Chapter 3: The Truth Hurts

A man was standing near the front gate to North High as some students were walking out. It was the end of the day and he was waiting for at least the boy known as Kyon and the girl known as Haruhi to appear. After 20 minutes, he hadn't seen them and looked again at the photos in his hand of both of them. He knew what they looked like, where they lived; even knew their families. Of course, he hadn't met their families, but this was all the data they gave him before he started this mission. With some students loitering around the front, he could sneak in and try to find them. With no security around, and disguised as a student in gym apparel, he could get in. He looked young enough, even close to handsome as two girls walked by as they looked at him and smiled, their cheeks lightly blushing. He looked at his watch to check the time: 3:17pm. His watch wasn't just a watch, it was his device to transport him and anyone else he took with him between time periods. It had the makings of a very expensive watch, only this one was custom made by himself: Analog and digital time, built in compass, time zone tracking, GPS, and a built in phone. The technology in this time period had a long way before this watch would exist. It even had special powers built within, but it only worked when the watch was on him. And he couldn't lose the watch either. He almost did lose it once on a mission and had to do harm to a man who stole it.

He placed the photos of Kyon and Haruhi into the schoolbag next to him, which stored more highly advanced technologic equipment and began to walk towards the school. He had to be careful. No one could look into that bag. He even had to avoid the authorities from questioning him about the bag.

He entered the school and began searching for the clubroom in which Haruhi created last year as a club for mysterious people to join. It didn't take him long to find it as it was on the third floor of the cultural department and the first door on the left from the stairs. If he was in a hurry, he could go in and introduce himself while explaining his existence, but thought about it once he approached the door. Otherwise, he would have to wait until tomorrow when he came in as a student of North High and then join. He knew Haruhi dragged the time traveler known as Mikuru Asahina and the esper known as Itsuki Koizumi into the club. If he was around tomorrow, Haruhi might see him and add him to the group. But if she was feeling the pressure due to a missing student, he had to go in now. Either way led to the first stage but there wasn't enough time to get friendly with everyone. In the time period of where he was now, he had three days to get them—Kyon and Haruhi—to help him get Yuki. Three days is what he would have said as a diversion to get them to join him. By now, they should know that Yuki is missing.

He approached the door and put his face close to the wall dividing the hallway and the clubroom to eavesdrop. With keen hearing, he could hear everything through the thin wall as if the girl in the room was talking to him in his face. They were talking about Yuki in the clubroom right now.

"I can't believe she gone! Why would she leave?" Haruhi said angrily.

Kyon was sitting at the table across from Asahina as they listened to Haruhi about changing their plans and made a mission to find Yuki. Asahina, who was in her school uniform, just stared at Haruhi while she spoke and gave her point to Haruhi's question. Koizumi would have attended the meeting, but had to leave early for work. Kyon knew why: The Closed Space was growing and would have gotten worse but Haruhi's anger began to subside. Koizumi had confronted Kyon before he left to ask him what he did to make Haruhi very angry. After telling him what he told her about Nagato (he didn't tell him about reminding Haruhi who Asahina and Koizumi were and the Tanabata festival), Koizumi shook his head and ran off. If the world still exists after this, Koizumi probably would have argued with Kyon for being out of character, and Kyon wouldn't blame him. Earlier, he tried to tell Haruhi about why Nagato may have left, but he had to tell her again about Nagato's existence and her mission. He also had to remind her about causing the havoc she told him when they were in that mansion, along with past details he once told her at the café. The words didn't set well with Haruhi and she went ballistic. He still remembered the scene earlier as he played it back in his mind.


"What do you mean she's not human? Kyon, what are you talking about?"

Haruhi and Kyon were up by the doors to the roof, the same area where Haruhi dragged Kyon up to that one time when discussing about creating the clubroom.

"Haruhi, like I told you in the café last year, Nagato is an alien, humanoid interface," Kyon said, "She may be human but she's not, okay? I think this agency she works for may have taken her or someone else has. I lied to you about her parents because she doesn't have parents. Someone may have taken her away and she didn't tell—. "

Haruhi had enough. He was stammering over his words and it was making her head explode. She grabbed him by the collar and bought his face close to hers. "Don't lie to me Kyon! Just... Don't!" Haruhi said, her voice getting louder.

"Dammit Haruhi!" Kyon said as he tried to free himself from Haruhi's clutches, "I'm telling you the truth! You wanted to know why I was looking at Nagato. I told you everything I know! How was I supposed to know she would transfer out of the blue?"

She stared into his eyes for a few seconds before finally letting go. She crossed her arms again and formed a stern look. "I can't believe you. You want me to believe that Nagato isn't human and that she's an 'alien, humanoid interface?' That some Entity thing or someone would take her away because of something she did last year? You want me to still believe that Mikuru is a time traveler and that Koizumi is an esper?" She paused when she continued about the Tanabata festival. How could he had help her almost three in a half years ago? Matter of fact, how did he know anything about it? "That couldn't have been you who helped me during Tanabata. It wasn't you. Whoever helped me graduated long ago. H-He may have went here b-but... I-It's not you!"

Haruhi stood there in shock and faced the stairs. She closed her eyes while covering her mouth with her hand. Kyon thought he noticed a tear leave her eye and go down her face. Maybe he had done the wrong thing by telling her about Nagato, the others, and the Tanabata festival. He had told her that he would help Haruhi create havoc if Nagato did disappear. She hadn't said anything about that yet. What he had told her so far set her off and made her very upset. If she only could look at the details before blowing things out of proportion, Kyon thought. Haruhi, I wish you could understand, but you have to listen to me. He had to get her to calm down or Koizumi would be angry with him for allowing it. He was probably angry anyway at Kyon for telling Haruhi about Nagato. He may not have shown it the first time when he told Haruhi back at the café last year, but he would with the dire situation occurring now.

"Haruhi, I—" Kyon begin but Haruhi interrupted him.

"What?" Haruhi snapped. She finally showed her face to where there was no tear mark flowing down her cheek, but she had the same face that time when Kyon almost hit her. "What are you going to say now?"

Kyon looked down to gather himself. He hadn't seen Haruhi this angry since the time he almost hit her during the filming of the movie. He didn't know how she'd forgive him. Right now, he was expecting Haruhi to slap him or avoid him for the rest of the school year. "What are you going to do now that Nagato is missing? I'd help you find Nagato but you can't do it by yourself," said Kyon as he made a sigh, "Even if you don't want to believe me, we have to find her. That's why I need your help."

Haruhi just stared at Kyon. The stern look she had earlier faded as she sighed heavily. "I'm not doing this by myself! You're helping me!" she said as she got close to his face, "And I won't believe you! Do you remember what I told you that time at the café? The only way for aliens, time travelers and espers to exist is to capture them. They're not standing around! Understand?"

Kyon nodded. Haruhi was about to say something else when she realized how long they had been up there. She grabbed his tie, yelled "Come on, we got to get to the clubroom and find Yuki," and dragged him to the clubroom to start the meeting.