Suzumiya Haruhi:Volume1 Chapter3

From Baka-Tsuki

Chapter 3

Due to the infamous bunny girl incident, Asahina has become a household name as well in the school. After taking a day off, she once again boldly appeared in the club room.

As there hadn't been any decent club activities yet, I brought an Othello board, which had been buried deep in my home, long forgotten, and played some games with Asahina while chatting with her.

The website is done, but it was as good as useless as there were no visitors, nor a single email. The computer was only good for surfing the internet. If the guys from the Computer Study Group ever found out, they'd cry themselves to death.

Sitting next to Nagato Yuki, who as usual is reading her book, I started the third round of Othello with Asahina.

"Suzumiya-san sure is taking her time." Asahina said softly while still staring at the board.

Seeing that she's not affected by what's happened before, I breathed a sigh of relief. No matter what, to be able to be in the same room with a cute girl who's one year your senior is enough to make one giddy.

"There's a transfer student coming in today, I bet she went to look for him."

"Transfer student?"

Asahina raised her head like a little bird.

"Haruhi was excited when she heard that there's a transfer student in Ninth Class. She really seems to like transfer students!"

I placed a black piece on the board and flipped the white pieces.

"Uh huh......"

"Oh yeah, Asahina-san, I never thought you'd come today!"

"Um...I did hesitate for a while, but I was a bit concerned, so in the end I came."

Where've I heard you say that before?

"What are you concerned about?"

Smack! She flipped one of the board pieces with her tiny fingers.

"Um......nothing."

I turned around and noticed Nagato staring at the board. Her face is static like a clay doll, but under her glasses, her eyes showed a glare never seen before.

"......"

Her glare was like a new born kitten amazed at seeing a dog for the first time. I traced her vision towards my hand which was holding the board piece.

"......Nagato-san, you wanna play?"

After I said that, Nagato robotically blinked her eyes, and in a very miniscule way that unless you paid very close attention you wouldn't have noticed, lightly nodded her head. So I swapped seats with Nagato and sat besides Asahina.

Nagato picked up one of the pieces and studied it intensely. When she discovered the pieces would stick together because they were magnetic, she recoiled her hands as if she were frightened.

"Nagato-san, have you played Othello before?"

She slowly swung her head.

"Do you know the rules then?"

The answer was negative.

"Well see here, as you're holding black, your objective is to surround the white pieces with your black pieces. And then you flip the surrounded white pieces over and they become black. In the end, whoever has more pieces wins."

She nodded her head. Afterwards, she elegantly placed the pieces on the board, though she was kind of clumsy in flipping the opponent's pieces.

After the opponent was changed, Asahina started to appear more anxious. I noticed Asahina's fingers started to tremble, and she wouldn't dare lift her head to look at Nagato. She would occasionally take a peek at Nagato and then look away quickly, which she did many times. In the end maybe Asahina couldn't really concentrate, so black quickly took a clear advantage in the game.

How come? Asahina seems to be very wary of Nagato, I just don't understand why.

It wasn't long before black won convincingly. Just as the two were to begin another round, the perpetrator responsible for all the chaos returned with a new sacrifice.

"Hiya, kept ya waiting!"

Haruhi greeted us casually while pulling the sleeve of a male student.

"This is today's new transfer student in First Year Ninth Class, his name is......"

Haruhi suddenly stopped and gave a "it's your cue" look. The sacrifice turned and smiled at us.

"...Koizumi Itsuki, please to meet you."

A skinny figure, he gives an impression of an energetic young man. A very contented smile, kind eyes, and a handsome face. If he should make a pose as a model on those supermarket flyers, he'll definitely get a lot of fans. If he's a nice guy, he'll be even more popular.

"This is the SOS Brigade club room. I'm the commander, Suzumiya Haruhi. These here are Subordinates One, Two, and Three. Oh and, you're Number Four, remember to get along well!"

What kind of introduction is that!? The only names mentioned are yours and his only!

"I don't mind joining!"

Koizumi, the transfer student, smiled kindly:

"So what kind of club is this?"

If there were a hundred people here, they'd certainly ask the same question. A lot of people had come to ask me this question, but I could never find the answer for that. If a person can answer that skillfully, then he's a talented con artist! Haruhi doesn't seem concerned, however, and smiled cheerfully at us and said:

"Then let me tell you what the SOS Brigade is about, that is......"

Haruhi slowly breathed in, and then dramatically revealed the shocking truth.

"To find aliens, time travelers and espers, and befriend them!"

The whole world's time seems to have stopped at this moment.

That's a bit of a ridiculous statement. The only thing in my mind was "Just as I thought." But the other three didn't think so.

Asahina was completely dumbfounded, widening her eyes and ears and stared at the cheery looking Haruhi. Nagato Yuki was the same, after turning her head towards Haruhi, she stopped as if she'd ran out of batteries. What surprised me was that Nagato's eyes widened a little bit. For someone who doesn't show a lot of expression, that is a surprising reaction.

As for Koizumi, he gave a somewhat enigmatic smile; it was hard to know what the smile meant. A moment later, Koizumi was the first to get back to his senses.

"Ah, I see."

As if he understood something, he looked at Asahina and Nagato, and nodded in comprehension.

"As expected from Suzumiya-san."

After making this ambiguous comment, he continued:

"No problem, I'll join. I look forward to working with you guys."

He smiled showing his bright, white teeth.

Hey! Did you just accept her explanation just like that? Did you really even listen?

Noticing a confused-looking me, Koizumi suddenly came and stretched his hand towards me.

"I'm Koizumi. As I just transferred today, there's still a lot for me to learn. Nice to meet you."

I shook the polite Koizumi's hand.

"Sure, I'm......"

"He's Kyon!"

Haruhi introduced me on her own accord, and then pointed to the other two: "The cute one there is Mikuru-chan, and the four-eyed one is Yuki-san."

Crash!

A loud noise thundered. It was Asahina who tripped over her chair as she was trying to get up, and landed her forehead on the Othello board.

"Are you all right?"

Hearing Koizumi's voice, Asahina reacted by turning her head doll-like and looking up at the exchange student radiantly. Hmph! That's pretty annoying, that look.

"......I...I'm fine." Asahina said in a very small tone, looking shyly at Koizumi.

"Great, now we have five members! The school won't be able to do anything about it!"

Haruhi continued:

"Right, the SOS Brigade is open for business! Everyone, let us work together and move forward!"

What do you mean open for business, missy?

When I noticed, Nagato had already gone back to her seat reading her hardcover book. Nagato-san, Haruhi has already counted you as a member, are you sure you're OK with that?

After Haruhi said she wanted to take Koizumi for a tour of the school and left, Asahina also said she had things to do at home, so only Nagato and I remained behind.

I wasn't in the mood to play Othello, and there's not much fun watching Nagato read, so I decided to go home as well. I picked up my bag and bid my farewell to Nagato.

"I'll be going then!"

"Have you read the book?"

Hearing her say that, I stopped in my footsteps. Turning around, I noticed Nagato Yuki looking at me with her near expressionless eyes.

"What book? Oh, you mean the thick hardback one you lent me the other day?"

"Yes."

"Oh, I haven't read that......Maybe I should return it to you?"

"There's no need to."

Nagato never minces her words, she always gets straight to the point in one short sentence.

"Remember to read it today."

Nagato said flatly.

"As soon as you get home."

Her voice has a tone of command to it.

Besides those required by Literature classes, I rarely touch novels, but since Nagato recommended it, it should be quite interesting.

"......All right already!"

Hearing my response, Nagato went back to reading her book.

Which is why, I found myself pedaling my bike as hard as I could in the darkness.

I returned home after saying goodbye to Nagato and went straight to my room after dinner to start reading the foreign science fiction novel she shoved to me. Just when I was getting dizzy with the sea of packed words, I decided to flip through the book wondering if I could ever finish reading this, and a bookmark fell from the book and onto the carpet.

It was a strange looking bookmark with flower patterns printed on it. I flipped it around and found a line of words written.

'Seven o'clock tonight, waiting for you at the park outside the station."

The words are so neat, as though as it has been written by a word processor. This plain looking handwriting does look like Nagato's, though I'm not certain.

I've had this book for days now. So is the seven o'clock written for seven o'clock that night? Or is it seven o'clock for tonight? Could it be that she felt that I would eventually find this bookmark one day and waited in the park every night? Is the reason Nagato wanted me to read the book tonight is so that I would discover this bookmark tonight? Even then, why didn't she just tell me directly? Besides, I don't know why she wanted to call me to the park.

I looked at my watch; the time is just past six forty-five. Even though the station is the nearest one to my school, it would take at least 20 minutes for me to ride my bike there from my place.

I thought about it for about ten seconds.

I stuck the bookmark in my jeans before dashing out of my room and down the stairs like a swift rabbit. I came to the house entrance to see my sister coming out, carrying a popsicle and asking, "Where are you going, Kyon-kun?" I answered "The station." hopped on my bike which was tied by the door, and rode off to my destination.

If Nagato isn't there, I think I'm going to laugh very loud at myself.

Seems like I won't be able to laugh.

As a careful bicycle rider, it took me till ten past seven to arrive at the park outside the station. As the park was far from the main road, there weren't a lot of people at this time of day.

Under the noises of the trains and cars, I carried my bike and walked into the park. Under the lights of the equally spaced lamp posts ahead, I could faintly see Nagato Yuki's slim figure sitting on one of the long park benches.

She really is the sort of person whose presence is not easily detected. Sitting so quietly in the park, if one didn't know better she could have been mistaken as a ghost!

Nagato slowly stood up like a string puppet.

She's still wearing her uniform.

"Are you glad I finally came?"

She nodded.

"You couldn't have waited here every day?"

She nodded again.

"......Is it something you can't tell me at school?"

Nagato nodded and then walked in front of me.

"This way."

After these two words, she turned and strode forward. Her way of walking is like a ninja: no footsteps can be heard at all. I could only reluctantly follow behind Nagato, who has blended perfectly with the night.

After a few minutes of walking and watching the breeze blow her hair gently, we arrived at a apartment block very near the station.

"Right here."

Nagato took out her pass and brushed it once against the electronic sensor at the entrance; the glass door ahead of us opened. I left my bicycle by the entrance and followed closely behind Nagato, who was already headed to the elevator. Inside the elevator, Nagato seemed to have something in mind but said nothing, only staring at the floor number board. Finally, the elevator arrived at the seventh floor.

"Excuse me, but where are we going?"

It was late, but I had to ask. Nagato, who was walking slowly along the corridor, replied:

"My home."

I stopped at once. Wait a minute! Why is Nagato taking me to her home?

"Don't worry, there's no one else inside."

Wait, what's that supposed to mean?

Nagato opened the door to room 708, and then turned to face me.

"Enter."

Are you serious?

I tried to stay calm and entered with trepidation. As I took off my shoes, Nagato pushed the door shut.

I had a feeling of having just boarded a pirate ship, and I apprehensively turned around at the ominous sound of the door closing.

"Come in."

Nagato said that flatly and took off her shoes as well. If the apartment had been dark, I could still have escaped. Alas, it was brightly illuminated, making the wide apartment look even wider.

I guess this must be one of those posh condominiums. To be so near the station, the price had to be very expensive.

But why does it look as if no one has lived in here?

Besides the living room, which had a small table with a warm blanket, there was nothing else. There were no curtains on the windows, and no carpet laid over the ten tatami-sized wooden floor tiles.

"Sit down."

Nagato said before entering the kitchen, so I knelt down beside the living room table.

The reasons a girl might have to invite a boy home while her parents were away from the house were going through my head, when Nagato, moving like a mechanical puppet, placed a tray with a small teapot and teacups on the table and sat down demurely in her school uniform, across from me.

After that, the unbearable silence.

She didn't even pour tea for me, just sat there looking at me expressionlessly. Seeing this, I felt more and more uneasy.

"Erm......where's your family?"

"There isn't any."

"Well, I see they're not at home......have they gone out?"

"I've always been the only one here since the beginning."

This is the first time I heard Nagato use such a long sentence.

"You can't be living on your own, can you?"

"Yes."

Wow, a first year high school girl living alone in a high class apartment! There must be some special reason for this, right? I breathed a sigh of relief when I learned that I didn't have to meet Nagato's parents. Wait a moment! This is not the time to be relieved!

"Oh right, what is it you want to see me for?"

As if remembering something, Nagato began pouring the tea into a cup and pushed it over to me.

"Drink."

I obligingly started drinking the cup of tea. All this time, Nagato watched me like observing a giraffe in a zoo, so I couldn't concentrate on drinking.

"Is it good?"

This is the first time I hear her ask a question.

"Yeah......"

After I finished, I placed the cup on the table, and Nagato refilled it instantly for me. Since she's refilled it, I might as well drink that. Once I completed, she refilled a third cup for me. Finally, the tea pot is empty. Nagato stood up about to refill the teapot. I stopped her at once.

"There's no need to refill tea for me anymore, can you please tell me why you brought me here?"

After I said that, Nagato stopped what she was doing and went back to her sitting position like a video rewinding itself. She still said nothing.

"What is it that can't be said at school?" I asked probingly.

Finally, Nagato moved her thin lips.

"It's about Suzumiya Haruhi."

She straightened her back and sat elegantly.

"And me."

She paused for a while.

I really don't understand her speaking style.

"What is it about Suzumiya and you?"

At this moment, Nagato showed a look of discomfort. This is the first time I've seen her show such an expression ever since I've met her. However, this emotional upheaval of hers is very minuscule; one has to be very observant in order to even notice.

"I cannot completely convey this in words, and there may be errors in the transmission of data. Regardless, listen."

"Suzumiya Haruhi and I are not ordinary humans."

Such an ambiguous sentence so early on in the conversation.

"Well, I more or less realized that already."

"That's not it."

Nagato continued, glancing at her hands lying on her lap.

"I do not mean that in terms of deviations of personality, I mean what I said. She and I are not ordinary human beings like you."

I don't get what she's trying to say.

"The Integrated Data Sentient Entity, which oversees this galaxy, has created a Living Humanoid Interface in order to interact with biological entities - me."

"......"

"My work is to observe Suzumiya Haruhi and upload the data obtained to the Integrated Data Sentient Entity."

"......"

"I have been doing this since I was born three years ago. In the last three years, no particularly unusual elements were discovered, and things were very stable. However, recently an external factor has now appeared beside Suzumiya Haruhi that cannot be ignored."

"......"

"And that is you."

What is the Integrated Data Sentient Entity?

In the vast sea of data known as the universe, there exist many highly sentient data entities that possess no corporeal bodies.

These entities started out in the form of pure data. As all sorts of data gathered together, they became sentient, and finally they evolved by collecting other data.

As they exist only as data and have no corporeal bodies, they cannot be detected even with the most advanced optical devices.

As old as the universe itself, they expanded along with it, and the relative database became ever wider and larger.

Ever since the formation of this planet, sorry, it should be since the formation of this solar system, nothing in this universe is unknown to them. For them, this planet at the edge of the Milky Way is nothing special, because there are numerous planets in the galaxy with sentient organic lifeforms like this one, so numerous that they cannot be counted.

However, as the bipedal lifeform's evolution on the third planet of this solar system became a success, these lifeforms gradually acquired the mental ability to actively seek knowledge. This organic lifeform living on the planet known as Earth started to become important.

"For a long time, we have always believed it impossible for organic lifeforms, who have limited data collection and transmission ability, to be able to acquire knowledge," Nagato Yuki said in a serious tone.

"The Integrated Data Entity is very interested in all forms of organic lifeforms on Earth. It believes that by observation, it can find the solution to its own evolutionary dead end."

Unlike the data entities, who have existed since the beginning in their completed form, humans started off as incomplete organic lifeforms, rapidly evolving by expanding the data that they possessed and using this data, which is saved and enhanced, to further advance themselves.

It is normal for organic lifeforms all over the universe to become sentient, but only the humans on Earth have evolved continuously to a highly sentient level. The Integrated Data Entity was very intrigued by this, and decided to observe these humans further.

"Three years ago, we discovered a very abnormal data hotspot unlike other humans appearing on the surface of this planet. The information sparks emitted from a certain area in the bow-shaped archipelago instantly covered the whole planet and started to spread towards outer space. And the center of all that is Suzumiya Haruhi."

"We do not know why that happened, nor do we know what effects it would have. Even the data entities are unable to fully process the new data being created."

"More importantly, humans are limited in the amount of data that they can process, yet Suzumiya Haruhi was able to create a flare of data on her own."

"The release of massive amounts of data from Suzumiya Haruhi continues to happen, at completely random intervals. Furthermore, Suzumiya Haruhi seems unaware of all this herself."

"For three years, I have gone through all sorts of investigations on the individual known as Suzumiya Haruhi from all perspectives, but up to now I was still unable to discover her true identity. Concurrently, other parts of the Integrated Data Entity have determined that she is the key to the evolution of the data entities and have continued their analysis of Suzumiya Haruhi......"

"As they exist only as entities, they are incapable of speech and are thus unable to interact with organic lifeforms. But without speech, contact with humans would be impossible, hence the Integrated Data Entity has created me to act as the communication bridge between them and humans."

Finally, Nagato picked up her cup and sipped her tea. She has probably said a year's worth of words for her.

"......"

I don't know how to respond.

"The potential for self-induced evolution may lie within Suzumiya Haruhi; she may even hold the ability to control all the data around her. This is why I am here, and that is also why you are here."

My brain is getting so confused, I interrupted:

"I'll be honest, I don't know what on earth you are talking about."

"Please believe me."

Nagato looked at me with a serious expression that I'd never seen before.

"There is a very limited amount of data that can be conveyed through speech. I am just a terminal interface for the data, living as an organic alien in order to interact with humans. I am unable to convey all the thoughts of the Integrated Data Entity to you, so please understand."

Even if you say that, I still don't get it!

"I don't understand, why look to me? Let's say I believe you are an alien created by that whatever-you-call-it entity, but why are you telling me this?"

"Because you have been specifically chosen by Suzumiya Haruhi. Whether she intends to or not, as an Absolute Data Entity, she can influence the environment around her based on her thoughts alone. There must be some reason why you have been chosen."

"No, there isn't!"

"There is. Perhaps for Suzumiya Haruhi, you play an important pivotal role. The endless possibilities are now in the hands of both you and Suzumiya Haruhi."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes."

For the first time, I carefully studied Nagato Yuki's face. I thought she never liked talking, but now that she has opened her floodgates and let her words flow, they were all words that I could not understand. I always felt that she was queer in some way, but after hearing this speech, I discovered her queerness was beyond imagination.

Integrated Data Sentient Entity? Living Humanoid Interface?

Give me a break!

"Okay, I think you should tell this directly to Haruhi, I bet she'd be very delighted. To be frank, I'm not that interested in these topics, sorry about that."

"The majority of the Integrated Data Entity speculates that if Suzumiya Haruhi becomes aware of her own powers and existence, an unforeseen crisis might occur; hence, at this stage we have opted to continue observing."

"There's a chance I'd tell all of this to Haruhi! I really don't get it, why tell me all this?"

"Even if you tell her, it is likely she would ignore it."

It is likely indeed.

"I'm not the only alien placed on Earth by the Integrated Data Entity. The Entity intends to take a proactive role and observe any changes in the flow of data. For Suzumiya, you are an important person. If there is any sign of a crisis looming, I will look to you first."

Sorry, count me out.

Please excuse me, thanks for the tea, it was nice.

Seeing me about to leave, Nagato didn't stop me.

She lowered her head and glanced at her teacup, reverting back to her normal expressionless mode. I guess it was my imagination, but for some reason, I actually thought she looked kind of lonely.

When my mom asked me where I'd been, I gave a brief reply and went straight to my room. Lying on my bed, I began to recall everything Nagato said.

If I believed what she said, then that would make Nagato Yuki a being that is not of this world; in other words, an alien.

Isn't this exactly the sort of mystical being that Suzumiya Haruhi has been working so hard to look for every day?

And all this time it was all right under our noses.

......Heh...Damn it! I sound like an idiot!

My eye caught the thick hardback novel that was thrown on the corner of the bed. I picked it up with the bookmark and had a glimpse at the cover art before placing it by my pillow.

Nagato must have picked up all those weird fantasies from reading all those science fiction novels all alone in her apartment for so long. She probably never talks to anyone in her class, imprisoning herself in her own mind. She ought to put down her book, get out and make some friends, and enjoy the wonderful school life. Her lack of expression is not helping in getting along with people, and she would look very cute if she'd only smile.

I think I'll return the book to her tomorrow......Forget it, since I've borrowed it, I might as well finish it.

The following day after school.

As I was on duty that day, I arrived at the club room later than usual, and the first thing I saw was Haruhi toying around with Asahina.

"Hold still! Damn it! Be a good girl and don't move!"

"N...nooo, h...help~~"

Haruhi had nearly stripped a struggling Asahina of her uniform.

"KYAA!!!"

Asahina screamed when she noticed me arriving.

The moment I saw Asahina with only her bra and panties on, I immediately turned around and shut the half-opened door.

"Sorry about that."

After waiting outside the door for ten minutes, the duet of Asahina's cute moans and Haruhi's ecstatic exclamations came to an end. Haruhi's voice passed through the door.

"All right, you can come in now."

As I reentered the room, I stopped in astonishment.

There greeting me inside was the sight of a beautiful maid.

Dressed in a maid costume, Asahina sat on the steel chair with tears in her eyes. After sadly looking at me, she lowered her head.

A white apron coupled with a wavy skirt, a blouse, and white stockings only served to make her more adorable. The lacy headband and the large butterfly-knot increased her charm.

Such an impeccable maid!

"Well? Isn't she cute?"

Haruhi said as if praising her own handiwork, while caressing Asahina's hair.

I wholeheartedly agree. No offense to poor Asahina, but she really does look cute in that.

"This costume's great, isn't it?"

"No, it isn't!" - Asahina protested softly, yet I pretended I didn't hear her and turned to Haruhi.

"Why are you dressing her up as a maid?"

"Because maid costumes are sexy!"

Stop giving such ambiguous answers!

"It took me a long time to think of this, you know?"

Even if you didn't think at all, it wouldn't make much of a difference.

"In a play where the school is the main stage, there's bound to be an adorable character like Mikuru-chan. In other words, the story won't be able to take off without her, you get it? Mikuru-chan is already gentle and cute, but unless you dress such a cute schoolgirl with a great figure in a maid costume, you won't get people's attention. Now everyone's going to fall in love with her when they see her. With this, we'll be sure of victory!"

Anyway what is it exactly, that you are trying to win, missy?

As I was thinking of how to respond, Haruhi took out a digital camera out of nowhere and started taking souvenir shots.

Asahina blushed bright red and shook her head violently.

"P...please stop shooting!!!"

Asahina-sempai, you're wasting your time begging for mercy from Haruhi, even if you bow and kneel, because she's the sort who will carry on doing what she's thought out, no matter what.

As expected, Haruhi had Asahina perform all sorts of poses for her photo session.

"Sniff......"

"Now look over here! Lower your chin a bit! Lift up your apron! Yes, that's a good girl! Smile a bit more!"

Haruhi ceaselessly gave out her orders to Asahina while simultaneously pressing down on the camera shutter. If I had asked her where she got this digital camera from, she'd definitely say she'd had it "obtained" somewhere. More like stolen, I guess.

Amidst Haruhi's photo shooting frenzy, Nagato Yuki sat in her seat reading as always. Despite her confusing conversation with me last night, seeing her usual coolness I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Kyon, your turn to shoot."

Haruhi handed the camera to me and turned towards Asahina. Then, like an alligator slowly approaching an unsuspecting bird, she closed her arms around Asahina's shoulders.

"Ah......"

Haruhi smiled to a shrugging Asahina.

"Mikuru-chan, try to look a little cuter, OK?"

That said, Haruhi proceeded to loosen Asahina's ribbon, then quickly unbuttoned three buttons on her blouse. Almost instantaneously revealing Asahina's large bosom.

"W...wait! No...what are you doing...!?"

"Don't worry, it doesn't really matter, does it?"

Of course it matters, missy!

In the end, Asahina was forced to place her hands on her lap and slightly lean forward. Faced with Asahina's well-endowed bust, which was in stark contrast to her small body and cute face, I quickly turned my eyes away. But I wouldn't have been able to take any pictures that way, so faced with no choice, I turned my eyes back to the camera and pressed the shutter repeatedly as Haruhi had ordered.

Poor Asahina was made to perform poses which further emphasized the curves on her breasts, and she was so embarrassed her face got even redder. Yet, even as she was about to cry, she still tried her clumsiest best to smile, giving out a charm never seen before.

Damn it, I think I'm quickly falling in love with her.

"Yuki-chan, lend me your glasses."

Nagato Yuki slowly lifted her head, then slowly took off her glasses and gave them to Haruhi, and then slowly moved her gaze back to her book. Can you even read without glasses?

Haruhi took the glasses and placed them on Asahina's face.

"The glasses would look better if they're slightly tilted. There, that would be perfect! Kyon, remember to take more pictures of the four-eyed, innocent and well-endowed maid!"

Putting aside the argument of whether to take the photos or not, just what do you intend to do with the photos of Asahina in a maid costume anyway?

"Mikuru-chan, from now on you are to wear this costume every time you come for club activities!"

"How could you......"

Asahina tried her best to express refusal, but Haruhi grabbed her and caressed her face endlessly.

"Who asked you to be so cute? Man, even a girl like me can't resist doing this to you now!"

Asahina screamed and tried to escape, but to no avail, being at the mercy of Haruhi's molesting hands.

Damn, Haruhi, I'm so jealous of you. No, wait, how can I even think like that!? I should be trying to save her!

"All right, I think it's time for you to stop now!"

I tried to pull Haruhi away from her sexual harassment of Asahina, but she just wouldn't let go.

"That's enough, stop it already!"

"Does it matter? Why don't you join in as well?"

Not a bad idea actually, but seeing Asahina's face going white, I naturally said nothing.

"Whoa, what's going on here?"

Turning around, I saw Koizumi Itsuki standing at the entrance with his bag.

He looked amusedly first at Haruhi, whose hands were moving onto Asahina's breasts; then at me, who was trying to stop Haruhi's madness; then to Asahina in a maid costume, trembling nonstop; and finally to Nagato, who remained unfazed, peacefully reading her book even without her glasses.

"Is this some sort of club activity?"

"Koizumi, you came at just the right time! Let's play with Asahina!"

What on earth are you talking about!?

Koizumi only grinned. Please, if you actually agree with Haruhi's suggestions, then you've got some serious issues.

"No thanks, seems pretty scary to me."

Koizumi placed his bag on the table and unfolded one of the chairs by the wall.

"Mind if I just sit and watch?"

He sat with his legs crossed and looked at me as if he were watching a parade.

"Don't mind me. Please, continue."

No! You got it all wrong! I'm not trying to molest Asahina! I'm trying to save her!

Eventually, I was able to squeeze in between Haruhi and Asahina, and frantically picked up Asahina just in time before she fell on the ground. I was amazed by how light Asahina was as I placed her back on her seat. Asahina's maid costume was ragged and untidy, and she looked totally worn out, but honestly speaking, I thought she looked rather sexy.

"Oh well, we've taken plenty of photos anyway."

Asahina was so exhausted that she simply just collapsed on the table weakly. Haruhi took off the glasses from her cute face and returned them to Nagato.

Nagato silently received the glasses, putting them back on without saying a word. It's as though her endless speech last night never happened. She was fooling with me last night, wasn't she?

"Right, let's now begin the first SOS Brigade meeting!"

Haruhi, who was standing on the commander's seat, suddenly shouted. Please stop startling people by suddenly shouting!

"Before this, we've already done a lot of work. Like distributing flyers and setting up the webpage, the SOS Brigade's reputation in the school has soared sky high, so I announce phase one of the work to be a great success."

How can making Asahina mentally scarred be called a success!?

"But our inbox has yet to receive a single email about any mysterious events, and no one has yet come to us to discuss their concerns with their experiences."

Reputation alone doesn't help a lot, since until now, not everyone knows what this club is all about. Besides, the school doesn't even recognize this club!

"There used to be a saying that 'patience is virtue', but times have changed. Even if we have to turn the earth around, we'll find them on our own. So everyone, let's begin searching!"

"......What are we looking for?"

Since no one else asked, I decided to do it myself.

"To find out all the mysterious events of this world! As long as we try hard, we'll be able to find one or two events in this town!"

Your thinking is a mystery in itself, missy!

I displayed my reluctance, Koizumi only smiled enigmatically, Nagato remained wooden faced, while Asahina seemed resigned to her fate, too exhausted to answer. Ignoring everyone's reactions, Haruhi waved her arms and yelled:

"This Saturday, which is tomorrow! We meet outside the north station before nine in the morning! Don't be late! Absentees will be executed!"

Sigh, not the death penalty again?

What did Haruhi do with Asahina's maid costume photos? I'm sure most of you have guessed, the stupid girl intended to upload all of them onto the webpage so that they could attract people to the website for discussion.

When I discovered this, she had just finished uploading them all on the front page to welcome visitors. She was even typing in the personal details.

Do you know what you're doing!? This could alert a lot of people!

I tried my best to stop her foolish behavior and had all the images removed. If Asahina had known that images of her posing sexily in her maid costume had been spread all over the world, she'd probably faint on the spot.

I quickly warned her about the dangers of putting personal details on the web, and amazingly for once, Haruhi actually paid attention and listened to me seriously. Eventually, as if to spite me, she said rather grumpily:

"I know that already!"

She then very reluctantly allowed me to remove the images from the page. At this moment, I should have been deleting all of Asahina's photos, but it would have been too much of a pity doing that. Hence, I secretly saved them all in a file document within the computer's hard drive and had it protected with a password.

Only I can view those photos!

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