Disclaimer: I do not own anything involving The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu). Any characters involved in this story are the sole property of their writers.
I try to keep this story as much in the style of the original anime as I can. One major difference though, instead of consistently being in Kyon's PoV, I will alternate between his and Haruhi's PoV during the story. This takes place as soon as Episode 14 (Chronologically, not Analogically) as Haruhi and Kyon are walking home in the rain.
To the World, You May be One Person
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Kyon's PoV
She spins around and gives me that silly, Haruhi smile. Constantly teasing, constantly demanding. Her grin draws me towards her... but I don't know why. I never know anything when it comes to Haruhi. She's a walking enigma.
"Kyon! Hurry up! You're going to get soaked!"
Yeah. As if I didn't realise that already. I rush towards her under the umbrella. It's not like this is the first time I've been stuck with Haruhi under the rain, either.
"Tardiness is punished! Punished!"
Her voice slowly drifts away from my ears. All I can do is stare down the road, walking at a brisk pace. I just want to go home, dammit. It's her fault I'm stuck out here, anyway. If she hadn't made me get that stupid heater...
Silence. Huh? That's... not right. I turn my head to the side and see Haruhi staring at me.
---
Haruhi's PoV
"And maybe we'll dress Mikuru in a chef costume next and..."
I turn towards Kyon, and he just stares ahead. The nerve! I'm talking to him!
"Kyon! Your Brigade Chief is speaking to you! You'd better listen!"
Nothing. He continues walking along, almost pulling the umbrella out of my grip. I jog in order to keep up with him. Then it hits me.
He's only here because I told him to be here. He doesn't want to spend time with me. He wants to go home. I'm probably nothing more than an annoying parasite to him, anyway.
I mean... I'm not special. I already told myself that. He could've easily had his pick out of almost every girl in the school. Mikuru likes him, Tsuruya probably likes him...
I just stare at him as these thoughts rush through my head. This world sucks.
"Haruhi..?"
---
Kyon's PoV
I finally break the silence. If there's one thing I really don't expect with Haruhi, it's silence.
"Haruhi..?"
"Go home, Kyon. Take the umbrella. I expect it back tomorrow."
Her voice was trembling. I could tell she was troubled, and when Haruhi's troubled, things go wrong. Koizumi told me to do whatever I could to keep Haruhi happy.
"No. I'm staying here. You don't seem right."
Smooth choice of words, Casanova.
"GO HOME!"
Her voice was like a stampede of elephants. She turned around and ran away. If I didn't know better... she was crying. Haruhi... crying?
I'm in deep trouble now. As a member of this conglomeration of freaks known as the SOS Brigade, I only have one duty. I don't kill Celestials, I don't keep the timestream in check, I don't gather data for some omnipotent being. I just keep Haruhi happy.
I can't even do that right. I really suck. I would go help, but that would probably make things worse.
All I can do was grip the umbrella tightly to my chest and slowly walk home.
The rain is deafening.
---
Haruhi's PoV
I can't tell if I'm crying or not; the rain's too hard. I mean, why do I even care so much? He's just a regular person.
Flashback
"My name is Haruhi Suzumiya, East Middle School. I don't want to deal with any ordinary humans. However, if any of you are aliens, time travelers, or espers, feel free to talk to me."
End Flashback
It's his fault for all of this anyway. What business does he have for talking to me anyway? Is he some sort of alien?
No. He's not. He's just Kyon. The weird kid who sits in front of me during school. The kid I drag into everything.
I open the door to my house, and my parents aren't home. I quickly take a shower and dry off. I just lie on my bed and stare at the ceiling. I've never felt so alone.
Before I know it, I'm asleep.
"The school again?"
I open my eyes, and it's just like that other dream I had. It's dark, just like before. The school's the exact same as before. Everything's the same...
But Kyon's not here. I frantically run around the school, looking for him. I swear, I've opened the door to every single classroom and all the clubrooms, but he's not there. I just slump down on the computer chair, staring at the screen.
Stupid thing won't turn on. Figures. Everything else is going wrong, why shouldn't this? I just stare blankly into the screen.
---
Kyon's PoV
RING RING RING plunk "Ow!"
I trip over my feet as I untangle myself from the covers.
"Ow!"
I scramble towards the phone and I press the "Talk" button.
"Konbanwa, Kyon-kun!"
"... Koizumi? What do you want?" You're the last person I want to deal with now.
"Not a morning person, I see. I'll get straight to the point. There's been a huge influx of Closed Space surrounding the school and a 15-block radius surrounding it."
"What!?"
"There has never been such a large documentation of Closed Space ever created. The Agency is worried, and I'm sure Mikuru-chan and Kagato-san's organisations have confirmed this as well."
"So?"
"Are you stupid!?" Ow. I've never heard him yell before. "You didn't do your job right! It's up to you to fix this!"
"Why can't you go in and kill the Celestial that's there?"
"Your IQ must rival that of a toaster oven!" Jerk. "Remember what happened last time? We can't even permeate the wall this time!"
"What am I supposed to do!? I'm not in the Closed Space!"
"You're not!?" And I'm stupid.
"Of course not! You're CALLING me!"
"... You have to find a way to GET IN then. Haruhi's in denial. She created a world without you in it. She believes this is what makes her happy, but you have to prove her wrong."
"I thought I couldn't get into Closed Space!"
"She'll realise that she needs you soon enough. You'll realise the same." click
I have to kiss her again, don't I? I turned over to my clock. 3 AM. What a pain in the ass. I dress myself and silently sneak out the door. Last thing I need is that stupid sister of mine following me into Closed Space.
---
Haruhi's PoV
"I don't even get this game."
I'm just sitting here, staring at the Shougi board that adorns one of the shelves in the club room.
"Where's that giant blue thing that appeared last time? I'm bored..."
I think I'm adjusting well to this new world. Life isn't that bad. There's no one to annoy me, no one to annoy. I could live here with an adequate supply of food and other necessities.
CRASH!
Yes! Something interesting! I turn around and look out the window, and sure enough, that giant blue thing is causing chaos just like it did last time.
But why am I not excited? It turns its 3 red orb-eyes on me and I find myself running. Kyon's not even guiding me this time. I'm just running. I'm afraid. I don't want to be here anymore.
... it's just not the same without Kyon here.
---
Kyon's PoV
I can "see" the ripples of the wall in front of me. And, is it just me, or can I hear Haruhi screaming?
It's just like her. She's always causing me trouble. But yet, I find myself here, at her whim like I always am. I tell myself it's for the good of the world, but there's always this nagging feeling that there's another, subconscious reason.
It's not time for those kinds of thoughts. Time to save the world.
Again.
---
Haruhi's PoV
I'm running, running. I can't stop running. But, no matter how far I run, that... thing is always a few steps behind me. Oh kami, I'm going to die here, aren't I? I'm too young to die! I haven't done anything interesting in my life!
SMASH!
"Ow!" I get up, rubbing my nose. I look up in front of me, and there's a giant ripple the shape of my body. Just like before. It may not have seemed solid, but I may have just as well crashed into a brick wall.
As my vision refocuses, I see someone on the other side of the wall. It's just a silhouette, but I'd know that silhouette anywhere. I start screaming. I've never been so afraid.
"Kyon! Kyon! I'm here! Help me!"
Why would he even be there? Why would he help me? I'm just that annoying little girl to him, aren't I?
---
Kyon's PoV
I could almost feel that someone was pounding on the wall besides me. Unfortunately, it was like staring into a wall of fog.
"Haruhi! I'm here!"
Silence. What was I thinking, hoping for some sort of response? I mean, after she ran away from me, why would she even want me to be here?
Of course, this is Haruhi we're talking about. She does have the mystical power to make things go her way.
But if she really wanted me here, why didn't she warp me into the world with her in the first place?
"She'll realise that she needs you soon enough."
Yeah, but will she admit it, Koizumi?
---
Haruhi's PoV
Banging? It couldn't be!
"H...hi! ... he.e!"
Kyon!? I can hear you! ... can I?
Maybe I just... want to hear him. Maybe I'm just... afraid. Afraid of being alone. After all, I'm just one person, right? Why would anyone pay attention to me over someone else?
But you, Kyon. You've always paid attention to me, haven't you? You've followed me around obediently. But why? I'm just one person... I'm no one special.
I slump down on my knees and stare at what I believe is your silhouette. You're so close, yet so far away. It's just like the real world, isn't it?
Maybe I'm finally coming to terms with what's real and what I want to be real. The intersection between them is slim, but there's one thing I can no longer deny.
"Aishiteru... Kyon-kun."
I hope that giant makes it quick.
---
Kyon's PoV
It's hopeless, isn't it? No matter how much I try, this wall is as impenetrable as ever. No amount of brute force could tear this down. I think I'm trying too hard.
"Ai..ite..u... Ky.n-..n."
I don't think I've ever been as speechless as I am right now. There's only one possible thing she could've said... but...
"You'll realise the same."
Shut up, Koizumi.
GROWL Stupid Celestial...
Celes... Oh God! I forgot why I was here! Haruhi! I continue bashing on the wall, but it still holds steadfast. My efforts grow increasingly frantic, and they seem to grow increasingly futile.
I'm so useless. I can't even save Haruhi. The one thing I was meant to do, I'm useless at. I'm sorry, Koizumi. I'm sorry, Mikuru. I'm sorry, Yuki.
... I'm sorry, Haruhi. I don't deserve your love. I don't even know what I did to garner it in the first place. I can't seem to help you in your direst time of need. Some friend I am, huh?
I even just came into realisation of my own feelings. I follow you around, I do meaningless errands, all seemingly habitually. But here I am, 3:30 AM in the morning, here for you again. Why? Because...
"Aishiteru... Haruhi-chan."
The rain's started up again. Haruhi wouldn't want to see my tears, anyway.
---
Haruhi's PoV
Well, here I am, limp in this giant's arms. I'm at his mercy. Had I been in a... less stable state of mind, I'd have been ecstatic about this. But... it's just not the same.
I was eccentric because I wanted to be alone. I wanted to be that one out of one-hundred million people in Japan. I thought people wouldn't pay attention to me if I was weird. I went out with those boys, just to dump them in minutes. I thought that would give people the message...
I wasted the past 3 years of my life. I just told myself that I wanted to be alone. Why didn't I realise this earlier? Now I'm going to die with regrets. I'll probably be reborn into a newt or something. It's all your fault, Kyon.
You had to come and challenge everything I believed in my life. You had to be there to tell me everything that was wrong with what I was thinking. Yet I still continued to talk to you. I couldn't separate myself from you.
"Aishiteru... Haruhi-chan."
So clear. That means I must've imagined it. I mean, look at this wall. It's...
drip drip drip
wet? Oh, it's raining.
"Aaagh!"
Stupid giant. Shut up. I looked up at him with my signature glare, only to see that his head wasn't there anymore. He was slowly dissipating under the rain. Each drop that fell caused him to shudder in pain as another part of his body was destroyed. I braced myself for a fall.
---
Kyon's PoV
"Aaagh!"
Stupid giant. Shut up...
Giant? I looked up, and sure enough, there was the Celestial that inhabited Closed Space, slowly disintegrating with each raindrop that pelted it. And in his arms...
I hurriedly ran towards the giant's location and dived in an effort to save Haruhi. Too bad I slipped.
All of a sudden, a large weight was upon my back. I could've sworn I've been in this situation before.
"Haruhi!"
---
Haruhi's PoV
I landed on something softer than I had anticipated.
"Haruhi!"
I looked down, and Kyon was under me.
"Kyon!"
I jumped up quickly and helped him up. I've never been so happy to see him. I ran into him and clutched him close to me. I need you, Kyon.
---
Kyon's PoV
I feel Haruhi's body pushed up against me, her head buried in my chest. I instinctively clutch her even closer, and motion for us to go under a tree. The two of us stand there, silently, clutching each other tightly.
Not for heat, not for need, not because I'm told to. I do it because I love her. I do it because...
I hate being bored. And if there's one thing I know about Haruhi, it's that the world is never boring with her around.
She may be annoying, but she's my Haruhi. It doesn't matter what anyone says anymore. I finally understand.
She's not a potential for evolution. She's not a time anomaly. She's not God.
She's just my Haruhi, and that's all that matters. She's the person I love. She's the person I would do anything for.
---
Haruhi's PoV
As I sit here in Kyon's arms, I can't help but feel happy. Just moments ago, I thought I'd be alone forever in the world, but as long as Kyon and I exist in this world together, I know that's not true.
For once, I have nothing to tell Kyon as Brigade Chief. I have no commands for him. He's free from the teasing attitude that I give everyone else.
I'll give him a promotion next meeting. Maybe "First Man." I don't know. I don't care. He's mine, and the entire school will know soon enough.
I tear my head off of his chest momentarily and look up into his eyes. I swear I can see where tears just were momentarily, and any doubts in my mind are instantly dispelled. His eyes speak more volumes than his voice ever could. I just... know. I love him, and he loves me. I give him my signature smirk, and I lean up to his head and plant my lips on his.
Maybe this world isn't so boring, after all.
-----
But to One Person, You May Be the World.
Well, what do you guys think? This is the first fic I've written in awhile, so I'd like as many reviews as possible. I'll probably write more in the near future, as well.