This fanfic is currently under construction and the chapters are therefore subjected to minor changes. I apologise for any confusion.
A STORM OF EMOTIONS
It started raining.
Suzumiya Haruhi stood against her bedroom door, staring blankly at the drizzle splashing against her window.
How long she had stood there, she had no idea. She had been standing in that same position ever since she came in. But her mind was too focused on the growing turmoil inside her to let this matter concern her.
"He's not your puppet! Not even your boyfriend! Can't you just back off and give him a break?!"
"Tch!" She glowered and turned her face away from the window, as though the silent glass object had repeated the words to her.
She threw her bag on the bed.
It was too quiet.
She began taking off her uniform and hurled them on the bed. As she did, the rain outside began to fall harder.
Haruhi opened her closet and took out a brown t-shirt and a skirt. After she put them on, she checked her herself on the mirror.
"He's not your puppet! Not even your boyfriend!"
She took off her t-shirt and grabbed another one, a green one.
"What's going on with you, Haruhi? You're acting weird lately."
"Tch! Stupid, stupid Kyon!" she hissed as she took off the green t-shirt as well. She also removed her skirt and hurled it out of sight as she grabbed a short and another (blue) t-shirt. Looking more irritable, she put them on.
"Why are you so against Koizumi dating girls?"
"Shit!" Haruhi lost her patience with buttoning her short and removed it. She decided she didn't need to wear a short. And she didn't need to wear a shirt as well.
Not bothering to cover her half-naked body, she threw herself on the bed.
She knew very well she acted foolishly towards Umi.
- -
It rained harder.
Umi was pissed. It's been a week since the day she offered Koizumi the love letter, yet she still hasn't forgotten how that stupid, bitchy, arrogant, selfish, spoiled Miss Suzumiya Haruhi had humiliated her and forced Koizumi Itsuki to reject her.
Wanting to vent her anger on something, she kicked the chair of her desk.
How dare she act that way to her? Who the hell does Suzumiya Haruhi think she is?
Feeling infuriated, she grabbed a pillow from her bed and threw it against the closet in front of her.
Then she caught sight of herself on the mirror that hung on the closet. Her face was furiously red and distorted with anger. It was ugly.
She closed her eyes and clenched her fists.
Calm yourself, Umi.
Slowly taking a breath, she silently sent a mental note to her rival.
You won't be seeing the last of me, Suzumiya Haruhi. I always get what I want and since I want Koizumi, I'll be sure to have him.
- -
Thunder rumbled overhead.
Haruhi stood in her garden, letting the rain wet her hair, her skin, her cloak. She didn't bother putting on any footwear, nor was she concerned about the fact that she was only wearing underwear under a cloak.
She didn't want to stay within the brick walls of her house because she felt it worsened the chaos inside her. Her bedroom frustrated her; it was messy, with all the clothes she had thrown and hurled about, but she wasn't in the mood to pick them up, no matter how much the sight bothered her.
Haruhi watched as rain began fall more heavily and lightning flashed above.
Kyon… She knew she had feelings for Kyon. He's the person closest to her.
Koizumi… Koizumi Itsuki… With his smile, his agreeable attitude, he was an irreplaceable person for Haruhi. Yet he was just another Brigade member, just a friend. No more than that.
But this feeling… Why was it so disturbingly similar to how she felt towards Kyon, yet so different? Different in a way that it seemed to grow deeper each day she saw Koizumi…
As thunder rolled, Kyon's voice echoed in her head.
"I think you're being too unreasonable here."
Shocked at the thought of these words, she then felt shame and anger rising within her.
Clenching her fists, she shouted towards the whole world, "I know!"
- -
Koizumi heard one of his colleagues cursed behind him. It wasn't surprising, since the Shinjins seemed more aggressive than usual. He and five others ducked as one Shinjin threw a fist towards their direction.
He was about to soar closer to the creature when another figure illuminated in red approached him.
"Koizumi, Hanajima's summoning you."
- -
At that moment, miles away from the enclosed space, Haruhi stood in her bedroom, watching as the storm worsened.
She didn't take off her cloak, so her bedroom floor was wet with rainwater.
But she didn't care, not as her feelings of frustration increased.
I need you. I need you, Koi- no! Not Koizumi – Kyon!
"Aagh!!" Haruhi pulled her hair in frustration.
Kyon had always been there for her, and no matter what, he'll always be there for her. That's what she decided long ago.
Yet…
Why did it feel so wrong to say that she needs him out loud? Why did it feel so wrong to say that he's the person she wants to be with at this very moment? Why did feel so wrong to… lie?
- -
"What a weather," mumbled Kyon to himself as he looked out of his bedroom window.
It had been rather sunny that day, but suddenly, the weather had turned from nice to nasty.
Like there's some god above the clouds having its mood swings, thought Kyon.
His phone rang. He turned away from the depressing sight behind his window towards the place where the musical tune was coming from.
It was Nagato.
Wondering what would bring the laconic alien to call him, he answered.
"Hey, Nagato, what's up?"
"Please contact Suzumiya Haruhi at once."
Silence.
"Eh, come again?"
"Please contact Suzumiya Haruhi at once," said Nagato in a clear monotone voice, "The enclosed space caused by Suzumiya Haruhi's current negative state of mind is expanding at a high speed." She paused. "You must contact her at once and assuage her emotions."
"Wait a second here, Nagato," said Kyon, feeling a little startled by such news. "Why should it be me?"
"Because you are the person closest to Suzumiya Haruhi. Only you can soothe her like no one else can."
Kyon was speechless at this.
"Just like last time," continued Nagato. Then, without another word, she hung up.
Before Kyon could take in what she just told him, his phone rang again. This time it was Asahina Mikuru.
"Asahina-san?"
"Ah, Kyon-kun… I, uhm, I just want to ask you if you could call up Suzumiya-san."
"Er, yeah, I suppose I can. Just now, Nagato asked me the same thing."
"Ah- Oh! I'm sorry, Kyon-kun. Okay, I'll leave you now. Good luck!"
"Alright, thanks."
Kyon looked at his phone. Just now, the alien and the time traveler had asked him to call Haruhi. But what did they actually expect him to say to her? That aside, this meant that the esper would be calling him any time soon. Well, he didn't need that guy to make the same request.
Yet why – why was he hesitating?
- -
Koizumi's superior looked at him with a grave expression as she said, "Koizumi, please call up Kyon and ask him to contact Suzumiya Haruhi. Please do it quickly, the enclosed space has increased by at least 80% right now."
"I understand," said Koizumi, "Please excuse me."
He turned away and took out his phone.
- -
What are you doing? Why the hell are you hesitating, you idiot?
Yes, why was he hesitating? Kyon knew very well that at that very moment the gray spaces are expanding at a deadly speed; that's why Nagato and Asahina urged him to make a phone call to Haruhi.
Perhaps it was because he didn't know what to say to Haruhi?
It doesn't matter! said a voice in his head. Just call her! The world is in danger! Call her. Right. NOW!
Not knowing the reason why he hesitated despite the emergency and mentally cursing himself, Kyon dialed Haruhi's number.
The line was busy.
- -
"…"
Koizumi was speechless. Was it due to the pressure of having to call Kyon in a hurry that he accidentally dialed Suzumiya Haruhi's number?
"Hello?"
"Ah- Yes, Suzumiya-san, good afternoon. I've accidentally dialed your number, I apologize for this."
There was a silence. Koizumi wanted to smack himself for making such a mistake, at this time!
"So, er, Suzumiya-san, how are you?" Great, now he was deferring his call to Kyon. What on earth was wrong with him?
There was another silence.
"I'm fine," said Haruhi with softness in her voice Koizumi never recalled hearing. "I'm fine right now."
"…Ah, that's great to hear, Suzumiya-san. Well, I shall not bother you any longer. Please take care of yourself, Suzimiya-san."
Haruhi didn't reply and, after a short silence, she hung up.
"Well done, Koizumi." Koizumi's superior approached him. "The enclosed space is rapidly decreasing right now."
"But, wasn't it expanding just before I made the call?" asked Koizumi.
"Ah, yes, that's right," said the woman. "I wonder if Kyon had already called her? What did Kyon tell you?"
"I didn't call Kyon," said Koizumi. "I accidentally dialed Suzumiya Haruhi's number."
His superior stared at him.
For some reason, he had a hunch that he had called Suzumiya Haruhi before Kyon did.
© Mademoiselle X
Phew, thank god this chapter's done! I had to eat like, 2 bars of Hershey chocolate to finish this. One song that inspired me while I was thinking on how to write down this chapter was "T-shirt" from Shontelle. I'm sure that those who know the lyrics of this song will understand ^_-
Anyways, thanks a lot to those who've reviewed! That really helped - as always. Believe it or not, I haven't written most of my chapters without re-reading the reviews. So please, please review this chapter and let me know what you think of the story so far. If you do, you'll be bringing the day of the next update at least two days closer, because like chocolate, your reviews are what keeps me writing this story ^-^ - Mademoiselle X
[Edit: OK, looks like there's going to be a delay with the update since I'll be busy relocating to another country. The good news is that the next time I'll be updating, there's going to be three new chapters, maybe more and for those who can't wait to see what happens next, I've posted some hints for the rest of the story on my profile. Don't go there if you don't want to know! You've been warned! - Mademoiselle X]