The Escape of Haruhi Suzumiya

by Pokerface89

As the factions that surround Haruhi get more aggresive, Kyon is forced to take a more pro-active role in the conflict

3. Turn The Other Cheek

April 17th. Thursday Afternoon. The Coffee shop.

I found Sasaki waiting for me at the coffee shop. She already had already bought two drinks and had one of them placed in front of the seat opposite her.

"You look worn out," Sasaki said warmly as I took my seat, "Have you been up too much since we last met?"

"I take it you haven't heard what happened," I said.

"No. I'm afraid I've been concentrating on my school work lately and haven't meet much with the others so I've been out of the loop. It might be irresponsible for someone in my position to be so aloof but after that last meeting I wanted to reconnect to the real world and gain some perspective," Sasaki said and pushed the drink near me closer to me.

"Yes...I understand, if only I could do that," I said wishfully and accepted the thoughtful gift by taking a sip.

Sasaki gave me a caring smile. "Maybe you can. Perhaps this meeting of ours can be your return to normalcy."

"I wish, but I'm afraid it's beginning to look like we must take our situation seriously…that's why I wanted to meet you in person," I said and shifted gears to a more serious tone. "There has already been an escalation and everyone seems to be gearing up for more. Koizumi told me yesterday that Haruhi and I are under surveillance and I think the same could go for you. He also told me that there's some sort of security around Haruhi. At first I thought it was too much to monitor the girl but after yesterday I wished they had tighter security...It wouldn't surprise me if there was someone following you too."

Sasakis smile slowly faded and turned into a concerned look.

"I see," She said contemplative, "I suspected there might be someone watching us since we've attracted the attention of factions like these. If you think about it, such powerful abilities are bound to act like a magnet to ambitious people."

She leaned forward and focused her concerned look at me.

"Tell me, what happened yesterday?" she asked.

As if that hasn't been analyzed to death already…

"Haruhi…went off," I said. That vagueness was my attempt at avoiding the specifics.

"She went off?" Sasaki repeated and raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," I said. I didn't think I'd need to explain that further to anyone who knows Haruhi. Then again maybe Sasaki doesn't…

Sasaki leaned back and took a sip out of her drink.

"I see. And what set her off?" she asked.

"I guess that would be me," I admitted.

"Could you explain that, please?" She asked.

"It's really a long story."

Sasaki took another sip and her caring smile returned as she put her tea cup down before she spoke.

"I can hear that it's difficult for you to talk about this," She said with understanding in her voice, "However, I don't think me prying every word out of you is a good way to spend the time we have. We're in this together so please just tell me what happened."

"Yes, Yes, you're right of course," I said and rubbed my temples in preparation to repeat my tale of woe yet again. "Tachibana asked to meet me. She and her group had established Haruhis routine and had her under surveillance. She led me on a walk, made sure we were in front of Haruhi and then she kissed me. Haruhi did not take it well and used her powers to create a giant closed space. It was to prove a point to me and the organization about Haruhis instability. They taped it and leaked the video to make sure everyone would know what happened."

Sasaki didn't visibly react, just stared down into her drink for a while with analytical eyes. When she spoke her voice was neutral. I wouldn't say her tone was detached but rather very deep in thought.

"I understand. I didn't think Tachibana would do something like that but from our meetings I gathered she had been manipulated into doing immoral things for her cause or because she believed it was the right thing to do. She's not a bad person you know."

I didn't feel like paying lip service to that last statement. I didn't agree but I'm not going to argue with Sasaki about it, Tachibanas ethics aren't important now.

"This may be the worst aspect of these powers," Sasaki said, "With greater stakes and greater potential people may feel justified in taking more drastic actions. Even good people may feel that doing something bad if they feel that it will have good consequences. I think most people are basically good, but with great power their values get distorted and they do bad things despite the best intentions."

"I'm not sure if that's incredibly naïve or incredibly cynical," I muttered.

Sasaki chuckled with her signature "kukuku" and her warmth returned as her analytical-mode melted away.

"But tell me," Sasaki said, her curiosity clearly peaked, "Seeing you kissing Tachibana set off Haruhi?"

"Yes, she formed a giant closed space. She may have been close to re-creating the world."

"And what stopped her?" she asked.

"I think it was me. I talked to her afterwards and managed to calm her down."

"I see. It's beginning to sound to me like you're just as much of a catalyst for the use of these powers as she is. Maybe even more so as you're aware of the effects you're having and can influence her to limit her use. Tachibana told me that Suzumiya has seriously attempted to recreate the world once before, and came rather close to it. You were there at the time, weren't you?"

"Yes…she summoned me to her. I went to sleep and when I woke up I was in the closed space with her. She was going to make that closed space into a new reality," I said as if any of that even made sense.

"And you stopped her?" Sasaki asked like she already knew the answer.

"Yes, using hints from Nagato and Asahina I found a way," I explained.

Sasakis eyes returned to her drink as her analytical mode temporarily returned for a few moments before she looked back up again and fixated her eyes to my eyes.

"How exactly did you stop her?" Sasaki asked cautiously.

Good grief...why are we talking about this? I came here to warn her of a conspiracy not do discuss...this.

"I just talked to her…" I said and rubbed my chin, which was feeling warmer now.

"And what did you say to her? What convinced her to stick with this world?" Sasaki pressed on.

"I told her I like ponytails."

Sasaki was silent for a few seconds, during which she apparently decided to ignore that last statement.

"I'm not sure I believe you, I don't think you'd need hints from your friends if all that was needed was just a simple talk. If it was just talk it must've been quite the speech and I'd like to hear it." she spoke with a friendliness that normally wouldn't have matched such an accusation, but with her kindness came naturally.

I didn't answer. I really don't feel like analyzing this yet again.

"Please, I feel we need to have full disclosure and I can tell you're not telling me everything. We can't keep things from each other if we're going to ride this storm out," Sasaki said, and I could tell she was sincere. Of course she was.

Sigh…I leaned back into my seat fiddled with my drink as I stalled the inevitable.

"You're right as usual. I tried to talk her down but it didn't really work. Then I kissed her, after that she instantly returned to reality. She dismissed it as a dream later."

"I See," Sasaki said and smiled at me, "I suspected it was something of that nature…I must say If that's how these powers are controlled I'm not sure how I feel about receiving them." She giggled.

Did Sasaki just tease me?

"I think it's just her, not the powers…but how would you feel about receiving these powers?" I asked. "Have you reconsidered? We haven't really taken a firm position and with the pressure turning up I don't think we can be so passive. Let's say we could transfer the powers with no danger to you or Haruhi, and no nasty surprises, would you take it?"

"I'm not sure…" Sasaki answered and looked to her side, staring contemplatively out the window at the people passing by. "Why should I been given such power, a power that can be used to reshape humanities path? It should not be up to just one person, but with these powers I'm not sure I'd be able to stop myself from reshaping the world and correcting some of the worst mistakes humanity has made and continues to make. Even if right now I have no desire to do so, doesn't power change or even corrupt the best of us? Perhaps the only way not to be changed or corrupted by having such powers is not being aware of them. Suzumiya has never attempted to right the wrongs of the world?" Sasaki turned her head and looked me in the eyes while she waited for an answer for her question.

"No…I don't think it's that she doesn't care," I said and took a sip of my drink, breaking the eye contact. "It's just that those problems are part of the world she has been trying to distance herself from, she'd just rather live her life like she wants and not dwell too much on the grand problems of humanity. But now that she's slowly becoming more attached to this reality she might turn to these problems and slowly chip away at them. I'm not promising anything but I don't think it's unlikely."

"I'm glad to hear that," Sasaki said, and she looked genuinely pleased. "I'd hate to interrupt that process, as an unaware but caring deity might change the world for the better without being corrupted by her own power. Maybe that's the only way an omnipotent human could have a positive effect, if it's the right kind of person with the power. However, there's always the other option. That she goes and does something rash and recreates or alters reality. She could make some disastrous alteration. This really is quite the dilemma. Which would be preferable? A spontaneous and rash god without a grand plan other than his own personal ambitions and little effects other than to his closest environment, or a passive god with a grand plan that affects everyone and slowly reshapes the world? It's rather like choosing between one of the old Roman gods or the Christian god, in a way."

"I honestly never thought of it like that…She is kind of like one of the Roman gods who acts out of personal reasons without much regard for others…but it's a simplification, she's not quite like them."

"I know, and I just realized I have compared myself to god," Sasaki said and chuckled. "I didn't intend to be so egotistical. I'm just trying to put this into perspective and it's hard to do without drawing comparisons to such figures."

"I know what you meant," I said. "I don't think there's a simple solution to this no matter how much we draw comparisons. There's also the fact that I don't think that these factions would allow a transfer and then call it a day…they have their own agendas. The Organization and its counterpart are just people with their own opinions and plans, the time travelers are just working on their grand scheme and the data entities view us as test subjects to further their evolution"

"Yes…I had a question about the time travelers…if either me or Suzumiya would reshape the world would we undo their existence, or would it be what already came to pass and we would inevitably be ensuring their existence?"

The image of the Clubroom without Asahina flashed before my eyes, and it's a bleak one. I'm sure Haruhi would've found another girl to fulfill her "moe" criteria, but she'd never find another Mikuru Asahina.

"I'm not sure," I said, I was maybe a little dismissive but I'm not in the mood for a convoluted time traveler talk. "I've never fully understood this whole time traveling business, I just play along"

"But Tachibana and Fujiwara told me you'd done some time travel of your own?"

"Yes but I don't really understand it, it's like I can ride a bike but I can't understand the physics involved."

"But…" Sasaki said with a concerned look, "Judging by your school and year you should be able to explain simply how bikes work. It's really not that complex."

Huh…guess I have been slacking off…

"Well…that's not important right now," I said. "What is important is what we're going to do now."

"You give me too much credit," Sasaki said and chuckled. "I don't think it's really important what I do at this moment, as I'm not in position to do much right now. You, however, are. When the people you're up against wish to set off Haruhi they go after you. Maybe they could've gotten some response by doing something to her directly but when they really wanted to make an impact they used you to get to her."

Hearing her phrase it like that was unnerving. Am I really the trigger to Haruhis blunderbuss of trouble?

"What are you trying to say?" I asked. "There's something I should do?"

"I'm not going to tell you what you should do. I'm just pointing out that maybe there's something you can do. You don't need to feel so helpless, you never would've gotten this far if you were. Suzumiya-sans powers are based on her emotional status based from what I've heard, and you have more effect on her feelings that I think you realize. By using powers like hers correctly any problem could be solved."

Sasaki gave me a curious look while she waited for my response.

"No…I can't do that," I said. "Her powers react to strong feelings and to provoke any dramatic use of her powers I'd have to do something manipulative or even abusive and…I just can't do that. It might be the lesser of two evils with the way things look now, but there has to be another way. I can't just turn Haruhi into a weapon, even for her own good. If I ever do it has to be the absolute last resort, only if they come for one of us."

Sasaki's curious look turned into a satisfied smile.

"Out of everyone who could've ended up with this responsibility I'm glad it was you, but Haruhis powers might be the only resource available to you in the end. Perhaps by the end of this they'll be my powers but then they'd still be available to you. You must realize that if I accept these powers you may still bear this same responsibility. Transferring the power would be like flipping a chessboard around, the advantage of each side would be reversed but the role of each piece would remain the same."

"But…it's been told to me, again and again, that my role in this is largely due to my importance to Haruhi and the transfer would leave her powerless?"

"I'm sure that's true, but you're important to me also." Sasaki said with an unabashed smile.

…how are you supposed to respond to a statement like that told so plainly?

"…Thanks," I said, honestly a bit embarrassed.

"You're welcome."

"…"

"In any case…I understand everything we just talked about, but I'm still just not sure what to do," I said and sighed…this talk, the meeting at school and the talk with Nagato had drained my energy more than mere conversation should and on top of that I still had an evening with Haruhi to look forward do. Speaking of which, I should be getting home...

"If you don't want to use Haruhis powers aggressively all you can do is stay by her side and hope the conflict doesn't escalate," Sasaki said. "There is also the option of me accepting her role and now I have to think about it seriously. Don't worry. Now I know that time is pressing so I won't think leisurely, but I can't take this decision lightly."

"I understand, I wouldn't either," I said. "I think it's fair to let you sleep on it. I also have to decide whether or not I would agree to transfer the power. It depends on what you decide and how this progresses."

"Thank you for that consideration," Sasaki said. Her eyes carried her thanks with added kindness. "This discussion really is quite heavy. I hope that sometime in the near future the two of can meet discuss something trivial and fun like two non-important people. A pointless discussion would lift both our spirits."

"Yes…I'd like that," I said. And I meant it.

There was a moment of silence, which included one prolonged eye-contract.

"You keep glancing at your watch," Sasaki said like she suddenly had a brilliant idea. "Am I keeping you from something?"

"It's…" Remember Kyon, you promised full disclosure. "I have a date with Haruhi," I admitted.

For the first time during this conversation I could see Sasaki was slightly confused.

"Around this time yesterday she caught you kissing another girl, and now you're going on a date with her?" she asked.

"Uhm…yes, that's correct."

Sasakis face betrayed more of her subtle confusion.

"I'm sorry, but I don't understand how that relationship works," Sasaki said without looking up from her drink. She was clearly out of her territory.

"Neither do I," I said with all honesty.

Sasaki stared blankly into her teacup for a few moments. But then, a smile emerged. Shortly thereafter, a slight chuckle. Then another one, and another. Her chuckles then became increasingly shorter between and before I knew it she was laughing heartily. I couldn't help myself, I guess the absurdity if the situation sank in, and I began laughing nervously as well.

"I won't keep you then," Sasaki said once she calmed down. "But before you leave I have to make sure you understand one thing."

Sasaki stood up and walked to my end of the table. Her face turned serious in stark contrast to her joyful mood just a second ago. She leaned over to me.

"I'm still just on the sidelines for now. You're at the center and I don't think these people will play fair or nice. To be honest I'm worried about you," Sasaki said. She leaned towards me and gave me a hug with one hand around me, resting her head on my shoulder. "I'm going to need you to give me some time to deliberate this with myself, but it's hard to think straight if I'm too stressed. Stay in touch so I can know you're alright and keep my head clear, okay?"

She planted a small kiss on my cheek as she broke the hug. It was subtle and probably invisible to bystanders but I defiantly felt it. I didn't know how to react to that so I just nodded.

"Goodbye, I hope to hear from you soon," Sasaki said and walked out of the café, leaving me there to wonder if I had just imagined that last moment.

Once I got home the time was almost seven already. Mom was just finishing making dinner so I joined her and my sister at the dinner table. She greeted me with the declaration; "You're late."

"I'm sorry. I got caught up in club activities," I apologized.

"It's alright, just take a seat. It's just the three of us. Your father had to stay late at work," mom said.

Mom began setting the dinner table with the enthusiastic but misguided help of my sister. Looks like there's some ramen dish for dinner again.

"So, how was school today?" Mom asked once we had all begun our meals.

Where do I even begin…

"It was…okay," I lied as I helped myself to a serving of ramen made by the woman I was lying to. "Lessons where boring, and the club activities kept me busy longer than I thought."

"Is that club the reason you were also late last evening?"

"Yes."

"Tell me, because I've never felt like I've gotten a clear answer, what is it exactly that your club does?" Mom asked.

"It's just a casual club that plans trips, enters competitions, contributes to school events…just a general casual club."

"Aha," My Mother muttered, unconvinced. "And this casual club is so demanding that you have to spend all your time there after school and even show up late for dinner?"

"Yes…It's been a bit hectic these days." Understatement of a lifetime.

"I'm not sure I can approve of that," Mom said sternly. "Have you been keeping up with your studies?"

"Sure," I said unenthusiastically. It was hard to care about my studies at this moment. Everything that was going on kind of made homework seem insignificant. Even more insignificant than it usually did.

"I'm not convinced by that." She was not amused by my indifference to my education. "How'd you feel about cram school? I'm sure it'd do you much good."

"I'm not sure about that…I don't think it's necessary. My grades aren't that bad," I defended.

"I don't want to force you to sign up if you don't want to, but you better keep up."

"Yes, sure, I'll keep my studies up," I meekly promised.

I have a feeling that promise will be hard to keep in the coming days.

"And try to spend less time at that club. Can't have you showing up late for dinner every night."

We spent the rest of dinner discussing trivial matters; my sisters schoolwork, the next family vacation, neighboring cram schools and so on. After dinner I took my homework to the living room and tried my best to work on it in full sight of mom to show my commitment to education. At first it was hard to get into but after a few minutes the relatively easy assignments I had were a breath of fresh air after all the hopelessly difficult problems I'd been faced with today. Truth be told even though I found it hard to care about our conversation at dinner and even harder to care about this homework the return to normalcy, however brief, felt good. There's something about coming home at the end of the day and laying down your burdens while you gather your strength back. I have a feeling I'll need it tonight.

I got a little too into my self-delusion that things were back to normal and was in for a rude awakening once I realized that is was already five minutes past eight and I was still in my school uniform. I left my homework on the living room table and rushed to my room. Nagato had mentioned one of my outfits as fulfilling the criteria for 'nice' so I just found that same outfit and proceeded to get dressed. The second I had taken my school uniform of the doorbell rang. I got in my 'nice' outfit as quickly as humanly possible and ran down to the front door to find my Mother talking to Haruhi in the doorway. There is something slightly terrifying about that sight.

"There he is," My mother said and turned to me.

Judging by Haruhis subtle reaction when she saw me I should ask Nagato for fashion advice more often. "Are you ready, Kyon?" Haruhi asked. She's the image of politeness here in the presence of my mother, just like when they met at the hospital.

"Ready for what?" My mother asked curiously.

"Eeh…Kyon was going to take me to a movie tonight," Haruhi said and gave my mother a polite but cautious smile.

"Is that so?" Mom raised an eyebrow, "I'd like a word with him before you leave if you don't mind, Suzumyia-san."

"That's alright," Haruhi said calmly but looked at me impatiently once my mother had turned her back to her.

"I'll be right with you, Haruhi," I said and followed my mother to the living room. We were not quite out of Haruhis earshot so mom spoke with a hushed voice.

"You didn't tell me you had a date tonight. Isn't she that girl from your club?" Mom asked.

"Yes, that's the club leader. Sorry, it slipped my mind to mention it to you."

"Did I just hear you call her 'Haruhi'? Since when do you yobisute her? And she you?"

"For a while now I guess…don't read too much into that," I begged of her.

"Right…tell me the truth now." Mom stared and me and waited for me to return the eye contact before she asked her question. "Is she the reason you've been showing up late for dinner?"

"Well…uhm…yes, she…That's fair to say." I've lied to my mother enough for today and don't see any reason to deny that Haruhi is one time consuming girl.

"I see," Mom said and looked thoughtful for a moment. "You should've just told me," she said like she had just accepted an apology, then she walked back to Haruhi.

"You'll have to excuse that, Haru-chan, my son neglected to mention he had plans for tonight. You know how he is sometimes," Mom said and gave Haruhi a neutral look, perhaps there was something more subtle being communicated through that look but I sure didn't pick up on it.

Haruhi just smiled back and nodded. "Yeah…I know how he can be," she said, slightly amused.

Two of the women that know me best just agreed that something's wrong with me. Fantastic.

"Have him back by eleven. You two have fun now," Mom said to Haruhi and walked back towards the living room.

Why is Mom telling Haruhi to give me back by eleven and not telling me to be back by eleven? Is the leader-subordinate dynamic so strong with us that even my own mother picks up on it and accepts it after just few moments?

After mom left I put on my shoes with two shift motions and Haruhi and I left the apartment. We began walking side by side but still somehow with her leading us, so I guess she has a plan for tonight. It was already dark outside and the streets where relatively empty, you could only make out a few people in the streetlights. Hard to believe there are probably spies active on such a peaceful street on such a tranquil evening.

I gave Haruhi a cautious glance from the corner of my eye. I can safely say that her outfit meets and exceeds my own personal criteria for 'nice'. Nothing more complex than a simple jacket and a medium-length skirt, I can't even make out the colors properly, but still...Her face is somewhat readable in this darkness without leaning in for a better look, which I think would be inappropriate, but it's obvious she has her guard up.

"I went from Suzumyia-san to Haru-chan in less than a minute, what did you say to your mom?" She asked while we were crossing the main parking lot of my neighborhood. Her question carried a hint of accusation.

"Nothing really, she was just surprised to see you and wanted to know what was going on"

"You didn't tell her we were meeting tonight?" Haruhi asked.

"It didn't come up. Did you tell your parents what you were doing tonight?

"No, It's none of their business what I-" Before she could finish that thought she was interrupted by the voice of my father.

"Where are you going at this hour on a school night?" My dad asked. Evidently he was coming home from work and we had just happened to run into him on the parking lot.

"Dad? Welcome home…I'm just taking Haruhi to a movie," I explained, hopeful he wouldn't act to surprised...

"Oh…I see." He glanced at Haruhi, and gave me a strange look. "I won't interrupt you further then," He said and tried to suppress a yawn. He probably needed some sleep before he could process this fully, it looks like he had a tough day at work. He walked pass us, giving Haruhi just an acknowledging nod before moving on. Haruhi and I then kept on walking.

"Sorry if he seemed rude," I said once he was out of earshot. "He works really hard, some days when he comes home he's like that."

"No need to apologize for him, my mom's the same way…I don't understand people who live like that. Work themselves ragged every day and are too tired to do anything once they come home. Where's the fun in that?" Haruhi preached.

"It's not about fun, Haruhi, some people work hard to provide for their families. Every man should be proud to come home to his family after a honest days work."

Where is that girl leading us anyway...these aren't the main roads, there's hardly anybody else around on this path...it's quiet. Too quiet.

"I know it's not just about fun," Haruhi said impatiently, "I know you need a job to support yourself but you don't need to exhaust yourself on your job to make a decent living once you've worked your way up the ladder. When you see pictures of millionaires and billionaires they rarely have bags under their eyes."

"So you're going to become a millionaire?" Come to think of it, if she wants to be a millionaire won't she wish that future into reality? Reality warping must have its perks.

"I didn't say that, I don't really want to be one of these people with more money than I could possibly need. There's more to do than just collect money!" Haruhi declared.

It's okay, I can get her to reconsider later.

"So what do you want to do?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"I don't know, Just a job that I can make a good living out of without spending all my energy on it. I want to be able to use my energy elsewhere."

"I don't think there's a job in the world that could ever wear you down," I murmured.

"You got that right!" Haruhi said and gave a pleased chuckle.

After a few moments of silence, my phone rang. Checked the caller ID and saw it was Koizumi.

"It's just Koizumi, I'm gonna see what he wants," I said apologetically.

"Sure, tell him I said hi," Haruhi said. She did not sound pleased with this distraction.

I walked a few steps away from her and answered the phone.

"Haruhi says Hi."

"…thanks," Koizumi said.

"I assume this isn't just a courtesy call?" I asked, despite knowing the answer.

"No, it isn't. We wish to communicate to you that you are under close surveillance and also that we have strong evidence that our rival group has people following you, more than just surveillance teams. We don't know if they're planning anything so stay on full alert."

"I understand. Tell me…is there by any chance a special ops team on standby?"

"As a matter of fact there is a small detachment ready, why?"

"Never mind," I muttered.

"All right…where are you taking Suzumiya-san?"

"We're going to the movies."

"which theater?"

"I'm not sure…"

"I see…you better go back to her. We'll be in touch if anything comes up."

"Right."

"What did he want?" Haruhi asked once I hung up.

"It was about our meeting with the student council president, he just needed to clear a few things up," I lied almost without thinking.

"Koizumi was at the meeting with you? What was that meeting about? Is that stupid president gunning for the SOS brigade again?"

"No, nothing like that. It was just the president being himself, describing his nonsense in detail would only annoy you."

"You got that right," Haruhi muttered, "Lets not allow that idiot to ruin the evening."

It's unnerving how casually I lie when I'm talking to her. I've been trying to make up for it by telling half-truths instead of outright lies. Still, at the end of the day does that really make a difference? I'm just telling her what she needs to know for practical purposes, I'm not really explaining anything to her.

We walked in silence for a minute after that. It's hard to think of a topic when you're looking around for spies or worse, and the still-present awkwardness between us provides an added difficulty. I didn't really see anyone suspicious as there was hardly anyone around. This silence didn't feel as awkward as I would've thought. Haruhi isn't too bad when she's being quiet. Whoever's watching us is in for an uneventful evening. We were approaching one of the commercial centers of this town, which means that there are more people around which in my mind translates to more potential spies. At least it´s better lit.

"So, we're really going to a movie?" I finally asked. "I know I suggested it but with you I would've expected a date to be something more…unusual."

"What do you mean by that? There's plenty of interesting movies out there if you know what to look for," Haruhi said, exited but clearly a little bit insulted. "This one is based on true events and it's all about weird happenings related to spirits and ghosts!"

"Wait, you're talking me to see a scary movie? Isn't that a bit cliché for you?" I asked her, daring to tease the deity.

"You think I'll be clinging on you for support against the scary images on screen?" Haruhi said a familiar tone of mockery. "Spirits and ghosts don't even scare me in real life, I'd be thrilled to meet one and have a conversation or even just getting a good look at one. Wouldn't you?" Haruhi said excitedly.

She's back in that familiar role of the preaching leader. Normally I wouldn't be thrilled about her return to insanity but after all this drama it's kind of nice to see her acting more like herself. A bit annoying, but nice.

"I'd rather sleep well at night than to be afraid of the dark because I've managed to confirm that there really are ghosts. If ghosts really exists then ignorance is bliss as far as I'm concerned," I said.

"Really? Stupid Kyon. Why be afraid of ghosts? People only fear what they can't understand but if you seek them out and learn about them there'll be nothing you don't understand and therefore nothing to fear. If you fear them and never seek them out you're always going to be afraid."

"I guess that makes sense," I conceded, "I'll just leave the seeking out to you, and then you can tell me what you find out so I understand and don't have to be afraid anymore."

"Deal! As long as you handle the menial tasks of our investigation," Haruhi said and chuckled, probably picturing me carrying something heavy for her.

We arrived at the theater shortly after that conversation. It had quite a turnout for a school night, and it was a rather small theater so it was awfully crowded. Haruhi grabbed my hand as we moved into the crowd. It made sense to do that so we wouldn't lose sight of each other as we maneuvered through such a crowded place. It was a pragmatic decision to return the gesture. Haruhi lead me to a less crowded part of the theater, near the restrooms.

"Ugh, why are all these people in the theater on a school night!" Haruhi asked no one as she stopped and let go of my hand.

Before I could point out the obvious hypocrisy she pointed a finger at my face and spoke commandingly.

"You! Go buy the tickets and get us a popcorn and soda."

"Why do I have to do all that? I'll buy the tickets but can't you at least get your own soda?" I said, slightly annoyed at the demand.

"You have to spend money because you're a guy on a date." She placed her hands on her hips and leaned closer to me, "and because I'm still mad at you for what happened yesterday. This is the first step on the long road of your penance."

I was wondering how we had gotten this far without mentioning that incident. Wait, 'the guy pays' is her idea of a date? But I always pay...huh.

"To think you'd waste your first kiss like that," Haruhi muttered bitterly

My first kiss saved the world, missy.

Without arguing anymore I got into the long line for the tickets. I glanced back at Haruhi at regular intervals. Looks like she's was on the phone for most of the time, though it's hard to tell because of the crowd between us. Who'd she be calling on a date? Updating one of her friends with the latest gossip? Seeking Tsuruya's council on how to handle men?

Once I was done buying the tickets and refreshments I came back to the spot I had left Haruhi but she wasn't there. I must say I didn't expect the center of the universe to move. As I looked around for her in the crowd I noticed another familiar face, and she noticed me too. The familiar face walked over to me.

"My my, what are you doing on a late night showing on a school night?" she said.

"I could ask you the same, Tamari-san"

The class rep smiled timidly.

"I was just bored enough to go by myself and there's this movie I really wanted to see," Tamura said shyly. "Are you alone as well?"

Sigh. I was hoping to keep this affair out of the school gossip circle but now I've been caught in the act. Tell one girl some piece of gossip and the next thing you know everybody knows.

"Well, again, Not that it's any of your business but I'm here with Haruhi," I said, hoping she'd pick up on how forced my politeness sounded.

"Oh?" She asked curiously. "You two patched things up? That's good to hear. I better leave before she finds me with you. From what I've seen she's the jealous type. Enjoy your movie."

"Thanks, you to."

And off she goes, presumably so she can call her friends and inform them of the 'hot couple'. I hope these things end once I graduate high school, I'm not looking forward to listening to some pointless comments from that idiot Taniguchi in school tomorrow and the knowing giggles you hear when you pass a gathering of gossiping schoolgirls...

"What did she want?" Haruhi asked, suddenly standing right next to me. I really hope she doesn't make a habit out of going for my blind spots. "I go to the restroom for just a sec and find you speaking to another girl right away?" she accused.

"She just wanted to say hi. She's here alone, I think she's just lonely."

"She's weird," Haruhi said and gave the girl a strange look as she watched her walk away. "I noticed her when I was waiting for you. I think she was staring at me, and she didn't even come over to say hi. She just kept talking to her phone in the middle of the crowd. I don't even saw her buy a ticket."

Hearing Haruhi calling Tamari weird was like being a witness to the pot calling the kettle black. Before I could point out yet another of her little hypocrisies she surprised me by taking her soda from me with her left hand and putting her right arm around my left arm, hooking me in, walking on and leading me onwards.

However, come to think of it, that Tamari girl really is weird. We've hardly spoken at all and suddenly she's interested in my meetings with the president and my relationship with Haruhi. And now she's showing up out of nowhere right when I've been warned I'm being watched…

I stopped dead in my tracks once I came to a sudden realization.

"Kyon? Is something wrong?" Haruhi asked.

"Uhm…I remembered something I forgot to mention to Koizumi earlier tonight. I'm sorry but I have to call him."

I freed my hand, walked a few steps away from Haruhi and called Koizumi.

"Hello, Koizumi?"

"Kyon? This is a surprise, I didn't think you'd call me now. Is there anything we can do for you?"

"No, it's just that…haven't there been any like…you know…enemy movements? Nothing's happening?"

"It's difficult to tell exactly what they're doing, but we're relatively certain they've done nothing but observed so far. The agents we've spotted are still outside the theater."

"But…Tamari-san, the class rep in my class…is she suspected of being an agent? She's been asking me questions about me and Haruhi, she asked about the meeting with the president and she's here now."

There was a brief silence, I heard some muffed talking.

"Thanks for bringing this to our attention, Kyon-kun, I'd say she's a suspect. But we saw her leave the theater just now, so don't concern yourself further with her for the time being, get back to Suzumiya-san."

Koizumi abruptly hung up.

"Well, are you ready for the movie now?" Haruhi said, not hiding her impatience.

I didn't answer, just walked next to her and wordlessly extended my left elbow back to her. She wordlessly grabbed it and walked on.

"I know you promised to stay away from other girls, but maybe you shouldn't have stopped there. These constant phone calls with Koizumi..." Haruhi teased.

"…what?"

"Have you and Koizumi found yourselves a little loophole in your promise?"

"…Don't say that! Don't even think that!"

She laughed and gave me a mischievous grin

"You know, it would be alright for you get with him," She leaned closer to me and whispered into my ear "As long as you share."

She just horrified me more than this scary movie ever could.

The movie was interesting. It was about a family that moves into a new house and starts to see ghosts and other weird things, so they call a paranormal investigator to find out what's going on. The premise wasn't too fresh but everything was played straight and down to earth. It was almost like a reality show or a documentary, and watching a movie that feels down to earth but still includes ghosts and such simply messes with you.

Haruhi kept asking me questions. What do you think that was? Why is he doing that? What kind of ghost detecting equipment is that? Do you think that ghost detector would work? Where do you get gadgets like that? Do you think it's expensive? How much is there left of the literature club budget? She earned us a few ugly looks from fellow moviegoers with her constant inquiries but Haruhi didn't let that affect her moviegoing experience. She even submitted to cliché and reflexively grabbed my arm twice during a scary scene. To be fair those two scenes startled even me.

Once the movie was over we followed the flow out of the theater with the rest if the crowd. The first thing that we saw once we got out of the theater where the lights of a cop car, the red light gave this otherwise peaceful street something of a grim ambiance.

"Wonder what that's about," Haruhi asked

Cops? Does this have anything to do with us? Some aspect of this cold war that has surfaced? Somehow I'd rather not find out.

"Come on, lets just go, it's impolite to stop and stare at people who are working. Even cops. Especially cops," I said, partially copying Haruhi style of lecturing.

Haruhi grudgingly took her eyes of the cops and walked along with me.

"So, where do you live?" I asked.

"You're walking in the right direction," Haruhi said like she sensed some sinister agenda behind my words, "Why? You're gonna walk me home?"

With all the fuzz you've attracted to yourself I would feel better if I at least got see you get home as opposed to leaving you to walk home by yourself in the middle of the night. Who would've thought paranoia would inspire chivalry in me. Not that there's any real danger to either of us with the organization watching over us...

"It's dark already, can't let you go on your own," I explained.

We walked on, with Haruhi in the lead as usual.

"What did you think about the movie?" She asked once the cop car was out of sight and she could no longer glance back to try to see what was going on. I felt a small loss of security once I was out of sight from the cops and back to these empty streets that Haruhi leads us into.

"I liked it, I can see why you picked it," I answered honestly.

"Right?" Haruhi exclaimed excitedly. "Those paranormal investigators have such interesting lives! I think the SOS brigade should go on a ghost hunt soon."

"Interesting lives? That was what you took from the movie? They put themselves in great danger just do get some inconclusive proof," I challenged.

"And wasn't it interesting? They got to use all sorts of gadgets and see a lot of things most people never will, even if it was just a glimpse. Of course it's was risky, otherwise everyone would be going ghost hunting. That sort of adventure is reserved for the brave!" She preached.

"But…wouldn't you rather be doing something safe? I mean as a job. Is being interesting really that important to you that you'd take the extra risk?" I dared to ask.

My glorious leader preaches on.

"Safe is boring. Of course I'd rather work at hunting ghosts than take some plain desk job. You wouldn't?" She asked as if it would be something wrong with me if I didn't.

"I never seriously considered a career hunting ghosts, can I get back to you on that?"

"You should, and I'll make sure the SOS brigade gives you plenty of training. Why didn't I think of this before! Japan is an old country with a long and rich history, there have to be so many ghosts with fascinating stories!"

"Just read a history book," I said dismissively.

"That's no fun," she shot at me like I was completely missing the point.

She is in her normal 'Scolding Kyon for being an idiot for some reason' mode that I've come accustomed to but with a small difference, She seems to be enjoying herself a lot more than when she usually does while lecturing me. That movie has gotten her all excited.

As I was about to tell her to calm down I felt a sudden chill at my back. On instinct I looked back and then I saw it. A faint white glowing silhouette of a woman with long hair wearing a traditional kimono standing just a few meters away from me. It was the size of an adult woman. She hardly moved, but her hair and dress flowed as if it was blowing in the wind. I only saw her for maybe a second or two before she quickly faded away.

"Kyon? Why did you stop?"

"oh…uh…It's…nothing…."

What the hell was that? A ghost? Did you do this, Haruhi?

"Come on, We're almost-"

Haruhi took a shift bounce towards me and grabbed my right arm with her left, squeezing it.

"Did you see that! What was that!" She said panicked and pointed ahead with her right hand.

"What?" I took a look at the direction she was pointing at. "I don't see anything."

"It was just…no…I'm probably imagining things. I thought I saw…that movie got some silly ideas in my head." She did her best to hide how shaken up she was, but she still didn't let go of my arm as we walked on even if her grip loosened. I believe 'security cling' is the proper term for this behavior.

"So you admit that whole ghost thing is silly?" I dared to hope.

"Of course it isn't silly," She shot at me, "It's just that we're not going to happen to run into a ghost right after we saw a movie about ghost hunting. Those investigators worked a long time with high tech equipment and just barely saw one. It's unlikely we'd stumble onto a ghost with no effort. That movie just got me all wired up and I'm seeing things."

You pick the strangest things to be rational about…

"I though ghosts didn't scare you?" I asked.

"Shut up, whatever it was just startled me" Haruhi said slightly embarrassed and surveyed our surroundings with a scowl on her face. "I would've preferred a real ghost over some trick of the mind"

Somehow she didn't convince me. If you really wanted to see the ghost he wouldn't have disappeared the moment you saw him and realized he scared you. Or maybe you didn't really see anything and your mind is just playing tricks? In that case the real ghost is reserved for me, just like every other weirdness you attract. I'm finding myself less disturbed by that ghost than I should be. I guess the time I've spent with Haruhi has heightened my tolerance for weirdness. Don't think I'm a hero, I'll still be losing sleep over that…

"Tell me Haruhi, is being interesting really so important that you'd accept being at risk as long as you were doing something interesting?"

"I wouldn't put it like that…but sure some of risk would make any situation more exciting, don't you think? Or is that more than you can handle?"

Let's not get into what I'm capable of handling…

"For arguments sake. Lets say that right now we're being watched by a secret organization that might be planning to kidnap you or worse. Do you think such a threat would improve this moment?" I asked, trying not to make it sound like an accusation.

Haruhi gave me wary stare.

"What a strange thing to ask," she said surprised. "Of course I wouldn't want something like that. We just went to a movie, no reason that would be even remotely dangerous."

Normally I'd agree.

Haruhi suddenly stopped walking.

"We're here," she declared.

It was so dark that I couldn't really see what her house looks like, but from what I could see it was similar to mine. Larger, maybe.

Crap. What do you do at the end of a date? I've watched enough TV shows to have seen this scenario a hundred times but I'm still drawing a blank...Haruhi spoke before I thought of a scene that fitted.

"So…this was kinda fun. Kinda boring, but fun," Haruhi said gingerly, but with a smile on her face. She didn't meet my eyes though, seems like she's looking at the windows on her house to see if there's anyone watching.

"uh yeah…this was…nice," I uttered with unusually high levels of awkwardness even for me. Smooth.

"This is just a start," Haruhi said, turned to face me and shifted gears to a more aggressive manner of speaking without losing her smile. "You wanted to go slow so we start with this, but you better remove those training wheels and take me somewhere interesting next time! I won't slow myself down for you for long," She warned playfully.

"Right...yes," I said, "I'll make sure to find some creative way of endangering you soon."

Haruhi actually laughed at that.

"That's what I like to hear!" she declared, leaned towards me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. More of a peck maybe but still, it counts.

"That's for being a gentleman and walking me home," She quickly explained as if she needed to be crystal clear on that point. "See you tomorrow."

And with that she left.

So…this was weird. While this is still definitely Haruhi, she didn't quite act like Haruhi. It was the same attitude, the same strange opinions, even the same strange reality bending power. Despite all that something was different about her. The only thing that can stop Haruhi being Haruhi would be herself, so could it be she was trying to act a little different? Consciously trying to act less like a harsh supervisor and more like just a girl on a date? And how do I feel about that? This wasn't bad but was she really being true to herself? Or was that the real her? Can she change more than she already has? Does she have do? Do I want her to? I'm glad we're talking it slow because this one simple date filled me with more questions than I feel can handle all at once.

Koizumi and the President were right, Haruhi and I have got ourselves all tangled up. I think the only reason we could back up and just do something simple right after that drama bomb yesterday is that we're so used to causal interaction between us so whatever happens, we can always return to the default. So is that a strong foundation or something that needs to go and be replaced by a new status quo? Or both? I didn't dislike this date, it certainly had it's moments but...I still don't have that clear answer Haruhi demanded from me, just more questions. I will say that in all of this confusion in the past few days this time I spent with Haruhi really did feel like a break from my troubles, it even felt like maybe things could turn out okay. But of course that could just be an illusion, brought on by the fact that I've been keeping Haruhi in the dark…

Before I could finish any more of my thoughts a black SUV pulled over a short distance away from me. The door opened and behind it was Koizumi.

"Good evening, Kyon-kun, I was wondering if you'd like a ride home."

"Sure."

I stepped into the car. It was modified so that there were two additional seats opposite the usual passenger seats. This must be the mobile meeting room of the organization. Next to me was Koizumi and opposite me was Mori-san dressed in classy businesswoman attire. The car began moving as soon as I had buckled my belt. I hadn't told them where I was going, I assume the driver already knows where I live. And who I was seeing tonight, and what School I go to, and my habits and schedule...he and all of his organization.

"Good Evening, and congratulations on the success of tonight's operation," Mori said. I couldn't tell whether she was being sarcastic or not, she sounded sincere but...

"You're calling it operation now? I thought it was just a date."

"I'm afraid that with Haruhi Suzumiya there is no such thing as just a date as far as you're involved."

"I guess not...tell me, that cop car by the theater, was that you?" I asked.

Mori kept on talking like she was debriefing me after some sort of a military operation.

"I'm afraid so. Our rival group placed two men by the exit of the theater, they were on a stakeout but were also equipped for something worse. We caught on to their presence and moved in as they prepared to put their plans in action."

"So...you had a fight and got arrested?"

"No, the cops where with us."

Unbelievable...I knew Koizumi said his organization had an entrenched position in this town but to say the cops where with us was more than I expected. Mori went on.

"The ones that our rivals placed where know criminals, equipped with gear that was way above their pay grade. This is a common tactic of theirs. They have plenty of money and equipment and when they need some extra manpower or just need someone expandable they recruit from the local lowlifes. This makes them flexible and makes for their opportunistic tactics."

"...what? You're telling me that the people that are after me use criminals?"

"I'm afraid so."

"And they were using criminals to try to capture us tonight?" I said, not hiding my shock.

"That is what the criminals thought. But we believe that the attempt wasn't sincere," Mori-san said dismissively.

"What do you mean?"

"These where just petty criminals. They would never have slipped by our net, let alone carry out their operation out successfully. We believe our Rivals where merely testing the water and seeing how we would react. That's why they used expandable men, ones that would also be hard to trace back to them. We can't really prove any relation to them and the criminals, but trust us, we know."

"So...we're safe? They were just testing you?"

"I'm afraid not," Koizumi shot in. He's being awfully quiet...not that I'm complaining. "Think about it, why would they want to know how we would react to an immediate threat to you and Suzumiya?"

While I was working out the answer and its implications, Mori-san interrupted my gloomy thoughts.

"They're planning something. I assure you we are talking appropriate measures and will continue to do our part, just as you've played your part perfectly tonight judging by what our surveillance showed us."

She followed that sentence with an almost motherly smile. Normally that smile would've been motherly, but when followed by 'judging by our surveillance' it's almost menacing.

"So...you saw the whole thing? Tell me, did you see the ghost?"

Mori-san gave me as surprised look.

"...Ghost? You saw a ghost?"

"Yes, just now when I was walking Haruhi home. It appeared behind me. I saw it for just a second."

"I see. Did Suzumiya-san see it to?"

"I think she may have. She got startled right after I saw it and grabbed my arm. She dismissed whatever she did see as a trick of the mind."

"So that's why she suddenly got so affectionate. We did wonder about that."

Wait. A girl suddenly gets all doting to me and 'she saw a ghost' is considered a far more logical solution than just 'she likes you'. Bah! What am I saying...

"Well yeah she grabbed me...why would she call a ghost to us? She was pretty preoccupied with that ghost move but still...I don't get why she would make a ghost appear."

Mori-san spoke like an old teacher explaining something she had already explained what she was saying numerous times.

"Well...It's never been clear whether she creates supernatural phenomenons or merely summons them to herself. She may have been convinced that ghost existed so she wished one briefly into existence or really wanted to meet one so she wished one would appear."

Koizumi also had something to say, and spoke with a similar tone.

"She doesn't consciously control her powers, just seeing a compelling movie may set of some slight use of her powers. You only saw the ghost for a second so it may only have come to existence for a second, just a moment before her rational side took over. You should have been able to come to this conclusion yourself, and probably will once you realize that this is still the same Haruhi Suzumiya you've always know even now that you know more about her. Nothing fundamental has changed about her, and you've always had a lot of insight into her powers and way of thinking. Even if you seem to have a bit of a blind spot at times…"

"Yeah well..." I don't like the weird way this conversation is headed. Shouldn't we be arriving at my house soon? I think the driver is intentionally taking a longer path to make this conversation longer...lets just steer it into another direction.

"But the ghost? Think it's dangerous? Think it'll be like the one in the movie?" I asked.

"It's conceivable, but probably not," Koizumi answered, "if she does create the supernatural things around her it's unlikely that she structures them completely. It doesn't sound like her to write the rules to time travel, plan the structure of the organization and much less to think up the endless complexities of the data entities. If she did create them, she didn't write the details. So if she created the ghost she didn't think of the details."

This just gave me a headache...the car stopped so we must've arrived. I looked around and saw we were at the parking lot of my building.

"There's one other thing before you leave," Mori-san said like she was unsure whether or not she should bring her next subject up. "We know you met with Sasaki today."

"I see...and what about that? Wasn't I allowed to?" I asked with a trace of over-defensiveness. I'm not in the mood to have a civilized discussion with my stalkers.

"Why did you meet her and what did you talk about?" Mori-san asked like a cop taking a report, just doing her job.

"I...Do you really need to know? I called her because I was worried about her and wanted to make sure she knew what was going on. The rest isn't important and isn't any of your business."

"I see," Mori-san said, with a look in her eyes that said she didn't believe me but conceded that she had gotten all the info I would willingly reveal.

"You go rest now," Mori-san said, back to her motherly ways. "The next days may be difficult for you so rest is important. We'll watch over you. I assure you no ghost will slip pass our safeguard."

She smiled at me, mixing motherly concern with the creepiness of a stalker.

I left the car and slowly strolled back home. I tried to piece this evening together to try and find some logical conclusion to it or predict what all this was leading up to. I was drawing a blank. Once I got home I found my father watching TV in the living room, the only light source in the room was the faint glow of the television screen.

"You were out late, your mother said you'd be back by eleven," Dad said once he noticed me. He wasn't really scolding me, He spoke lazily but still sounded interested.

"Yeah, sorry, I walked Haruhi home so I was out longer than expected," I said and sat down with him and looked at the TV screen. There was some football game on. The volume was so low that I couldn't hear the commentators, but looks like yellow's winning. "I didn't think I'd find you awake, you looked half-asleep when I met you earlier," I said.

"I fell asleep over the game, you woke me up just now when you came home."

"Oh, sorry about that."

"It's alright. So, you found a pretty girl, took her to the movies and walked her home? Guess you're my son after all," Dad said and chuckled, "but me and your mother were talking earlier and she's worried about you, and I couldn't help noticing your unfinished homework all over the living room table. And showing up late for dinner all the time? Your mother said it was because if that girl, you said so yourself."

"uhm...yeah...about that..."

"Look, I won't lecture you. Just know this. If you're going to share your life with someone, make sure you have a life to share in the first place. Don't forget yourself and your future, alright? I'm going to bed."

And with that piece of parenting out of the way he left. I wish I was in a situation where that kind of genuine fatherly advice would apply. I doubt my dad can help me with my current problems...maybe I should even be trying to think of a way to keep my parents out it this, out of harms way. Though I'm sure the organization already has a plan for that. Maybe I should clear that up with Koizumi.

Although, maybe in its own weird way that advice did apply. Don't forget yourself, don't forget your future...in a way that pretty much sums up the solution to this predicament, doesn't it? I must solve this without compromising my values and I this must be resolved in a way that allows everyone involved to still have a future after this... I think those guidelines should be followed.

I went to bed shortly after that. As I was drifting off to sleep a thought occurred to me. Didn't Haruhi kiss roughly the same spot that Sasaki kissed just a few hours before? Add that to the long list of ´Things Haruhi must never find out´, but still it gives me hope that maybe my life isn't so bad after all.