I haven't been keeping track of the date ever since I came into this new world. Not the least concerned about the class schedule because I'd sleep through every one of them. Oh well, school is barely the main focus of my life today. Current time, Friday morning, 'early' o'clock. Weather, I guess it was sunny. I was woken up by my private servant, whose name I discovered to be, Urukim. Strange name for a strange little girl. I decided to call her Uru.
Uru had made us breakfast of eggs and some rice. Our fridge was full and flourishing. How did we do it? You may ask. Just who was this Buta-san? Buta-san was a victim… I had murdered Buta-san to get money. Not wasting a single bit of his insides, we had gathered whatever had accumulated within him and used it to our benefits. With a hammer, tears, and a shatter that echoed throughout the evening streets. Buta-san lay dead on the floor, scattered. Many years of New Years, birthday, and Christmas money as well as money from those days when I had nowhere to put my change, were mixed in with Buta-san's scattered remains. I was in despair and mourning for my lost friend when the vicious little monster snatched the remains away and went out to buy groceries and other living necessities, leaving me with a full stomach and an empty feeling.
That was besides the point. I was looking forward to talking to Haruhi once again, anxiously waiting for anymore signs on connection between this world and the old. The more and more time that passes, the more and more I was getting used to this world. The only problems were not having a family, I'm dead broke, I'm redoing first year in high school, and everyone I knew in the old word we're replaced by new ones which made me feel oddly out of sync with the people around me.
Haruhi was at her desk reading one of the manga books Nagato lent her. Her bag which was hung on a hook at the side of her desk were jam packed with ones she bought and borrowed from either a manga rental shop or the Literature Clubroom Collection A.K.A. Nagato. Apparently she wasn't obsessed to the point where she had no awareness of her surroundings. Such a nice balance.
"Good morning Kyon." She said.
"Good morning. I see you've got a new hobby. Don't tell me you only read books for the whole day after you got home." I replied.
"I wouldn't call it a hobby. I only read a little." She denied, trying to put away the book she was reading into her already jammed backpack. She dropped the book several times while even more overflowed out of her bag, blushing a bright red as she miserably failed to fit all of it into her bag.
"I can hold some for you." I suggested.
"Thanks, I need to get some of these returned by today. Can you help me get these to the library?" She asked.
I was surprised, Haruhi asking for help? A chance like this only comes once in a lifetime, I wouldn't turn it down.
"You're asking me for help?"
Haruhi had just realized what she had just said and turned and even brighter shade of red.
"Um, not like that! You can't expect me to carry those back all by myself! If you really don't want to I guess I can just ask Nagato, no that'd be too troublesome for her, I'll be alright doing it by myself -"
"Don't worry, I'd love to go." I assured.
Haruhi's blush had steadied down to a light shade of pink, she nodded and returned to reading.
…
Lunch period had started, wiping the drool off my face I needed to get as much food as possible before returning home, for nourishment was hard to find in my current situation. It was only a matter of time before we run out of money and food, so I'll have to eat as much as I can in school.
After getting a tray I sat down at an empty table and started to dig in. When someone had taken a seat opposite me.
"I'm sorry, everywhere else was taken. It's only been a few days since I've transferred here so I haven't made a lot of friends yet." He smiled.
Well, well, well, if it isn't Koizumi Itsuki. What a destined meeting. I should give him the honor of being offered my friendship.
"Hello, my name's Kyon. If you'd like I can show you around the school, maybe I'll be nice enough to be friends with you." I held out my hand over the table, acting high and mighty. I am your superior, queer new transfer student!
Koizumi stared in disbelief. Recovering back to his usual smile he chuckled and opened his bento.
"What're you talking about? It's me Kyon, the old Koizumi. I see you're talking much advantage of this new world." he flicked his hair, repelling my handshake. "I hope you're enjoying your stay. Did you hope for me to be as docile as Suzumiya?"
Tch...
"So it's just you." I sat back down in my chair disappointed. "Which worm hole did you spawn out of? I thought you couldn't enter this space."
"So I thought. In the end you had played your part very nicely. It seems that introducing Haruhi to Nagato was a significant enough event to trigger a temporary link between the two plains. I had taken advantage of my esper powers and slipped right into the body of my alternate self."
"Does that mean you possessed your old self? You're a demon."
"I wouldn't say possessed. I fused my old self with the new self. Sort of like Nagato's synchronization. If I do say so myself."
"I see. Will it be possible for Nagato to synchronize? I believe she's capable of doing something like that."
"I don't think so. The only way for anyone to keep or return their old self in this world is for you to interact with them, with the exception of Haruhi. I'm not sure that's completely the case but it's what I inferred after entering this world."
"What about you? Does that mean if I stop talking to you and ignore you completely you'll just revert to your other self?"
"No, I'm here to stay. Remember that this world is in some way a closed space. My presence is permanent. I still have my powers."
" That's too bad. How is that so? If the old Haruhi is gone, that means that your powers disappear too, just like that other time."
"I'm still here." Koizumi smiled.
...
End of class, an event that happens everyday yet you can't ever get enough of that feeling. Stretching after another snooze session it was once again time to get to the literacy clubroom. Whether I was still asleep or not, my body knows where to go.
"You ready?" Haruhi asked with her bag.
"Sure, sure. Lets go." I walked off with Haruhi walking next.
The room was the same as we left it yesterday. The tea cups untouched, books in their places, not a speck of dust disturbed. There was only one difference though.
Nagato who sitting in her usual seat reading a book, she was no longer wearing any glasses. She kept her eyes on the pages, nodded to our arrival, and continued reading. That wasn't the response I was expecting from this Nagato.
"Nothing." She answered simply.
Something's up. Haruhi took her regular seat next to Nagato and started reading more books herself.
"Nagato, what does moe mean?" Haruhi asked pointing at a page in her book.
"Which book are you reading?" She asked, without looking up.
Haruhi told her the name of the book.
"Which page?"
Haruhi told her the page.
"In this case it means an extremely seductive trait of a character, examples may be..."
Nagato's explanation of 'moe' was no different from when she first told me that she was an alien. Could this be the old Nagato?
For the rest of the time we spent in the clubroom, I tried observing Nagato for a change. She was flipping the pages at an extremely fast pace rivaling the speed of her former self. She didn't have much of an expression, and didn't appear to have any reaction to the stuff she was reading. Usually she'd sigh or even show signs of laughter but not this time. She didn't even move her eyes that much.
Haruhi was feeling the same discomfort as I was with Nagato's unusual behavior.
"It's almost time before the library closed. I'll have to return these books. You're coming along too right Kyon?"
"Sure." I replied as I packed my bag and was about to leave. "Then see ya Nagato." I waved, expecting no answer in return if this Nagato was really the old.
"Wait..." Nagato said. "I want to come along."
"Then let's go."
"Hold my hand." Nagato asked holding it out.
"What?"
"Just hold it."
"Well... Alright then..." I seized her hand which she pulled on to get up.
"Walk me." She simply replied.
I tried shaking off her hand to ask her what the deal was, but the strength of fingers that turn a million pages a day were not to be underestimated.
"Do it." she repeated firmly.
"Eh heh..." I had no choice.
We were walking to the library, three of us. Haruhi in her mild shade of pink uncomfortable being next to the two of us holding hands.
"Kyon..." Haruhi started.
"Yes?" I replied understanding what the situation was.
"Never mind." she said and hurried forward. I tried to catch up, but Nagato grabbed my blazer with with one hand, and my own with her other pulling me back.
"Walk slower." She asked.
The reason she wanted me to hold her hand, no, support her was simple. There was obviously something wrong with her. As we walked she tripped and stumbled gripping me close and tighter each time. The possibility that she might've been the old Nagato seemed completely unlikely with the way she was acting. Was I being too calculative?
We finally reached the library. We sat on the couches while Haruhi returned her book. Nagato showed no signs of letting her grip from my elbow. We sat side by side and were approached by Haruhi who had returned from the checkout counter.
"There's still time before it closes. How about we read a before it does?" Haruhi asked unsure. She was bothered by the sight of us looking like a couple.
"Sure that'll be fine with me. How about we get a book Nagato?" I asked.
"Go get me one." Nagato asked. "Please."
She let go to allow me to search for a book. I tried following Haruhi but she kept her distance, putting at least a few aisles of book shelves between us. Trying to catch her was no good, it was clear that she was avoiding me. Passing by one of the shelves I eyed a science fiction book that would suit, the old Nagato very nicely. I picked it out and returned.
"Here, try this." I held out the book. Nagato held out her hands in front of her so I could place it in her palms. I sat down next to her, she came closer and gripped my elbow again. The book lay forgotten on the couch.
A few moments later Haruhi had came as well. She sat down next to me and grabbed my other elbow, blushing furiously once again. What the hell? The library didn't seem it was going to close anytime soon. Both girls ignored their books. Haruhi occasionally looking towards Nagato. I sat rigid on the couch, being stared down by the people around me. Blood started rushing to my head. They were both too close.
"Excuse me." the library woman called.
"I'm sorry! Please excuse us! I have no idea what's gotten into these two!" I apologized.
"No it's not that. We're about to close. I'll take those books." She took both of the books and winked at me before walking off. No! You misunderstand!
"Let's go." I said getting up. The two got up as well still having me at the elbow. The three of us walked arm in arm out the door and down the street. I wonder how any of us were going to get to our houses if we couldn't split up. Eventually Haruhi let go.
"Fine then... You two just have fun." She said not looking back, for the first time ever in an agitated voice. She ran off before I can return the farewell. Nagato was left walking beside me. Tripping every once in an often, looking to me for support and balance. As we turned a corner she hit her head on a wall.
"Ouch..." She exclaimed.
I can presume that tripping and stumbling while walking was due to some condition or lack of sleep, but running into a wall right in plain sight? Was this an act? I finally pushed her off.
"What's the deal?" I asked.
"Just a bit further, to my house." She explained kneeling on the sidewalk rubbing her forehead.
"You've been acting extremely strange today. Are you hurt anywhere? Should I take you to a doctor. Why are you being so clingy? Can't you walk on your own instead of leaning on me?" I shot off.
"I can't walk on my own right now."
"Why not?"
"I left my glasses at home. It's been troublesome the entire day, I can't see a thing."
"..."
"..."
"Why didn't you tell me first?"
"It was just an experiment."
"Let's get a move on then..."
"Sorry about that."
I will have many things to explain to Haruhi tomorrow.
To Our Beloved Reader: This was one unpredicted story arc that came into my head while I was typing. Out of the blue. Without balancing anything out I just said 'screw it' and went for it. I think it turned out just fine. Some of you may like it. Others might think it was a bit awkward or didn't make sense. Either way if you guys don't like it, I can always rewrite this chapter.
I might sound a bit confident. That's because I am. The always calculated me would never just write at the drop of a hat. Many hours of planning go into my work, but sometimes I just can't resist.
It's either 'sorry' or 'your welcome' from here.
Fan proof reading is very much appreciated. I'll eventually find more errors when I read it online, but for the time shortly after release, bear with me.
Thanks for Reading: LordPlagus777