I'll second the epilogue. We need the scene in the brigade room where we can recover from the extraordinary and return to the ordinary (with some Kyonko-Haruki fluff thrown in for the lols).
You know? I've kinda forgotten how incredibly amusing that is.
Length of time to complete Episode 01: Three years
Length of time to complete Episode 02: Five months
Is this progress?
I may as well link to the first episode, even though it's only two pages back. It's been almost half a year, so I suppose it would be proper etiquette.
*e2* And, for the sake of further convenience, here is a link to the next one. *e*
Spoiler for Kyon-chan no Bouken! Episode 02:
Spoiler for A-Part:
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be around magical beings with extraordinary powers? Or maybe even find out one day that you have supernatural abilities yourself? Okay, so those questions don't even need to be asked. I'm sure most people would jump at the opportunity to have special powers if it ever presented itself.
So why is it, when I found out I was in a situation where I had that kind of life, I found myself trying to avoid that fact? Shouldn't I have been excited that I was living the dream several girls around the country surely have?
Sigh... let's just get on with this already...
{cue cheesy intro music}
THE ADVENTURES OF KYON-CHAN!! Episode 02!! School Days and a Fateful Encounter?!
Normally, my little brother would wake me up by barging into my room and forcing me out of bed by any means necessary. Even locking the door doesn't stop him. This day, however, a different little pest was the one to force me out of my pleasant slumber.
"Wake up. You wanted to talk, so let's talk."
... Five more minutes...
"This is the sixth time you've said that. Wake up."
And with that, Shamisen decided to motivate me out of bed by chewing on my hair until I got up. Cat, wake me up like that again and you'll be a different kind of 'shamisen.'
"I was going to answer those questions from yesterday, but if you're going to be unreasonable, I guess you don't really want to know."
Okay, okay. I'm sorry.
"That's better."
So, why am I talking to a cat?
Please don't laugh. I know that question sounds ridiculous.
"To put it simply, I need the assistance of someone capable of using magic. You seemed to be far more suitable than my previous partner, so I followed you."
That's why? Oh, that makes perfect sense. Obviously a girl who had no idea magic really existed is far more skilled than a guy who can disappear at will and throw big black balls of energy.
Shamisen looked at me almost as if I were refusing to dangle a piece of string as a toy, then simply sat down next to me.
"Whether you believe it or not, that is the case. Judging from that demonstration yesterday, your powers exceed his."
Let's just say you're telling the truth for now, what do you want me to do, exactly? If you can tell me that, I'll listen to anything else you have to say.
"Well it's quite simple. really. All you have to do is--"
"Kyon, who are you talking to?"
Quiet, cat! If my brother finds out you can talk, he'll never leave either of us alone.
And with that, Shamisen went back to acting like a normal cat... just as my 'precious' little brother barged in.
"Kyoo~ Huh? You're alone?"
Of course I am. Well, I suppose Shamisen's here as well.
"But I thought I heard voices... Oh well!"
After that upbeat response, my little brother grabbed Shamisen like an owl would grab a small rodent, and cheerfully ran out of my room while singing a song he probably made up two seconds ago. I almost felt sorry for the cat staring back at me with a 'please help me' look. The rest of this part of the day was fairly normal, save for the torment I normally deal with being directed toward Shamisen instead, so I really see no reason to talk about it.
My trips to school are punctuated by a hike up the annoyingly steep hill it just so happens to sit on. If this is divine punishment for some grave crime I unknowingly committed, please tell me what it was, as I would like to know how else I could make amends for it. I'd rather not be like Sisyphus, doomed to repeat this absurd task for all eternity.
Of course, I suppose a major difference between his situation and my own is that instead of having to push a boulder to the top of this hill, only to lose my grip at the end, I have to put up with the insane ramblings of a girl who's in love with her own voice.
"Hey Kyon!"
Meet Taniguchi. A fairly average-looking girl, whose only unusual trait is a rather unusual opinion of what "love" is. Truthfully, she isn't really that important, so just her last name should suffice.
"You seem rather full of energy today, at least compared to your usual morning self."
And just what is that supposed to mean?
"Well, usually you act like a total zombie until about lunch period. You're wide awake today, what's up?"
That would be due to Shamisen waking me up earlier than what I'm used to. Also, thanks for the zombie remark. I really appreciate that.
"Shamisen? Like the musical instrument?"
That's the name of the cat who decided to follow me home over the weekend. I figured it'd keep my brother occupied, so I decided to keep it.
That's not entirely a lie, for the record. I did consider that little benefit when I brought the cat home.
"Oh really?"
Taniguchi placed her hand on my shoulder, and smiled as she shook her head.
"Enjoy being treated as a slave for the rest of its life. Just know I'm rooting for you."
With that final remark, she let out a laugh. I'd be lying if I said this didn't happen regularly.
Now, I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this already, but the seat right behind me in class is occupied by a certain individual. While I normally try to ignore this person as best as possible, I couldn't help but notice there was something different about him today. He seemed, I don't know, happy? Somehow, I managed to control my urge to find out why, as I wasn't really sure I wanted to know the reason for it.
Of course, there was something, call it a hunch or intuition or whatever, but something inside me was telling me that I was connected to all this. Or maybe it was just the fact that it felt like he was staring at me throughout class. Yeah, that's probably what did it. Needless to say, I obviously had problems concentrating on anything other than being stared at, right up until the point where he had left the room at the end of the fourth period, muttering something to himself I tried not to hear.
"Hey Kyon."
As you can probably guess, that was Taniguchi. During the lunch break, she and a mutual friend of ours tend to sit with me. Now, I wouldn't mind sitting alone, but I'd rather not be known as the creepy loner girl or whatever.
"Is something going on between you and Suzumiya?"
Absolutely not.
"Really? He seemed quite interested in you this morning."
Good-bye appetite. Looks like I won't be needing you today.
"You don't think he's got a crush on Kyon, do you?"
"Well, he does have a history of going out with random girls, and she's about as random as you can get."
Hello? Right here, you know.
Part of me wishes that Haruki were here, as well. Given the fact that the two of them went to the same middle school, I doubt Taniguchi would openly talk about him if he were around. It's not like he'd even care if we were talking about him, though. He really doesn't seem to be the kind of person who'd be bothered by what others think.
"Listen, even if you aren't involved with him, be careful. Not sure if I've mentioned this or not, but he used to do a lot of crazy stuff in middle school."
"You mean like the moved desks and talismans? Or the weird markings on the field? It's kinda hard to believe all that was done by only one person."
"Believe it! While there's no hard evidence he was behind the first two, he totally admitted to the field markings. He may have mellowed out a bit since the start of the school year, but I could see him going right back to that sort of thing if he were riled up again."
And you think I'm the one who'd do that? Is that what you're trying to say?
"..."
Taniguchi was frozen in place, with her face turning a pale white. However, unlike my previous encounters with frozen people, this wasn't caused by some supernatural force or mystical powers at work. No, this instance was caused...
"Hey, Ponytail."
... by the unexpected return of one Haruki Suzumiya. I have a name, you know.
"Ponytail's fine. Don't remember your name, anyway."
"What do you want with Kyon?"
"Nothing much, just want to talk with her in private is all. Come on, Kyon."
I think I preferred Ponytail. At the very least, you didn't have to emphasize the nickname. Anyway, I'm still eating, so just say what you want now.
"That wasn't a request. Come with me."
I really didn't want to get mixed up with him any more than I already have. So, with the clearest voice I could muster, I gave him the following reply:
If privacy is that important, you can either wait until I'm finished or make me come with you.
"... Is that so?"
Wait a minute... did I just...
Haruki calmly walked around to the side of my desk, and began to lean over me. At this point, it became quite obvious that my life as I knew it for the last fifteen years was about to end.
Okay, so I'll admit that's stretching things a bit. Still, it was rather obvious to myself, and presumably anyone watching this scene, that I had just said something I shouldn't have.
"Well, if that's what you want..."
H-hey! Wait a minu-
Without even giving me a chance to finish, Haruki promptly lifted me out of my seat, put me over his shoulder like I were some sack of potatoes, and ran out of the room. My vigorous protests had no effect on him at all, meaning I was utterly powerless to prevent myself from being abducted. Also of note is that no one even tried to help, though I'm sure they just couldn't think of anything they could do. Yeah, that's it.
A short while later, I found myself in some stairway that looked like it was used more as a storage space for artists than an actual stairway. I was on solid ground again, with my abductor having his hands on my shoulders, a grin reminiscent of a certain striped cat on his face, and a fire in his eyes with an intensity of a white-hot star. Unfortunately for me, I was the target of said intensity.
"And here we are."
That's all you have to say?! Aren't you even going to apologize for kidnapping me?
Haruki looked confused for a moment, before returning to his earlier, rather overwhelming expression.
"I didn't kidnap you, I made you come with me. Besides, the important thing is that you're here now."
... I don't even know where to begin complaining about that response...
"Anyway, there's something important we need to talk about."
I'm going to regret asking this, but what's that?
Haruki leaned in closer, as though he were going to whisper something. I tried to take a step backwards, but it didn't seem to stop him. Can't this guy take a hint?
"It's something I think only we should know."
Excuse me?
"Though you've probably figured it out already, I've been looking for someone special for a while now..."
... I'm sorry, could you repeat that?
On second thought, never mind. I think I'm just going to back away now. Or not, because Haruki's just moving with me. Great.
"... and I never could decide what I'd do if I ever found someone special."
... Why am I still moving back? All that's left is...
"I think I've figured it out, though."
... the wall. Ouch.
"If there's something I really want, I should just take it."
Why me? Why are you telling me this?
"Don't worry, I just need to ask you one question. I might let you go after that."
Might let me go?! Do you have any idea how you sound right now?
Haruki moved his hands down and grabbed onto my arms, probably to prevent me from running away. Not like it made much of a difference, as I was pretty much frozen in place already. Wait, wasn't he supposed to be normal? Why does it feel like he's the one causing it?!
"So..."
Can't escape...
"... What's Shamisen up to?"
Let's all go to the lobby and get ourselves a treat. Or something to that effect.
Spoiler for B-Part:
......
Wait, what?
"What's Shamisen up to? Don't tell me you can't answer that much."
Wait, you mean you kidnapped me, scared me half to death, practically pushed me into a wall, that last one really hurting, for the record... all over that stupid cat you gave me?!
"Well yeah. What did you think I was going to do?"
Haruki seemed genuinely confused. Doesn't he even realize the effect his actions have?
"More importantly, what happened yesterday really happened, didn't it?"
What are you talking about? And why are you changing the subject?!
"Come on, admit it! You blew your cover when you said I gave you Shamisen. And if that's true, then that means that the guy with the goofy mask was really there, too, right?"
I'm probably not going to like the answer, but what else do you remember?
"You can use magic and like dressing up as a bunny?"
Somehow, my hand had found its way to my forehead. Guess I can move again, at least. I'm going to have to have a word with Shamisen later. I'm sure that cat would love to know Haruki knows everything. I would've liked to get that warning, as well.
It's not that I like dressing like that, it's a work thing. I really didn't even want to get a part-time job in the first place, but as I'm not in a club or anything, I was told I had to get one. Something about not just lazing around all day. I didn't know about the uniform until after agreeing to it, and by that point, it was too late to turn them down.
After that explanation, Haruki let go of me and began looking like he was plotting something. I was going to run away, but he probably wouldn't have let me if I tried. Instead, I began readjusting my uniform, which was a bit of a mess thanks to my earlier struggling.
"After school. Don't even think of going home early."
And with that, he ran off. Wish I could have some of that energy of his.
After wandering around the school for who knows how long, I was greeted by the sight of Taniguchi stuffing her face with my lunch upon my return to the classroom. No, I didn't want to finish that, thanks for asking.
"Back already?"
Already? Just what... never mind.
"Did he ask you out or something?"
"He would've done that here. Probably wanted to talk about something strange and thought she was weird enough to talk to."
I'm perfectly normal, thank you.
I can't say Taniguchi was wrong, though. Nothing about my conversation with Haruki was normal, and it's rather obvious he doesn't think I'm normal, either.
"Is that so? Then why would Haruki Suzumiya, of all people, actually want to start a conversation with you? You remember his introduction, right? He wants nothing to do with ordinary people. That alone makes you weird."
There's a problem with that logic, but I wasn't about to get into it. Not like I really could, seeing as the conversation was cut short by our class representative asking me to try and avoid any repeats of what had happened, followed by the end of the lunch break. I'm not the one you need to be telling that, you know.
After school...
"This way!"
H-hey! Put me down!
"No time, this is faster!"
... Haruki decided to 'invite' me along with him to wherever he wanted to go. So I found myself once again being carried over his shoulders. This time wasn't to a stairway, but to a completely different building. You do realize there's a much better way to get people to go with you, right?
"And here we are. Not bad at all."
Not bad?! You just kidnapped me! Again! Where'd you bring me this time?
"This is called the old building. You said that the only reason you got that job was because you had nothing to do, so I figured I'd help you out. I'm a pretty nice guy, huh?"
If you're so nice, then put me down. How does this help me, anyway?
"I'm glad you asked!"
Haruki shouted like some sleazy salesman trying to peddle off a product no one wants as he returned me to my feet.
"Right here we have a golden opportunity. You need to find an after-school activity that doesn't require rabbit ears..."
Thanks.
"... and this club has only one member. I know because I comb every centimeter of this school during breaks and after school, and only one person ever goes in or comes out of this room."
Well that explains one thing, at least. I looked up and noticed a sign that said "Literary Club." Guess this school is short on bookworms.
"If no one else joins, this club will be shut down by the end of spring. To summarize, you need a place to go, this club needs members. IT'S PERFECT!"
Okay, random English at the end aside, I'll admit that does seem like a good plan, but there's one small problem with it.
"Oh really? What could possibly be wrong?"
Even if the club is currently in danger of being shut down, why would the president of a literary club let me join if I don't really read all that much? I doubt I'd be able to get away with just sitting around drinking tea all afternoon. Besides, it's not like I could just quit my job, just because I happen to have joined a school club.
"Details, details."
And with that, Haruki simply opened the door. He didn't even bother knocking.
The inside of the room was pretty much what you'd expect from one belonging to a literary club with only one member. A couple bookshelves and a cabinet of some sort were set against the walls, a table was set up in the middle of the floor and some metal folding chairs were stacked on top of it. It had probably been a while since they had been used.
"Hello! Is anyone home?"
Haruki proceeded to make his way into the room.
"Huh, that's weird. I figured someone would be here. Don't tell me it got shut down already."
Rudeness aside, Haruki was right. Aside from the furnishings and the two of us, the room was pretty much empty. Did we come at a bad time?
"No sense giving up now, right? He'll show up eventually."
He then grabbed one of the chairs, unfolded it, placed it firmly on the floor with the back against the table and sat down, arms crossed and resting on its back.
"Go on, have a seat."
I'm not sure if that'd be okay.
"It's not like we're just randomly barging in. We are wanting to join, after all."
You mean you're joining, too? You don't exactly come off as someone who'd want to read books all day.
"It's for your sake. Having three members would mean it'd be less likely the club would be shut down. Besides, I can't just leave you in the hands of some stranger. Who knows what kind of weird people this school has."
I somehow managed to fight off the urge to point out that no one in this school could possibly be stranger than Haruki. I did, however, talk him into at least letting me ask to join.
As we were waiting a while, I decided to browse the bookshelves for something to read. Everything on the shelves seemed to be a thick science-fiction novel, along with a handful of books written in some foreign language I couldn't recognize. Before I could find anything, however, I was interrupted by a voice coming from the entrance.
"... Can I help you?"
At the door was another male student, who had entered so quietly that I probably wouldn't have even realized it had he not said anything. He seemed smaller than Haruki, his short hair was a bit of a mess, and his eyes were partly hidden behind a pair of glasses. In addition, he seemed to have a book in his hand about as thick as the ones on the shelves next to me. In other words, much like the room itself, he was pretty much exactly what you'd expect from a literary club.
Upon hearing that request, Haruki immediately shot up from his position, eyes beaming and the return of his catlike grin.
"Hello there! We're-"
I'm asking, remember?
"Oh, right..."
Haruki sat back down, sulking. If he were a "Haruko," that look would probably look cute, but an ogre of a high school male with that expression just looks silly.
"......"
Sorry about letting ourselves in. I know it's a bit late into the year for this, but we were wondering if it would be okay if we joined the literary club. Are you the one we should be talking to?
"Yes... Do you like to read?"
When I was younger, but I haven't had much free time since entering high school. I'm not sure about Haruki. I think he's mainly here because he's the one who... encouraged me to join.
"I see..."
The literary club member, or rather president, had a look in his eyes like he was deeply upset. Did I say something wrong?
"If you want, you can join...."
"And there we go. That wasn't so bad, was it?"
Well, I guess you're right. Still, I'm not sure if...
"Yuuki Nagato...."
Was that an introduction? I suppose I did forget that part.
"I'm Haruki Suzumiya, and the girl with the ponytail you've been talking with is Kyon."
Do you really have to introduce me with a nickname you just heard today? Seriously, is it so hard to ask you to just say my name?
"Kyon's fine."
Anyway, after filling out the necessary paperwork to officially join and then spending a good portion of the remaining afternoon trying to find something to read, we eventually called it a day. Nagato-san told us not to wait for him, as he still had to lock up, so we took him up on the offer. Unsurprisingly, Haruki decided he wanted to follow me home. Not wanting to let him know where I live, I went out of my way to take a longer path. It's going to be fun explaining why I'm so late.
Of course, due to his persistence and the fact that apparently he's in a lot better shape than I am, he was able to keep up. Trying to take a difficult path also did little to deter Haruki's pursuit. I guess Shamisen was right about him being hard to escape.
After an extended game of cat and mouse... Haruki finally caught me.
"You're almost as bad as the cat, you know that?"
Why do you keep following me? Should I add stalking to my kidnapping complaints?
"Stalking? There's still things I want to talk about, that's all. I also want to see the look on the furball's face when it finds out I still know everything. Bet Shamisen'll be surprised, right?"
Obviously. Even I can't figure that one out. Still, I don't recall saying you could follow me home. That's something you really should be asking permission for instead of just doing it.
"This way's faster. Besides, I'm sure if I follow you long enough, something cool will happen."
Haruki, just what are the odds of tha-
Before I could even finish, and I really can't believe I'm saying this, a loud noise and a bright light emerged a good distance ahead of us. Naturally, Haruki insisted on checking it out, dragging me along for the ride.
"This seems to be the right place. Energy fluctuations are rapidly increasing, and the..."
"Are you an alien? Or maybe from the future?! This is awesome! BEST WEEK EVER!"
"E.. eeeh?!"
{cue outro music... which is also incredibly cheesy}
Well, it seems the roller coaster that is my life is still on a downward spiral. I suppose I shouldn't really be surprised, given that Haruki is at the center of it all, and knows everything about it. If anyone out there wants to trade places with me, please let me know. I don't know if I can take this much longer. As if the talking cats and magic powers weren't enough, now we have some mysterious stranger showing up out of thin air? I suppose I can't complain too much, seeing as Yuuki Nagato seems fairly normal. He's also provided me with a place to stay after school. I just hope he doesn't get wrapped up in this, as well. If it were at all possible, I think I'd like to just sit in the literary club's room reading books for the next three years, but I don't think that's going to happen.
*e* Sorry, I had realized there was a minor error on my part that rendered something rather nonsensical. I'll try to avoid that problem in the future.
__________________
WARNING: Kogetsu Shirogane cannot be held accountable for any actions taken by someone else. Potential side effects of communicating with this user include headaches, mild confusion, insanity, delirium, and jumping into fires. Do not expose this user to sunlight or water or feed this user after midnight.
... so you think you're a king now...
Last edited by Kogetsu Shirogane; 2012-02-12 at 17:51.
Length of time to complete Episode 01: Three years
Length of time to complete Episode 02: Five months
Is this progress?
I may as well link to the first episode, even though it's only two pages back. It's been almost half a year, so I suppose it would be proper etiquette.
Spoiler for Kyon-chan no Bouken! Episode 02:
Spoiler for A-Part:
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be around magical beings with extraordinary powers? Or maybe even find out one day that you have supernatural abilities yourself? Okay, so those questions don't even need to be asked. I'm sure most people would jump at the opportunity to have special powers if it ever presented itself.
So why is it, when I found out I was in a situation where I had that kind of life, I found myself trying to avoid that fact? Shouldn't I have been excited that I was living the dream several girls around the country surely have?
Sigh... let's just get on with this already...
{cue cheesy intro music}
THE ADVENTURES OF KYON-CHAN!! Episode 02!! School Days and a Fateful Encounter?!
Normally, my little brother would wake me up by barging into my room and forcing me out of bed by any means necessary. Even locking the door doesn't stop him. This day, however, a different little pest was the one to force me out of my pleasant slumber.
"Wake up. You wanted to talk, so let's talk."
... Five more minutes...
"This is the sixth time you've said that. Wake up."
And with that, Shamisen decided to motivate me out of bed by chewing on my hair until I got up. Cat, wake me up like that again and you'll be a different kind of 'shamisen.'
"I was going to answer those questions from yesterday, but if you're going to be unreasonable, I guess you don't really want to know."
Okay, okay. I'm sorry.
"That's better."
So, why am I talking to a cat?
Please don't laugh. I know that question sounds ridiculous.
"To put it simply, I need the assistance of someone capable of using magic. You seemed to be far more suitable than my previous partner, so I followed you."
That's why? Oh, that makes perfect sense. Obviously a girl who had no idea magic really existed is far more skilled than a guy who can disappear at will and throw big black balls of energy.
Shamisen looked at me almost as if I were refusing to dangle a piece of string as a toy, then simply sat down next to me.
"Whether you believe it or not, that is the case. Judging from that demonstration yesterday, your powers exceed his."
Let's just say you're telling the truth for now, what do you want me to do, exactly? If you can tell me that, I'll listen to anything else you have to say.
"Well it's quite simple. really. All you have to do is--"
"Kyon, who are you talking to?"
Quiet, cat! If my brother finds out you can talk, he'll never leave either of us alone.
And with that, Shamisen went back to acting like a normal cat... just as my 'precious' little brother barged in.
"Kyoo~ Huh? You're alone?"
Of course I am. Well, I suppose Shamisen's here as well.
"But I thought I heard voices... Oh well!"
After that upbeat response, my little brother grabbed Shamisen like an owl would grab a small rodent, and cheerfully ran out of my room while singing a song he probably made up two seconds ago. I almost felt sorry for the cat staring back at me with a 'please help me' look. The rest of this part of the day was fairly normal, save for the torment I normally deal with being directed toward Shamisen instead, so I really see no reason to talk about it.
My trips to school are punctuated by a hike up the annoyingly steep hill it just so happens to sit on. If this is divine punishment for some grave crime I unknowingly committed, please tell me what it was, as I would like to know how else I could make amends for it. I'd rather not be like Sisyphus, doomed to repeat this absurd task for all eternity.
Of course, I suppose a major difference between his situation and my own is that instead of having to push a boulder to the top of this hill, only to lose my grip at the end, I have to put up with the insane ramblings of a girl who's in love with her own voice.
"Hey Kyon!"
Meet Taniguchi. A fairly average-looking girl, whose only unusual trait is a rather unusual opinion of what "love" is. Truthfully, she isn't really that important, so just her last name should suffice.
"You seem rather full of energy today, at least compared to your usual morning self."
And just what is that supposed to mean?
"Well, usually you act like a total zombie until about lunch period. You're wide awake today, what's up?"
That would be due to Shamisen waking me up earlier than what I'm used to. Also, thanks for the zombie remark. I really appreciate that.
"Shamisen? Like the musical instrument?"
That's the name of the cat who decided to follow me home over the weekend. I figured it'd keep my brother occupied, so I decided to keep it.
That's not entirely a lie, for the record. I did consider that little benefit when I brought the cat home.
"Oh really?"
Taniguchi placed her hand on my shoulder, and smiled as she shook her head.
"Enjoy being treated as a slave for the rest of its life. Just know I'm rooting for you."
With that final remark, she let out a laugh. I'd be lying if I said this didn't happen regularly.
Now, I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this already, but the seat right behind me in class is occupied by a certain individual. While I normally try to ignore this person as best as possible, I couldn't help but notice there was something different about him today. He seemed, I don't know, happy? Somehow, I managed to control my urge to find out why, as I wasn't really sure I wanted to know the reason for it.
Of course, there was something, call it a hunch or intuition or whatever, but something inside me was telling me that I was connected to all this. Or maybe it was just the fact that it felt like he was staring at me throughout class. Yeah, that's probably what did it. Needless to say, I obviously had problems concentrating on anything other than being stared at, right up until the point where he had left the room at the end of the fourth period, muttering something to himself I tried not to hear.
"Hey Kyon."
As you can probably guess, that was Taniguchi. During the lunch break, she and a mutual friend of ours tend to sit with me. Now, I wouldn't mind sitting alone, but I'd rather not be known as the creepy loner girl or whatever.
"Is something going on between you and Suzumiya?"
Absolutely not.
"Really? He seemed quite interested in you this morning."
Good-bye appetite. Looks like I won't be needing you today.
"You don't think he's got a crush on Kyon, do you?"
"Well, he does have a history of going out with random girls, and she's about as random as you can get."
Hello? Right here, you know.
Part of me wishes that Haruki were here, as well. Given the fact that the two of them went to the same middle school, I doubt Taniguchi would openly talk about him if he were around. It's not like he'd even care if we were talking about him, though. He really doesn't seem to be the kind of person who'd be bothered by what others think.
"Listen, even if you aren't involved with him, be careful. Not sure if I've mentioned this or not, but he used to do a lot of crazy stuff in middle school."
"You mean like the moved desks and talismans? Or the weird markings on the field? It's kinda hard to believe all that was done by only one person."
"Believe it! While there's no hard evidence he was behind the first two, he totally admitted to the field markings. He may have mellowed out a bit since the start of the school year, but I could see him going right back to that sort of thing if he were riled up again."
And you think I'm the one who'd do that? Is that what you're trying to say?
"..."
Taniguchi was frozen in place, with her face turning a pale white. However, unlike my previous encounters with frozen people, this wasn't caused by some supernatural force or mystical powers at work. No, this instance was caused...
"Hey, Ponytail."
... by the unexpected return of one Haruki Suzumiya. I have a name, you know.
"Ponytail's fine. Don't remember your name, anyway."
"What do you want with Kyon?"
"Nothing much, just want to talk with her in private is all. Come on, Kyon."
I think I preferred Ponytail. At the very least, you didn't have to emphasize the nickname. Anyway, I'm still eating, so just say what you want now.
"That wasn't a request. Come with me."
I really didn't want to get mixed up with him any more than I already have. So, with the clearest voice I could muster, I gave him the following reply:
If privacy is that important, you can either wait until I'm finished or make me come with you.
"... Is that so?"
Wait a minute... did I just...
Haruki calmly walked around to the side of my desk, and began to lean over me. At this point, it became quite obvious that my life as I knew it for the last fifteen years was about to end.
Okay, so I'll admit that's stretching things a bit. Still, it was rather obvious to myself, and presumably anyone watching this scene, that I had just said something I shouldn't have.
"Well, if that's what you want..."
H-hey! Wait a minu-
Without even giving me a chance to finish, Haruki promptly lifted me out of my seat, put me over his shoulder like I were some sack of potatoes, and ran out of the room. My vigorous protests had no effect on him at all, meaning I was utterly powerless to prevent myself from being abducted. Also of note is that no one even tried to help, though I'm sure they just couldn't think of anything they could do. Yeah, that's it.
A short while later, I found myself in some stairway that looked like it was used more as a storage space for artists than an actual stairway. I was on solid ground again, with my abductor having his hands on my shoulders, a grin reminiscent of a certain striped cat on his face, and a fire in his eyes with an intensity of a white-hot star. Unfortunately for me, I was the target of said intensity.
"And here we are."
That's all you have to say?! Aren't you even going to apologize for kidnapping me?
Haruki looked confused for a moment, before returning to his earlier, rather overwhelming expression.
"I didn't kidnap you, I made you come with me. Besides, the important thing is that you're here now."
... I don't even know where to begin complaining about that response...
"Anyway, there's something important we need to talk about."
I'm going to regret asking this, but what's that?
Haruki leaned in closer, as though he were going to whisper something. I tried to take a step backwards, but it didn't seem to stop him. Can't this guy take a hint?
"It's something I think only we should know."
Excuse me?
"Though you've probably figured it out already, I've been looking for someone special for a while now..."
... I'm sorry, could you repeat that?
On second thought, never mind. I think I'm just going to back away now. Or not, because Haruki's just moving with me. Great.
"... and I never could decide what I'd do if I ever found someone special."
... Why am I still moving back? All that's left is...
"I think I've figured it out, though."
... the wall. Ouch.
"If there's something I really want, I should just take it."
Why me? Why are you telling me this?
"Don't worry, I just need to ask you one question. I might let you go after that."
Might let me go?! Do you have any idea how you sound right now?
Haruki moved his hands down and grabbed onto my arms, probably to prevent me from running away. Not like it made much of a difference, as I was pretty much frozen in place already. Wait, wasn't he supposed to be normal? Why does it feel like he's the one causing it?!
"So..."
Can't escape...
"... What's Shamisen up to?"
Let's all go to the lobby and get ourselves a treat. Or something to that effect.
Spoiler for B-Part:
......
Wait, what?
"What's Shamisen up to? Don't tell me you can't answer that much."
Wait, you mean you kidnapped me, scared me half to death, practically pushed me into a wall, that last one really hurting, for the record... all over that stupid cat you gave me?!
"Well yeah. What did you think I was going to do?"
Haruki seemed genuinely confused. Doesn't he even realize the effect his actions have?
"More importantly, what happened yesterday really happened, didn't it?"
What are you talking about? And why are you changing the subject?!
"Come on, admit it! You blew your cover when you said I gave you Shamisen. And if that's true, then that means that the guy with the goofy mask was really there, too, right?"
I'm probably not going to like the answer, but what else do you remember?
"You can use magic and like dressing up as a bunny?"
Somehow, my hand had found its way to my forehead. Guess I can move again, at least. I'm going to have to have a word with Shamisen later. I'm sure that cat would love to know Haruki knows everything. I would've liked to get that warning, as well.
It's not that I like dressing like that, it's a work thing. I really didn't even want to get a part-time job in the first place, but as I'm not in a club or anything, I was told I had to get one. Something about not just lazing around all day. I didn't know about the uniform until after agreeing to it, and by that point, it was too late to turn them down.
After that explanation, Haruki let go of me and began looking like he was plotting something. I was going to run away, but he probably wouldn't have let me if I tried. Instead, I began readjusting my uniform, which was a bit of a mess thanks to my earlier struggling.
"After school. Don't even think of going home early."
And with that, he ran off. Wish I could have some of that energy of his.
After wandering around the school for who knows how long, I was greeted by the sight of Taniguchi stuffing her face with my lunch upon my return to the classroom. No, I didn't want to finish that, thanks for asking.
"Back already?"
Already? Just what... never mind.
"Did he ask you out or something?"
"He would've done that here. Probably wanted to talk about something strange and thought she was weird enough to talk to."
I'm perfectly normal, thank you.
I can't say Taniguchi was wrong, though. Nothing about my conversation with Haruki was normal, and it's rather obvious he doesn't think I'm normal, either.
"Is that so? Then why would Haruki Suzumiya, of all people, actually want to start a conversation with you? You remember his introduction, right? He wants nothing to do with ordinary people. That alone makes you weird."
There's a problem with that logic, but I wasn't about to get into it. Not like I really could, seeing as the conversation was cut short by our class representative asking me to try and avoid any repeats of what had happened, followed by the end of the lunch break. I'm not the one you need to be telling that, you know.
After school...
"This way!"
H-hey! Put me down!
"No time, this is faster!"
... Haruki decided to 'invite' me along with him to wherever he wanted to go. So I found myself once again being carried over his shoulders. This time wasn't to a stairway, but to a completely different building. You do realize there's a much better way to get people to go with you, right?
"And here we are. Not bad at all."
Not bad?! You just kidnapped me! Again! Where'd you bring me this time?
"This is called the old building. You said that the only reason you got that job was because you had nothing to do, so I figured I'd help you out. I'm a pretty nice guy, huh?"
If you're so nice, then put me down. How does this help me, anyway?
"I'm glad you asked!"
Haruki shouted like some sleazy salesman trying to peddle off a product no one wants as he returned me to my feet.
"Right here we have a golden opportunity. You need to find an after-school activity that doesn't require rabbit ears..."
Thanks.
"... and this club has only one member. I know because I comb every centimeter of this school during breaks and after school, and only one person ever goes in or comes out of this room."
Well that explains one thing, at least. I looked up and noticed a sign that said "Literary Club." Guess this school is short on bookworms.
"If no one else joins, this club will be shut down by the end of spring. To summarize, you need a place to go, this club needs members. IT'S PERFECT!"
Okay, random English at the end aside, I'll admit that does seem like a good plan, but there's one small problem with it.
"Oh really? What could possibly be wrong?"
Even if the club is currently in danger of being shut down, why would the president of a literary club let me join if I don't really read all that much? I doubt I'd be able to get away with just sitting around drinking tea all afternoon. Besides, it's not like I could just quit my job, just because I happen to have joined a school club.
"Details, details."
And with that, Haruki simply opened the door. He didn't even bother knocking.
The inside of the room was pretty much what you'd expect from one belonging to a literary club with only one member. A couple bookshelves and a cabinet of some sort were set against the walls, a table was set up in the middle of the floor and some metal folding chairs were stacked on top of it. It had probably been a while since they had been used.
"Hello! Is anyone home?"
Haruki proceeded to make his way into the room.
"Huh, that's weird. I figured someone would be here. Don't tell me it got shut down already."
Rudeness aside, Haruki was right. Aside from the furnishings and the two of us, the room was pretty much empty. Did we come at a bad time?
"No sense giving up now, right? He'll show up eventually."
He then grabbed one of the chairs, unfolded it, placed it firmly on the floor with the back against the table and sat down, arms crossed and resting on its back.
"Go on, have a seat."
I'm not sure if that'd be okay.
"It's not like we're just randomly barging in. We are wanting to join, after all."
You mean you're joining, too? You don't exactly come off as someone who'd want to read books all day.
"It's for your sake. Having three members would mean it'd be less likely the club would be shut down. Besides, I can't just leave you in the hands of some stranger. Who knows what kind of weird people this school has."
I somehow managed to fight off the urge to point out that no one in this school could possibly be stranger than Haruki. I did, however, talk him into at least letting me ask to join.
As we were waiting a while, I decided to browse the bookshelves for something to read. Everything on the shelves seemed to be a thick science-fiction novel, along with a handful of books written in some foreign language I couldn't recognize. Before I could find anything, however, I was interrupted by a voice coming from the entrance.
"... Can I help you?"
At the door was another male student, who had entered so quietly that I probably wouldn't have even realized it had he not said anything. He seemed smaller than Haruki, his short hair was a bit of a mess, and his eyes were partly hidden behind a pair of glasses. In addition, he seemed to have a book in his hand about as thick as the ones on the shelves next to me. In other words, much like the room itself, he was pretty much exactly what you'd expect from a literary club.
Upon hearing that request, Haruki immediately shot up from his position, eyes beaming and the return of his catlike grin.
"Hello there! We're-"
I'm asking, remember?
"Oh, right..."
Haruki sat back down, sulking. If he were a "Haruko," that look would probably look cute, but an ogre of a high school male with that expression just looks silly.
"......"
Sorry about letting ourselves in. I know it's a bit late into the year for this, but we were wondering if it would be okay if we joined the literary club. Are you the one we should be talking to?
"Yes... Do you like to read?"
When I was younger, but I haven't had much free time since entering high school. I'm not sure about Haruki. I think he's mainly here because he's the one who... encouraged me to join.
"I see..."
The literary club member, or rather president, had a look in his eyes like he was deeply upset. Did I say something wrong?
"If you want, you can join...."
"And there we go. That wasn't so bad, was it?"
Well, I guess you're right. Still, I'm not sure if...
"Yuuki Nagato...."
Was that an introduction? I suppose I did forget that part.
"I'm Haruki Suzumiya, and the girl with the ponytail you've been talking with is Kyon."
Do you really have to introduce me with a nickname you just heard today? Seriously, is it so hard to ask you to just say my name?
"Kyon's fine."
Anyway, after filling out the necessary paperwork to officially join and then spending a good portion of the remaining afternoon trying to find something to read, we eventually called it a day. Nagato-san told us not to wait for him, as he still had to lock up, so we took him up on the offer. Unsurprisingly, Haruki decided he wanted to follow me home. Not wanting to let him know where I live, I went out of my way to take a longer path. It's going to be fun explaining why I'm so late.
Of course, due to his persistence and the fact that apparently he's in a lot better shape than I am, he was able to keep up. Trying to take a difficult path also did little to deter Haruki's pursuit. I guess Shamisen was right about him being hard to escape.
After an extended game of cat and mouse... Haruki finally caught me.
"You're almost as bad as the cat, you know that?"
Why do you keep following me? Should I add stalking to my kidnapping complaints?
"Stalking? There's still things I want to talk about, that's all. I also want to see the look on the furball's face when it finds out I still know everything. Bet Shamisen'll be surprised, right?"
Obviously. Even I can't figure that one out. Still, I don't recall saying you could follow me home. That's something you really should be asking permission for instead of just doing it.
"This way's faster. Besides, I'm sure if I follow you long enough, something cool will happen."
Haruki, just what are the odds of tha-
Before I could even finish, and I really can't believe I'm saying this, a loud noise and a bright light emerged a good distance ahead of us. Naturally, Haruki insisted on checking it out, dragging me along for the ride.
"This seems to be the right place. Energy fluctuations are increasingly high, and the..."
"Are you an alien? Or maybe from the future?! This is awesome! BEST WEEK EVER!"
"E.. eeeh?!"
{cue outro music... which is also incredibly cheesy}
Well, it seems the roller coaster that is my life is still on a downward spiral. I suppose I shouldn't really be surprised, given that Haruki is at the center of it all, and knows everything about it. If anyone out there wants to trade places with me, please let me know. I don't know if I can take this much longer. As if the talking cats and magic powers weren't enough, now we have some mysterious stranger showing up out of thin air? I suppose I can't complain too much, seeing as Yuuki Nagato seems fairly normal. He's also provided me with a place to stay after school. I just hope he doesn't get wrapped up in this, as well. If it were at all possible, I think I'd like to just sit in the literary club's room reading books for the next three years, but I don't think that's going to happen.
Hooray! ^^ More fanfiction! I have a pretty strong suspicion of who just showed up. It's not too hard to deduce.
Ah that made more sense. I was thinking along the lines of erm.. doing it manually since the script and the flow are all there >_> Something like those old paper rpgs
2011-08-03, 14:47
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