The Calm Before The Storm
It was Thursday evening. Along with Tuesday evenings, Thursday evenings were important as we were expected to attend the SOS room and listen to the whims of our time-bomb leader. Not that we didn't drift there on other days of the week; it was a nice room after all. And it wasn't as though I had anything better to do, particularly with a younger sister hanging around at home.
So Thursday evening found me, Koizumi, Yuki and Asahina altogether in the Brigade Room. But no Haruhi. Somehow I'd been expecting that. She had been leaving as soon as class finished the last few days and barely returning my greetings. I couldn't really work it out. Maybe she didn't want anything to distract from the weekend, or perhaps she was embarrassed; hard to imagine but a possibility. In the end, despite her God like powers, Haruhi is also a regular High School girl.
Letting out a deep breath I continued staring at the drifting rusty clouds bathed in golden light; in the distance is the sharp clinking sound of a metal baseball bat abusing a ball. With one powerful thought all this could vanish; the world changed or gone in the blink of an eye.
It's hard for that to sink in. My right fingers tap the cold metallic side of my grey chair. Probably because I don't want it to sink in; if it truly did I don't think it'd be good for my sanity.
"That's a very deep sigh there Kyon," Koizumi says lightly. "Whatcha thinking?"
I look round and shift my chair slightly as the monitor is obstructing my view; the SOS website along with a number of boxed text windows filling the monitor. The chair scrapes the floor making an unpleasant grating noise. I should have picked it up really, but I'm not in the mood to today.
Koizumi is playing Uno with Asahina-san and Yuki. I declined as I needed to try and do some work updating our website; so long as they're having fun and the atmosphere is pleasant that is more than enough. I sometimes wonder if the endless summer looping was really all that bad, but then to never experience more than a repeated life path does seem a little pointless. Assuming there's any meaning to growth at all.
"Hey Kyon. Earth to Kyon? Are you okay? You seem to be spacing out?" Koizumi asks. I blink, scratching an itch on my right brow.
"Oh, yeah. Just fine. Doing this website editing is proving quite tricky."
"Do you want me to come and look in a minute. We're nearly done here."
A glance at the table shows Yuki and Koizumi down to their last two cards. Asahina-san has nine.
"Sure, that'd be a help."
Koizumi isn't all that good with computers but he can usually spot things I've missed. Actually we should probably get Yuki to do it but somehow I get the impression she has something approaching disgust for the low level of technology and graphics we're using; it also feels like I'd be using a cheat code to do the website having worked so hard on it. I'm sure there's a saying about money easily earned is easily spent. I guess something easily achieved isn't so appreciated.
I wander over to the game of Uno. Despite its simplicity it's always fascinating to play and watch, that's the way with the best games.
Asahina-san has just played a Red 2 onto the Red 1. Yuki puts down a Red 4 and in a monotone says 'Uno'. Something would be very off about the Universe if she forgot to say that! I sneak a glance at her hand – she's holding a Green Reverse. Koizumi draws and Asahina-san plays, with an apologetic glance at Yuki, a +2 Red forcing Yuki to draw 2 cards.
Asahina-san glances up at me and the apologetic look melts to a happy smile. The more time I spend around Asahina-san the more sure I am that I don't really know her. That she's masking herself like Koizumi. But I don't really understand why. Maybe the Time-Space Bureau, or whatever organisation sent her back, limited her personality as well.
Yuki's expression remains stoic as she draws a Blue 1 and a Colour Change Card from the central deck. Koizumi sighs and draws a Red 3, which he plays so that he's still on 3 cards. Asahina-san plays a Red 9 and is down to 6 cards now. Yuki changes colour to Green and Koizumi plays a Green 7. Asahina-san plays a Green 7 too and Yuki reverses play back to her with a Green Reverse. Asahina-san re-reverses with the same.
It looks as though Asahina-san copies the card before if she can, unless of course they were the only cards she could play.
Yuki's forced to draw and picks up a Red 7. Koizumi draws as well to move back up to 3 cards. Asahina-san looks even more crestfallen as she plays a +4 on Yuki and changes the colour to Yellow. Koizumi chuckles.
"Way to go Asahina-san!"
"Ah I'm sorry Yuki."
Yuki simply draws the cards without comment, although her eyes do look a little bit steelier. I'm probably imagining that though. The cards aren't great: A Yellow 8, Green Skip, Green 9 and Blue Reverse.
Koizumi plays a Yellow skip card and Yuki plays a Yellow 8. Koizumi plays a Yellow 2 and says 'Uno'. I begin to move over to see his hand as Asahina-san plays a Yellow Skip sending play back to Koizumi. Before I even reach his hand Koizumi places the Yellow 1 down in the centre.
"My win!" He says happily. A small noise like a disappointed sigh comes from Yuki and Asahina-san pouts as she lays down a Yellow Skip and Blue 7.
"I was so close that time Koizumi! No fair!"
"Well would you rather I let you win?" Koizumi asks with an amused smile.
Asahina tilts her head and nods.
"Really," Koizumi says and laughs.
Asahina-san grins and begins tidying the cards away. With a slight frown I turn back to Yuki, feeling like I've missed a private joke between them, and blink. Yuki seems to have materialised a book out of thin air. Why does she need to read books when she's a super computer? But then I've thought this many times before. The best I can do is somehow assume Haruhi liked reading and felt an alien would want to learn about our culture that way.
"Are..." I walk back over to the computer screen. The air has cooled and sends a chilling breath into the room as the sky thickens to purple. The sounds of activity from earlier have ceased as well. I reach up and pull the glass pane shut.
Life is so beautiful. Lights come on in a few of the teachers rooms in the building opposite. A gust picks up a paper bag and sends it tumbling across the ground into a bush. But so fragile. Even atoms are 99% nothingness which makes us 99% nothingness right? A collection of fragile bonds that holds onto life for all its worth...
I feel a gentle tap to my left shoulder.
"What's Kyon in such deep thought about?"
"I...Wait, you should know that!"
"Didn't I tell you that I try not to do that unless it's necessary? I can take a guess though."
He's uncomfortably close, his breath just behind my left ear. Maybe I should move, but that seems more troublesome. And his voice is calming.
"Given you were gazing out of the window at the sky, you were thinking about the beauty and fragility of life right? And as a countermeasure you began to think about how much you value the bonds forming here despite that, because it gives you a sense of solidarity?"
I'm sure Koizumi is grinning. The really irksome thing is that there was no need for him to do this if he had actually read my mind, so I'm inclined to take him at his word and assume he got it by guessing.
"Whatever. Shall we deal with this webpage?"
"I agree," Koizumi says as I turn away from the window and he steps back. As I pull out my chair to sit down he adds,
"For what its worth I think to be able to make the bonds we do, we are more than just the sum of our parts."
"What do you mean?" I inquire as I sit down on the smooth, firm seat. Koizumi doesn't usually come out with meaningful statements. Asahina-san is a bit further off and to the left of us, still clearing away the teacups and plates.
Koizumi shrugs and smiles. "I don't really know, just intuition I guess."
"Geez," I mutter. I'm not sure why I'm disappointed at that answer. I mean it's not like I should expect Koizumi to have an answer for every occasion, right?
Koizumi walks over to the table and grabs one of the lighter metallic chairs. Asahina heads for the door, and on reaching it she gives a slight bow and calls out,
"See you next week Kyon, Koizumi."
Koizumi gives her a cheerful nod as I call out, "Yeah, have a good weekend Asahina-san." Then she's gone, the door shutting quietly behind her.
Koizumi swings the light chair over to the computer with his right hand, places it to my right and slips into it as I drag my mouse over the text I'm struggling with.
"Right," he says "what's the problem?"
For about an hour we muddle along, making slow but significant progress. By the end the errors on the website are almost all fixed and it looks much better.
No-one would guess how crazy the club is now from glancing at this. But somehow I get the impression people only join if Haruhi wants them here. So isn't a website kinda pointless? Oh well it's something to do anyways.
We shut down the computer and head outside. In the fresh air I stand by my bike beneath the stars, and glance at Koizumi. He looks too relaxed for someone who is less than 2 days away from a date with the Goddess of Hell.
"How are you feeling about Saturday?" I ask, curious.
Koizumi grins. "It will be hard work, but I think I'll make a show of it."
A show? Doesn't sound exactly romantic, but then that's Koizumi.
"So you're not going to try anything romantic?"
This merits a chuckle.
"As long as Haruhi's happy then I'm happy, it means less work."
I nod. I can certainly relate to that point of view but...
"Won't Haruhi only be happy if something romantic comes from these dates?"
Koizumi nods and frowns.
"Yes. To tell you the truth that's what I'm most worried about. Because I don't think love is something that can be planned or guaranteed. That's what makes us more than just pieces in this fragile world and can upset the most perfect of plans. Love can be a truly terrifying force."
Seeing Koizumi so serious is rare, and somehow I get the feeling there is a lot more flowing behind those words than his usual philosophical jargon. The look he subsequently gives me feels rather intense. Then he returns to smiling a rather plastic smile as a gust of wind ruffles his hair.
"Anyways, see you later Kyon."
"Yeah, you too Koizumi."
I get onto my old red bike and trundle off down the hill and away from Koizumi. As the hinges creak, wheels rumble and brakes protest I find myself unable to shake the image of Koizumi's thoughtful face against the night sky, or stop myself from wondering about the Koizumi hidden behind the cheerful smiles and light hearted words.
I toyed with going straight into the first date, but somehow this Chapter just grew. And it ended up being more KyonxKoizumi focused again :S But I promise I'll manage to get to the first date next Chapter XD And a big thanks to all those who are still reading and reviewing despite the somewhat meandering plotline ;)
