Huh. Short chapter. No sex. THIS STORY HAS A PLOT? I feel like I committed blasphemy against myself. Anyway, yeah, obligatory 'Haruhi reaction chapter'. Because she's JUST A LITTLE BIT important. Anyway. This chapter is like an insert so I don't feel like I'm completely ignoring the world when I continue writing smut chapters. Because there WILL be more.

Enjoy.

It was getting harder and harder for him to hide his injuries.

So, I know, I know, that's kind of a weird place to start, but that's kind of the basis for everything.

It meant that not only was Haruhi extremely pissed beyond all reason (again), but that she was also not exactly cooling off given time. By no means was she anywhere near 'cooling off'. Judging by the broken arm that finally alerted her to his status as an invalid, she was getting more pissed over time.

Which, in turn, meant that it was my job to fix the issue, because anything that pissed of Haruhi could be fixed by my intervention, even when it wasn't my fault.

Because it definitely wasn't my fault. It was all on Koizumi. He initiated everything, it wasn't my fault anything happened, except that it actually kind of was. So, in the end, I'm feeling like shit because, on some level, Koizumi was getting the shit beaten out of him because of me. My fault. Ugh.

That brings me to where I am now. I'm sitting in my usual chair in the clubroom, Haruhi is being pissed and melancholy, slumped over the desk in front of the computer. Everyone else had convenient places to be, conveniently made up on the spot.

Suffice to say, it wasn't the first time I'd been in this situation. Well, mostly. But whatever. Point is, I'd done this same thing a million times, trying to figure out how to defuse the destructive power that is Haruhi Suzumiya, but I still had no idea what to do. It seems like every time she got upset, I had to approach the situation in a whole new way, developing and adjusting strategies as I went. Being a tactical officer in a three-party civil war wouldn't even be half as difficult as this.

"Listen, Haruhi…" I tried. No, I hadn't exactly formed my plan, but it was a start.

It failed. She turned on some music on her computer, loud enough to drown me out. Awesome.

So, new plan. I ought to be able to judge her mood by the music she's listening to, right? Great plan, me.

Or so you'd think.

The music she was playing wasn't even in Japanese. It was something with an acoustic guitar in English. I barely understood a few words, and that certainly wasn't enough to figure anything out by.

"What're you listening to?"

"Taylor Swift." At least, that's what I figured out she said later. I didn't quite hear her, since her face was in her arms.

I gave her the kind of nonplussed expression befitting of the situation, seeing as I had no idea what she was talking about.

"She's popular in America."

I would normally have said something along the lines of 'yeah, I guessed that already', but she was in Extremely Pissed Mode, somewhere right before Remake the World Mode. It would, quite literally, be suicide to say anything that could possibly upset her even a little at this point.

"So, what's the song about?"

"Listen for yourself." I put on my best 'and just how do you expect me to do that?' face. "What, do you not understand English?"

"Well, no. I'm barely scraping my grade in that class. You should know that, seeing as you sit behind me."

She gave me a pout over her arm pillow. That pout that said 'ugh, you're so useless!'. The one I knew so very well.

She sighed heavily, sat up, and translated a bit of it.

"So, it's about Romeo and Juliet? Didn't they kill themselves at the end of the story?"

She glared heatedly. Shit.

"There's a happy ending in the song, you know."

No, I wouldn't know. I've never heard the song, nor do I know what it means. Once again, I held my tongue.

She slumped back down. The song went on for another minute or so before changing to another. This one sounded different, and I'm pretty sure the singer was different, too. I tried as tactfully as possible to ask her to translate this one, too. I thought for a second I'd failed and she was going to get pissed again, but then her frown smoothed out and she sat up.

"Basically, this girl is dating a guy who tells her she's not good enough all the time, and there's this other guy-"

"She's cheating on him?" Crap. I didn't stop myself fast enough. She frowned again but continued.

"No, she's not. But this other guy likes her, and tells her she's pretty and funny and irresistible and stuff. In English it's called 'According to You'."

Huh. Now why does that sound familiar?

"In the song, she's basically telling her boyfriend that there's not even a contest and she should totally dump him for this other guy."

"So, why doesn't she?"

She looked surprised. Like wide eyes, a couple blinks, the whole deal. "I-I kinda assumed she does."

"But what if she's not exactly attracted to the other guy?"

"But he's a good guy-"

"That doesn't mean much if he's ugly as hell and the guy she's with is like, I dunno, boy-band pretty."

"You're so shallow! It's the inside that counts!"

Ah. That's where it's familiar. She's the pretty one with the horrible personality. That makes me the (ugh) girl that's singing the song. And the 'him' would be…. Well, him.

Koizumi's the one I'm not attracted to (really, seriously. Don't give me that look!) that actually compliments me and acts like he can stand my presence (more like 'can't get enough of', but I'm trying to draw parallels here).

So, what does it mean when Haruhi's listening to this song? Does she think she's the one in the right? Does she think I'm the guy calling her useless? Is that what she's upset about?

Or, maybe, just maybe, does she actually realize other people's feelings? Is it that she realizes how all of this crazy shit is affecting me?

Yeah, right.

"So, this is the kind of music you like, huh?"

She gave me a kind of look I'd never seen before. It was sort of surprised, sort of confused, sort of incredibly, insanely happy. Whatever I'd just done, it was something good. Let's continue on this path, shall we?

If only I knew what I did right!

"Y-yeah. I started listening to it to practice my English, and just sort of… fell in love with it."

Oh. I'd shown an interest in her interests. Underneath all of the insults and contempt, I was still her 'chosen' or whatever Koizumi liked to call it.

Back to that guy. Because, yes, apparently my thoughts completely revolve around him by now.

Which reminds me why this situation is bad.

"Haruhi…"

"It's okay, Kyon."

It was my turn to blink in surprise.

"I get it, you know. I've been kind of really horrible to you." She rested her head back on her arms, tears in her eyes for a moment before she buried her face in her own limbs. "I get it if you choose someone over me. It only makes sense." She took a deep breath and sat up abruptly. "I just never would have guessed it'd be a guy! I mean, really, with someone like Mikuru around, it'd be totally understandable if you were to fall for her, but a guy?"

"Well, y'know, it's kind of a long story-"

"Don't even start! I don't even care!" She stood up and started walking. Right before the door, she spun around, hands on her hips and feet planted firmly. "Don't blow it with him! If you're going to dump me for a guy, it'd better be the best romance to ever happen EVER!" And with that, she stormed out.

….Well, shit.

That bold and italic thing was supposed to suggest it was originally said in English, assuming all dialogue (and thoughts, for that matter) was originally in Japanese. Just so you know.