Shouldn't it be something more like this?(I'm not sure if I put this up b4... thread is large...*large is a understatement*
Or find ze Kanji for Genderbending.
Edit" gotta cut down on that black outlines a bit...
That picture implies having both genders at the same time! Not that it's a bad thing... maybe...
@Kaisos Erranon: by paying for the chicken filling so that Kyon can actually fit in that getup XD
(and Kyon should be dressed as Simon really)
__________________
It would be enough for the depressing things in life to only exist in reality.
It is because that I think the birth of a story... is from people dreaming of a happy ending. ~Misaka Shiori
That picture implies having both genders at the same time! Not that it's a bad thing... maybe...
@Kaisos Erranon: by paying for the chicken filling so that Kyon can actually fit in that getup XD
(and Kyon should be dressed as Simon really)
>_< I realized that right now...... so it's a symbol for 'it' or a God.
Still not sure where this goes, since people seem to have dropped B-T, and besides I'm still waiting on some sort of administrator let-in...so I'll be safe and put it here.
I'll be honest. Most of this is just pure cut/paste with changed pronouns, since for this series of scenes, practically everything is gender interchangeable. (sidenote: who knew Itsuki was good at soccer?)
Spoiler for Dang this is long-Wandering Shadow pt. 1:
The volleyball went down hard on the floor, making a surprisingly melodic 'Thud~' before it bounced back up. A loud round of cheers then rang throughout the gym and, as if mimicking the volleyball, bounced off the walls and ceilings and gathered around me.
I was wearing slightly dirty gym clothes, sitting with my hands behind my back and my legs crossed. I should really wash these, but I guess it doesn’t matter. Who would look anyway? Though I’m sure Taniguchi and Koizumi kept theirs perpetually spotless.
If you were to ask me why I was in such a relaxed pose, the answer is simple. I was merely a spectator, watching the volleyball match before me. And why was I doing this, you ask? Also simple, it's because I had nothing better to do. Since the school does not permit students leaving with an 'I have nothing better to do' excuse, my only option had been to head down here and watch other students play volleyball.
I was sitting in a walkway, complete with handrails, instead of the bleachers, secretly suspecting that it was built for people like me who didn't want to be in the middle of such an atmosphere. I wasn't the only one who had dragged herself all the way to this walkway to get away from the crowd though. It seems that there were other people besides me with too much time on their hands.
Sitting beside me is my friend, Taniguchi.
"How athletic these guys are! What a sight!"
From the tone of her voice, it seemed that she was in awe. She was carrying this stupid-looking, slack-jawed expression. I glanced over. As expected, her clothes were spotless, even her shoes. How annoying!
"Yeah."
I uttered this half-hearted response while continuing to watch the ball fly around the court. The opponent began his serve, and the ball traveled in an arc, before being projected upwards by the other side's setter.
From behind the 3-meter line, a boy clad in gym clothes ran forward, then leapt high into the air. At the apex of his jump, the hitter raised his right arm, and viciously spiked the ball downwards. The angle was perfect, as the ball flew steeply down and landed in the corner of the opponents' court. A member from the volleyball club, who was acting as a stand-in referee, blew her whistle. A perfect back attack indeed.
Once again, cheers rang throughout the gym.
What a powerful spike. That guy must have been really bored up till now.
"Hey, Kyon-ko, let's make a bet, which side do you think will win?"
Why even make such a suggestion? It would usually be a good idea, but today, the odds are just too highly stacked against the opposition.
Before Taniguchi could say anything further, I said:
"Class 1-5 will win. I'm sure of it."
Upon hearing this, Taniguchi immediately shut her mouth, frowning.
"Isn't that obvious? He's in our class, you know."
After returning to earth, the aforementioned hitter turned around, revealing a bright smile full of self-confidence. He wasn't looking at me though, and even if he had been, his smile was different from the one he usually revealed in the club room. This seemed like more of a, "that was easy, too easy!" kind of smile that he was showing his teammates, who had come running over to congratulate him.
Our class had already reached 15 points. It was a landslide victory.
Just like we predicted, Class 1-5's Boys Team (A) had managed to sweep through the opposition, and their major scorer, their trump card, was currently buried among his teammates, gently beating his fists upon their open palms and taking their slaps on the back
As he left the court, he suddenly caught sight of the three of us squeezed inside the corridor by the wall. His footsteps slowed down, as his gaze traveled towards me. I instantly shifted my gaze elsewhere.
He was a super utility player, one who managed to do anything perfectly. Once he tasted victory, he would only long for more, and that included scoring all the points in this current match.
Ah, there's no need to try to sound mysterious anymore. This boy, who was currently sitting on the substitute bench drinking the beverages the team had brought, was, without a doubt, Suzumiya Haruki.
It was now March, and the end of term exams had just ended. Many schools were already making holiday preparations, and that of course included North High. Now normally this would be the time to quietly wait for the school holidays, but apparently someone had suggested "Don't we have better things to do instead of waiting for time to pass?" As a result, various intramural sports had been planned, and incorporated into the school's holiday preparations.
Maybe it was done out of the school's concern for letting students have a break after the end of term exams, but if you ask me, I'd pick longer holidays over intramural sports activities anytime.
In case you're wondering, this year's intramural sports event was soccer for the girls and volleyball for the boys. I was originally in my class's Girls Team (B), but we had been eliminated by Class 1-9 in one of the knockout rounds. I had found myself disliking them even more now, and having Koizumi in that class doesn't help either. Class 1-9 was a class for those interested in the Science and Mathematics Field, so it was naturally comprised of sharp-witted know-it-alls who did nothing but study. It would be downright humiliating to lose to them in soccer, all right.
Which is why Taniguchi and I, as well the rest of Class 1-5's female population were feeling so bad right now.
Having nothing better to do, all of us came down to the gym to support the Boys Team instead.
"Suzumiya's really something, isn't he?"
The soft-spoken Kunikida, who was also sitting beside me, said. Thanks to Haruki's hyper-activeness, Boys Team (A) had managed to advance up the ladder and into their 3rd match, while the Girls Team was scrapped and turned into spectators in their second match.
"Why isn't he in some sports club? Not everyone has such talent like him."
I agree completely with her. If Haruki had joined the athletics (track and field) club, he would have been able to compete in the nationals right now. The same goes with any kind of sport. He would probably be one of the top athletes after rigorous training. After all, I haven't seen anyone who likes the words "First Place" and "Victory" as much as him.
As I continued to watch another match that was taking place beside the first court, I gave Kunikida my reply.
"That boy has much more important things to do than wasting his youth on things like sports."
Suddenly, I wondered if by any chance Asahina or Nagato would be in the gym cheering him along too. Unfortunately, they were nowhere to be seen.
"The SOS Brigade, eh."
Kunikida said through one of hier smiles.
"Yea, that seems just like Suzumiya. He's never wanted to be an ordinary student ever since he began high school. It's fitting that he'd want to play some weird games with someone like you, Kyon-ko."
I didn't even have the strength to reply.
No matter how you viewed it, my first year was fast drawing to an end. Since there would be no activities after the intramural sports, class time had been shortened. After that would be spring holiday, and when the cherry-blossoms start to bloom, I would be in my second year already. One thing many worried about was which class would they be sorted into, because it could very well determine how well their future school days would go. I had no bad feelings towards Kunikida or that idiot Taniguchi, so even if I had to be in the same class as them for another year, I definitely wouldn't mind.
As I was deep in my thoughts, Kunikida suddenly arched forward, drawing my attention.
"The next match is about to start, I think."
As I peered downward, I saw Haruki walking forward like the Team Captain, with his other teammates surrounding him.
Spring would arrive soon, but since this school was situated on top of a mountain, it was still quite cold. Or maybe that was just me, due to receiving my end of term exam results just days ago.
I was pretty pleased myself with those results, but unfortunately it seemed that my dad wasn't. He made that quite clear to me. Then she started bringing home various flyers about tuition centers and cram schools. I get it, okay? Just the sight of them had made me feel weak in the stomach. He had suggested I enter a university, be it a local one or a private one. Okabe-sensei had written the same things on my report card. But give me a break man, it's just too demanding.
Haruki had spoken to me about the same issue as well. Come to think of it, the only reason my marks weren't hovering dangerously above the dreaded "Pass" line was all thanks to Haruki. He had specifically become my private tutor, giving me some last-minute "Studying tips" in the club room after school. A few days before the exams, he had slammed an entire stack of reference books and self-made notes on my desk and said:
"I won't let you fail and sit for miserable tuition classes and re-examinations during the holidays! I won't let something so trivial come between you and the SOS Brigade's activities!"
Once he started rambling about Brigade Activities, that guy would hear nothing from anyone else. I had originally wanted to ask him what was my hourly pay for contributing to Brigade Activities, but held back after rationalizing that everything in the little purse I carried might be confiscated at the mention of that sentence.
Compared to spending the last few days of school being cooped up in a packed class room being forced by teachers to study, I'd rather sit in the club room and enjoy Asahina tea while playing board games with Koizumi. That was the sole reason why I had asked Haruki, who had an armband bearing the words "Supreme Instructor" now, to help me with my homework.
Haruki's method of study was simple, and that was via intuition. She would memorize any questions or topics she deemed important, and likely to appear on the sheet of my question papers. I had a feeling that Haruki's intuition would be very accurate, so I listened carefully to her while nodding my head, Of course, if I were to ask Nagato, he would probably recite out the entire question paper for me, complete with the model answers. If I were to ask Koizumi instead, she might use some weird powers to magically whisk the question papers over from the staff room to the club room. Since I possessed no form of ESP, the only thing I could do was study hard.
It would have been better if I could just sit back and do nothing but watch a happy Haruki, who had specially prepared a teacher's cane and a pair of spectacles to look more like a "Supreme Instructor", waltz around the club room, but I knew that it was impossible. It was for my own good, after all.
I was pretty sure Haruki wanted to sit behind me again during the next semester, and every so often poke my back with his mechanical pencil-or grab my ponytail, the bastard- and say, "Hey, Kyon-ko, why don't we..." before proceeding to spout out some nonsensical idea that gave no consideration whatsoever to how others or I felt. In order to accomplish that, he had to be in the same class as me next semester, and that would mean having me pass the exams and not get retained for another year. Hence it was only natural that he monitored my grades. Why would he go all the way to do that, you ask? Well that's because he's the multi-talented, SOS Brigade commander after all. It's just like how a commanding officer cannot win a war without soldiers, and how soldiers would be disorganized on the battlefield without a reigning commander. Haruki would be the commanding officer in question here, giving out various orders, while I would be his loyal, rather unorthodox soldier, faithfully executing each and every one of them.
That's basically how things went last semester, and I strongly believe that next semester will be the same too. I have a hunch that's also what Haruki has in mind, and in order to accomplish his goal, he would use any methods, including those out of the bounds of logic. Heck, I might even have to spend my entire life repeating my first year, Groundhog Day style.
I really hoped that nothing like what happened last August would happen again. I'm pretty sure Haruki doesn't either. At least, that is what I believe.
Why? Do you even need to ask? It's because the creation of the SOS Brigade has given Haruki many happy and memorable moments, and he wouldn't want those happy memories to go to waste. This I can definitely confirm.
I mean, just look at Haruhi's current state.
I once again looked at the match before me.
Haruki was leading the volleyball team to victory.
He was attacking savagely, spiking at every chance. And before you ask, let me clarify that I wasn't glancing at his chest, which occasionally showed through his shirt during jumps. I was looking at the expression on his face.
When I first met him during the month of April a year ago, he was an individual who completely distanced himself from the class. During that time, all he had was a scowl on his face as he sat behind me, never smiling, not even once. Upon seeing this, I began chatting with him in order to liven up the atmosphere. Even though he would occasionally reply to my questions, he still kept a sizable distance from his fellow male classmates. Well, not any more now. Even though he didn't have a bunch of really good friends in our class, he had nevertheless warmed up to our classmates, instead of rejecting them like he had before.
It must have been the SOS Brigade's influence. Before he became the eccentric person he was during high school, I believe that he used to be an active, cheerful and playful person. I don't think the SOS Brigade changed Haruki. Rather, I think it reverted him back to his original self, reawakening his cheerful personality that was covered after she entered junior high.
I don't think I've ever known Haruki before junior high, seeing that we've never met before. I think I heard something about Haruki from one of my friends who happened to study in the same junior high school as she did, but I can't really remember.
In the gym, Haruki was enjoying a game of volleyball with his fellow classmates on the volleyball court. For some reason, I felt as if he was holding himself back. Was that bright, million-watt smile he usually revealed during punishment-games reserved for us brigade members only? It's a shame then, Haruki. I'm sure everyone would like to see it.
Having successfully performed yet another backcourt attack, Haruki slammed her fist into one of her teammate's wide opened palms.
The volleyball game then ended, and as so today's school activities came to a close.
Students who had club activities proceeded to head to their respective club rooms, while the others headed home. Being SOS Brigade members, Haruki and I proceeded to walk to the all too familiar literature club room, with Haruki looking even more pleased than usual.
There was no doubt Haruki was pleased after winning the volleyball match, but that was not all. The reason Haruki looked even more pleased than usual was because he had successfully thwarted the student council's plot in overthrowing the SOS Brigade. Having defeated the student council's president, there was probably nothing that troubled Haruki anymore, save the promotion to being second year seniors.
Since Koizumi said that anything Haruki wished for would become true, Nagato, Koizumi and I had come to the conclusion that there was a very big possibility Haruki wished for all of us to be in the same class. Even though Koizumi was in "Bookworm" class, defying logic was the least of Haruki's powers. After all, there have been even more logic-defying instances of Haruki's powers, like for instance Asahina shooting laser beams out of his eyes. The main catch was Haruki didn't know he had such powers. If he did, it would probably be the undoing of the SOS Brigade.
That wasn't the only thing Haruki didn't know. Haruki had no idea Nagato had the ability to manipulate data, or that Koizumi could possibly achieve anything with the 'Organization' on his side.
I'm a very positive girl. Even though I would be entering my second year of high school soon, I would still want to sit in front of Haruki. And I dare say that if the SOS Brigade was disbanded, I would be very sad, as sad as I was when I found out during December that Haruki had disappeared.
But come to think of it, if the SOS Brigade was really disbanded, that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, and I don't think I'll come to mind so much. Because if the SOS Brigade was really disbanded, it would mean that Haruki's powers had finally calmed down, and just like Koizumi said, that was not a bad thing either. I wonder if this is what they mean by triple-crossing.
It's just --- If that really happened, I think I'll be pretty lonely.
"What's the matter?"
Maybe it's because I had the words "Depressed" plastered all over my face, as the energetic Haruki looked at me and said:
"You certainly are acting strange today. For a moment you look silly, and all of a sudden you look serious. What's up, face muscle cramps? Or is it due to depression since losing the soccer match? To be honest, you girls are really pathetic."
Well it's not completely my fault. The teams were decided by drawing lots, and all of the athletic girls were selected to join Team A. I had to play the role of Defender for Team B, along with Taniguchi and Kunikida. We had managed to stop the striker by clinging on to him as if our lives depended on it, but I never expected him to pass the ball to Koizumi, who then kicked the ball into the goal. But what a pity. Class 1-9 lost to class 1-6 in the semi-finals. Although this was nothing to be surprised at, I had a feeling that leaving things half-accomplished wasn't Koizumi's style. Perhaps she had lost on purpose?
"What are you mumbling about?"
Haruki said as he suddenly laughed.
"But since it's Koizumi-kun we're talking about, I can't say that it's totally impossible. Maybe they just wanted to prove you wrong. The only thing you and Taniguchi perceive them as are a bunch of useless book-worms right? In the end you failed to stop them miserably and in the process made fools out of yourselves. What a bunch of morons. Although they are some pretty cocky students in Class 1-9, I don't think that they're that bad as a whole."
As I was recalling the match, I found myself before the club room door, having arrived here before I even knew it. Haruki wrenched open the door and proudly strode inside. Don't you have any manners at all? And what happened to "knock before you enter"?
"Mitsuuru ~ How did your matches go? Is there any cold tea? I've been playing volleyball ever since this morning, and my throat feels dry, probably due to lack of water."
All the brigade members had already assembled in the club room. Nagato and Koizumi had resumed their usual seats, and Asahina had once again donned the butler costume as he stood by the door, holding a tea tray in his hands, looking like some elegant butler. I wonder if she plans on becoming Rembrandt or Ruben's model one day?
"Erm, I'm sorry, there's no cold tea."
Asahina frantically apologized, as if he had done something wrong.
" I'll cool it down right away by putting it in the fridge... I-Is that okay?"
Now that you mention it, there was really a fridge in this club room. Even though it was only a small one, it was nevertheless enough to stuff in a few cans of carbonated drinks. But since my main purpose of visiting the club room was to savor Asahina’s tea, the fridge was about as useless as the stove after Christmas.
"There's no need to."
Haruki generously said.
"Even though it wouldn't take long for it to cool in the freezer, freshly brewed tea is still the best."
Asahina swiftly brought Haruki and me two cups of steaming tea. It seems that her tea-brewing skills have improved yet again. Just as I was thinking whether or not to compliment on her skills, Asahina suddenly said:
"Hmm... Cold tea... Should I buy a water cooler next?"
Sometimes I wonder, did Asahina bring anything else from the future other than knowledge on tea leaves? Even though she looked like a cute little butler, he was nevertheless a time traveler from the future.
Koizumi was playing Othello all by herself.
"Why bring out this nostalgic relic now?"
I said to Koizumi as I sipped my tea. Come to think of it, this was the first board game to be brought into the club room, and I was the one who brought it.
"It's because the brigade has been around for almost a year now, has it? I was thinking maybe we should go back to where we started."
Even though Koizumi was pretty courteous on the soccer field, she had returned to her original smiling state now. Before I had the chance to answer her, she had removed all the pieces from the Othello board and returned it to its original state back on the table.
Even though I haven't lived so long as to look back and reminisce on my past, there was something I've always wanted to say.
I picked up the magnetic Othello board and shot a sideways glance. A year ago, I saw a person's shadow when I entered the club room. That shadow was now sitting in a corner of the club room, quietly reading a book on foreign literature.
"........."
It was Nagato Yuuki, silently reading a book in the corner. I clearly remember the one time this alien-made interface revealed any signs of emotions. It was when Asahina and I were playing Othello.
Now that you mention it, I don't think I've ever played Othello with Nagato before. I don't think I'd have any chances of winning, though, unless Nagato decided to lose on purpose. Now if my opponent was Koizumi, that'd be another story. Unless Koizumi was deliberately losing to me all this time.
I had noticed that after plopping himself down on the commander's chair, Haruki would be silent for a short period of time. First, he would turn on the computer and connect himself to the internet. That was a somewhat daily routine to him. The next thing he would do was access the SOS Brigade's miserable home page. This was the commander's duty, I suppose? Finally, he would begin surfing the Internet for all sorts of weird and unknown stuff. He would also occasionally download freeware from random sites and install them. I have no idea what's on the computer and what's not anymore. If she ran into a problem, Haruki would simply summon up the Computer Society's President and have her fix things up immediately, with the promise of future rewards. Talk about using a tool to its fullest.
1.
S: (I am a genius) I say, since there's no interesting club around, why not create my own!
K ...you called me out just for that?
S: So... help me out!
K: Wait!
S: That's an order!
K: I, I heard! Just let go!
S: (Now to hunt down a clubroom)
K: (There goes my quiet school life...) I've now caught with some weird guy...
2. K: Haruki, what are you holding there?
S: It's a bunny suit, as you could see. (The bunny ears included of course)
K: Really, well then, have fun in it.
S: I knew you'd act this way... (let's see here...)
S: So I've prepared one for you as well! (It's brand new)
K: What? No, hold it... (you said 'as well'?)
3. S: Now get changin'!
S: I'll wait for you outside.
K: No need and get the hell out!
K: Jeez... Haruki will no doubt be camping outside? Should I climb out the window? When did this become some cheesy plot where a girl has to sell her body off to pay off debt?
K: That, and that the other victim happens to be a guy?
A: Kyonko...
4. K: It looks as if that the other set of bunny suit's made for Asahina-sempai... Haruhi's such a pervert!
A: Kyonko, must we wear this?
K: Nevermind the bunny suit. I wouldn't change in front of sempai now would I?
K: No... I will talk it over with Haruki and get him to call this thing off.
A: Thank you so much, Kyonko!
K: It's...it's really nothing...
K: I guess I am really out to plead a bargain so sempai wouldn't need to wear that bunny suit...
K: Sempai's known for his huge OOOO... wearing such a getup will attract so much attention that it'd be almost an instant meme!
Nice Bunny?!
__________________
It would be enough for the depressing things in life to only exist in reality.
It is because that I think the birth of a story... is from people dreaming of a happy ending. ~Misaka Shiori
2008-03-13, 22:02
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