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 11

A Sunday morning, almost noon...

Her words came out softly, and he watched as the pair of lips mouthed them. What looked like the start of an appreciative smile began to twitch on his face. The boy's posture indicated alertness, and his eyes seemed to be capturing every movement she made.

Mikuru was sure that Kyon was memorizing everything she said and did to a point where he could repeat them.

"...I see." replied Kyon as the girl beside her paused during her explanation.

It wasn't all that easy to tell him, but she went through it smoothly regardless- although, her eyes were averted away from his for the most part. Mikuru did not feel completely at ease facing him as she told the boy of Haruhi.

Of course, his gaze didn't help, either.

As she finished, Kyon leaned slowly against the seat of the bench with a contemplative expression, hands making a tent on his lap. "Yes, I see..."

"You really are in on this too."

She merely nodded.

"Hrmmnn... Well, I thought... when they told me about you being a time traveller, I thought that I could just mention it to you in passing and you'd deny it. That would have been the end of this whole thing, but..." He gave her an amused grimace, and Mikuru couldn't help but shift apologetically.

"So that's all three of you... anything else you can tell me?"

"...Classified information." Actually, there was another thing that she could tell him about, but she dreaded the massive amount of paperwork involved.

Revealing the fact that he will be molested two weeks, three days, and five hours from now just wasn't worth going through all those forms in Mikuru's eyes, considering how unpreventable the event is going to be.


An hour ago, after everyone showed up...

Nagato stared.

Nagato stared at the straws clutched in Haruhi's hand, tilting her head slightly. Nagato stared at the grinning face of Haruhi, shuffling the pieces around carefully. Nagato stared at the fellow H.E.L.P. members gathered around, all of whom had their attention on the white strands sticking out of the smiling girl's grip.

Nagato stared at the activity known as "picking straws", and... waited like everyone else for the result.

...

The results...

Koizumi, go with Nagato and... Haruhi to the museum downtown. Take notes.

Mikuru and... Kyon, go through the park and take the photos. The theme is nature.

...

Haruhi stared, and Nagato noticed a hint of a pout forming which promptly stopped as the girl shrugged slightly. Nagato stared at the obviously enforced neutral expression.

Onwards, H.E.L.P.! Meet back at two o'clock.

Walk.

Nagato stared at the sidewalk that she, Haruhi, and Koizumi passed by as they went their way. Nagato stared at the snuffed out cigarette ends strewn about the streets (Forty seven, forty eight...). Nagato stared at the signs and notices on the lampposts, and read them and read them and read...

"Yuki? Hey hey you're trailing behind, Yuki!"

Nagato stared at her fellow club members who stared back.

Walk. Turn. Left, straight down. Go around the two dozen orange cones. Left, right across.

The museum.

Nagato stared at the plaque that hung on its entry. Nagato stared at the bricks that made up the entrance area she was facing (Twenty thousand, twenty thousand and one...). Nagato stared at the doorframe, the hinges moving...

Enter.

Nagato stared. Nagato saw. Nagato saw the side walk, the cigarettes, the signs and birds and trees and bees and the ultraviolet rays. Nagato saw the streets, the buildings, the orange cones and notices and the museum. Nagato saw just minutes before the near-imperceptible crinkle that suggested concealed weariness on Koizumi's face, the nervous but determined demeanour of Mikuru, the glances toward the club president's behind from Haruhi, the rather discrete yet intense gazes by Kyon locked on Mikuru's ponytail and Haruhi's ponytail and her ponytail and a random female pedestrian's ponytail and a random male pedestrian's ponytail and the ponytail he saw out of the corner of his eyes as he shook his head in denial and ponytail ponytail ponytail...

Nagato saw.

Nagato knew.

Nagato stared and saw and knew.

But she has not yet seen how the source of the data influx works and did not know how the source of the data influx works, no matter how much she stared at the... subject.

It was kind of scary.

"...Yuki?

Hey.

Yuki.

...Oh, geesh...

You're so quiet, Yuki!

Lighten up.

You're only human."


Yesterday, by a pond.

Ruffle ruffle.

Crush.

"Here you go..." Flick, flick.

...Quack.

Plop plop gulp.

Koizumi... fed the ducks.

"Mm. Okay..." Kyon nodded slightly. "You too, huh?"

Koizumi just smiled. Smiled and fed the ducks.

"And you can't show me anything? Can't make this... cup move without touching?"

"Haha." he chuckled.

"Figures."

The ducks floated, digesting.

"Well, that's the last of it." Dust, dust! He dusted his hands.

It was a pleasant, pleasant day, just the way he like it.

"You know I won't just swallow it."

Koizumi gave him an amused look.

"No proof, no nothing... You can't seriously be trying to convince me."

The smiling boy chuckled again.

"What are you and Nagato playing at?"

"And Asahina-san."

"...And Asahina-san... You know, I somehow doubt that."

Grin. "Oh, believe me. You'll be convinced soon enough."

Heh.

A skeptic. Chews before swallowing.

"Birds..." murmured Koizumi, leaning forward. "...are so much easier to feed."

"Hmm? What?"

"Heh.

Hehe.

Ah ha ha ha

Ha hahaha haha hahahah!"

Laughs Out Loud.

"...I hate you." stated Kyon, tone laced with a touch of fear.

Smirk.

It was a pleasant, pleasant day, just the way he like it. He liked how the day was pleasant.

Because when the day is pleasant, work is pleasant.

To stay pleasant? Smile. Like you mean it.

Pleasant. Smile. Keep it up.

He had a job to do.

...Ah ha ha!


Tap tap tap.

Click. Flash flash.

"That should do it. We're done, Asahina-san."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Now lets... Huh. We finished ahead of schedule."

"Oh. Mm, you're right."

"Well. Hm. Do you want to check over there and kill time?"

"Sure."

Tap tap. Tap tap tap tap tap tap...

"You know..."

"Yes?"

"Are you really really-"

"Hehe. Yes, I'm serious about being a time-traveller."

"Ah."

Tap tap tap tap...

"You know..."

"Yes?"

"Coming from you, Asahina-san, I think I'm starting to have an easier time believing that... well... that the three of you really mean it."

"..."

"Of course, you might attribute that toTHE TWO OF US WALKED WITH LEISURE TOWARD THE SMALL RED SWING SET, AS RED AS ASAHINA-SAN'S FACE..."

O

General Author's Note.

One, one. How are you doing, everyone?

This fic got to its eleventh. Hm. One more and its a dozen.

...One more and there'll be twelve chapters. Twelve. Mm, yeah...

Well, have a good holiday, everybody! Expect the next chapter in January, 2009!

Beta read by Kildred.