Hello again, everyone. It's a little later than I had hoped, but it's here now. I had planned to update during my spring break, but I guess I got a bit lazy there.
Gladiator Beast MCK: That's actually something I would like to avoid as well.
inuzuka pau: The world may never know.
Silencian: It's never said, nor is there much proof, that Kyon was not a vampire to begin with. In fact, in "Red", one of the chapters has evidence that goes against your idea that Haruhi caused him to become a vampire.
I do not own Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu.
Onwards!
Chapter 2
I had just gotten used to the daily grind of going to school, and I already hate it. It's all so pointless, like that that Greek guy, I forget his name. Sissyfoot? Anyway, the way school works is almost silly. They award 'points', which magically add up to give you a high 'score', which gets you into college, where it repeats again. It's not about the smarts; it's about the network and who you're related to.
I just happen to have the wrong network. I'm somehow lumped up with this girl who has a thing for pulling me around by the back of my uniform and necktie. Oh, and she wants to find aliens, time travelers, and espers. God, who does this bitch think she is?
She's got a hot body, though.
"Man, Kyon, this apartment is so shabby compared to what we have at home."
"Everything is shabby compared to home, but it would be strange for two teenagers to be living in a grand apartment, no? What if were assigned a group project?"
The apartment is small. The largest room has several arranged tatami mats for the floor and a small sliding window. A portion in front of it has wood flooring and it leads to the entrance, a small kitchen, and a small bathroom. Definitely made for one person, although two could still live comfortably in here. There are some closets to the side of the big room, which holds my futon, among other things. On the other side is a drawer with my clothes.
I put the table out for now to do my homework on, but Taniguchi insisted on discussing the plan for revenge with me. I tried to get him to do his work as well, but he can't seem to start it, so he just sits across from me. Even then, I don't think that we will be able to put our plan into action until later. I'll just have to keep him from doing something irrational or dangerous. I must intervene if he decides to go too far.
"Tell me what she looked like, sempai." I wonder why I didn't just ask him this question in the first place. It would have saved me time and a few hairs on my head.
Can vampires become bald, though?
"Ugh, that may be tough. I'm no good at remembering a face that I only saw once. You know how it is, Kyon. Witnesses often have trouble creating facial images from the scene of the crime. I saw her up once on the rooftop during the fight, but I didn't see her again until her fist was about to hit me."
"How about striking features then? Anything that stood out?"
"Hmm… she's got long hair. It must go down to her ass. She's got to have a ring, too. Otherwise she wouldn't have given me a cut. And her eyes were a golden yellow."
Well, the eyes match. I begin to imagine Haruhi with long, long hair. I don't know whether I prefer her with long hair or short. True, long hair is better suited for a ponytail, but if it's so long that it reaches her butt, I don't think it would fit the style. And when did Haruhi start wearing a ring?
"What about the ribbons? You keep calling her by that nickname, after all." You can refer to her as the bitch with ribbons all you want, Taniguchi, but you won't be hearing it from me.
"Hm… I think she had four of them. They were wrapping around some strands of hair."
Quite eccentric. I'm reminded of when I first met her and she kept changing her hairstyle as the days went on. "If her hairstyle stood out that much, wouldn't she be easily recognizable? And wouldn't there be some possible problems with the staff?"
"Yeah, her hair is a bit outrageous. She probably gets up early just to do those ribbons."
An idea begins to formulate in my mind. I set my pencil down. Taniguchi turns to look at me, as if he knows that I've come up with a plan.
"Sempai, do you have a pair of scissors? A fairly large one, perhaps?"
"Scissors?"
"This girl sounds like she spends a lot of time on her hair." I almost can't believe that I'm suggesting this. "How about we cut it off?"
He smiles. "Sounds good to me."
It would be impossible to implement the idea the next day. We don't know who the person exactly is, nor do we have a method to single her out. As Taniguchi said before, criminals often return to the scene of the crime. If we head to the roof during lunch, then chances are we would find the girl. But that would only get us into more trouble and into another fight.
Perhaps Taniguchi would prefer a fight. As for me, I've never been in one before, both in this world and in my own. At the very least, I'll be able to dodge and land some powerful hits due to my vampiric nature. The group may not recognize me though, so perhaps it would be possible for me to go to the rooftop and scout around.
Taniguchi stretches, shifting his hand to cover his open mouth as he yawns.
"Tired so soon, sempai?" I pick up my pencil and finish the last problem on my math assignment. "You've barely started your homework."
"You'd be tired too if you got into a fight." I suppose I'll give him that much. "Besides, this isn't due until the day after. I'll finish it later." He gathers his work and haphazardly slides it into his school bag. As he gets up, I rise to my feet and walk him to the door. I then turn and bow to him, "Good night, sempai."
"I've told you before. You don't have to do this," he says in an exasperated voice.
"You could say that it's a force of habit." I open the door for him and he quietly leaves to go to his own apartment. It's not too far from where I live, perhaps a ten minute walk. We currently have no enemies in this area, so letting him walk alone would help keep us off the radar. I close the door and look back at my work 'desk'.
Sometimes I wonder if I'm wasting my talent. I'm superhuman. I have abilities people can only dream about. The Samaritan in me manages to reach out to my brain every now and then, making me wonder about it. I could be saving people, like pulling a person out of a burning building. Maybe I could do some vigilantism.
Hmph. It's too much work to worry about right and wrong. It's a shame that a part of my mind had to be sealed away; living as an amoral fiend isn't exactly what I had in store for myself. Still, it's much easier to live life without worrying over others.
But then what is love without morality? To love someone is the exact opposite of living for only one's self. In fact, it could be said that love is an extreme version of morality. And a part of me is very, very sure that I love Haruhi. Perhaps I suffer from some sort of psychotic or sociopathic love for her.
Well, whatever. It's time to find a bum.
…
Maybe that should be my contribution to society.
Step one: take gloves. Gloves keep my fingerprints from appearing at the scene.
Step two: bring a knife. A knife wound on the veins at the neck is not unusual, unlike teeth marks.
Step three: take a thermos and a cup. It is safer than drinking directly from the neck, as otherwise traces of saliva would be left behind.
Step four: hunt. Make sure no one is watching. Pick lone targets. Be quick. Efficient. Professional.
Step five: dispose of the body.
During the past month and a half, I discovered that blood is best served warm, preferably at body temperature. As I had almost always had cold blood in the old world, I never knew this until I had to go out and actively find a person to drink from. It's like coffee. Best when hot and barely acceptable when cold.
Still, in order to preserve its freshness, I have to refrigerate it in an airtight container. I don't know how to safely heat the blood without it cooking entirely, nor do I have to time or resources to try it out at this time in my life.
I've begun to understand what my original father went through. It's not easy hiding who I am from everyone, and the pressure to tell someone is always there. At the very least though, with my connection to the underworld, I can hide myself much more easily if I have to.
It's a good thing that the blood I drink is from humans now, as it appears to be high in quality. The need to feed is reduced to that of maybe a week and a half. There's something about it that helps me keep the feeling at bay.
And it's delicious.
"Are you alright, Kyon? You look a bit tired." Taniguchi and I are walking to class again.
"I had some trouble sleeping, so I stayed up later than usual." Hunting can take a while. But it's necessary and takes precedence over sleep.
"That insomnia again? Maybe you should get yourself checked out by one of our doctors back in the city."
"I'll be fine, sempai. It doesn't happen that often anyway."
"Hey, you're my right hand man, you know. I don't want you to be half asleep when I need you the most, okay?"
"I'll get some coffee from the vending machine then."
"It's not just that, Kyon." He stops and turns to me. "I need to take care of those under me. You know that, right? So let me know if you're too tired or anything. Am I understood?"
"Yes, sempai."
"And cut that shit out. You know what I'm talking about." He begins to walk again, and we remain silent for the rest of the way to school.
When we arrive at the gates, we part ways and I enter the main building. I close my eyes for a moment and reopen them to see the world in blue. I want to see if there is another person like me, but all I see are just stalks of gold. I close my eyes again and my sight is filled with color once again. I suppose it's a futile attempt, as I only know what the color green implies.
I climb up the stairs. Time to go back to the daily grind called school. It's more boring than usual, really, as we're going over material that I've already learned before.
Although it hasn't happened yet, I've wondered whether or not I will get bored of the taste of blood. It's good, no doubt about that. But it is something that I will be having very frequently from now on. Perhaps there is some way to incorporate it into some sort of dish.
Blood ramen? Sushi with blood sauce? Blood curry over rice?
It sounds like some sort of entrée from a B-rated horror show. Still, it does sound appetizing, probably more than the school food served during lunch. The cafeteria's food isn't terrible, but I'm half tempted to bring a thermos of cold blood with me. At least the baked goods are bought from an outside producer.
"Kyon, there you are." I turn to see Taniguchi approach me. "Finish up fast. We've got some work to do."
"Work?" I'm a bit lost here.
"Come on. You didn't forget, did you?" His hand reaches into his inside pocket and comes out holding something. My jaw almost drops. It's the handle of a pair of scissors. And it looks big.
He turns to leave and I follow after, leaving the food behind. "Wait, are you sure about this? We don't even know who she looks like. It's crazy to just start a search like this. And when did you get those scissors?"
"Kyon, the scissors are for in case we find her. And trust me, I have a good feeling that she's up on the roof right now, relaxing with her buddies. As for where I got them, I went to the convenience store after I left your place. I'm always amazed by what they have in stock."
We leave the cafeteria and start to head up to the roof. I can't help but panic about what's about to happen.
"Sempai, is this-"
"Watch it."
"T-Taniguchi," I try to say it in a fearful manner, "please think this through! We have no plan! We'll just be walking into a trap!"
"Trap, shmap. We'll be fine. Besides, it's a part of the plan."
"Plan?" It would appear that he's managed to use his brain, although haphazardly.
"You don't get it yet?" He continues up the second flight of stairs, approaching the third floor. "If I go back up, those guys will be back. I'm good at fighting, so they should be a piece of cake. But then that ribbons bitch will try and get me."
"But then it will be like last time!"
"No, it won't. I believe she'll announce something about my stupidity at coming back up here before coming out." He smiles. "This is where I get her. She's a school bully, that's it. She only has to raise her fists and everyone tucks their tail and runs. But not us."
I have to talk him out of this. "That's a terrible idea! You're relying on too many unpredictable-"
I run into someone, a girl. I'm fine, of course, but the person has been knocked down, giving out a small cry. I begin to stretch out a hand to help her up, but I feel myself pause. It's Asahina-san.
If this were the old me, I'm sure that I would feel a bit elated that I have found someone else who was from the SOS Brigade. But the club from back then doesn't matter anymore. That club is why I'm in this new world.
"Hey, are ya gonna help the lady up, or am I going to have to remind ya?" Yet another familiar voice. I look up to see Tsuruya-san quickly moving towards me.
I quickly scan her. She's human.
"Well?" her slightly upturned lips and angled eyebrows give a very big hint that I should be doing something to avoid her anger.
"I'm very sorry about that." I reach over and gently lift Asahina-san back up. And I smell something. It's faintly familiar, but I can't put my finger on it.
Taniguchi coughs to remind me of his presence. "Kyon, we've got business to take care of." He turns to the two girls and bows a bit. "You'll have to forgive my friend, sempai. He's a little bit on the clumsy side." He turns to look at me.
Fuck you Taniguchi. "I'm very sorry, sempai. I'll be more careful from now on." I bow as well. They are third years, after all.
"Hmph. Be more careful next time." Tsuruya-san walks away with a huff while Asahina-san eyes us a bit before leaving. We start to go up the stairs again.
"I didn't know you preferred older girls," Taniguchi says as we continue to climb the stairs. "I bet it's because you believe they're probably more experienced than you."
Seriously, fuck you. "I think we should be getting back to the plan."
"You're right," we reach the roof exit. "We should stick to the plan. But I can give you some tips on picking up girls."
"That won't be necessary." Fuck. "Besides, your plan has nothing about cutting her hair." You. "When do you plan to do that?"
Taniguchi takes the scissors out of his inside pocket. Like I asked for last night, it's are a fairly large pair. He turns it and grasps its closed blade. He gestures the handle to me. My heart pounds and I know what he wants. "That's where you come in." All the anger I had felt from the small encounter drains away and is replaced with anxiety. "You're going to be the one to cut her hair. Your job is to wait here and watch the fight as it progresses. When she starts to attack, you are to come out. I should be able to take care of her easily and when I knock her onto her stomach, you hold her down and do it."
This sounds like rape.
"I can't cut her hair myself because everyone will want to interrupt me. But once they see that you have scissors, they'll stop. I'll keep them at bay if they try and stop you."
I take the scissors, but inside I'm battling with myself. Do I actually cut her hair? It would be ruinous for my chances with her in this world. Granted, there are other things that will affect the final outcome, but I would rather not ruin my chances.
At the same time though, I have to avoid raising suspicion with Taniguchi. No one must know that I'm not the same Kyon as before. Among everything, that comes first. Unless I can think of a solution, I will have to cut her hair.
Still, there is hope that the person isn't Haruhi. But it's a slim chance. Even a part of me wishes that it is Haruhi. That saves me the time of searching for her. But I wish that it is Taniguchi who would be cutting her hair.
"Alright, Kyon, I'm going in. Remember, once she comes out I'll deck her as soon as possible and you are to rush out, hold her down, and cut her hair."
"Taniguchi, wait, is this really the best idea?"
"Hey, you were the one who suggested it." He approaches the door. "Stay out of sight for now. Don't start looking until the fight begins. I don't know how good you are at fighting, so I want you to hide in the beginning.
I have no choice but to do as he says. I move to hide behind the side of the door. I take a breath and anxiously nod my head, letting him know that I'm ready. He nods before leaning back and quickly kicking the door open.
"Hey assholes," he walks out, "I'm back."
There's silence. I can only guess that they're astounded by his apparent stupidity to come back up. There are some chuckles afterwards. "If it's a beating you want," some faceless student says, "we give those out for free, second year." So we're dealing with upperclassmen. But Haruhi is in my year, so why is she up here hanging out with this bunch?
Very cautiously, I look out over the opening. "Funny," Taniguchi says, "I remember beating your ugly faces in until that bitch got a lucky hit." He must be trying to draw her out. "Now that she's not here, maybe I can get a fair fight." Several of the students begin to approach him.
Maybe it would be fair if the other side had about five more guys. Taniguchi knows how to win a fight, even when outnumbered. As the first fists are thrown, the difference starts to become apparent. He never keeps his sight on a single target for long. He revolves and always looks over his shoulders while keeping his movements erratic and never allowing them to surround him. If he throws a punch, he aims for the stomach area instead of the head as it's harder to protect.
Soon enough, the others, while not lying on the ground, have become wary in approaching him.
"What, are you all scared?" Taniguchi taunts. "I get a harder work out fighting my grandmother." He turns his back on them and begins to walk back. One of them takes the opportunity and quickly charges him. With a swift movement, Taniguchi swivels his body around and brings his outside fist and all its collective force into the student's stomach.
Ouch.
The person crumples and falls onto his stomach, coughing up some blood. No one dares approaches after witnessing the scene.
"Looks like you guys are all bark and no bite. Typical dogs." He starts to walk away again.
"I don't think you know who you're messing with."
That loud, commanding voice. It strikes both elation and fear in my heart.
"So, the ribbons bitch finally steps out." Taniguchi turns to face where the voice came from. The students part to reveal the girl that Taniguchi described. I can see that she has golden eyes and long hair that's a shade of brown with its many ribbons.
There is no mistaking it. The voice, the looks, everything matches up. It's Haruhi, alright. She looks very different in this school's uniform, but it's still a beautiful sight to behold. For a moment, my mind begins to compare the two of them. Do I prefer the one with short hair and the white and green sailor uniform, or the one with long hair and the black uniform with sleeves that covers her arms and a pink bow in the center of it all?
I'll think about it later tonight. Yeah. Think about it…
"So you're saying that you're better than all of these guys here?" Taniguchi most likely has a sneer on his face. He doesn't like her one bit. "That's quite a thing to claim. Do you plan to prove it?"
"I already did yesterday. There is no point to do so again." The attitude is the same as well. And she's smiling. That smile makes me shiver.
"You got one lucky hit. Let's see you do the same in a one-on-one fight."
"Hmph." She still has that adamant attitude. "Then I guess you won't mind if I go first." She charges at him with ferocity I have never seen her have before. Just like how I am different in this world, she must be different as well. The Haruhi I know may not have even resurfaced.
She begins to swing at Taniguchi, but he evades, stepping back to move closer to where I am. He must be trying to make it easier for me to get to her. He begins to throw some punches and soon enough both of them are weaving and blocking each other's strikes.
I try to watch closely. Taniguchi most likely has a strength advantage, but she seems to be faster. She's obviously shorter as well, but it doesn't seem to put her at a disadvantage. In fact, I daresay that Haruhi has the upper hand. It looks like she is able to pick apart Taniguchi's fighting style, as she seems intent on hitting his unscarred cheek.
He picks up on this. He begins to raise his left arm to block the area more easily. But it leaves his stomach open and Haruhi charges up a powerful swing, aiming for it.
Considering how he was able to deal with the pack of students before, I expect him to block it. I know he's fast enough to react to her punch. Instead, he leans left and turns right, making her strike into a glancing hit at best.
In exchange, he gets a clear shot at her surprised face. He uses the turn to add more force behind his fist and it becomes a smashing left hook. She lets out a loud cry of pain and reels around, a bit dazed.
I see him close in on her. He grabs the bow of her uniform and tugs her upright.
The world slows down. He begins to pull his arm back, preparing for another punch, one that's just as vicious as the last one. She already has a welt slowly forming on her right cheek. If I look closely, there's a trickle of blood coming from that side of her mouth as well.
I feel my body moving. I'm running towards the two of them as fast as I can. I have to stop him. His fist is beginning to move forward. No doubt that Haruhi sees it, but she's still dazed not just by the previous punch, but also from being grabbed. There's no way she can defend herself against it.
I have to stop him. I have to. I-
Time speeds up again, and my left cheek hurts. The world suddenly goes sideways and my face land on the hard rooftop while the rest of my upper body lands on something a bit softer. I try to get to my feet, but a hand reaches out and grabs my uniform by the collar, forcefully pulling me up.
It's Taniguchi, and he is mad. "Kyon, what the fuck are you doing?"
"I-" I don't care if they find out that I've changed. I couldn't see Haruhi get hurt this badly. She may be a school delinquent that gets into fights, but I have to keep her from getting in over her head. "I'm sorry, but-"
He shakes me, "Sorry, huh? Well, your sorry ass better have a good explanation for this."
I turn to look at her, and for the first time our eyes meet. I'm reminded of the first and second time I talked to her. She had stared at me for a moment, as if wondering if she had run into me at an earlier point in time before she spoke to me.
Her gaze is exactly the same.
"Well?" Taniguchi roughly shakes me.
"She's an old friend of mine." Technically, I'm not lying.
I get the feeling that this story may be moving faster than the other one, or at least there is more action to go about doing. Originally, this story was going to put Kyon in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity branched into two races - vampires and humans. And, as natural, they're at war. There would be time traveling, mirrors, gunshots, BLOODSUCKING, TURNING INTO ASHES, STAKES, GARLIC, WATER, etc etc, but it was really hard to work with and also kind of dull. So I opted for a more interesting twist, in my opinion. It also preserves the dark setting that was established in "Red" and also continues to work on the idea of a more 'suave' (as a reviewer once put it) Kyon.