heard a knock on the door. I opened the door. I saw my sister standing there with nervous look on her face.

"To tell you the truth, she asked about you, too." She slowly said. "She even knew your name somehow."

Can you tell me her name now?

"She asked me not to."

"Why?"

"No idea."

She must be one weird girl. Do you think you could invite her over?

"I don't think so. She doesn't get along well with other students in the class. She only talked to me because she wanted to know about you."

I sighed. This is starting to sound like some kind of dramatic build up.

"Look, can't you just tell me her name? I could then find her number in a phonebook and talk to her." My sister started to look really creeped out.

"Why do you guys want to know about each other so badly? You have never even met!"

I wish I knew, sis. I wish I knew. Have we met? I don't have any memories of it, but sometimes people lose memories due to Alzheimer's disease... who am I kidding, I'm not even twenty-five yet. I shouldn't be having memory loss. Both I and my sister fell silent for few minutes with only the clock ticking... ticking...

"You know what? I really don't want to be in this... this... whatever this is." She finally blurted out. "Her name is Haruhi Suzumiya."

~The End of Chapter 1~

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