You could say that for the rest of Golden Week, I was on a man hunt. For that guy, of course.

He was going on cool adventures without me! He was taking orders from the future without me! This must be what it feels to be replaced by someone better then you after you got fired and then go sabotage that person's career. This was a similar case, only more extreme.

I had to find out what that note said.

Which was why I was so exhausted by the end of the week, that I collapsed into my bed on the last day and went straight to sleep.

Besides looking for Santa Clause (no, not the real one), I had to help my neighbor with his homework and on top of that, I had to work on my own.

Why doesn't the educational system realize how important time travel and aliens are. We need to prepare for that!

I groaned into my pillow and I soon drifted into sleep.

. . . Wait, what day of the week is it?

When I was young I always wanted to know the stupidest of things. I wanted to know why the sky was blue, the trees green, the sun yellow. Though, as I grew up these questions I asked were answered with a simple "the sky is blue because the molecules reflect that color" or "trees are green because of photosynthesis" and then, "the sun is yellow because it's a star going through mid-life". You might thing that all of those are reasonable answers.

I didn't want them to be.

I wanted there to be a better reason. We can't see the stupid molecules in the sky so how could I take that at face value?

But then I'm simply questioning life, am I right? Why are humans the only talking, walking primate on this earth? "Because of evolution." "Because it just is." "Because God made us that way."

. . . You then start thinking about how special you truly are. If it takes thousands of Earth's to fit into the sun and trillions of suns to fill an entire galaxy, then our lives are as small as a molecule. How would anything take earth to face value? And those billions of people living on the surface. How would any of them matter in the end. If we all die, the universe is still going to continue, right?

What is the reason for living?

I still hadn't figured that out but when I do, I will not take "because we are" as an answer.

Climbing up that hill never gave me problems before but for some reason I was huffing and puffing up it like a smokestack. Since I forgot the day of the week I didn't even bother with my hair. I hadn't really done anything to my hair (except putting it in a pony tail on occasion) since last year. I just couldn't bother doing the hair ritual everyday, it just got so boring.

I thought for a moment that maybe they would put another note in my locker.

Nope, no notes in locker.

. . . Maybe my desk.

Nope, no notes in desk.

I sighed loudly, startling a few people beside me, including pervo. I sat angrily in my seat, feeling even less important then before.

"Chosen? Not likely. Probably just a random lucky draw. After all, there are six billion people in this world. Heh, you must be the luckiest lottery winner alive."

Why was that the one thing I remembered clearly from that retarded discussion?

Though, it's true. I must have won the lottery but the ticket flew into the hands of someone more fortunate. Of course I wasn't chosen, I would be way too lucky if that was the case. They probably needed me because it was "predestined" or whatever. At this point, I don't really care . . .

"I'm certain that all of you did your homework over break. If not then heads might roll!" said the overly active Asahina-sensei. I heard only a few shuffles and saw a few guilty stares. The teacher in the back narrowed his eyes at this.

After a few lectures to the ones who decided not to do their assignments, the class settled down into a somewhat peaceful state. Asahina-sensei drew in breath.

"As your Math II student teacher, I would like for everyone to learn from others mistakes. Even if you did your homework, everyone needs to understand the cons of procrastination. You never know what could happen if you don't do something you are supposed to do. It's very important."

Well, since you are a time traveler, if you didn't do anything your future probably wouldn't exist.

Unless you are playing some stupid prank on me. If that's so, then stop making it look like you're practicing what you preach.

The rest of the day was simple, mostly welcoming us back from break. The bell rang and I slowly began packing my bag, deciding that I wouldn't need to study for Math II and that I wouldn't do my homework in that class as revenge. Take that, Asahina-sensei!

I'm not sure if she would care though . . .

"Um, Suzumiya-san?"

Oh, speak of the devil! How does she appear right when I'm thinking about her? Don't tell me she reads minds . . .

I turned around to see the student teacher again. She didn't have the kind expression she usually wore but instead had a serious look about her. Something must be wrong.

"What?" I asked, a bit more forceful then I intended.

She handed something over to me. Great, more papers . . .

"I need you to head over to the cram school at six-thirty and deliver these for me. The name of the school is on the sheets along with directions. It's only a station away."

Huh? When did this Asahina-sensei become so talkative? I thought she said she wouldn't help me? Well, I shouldn't get my hopes up. Saint Nick probably didn't go to this cram school and he probably didn't go on this day. Though, these papers did come from Asahina so it shouldn't be called "coincidence" yet.

I didn't bother asking why since I knew she wouldn't answer my questions. No one answers my questions now a days. It's one of the rules in the game, "Don't-Let-Haruhi-Know-What-The-Hell-Is-Going-On."

I decided to go where the dice told me too and went into the station after getting out of my uniform at home. I went towards the cram school specified on the sheets. I never really went to a cram school since my parents didn't want to waste money on that type of stuff, they thought I could excel better on my own. My neighbor (he doesn't go to this cram school) said that it was okay but he didn't really like how he had no real time to draw.

I think that he went on the weekends too. That must suck . . .

I walked up to the building of the supposed cram school and walked up to the front desk, presenting the papers with random names to the secretary stationed there. She told me that I was to present said papers to 4-B and then told me to say "hi" to Asahina-sensei. Did she work here before going to North High as a student teacher?

She sure does a lot of volunteer work . . . I wonder where her income comes from?

It turns out that 4-B was four stories up. The elevator was only used for personnel only.

Screw the rules, I don't want to waste my precious energy on the stairs. So, I jumped into the elevator and pressed "4" keeping my eyes on the blinking light atop it. Before reaching level four though, the elevator suddenly stopped on level three. I jumped at the sudden stop and began to panic. Damn, I thought I could get away with this!

The elevator door opened and I began accepting my doomed fate. Good job at screwing the rules . . .

". . ."

". . ."

I must either have great luck or the stars above heard my prayers because standing before me was Santa Clause. We both glared at each other.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

I heard the ding of the elevator but I slammed my hand on it to keep it open. Santa smirked a bit.

"Oh really? And what are you doing here? Unless you happen to be the first transfer student I've ever happened upon."

"Oh, so you never had a transfer student before? Well, there's a first. And for your information, I'm going to 4-B to drop off these papers. Instead, I should be asking what you are doing here. Didn't your cram classes just start?"

I'm sure he didn't know I knew that however, it's a known fact that my neighbor always went to cram around six o'clock. Don't tell me this guy was skipping. Though, he does look the type . . .

I slammed the elevator to seem a bit more commanding.

"Well, I just wanted to ask why the homeless girl is in my school. And in the prohibited elevator, no doubt. You must have gotten in through the back entrance. Sorry, but I told you I have nothing for you."

"That isn't it, damn it!"

I slammed the elevator again. Why won't this thing shut up? Santa sighed deeply and began walking into the elevator.

"Look, can you calm down? I'm not really suppose to be here and you really aren't suppose to be here. It would be better for both of us if we quietly settled this and not throw some petty tantrum. Really, annoying people like you don't get anywhere."

You're the one who's annoying, stupid.

I scooted farther away from him into the corner as he pressed "1". Since my floor was next, I had to hurry.

"Look, I know you received notes from 'Asahina Mikuru'. I want you to tell me what you're doing."

The small smirk that was on his face was replaced by a serious one, looking at me with great surprise. I smiled as I had finally got him to shut up.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Quite the crap! I know you got those notes. If you tell me what they said, I'll leave you alone forever."

He glared at me and stuffed his hands into his pockets. As the elevator stopped I continued to wait for his answer.

"It's your floor–"

"So? I have all the time in the world. I don't really care about these stupid papers, all I want is answers."

He sighed again and pressed a button to close the elevator. Probably worried about the teachers.

"Look, I don't know anything about 'Asahina Mikuru' but I do remember her being a tutor here for some time. That's all. I only got two notes."

"And what did they say?"

He shook his head.

"How would you know about this anyway? I got my notes from my room. I thought it would be fun to see if whatever it said on them were true. I don't trust a stalker like you."

I growled as he lied against the wall of the elevator. Oh, so I'm a stalker now? I then thought of something.

"My neighbor . . . he got a turtle from you. A small turtle. Or tortoise. Or whatever, I don't care. He drew an animation of it and everything. He drew a picture of you and said that you were carrying some sort of note. You see, that night I met you someone told me by note to go there. I had to take that chip thing and send it off to someone. Before that I got these strange articles. I could tell you the names of the people who wrote them for more proof if you want!"

He rose his eyebrows in curiosity. I think I've got him.

"Myself, Kozumi, Nagato, Asahina Mikuru, and some guy named 'Kyon'. Kinda strange how he was the only one with an alias and a pretty stupid alias too."

Santa's eyes widened as he took his hands out of his pockets. Does he recognize anyone there? Does he finally believe me? Suddenly, he took me by the shoulders and looked straight into my eyes. Get your fuzzy go-lumps off me!

I heard a ding as the elevator opened up.

"Kyon . . . Kyon that's . . . that's my . . . nickname. My stupid nickname."

". . ."

. . . So he's the pedophile? The one that wrote that horrible romance story?

I heard the ding again as the elevator began opening again.

I slammed the door once again.

Damn elevator . . . this is all your fault.

Thanks for reading! Oh, and I wanted to thank anonymous iron for telling me my stupid mistake xD. I fixed it of course. I'm glad that last chapter made everyone distrust their e-mail ;D. Please review for more extremely long elevator discussions :p! Also, go-lumps are not real things (though it's pretty obvious).