Chapter Four: The Confession of Itsuki Koizumi

It was Friday. Ugh…

Tomorrow is Saturday, which means I have to go out of my way to see Koizumi. It's not like I had anything going on, but still. Why did I to spend my weekend hanging around with the likes of Koizumi?

But now I had to ask him to do something with me without having him read too far into anything. Geez…

"Koizumi," I approached him in the clubroom after school. Haruhi wasn't there, but Asahina and Nagato were.

"Yes, Kyon?" he looked at me curiously.

"Um, would you like to, uh, go see a movie with me tomorrow?"

Asahina gasped. Nagato turned the next page in her book.

Koizumi stared at me for a moment before grinning. "Sure. I'm not busy tomorrow."

Bleh. It killed me inside knowing that the words I just said sounded like I was asking him on a date. Especially when Asahina gasped. Why couldn't it be her I was asking?

Sigh…I don't know what I did to deserve this.

So Saturday came way faster than I was comfortable with. I wished it was still Friday. Or that it would just skip over Saturday altogether and go to Sunday. Damn! I'd still have to see Koizumi anyway. Why do I now have to wish for my weekends to just be eliminated?

I met up with a very happy Koizumi at the movie theater. I didn't understand why he was so happy about it, but was weird. I guess it was better than looking at him dying or something.

…A lot better, actually. As much I dislike Koizumi, I would never want to see him suffer like I did on Wednesday.

Hmm…

We were in the movie theater watching whatever movie Koizumi wanted to see since I didn't have one in mind, but I wasn't even paying any attention to it anyway. But about halfway through the movie, something fell on my shoulder.

"Huh?" I glanced over. Ack! It was Koizumi! He was resting his head on my shoulder!" K-Koizumi!" I whispered urgently and nudged my shoulder. It was then that I realized he was asleep! Huh, I guess he wasn't paying attention to the movie either.

Argh! Why did we even come here? This is hopeless. Can I just ditch him and go home now?

"Sorry about falling asleep," Koizumi apparently thought that stupid smile was gonna make things better. "I didn't realize I was tired."

"Whatever." I swear he did that on purpose.

"Hmm…I'm hungry. Why don't we grab a bite to eat?"

"As long as you're paying." Did he have his wallet? He always seemed to "accidentally" leave it at home when it was his turn to pay up.

He reached in his pocket and pulled something out. "Fine by me." Huh. He did have it. Now was there money in it?

We decided to hit up the nearest burger joint down the street. After we got our food and sat down, I figured now would be a good time to ask Koizumi some questions.

"Koizumi, you haven't had any chest pains or anything recently, have you?"

"No. Not since Wednesday."

"You said you were going to be more careful. So what do you think was causing these chest pains?"

"…" Koizumi was quiet.

I took a sip of my soda. "Huh? Say something."

"Kyon, do you remember what I asked you on Tuesday?"

"…Um…?" My brain wasn't working that far back. Unless aliens were attacking me or Adult Asahina was showing me her star-shaped mole, I'm not going to remember what happened on certain days of the week very well. Especially basic questions asked by Koizumi.

Koizumi hadn't yet touched his burger. He was slowly nibbling his fries. "I asked you if you knew what love felt like…"

Oh. Not really a basic question, huh? "Oh yeah, I remember." Wait a minute. Don't tell me…

"…Maybe…well…" Koizumi turned away and took a drink of his soda.

"Y-you think…you're in love? And you think that's the reason for your chest pains?" I was doing my best not to laugh.

"…"

"Well, I can tell you that's not the reason. But I have to ask, you think you're in love?"

"You sound like you're about to laugh." Koizumi looked upset.

"Sorry, it's just…strange. Same as if Nagato were to, I don't know, smile. I just don't see it." Or in Nagato's case, I don't think I'll ever see it.

"So the chest pains…are because of something else?"

By Nagato's words they are. "Yes. But I'm sure we can figure that out soon. So, Koizumi, who's the lucky lady?" It better not be Asahina.

"…"

"What?"

"…Why don't we discuss that tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?"

Another Koizumi smile. Not sincere.

When we left the restaurant, Koizumi headed home, telling me he had a good day and to meet me at the station at one tomorrow. At least I didn't have to make something up on the spot to see him the next day.

It boggled my mind. Koizumi thought that him being in love was the reason for his chest pains. Well, I guess if you were really anxious to see the one you love, sure, but I'm definitely positive it doesn't cause you to pass out or cough up blood.

So now that I know what Koizumi thought was happening to him, Nagato said it was up to me to figure out what was really going on. But Nagato told me that I was the only one who can fix the problem. Hmm…so maybe it has something to do with me? I guess that would make sense, seeing as I'm the one who prevents these chest pains of his from happening.

For Nagato to have noticed Koizumi's abnormality…doesn't that mean Koizumi is being affected by something unnatural?

If that was the case, that would mean only one thing…

Haruhi.

…But Haruhi has been so caught up in reading her doujinshi we haven's had a decent SOS Brigade meeting in awhile. Well, not that I'm complaining; it's been fairly quiet without Haruhi's obnoxious rants about aliens and espers everyday.

So what was really wrong with Koizumi?

I was straining my brain too much thinking about it. I'm going to see Koizumi tomorrow regardless, so no use in deducing everything now.

Sigh…Tomorrow was gonna be a long day…

"Hello, Kyon." Koizumi greeted me at the station with a smile. Ugh, and my long day begins…

"So…where are we going?"

"…A setting I find appropriate for this conversation…"

Instead of boarding the train, we instead headed west walking in awkward silence for about ten minutes. After awhile, the setting began to look very familiar. Too familiar.

"Just a bit further," Koizumi said.

And I figured it out. How could I forget? It was the place by the riverbed where Asahina revealed to me that she was a time-traveler. Of course the cherry trees weren't in bloom, but it was a quiet and peaceful setting. There weren't too many people around, either.

"A setting you find appropriate for this conversation…?" I was confused.

"Sit down," Koizumi pointed to a small bench under a tree. I didn't like taking orders from him, even if it was as simple as sitting on a park bench. But I did it anyway.

"So what the hell did you bring me all the way out here for?" I asked, not understanding why we couldn't have just gone to his house or something.

"…Kyon, over the past few days, I've realized something…"

"Yeah, yeah, that you think you're in love," I rolled my eyes.

"No, I don't think I'm in love, I know I'm in love…"

"Ugh, it sounds so weird when you say that."

Koizumi chuckled. "Sure."

"Are you gonna tell me who it is? It's gotta be someone I know if you're making a big deal about it."

"…Well…"

"Oh, geez, don't tell me it's Nagato."

"No."

"Hmm, Kimidori?"

"No."

"Tsuruya?"

"No."

"Yelch, don't say Haruhi…"

"No."

"Um…"I was running out of options, and I didn't want to ask if it was Asahina because, well…if he admitted it, we would have problems.

"You never said Asahina," he said.

"Erk!" Dammit! It was, wasn't it? "Are you seriously-?"

"'Cause it's not Asahina."

"I mean, 'cause we're-! Wait, what?"

Koizumi turned his head.

"It's not? Wait, didn't I name off all of the girls?" I counted on my fingers. "Well, there's Asakura, but I don't think you ever met her, plus she's gone…And bleh, it better not be my sister, eww…"

Koizumi shook his head.

"Argh, just tell me!" The suspense was irritating me.

"…Maybe it's not a girl…"

…Huh? Not a girl? Well, I guess that's a possibility, too…

"Uh…?" That also made the options a lot weirder. "Do you even know my other friends? There's Kunikida."

"No."

"Oh my God, not Taniguchi…"

"No."

"What? I've used up all of my options!" That doesn't make any sense. There was no one left!

Koizumi's head was still turned away. "Kyon, you're missing the most obvious one."

"Huh? I already said Haruhi."

"I said obvious, not obnoxious."

"I don't understand Koizumi."

"Kyon," Koizumi slowly turned his head to face me. He had a soft look to his face. "…It's you."

…..What? "Huh?"

He blushed and tilted his head in embarrassment. "It's you. I'm in love with you."

"M-me?"

He nodded.

"…M-me…?"

He nodded again.

I almost did a double take. I couldn't believe what I was hearing, or if I even heard it at all. Of all the people…Koizumi says he's in love with me? Sounds to me like…bullshit!

"Bwahahahahaha!" I couldn't help but laugh. "Seriously? Geez, Koizumi, you brought me all the way out here to tell me a joke? Was that you're idea of a joke? I laugh at your efforts, but it actually really sucked."

"…It wasn't a joke…"

"What? Now you're gonna try to play it off? Oh, I love you, Kyon! Really now?"

"…Kyon, it wasn't a joke…"

"Yeah, and Haruhi is God. Sheesh, whatever. I'm outta here," I got off the bench and started walking down the road.

"Kyon, wait!"

"'Bye!" I mean, seriously? I was all for putting up with him so he doesn't croak, but why does he have to take advantage of it like that? Ugh, he just reached a new level of annoying.

Then something grabbed my wrist. I knew it was Koizumi, but I didn't want to acknowledge it. He threw my wrist in an effort to twist me around, so I quickly balled my hand into a fist and presented myself the opportunity to swing at his face.

But my whole body froze mid-swing when I felt Koizumi's warm lips onto mine. I tried to think about what was happening and possibly pull away, but my body wasn't reacting to anything I was attempting to tell it. Actually, my whole brain went on lockdown for a moment. Standby, standby…

…Koizumi released my lips from his after about six seconds. He slightly brushed his fingers across my cheek.

"I love you, Kyon. That's not a joke." No trademark Koizumi smile.

Koizumi took a step back, allowing me to slowly take in and process what the hell just happened.

He told me he loved me.

He kissed me.

…I almost screamed.

When I realized he was still in front of me, I spun around and ran! At that moment, I wanted to get as far away from him as possible.

Because now I knew it wasn't a joke at all.