Author's Note: This is going to be an awesome and scary chapter! I'm going to explain why I'm having Kyon call Mikuru by her first name. Enjoy!

Kyon's Stand

Well, Spring is here and it seems like the daily hike is a little bit easier with the weather like it is. But something felt kind of off. I'm not sure what, though. It's probably my imagination. I guess it's not to much to ask for such mediocrity every now and then, right?

"Yo, Kyon!"

Taniguchi slaps the back of my head with his greeting, as usual.

"Hey, Taniguchi."

"Did you get your summer homework done?"

"Summer homework? It's not summer yet."

"Oh, right. My bad. It kinda feels like it though."

"Not really."

"Whatever. See ya in the classroom!"

He runs off. That was weird.

Putting that previous conversation out of my mind I head to the room. The days seem to drag on forever nowadays, so I guess I could see where Taniguchi was coming from. When the bell rang I heard Haruhi jolt out her desk without saying a word. She must have something to do today.

When I got done with my lunch I headed to the clubroom as usual. I looked up and saw that the old Literature Club sign was gone and replaced with an actual S.O.S. Brigade sign. That must be what Haruhi was doing. Oh, well. It's not like it really matters.

I knocked twice an heard Asahina-san answer with her friendly "Come in."

I went inside and saw that only she and Nagato were present.

"Where's Haruhi?"

"She hasn't come by yet."

"Then who hanged that sign?"

Nagato looked up a sign of recognition before turning back to her book. So it was her.

I sat down and pulled out the old set of Othello. I figured Koizumi would be here any moment-.

"Hello."

That same faux-cheerful voice reverberated around the room.

"Oh, it seems you pulled out Othello. Would you like to play?"

That's why I got it out. We played a few rounds as Asahina-san poured us tea and watched. Of course I won, again, but it seemed harder to win than usual.

"Are you getting better?" I asked him.

"Hmm, I guess so." Damn snide smile.

At that time I expected Haruhi to bust in with some crazy assignment or something-

"Hey, everyone!"

Right on cue.

"I've got a new costume for Mikuru!"

Not again. She ran over to her, placed the bag on the floor and pulled out the contents and laid them on the table, it seemed to be a catgirl outfit. She then proceeded to start undressing her. Asahina-san looked dead at me with those big eyes and something snapped.

"This is so much fun!" Haruhi said.

Stop.

"Quit whining."

Stop it.

I heard Asahina-san scream.

STOP IT!

"HARUHI!"

"What-?"

The sound I heard next was the most horrifying sound I'll ever hear in my life.

SMACK *

I open my eyes and see that Asahina-san was sprawled on the floor and everyone is looking at me.

Koizumi looked as if he was going to yell at me, and Nagato had stood up and allowed her book to fall.

Her face was in a clearly noticeable 'Dear God what have you done' look. I then noticed why.

I had just slapped Haruhi Suzumiya.

She had the same shocked look as everyone else.

It was dead quiet.

You could hear a cricket chirp if it wasn't afraid of what might happen if it did.

She is going to kill me. Well ,might as well say something.

"You need to stop messing with her."

The words that came out of my mouth surprised me.

"She is a human being like you and me and everyone else, so stop doing this!"

Yeah she's definitely going to kill me.

"Stop, or I'll-I'll-I'll quit the club!"

That was the final nail in my coffin. All I could do was wait for the inevitable-.

"Okay."

That nearly made me fall backwards. Did she just say 'Okay'?

"I'll stop. I promise."

I think I hit her a little too hard.

"I'm sorry Kyon. I'm sorry Mikuru."

That utterly amazed me. I figured I would have been erased from existence or something.

"But if you ever do that again, you're dead!"

There it is. The old Haruhi is back now, no need to worry.

I turn around and reach out my hand to pick Asahina-san up.

"Are you okay, Asa- no, Mikuru?"

"Umm. Yes. I'm fine."

I help her up and turn back to Haruhi. Or, at least where she was standing until a moment ago. She had apparently ran out of the room.

I looked at the floor and saw small wet spots. She had started crying.

Oh God.

I ran after her as fast as I could. I didn't really know where to look but I had a feeling.

I went to the tree on campus. Sure enough, she was there, curled in a ball and weeping her heart out.

I walked over and stopped short of the shade. She must have noticed I was there because she asked me, "What do you want?"

I tried to say something, anything, to make her stop crying. I could only say one thing.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

She was standing now trying her hardest to not break down again.

"You have nothing to be sorry about."

She said this with her sincere voice.

"It was my fault. It was me who was always doing that to Mikuru. You tried to stop me on multiple occasions, but I didn't think anything of it. If anything it should be me who should be sorry."

Haruhi.

"So, I'm sorry, Kyon. For everything."

She then did a deep bow.

"But,"

Here we go.

"Since you stood up for her, I'm putting you in charge of her!"

Wait, what?!

"She's your responsibility now!"

HUH?!

"I'll have to consult you before giving Mikuru more outfits, but that's only slightly troublesome."

Wait,wait,wait,wait, could you repeat that?!

"C'mon, let's get back to the clubroom!"

She ran off again with her normal energy. Well, at least I did something good for today.

I think.

End of Episode 1