"You may not understand but please, don't touch that rock."

Fujiwara, the "murderer" confronting me with a worried gaze. How rare for a murderer.

"Which one, the gourd looking one or the other random scattered rocks."

I pointed to the rock I stood beside.

"Particularly the gourd one."

I narrowed my eyes, the dark sky was close to encircling the clearing. It was almost time.

"Why are you so interested in it. After all, it's all your fault I'm doing whatever you think I'm doing. You have no right to stop me, not after you lied to me."

". . . Who said I was lying?"

Heh, who said I was lying? What a stupid question. He was lying, he was a terrible lier too. I saw this from one hundred meters away. It was obvious.

I took out a note from my pocket and flung it towards him, spitting at it as it landed

"She did."

Fujiwara stared at the note and my eyes followed him carefully as he picked it up. He gave me his infamous smirk as he dropped and crushed it.

"Are you even sure she wrote these notes? You could've been decieved."

"I don't see how Kyon being John Smith as being decieving. If I remember correctly, you told me that time travel was real and that John Smith wasn't allowing you to return home. Was that whole thing about the TPDD a lie?"

He began laughing as I finished my sentence. He twisted his hair and began walking towards me. I glared at him.

"Smart-assed as ever, Suzumiya-san. I'm impressed. Though I didn't lie about the capabilities of the TPDD. I'm not like them."

"Then why did you tell me that John Smith was dead!"

I moved closer to the rock and Fujiwara stopped moving towards me.

"Because he is dead."

". . . What?"

"John Smith isn't who he's originally suppose to be. Well you remember him, right? He's the one who 'helped' you create that waste of data. You see, Suzumiya-san. You are not from this reality."

Wha–what? What crap is he–?

"Why are you doing all of this? Is it for fun? Is it for curiosity? Or did something inside your head tell you to do it? Was it the articles? Notes? Adrenaline? Impatience? What?"

"Shut up."

"Or maybe . . . some little bug had erased any memories you had of the true reality you came from. Ha, so you're a slider? How ironic considering you wanted to meet one."

"Shut up!"

"And Kyon . . .? Who is he? John Smith? No he's dead. This is that ill-placed-name's reality. He belongs here. You, on the other hand, are a stranger. We are both strangers. So, for your best interests . . . don't touch that rock."

SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!

I placed my hand onto the rock, the cold surface gleaming among the moonlight. I held in my breath as I awaited what was to come. The crescent moon aligned with the gourd rock and just as the note had predicted, it began shining. I couldn't see the face of Fujiwara but instead of a cry of defeated, I heard a muffled laugh.

"No, you are simply too gullible, brat."

The white light pierced my conscious.

"She just looks out that window?"

"Yeah, she's hoping for a lot, isn't she?"

"She's the weird loner, huh? Really, you-she deserves it."

"I know."

These thoughts of mine mixed in with the whispers, clouding and distorting them.

"Want to ask her out?"

"That weirdo? Dude, no way!"

"She's pretty hot though."

"Only someone stupid would ask someone like her out."

"I must be stupid then . . ."

I try to ignore but the weight, the sound . . . it hurts. It never bothered me last year but . . .

"Hey did you watch that episode yesterday?"

"Yeah, it was hilarious!"

"You should come over and watch with me sometimes!"

Shut up, shut up, shut up!

"You awake idiot?"

"Yeah, you didn't draw on my face did you?"

"Why would I do such a childish thing?"

Guh . . . I'll just lay my head on this desk. Everything is just too heavy.

Why can't I just fade away?

. . .

. . .

No?

Why would I . . .? Am I fading away? Why?

. . . Kyon?

Where are you?