Volume 9 - The Dissociation of Suzumiya Haruhi

by Tanigawa Nagaru

  I am not such an impatient person. Although in actual fact, I needed some time to conclude my own thoughts.

  “What exactly is going on regarding those guys from this morning?”

  “This is something I wanted to ask you as well. But you need not speak too much of anything regarding Tachibana Kyoko. I had already expected their group to run out of patience and start taking action. The kidnapping incident back then is just a foreshadow to what is about to happen next, although we cannot say it is something that is caused by Tachibana Kyoko.”

  Didn’t expect you to speak for the other side.

  “I hoped to prevent any needless competition as well. A violent confrontation is totally not my style. Fortunately for all of us, Tachibana Kyoko is someone who can be communicated with, albeit only just so. A rational opposition is better than an ignorant ally, this is something that is worth being a classic. If possible, it would be best if they can just remain bystanders. This is a suitable time for action, which is the same situation as when ‘spring is near when winter began’. This would be much better than remaining in a cold war isn’t it?”

  Can you not use words that will cause attrition to my nerves?

  “Or there is another possibility. Maybe the time traveler gave her some weird ideas. We should also not forget even Nagato-san’s opponent has made an appearance, they would have to take action now.”

  What exactly are those fellows trying to accomplish?

  “Honestly speaking, Tachibana Kyoko’s group and the ‘Organization’ I belong to are totally unrelated, although there are not many major differences. We had activities due to similar interests but each of us have our own explanations to them. I guess it can be put that way. It is just that they wanted to minimize and purge instances of the possibility of them making mistakes themselves. This I understand very well, because this is equally valid for me as well. The reason we can have superpowers is because Suzumiya-san bestowed them upon us. This is a fact that could not be wavered.”

  And that is the so-called legendary theory about the new world created by Haruhi three…… no, four years ago?

  “This is not a matter of believing or not believing. Even if we remove the ‘god’ from the salutation, ‘Suzumiya-san is the source of sealed realities and Avatars, and the reason we exist is to control the situation’ is a fact that is agreed upon. Because I knew of this since the beginning, if we say it is otherwise only now, I will be very troubled. So this is something I am not willing to make concessions on.”

  It would be best if we are debating to solve this problem, Koizumi said with the tone of a bystander.

  “Tachibana Kyoko and Sasaki-san will still be fine. At least, they live in the same time as us humans, with the same values, making them easier to monitor. The one that is totally unpredictable would be that one not belonging to the Integrated Data Sentient Entity, with no other similar party other than Suou Kuyoh herself. From this point, she is the monomer that still exists on Earth. Since we do not even know what methods she employs, much less will we know about her motives. Compared to her, time travelers and the like can even be said to be ‘cute’.”

  Although Asahina-san’s cuteness is something of an obvious fact, I do not think all time travelers are this way.

  “I agree with this as well. Asahina-san, who is part of our team, falls under the category that protects the target. After all she is a senior with irresistible cuteness, we can’t possibly leave her alone. It is just that we do not want them to bring their future conflicts to the past. I guess problems regarding time travelers should be solved by time travelers themselves.”

  Or it will be too irresponsible. Koizumi added.

  “Anything other than this can be settled by Nagato-san and myself. You too, if you see any evil arms reaching towards Suzumiya-san, you will definitely not sit still right?”

  Of course, she is our brigade leader after all.

  “We will just wait for the other party to take action. No need to think too much about it. No matter what, we still have Suzumiya-san on our side after all.”

  * * *

  β-3

  Just as I finished with the phone call with Nagato my younger sister had already brought along all her work to look for me, probably due to her impatience.

  But thereafter she immediately threw her practice questions and stationery on the floor and started fooling around with Shamisen. After my younger sister had enough fun with Shamisen and finished her work, an hour had passed. She undoubtedly has the same blood flowing through her veins as mine, not much talent with academics. She can do the four fundamental operations of arithmetic easily, but if the question introduces a twist somewhere, she cannot continue.

  I returned to her her practice questions booklet, written on it the answers I had worked out for her, along with the lesson notes for the day, saying the following.

  “Go to sleep as you have finished, it would be best if you could bring Shamisen along. He always presses on my blanket and is so heavy I feel uncomfortable.”

  “Shami~ want to sleep together?”

  The calico cat raised his head and looked at my sister with doubt, and proceeded to move slowly towards my blanket.

  “He says no.”

  My younger sister seemed to be very happy as she hugged her work, skipping happily like a dancer as she went out of the room. For my younger sister, this is considered obedient. I shall give you a bonus point for this one.

  I conveniently turned on the television. Although there are obviously no shows to watch, I changed channels randomly while pondering about the event tomorrow. I think it is better to be slightly prepared.

  Might as well sleep earlier tonight.

  * * *

  α-3

  After talking on the phone with Koizumi, I wondered whether I should give Nagato a call as well, but after thinking that it is already so late and that there is nothing much to talk about even if I did, I returned the phone to the side of my bed.

  If Kuyoh is like a death god that will determine the survival of Nagato or something like that, she would of course not remain silent. What’s more tomorrow is a Sunday, a normal weekend our merciful leader bestowed upon us. I shall use the time to take a good rest and recuperate.

  Once Monday comes, whatever reluctance would still have to be faced in the classroom or the clubroom. If I pay a visit to the clubroom during lunch time, I should be able to listen to Nagato’s alien seminar anyway.

  Just when I was about to take out that book that I haven’t returned to read it, a scratching sound came from the door. I opened the door and Shamisen crawled in, its throat producing croaking sounds and a face filled with exhaustion. Without even greeting the person who opened the door for him, he climbed onto the bed, rolled into a ball and started sleeping away.

  This seemed to symbolize that the world and cats’ lives are eternal(!).

  * * *

  α-4

  The next day, Sunday.

  I didn’t have much to do; I just read some books, played some games, fully enjoying the time spent alone. Uneventfully, it passes to evening. This rest day without any link to Haruhi and related incidents is great, though sparse.

  Tomorrow is about to start. The melancholy-inducing Sunday night is about to pass, the start of the week with the only reason for existence is for weekends to come quickly, a new day of a week with an odd number.

  Monday is about to come.

  * * *

  β-4

  Next day, Sunday.

  I had already woken up when the morning turned seven. Thirty minutes after the alarm clock rang, I was fully prepared and entered standby mode for departure from home.

  I had never before felt that breakfast and washing up are such a waste of time as I have today, their being morning routines I have gotten used to performing long ago. Originally, I could have slept another wink, but if I went back to sleep, I won’t wake up for another two hours.

  Without a choice, I can only read the morning pap
ers in the kitchen. Right at this time, my younger sister, who is extremely proud of her achievement as being the earliest to wake up in the entire family, stared at me intently with a look of disbelief.

  “Wow, Kyon woke up earlier than me for two days in a row. Why~?”

  What is there to ‘why’ about? I am now living the life of a high school student that is much busier as compared to a sixth year grade school student. You will sooner or later reminisce about the time when you were the current you, so you should enjoy your grade school life to the max. Don’t write things in your graduating speech that would make others laugh at you.

  “Ohh~ where are you all going today? Will Haruhi be there too?”

  If answered honestly, she might want to tag along. Although Sasaki would reveal an understanding smile, that time traveler guy would definitely carry a look of disgust. No, I should just let younger sister come along, after all it is considered a way of getting back at them.

  “I’m meeting some middle school friends today.”

  But, I eventually decided to conveniently send her away. There would be plenty of chances to meet Sasaki later on; also, I do not wish to have my younger sister, one who still believes in the existence of Santa Claus and had a pure and innocent upbringing, to know the hard truth so early. Aliens actually being extremely clever, time travelers being brats that piss people off et cetera…… destroying fantasies like this seems a tad too cruel.

  You stay at home with Shamisen instead. And, if Haruhi calls the house, you go think of some reason to cover up, whatever reason is up to you. But you have to be careful, you are not to mention even the ‘Sa’ of ‘Sasaki’.

  “O~kay.”

  My younger sister rushed off to wash up, creating thumping noises.

  Now is the chance. Although it is still quite early, I think I had better set out now. If I were to be questioned by my younger sister later and end up leaking anything, the consequences will be troublesome. I feel uneasy all over being at home, as well as an unbearable urge to wrap up today’s activities A quickly as possible.

  But just as I stepped out of house, I realized that my occasional habit of being an early bird has incurred the wrath of the heavens.

  Just as though the weather is waiting for me to open the door……

  “It’s raining already?”

  I returned back to its original position the key to my bicycle I originally intended to use, stretching the other hand to pick up an umbrella before saying said phrase.

  From a slight drizzle to a pitter-pattering plum rain and then to a thunderstorm with dark clouds obscuring the entire sky. This entire process takes less than thirty seconds.

  Although there is no thunder.

  I endured the pattering of the rain as I approached the train station, spotting the trio from yesterday waiting for me.

  Sasaki carried a blue foldable umbrella, Tachibana Kyoko a branded “Fen” something one. Like a genetically-similar replica of Nagato, Suou Kuyoh donned the uniform of her girls school, carrying a transparent umbrella that looked like it was bought from a convenience store, a demonstration of the totally different personalities of the three in the heavy rain.

  Kuyoh’s extraordinarily long black hair, although having already exceeded that of those that could be covered by an umbrella bought at a convenience store, shows no sign of being drenched by the rain. She also seemed to have turned transparent to the unrelated pedestrians. However, to prove that theory wrong, those pedestrians, upon hitting her umbrella, would move away immediately. This is really convenient.

  Oh yeah, that time traveling brat hasn’t shown his face yet. Did he turn into some chameleon sticker by any chance?

  “No, he is at the coffee shop.”

  Sasaki replied.

  “I would never wait blankly for a person in such huge rain, even more so the person is you…… that is what he said. So we let him have a seat away from the rain.”

  What a self-righteous person. Seems the person’s character hadn’t changed a bit even after two months. Although I have no idea how many days had passed for him.

  “Seems you and him have really deep hatred. Although I haven’t heard of anything regarding the incident from you, but I guess this beats not knowing each other at all, this is good.”

  Sasaki laughed in her usual way.

  “I am not worried now. Because if he really had some ill intentions, I suppose he would not have taken such a direct approach. He took a similar approach with me as well.”

  That is even more unforgivable. Shouldn’t come if he hates this time frame. At least learn from Asahina-san. To find someone who works so hard for the tea-making business is not simple even in this time and age.

  Sasaki laughed softly.

  “I wanted to drink tea brewed by Asahina-san too. I could if I visited North High right? What a waste, I should have visited during the cultural festival last year. I will definitely go this year.”

  I would of course not say things like “it is better if you don’t appear.”

  “You coming is of course not a problem. But our cultural festival has nothing too interesting…”

  “Both of you……”

  Tachibana Kyoko suddenly invaded into the space between Sasaki and me. In order not to hit our umbrellas, she held hers high up.

  “Can casual chat be left to when only the both of you are around? The reason I called for you today……”

  Tachibana Kyoko cleared her throat with an “Ahem” sound and looked darkly at Sasaki and me.

  “……is because I have plenty to talk to you all about. This is something very important. I should have told Sasaki-san before.”

  “Sorry”, Sasaki said, smiling. “I did not forget, just that I am pretending to have forgotten. Honestly speaking, I do not know how to say those things out loud.”

  In this period of time, Kuyoh remained motionless like a model made in a 1:1 ratio. Is she really not used to our kind of language?

  Following that, Tachibana Kyoko said.

  “We better get going. I have a premonition that ambassador from the future is more or less running out of patience in that shop. It is about time too.”

  14 A popular Mahayana Buddhist Bodhisattva, usually depicted as a monk. An old man, on his way home, discovered a statue of Ksitigarbha standing in the harsh cold winter, buried in the snow. The kind old man decided to leave one of the

  Just as she said that while walking off, Kuyoh started moving without even nodding her head, moving slightly faster than Ksitigarbha[14] with an umbrella carrying a heavy sack moving along a walkway covered with snow, following closely behind. On her face that is lacking any tinge of scarletness is a pair of sleepy eyes that makes people wonder whether she had already fallen asleep. I don’t know if the alien here has low blood pressure or is unable to handle the humidity, making it seem as if her state of being changes daily. If Nagato is described as diamond dust, then Kuyoh gives a feeling of peony snow[15].

  15 Diamond dust refers to the effect created by falling snow during winter under light while peony snow refers to snow that falls only during spring’s warm yet moist condition.

  Looking at Sasaki and Tachibana Kyoko, it is as if they had already taken Kuyoh as transparent. But I suppose they did that because they knew even if they ignored her, she would follow anyway. Regarding this point, it is rather similar as compared to Haruhi and Nagato.

  Kuyoh expressed an expected movement. Although the steps are not very large, there is no feeling of it being slow as well, continuously maintaining a similar distance from us. And I, while walking, discovered……

  The direction we are heading in is the meeting place of the SOS Brigade since god-knows-when. It is the coffee shop where ninety-nine percent of the time, it is a particular member, me, who will pick up the tab.

  As I had predicted, the duo walking in front paused in front of the automatic sliding glass door, and a man holding onto a glass with a face full of unhappiness could be seen inside.

&
nbsp; That fellow raised his head up and discovered us, but all he did was to curl his lips uninterestedly.

  That fellow raised his head up and discovered us, but all he did was to curl his lips uninterestedly.

  Just like when I met him near the flower bed, it is a Koizumi kind of smile that has been made evil.

  There is no need to imitate the SOS Brigade to such a stage, making me feel uneasy all over. And the me now is sitting at the exact same spot yesterday with the same member formation, beside me is Sasaki and opposite are the supernatural trio.

  After the female waitress left after leaving four drinks on the table, the five mouths, including mine, show no sign of movement.

  I am staring at the time traveler guy whose name I still do not know till now, Sasaki and Tachibana Kyoko with a look of relief. Kuyoh is as stiff as a clay doll, not making any sound. The atmosphere is like when a final meeting is being made by the army inside a castle that is surrounded by a huge opposing army, ready to fall anytime……

  Automatically picking up the bundle as the emcee is Tachibana Kyoko.

  “Although many things happened……”

  With this phrase as the opening statement.

  “I am really excited now. Do you all know how many days I have waited for this day to come? We can now finally stand at the starting line now. Thank you for giving me the chance.”

  She lowered her head and bowed at me.

  “I would also like to thank Sasaki-san, suddenly troubling you for such a matter, I am really sorry.”

  “Hm.”

  Sasaki uttered a simple syllable, raised her head and looked at me.

  “Kyon, can you not show such a scary expression, at least listen to her first. I wish to refer to your conjecture, because you should be more knowledgeable with matters like this. After all my intuition and analytical skills are not that superior, and thus I chose to rely on previous examples and experiences of others. Because of this, your presence here makes me more relieved, since I have nobody to refer to this time round.”