Thank you for your early support, especially Blazing Chaos for his incredibly lengthy yet helpful review. I do know the correct usage of your and you're, but sometimes my fingers and brain are not on the same page. ^^'

This should be another lengthy chapter. I've gotten the message that you guys are okay with that. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 3

"…I'm moving…"

I could feel my body tense up in anticipation upon releasing those words. I still wasn't sure what to expect, but I figured I should be ready for the worst. The worst of course meant that the world would suddenly end. The good news at least is that it can't get any worse than that, right?

However, when I looked at Haruhi after telling her the truth, I was met with what at first appeared to be a completely blank expression. I could almost literally see the gears in her head turning, calculating the information that had just been received. I could tell that the information was nearly processed when her eyes slowly began to widen, and she soon carried the expression of the deer caught in headlights. I really wished I had a camera on me at the time, because I don't think I'll ever get the chance to see this expression on her face ever again.

She then finally spoke. "Moving?"

"Yeah…"

"…As in…far away?"

"I'm moving up north on Sunday. I'll have to transfer to a different school…"

When I said that, I could he Haruhi's breathing become deeper and faster. I could see her swallowing what was probably excess saliva.

"…I see…"

After a few more seconds passed, she turned around and began to walk away. I could see her gait was very stiff and robotic, as if all of her emotional energy had been completely drained. I knew that when she snapped out of it that she was going to be very upset. A closed space was almost certainly going to be created, which meant a certain esper I knew was going to have a rough night. Sorry Koizumi…

I didn't move until Haruhi had walked out of my sight. I guess you could say that the rest of the night was rather uneventful. I still couldn't motivate myself to pack. I'm such a procrastinator.

I actually slept surprisingly well that night. Maybe it was that fact that I finally got everything off my chest, or the fact that my sleep debt had finally caught up with me. Either way, I found I still had to get myself up this morning again. Poor Imoto-chan…I hope you feel better soon. It's too weird seeing you depressed.

On the way to school, it suddenly hit me that I would only have to walk up this stupid hill one more time after today. Call me crazy, but I think I might actually miss this morning ritual. Then I was lightly punched in the arm from behind.

"Yo Kyon! What's up?"

Taniguchi greeted me in his usual way. He's looking awfully chipper for someone who knows his friend is moving away.

"So does everyone know you're moving yet?"

I nodded, not being in the mood to converse all that much.

"I bet Suzumiya-san was upset."

"Don't know…"

I was kinda lying. I knew she would be, even if she never showed it. Personally, I'm just glad that world is still in one piece.

"Wonder if she'll go back to the way she was before she came here," said Taniguchi

I didn't want to believe that Haruhi would regress that much. It would be such a waste. She's miles away from the kind of person she was back then. I wondered what would happen to the SOS Brigade if she ever did revert back.

The two of us didn't say much more as we walked the rest of the way to school. When I entered the classroom, I found Haruhi had beaten me there. This time it was her turn to have her head resting on her desk. The thought of jabbing her in the shoulder with a pen had crossed my mind, but I knew that this really wasn't the time for that. I finally sat down and turned towards her.

"Didn't sleep well last night?"

"Not really…"

It was obvious from her tone that she didn't have it in her to talk a whole lot, so I turned back to the front of the class.

The rest of the school day went by without much to say about it really. I was reluctant to listen to any of the lectures since I knew I wouldn't be here much longer anyway. Eventually, everyone was once again meeting in the clubroom. The energy was even dimmer than yesterday, since now Haruhi had joined in on the somberness. I also noticed that Koizumi looked incredibly fatigued himself.

"Bad night last night?"

"You could say that…"

I leaned in a little bit and began to whisper to him.

"So…did any of those you-know-whats appear?"

"Unfortunately…they did…"

I knew it. It wasn't at all surprising, after all.

"Last night a closed space indeed appeared. And quite a large one as well. Much larger than most. It took quite some effort to close it down. And from what I can sense from Suzumiya-san's mood, the only logical conclusion is that you finally told her the truth."

Pretty good reasoning I'd say, although I'm sure a lay-person could have figured that out.

"I'm certainly glad that the world is still in one piece. I was very worried that this world would be remade. So far it appears to be okay, but we're far from being in the clear. The next couple weeks will reveal the fate of our world. It may not be until after you leave that the world could be in serious jeopardy."

I had thought of this as well, however much I didn't want to. There wasn't going to be a whole lot I could do to prevent a world reboot if I was far away. Koizumi had his fake smile once again.

"Let's just do our best to enjoy our last few days together."

I noted that he said that last sentence fairly loudly, obviously intending on everyone else to hear it. Both Asahina-san and Nagato raised their heads towards us. Asahina-san smiled and nodded her head. Haruhi didn't respond. She simply continued to stare out the window.

It was at this point that it registered that Asahina-san was still not upset. I was quite a bit irked by this. Damn you Asahina-san! Do you know something I don't? Asahina-san seemed to have noticed me staring at her. She approached me with that smile still on her face.

"Are you okay, Kyon?"

"I can't help but get the feeling that you're a bit unconcerned by the fact that I'm leaving."

She was obviously taken aback by my statement. She began to get flustered as she stammered out a response.

"Well…you see…uh…I…I'm just…trying not to think about it…"

"Oh, really?"

She swallowed hard before continuing.

"I figured that everyone might be sad that you were leaving, so I wanted to do my part to try and lighten the mood as much as possible."

I let out a deep sigh after hearing this. Asahina-san, you really are the source of positive energy for the Brigade. I hope you never lose that quality. The older version of you still seems positive enough.

It was then that Haruhi's chair quickly spun around. She stood up and slammed her hand down on the computer desk with considerable force.

"Kyon! Have you finished packing yet?"

"Nope, haven't even started."

Haruhi sighed and facepalmed.

"Of course you haven't. Leave it to you to leave something so important to the very last day. I don't know what you'd do without me around to keep you motivated."

She then stood on her chair and held out her hand in a pose of absolute authority.

"It's official then! This Saturday, the SOS Brigade will meet up at Kyon's house to help him pack and get ready to move! After that, we will gather together for a farewell party in honor of the Brigade's first member!"

Everyone stared blankly at Haruhi for about a second before nodding their heads in approval. Koizumi was the first to speak.

"I think that's a wonderful idea, Suzumiya-san!"

Of course you'd think it was a great idea. Haruhi could order the mass murder of everyone in town and you'd be like "how soon do you want it done?" Then again, I did like the idea of the party.

"That's really thoughtful, Suzumiya-san!" said Asahina-san.

Haruhi nodded, smiling for what was probably the first time since yesterday.

"I'll be sure to invite Tsuruya-chan and those other two. Maybe we can have it held at Tsuruya-chan's house."

I love how Taniguchi and Kunikida still haven't quite made it to the level where Haruhi would bother saying their names. Whatever, I doubt they'd say no to coming along. It was shortly after that when Haruhi dismissed the Brigade so she could plan the upcoming party. She wouldn't have a whole lot of time to do it, but it was nice that she found something to keep her positive for the time being. I knew she was probably still sad inside.

The rest of the day went by without much incident. My mother made me start some of the packing this time around, although I didn't really do more than two boxes before heading to my room and laying back. After watching some TV, I eventually dozed off to sleep.

The next day, I got up for what would be my last day of school at North High. A part of me wanted to stay home, but I knew that both Haruhi and my mother wouldn't have any of it. Oh well…at least this hill won't bother me anymore.

I entered the classroom to find Haruhi staring out the window. I quietly sat in my seat and turned towards her.

"Did you sleep better last night?"

"A little…"

She was still depressed I see. I wonder if any more close spaces appeared.

We didn't talk much more for the rest of the day. To be honest, my last day of school at North High was as uneventful as ever. In fact, it wasn't until I got to the clubroom that anything noteworthy happened. It was there that I met up with Tsuruya-san.

"Hey, Kyon! There you are!"

She ran up to me with all the energy of a rabbit on amphetamines. Her face turned into a scowl when she got to me.

"Damn you! Why didn't you tell me that you were moving?!"

"S…Sorry…"

She began to shake my shoulders back and forth.

"I can't believe you left me in the dark about this. I'm not so sure I'm going to let you have your party at my place now!"

Dammit, I said I'm sorry. What else you do want from me?

Tsuruya-san's scowl slowly disappeared with a sigh. He the put up a weak smile.

"Oh relax, you know I'm kidding, nyoro~. It still sucks though. I only have a day to find a gift for you."

"You really don't have to."

"Nonsense! I'm sure everybody will bring something, too."

Her smile disappeared momentarily, reveal a little sadness.

"It's going to suck not having you around…"

She then patted me on the shoulder and smiled, revealing the cute little fang of hers.

"Oh well, I got to get going. Still need to get things ready for tomorrow. See ya then!"

She then ran off. I have to admit, she's a great friend. I had a hard time believing that I'd find anyone like the people I know here when I move.

It turns out that Haruhi and the rest of the Brigade were going with her to help with the party and to find gifts. They insisted that I not come along since they wanted their gifts to be a surprise. Since I certainly had no reason to stay in the clubroom alone, I left for home early. It was a weird feeling going home at this hour. There were so many more people on the streets at this time. I'd forgotten about it.

When I got home, my mother once again made me continue packing. She was sure to scold me for getting so little done yesterday, and she kept a careful eye on me during the evening. I told her that my friends were coming over to help, but she didn't seem to believe me as she insisted on not making excuses for not packing. I got most of the clothes and a bunch of odd knick-knacks that I had collected over the years packed, and I also helped pack most of the kitchen plates and utensils. I soon realized that boxes of plates were very heavy. I really should have stayed in the clubroom…

After many hours of back-breaking labor, I was finally able to lie down and go to bed. It took me a while before I was able to fall asleep.

I was roused from my sleep the next morning when a powerful force was applied to my chest, followed by a loud "Dammit Kyon! Get your ass up!" When I opened my eyes, I was startled to see the menacing scowl of Haruhi. I also saw that Nagato, Asahina-san, and Koizumi were also in my room.

"Wh…what time is it?"

"Idiot! It's almost 10 o'clock! I come here to do you a favor and this is how you treat me! How ungrateful!"

I sat up and put my feet on the floor while giving a huge yawn.

"Sorry…haven't been sleeping well lately…"

"No excuses!" yelled Haruhi with a finger pointed directly at my nose. "Get dressed and get to work. We have a lot to do before we go to the party tonight!"

It was then that the SOS Brigade began the arduous task of packing the rest of my family's belongings. The moving truck came a couple hours later, giving us a chance to start putting the heavy furniture into it. While Koizumi and I were taking care of that, the girls would get started on packing any of the smaller things into boxes.

It should be noted that most of the hard work was done by Koizumi and myself, while Haruhi spent most of the time barking orders at me. After about two hours, Tsuruya-san also showed up to help. She told us that the party arrangement would be complete by the time we were done. I had hoped that we'd be done soon, as the moving was quickly exhausting me.

I later found out that boxes filled with books were way heavier than any other thing I had to lift before. I also noticed that Nagato was carrying a box full of books as well, doing so as if the box was only filled with pillows. Dammit, I wish I could do that. Heck, even Koizumi appeared to outperform me when it came to lifting stuff. Did he undergo some secret training under the organization? I refuse to believe that he's stronger than me.

It should be noted that my mother and sister were very grateful for the help my friends were giving. Haruhi insisted that it wasn't a problem and that they were glad to help. She's always so formal with adults. It was a pain trying to keep my sister from distracting us with her antics while we working. It seemed that seeing my friends here cheered her up a bit.

My mother insisted that my stuff would be loaded in last. It took about six hours before we finally finished. We left only the most basic essentials in the house. The place felt so different from what it did five days ago. I couldn't help but feel a little saddened by it.

Haruhi insisted that everyone go home and get cleaned up before we would meet up at our usual meeting spot at six o'clock. I had put aside some of my nicer clothes for this evening when we were packing. I figured I'd try to look my best for the party. I even put on some cologne that I had bought some time ago when I thought about getting a girlfriend. That was before high school I think. After messing around with my hair for a little while before feeling that it was fine no matter how I had it, I left the house to meet up with my friends one last time.

I had arrived about 45 minutes early. It's rare for me to be at the meeting spot first, but I just figured that this was simply because I was already awake and didn't have to fight the sleep monster in order to try and get up in time. I had waited only fifteen minutes before Koizumi arrived. He was dressed in his usual business-casual clothes, including his sports jacket.

"Good to see you here early."

"Yeah…"

He stood next to me and looked up to the sky.

"Some wonderful weather we're having, huh?"

Well isn't that a cliché conversation starter?

"Yep…"

Neither of us said a whole lot for a couple minutes until I became curious about Haruhi's condition.

"She's doing slightly better than yesterday," said Koizumi. "However, there was another closed space last night. It was smaller than the one before. Perhaps she's coming to terms with what's happening."

Or she's in denial.

"Perhaps that is true as well. That is why the next few days after you leave will be crucial."

Let's not forget that without me there won't be anyone around to put her on a leash when she gets out of control.

"Perhaps I'll be more proactive about being the voice of reason."

Liar! You'll do no such thing. I know you espers would be too afraid of upsetting your "God".

It was then that Nagato arrived next. She was wearing a green colored turtle neck with a light green cardigan over it. She also had a light green shirt, dark green stockings and shoes. The outfit was complete with a green bow in her hair. It looked so cute on her I'd forgotten that it was rare that Nagato ever wore anything other than her school uniform.

"Wow…that looks great on you, Nagato."

"Suzumiya-san insisted that I wear this," she said as if there was just the slightest tinge if embarrassment. I liked what I saw.

It wasn't long before Asahina-san also arrived. She was wearing a red dress with a light pink wool jacket over it and pink open-toed shoes with little flowers in the middle of them. She also had two red bows on each side of her head. I didn't need to say the she looked incredible wearing it.

"Sorry for arriving so late."

"No problem. We're stilling waiting Haruhi."

She gave me a warm smile when she came up to us.

"I hope we have a good time."

How could we not if you're here? I was looking forward to this party more than ever.

We ended waiting another twenty minutes for Haruhi, but she still hadn't arrived. I checked my cell phone for the time. Five fifty-six. Dammit, where the hell are you Haruhi?

It was only maybe thirty seconds after that thought that Haruhi had finally arrived. She was wearing a purple tank-top with frills at the top and bottom. She also wore a black vest jacket on top of that. A short black skirt with a belt that was gemmed in rhinestones matched well what she was wearing. Lastly, She wore purple and while leggings with black colored shoes. There was one other thing I had to note. She had her hair tied with purple ribbon in a…a ponytail! Does she know about my fetish? I remember the incident where she nearly rebooted the world almost a year ago in that closed space. I told her about my fetish, and she was wearing a ponytail the next day…but she thought it was a dream…well never mind that. She…she looked good…yeah… When she came closer I could tell she even went through the trouble of putting make-up on. No wonder she took so long.

She seemed embarrassed at first, but quickly hid it once she got to us.

"Good, we're all here! Let's go!"

We took the bus all the way to Tsuruya-san's house. The mood on the way there was quiet. It seemed that no one could quite find something to say. Personally, I was okay with the silence. I really didn't want anyone to say anything cheesy for my sake. That would be embarrassing.

We soon arrived and met up with Tsuruya-san at her house. She was wearing a yellow low cut shirt with short jean shorts and boots. She greeted us with that smile that proudly displayed her fang.

"Welcome guys! We're ready to go!"

She then grabs a yellow party hat and puts it on my head.

"This party is for you, so you have to wear the hat!"

Oh, thanks. It's good that I spent 15 minutes messing with my hair so you could ruin it with a stupid hat…

"Be grateful, dammit!" yelled Haruhi. "You're lucky you're even getting a party."

I ignored Haruhi's nagging and entered the house. The house was decorated with all the usually party favors, from balloons to paper draping. There was a Karaoke machine set up as well as all kinds of finger foods for us to enjoy. Taniguchi and Kunikida arrived about a half hour later. They were dressed casually enough, not that I actually cared what they wore.

We spent the first couple hours playing Karaoke while enjoying our snacks and drinks. I desperately tried not to have a turn at it, but Haruhi and Tsuruya-san insisted that I go up. I picked a song I knew and gave it my best. I don't think I'm really that great a singer, but the girls seemed pleased enough by my performance. Taniguchi went up multiple times, trying to impress the ladies, but it was to no avail. He's a crappy singer. It goes without saying that Haruhi's performances were flawless. She even went and sang the two ENOZ songs she sang at the culture festival. Tsuruya-san was pretty good herself and Nagato's voice was pitch perfect but lacked feeling as it usually did. Asahina-san tried her best. She was cute as she stammered out the words. Koizumi was a competent singer himself. Kunikida refused to sing, insisting that it was for the best.

When we were done, Tsuruya-san's servants served a cake. It was a large rectangle shaped vanilla cake make with vanilla icing. On the cake, the words "We'll miss you, Kyon!" were written on it along with everyone's names underneath it. I was really touched.

Haruhi insisted on cutting the cake herself. I noted that she cut a slightly larger piece for herself and, as if trying to hide her crime, went and gave me an equally large piece. Bad Haruhi! Don't think that you can bribe me with extra cake! Anyway, nobody seemed to mind or notice as there was more than enough for everyone.

When we were finished, Tsuruya-san announced that it was time for gifts. Everyone's gifts that were apparently bought yesterday were brought out. Tsuruya-san was the first to give her gift.

"I figure that it's going to be chillier up north. I know you won't need it right away, but I'm sure it'll come in handy later."

I opened the box to find a stylish down jacket complete with wool gloves and hat. It looked rather expensive. I thanked her graciously and went for my next gift, which was from Nagato. Her gift was a book of Japanese Haikus. I'll admit that I'm not the poetic type, but I was nevertheless thankful for the gift and insisted I'd read the whole thing as soon as possible. Asahina-san came next with what appeared to be a thermos and a small bag of leaves.

"I…I know I won't be able to make tea for you anymore, so I thought I could give you some to bring with you. I also gave you some tea leaves that I picked myself. Hope you enjoy brewing them."

Oh Asahina-san. If I had even a gram of your tea making talent, I'd weep with joy. I will do my best to brew these well, but I'm certain I will fail.

Koizumi's gift was a watch with a leather strap. It was likely middling in value, neither cheap nor overly expensive. I thanked him for his gift and moved onto Taniguchi and Kunikida. Taniguchi handed me what appeared to be a magazine wrapped in paper. He insisted that I didn't open it. Typical Taniguchi. I'm pretty sure I already know what it is… As for Kunikida, he gave me a gift card and apologized for not being able to come up with a decent gift. No worries, it's the thought that counts.

It was then finally Haruhi's turn to give her gift. She seemed reluctant to give it to me. I could see it was a small rectangular box. After staring at it for a few more seconds, she handed to me while looking away.

"Here. I…I really wasn't sure of what to get you. It's not much, okay?"

I gladly took it and opened it up. To my surprise, it was an orange armband. On it were the words "Brigade Member #1". It even had its own pin to go with it. I smiled at Haruhi after taking it out of the box. I was actually pretty touched by it. Haruhi crossed her arms and blushed a bit.

"Once a Brigade member, always a Brigade member. Now you have a symbol of your membership wherever you go. I insist that you where it everyday, even at your new school!"

Like hell that was going to happen. Nevertheless, I decided to humor her by putting on the armband.

"Thank you, Haruhi. I really like it."

She blushed again and looked away. I could tell she was feeling really awkward and to be honest, so was I. Luckily the tension was broken when Tsuruya-san ran up to all of us with a camera.

"Let's take a group photo of all of us together!"

We did just that. She got one of her servants to take the picture. Haruhi and I were in the middle of the group. I was wearing the armband and that stupid hat. I should've taken it off. I'd rather not look back at this and see myself looking like an idiot.

The party was now over. The five Brigade members were all being driven back in one of Tsuruya-san's limos. The somberness on the way to the party was dwarfed by the somberness on the way back. It was dark now, and the lights outside gave an eerie glow. It was a pretty miserable ride.

When we finally arrived at the station, we all gathered together one last time. Haruhi gave a look at each of us before declaring us dismissed. Koizumi, Nagato and Asahina-san quickly went their separate ways. Haruhi hesitated slightly before she too began to walk away. I took this as my cue to do the same. I began to walk to the direction where I left my bike. It wasn't long however before I heard a yell behind me.

"Kyon! Wait!"

I turned around to see Haruhi standing about a dozen meters away. She quickly ran up to me, grabbing me by the shoulders when she reached me.

"I don't want you to go!"

She appeared to want to say something else, but she stopped herself. She was breathing heavily and had swallowed hard before speaking again.

"It…it won't be the same…is all…"

She then turned her head away from me, as if she was trying to hide something. I wasn't sure, but I thought I saw what appeared to be a tear. I smiled at her in an attempt to cheer her up.

"It's okay, Haruhi. I'll keep in touch. And I'll be sure to visit during summer break. It'll be okay."

Haruhi turned back to face me. She gave a weak smile before nodding. She then starts wiping her eyes.

"My eyes are getting irritated…"

I chuckled lightly after she said that. I then waved to her as I started to walk away.

"Talk to you later, Haruhi."

"Bye…"

Her words…they sounded as if she was expecting never to see me again. She then started running away towards the direction of her home. I watched her until she was no longer in sight. I then slumped my way to my bike while carrying my gifts in a bag, and rode my way home. I guess twenty-four hours from now I'll be up north with my relatives…

…But I was wrong…

When I got home, I noticed that all of my belongings had been taken off the truck and put back in the house. I then saw my mother setting on a chair, obviously waiting for me to return. It turns out my mother had different plans for me.

When my mother found out that my friends had gone to all the trouble of helping me pack and throwing me a party, she felt so guilt ridden that she was taking me away from them that she went and talked to my dad to see if there was a way that they could see to it that I stayed. After explaining herself, she handed me some money she had been saving. She told me that I should try and find a small place of my own. I knew that we weren't really wealthy enough to afford them doing this, so I insisted that I would find a part-time job to supplement whatever they could afford to give me. I thanked my mother up and down, being sure to tell her how wonderful she was. I then immediately picked up my cell phone and called Haruhi. I found it odd that when I had bad news, she was the last one for me to tell and when I had good news, she was the first. The other line was picked up by Haruhi, who sounded like she was just in the middle of…crying? No way…I'm imagining it.

"Hello?"

"Haruhi! I have the greatest news! It turns out I'm not moving after all!"

She paused for a second before answering.

"What?"

"My mom decided to have me stay here! She gave me money to find a place for me to stay and everything! I'll probably have to work to make ends meet, but I'll be able to stay in the area!"

Haruhi was silent for a few more seconds before he finally…spoke…

"You bastard! Do you have any idea what you put your Commander through these last few days?! How can you possibly be so insensitive?! After all we did for you today! You have a lot of explaining to do!"

What's there to explain? I told you everything. Typical Haruhi. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. This whole ordeal was anti-climatic. Although I knew that on the inside she was probably really happy.

"We're having an emergency meeting of the SOS Brigade tomorrow! Nine A.M. sharp! You better be there, Kyon, if you want any hope of making it to next sunset!"

It was then that she hung up. I couldn't help but felt that she overreacted a bit, but I guess she wouldn't be Haruhi if she didn't do that. I got onto my bedroll, which was considerably less comfortable than my bed, and went to sleep.

The next morning, I said my goodbyes to my sister and my mother. My sister was heartbroken to hear that I wasn't leaving with her. She grabbed onto my leg and wouldn't let go until the combined effort of my mother and me finally got her off. After that, I gave my mother a hug and bid her farewell. She told me that I had only a couple days left before I had to vacate the house. I told her that I could stay at a friend's house for the time being until I got on my feet. With that, she and my sister, along with all their possessions, were gone.

I looked at my watch that I got from Koizumi. It said nine thirty…Crap!

I arrived at our usual meeting place by just before ten. Haruhi and the others were sitting there looking bored and impatient. When I came in site of them, I could hear Haruhi screaming at me. Yep…I'm dead…

"You have a lot of nerve showing up an hour late! Double penalty! Triple penalty!"

I apologized profusely to everyone, telling them that I was held up saying goodbye to my family. Haruhi blinked upon hearing this.

"Really? They're really gone?"

"Yep."

"I'll miss your little sister. She was a real sweetie."

Were you really angry at me at all? You're definitely not showing it now.

"Forget about your sister. We're here to discuss your current situation. And you better believe that you're buying!"

"I know…I know…"

We got together at the coffee shop where we usually get together. After buying everyone's drinks I explained the current situation to everyone. I couldn't help but notice that Asahina-san seemed completely unsurprised by the fact that I was still here. Koizumi looked especially relieved, and I could sense the same relief in Nagato, but Asahina-san was different. Did she know this whole time that this is what would happen?

"I had a feeling things would work out."

A feeling my ass! You knew this whole time! Damn time travelers and the fact that they know the future!

Anyway, when I was finished, I relayed the fact that my next goal was to find a place to stay. I knew that living alone wouldn't be a problem for me. After all, Nagato, Koizumi and Asahina-san had been doing it for more than a year now.

"Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of money coming my way, so I'm going to have a hard time finding a place I can afford."

"That could be a serious problem," said Koizumi. "Rent isn't cheap. Perhaps there's something I can do to help you…"

No thanks! I'd rather not have your "help".

"I'm not sure if I can really help you, Kyon," said Asahina-san sheepishly. "If I could, I'd be happy to."

"I appreciate it. If I don't find a good place to stay, I might have to move up north anyway."

It was then that Haruhi slammed her hand on the table.

"It's decided then!"

What's decided?

"Kyon, you're going to live with me!"


And there we have it. We're finally to the premise of the story. Next chapter, we'll finally meet Haruhi's parents.