Disclaimer – I don't own The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi franchise, any of the characters, or scenarios. Haruhi and all related characters are the property of Nagaru Tanigawa. No copyright infringement is intended and no money is being made, thank you.
Kyon woke up late on Tuesday, looking at his clock to see that he had missed breakfast. He groaned, too lazy to go fix something for himself, instead deciding to wait until lunch.
Almost as soon as he sat down at his desk, his mother poked her head into his room.
"Oh good, you're finally up!" she exclaimed, ignoring his tired look. "Get dressed, we're going down to the shops soon for a bit of last minute Christmas shopping." And with that, she was gone again. Kyon sighed, wishing she had told him earlier, but complying with her wishes, finding the shirt and trousers that he wore last night, after showering.
When he emerged into the kitchen, it was to find his mother scolding his sister for spilling something while trying to make a snack. It took a few minutes, but they were finally ready to leave.
Kyon trailed along behind his mother and sister, the former of which was getting dragged around by the latter to look in all the shop windows at their Christmas displays, designed to draw in the attention of potential buyers.
Looking around absently, Kyon spotted a "Hiring" sign in a small knick knack store, and thought that what with Haruhi's tendency to have him pay for their meals if he arrived after her, it would be prudent for him to look for a job. Letting his mother know where he would be, he walked over to inquire as to the hours required.
"Just after school and some weekends," the elderly shop owner answered him.
"Would starting at five be acceptable?" Kyon asked, thinking of the club activities he would miss if he had to start directly when school finished. The owner nodded, and Kyon left his details, turning to leave the shop and almost bumping straight into Mikuru, who was examining the stand of mobile phone decorations.
"Ah! I'm so sorry, I didn't see you!" she squeaked out, her head bowed.
"It's not your fault, I wasn't watching where I was walking," Kyon answered, feeling guilty at causing her so much distress.
"K-Kyon-kun?" she asked, looking up. He nodded, bringing his hand up in a pathetic little wave.
"I didn't expect to run into you here. Are you doing some last minute shopping?" he asked, moving out of the doorway for somebody else to enter the store. She nodded.
"For Tsuruya-chan. She loves cute things, so I thought I'd come in here," Mikuru answered. Kyon looked at the stand she had been examining.
"What about this?" he asked, picking up a tiny bell in the shape of a lucky cat. Mikuru smiled.
"It's adorable. I'll be back in a moment!" she agreed, taking the decoration and pulling out her purse, heading off to pay.
"Kyon, are you finished? We're going to head upstairs and get something to eat," his mother's voice floated in behind him.
"Oh – hello there. Are you one of Kyon's friends?" she asked, seeing Mikuru come back over to them.
"Ah – yes! My name is Asahina Mikuru, but please call me Mikuru!" she answered, bowing.
Kyon's sister giggled. "I remember you. You're still pretty. Are you Kyon's girlfriend yet?" Kyon glared at her as Mikuru laughed.
"And you're just the same as when I last saw you. How is your schoolwork going?" she asked, bending down to be at eye level with the small girl. She pouted.
"School is boring. I don't see why I have to go," his sister responded, electing that same laugh from Mikuru.
"We were just going up to get some lunch, why don't you join us, Mikuru-chan?" his mother smiled. Mikuru politely agreed, and she and Kyon followed behind the other two females.
"Asahina-san, you seemed very surprised at the lights the other night. Don't they do that sort of thing in – where you come from?" Kyon asked, wary of possible eavesdroppers.
Mikuru shook her head absently, before looking stricken. "Oh – I shouldn't have told you that!" she muttered, distressed.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to try and get you in trouble. I won't ask anything else, okay?" Kyon apologised, worried that she would receive some kind of punishment for her slip up.
"I want pocky~" Kyon's sister whined, tugging at her mother's hand.
"After lunch, I'll buy you some. What do you want to eat now?" Kyon's sister pondered for a moment, before running off to the noodle stand. Mikuru giggled at her antics, and headed off in the same direction. Sighing and not wanting to be the odd one out, Kyon also decided to get whatever his sister was having.
"So, Mikuru-chan," his mother started, once they were all seated. "You are a year above Kyon, aren't you?" she asked. Mikuru nodded shyly.
"How did you come to be friends with him? I can't imagine any girls in my year talking to the boys lower than them when I was in school," his mother laughed.
"Oh – well I got…uhm…recruited in the club that our other friend, Suzumiya-san, created. That's how I met your son," she answered, careful with her wording.
"Oh, you knew Suzumiya-chan before she started at the school, then?" his mother continued, to received a negative answer.
"She found me while I was at a meeting for the calligraphy club, and uh…asked me to join," she answered. Kyon's mother laughed.
"She does sound like a boisterous girl, approaching senior students so easily. Oh – look at the time!" his mother exclaimed, glancing at her watch. "It was lovely speaking with you, feel free to drop by for dinner sometime, but we really must head home," she added, taking Kyon's sister's hand and nodding at him to say his goodbyes before walking off.
"Yes, it was a pleasant surprise to run into you. See you soon," Kyon said. Mikuru waved cutely at him, and he ran off to join his family members.
* * * * *
"Kyon has a girlfriend, Kyon has a girlfriend!" his sister ran around the house once they arrived home.
"Quiet, she's just his friend, right Kyon?" his mother admonished. Kyon attempted to tap his sister on the head for being so silly, but she ran out of the room giggling. He sighed – why couldn't she respect him as an older brother? She used to call him "Nii-san." Shaking his head at the impunity of it all, he went back outside to check the mail, finding a tiny wrapped parcel addressed to him.
Wondering if it were a gift from the same person, he put it in his pocket and took it back to his room, dodging his sister along the way and shutting the door when she tried to follow him in.
He listened to her footsteps retreat further up the hall, heading back to her room, before pulling the parcel out.
It was small, much smaller than any of the others, and he carefully pulled off the tape that was keeping the paper closed.
The gift fell onto his bed, along with the paper from it – Ninth day. Kyon turned it over, wondering if his mysterious message would continue. Follow.
Kyon shook his head, having no idea what it meant, before putting the paper in the cardholder along with the rest of them.
With that, he picked up the gift that had fallen to his bed. It was a tiny heart, with a bell attached to it and a string for putting on his phone. He stared in amazement – he had almost given up hope of Mikuru being his admirer, but perhaps not. Of course, the mere fact that she was buying phone decorations today, and now he had received one, wasn't enough to give it away, but perhaps it was. For some reason, he wasn't as elated at thinking it was her as he would have been when he first started receiving them.
