It's a Romantic Conquest True Love Story, Haruhi-Chan!
Chapter Eleven:
No! I Really Don't Want to Know More About You!
"Well this is... about as pointless as I thought it would be."
Not that Hirota Shrine was ugly; far from it.
The shrine was removed from the urban bustle of Nishinomiya. Instead of busy cars and businessmen on cell phones, there were trees, greenery, and a few lone birds pecking about on the ground. The birds, however, left shortly after the arrival of Yuki, Kyon and Koizumi; probably because they unused to people. The shrine was completely empty, save for the three members of the SOS Brigade.
It was quiet and peaceful.
Kyon had to bask in the moment a little. Whenever Haruhi was around, both peace and quiet would simultaneously explode, and everything became a lot more tiresome.
Kyon couldn't even remember the last time everything had been so tranquil.
...Apart from the days prior to his fatal encounter with Haruhi Suzumiya, of course.
They seemed so very far away, all of a sudden.
Urgh. Now's not the time to be nostalgic.
Haruhi'll be pretty annoyed if I don't even try to look for a ghost or two.
Even if it is a waste of time.
"Nagato, you don't sense anything 'unusual', do you?" Kyon asked. It was a pretty feeble effort, but at least nobody could say he hadn't tried.
The alien blinked at Kyon slowly, her face blank as usual. Her expression was as unreadable as one of her scientific books.
"No," she replied, after a while. The word was accompanied by a single shake of her head.
Kyon sighed. "I thought as much."
Geez. And all those TV shows make it look so easy to hunt the supernatural.
I should write a formal complaint to those TV stations about misleading content in their programmes. If they stopped broadcasting that stuff, Haruhi'd stop getting such crazy/stupid ideas, and I wouldn't get caught up in them all them time.
"Koizumi, you haven't 'sensed' anything, have you?" Kyon turned for Koizumi's help- although he didn't expect much. Koizumi could be exceptionally useless if he wanted to. And over the past few days had been more so than usual.
"I'm sorry," said Koizumi, with his usual smile, "but my powers are limited to closed space, and I can't 'sense' anything. You would be much better off asking Nagato to monitor the area for you- she detect subtle shifts of data in our surroundings that are impossible for me and you."
"Data, huh?"
Everyone sure loved throwing that word around; doubly so when Nagato was involved.
"Everything in the world is made of data," Nagato explained. "I can monitor the data and see if anything unusual appears."
Kyon hadn't been expecting her to talk, and it made him jump a little.
"So..." Kyon tried to shake off his shock that Nagato had spoken unprompted, for the second time in one day. Who cared about ghosts? This was much more incredible and unbelievable than any wraith or spectre they might encounter! "If we wait here a while, would you do your 'monitoring' thing and tell us if anything changes?"
Nagato nodded.
"Well, at least we've got that sorted out." With a sigh (Kyon seemed to do little else but sigh and face-palm lately. If he kept doing it, those two things were in danger of becoming his 'trademark', such as muteness was Yuki's, smiling fakely and agreeing with Haruhi was Koizumi's, eating smoked cheese was Tsuraya's, being irresponsible and shaving years off Kyon's lifespan with every stupid scheme and ridiculous plan was Haruhi's, etc, etc...), the brunet flopped down onto the nearest bench, and began absent-mindedly picking at the loose thread of his jeans.
Following suit, Koizumi took a seat on Kyon's right, and Nagato sat to his left.
As soon as her thighs met the bench, Nagato folded her book out on her lap, and began to read.
Out of interest, Kyon took a quick glance at the open page- and then promptly averted his gaze, as though he'd been stung.
Complicated, scientific-sounding words such as 'quark', 'photon', 'electromagnetism' and 'pion' jumped off the page and gave Kyon a headache.
Kyon wasn't bad at science, not really, but that particular book seemed a little too 'intense' for him.
Well, now I know why this book was found in the trash.
The real question is, though, who'd buy it in the first place?
"Did you like it?"
"What?"
Yuki had spoken unexpectedly again and, like before, it made Kyon start with shock.
I've really got to stop doing that.
You'd think, after going out with Haruhi, I'd be impervious to all these bizarre events and they'd just roll right off me. But aparently not.
"Did you like the book?" Nagato clarified.
"Haha..." Kyon laughed sheepishly. So, she'd noticed him reading over her shoulder. Wasn't that one of those things some people really hated? Not that Kyon could see the level-headed Nagato getting annoyed or something so petty- or, anything, really. "It looked a little too 'in-depth' for me." Kyon had chosen his words carefully. Saying something like 'no, it looked awful- I'd rather pull out my fingernails with tweezers than struggle through a page of that boring book' would've been downright rude, even if it was closer to how he really felt.
"Oh."
Kyon looked at Nagato. She had her head bent again, face partially hidden by hair.
It may have been a trick of the light, or some kind of hallucination, but did she look... disappointed?
A thought suddenly struck Kyon.
What if Nagato was lonely?
Her intelligence far outstripped everyone else's in the SOS Brigade, which could've left her feeling isolated. Haruhi didn't even regard her as a person. To her, Nagato was little more than a cool accessory that had come as a free gift with the club room. Nagato and Koizumi never spoke at all, and- for whatever reason- Mikuru always seemed to act skittish around her. Kyon was the only person Yuki ever really spoke to- and what she said could hardly be classed as 'flowing conversation'.
Everyone else had someone to talk to- even Haruhi and Mikuru's relationship was not so bad, when Haruhi was not trying to force Mikuru into/out of various outfits.
But who did Nagato have to talk to?
Who did she have to identify with?
Nobody shared her interests.
Ryoko Asakura may have been the last person Yuki could identify with, but she was gone now (and quite rightly too- Asakura had been completely insane. And not insane in a ((mostly)) harmless way, like Haruhi).
For whatever reason, Kyon suddenly felt a crushing guilt settle upon him.
"Maybe I will take a look at that book when you're finished with it after all," Kyon found himself suddenly saying- even though the mere thought of reading it was giving him a headache.
"That's not necessary."
"Why not?"
"It's not very good."
Any feelings of guilt over potentially upsetting Nagato had vanished. Kyon felt quite relieved.
"I'll take your word for it," he said. He grinned. "You do read more than all of us- if anyone knows what book's good and what book's bad, it's you."
"Thank you."
Nagato flipped a page of her book.
Kyon watched her read. Her eyes flickered quickly across one page, then the next, before turning it again at a record-breaking pace. Her reading speed was easily three times faster than the average human's. It was quite the incredible sight.
"Hey, Nagato..." Kyon began, after a minute or so of silence (punctuated only by Nagato turning the page once more). "Have you read any other books besides those physics ones?"
"Other books?" Nagato paused in her reading to look up at Kyon. She seemed genuinely interested- more so than she had been in the book.
"Yeah, like manga or light novels."
"I haven't."
"Oh, well- they're a bit different from the books you normally read, but you might like them," Kyon explained. "They usually tell fictional stories, not facts, and manga does it through pictures. They're good. Well, not all of them..." Kyon remembered some of the creepier manga he had found Haruhi reading once, with various boys (although most of them looked like girls) in various... positions.
Kyon shuddered.
"Why are you reading that?" Kyon had asked, wishing he hadn't been so curious as to flip through the first novel in the series, which had been lying innocuously enough on the desk.
"I got bored. So I went to look at the manga club, and found this." By 'found', of course, Haruhi meant 'stole'. "It's pretty good, right?"
"No!"
Urgh.
Now that's one memory I didn't want to bring up...
Thankfully, Nagato was unaware of Kyon's mental anguish.
"Those books sound interesting." Was her final verdict on the topic of manga.
"Yeah, they are," Kyon agreed. "I know- after we've waited round here long enough, why don't we go to the library and check out some books for you?"
"Yes. That sounds good." Nagato's normally expressionless face seemed slightly different- as though she were happy? Or, at least, not as completely blank and uninterested as usual. But, with Nagato, it was hard to tell. The Nagato-brand Mr. Potato Head would've been so easy to make; it only needed one face for any situation. "Thank you."
"No problem. That's what friends are for, right?"
"Friend..." Nagato said the word slowly, almost experimentally. She looked a little bemused.
Kyon couldn't help but smile, as Nagato shook her head, and turned back to her book.
She's actually pretty cute.
And maybe it's good she doesn't talk all the time- it helps to counteract some of Haruhi's annoying nature.
Kyon watched disinterestedly as a couple of birds circled the shrine, before coming to a land on a nearby tree.
There really was nothing to do but sit and wait.
Idly, Kyon wondered what Haruhi was doing.
"I bet Haruhi'll be angry when we come back without any supernatural sightings," said Kyon, more to himself than anything else.
Koizumi shifted slightly beside Kyon, causing the brunet to turn his head. He looked at the esper inquisitively.
"What?"
"Well..." Koizumi shifted a little more. Despite his smile, he seemed a little... apprehensive, maybe? Kyon couldn't tell. "I think I'd prefer it if we didn't run into any ghosts or the like."
"Oh?" That comment certainly piqued Kyon's interest. "I thought your aim in life was to make sure everything goes ases 'Miss Suzumiya wishes'?" These ending words with accompanied with 'quotey' hand gestures. "That's why you always agree with her on everything."
"Yes, but, even so..."
"What? You don't believe in ghosts, do you?" Kyon snorted.
"I didn't believe in espers either, and look how things stand now."
"But ghosts are completely different. That's just..." Kyon struggled to come up with the right word. "That's just completely illogical. My little sister doesn't even believe in ghosts."
"I realise it's illogical. I can't help it."
Koizumi's words made Kyon recall the events of yesterday. Haruhi's movie-watching night. Whilst Kyon had thought the movie was pretty dire (the copious amounts of tomato-red 'blood' didn't induce anything more from Kyon than a pondering of just how small the movie's budget had been, anyway), Koizumi had looked... distinctly un-Koizumi-like.
He couldn't have been scared, could he?
Not seriously?
"Wait a minute." Kyon stared at Koizumi, eyes narrowed, scrutinising. "You're not scared of ghosts, are you, Koizumi?"
Koizumi bit his lip and looked away. His face was distinctly paler- but there were two spots of light pink on his cheeks.
It was all the answer Kyon needed.
"You mean, you're actually scared of this stuff?"
Koizumi didn't even try to deny it. Instead, he gave a meek nod. The movement was so quick, Kyon wouldn't have noticed it if he hadn't have been looking; he would have just mistaken it for some kind of twitch.
Kyon blinked at Koizumi with obvious surprise.
He just wasn't sure what to say.
Now there was a revelation.
"But," Kyon was struggling to make sense of this situation, "how can you be scared of stuff like that? You fought against those weird blue monster things-"
"Shinjin," Koizumi corrected.
"Whatever." Kyon crossed his arms. "You fought against these Shinjin... things... and you weren't phased by those at all! So how can you be frightened of something most children don't even believe in? I just... Wow."
There was a short pause.
"It just doesn't seem like you."
"Well, you don't really know me all too well- if I'm being honest," said Koizumi. Those pink spots were there; he was still acting strangely flushed. Most likely, he was embarrassed. He still wasn't looking Kyon in the eye, which was strange. Normally, he was far too comfortable and familiar with Kyon for the brunet's liking. This reaction was something Kyon had never seen before- something that nobody else had been before, either, he'd wager. "You only know how I act at school."
"Yeah, but still. Ghosts?"
"Humans often fear irrational things. It is part of their nature," said Nagato, in her toneless voice. It was devoid of emotion and emphasis, like a machine.
Kyon turned to Nagato, surprised at her sudden interjection (really, Nagato seemed to be doing that a lot today. Kyon felt disappointed with himself; he should be more prepared). She was still bent over her book, eyes scanning over the page. Soundlessly, she turned over to the next page.
"I didn't know you were listening, Nagato."
"I am quite perceptive," was Nagato's deadpan reply.
"You don't believe in ghosts, do you, Nagato?" Kyon asked- though he wasn't sure why. He knew what her answer would be.
"There is no data to suggest they exist."
Bingo.
I knew it.
"But the fear of such creatures is quite common," Nagato continued. Even though she was talking, her eyes continued to scan the page of her book, before turning it over. "Some people believe ghosts are an omen of death. A fear of ghosts could relate to a fear of dying." At this, Nagato looked up at Kyon and Koizumi. "But it does not worry me." And she looked back down to her book again.
Kyon couldn't help but whistle at Nagato's display of general knowledge.
"You know a lot about this stuff, Nagato."
She shrugged.
"I read."
Yeah...
Funny how you know about phobias down to every last detail, but you still don't understand what a 'glasses fetish' is.
You really should prioritise when it comes to looking up information, Nagato.
Nagato's word quota seemed well and truly full up for the rest of that day (and, probably, the rest of the month); she had returned to reading, mouth tightly closed. Kyon doubted he'd be able to get any more out of her- trying to have a conversation with Yuki Nagato was a bit like trying to squeeze blood out of a stone.
"So, Koizumi."
"Yes?" Koizumi turned to look at Kyon. Even though the pink spots had faded from his cheeks, and his skin color was slightly less ashen than before, he still looked a little unsure. Definitely less teasing and touchy-feeling than normal.
Kyon wasn't sure if this timid Koizumi was an improvement or not.
Something about it didn't feel quite right.
Not that Kyon was going to lose sleep trying to figure out why.
"Is there any particular reason you're, um... scared of this stuff?" Kyon was trying to be tactful, but the idea of Koizumi being afraid of anything so childish was still a novel idea. He couldn't help but be intrigued.
"Well." Koizumi sighed- it looked like he'd taken on Kyon's job for now. "It's like the philosopher Thomas Morris said: 'I know the fear of ghosts contradicts science and reason. But I can't stop myself from being afraid.' And I can't..." Koizumi straightened a little in his seat. "I wasn't always afraid, though. It's my cousins' fault."
"You have cousins?"
"Yeah. I've got a pretty big family, actually. And a whole load of cousins- but most of them are older than me." Koizumi smiled.
Although the smile was only a shadow of his usual smile, at least he didn't look upset/embarrassed anymore- which made Kyon feel reassured, for some strange reason. He quickly tried to quash the thought, before it developed into something even stranger- like leftovers found at the back of the fridge. If you left something long enough, it grew pretty twisted and ugly quite quickly; best to kill it before it got out of control.
"I was about five... or maybe I was six... I don't remember exactly, but it doesn't matter. A few of my cousins came over, and, well, it's not very nice being the youngest; and I was pretty short for my age, too. I got pushed around a lot."
"I'm, um... sorry?" Kyon was feeling distinctly awkward, now Koizumi had begun to reminisce on his 'tragic' childhood.
Kyon had never thought Koizumi would open up to him about this stuff- it was a surprise.
Almost as surprising as Nagato employing the power of speech more than twice in a day.
At Kyon's words, however, Koizumi began to laugh- a real laugh.
He looked a lot better when he was actually happy, Kyon noted.
It was certainly nicer than when he was worried.
"No, don't be sorry," Koizumi reassured Kyon. He grinned. "I probabaly desevred it- I was probably a pretty obnoxious kid."
"What? You?" Kyon feigned shock. "I never would've guessed."
"Now, I wonder why people tell me that," said Koizumi, in teasing tones. "I'm not that bad, am I?"
"...I don't want to dignify that with an answer."
"Tch. How cruel." Koizumi looked affronted- but it was only an act. "Anyway. My cousins came over, and they were pushing me around, like always. And then the oldest one, Rin, has a really great idea. She says 'I know, Itsuki-san! Why don't we play a game? You have to go hide out in the local graveyard at night and-'"
"I can kind of see where this is going now," Kyon interrupted.
Koizumi nodded. "Indeed."
"So why did you do what they said? That's pretty guillible."
"Yeah, I know," Koizumi nodded in earnest. "But you don't know Rin. She's terrifying- really."
"I'm getting a vision of Haruhi in my head here."
Koizumi smiled. "Oh no- Rin is far worse. You really have to do what she says."
"So, how was the graveyard experience, then?" Kyon asked- although he knew the reply was hardly going to be positive. However, he was still curious.
"It was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life," Koizumi replied cheerfully. "I think I lasted about three minutes before I ran back into the house, screaming. Just... it was really windy, and I could barely see a foot in front of my face, and it was just- well... I think it scarred me for life. I'm not going to go into detail, but it was pretty horrifying."
"I can imagine."
"It didn't help that Rin was really into all these horror movies, and she kept making me watch them with her. Like, this one, 'Fear Garden'? I don't know if you've seen it, but I can remember it. Every single detail." Koizumi shuddered. "When you're a child, images of a young girl chopping off arms and planting them in her back yard can really warp you... That movie has stayed with me for the rest of my life. Rin only liked it so much because she said the main character looked like her."
"So, that's why you don't like horror movies? Or ghosts? Or anything like that?"
"Yes. Exactly. I've had some bad experiences with those things in the past. Although, haha," Koizumi began to chuckle, "after having Rin for a cousin, defeating those Shinjin didn't seem like such a big deal. Every cloud has a silver lining."
"Yeah- righhtt. And this 'cloud' only left you completely petrified of anything related to the supernatural."
"I know. It's a bit embarrassing."
"Hey, Koizumi..." Kyon's voice trailed away.
He had begun to think.
If Koizumi was being so open to him at the moment, maybe he should ask why he had been so snappy with Emiri, too? His previous actions had been weighing on Kyon's mind, and he wanted to know the reasoning behind it.
"Oh dear- that sounds like a pretty ominous 'hey, Koizumi'," said Koizumi, leaning in closer to Kyon. "What's wrong?"
"I was just wondering..."
Kyon wondered how best to phrase his question.
He didn't want to sound tactless.
But then again, since when have I cared about Koizumi's feelings anyway?
Urgh- this is so confusing.
No wonder Nagato doesn't talk to people. It's because they mess with your head!
"What were you wondering?"
"I was just wondering why you were so rude to Miss Kimidori," Kyon blurted out.
"..."
Ah, hello, awkward silence.
Oh how I've missed you.
"Well..." Once more, Koizumi had begun to look embarrassed. "It's because-"
Nagato's voice cut through Koizumi's words, blank and calm;
"I've detected something."
a.n: whyy do I keep writing? XD
this chapter was going to have more stuff in it, but it ended up kind of long, so what I originally planned as one chapter will get spliced into two.
um, at least more chapters means more kyon/itsuki bonding time? XP
lelele so anyway.
for all of you people who don't know fear garden:
http :/ www . youtube . com / watch?v=ZVFfeTIWWco
i actually really like this song XD
everyone knows who rin is amrite? XD
