Okay folks, this is by far...the longest, and most well-thought out chapter yet. If you're going to review something, definitely review this one. It took a few days, but I must say, I'm proud. Enjoy.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
I had very little time to react before I felt Haruhi's hand grab mine. I must admit; for a girl, she had quite a powerful grip. Before I knew it, I was being pulled. I was being pulled like my hand was tied to the back of a speeding train. This was less than favorable.
"Come on, Kyon!" she said as she pulled me along. Our speed picked up as she began running. I knew if I didn't attempt to keep up, my feet would just painfully drag on the sidewalk.
"Is there such a rush?" I attempted to say as we were running fast along the sidewalk. I could already hear honks and angry curses all around us. It seemed that Suzumiya-san was running us through traffic and people alike. To her, they were all just in the way of whatever goal was in her mind.
"Today is only one day! We've got to use it up as much as possible!" Haruhi replied to me, unaware she had knocked over multiple people as she pulled me along. An old man who had been knocked aside yelled various obscenities at us as he raised his cane up in the air. Not so much a good way to start the day….
I knew Haruhi was athletic, but I certainly wasn't. We'd been running for about thirty minutes before finally reaching our destination. A destination she never really mentioned anything about. Like I said; I had trouble deciding if this whole thing was some sort of date or not. If Haruhi really loved me like Itsuki had said, then for all I know, this whole thing might be what she considered a date. One that I only partially agreed to. But, I'm not one to go arguing with a girl who can manipulate reality if she gets pissed.
I sigh. This day might be longer than expected…
"Here we are!" Suzumiya-san announced to me, and I looked up, almost out of breath. The building in front of me towered over us both, and the bricks that it was made up of were a drab gray color. On the front window, a sign read "Matsumoto Books". We were both standing in front of the local bookstore.
"The bookstore? This is your idea of fun?" I ask Haruhi, still slightly tired from the marathon she decided to run while dragging me along. Now, I'm not one to say I don't like books or something; but I expected that Haruhi might want to do something just a bit more exciting. As I have repeated time and time again; I never admit to knowing much about Suzumiya-san.
"Of course! I'm just doing what I would do if you weren't here, Kyon. Searching this place for any good reading material! But now I don't have to pay for any of it!" Suzumiya-san says, grabbing my hand as she pulls us both inside. I groan.
It's great that I've suddenly become her source of income. Because of course I have nothing better else to do than spend all my money on her! And since when did Suzumiya-san actually have the patience to actually pick up and read a book?
"So we're here to buy books for you?" I said to her, while various eyes looked at us as we walked inside. There were only a few people here; browsing around; but I could feel the stares focusing on me. The fact that Haruhi was dragging me around by the hand against my will may have been the cause. Well, I can't say it was against my will. I did agree to it. Somewhat.
The searching began with me following Haruhi wherever she managed to go throughout the bookstore. I can imagine that she would be mainly interested in any books that had to do with aliens, time travelers, or espers. Of course, that's just a wild guess…
"So let's see…" she says, as I stand behind here, watching her scan the rows upon rows of literature. Haruhi begins to pull out books at random, flipping through them and then putting them back. I saw her go through I Robot, lots of Steven King, and even some Michael Crichton. All without a second thought of what literary value these books might have.
Not that I've read any of them. I got out of those habits years ago.
"Is it hard to decide?" I ask sarcastically, my mind beginning to get bored from just watching Suzumiya-san.
"There's nothing I ever want in this stupid store! They never have that one book!" she replies, tossing aside a copy of Angels and Demons.
Well if you can't find anything here, then why do you continue to come back every Saturday? Is there even a point to such repetition? Then again, I should know better than to question the actions and motives of Haruhi Suzumiya.
Now, Haruhi is strolling down yet another aisle. Looking at the tiny sign at the front of it, I can see it says "role-playing". Ugh….I've heard of people who get way too into that kind of stuff. So; I'm naturally wary as I follow Haruhi down the small aisle of books.
"What's this?" she suddenly asks, picking up a rather large book. On the front, it reads, "Dungeons and Dragons: Dungeon Master's Guide." Those words manage to spark loud noises in my head.
I've heard of that game. It's was originally co-created by a guy named Gary Gygax. I remember actually hearing about his death recently. But that's not the point.
The point is, I've heard lots of bad things revolving around that game. Like about people getting crazy over it; forming weird cults and whatnot based around it. Now, I might assume that it's just a fun, relaxing, leisurely game that one might just play when friends around.
But the facts are as such. Haruhi will not get that, and sooner or later, she's going to force the entire Brigade to partake in it. Not to mention the fact that whatever the role of "Dungeon Master" is; I can only imagine Suzumiya-san automatically taking that role without question. In my sudden internal panic, I do the only thing I can think of.
"Hey! There's an entire section on the other side of the store that's all about aliens, espers and time travelers! I almost forgot about it." I suddenly exclaim.
Haruhi turns around faster than a top; immediately dropping the book in her hand.
Whew. That was close.
"WHERE?" she says to me, her voice loud and excited. Having lied of course, I have no really choice but to lead Suzumiya-san to a section that doesn't exist. When we reach the other side of the store, she had an annoyed look on her face; and she's obviously ticked off.
"I don't see anything like what you were talking about, Kyon!" Haruhi exclaims, prompting a look from the nearby clerk. I'm only assuming that Suzumiya-san is already causing a problem. For a moment, she looks left and right; attempting to find anything that might satiate her interest. But, Suzumiya-san comes upon nothing.
"This is useless then. Let's just go." Haruhi says, defeated. I can't help but sigh in relief. I've evaded a situation where I might have had to spend my cash. Now that's always a plus in my book. But, all good things must come to an end. And that was certainly the case this time around.
For as we were about to leave the book store, something suddenly catches Haruhi's eye. She gains a sudden burst of energy, sprinting towards what looks like a single book in the distance. My hopes all suddenly come crashing down.
"This is it!!!" She exclaims loudly, holding up a small book high above her head as if she had won some sort of trophy. From a distance, she looked utterly ridiculous to anyone who could see through the bookstore window. I walked beside her, looking closely to see exactly what book she'd found.
It was called "Chariots of The Gods: Unsolved Mysteries of the Past" and it was by someone named Erich Von Daniken. It seemed like it was the only Japanese-translated version left. All the other copies I could see were in a variety of other languages. To tell the truth, I've never heard of this book; so I couldn't help but ask why Haruhi was so interested in it.
"So is that the book you came here for?"
"Yes! Exactly the one! This book proves that aliens have been secretly affecting human history for thousands of years! I've been looking forever for this!" Haruhi nearly shouted to me, her voice now happier than ever. I should have expected it had something to do with time travelers, espers or aliens. Haruhi seemed happy enough that she found it though, so maybe I didn't have so much to worry about…
"And now you're going to buy it for me, Kyon! As Brigade Chief, I order you to!"
That was exactly what I wasn't hoping she would say. I sigh, realizing that arguing with her at this point is utterly useless. I check my wallet. Yup. I think I've got enough yen to last us the entire day. At least until Suzumiya-san decides she wants to purchase a new computer for the clubroom. That would not be in my favor at all…
So, after walking out of the bookstore, I could tell that Suzuzmiya-san was satisfied for the time being. The book she had wanted was now safely inside a bag that I was stuck carrying. And I think that the clerk had rushed us too; just to get Haruhi to leave. I wonder how much she truly goes to that bookstore….
But my questions could not be pondered upon at the present time, as Suzumiya-san had more planned for us.
"Okay, Kyon! I think we should go get something to eat. I'm starving!" Haruhi said to me, grabbing my hand once again as I was already being towed to a new destination. I expected she might once again be using me as her personal source of money. If I didn't know any better, someone could easily say we were going out. And in hindsight, this excursion so far was a date; minus the part where Haruhi expresses any affection at all towards me.
But, what Suzumiya-san did next surprised me quite a lot. As we were walking along, I could see her just suddenly glare back at me for no apparent reason.
"What?" I said, wondering why she looked like she was mad at me all of a sudden.
Haruhi didn't respond, continuing to pull me along. I didn't bother checking the time. I didn't really care what time it was anyway. I didn't see any familiar faces as we traversed the streets, and that fact relieved me. The last thing in the entire world I needed was for Taniguchi and Kunikida to see me being pulled around by Suzumiya-san. Then I would never hear the end of it till I left high school.
As we walked along, I wondered where exactly we were going. Haruhi seemed to know, but I guess she assumed I would get lost if she wasn't holding onto me. I could hear the laughs and whispers from all around. I almost felt like hiding my face.
Still, I keep wondering about all these angry glances she gives me from time to time. To me, it looks like she thinks I've done something wrong. What have I done? I'm catering to her every need right now. Isn't that what she wants?
After the mild walk, we finally reached our next destination. She had just managed to drag me to the front of a restaurant that served a lot of Western-styled food. I didn't mind this kind of cuisine, but sometimes I wondered how people in the West could stomach so much grease in one sitting. At least Japan wasn't a country with an obesity problem…
"This is where you want to eat?" I asked Haruhi, raising an eyebrow, slightly relieved we had stopped. At least she wasn't really pulling me anymore.
"I'm in the mood for it. Now are we going in or not?" Haruhi responded, giving my hand a tug as she glanced back at me. Her impatience was clear in the tone of her voice. I don't get what the rush is about.
Walking inside, the first thing I noticed was how Haruhi didn't even attempt to change the way she pulled me along as she looked for a free table. It seems that Suzumiya-san wasn't so much to care about what people thought of her. I have to say; I admire that about her. But when you come down to it, I admire a lot of things about Haruhi. I just have trouble admitting any of them; even to myself.
It took us very little time to find ourselves a seat. That was mostly because of Suzumiya-san finding one that was already occupied.
"Okay, get up! Me and my significant other need this table!" she said to a bunch of males who were collectively sitting at the table she specifically wanted. For a moment, they all looked at her like she was a mass murderer, and every single one of them stood up; except one. From the back, I could see he had light, blondish hair, and he spoke nonchalantly.
"And who are you to tell us all to leave?" he said, turning around to face Haruhi. In an instant, I recognized him as the Computer Research Society President. Suzumiya-san had decided to blackmail him and his club into giving us one of their prized computers; only a few days after I met her. I was surprised to see that any of them had actually left their homes.
At the sight of Haruhi though, I could see that the President was already reconsidering what he just said. He jumped out of his seat almost as fast as his members had. The look on his face was utterly priceless.
"You again? Oh, come on! Can't you just find another table?" he pleaded, but Suzumiya-san gave him an evilly mischievous smile.
"Sure. But we've still got all those pictures of you harassing Mikuru-chan. All it takes is me telling Kyon to distribute them…" she replied, knowing that those few words were all it would take to convince the President otherwise.
"Okay! You win. Again…" he said, putting his head down as he was obviously looking defeated. Without another word, he and his members walked out of the restaurant, and Haruhi merely smiled at me in triumph. Come to think of it, I only now realized she had called me her "significant other." Am I missing obvious hints? Why doesn't she just spit it out already? It's difficult enough that I have to appease her already…
Surprisingly, Suzumiya-san was very polite when it came to ordering our meal. I don't know if she believed I was the most generous guy on the planet, but she ordered the biggest burger on the menu. I really doubted she would even eat it all, but not one to argue, I only got myself a soda. When Haruhi asked me why I didn't get anything to eat, I told her that I wasn't really hungry. That was a lie of course.
As we waited for our food to arrive, I could see that a couple of tables away, there was a small group of girls; and they were eyeing us. I could have sworn I heard a few giggles.
It made me feel a little awkward, but I tried my best to ignore it. Suzumiya-san, on the other hand, seemed suddenly interested in the layout of my face. She was now staring at me for no apparent reason. This was even more awkward, I must say. Still….I'll admit that I sort of like those eyes of hers….
Of course, I figured Haruhi had to say something that was intended to bug me.
"What are you thinking about, Kyon?"
"Nothing important…"
"You're lying. I can tell."
And Suzumiya-san was partially right. I was lying. I had quite a lot on my mind. And as hard as it is to say it, most of it was about Haruhi Suzumiya. That fact, I'm not lying about.
"And you're staring at my face like it's a television. What's your point?" I replied to her, feeling a bit like maybe I should just challenge whatever she says.
Haruhi turned away from me for a moment, pouting as she crossed her arms. I still didn't get how she worked yet. To me, this all seemed like a big love-hate thing. Maybe Suzumiya-san couldn't admit she was in love?
She once told me…
"Men are worthless. Feelings of love are just a temporary lapse of judgment. Like a kind of mental illness."
Now I don't exactly know if Haruhi is lying to herself, or maybe I'm the one being lied to. Maybe this all just some big practical joke on me, and Itsuki is the one behind all of it. But why would I be mad if I didn't have to be in this predicament? I never wanted to partake in this is the first place….or did I? I agreed to this, so I must assume to myself that I did want to be here.
As my mind shuffled various thoughts, I couldn't get over the expression Haruhi had on her face. It was actually kind of cute. I can't even believe I thought that…
Nevertheless, I had the urge to humor her.
"You know, you're almost as cute as Asahina-san when you try to make yourself look mad." I said, and this statement immediately caused Haruhi to turn and face me. She looked at me like she was caught in a trance; as if she was unable to process the words I had said. I swear on my life that I could see a reddish color appearing on her cheeks.
But before she could say anything, I watched as one of the girls from a few tables away stand up. She walked like some sort of runway model as she headed for us; tossing her long, violet hair as she got closer.
Now, she was standing right next to us of our table, a prideful expression on her face.
"Hi." She said as nicely as she possibly could muster. This was directed towards me, but I could tell there was something in her voice that didn't sound right.
Haruhi had already turned around, completely surprised that this girl might have the audacity to even attempt to speak to me. I was almost sensing heat from across me.
"Hey, you're kind of cute." She said, and that time, I knew it was directed towards me. While it was quite flattering, it was also extremely awkward at the same time.
"Say, why don't you just ditch your friend and come with me? I mean, unless you'd rather associate with losers." The girl asked, and I already knew she was heading for trouble. I've known Haruhi Suzumiya long enough that I have always remembered one thing.
Don't get on her bad side. And from what I could see, this over-pompous girl was already going that way.
It didn't take long for Haruhi to stand up in response to what this girl had said. It also didn't take long for her to notice that a waiter was passing by with a very large ice cream sundae. I noticed that it also didn't take very long for Haruhi to fiercely grab the girl by the back of the head, and then grab the ice cream sundae off the waiter's tray, proceeding to shove the girl's face into it. The squelching sounds were louder than expected.
And so, this girl was now on the floor, her face wet with vanilla ice cream, her hair sticky from chocolate sauce. Haruhi was standing over her, a very dark glare in her eyes. I was half-scared, and half-glad that two girls were actually bickering over me. Well, fighting more like…
The girl looked up, but Haruhi said no words, giving her a death stare that probably meant "Lay off my catch." It didn't take long for this girl to go running out the door, ice cream still wet in her hair. It only took Haruhi to glance once at her friends, before they were off running as well. God, she sure has a way of scaring people.
It's easy to say that we ate quickly after that. There were no real words between us, and Haruhi didn't finish her meal, as I expected. So, we walked out as I was eating the last bit of the burger she didn't want. It was kind of gluttonous, but hey; I was hungry.
I could already see that it had become dark. How long have we been out? All day, I might assume. I guess time flies when you're with Haruhi. Or, perhaps she just made time go faster. I know that she can invariably cause such a thing. But, I don't really want to question much more. It becomes tiresome after awhile.
"So…where to next?" I say, and Haruhi looks back at me, her voice sounding upbeat.
"Well…there is one more place for us to go."
My mind was already beginning to sift through the possibilities, but I silenced my thoughts. Right now, I was in the mood for surprises. It's what made being around Suzumiya-san somewhat enjoyable.
"Let's go then." I reply, and now we're both walking side by side. The streetlights are just beginning to turn on, but I can still see the brightness of the much taller buildings in the distance. Me and Haruhi aren't alone on the street; people are still passing by now and then; absorbed in their own lives.
As we walk, Haruhi does something to really surprise me. Out of nowhere, she comes just a bit closer to me. She's almost close enough that she it feels as if she's about to rub against me. Until I feel her arm suddenly interlock with mine. Even as she does this, I can see what looks like a mixture of a blush, and at the same time, she's looking away, as if she's mad at me. I could only raise an uncertain eyebrow.
For a moment, I felt like pulling away from her. It would certainly be easy. Her grip on me wasn't at all strong, and all it took was a simple motion of my arm. But alas; I did not. We were now walking together, and to anyone, Haruhi looked like she might be my girlfriend.
Was she? She seemed to think so. It seems that all day she's been showing subtle signs of affection, but at the same time, she acted as if she was resenting them. It's as if she was in deep conflict with herself. Just like Koizumi had said to me before. This was obviously the reason for all the sudden instances of closed space he had been talking about.
Did I feel anything for her? Maybe yesterday…I would have said no. Now…I'm not so sure…
Luckily, Haruhi managed to say something as we walked, breaking my thought process.
"What do you think is going to happen to all of us…when high school's over?"
Now to me, that didn't sound like a very Haruhi-esque question. But, I couldn't help but answer truthfully.
"I…I don't really know. I've got no idea what I even want to do…once I get out into the world. It's something to think about…"
"And what's going to happen to the SOS Brigade? We're just going to disband…aren't we?"
I could easily tell a hint of sadness in Haruhi's voice. There was no mention of her duties as Brigade Chief in this sentence, and anyone could see that she was generally serious. For all her eccentricities, Koizumi had mentioned that she was still a rational girl.
"We'll all keep in touch. Something tells me we won't be too far apart." I said, somewhat serious. It's not like I wanted to leave the SOS Brigade. As much as I had complained early about it, I really enjoyed the club when it came down to it. The crazy mishaps we've gone through, along with all the ridiculous things Haruhi Suzumiya has thought up. Without a doubt, my life would be very boring without her. I really don't think I'd ever want to go back to those days.
"I hope so…" Haruhi replied. The utter fact that her voice sounded sad was bothering me. I wasn't used to hearing her like this. Maybe she was finally getting a reality check. I might have said that was a good thing, but to tell the truth; I didn't like it.
But her mood suddenly elevated, judging by her next statement.
"Finally!" she exclaimed, and I looked ahead to see exactly where we were. I really had no idea where we were going in the first place, so I was more than surprised to see that we had somehow arrived to a new destination. One I'd never been to before.
Before us, lay a small clearing. It looked humble, and had just enough space for two people to be comfortable. It was grassy, and it looked remarkably peaceful. Somehow, it was divided from the street. To me, it looked oddly out of place. I felt the tug from Haruhi's hand as she smiled at me to follow.
"Come on! I want to show you this, Kyon." She said, and as she brought me into the clearing, it only took me one look upwards to see what she was talking about.
For above us, the stars themselves were brighter than ever. I expected that light pollution might have made it hard to see anything in the night sky, but this was certainly an exception. Each star above us dotted the dark sky like a miniature light bulb. They individually shined; and to any onlooker, they seemed as if they were humble being amongst their own kind. A few shined brighter than the rest. I was amazed at this sight.
"I come here a lot. Looking up at the stars. Wondering what's out there." Haruhi said to me, and I turned to face her.
I couldn't look away. In that moment, Haruhi Suzumiya was by far the most beautiful girl in the world. It was like she had been perfectly carved from marble. Every feature was flawless. I could not begin to comprehend all of these sudden thoughts. I was impressed with her, for one thing. That she could be this sentimental; well, it made me only wonder more. But what was scaring me now…was that I was beginning to feel…drawn to her.
Is this what Haruhi had wanted all this time? Could she have indirectly caused this very scene to occur? Perhaps she's subconsciously creating it. Perhaps this one patch of grassy land, which seemed to be seated perfectly under the starry sky, was never actually here. Perhaps. But every question left my head the moment that Suzumiya-san turned to face me.
That was it. I could already feel myself getting lost. I was getting lost in her amber orbs that were her eyes. I never expected something like this. I never expected this situation to ever occur. This was more out there than I could ever imagine.
It was only then that I felt Haruhi's hand suddenly begin to touch mine. It took her only a few seconds to take hold of my hand, and she was now clearly blushing. I didn't know what to think. I didn't know what to say. I was speechless.
And now, Haruhi was staring into my eyes. She looked dazed. For a moment, I could see her glancing away; as if she was trying her hardest not to give in to some unknown force. But she couldn't fight against it any longer, facing me again.
And then she began moving closer to me. I did nothing. In my mind, I was telling myself to say something; but my body wouldn't listen. I knew exactly what was going to happen. Suzumiya-san was done holding back now. Her face was only inches away. I could feel her breath. I could see the details in her eyes. I still stood there, waiting for the inevitable.
But it never came. Because all of a sudden; bright light flashed in my eyes. I could hear voices, and I watched as Haruhi turned towards the source. I was shielding my eyes, and I could clearly see someone with a flashlight, just behind us.
"Didn't I tell you? I knew there was something going on between these two." A voice said, and it was the one holding the flashlight. It was none other than Tainguchi. The voice was unmistakable. There was someone else standing next to him, and I could see that person to be Kunikida.
Surprisingly, my blood was boiling a bit. Taniguchi had just ruined a perfect moment right there.
"I have a feeling we shouldn't be here…" Kunikida added, and as I looked next to me, I saw exactly why.
Haruhi was angry. Angrier than I've ever seen her. Her face looked like it was about to crack from pressure. Her eyes could have been blazing with flames. Her fists were clenched tightly. She was pissed.
"But now do you believe me? I told something was going on between theses two. You said it yourself. Kyon always liked weird girls." Taniguchi exclaimed, but I could see that Kunikida was hesitant to respond. He looked afraid. And for good reason.
Taniguchi had no time to react as Haruhi came down on him. Her fist connected right into his face. I could have sworn I saw a tooth fly right out. She didn't give Kunikida much of a chance either, grabbing him by the shirt collar as he tried to run. She pulled him back, kneeing him hard in the stomach.
This was brutal. I'd never seen Suzumiya-san get this violent. But now that I was pissed because these two had invaded our privacy, I couldn't help but almost enjoy it. I'm sick that way sometimes.
After that, both of them were now sprawled on the ground. Blood was coming down one of Taniguchi's nostrils, and Kunikida was clutching his stomach. I'm starting to think Haruhi might have seriously done some damage to both of them.
"Don't you think that might have been a bit much?" I said to her, walking over and looking down at the two of them. Haruhi turned to face me, not so angry anymore, but her face now serious.
"They'll live. Let's just go."
So, we left them. Of course, I could clearly hear both of them scurry away like mice; once Haruhi was out of their sight. I don't think they'll be pestering me about her anymore. It's kind of a relief, actually.
Still, Suzumiya-san was inherently silent as we walked back. She didn't say a word to me at all. I couldn't think of anything to say either.
What would have happened back there? If Taniguchi and Kunikida hadn't shown up when they did; would I have kissed Haruhi Suzumiya? Was I truly humoring her….or was this something else?
I had a lot of time to think as we walked back. When we got to the front of Haruhi's house, I couldn't help but break the silence.
"Today was fun, Haruhi…" I said, my voice sounding awkward. I meant that in all seriousness.
Suzumiya-san looked back at me, and she looked like she was pondering on what to do next. She moved a little closer now, speaking in her usual, upbeat tone.
"Yeah…it was. I'm glad we had this time together. Your Brigade Chief is certainly glad you could be of service…"
I might have groaned at that response before, but I had no urge to do it this time. I smiled. Before I could do anything else, I felt Haruhi suddenly move a little closer than I expected. I felt something soft touch my cheek. It took me a few seconds to realize she had just kissed me. Now I was really speechless.
"See you, Kyon!" she said to me as she headed for her front door; almost as if she had done nothing. I had my hand to my cheek right now. I think my face was as red as blood.
I have never said that I claim to understand the ways of Suzumiya-san. She's the most eccentric girl I know, but even she can be prone to her normal outbursts. What she had just done, the fact she had just kissed me on the cheek; just completely blew my mind. My heart was pounding like a drum, and even I couldn't deny it. Koizumi had been right the whole time.
I think I may be in love. With who, you might ask? Well, I am extremely surprised to say this, but it seems that it is none other than Haruhi Suzumiya. Now that will remain much weirder than any time traveler, esper, or alien that I could ever meet.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
To all my readers, no. The story is not over yet. There is still a lot left to write. And besides, this is way too much fun to stop writing. Next chapter soon enough. :)