A mixture of grey-orange clouds sullied the sky, not leaving much room for sunlight to breakthrough. Rain wasn't off the table either. This sunken weather was a small appetiser of things to come. In the following days, a typhoon would cross Japan south to north, crossing right in the middle of Osaka. The typhoon season wanted to start early this year. At the moment, its strength wasn't concerning, but that could easily change in the coming hours.
That, however, wasn't what was troubling Haruhi at the moment. Watching the clouds moving slowly through the skyline was a mere pastime—an effort to keep the preoccupied mind with other concerns. Because there was something stuck in the back of her brain. Similar to the sound of a half-dead fly trying to flap its wings to no avail. An annoying and sickening pitch.
The seat in front of her was empty. For some unknown reason, Kyon hadn't come to school. The obvious answer was that he was sick. It was a relatively normal event, more so with the weather changes of spring. But that didn't ease her tension at all. It merely enhanced it. This wasn't something normal for someone on her brigade. Kyon had never missed classes before, ignoring the accident of December. Then again, she had never seen him sick. And taking into account his lazy attitude, he must have stayed at home with the signs of the first cough.
She looked at the deserted chair again. That wasn't right either. Something else was gnawing at her reasoning. Perhaps he had gotten into an accident. The first part of his daily routine was a bicycle ride to the train station before parking and starting the infamous North High slope. What if he had crashed into a car? Or what if his brakes broke down in the middle of a hill? Yeah, something along those lines made sense.
But again, she knew that wasn't it. So why? Why was she ignoring all these plausible answers?
"Good morning, Suzumiya." One of Kyon's friends, Kunikida, greeted her. "Do you know what happened to Kyon? Since your club normally meets up on the weekends, maybe you're more up to date than me."
It took her a moment to realise that classes had ended a while ago.
"He's probably sick." What was she, her babysitter? She didn't have to know. "We didn't meet up last weekend."
"A-Ah, yeah." Kunikida was taken aback by Haruhi's quick answer. "I saw him two days ago, on Saturday. But he looked alright. So if you know-"
"I'll tell you when I figure it out." The brigade's leader shot up from her seat, gathered everything in her bag and headed out of the classroom.
Her steps were agitated, almost like she was scared of not moving. If she didn't do anything to deal with this, it felt like the world would end. And there was only one way to combat that feeling. This unprecedented event called for a brigade meeting.
Muffled whispers mimicked an odd symphony on the hallways connecting to the old school building, where most clubrooms were. Koizumi didn't need to have any perception-based superpower to notice them. The student's voices were low and almost inaudible, but everybody knew what each group was talking about. Given that the typhoon didn't look like the others. Most storms headed for Japan came from three directions, northeast, southwest and south. The current one was the latter, but an odd one at that. Allegedly, it was heading west towards the Philippines when, sometime yesterday, it made a bizarre L-shaped turn towards Japan. Between mumbles of devilry and witchcraft, some people were calling it a Super-Typhoon.
Regardless of Koizumi's inadequate weather knowledge, he knew something was wrong. His senses were on high alert. He almost wished it was a closed space. In that case, he could see where the issue was and had the power to stop it. But that wasn't it, not yet at least. This situation wasn't something he could gaze at Haruhi and realise the issue. It was something different. It was like comparing an avalanche to a mudslide; similar outcome but completely disparate causes.
The ESPer hurried along the hallways. Suzumiya wasn't the type of girl to dwell around the classroom. There was only one place where she would be. The Brigade clubroom. At that place gathered the only people capable of prying an answer out of everything. Right now, the only thing he knew was what wasn't causing this tension that permeated the high school.
A voice called him out, a girl from his classroom. It looked like she had followed him ever since he headed towards the clubroom. If he remembered correctly, she was Kazumi Kawahara, a typical shy girl who became bold when accompanied by her friends. She was plain-looking, and there wasn't much that stood out in her besides an odd scar on her neck.
"Erm… Koizumi…" Her trembling voice, coupled with the note she was hiding behind her back, was enough to let him know what was going on. At any other moment, he might have played into it. However, today wasn't a typical day.
"Is something the matter, Kawahara?" His voice was calm and collected, though any close friend would have noticed the cold sting behind it.
"I just… wanted to give you this." She held out a folded paper, small enough to fit a palm. Koizumi inspected it for a moment before trying to unravel it. "Wait! Don't do that. Not yet."
"Very well." He took the folded paper into his jacket pocket before checking his watch. "If you'll excuse me, I have a meeting with my club."
"Um, yeah. Read it once the night comes." Kawahara added before turning around and walking away with an arrhythmic pace, humming as the air flowed through her.
A weird request, but Koizumi couldn't be bothered at the moment. So he offered a simple goodbye and continued away.
Asahina didn't fully understand the world of the early XXI century. How could steel float in the water, or why would people destroy perfectly balanced ecosystems was beyond her. But even she knew that a cyclone phenomenon didn't achieve perfectly geometrical eyes. She even checked it herself. Nature hated perfect circumferences; the ancient Greeks knew it.
So when she woke up that morning, ultimately weighed down by a sombre, damp air, she knew something was off. Her TPDD showed signs of interference, like something was deliberately messing with it. What's more, nobody from the future had told her anything. When she arrived at her class, even Tsuruya's usual joyful attitude was down a few notches.
The moment the bell rang, she excused herself and headed out of the classroom. She wasn't exactly known for her graceful nature, but she completed the trip to the clubroom relatively quickly. Koizumi looked quite surprised when he climbed up the last set of stairs and bumped into her.
"Quite the early bird, aren't you, Asahina? I didn't expect you to come by so quickly today." His ever-present smile looked quite forced today.
"Well, I…" Mikuru fumbled her words, still unsure of how to act around him appropriately. "I don't feel very well today."
"Then that makes two of us. As far as I know, this isn't caused by Suzumiya. Perhaps just a small hiccup from our alien friends?" The deputy leader feigned a small giggle.
"I don't know. Everyone acts weird this time. Have you noticed?" Mikuru noticed what she was implying and yelped in fear. "I'm not saying you usually act weird! But, you know…."
"I get it, don't worry. You're saying that usually, these events only affect our respective factions and not the general populace. Isn't that right?" Itsuki motioned towards the clubroom and continued. "Let's ask if Nagato knows more than we do, shall we?"
"Okay, but… shouldn't we wait for Kyon?"
Kyon was the cement that genuinely made their different factions fuse towards a common goal. Of course, a lot went behind the scenes. But without him, cooperation became a lot more complicated.
"I wouldn't worry that much. If you still feel intimidated by Nagato, I'll do the talking." Although Koizumi wasn't exactly in the mood to lighten her troubles, he did his best to keep up appearances.
The Literature club room was gloomy, with the fluorescent lights filling everything with an unnatural and artificial glow. Besides the window, Yuki Nagato slowly read 'The King in Yellow'. From the looks of it, she had started barely a few minutes ago.
Nagato herself wasn't in her usual mood. Koizumi and Asahina couldn't notice it, however. Unlike Kyon or Haruhi, the bookworm was quite alien to them. It wasn't like they were unable to read her. But to know her exact emotions was quite a challenge.
"I'm unable to answer your questions." The alien merely said as both of them stepped into the clubroom. "The Data Overmind is not delivering information."
Koizumi expected that answer. It wasn't the first time Nagato had said something along those lines.
"That's quite a shame." He simply replied.
"But you noticed as well, right?" Asahina asked, quite stiff.
Nagato removed her gaze from the book and stared at the couple. "Agitation in animals is normal under extreme weather or geological events. However, the current situation favours irrationality. If you seek a proper answer, control your current state."
She blinked one time and returned to her book. 'Keep calm' is what she was saying, or at least that's what they understood. There wasn't time for much meditating. The quick steps of somebody approaching alerted them all. Koizumi moved away from the entrance and offered a seat to Mikuru. The latter quickly became aware of who was coming and kindly took it. She muttered a quick thank you and looked expectantly at the open door.
The moment Haruhi noticed the door half-opened, her tension lessened, if just a bit. And nothing would ever change that. She stepped in, a sudden wave of pride washing over her.
"Everybody is here already? That's surprising." Their brigade leader said, closing the door behind her. She walked past Koizumi, who took a seat as soon as she passed by.
"Is Kyon running an errand?" He asked, crossing his hands on the table.
"He's sick." Haruhi almost spat out the word like it was a curse.
"Oh my." The deputy leader couldn't hide his surprise and concern.
The mood in the room, teetering on the low tens, dropped to absolute zero. Everyone was looking for a plausible answer to the general unnerve they had been experiencing ever since they woke up. And this sudden reveal stood in the middle, like an answer and an inquiry simultaneously. Was this the source of the aversion or merely a symptom?
Koizumi's grimace didn't go unnoticed by Suzumiya. Neither did Asahina's gaze into the ground.
"Why the long faces, everyone? Just cause Kyon isn't here, it doesn't mean we can't have a formal meeting." Haruhi sat on the swivel chair of the main desk, the force sending her back, away from it.
But the slightly long silence made Haruhi too uncomfortable to sit still. If Kyon were here, he would have pushed back against her complaints. Even if just a little. Everybody looked too self-absorbed to do so. Too afraid. Not of her. She could notice that much, at least. Even she could feel the odd tapping against her mind. Like she had forgotten something, and the doubt was killing her.
She got up from the swivel chair and turned towards the window. "So, what's on everybody's minds? I don't like being the odd one out."
Asahina nervously twirled her hair, opened her mouth and closed it again. "Is Kyon okay? Is it a cold?"
"Of course he's okay. He's not a kid." Haruhi answered. "If you guys are so worried, let's go to his house. If he thinks being sick means a paid leave from brigade duties, then he hasn't learnt from last time." She turned around to see their slightly positive reactions. "Pretty good idea, right? Do you have any part-time job shifts today, Koizumi?"
"Not today. Hopefully, nothing pops up either." He answered.
"Should we bring something to cheer him up?" Asahina asked.
"What better gift than us? Besides, I'm not sure if he's actually sick. He just hasn't shown up."
A dragging sound startled Haruhi. Nagato got up from her seat, headed to the bookcase furthest from the window, and pulled out a hefty book after a few moments of pause. It was in relatively good shape, the golden letters of the cover still gleaming. She looked back and held the book tightly in her hands.
"Oh, you want to lend him a book, Yuki? Very thoughtful of you!" The brigade leader walked forward and placed the swivel chair back in place.
"Group present," Nagato stated, looking at Asahina and Koizumi for a few long seconds.
"I can call for a taxi. We wouldn't want to arrive too late after all. Not with this upcoming weather." Itsuki pulled out his phone as he received the thumbs up from Haruhi.
"Oh, I… I don't know what to do." Mikuru glanced back at Haruhi, who just waved her words off.
"Don't worry about silly stuff. You're our mascot, Mikuru! Just by standing here, you're uplifting everybody's mood."
Being the brigade leader, it felt somewhat rewarding to see everyone working together. Everything was moving like a well-oiled machine. So why was that brooding itch on her whole back persisting?
The car trip was relatively quiet. Haruhi entertained herself with some light teasing on Asahina. Nagato clutched Kyon's book while holding back the urge to open it and read it. Koizumi just stared off in the distance, focusing his senses on any closed space that could appear. But none of them could hold back that feeling. The foreboding that lingered on the minds of the brigade members kept everyone on a dull state of edge. Everyone realised this, but nobody brought it up.
When they got out of their destination, they noticed something was amiss. Kyon's bicycle was on the ground like he had just thrown it aside as soon as he arrived home. There were tire marks right on the pavement, with dark rubber residues on the side gate. Whether she noticed it or not, Haruhi rang the bell and knocked a few times. The wind started to pick up strength, leaving no gap to listen in for any sounds.
After what felt like forever, though only a few seconds passed, something pushed the doorway. The door opened ajar, still held in place by the internal lock. After a few moments of clattering, it opened utterly,
"Oh, big sis!" Kyon's sister didn't attempt to hide her surprise. "And everyone else too! Are you here to check on Kyon?"
The moment she realised who they were, the odd tension in her shoulders dropped. Moving out of the doorframe, she walked back and grabbed a bowl filled with water that she had placed on the genkan. A small towel lay beside it moments before she dipped it into the water.
"Yep! It's the leader's responsibility to check up on their members." Then, seeing how the little sister escaped her sight, she entered the household and motioned the rest of the brigade into it.
It had been a while since the whole brigade visited his home. Haruhi mostly remembered the late-August homework session, but she hadn't been that committed to exploring every room even then. The house in the last days of summer felt quite cool and refreshing. However, now that innate bite was more assertive, like a minute chilly breeze caressing her back.
"Kyon's got a nasty stomachache. Well, I think he had a fever, so I was bringing this... Ah! Erm, you guys can sit in the living room." Her sister trailed off as she headed towards the kitchen but stopped short and turned around in haste. "Oh! Yeah! Do you want something to drink? I think there's something to drink."
She was nervous, not expecting visitors. But, instead, the sibling was more worried that now she had to care for four unexpected friends, while she had to care for her brother too. That's what Mikuru thought, at the very least.
"Don't worry. I'll help!" Asahina followed her into the kitchen, satisfied with the sister's relieved expression.
It caught the brigade leader on the wrong foot, but she quickly made up an excuse. "So Kyon has a fever. That's what the water bowl and towel is for. It won't be the first time I deal with tepid sponging in..."
Haruhi trailed off as she noticed that Kyon's sister or Mikuru hadn't heard her. Koizumi's happy nodding was enough for her to dash off after both of them.
Nagato and Koizumi stood in the entrance, the former glancing at the staircase to the upper floor.
"Do you sense anything?" He asked, stealing a look at the alien.
"...No." Nagato moved forward, past the staircase, and entered the living room.
The ESPer, however, didn't. His mind might not have sensed anything either, but his body somehow did. His heartbeat was faster. He felt cold, yet his school uniform had started to stick due to sweat. But worst of all was the sour taste in his mouth and throat. It happened right after he stepped into the building. When he took that first breath inside it, something had entered him. A pocket of gas, but heavier. Heavy on curiosity and disdain. That smell entered through his nostrils, stopped short in his larynx before leaving through his mouth. Whatever it was, it didn't linger around much. Perhaps it was just the temperature difference messing with his taste buds. Still, he did not like it. Not one bit at all.
"Don't tell me you're sick too, Koizumi?" Haruhi re-appeared from the kitchen, carrying the same water bowl and a small towel.
"Ah, I was just absent-minded. Is there something I can do to help?"
"I can handle it, don't worry." She patted his back and climbed up a few steps before continuing. "Stay with Yuki, okay? She shouldn't be alone."
Koizumi opened his mouth to retort but stopped short. "Do tell us if he's well enough for visits." With that, he forced himself out of the entrance and into the living room.
The upper floor was silent. It didn't feel any different from the rest of the house. She absorbed the surroundings for a few seconds before heading towards Kyon's room. It was to the right of the staircase, and the door shut completely. Her sister had said that he might be sleeping, so she took some precautions.
She knocked on the door three times, not too vigorous, not too light. "Kyon? It's me. I'm coming in, okay?"
A muffled response was enough to let her know that he was awake, somewhat at least. And not dead, most certainly. With that out of the way, she slowly opened the door and entered the room.
It wasn't as dark as she had imagined. The curtains weren't completely shut, and the little light that entered through the windows was enough to see everything clearly, besides some parts hidden by the bedframe and the desk. Some clothes were cast away on the corner of the room. Like Kyon wanted to close a hole with them, they were stuffed entirely against the wall. Or perhaps he wanted them to be as far away from him. She could see some out of place paperweight or lamp on the desk, though she had more pressing matters.
Kyon was resting on the bed. He was barely awake, with bags under his eyes and slightly focusing on her. His face was pale, with his lips chapped. His breathing looked normal, but he took a deep breath and made an effort to speak up.
"I got scared for a moment. I thought my sister grew up to be you." But, even with a weak voice, Haruhi still felt his usual tone behind it.
"You'd be pretty lucky in that case." She entered the bedroom, not closing the door behind her.
"I'd say pretty cursed." Kyon attempted to get up from the bed with that answer, though he barely managed to switch to a supine position.
Haruhi didn't try to answer back. Instead, she put down the water-filled bowl on his nightstand and stopped him from moving.
"How are you feeling?" She asked while checking his temperature with the back of her hand. It wasn't burning hot, but it was higher than it should be.
"My head feels like a constant Tunguska event is happening on my balcony, and I feel like I've been run over, but besides that, I'm peachy." It was good to know that his snark was healthy enough to be present, at the very least.
She kneeled beside his bed. "I thought you'd have a fever. Your sister wanted to put a wet towel over your forehead, but it seems fine."
"My sis? She's been like that ever since she tried to wake me up." He scoffed. "I'm fine. I just need to rest up. She just acts all tough when things get messy."
"So she acts like you then. A brigade member shouldn't act so selfishly, Kyon! You'll regret it if you take her worry for granted." Haruhi didn't realise she did the same. "Anyways, maybe you ate something spoiled. Is your stomach fine? Maybe I should make some rice?"
"Yeah, probably. Maybe I'm allergic to peanuts or something; who knows. Is Nag… Are the others here as well? I should greet them."
He briefly attempted to get up again before something in him gave up.
"Don't force yourself." Suzumiya scowled, getting up from the ground. "You should just rest up. I'll tell the brigade you're still as pesky as ever. Let me get you some water too, and I'll be back."
The bedroom door creaked as some air made its way into it. The thermal sensation dropped down a few degrees with the windows curtains dancing with the air current.
"Can you?" Kyon spoke up, stopped to glance at his desk, and then continued. "Can you close whatever window is opened? And the door too. The air is freezing."
"Uh, sure, I'll be right back."
With those words, Haruhi turned around and walked back to the bedroom entrance. But, right when she was about to leave, she remembered the bowl and towel that she had left right on his nightstand.
Haruhi might not have even seen it properly. With the curtains moving with the air, so was the sunlight seeping through them. And perhaps, something in her brain noticed it, or maybe her eyes saw it for less than a second. It was that little paperweight on Kyon's desk. A tiny figurine of some Buddha, no more than 10 centimetres of height. With an extraordinarily rigid posture, arms and legs stuck to its body. Its eyes were bulging and round. Ever-smiling. Yet not happy. It was surrounded by what looked like depictions of wind on its little limbs and bodies.
Not even half a second had passed, but she already hated it. And the more she looked at it, the more Haruhi despised it. There was nothing positive coming out of that statuette. An unwanted, primal urge pressured her to grab it, twist it, break it, shatter it, disintegrate it…!
"Haruhi." Kyon's voice snapped her from the trance. "Can you bring me some water as well?"
"Only because you're sick, don't get used to it." She snatched the bowl, its contents almost flying out of it. Then, she shot off out of the bedroom, closing the door behind her.
Kyon stood silent for a moment, waiting for Haruhi's steps to disappear into the background. Then, mustering all of his strength, he got up from the bed. His arms felt heavy, but he grabbed that grotesque statuette, feeling its rough texture sinking into his skin. Then, driven by sheer will, his legs dragged themselves forward until they reached the balcony screen door. And then he threw the idol out into his next neighbour's property.
There was no relief, however. Kyon didn't even turn around, but he already knew that thing was back on his desk. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to check as a gust of wind almost threw him to the ground, invading his bedroom and exploring every corner of it. Kyon was barely able to close down the screen door before he collapsed to the ground. From there, he saw the figurine again, on the edge of his desk. Rigid, but somehow looking down at him, looming, its ever staying smile looking one bit wider.