It's a Romantic True Love Conquest, Haruhi-Chan!
Chapter Twenty:
Not to Be Melodramatic, but Death is Totally Imminent!
"Checkmate."
"Urgh. Not again."
Kyon could only sigh, as Yuki Nagato stared back at him from the other side of the table. Her face was blank and empty as usual, almost as cold as liquid nitrogen. It felt like her razor-sharp gaze was boring a hole in his head. Suddenly, Kyon felt like he was under a microscope; what if she could straight through his head?
Huh.
Maybe that's how she beat me all those other times.
That's so unfair.
"Would you like to play again?" Nagato asked. Her voice sounded like it had been freeze dried.
"No. No, that's okay," said Kyon, shaking his head.
Pushing pieces around a board began to grow dull after only a few games. This was doubly true if you were trying to defeat a being far more intelligent than you, who could warp reality and (probably) read your mind.
Well, Nagato could do everything else.
Mind-reading wasn't such a stretch.
Moreover, Kyon was beginning to discover he didn't like losing at chess. He'd never had to chance to uncover this aspect of his character before, mainly because Koizumi was so spectacularly awful at board games hell was more likely to freeze over before he beat Kyon at anything. Kyon had always thought it was annoying and pointless that Koizumi was so easy to defeat, but playing against someone like Nagato, who was impossible to defeat, left him with a similar feeling. What was the point in even trying, when you knew with 100 percent certainty what the outcome would be? At least winning left Kyon with some sense of satisfaction.
Besides, Koizumi's carefree, idiotic smiles were easier on the eyes than Nagato's blank, zombie-like expressions. Not that Kyon would verbally admit to finding any sense of security in Koizumi's artificial happiness.
Kyon also couldn't help but notice this absence of Koizumi and his sunny disposition had taken a huge toll on the SOS Brigade.
Everything seemed a lot more... subdued?
Less fun?
Well, it wasn't like the SOS Brigade meetings were fun for anyone, apart from Haruhi. Kyon saw them a supreme waste of time, and Mikuru must've seen them as her worst nightmare, what with constantly being forced into too-tight, too-short, fetish-fuelled items of clothing by orders of the devil reincarnate, Haruhi Suzumiya. Kyon didn't know what Nagato thought, she was quiet all the time anyway.
But something was definitely 'off' about this Koizumi-less atmosphere, which made the meeting seem even more pointless and uninspiring than usual.
Even the sight of Mikuru, resplendent in her maid attire and diligently serving tea, couldn't set Kyon's mind completely at ease.
Mikuru was meant to be his spiritual balm; the girl who made all his problems melt away by the merest smile on her face. Usually, Kyon's heart was super effective to Mikuru's sidelong glances. Why was today different?
Why do I care about Koizumi so much anyway?
It's not like he even matters.
If I was me from about two weeks again, when I was still normal, I'd be all 'screw Koizumi, who cares?'
But then, somehow, it changed.
And I'm not sure how.
...Unless, I've always relied on Koizumi's presence to make these SOS Brigade meetings seem more 'normal', and just never noticed how dependant I've grown on him until he left.
I hope that's not that case.
It'd be such a pain- I'd end up with a perpetual headache for the rest of my miserable existence trying to puzzle that one out.
If Koizumi knew, I bet he'd think it was highly amusing.
Good grief.
Through his complaining, Kyon was beginning to form a comparison in his head. If the SOS Brigade was looked at like a human body, then the five main members, Haruhi, Mikuru, Nagato, Koizumi and Kyon, would be like organs. If you removed any vital organ from the human body, after a short amount of time it would stop functioning, and would eventually wither and die. Likewise, if you removed any one of the five members from the club for an extended period of time, then regular functions would cease, everything would grind to a halt, and the mood in the clubroom would be severely altered for everyone.
Or at least, that was how Kyon saw it.
Eh. It's overly-complex and too long-winded for my liking, but it'll do.
I never professed to be great with words.
"Hey, Kyon! Are you finished playing against Yuki? Do you wanna go against me? I'll, like, totally beat you! Gyahahaha!"
That, of course, was Tsuraya.
Apparently, Haruhi had invited her to the SOS Brigade meeting to serve as a temp for Koizumi. Despite the presence of a fifth person, though, Tsuraya was too different from Koizumi to fit his role; it would be like trying to disguise a pot of geraniums as a whale. The two people simple had no common personality traits, apart from maybe the constant smiley aura that followed them both. But Tsuraya's happiness manifested itself in fits of maniacal laughter and too much energy, whereas Koizumi was rather more reserved, more content with being a background character.
Tsuraya's presence did help a little, though.
Just a little.
That didn't mean her laugh wasn't the most annoying thing in the world, however.
Kyon stared at the green-haired girl blankly.
I really don't see what's so funny.
Hell, with her, I never do.
She's the kind of person that'll laugh at anything that moves.
"Hey, Yuki, budge up!~" Tsuraya instructed. "I wanna play against Kyon!~"
"I never said I wanted to!" Kyon protested, but his words fell on deaf ears (didn't they always? Haruhi was impervious to all but the voices in her own head. It seemed Tsuraya had the exact same problem.
No wonder they got along so well.
Birds of a feather flock together. But that did also extend to mentally unstable people?).
Kyon's words made no impact- they really were pointless. Nagato had already gotten to her feet. Robotically, the alien android in the school uniform sat down in her chair in the corner of the room, picked up a book, opened it on her knees, and began to read.
"Alright," said Tsuraya, cracking her knuckles as though she were going to climb up a mountain or wrestle a bear. It was only chess- why did she look so determined? "I'm gonna beat you into next week! Gyahahaha!"
"...I wasn't aware chess entailed physical violence. Have I been playing it incorrectly the whole time?" Kyon asked, voice deadpan.
At least Tsuraya seemed to be enjoying herself. She was the only one who was.
Haruhi was sat at her desk, head in her hands, a moody expression on her face. It looked like she'd just taken a suppository pill.
Now that's a thought I could do without, inner-Kyon shuddered.
I wish I didn't think up such bizarre imagery. I'm sure it's not normal. Maybe I'd ask one of my friends about it- except, oops, I forget, none of them are normal, either. And the only ones that appear painfully dull and banal (i.e. Taniguchi and Kunikida) could actually be magical time-and-space traversing intergalactic shape shifters for all I know.
Normality, I barely knew thee.
It'd be nice to be a regular high school student, like everyone else.
Except, no, I seem to have the exact opposite problem; I'm the only regular high school student amongst a sea of weirdoes.
Now I know how Alice must have felt.
Kyon played chess against Tsuraya in a very half-hearted manner, stealing glances at Haruhi's rather depressing figure from time to time. Even so, it still came as a shock when he lost. Losing against Nagato was fine and all, considering Kyon had strong suspicions her IQ was about as large as Mikuru's breasts (which was quite a feat). Except, Nagato always got normal test results- they weren't conspicuous. She must've purposely answered questions wrong to look more normal or something. Not that it worked, considering everyone viewed her as that silent bibliophile associated with Haruhi Suzumiya- and anyone who knew Haruhi was insane by association. Was there any point in bothering with the charade?
If Nagato was going to act the normal high school student, then she should at least stop reading Freud.
So, back to the main point at hand.
Losing Nagato was fine, even if it stung Kyon's pride just a little.
However, losing against that widely smiling, insanely laughing idiot was another matter altogether.
If Nagato's intelligence was the size of Mikuru's chest, then in comparison, Tsuraya's intelligence was about the size of her star-shaped mole.
There was something really, really annoying about losing to a grinning idiot like that.
I guess I just got too complacent after beating Koizumi all the time.
Damn esper boy.
"U-um, Kyon..."
A soft voice, like that of a true angel's, reached Kyon over Tsuraya's deranged peals of laughter.
Kyon looked up, to see the ever-gorgeous Mikuru stood before him. She was wearing a small smile, like the personification of lilies, and she was holding a tray carefully in her hands.
"Would you like some tea?"
Before Kyon had a chance to reply, Haruhi barked irritably at the maid, "Mikuru! You're not stuttering! To be a true maid, you have to stutter and blush and trip over your own feet, remember?"
That's a stereotype I'm sure most maids would be very offended by.
If they all stuttered and tripped over thin air, nobody would go to maid cafes. It doesn't matter how adorable someone is, if it takes them an hour to stammer out the soup of the day, and then they proceed to spill said soup all over your clothes, you'd never eat in the same place again.
Then again, since when did Haruhi care about reality?
Isn't that why time travellers, aliens and espers exist in the first place?
Who'd have thought the fundamental laws of physics would be easier to snap in two than a pair of disposable chopsticks?
"U-um... S-sorry?" Mikuru asked.
Haruhi rolled her eyes, and got to her feet. Stalking over to Mikuru like a tiger ready to pounce on its prey, she swiped a cup from Mikuru's proffered tray and downed it one gulp.
It was such an insult to Mikuru's tea making skills, Kyon nearly cried out;
You can't waste it like that!
You should savour it!
But of course, he did no such thing.
He was only your average Joe high school student; he couldn't be expected to take on the forces of evil so readily. And Haruhi certainly looked evil at that moment- there was literally no trace of the pleasant, soft-spoken girl Kyon had conversed with at the railroad tracks yesterday.
That Haruhi was beginning to seem like a fond memory.
Or maybe she was a delusion?
Did Haruhi have a twin sister?
"Huh? Are you stupid or something, of course not," said Haruhi, scoffing. The expression on her face was poisonous, toxic. Her nitrochlorobenzene grimace was quite disturbing.
Oops.
I didn't mean to say that out loud.
I can only concluded that the kind, friendly Haruhi was eaten by this tyrannical ogre that stands before me.
"Anyway!" Haruhi declared, for no real reason other than she felt the need to shout and assure her authority. With for more energy than the simple motion warranted, Haruhi slammed her cup back down on the tray, so hard poor Mikuru nearly buckled under the aggressive action.
Haruhi really had to be more considerate of Mikuru. She was a delicate girl; Kyon was worried, one of these days, Haruhi would abuse her to such an extent she'd shatter like fine-boned china, into thousands of pieces.
"...Anyway?" Kyon asked, after a pause. "Don't say dramatic things like that and then leave them hanging."
If his voice sounded irritable, it was because he'd lost at chess for about the seventh time that day, the tantalising aroma of Mikuru's oolong tea was drifting towards him and he feared Haruhi would behead him if he dared take a cup without her permission, and the image of Koizumi would not leave his mind no matter how much he tried to pretend he didn't care.
Geez, he's only been gone a day.
It's not acceptable to miss people after such a short space of time, unless they're beautiful and the mere sight of their smile can cure your aching heart, like Mikuru's. Koizumi's smile isn't a bit refreshing or healing; it's kind of creepy, and makes me think of a Noh mask most of the time. In fact, Koizumi's whole face might as well be a mask- he only has one stock expression for everything.
Then again, he did get pretty beat up by Emiri.
And he's all alone.
So maybe I do have an excuse to worry about him, just a little. Maybe?
Why do I feel the need to justify my thoughts anyway?
I'm making myself feel like I'm doing something wrong.
"Anyway!" Haruhi continued brusquely, rapping Kyon on the head with her knuckles. "The SOS Brigade is going on an excursion! Pack your bags everybody, we're moving out!"
"Ooh? A trip? A trip?" Tsuraya asked eagerly. "That sounds like fun!"
Kyon, however, was less than enthused at Haruhi's master idea.
A trip with the SOS Brigade sounded like a pain.
Plus, it didn't look like he was going to get any oolong tea now. The sweet smell now served to taunt him, mocking him for the delicious taste he could not have.
Why was life always like that?
"So what are we going to do this time? Hunt for any crashed UFOs? Try to find some magical beast and take it home as a pet? See if the Earth's gravitational pull has changed in strength, or if the sun's started to revolve around us?" Kyon asked tiredly, pushing the chess board away. The sight of his king, cornered by Tsuraya's queen, bishop and rook was only serving to make his bad mood even worse. Childishly, he flicked Tsuraya's king over in agitation- not because it changed the outcome of the game, but because it made him feel better. Slightly.
Haruhi gave Kyon a glare that could only be described as deadly. Her lips pursed into a duck's bill, and her hand came down to slam the table with godly strength. The chess pieces jumped about a foot in the air as the table was shaken by a mini-earthquake. Tsuraya's king rolled off the table; Kyon had to reach out and catch it before it hit the floor.
"Don't be so stupid!" Haruhi chastised Kyon.
Which she didn't have a right to do, really.
All of the things Kyon had said sounded like genuine stuff Haruhi'd be interested in, or at least would have considered before.
Haruhi's eyes lit up, and that familiar Suzumiya-smile slid into place; the one that made Kyon positive that, one day, when she was older (although perhaps not too much older) Haruhi would land herself and everyone who had the misfortune of being associated with her in jail.
"We're going~" she paused, as if trying to drum up excitement, like on talent shows when the presenter was ready to announce which hopeful singer was through to the next round.
Kyon didn't know who this pause was for, exactly.
Tsuraya was already excited, like a hyperactive child; Mikuru looked worried; Nagato was wordlessly flipping through her book, and Kyon was bored senseless his brain might've been swapped with pudding at some point and he wouldn't have known the difference.
"We're going to visit Koizumi!"
"B-but what about my tea?" Mikuru squeaked.
Haruhi made a dismissive gesture with her hand. "What? You can always make more, Mikuru! Just pour it down the sink."
If Kyon had been Taniguchi, he probably would've died to hear those words.
B-but it's such a waste!
"A-ah, Kyon?" Koizumi asked blearily, his voice thick with fatigue.
"You seem to be missing a few other people there," said Kyon dryly.
"Is that so..." Koizumi blinked, tilted his head, and looked over Kyon's shoulder. "Oh... of course. The rest of the SOS Brigade, too."
It must be a mark of how fatigued Koizumi was that he did not bother to sound in the least bit cheerful or enthused at the SOS Brigade's (plus honorary member to fill in space, Tsuraya) impromptu visit.
Koizumi stood in the threshold of his house, looking distinctly half-asleep and weary. His skin was still pale, though it seemed to have regained some of it's color. At least, he didn't look like some distant relative of the milky-white skinned Nagato anymore, which was some sort of relief. His hair was messy, his eyes were half-lidded and weighed down with exhaustion, and his whole stance reminded Kyon terribly of an insomniac who was in desperate need of a good night's sleep.
The brief flash of surprise that registered on Koizumi's face was yet another moment when his usual barriers had been bulldozed down. It truly was a rare event- Kyon could count the number of times he'd seen the 'real' Koizumi without any pretences or facades on one hand.
...Although, he had been witnessing this 'true' side of Koizumi a lot more recently.
Kyon could hardly blame the esper for his surprise, though.
Kyon would be shocked, too, if he'd been impaled multiple times and then, after trying to get a well-deserved rest, was awoken by a motley crew who'd come over to harass him because "Haruhi got bored".
(Incidentally, said 'motley crew' was comprised of Haruhi, who was humming the Turkish March to herself and sporting a serial killer's smile; Tsuraya, who was laughing at something so hilarious nobody else knew what it was ((honestly, was she on drugs? Was that how she put up with Haruhi?)); Nagato, who was staring straight ahead with an expression so blank she might as well have had a hole cut in her face; Mikuru, who was still sporting her maid's uniform and a very fashionable blush, which had eaten most of her skin; and Kyon, who was feeling distinctly uncomfortable).
"Yo, Koizumi! We came to see how you were!~" said Haruhi brightly, pushing said esper out of the way and barrelling into his house. Trying to stop her would have been fruitless, like trying to halt a hurricane or tsunami; and she left just as much destruction in her wake.
Koizumi could only stand there, lost, like a child at the supermarket who couldn't find their parents. Finally, he gave in to Haruhi's bombastic presence, and ushered everyone else into his house as well. There was no point trying to deny it- the SOS Brigade was there to say, whether he liked it or not.
"Whoa, Koizumi," said Haruhi, looking round his empty living room. "Does anyone live here? It's totally empty."
Ah.
So she noticed, as well.
"My parents are working overseas at the moment," was Koizumi's answer.
"Oh. Right. Of course. How boring," said Haruhi. She was already looking through cupboards and drawers in his kitchen, as though she'd been living in his house for years.
Hey, don't do that! Kyon had half a mind to say. This isn't your house!
Naturally, he did no such thing.
"So, u-um... How are you feeling?" Mikuru asked softly, wringing her hands on her unfitting maid's apron.
Leave it Mikuru to sound concerned for another human being. Haruhi was treating this whole experience with her usual tact and charm, running around to look at every nook and cranny in Koizumi's home like a magpie searching for treasure. Didn't she come over to make Koizumi feel better? How, exactly, would prying into Koizumi's private life accomplish this?
Was she trying to scare him into getting better?
Was this a warning, like 'if you don't recover soon I'll come over to your house more and more'?
Kyon was beginning to suspect Haruhi didn't give a damn about Koizumi's wellbeing at all, she just wanted some new place to play.
Huh.
Since when did I ever think Haruhi cared about anyone other than herself?
This is fairly standard behaviour for her.
"I feel... alright," said Koizumi, his natural smile now slipping back on his face. It looked more strained than usual. "I'll be back at school tomorrow. I just need a good night's sleep."
At these words, he looked at Haruhi.
Haruhi remained oblivious.
But, suddenly, Kyon caught on.
Ohh. I see. That was a subtle hint. Translated from polite Koizumi-speak, it means something along the lines of 'so shut up, get the fuck out of my house and let me go back to bed, you're giving me a headache!'
...That's actually quite funny.
Looks like Haruhi can annoy Koizumi from time to time.
And I always thought he was unaffected by her.
"Yeah, Koizumi, you look like crap," said Haruhi, with about as much subtlety as a shark in a goldfish tank.
So this is Haruhi acting 'concerned'?
I bet she's the sort of person who watches dramas about people dying of terminal diseases, and shouts 'oh my God, why are you so MISERABLE? Do something fun or crazy, it's totally boring! Stop whining and dying and start DOING SOMETHING!' at the screen, or whatever.
Although, I suppose, if Haruhi herself developed a terminal disease, she'd see as it chance to do even more stupid things, knowing she only had a limited time to fulfil her wish list.
You have to commend her enthusiasm.
Or fear it.
A normal person would feel both.
"Thank you?" Koizumi asked.
"Don't mention it!~" Haruhi beamed, striking a peace pose. "Hmn. Let's all go up to your room! Mikuru, you stay here and brew some tea!"
"H-huh? Why?"
A good question, Mikuru.
But you should know by now, the real answer- regardless of what Haruhi says- is 'because I said so'.
"Because you're dressed for the occasion, of course!" said Haruhi, slapping Mikuru on the back. Was she trying to break her spine or what? "There's, like, some cheap teabags in here you can use."
You want Mikuru to try making anything edible with that stuff? What a waste of her talents! It'd be like asking the royal dresser of a king or queen to make clothes out of old potato sacks and donkey skin, instead of gold thread and fine jewels, and then expecting something equally as wonderful as a result.
Good grief.
You have to respect Miss Asahina's talents; I don't want her to sully her fingers or waste her time with that filth!
But, true to her timid nature, Mikuru only nodded, and said meekly, "o-okay."
That seemed to be how Koizumi was feeling, too. Despite the newly conjured up smile, he still looked tired and not quite in the right frame of mind to act the 'mysterious transfer student'. It was half-hearted attempt of acting, if that.
Kyon couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
Just a little.
"Hey, Haruhi."
"Huh? What do you want?"
Haruhi turned, her lips in that duck bill's pout. She had just set one foot on the first step of the stairs, when Kyon had taken her by the arm- hoping, maybe, he could salvage this situation for Koizumi.
"Are you sure you should be bugging I- eh, Koizumi right now?" Kyon asked, stumbling, for reason, on Koizumi's name. He didn't know why. Didn't want to think to find out, either.
"I'm not bugging him. I'm being helpful."
Then you're deluded.
"No, it's okay. I'm fine," said Koizumi, his smile now more securely in place; the smile so handsome, it made Kyon want to draw things on it. When did this sudden metamorphosis take place? If you compared Koizumi from three seconds ago this one, it was like comparing a caterpillar to a butterfly. Was it something Kyon said?
"I appreciate you came to visit me, and I'm grateful. Truly." Smile, smile, like the main hero from a shojo manga. He was one step away from having roses bloom in the background when he spoke. "Thank you for worrying, though, Kyon."
"Hmn."
Haruhi pulled a funny expression, like she'd just tasted sour milk, and glanced from Koizumi, to Kyon, to Koizumi again.
Then, she shrugged, and the million-watt smile was back again, full force. You'd need sunglasses to look at an expression like that.
"Okay! Let's go see Koizumi's room, and keep him company! Maybe we can watch a movie or something!"
"Ooh, I brought a movie!" Tsuraya squealed excitedly. "I loaned it from Taniguchi the other day!"
You loaned it from that leech?
I shudder to think what it's about. Is it safe for minors and young children? I've heard him boasting about his viewing habits... While they're normal for a teenage boy, is it really something Tsuraya would want to watch?
"Alright!~" Haruhi seemed oblivious to Kyon's misgivings. She punched the air with one hand. "Let's go! Mikuru, hurry up with that tea, okay?"
Mikuru gave a small squeak.
The movie they ended up watching was the Exorcist.
Was that Tsuraya's idea of a practical joke?
"Hmn, maybe Koizumi was more ill than he looked," said Haruhi conversationally.
She and Kyon were walking home, after having bid farewell to the silent Nagato, the visibly shaken and horrified Mikuru (now there was one girl who was going to have some awful nightmares that night), and the still-laughing Tsuraya.
Luckily, it was not so dark that Kyon felt any misgivings about letting Mikuru leave his company. Only half an hour into the movie, both Mikuru and Koizumi had gone extremely pale, to the point where Kyon wondered if their lifespan had actually been cleaved in two. The gory horror movie had a huge affect on both their hit points, at any rate- it didn't look they'd be able to stand much more before one, or both, fainted. Luckily for Koizumi, his request that they turn it off, please, he was feeling awfully tired, had been heard. Thus, the SOS Brigade left Koizumi's house earlier than planned, leaving a shell shocked and shaking esper in their wake, who would never have a decent night's sleep again.
I can't help but feel our visit did more evil than good.
"Koizumi was really pale, didn't he?" Haruhi continued, arms behind her back. She looked incredibly carefree- somehow, she'd managed to shoulder her bag onto Kyon, leaving her with nothing to carry in the physical sense, as well as the mental one (e.g. responsibilities, a conscience, everything else a normal person was weighed down by).
"Yeah, I guess," Kyon agreed.
The reason for that being, of course, that he'd nearly been petrified into a wax doll.
But it wasn't like Kyon would tell Haruhi that.
It'd probably ruin Koizumi's 'cool' image in Haruhi's mind. Her theory seemed to be he'd beaten up half of the people at his old school and on the run from the yakuza, which was why he'd transferred to North High in the first place; this knowledge that he detested horror movies due to his psychotic cousin would put a dent in this theory.
"You didn't seem to mind it, though."
"I don't find works of fantasy disturbing."
It's what you can do which scares me above all, Haruhi.
"No, I don't mean the movie," said Haruhi, with a world-weary sigh that should've been Kyon's. Did she just steal his line? Or, would that be 'characteristic action'? "I mean, the fact you got to comfort a crying Mikuru. You certainly didn't raise any complaints."
Who, in their right mind, would?
Mikuru had been clinging, limpet-like, to Kyon's side for the full half hour, head buried in his shoulder. If Kyon inhaled, he could still smell the scent of her fruity shampoo.
Why would he pass away a chance like that?
Of course, Haruhi didn't see it that way.
By this time, she'd stopped in her tracks. Kyon, too, paused, and let his burden of two schoolbags fall to the ground.
The atmosphere had suddenly grown cold.
Kyon noted, with a feeling of distinct deja vu, that he could see the train tracks somewhere in the distance; the same ones they'd stopped at yesterday.
Geez. Is this place, like, a trigger spot for Haruhi's weird mood swings? Maybe it's cursed.
They should do a documentary on these railroad tracks, say they're haunted, or something. The general public will believe anything.
Next time I walk home, I'll avoid it. I don't care if it adds another half hour to my journey home. If it'd preserve from this strange, melancholic Haruhi, I'd walk across hot coals.
Normal Haruhi is bad enough. Emotionally unstable Haruhi is downright terrifying.
Haruhi stood with her back facing Kyon, so he couldn't see her expression. He could gauge it well enough, though, judging by the way she stood, and her liquid nitrogen tone of voice. It was so cold, it sounded like he words could literally turn into icicles, be shattered on the floor.
"Why were you so close to Mikuru? You have no right."
That statement had a lyophilizating effect.
All movement ceased. The only sign time hadn't come to a complete stop was the barest trace of wind, which pulled ever so gently at Haruhi's ribbons, her hair, her school skirt.
"I was just comforting her because she was scared," said Kyon, trying to keep his tone even. "Just trying to be a gentleman?"
Kyon almost hear Haruhi rolling her eyes.
"You never concern yourself with that around me."
Honestly, what was all this about?
Haruhi didn't need anyone to fuss about her, to hold her hand, to tell her everything would be okay. She was strong and self-assured, unlike the dainty Mikuru. Truly, Haruhi looked (and acted) like a girl who would loathe and despise that sort of attention from anyone.
"Because you don't need me to act like that, I guess...?" Kyon tried to find the right words carefully. It felt like a diffusing a bomb. One wrong syllable, one badly cut wire, and it could be game over, as far as Kyon's life- maybe even the world- was concerned.
How did they get to this point, anyway?
Unless these feelings had building up inside Haruhi for a long, long time, and he never noticed before.
That movie couldn't have been a test, could it...?
So then, did I fail?
Well, if Haruhi's going to give me a test, it'd be nice to announce it at some point so I can prepare myself! Even teachers who give surprise pop quizzes announce the sheet of paper with questions on it is, in fact, a quiz, even if they give their class about three second's notice of it.
This is just unfair.
How can you make assumptions based on biased exam results like this?
"But I don't want to say anything!" Haruhi exploded. She turned round, and Kyon wished she hadn't; her expression was frightening, like a Halloween mask. Her eyes were narrowed, her brows furrowed, and she looked less of an attractive high school girl, more an unspeakable nightmare monster.
Kyon, too, was beginning to grow increasingly annoyed.
He was already confused over his mixed feelings about Koizumi; his worry about the esper's well-being; his guilt that Koizumi only got hurt because of him, and now Haruhi had to throw this on top of him as well? She wanted to threaten the existence of the world because she was being a selfish brat, and wanted Kyon all to herself?
"If you don't want to say anything, then don't act surprised when I don't do what you want me to! I'm not a mind reader!" Kyon snapped back.
"But I shouldn't need to say anything, you should just know! It should be second nature! I forgot I was dealing with somebody's as dense as you!"
Haruhi's words were tipped with poison. Each one pierced Kyon like darts.
"Don't try to create unnecessary drama where there isn't any!"
"It isn't 'unnecessary', you always go against what I say! All the time! Like my cemetery idea-"
"That's because your ideas are stupid."
"H-huh?"
Haruhi recoiled at that statement.
Even Kyon couldn't quite believe what he'd just said. Sure, he'd always thought the SOS Brigade was a waste of time- he could be doing productive things with those lost hours, like watching TV, damn it- but he'd never dream of saying that to Haruhi's face. It was a line he simply did not want to cross, not only because it would result in possible nuclear Armageddon, but because, despite his bluster, he actually did like Haruhi. He didn't want to hurt her feelings. When she was depressed, it was kind of gut-wrenching and awful to witness, because her natural state was one of inexhaustible energy and excitement. If your good friend made a terrible meal or gave you an awful birthday present, you wouldn't tell them for fear you'd hurt their feelings, no matter how bad it was. This was how Kyon felt about Haruhi's SOS Brigade and it's activities; if it didn't hurt anyone, and it kept Haruhi happy, he'd deal.
Besides, if he was being truly honest, he'd sooner go to an SOS Brigade meeting than watch re-runs of bad cartoons and old game shows any day of the week.
So what the hell am I saying?
Stop it, before you make her angry- worse, still, hurt her feelings!
You don't want to make a girl cry, do you?
But Kyon couldn't stop, not once he'd started. It was almost as if he were being possessed by that darker, more cynical side of his mind that silently griped at everything Haruhi did without offering a verbal opinion.
"Just face, it Haruhi, does anyone want to be in your Brigade? I mean, really? Did they choose to join themselves?" Kyon let the rhetorical question hang in the air for a few seconds, before continuing with his tirade. "No, they didn't. You more or less forced Nagato to join when you took over the literary club's room and budget. What if other people wanted to join the literary club?"
"Well, they don't, so it doesn't matter!" Haruhi retorted, hands clenched at fists. "Honestly, what's your problem all of a sudden?"
If Haruhi thought she was making the situation better, it was the complete opposite. Her comments were only adding fuel to the fire.
"That's exactly it! You don't think about other people," said Kyon. He'd been trying to keep his voice calm, but it was getting louder and louder, as if someone who wasn't him had control of his volume dial. Kyon barely even noticed when he was shouting; he was too busy trying to make Haruhi understand. "You bullied Mikuru into joining the brigade against her will, you dragged me along with you and wouldn't listen to my complaints, and Koizumi- who knows what he's thinking, but I bet you shoved him into a corner and wouldn't let him leave until he'd agreed to join, just to get you to go away!"
"Don't say lies like that so casually! It didn't go like that at all, these people want to be in my club! You're the only one who keeps complaining about it! It's so repetitive, get something more interesting to say next time!" Haruhi shouted. The ribbons bounced in her hair when she moved forwards, hands clenched into fists at her front. "That's what fantasy novels are there for, you dumbass! If your real life's so boring you have to make stuff up, then that's too bad, but it's not my problem!"
Even Kyon, who was rather caught up in the moment (so much so had half a mind to take Haruhi by her shoulders and physically shake some sense into her), had to do a double take at that.
Haruhi was lecturing him on 'making stuff up'?
The girl who's subconscious had somehow spawned the existence of aliens, espers and time travellers?
Now, there was a case of dramatic irony.
It wasn't funny, though.
It was kind of depressing.
"Haruhi, don't you see?" Kyon asked, imploring Haruhi to understand- but her face was sour like gone off milk, her lips were pursed, and it didn't look like she was going to listen.
Because, to Haruhi, she was always right.
Everyone who disagreed with her was wrong.
If you told Haruhi the grass was green and she said it was blue, she could happily argue her point until the cows came home even though it was completely untrue. In the end, you'd either give up and agree with her for an easy life, or...
Well, you wouldn't.
You'd keep on going, and it'd be difficult, and you probably win anyway.
But Kyon had come too far to simply back down. He couldn't laugh it off as a joke because it wasn't in his nature; he wasn't Koizumi, who could say all these serious things and then cheerily remark he didn't really mean them.
Kyon meant what he said.
He had to try and tell her in somehow, in some way she would understand.
He had to tell her the grass was green.
Urgh. My own metaphors are giving me a headache, at this point.
Or maybe it's all this shouting.
Who cares?
"Haruhi, the only reason people are in your Brigade is because you forced them into it. You didn't even consider their thoughts or feelings. If you want people to like you, you have to be more mindful of other people! Their opinions matter too, you know."
It was the best explanation Kyon could give, considering his shaken nerves, and his (not entirely unwarranted) fear that the Grim Reaper would materialise at some point, scythe in hand, and wipe out the whole of humanity sans Haruhi upon the so-called God (or god-like entity, anyway)'s wishes.
Even if Kyon won the argument, he'd still lose.
Or, rather, mankind would lose.
Kyon wondered if, as he was arguing with Haruhi's, the HP of the world was decreasing with every passing word. Was it only critical health already? How many more attacks could it survive?
"Why should I care about other people? They're not interesting to me! I'll only be courteous to those who aren't completely boring! You!" Haruhi pointed at Kyon, as she was so accustomed to doing. "You're being boring now, Kyon! And I didn't bully anyone into joining! I wouldn't do that, I-"
So she doesn't even realise it herself?
This might be a serious case of someone who can't be rehabilitated.
People like this are the ones who can't get off drug addictions or the like; they don't even realise they have a problem, and when somebody brings it up they get angry, or defensive, or just plain ignore you.
And all this time, I thought she'd get better. I thought, one day, she'd grow up and stop being so self-centred. Maybe even learn not to take everyone for granted.
Was I was being too optimistic?
Perhaps, no matter what I say or do, she'll always be this selfish, spoilt, immature girl; a flat, two-dimensional character with no redeeming features and no development.
I don't want to let that happen.
But if she won't listen to me, what can I do?
"Listen to yourself, Haruhi!" Kyon's voice had raised in volume again. His tones scattered a few stray birds, which had been flying lazily overhead. "What you're saying, it's just wrong! It's like, you don't think other people even matter."
"Because they don't! They don't matter! If there's nothing special about 'everyone else', why should I care about them?"
Aarrghhhhhhhhhh.
Inside his head, Kyon was screaming.
Outside, he was doing much the same thing- only slightly more eloquently.
He doubted he'd be able to get through to Haruhi with an ' Aarrghhhhhhhhhh.' She'd just look at him funny and ask him if he was retarded.
"You know something else, Haruhi?"
"I don't want to know it, I'm sick of you!"
Haruhi made to turn away, but Kyon reached out, grabbed her arm.
He was going to make her listen, then.
If she didn't see how other people saw her, how was she ever going to change?
"Well, I think you need to know!"
"Kyon, let go of me." Haruhi's voice was low, dangerous. Her eyes were flinty. Kyon didn't doubt Haruhi could inflict some serious damage on him; he'd seen her wreak havoc and destruction with that deceptively slender, dainty-looking physique before. You shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, and never had that been more true than with this seemingly harmless high school girl.
But Kyon's grip didn't waver, and his gaze didn't falter.
"Haruhi." His voice was as steely as his grip. "You know Mikuru doesn't like scary movies, but you keep forcing her to watch them. Isn't that just a bit unfair?"
"You'll never get over fears like that unless you're exposed to them even more! I'm just being kind."
"But you're not, are you? You only want to watch them because you like them, and screw everybody's feelings, they're not worth worrying about, right? Just like when we made that movie- did you think everyone would enjoy that? You only did it so you could boss everyone around. And I don't know if you've noticed, but Itsuki? He hates horror movies almost as much as Mikuru! That cemetery visit? Not your best idea ever!"
Kyon was so infuriated, he hadn't noticed his slip of the tongue when it came to Koizumi's name.
It didn't matter.
"You're still going on about that? Whatever, you're, like, a broken record! I don't even care!" Haruhi retaliated, trying to pull away. Kyon was sure it was only a half-hearted attempt to escape, because he was able to hold her in place easily. If Haruhi wanted to, she could've sent him flying. Maybe it was some kind of morbid curiosity that rendered her unable to push Kyon away? Kyon was instantly reminded of real life situations, when a girl would overhear her best friends bitching her out behind her back. The poor girl would always stick around to eavesdrop on the whole conversation, even if made her feel awful, because she had to know what her 'friends' really thought.
Were these two situations similar?
Did that make Haruhi the poor girl overhearing a cruel conversation, and Kyon the heartless, two-face 'friend'?
Except, this is different.
I'm not trying to be needlessly cruel. It's not like I enjoy hurting people's feelings; and, unlike Haruhi, I have enough tact to tell when my words are upsetting people, so if it gets to that point, I'll usually shut up.
That's what thoughts are for, anyway; they can't hurt feelings.
I can't shut up now, though.
"I only got so angry about the cemetery thing because it was dangerous! I wasn't doing it for the sake of going against you! Listen; what if we got separated? If Mikuru got lost in the dark, do you have any idea what could've happened to her? And Itsuki- something did happen to him! He got really hurt! What if he'd broken his leg? What then?"
Not like I could tell you the full extent of these injuries he sustained, though.
I doubt you'd believe me.
I wouldn't believe myself, if I hadn't seen it.
"And when you consider both Mikuru and Itsuki hate horror-related things like that, it gets even worse! Do you honestly ever stop to think about other people? Just like today, you went to go visit Itsuki and barged into his house even though he was obviously sick! You didn't go see him because you were concerned, you did it because you were bored and wanted somewhere new to play. Would you go harass cancer patients at the general hospital if you got bored too, huh? Do you honestly consider everyone below you and unworthy?"
Kyon didn't realise it but, somehow, during the midst of this monologue, he'd taken hold of Haruhi's shoulders.
Haruhi stared up at him, her eyes wide. Her mouth had been reduced to a small 'o' the size of a polo mint.
"That's not..."
She spoke shakily; her whole body was shaking like she'd just fallen into a pond of Antarctic meltwater. She didn't look like the cocky, selfish, self-sure girl Kyon knew so well. She looked small and vulnerable. Just a normal high school girl.
An ordinary high school who was being bullied and pushed around by somebody stronger.
Somebody who was meant to be their friend.
No, not even that.
Their boyfriend.
Haruhi looked down at the floor. Kyon couldn't see too well, her face was obscured by fluttering bangs, but her eyes were downcast and foggy. Would downpours shortly follow?
Kyon hoped not.
He didn't want her to cry.
That wasn't his intention.
I thought she'd be able to take something like this! She always acts so strong, I just assumed...
But maybe I really was too harsh.
Did I cross the line?
Arrghh.
But if I don't lay things out for her like this, how's she ever going to learn?
But Kyon needn't have worried. His weather forecast for Haruhi's emotions was erroneous. There were no downpours.
Instead, there was a thunderstorm.
"I can't believe YOU'RE saying this stuff to me!" Haruhi snarled, shoving Kyon away so forcefully he nearly fell over. The sudden reappearance of the feisty Brigade leader was so shocking, it felt as though this new personality had exploded from within the previously melancholic Haruhi and eaten her alive.
"How dare you tell ME to worry about other people's feelings, when you don't worry about MINE?"
"Haruhi?"
"You think I don't care? You think I have no feelings? That I can just stand here listening you INSULT me and be all 'oh, ah, um, yeah, I see your point, thank you for making me a better person'? You REALLY think that?"
Haruhi stood there, hands clenched at her sides, breathing heavily. It looked as though she were in the middle of running a marathon. Determination blazed in her eyes.
She looked dangerous.
There was only one way to describe that expression.
Kyon was suddenly, forcibly reminded of Asakura Ryoko, when she had targeted him in that closed space; and, later, of Emiri Kimidori.
He was thankful, at least, that Haruhi couldn't conjure spears out of thin air, because Kyon knew (at this moment in time) Haruhi would be able to fulfil Ryoko and Emiri's goal no problem.
Haruhi could do anything if she put her mind to it.
"Don't stand there and take the moral high ground with me when all the time you, you... All the time, with everyone else..."
Haruhi drew a deep breath.
"All the time, you're looking at Mikuru, even when I'm with you! What's that about? Surely you should KNOW, if you have an actual brain in there, that it's going to piss me off! Or maybe you're doing on PURPOSE, to annoy me, I wouldn't know! And now, all of a sudden, you're getting all defensive about Koizumi, too? Why? I don't understand, he can fight his own battles! Unless you've decided you prefer his company above mine, too! In which case, why are you even going out with me?"
"H-huh?"
Now it was Kyon's turn to be on the receiving end of a rant, and he was feeling rather shocked.
He hadn't spoken about Koizumi all that much, had he?
Not so much that Haruhi picked up on it?
He hadn't been aware he'd been doing it himself.
"Urgh! You can't say stuff like that to me and get away with it! I forbid it! How dare you go against your Brigade leader like that?" Haruhi shouted, her hands clenched into fists. "That's insubordination! Treason! In medieval times, this would result in death!"
So she had taken all her sadness, and converted it into anger. A terrible chemical reaction; the product was even more explosive than nitrogen trichloride. The first person who prepared that chemical lost an eye and two fingers in the resulting explosion, but Kyon felt, if Haruhi were allowed to detonate in such a way, it'd be more than his eye and a couple of fingers that were at risk.
Try the whole world.
It was just Kyon's luck that he'd picked the one girl, out of millions, who could and would bring about the end of mankind if she was rejected.
Now, why had he thought that was a sensible idea?
He'd have been safer sticking his head in a hungry crocodile's mouth.
Going out with Haruhi Suzumiya just tempted future disaster and destruction.
It had been a foolish move, and now he was in a checkmate he couldn't get out of.
I guess my brain must be pretty fried, considering I'm thinking up all this weird imagery...
"Haruhi-"
But it was too late trying to reconcile now.
Haruhi marched forwards, a lemon-bitter expression on her face, and backhanded Kyon across the face, with the force of a professional tennis player hitting a curve shot across the line.
Kyon staggered back in shock. The force of the blow had numbed the side of his face, and some of his teeth felt loose.
"Go away!" she shouted angrily, past reasoning, past pleasant conversation. "If you said all you wanted to say, and you really hate me, why don't you just leave? I don't need you anyway, all you do is complain! I don't know why I put up with you!"
"Haruhi-"
"Shut up! Shut up, I don't care! You made your feelings pretty clear already!" Haruhi stood on the spot, quivering, face flushed and angry. The anger was evident, but underneath it all was nothing more than a heartbroken girl who'd been rejected by the only person who's opinion she cared about.
"And to think," Haruhi continued, "I was even going to apologise to you!"
Kyon stared at her in shock.
Haruhi, apologise?
"Y-yeah! That's right! I was, because dragging you around... Sometimes, maybe, even I feel a little bad! You know, I'm not some one-dimensional monster with no feelings for others! I do CARE, you know! But, you know what?" Her eyes hardened. "Screw you! You're not worthy of my time, or my Brigade! Go away! Get out of my sight!"
Kyon was struck with the feeling he'd done and said some very incredibly stupid things- things he couldn't take back. If he was a time traveller like Mikuru, he'd go back, erase this encounter out of existence- but he couldn't, it wouldn't work.
If this were a movie, this would be the big scene of confrontation between two lovers, pushed apart by a misunderstanding.
The confrontation was there.
So was the misunderstanding.
But in these typical romantic dramas, the lead actors would always overcome their differences to forge a stronger, more trusting relationship than before.
This didn't look too likely here.
If anything, Kyon's words had completely shattered whatever strange, twisted bond he and Haruhi had shared.
Haruhi stood there, facing Kyon, breathing heavily. The light wind tossed her hair about in a strangely dramatic way. Beyond the hatred, there was only sadness.
Melancholy.
There was an overwhelming sense of finality as Kyon wordlessly shoved Haruhi's bag into her arms, and walked away. He felt like a murderer, cooly vacating the scene of a crime.
But what else could he say?
He had, as Haruhi already stated, 'made his feelings pretty clear already.'
The volatile situation had just exploded.
But, what I said...
All of it was truthful.
And none of it was intended to be malicious.
I mean, not all of it, anyway.
Yeah, like Haruhi would see it that way.
As Kyon walked back home, he couldn't help but think of closed space, and those blue giants. He knew, just knew, there would be a sudden increase of them that night. And Koizumi, what had he said? He needed a good night's sleep. He was exhausted. This was the last thing he needed.
In one day, Kyon had managed to hurt Haruhi's feelings so badly she nearly cried- probably would cry later on, when nobody was watching- and sealed the world to it's premature demise.
Not bad for a day's work.
Nice job, hero.
Emiri Kimidori and Ryoko Asakura had only been low level, common slime monsters found in fields and dungeons.
In the end, Kyon was the real last level boss.
However, to Kyon's immense surprise, he was still alive when he woke up the next day, and he was still distinctly human-shaped. He looked out the window. Everything looked normal. He was still him, and he was still on Earth- or at least, a blue and green planet that looked a lot like Earth.
Everything was the same, as though he hadn't just defied God yesterday.
Like usual, his little sister stirred him from his sleep, and, like normal, he had barely enough time to get dressed- certainly not enough time to have breakfast. As he hiked up the godforsaken hill to his school, sweat forming on his brow, he wondered if it hadn't all been a dream.
Maybe it was some kind of delusion.
Was he suffering from calcium deficiency? When he got home yesterday, the first thing he did was drink a carton of milk, and that seemed to soothe his fractured nerves; or maybe it was just a placebo effect.
It was hard to think that anything was wrong in the world, when he sat in homeroom that morning, listening to the useless stock characters Taniguchi and Kunkida having a banal conversation about something depressingly pointless.
Except, Kyon noted, Haruhi wasn't in her usual seat behind him, boring a hole in the back of his head with her caustic gaze, or getting all fired up about a stupid idea.
She was nowhere to be seen.
She didn't go to school that day.
Kyon wasn't sure why he went to the SOS Brigade room, when he knew full well Haruhi wasn't there. Nobody was forcing him to come. Besides, yesterday (if it hadn't been some strange delusion brought about by a lack of necessary minerals), Haruhi had clearly said 'don't bother coming, I don't want you.'
She'd thrown him out of the SOS Brigade.
The five member group had become four.
That is, if there even was an SOS Brigade anymore.
Kyon stood by the door of the literature club room with an immense feeling of trepidation. It curdled at the bottom of his stomach, made him feel ill. This was what apprehension felt like- except it was worse than that, much worse.
It was dread.
But Kyon was filled with a desire to see the familiar face of Mikuru, Nagato- hell, even Koizumi. They'd know what was going on. They always did.
Even if the idea of confronting any one of them, especially after he'd screwed up badly, was making Kyon feel sick. It was a good job he hadn't eaten any breakfast that morning, or had a chance to prepare himself a bento box; he had a feeling any food he ate would only taste of ash, anyway.
Taking a deep breath in, Kyon counted to ten, and then, with the air of man stood at the gallows, he pushed the door open.
The only person there was Nagato.
She sat there, silent as always, flipping through a heavy book just like always. Her quiet presence, which was usually unsettling, was now a source of comfort for Kyon. At least some things never changed. Even the Earth were being pelted with fire and the ten Biblical plagues, Kyon had a feeling Nagato would continue to sit there, surrounded by locusts and frogs, reading a book.
The absence of Mikuru and Koizumi was, however, unsettling. Even if their Brigade chief wasn't there, Kyon suspected the other members would dutifully flock to the literature club room like normal.
"H-hi," Kyon said uneasily to Nagato, closing the door behind him.
Nagato looked up, and nodded.
Then, she did something unthinkable. She closed her book, and placed it on the table.
"I have been waiting for you."
Whoa.
That sounded pretty sinister.
Are you practising to be the next Bond villain, Nagato?
"W-what happened to Miss Asahina and Koizumi?" Kyon asked, trying to keep the note of hysteria from creeping into his words. Not that, he supposed, Nagato would care; she was impervious to the emotions of others.
"I took the care to take a scan of data in the surrounding area. I can confirm Itsuki Koizumi has been vanishing from the usual plane of existence periodically since eleven p.m. of last night; at the moment, however, he is in this dimension."
"So... Closed space?" Kyon asked, hardly daring to hear the answer.
Nagato nodded. "Affirmative."
"How big is the closed space?" Kyon asked tentatively. He felt like a cancer patient, waiting to hear if the chemotherapy had worked- but, it was with a sense of helplessness that he waited for an answer. He already knew what it would be.
"Approximately one hundred and thirty by eighty metres."
Kyon could only blink in horror at the scale of the closed space. That was about the size of a large sports stadium! Measurements like that could seat about 100,000 people. Did that mean it could contain that many blue giants? Hadn't the previous closed spaces Kyon had encountered been fairly small and contained? Hell, the last one had only wrapped around the school.
"And increasing," Nagato added, almost as an afterthought. You'd have thought she was talking the weather, by how emotionless her voice was.
"How quickly is it increasing?"
It was another question Kyon didn't want answering, but he had to know.
"At this current moment in time, the closed space is expanding at a rate of one metre per minute. The rate of expansion still stands to accelerate."
So, how long until it covered the whole world? That was surely the end result of this nightmarish scenario, wasn't it?
But Kyon couldn't ask. He didn't want to know. If you were told the exact date and time of your death, you would only live in fear of that moment. It would ruin your life.
How much time did the world have left now?
And Koizumi, who'd been kicked around by Emiri like a soccer ball until he nearly bled to death, was fighting those blue giants right now, because of Kyon's own stupidity.
Kyon remembered the bruises on Koizumi's back, the splodges of blue and purple and black on a canvas of too-pale skin.
He could die.
Everyone could.
Ha, Kyon's mind scoffed. If you witnessed this scene in a movie, you'd roll your eyes and say it was too melodramatic. But here you are. At the end of the world. And there isn't any fire, or brimstone, or trumpets; it's just like every other day.
I wish I could be an ignorant idiot.
Well, it seems lately, I've got the 'idiot' part down pretty well.
"What about Miss Asahina?" Kyon asked.
"I can longer detect her presence in this current timeframe."
"What?" Kyon's eyes widened, his mouth fell open in a small 'o'; it looked like he was waiting for somebody to jump up from behind and yell 'surprise!' Of course, nobody did. Nagato continued to sit there, rigid, with her Antarctic stare.
"The organic subject, Mikuru Asahina, has been absent from our timeframe for precisely seventeen hours, twenty six minutes and fifteen seconds."
It felt like a lead weight had hit Kyon in the stomach.
Mikuru was gone.
Just like that.
It would've been less painful if Nagato ripped out his heart and kicked it across the room.
This is all my fault.
All of it.
"Nagato, you can do something about this, can't you?" Kyon asked desperately, seized by the sudden urge to take Nagato by the shoulders and shake her... But what good would that do? Knowing Nagato, she wouldn't even be affected; she'd remain still and silent, like a collector's figurine.
Nagato's empty eyes stared at Kyon. She blinked once every ten seconds or so, but if it were not for this motion then she would've looked like a very detailed waxwork.
And then, she shook her head, slowly. Just once. She was always economical about words and gestures.
It would be nice, at a crucial moment like this, if she could actually provide some more insight on the matter, though; she might have been the only person left Kyon could rely on for help.
"What do you mean, 'no'?" Kyon asked.
When Nagato spoke, her voice was monotonous, as though she had all the time in the world.
"My duty is to observe. There is no immediate danger to Haruhi Suzumiya's person, so I will remain neutral on the situation."
"But-"
"It was not I who created this situation," Nagato continued. Even though her tones remained frosty as always, her expression seemed to have softened somewhat. Kyon wasn't sure how, but for a few seconds, she actually looked human. Her usual range of expressions was so limited, she may as well have been a badly made Animatronics puppet instead of a high school girl; but there was something in her face which, for an instant, would have fooled anyone into thinking she had a heart, instead of being a machine. "I am not the one who can rectify your mistakes. There is only one option left for you.
"You should apologise for hurting her feelings."
Nagato's acidic stare ranked at least a pH 2. It was so concentrated and intense, it felt as though she was boring a hole through Kyon's skull.
Then, she blinked.
With her choppy hair bouncing slightly, she took her book off the table, opened it up at her previous place, and began to read.
Kyon was standing at the door when he heard Nagato's parting words.
"Good luck."
a.n/ there was going to be more action in this chapter, but I figured there was already quite a bit to be processing anyway XD I can fit the final part of action from this chap into the next one c:
Yay.
Ffff, because of the last chapter's length, now anything I write will seem inadequate XD This chapter was pretty short in comparison -.- It says 32 pages, but this version of word is different to the previous one, and I think it deals with pages and font sizes and stuff differently XD
EDIT: yeah, I changed this chapter somewhat c: Somebody left me a review saying Kyon's behaviour during the argument scene was OOC, so I tried to rectify that. I hope it's better. It can't possibly be worse, can it? XD if you have read the earlier one, please let me know what you think? & in the future, if I write other stuff which seems OOC, or if you find any spelling errors/punctuation mistakes, please feel free to tell me ^_^ I want to make this fanfic good, you know? :3