There are certain things Haruhi shouldn't ever discover, if the universe knows what's good for it. Her 'special' abilities are obviously one, along with the identities of Nagato, Koizumi, and Miss Asahina. My own identity as John Smith might not be such a good idea either, though I've used it as a threat plenty of times as a personal trump card to get my way. Above all else though, there's one very important thing that should have been kept a secret from her, that I guess I always just thought too harmless to bother hiding.

"Try the Bermuda Triangle!"

And that would be Google Earth.

How she got wind of it, I couldn't say, but the minute class let out, she grabbed me tight by the wrist and pulled me to the clubroom and into the computer chair. Even when the rest of the Brigade shuffled in, she demanded we keep looking. I just don't get why she couldn't do it herself. I've long since tired of the idea of looking at the tops of buildings, not that Haruhi looked at any of those. She wanted Pyramids, ancient ruins, Roswell and other equally difficult to find spots.

I couldn't help but think, as she smacks me on the shoulder and I look up the coordinates, that it doesn't really make sense either. Haruhi isn't really the type to be content just looking at a picture. She's too energetic, too desperate to prove herself and too eager for excitement. 'A detailed, clear photograph of the Loch Ness Monster? Who cares! Did you ride it?' That was how she thought.

So, Haruhi, what's with this sudden turnaround? You've been calming down, sure—have been since that whole Sasaki incident blew over, but this is ridiculous.

My curiosity remains tied-up and gagged though, as I merely silently obey her every command. We go through a few more grand sights, finally ending at Fuji oddly enough, before she waves her hand in front of my eyes. I blink, but don't speak, which I guess she takes as ignoring her because she kicks my chair back and plops down on the desk to face me.

"Well? Doesn't that get you excited?!"

"For what?"

"In general, dummy. I mean, there's a whole world out there!"

"I was kinda already aware."

Her glare is less than amused. Oh, brother. But she doesn't snap at me as expected, instead turning her gaze to the window.

"Well, it gets me excited."

"You want to travel?"

She doesn't answer, but then, I guess she doesn't need to. Of course she would; how could she pass up an opportunity like that?

I shift in my seat. After a few more minutes of silence, I get up and settle into my usual seat. Not long after that, things go back to normal, but still.

There's still that distracted, far-away glint in Haruhi's eye.

Four

"No Trumpets Sound (So No One Realizes)"

"No trumpets sound when the important decisions of our life are made. Destiny is made known silently."

Agnes DeMille

I've always hated geography. It was my worst subject in school (and admittedly, that was saying quite a lot) since it was the only one I couldn't rely on some innate knowledge to save me at the last second. My uncle, a fisherman by trade, certainly tried to spark what he hoped was only a hidden passion inside of me for maps and compasses and the feeling of ocean spray sprinkling my cheeks, but it never really caught. Thinking about it now, it probably went back to when I was little, since I never did really like pirate stories.

… See, already, I was trying to avoid it. Unfortunately, to explain why I responded to Asahina's seemingly harmless statement as if she had become Medusa, a very brief geography lesson was in order.

I grew up in Nishinomiya, perhaps best known to most of Japan as "that city where Koshien is". If you took out a map, it wouldn't be difficult to spot it, right there in the south-eastern part of Hyogo Prefecture—it was just so nestled in amongst bigger names that it was easy to let its own slip out of mind.

Where I lived now, Osaka, was located to its South. To its east, there were a few more cities, as well as the famous Mukogawa river that actually emptied into the bay not too far from my house.

To its North lay Kobe.

… 43 to 47 minutes by public transportation, in case you were wondering. That was how much time it took to travel from Osaka to Kobe. I knew for a fact, because I'd made the train ride myself. From Nishinomiya, it'd be even less. My mother often went shopping there.

So. There you go.

I had spent five years of my life feeling on the other side of the world from someone who was less than an hour away.

For the second time in maybe ten minutes, I collapsed, though this time my mind had the decency to find the couch first. It wasn't any more comfortable than the floor, with lumpy padding inserted into coarse cheap fabric, but it at least looked better from the outside perspective. Asahina looked slightly bothered by my sudden need to sit down but Koizumi seemed to understand completely, enough to even try an uncomfortable little smile.

"Funny, isn't it?"

My glare must have said it for me, as his arms got tighter and he looked away. Though, in a certain light, he wasn't wrong. I just didn't feel particularly in the mood to turn on that lamp at the moment.

An hour. Not even an hour; 45 minutes. That was all the distance between her and me. How many kilometers was that? Kilometers would probably make me feel better about it. Everything always sounded far away in kilometers.

But no, that was enough. I'd think about this later, alone. Thinking like this didn't do me any good and besides, Asahina looked ready to put me in her lap again as she sat down beside me. The concern, I could appreciate, but pity, not so much.

It wasn't like I really deserved it, after all.

I fixed my watch, twisting it back to its proper position, while asking, "So what's with the TARDIS, then?"

Asahina frowned, clearly not getting the reference, but Koizumi chuckled and took over, as I hoped he would. "Again, it's more like that book."

"I was referring to her." With a jab of the head, I indicated Kawashima, who stood in the same exact position and manner as when I saw her.

Koizumi followed my gaze and nodded. "Ah. Miss Kawashima here is a double agent, I guess you'd say, though not exactly for us."

"If not for us, then what the hell is she doing here?"

He looked my way again and hesitated, trying to hide it by taking the armchair across from me. When he did speak, it was to avoid the topic. "I'm sure Nagato would rather decide whether she wants to talk about that."

"If it's anything to do with Nagato, she won't mind me knowing." I said it before I could even think it through, but now that I did, I was surprised to say I felt completely confident in it. Even in five years of not seeing her, I knew without a doubt the line of trust between us was unbroken. That small little smile, barely an upturn to anyone else, was more than enough proof of that for me.

Suddenly, Kawashima turned on the balls of her feet in one fluid, mechanical motion. "Statement: Interface has been requested to authorize full permission of Lady Nagato in this transference."

Lady Nagato?

"I thought you were leaving, Kawashima," Asahina chimed in.

"Statement: Correct, Miss Asahina. It is noted that information transference does not necessitate presence of Interface."

"Wait, leaving?"

But even as I finished it, she was gone, and it was just as simple as that. I could see what Koizumi meant by our transport being pirated. No second Interface, no waiting—just bamph, gone.

Asahina quickly took up the job of explaining in her absence. "As Koizumi said, she's an agent. She has to leave so that no one suspects you're gone, at least not for a while."

"Why would they take her word for it?"

"Because she's the one supposed to be observing you," Koizumi answered, standing up. "Are you hungry? Thirsty? There should be something in the kitchen.

I wasn't really either but I nodded anyway, busy in thought. If she was the one observing me, then, maybe—

But that was again a thought I'd have to leave for later. First things first.

"What about Nagato?"

Koizumi sighed, but sat back down again. "I'm afraid I'm not really sure how to say it, as I don't know all the details. Nagato's too embarrassed about a lot of it to speak seriously, the title Etsuko referred to her by being the least of it."

Nagato? Embarrassed? I didn't know whether to be thrilled or outraged.

"In a way," Koizumi continued, "you'd know more about it than I would."

"Me?"

He nodded. "You helped her achieve the very thing that the Data Entity had been hoping to achieve through Suzumiya. Despite being only an Interface, designed for the sole purpose of being a microphone if you will, she achieved a higher level of thought and emotions: what they would call auto-evolution."

Slowly, it fell into place. "But her superiors still didn't."

Koizumi nodded. "You can imagine how they must have felt to see one of their tools surpass them. Worse yet, other interfaces were proving to be equally susceptible to human interaction, if not as far along as Nagato. Having accomplished this, they decided they had earned the right to be treated as equals, rather than mere software; something the Entity clearly disagreed with. They tried to curb the progression, but it was to little effect. Most survived intact, with only some like Miss Kawashima left with slight defects."

That explained the extra-robotic speech. No wonder she had turned to spying; it was definitely a way to add an extra sting to the burn. I think my affections for her just multiplied tenfold.

"So Nagato—"

"—was to be eliminated, being the instigator. Obviously though, she escaped, and started the resistance movement in full.. Miss Kawashima is a very recent addition to it; it's how she learned about you, actually."

Well, that settled it. I wasn't much for hugging but at the very least, Nagato deserved access to a 24/7 library. Or anything, really; as long as she got some sign of how incredibly fantastic she was (not that I hadn't always known).

Koizumi took the silence as an excuse to leave, and he made his way into a small little kitchen on the far side. Now that I looked around, it was a fairly nice apartment—definitely nicer than my own, as sad as it was to admit. It was big, more than enough for the three of us to share, and well furbished in terms of quantity if not quality, with a full living room set and television and a small, round Western dining table complete with chairs tucked into the corner. A large, three-section window showed the city below, the sun quickly coming over it (at least, I assumed—the clouds did a great job of hiding it) to take its place in the east to set. I checked the time: 4:27—hard to believe that so little time had passed; and yet, we were running out of time.

Making sure my legs were and ready, I turned to Miss Asahina. "So where are we going now?"

She smiled, a cute little quirking of the lips that seemed to physically radiate light (though it was probably just the globe lamp hanging above us). "We can't go now, Kyon! Just as they were watching you, they'll be watching her. We have to give Etsuko time to convince them that you ran away from us and are keeping your distance for a few days."

That made sense, but …

I looked down. It seemed like a casual gesture to me but she must have seen through it as she suddenly grabbed my arm. Looking up again, I saw she had stowed the smile away and put on a firm, resolute expression. "Don't worry. We'll leave in the morning, really."

I nodded and she put the smile back. It was just like Asahina, to be worried about me like that. She was just that kind of girl. I really do think that, had it not been for every circumstance imaginable driving us apart, we could have dated. But, at the same time, I realized even as I thought it that I didn't mind that it never happened. Maybe the crush was gone, aside from a very healthy appreciation of her beauty (and frankly, what guy wouldn't have that? It'd be worse if I didn't).

Really, though, I probably had known that deep down. I mean, if I hadn't figured out by now that Asahina wasn't really the girl of my dreams …

Is there someone else?

… Would I even be here?

I saw her smile falter again and I knew I might as well just ask it. My guard was failing spectacularly today, though I guess all that running was enough to tire anyone down.

"So …"

I fumbled, but nothing else came. Come on, I could do this …

But the minute my mind formed her name, my mouth leapt into action on its own accord and said something completely different.

"I'm sorry."

She tilted her head, clearly confused, and I quickly tried to find which train of thought that specific car belonged to.

"For this," I stuttered out. "I mean … you, Koizumi, Nagato. You're doing all of this for me."

Her confusion didn't seem to clear up, but very slowly, the ends of her mouth curled up again until finally she just laughed, more vibrantly than I'd ever heard her before. "And just what else are we supposed to do?"

She turned more towards me and took my hands in hers, looking determinedly into my eyes. "You're not just Suzumiya's chosen one to us, Kyon. It's been a very, very long time since any of us could even pretend to say that. You don't have anything to say sorry for, unless this isn't what you want. Is it?"

I didn't nod, but her smile grew slyer, so she must have understood something from my face. "Then that's that."

She stood, hands reaching behind her back to meet and I was reminded of the first time I met this version, before life threw some bad taste between us. It was that same sudden warm rush of knowing: Ah. This is not my Miss Asahina.

This is who she's meant to be.

"Don't worry about us. We're not just doing this for you or Suzumiya. We're doing this for us—because we want what's best for you. So no matter what happens, do what you want to do, Kyon. Will you promise me that?"

Oh, Asahina. How could I say no to a speech like that?

Eventually, Koiuzmi walked back in with food but since none of us were hungry, we mostly just sat around, chatting about oddly normal things. You could almost call it a real reunion, as Koizumi and I swapped stories, mine about infamous bookstore customers and pretentious writers and his about the usual university shenanigans (I really doubt I needed to say more). Asahina even chimed in from time to time, saying as much as she dared. It wasn't long though before she started yawning and so Koizumi and I, with only slight awkwardness about sharing a room after all these years, went to bed.

Not that I slept, of course. On the one hand, there was the bed itself, which made the couch seem like an angel's cloud in comparison. All it really was the floor raised up six inches; they might as well have just given us paper futons.

On the other hand though sat the real reason I couldn't sleep, as all the thoughts I'd put aside amassed in the palm to push it down and send it barreling through the earth's crust.

Etsuko Kawashima. AKA: a Contact Interface for the Data Integration Thought Entity. AKA: a double agent for Nagato's forces to spy in the Tsuruya's family forces AKA (most importantly): a spy meant to observe me.

Jane (for lack of a name) Tenjou. AKA: an agent for the Organization. AKPA (the P standing for "Possibly"): an Esper. AKA (again most importantly): also a spy meant to observe me.

But was that all?

Who else, of all the people I knew and that lived around me, was watching from the sidelines, just waiting for me to do this? It was like being in high school all over again, except this time, I held the unfortunate position previously occupied by God. Suddenly my whole life seemed artificial. Was the apartment cheap because it was a shit hole, or because it was an ideal location to watch me? And that job at the bookstore, even that publishing company signing me—was it all just a way to keep me in this safe little box, so I'd never leave it?

And who got you that job? Who got you that publishing gig?

I sat up, running my very empty hands over my face.

"Is something wrong?" Koizumi said from the other bed.

I turned. He sat back on the bed, arms behind him to prop himself up a little as he rested his head on the wall behind him.

I shook my head. "Just thinking."

He looked away, hair falling forward over his eyes with the motion. After a few moments of silence, he lowered himself down and pulled the covers up, rolling over to put his back towards me.

"You should get some sleep. We have a long walk ahead of us."

He said it very normally, but something about it caught at me. A hint of exhaustion, which should by all rights be normal so late at night, but … it was difficult to say. As easy as it was to read him now, I could see now that it was also infinitely harder. As long as he didn't accidently revert to his mask like he did earlier, I couldn't pick out any outright hints of deception. All I really had was this sinking feeling that seemed to come and go as it pleased, at the moment lingering and trying to decide whether it should set up house near my esophagus.

I lay back down. Better to wait then charge in like an idiot. I mean, if I thought about it, I didn't really know the real Koizumi. I'd seen bits through high school, but back then it was like putting a puzzle together in the dark. I could feel the edges and piece together what seemed right but I had no way of knowing if the picture really was coming together. All I really had to go on was what he'd told me once—that if I knew the real him, I wouldn't want to. Maybe this was just who he was.

But … again, there was that damn smile, that lighter air only a few hours ago. Screw whatever Koizumi had said back then; the real him was that shy kid who wouldn't even talk about Nagato because it embarrassed her, who cracked stupid jokes and rambled on about philosophy long after I was sick of talking about it. He was maybe a little moodier and colder, but still, he was a decent guy.

I decided I had to figure it out. At the very least, it was a mystery capable of distracting me from the real reason I was here, or from other mysteries I didn't feel like solving. I know myself pretty well: it was either stay distracted, or lose my nerve.

The decision wasn't hard to make.

After a few more sleepless hours (time which I devoted to figuring my way out of a dead-end conversation, on the odd chance I did make it out of this alive and able to finish that book), the sun finally decided to amble over to this side of the earth, though the clouds still veiled it from any Japanese eye. Yet again, we were in store for some rain apparently, and at 10:00, when Koizumi declared it safe to leave, Asahina surprised us (after knocking repeatedly to make sure we were good and dressed in the plain tees and jeans Kawashima had prepared for us) with two umbrellas.

Wait. Only two?

"I need to stay behind in case Kawashima or Nagato come back. Oh, but don't worry about me! I'll be fine."

Considering that we were on the run from two (or possibly three) different supernatural entities, with more operatives than Atlas Shrugged had words, you could see why I was less than willing to take her advice. She merely smiled though, and pulled out a pen from her pocket.

"Give me your hand."

I did so and she quickly scribbled what looked like a telephone number on my palm.

"There. Add one to each digit and that's the number to the apartment, in case you need to reach me."

"We really should go," Koizumi cut in, tapping my umbrella with his. Chalk up another odd quality—he was impatient, understandably, but there was that odd feeling again again, resting its laurels on my small intestine, as he brushed past Asahina and made his way to the door.

I didn't have time to consider it though, as Asahina stepped forward and hugged me tightly, so soft and, er, 'fully present and accounted for' that I was instantly glad that the crush was really gone.

"Remember, Kyon. Do what you want to do."

She whispered, in a delicate soft voice, into my ear. And while I appreciated it, thanking her with a nod and a grin, another feeling quickly descended into the bowels of my stomach to kick all concerns about Koizumi out. So much for distracting myself; though really, I didn't know why I thought I could.

I was seeing her. It wasn't a joke, or a lie. I was here to see her, talk to her. I had known that for hours, and yet …

It was only now that I realized I had no idea what the hell I was going to say.

On auto-pilot, I followed Koizumi through the door, down the seven flights of stairs leading down to the ground floor, and out the fire exit into the street as I inwardly beat myself to a bloody pulp. Do what I want? Well, that was all well and good, but this was reality. What the hell was I doing?! Was I really just going to go up to her and say, "Hi, remember Kyon? Well, that's me!" What kind of idiot was I?! Not to mention the fact that the guy with the wind-tangled hair in front of me, the beautiful women seven floors above me, and the loyal friend some number of kilometers away from me were all risking their lives just so I could have this opportunity, and yet, here I was being a moron and trying not to think about it. I had to think about it; I had to have some sort of plan!

Try as I might though, I couldn't so much as group three words into a logical, reasonable sounding sentence—a fact Koizumi must have picked up on, as he turned back and asked:

"Nervous?"

"Not really."

Such a lie. He knew it too, judging from his laughing before I caught up to him and smacked him on the arm.

"It's okay to be nervous. Even I am a little, and my situation's very different."

Oh, was it?

Now, normally I made it a point not to discuss things like this, but it felt important in this instance to try. Perhaps because Koizumi was both one, being mostly honest for once and two, seemingly in a slightly better mood all of a sudden.

But mostly, it was because all of a sudden, his behavior seemed to make sense.

"Koizumi. Did you … well, did you ever like her?"

He looked at me, and then focused on brushing his hair out of his face and pulling out a hair tie. "What makes you ask that?"

There were a number of things, the alternate world Koizumi's easy confession foremost among them, but I settled for a shrug and a "Just got the feeling."

He quickly bunched the hair up into a ponytail, though of course it looked like a hair stylist had carefully placed each strand. His looks were as plastic-perfect as ever, with about as much effort as I put into my own appearance (i.e. none).

Surprisingly, he answered, "I did, for a time."

He looked away and I did the same. We must have been quite a sight, walking together but eyes focused on completely opposite sides. Just picturing it made me cringe, and so I swallowed up some courage and looked back to ask, "And, uh, now?"

He looked back, eyes locked in a coy expression I was used to from him. "As romantic as it is, I'm afraid unrequited love can only go on for so long. I gave up on her when we were still in high school."

Somehow, I doubted that, but I'll play along. "Then what was all that messing with me stuff for?"

He turned at the corner and I quickly redirected my path to come alongside him again.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"You know. Getting too close to me, making stupid jokes."

"Well, it took a bit longer to get over you.

He laughed for a good long while at my face before turning the corner again.

… This would be why I usually made it part of my moral code to keep my mouth shut. Lesson learned.

I picked up speed and caught up to him, only to collide chest-on with his arm.

"What the—"

"—Stop."

His gaze was fervently focused ahead of us, though I couldn't understand it. Aside from a few trees and an admittedly fierce looking Doberman, there was nothing—we were walking through suburbs.

He pulled me by the shirt as subtly as possible, bowing his head in front of mine to whisper.

"Do you know where Akashi Strait is?"

"What? Yeah."

"Go there. Don't take the trains, don't take a taxi—"

"—I'm not an idiot, yo—"

"Then let me finish. Don't talk to anyone, don't let anyone talk to you. Get there; stay there. Go."

This time, I did as I was told. I turned and walked back, only breaking into a run the moment I rounded the corner. What had he seen? Did he have some strange esper sense now and was capable of knowing danger before it even showed its face?

It didn't really matter though. I had more troublesome issues to worry about. For example, I did know where Akashi Strait was. I'd lost my tooth there when I was little, so while it was literally a hole in the wall, I remembered it fondly.

However, I had no idea where I was, or how to get to it from here.

I waited till I came to some bushes before I stopped, ducking down to sit in the middle of them to regroup. I could probably retrace my steps without too much difficulty, though the building wasn't on a main road. Getting there, I could ask Asahina for directions … no, too risky. I couldn't assume that I was safe. Whatever Koizumi was doing right now, it wasn't necessarily enough to get whatever threat he had seen off my tail. I had to—

A woman spoke behind me. "What are you, one of those otaku LARPers?"

Damn. Spotted—though really, a bush? This was not a good day for me.

"Just resting" was my response. I didn't even turn. Maybe if I shut my eyes she'd just go away.

"That your house?"

"Yes."

"So why don't you rest inside?"

What's with all the questions?

"I was born in a forest due to a rapid labor. Ever since then I have found being surrounded by bushes very relaxing."

She laughed, harder than was called for, I think.

That was what made me open my eyes.

"You know, you remind me of this guy I knew in high school. I forget what his name was. Everyone just called him this absolutely ridiculous nickname; it was a real riot!"

That was what made me turn around.

She was a little older than me, but she didn't really look it; I just knew for a fact. Her high boot, short flapper dress combo only helped to make her look younger than she was, so her hair was really the only sign she had aged (or rather, changed) at all. Cut severely short, it could easily pass for a boy's bowl cut, though the way the bangs were left longer and styled to angle to the side turned it into a stylish, spunky look that she pulled off magnificently.

She smiled. "Hey, Kyon!"

Miss Tsuruya.

A string of obscenities rushed through my head (and not all of them Japanese either) as I carefully stood up. She hadn't killed me yet; that had to be a good sign, right?

"Say, you're not here to see Haruhi, are you?"

Nope. Guess not.

"Because I gotta tell you," she continued, "you're way far off. The station's not for miles."

I kept my silence and she tilted her head, confused, before a wicked, knowing grin flashed across her features. "Oh, you're surprised I figured it out. Don't worry, I still think of you as a man, Kyon. It's megas cute—oh whoops, look at that, slipping right into the old slang—anyway, really, it's super cute that you're going after her like this. Unless, you're not really just resting are you? Because while it's great to see you, that's pretty sketch, you know."

Her rambling washed over me, just white noise as my brain tried to process the most important part. Cute? Me doing this was cute? Not exactly the word I expected to hear from you!

Wait. What if she really didn't know? I mean, I assumed, but just because her parents were involved didn't mean she was. She really seemed just genuinely happy to see me.

Still though. Better play it cautious. "Actually, I didn't realize she lived here. We don't keep in touch. I was just here to visit a colleague but I guess he isn't home."

She analyzed me carefully, but she seemed satisfied as she let out a groan. "That's totally lame, Kyon. But ah, well, guess that's how it goes. Hey, wanna go eat? My treat—I got paid today!"

"I'm not really that hungry—"

"—Well, I am! You can watch me eat!"

Was she not letting me go because she wanted to catch up, or because I was a threat, I wonder. There was no way to tell though and she wasn't about to let me get away, that was for sure. Seeing no other option, I nodded, and she grinned, her fang shining white against her skin as always.

"Sounds great! I'll just text Takashi and we'll move out."

"Takashi?"

"My boyfriend. He's out for a walk."

Weird to think of her having a boyfriend. In high school many had tried, but had inevitably found themselves unable to keep up with her. This Takashi must be a marathon sprinter or something.

"Okay! Done!" she exclaimed, putting the phone away. "Let's go!"

She took off and I quickly ran to follow. Definitely a sprinter; she hadn't changed a bit. Well, aside from the obvious, which I couldn't help but comment on.

"Your speech has gotten a lot better, Miss Tsuruya."

"24/7 therapy and surgrery! My parents funneled loads of money into it! Now that I'm an adult, they said I have to learn to talk 'like a proper young lady'. Can you believe that? I nearly peed my pants!"

She slapped me on the back as she laughed, that same loud, full-body roar that you could hear from even the farthest corners of the North High campus. Either she was an incredible actress, or she really didn't have a clue—and really, at this point, what would be the point in pretending? It'd be easier just to kill me and get it over with.

I let myself relax—not a lot, but enough.

If I was about to die, it'd at least be in nice company.

We finally settled down in a nice little steakhouse that I made a good effort to enjoy. Unfortunately, my stomach had no vacancies, thanks to the unpleasant thoughts mucking it up in there, but it smelled appetizing at the least. Kobe's fame for its beef was far from overrated. Perhaps that was why Tsuruya waited till she was a few pieces in to sigh contently and look at me.

"So, why are you here, Kyon?"

My squinted look of confusion was pretty masterful, I think. "I told you."

"You've never been a good liar. Remember? I told you that once. The way you were always messing around to keep Haruhi happy. You were an excellent boyfriend!"

Good thing I wasn't eating; I'd have choked to death on the spot.

"I was always telling Mikuru how jealous I was," she finished.

"I'm sorry you felt that way, since we never really dated."

"Yeah, right."

"Really—"

A bit of hot oil hit me on the cheek, as she flicked her chopsticks at me. "You can't break up if there wasn't anything to begin with!"

"Well, we didn't break up exactly." I wish it were something so simple, so specific.

"Then what did you do?"

I looked away as a couple came in. They didn't notice my gaze, lost in their own little world.

"Well, I guess you don't have to tell me," Tsuruya said after a moment. "But does that mean it's over?"

I turned back. "What?"

"The not-break-up."

"I told you—"

"—and I told you back! You totally suck at lying. I know you're trying to keep it a secret and everything, but if it's over, just go! I'll take you; I can even get Mori to bring the car over."

Over.

A wonderful offer, but that was just the thing; the real reason why I had been trying to avoid thinking about it. Why I couldn't think of anything to say even when I tried.

It wasn't over.

I had known that, believed in that so strongly that I had never once tried to overstep my boundaries. This whole mess was a convenient scapegoat, but really, nothing had changed. Even if they had played some small part in it, the damage was done. I had been trying so hard to think of how to do this but really, in the end …

I couldn't.

My hands clenched into fists on my knees as I said evenly:

"Sorry, Miss Tsuruya. I really was just here to visit a friend."

She scoffed, clearly not pleased about it, but eventually shrugged. "Well, if that's how you feel about it. Would have been nice to scare off Tokushita at least though."

The hot oil drop I had never wiped away grew icy cold.

"Tokushita?" My mouth asked, though my mind had no recollection of sending the signal to speak.

"Akio Tokushita. Her boyfriend."

There was more, but that was enough for my ears, as the word slithered in through the crevices and spread through my mind.

Boyfriend. She had a boyfriend. Was I really that surprised? In middle school she had supposedly gone through tons of guys, and though most of them were too terrified to say anything about it, she'd had plenty of admirers then too. Of course she'd have a boyfriend; why wouldn't she? I mean, even I …

Is there someone else?

No, I didn't. I didn't know what I had, but I was too caught up in the past to move on to a girlfriend, unlike her.

Boyfriend.

But then, I wasn't like her; had never been.

That was the whole problem.

Hot oil splashed on me again, waking me up.

"Hey, you okay?"

I nodded. "I just remembered, I have to go."

"What, already? You've barely touch—!"

"Thanks for the meal."

And with that I left. I'd worry that I would now hold the record of the rudest person alive in her book, but considering who she still kept in close enough contact with to know personal details (boyfriend), I knew it was an unnecessary concern.

Liquid hit me again and I jumped back, looking for the source. No oil this time though; just rain, finally starting up after a good long rest. Damn, I had forgotten the umbrella in the bushes. Smooth; now what was I going to do?

I settled the hand etched with the coded phone number inside my pocket, fingering my cell phone. It was probably the best action, but I couldn't say I felt like calling right now to tell them that all of this was in vain. That after all that talk last night, I was just a coward. That after everything they've done, after putting their lives on the line …

Boyfriend.

She had moved on.

I pulled my hand out and walked. No, I wouldn't call. Maybe it was the lack of sleep; probably more than that. Whatever the cause, all I wanted to do right now was to sleep, dreamlessly and without interruptions.

So I did.

It wasn't comfortable. A tiny little alcove under a decorative bridge, not to mention the understandably horrified gazes of passing parents ushering their kids away from the strange homeless man napping on the green. But since I felt like I hadn't slept in weeks, it was just what I needed, to the point that when I did wake up it was night and the rain had long since moved on. 11:58—now 11:59, according to my watch. Asahina and Koizumi were probably planning my funeral by now. I should have called; being too scared to tell them the jig was up was pathetic. What if one of them got hurt looking for me? What if—what the hell?

A strong bright light shone into my face, cutting off the thought.

"No hobos allowed!"

I squinted, catching the slightest hint of two police caps. Great, more officers; because my experience with the last was one I hoped to replicate.

Still groggy, I groaned. "'Hobo' isn't a very politically correct term."

"And what would you like to be called instead?" asked the other cop (at least, the voice was different), apparently really amused by something.

"Temporarily displaced."

I stood, but too soon. I hadn't cleared the bridge yet so I smacked my head flat against the wood, forcing me down again.

Squinting my eyes against the pain, the light faded as I heard the first cop shout, "Idiot! Hold on."

Wait. Didn't that—

I felt a hand touch my shoulder. Shoving the pain away, I opened my eyes and turned, though every atom of my body knew it already. She did too, judging by the little gulp as she swallowed, determinedly biting her lip to keep steady.

My voice doesn't quite make it to full audibility, but it comes out anyway, unstoppable even if all the world's armies tried to keep it from being said:

"Haruhi?"

Heh. Sorry about that, but really, the chapter's long enough and it's the perfect cliffhanger. But don't fret! Chapter five is finished. It won't be up for a bit though, as from the 21st to the 2nd, I'll be in preorientation and then orientation for college. If I have time, I'll definitely rush to get it up, but I make no promises to avoid any disappointments. I just really wanted to get this one up, as it's been a while. On that note, it's also unbetaed. The brilliant Mr. CJ has it, and the wonderous Rocke and Roll should be freeing up time soon, but for now please be aware that it's not quite as polished as it could be and feel free to critique as neccesary.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. I'm getting more and more excited about this story, as we get closer and closer to the real heart of it.

Until we meet again.