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Homo Ludens
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Canada
Age: 34
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Spoiler for September the Sixth, Day 5, Kyon: My Room- Nayuki:
Nayuki
I kick open the door. And by “kick open”, I mean “kick open”.
Or did we do that one already? Wait, what am I talking about?
My mother and sister, who are in the living room, look up at my sudden entry.
Kyon: Ah, what a crappy day! It was full of, um, crap. That was bad!
Both of them stare at me. I start heading into the kitchen.
Kyon: I nearly got run over by a truck! I fortunately managed to kick it as it went past, though.
At this, my mother jumps up and starts babbling worriedly. My sister goes back to her popsicle. Not good.
Kyon: Ah, I'm fine! It's not like that's the worst thing that happened to me today. I also met with Haruhi!
My sister perks her head up.
Sister: Haru-chan? Why is meeting her a bad thing?
Kyon: I'm glad you asked! Because I'm not going to tell you!
Oh ho ho!
This definitely isn't working. They could look over at any moment.
I wrench my arm away from my mother, who's trying to check for injuries.
Kyon: Anyway, that's why I need a drink of water! Yes! A drink. Of water.
Yes, mother, I'm feeling alright! I'm feeling perfectly fine! All is well!
I reach into the cupboard to get a glass, but 'accidentally' knock it over... which causes a chain reaction, culminating in rather a lot of shattered glass on the floor.
Kyon: Oh, uh, sorry... about... that... by the way, I was lying about the truck thing. Hahahahahahaha!
My mother cradles her face in the palm of her hand, looking rather a lot like a certain girl I met yesterday.
Sister: Mom, I think Kyon-kun's brain got stolen by the bodysnatchers again.
My mother, sighing, tells her to come and help us clean up the mess.
Just. As. Planned.
---
Girl A: Ah, I've got it.
And what would that be?
Girl A: Well, why not try for a frontal attack? Like, walk in to the house, acting as loud and obnoxious as you possibly can? Try to draw your mother and sister's attention, so I can slip in without being noticed.
...
Kyon: Loud and obnoxious? I guess I can do that.
I have a brigade chief who's an excellent teacher.
Kyon: Anyway, after you get in, you should head up to my room. You just go up the stairs and--
Girl A: Yeah, yeah, I know. Hurry up, I wanna flop down on a bed already.
...
---
When I got back to my room after that embarrassing scene, Girl A was indeed flopped down on my bed, an expression of bliss pasted on her face.
Girl A: Ah... human civilization is a wonderful thing.
Kyon: Get off! I didn't say that you could sleep there!
Girl A: Pipe down, you mother'll hear. Speaking of you being loud, I heard your performance. It was terrible. You need to be less loud and more obnoxious in the future.
Kyon: ...You...
She looks so happy lounging around like that, like a recently-fed housecat. It kind of pisses me off for some reason.
Girl A: Furthermore, didn't you say something pretty interesting just now?
Kyon: Sorry, what was that?
Girl A: You implied that I wouldn't be getting the bed. ...And I think that it's false advertisement if you don't, since you were the one who offered me... what was it? “A place to come home to?”
Kyon: That doesn't imply that you'd be getting to sleep in my bed. Nowhere in my invitation did I imply that!
She sits up.
Girl A: I'm a guest here! I deserve your hospitality and generosity! Therefore, I also deserve to sleep on a bed... it's been days...
And I think this would be you abusing my generosity. At least I got you out of the cold.
Kyon: Besides, you do realize that's my bed, right? It's a guy's bed. Those sheets haven't been washed in a week.
Girl A: I really don't care. Just so long as I can sleep on something soft and man-made, I don't care what kind of bed it is.
Kyon: Okay, then where am I supposed to sleep?
Right beside you? I don't think you'll like that at all, would you?
Girl A: You know, I could ask you the same question. Just grab one of the blankets and sleep on the floor. It looks comfy enough.
She rolls over, facing the wall.
Girl A: Goodnight~.
Kyon: Hey, hey, hold on, we're not--
Sister: Kyon-kun, who are you talking to?
Kyon: Gah!
My sister is right on the other side of the door!
I motion Girl A to get out of sight, but she doesn't move at all. In fact, I think she's pretending to snore.
That...!
I open the door a crack.
Kyon: What is it?
Sister: I heard you yelling at someone... you're acting so weird today.
Kyon: Oh, that. I was talking to myself. Nothing to worry about. In fact, I was in the middle of an important conversation, so if that's everything...
Sister: Mom says you have to stop doing that, especially in public.
Kyon: I don't talk to myself in public.
Sister: Yes you do, you just don't notice it! You did it last time we went out for dinner, and mom says the people at the next table thought you were nuts.
Kyon: ...I'll see you in the morning.
Sister: See you, Kyon-kun!
Well, that's one crisis avoided.
Kyon: We're going to have to worry about that, too. She has a tendency to barge in at odd times to borrow my scissors, and she also wakes me up most mornings.
Girl A is awake again now. Not that she was ever asleep to begin with.
Girl A: My little brother does the same thing, so I had a lock put on my door... yet he keeps getting in anyway.
I grab my chair and wedge it under the doorknob.
Kyon: That should keep her out long enough for you to hide somewhere. Also...
Sigh.
Kyon: I guess you can sleep on the bed, yeah.
Girl A: Victory!
From her sitting position, she flops back down onto the bed.
Kyon: There's a condition, though.
Girl A: Do tell.
Kyon: ...If you're going to be living at my house, you're going to tell me your name.
After all, we never really introduced ourselves... and I've never really thought to ask.
The soon-to-not-be-Girl A looks away for a moment, then opens her mouth.
However, I didn't get to hear her name, since what must have been a large truck passed loudly on the road outside.
There seems to be a lot of trucks in my life recently.
Kyon: Sorry, what was that?
It sounded a little... familar.
...
Girl A: ...You know what? Nevermind. Just call me Thief like I know you've been doing in your head anyway. It's good enough, wouldn't you say?
Kyon: Actually, I've been using “Girl A”...
Girl A: That's even worse!
Kyon: ...Why don't you want to tell me your name?
Girl A: Feminine reasons.
Kyon: ...
I suppose I can't argue with that.
Kyon: Then, why don't I just give you a name? Something I can call you by.
Girl A: Sure, but nothing stupid, please.
Kyon: How about “Nayuki”?
It's a pretty nostalgic name for me, but I think it suits you.
Nayuki: ...Sounds good to me.
And so Girl A became Nayuki.
My mother suddenly called through the door, asking who on Earth I was talking to.
Kyon: Gah!
---
We spent the rest of the night talking about trivial things and arguing over which blanket would be mine.
When it reached eleven 'o clock, Nayuki arbitrarily decided it was time to go to sleep.
Kyon: It's the weekend, though.
Nayuki: And I've been looking forward to sleeping in this bed since the day I was born.
That's a long time!
Nayuki: Goodnight~.
She starts to crawl under the covers.
Nayuki: ...Ah, crap.
What now?
Nayuki: I forgot to do something... Nevermind, I'll deal with the consequences later. Comfortable sleep now.
Kyon: Hold on, are you going to wear that to bed?
She's still in that dirty school uniform, after all.
Nayuki: What else am I supposed to put on? Your pyjamas?
Kyon: Yes, actually.
Although I think they'll be more than a little big on you.
Nayuki: ...Sure, why not? Might as well be even more comfortable.
After throwing her a pair, I turn my back in an attempt to be chivalrous. It's kind of awkward with a girl undressing behind you, but she's not pure and golden like Asahina-san, so I'm not nearly as freaked out by it as I might normally be.
Nayuki: What are you doing?
Kyon: Giving you some privacy?
Nayuki: Get in the closet.
I spin around.
Kyon: What?
Nayuki: You heard me. Get in the closet while I change. I can't trust you not to peek. Hell, how do I know that wasn't your intent when inviting me to stay here in the first place?
Kyon: Hey now...
This isn't some random love comedy! I'm not about to try to see you in your underwear for some cheap thrills!
Regardless of my protests, I ended up in the closet anyway. I took this opportunity to change my own clothes.
When Nayuki told me I could come out again, there were two marked differences in her appearance: One was, obviously, that she was wearing my ill-fitting pyjamas, and the other that she had let her hair down. I would have preferred her to keep the ponytail, of course, but somehow she looks cuter like this.
...It seems that I've come to an impasse.
Kyon: So you don't wear the ponytail to bed, then?
Nayuki: Of course not, who does... oh god, don't tell me.
Her face turns an instantaneous red.
Nayuki: You have a ponytail fetish, don't you?!
Kyon: ...How can you tell?
Nayuki: People who have a ponytail fetish all have something in common: They're idiots.
Kyon: ...
I can't think of anything intelligent to say to that, which I guess proves her right.
Nayuki's still muttering about something.
Nayuki: ...If I ever catch you staring at my hair, I swear, I'm going to... anyway, this is the third time I've said it, but goodnight~.
So does that mean that I can stare at other-- ah, forget it.
Nayuki grabs the remote off my bedside table, and switches off the lights.
---
I can't sleep.
This is for two reasons: One, that I'm reflecting on how strange and love-comedy-like my life has suddenly become, and two, that in an absence of other sources of sound, all I can hear is Nayuki's breathing.
...I am in serious trouble if anyone finds out that I'm looking after her. Well, I suppose that my family will find out eventually, and I'll definitely have to tell Koizumi about it just in case he has to do damage control, but I'm going to keep this in the dark as long as I can.
What worries me the most is that I have no idea who this girl really is, yet it seems as though she knows everything about me. ...For that matter, we get along surprisingly well despite having just met.
She is most definitely connected to the events of the past week... yet how? I don't see the connection. Unless...
...
The tiredness is robbing my brain of the ability to think, so I'll put this off until tomorrow.
At least, if there's one thing I no longer have to worry about anymore, it's those blasted headphones. I'll probably never see them again, and I'll have to make sure to stay far away from that station if I want to keep it that way.
Today was a very, very strange day.
But the strangest day of all is yet to come.
No, the truck jokes will never get old. I love that gag to bits.
What I did here was combine the last three Kyonko scenes into one, simply because there wasn't enough content in my brain or in that outline to make it last that long.
Please, do enjoy.
For those who are interested, yes, "love comedy" really is a central theme of the Co-Op Route, and yes, I did steal the closet thing from Shana.
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