Chapter 8:

It all begins, as always, on that drudgery of a hill up to school. My feet have formed magnetic paths on it by now, and I could swear that sweat was pooling down my face in exactly the same paths that they did last summer. God, two more years of this. I can't believe I'm only in my second year. Nnnn...

The happy thought then occurred to me that summer was approaching, which means a whole month of vacation. I cheered up instantly, considering the available options. Let's see: I could take a part-time job, I could join a sports club, I could...

"Ne, Kyon."

My feet suddenly felt heavier. I cast a glance over my shoulder. Yup, it's her. I should've expected.

With a grin, Haruhi Suzumiya trotted up the hill, barely even breaking a sweat, and fell into step with me. "What are you doing this summer break?"

And like that, all my lovely fantasies of free time vanished, little wistful wisps of pleasant thoughts rudely blown away by the tsunami called Haruhi. Because I knew exactly what was on her mind. She was going to say she's thought of an activity to do over the break.

"I've thought of an activity to do over the break, with the SOS Brigade."

Next she's going to say, This time, we're sure to find some mysterious happenings!

"This time, we're sure to find some mysterious happenings! I'm sure of it. Because the place we're going to is one-of-a-kind. The five of us, you, me, Mikuru, Yuki, and Koizumi, are going to be on top-lookout for mysteries. Ma, this world is so boring!" She flipped her brown hair over her hair disdainfully. I noticed it's gotten longer since this time last year. Wonder how much longer it'll be before she'll start putting it up in a ponytail again. She seriously looks hot in a ponytail. Wait, why am I thinking about such things?

Now she'll ask if I want to bring my sister along.

"Do you want to bring your sister along? She'll have fun, as long as we keep her out of trouble. On the other hand, the things that we'll be doing might be dangerous, so I expect you to keep a keen watch on her!"

"She'd probably like that, but this summer she's spending with my aunt Satsuki in Mie."

"Oh, well. In any case, we'll have to tell the others today after school."

How come the word "ask" hasn't ever entered your vocabulary, Haruhi? I frantically searched around in my brain for a reason to say, "I'm busy," but alas, there wasn't any. Figures. Most likely she's arranged it that way. She is a "god" after all. An annoying "god", but one with power and control nevertheless, aware of it or not.

"Where are we going?" I asked, half-dreading the answer. Maybe full-dreading the answer.

She winked and waggled a finger at me as we finally came to the place where the hill tempered out into the flat school yard. "Hi. Mi. Tsu."

Oh, just great.

That thought preyed on my mind all throughout class, when I watched Haruhi behind me, looking out the window with a scheming grin on her face, throughout lunch, when she disappeared emphatically to roam the school like a poltergeist without a soul to leech onto, all through the rest of class, when she appeared and the demonic grin spread and elicited the random word "Cheshire".

Full-dreading is now an apt description.

"Wow, Suzumiya-san really looks happy today, doesn't she?" commented Taniguchi when classes finally ended and Haruhi began collecting her books at lightning speed. In front of her, I too was piling my books into my bag, keeping one eye on her lest she dash out and drag me along by the tie. "I have no idea what's going on," I half-lied back to him, and had to leave his curiosity there, for Haruhi did indeed dash out at that point, and did indeed have a grip on my tie.

So it came that, with the proverbial "bang" the door to the Literary Club room, sad, ill-named previous Literary Club room, bolted open and Haruhi stood in its wake, one hand on her hips, the other preventing me from escaping, and grinned at the others in the room.

Ehh...other. Only Yuki is here so far. Sorry, Haruhi, your grand entrance has been spoiled by your own over-eagerness. Yuki didn't even look up, yet Haruhi undauntedly announced to the empty room, "Guess what, everyone? Starting the first day of vacation, we're going to spend a week in a bonefied, 100% guaranteed haunted house in the Nagano Mountains!"

Look, Haruhi, the only one here who cares is standing right next to you. You really don't have to bellow.

Yuki looked up for a minute, intoned, "Sou desu ka?" and returned to her book, as Haruhi swung me into the room.

"Ne, Haruhi, exactly where are you going to find a 'haunted house'?"

"Isn't is obvious? Tsuruya-san says that her family owns a cabin up there to escape the summer heat."

Can't blame them there.

"But Tsuruya-san says that after the first trip up there, they realized it was haunted. There are creaks and groans, and moving furniture, all of that! But Tsuruya-san is terrified of ghosts, so they haven't gone back since."

"Ah, then Tsuruya-san won't be accompanying us?"

"Nope." She grinned as Asahina-san meekly stepped into the room, like a blossom unaware of an oncoming thunderstorm, and Koizumi followed behind. "In face, we'll have the whole cabin just to ourselves!"

"Huh? Huh?" The red-headed beauty blinked confusedly. I'm sorry, Asahina-san, you've missed out on the grand announcement, let me fill you in...Wait, Haruhi! All to ourselves? As in the five of us? That can't be good...

.

This can't be good, I thought to myself as the taxi drove off back down the winding dirt roads and my eyes first beheld this Iron Maiden in which I'd have to spend the next week with the torture implement that was Haruhi.

Well, it didn't look bad, I had to admit. It was two stories high, on the smallish side but still affording some space. I'd need all the space I could get, though it seemed there was enough land around us that if I couldn't take it any longer, I could just bolt and wander the wooded hills for hours without encountering anyone else. It struck me suddenly exactly how secluded this area was. Being up in the mountains, it was considerably chillier than it had been back at school, but still the sun beat down on the dark-green branches, and the fresh air was filled with bird-song.

"Kyon! What are you dallying for? Pick up my and Mikuru's luggage and follow me!"

Oh, yes, your highness. Whatever you ask for, your highness. CAN ANYONE EXPLAIN TO ME WHY THE WOMAN WON'T CARRY HER OWN LUGGAGE?

Koizumi gave me his ten-thousand yen smile as he collected Yuki's, plus his own, luggage. "It could be worse. She could have asked us to carry it all the way here, you know."

Oh, yes, you have just as much of a reason to gripe as me, I see. Yuki really only packs the necessities. Though today she is wearing a casual blue-striped shirt and knee-length shorts, it doesn't appear that she's packed more than two outfits besides. Haruhi, on the other hand, (besides the pack-an-adorable-outfit-everyday Asahina-san), seems to have packed enough clothing to change twice a day while anticipating every possible kind of weather condition or freak accident. My arms were starting to break off as I hauled the luggage up onto the porch and entered the door that Haruhi had already unlocked and disappeared into.

Inside, she was frowning as she paced the main room downstairs, rooted through the kitchen (amply supplied with dried and canned goods), prowled around upstairs, and came back down. In fact, she was pouting as she announced to the rest of us (who had collapsed, save Yuki, into the comfortable chairs in the main room, complete with fireplace), "It's too gloomy to find ghosts! All this sunshine drains me of ghost-finding energy, and they wouldn't come out like this, anyway, would they? It would defy logic." (You, missy, defy logic in every way possible already.) "Ma, if only the weather were a little darker..."

She glanced outside, but the sun still cheerfully glimmered on the countryside and played on the wooden floors inside.

And then she said the words which started it all.

"Hmm...you know what would make the atmosphere absolutely perfect? A freak thunderstorm...no, a snowstorm!" She laughed out loud.

Yeah, right. Like that's ever going to happen.

.

Dark silence stopped up my ears as I woke suddenly, eyes popping open to stare at the beamed ceiling above. On the other side of the room, which still seemed far too close a proximity, Koizumi's gentle breathing stirred in the hush.

What had woken me? Even though I'm a heavy sleeper, I know that sometimes loud noises (particularly those coming from a certain younger sister early in the morning) will rouse me. No; there was nothing, no creepy creakings of pacing ghosts, no wildlife hoots or howls outdoors, not even wind. Then I realized it was the silence that had woken me.

I got up, ignoring the cold floor beneath my bare feet, and tread quietly over to the window, pushing aside the flimsy curtains. My breath made smoky patterns on the cold window, but even through the fog, I could clearly see white, white, that was not the eerie blankness of moonlight.

Did it actually...snow? Haruhi, seriously. First cherry blossoms in winter, now snow in July?

I sighed and shook my head bemusedly, casting a glance over at the western-style bed I'd been in. Cold as I was, I didn't think I'd be getting anymore sleep tonight. That, and I was starving, but less for food...I remembered seeing hot chocolate in the kitchen earlier, which spiked a full-on craving.

That's it. I'm not going back to sleep.

I dressed as quietly as possible in my thin summer clothes, guiltily glancing over at Koizumi from time to time to make sure I didn't wake him. Treading down the wooden steps, I noticed a warm glow coming from the kitchen already and frowned. Did we leave the light on last night?

Entering, I saw that someone had gotten to my hot chocolate idea first.

"Kyon! What are you doing up?" Haruhi startledly looked up at me from where she was stirring chocolate and condensed milk on the stove. Then a smile spread over her face. "Did you look outside yet? Can you believe it? It's so cool, a snowstorm out here in July, I couldn't have wished for more!"

No, you probably could have. And that would be frightening.

"Maybe the ghosts will feel more comfortable to come out this way," she continued, looking up at the ceiling above her as if to dare them to descend right now. Then she shivered.

"Scared?" I asked a little mockingly. She shook her head adamantly. "No, it's just cold. I'd forgotten how cold snow makes everything. I sure wish we had a fire."

I thought I remembered some logs and kindling out by the front door. "Wait a minute," I told her, and opened the door to walk outside.

There was no wind, but the snow fell in heavy, clumpy flakes, thick and fast. Already, about a foot had fallen; it was fortunate that the front porch was covered by an overhang so that the logs hadn't gotten wet. Collecting an armful, I walked back indoors and started the magic.

Haruhi reappeared out of the kitchen a little later, while the yellow-orange glow was beginning to lick around the dark corners of the room. I'd already pulled two arm chairs up close, sensing that neither of us was getting back to sleep anytime soon, particularly not after having hot chocolate at—I checked my watch—4:30 in the morning. May as well wait for the sun to come up.

She handed me a mug and snuggled in under the blankets I'd draped over the arm of the chair, then reached up to turn on the light. No result. Frowning, she said, "That's funny. I could have sworn that lamp was working earlier. Oh well," she shrugged, "It's cozier this way."

Not that I can disagree with you but...

She shot me a look. "What? A crackling log fire, hot chocolate, a snowstorm outside, you, what could be more..." She broke off suddenly, blushing while she took a vicious gulp of her hot chocolate. I thought I knew what the next word was, but I chose to ignore the implications of that. It seemed she'd wished for more than the snow.

I sighed and gave into the situation. What's the point of arguing with a "god" who is ignorant of her "god" status? Besides...her brown hair, which I noticed she'd pulled back into a low ponytail, with the low light glinting off it...

Damn it, Kyon, now you're the one waxing romantic. With Haruhi, of all people. With HA-RU-HI. No, that's about as likely as Taniguchi ending up with Tsuruya-san. I sighed and stared into the flickers of the fireplace, letting my mind wander.

"Ne, Kyon." Her voice broke sharply into my thoughts. I lifted my head and looked over at her, frowning into the fire.

"Hmm?"

"What do you think the meaning of life is?"

Now, let the reader understand. With anyone else, I could expect that question to be as cliche as any other. It would lead into half-hearted, half-thought-out comments about Plato and Buddha and whatever else, both coming up with oh-so-original conclusions that noooobody has ever thought up before, and then dissipate into "Well, who can really know, anyway?" But this is Haruhi we're talking about. The one who could recreate the world at will just from feeling blue. When Haruhi Suzumiya begins pondering the meaning of life, world, beware.

That's why there was supreme caution in my voice as I asked, "Huh?"

Oh, very well done, Kyon. How very intelligent of you.

She looked up at me with a scoffing look. "Don't tell me you've never asked yourself that before. After all, is the point of living really to eat, sleep, work, just to live another day, just to find a mate and settle down and start duplicating?"

Come now, I feel like a lab rat when you say that.

"Well, is there any difference, really?" She sighed and slouched further down into the chair, putting down her chocolate onto the table to her right, poor little rejected cup of cocoa. You have lost the interest of almighty Haruhi. Don't worry, I'll drink you later. "Seriously, we talk about souls, and continuing on after life, but really, it's all very...terrifying..." She shivered, and I saw vulnerability creep into her expression. You didn't see that very often, so I scooted my chair even closer to hers and knocked on her head softly with my knuckles. She looked up at me, and the vulnerability of fear turned into the vulnerability of something else.

I liked that "something else". I wanted to reach over and scoop her up, ignoring the yells of protest that I'm sure would be loud enough to wake the dead or any restless spirits in the house, and pull her over into my lap, and hold her down like a cat that doesn't want to be held, and tug her closer and...

I gasped and pulled my lingering hand away, turning away as heat crept onto my cheeks. Why these thoughts, all of a sudden? Feeling her questioning gaze on me, I curled up tighter in the arm chair and refused to meet her eyes.

"I don't have an answer for you," I mumbled into the blankets around my chin. "I don't know why we exist."

She was quiet for a minute, and then tossed her hair in that careless way of hers. She'd returned back to "old Haruhi". I felt a little disappointed. "Anyway, what's the point of life if you don't live it to the fullest?" she said, loudly, and hopped up from the chair, wrapping the blankets like a shawl around her. "Anyway, the sun's coming up, look! Let's go watch it together."

I grumbled as I got up begrudgingly from the cozy spot. "What's the point? It comes up every day. The only difference is that today we'll freeze our butts off watching it do so."

She sent me a daring look. "Don't tell me you're too chicken to brave the cold? What, you call yourself a man?"

I narrowed my eyes and joined her at the half-opened door. "Fine, Hime-sama. But don't blame me if you get frostbite."

She snorted and dragged me outside by the blankets around me. "Of course not. Because if we stay together, we'll stay warm, right?"

I felt a little cold pit drop in my stomach when she said that and huddled closer to me to prove her point. Haruhi, do you even realize what being this close to you does to me? Obviously not, I thought, casting an annoyed look down at her. Her eyes were fixed solidly on the ball of yellow warmth that was rising to the east. A grin settled on her face, as she looked up at me excitedly and whispered, "Here it comes!"

We stood out there like that until it had broken over the tips of the surrounding hills and carelessly cast sparkling gems all over the frozen landscape. The clouds had just broken where it came up; snow still piled down around us. It wasn't until she started to stomp her feet that I convinced her to go back inside.

I put a couple more logs on the dying fire while she snuggled back into the chair, and then joined her, wincing as I met the previously-warm-now-cold-as-the-dead cushion.

She was still grinning. "Ne, Kyon?"

"Nani?"

"Thanks."

My mouth flew open as I looked over at her in shock. But she was ignoring me now, drinking down the last dregs of the cold cocoa just for the sweetness, and so I let the moment pass. I guess it's not the first time I've heard those rare words pass her lips, anyway.

We both looked up as heavy footsteps tread down the stairwell, and likewise a silent presence behind. The serious look on Koizumi's face made me half rise. Next to me, Haruhi asked, "What's wrong?"

Koizumi gave a glance over at Yuki, who said nothing, and then said, "Asahina-san's gone missing."

Author's Notes: Meh, for whatever reason I haven't been in the mood to write recently. Sorry everything's so crappy! There are better things to come, I promise! Anyway, here are the translations:

Himitsu: secret

Nani: what?

Sou desu ka?: Is that so?