Pseudotree's fanfic.

Disclaimer –I do not own The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi.

Something you should be aware of –When I said 'more…"Kyon-like"' in the summary, I really, REALLY meant MORE. Also, note the "" (quotation marks).

Summary –This is a story in which Kyon behaves more…"Kyon-like" than in the original series. Many laughs, many tears. Also features Kyon-pursuing Haruhi.

O

Chapter 9

"Heh."

"..."

"Hehe... Oy, Kyon-kuuuuun!"

Pfft-fwip!

Kyon blinked as the paper cover that shot out from the straw bopped his nose.

"Ha! Caught you off-guard!"

Breaking out a strange smile, he sipped his drink lazily as Haruhi's attention wandered off to rummaging through her bag and stirring the chips of ice in her soda at the same time. Grin. "Heh...Now, where did I put that..."

Sunday afternoon, the cafe on the third district. Haruhi called Kyon to meet her there, just a little earlier. Something he should see! Come quick, come quick!

He did not bother to question why she couldn't wait until tomorrow.

He did not bother to question why no one else from the club showed up.

He did bother to question how she knew his number, with concern in his voice.

Rummage, rummage...

Suzumiya Haruhi. The bright, excitable high school student. The co-founder of H.E.L.P. and project director. The girl who collects clippings of horoscopes and keep them in ketchup bottles.

"Ah, found it! Here it-"

The one who was, for all intent and purpose...


"Hmm..." Flip, flip.

Asahina Mikuru stared at the booklet in Haruhi's hand, unnerved. "Err, Suzumiya-san? C-can you consider looking elsewhere?"

Looking up, the eccentric girl just gave her a big grin. It wasn't reassuring.

"...Of course, if you really want to win," came the voice of Koizumi, whom walked in to the room with Kyon carrying a flat box. "you should think about making gutsy investments from time to time."

"IT'S EASY TO get carried away, though."

"Hey, I know that game!" exclaimed Haruhi, pointing at the top-hatted character on the cover.

Koizumi smiled one of his smiles. "I thought I should bring a little something in when Kyon-san here mentioned slow days."

Glancing at the boys, she noted how casually they interacted with each other and gave herself a mental pat on the back.

"Oh? Is that the same catalogue as yesterday's?" Kyon asked, looking toward the item in Haruhi's hand with a mildly interested expression. She answered with a shake of her head.

"Nah, that one was boring. This one, though," Flip-flip flip! "Is sure to bring people in!"

As the president of H.E.L.P. eyed the contents of the article, his face acquired qualities best described as "tightness". "...These... You want to bring people in with..."

"Yeah! Hot, aren't they? I'm thinking of putting them on Mikuru and get her to hand out promotional flyers!"

Kyon shifted his attention back and forth between the pictures of... leathery strips that were meant, if the descriptions were accurate, to be worn somehow, and the blushing club member who shrank in her chair.

"...Haruhi, don't you think these are a little too... revealing?"

"Of course!" she replied with an angelically bright smile, clashing in a surreal manner with the article in hand.

The fearsome leader turned to look at the other occupants of the room, as if waiting for someone else to say something.

Yuki... was behind a new book.

Mikuru... seemed too flustered.

Haruhi... oh, god, Haruhi!

...The new guy! Koizumi...

Chuckle.

Koizumi just wagged his brows playfully, earning him a sour look from Kyon.

"I..." Sigh. "As the president of H.E.L.P., I'm afraid that I must cancel your promotional project."

Drop.

Haruhi stared as if she was told to cut down on sugar.

"But candy's what keeps me going!"

(The boy's confused expression was the only thing that made her notice the error in the retort.)

"I mean, w-why?! It's appealing, effective, sexy-"

"And will get us in trouble. The teachers will hit the roof, our parents will be called, Asahina-san will be embarrassed, and even if we manage not to get threatened to be closed down for some far-fetched reason, the club might..." Kyon continued in a serious tone "...receive the wrong kind of attention."

Asahina fidgeted.

A disappointed look crossed Haruhi's face as she grumbled with a pout. "Hmph... You're such a stiff killjoy, Kyon-san."

Saying "Oh, he's stiff, all right." crossed Koizumi Itsuki's mind when he saw Kyon discretely peeking at the booklet again. He wisely kept his silence.

Running a hand through his hair, the chief looked almost apologetically at the depressed girl, before eyeing the flyers strewn on the table. "But, ah... you know, its not such a bad idea. How about a compromise?"

CRICK. Haruhi perked up as Mikuru flinched from the painful-sounding crack.

"Something with less exposure, that Asahina-san will agree on. And maybe things will work out better if you just took photos instead, that'll go on the flyers."

Haruhi beamed. "Alright, a photoshoot! That's what I'm talking about!" then, forming a rectangle with her fingers and turning to Mikuru's torso- "Booby Shot!"

Kyon palmed his face.


The sun made quite a descent as late afternoon approached, colouring the clubroom in a beautiful shade of orange. For the figure sitting behind the desk, however, this meant that his profile was shadowed in a dark and intimidating way since he was facing away from the window.

"...Nagato." called Kyon quietly.

The only other occupant in the room squatting at the corner... said nothing.

After some shuffling, the boy took out a small, rigid object and placed it on the table. "Your book."

"...Did you read it?" she questioned simply without looking up.

"Sorry, but no- I completely forgot about it. What I did read, though..." Fwip. "...was what's written on this bookmark that fell from it this morning."

"..."

"Is there something you want to tell me, Nagato?"

"Yes."

"Something important?"

"Yes."

"Can you tell me now?"

"...No."

Taking off the armband that Haruhi gave him, he pocketed it for the day and turned to Yuki. "What's this about, Nagato? And where do you have in mind?"

"The act of creation." she answered. "My home."

Silence hung in the air as the look on Kyon's face was saved to My Pictures as a high-resolution TIFF file.

O

General Author's Note

Um, not much to say here... Expect the next chapter to be out in about a month from now, as usual.

Beta read by Kildred.