The Conflicts of Haruhi Suzumiya
A Haruhi Suzumiya fanfic.
Disclaimer: Haruhi Suzumiya and all related characters have been created by Haruhi without her knowledge. Tanigawa Nagaru wrote it all down.
Author's Notes:
Time for a new chapter! I could have finished this up a little earlier, but I was swamped at work, so I was too tired when I got home. Still, I prefer a solid schedule over a random one whenever the chapters get done. Even if they're of uneven length. But then, I never write to accomplish a certain length. I write what I think should be included in the chapter, no matter if it's one or twenty pages. Anyway, onwards!
/ Another Duck
Seven Cookies
I never learn, do I? Of course Haruhi would drag me into this. Well, I'll get to that later. She was unusually quiet during the day, but she disappeared at lunch as she normally does anyway. Her mood could best be described as dangerous. It wasn't obvious to the casual onlooker, but to anyone who'd spent enough time with her, myself in particular, it was quite clear she was up to something. And that was dangerous. Always.
Exactly what she was up to wasn't clear until after school. It was a Friday, so we didn't need to worry about homework. Or so Haruhi said. She'd say anything to get us where she wanted us to be. The rest of us were already gathered in the club room when she showed up. I wasn't terribly surprised to see Asakura trailing behind her, but saying I was pleased would be in the wrong ballpark.
"Hello, everyone!"
The greeting Haruhi received from the rest of the brigade was less cheerful than her own. It really said more about her greeting than about ours. Why was she always so awfully cheerful anyway? It was often exhausting just looking at her. If she hadn't been easy on the eyes, I'd turn my mine away from her in a heartbeat.
"Mikuru, serve our guest some tea."
"Y-yes, of course."
"Ryoko, please sit down."
The girl in question took the seat, which was directly opposed to the one Haruhi chose for herself. Our fearless leader was acting rather polite for once, emphasis on acting. I knew she had manners hidden deep inside that springy body of hers, but it was still an odd sight. Something else that was odd was that Nagato joined us, sitting down beside Asakura. I was fairly certain it wasn't for moral support, even if anyone facing Haruhi could use it. Except maybe the very person sitting there at the moment. Once we were all seated and served a cup of angelic tea, Haruhi began.
"Welcome to our club! This is Itsuki Koizumi, our second in command, the one next to you is Yuki Nagato, and on your other side you have Mikuru Asahina. Kyon and myself you've already met."
"Hello, everyone! It's so nice to meet you all."
That greeting had the exact same tone as the one she used for the whole class yesterday. Most of the words were the same as well. It was probably programmed into her that way.
She was all sunshine and happiness, but that was to be expected. She already knew what was going on, and was certainly not worried about disturbing our resident God, despite actually knowing what she was capable of. That made one of her.
"I heard about your club before I left, but I always wondered what became of it. I know the Student Council wasn't your greatest fan, but I'm glad to see that you're still around. What have you been up to while I was gone?"
Clever girl, taking command of the conversation directly, and not letting Haruhi in on anything. Hmm, that's a good idea, come to think of it. I wonder if she would be annoyed if we chatted about our own activities rather than asking Asakura about her time in Canada? I made the somewhat hazardous decision to find out just how much I could stretch Haruhi's patience this time.
"We've done a lot of activities, like the time during the summer vacation, when we went out to a deserted, well, nearly deserted island, and were involved in a true murder mystery."
"That sounds exciting! What happened?"
From that point on, I said a lot more than what I said most entire weeks, maybe even months. It was almost as much as I monologued silently. I described many of the events we went through as the SOS Brigade, from the sports events to the paranormal ones, and the school festival which had bits of both mundane and fantastical. Of course, with Haruhi in the room, they were all censored versions, so I don't know what Asakura actually could figure out. If she already didn't know, that is, but she at least acted as if she had never heard a thing.
During our tales, I cast a few glances at Haruhi. At first, she was stunned that someone had hijacked her interrogation session. I don't think she was as much speechless as she was just trying to be polite about it considering our present company, though. After that, she began to glare at me. Subtly, or so she thought. I'm not sure anyone would've missed that, especially someone as perceptive as Asakura.
For a while there, I was a little worried that Haruhi would do something drastic, but once she noticed that my tale was, shall we say, biased, she interjected her own comments to the stories, and eventually got caught up in them and talked a whole lot herself. After all, the brigade meant a lot to her, so people had to know the truth about us. Or at the very least, at least as far as it was beneficial to us.
I lost track of time. Most of the time I spent in the club room on normal days was basically about waiting until I could go home. This time, I didn't even realise it had gotten late enough for us to go home. Who did keep track of the time wasn't surprising, on the other hand.
"You've really done a lot in this club, and I'm actually a little envious of it. I'd want to hear more about it, but it's getting late, so I think we should leave the school now."
"But you haven't told us about Canada yet."
It was probably a little too late for me to say anything about Haruhi being direct to the point, due to the rather long time we've been chatting about our own activities, but once that distraction was no longer an issue, she was back on track, full speed ahead like the freight train she usually acted like.
"Oh, my, if you wanted to hear about that, why didn't you just say so?"
If the tea I was drinking at that point hadn't been made by the goddess of the brigade, I would've spat it out. I could just imagine how Haruhi's eyebrows twitched at the question, and I must say, the mental picture was hilarious. I didn't even dare to look. Asakura's perfectly innocent face was the final drop. Okay, so my mouth didn't actually spill over in laughter, but it sure felt like it.
"I have an idea."
Uh, oh. I never thought those four words could sound even scarier than when Haruhi said them. But then, Asakura was actually scarier than Haruhi herself, just being who she was.
"Why don't you all come to my place for a cup of tea? It'll be like a house-warming party!"
"That's a great idea! We'll be glad to join you!"
Of course you'd think it would be a good idea.
"I, um, I need to go home now. I'm in a hurry."
I didn't expect Asahina to speak up, and certainly not to leave when there was a club activity about to happen. I had barely reflected upon that before the door shut, and she was out of sight. Once I gathered my wits and recovered from my disappointment, I realised that it was actually rather easy to figure out why she had left. She had enough trouble with Nagato as it was, especially when it came to being at her place. Asakura was the same type of being, but had a slightly more violent history, to say the least. Of course Asahina would be terrified of her, and following her home was out of the question.
"I'm afraid I have similar engagements to attend to. I apologise, but I must take my leave."
Koizumi too? Is he up to anything, or is it just his organisation that demands his attention? Or do they just not want to get involved with the other faction? I could never tell with him. Not that I particularly wanted to.
"Kyon, you don't have anything to do now, do you?"
That wasn't a question. That was a threat. Of course I didn't have anything to do, and Haruhi probably knew that, but that wasn't the point. I just shrugged. I didn't want to give her the full satisfaction of me actually agreeing with her.
"Wonderful! Take care, Koizumi."
Asakura bowed politely to him and went outside to wait for Haruhi and myself. How would I get myself out of this kind of trouble?
All of us knew where Asakura lived. However, Haruhi didn't know we knew that everyone knew that we knew where Asakura lived, so we still pretended not to know anything we weren't supposed to, and that Asakura was the only one who did know. On occasion, it was amusing to keep Haruhi out of the loop, but most of the time it was just a pain. I often wished I could just tell her about everything, so I wouldn't have to lie so much. It usually got me into more trouble than it was worth.
I wasn't sure where Asakura was on that particular point. She did want a reaction out of Haruhi, but if she wanted it badly enough, she could just reveal it all. That wasn't something that seemed to be her plan, though. If it was, she would likely have acted upon it already. She wasn't one who delayed needlessly.
However it may have happened, we ended up in Asakura's home. It looked just like Nagato's apartment, only with a mirrored room layout, and furnished with more than the bare necessities. It actually looked like a girl lived here. It was probably more feminine than Haruhi's room, though I hadn't been there, so I couldn't compare. It was just a feeling I had.
The blue, flowery curtains gave the room a soft feel along with the sofa and large rug in front of the television. On the bookshelf were several porcelain cats and angels. At the top were several awards to give an impression that she actually had a past. And, naturally, a lot of books.
It was also obvious she had just recently moved in. Or rather, it gave that appearance, as she probably could have set everything up perfectly the moment she stepped in through the door. There were a few boxes on the floor, and parts of the room were completely bare.
"I apologise for the mess. I've not had time to finish unpacking everything. Please sit down, and I'll prepare some tea and cookies."
As soon as she was outside normal hearing range, Haruhi started whispering. I'm still fairly certain Asakura could still hear her, though, if she paid attention.
"This girl is totally suspicious."
"What's suspicious about her? I just see a normal girl who's recently moved here from Canada."
"You don't get it. She disappeared from our class with no notice or trace at all, and just as quickly appeared again, from nowhere. I tell you, something is up with her. We just need to figure out what's not right with the picture here."
"Assuming anything is wrong with it in the first place."
It felt odd, defending her like this. But right now, it was also about talking back to Haruhi. That I was far more used to. It wasn't the lying part I enjoyed. It was the disagreeing part. With few exceptions, it could almost be put down as a rule that whenever Haruhi had an opinion about something, it was something I was opposed to. In an odd sort of way, it was one of the things that made the time spent with her bearable.
Haruhi said a few more things, but they weren't important. She merely sounded paranoid, even if they were after her, I mean, even if she was right.
"Here's your tea."
Thank you for announcing your presence so we can stop whispering about you, and leave Haruhi with the belief that you didn't listen in on the whole discussion, meaningless as it was.
There was a brief time of silence. I didn't mind it. Asakura likely didn't either. Haruhi sure didn't, or she'd have spoken up long before it even became quiet. Nagato hadn't said a word anyway. If you didn't look, you wouldn't notice she was there at all.
The tea had a subtle taste. It made it hard to describe, but it was slightly bitter, although not to the point where it was any kind of a discernible taste. The cookies were a bit bland, on the other hand. A little sweet, but not nearly enough. Or at least, that's what I'd like to say. They were bland, yes, but they also suited the tea very well. Almost as if they had been made especially for the occasion. Yeah. Imagine how that adds up.
"So, how long ago did you come here?"
"Just two days ago, in the evening. I had barely time to get ready for school, but it helped that I already knew my classmates and how to get around in this neighbourhood."
"Did your trip go well?"
"The flight itself was no trouble, but there were some delays, so I had to wait two hours for the take-off. And honestly, it's a little bit scary to fly alone. There are so many things that can go wrong, and you don't have anyone to take care of you if something happens."
She sure was spinning this tale fairly well. If I hadn't known the truth, I'd have been fooled even if I suspected something was wrong with it. I doubt Haruhi could find anything to pin down on her.
"Where in Canada did you live?"
"In Mississauga, which is lies just south-west of Toronto. I heard there are parts of Canada that are supposed to be colder, but I didn't like it even there. I can't believe that people actually want to live there. I suppose if you like golf, as they do have some neat golf courses. I didn't get good at it, though, and I prefer skiing anyway."
Skiing? It wasn't hard imagining her cruising down a snowy slope with her hair trailing behind her like a banner of grace. For some reason, long hair just went so well with skiing. But there was something wrong with it.
"Didn't you say you didn't like the cold? How come you like skiing, Asakura?"
Success! Well, compared to any human, she didn't react at all. However, compared to Nagato, whose feelings I could with some accuracy be called an expert on, Asakura basically rebooted and sputtered for several minutes. Or maybe not; I was just happy about having broken her perfect façade . But she was clearly embarrassed over having been caught in a lie, even if she knew I already knew it was a lie.
"It's not so cold when you're moving around."
She reached over and touched my shoulder when she said that. Damn. Score's tied at one-one. It gave me some serious shivers, although I didn't show any. It wouldn't be a good idea to let Haruhi see that. Or maybe I just didn't want that.
"Your body gets hot when you get excited."
Wait, is she flirting with me? That's just creepy. Please move away. But there was something strange about it. For a moment there, I could see her blink in confusion. I had no idea why.
We continued to talk for a while, before it became too late to remain there. And by we, I mean Haruhi and Asakura, and by talk, I mean interrogating. Asakura didn't seem to mind, though. She actually seemed amused by the whole situation. I couldn't fault her for that. I was amused as well. It was always amusing when Haruhi didn't get what she wanted, as long as it didn't go out over me. I probably spoke too soon, but I was going to enjoy it while it lasted.
That was all the way out of the flat, down the elevator and out of the building. During that, Haruhi was abnormally quiet.
"I think she likes you."
No, that's not it. She remembers that I spoke about certain feelings she doesn't understand. That's why she wants to talk with me. I resisted the urge to slap my face with my hand, but then I realised how it must've looked like to Haruhi.
"Do you like her?"
"What? No way!"
Of course, I couldn't tell her why, so I hoped she just wouldn't ask.
"Why are you even asking that?"
She bit her lip thoughtfully. I couldn't make sense of her mood at all. It was as if she was weighing several options against each other, and didn't like the outcome of any of them.
"What are you thinking about?"
"N-nothing!"
Weird. She was very rarely this uncertain. The only other time I could think of I've seen her like this was—no, I wasn't going to think about that one.
"You were planning something."
Why did I ask that? Okay, it wasn't technically a question, but I did bring it up. She had actually shut up, and I had to be so stupid and get her talking again.
"Well, if you spent some time with her, she might reveal something we can use."
Are you asking me to go out on a date with her?
"I'm not asking you to go out on a date with her! Just... try to find out what's up with her. I know she's not normal. I just know it. There's something I just can't put my finger on, and it's killing me not to know about it. It's so frustrating!"
Of course there's something wrong with her. She's a psycho killer. Well, maybe not psycho; she just doesn't know what death is. The end result is still the same.
"I'm not going to go out with her."
"Good! You're still spending time with her, though."
That's our Haruhi in a nutshell. Sometimes there's just no point in protesting. Well, at least the weekend started tomorrow, so I get to sleep out. But who am I kidding? Haruhi is going to call me and tell me we're having one of those look-for-weirdness meets.
Author's Notes:
Thus ends the third chapter of the story. It's always fun to have people foil Haruhi's plans, and here Kyon teams up with Asakura. This chapter also where the real plot starts, and where I'm starting to insert more subtle details that may or may not be important later on . Which is the real plot, you ask? I dunno. Ask the characters. I don't have anything planned. Well, I have scenes planned, and some scenarios, but this story will intentionally be developed by what feels natural. But fear not, it's not going to be abandoned.
/ Another Duck
