The Character Discussion Thread of SOS団 Member: Kyon

[Heatth]

Originally Posted by ac195

Or could it be that Kyon has a little more faith in Haruhi and has grown a little? I think that's the case.

That was nt the point. This two exemple just prooves he knows Haruhi might be jelous of him.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

No offense, but this strikes me as a HaruhiKyon shipper really grasping for straws.

Also, I dislike the heavy layers of pretentiousness that some fans are reading into Kyon and Koizumi - such a notion makes them far less likable as characters, imo.

It's really not that hard to simply accept that Kyon finds Mikuru more attractive than Haruhi. It's really not. Yes, Haruhi has a great look herself, but if Kyon's main thing is basic cuteness and/or breast size, Mikuru genuinely has Haruhi beat there.

True. However, I would say that, if we go for the character itself, not physical appearance, I would say Mikuru is the girl who he likes less. Of the three she is the one who she trust less. She is the more attractive in his eyes, though.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

4) I would have taken Itsuki up on his "I love you" suggestion from the endless summer arc. If it works out well... great. If it doesn't, I can always blame Itsuki.

lol

Originally Posted by Triple_R

I know real life people with domineering take-charge personalities like Haruhi. I met them in College. They're usually a blast to hang out with. At the high school level, I would have loved to have had a friend like Haruhi.

I kinda agree. I you know how to handle her, she is a fun person. She is very annoying to most, however. And her acts to the CCP prooves she can be 'dangerous' too.

[Kogetsu Shirogane]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Do we know this for certain? I mean, was there actual dialogue in the later novels to this effect?

With the exception of the Nagato part, the FIRST novel spells it out. Mikuru is completely convinced that her merely being close to Kyon is enough to set Haruhi off, and she only admits to being from the future when Kyon asks about her personal life.

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by Heatth

True. However, I would say that, if we go for the character itself, not physical appearance, I would say Mikuru is the girl who he likes less. Of the three she is the one who she trust less. She is the more attractive in his eyes, though.

I agree. Overall, I think that Kyon likes Haruhi more than he likes Mikuru. That he can't admit to himself.

I kinda agree. I you know how to handle her, she is a fun person. She is very annoying to most, however. And her acts to the CCP prooves she can be 'dangerous' too.

Oh yes, I agree with this. Haruhi would make a great friend... but she'd also be somebody you'd hate to have as an enemy, too.

Originally Posted by Kogetsu Shirogane

With the exception of the Nagato part, the FIRST novel spells it out. Mikuru is completely convinced that her merely being close to Kyon is enough to set Haruhi off, and she only admits to being from the future when Kyon asks about her personal life.

That alone doesn't really tell me that KyonMikuru is no-go for life. It just tells me that KyonMikuru is no-go for the extent of time that Haruhi is into Kyon.

We, as fans, are assuming HaruhiKyon is predestined... and it might be... or it could, in theory, simply be the Haruhi has a long crush on Kyon and Kyon helps her out for a key period of time, but she ends up with another guy... freeing Kyon up for Mikuru or Nagato. It's not entirely outside the realm of possibility - I mean, it's certainly not likely, but it's not like the novel has absolutely blocked itself off from this avenue.


One more thing I want to say on Kyon, and I'm surprised that I haven't mentioned it yet...

He is the ultimate anti-exploitation character. He is so anti-exploitation/opportunistic that it's incredible - it's definitely one of his more admirable character traits in a morality sense, but also paradoxically one of his more questionable character traits in an intellectual sense.

Kyon basically knows that there's a girl with high-end reality altering powers that is very attached to him.

Now... you don't have to be a megalomaniacal villain to see the possibilities here. In fact, I should hope that everybody sees the possibilities inherent in this situation right now, before reading further.

I think that almost any character (other than Kyon) would at least be tempted to do the following given his situation...

1) Be really, really nice to Haruhi, do everything possible to get on her good side (up to and including becoming her boyfriend), and even leave her feeling indebted to you in some way if at all possible.

2) Then tell her how powerful she is, and persuade her to believe it. Use the "I am John Smith" line to make her consider that what you're telling her is true. On another board, I wrote the sort of dialogue that I think could get Haruhi to really test out her powers.

3) If you successfully complete steps 1 and 2... you now have, in essence, a fully self-aware genie with limitless wish-granting abilities that's your best friend/girlfriend. Eat your heart out, Disney's Alladin!

"Hey, Haruhi, why don't you have... I strike a Dr. Evil voice and look: One trillion yen!... just magically appear in two brand new Swiss bank accounts for you and me? Imagine what we could do with that money!"

"Hey, Haruhi, why not make us immortal, eh?"

"Hey, Haruhi, wouldn't it be cool to own an animation studio?"

"Hey, Haruhi, why not make yourself Prime Minister of Japan and me Prime Minister of Canada? It would be a blast!"


And so on, and so forth.

It just blows me away that Kyon doesn't even once seem to consider going down this path. Sure, dude, you find her annoying, but still... think of the possibilities!

In this sense, in particular, Kyon is perfect for hiding the fact that Haruhi is so powerful from her. A lot of people in his situation would try to take advantage of it, I think.

[Kogetsu Shirogane]

You forget that he has two reality-altering girls in his life, and while the other is (supposedly) limited in comparison, she's already at the "willing to do anything Kyon asks" stage, and has pretty much been that way since Melancholy.

[Launch]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

No offense, but this strikes me as a HaruhiKyon shipper really grasping for straws.

Also, I dislike the heavy layers of pretentiousness that some fans are reading into Kyon and Koizumi - such a notion makes them far less likable as characters, imo.

It's really not that hard to simply accept that Kyon finds Mikuru more attractive than Haruhi. It's really not. Yes, Haruhi has a great look herself, but if Kyon's main thing is basic cuteness and/or breast size, Mikuru genuinely has Haruhi beat there.

To be honest, I don't think I've ever done any shipping for any series. xD I just go with the flow.
Regardless, because the novels are basically setting up the two, that's just the way I've read it up until now. I think Heatth explained it better than I did, anyway.

[ac195]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

No, I wouldn't be.

Not to say I'd handle it terribly better than Kyon does, but snark is rarely my coping mechanism of choice. Quite the contrary, my coping mechanism of choice is usually to try to look on the bright side of things as much as possible.

If I was in Kyon's shoes...

1) I'd be less snarky

2) I probably would have had a worse, more long-term traumatized reaction to the Asakura incident... but not snarky so much as I'd be more jumpy and a bit more cautious. I think that most people would have, honestly. Kyon's got serious guts, I'll give him that.

3) I'd simply refuse to pay out Haruhi's outrageous financial penalties, whatever the consequences... or, if Kyon's financially loaded (as I frequently suspect since he never objects to those penalties), I'd be more generous upfront to avoid the degrading nature of taking such financial penalties.

4) I would have taken Itsuki up on his "I love you" suggestion from the endless summer arc. If it works out well... great. If it doesn't, I can always blame Itsuki.

5) Overall, I'd be enjoying it all a lot more than Kyon is.


Beyond that, I'm not sure. Overall, Kyon has a lot of guts, I'll give him that.

Haruhi wouldn't like you at all if that was the case. His "snarky" self is what makes him so different compared to every other guy that has approached her. And Kyon is enjoying everything, he just won't admit it openly.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

That alone doesn't really tell me that KyonMikuru is no-go for life. It just tells me that KyonMikuru is no-go for the extent of time that Haruhi is into Kyon.

We, as fans, are assuming HaruhiKyon is predestined... and it might be... or it could, in theory, simply be the Haruhi has a long crush on Kyon and Kyon helps her out for a key period of time, but she ends up with another guy... freeing Kyon up for Mikuru or Nagato. It's not entirely outside the realm of possibility - I mean, it's certainly not likely, but it's not like the novel has absolutely blocked itself off from this avenue.

This is pure delusion right here.

If the novel actually ends with a definitive couple it's gonna be KyonHaruhi... but that's only if it's a definitive ending and not some open-ended a day in the life of the SOS-dan ending.

[Kogetsu Shirogane]

I keep telling everyone, the ending is going to be Kyon and Haruhi lying on a beach, surrounded by the tang that the rest of humanity has become.

[ac195]

Originally Posted by Kogetsu Shirogane

I keep telling everyone, the ending is going to be Kyon and Haruhi lying on a beach, surrounded by the tang that the rest of humanity has become.

Like this?

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by ac195

Haruhi wouldn't like you at all if that was the case. His "snarky" self is what makes him so different compared to every other guy that has approached her.

There's more than one way to be different, ac. Being snarky isn't the only way. Also, most of Kyon's snarkiness is narration. How much of that Haruhi is even aware of is open to interpretation.

Furthermore, GMT earlier put forward some reasons for why Haruhi chose Kyon - snarkiness was not one of them.

And Kyon is enjoying everything, he just won't admit it openly.

Enjoying everything, yet acting snarky all the time? He may be enjoying some of it, but I have a very hard time believing that he's enjoying all of it. It simply does not compute.

This is pure delusion right here.

No, it's not. Other Haruhi fans other than myself have speculated that the series may end on KyonYuki. Certainly, the novels big focus lately has not been Haruhi - there's been far more focus on Yuki as of late. That at least raises the possibility of a KyonYuki ending.

If the novel actually ends with a definitive couple it's gonna be KyonHaruhi... but that's only if it's a definitive ending and not some open-ended a day in the life of the SOS-dan ending.

An open-ended conclusion is possible too, yes.

Originally Posted by Kogetsu Shirogane

You forget that he has two reality-altering girls in his life, and while the other is (supposedly) limited in comparison, she's already at the "willing to do anything Kyon asks" stage, and has pretty much been that way since Melancholy.

I don't think that Yuki would entertain suggestions that she would likely consider frivolous - like monetary enrichment.

[Kogetsu Shirogane]

Originally Posted by ac195

Like this?

Something like that. Shame there's no pictures of them being the other way around.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

No, it's not. Other Haruhi fans other than myself have speculated that the series may end on KyonYuki. Certainly, the novels big focus lately has not been Haruhi - there's been far more focus on Yuki as of late. That at least raises the possibility of a KyonYuki ending.

Spoiler for Vol7 on.:

Yes, that's why Nagato more or less returned to a supporting role during Vol7. And one side of Vol9. And the story that you'd think was about her in Vol8 was hijacked by --get this-- HARUHI. Of course, I'll admit Nagato kinda hijacked the other half of the book.

[Heatth]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

There's more than one way to be different, ac. Being snarky isn't the only way. Also, most of Kyon's snarkiness is narration. How much of that Haruhi is even aware of is open to interpretation.

Have to agree here. I find hard to believe anyone is aware of how snarky Kyon is.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Enjoying everything, yet acting snarky all the time? He may be enjoying some of it, but I have a very hard time believing that he's enjoying all of it. It simply does not compute.

He at last, enjoy most of it. The end of Melancholy make it clear (come on he enjoied even when he was amost killed!!). There is also that other book. You should know which.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

No, it's not. Other Haruhi fans other than myself have speculated that the series may end on KyonYuki. Certainly, the novels big focus lately has not been Haruhi - there's been far more focus on Yuki as of late. That at least raises the possibility of a KyonYuki ending.

I think KyonxYuki very cute. I don't believe it is happening, thouhg. Novel9 back the focus to Haruhi.

Post Postum:

Originally Posted by Kogetsu Shirogane

Spoiler for Vol7 on.:

Yes, that's why Nagato more or less returned to a supporting role during Vol7. And one side of Vol9. And the story that you'd think was about her in Vol8 was hijacked by --get this-- HARUHI. Of course, I'll admit Nagato kinda hijacked the other half of the book.

Wait, you are talking about which story?

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by Heatth

Have to agree here. I find hard to believe anyone is aware of how snarky Kyon is.

Agreed.

He at last, enjoy most of it. The end of Melancholy make it clear (come on he enjoied even when he was amost killed!!). There is also that other book. You should know which.

Most of it... probably. All of it? No. He's not enjoying Sighs. That's quite obvious, unless you think Kyon is the biggest self-deceiver ever.

I think KyonxYuki very cute. I don't believe it is happening, thouhg. Novel9 back the focus to Haruhi.

I wouldn't bet money on it, either. I also think it has a low chance of happening. But it's not flat-out impossible. It wouldn't shock me if the story went this way. The novel writer obviously enjoys writing Nagato, and has left room to have the novels believably end on KyonxYuki, if he so desires.

[Kogetsu Shirogane]

Originally Posted by Heatth

Wait, you are talking about which story?

Spoiler for Vol7, Vol8, Vol9:

Volume 7: She takes the spotlight in the prologue, as it's used to "explain" the end of Disappearance. After that, the only real focus she gets is a brief overnight visit from "Michiru" and Kyon asking her to rig a drawing because history said it happened.
Volume 8: Wandering Shadow is the story that Nagato hijacks, much like she did with Mysterique Sign.
With Editor In Chief, the story based around the Literary Club, the most focus Nagato gets outside the initial setup is a poem that gives a little insight into her character. A poem she wrote, meaning that the only person that really focused on Nagato was, well, Nagato.
Volume 9: The only focus Nagato really gets here that isn't a copy of Editor In Chief is at the "end" of one of the two timelines, when Haruhi finally notices she isn't there. After the Brigade spends almost the entire passage in the clubroom talking to each other.

[Heatth]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Agreed.

I agree.... Wait! I was already agreeing! You don't need to agree back.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Most of it... probably. All of it? No. He's not enjoying Sighs. That's quite obvious, unless you think Kyon is the biggest self-deceiver ever.

Sighs is more an exeption the a rule.

Spoiler for [b]that[/b] Sigh's scene:

It is why Haruhi as shocked in the first place. She belived Kyon would agree with anything she does. She was more or less right. But she crossed the line that time.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

I wouldn't bet money on it, either. I also think it has a low chance of happening. But it's not flat-out impossible. It wouldn't shock me if the story went this way. The novel writer obviously enjoys writing Nagato, and has left room to have the novels believably end on KyonxYuki, if he so desires.

When you put in that way, yeah, you speek the true.

Originally Posted by Kogetsu Shirogane

Spoiler for Vol7, Vol8, Vol9:

Volume 7: She takes the spotlight in the prologue, as it's used to "explain" the end of Disappearance. After that, the only real focus she gets is a brief overnight visit from "Michiru" and Kyon asking her to rig a drawing because history said it happened.
Volume 8: Wandering Shadow is the story that Nagato hijacks, much like she did with Mysterique Sign.
With Editor In Chief, the story based around the Literary Club, the most focus Nagato gets outside the initial setup is a poem that gives a little insight into her character. A poem she wrote, meaning that the only person that really focused on Nagato was, well, Nagato.
Volume 9: The only focus Nagato really gets here that isn't a copy of Editor In Chief is at the "end" of one of the two timelines, when Haruhi finally notices she isn't there. After the Brigade spends almost the entire passage in the clubroom talking to each other.

Oh, I see what you mean now. Tough it might be you who was expecting too much... exept it was what was happeing few volumes before.

[Kogetsu Shirogane]

Actually, I prefer Nagato in a supporting role. Just feels weird to have that someone like her taking the center stage for an extended period of time.

But... we have another topic to discuss Nagato. She doesn't need to take this one.

[Dr. Casey]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

I'm going to say that there are times when Kyon seems too snarky to me; when the snark is so heavy laden that it contributes to the "unreliable narrator" effect that some of us here have pointed out.

Beyond that... I really don't see what's cool about always being negative.

Seriously.

Sure, a fair number of his comments and jokes are funny, but he goes overboard at times too, I think.

Now this sounds interesting. What do you think are some examples of Kyon's snark going overboard? I'm guessing that Sighs has some instances of this (I remember you saying that sometimes one might think Kyon almost hated Haruhi in that story), but do you remember any statements or passages that seem especially negative or harsh?

The only part where I didn't like Kyon so much (In the anime, I've never read the light novels) was actually his introductory diatribe about never believing in Santa Claus. There's no better way to come across as soulless and obnoxiously pragmatic than to describe at length how you lacked imagination even as a kid... not to mention that sort of conversation always annoyed me back in elementary school. "I stopped believing in Santa when I was six!" "I've known he's fake since I was three!" Yeah, congrats on being the most street-smart toddler around, I guess. I believed in him until I was 10 or 11 and enjoyed Christmas more because of it. The first impressions were forgotten quickly enough, though, as I realized that Kyon was not a pseudo-intellectual teenager as I first thought, but... well, Kyon. His negativity hasn't bothered me that much mainly because it's aimed at deserving targets (Haruhi and Koizumi; with everyone else, he seems pretty magnanimous and polite both in his discourse and internal monologues), but of course I haven't read the novels, where every line of exposition comes from Kyon and we get a better look into his head.

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by Dr. Casey

Now this sounds interesting. What do you think are some examples of Kyon's snark going overboard? I'm guessing that Sighs has some instances of this (I remember you saying that sometimes one might think Kyon almost hated Haruhi in that story), but do you remember any statements or passages that seem especially negative or harsh?

I'm going to evaluate a few examples of Kyon's snark going overboard, imo. Hopefully, this will help give you an idea of what I'm talking about. Kyon's narration is in quotation marks in order to make it easier to separate from my commentary. My commentary on the quote will be below a line after each one.

Spoiler for Novel 2, Prologue:

"I don't think anyone in the world would intentionally step on something that says "Warning: explodes when stepped on" in red neon lights. Even I don't have the courage to do that. If I had only known, I would not have talked to that stubborn girl who put up that unfriendly expression every day.

A normal high schooler who accidentally pressed a button that activated a time bomb, and is now being forced to carry that bomb around like a moron - that's me. And this time bomb labeled "Suzumiya Haruhi" doesn't even have a counter on it. I have no idea when it's going to explode, how much damage it will cause, or what else is inside. Even more importantly, I don't even know if this bomb is real. Maybe it's just a toy used to fool little kids.

I can't seem to find the trash bin labeled "Hazardous Materials Only" no matter how hard I try. Which means, this dangerous entity that I've activated is essentially covered with superglue, stuck to my hand harder than anything else could be.

Sigh... Where am I gonna find a place to dump it?"

___________________________________________


Now, the first two paragraphs aren't too bad, in and of themselves. In fact, I list them here purely for added context. I don't fault Kyon for feeling the way he does in the first two paragraphs.

But, the fact remains, he's basically saying that Haruhi is like a hazardous material, and that he'd like to dump her off somewhere and (presumably) never see her again. Now, maybe it's the trained Safety Officer in me, but seeing a living human being compared to hazardous waste really doesn't sit well with me.

Kyon's snark here is pretty cold, and harsh, imo.

The next instance is in Chapter 1 of Sighs...

Spoiler for Sighs Chapter 1:

Hanging out with this bunch, how am I supposed to peacefully live through this extraordinary high school life of mine? I really don't want to get involved in silly stuff anymore. Just thinking about it is enough to give me an urge to aim a gun at my forehead, or extract and burn the brain cells containing those memories. Though I don't know what Haruhi would say about that.

Maybe I was too busy thinking how to erase those memories of the past because I wasn't paying attention to what the annoying girl next to me was raving about."

__________________________________________________ __


Now, I don't necessarily think that this is too snarky... but it is pretty strong. Suicide or forced amnesia - seems pretty extreme to me.

Anyway, it's this particular narration above that I have a very hard time reconciling with the last two sections of Novel 4.

One short narration in Chapter 1...

Spoiler for Chapter 1 spoiler:

"I would really like to drill a hole in Haruhi's head and replace the contents within. Sadly, I would find nothing inside and can only sigh. "

______________________________

Now, granted, this was brought on by the infamous "Spill hot tea on Kyon" scene.

Still, it always irks me when I see Kyon pretty much say that Haruhi is brainless... because it's patently false. Her excellence in school marks alone proves that. She's also a frequently eloquent speaker.

I don't mind Kyon calling Haruhi "crazy" or "eccentric" or "weird" or anything like that... but she's not dumb, and Kyon ought to know better, imo. This is far from the only example of him directly speaking lowly of Haruhi's intelligence.

Get a load of this comparison between Haruhi and Mikuru...

Spoiler for Chapter 1 of Sighs:

"If Asahina-san was a white rose blooming in the wild, then Haruhi would be a special breed of rose that doesn't even blossom and is full of thorns; it probably doesn't even have seeds."

__________________________________________________ __


I guess that Kyon thinks that Haruhi is infertile, going by the lack of seeds comment... I have to admit, that's a funny line if you like strong satire... but whew, it's still really harsh. It's an epic insult if Kyon actually says it.

More Chapter 1 coming up...

Spoiler for Chapter 1 of Sighs:

"Haruhi mumbled, looking unhappy. Speaking of which, just who would expect anything from the SOS Brigade? Now that's something worthy for a questionnaire! The SOS Brigade has not even grown, the number of members has still remained the same, let alone being promoted into an Association. So it's best to maintain the status quo, but sooner or later, the Haruhi Express is going to derail someday. There're only five passengers on this train, at least find a replacement for me. Or perhaps just give me an hourly salary, even 100 yen would do."

This is one of his milder comments, and I actually got a chuckle out of the Haruhi express line, but the thing is... Kyon doesn't stop. He just doesn't stop!

All of the above, Dr. Casey, is from a Prologue and one Chapter, and I've left out loads of the milder snark!

Now, some short zingers... (my comments for each is in paranthesis).

Spoiler for Sighs spoilers in general:

"I'd rather memorize all the station names of the nearby railway than memorize your crap rhetoric. " ('your' referring to Haruhi)


"Haruhi declared passionately, like a grizzly bear in a zoo holding on to an ice cube during the hot summer. The surroundings no longer concern her." (Lovely mental image there, Kyon, lol )


"If people want to achieve time travel, just put Haruhi on a spaceship. Since she probably wouldn't give a damn about the Theory of Relativity anyway.

As I mentioned this to Nagato, all that the silent alien said was, "Your opinion may be correct."

For Nagato, this is very meaningful. For others, Suzumiya Haruhi is a joke."

(Again - this is just an untrue snark; Haruhi clearly cares about the Theory of Relativity as per what she said in Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody - how is Kyon not remembering that? Mind you, how is Yuki not remembering it? And the loathing that Kyon is displaying for Haruhi is just oozing off of the "Haruhi is a joke" line)


"There used to be a saying, "There's nothing more terrifying than not needing to pay." The thing is, Haruhi doesn't seem to care. If someone knows something that would make her terrified, please, do let me know. " (So... I guess Kyon would like to terrify Haruhi...)


" Running towards my side is Taniguchi, a classmate of Haruhi's and mine, a very simple single-celled organism, and as normal a high school student as you can find anywhere. " (Now... I know Taniguchi is a bit shallow, but "simple single-celled organism"? )

Anyway... does this prove my point? What do you think, Dr. Casey?

The only part where I didn't like Kyon so much (In the anime, I've never read the light novels) was actually his introductory diatribe about never believing in Santa Claus. There's no better way to come across as soulless and obnoxiously pragmatic than to describe at length how you lacked imagination even as a kid... not to mention that sort of conversation always annoyed me back in elementary school. "I stopped believing in Santa when I was six!" "I've known he's fake since I was three!" Yeah, congrats on being the most street-smart toddler around, I guess. I believed in him until I was 10 or 11 and enjoyed Christmas more because of it. The first impressions were forgotten quickly enough, though, as I realized that Kyon was not a pseudo-intellectual teenager as I first thought, but... well, Kyon. His negativity hasn't bothered me that much mainly because it's aimed at deserving targets (Haruhi and Koizumi; with everyone else, he seems pretty magnanimous and polite both in his discourse and internal monologues), but of course I haven't read the novels, where every line of exposition comes from Kyon and we get a better look into his head.

I felt the exact same way over the Santa thing as you did.

In fairness, Kyon's a fair bit better in the anime - they tend to edit out or soften some of his harsher lines. But in the novels...

[ac195]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

There's more than one way to be different, ac. Being snarky isn't the only way. Also, most of Kyon's snarkiness is narration. How much of that Haruhi is even aware of is open to interpretation.

Furthermore, GMT earlier put forward some reasons for why Haruhi chose Kyon - snarkiness was not one of them.

Enjoying everything, yet acting snarky all the time? He may be enjoying some of it, but I have a very hard time believing that he's enjoying all of it. It simply does not compute.

No, it's not. Other Haruhi fans other than myself have speculated that the series may end on KyonYuki. Certainly, the novels big focus lately has not been Haruhi - there's been far more focus on Yuki as of late. That at least raises the possibility of a KyonYuki ending.

Kyon's "snarky" self serves two purposes regarding Haruhi.
1) To actively challenge Haruhi in a some what playful manner.
2) To cover up his own feelings. (Koizumi points this out a couple times)

As for any other coupling, PURE DELUSION! You can lie to yourselves all you want but it's gonna be KyonHaruhi or an open ended one.

[Ice Block]

Sorry to veer a little from the current topic, but speaking of Volume 8:

Spoiler for Editor in Chief★Straight Ahead!:

Here we see the story of Kyon's "first date", so to speak. Taken from Baka-Tsuki:

『It was before I entered high school; a time when I was just passing through what remained of the last spring break of middle school......』

It was before I entered high school; a time when I was just passing
through what remained of the last spring break of middle school.

Though I had already received my middle school diploma, I still didn't
feel like I was going to be a high school student, and if I could, I'd keep
that status forever, I remember thinking.

As a result of being sent to private tutoring by my mother since I entered
third year, getting through the entrance exams without a hitch was, well,
easy enough. However, when I went there for a preliminary inspection
before the exams, I thought that having to go up that slope that just went
on and on for three years of high school would get really tedious. Come
to think of it, in relation to the division of the school districts, I had
some good friends in the municipal next to my neighborhood, but
because they'd decided to go to far-away private schools, I felt my
feelings of loneliness would worsen whether I liked it or not.

At that time, I had no idea I would be meeting a strange girl as soon
as high school started, and never saw my name getting on the
member list of some bizarre brigade even in my daydreams, so as I
looked back at my middle school days, I was somewhat anxious
about the unknowns of high school life, which, in short, is the reason
for my eagerness.

And so, I buried that loneliness that had taken over a large part of
my heart, kept sleeping lethargically up 'till noon, opened the game
tournament that was supposedly the farewell party for the people
going on to other high schools, then went on to watch a movie―――
which was fun and all, but passing day after day like that got tiresome
before long, so, after having brunch, I just idled away that early, pre-April
afternoon in my own room like a cow.

After sleeping, waking up, eating, and then lying on my bed to sleep
again, the ringing melody of the house phone started up and reached
my ears.

Having no extension in my room, I left it for my mom or sister to answer,
but a moment later, my sister came into my room carrying the cordless phone.

It felt like she's been doing this for a while now, but whenever she
came to me with the phone in her hand, this peculiar feeling would well
up inside me.

However, though I might be repeating myself, the me of that time was
still pure, and my experience points were overwhelmingly insufficient.

"Kyon-kun, phone~"

My sister gave me a strange smile,

"Who is it?"

"It's a girl~"

My little sister pushed the receiver to me, grinned widely, twirled
her body around, and then left my room with a hop, step, and a jump.

Strange. Usually, she wouldn't budge from my room until I drove her
out, so why was she in such a hurry?

Anyway, just who could this be? As I scrolled across the main menu in
my mind for the face of the girl who could've called me, I pushed the
talk button on the receiver.

"Hello?"

A moment passed,

"......Yes. Um......"

It was a girl's voice for sure. However, my search mode didn't finish
as I couldn't recognize who it was. But it was a voice I had heard
somewhere before.

"It's me. Yoshimura Miyoko. Good afternoon. Are you feeling well
right now? You're not busy, are you?"

"Ah-......"

As I started thinking, the scrolling in my head came to a complete stop.
It was no surprise that she sounded familiar, since she was someone
I had met many times. I just had difficulties realizing it since she
had said her full name. It was Yoshimura Miyoko, nicknamed Miyokichi.

"Ah, it's you. Yeah, I'm not busy at all. Too much free time, actually."

"Wonderful."

She said with heartfelt relief, making me feel hesitant. Just what
did she want with me?

"Are you free tomorrow? The day after tomorrow is also good. But it
won't do if it goes into April. Would you lend me some of your time?"

"Um, you're asking me?" (※1)

"Yes. I'm sorry for saying it so suddenly. Tomorrow, or the day after
tomorrow. Are you going to be busy?"

"Not at all. I'm free all day for either one."

"Wonderful."

She let out an honest, whispering voice that once again sounded
like it had come from the bottom of her heart,

"I have a favor to ask of you."

Miyoko shifted to a nervous voice in some way, and continued.

"The whole day tomorrow will do. Would you please go out with me?"

As I gazed at the gap in my door to chase after the shadow of my sister
who had just left,

"Me?"

"Yes."

"With you?"

"Yes."

Miyoko lowered her voice,

"Just us two. Is this no good?"

"Nope, there's nothing wrong with that."

"Wonderful."

I heard her give an exaggerated sigh of relief again, and with a voice
that sounded like she was working hard to restrain her cheerfulness,

"Well then, I'll be looking forward to it."

I could picture Miyoko's figure bowing through the telephone line.

After that, she proposed a time and place for the meeting, worrying
about whether they were convenient for me, while I simply said
"Got it" and went along,

"I'm sorry. For calling so suddenly."

"It's okay. I wasn't doing anything, anyway."

After responding vaguely to that girl who was modest to the end,
I hung up. If I didn't end it right there, I was sure Miyoko would go
on giving thank-you's indefinitely. Yoshimura Miyoko, nicknamed Miyokichi,
was that kind of girl.

To return the phone to its original location, I exited to the corridor.
As soon as I did, I found my sister waiting there while looking giddy
for some reason, so I pushed the extension onto her.

"Nyahaha~"

My younger sister laughed out like a fool, waving the receiver around
as she went away. As I worried about my little sister's future, I recalled
the calmness of Miyokichi's voice. (※2)

And then, the next day.

I don't plan on writing too much about the details. It would be
troublesome to say even a single word. This is a story, not an activity
report or a ship's log. Much less my diary or something like that.

Being the writer, I will do whatever I like. I can do that, can't I?

On that day, as I went to the appointed location, I saw that Miyokochi
had arrived earlier and was waiting for me as I walked hurriedly to
meet her. When she noticed me, she turned her face towards me and
gave me a bow.

"Good morning."

After greeting me with a very thin voice, she set the sash of her
hand bag on her shoulder, and then raised her head, making her
ponytail swish around. She was wearing a light blue cardigan over
her flower-pattern blouse, and for the bottom, she had on slim,
seven-tenths length jeans. It suited her slender figure well.

I gave her a "hey" as something of a return, before I slowly took in
the surroundings.

We were in front of the station. This would become familiar when
we make customary use of it as the gathering point for the SOS Brigade.
However, at this time, it would be several months later before I
become attached to that ambiguous brigade, and I had no idea that
I would be pushed around by my chin because of a Brigade Chief who
would break into this world and reign supreme, so I just gazed
normally around the vicinity. There should be no reason to think that
there'd be trouble if someone were to see me and a girl meeting
as a pair. Wouldn't you think that way, as well? (※3)

"Um..."

Miyokichi said with a trace of nervousness on her elegant face.

"There's someplace I want to go to, is that okay?"

"That's fine."

So we went. If I didn't plan on going, then I would've just broken it off
yesterday through the phone. And there was no reason for me to
flatly refuse Miyokichi's request.

"Thank you."

To not make it overly polite, Miyokichi only gave one bow at a time,

"There's a movie that I've been wanting to see."

Of course, she didn't have to worry about it. I'll even buy her tickets.

"There's no need for that. I will pay for myself. Since it was me who
had unreasonably asked you to go."

After stating it clearly, she beamed. It was what you would call a
smile that knew no impurity. An innocent smile that differed in
meaning from my little sister's.

Incidentally, there were no movie theaters in the area. Miyokichi and
I turned to the station, bought passes, and took the train. The movie
that she wanted to see wasn't in the cinema complex or the big
theater; since it was a minor affair of an up-and-comer, it was just out
as a small, single-hall preview.

At the intervals when we were being jostled about in the juddering
train, she would hold onto the town guide and gaze outside the
window the whole time, but she would sometimes remember to
look up at my face, and give a quick bow.

It wasn't that we were both totally silent, since we did have our
conversations, but I won't write anything about that. We just
chatted about random things. I remember talking about what school
she would be going to after that spring, and about my little sister. (※4)

It was the same when we arrived at our station and walked to the
movie theater. However, it seemed like she was getting a little
nervous. That nervousness went on until we arrived at the theater
and made it to the front of the ticket counter. (※5)

Though it was almost time for the next showing to begin, the queue
for the ticket counter was empty, showing how low the attendance
for the film was. After glancing at Miyokichi, I turned to the glass
window where an old lady seemed to be idling away,

"Two students please."

I said.

After being admitted without a hitch, Miyokichi and I went to our
seats in the middle of the single-hall theater; it was hardly what you
would call spacious. Regarding how small the attendance was, the number
of people entering was so sparse that it was virtually empty.

As for the kind of movie, it was one of those gory horrors. To be honest,
it wasn't a genre that I liked very much, but just for that day, I
couldn't help but listen to her wishes. At any rate, her tastes didn't
seem to fit her quiet looks. Did she really want to see it that much?

During the show, she turned into an eager movie fan as she showed
an appreciation for the screen, but here and there, during the scary scenes
that were characteristic of horror films, she meekly gave a little start,
turned her face away, and grabbed my arm once, which calmed me down for
some reason.

But other than that, her eyes were glued to the images, and she looked
so serious that if they were to see her with that much concentration, even
the film makers would be satisfied.

At first glance, if I were to reveal my impressions of the film point-blank,
it would go something like "This is a B-movie, isn't it?" which is something
I couldn't just say. Though I don't think I lost anything by watching it,
I didn't gain anything, either. I couldn't even recall learning anything
from advanced reviews at all; they must not have done much work on
their advertising.

Why could she have picked this movie?

I asked her,

"An actor that I like appears in it."

She replied with a bit of embarrassment.

The ending credits hadn't finished scrolling when the curtains closed,
and we exited the theater.

It was past noon by then. Are we also going for lunch somewhere? Just
when I was thinking if it was time to go home, she said in a voice
that sounded nothing but humble,

"There's a shop that I want to go see, but is that okay with you?"

When I looked at her, she was circling the corner of the open page on her
guide book with a red pen. The store was in an area that we could walk
to from here.

After I considered it a bit,

"It's decided, then."

I answered, and started walking according to the simple map printed on
the magazine page. As silent as ever, she walked diagonally behind me.
We must have talked about a few things, but I don't really remember.

After walking for a while, we arrived at a cozy-looking tea shop.
Seeing the stylish facade and interior, it seemed like it would take
an extraordinary amount of courage for a guy to enter by himself; he'd
feel like a fish out of water. I had unconsciously frozen at the front
of the store, but when I came to look up at Miyokichi's worried face, it
felt natural as I pushed on the manually-opening wooden doors.

As I had expected, most of the customers occupying the store were girls.
It was spectacular. For some reason, I felt relieved at how many mixed
couples there were.

The waitress who had led us to our seats, looked at Miyokichi and me with
a smile, brought glasses of water with a smile, and finally asked for
our order with a smile.

After scanning the menu for thirty seconds, I ordered a Neapolitan and an
iced coffee, while she got the deluxe cake set. It seems like she had
decided on what to order from the beginning, From among the ten types
of cake the waitress had brought as samples, she pointed at the Mont
Blanc without hesitation.

"You're okay with just the cake set?"

I expectedly asked.

"Won't you still be hungry with just that?"

"No, I'll be okay."

She straightened her back, put her hands on her knees, and said with a
tense face.

"I don't eat much."

Was her unexpected response. Maybe because I had been looking at her
steadily, she lowered her face. Panicking, I rushed to explain myself,
and felt that way until I had succeeded in getting her to smile again.
Thinking about it now, I said such embarrassing things that it had made
me sweat. It would be useless to write something like, uh, she was totally
cute just as she was. But, Miyokichi was indeed a beautiful girl. I would
think that about half of the boys in her class must be enamored with her.

Once they had arrived, she took about thirty minutes to nibble on her
Mont Blanc and sip her Darjeeling Tea. As for me, I finished my meal
quickly; it took just enough time for the ice in my iced coffee to melt.

I had quite some time in my hands, but I still couldn't understand her,
and as I threw some random subjects at her, she would just nod or shake
her head....... Well, considering it now, I don't think I paid that
much attention to it. I was just a bundle of sensitivity back then.
And probably all nervous.

I was going to pay for the tea shop bill. But she wouldn't listen,
insisting to the end that she would pay for her own share.

"Because I'm the one who wanted to go out today."

She said as her point.

Having finished settling our accounts, we started walking around in the
bright sunlight. After the horror movie, and that gorgeous little tea
shop, where did she want to go next? Or was it time for her to go home?

"............"

As we strolled, she went silent for a long while. And some time later,

"There is this one last place......"

The place she revealed in a small voice, was my home.



After all of that, I took her back to my home, and with my little sister,
who seemed like she had been waiting for us to arrive, the three of us
played games together.

By the way, Yoshimura Miyoko, nicknamed Miyokichi, was my little
sister's classmate, as well as her best friend, and at that time, she was
a ten-year-old, fourth-year student in Grade School.

I believe this has already been discussed in the old threads, but I would like to see the new generation's take on this (and Kyon's lolicon tendencies).

Also, in before "Kyon-kun, denwa~".

[Tyabann]

Gotta love how he doesn't even consider -that girl- when told to "write a romance story", even though he thinks about her 'once every few days', according to LOVER...

Instead he writes about Miyoko. What a siscon.