“She’s fine. She should be awake in another two hours. Please carry her to the car,”
I was of course in charge of the carrying work. I was already used to carrying Asahina-san. This was also one of my jobs for which I do not wish to be replaced.
Once we got back to the black taxi, Arakawa-san looked gently at Asahina-san like a grandfather would look at his granddaughter, and then he looked with concern at me as well. I allowed the exhausted Asahina-san to sit in the back seat, and I naturally sat beside her. Though I panicked at first, all I want to do was yell “Banzai” now that I’ve saved Asahina-san. If those guys had succeeded… no, there’s no need to think about that anymore, that was now impossible.
Can I believe in predetermined events, Asahina-san (big)? For you to go to such lengths, it means this event is absolutely necessary for this Asahina-san to go through in order to become you when she grows up, right?
As my attention was now focused on the sleeping face of Asahina-san, who seemed younger than me, I didn’t notice Mori-san had also climbed onto the car, and had completely forgotten to say hi to the Tamaru brothers as the car drove off. It was only after a while that I came to my senses.
“Where do you wish to go from here?”
Mori-san asked. I now realized the taxi was heading back through the original route along the highway.
“…Please take me to the library,”
I wanted to see Nagato as soon as possible before I could relax. After giving my destination, I slumped onto my seat. My exhaustion level was comparable to that of Asahina-san’s.
I had thought that my work was over after releasing the turtle and picking it back up, I never expected to go through seeing Asahina-san getting kidnapped. Though I was mentally exhausted, I still managed to slowly move my lips,
“Mori-san… has Asahina-san been attacked by those people before? Have they nearly kidnapped her before without me knowing? And would they ever…”
“She has not been kidnapped in this time period.”
Huh? Then what just…
“This shows that my deduction was correct. She is indeed unharmed in this time period. This is because her future self has acted as her decoy.”
Mori-san’s face was now full of compassion,
“Asahina-san is being watched over by many people. By you, by Nagato Yuki-san, and by us… like you, we do not wish to hand her over to anyone.”
Just like how I trusted Koizumi, I guess she was also someone I could trust.
“As for other details, you can ask your gorgeous maid. I mean the one from the even further future, the beautiful and mature big sister, that is.”
That was the most objective suggestion I’ve heard so far. I was about to see her even if you didn’t tell me to. I sighed and asked something I suddenly thought of,
“Mori-san, are you one of Koizumi’s superiors? You don’t seem to refer to him in a deferential way.”
Mori-san chortled and gave a smile which didn’t reveal her age,
“That doesn’t mean anything. It is usual for colleagues from the same company to address each other on friendly terms outside. It’s the same for us.”
It’s pretty obvious she was dodging the question, but I was hardly interested in the rank and hierarchy of the “Organization”. If I really want to know, I’d just interrogate Koizumi. Though like Mori-san, it’s likely he won’t reveal anything. According to Koizumi’s style, if he really wants to tell me, he’ll do so even with no one prompting him. This may be the ‘Organization’s’ way of revealing information. Sooner or later, even if I didn’t ask, Koizumi would eventually explain everything to me and chatter away.
Until then, I’ll just quietly wait for that moment to come.
I got out of the taxi outside the library, and with help from Mori-san I once again carried the Sleeping Beauty that is Asahina-san.
“Please take care. I hope we meet again someday,”
Mori-san said once again with her gentle and friendly maid-like smile. Arakawa-san also gave his silent butler salute. They then headed north along the highway in their taxi. Who knows, when Koizumi brought me to visit those ‘Avatars’, it could have been Arakawa that was in the driver’s seat. I guess I’ll ask him next time. Even if it wasn’t, I’ll still have to thank him nonetheless, and the Tamaru brothers as well, for that matter.
As I carried Asahina-san to the entrance of the library, I noticed Nagato was there waiting for me. Nagato stood quite straight, as though she didn’t feel cold at all. Before I could speak…
“It is good that she is fine.”
Her eyes turned towards the sleeping face of Asahina-san lying on my shoulder,
“I have heard about what happened.”
From whom? Koizumi?
Nagato slowly shook her head, and stretched out one of her hands at an even slower speed.
In Nagato’s hand was a letter. Next to the illustration was printed a number:
#5.
Turns out the missing letter from the future was sent to Nagato instead. I didn’t even need to ask who the sender was. Still, Nagato told me anyway,
“It was from Asahina Mikuru’s differential temporal clone. We met about an hour ago.”
So you were here, Asahina-san (big). Only you went to see Nagato instead.
“Did she say anything?”
“She asked me to do her a favor.”
Nagato said calmly and stretched out her finger, placing it on Asahina-san’s smooth forehead.
“…Umm…huh…Wah!?”
It was a magical finger, as Asahina-san opened her eyes just by the touch of it,
“Wah! Kyon-kun… Huh? Why am I being carried by you? And, N-Nagato-san…”
I guess Shamisen would feel just as uncomfortable as Asahina-san right now whenever he’s being picked up against his own will. While she had been struggling since the moment she woke up, I had actually wanted to carry her a little longer, but since Nagato’s watching, I’ll just have to put her down. The anesthetic that Mori-san said would take two hours to wear off has seemingly been dispelled by a single touch from Nagato, as Asahina-san didn’t seem to wobble as her feet touched the ground once again.
Her eyes looking a bit red, Asahina-san looked teary-eyed at me,
“Um… has something happened to me? After giving that little turtle to that boy… Ah, that’s it, a car suddenly stopped in front…”
And after that, you were knocked unconscious. I told everything to Asahina-san, who doesn’t remember anything, as it had happened. Upon hearing me describe the details, Asahina-san’s face went from pale to red to pale again. It was only when I concluded with the end of the condensed version of the car pursuit, that she surprisingly revealed a smile,
“So that’s how it is. Turns out I’m useful after all, I protected my past self in this time period. Thank goodness.”
Asahina-san’s optimistic smile had blown away all the fatigue within me. She was right, if it wasn’t for this Asahina (Michiru)-san, the kidnappers may have resorted to extreme means to kidnap Asahina-san (small). And they would have done it right in front of Haruhi. Even if Koizumi had wanted to stop them, there’s nothing much he could do if he were to keep his cover intact. Things would become serious indeed if that were to happen. Haruhi would be royally pissed and Koizumi’s faction would certainly not sit by and do nothing. Yet, those kidnappers should have realized by now, even kidnapping the harmless Asahina (Michiru)-san didn’t go as well as they might have expected.
This time, I didn’t rely on Nagato’s powers to rescue Asahina-san. If Nagato had been involved this time, I wonder what might have happened? Those people should know the consequences very well if that happens. There’s no way four mere kidnappers could beat the formidable Nagato, but I’d certainly look forward to such a scene.
“Oh, that letter…”
Asahina-san’s eyes were now fixed on Letter #5.
“When was it sent over here?”
Just a while ago, but it was s
ent to Nagato.
“Sent to Nagato-san…”
Raising her eyebrows, Asahina-san said softly to her fellow brigade member’s slim figure,
“N, Nagato-san. Could the one who sent you that letter be… Ah?”
“I can’t tell you.”
Nagato flatly turned down her question. The poker-faced alien said in a tone like a teacher teaching her students,
“Sooner or later you will understand.”
She then said to Asahina-san, whose cherry-like lips were opened as she stood stiffly there,
“As you of all people should know best.”
Like a snowman that had just spoken, Nagato turned around and put on her hood once she finished.
From her eyes, I knew that she did not mean, “I don’t want to tell you.” Turns out I wasn’t the only one who feels that “You’ll understand even if I didn’t”.
Sandwiched between two silent female brigade members, I suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable, so I decided to open that letter.
The contents of Letter #5 were as below:
“Everything is now over. Please tell the Asahina Mikuru there to return to her original garrisoned time period. You’re free to decide what the destination time and location would be.”
Free to decide… huh? How I hoped this line could be interpreted differently under different circumstances, just once would do. Of course it would be better if Asahina-san were to say this directly to me.
Forget it, I can think all I want, it just couldn’t be possible. Even if that wish were granted, I probably wouldn’t dare do anything, and would be so overwhelmed that I’d simply faint. By the time I’d come to my senses I would have realized Haruhi had awoken me by knocking on my head, damn it! That is why I never allow myself to have wishes that are too ridiculous, especially not like Haruhi who would wish for the rotation of the Earth to go backwards. Wishes that you don’t want to become true are better off staying ungranted, and the world should stay as it is.
And so, my priority was now to send Asahina-san to her original time period. I placed my hand on the shoulder of Asahina-san, who seemed to be lost in thought, and showed her the details of Letter #5. Though she was more concerned about who the sender was, she still went and read the letter from beginning to end. She gave an expression of understanding something and said,
“Understood. My mission has now ended.”
She then said with a lonely expression,
“But now it would become an indirect order. Without your instruction, I can’t return to my original time period,”
Yet Asahina-san quickly dispelled that thought and was smiling at me once again,
“I will show you one day that I can accomplish something all on my own as well. By then I will be the one saving Kyon-kun. Though I don’t know when that’ll be, it’ll definitely come…”
Your wish will come true. As long as you don’t forget the meaning to achieving that goal, and never lose your determination towards achieving that goal.
I looked at my watch, but I didn’t feel like watching the time,
“Let’s see, what’s the destination time…”
This Asahina-san appeared in the broom locker at 3:45 PM six days before today. She said she arrived at “4:15 PM, eight days from now”, so her destination ought to take place after 4:15 PM that day. If it were set before that time, then it’ll create lots of confusion. As long as I avoid having two Asahina-sans appearing at the same time, I guess it’ll be okay to set the time difference between departure and arrival by 62 seconds.
“It’ll be Tuesday two days from now, right? How about 4:16PM at that day? In that way, you would only be absent from that time period for about a minute or so. Let’s pick the same location as well, inside the broom locker in the club room,”
“You’re right… if it’s that time, only Kyon-kun would be there,”
“Uniform and indoor shoes.”
Thanks to Nagato reminding us, I remembered that the clothes this Asahina-san was wearing were all borrowed from Tsuruya-san. Her sailor uniform had been left at Tsuruya-san’s place. I also realized that if I escorted Asahina-san back to Tsuruya-san’s place, I would miss the scheduled meeting time. Yet I barely managed to rescue Asahina-san, I really didn’t want to leave her all alone again.
“In that case, Asahina-san, you should just go straight to two days later like that. I’ll try to find a way to get your uniform and indoor shoes back from Tsuruya-san today.”
“Then I leave it all to you. Oh, and…”
After bowing deeply, Asahina-san looked straight at me, as though forgetting what to say, she opened her little mouth then shut it again. Was it because Nagato was around that she didn’t dare speak?
“It’s nothing… Um, I think I’ll tell you when I get back,”
Though I was concerned, it didn’t seem like anything important. If I’ll know about it the day after tomorrow, then I didn’t mind not knowing about it now.
How I wished the time traveling device would be activated now, but Asahina-san probably wouldn’t let me have a glimpse of that. Seems like she would need to be alone in order for her to travel, so we entered the library and escorted Asahina-san to the ladies’ bathroom.
“Kyon-kun, I’m really thankful for your help these last few days. That includes Koizumi-kun and Tsuruya-san as well.”
You can thank Koizumi anytime, for Mori-san you can do so when you see her next time. As for Tsuruya-san, I’m sure she’ll understand even if you didn’t say anything. Of course, I’ll relay it to Tsuruya-san as well anyway.
“Well then… Kyon-kun, Nagato-san, see you later,”
Asahina-san still looked hesitant to enter the bathroom when she went in. Once the bathroom door had closed, no more sound could be heard from inside. Nagato then lifted her head and quietly said to me,
“She has disappeared from this time period.”
It’s over, is it? The rest will have to wait till two days later. I accompanied Nagato out of the library and breathed a huge sigh of relief.
“Nagato, for the past two days, I’ve come across time-travelers that are different from Asahina-san and people that oppose Koizumi’s organization.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. So I was thinking, those aliens that you’ve mentioned may also have appeared somewhere out there,”
“Are you afraid?”
Nagato asked me without moving her head, she then gave me her own answer,
“I’m not afraid.”
You’re right, Nagato. I think the same as you do. I’m sure Asahina-san and Koizumi would agree as well. Since we all agree on the important things, let’s continue to be friends.
Nagato continued walking forward without saying a word, and I followed silently as well.
There is no need to say things that are plainly obvious, on this I’m pretty clear. The SOS Brigade is not an organization with five individuals, but a single entity whose name is called “the SOS Brigade”. I know very well about this, and so there is no need to talk about it with someone who knows it even better than I do.
Chapter 7
Waiting in front of the station, Haruhi waved her hand madly like a cheerleader waving her flag the moment she saw me and Nagato arriving. Asahina-san stood just next to her, and a few steps away was Koizumi. Haruhi seems to be giddy to the point of being hysterical, while Asahina-san revealed a smile more cheerful than usual. Koizumi gave me a meaningful glance while flicking his bangs.
“Kyon, Yuki, you two sure are enjoying yourselves. Just where have you been?”
Haruhi said mischievously as she grabbed Nagato’s little hands,
“I bet you two were probably having a date in the library. It’ll be better if you actually find some mysterious stuff in there, so did you?”
“Of course we didn’t.”
There weren’t books which would suck the reader into another world, or books that people would emerge out of. Maybe you’ll have better luck finding one or two of these bo
oks in those large and antique libraries.
“I see, then we’ll try looking for them in those old bookstores next time. I had wanted to rummage through Tsuruya-san’s ancestral store room, but that’s off limits for outsiders.”
Haruhi began walking at her own pace without declaring where we’re going, and as though reading her mind, Asahina-san and Koizumi smiled nonchalantly and followed her. Nagato and I have no choice but to follow as well.
I know very well that asking Haruhi “Where are you going?” was plain useless. Even if the destination was uncertain, she would still stride forward, then brake suddenly, point to where she’s standing and declare proudly, “This is our destination!” If the SOS Brigade were to sail the uncharted seas under the guidance of Captain Haruhi, we might end up in Bermuda. Yet this time Haruhi simply led us to the Italian restaurant we’d been to yesterday.
During lunch I glanced thoughtfully at Asahina-san many times. While I was relieved to see her enjoy herself as she ate her seafood spaghetti with her knife and fork, I realized that very soon she would be busy spending time with my past self, I felt like telling her everything, at least I should tell her about her getting kidnapped…
While my mind was debating intensely, Haruhi suddenly roughly tapped the side of my plate with her fork and said,
“Kyon, what are you daydreaming about? If you have any problems, you can always tell the Commander.”
Her glittering eyes were proof of her enthusiasm. Haruhi then spoke with the look of someone who was far from amused by an unfunny April Fool’s joke,
“Oh yeah, you still remember that phone call you gave me? The prank call, that is, just what were you thinking?”
“Oh, that.”
I gulped for a while and said,
“It was a stupid joke. I wasn’t thinking properly then, if I had known the prank wouldn’t work I wouldn’t have called. Sorry about that.”
I took a glance at Asahina-san, Haruhi did the same as well. Asahina-san replied with an “Eh?” and stopped sipping her spaghetti. We then turned to face each other again. “Not that it matters,” Haruhi said generously, “Next time be more creative with your prank calls, I’ll give you bonus points if the joke’s funny. Once you collect enough points you get to redeem them for a little prize. But be prepared to get a massive points deduction if the joke’s not funny at all! Remember that!”
Volume 7 - The Intrigues of Suzumiya Haruhi Page 25
