Disclaimer – I don't own The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi franchise, any of the characters, or scenarios. Haruhi and all related characters are the property of Nagaru Tanigawa. No copyright infringement is intended and no money is being made, thank you.
"Koizumi-kun, wake up," Souta's voice came out of the darkness to rouse the still sleeping brunette.
Koizumi groaned and turned over, fixing a glare on the other boy. The effect was rather lost on Souta, who sniggered at Koizumi's disheveled sleep look.
"Who said you could refer to me in such a familiar way, anyway?" he asked rhetorically, lifting himself up onto his elbows. He rubbed his eyes, trying to focus on his watch.
"You bastard, it's only five in the morning, why the Hell are you waking me up!?" he exclaimed, ignoring his roommate's cringe at the volume of his voice.
"We have field training today," he supplied, then continued, seeing Koizumi about to open his mouth to protest. "I know you've just joined the group, and usually new recruits wouldn't be taken out into field training, but our squad leader seems to think you'll be okay."
"What is this field training thing anyway?" Koizumi replied, finally swinging his legs out onto the floor.
"It doesn't have anything to do with fighting, really, they're just getting us into practice, showing us how to access the Closed Space," the explanation came quickly, the owner obviously not wanting another outburst.
Koizumi yawned and stretched, his brain still processing all this information. He picked up his jeans, and saw a pile of his own clothes waiting at the foot of his feet. Apparently, this Agency had delivered them to him while he was sleeping. Picking out a clean T-shirt, he walked towards the door leading into the hallway, waiting for a protest. When none came, he assumed he was permitted to first shower before they left, and headed out the door towards the bathroom.
* * * * *
Koizumi walked back into the room, still toweling his hair dry, to find Souta apparently sitting and waiting for him. He cast a curious look at the other boy, before dropping the towel onto the floor.
Without warning, the dark haired boy threw something at Koizumi, which he automatically caught. He looked down to see a simple breakfast bar in his hands.
"Nice reflexes," Souta said, simply. "Eat that. We'll be leaving soon, from the hall," he added, opening the door once again.
Koizumi sighed, and unwrapped his apparent breakfast before following his roommate down the hall.
He recognized the other people that he had trained with yesterday, milling about and waiting for their leader to come and usher them to the nearest Closed Space.
One of the boys walked past them, casting a dark look at Souta, who ignored it.
"Who's he, then?" Koizumi asked, vaguely interested.
"Oh, just somebody who came here around the same time I did," he answered, dismissively.
"Doesn't seem like you two get along," Koizumi continues probing.
"No, well, he seems to think there's some kind of competition between us – before you showed up, he and I would constantly switch between being top of the class," he added, looking at the younger boy. "Come on, we'll be leaving soon," he gestured towards a middle aged man, who had just entered the room.
"What do you mean, before I showed up?" Koizumi asked, even as they followed the man outside, into the pre-dawn light.
"Well, without any training at all, you've already surpassed where he and I were at even two months after joining," Souta didn't seem to be tired of explaining, following the group to a limousine.
Koizumi stopped, staring in awe at the huge car. Souta walked on for a few meters, before realizing his young charge was no longer with him. He turned back, laughing as he saw the look on Koizumi's face.
"What's the matter, never seen a limo before?" he joked. Koizumi shook his head, mutely. He was starting to like this Agency, though he had no idea how long that would last. He silently followed as the six members of the group piled into the car, leaving plenty of room to spare.
Koizumi looked around, taking in the huge interior of the car, before Souta finally brought him back to Earth. However, it wasn't him whom Souta was addressing, rather, the surly looking boy from earlier.
"Don't even think about trying anything today, Kinjo-san," he said, warningly, as the boy eyed Koizumi through his long fringe.
"Like what? Isn't it up to you to try and j-" he was cut off as one of the girls grabbed his arm.
"Kinjo-kun, that's enough," she told him, looking meaningfully at their driver. He yanked his arm away, but didn't say anything else. Souta nodded his gratitude to the girl.
"Thank you, Aya-san. I don't need him corrupting this young recruit," he jokes, inclining his head slightly to show that he was doing about Koizumi.
"Hmph. Already looks corrupted enough to me, without my help," Kinjo spoke up. Aya shot him a careful look, and he glared at her.
"Geez, get a room," Koizumi mumbled, loud enough for them to hear him.
"What did you say, you little bastard?" Kinjo hissed, leaning forward.
"Kinjo-kun, leave him alone," Aya said, sounding tired of his antics already.
"But he just-"
"Well, it's not like you haven't tried to get into my room before, anyway. Don't worry, he's only sore about your comment because he knows it will never happen," she added, directing the last part to Koizumi, who was eyeing the two with interest.
He sat back, smirking, but didn't say anything more on the subject, instead choosing to stay silent until the cat stopped, evidently arriving at their destination. He looked around curiously, not seeing anything of interest outside the windows other than a few small, abandoned buildings.
"Wow…lucky this time…last time the only unoccupied Closed Space was in the middle of the city…" Souta mutters, apparently to himself.
Koizumi scowls, so far unimpressed. Following Souta's lead, he stepped out of the car, cracking his shoulder deliberately after the car ride to loosen up his muscles.
Their instructor walks in front of them, giving them a stern look, quelling any previous talk that had been going on.
"Now. Some of you have already had experience entering Closed Space. Some of you have not. Going about it is something relatively simple – you are required to use the innate powers in yourself to respond to those surrounding this second dimension, and pass through the barrier," he explains shortly.
Souta looks around, deciding he ought to help Koizumi out, as it's his first time deliberately entering a Closed Space, but Koizumi is nowhere to be seen. He panics.
"Sensei!" he calls out, running up to their teacher as the rest of the recruits start attempting to enter the space. "Koizumi-kun, I think he's run off!" he elaborates, this answer being the only one he could think of.
The teacher glares off, away from his students. "I knew we'd have trouble with this one…I told them not to allow him out of the facility yet…well…" he mutters, pulling out a mobile phone.
"Hey, Souta, what's taking so long?" Koizumi's voice shouts from off to their right.
Souta slowly turns to look at Koizumi…or what of Koizumi is visible, as his head seems to be floating in midair.
The teacher blinks at him, putting the phone back inside his jacket pocket.
"What are you…uh…can you stop that?" Souta asks, distracted. Koizumi obliges, stepping forwards, allowing the rest of his body to materialize.
As Kinjo glares reproachfully over at them, Koizumi's face breaks into a wide grin, changing his usually surly, guarded features completely. Souta blushes, sure he shouldn't be noticing things like that.
"It's really weird in there…a bit cold…so quiet…" Koizumi muses; looking back at the spot he had just reappeared.
"Do you mean to tell me that you accessed Closed Space on your first conscious attempt?" the teacher asked, politely incredulous.
Koizumi shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets and falling behind his reserved expression once more. "I guess? Why, is that wrong?" he asked, only half joking.
"K-Koizumi-kun, that's absolutely incredible!" Souta exclaimed, rushing over to him. "How did you manage it? We've only been to Closed Space once before, and nobody else has even gotten close!" he revealed, not noticing the smug look his roommate shot Kinjo.
"Hey…what's it like in there?" he asked, curious.
"I…I can't really describe it…" Koizumi replied, completely honest. Souta sighed, but grins at him.
"Oh well, I guess I'll have to find out for myself then, right? How does the saying go…'would you care to teach an old dog, new tricks'?" he laughed.
Koizumi looked at him suspiciously.
"Uh…I just meant…could you help me out?" Souta added weakly. Still confused by Souta's earlier comment, Koizumi nonetheless led him over to the spot he had been standing at before.
"I don't know how much of a help I'll be, I don't know how I did it. It just kind of seemed like there was a wall…and only I could find the door for it, or something," Koizumi tried to explain.
Souta held his hand out experimentally. "I've never been told to picture it like that…" he said conversationally, before his face took on a look of concentration.
If he looked closely, Koizumi could see the air wavering slightly around Souta's hand, but didn't say anything, choosing instead to let the boy figure it out for himself.
"S…so if I can open it up, I'll be through?" Souta asked, keeping his eyes fixed on his hand. Koizumi rolls his eyes; putting out his own arm and giving Souta a sharp push in the back. A moment later, the shocked look not gone from his face; Koizumi's roommate was gone.
"Hey, what did you do?" an angry voice came from Koizumi's left. He turned around to see, once again, Kinjo, looking at the space where his long time rival had been standing.
"What did you do to him, you little freak?" The older boy repeated storming up to him.
"I didn't do anything. Looks like he managed to get into Closed Space without your help," Koizumi replied coolly, and, turning his back on the easily aggravated student, stepped forward, after Souta.
He found Souta staring in wonderment around himself, at the gray, empty world they were standing in.
"Wow…" he said in awe. "I wish I knew what created this…"
Koizumi nodded briefly, the initial shock of the strange environment having already worn off for him. He absentmindedly held his palm in front of himself, attempting to channel energy down into his hand. Souta looked around as the flash of light caught his eye.
"Koizumi-kun, what are you…" he trailed off upon seeing the small, spinning orb Koizumi had created. Koizumi looked up, an expression of concentration on his face, before flicking his wrist, allowing the conjured ball to disappear.
"Come on. We should get back," he said shortly, grabbing Souta by the arm and heading back out, only to face the impressed looks of his fellow recruits. He scowled at them.
"I'm heading back to the car," he announced, not wanting to talk to anybody about how he had managed what he'd just done. He would leave that to Souta. Walking back to the limo, a flicker of pride rose in his chest, and he allowed himself a self-satisfied smirk.
* * * * *
"That was…what you did today I mean…it was just…wow…" Souta said, falling onto his bed.
Koizumi shrugged. "It wasn't that great, just shut up about it already, would you?" he said, irritated. People had been hounding him ever since he had gotten back, and he was absolutely sick of it. Souta didn't flinch at Koizumi's rough attitude towards him, having already accepted it.
"By the way, you have an appointment with one of the higher ups tomorrow, over in C-block office," he added, remembering the note that had come to their room earlier.
"Fantastic," Koizumi replied, pulling out a book that had also arrived with his clothing.
"They're probably going to put you on the field, like they did with my last roommate," Souta continued.
"Wonderful."
"You know, you're the first person to come here and learn as much as you have in just a week," Souta tried again.
"Spiffing," Koizumi announced, finally looking up from the book.
"Well, I just thought you'd be…I don't know…happy about it?" Souta asked, confused.
"Happy about being promoted in an Agency I was abducted into. Makes perfect sense."
"Well you don't have to be so sarcastic about it…" Souta scowled. Koizumi rolled his eyes.
"If you're going to take offence at what I say, maybe they should have chosen a different person for me to room with. You're kind of a p…pansy," Koizumi stopped himself at the last moment, not even sure why.
"Hey! I am not," Souta grumbled, very clearly sulking.
"You are. You'll never be able to stand up properly to that guy if you can't take rude speaking," Koizumi added, turning back to the book.
"Well…uhm…" Souta trailed off, seeing Koizumi flick a page over in his book, clearly indicating the conversation was over.