To all my readers, here comes the next part of the story. I'm glad you're all enjoying it. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________
To say the least, the next few days of school involved Haruhi becoming an absolute iron-fisted monarch of the SOS Brigade. I'm not trying to be funny about this. She really was ruling over us more than usual.
Never have I been more bossed around, commanded, bullied and forced to do menial labor by her! Every little job or random task that would come into Suzumiya-san's mind would be automatically given to me to complete. I became her work robot and personal slave, as I extremely envied that fact that I was literally the only one in the club who was doing all this work. Suzumiya-san left Mikuru alone for the most part. Except for when she wanted her to try any new outfits, which ended up in me and Itsuki vacating the room as we could hear them struggling with one another. Haruhi is so rough towards Asahina-san, and it pains me to here such a sweet girl having to go through such embarassment.
Well, it was usually just me leaving the room a these times, since Itsuki seemed to conveniently have to go home right before Haruhi would actually assault Mikuru-chan. I never am really able to much to stop this abuse towards Asahina-san. I think it's because I'm scared for my own well-being. I have little idea what Suzumya-san is actually capable of, and it's frightening to think about.
Back on topic, there is something peculiar I have noticed over the course of these last few days concering Suzumiya-san. Haruhi, while extremely excited and obsessed with preparing for the arrival of these foreigners from the United Staes, still seems to be showing some almost obvious signs of emotional dissension.
Now, maybe it's nothing really all that serious. Maybe I'm just getting paranoid, because there is that thing that teenage girls go through every month, and so perhaps that could be the problem. But in this case, I've seen Haruhi be extremely cheery and happy-go-lucky one second, and suddenly become down and unenthusiatic another. It's making me really wonder. But then again, I'm always wondering about things like this.
It's safe to say that today was a mostly normal day for the SOS Brigade. After school, I headed to the club room as per usual. Mikuru greeted me with a smile as I entered, which was always a plus in my book. Koizumi wasn't even in school that day, which made a little suspicious. There's still a lot about this esper boy that I can't put my finger on….
Yuki was in the same corner once again, reading some book as always. I always imagined as an alien, she could probably go through a single book in a matter of minutes, but perhaps she actually enjoyed reading them like a normal human does. I'll never really know.
But, upon entering the room, my greeting was usual.
"KYON!" I heard, and Haruhi had said my name so loudly, I thought the windows were going to break. I almost covered my ears, but Haruhi was already up in my face before I could do so.
"You're late!" she told me, annoyance clear in her tone of voice. She pointed a finger at me like I was guilty of some crime.
"There's no excuse for being two minutes late, Kyon! Penalty! As a member of my SOS Brigade, I expect you to be here on time every single day! No exceptions! What kind of example do you think you'll be setting when the Americans see you doing this?" she asks me, and I think for a second, contemplating on what kind of response I should give her.
"I'm sorry for being such an irresponsible member." I say, sarcasm in my voice, though I doubt Haruhi will get the hint. "I'll try not to be late next time."
"You better be sorry, Kyon. As punishment for your tardiness, you're in charge of checking up on the website today. I don't feel like doing it, so now it's your job!" Haruhi responds, and I'm not surprised that I'm already taking orders from her.
"Fine." I say simply, walking past her. Suzumiya-san is still looking at me like I've broken more of her rules, but I ignore it. I was going to check on the website anyway, and I can't recall when Haruhi has actually done anything regarding the website besides creating the logo, which she still made me paste on the stupid page. So what exactly am I doing that's different from what I'm usually forced to do by her? I think Haruhi needs her brain checked or something...
And so, I sit down in front of the computer, loading up the SOS Brigade webpage. Suzumiya-san is now on the other side of the room, and from my perspective, it kind of looks like she's pretending to go through nearby shelves for no reason. I know this because Asahina-san is always keeping the entire clubroom spotless and dust-free in her spare time. So to me, it looks like Haruhi is doing absolutely nothing of actual importance. Whatever…
Still, I can't help but wonder. As I navigate around the site, I still notice some strange things emanating from Haruhi. Was she just staring at me for a second there? The way she turned and looked at me was kind of awkward, and I know I saw her look away when I noticed this. Is there something she wants to say? I should brush the notion off. She probably just is looking for something to scold me for.
Like I said before, I'll never understand Suzumiya-san completely. Not in this lifetime, at least.
Back to the website, I'm surprised when I see something peculiar on the home page. Scrolling down, I see that someone has posted a message in the guestbook. Before I'm about to check who exactly it was that posted the message, I see the answer to my question immediately. Just a single initial tells it all.
K. The supposed leader of a US SOS Brigade. He's probably just as eccentric as Haruhi.
The message was as follows…
Attention SOS Brigade! I am on my way to your high school as I post this message. We'll be there soon, but it would be appreciated if you could point yourselves out in front of your school. I'm looking forward to meeting you all!
What the hell? Why are they already telling us they're on their way? How desperate where they to see us? God, these Americans must have an obsession with the SOS Brigade. And where's this message coming from in the first place, unless the guy's got a laptop while on his way here. I wonder if I should tell Haruhi about this…
"What are you doing, Kyon?" Suzumiya-san asks me, having already lost her patience as she looks at the computer screen. I should have known she wouldn't leave me alone for long. Before I can say anything, she's already read the message, and I can feel the energy already radiating from her body like a red hot flame of excitement.
"THEY'RE ALREADY ON THEIR WAY?!?!" Haruhi screams in my ear, her voice sounding panicked. Before I can react, Suzumiya-san grabs me by the arm, throwing me aside as she suddenly takes over the computer. She already begins to type before I even hit the floor. Getting up from the floor, I can see that Haruhi pressing enter on the keyboard and then running over to the room closet.
"Was there a need to just throw me aside? You could have just said you wanted to respond to the message yourself…" I say from across the room to Suzumiya-san, rubbing my forehead. But, I don't really get the response I want as usual. An apology of some sort might suffice, but that's never the case with Haruhi.
"Mikuru-chan!" she announces from the closet, obviously gathering items based on all the noise she's making. Mikuru looks up in response, having been busy brewing her daily batch of tea this entire time. As always, Asahina-san has no idea of what Suzumiya-san has planned for her…
Suzumiya-san walks out of the clubroom closet, with two familiar garments in her arms. They are the black and red bunny-girl outfits she and Mikuru had worn on multiple occasions. Most of the time, neither Haruhi nor Mikuru have lasted long with them on in school, but as with all things, Haruhi never gets the hint. I think if she was a lab rat, she'd be a failure in any of those experiments involving them shocking the rats to not go the wrong way in the rat maze.
And so, the sighing comes on again, but this time, I feel like saying something.
"Is it really necessary to put those on again? You really think that's what will attract foreigners? Japanese girls in bunny outfits?"
"Of course!" Haruhi responds, the same mischievous expression present on her face as I can see her already cornering Mikuru. Not in the mood to argue, I walk right past her, standing right outside the room as before. The voices I could hear were as follows.
"Okay, Mikuru-chan! Let's get this red one on you!"
"Wait!!!! I can dress myself!!!!"
"Nonsense! As Brigade Chief, I'll help you get it on!"
After some screaming and protesting by Mikuru, I wait only a few more minutes before both Haruhi and Mikuru walk out of the room, both of them clad in their bunny girl outfits. Mikuru attempts to cover herself as always, a red blush tinged on her cheeks. I tried my best not to look.
Suzumiya-san always seems like she's used to the black bunny girl outfit she's wearing, and she playfully pats Mikuru-chan on the shoulder as she turns to face me.
"Okay, Kyon. Me and Mikuru-chan are going to stand in the front of the school. I doubt the Americans will have trouble noticing us!"
Well, of course. Anyone can point out two girls dressed in skimpy outfits in front of a high school. Either way, I have a feeling they're just going to get the wrong idea.
Whatever…it's all Haruhi's fault if they do…
"I'm coming with you two. I'd like to see these Americans for myself." I tell Haruhi, who seems to understand, before starting to walk along beside me. Mikuru is right behind us, trying to cover herself even though there's no one else besides us around.
Haruhi's eyes are already showing the same glint they always have, and that usually means that everything is going her way. But they always go her way, in my opinion, because she is the equivalent of God. She just doesn't know it.
When the three of us step outside, I only then realize we left Yuki in the clubroom. I shrugged to myself at the fact. I having a feeling she might have wanted to read rather than meet these foreigners.
Now that we're waiting outside, I can see Haruhi already scanning the street ahead, looking for some sort of sign of approaching Americans. I wouldn't really know what they're like, since I've never actually met one. Judging from how they interpret anime and manga in their home country, I already don't like them. But that's besides the point.
Mikuru seems like she's shivering in her bunny outfit, but I guessed it was more from the embarrassment of having to wear it in public. With school having ended over an hour ago, there wasn't really anyone around to see her, but I could still understand her embarrassment. I'd probably be the same if I had to wear something like that.
Meanwhile, Haruhi was waving her arms up and down like a maniac as every car passed by. I had no idea when these Americans exactly planned on coming, but Haruhi seemed impatient as usual. Being bored as I was, I couldn't help but notice something about Suzumiya-san being in that black bunny outfit. She actually looked good in it.
Wait, I didn't just think that…
Well, I'm not going to go saying I'm gay or anything either. Otherwise, I might have actually liked all the times Itsuki decided to put his face uncomfortably close to mine. Still, the thought of me admiring Suzumiya-san in her bunny outfit more than I usually do was a little unnerving.
As the cars came and went, I could see that a taxi was getting a little closer to the school. Haruhi was waving more than ever at this point, while Mikuru stayed behind me, clutching onto my shoulder as she shielded herself from view. I sighed, watching as the car pulled up.
Finally, we would get to see what these Americans looked like. Haruhi seemed ready to explode with excitement, and even I admit feeling a little of the same as we watched the door to the car open, and someone step out.
This person looked nothing like anyone I had ever seen. They didn't look like anyone Japanese; that's for sure.
He was a male, standing about a good 6 feet. His hair was black, and it was beyond ridiculous. From what I could see, this person had grown it out into an afro, and it was at least a foot tall. His dress was also just as strange. He wore a tie-dye colored shirt with what looked like an American peace sign spray-painted on it. His pants were baggy jeans, and he had green and black sneakers on. Glasses framed his tan-colored face, and white headphones were in his ears as he walked toward us.
This is the founder of the American SOS Brigade?
I've heard things hear and there about the 70's in the United States, and if I didn't know any better, this guy looks like he's a time traveler from that time.
But Suzumiya-san seems to ignore all his appearance, greeting him immediately.
"Welcome, foreigner! I'm SOS Brigade Chief Haruhi Suzumiya! You wouldn't happen to be an alien, time traveler, or esper, would you?" Suzumiya-san asked, and I merely hit myself in the face. But judging from his appearance, I doubt this American will run from her and her bizarreness.
"Last time I checked, no. Greetings, Brigade Chief; I'm K." he responds, leaving his headphones on as he speaks. What mostly surprised me about his response was how fluent he was in Japanese. I have to say; his accent was near perfect. For an American, he obviously did his homework. And what's with the whole single initial thing? It sounds ridiculous in my opinion. But I don't ask about it, instead, I pose a different question.
"So you're the leader of the American SOS Brigade?" I ask him, rubbing my chin. "Where are the rest of your members then?"
I only ask this because I noticed that after K stepped out of the taxi, it left shortly. He did mention his supposed other members multiple times in his letter. If they were all as ridiculous as him, I would have expected them to be pouring out of his taxi after him.
"Well…" K begins to say, nervousness apparent in his voice.
"There aren't any other members."
"So you're the only American SOS Brigade member?" Haruhi asks him, and he nods. I find myself suddenly waiting to hear Suzumiya-san scold him about his failure, somewhat excited that someone else besides me was going to get bullied around by her. But as I have said before, things don't usually go my way most of the time. It really pisses me off.
"Then I guess you're going to be the newest member of the original SOS Brigade! The more members, the better!" Haruhi exclaims, and her response completely tears apart my hope of her putting this American down. Even still, I have a hundred questions on my mind to ask this American. He seems to like speaking as much as Haruhi though.
"Great! I just couldn't wait till I got to Japan! I've wanted to see this amazing country ever since I was little!" K says, grinning all of a sudden. All this time, I've yet to see him take off his headphones. This guy sounds way too excited about being here. He just sounds like an anime fanatic to me.
"This is going to be awesome! You're the Brigade Chief, right?" K asks Haruhi, who takes advantage of the fact someone is recognizing her position of power. Or more like position to think she has the right to tell everyone what to do all the time. Although, that really is the definition of a position of power.
Wait a second. Didn't Haruhi just tell him she was the Brigade Chief? I think this guy needs to lower the volume on his music and stop damaging his eardrums.
"The one and only! You'll be taking orders from me from this point on!" Suzumiya-san replies, her voice sounding happier than a parrot that inhaled helium gas. K seems to nod just like Itsuki always does, and that just seems to annoy me more. From behind me, Mikuru decides to emerge, giving K a small smile as she introduces herself.
"I'm Mikuru Asashina. It's....nice to meet you."
As always, Mikuru sounds very shy, but K acts completely the opposite.
"Same here! I'm digging the bunny outfit!" he says to her, his voice sounding way too happy.
This response only causes Mikuru to blush madly before retreating behind me. I sigh once again. Who says "digging" anyway? I don't really know much about how Americans talk, but that just sounds corny to me. After greeting Mikuru, K turns his attention to me, raising an eyebrow.
"And you are?"
"My name is...just call me Kyon." I tell him quickly, and I can see that K takes no time putting out his hand for me to shake. I shake his hand quickly, and he just grins at me. I'm starting to think that grin is worse than Itsuki's smile. Actually taking off his white headphones, he addresses me again.
"You're just the person I need to speak to at the moment. If you two ladies don't mind, I need to speak with your friend Kyon. Privately."
At that instant, Haruhi feels challenged in her authority, and I mentally salivate. Finally; someone else is going to be bossed around by her besides me.
"What's this about? Why can't I hear it?" she says to K, his grin changing into a smile, and he puts on a calm face when answering Suzumiya-san.
"It's an important matter that I can only talk about with Kyon. As Brigade Chief, I'm sure you'll understand."
Wow. Playing the "Brigade Chief" card. This guy knows how to be even more of a kiss-ass to Haruhi than Itsuki Koizumi already is.
I don't like him.
"Fine. I'm going back to the clubroom with Mikuru-chan. Don't take too long!" Suzumiya-san tells us, before she turns to go back inside. Mikuru follows her, waving to me as she follows Haruhi, and the two go inside the entrance doors; disappearing from view. K immediately turns to me, a grin on his face. That's really beginning to creep me out.
"Wow, that Suzumiya girl is really hot!" He says, and at first, I don't get what he was alluding too. But thinking about it, I realize he's pointing out how good-looking Suzumiya-san is. And for the most part, he's right. At the sound of his exclamation, I feel a strange sensation in my stomach. I ignore it, snapping out of my train of thought and turning my attention back to K.
"So what's so important you actually got Haruhi to listen to someone else for once?" I ask him, and K narrows his eyes towards me. I'm starting to think K is just the initial to his name. But I doubt he's going to tell us what his real name is.
"Well, if you're friend Itsuki Koizumi hasn't already told you; I'm from The Agency. I've never actually heard of that Suzumiya girl till now, but I got told by some higher ups that I needed to head to Japan and help out with her "situation"." K responds, and I'm partially surprised. This guy seems very weird, but I didn't expect him to be the Agency member that Koizumi was talking about before. Nevertheless, these things really shouldn't cease to amaze me. Haruhi is practically a god; Yuki, an alien. Mikuru is a time-traveler, and Koizumi is yet another member of this Agency. And still, little things manage to still surprise me.
Suddenly, I feel K put an arm around my shoulder, his face moving uncomfortably close to mine as he speaks.
"So, now I'm here. While I'm looking forward to my time with the SOS Brigade, I do have my assignment to still consider. I don't even know how long I'm here for, to be honest."
The shorter, the better. This guy is worse than Itsuki.
"As you may know, Haruhi Suzumiya can change reality around her based on her emotional state. Well, the Agency has noticed some considerable abnormalities around her." He says to me, his voice sounding a little more serious.
"Tell me something I don't know. What's your point?" I respond indignantly, annoyed by hearing the same information over and over again; just from different people.
"The point is; the reason for Haruhi's emotional state is completely pinpointed to you, Kyon. You're the source of her stress, and as of yet, we're still trying to figure out why. Koizumi couldn't do it alone, so that's why I'm here. I'm going to help figure out the reason she's like this. Because if we don't, then chances are she's going to reach the point where she does something really drastic." He says, the grin still on his face.
"Like ending the world, I assume?" I ask him, still uncomfortable with his arm around my shoulder.
"That's the idea." K responds, still grinning. Ugh. I've heard all this stuff already. Time and time again.
Am I truly destined to be surrounded by only extra-ordinary people in my life? Why couldn't I be the weird guy surrounded by all the normal people?
As always, I'll never know.
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EDIT: Chapter Fix