Entry 3
December 12th 2004
Just as I had expected, but hoped against, I experienced another nightmare last night. Although it had the same effect on me as the previous, it was far simpler, and can be described thusly.
In the dream, I murdered two people, and judging by how they addressed me, these people were most likely my parents.
I now hope more than ever that there is no truth behind my paranoia. In my desperation, I think back to any possible hole in the theory when I suddenly realize that this all began with Akira Hirano's phone call.
"If the Data Overmind is able to modify data, but isn't able to create it from scratch, then where did your physical body come from?"
For now, I have decided that the doubt I am currently experiencing is nothing more than the result of a psychological attack. If Kuyoh Suoh's investigation goes as planned, I may receive the answers I am looking for.
I do not meet with Mikuru Asahina or Kiyoshi at the school gates, and the rest of the day is fairly uneventful. Akira Hirano seems to be satisfied that I am leaving him alone. At first, I was worried that he would somehow be aware of my plan, just as he has inexplicably managed to learn of such things in the past. Needless to say, the fact that he is unaware of my intentions is quite a relief.
Once again, Mikuru Asahina is quick to notice that something is troubling me. Throughout the afternoon, she seems as though she intends to offer me something, but she abandons her train of thought before returning to it minutes later. This process repeats many times, and at one point, she mutters the words 'means so much to me,' but I do not have the context necessary to understand what she may mean by this.
Suddenly, the door flies open, though none of us are surprised with this, as we all know very well who the only person who makes that kind of entrance is.
"'Zzup, cats and kittens!" Haruka Tsuruya greets us with a broad grin. "Harls, did you remember to tell them the trip's tomorrow?"
"You never told me the date," Haruhi says.
"I didn't?" She playfully slaps her forehead. "Frig! I knew I was forgetting something like that! What's that, dad? You want me to handle all these complex business negotiations when I grow up? Too bad, your only heir's got a brain the size of a pea! I sure hope the other business negotiators are okay with me just flipping the table and saying 'I WANT MONEY'! ...Where was I? Oh yeah, WHOOPS."
"That's okay," Haruhi says, "because I prepared as soon as you told me. Is everyone else ready?"
"No," we chorus.
"Well, I'm very disappointed in all of you," she says. "But one evening should be long enough. Right?"
The rest of the brigade mutters something to the effect of 'I suppose so'.
"Right!" Haruka Tsuruya pumps her fist into the air encouragingly. "Now that we're done with that..." She reaches behind her back produces a cardboard box from...
...Where could she possibly have been keeping that?
"Who wants to play Monopoly?"
Her sudden suggestion scores a stunned silence.
"My dad wants me to handle all these complex business negotiations when I grow up," she continues, "and he suggested this to help prepare me for it! Now, as we all know, Monopoly is the ultimate form of torture, designed to keep us from taking everything else in life for granted. But I figured, it might be fun with you guys! It's like, you go to see a cruddy movie, and you're like 'ugh' the whole way through. But if you go to see it with pals, suddenly you're all pointing and laughing at it! Especially if said pals are a pair of snarky robots, but who needs them when I've got you guys?"
"Well I'll be willing to play," Itsuki Koizumi says, "so long as nobody flips any tables."
Haruka Tsuruya laughs loudly as the places the box on the main table. "No promises, man. Especially if someone else picks the shoe."
We set up the game, and the role of the shoe goes to Haruka Tsuruya. I choose the top hat.
As the game progresses, we soon find out why Haruka Tsuruya chose the shoe: She enjoys prefacing all complex business negotiations with 'Hello, I am literally a shoe'. Somehow, I get the feeling that many of us silently hope that she will manage to take this catchphrase into the world of business. Because every dull bureaucracy needs their own Haruka Tsuruya to keep smiles on faces.
The players, in order of when they lost, are as follows: Itsuki Koizumi, Mikuru Asahina, Kiyoshi Kujo, myself, Haruhi Suzumiya, and Haruka Tsuruya, who attributes her success to 'literally being a shoe'.
Mikuru Asahina seems particularly disappointed with her loss, repeatedly muttering to herself that she needs to do better. This reminds me that both she and Haruka Tsuruya share genetic material, and suggests the possibility that in her own time, Mikuru Asahina is the heir to the Tsuruya family. When she notices that Haruhi has overheard her, she reacts the same way she normally does when accidentally revealing details about the future, possibly reinforcing my theory.
The moment I arrive home, I receive a call on the telephone from Kuyoh Suoh. Her progress is as follows.
"Hello. I was greeted-with open arms. They offered me someone to eat-and I accepted."
"Are you referring to a human?"
"Yes."
"You should not have eaten them."
"Why not? How is it different-from eating any other species?"
For reasons I do not fully understand, this elicits a brief silence from me. "I shall explain... later. In the meantime, I must know what you learned from your visit."
"There was another new member," she says. "Aya Belgard."
I am familiar with this name. She is a girl in my class, and if asked to describe her in three words, I would choose 'athletic', 'competitive', and 'popular'. For reasons I do not fully understand, she appears to resent me. It is possible that Akira Hirano is trying to take advantage of this by using her against me.
"Try to convince her to leave," I say. "It is highly likely that she is unaware of what she is getting involved with."
"I'll see-what I can do." She hangs up the phone, and I follow.
I spend the rest of the night wondering whether or not I should go to sleep. Although I have no doubt that doing so would be unpleasant, I conclude that, even if I do not sleep tonight, I will have to do so eventually, as even my kind needs energy.
I can only hope that whatever I experience tonight won't be any worse than what I have experienced prior.
