Suzumiya Haruhi:Volume7 Chapter 1

From Baka-Tsuki

It all happened a few days after Risshun.

After school, I opened the door to the club room and embraced the coldness and emptiness that had awaited me. Not only was Asahina-san’s warm greeting absent, even Nagato’s chair was empty. Haruhi hadn’t returned yet, as it was her turn today to receive advice on her further studies. She would probably be in the staff room right now, making some unreasonable “career” plans with the homeroom teacher Okabe-sensei. If someone asked her what she would like to be after she grows up, she would probably put on a stern face and reply “Dictator”, “Supreme Ruler of the Universe” or something of the sort.

If by any chance you do turn out to become one of the above, I would be very depressed.

Anyway, I’m sure Okabe-sensei would try his best to talk her out of it, advising her to do some serious planning about her future, while carefully mincing his words. If one tried to advise her blindly, she would probably react the same way that chromium does with oxygen. It took careful manipulation of words to persuade her out of something – that was her specialty.

I placed my bag on the desk and proceeded to turn the heater on. This should be able to provide some warmth to the freezing club room, which felt even colder due to the lack of the normally present brigade members. However, it would still be some time before the heat gradually turns up. Remember, we’re talking about an old heater here.

Besides the heater, the only other artifact that was able to generate heat would be Asahina-san’s tea kettle. I really wanted to drink her tea! The mere thought of this made me anxious, as I impatiently pulled my chair closer. This was when ---

Clang.

“What the?”

The sound seemed to come from the corner of the room. I instinctively shot my glance at that direction, and looked at a tall rectangular object made out of metal, used to store cleaning utensils.

Although every class had one, how Haruhi had managed to nick one for the club room was a complete mystery.

The sound came from this broom closet.

It must have been a broom or a mop falling over, I thought to myself. Just then ---

Thunk.

This time, it was softer.

“This is starting to get creepy,” I said to myself.

Have you ever experienced something like this? Let’s say everyone happens to go out, leaving you alone in the house. Theoretically, you should be all alone by yourself, but there was still this eerie feeling that you weren’t alone, as if someone was hiding outside the windows. Although you had the urge to find out for yourself, the thought of someone really being there was just too scary, so you would probably try to ignore the entire situation. This is mainly caused by psychological factors.

This was probably one of those scenarios, I thought to myself. Now if this had happened in my own house instead of the club room, I would have probably been too freaked out to investigate. But seeing that this was the school, and the sun still hadn’t set yet, there was really nothing to fear.

I walked towards the broom closet and opened the door, not expecting to see anything strange. What I saw had my eyes bulging out from their sockets.

“......eh?”

Because there was something else other than brooms and mops, something totally unexpected. It was so bizarre, in fact, that what I had wanted to say in the first place abruptly turned into a series of questions.

“......What are you doing in here?”

This question was to be expected in the first place. The person looked at me and said,

“Ah......K-Kyon-kun.”

It was Asahina-san. For some reason, a relieved expression crossed her face, as she said, “You’ve been waiting all this time, haven’t you? That’s good. I was originally thinking about what I should do, but it’s good to see you here. Well, eh...... What should I do?”

“Huh?”

“Eh?”

Asahina-san blinked and looked at me. “Well...... This isn’t such a bad time now, is it? We’ve definitely met here before......”

I looked at her with disbelief, as she stood together with the brooms, mops, and other cleaning utensils in the closet. As I looked at her petite figure clad in a sailor uniform, warning signs were going off in my brain, like smoke pouring out from a factory chimney during the rapid economy growth period.

“Asahina-san......?”

What was the meaning of this? Were you planning on playing hide and seek inside the closet? No, no. That wasn’t possible.

The smoke had already begun to make a black haze. Suddenly......

BANG! Asahina-san and I both jumped, before realizing that it was in fact someone knocking on the door. Just as I was about to answer...

“Eh? Eh! No, you can't...”

I felt my neck tie being pulled, as my whole body was jerked forward. Asahina-san forcefully pulled me into the broom closet with her, before closing the closet door softly.

Man, what does this mean? Can someone please explain to me what in the world is going on?

“Shh, Kyon-kun, be quiet. Don’t make a sound.”

By the light that shone through the small opening in the closet doors, I saw Asahina-san put her index finger to her lips.

Even if she didn’t say anything I wouldn’t have said anything. It was not like I had anything to say at the moment anyway.

Under normal circumstances, it was impossible to enter the broom closet. It would take the greatest effort for one person to squeeze in, never mind two. Haruhi had first abducted Asahina-san to be the official mascot because of her great figure. Needless to say, the both of us were meant to be together. And I mean that quite literally, as in the both of us pressed tightly against each other in a small broom closet. Even though there were uniforms in the way, I could still feel something warm and soft press against my chest.

While I was lost in a world of my own, I suddenly heard the sound of a door being opened. It seemed that someone had come in, but I really couldn’t give a damn right now. Just like two people trying to keep each other warm with their body heat in the middle of a cottage without any heating facilities during winter, Asahina-san clung tightly to me, while breathing heavily. I have no idea why she was clinging tightly to me, but who cares. A chance like this only comes once in a blue moon.

Warning signs my ass. The black haze had suddenly turned into blissful ozone, taking me into the very depths of wonderland itself...

Oh well, I suppose there isn’t any need to continue talking to myself. All I wanted was for time to freeze at this moment. Nothing else.

However, my fantasies were fast put to a stop when I heard the person who had entered the room open her mouth to speak.

“Eh? There’s no-one here... But the heater is on... Ah? Isn’t this Kyon-kun’s bag? Did he go to the toilet?”

I looked at Asahina-san, who had grabbed onto my neck tie. Asahina-san too looked at me, as if returning my gaze.

Then, I slowly turned my head behind and looked at the narrow opening that was the only source of light. Even though my neck was unable to rotate 180 degrees, I could still see what was happening outside through the corner of my eye.

"......!” I remained silent, too shocked to respond.

Standing outside was another Asahina-san.

The Asahina-san outside first warmed her hands by the heater, humming to herself, then soon walked away from my line of sight. By the time she reappeared, a maid’s outfit was in her hand. She then proceeded to take off the red sailor ribbon by her collar and place it on a chair. After that, she unhooked her sailor uniform, and began undressing.

“......!” Those three ellipses appeared above my head.

Asahina-san placed her sailor blouse on the same chair, as her hands reached down to her waist. This time, my head was covered by someone’s palm.

“......!”

The Asahina-san together in the closet with me covered my eyes with her hands, before forcefully rotating my neck back to its original position. Even though it was dark, I could guess that Asahina-san’s face would be beet red. Her lips twitched as she mouthed the words:

"Don’t... look..."

Even though I didn’t know how to read lips, I could easily tell that was what she wanted to say. Too bad the warning came a bit too late. I had already seen something I wasn’t supposed to see. Well, to show my deepest apologies, I immediately shut my mouth, and reassessed the situation.

There were two Asahina-sans.

Wait a second. If it’s Asahina-san (big) and Asahina-san (small) you’re talking about, then I can still differentiate them. It may be due to the fact that I’ve seen her so many times already that even if she were to appear here, I wouldn’t be surprised.

But this was a different story. Two similar looking Asahina-sans were separated by one flimsy steel door; one was inside, and the other was outside; one had her body pressed tightly against me, while the other was changing into the maid uniform.

Both of them were the real Asahina-san. I took pride in having two abilities that far excelled anyone else – being able to read Nagato’s emotions, and being able to tell apart real and fake Asahina-sans.

Believing in myself, I came to the conclusion that both the Asahina-sans were one and the same. Two of the same people existing in the same time and the same space could only mean one thing --- Time travel.

One of them definitely came from a different time, from the not-so-far future. I had a feeling it was the Asahina-san squeezed together with me in this tight space.

These two Asahina-sans were totally alike. Even if they were twins, there would be at least a shred of difference......

It was only logical that I thought like this, although it only lasted for a short moment. Anyone in my situation would place their emotions before their rational thinking, and I think this needs no explanation.

No matter how you look at it, these two Asahina-sans were not going to disappear any time soon. The Asahina-san inside would probably not disappear after forcefully pulling me inside the broom closet, then forcing me to shut my eyes, and the Asahina-san outside was brushing against her clothes, making sounds that greatly stimulated my imagination. They were like the inner and outer moats of Nijo Castle, each awaiting my signal for fortification. It was useless. Just like how the Siege of Osaka was a doomed to fail with the absence of Yukimura Sanada, there was no way I could choose between the two. Faced with these mental attacks that Plato himself would be proud of, the only one who could show no reaction would be sa person who had lost a couple of bolts in his brain.

As my brain was busy analyzing the situation, my head was cracking under the strain. If this went on, I would surely faint. I had to think of something, fast.

If this went on, I would probably hug the Asahina-san beside me and squeeze her to death, or charge out and scare the changing Asahina-san to death. At this crucial moment, my savior finally appeared.

At the sound of the door creaking open, my breathing casually returned to normal.

“......”

It seemed that whoever had opened the door was standing there without making a sound. There was no sound of the door being closed either.

“A-ah, Nagato-san.”

Asahina-san’s clear, crisp voice could be heard.

“Please wait for a moment. I’ll serve you tea immediately.”

I turned my neck backwards again.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the sight of Asahina-san’s maid outfit fluttering as she walked past - that was the most I could make out of this small, miserable opening. Unable to see any further, I was forced to imagine Asahina-san, fully changed into her maid outfit, run towards the kettle with a pitter-patter.

“......”

I couldn’t hear Nagato walking towards her seat. Even though she was capable of walking without making a sound, the door, however, was too old to be closed without making any noise. That is to say, Nagato was probably standing by the door right now.

“Eh... What’s wrong?”

Asahina-san said, with a sense of uneasiness in her voice. I suddenly imagined the sight of Nagato holding her bag in one hand, and the doorknob in the other, as she stared straight at the broom closet.

“......”

“Eh?”

“There’s something I have to tell you.”

That was Nagato’s voice, all right.

“Eh?” Asahina-san repeated, this time sounding surprised.

“Come with me.”

“EH?” Asahina-san repeated once again, sounding more surprised than before. “W......where are we going?”

“Anywhere but here.”

“B...but...W-what is it......Can’t we talk here?”

“Not here.” Nagato said simply.

“A-ah...Something to s-say to me? R-really?”

“Yes.”

“Uh......Nagato-san? Kya... You don’t have to drag me like this...”

I could hear the sounds of Asahina-san’s footsteps leaving, before the door was shut with a bang. What followed next was silence, as the both of them gradually disappeared from the club room.

Thank you so much, Nagato.

There was another bang, as I burst out from the closet. This was followed by Asahina-san rolling out from the closet.

“Kyaa~”

Asahina-san remained crouched on the floor, as she let out a cry of tiredness mixed with relief.

“That was scary.”

I never thought she would be more surprised than me.

“Asahina-san,” I slowly said. “Can you tell me what is the meaning of this? What in the world is going on? Which time are you from?”

Asahina-san lifted her head and looked at me, her eyes blinking furiously. “Huh? Don’t you know, Kyon-kun?”

How was I supposed to know? Wait, before that, what was I supposed to know?

“But,”

Asahina-san made a face that resembled a sailor after a shipwreck who had just clambered onto a rescue boat, only to find out that the rescue boat also had a hole in it.

“But the one who told me to come to this time period was you."

Wait a second.

I racked my brains for a moment. I had definitely said something like that before. That was on the 2nd of January, because I had needed to return to the 18th of December the year before. We had gone back to that time to fix things, before returning to the present. There wasn’t any problem with that.

The problem was what happened after that. I don’t recall asking for Asahina-san’s help to bring us back to the future.

I was sure I never told her to do that.

Which is to say......

This Asahina-san had come from the future.

“What time are you from?”

“Ah......”

Asahina-san shuddered for a while, before looking at her watch.

“Eh...... one week plus one day... That should be 4.15PM, eight days from now.”

“Why are you here?”

“I have no idea.”

That was an honest answer all right.

“I really have no clue. I was just following your orders after all. In fact, I was just about to ask you, why your requests are so easily granted?”

The sight of Asahina-san pouting reminded me of Haruhi. This expression was also really cute, but this was not the time to be making comparisons. I shifted my glance to the club room’s door.

“So it was my order, one that I will issue eight days later?”

“Yes. You told me nervously that I would know what to do when I got there. You also told me to tell you that your future self said 'hi'.”

What in the world was my future self trying to say?

This was too hard to understand. Telling Asahina-san to go back to the past, what was my future self trying to do? What was the point of telling her to say 'hi'? A friendly greeting?

Wait a moment, something’s not right again. This Asahina-san said that she came from eight days into the future. The Asahina-san dressed in a maid outfit, which was the Asahina-san from this time plane, had been dragged off by Nagato.

Huh......? What was the meaning of this? There were two Asahina-sans. One was in the club room together with me, while the other had been dragged off by Nagato to who-knows-where......

“I was brought all the way to the emergency staircase, where I had to listen to all kinds of confusing stuff.”

Asahina-san tilted her head and said, “What am I here for? What should I do now......”

Although Nagato didn’t say anything, her actions must have meant something, but what could it......Ah!

I suddenly realized what Nagato meant.

“......Now I see.”

As I realized what Nagato was trying to convey, red emergency lights flashed in my brain. If things went on like this, we would be in serious trouble.

I only hope that Nagato’s talk would last for a little longer.

“Asahina-san, you never came in contact with your future self during the past week, did you?”

“Erm......That’s right......”

Asahina-san nodded honestly, looking a bit worried. If that was so, we needed to make haste.

Because I couldn’t let both Asahina-sans see each other.

Nagato had already noticed this. She had sensed this Asahina-san and me hiding in the closet, and knew of the consequences should both Asahina-sans meet. That was why she had pulled the maid version of Asahina-san out of the club room – to buy time for me and this Asahina-san to escape.

Haruhi and Koizumi might be here any second now. Just like salmon returning to their original stream to spawn, most of the SOS Brigade members had already made it a habit to return to the club room when we wanted to rest. I know, because I was like that too.

If Haruhi happened to stumble across two Asahina-sans in two different places, I don’t know if she would buy the story that Asahina-san had a secret twin.

I had to get this Asahina-san out of this place, or there would be consequences to face.

“Let’s go, Asahina-san.”

I grabbed my bag, slowly opened the club room door, and took a peek outside. There was not a single soul in sight. I waved my hands at Asahina-san, signaling the coast was clear. Asahina-san hurriedly ran over, as my eyes once again swept through the deserted school corridors. The countdown had already begun. There were only two rules. One, we couldn’t let the Asahina-san from this time bump into this Asahina-san, and two, we couldn’t let Haruhi notice that there were two Asahina-sans. I looked at the clothes rack, and for a moment thought about dressing Asahina-san up in order to avoid detection, but I gave up on that idea after realizing that those outfits would serve to attract even more unneeded attention. It was a good thing this Asahina-san was wearing a normal sailor suit uniform. Like they say, seek camouflage amongst trees by dressing like a leaf.

I grabbed Asahina-san’s wrist, and hurried out of the club room. Thus began our perilous journey across the school corridors.

“Are you sure it’s eight days from now?” I asked as I walked.

“Yes. You told me to return here at exactly 3.45PM, eight days from now.”

Even Asahina-san’s footsteps were larger than before. Taking the steps two at a time, the both of us went down the stairs and moved away from the club room. I just hoped that Okabe-sensei would spend a longer time lecturing Haruhi.

“If that is true, then you must surely know what will happen throughout this week, right?”

After descending from the stairs, I paused for a brief moment, before deciding to take the shortest path to the shoe locker directly across the courtyard. Although the chances of bumping into Haruhi were higher, it was nevertheless the fastest route possible.

Asahina-san stopped to catch her breath, as she said, “We’re almost there, right?”

"Is there any need to return to the past or the future?"

“No. It was you who forcefully shoved me into the closet, after all.”

First ordering her to return to this time, and now forcefully shoving her into a broom closet? What was going on? What was I thinking? Even I couldn’t understand my own actions. Why hadn’t the future me tagged along? That would have probably saved me the time and trouble of thinking all by myself.

We managed to reach the shoe locker without meeting anyone. It was then that I suddenly realized ---

“Where should we go from here?”

I knew that we had to leave the school, but, where do we go then? Where could I hide Asahina-san?

Now what should I do? Should I tell her to return to the future, eight days later, without accomplishing anything?

“That won’t do.”

Asahina-san looked at me with lonely eyes.

“If possible, I too wish to return to the future. I’ve tried contacting my supervisors, but they wouldn’t permit it. I don’t even know when am I allowed to return, as that’s highly classified information.”

So, does this mean that the Asahina-san eight days from the future would have to accomplish something, be it today or tomorrow, before she was allowed to return? Then let’s just assume that this is true, and ignore it for the time being.

But what was that “something”?

That’s what I wanted to know the most. Why hadn’t my future self told her anything?

Just as I was busy cursing my future self, Asahina-san had already scrambled over to the second-year-student’s shoe locker. I too was about to change from my school shoes into my sneakers......

“Asahina-san!”

I quickly searched for the time-traveler. Soon enough, I found Asahina-san tip-toeing to reach her shoe locker, which was located too high above her for her to reach.

“What’s the matter?” Asahina-san said as she turned her head, still maintaining the same pose.

Oh it’s nothing much.

“These pair of shoes belong to the you in this current time plane.”

“O-oh......You’re right......”

Asahina-san shut the locker door with a bang, as she said:

“If I had changed into these shoes, the “me” in this time plane would be crushed. And I don’t recall losing anything this week either......”

That wasn’t all. If I hadn’t stopped her, this Asahina-san would have placed her current school shoes into the locker. When it was time for the Asahina-san from this time plane to return home, she would open the locker door, only to find a pair of school shoes identical to the ones she was wearing, down to the exact size.

“Y-yes......”

Asahina-san said nervously.

“But then, how should I leave then?”

The only thing you can do is walk around in your school shoes. You may feel embarrassed or something, but there’s no other choice. It’s not like we can just nick someone else’s shoes anyway. Besides, instead of asking “What should we do?”, I think the more important question would be, “Where should we go?”

While thinking deeply about this matter, I opened my own shoe locker, and saw something inside.

I suddenly felt a wave of nostalgia. It was another message from the future.

"......I should've known. I knew you'd make some arrangements, Asahina-san,"

On top of my slightly dirty sneakers, was a special letter just for me.

Asahina-san and I embraced the chillingly cold wind, as we made our way down the slope.

A few North High students looked at us as we passed. It felt as if they were staring straight at the empty handed, school-shoe-wearing Asahina-san, wondering how she was so different from before. Or maybe it was just my imagination?

Standing on my right, Asahina-san’s long, maroon hair danced peacefully in the wind. Her expression, however, was far from peaceful, just like the darkening of the evening sky before a snowstorm.

I too wore a look similar to Asahina-san’s. I mean, I had just escaped from the club room. Skipping club activities without prior notice was sure to upset the Brigade Commander. Unless I was able to come up with a reason or excuse that satisfied Haruhi, I was sure to be sacrificed in one of her future “punishments”.

But even so, there was no way I could just ignore Asahina-san. For all I know, she could be in grave danger.

Anyone seeing Asahina-san walking under the cold, winter sky would get the urge to protect her. Since there was no one else suitable in sight, I guess it was all up to me to protect her.

“I’m sorry.”

Asahina-san said with a monotonous yet cute voice.

“I’m always causing trouble for you......”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

I replied without waiting for her to finish.

“It was me who told you to come here in the first place. So technically, it’s my fault.”

That applied to both me and Asahina-san (big). Why couldn’t our future selves reveal more information? Why do they insist on distancing themselves from us? Do people from the future hate their past so much?

I reached for my pocket and tightly gripped the envelope within.

Inside the blank envelope was a small note that read,

“Please take care of the Asahina Mikuru beside you”.

There was no name, no address, nothing whatsoever. There was no way I would be able to forget that neat, tiny font. Last spring, I received a similar letter written in the same handwriting requesting me to wait in the club room during lunch break. It was then I first met the grown-up version of Asahina-san, and received a vital clue to escaping the sealed dimension with Haruhi. I was sure it was she who wrote the letter.

But entrusting Asahina-san (small) to me? Does it mean I can do anything, Asahina-san (big)? Even as far as kissing her?

Besides, I showed that letter to Asahina-san as well. I don't suppose there'll be any problems. She would understand the meaning of "Please take care of the Asahina Mikuru besides you". If the letter was for my eyes only, then the message wouldn't refer to "Asahina Mikuru" but rather "my past self".

Asahina-san looked at the letter in surprise, as she stuttered, “W-what’s going o-on......?” It seems she didn’t notice the letter was written exactly in her own handwriting.

Come to think of it, even if she did notice, she probably wouldn’t be surprised. During our second visit to the 18th of December, she saw someone else other than myself, Nagato and Asakura. Even though she was immediately put to sleep, she must have felt her presence.

There was also that van incident that happened last month. After she talked to that bespectacled kid that lived near Haruhi’s house, she appeared so depressed that I attempted to console her. Even though I wasn’t successful, Asahina-san told me that she just realized something. I have no idea what she realized, but just like Koizumi said, the members of the SOS Brigade seem to be changing, ever so slightly.

Koizumi said that the number of sealed spaces created by Haruhi had decreased, and they were beginning to happen less frequently too.

Koizumi also said that Nagato’s aura of “alienness” had decreased.

And even though you never said anything, Koizumi, you’ve also changed, isn’t that right, Mr. Vice Commander?

I could feel it; Haruhi had gradually opened up to the public. Be it during the cultural festival, during the competition with the Computer Research Society, or during the various SOS Brigade outings, Haruhi had definitely changed. No longer was she the same melancholic, anti-social individual she was during her first year. She would smile more often, and even communicate with unknown strangers.

"If anyone here is an alien, a time traveler, slider, or an esper, then come find me!"

"To find aliens, time travelers, and espers, and play with them!"

It’s as if she knew the truth after all.

I viewed all of this as part of her growth.

Though I had no idea about my own growth.

About half an hour later, I brought Asahina-san into my house.

“So that’s why.”

Asahina-san said as she removed her shoes and placed them by the door. “So that’s why Kyon-kun didn’t come to the club room that day.”

There was no way I could let Asahina-san return to her own house. Since I couldn’t think of a better place, the only place left was my own house. If there were any other time travelers like Asahina-san, I might have considered letting her stay with them.

“There’s a possibility such people exist, it’s just that I know nothing about them.”

Asahina-san wore an expression similar to a puppy after competing in a dog show, one of grief mixed with melancholy. My expression was probably similar to hers. Even though many questions appeared in my head, I didn’t feel like searching for answers right now.

Just then, my sister, who had totally nothing to do with our current problems, rushed over to Asahina-san’s side.

“Ah, it’s Mikuru!”

My sister was just about to drag Shamisen out from under my bed. Just as I opened my room door, she fixed her gaze on the beautiful Asahina-san, who was every North High male’s fantasy, before rushing forward towards her.

“Umm, yes, sorry for disturbing.”

“Huh, it’s just you and Kyon-kun? Where’s Haru-nyan?”

My sister looked at Asahina-san, as I grabbed the ten-year-old fifth-grader by her collar. “Haruhi’s still in school. And don’t come into my room without my permission.”

I knew that no matter how many times I told her, it would be useless. However, it took me a lot of effort to find a suitable hiding place for Asahina-san. I didn’t want anyone to find out about it.

“But, Shami doesn’t want to come out, either.”

My sister tugged at Asahina-san’s skirt, and giggled softly.

“Where are Yuki-chan and Koizumi-kun? And Tsuruya-san? Aren’t they coming?”

My sister was used to using whatever nickname she would hear. This can be seen ever since she started calling me Kyon. This little fifth-grader who had no idea what respect was. Come on, can’t you call me “Onii-chan” for once?

“Oooh, it’s a date! Am I right?”

I drove her out of my room before shutting the door tightly.

I sat on the floor facing Asahina-san, and said, “Tell me briefly what happened, I mean, what will happen, this week.”

“Umm......”

Asahina-san paused for a moment, before saying, “Eight days ago, and that’s today, I went to the club room, but noticed that no one was there. The heater, however, was already switched on.”

That’s what I saw, alright.

“Just after I finished changing, Nagato-san entered the room, and hurriedly dragged me to the emergency staircase......”

That’s what I saw partially, alright.

“When I came back, Kyon-kun’s bag was already missing, and Koizumi-kun was already inside.”

What a narrow escape.

“About 30 minutes later, Suzumiya-san entered the club room.”

Now that’s some career advice. I shouldn’t have panicked after all.

“Suzumiya-san looked a bit angry.”

Because she argued with Okabe-sensei about her ambitions. If there were any application forms for her desired ambitions, I would want one, too.

“She looked out of the window with killer eyes, and drank three cups of tea in a --- ah!”

Asahina-san eyes bulged wide with terror, as if she had just seen a dead body in the corner of my room.

“Suzumiya-san noticed that Kyon-kun wasn’t in the club room......”

She noticed?

“And she made a phone call.”

Just as she had finished making that statement, my cell phone rang.

Oh shit.

Thinking back about it, for Asahina-san, it was like a video replay; but for me, it was a live broadcast. This wasn’t the time to listen to her slow recollections. I hadn’t even thought of an excuse for skipping brigade activities. If I answered, I would probably become the next sacrificial goat, but if I ignored the phone call, things would seem even more suspicious. Well, I guess I should ask before answering?

“Asahina-san, did I answer the phone then?”

“Um......I think you did.”

Well then, here goes.

“Hello?”

“Where are you?”

Haruhi started off with her inquisition sounding frustrated. I answered her truthfully.

“In my room.”

“What? You’re slacking off?”

“It was an emergency.”

I began to weave my lie.

“What emergency?”

“Well......”

Just then Shamisen crawled out from under my bed.

“It’s like this. Shamisen was sick, so I brought him to the vet.”

“You?”

“Yes. Only my sister was at home then. It was she who told me.”

“What kind of sickness?”

“Umm… Alopecia areata.”

It was a name I came up from nowhere. For some reason, Asahina-san covered her cherry-like lips.

“Alopecia areata? Shamisen?”

“Yep, the vet said that it was due to stress. He’s currently quietly resting in my room now.”

“Do cats have nerves that detect stress? And what’s this about resting in your room, hasn’t he always been staying in your room?”

“Well, that’s right, but you see, since my sister forced him to play with her too often, it’s caused stress to build up within him. I’ve decided to turn my room into his shelter, and I'm not letting my sister come in.”

“I see......”

Haruhi snorted and fell quiet. Did she buy it?

She then proceeded to say: “Is anyone else there with you?”

“......”

I brought my phone away from my ear, as I studied the time displayed on the screen.

How did she know? Asahina-san hadn’t said a word. She even covered her mouth with both her hands to prevent accidentally making any noises.

“No one’s here.”

“Oh, is that so? I just noticed that your voice seemed different than usual, so I decided to ask you.”

Her intuition is still as sharp as usual, I see.

“It’s just Shamisen. Should I put him on the line?”

“Forget it. Just tell him that I wish him a speedy recovery. Bye.”

And to my surprise, she hung up.

I threw my cell phone onto my bed, and looked at the flowery cat, who was leaning on Asahina-san’s lap. If Haruhi had really decided to drop by for a visit, I would be in trouble.

“And then? What did Haruhi do?”

Asahina-san thought for a moment, while caressing Shamisen’s ears. “Umm......We stayed at the club room until five, and then everyone went home. Suzumiya-san......she was really quiet. All she did was flip through some magazines......”

Haruhi’s calm before the storm. Even Asahina-san had noticed it.

Had anyone else noticed? I bet Nagato had.

Shamisen lifted his paw and placed it on Asahina-san’s kneecap, as if claiming it as his own. Asahina-san then stroked his back, and said, “It’s as if she was different than usual......I’m sorry, I can’t really remember.”

That’s to be expected. If someone asked me what was Koizumi’s expression last Monday, all I would do was shrug and say, just like usual.

“What about the rest? Tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow?”

Asahina-san gently grabbed the purring Shamisen’s tail, as she lowered her head and said:

“Where should I stop?”

Just tell me what the future has in store, I’ll figure out the rest.

“Alright then. Next, during the holidays, all of us will be going on a treasure hunt.”

A treasure hunt?

“Yes. Suzumiya-san came in the club room holding a map in her hands, and told us that we were to go dig for treasure.”

Dig?

“Yes. It was Tsuruya-san that gave Suzumiya-san that map. She said that she found it in the store room. Apparently, it was a map that her great great ancestor left.”

Asahina-san waved her fingers in the air, like a school of invisible silver fish swimming in the air.

“An old map drawn using black ink.”

Tsuruya-san......Once again you hand Haruhi something weird. And this time it requires digging? It’s not like we’re in ancient times anymore, where would we find a place to dig?

“A mountain.”

Asahina-san’s answer was clear and simple.

“There’s a mountain behind Tsuruya-san’s house. If you look carefully while standing on the slope during your journey back from school, you should be able to notice something round in the distance.”

Just hearing about it made me feel tired. It’s not like I hold any vendetta against the place or anything, it’s just that turning an entire mountain upside down just for the sake of some buried treasure was just as stupid as going on a picnic in this freezing climate. Just to make things clear, Tsuruya-san owning a mountain was nothing to be surprised at. I mean, if they are rich enough to afford a private skiing facility in the midst of the wilderness, what’s to be surprised at owning a mountain behind their house?

I sighed loudly without any inclination to conceal it, and said, “Did we find anything?”

“Well......No.”

Even though she hesitated slightly, Asahina-san continued to shake her head.

“It’s not like there’s ancient treasure anywhere else anyway.”

I better stop asking. Holidays were hard to come by, but yet I had to waste it trying to find some buried treasure that I knew I wouldn’t find. There’s nothing worse than doing something you know you won’t work out in the end.

“Then even during Saturday and Sunday......”

Do we still have to dig? Why dont we just dig in Tsuruya-san’s front yard? Who knows, maybe we’ll discover an underground hot spring or something.

“No. During the weekend, we have to go for......um......a city wide search.”

So it was really going to be that activity after all. Searching the city in order to discover any mysterious events was one of the SOS Brigade’s main activities. Come to think of it, we haven’t done it for a while now.

“We won’t be searching for two straight days, will we?”

“Erm......No. I mean yes.”

For some reason, Asahina-san averted her gaze from me, and said, “Because Monday’s also a holiday......”

I suddenly remembered that Monday was the day that the entrance exams were held. Students already enrolled there were allowed to skip school for the day.

So did we find anything strange?

That shouldn’t be the reason Asahina-san was sent back to the past, right?

“No, none at all.”

Asahina-san said as her maroon hair swept the floor.

“Just as usual, we would go to the café and have lunch......”

That just makes things even more complicated. If what Asahina-san said was true, then there wouldn't be any reason to send Asahina-san back to the past, would there? Now if only she had traveled from a few months or few years into the future, then maybe that would make some sense. But for her to travel back one week in time? Are you sure there hasn’t been any mistake?

I silently observed Asahina-san, who was stroking Shamisen’s belly.

Since it was only a week, there would be no need to trouble Nagato in order to return to the future. Asahina-san and I had once returned from the 7th of July three years ago with Nagato’s aid. The both of us were frozen in time, as three years silently passed before us. It seems that my future self had learned a lesson. Concealing Asahina-san in a place where no one would notice her for a week, it wouldn’t be long before she returned to her original time plane. There would be no need for time freezing. As for any side effects, the only one I could think of was Asahina-san aging one week older, but I doubt it would make any difference.

But what was the point? If that was so, there would be no reason to send Asahina-san back to the past. Something must have happened, something that forced my future self to send her back to this time. There was also Asahina-san (big)’s letter, which further confirmed the matter......

“What was I like when I told you to return? Did I do or say anything strange?”

“Erm......”

Asahina-san closed her eyes as she continued to stroke Shamisen, who was curled up into a ball.

I might as well try a different approach.

“Tell me what my self eight days from the future did when he told you to return here.”

“That I can remember clearly, since to me, it happened just today.”

Asahina-san removed her hand from the flowery cat, and began tracing shapes in the air.

“We were having an activity in the school’s front yard, an SOS Brigade style lucky draw.”

For what reason?

“Anyone who wished to participate had to pay a small sum of money… The winner would receive a five hundred yen coupon. Suzumiya-san was busy holding up a megaphone......”

“That should be to gather some funds for our future activities.”

Asahina-san continued to explain, as if in great difficulty. “I-I was in charge of doing the promoting. Being in a crowd of so many people made me feel nervous......”

So this was Haruhi’s "Operation Payback", huh.

“Asahina-san, what costume did you wear then? Don’t tell me it was the miko costume......”

“Yes. How did you know?”

That was just like Haruhi’s doing. In order to attract attention, she would start with a striking costume. The regular Asahina-san was already attractive enough. After dressing her up, she would be able to radiate an aura of charm that no one would be able to resist. That aura was probably what attracted the large crowd.

“I handed the winners their prizes, shook hands with them, and took photos with them.”

Asahina-san grabbed Shamisen’s fur, as she said uncomfortably, “Then Kyon-kun pulled my hand, and took me into the club room. You ordered me to change into my sailor uniform, and even though I didn’t know what was going on, I duly obliged. You then told me to wait in the broom closet, and instructed me to return to the past, eight days ago, at precisely a quarter to four. You also told me that your past self would be waiting for me, and when I did meet him, I was to tell him that you said 'hi'. I was also told to follow everything you said.”

Asahina-san removed her fingers from the air, before slowly tracing her index finger on the patterns on Shamisen’s back.

“The usage of the TPDD was quickly approved. It was so fast it was unbelievable. It was like they were waiting for me to ask for approval.”

That could be the case, because your superiors already know what you’re going to go through. What I didn’t understand was, why did my future self so willingly play the role of Asahina-san’s superior? Why did I instruct her to return to the past, instead of waiting for them to tell her to? I admit that I had told Asahina-san to time travel a few times, but every time I did so, I would be filled with guilt. If possible, I didn’t want her to time travel again, or, at the very least, didn’t want to be the one to tell her to. Come on, Asahina-san (big), tell me something. I’m lost here.

The Asahina-san before me once again began to look depressed. I immediately recalled that this was what she looked like a month ago, during the van incident. Don’t worry, Asahina-san, if it’s helplessness we’re talking about, I’m not that better off either, because right now, I have no idea what to do, and I don’t know who to count on either.

“Sigh.”

Asahina-san and I both sighed at the same time. As if on cue, Shamisen also yawned.

“Kyon-kun, open up......”

The sound of my sister yelling could be heard through the door. Judging from her voice, she must be balancing a tray too big for her, filled with cakes and juice, while carefully making her way to my room. Even though I wasn’t a very sharp guy, once I saw three sets on the tray, I knew that she wasn’t leaving. She must have also inherited the same dimness as I did, for she conveniently failed to notice that it was a rare chance for Asahina-san and me to be together in my room at this late hour. Blame genetics, if you will.

I immediately shot a look at her that read “Get out!”, but she ignored me and sat beside Asahina-san.

“Does Shami want a cake?”

My sister put a small slice of cake near Shamisen’s nose. Asahina-san smiled warmly at her antics.

My sister can be useful sometimes. As your brother, I really hope that your innocence doesn't disappear as you grow up.

After my sister played with Shamisen and Asahina-san, Asahina-san and I finally left, heading outside.

My watch read six fifteen. The sky was already darkening. It was still a month till spring.

“What should we do, Kyon-kun?”

Walking beside me, Asahina-san breathed small white clouds. If she appeared to be walking peculiarly, it was because she was wearing my spare shoes. That’s better than wearing school shoes, I thought, but for shoes meant for Cinderella, they might have been a little bit too big.

“That’s it.” I said as I too spat out white clouds.

I had considered letting Asahina-san stay at my house. That way, my sister would have been really happy too. But after much thought, I gave up on the idea. My parents would probably want to know why wasn’t she going back to her own house, and if word reached Haruhi that Asahina-san stayed together with me at my house, I dare not imagine what disaster might befall me. If she really did come to my house to visit Shamisen, a pair of scissors and a quick snip would do the trick, but there was no way I could hide Asahina-san from her.

Petite Asahina-san’s footsteps began to become clumsier, as she stumbled closer to me. When she accidentally collided with my shoulders, she let out a small shriek, and immediately hopped away from me. That made her even cuter than usual. If it wasn’t only due to her shoes being too large for her, but her desire to depend on me that made her subconsciously lean against me, I would be very happy.

But I couldn’t just think about my happiness alone.

I didn’t have that much confidence within me. If Asahina-san did indeed depend on me, the effect would be like a domino piece leaning on another. There were only two possibilities. Either it would fall and collide with the others, or it would remain standing tall.

If I was indeed a domino piece, who would I choose to lean on? Since Asahina-san (future) chose to lean on me, who should I choose? There weren’t many choices.

The first one I rejected would be Haruhi. If anyone dares to ask why, I’ll scramble his brains, since he doesn’t appear to have any sense of shame.

Asahina-san (present) was a no-no. She would probably believe that she had an identical twin and go ballistic. That would make things worse. And I don’t intend to travel to the past to fix things up.

Koizumi, on the other hand, seemed quite reliable, but I had no faith in how his 'Organization' treated time travelers. Entrusting Asahina-san to them was definitely not a good idea. Arakawa-san, Mori-san, and the Tamaru brothers might seem nice, but if they were as Koizumi said merely low-level minions, then it's going to be some time before their superiors can gain my trust.

Under the rules of elimination, there was only one name that came in mind. She was the only one that realized our current situation, and the true person that protected the SOS Brigade, silently pulling strings behind our backs. Even though she had some weird superiors behind her, I felt that I could trust them more than Koizumi’s 'Organization'......

She was the only one left.

So where should we go? There’s not much of a choice, is there?

That is to say, it was finally time for Nagato Yuki to step up to the stage.

Now wasn’t the time to explain. Maybe it was better if I grouped aliens and time travelers together. I mean, to travel from the past to the future, we would certainly require Nagato’s help. This seemed like a better choice.

And also, I remembered something.

In order to prevent Asahina-san (Present) from seeing Asahina-san (Future), she had forcefully pulled Asahina-san (Present) from the club room, allowing me and Asahina-san (Future) to escape. In other words, she knew what was happening, and maybe she could tell us what was going on.

“Are we going to Nagato-san’s house?”

Asahina-san looked at me, as she slowed down her footsteps. I encouraged her by saying, “I’m sure she’ll help us. She’s also got a spare room, and it’s just a week after all, I don’t think she’ll mind you staying there.”

If possible, I too would like to stay. I even thought of a perfect excuse.

“But......”

She sounded a bit down. “Nagato-san and I have......umm......well......Do I have to stay there for......umm......a whole week?”

There’s no need to worry. Nagato would never hurt Asahina-san. We’ve always relied on her in the past. Didn’t we seek her help when we went time traveling?

“That may be so, but......”

Strangely, Asahina-san looked at me with accusing eyes. “If I stay with her, won’t Nagato-san feel bad......”

“Huh? Why?”

How would you know what made Nagato feel good or bad? I bet that even if someone stripped stark naked before her and started dancing a nude dance, she probably wouldn't even flinch.

I eagerly awaited her answer, but all she did was turn her face from me, and said,

“......Oh, never mind.”

Conveying thoughts in speech, and in the most subtle manner possible, that was one of Nagato’s specialties. That remains true even now.

Standing outside the luxury apartment, I punched out that familiar number, and duly awaited her voice.

“......”

“It’s me. And Asahina-san too. It's like this......”

“Come in.”

I wonder how many times has the same conversation happened? I’ve brought both big and small versions of Asahina-san here, and if memory serves me right, this should be the fourth time. The first time was during Tanabata four years ago, along with Asahina-san (small). The second time was also on that day, but with Asahina-san (big). The third and last time, was during the 2nd of January, just last month.

Asahina-san wore a look of anxiousness on her face. This was also something I was used to. That same expression would remain unchanged as the elevator ascended.

The way she tightly gripped the sleeve of my shirt, there was no way to describe how grateful I was. With a face as tiny and cute as hers, there was no reason not to protect her. If I didn’t protect her, even if the Earth was reduced to dust, I wouldn’t be able to find anyone more suitable than her to protect.

“......”

Nagato’s apartment door was half opened, as if awaiting us. That sailor uniform was yet again something I was used to. The only times that I had seen her in casual clothes were during the summer vacation and the winter vacation. The way she looked at us was nothing special, but Asahina-san started to freak out at that very moment.

“Ah well......Sorry, Nagato......Some rather unexpected things have happened, so we’ve decided to come here......”

That was the truth, after all.

“It’s okay.”

Nagato nodded her head stiffly.

“Come in.”

Asahina-san stuttered as she remained motionless on the spot, that oh-so-familiar reaction when faced with Nagato. I ushered her in with a push of my hand, and she finally stepped in the door. Such embarrassment made me wonder how had she once slept in this very room just one month ago.

“Sorry to disturb you......”

Nagato’s apartment was once bare and empty, devoid of any signs of interest, and filled only with living necessities. Now, there was actually a large curtain draped over the window in the living room, and it was a winter-style curtain to boot. This wasn’t here when I visited last spring, and its existence proved of large significance. The games that we had played during Christmas were still rolled up and placed near the wall, but there was still no sign of any rugs or TVs. There was only a lone heater in the room, and a sturdy table. I had an urge to check out Nagato’s bedroom, but my instincts warned me against it. If it was plastered with cute, pink wall paper with a flowery wall hanging, and a stuffed doll in the shape of a lamb by her pillow, I would totally erase any memory of Nagato Yuki from my mind, and start to know her again from scratch. But even so, I dare say that even if you traced time back to the Mesopotamian era, you wouldn’t be able to detect any traces of such a thing.

I had already heard from Asahina-san what would happen in the future, at least until tomorrow.

Now, I had important questions to ask.

“Umm, Nagato, do you know that Asahina-san is from the future......” Oh wait, everyone knows that. “Sorry, I mean, do you know that this is another Asahina-san from eight days in the future?"

I said this while sitting by the heater in the living room.

“I do.”

Nagato sat kneeling before me, and stared straight at Asahina-san. Asahina-san jumped in fright, before hurriedly sitting by my side, and lowered her gaze.

“Asahina-san doesn’t seem to know why was she sent here.” I explained. “From what she told me, it seems that my future self sent her here......Nagato, do you know why?”

Even if she didn’t know why, I was sure that Nagato had means to find out, so when the word “No” escaped her lips, I didn’t feel uneasy. I mean, all she had to do was to perform that synchronization thingy to find out.

But Nagato’s next reply totally betrayed my expectations.

“No. In my current state, there is no way that I can synchronize with my past or future self.”

Before I had a chance to ask why, Nagato said,

“Because there is a restriction program.”

I still don’t get it. Why?

“My freedom is currently being limited, since there is still the possibility that I may go astray again. This is what they have decided.”

This restriction rubbish, was it placed by your boss?

“The Integrated Data Sentient Entity has approved of it.”

Nagato’s expressionless face appeared to be different from usual.

“But it was placed by me personally, by my own will.”

Nagato said indifferently.

“A password is required to lift the seal, and the password is governed by someone else. My will alone is insufficient to disable the program. And I have no intentions of doing so.”

So that is to say, Nagato had no way of synchronizing with her future self. She had no means of knowing what would happen in the future, and consequently, what would happen eight days later. If so, what should I do?

“Just act according to your better judgment.”

A pair of black pupils stared directly at me.

“I’ll try my best to do so.”

I could only drop my jaw. Nagato was actually showing self-awareness. Wait, am I being lectured by Nagato here?

“Even though I have lost the ability to perform synchronization, I have obtained freedom beyond what I had imagined. Now I am able to act according to my own free will, unbound by the future.”

Nagato sure has changed. Since when has she loved to talk this much?

“I feel as though I carry the responsibility of shaping my own future.”

Nagato continued to stare at me, as she said:

“The same applies to you. Since......”

Nagato said softly, “It’s your own future.”

I closed my eyes and drifted into deep thought.

Let’s say I had the ability to see the future. I would know what my future self was trying to do. And let’s say that no matter what I did, I wouldn’t be able to change the future, so the only choice was to walk the same path. So, should I follow the flow of time naturally? Is that the right choice? That I would know when the time came?

After a few minutes of internal struggle, I finally came to the conclusion that since I didn’t have the power to see the future, I didn’t have a choice. Come to think of it, I didn’t have the power from the start either. This brings me back to square one. Or does it?

Nagato must have put up quite a struggle, not only with the Integrated Sentient whatever, but also with her own will. She must have known that she would run astray, and tried her best to prevent it from happening. Maybe it’s because she knew of it from the start, but no matter what she did, she wouldn’t be able to change the outcome. It’s not a matter of who’s to blame, and even if it did come to that, I’m sure I was equally guilty. I had noticed slight changes in Nagato ever since summer, but I didn’t give it too much thought. Even though I had a slight urge to let Haruhi take the slate instead of me, I didn’t want anybody to go through the mental stress I was going through right now.

Just last month, this Nagato had said to the past Nagato:

"Because I don’t want to."

Nagato knew that her past self would do what she had to do, or at least, she believed that she would do what she had to do.

There is no need to decide upon things which are yet to happen. Isn’t that what I’ve been doing all along?

I listened to my future self’s voice, returned to the past, and told my own self those exact same words. I never told him what to do after that. I left it for him to decide.

Because I know there’ll be a way.

And I did think of a way. That’s why I’m standing here right now.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Nagato’s voice woke me up from my hallucinations. Those expressionless black eyes looked even brighter than usual. “My highest priority is to protect you and Suzumiya Haruhi.”

Oh how I hope you would include Asahina-san as well. And while we’re at it, let’s throw Koizumi in too. During the Snow Mountain incident, that fellow promised to help you as well.

Nagato nodded and said,

“If the enemy tries to interfere.”

Could you give us an example? What kind of enemies?

“The Macrospatial Quantum Cosmic Existence - An entity that is of different origin from the Integrated Data Sentient Entity. They have tried to imprison us in a different sealed space once."

So you’re referring to those guys behind the Snow Mountain incident, eh.

“They are a similar, but separate entity. Compared to the Integrated Data Sentient Entity, they exist in a different---”

Nagato shut her mouth, as if searching for a suitable word.

“---place. Even though both of them know of the existence of the other, there hasn’t been any contact before, because the both of them feel that even if there was contact, there couldn’t be mutual understanding.”

“However, they have noticed.”

Noticed what?

“Suzumiya Haruhi.”

How should I describe this feeling of nostalgia? Everyone had noticed Haruhi. Everyone wanted to observe her very actions, be it her usual antics or her eccentric behaviors. Some had even wanted to pitch in and join the fun.

“So they were the ones behind the Snow Mountain incident.”

“Yes. They were the ones who gave me extra burden, creating a scenario hard to escape with my own powers alone.”

Then what were your bosses doing then? Having a lunch break?

“Modifications were made so that I could not fully understand what the Integrated Data Sentient Entity was trying to convey.”

But then Nagato lowered her head, and said. “But I know that that was one of their means of ‘negotiation’.”

What negotiation? We were totally put in the dark. That kind of method is totally unacceptable in modern day society.

“They are a life form totally different to us. We cannot understand how they think, and it is estimated that they do not understand how we think.”

Isn’t there any other means of communicating with them? I really want to know how they think about Haruhi.

“There is currently no means of transmitting data with 100% efficiency.”

That’s what I thought. They were the kind to use snowstorms instead of summer days to relay a message.

“If it is a minor transmission, it may be possible.”

Nagato moved her neck and said, “As long as they create a living humanoid interface like myself, even if they couldn’t achieve 100% efficiency, they would still be able to achieve a high percentage, especially through means of speech.”

There wouldn’t be some of them here already, would there?

“There may be.”

Even though I didn’t wish for that possibility, I felt as if I would be even more surprised if they didn’t have at least one humanoid interface. What was this feeling, I wonder?

“Ah......”

That ah~ was made by Asahina-san.

“Could it be......”

Asahina-san looked as if she had understood something, and looked at Nagato as if she had just realized something shocking. Nagato also looked at Asahina-san. The sight of an alien locking sights with a time traveler freaked me out.

“What’s the matter?”

“No, it’s nothing......Really......”

As I was astonished by Asahina-san’s stunned reaction, Nagato got up, looked at us and said,

“I’ll go and make some tea.”

After making that statement, she headed towards the kitchen, before stopping halfway and saying,

“Or would you like......”

Like what? As I awaited her response, she came up with one, simple word,

“Dinner?”

Today’s dinner was canned curry, specially prepared by Nagato herself. As I saw her empty five people’s share into the cooker, I suddenly felt that it was Nagato’s usual doing. If it were Haruhi, she would have added some strange ingredients into the cooker. It was hard to describe. I wonder which should I choose, taste or happiness?

The reason why Asahina-san was willing to sit down in the living room with an uneasy look, was because Nagato had told her to sit still and not move. When Asahina-san suggested that she help out, Nagato simply said, “You are my guest”, and started to prepare dinner. All she did was take out five cans of curry from a drawer, and start to slice up some cabbages.

After a while, the previously empty plate was filled with rice, and topped with steaming curry. Even in such simplicity, I was able to feel a sense of joy. This was the main dish. A side dish – a bowl of salad – was also laid before me and Asahina-san. An extremely uncomfortable Asahina-san bowed very low before looking at the plate of rice that was piled like a mountain before her. She made a face that suggested she was in a difficult position, and, like a gastric patient trying to resist the pain, she tried to smile as beads of sweat trickled from her face.

“Eat.”

“Well then, itadakimasu.”

I put my palms together, before reaching for my chopsticks. At the scent of curry, my stomach had begun making rumbling noises. It seems that it had been waiting for a long time. Although I was mildly disappointed that the ingredients weren’t prepared by Nagato herself, a little fast food once in a while wasn’t that bad either. Looking at Nagato silently devouring the mountain before her, and Asahina-san politely eating her fill, even the rice tasted good.

Even though the three of us were completely silent, I somehow felt that it was the perfect atmosphere, fitting for the dining table in Nagato’s apartment. If Haruhi were here, she would have been so frustrated that she would probably have resorted to talking to herself.

After that, Asahina-san, who looked like she was about to faint, shoved half of her remaining curry rice onto Nagato’s plate. It was only after the three of us had finished eating that Nagato served us tea.

“Thanks for your hospitality. I’ll be going now.”

“Huh? Kyon-kun, aren’t you going to stay with me?”

Asahina-san, who was quietly sipping her tea before, suddenly looked at me with shocked eyes. Even Nagato turned to look at me, her cup still placed by her mouth.

“Well, that’s......”

The desire to say aloud “Well, that’s not such a bad idea” sped through my mind, like a runaway spaceship. Images of Asahina-san, dressed in one of Nagato’s nightgowns, drying her hair with a towel, as well as Nagato, whose hair was still wet, silently gulping down a cup of milk, appeared in my mind before disappearing with a flash. For some reason, Haruhi’s face appeared in my mind, as my memory drifted back to the two bed sheets in the other room. This woke me up from my fantasies, as I said,

“Well, that’s too bad. I’ll come over here tomorrow after school.”

I then faced the owner of the apartment and said,

“Is that alright, Nagato?”

Nagato nodded. Seeing this, I faced a trembling Asahina-san and gave her a slight nod.

“Before I return, just stay here and don’t do anything. I’m sure we’ll figure out a way.”

Those weren’t words of consolation. If anything happened, all I needed to do was have Nagato freeze time again, just like she did the first time when we returned from the 7th of July four years ago. If she could freeze time for three years, I’m sure that a week would be a breeze. I also had a feeling there was more to this matter. My future self wouldn’t just order her to return to the past without a good reason, this I strongly believed. The letter in my pocket further confirmed this point.

Isn’t that so, Asahina-san (big)?

You have to be related to this incident, somehow. Or am I mistaken?

After parting with an Asahina-san who was invoking my strongest desires to protect her, I gazed up at the stars and made my way home.

As I walked, all I could think about was how willing Nagato was to limit her own freedom, as well as her willingness to talk about it. Hmm, Koizumi, maybe you’re right after all.

Maybe the day when Nagato Yuki will become a normal, bookish high school student of the Literature Club, totally unrelated to the Integrated Data Sentient Entity, isn’t that far away after all. When that day comes, even if something did happen, I wouldn’t have to rush to Nagato to ask for her help or give her any additional burdens to shoulder. She would become one of our friends, who could shoulder our problems together.

If that time really came, we wouldn’t have Nagato’s powers to rely on. We would probably be in an even stickier situation then.

But so what?

I never once regretted reverting that world, where Haruhi and Koizumi were non-North High students and where Asahina-san didn’t have any memory of me, back to normal. But I also slightly missed that world. The day that Asakura made the oden, just as I was about to leave---

Nagato displayed a light smile.

I really wanted to see it again.

I really hoped I could.

(End of Chapter One)

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