[FFML] [Haruhi] Outcast (part 1/3)

[Brian Randall]

#     Outcast

##     A Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu fanfiction

###     by Brian Randall

     Disclaimer: The series begun with the light novel 'The Melancholy of
Suzumiya Haruhi'/'Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu' is the creation of Nagaru
Tanigawa.  No disrespect is intended with the creation of this work.

     Note: Contains spoilers through book one.  This specific fic is being
written to try and accomplish the same goal as At a Glance, except using
positive reinforcement instead of negative.  That is, some felt that Kyon's
role in AaG was lacking in compassion and his actions were manipulative.
 This is a try to appeal to people who felt that way without rewriting AaG.
 I hope everyone can enjoy it.

     --------------------------------------------------

     What measure is a dream?  Not the collection of images that run
through your brain when you sleep, recycling your experiences from the day
for reasons that scientists still don't understand, but the more nebulous
concept of goals.  Some might dream to become politicians, or star
athletes.  Maybe they dream of being those same scientists who might
eventually unravel the secret meanings to the other kinds of dreams.

     But you can't put them all on the same scale.

     Someone might dream of someday ruling the world, while someone else
across the globe might have a dream of having rain feed the drying crops.
 Oh, sure, the future ruler of the world might immediately focus on solving
the issues of the one who dreams of rain, but those aren't things you can
put side by side.

     So when you listen to dreams, at least in my view, you have to look at
them all as separate things.  Contrast, for instance, someone who dreams of
going to school without being haunted by the distant past -- things that
happened before they were born -- to someone who dreams of someday meeting
aliens, sliders, time travelers, and that sort of thing, and then being
able to set aside concerns like school entirely.

     If you compare them, unfavorable conclusions could be drawn; the one
who wants to go to school may be aiming too low.  The one who wants to
ignore school entirely may be aiming too high.

     However, if a dream is just a dream, is there any reason to think that
one is 'better'?  They're different for different people, and that's
probably entirely fine.

     After all, Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream a decade and a half
before I even attended high school, and who wants to compare theirs to that?

     Given the choice, I'd give up mine to help his come true.

     It was with those sorts of thoughts, the pretension and pride of
someone who has completed middle school without undue problems, that I went
on to Kitago.

     The school was newly built, only having opened the previous year.  I
supposed that meant that all of the seniors must have transfered in, last
year if not the year before.  The idea of everyone coming together from
elsewhere in the city suited me well.  The opening ceremonies were brightly
lit thanks to a sunny day, and filled with the chatter of excited students.

     In short, I could not envision things being much better than they
were.  My new uniform, as clean as every other students', made me one of a
vast group, and I saw more than a small number of familiar faces from my
middle school.

     I couldn't help but be pleased at the way things were going.  After
all, even if the climb up the hill just to reach the school depleted my
energy, it was a small obstacle compared to what my parents had endured, or
their parents before them!

     In fact, I thought everything would be so sickeningly bland that I
wouldn't even realize that the first month of school had passed until I
looked back at it, complaining of homework, but unable to truly regret it.

     This did not quite happen.

     When our homeroom teacher, a handball fanatic with a practiced smile,
had us go through our introductions, I finished my own.  Confident that
nothing else out of the ordinary would happen, I sat down.

     And behind me, a student that I would not have singled out in any way
beyond being pretty slammed her hands to her desk as she rose to her feet.
 Her chair skated noisily behind her and banged against the next desk
behind her, thanks to her excitement.  I couldn't help but turn around as
she drew in her breath, puffing out her chest and crossing her arms as her
eyes flashed and she declared: "From East Middle School, I am Suzumiya
Haruhi!"

     Her flashing gaze targeted me for a lingering moment, before sweeping
on to the rest of the class as she continued, "Normal humans do not
interest me!  If you are -- or know of -- aliens, time travelers,
extra-dimensional travelers, or espers, then report to me!  That is all!"

     The entire class was stunned by her outburst, but she just snorted
quietly and dropped back to her seat, her gaze sweeping to me.

     I couldn't help but feel like I was staring into the sun under the
intensity of her gaze, so quickly looked away.

     That was our introduction.

     ***

     Later that day, on a break between our teachers making their
introductions, I turned around to regard Suzumiya Haruhi.  Her eyes were
already locked on mine, her expression wary.

     "Did you really mean all of that?" I had to wonder.

     Her eyes flashed.  "Of course!" she snapped.  "Are you an alien?"

     ...that's not what I was.  "No."

     "Esper?"

     Not that, either.  "Not that I know of."

     "From another dimension?  Time traveler?  Onmyouji?"

     "None of those things," I said, feeling uncomfortable under the
intensity of her gaze.

     Her response was an irate scowl, almost a sneer.

     "You're ... not really answering my question," I tried in a pathetic
appeal.

     Grumbling, she turned her face away, resting her chin on one small
fist.  "I am, absolutely," she said after I had started to think she was
going to ignore me.  "Normal people are completely uninteresting."

     Given a choice, I'd take 'uninteresting' over some alternatives, but
what was with this girl?

     I couldn't understand her behavior at all.

     ***

     As the next few days covered our introduction to the faculty and the
opening ceremonies, I found ample opportunities to observe Suzumiya Haruhi.

     During the track events, she demonstrated that she had the potential
for a top athlete.  The school uniforms weren't terribly modest, either, so
it was equally clear that she could probably get almost anyone she cared to
as a boyfriend.  That wasn't my motivation for watching her, but the same
observation drew the attention of one of our classmates from the same
middle school as her.

     While Taniguchi would rather have hid in the shade and skipped as many
events as possible, the majority of students were participating.  I had no
great desire to stick out that much, and so he put up with something he'd
rather avoid, just to share his wisdom with me.

     Kunikida, a former classmate from my own middle school joined us, at
the edge of our year's group.

     Pitching his voice low to avoid being overheard by any nearby girls,
Taniguchi assessed, "Suzumiya looks good, but it's not worth the trouble.
 Instead, turn your gaze to the adorable Asakura Ryouko!  Now that's a girl
I'd like to date!

     "Other than her fine physical form, she's intelligent, has the maximum
possible charm points, and is a shining example of a traditional girl!
 She's the iconic 'Yamato Nadesiko'!  Without question, I rate her an 'A
plus plus.'"

     I couldn't help the prickle of irritation that such a scale produced.
 "Really," I drawled flatly.  "Have you graded all of the girls, then?"

     "Yep!" Taniguchi said with pride.  "And I memorized the names of all
the 'A's and better!"

     Kunikida, able to tell I was getting tired of Taniguchi's pride
already, contributed, "Kyon doesn't like the idea of people being excluded."

     Taniguchi blinked at this, looking confused.  "What?  But Suzumiya's
trouble!  That's all I'm saying.  I've been stuck in classes with her for
three years before this one, so I should know!"

     "If it's a judgment you made from knowing her that long, it's one
thing," I said, shrugging my shoulders.  "But what about those other girls
who didn't pass your muster?"

     "Well, Kyon has this thing for weird girls," Kunikida offered,
shrugging himself.  "In middle school, when there was a girl who was
standoffish and didn't really fit in, he decided to befriend her anyway."

     "Was she cute?" Taniguchi asked, raising his eyebrows.

     Kunikida rubbed his forehead and sighed.  "The point of this is that I
suspect that Kyon, being Kyon, is going to try and befriend Suzumiya the
same way."

     Taniguchi looked upon my mildly irate expression with something akin
to horrified awe.  "Kyon," he said, incidentally letting me know that the
nickname Kunikida had brought up was going to stick, "you are seriously
taking one for the team.  Okay!  I will tell you everything I know in order
to help you with your quest!"

     I wasn't sure I wanted that help!  I wasn't sure about the nickname,
either, but I'd take it over forced formality.  You win some and you lose
some, I suppose.

     "Well, it's just information," Kunikida offered kindly.  Ever the
peace-maker....  "Take what you can use and otherwise make your own
judgments, Kyon!"

     "We'll see," I allowed, shaking my head.  "If she's that cold to
everyone, then I'll just be wasting my time, wouldn't I?"

     "That's right!" Taniguchi said, nodding quickly.

     The idea of agreeing with such a sentiment so quickly spurred me to
give Suzumiya more of a chance, just to be contrary to Taniguchi's approach.

     ***

     I spent some time after that observing the enigmatic Suzumiya Haruhi
in her native habitat.  Taniguchi offered up his own opinions, but I
decided I couldn't take anything he said at face value.

     Other than that, since we'd spoken once, I tried to make it a daily
habit to have at least one verbal exchange with her.  For all of her
indifference to 'normal people,' she never told me to leave her alone,
which I decided to take as a sign that I was making progress.

     On the other hand, I could have been entirely wrong, and it was simply
that no one else understood how to approach her on her own terms.

     The girls in the class would try and draw her into discussions on
their own from time to time.  Their topics didn't seem to interest her when
they talked about the latest television shows they'd seen, but sometimes
instead of giving them a cold brush-off, she even got worked up.

     There was an exchange that went something like this:

     "Suzumiya-san, did you see the latest episode of Conan: Boy From the
Future?  It seemed like something you might enjoy!"

     "That's so stupid," she retorted.  "Who would want to watch such a
pessimistic show?  Civilization advancing and nearly destroying itself
before they achieve anything remarkable, or contact aliens?  No one should
waste their time watching something like that!"

     Then the girl that Suzumiya had rebuked would slink away, not likely
to try again.

     Another would try something like this:

     "Ah, Suzumiya-san, did you hear about the new Lupin III movie they're
releasing next year?"

     "What about it?" she returned guardedly.

     "You haven't heard?  It was a very popular show!  They're going to
release a movie and a whole new season next year!  It's about this
legendary thief, and--"

     "I've heard about it," Haruhi said flatly.  "If it doesn't feature
powerful sorcerers or amazing feats of supernatural strength, what's the
point?  I certainly wouldn't waste my time watching them.  Some simple
thief?  Bah!"

     "I...is that ... so?" yet another girl laughed uneasily, before
retreating.

     I had no input on this myself, as my family did not actually own a
television worth watching anything on.  Some days, when my father was home
from his job at the factory, we would crowd around the small black and
white screen and watch -- more listen -- to the baseball games.  Beyond
that, it couldn't really hold my interest.

     The only girl who never gave up was Asakura Ryouko.  Her attempts were
milder, and in return, Suzumiya simply ignored her instead of giving her
the brutal dismissal she offered everyone else.  Really, Asakura Ryouko's
attempts underscored her traditional nature -- her ability to brush aside
almost any slight for the greater harmony of the class.  And so, Suzumiya
seemed to tolerate her and no one else.

     Aside from me, I supposed.

     It didn't hurt that after Asakura Ryouko was made class representative
and our seats were reassigned, I kept my own position sitting right before
Suzumiya.  It was a very nice seat, though, so I couldn't complain too much.

     Aside from keeping myself from just dismissing her out of hand, like
Taniguchi seemed to.

     ***

     There were other details, too -- Suzumiya changed her hair every day,
using a different number of colored headbands and putting them up in a
different number of ponytails.  Or braids.  Or....

     So one day, not long after her rejection of joining the other girls
for their small film festival, I asked her what it meant.

     She turned to stare at me as though unable to believe I had dared to
broach the subject.  As uncomfortable as that made me, feeling almost as
though I was on the wrong side of the incident at Honno-Ji, I asked, "Why
do you change your hair every day?  I've noticed a pattern, but is it to
attract the attention of aliens?"

     "When did you notice?" she asked.

     "Hmm, a while back."  Though, in truth I had only figured out the
pattern recently.

     Shaking her head, she fell into her habit of ignoring my question and
asking one of her own, returning, "Have I met you before somewhere, a very
long time ago?  Maybe with your sister?"

     "How did you know I have a sister?" I asked in surprise.  I mean, I
wasn't trying to hide it, but how did she find out?

     Her eyebrows rose.  "Keeps her hair back with a ribbon, just a little
shorter than you?"  She held one hand at the level of her own head to
indicate the relative height of this theoretical sister.

     "Much shorter than me," I answered.  "She's about that height standing
up."

     Suzumiya grimaced at that, looking irritated.  "Girlfriend?" she
pressed.

     I didn't have one of those.  The closest thing to that ... no, she
hadn't used a ribbon for her hair anyway.  "Nothing of the sort," I
replied, frowning.

     "And you don't have a gakuran style high school uniform anyway, do
you?" she concluded with a sigh, eyes hooded.

     The official Kitago uniforms for boys looked nothing like the
traditional somewhat military-styled outfit that many other schools used.
 Why should she even ask that?  "What is this all about?" I finally asked.
 "You never really answered my question."

     Blinking again, as though she had tasted something particularly foul,
she bit out, "I think every day has a different feel."  Then she launched
into an explanation about the significance of the colors of her hair ties,
which I had missed.  I only caught the significance of the number of points.

     I wondered if what I said had any impact on her at all, really.  After
that, I spent all of Golden Week doing part-time work with Taniguchi, and
getting even more tired of his incessant nattering.  But when we came back
from that working vacation and returned to class, I found she had cut her
hair short.

     As drastic a change as that was, especially if it was due to my
remark, I could only offer, "I think long hair suited you, but that's a
nice look, too."

     She gave me a scowl in return, saying nothing.

     And that was more or less how our days went.

     ***

     One day, I asked, "Is it true you've tried out and quit every club?"

     "Yes, and they were all _awful_," she grumbled, crossing her arms over
her chest.

     "Well, I should probably join a club, myself," I said aloud.  "If you
find a good one, you'll let me know, right?"

     She gave me an odd look at that, but ultimately agreed, "Fine -- I
will!"

     "I was in a study group in middle school," I added thoughtfully.  "It
wasn't any fun, but I suppose it was better than nothing."

     "Is your math bad?" she asked, sounding bored.  "You're probably the
top student for history in this class."

     "History is important to me," I answered.  "We learn from our
mistakes, or we're doomed to repeat them."

     "I'd rather just avoid making the mistake in the first place."

     "An excellent idea.  I try and learn from the mistakes of others,
myself."

     "Hmm," she mused, unimpressed.

     It was true, though.  While I suspected that Suzumiya was just as good
at me, or could be if she cared, I had become the history teacher's
favorite student.  I wasn't striving for the distinction, and I didn't
really want to stand out, but I could accept being known for being good at
one small thing without too much difficulty.

     Not content to leave things like that, I asked, "What kind of club are
you looking for, anyway?"

     "Something amazing," she replied without hesitation, getting worked up
and sitting bolt upright, fists on the desk before her as she scowled in
determination.  "Something _phenomenal_!  Something truly _radical_!"  Then
her eyes narrowed.  "So!  What does your history say about that?"

     What could it?  "This school is only in its second year of normal
operation," I offered with a shrug.  "However, if the concept for such a
club existed already, undoubtedly this amazing and phenomenal club would
have branches across the country, and a longstanding tradition stretching
back to the occupation."

     "Are you saying that in the three decades since World War Two, every
type of club that can be formed already has?" she challenged me, her gaze
hardening.

     Why would this be so important?  "Not every type," I answered.
 "Thinking about things, there's the 'Electronics Research Society.'  Isn't
that new and cutting edge?  They're always finding and trying to make the
latest devices you can imagine!"

     "They are not amazing," she returned acidly.  "The things they make
are all copied from instructions in magazines.  They may make useful
things, but themselves?  Nothing they make or use helps an important
project like SETI!  Don't even get me _started_!"

     Before she could go off on a tirade about them, and in fact following
her suggestion to 'not get her started,' I continued, "Anyway, the point of
it all is that if such a club existed, you would have discovered it in your
searching.  I believe it's safe to say that if you haven't, it's because
this club doesn't exist.  Perhaps some day, or even in some distant land,
some remarkable person will come along and pioneer something that suits you
-- but until then, I don't believe you'll find it.

     "Isn't it better for unremarkable, average people like us to enjoy
what's already available instead of becoming discontent and asking for even
more?  We must respect proper bounds and know our limits to avoid
overreaching, after all."

     I felt that this speech was, for me, especially eloquent, so sat back,
satisfied with my delivery.

     Suzumiya was giving me a look that was difficult for me to discern,
looking simultaneously amazed and disgusted, her mouth hanging open a short
distance as she stared.

     Shrugging, I turned back to face the front of the class, thinking that
was the end of it.

     ***

     It was not, in fact, the end of it.

     After lunch, when I was fighting the exhaustion of boring math
lessons, as well as the more pleasant tiredness of enjoying a filling meal
of rice and vegetables, my dozing was interrupted by Suzumiya hauling my
seat backward, nearly knocking me to the floor.  "I've got it!" she shouted
loudly enough to rattle me.  "Kyon!  That's a great idea!"

     I found my balance, needing to climb to my feet as my chair finally
fell over, clattering to the floor.  The entire classroom, including
Saotome-sensei, were all staring at us blankly.  Aoyama-sensei, the history
teacher, would have liked me well enough to overlook it with a pointed
cough.

     No such luck here.

     "Suzumiya-san," I replied, turning to look at her.  "This is the sort
of matter that can wait until after class, is it not?"

     She stared at me in annoyance as I indicated the rest of the
classroom, then righted my seat and took it once more.

     Saotome-sensei cleared his throat loudly, and I was spared as he
determined that Suzumiya was more worthy of admonishment than I.
 "Suzumiya," he said flatly, drawing her gaze to him.  "Buckets.  Hall.
 Now."

     The class drew in a low murmur of breath as Suzumiya snorted
indifferently, not hesitating a second to grab the buckets from the
cleaning supplies and march out into the hall.

     Saotome-sensei was not a teacher to get on the wrong side of.  While I
had no doubt that Suzumiya could withstand it....

     Should I have been happy I was overlooked?  I felt bad for Suzumiya,
more.  She was enthusiastic about it and ... stuck out.  And the nail that
sticks out gets pounded down.

     When she came back, in the brief window of time we had before our next
teacher started lessons, I had to ask, "Do your hands hurt?"

     "Nothing I haven't handled before," she dismissed breezily.  "They're
stiff for a bit, but it's not that bad.  You never know your own limits
until you've tried such a thing!  Do you think you could handle that trial,
Kyon?"

     I didn't really want to find out, actually.  Such tenacity, though....

     ***

     When the next break came, I had to take a look at the buckets that
Suzumiya had put in the back of the classroom.  I could see then that she
hadn't done it half-heartedly, either -- she had actually filled them with
water, and probably held them for the entire remainder of the class!

     Despite everything, her spirit wasn't bent in the slightest.  A little
bit, I had to admire her resolve!

     Other than a few seconds flexing her hands before she ran off, she
didn't show a sign of the ordeal.  I would have been tempted to follow her
to ask her more, if the proper and considerate Asakura Ryouko hadn't
cornered me, a look of concern on her face.

     "Kyon-kun," she said sternly.  "No one else has had any luck reaching
out to Suzumiya-san.  Therefore, since she seems to listen to you in some
ways, I'll look to you to speak to her on our behalf!  Understood?"

     "I feel like the Dutch, suddenly," I answered with a sigh.

     Asakura Ryouko giggled at that, steepling her fingers beneath her
chin.  "Just so~!  As Suzumiya-san repels everyone else from her borders,
we will rely on you to host communications with her, like the isle of
Dejima!"

     "Great," I sighed.  "I'm pioneering a new form of rangaku."

     Taniguchi turned to stare at us, looking confused at our references to
historical events.

     Perhaps pitying him, and perhaps just finding the situation amusing,
Kunikida translated it plainly: "They're making the comparison that
Suzumiya-san is as closed as Japan's borders were, centuries ago."

     "So Kyon's like Admiral Perry?" Taniguchi returns, scratching his head.

     "No," I sighed.  "When our borders were closed, the shogunate still
allowed trade through the Dutch.  They also allowed information from the
outside world, especially sciences and such, to come through.  This type of
learning was called 'rangaku.'  It's frequently suggested that it's thanks
to this our country was able to adapt and modernize as quickly as it did,
once Admiral Perry actually _did_ force the borders open.

     "Going on what our honorable class representative is suggesting, my
role is now going to be maintaining those communications with Suzumiya."

     "So then, thank you, Kyon-kun!" Asakura Ryouko said, her cheeks
dimpling as her smile widened and she gave me the full formal traditional
bow from the waist at ninety degrees.

     Refusing such a traditional girl such an earnest request would
undoubtedly earn me the scorn of my classmates, so I had no choice but to
accept.

     Turning to Taniguchi she added, "Taniguchi-kun, you should apply
yourself to your studies better!"

     "Will you study with me?" he asked hopefully.

     I shook my head.  Just like that, I was pushed into taking that role?
 What would Suzumiya think of that?  I resolved that I had to ask her.

     I never got a chance to ask, as it turned out.

     On our next break, Suzumiya grabbed my hand before I could say
anything, and with inhuman strength hauled me across the campus at a
breakneck pace.  We ended up coming to a halt in a stairwell leading to the
roof, currently empty of anything but the faintest lingering traces of
cigarette smoke.

     "Okay!" she declared from the top of the stairs, gazing straight into
my eyes.  "Based on your suggestion, we're going to form a club!"

     "We ... are?" I returned, not expecting that.

     "That's right!  You said it yourself -- such a club as the one I want
doesn't exist -- so we obviously have to make it ourselves!" she
proclaimed, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

     ***

     The rest of my class was spent wondering what Suzumiya had in mind
instead of actually focusing on my lessons.

     Once they let out, Suzumiya barked an order at me to be prepared, and
I sighed and trudged my way down to the office.  Evidently, the paperwork
was my responsibility.  Since history and records were my forte, naturally,
wasn't paperwork as well?

     So I gathered the requisite forms and went home to pore through the
details.

     I had agreed I'd join whatever club she found that was worthwhile, but
this was not what I had expected!  According to the school's policy, a club
needed five members, a teacher to act as a sponsor, and a charter, unless
it were a type of club that were already recognized by the school -- like a
study group, or a sports club.

     That meant we were three members, a charter, and a sponsor short.  I
wasn't eager to rely on my 'favored student' status with Aoyama-sensei to
get him to sign, but if nothing else could be done, that would be an option.

     Wrangling the charter from Suzumiya would be a better first step, I
determined.

     That thought in mind, I finished my homework and went to bed.  Sleep
was elusive, and I couldn't help but make more comparisons.  The Edo period
was when the isolationist policy that Asakura Ryouko compared to Suzumiya's
stance on the rest of the class was established.  Other systems were
established then, too, and I was not at all a fan of some of them.

     Considering some of the problems that followed families like mine from
that time, I don't know that I could be blamed.

     And while Asakura Ryouko seemed to be trying to unify all of her
classmates into a cohesive whole, much like Tokugawa Ieyasu when
establishing that period....

     I tried to put such worrisome thoughts from my mind and simply sleep.

     But it was a long time coming.

     ***

     The following day, when I got to class, Suzumiya was waiting for me,
her dour expression lighting up into a grin as she set eyes upon me.  I
actually froze and looked behind me, to see if some oni or space alien were
standing behind me ... but no, that smile seemed to be targeting _me_.

     How strange that was.

     "Did you get the paperwork?" she asked without greeting me, once I
reached my seat.

     "Yeah," I sighed.  "We're missing three more people and a charter."

     "That's fine, that's fine," she said dismissively.  "I can handle more
members!  So you can write up the charter!"

     "It would help to know what our club is actually about, though," I
countered, frowning.  "I can't very well write a charter when I don't even
know what you've got planned ... and anyway, we also need the signature of
a teacher."

     She blinked at that, scowling.  "We need a sponsor, too?" she
grumbled, shaking her head in annoyance.  "Saotome-sensei's irritated at
me, still.  Well, maybe we can convince him anyway.  So I suppose I'll have
to handle _that_, as well!"

     Sighing, I offered, "If you can write a reasonable charter, I will
take it to Aoyama-sensei."

     Suzumiya immediately perked up at hearing that.  "Very well!" she
agreed magnanimously, gracing me with a smile I would more have expected
from the proper and traditional Asakura Ryouko.  "He adores you, so that
should be fine!  Three more members and the charter?  That should be no
problem!  I'll get a club room for us at lunch, and handle those parts!
 Excellent work, subordinate!"

     "Just like that?" I had to wonder.  I wasn't sure I liked being a
subordinate, especially to Suzumiya ... but I didn't feel like she was
crossing any lines she shouldn't have, yet.

     "Just like that!"

     Well, if she had that much confidence....

     ***

     After class, I was hauled immediately off by Suzumiya once more, to
Kunikida and Taniguchi's undisguised amusement.  The only small consolation
I had was Asakura Ryouko giving an approving nod to me, though it was
tempered with a look of concern toward Suzumiya.  This time, instead of
dragging me to the stairwell to the roof, I was allowed to slide to a halt
before a clubroom.

     I felt like a trespasser in such a building -- as I recalled, it was
completed only this winter, the final addition to the school.  The floors
were immaculate, and the nameplates of most clubs were, too.  Some of them
were handwritten notes on card-stock, probably awaiting their more
permanent replacements, like the 'electronics research society' one door
down.  The room we stopped before had a painstakingly hand-inked card
reading, 'literature club.'

     "Not that I have any objections on principle," I said slowly, eying
the sign, "but there seems to be a problem insofar as this room is already
claimed."

     She ignored me and opened up the door.  "This will be our
headquarters!" she proclaimed, like a conquering daimyo, surveying her
newly claimed territory.  Almost as though she knew what image she had put
into my head, she crossed her arms over her chest and smiled in
satisfaction.

     Scanning the room, I saw a pair of bookshelves with a very small
number of books present, a filing cabinet, and a long table with a chair at
it, occupied by a diminutive slip of a girl.  Her thick rimmed glasses
caught the light as she tilted her head to regard us briefly.

     "Never mind 'seems' to be taken -- this room is clearly occupied," I
said to Haruhi quietly.

     "It's fine, it's fine," she dismissed my concern, uncrossing her arms
to wave a hand.  "I asked earlier -- she'll be a silent character
supporting us."

     "Really?" I had to wonder.  "And you...."  I paused.  Who was this
girl, anyway?  She was probably in our year, wasn't she?

     "Nagato Yuki," she whispered demurely, before turning her attention
back to her book.

     I glanced at the title.  'Stranger in a Strange Land'?  It must be
engrossing.  I had no idea what it was about, but couldn't help but admit
some resonance with the title, between her and Suzumiya.

     "Well, Nagato Yuki-san, you don't have any problems with Suzumiya-san
taking over your room and using it for...."  I had to trail off.  I didn't
even know what she was actually planning!

     Nagato's response was a quiet, clipped, "It's fine."

     "There!" Suzumiya declared triumphantly.  "So, we will be using this
space from now on!  Kyon, be sure to meet here after school every day from
now on!"

     And then, without waiting for a word of confirmation, she whirled and
dashed away.

     Alone with Nagato Yuki, I scratched my head and sighed.  "Well ... in
any case, thank you for your patience, Nagato-san.  If it becomes a
difficulty, please be sure to let us know immediately," I said earnestly.

     "It is fine," the quiet girl replied again, once more tilting her head
to eye me through those glasses.

     "Then ... I suppose that I'll see you tomorrow," I said, somewhat
lamely.

     Her head shifted the tiniest distance in response.  Was that a nod?
 If the light coming through her glasses hadn't changed, I wouldn't have
even caught it.

     With nothing else to do, once her attention drifted back to the page
before her, I silently excused myself and went home.

     ***

     The following day, after class finishes and Suzumiya raced out, I
sighed and gathered my things.  At the time, I couldn't feel any sense of
urgency.

     Taniguchi and Kunikida approached, the pair of them looking excited
about something or other.  "Kyon!" Taniguchi called.  "I have some money
left over from working through Golden Week.  You must as well, right?  So
Kunikida and I are headed down to the train station -- they've installed a
new arcade cabinet in that little cafe nearby!"

     Hmm?  Video games were interesting to watch, but I didn't have the
spare change to play.  Asking to borrow from either Taniguchi or Kunikida
didn't much appeal to me.

     "It's called 'Space Invaders,'" Kunikida added.  "It just got put in a
day or two ago -- when I saw it, there was a line of people waiting to try
it out.  We'd best hurry to avoid having to wait forever!"

     As much as I'd like to hang out and just blend in, I'd rather not
spend money to do it.  That all said, I shrugged weakly, using the excuse
that Suzumiya had conveniently handed to me.  "I've been drafted into some
club by Suzumiya-san," I apologized.  "Who knows what might happen if I
were to be too late?"

     The pair of them stared in surprise for a moment, before Taniguchi's
expression fell slightly.  "I'm honestly not sure how to feel about that,"
he said, almost in an aside.  "I think I should say thanks for falling on
that sword for the rest of us, Kyon!"

     Kunikida winced at the other boy's remark, giving me an apologetic
smile.  "Some other day, then," he said with a shrug.

     I nodded back as he followed Taniguchi out the door, then walked to
the club room we were going to be sharing with Nagato Yuki.  When I got
there, it was just me and that silent girl.

     "Hello, Nagato-san," I greeted her somewhat awkwardly.  When I
checked, the book title was different, this one reading 'A Gift from
Earth.' "A new one already?"

     Looking up silently, she gave another of her incredibly small nods.

     "Do you enjoy it?" I asked, pulling up one of the other folding chairs
in the room and unfolding it to sit opposite her.

     "Unique," she answered.

     I supposed she wasn't the talkative type.  Well, what else was there
to do, then?  Perhaps I could ask to borrow one of the books she'd finished?

     Before that thought could go much further, the door crashed open.  I
really thought Suzumiya should go a little easier on the furnishings!  This
building was brand new, after all!

     "It can take it," she returned without hesitation, hauling in a
wide-eyed and unfamiliar girl, then turning around, slamming the door shut,
and locking it.

     "What's going on here?" the new girl whimpered.  I hadn't seen her
before, but she was very pretty, and looked on the verge of tears.  She
might have been older, too -- was she an upperclassman?  I was certain that
she would have made Taniguchi's 'list' if she were in our year.  "Why are
you locking the door?"

     I rose to my feet, frowning, and Nagato shifted in her seat to watch.

     "I've detained this girl to join our club!" Suzumiya proclaimed
proudly, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned against the closed
door and grinned.

     "Wah," the new girl half-yelped, shying away and bumping into the
table.  Since I was already standing, I moved the two steps necessary to
catch the girl when she stumbled.  "Eee!" she cried, freezing up.

     I was stuck in the awkward position of holding her arms, unable to let
her go until she found her footing.  Suzumiya's smile faded, but she
quickly grinned, evidently thinking I was holding the other girl still just
for her benefit.  Without hesitation, she leaped forward, cupping the other
girl's face in her hands.

     "Look at this!" Suzumiya cheered.  "This is Asahina Mikuru-chan!
 She's got a cute, incredibly youthful face, doesn't she?  And a knockout
body like this--"

     Before her hands could descend further, I gently lowered the trembling
Asahina-san to the floor, incidentally shielding her with my body.  I
couldn't think of any other way to help her.

     "Suzumiya-san," I said flatly, releasing the older girl and standing
straight once Suzumiya was thwarted, the upperclassman curled into a ball
at my feet.  "What exactly are you trying to do?"

     "Have you seen her chest?" Suzumiya returned in indignant disbelief.
 "It's _huge_!  I'm almost jealous of it!"

     I had no idea where to even begin with that violation of personal
space.  Pressing one hand to my face in irritation, I remarked, "You don't
need to use your hands to _see_, Suzumiya-san."

     "Right," Suzumiya agreed suddenly, grinning, evidently distracted.
 She marched around me and the still whimpering upperclassman.  "Visual
arts are entirely the focus here!"

     I turned to stare at her, still uncertain where this whole thing was
going.  "What are you on about?" I had to wonder.

     "It's about..." Suzumiya began slowly, rummaging through her schoolbag
before releasing another triumphant cry.  "Aha~!  This!"

     And then she held aloft a device I hadn't ever seen before, and
couldn't identify, except that it seemed to fold up into a small
rectangular box, with a smaller raised square section atop it.  "Some alien
machinery?" I asked, confounded.

     "No, but that's a good idea," she answered, unfolding it and snapping
various pieces into position carefully.  It took her less than a minute to
transform it into something that looked like a ... camera?  My mother owned
a camera, but it was shaped nothing like that device.  Suzumiya then loaded
some flat panel-like thing _into_ the camera, and asked, "Now you get it?"

     "It's a camera, isn't it?" I asked, just to be sure.

     "Right, right," she agreed, moving back around the table and handing
it to me.  I had only gotten to hold my mother's camera a few times, and
only she and my father knew how to operate it, so I had to stare at the
device in fascination, turning it about a few times before accidentally
pressing a button--

     There was a blinding flash and grinding noise, and Suzumiya snatched
it away.  "Hey!" she snapped.  "That film isn't cheap!"

     "Ah," I managed, blinking as my eyes teared up.  "I didn't expect
that."

     "Then never mind the idea of _you_ taking the pictures," Suzumiya
groused.  "Honestly...."  When I finished regaining my eyesight she showed
me a rectangular card with a square inset into it.  That square ... seemed
to have what looked like an impression of me staring down at it in
consternation.  As my eyes cleared, the picture itself seemed to sharpen.

     "An instant camera?" I asked in realization.  It wasn't my eyes
clearing, it was the photograph actually developing!

     "Yes," she said dryly.  "And if you've never seen or used one before,
I don't have the time to show you how to use it properly anyway."  Shaking
her head, she muttered, "I swear, what small village did you come from
before moving to Nishinomiya?"

     She wasn't looking at me to catch the way I flinched at that.  It was
probably just an offhand remark, but even so....

     Her focus was instead on the picture I'd accidentally taken, and she
made a face before shoving it into her school bag, grumbling about the
waste of film.  "Anyway!  With this, Asahina Mikuru-chan -- ah, I'm just
going to call you Mikuru-chan--"

     "Eh?" the upperclassman managed from where she had sat up on the
floor, and was watching us with wide eyes.  "N-no, I don't...."  She
trailed off as Suzumiya raised her eyebrows expectantly.  For whatever
reason, Asahina-san's eyes went past her, and locked with Nagato-san's.  "I
... see," she said slowly.

     Shaking her head, Suzumiya set the camera on the table and then raised
a single finger in the air, swinging it in a slow circle as she explained,
"We're going to get those useless electronics people next door to build
something worthwhile for us -- I know they've got a small pile of
oscilloscopes, so we'll have them make an electronic telescope!  I'm sure
they have magazines showing how to make those by amateurs!"

     "Those--  Those are meters across," I said in protest, vaguely
remembering that from an article I'd read not long ago.

     "Ah, that's just the _dish_!" Suzumiya said, grinning.  "The
electronic instrumentation isn't so difficult -- think about it!  Only last
year they found the 'Wow!' signal!  There could be aliens all over trying
to reach us, and SETI can only cover so much of the sky!  As part of _our_
search for extra-terrestrial intelligence, we're going to pitch in and
scan, too!"

     I ... vaguely recalled reading about that signal.  "And we're somehow
going to find something that bigger observatories missed?" I wondered,
dumbfounded at this girl's enthusiasm.

     "Yes!" she exclaimed, pumping a fist in the air.  "We're going to find
something stupendous, maybe even something like the five-note-sequence from
Close Encounters!"

     "From what?" I asked, echoed by a confused noise from Asahina-san.

     Suzumiya's sharp gaze fixed back on us as her smile vanished.  "'Close
Encounters of the Third Kind'!" she snapped.  "Don't you watch movies?  It
only came out a few months ago in theaters!"

     "The last movie I remember seeing in theaters was, 'The Terror of
Mechagodzilla,'" I answered slowly.

     She stared at me before rolling her eyes.  "Whatever," she said
flatly, picking the camera up again.  "Mikuru-chan, come on -- you're going
to help us get that telescope!"

     "Eh, um..." Asahina-san whimpered.  "O...okay, Suzumiya-san...."

     I was too distracted to protest, and it didn't seem like Asahina-san
had a problem with things, either, hesitantly following Suzumiya's
enthusiastic march out of the room.

     I couldn't help but think back to that movie I'd seen with my parents.
 It was not only the last movie I'd seen in theaters ... it was also the
first movie I had seen in theaters.  It was right after my elementary
school graduation, and my parents had asked me to pick a movie that was
showing.  Nothing else had appealed to me, and my sister was being watched
over by my aunt.

     It had been quite an experience for me.  I couldn't imagine what it
was like to see new movies all the time.  Had there been an article about
the movie Suzumiya had mentioned?

     I shook my head and turned to Nagato.  "Do you see many movies?" I
asked.

     "No," she answered, already studying me instead of reading her book.

     "Television?" I posed.

     Giving the most difficult to detect shake of her head, Nagato replied,
"No television."

     "I suppose that makes us kindred spirits, then?"

     She continued to stare at me wordlessly.  I couldn't help but wonder
if maybe Suzumiya should have asked the Electronics Research Society for
instrumentation to observe Nagato Yuki's tiny movements instead instead
signals from deep space!

     I was roused from these thoughts by the door crashing open again --
but this time it wasn't Suzumiya who opened it.  It was instead the form of
Asahina-san, sobbing as she stumbled through and plowed straight into me.
 I was nearly knocked over myself, managing a feat of minor heroism by
bracing myself against the table with one arm, and supporting the crying
girl with the other.

     Suzumiya traipsed through the door next in high spirits, her smile
vanishing the moment she saw me with Asahina-san.  "Enjoying yourself?" she
grumbled, slamming the door behind her.

     "Not particularly, no," I answered as sternly as I could.

     I was more off-balance than anything else, and Suzumiya snorted in
response, striding past me to stuff a small stack of those instant
photographs into her schoolbag.  The sight of her made Asahina-san drop to
her knees, hugging herself against one of my legs tightly.

     "What in the world just happened?" I asked.

     Suzumiya opened her mouth to say something, then paused and thought
better of it as Asahina-san abruptly cut off her sniffling.  "I...it's
nothing," the upperclassman mumbled, her face pressed against my leg just
above the knee, and not moving to let go.

     "I find that difficult to believe," I answered with a frown.
 "Asahina-san, what did Suzumiya-san do?"

     "...nothing," Asahina-san lied, abruptly releasing my leg and scooting
away, staring at the floor to one side.  She had about as much skill at
deception as my younger sister!  In other circumstances, I might have
thought it was cute.  "I...it's nothing at all."

     My gaze turned to Suzumiya-san, who returned a stony glare of her own.

     "Okay," I said with a sigh, crossing my arms over my chest.  "I don't
know what happened outside of this room, and evidently neither of you are
going to tell me."

     Suzumiya allowed a nod in response.  "So, what are you going to do
about it?" she asked warily.

     "I'm going to say that ... I don't know that a club that's looking for
the paranormal is going to make a good impression on them if we're not
comfortable with one-another," I answered after a moment of thought,
thinking back to what a close middle school friend of mine might have said.
 "If Asahina-san is made to cry, I can only think that she wasn't able to
feel accepted, or something crossed a bound she finds acceptable.

     "If you can't tell me, I can only think that you don't find me worthy
of trust.  For Asahina-san and yourself, I suppose this makes sense --
you've only just met."  After a pause, I added, "As far as _I_ know.

     "But, Suzumiya-san, we've known one-another longer.  So if you don't
want to tell me, that's fine.  Can I ask you one thing, instead?"

     "Fine," she answered curtly, narrowing her eyes.

     "If aliens came down, and brought you into their group unexpectedly,
without evidently asking you if it was alright, and then did whatever it
was that I'm never to know about -- how would you feel?"

     "If it were aliens--" Suzumiya started, before I interrupted.

     "Wait, that was a mistake on my part.  Let's say a normal person --
fellow human beings like you and I.  I can't know what happened, but is it
something a subordinate should expect from their leader?"

     Her mouth snapped shut and she scowled furiously, growling, "As if for
_one second_ I would allow--" before she cut herself off and grimaced,
looking like she tasted something exceptionally foul.  Shaking her head
abruptly, she marched past me to Asahina-san's side, and with supreme
effort she said, "Well, I ... didn't--  Well, fine!  That's fine!  That was
your initiation trial, Mikuru-chan, and you've passed!

     "You've done not just well, but phenomenally well!  All our members
had to do something difficult to come this far -- Yuki gave us this room,
Kyon managed to get a teacher to like him well enough to sponsor our club,
and now you've done your share and gotten us important equipment!
 Naturally, nothing was meant to do lasting damage.  Have no worries --
those pictures will be destroyed, and no one else shall ever see them!"

     Suzumiya was nearly hyperventilating, but it was as though a switch
had been thrown, and she changed from angry, to her typical eager and
excited self.  No, in fact, she was even _more_ fervent than usual.

     "Furthermore," she continued, reaching down and hauling Asahina-san to
her feet effortlessly, "_as_ a member of the SOS-Brigade, you have earned
the protection of not just Kyon, who's adequate in those things, but
myself!"

     "Wha--  Wha--  Wha...?" Asahina-san managed, her eyes widening even
further.  "B...but--"

     Suzumiya made a determined, satisfied noise and nodded fiercely.
 "That's right--  If ever such a situation arises, I am the leader of this
organization!  Therefore, it's my responsibility to handle anything before
my subordinates!  Understood?"

     "O...okay?" Asahina-san said dazedly, looking about as confused as I
felt.

     "Good!" Haruhi exclaimed, her grin widening.  Turning back to me, her
smile fading only the tiniest bit, she asked, "Satisfied, Kyon?"

     Scratching my head, I allowed, "If Asahina-san has no complaints, I
don't have anything to object over.  I do have one question though,
Suzumiya-san."

     "Another one?" Suzumiya returned, frowning.  "Asahina-san, do _you_
want to tell Kyon about your initiation trial?"

     The upperclassman shook her head vigorously.  "No, no, this is fine!"
she spat out quickly, forcing a smile of her own and waving a hand at me in
a warding gesture.

     "So, there you have it!" Suzumiya declared.

     "That's not it, Suzumiya-san," I sighed.

     "Well, _what_ then?" she asked, a bit testily.

     "What's this 'SOS-Brigade' that you mentioned, Suzumiya-san?"

     Suzumiya blinked several times, looking genuinely surprised, and then
grinned mischievously.  "_That_, I will show you _tomorrow_," she declared
authoritatively, waggling her pointer finger at me.  "Now--  Mikuru-chan,
would you like me to walk you home?"

     "O...okay?" Asahina-san managed, still sounding bewildered.  "Um ...
thank you, Suzumiya-san?"

     "It's my responsibility to care for my subordinates," Suzumiya
reiterated, grabbing her bag and Asahina-san's as well.  "Kyon, Yuki, you
can be excused for the day, as well!"

     I could only scratch my head and wonder just what the hell _had_
happened as the two girls left, with Suzumiya now behaving as though she
were Asahina-san's self-appointed protective sister.  I looked to Nagato to
see if she had any insight, but she merely blinked and turned her attention
back to her book.

     ...so that seemed to be that?

     ***

     The club meeting the next day had a positive feel to it -- Suzumiya
ran ahead of me, but I wandered into Asahina-san in the hall.  "Ah, hello
Asahina-san ... or should it be Asahina-sempai?" I wondered, bowing a
greeting to her.

     "Ah--  It's fine, it's fine," she said with a pleasant smile, shaking
her head.  "Um, let's see ... you're called 'Kyon', is that right?"

     Unfortunately, yes.

     "Then, is it okay if I call you Kyon-kun?" she asked hopefully.

     A girl like that could call me almost anything, and I wouldn't
complain -- but less formality is preferable.  "I don't mind," I agreed.

     "Um, then you can just call me Mikuru-chan, like Suzumiya-san does!"

     Somehow, I couldn't help but think that she deserved a bit more
respect than that.  "Is 'Asahina-san' fine?"

     Slightly taken aback, she allowed, "I don't mind, Kyon-kun.  Ah ...
thank you--"  She cut off as we reached the clubroom door, both of us
pausing when we heard a mechanical noise of some sort, repeating every few
seconds within.

     Concerned for what Suzumiya might have devised next, I opened the
door, to be immediately assaulted by a faintly sweet smell.  Come to think
of it ... this is the same scent as a test handed out by the teachers on
some days, isn't it?  A bit stronger, but the same thing, by and large.

     Looking up from where she was working the crank on a large box-like
machine, Suzumiya grinned at the pair of us.  "Kyon, come here," she
ordered.  "You didn't know how to work an instant camera, but you can use a
spirit duplicator, can't you?"

     "Ah," I realized aloud.  "I've seen one of those used before, but
never done it myself.  What are you doing?"

     "Mass producing fliers for the club, of course," she answered, rolling
her eyes.  "I had Yuki make the master copy -- her handwriting is very neat
-- and I want you to help finish producing them.  Now, you turn this crank
like so...."

     Distracted by the novelty, I followed her instructions, very quickly
churning out copy after copy of her flier from the machine.  Yuki tended to
keeping the supply of alcohol level.  It was only after I'd taken up my
assigned task that I thought to ask, "Where did you get this, anyway?"

     "Yuki helped," Suzumiya answered with a shrug, carefully stacking the
already-produced copies.  They were stark aniline purple, again just like
many of our tests.  "The literature club has access to one of these, but
she couldn't carry it here on her own."

     "So I see," I mused.  Once Suzumiya declared that we'd made enough,
Nagato helped clean the machine and walked out of the room with the small
tray of alcohol used in development -- to dispose of it, I suppose.  "To be
honest, my mind went somewhere completely different when you said 'spirit
duplicator,' Suzumiya-san."

     "I wish," she answered dryly.  "I think they're sometimes called
'ditto machines' -- but it doesn't matter.  It's another tool for the SOS
Brigade!"

     Though she _had_ just mentioned it was for the literature club.  "You
said you'd explain what this 'SOS Brigade' is," I said, shaking my head and
taking a seat next to Asahina-san.

     "That's right!" Suzumiya proclaimed, pulling the master copy she had
Nagato draw up out and presenting it to me.

     I wasn't sure what to make of the paper before me.  It was ... in some
ways exactly what I'd expect -- it announced the mission of her club to
find 'aliens, espers, sliders, and time travelers,' and also included a
giant block of characters spelling out the name.

     'Save the world by Overloading it with fun, Suzumiya Haruhi's Brigade?'

     "Astounding," I said, not really able to muster any other response.

     "Right, right!" she agreed, nodding in satisfaction.

     "And now--  Ah, Mikuru-chan, will you help me distribute these at the
gate?" Suzumiya asked.  "If we hurry, we can get stragglers leaving the
school who don't have other clubs yet!  We'll find at least one good
recruit there, and if not, we'll be able to put out the word on who to
contact!"

     "W...what does that mean?" Asahina-san asked worriedly, intimidated by
Suzumiya's blaze of positive energy.  Not that I could have blamed her.

     "Simple, simple," Suzumiya said authoritatively.  "Just stand next to
me and say, in your adorable, waif-like way," and then Suzumiya shocked me
by effortlessly shifting her demeanor, "'Um, please, would you consider
taking one of these fliers?' whenever someone walks by!"  Of course, the
moment she was done, she shifted back to her more energetic tone.

     What a switch!

     "That sounds fine," Asahina-san said tremulously, offering a timid
smile.

     Nodding in determination, Haruhi grinned and linked her arm with
Asahina-san's, taking up the stack of copies in her free hand.  "Then,
let's go!  Yuki, Kyon, you can relax here for a bit, since you already did
your part -- good work, subordinates!"

     The pair of them then marched off, Asahina-san with only the faintest
fraction of Suzumiya's blazing confidence.

     I ran a hand through my hair again, sighing.  That seemed to be going
well enough, right?  I turned to Nagato, who was once again stuck with me.
 This seemed to be a repeating scenario.

     Today's book title, which she returned to the moment after putting
away the spirit duplicator, was, 'The Bicentennial Man.'

     "What's that one about?" I tried.

     She looked up and blinked, then answered in her soft voice, "An
artificial human that wishes to become a real one."

     "This is ... interesting?"  I didn't really read much outside of
history books, and the occasional Getter Robo manga.  Those were about all
that fit into my entertainment budget.

     "Fascinating," she replied quietly.

     This was not getting me anywhere.  "Should I leave you alone to read
it?" I asked quietly.

     She closed the book, still staring at me.  For a long minute she said
nothing before finally blinking and setting it down.  With conservative,
almost mechanical motions, she rose to her feet and went to the bookshelf,
picking up the book she had been reading two days before.  Returning to the
table on feet less audible than a ghost's, she handed it out to me.

     "Ah ... thank you," I allowed awkwardly, accepting the imposing tome.
 This thing ... looked pretty thick.

     She gave a single curt nod in reply before sitting down and opening
her book back up.

     I sighed; that was really enough of an answer, wasn't it?  If she were
interested in conversation....

     "Read it," she said quietly, confirming the point in my mind.

     So much for that!

     Steeling myself, wondering if my time might be better spent getting a
part-time job, I cracked the daunting volume open.  I had gotten only a few
pages in when the door smashed open, nearly startling me out of my seat.
 "Suzumiya-san, can't you be a bit more gentle with this building?" I
protested in annoyance.

     She shot me a dark look and opened her mouth to snap something before
spotting the book in my hands.  Rolling her eyes she sighed and shook her
head.  "Whatever, whatever," she answered dismissively, as Asahina-san
stepped in behind her, wobbling on her feet and looking shell-shocked.

     I bit back a sigh.  "What happened?" I asked, offering my seat to
Asahina-san and managing to keep myself from tacking on a 'this time.'

     "Eh, evidently the official advertising window for new clubs has
already passed, and we can't recruit until we get more people," Suzumiya
grouses.  "But that doesn't matter -- we still gave away about half our
fliers, so the word is out there!"

     "Which means we're just short on members," I mumbled.  Once she
collapsed into her seat, I asked our unsteady upperclassman, "Asahina-san,
are you alright?"

     "Eh, g...getting disciplined is scary," Asahina-san whimpered in
response, crossing her arms on the table before her and hiding her face.

     "It was just a warning," Suzumiya countered.  "They said we'd get in
trouble next time, so obviously we won't bother with a next time.  Hmm, we
still need to figure out what to do about the missing fifth member of our
team....  Well -- we can worry about that later!  Okay, everyone, I want us
to meet up and keep ourselves busy, even if we are a member short!"

     "When is this?" I wondered, frowning.

     "Sunday," she clarified, taking the seat next to Nagato, who hadn't
even looked up when she came into the room.  "We'll meet up in front of
Kouyouen station in the morning, at nine sharp!  Don't be late, understood?"

     I didn't actually have a part-time job to claim had priority, so
sighed and nodded.  At least I would have Saturday free.

     --------------------------------------------------

-- 
Brian Randall
--
Yrne awaits those with the courage to seek it.
--
I write fanfiction. Too much of it. You can read it here, on my terrible
webpage:
http://www.soulriders.net/brian/
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