Just one recommendation: A TTGL reference might work here with Haruki declaring that Mitsuuru's manliness "shall be made to pierce the heavens" or something like that.
We want to avoid specific references, I think, like the original does.
And "thanking your stars" is a British-esque thing. Just thought it sounded better.
The 1st pic (of the last episode) is simply adorable ; would it be too much for me to expect that to be somehow integrated into the story (I mean, how many guys here wouldn't take advantage of that situtation?
I lol at The Girl Who Leaped Across Time one.
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
The 1st pic (of the last episode) is simply adorable ; would it be too much for me to expect that to be somehow integrated into the story (I mean, how many guys here wouldn't take advantage of that situtation?
I lol at The Girl Who Leaped Across Time one.
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
I've read nearly all of them but that was several years ago. Calculus FTW!
@dkellis: Here are my edits of ClockWorkAngel's Remote Island Syndrome, in case you want to put them on the compilation post.
Spoiler for Introduction:
I could hear the groaning of Haruki, Nagato-san and Mori-san, as they collapsed onto the ground. Though I could remember a time when I discovered that the people of the Computer Society would swoon to see such a scene. I was too shocked to comment on this; looking towards the center of the room I saw something which made my knees felt weak.
I would have collapsed too. I had nearly lost every bit of my own composure, perhaps some part of me was denying what was actually happening; saying ?No this isn?t real!? or ?This can?t be happening!?. I leaned on the door frame for support. If you were seeing what I was seeing you could perhaps understand how astonished I was.
How can this be possible? I can't believe this is actually happening. This is no laughing matter. What should we do?
The window flashed suddenly adding to this sudden atmosphere. A few seconds later, the sound of thunder ringed in my ears. A true thunderstorm. It's been covering this island since yesterday.
"?.Can this really be happening??"
The groaning suddenly ceased as I saw the trio who attacked the door recover and stood back up slowly.
Koizumi was on her knees in shock, amazingly she also took the liberty to lean on my leg and pull on my skirt for support ?Let go damnit!? I thought, but I was still too hesitant to say anything. ?Come on Haruki.? I thought, ?Say something!? but as he managed to pull himself up he too, was hesitantly silent. I could only imagine what he felt looking at the scene before him. ?It?s the same.? I hoped ?He couldn?t have wished for this!? I thought, looking at the back of his head I couldn?t see if he had a silent shocked face or one brimming with anticipation.
I look once again at the unbelievable scene before me.
In the middle of the room laid on her back was the woman who we had just spent the last few days with. She is none other than the middle-aged owner of this mansion, who did not come down to the dining hall this morning. We recognized her by the dress she was wearing, it was the same dress she wore yesterday after bidding us good night. The only person to wear a dress so unnecessarily in this midsummer island would be her. She is the employer of Arakawa-san and Mori-san, and the owner of this island and mansion:
Tamaru Keiichi-san.
Keiichi-san lay on the ground with a shocked expression, not moving a muscle. It is absolutely normal for her not to move, because it seems like she's already dead.
How did I know this? Well, the answer was obvious. The object on her chest looked very familiar. It was the handle of the fruit knife that was inside the fruit basket from the dining hall during dinner last night.
I can bet with you, that attached to that handle is a sharp metal blade, or it would have been impossible for it to stand upright on a person's chest. In other words, the knife is thrust into Keiichi-san's chest.
I don't suppose anyone can live if they've had a knife stabbed straight into their heart?
And right now that's the status of Keiichi-san.
"KYAA......"
From the broken door behind me came a small terrified scream. I turned and saw Asahina-san covering his mouth with his hands. He had almost fallen down, surprisingly, he stood, though weakly.
"Kyon, that person......could she be......"
Haruki had finally managed to speak, his voice broke the silent eerily.
"Dead?"
I have yet to hear him speak so softly, the Haruki I?ve known for so long had always spoke loudly. But for this moment he had seemed too anxious. I stared at Koizumi who regained herself and now stood up, her eternal smile was gone and she now had a face that I would imagine resembled mine; confused, hesitant and afraid. Arakawa-san the old maid had retreated to one of the corners of the room.
Only one person, who was in the mansion all day yesterday, was now missing.
A room that needs the door burst open in order to enter, a dead owner, and a missing person. What does this all mean?
"Kyon?"
Haruki softly said again. I thought of his seriousness, and perhaps wondered if I, or anyone, could have managed to lean on him right now. His discomfort however seemed to shout ?What?s happening?!? and I doubt any type of questionable gesture like that would help the situation.
Another lightning flash, illuminating the whole room. The thunderstorm that raged from yesterday was beginning to calm down. The fierce waves smacked down upon the island shores, creating a terrifying sound effect along with the thunder.
The owner of a lone island, lying dead inside a sealed room with a knife stabbed through her chest, in the middle of a thunderstorm. This is the scene I was seeing. It seemed so clich?, I have seen this in the movies and dramas on TV so many times. And I thought:
?Haruki has too.?
I can't help but think again.
Hey, Haruki,
Did you create all this?
I recalled the journey leading the SOS Brigade to this scene.
Back to a few days before summer vacation began, in that deceptively normal day.
Is this really happening?
Because it all started so normally.
Spoiler for Part 1:
The middle of July, I could remember that day like a midsummer?s night dream; hazy and no doubt absurd. The sun still stared down on the school and I had often found myself wishing it would take a vacation.
Like always, I had found myself inside the Literature Club?s former room; the SOS Brigade headquarters, with its only member, and of course Asahina-san. I stared at the tea he had brewed that was sitting in front of me, and mused on how feminine he was. I would also think about the results of my mid-term exams. Though I have survived and have gotten over them, the thought of the impending revision classes was still in the back of my mind. I started at the cup laid down for Nagato-san, there was less of it now; though I could never see him drink it. Can?t I just live like this? Free from all the worries of life and of course from the adventures always happening whenever I was within a 10 foot radius of Haruki.
Suddenly, I had began to doze off, in a half woken state I was question on how I could convince myself that this was all a dream and that I would wake up.
"Excuse me......are you alright?"
I awoke from the dream of being an alien commander, sending wave after wave of soldiers to drop from the skies and defeat the enemy. Of course I was nothing like that, and telling myself didn?t make that fact change. No amount of dreaming and hope could really do that.
"You look so gloomy today......is my tea not good enough?"
"Not at all."
I answered. Your tea is still as sweet as honey from the sky, even though it's brewed using discount tea leaves.
"That's wonderful."
Asahina-san, dressed in his blazer-less uniform breathed a sigh of relief. He had given me a wide grin of happiness and I couldn?t resist giving him one of my own. Somehow his smile had brightened up the mood, if only just for me. Not even a sage traveling through the most remote mountains could find an elixir as effective as Asahina-san's smile, though as hard as I tried to imagine I doubt the existence of sages wandering the mountains who can survive there for anymore than a few days. But I felt a burning in my heart, almost enough to make me cry out to the world in happiness. For some reason I could hear the trumpets of angels and chirping of birds.
I felt like spreading my passion to everyone, as St. Francis of Assisi passionately did when preaching to his sister birds, but in the end I gave up. Not because I couldn't be bothered with the use of elegant phrases, but rather at this moment an annoying person came barging in with her melodious tones, who has often been one to talk in oh-so elegant phrases.
"Hey, everyone! How were your mid-term tests?"
Koizumi placed the Monopoly board she brought on the table while asking me this irrelevant question. Her sudden appearance swatted me down back to the cold ground and had continued to smother my face to the dirt. Why can't you just play your Monopoly quietly? You ought to learn from Nagato, sitting peacefully in the corner reading his book.
Ignoring the continuous musings of Koizumi as she begins comparing the world to Monopoly in which I instinctively tune out, I stare at Nagato-san who has opened another book. His hand flipped the pages of the thick hardcover in a rhythmic manner. He probably knew I was looking at him, but his statue like face concentrated at the book. From a certain perspective, he is a digitized existence, yet he seems to love absorbing physical data. I wonder if there's some specific reason for that? I frown suddenly, thinking that if I do any more thinking I?ll end up like Koizumi, if not worse.
"......"
Now I think about it, how can everyone in our club have so much free time on their hands?
School finished early today, classes having already ended in the morning. Yet why is everyone still gathered here? Myself included, but I have a justifiable reason to be here! If I didn't drink Asahina-san's tea at least once every day, I'd basically become a zombie.
Thanks to that, I usually have to suffer withdrawal symptoms during the weekends.
Just joking. You think I'm serious? It's just that I've learned something since I came to high school - some people tend to take jokes very seriously. I say this from my experiences of the past few months, so I can't be wrong. One needs to draw a fine line between joking and being serious, or something terrible might happen.
Just like my situation right now.
I opened my bag and took out the ham sandwich I got from the Welfare Society as my snack.
As we count down to the beginning of summer vacation, there has to be a reason for us to gather here......or not. I say that because the SOS Brigade was created without any reason at all, in fact, it was created precisely for its lack of reason. It would be even more troublesome if it did have a reason. Instead of doing something really stupid, it's better that it remains in its present meaningless state, because that way I don't have to think much.
"I think I'll have a snack as well."
Asahina-san, so meticulous that he made his own tea, took out a cute looking lunchbox and sat down opposite me.
"Don't mind me, I've already eaten in the canteen."
Koizumi declined. No one asked you. While Nagato's hunger is more about reading books than about eating.
Asahina-san picked up the rice, which had a smiley face drawn with cream, with his chopsticks and said,
"Where's Suzumiya-san? He hasn't arrived yet."
Don't ask me. He's probably somewhere hunting for grasshoppers. It's summer after all.
Koizumi answered for me,
"I saw him in the school canteen. His appetite sure is amazing. If all the food he consumed was converted into nutrition, I wonder how many ergs that'd be?"
I?ll never bother with calculations Koizumi brings up, mostly because they end up being a waste of time or entirely irrelevant to what?s currently happening. If Haruki decides to lock himself up to the canteen, then there?ll be more peace in the world; everywhere except in that canteen of course.
"Don't think so. He said he has something important to announce today."
How can you be so cheerful? Has anything he has ever done or proposed become beneficial in any way?
"Besides, how do you know about that anyway?"
Koizumi said casually,
"Hmm, I wonder how? I could tell you, but Suzumiya-san would prefer to tell you himself. It would be a great problem if I spoiled his mood by telling you before he does. I'd best stay silent for now."
I should have know, she always seems to know something, and apparently she knows what happening. You seem to always be by his side Koizumi, and I can?t remember a time whenever that ended nicely for me and Asahina-san.
"I'm not interested anyway."
"Is that so?"
"Yup, because from your tone, it seems that idiot is up to something stupid again. I don't know how many more minutes my peace of mind will last, but I'm sure it's going to get less peaceful soon......"
As I was about to continue, I was interrupted by a slamming sound from the violent opening of the door.
"Great! Everyone's here!"
Haruki's eyes shone as bright as a spectrometer. Which obviously meant something bad was going to happen. I braced myself for the worst. I stare at Asahina-san who looks at him perplexed but somehow full of anticipation. Asahina-san! How can you still trust him?
"As today we're having an important meeting, I intend to have anyone arriving after me be treated as target practice for can throwing from now on as punishment. But it seems you've all begun to nurture that team spirit already. This is excellent!"
Needless to say, I never knew there was an important meeting today.
"You sure have a lot of free time."
I was trying to humble him.
"You listen. The secret to eating in the school canteen is to go just before they close. By then the old men will scoop more for you. But the timing is very important, it'd be useless if you went when they were completely sold out. So today's a lucky day!"
"Really?"
For someone like me who rarely goes to the canteen for lunch, this new piece of information wasn't of that much use, no matter how generously it had been given.
Haruki sat down on the commander's seat.
"Anyway, let's leave that aside."
"It was you who started that topic."
Haruki ignored me and called out to Asahina-san, who was eating carefully with his chopsticks.
"Mitsuru-kun, what do you think of when you mention summer?"
"Huh?"
Asahina-san covered his mouth, munching and swallowing the food that he had cooked.
"Summer......um......the O-Bon Festival?"
Haruki blinked his eyes nonstop at such a nostalgically traditional answer. It was plainly obvious that wasn?t the answer he looked for. Haruki, if you want us to know something say it yourself!
"'O-Bon Festival'? What on earth's that? Have you got it wrong? I'm not asking you that, what I'm saying is, when it comes to summer, what's the first thing that comes to mind?"
What the hell are you talking about?
Haruki said matter-of-factly,
"Summer vacation! Does that need thinking?"
This way of thinking is a bit too straightforward.
"Then what comes with summer vacation?"
Haruki asked his second question, and then looked at her watch while mimicking the sound of the clock ticking, "Tick tock, tick tock."
Perhaps feeling pressured by him, Asahina-san began to think frantically.
"Um, that is, ah......the sea!"
"That's right! Close enough. And what comes with the sea?"
What the hell is this? A guessing game?
Asahina-san tilted his head,
"Sea, sea......ah, pickled fish?"
"Wrong! Summer would be over by the time you guessed right. What I'm saying is, we need to go on a field trip for the summer holiday!"
I turned my head from Haruki?s bright smiling face to the one sitting near me; Koizumi.
Was that the announcement you were talking about all along?
"Field trip?"
I asked slowly, Haruki nodded energetically,
"Yes, a field trip."
Maybe it's normal for school clubs to organize field trips or whatever, but is it really okay for us to have one as well? He can't be having us go deep into the mountains to search for Unidentified Mysterious Animals (UMAs) that will never be found, can he? No wait, even if he wasn?t allowed to; he still would.
I looked at Asahina-san, Koizumi and Nagato-san in turn, and observed a stunned face, a smiling face, and a blank face from them respectively. I then said,
"A field trip, huh......field trip for what?"
"For the SOS Brigade."
"I meant, what will we be doing?"
"Having a field trip."
What?
Going on a field trip solely for the purpose of experiencing a field trip.
Isn't that the same as saying "my headache hurts", "the tragic play is tragic", or "frying a fried fish"?
"What does it matter? In other words, the means and ends of this activity are the same. Besides, of course a headache hurts, who's heard of anyone enjoying a headache?"
I don't know whether there's something wrong with Haruki's grammar, or if he's speaking in a different dialect. But the real problem lies with the field trip itself.
"Where do you intend to go?"
"I'm going to a lone island, and it has to be a lone island in the middle of the ocean."
I don't remember ever reading "Two Years' Vacation" as a summer vacation report. Just what on earth did he read to come up with such an idea?
"I've thought of a few locations."
Haruki's excitement showed on his face.
"I was troubled by whether to go to the mountains or the sea. At first I thought it'd be more convenient to go to the mountains, but the only time to get ourselves isolated in a hillside mansion is during a blizzard in winter. Besides, that's way too hard."
Maybe you can try going to Greenland......no, the question is why must we do such a thing?
"You want to go to a hillside mansion just so you can get stuck there?"
"Well yeah! Or it wouldn't be fun. But let's forget about the mountains! We'll save that for the winter field trip. This summer we're going to the sea, no, a lone island!"
Don't be so obsessed with lone islands. I thought, but I could find no reason for opposition. It'd be useless for me to oppose him anyway, and for this time of year, the sea sounds more charming; besides, there should be seaside spas in these lone islands far away from the mainland, right?
"Of course there are! Right, Koizumi?"
"Hmm, I should hope so. Though it's a natural seaside spa without any lifeguards or food stalls."
I quickly looked at Koizumi, with my eyes full of suspicion. Why are you helping her recite all this?
"That's because......"
Koizumi's explanation got interrupted by Haruki.
"Because the location for the field trip this time is being provided by none other than Koizumi!"
Haruki stuck his hands inside the desk drawer, and took out a colored armband. He then used a felt-tip pen to write "Vice Commander" on it.
"As a result of this achievement, Koizumi-kun, you should feel honored. I hereby promote you to SOS Brigade Vice Commander!"
"I am grateful for this honor."
Koizumi bowed and accepted the armband. She winked at me, don?t kid yourself! I would never want such an absurd present!
"That's it. This is a four day three night luxury tour! Let's get ourselves mentally prepared!"
Haruki gave a look saying "That's all folks!" Thinking we're all happy with this decision, which was of course, never the case.
"Just a moment."
I stepped forward and spoke on behalf of Asahina-san and Nagato-san. Asahina-san who seemed as shocked as ever and Nagato-san not caring at all, give me support damnit!
"Where is this island? Provide? What the hell's this? Why is Koizumi providing all this for us?"
Koizumi, defined by Haruki as a mysterious transfer student, is of course an unnatural person, and this 'Organization' that she belongs to is even more suspicious. Could they be taking us to some secret research lab of theirs, trying to perform live autopsies on Haruki and Nagato?
"I have a very rich distant relative."
Koizumi gave a harmless smile.
Liar.
"She's so rich that she can buy himself an uninhabited island and build a mansion on it. The fact is, she's already built the mansion. It just went through the opening ceremony a few days ago, but as no one was willing to travel that far to such a place, she's decided to invite some friends and relatives over. And this is where I came in."
Is the island that bizarre? I started to recall the story of "Robinson Crusoe" I read a long time ago. I can only imagine myself trapped there and eventually end up calling Asahina-san a day of the week.
"No, it was supposed to have been an uninhabited island. Summer vacation is approaching, and if the SOS Brigade is going on a trip, it would be more fun if we go there together. The owner of the mansion seems to welcome us coming as well."
"And that's how it is!" said Haruki.
He gave out a smile that would get us in trouble.
"A lone island! And a huge mansion! This is a rare situation! I can't wait to go there. This is the perfect stage for the SOS Brigade!"
"Why?" I asked, "What does a lone island and mansion have to do with your favorite mysterious events?"
Alas, Haruki is already lost in his own world. I ask myself ?Why don?t you remember? He never listens!?
"A lone island in the middle of the sea! And a mansion! Koizumi, your relative is really understanding! Hmm, I think I'll get along well with her."
The only people who can get along well with Haruki are mostly weirdos. The mansion owner must be a very weird person.
I couldn't tell if Nagato-san had heard what Haruki had announced; it was easy with Asahina-san, who had stopped eating, with an astonished look on his face.
"Don't worry, Mitsuru-chan. You can have all the pickled fish you want there! Am I right?"
"I'll try and arrange it." Said Koizumi.
"That's how it is."
Haruki took another colored armband from the drawer of the commander's desk. I have no idea how many he's made. Though I really doubt that the SOS Brigade will ever grow large enough for all the armbands he has hidden to be actually used.
"Towards the lone island! A lot of interesting things await us there. As for our mission there, I've already decided!"
He said while writing on the armband with the felt-tip pen. The letters looked scribbled, but it seemed to say "Master Detective".
What are you thinking? You?re not really expecting a mystery do you? Do you think life is really like the movies? Life is supposed to be normal!
Of course with Haruki, life has never been normal.
Other parts soon...
Oh, and I totally agree with Danchou on fantasy derailing.
________ starcraft replays
Last edited by unmoldedtruck; 2011-01-24 at 20:07.
朝倉 well... straight out of Wiki (don't think too much of any real, tangible connection to it)
The Asakura clan (朝倉氏, Asakura-shi?) are descendants of Prince Kusakabe (662-689), son of Emperor Temmu (631-686).
The family was a line of daimyō (feudal lords) which, along with the Azai clan, opposed Oda Nobunaga in the late 16th century. They were defeated by Nobunaga at the battle of Anegawa in 1570, and all but eliminated when their home castle of Ichijōdani was taken three years later.
We already discussed Ryou so I will leave it at that.
'ko' is almost a convenient way to apply a name to a girl.
__________________
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
Haruki left after being satisfied with his announcement, Asahina-san and Nagato-san also left the club room and headed home. Only Koizumi and I remained behind.
Koizumi brushed her hair nonchalantly and said,
"It's true. Even if I didn't suggest it, Suzumiya-san was bound to find somewhere to go anyway, am I right? Since summer vacation is quite long. Would you rather go searching for Tsuchinoko in the mountains instead of walking along the seaside?"
"A Tsuchinoko...? ...Forget it, don't actually go and explain what it is. I know that much, at least."
"Three days ago, I happened to find Suzumiya-san in the bookstore in front of the station. I saw him staring hard at a map of Japan while looking through some sort of mysterious magazine that deals with Unidentified Mysterious Animals."
A field trip in search of UMAs, huh? This doesn't sound like a big deal, but the scary thing is that Haruki would actually expect to find something mysterious.
"It seems Suzumiya-san intended to return home with something. I had a feeling he would start with Mt. Hiba first. That being the case, it would be better for us to have a sunbath by the seaside. Besides, I already had someplace in mind."
How coincidental for you to have someplace in mind. On the other hand, however, between bathing in the sun by the seaside; and climbing the hills in a remote mountain, the difference is like heaven and hell.
"The key is that this is a privately owned uninhabited island, a so-called 'closed circle'."
This I had to ask about. Asking about what you do not understand is the best policy. Not know what you were planning is far more annoying than the smug look you always have on your face.
"What's a 'closed circle'?"
Koizumi's smug face was never that annoying though. I have gotten used to it, but of course everyone has their own opinions.
"Perhaps there's a similarity......" Koizumi smiled and paused for a while, "I guess it would be more appropriate to call it a 'Sealed Reality'?"
Koizumi was giggling, was my expression that funny? I?m not sure what to expect from her anymore; her mentioning of Sealed Reality didn?t really say island paradise to me, maybe just an island.
"I was kidding. A 'Closed circle' is a mystery term. It means a situation in which all direct contact with the outside world has been lost."
Wouldn?t it have been better if you said that first? Koizumi! Your jokes aren?t very funny! Especially since you?re always smiling!
"This is a setting most commonly seen in classic detective novels. For example, if we were to go skiing before the harsh winter......"
Oh yeah, didn't Haruki say she wanted to go to the snowy mountains? Perhaps we would be climbing the mountains there looking for a mysterious demon or creature to jump in front of him. He would probably jump to fight it too.
"Going to the snowy mountains for a field trip is not too bad, but what if then, the largest blizzard on record was to arrive?"
If we were to go there, one would check the weather report first. Haruki would probably search for the ones with extreme weather warnings first and tell us it?s a great place to go. Like we?d even make it there! We?d be trapped in the car for days!
"That's the problem. We're surrounded by the blizzard and thick layers of snow and there's no way off the mountain, and there's no way for people to come up as well."
Then think of something! I doubt that simply staying in a remote uncharted location is going to save us!
"There's no other way out. That's why it's called a 'closed circle'. Under these circumstances, something usually happens. I guess, the most common event is that someone gets murdered. So the stage is set. There is no way out for the suspect and the other people, and no new characters can enter from the outside, let alone the police. It wouldn't be fun if we had to resort to scientific forensics to rat out the suspect."
What are you implying? Are you suggesting that we run into a blizzard lock ourselves in an abandoned house and wait for someone to die? Koizumi! Can?t you just think straight for once?
"Ah, sorry about that. In other words, Suzumiya-san's theme for this trip is to be involved in such a mysterious event."
Is that it? Is that why he chose a lone island? The more I think about it the more it seems that Haruki wants us dead, probably calling it off as an accident!
"Yes, a lone island. I was thinking, he'd probably conjure a condition in which the island is somehow sealed off, and during this time when no one can escape, someone would get murdered. A hilltop mansion in the middle of a blizzard or a lone island in the middle of a tropical storm are the perfect ingredients for a 'closed circle', where there is no way for the authorities to get involved. The ultimate stage for a crime mystery."
"You seem to be enjoying this."
I'm quite sure that Haruki is anything but stable in the summer. But you don?t have to suddenly give him all this encouragement out of the blue! He has enough inspiration! If anything you should be discouraging him or at least steering him in the right direction. No I?m not saying that because I?m jealous of that armband Ms. Vice-Commander!
"Because I like such a stage as well."
I have told myself in multiple times never to argue with Koizumi, she has this weird habit of turning everything into a question and asking me it. But I still have to say it; what I thought was ?I don?t like this at all.?
Koizumi naturally ignored my preference and swatted it down like a fly. How many times have you done that to me Koizumi? She had continued on as if I hadn?t said anything. Don?t just ignore me!
"Think about those 'Master Detectives'. Normally, those with normal lives rarely get involved in inexplicable murder cases."
"Makes sense."
"Yet why is it that these novel detectives happen to get involved in these puzzling cases one after another? Do you know the reason?"
"Because if they didn't, there would be no story to write."
"Exactly, your answer is absolutely correct. These things only happen in the fictional world of novels. Yet to say such realistic things would just take the fun out of it, since Suzumiya-san intends to be in the world of fiction."
In the past this was the sole reason Haruki created the SOS Brigade, but he has never realized the he?s already surrounded by the people he works so hard to find! Haruki what do you think a time-traveler, esper or alien would look like? Do you think they?re really going to jump in front of you and say ?Hello! Do you want to play?? Haruki! You?re already living that life, calm down for once!
"In order to encounter such surreal and mysterious events, one needs to go to a suitable location. Because that is how the detectives in these novels end up in those events. So, one must become a major player on the stage itself. If one desires to have these events come to their doorstep, they must either have a relative who's a brilliant detective, or they must be a police officer themselves, or wait till they publish a series of novels themselves."
That makes sense. I know Nagato-san loves science fiction novels, but I never knew he likes mystery novels as well. As for Haruki, I guess he probably loves both. Even if only so that he can try to find them happening somewhere on Earth, if not off it.
"For an outsider to play the role of a detective, one needs to be dragged unexpectedly into these circumstances, and to solve them in the swiftest manner possible."
"They can't just have things incidentally happening to them all of a sudden."
Koizumi nodded,
"Yes, reality seldom develops like in novels. The chances of an intriguing sealed room murder in the school are very low. So, Suzumiya-san must be thinking of going to a place with more favorable circumstances."
The idiom "turning something on its head" came to mind suddenly.
"And that location is the stage for this field trip - the lone island. For some reason, most people would find this the most suitable stage for a murder mystery."
What do you mean by "most people"? Your "most" is probably a minority. Stop trying to twist your words into reality!
"Thus, strange events often happen where master detectives appear. This is not coincidental, but rather, these detectives possess the supernatural power to summon events to themselves. It is not the events that draw the detectives, but rather it is the presence of these detectives that creates such events."
I looked at Koizumi with a look as though I had just stepped on a sea slug. She had blatantly stated all of this; right off the bat, with no hesitation. In a way, my reaction was just like that.
"Are you fully conscious?"
"I'm always suitably conscious. I didn't come up with the connections between detectives and closed circles, I'm just trying to convey Suzumiya-san's way of thinking. To put it simply, the whole reason for this trip is because he wants to become a detective."
Does Haruki need to be a master detective? Can?t he just make a movie out of his dream? He could be the detective and the criminal too! You can be anything you want Haruki, just keep me out of it!
"At least this is better than having to go to the mountains to search for Tsuchinoko or Bigfoot. I only told Suzumiya-san that I know someone who's built a mansion on an island and is inviting guests. Of course, I don't expect anyone to get murdered."
Koizumi's relaxed smile and even the shrugging of her shoulders had agitated me to no end.
"I'm just trying to provide Suzumiya-san with a little entertainment. Otherwise, who knows what other ideas he might conjure out of his boredom? If that's the case, it would be easier for us to handle things by providing a stage beforehand."
"Us?"
"This has nothing to do with the 'Organization'. Though I did make a report just to be safe. I may be an esper, but I'm still a high school student. Furthermore, there's nothing wrong with a field trip. It's quite normal for high school students. Isn't going on a trip with your close friends something worth looking forward to?"
I have no problem with doing just that, it would be a nice experience to go to a local beach or spa, but why a lone island? And since we?re talking about Haruki I couldn?t help think that we?ll have two typhoons trail our boat while we rush towards the island.
No, let?s try to forget that and not put anything crazy like that in our minds. Haruki wasn?t the one who wanted anyone to get killed just so that he could solve a mystery, if he was, North high would have been deserted by a series of alien invasions or by a swarm of monsters.
Four days and three nights by the seaside in summer. A white beach, and probably some relaxing sunshine. I think I can endure such a summer, bring it on, Mr. Sunshine! While I'm sure Koizumi will tell me to wear something revealing, I'm asking myself, ?Will you be the only one looking??
Regardless I should be preparing myself for what sort of scheme Haruki has for Asahina-san because I doubt he?d miss this prime opportunity to dress him in a way that will continue to mentally harm him. I promise won?t look at your embarrassed state Asahina-san! At least not when you?re facing me.
The mansion owner was extremely generous in providing free lodging and food for us. We only needed to pay for the return trip from the island itself.
And so we met by the ferry pier at the harbor, awaiting our ferry's arrival.
Haruki couldn't wait to get going already. We just had the end-of-term assembly yesterday; in other words, today is the first day of summer vacation. It seems that Koizumi's relatives didn't really mind when we chose to go, but to set off right on the first day of vacation is proof of Haruki's anxiousness. Any hope of enjoying my summer vacation peacefully without ever having to see Haruki's face has now been shattered. This is all because of the presence of Haruki, and it is also the meaning of his existence.
"It's been a long time since I rode a ferry."
Haruki slid his shades down and gazed at the grey sea in the distance by the pier. His short dark hair managed to be moved by the strong wind, as he stood by the edge of the boarding dock.
"Such a huge ship! It's so incredible, for such a large ship to float on water."
Asahina-san, carrying two suitcases in his hands, looked up in awe at the ferry. He wore a casual white shirt, jeans and tried his best to hold onto to the straw hat he wore. This made him look very cute. Seeing him in normal clothes suited him and seemed to display his adorable face. His eyes glimmered like a child's, looking at the old ferry as though it were some ancient wooden boat dug up by archaeologists. Perhaps ships don't float on water in his age. I wondered ?What else is different in your age Asahina-san, how much don?t you know? How much don?t we know??
"......"
Nagato-san's face remained blank as usual, staring at the corporate logo printed on the hull of the ferry. For once, Nagato was not wearing his uniform, but a checkered sleeveless shirt. Carrying a yellowish-green umbrella, he gave the impression of a hikkimori who just came out of his house for the first time for years. I wish I had an instant camera with me. If I took a picture of this, I could probably sell it for a high price to Taniguchi.
"The weather's excellent. This is great, you could say it's the perfect weather for sailing, though we'll be in second class today." Koizumi said.
"That suits us just fine."
It's not like the cabins are that big anyway. Even though this is going to be a long cruise, we're still ten years too early to have a private cabin to ourselves. This is, after all, a high school field trip.
Technically, this trip isn't a study trip or anything of the sort. A trip just for the sake of having one can't really be counted as meaningful. Usually there'd be a consulting teacher accompanying a club's field trip activities. There is none for the SOS Brigade. This is because we're still not recognized by the school as a formal club. It would be surprising if a teacher had come along. In North High, you can't even form an association if you don't have a consulting teacher. In my speculation, even if a teacher did agree to be consultant to the SOS Brigade, Haruki would probably find that unnecessary. Because if he didn't, he would have abducted one already, just as he abducted us.
As I stretched my muscles, Asahina-san walked slowly to my side. His round eyes became even rounder.
"How does that huge ship float?"
How does it float? Besides its buoyancy, I don't think there's any other way. Don't they teach physics in Asahina-san's age?
"Really? Buoyancy...you're right. I see. So this is what they mean by 'one is usually unaware of their surroundings'..."
What are you talking about? Asahina-san nodded his head with a serious look on his face.
Let me try asking. Just one question wouldn't hurt. After all it wouldn?t change anything right?
"Ahem......Asahina-san, do ships in the future float using state-of-the-art technology?"
"Um......you think I can tell you?"
Having heard him put it that way, I shook my head. I didn't think so. I tried asking another question,
"There's got to be a sea?"
Asahina-san held the tip of his hat and tilted his head,
"Um, yeah, there's a sea."
"That's great to hear."
I don't know whether she comes from the near future or distant future, but it certainly is pleasing to hear that the earth didn't turn into a desert in the future, that is, if the sea is cleaner than it is now.
I had wanted to know, just so I can tell myself ?The future really is like how you dreamt it is!? and that I wasn?t really looking for an impossible reality. Maybe dreams do come true. But maybe the answer was too obvious to deny.
"Kyon! Mitsuru-chan! What're you doing? It's time!"
Haruki shouted loudly, telling us it was time to board.
Was this the first mistake I did or just a continuation of one? I ask myself ?Why do I keep doing this?? and ?Am I really saving the world like this?? I have never though life with Haruki could get anymore clich? than this, but perhaps I was expecting too much.
Spoiler for Part 3:
There was a meeting today, but I managed to become late even though I had gotten up quite early for it. I was rushing towards the door, determined not to be penalized by Haruki but found my bag much heavier. I opened up to find my brother snuggled up inside there, ?How cute.? I though before he cried out ?Kidnapper-san! Where are you taking me?? What? You?re the one who put yourself inside the bag! The night before, he kept shouting, "I wanna go too!", after I let it slip that I was going on a trip with Haruki and the rest. I spent two whole hours trying to cheer him up, but I never thought he would sneak into my bag. I yanked him out of the bag and interrogated him on where he hid my stuff. It took some time trying to do a good cop, bad cop routine on him as he chose to remain silent. "If you don't tell me, then I'm not gonna buy any presents for you! I'll use all that money to buy lunchboxes for the SOS Brigade!"
The SOS Brigade gathered in the corner of the second class cabin, chatting while eating the lunchboxes I bought. Actually, Haruki and Koizumi were the only ones talking the whole time.
"How much longer till we get there?"
"Judging from the speed of this ferry, I'd say about six hours. According to the plans, they'll be waiting for us at the harbor. Then we'll ride on their speedboat for about half an hour before arriving at the lone island with the mansion on top of it. I've never been there before, so I'm not sure what it's like there."
"I bet it must be a weird mansion. Do you know the name of the architect?" Haruki asked.
"I didn't ask that much, I do remember her saying she hired an architect to build it."
"I can't wait."
"It'd be great if it could match your expectations, but I'm not too sure myself as I've never seen it before. But for someone to build a private mansion on an uninhabited island, the mansion must be unique in some way. That would be perfect."
Said Koizumi, but I certainly wasn't hoping for that. If the blueprint design was as Haruki had imagined it, then the architect who drew it must have been awake for three whole nights, suffering from alcohol poisoning, and nodding occasionally while drawing drowsily. The image stayed in my mind for about five minutes, before asking myself ?Why am I going there again? Why don?t I just jump into the sea right now?? after somehow musing about the probabilities of becoming a mermaid princess by doing such, I managed to come back to my mermaid-less reality and think about the current situation. Haruki, can?t you just make up your mind? Can?t we just go to a normal inn and eat normal Japanese breakfasts? I wonder perhaps in the dazed state that architect must have been if the mansion was ever named, perhaps something along the lines of ?mysterious mansion? or ?uncharted nightmare house?, or maybe Haruki will just become a serial killer and give it a name.
"An island! And a mansion! There's nothing better than this for an SOS Brigade trip. At this rate, we're headed for a perfect summer vacation."
Haruki managed to say, as he would laugh with Koizumi.
Annoying.
So annoying.
How annoying.
Can?t you just shut up for a second?
Besides rocking along the waves on the ship's deck, there was nothing else to do, so we followed Koizumi's suggestion and played Go Fish. Koizumi, who lost from start to finish, had to buy drinks for the five of us. I collected my drink and drank silently. Wondering about what type of sea creatures would jump from the sea and come to take me away.
I just couldn't help but have a bad feeling about this lone island awaiting us. Asahina-san seemed to feel the same as well.
Haruki said after finishing his juice in two gulps,
"Mitsuru-chan, you look terrible, are you seasick?"
"No......that......ah, maybe."
Asahina-san replied, Haruki then said,
"That won't do, you'd better get some fresh air. It's great enjoying the sea breeze out on the deck. C'mon, let's go!"
He then grabbed Asahina-san's hand and smiled,
"Don't worry, I won't push you into the sea. Hmm......though that's not a bad idea. The sudden disappearance of a cute feminine male shota passenger."
"Eh!?"
Haruki slapped Asahina-san's stiffened shoulders.
"Just kidding! That wouldn't be fun at all. It'd be exciting if the ship were to hit an iceberg or get attacked by a giant squid. I'm not the sort that likes to get everyone in trouble just so I can have fun!"
Where are the lifeboats again? I?m going to make sure that Haruki doesn?t decide to make everything a closed circle and had already rigged the motor and threw away all the lifeboats. Of course, I don't suppose an iceberg would come that near to the seas of Japan in the middle of summer, then again, this is Haruki we?re talking about. I thought about the possibility that unknown marine creatures might attack suddenly. I glared at Koizumi: If a monster attacks, we're counting on you! I don't know how she read my thoughts, but she replied with a smile, while Nagato just stared at the wall. Nagato-san, how can you be so calm?
Haruki continued endlessly,
"The best events are of course left for the island! Koizumi, will I be disappointed?"
"There's no exact definition of what constitutes an event."
Koizumi said smoothly,
"I, too, am hoping for an enjoyable trip."
Koizumi revealed an enigmatic smile. Though this was her usual expression, I stared hard at the esper, trying to figure out what was behind that smiling mask. I soon gave up. Her smile is like Nagato-san's blank expression - impossible to read anything from. Really, she ought to show more emotion as well. Of course, not as blatantly as Haruki, Koizumi! You?re becoming like Haruki more and more! Why don?t you two run around by yourselves and leave me alone?
Haruki had made up a song and began humming it loudly while doing so he had already pulled up Asahina-san and began pulling him upwards. Asahina-san turned around repeatedly, hoping that I would come along; perhaps I was thinking too much then, but I didn't want to ruin Haruki's mood, so I let them go. I?m sorry Asahina-san! I can?t save you!
No matter how insane Haruki is, just before Asahina-san fell into the sea, he would save him. I prayed and stared at the ceiling, then used my bag as a pillow and lay down. It's going to be an early morning tomorrow, so I'd better get some sleep. But as I began to drift away into my dreams I wondered who would wake me up, and if I were to wake up will I still see the world, with all the madness Haruki has caused, or will I wake up from this dream.
I dreamt of a fantasy world in which I did many strange but ultimately interesting things. No not those things! But before I could start to remember anything I was woken up by the forceful shout from Haruki,
"Stop sleeping, you idiot! Get up already! Are you really in the mood for this trip at all? If you're already sleeping on the trip, then what can we expect from you?"
It seemed to me that I had slept to the end of the ferry, perhaps missing everything. Somehow I felt like I lost an important part of my life from that. What am I saying? It?s a miracle that I woke up now! Or maybe that?s a bad thing. I though of the smug face of Koizumi looking at me while I slept while Nagato-san was staring at the wall or his book. It sent chills through my body.
"The first step is the most important! You lack the heart to enjoy things. Look at everyone else. Their expectations for this trip show in the glittering in their eyes!"
I followed the direction of Haruki's finger towards the three servants preparing to carry their luggage off the ferry.
The smiling youth said,
"Give her a break, Suzumiya-san, she's trying to save up energy for the trip. Who knows, she's probably going to spend all night thinking of how to entertain us next!"
I listened to Koizumi's irrelevant explanation, while observing Nagato-san's puppet like face and Asahina-san's puppy dog eyes, trying to find the so called glitter within their eyes.
"We're there already?" I muttered. Somehow I wished we would never reach the island. I had prayed to god that the boat would run out of fuel and an we would call for rescue and be taken back home or maybe that the island had been the victim of a severe storm and that all the boats refused to continue any further.
On a long boat trip, with the SOS Brigade members around...No, let's leave the others aside. I had given in to my desire and taken a long nap. As a result I missed my chance to spend time with Asahina-san inside the elegant looking cabin. Perhaps he looked at me while I was sleeping too? The moment of shame suddenly became a burning sensation of happiness, couldn?t have you woken me up Asahina-san?
Damn, this is so frustrating. How could I let my summer vacation be over like that? So far, my only memories of this vacation have been playing Go Fish. Shouldn't I have been doing something more interesting on the ferry? Like sharing each other's thoughts on the deck while the sea wind blew softly?
I really felt like kicking my past self in the chest for being so sleepy.
I clutched my half-drowsy head as I condemned myself endlessly.
Click!
A bright light made me go dizzy.
I turned my gaze towards the direction of the sound, only to see Asahina-san holding a camera, with an adorable smile on his perfect face,
"Hee hee! I've taken a picture of you waking up."
He had the face of a pre-school kid who just pulled off a prank. ?So cute!? I almost said aloud.
"I've also taken photos of you sleeping. You must have slept soundly."
Suddenly, I felt revived. Why was Asahina-san taking pictures of me? Perhaps he intended to frame up my face and place it beside him, or perhaps blow up the picture and hang it on his ceiling? Yes, that's not a bad thought at all. I had added this to the list of good things that have happened to me on the trip, so perhaps sleeping was a good idea after all.
However, as I was making such a suggestion, Asahina-san handed the instant camera to Haruki.
"Kyon, what are you grinning at? You look like a moron. Best wipe that off your face."
Scratch that off.
Haruki started looking as if he wanted to sell some exclusive pictures to a newspaper. He then stuffed the camera into his bag. This was the last person I ever wanted to have pictures of me, other than Koizumi. I suddenly felt violated and defiled. Even though I might become unfit for marriage, you?ll take me as your bride, won?t you Asahina-san?
"I've had Mitsuru-kun be the stand-in photographer for the SOS Brigade. These photos are not for play! What I want is a record of the SOS Brigade's activities for our descendants to revisit. This silly boy just felt like taking useless pictures, so he has to listen to my directions from now on."
Then, what informational value is there in taking pictures of me sleeping and waking up? Wait no, don?t answer that Haruki,
"Since you have no sense of urgency, I'm going to spread pictures of you sleeping like a moron all over as a cautionary tale! Listen! It's immoral and against the brigade rules for the subordinates to sleep soundly when the commander isn't sleeping! Besides, I?ll sell these off to people for funding!"
Wait, isn?t that illegal?! Don?t start selling pictures of me for no reason! If my picture must be taken, then let it only be Asahina-san who has them! His face seemed to be laughing and scolding me at the same time. Wait when did you make that rule up? Right now? I might as well play along.
"Alright. What you mean is that if we don't want to have our faces drawn on, we aren't allowed to sleep before you, right? In that case, if I sleep after you, does that mean I can draw a mustache on your face?"
"What are you saying? Do you actually intend to do such childish acts? Let me put this straight, I can be very alert. I can retaliate even when asleep. Besides, you'll be risking the death penalty if you try to do anything foolish to the commander."
Hey, Haruki, the number of advanced countries still carrying out capital punishment is actually in the minority. What do you think of that?
"Why should I comment on other countries' penalty systems? What matters is not some foreign country, but the island we're going to!"
Wait, are you intending to declare this island your own little country? God, please protect me, I don?t want to die like this, especially not with Haruki. I said this futile prayer as I grabbed my bag.
The ship shook roughly. Maybe it's about to dock already. The other passengers were already headed to the exit in groups of two and three.
"A mysterious island, huh......?"
What kind of island awaits us? Just don't let it be some island that suddenly appeared on the sea, or one that drifted away suddenly.
"Don't worry."
Koizumi nodded as though she'd just read my mind,
"There's nothing special about the island, just that it's far from land. There're no monsters or mad scientists; that I can guarantee."
Koizumi?s guarantees mean nothing to me. I silently looked at Nagato-san's pale face questioningly.
"......"
Nagato-san also silently replied to me. If there were monsters appearing, he would probably help us beat them off. I'm counting on you, alien.
The ship shook abruptly again.
"Kyaa!"
Without even flinching, Nagato-san caught Asahina-san, who had lost his balance and nearly fallen over.
You?re so reliable Nagato-san, I?m sure you?ll end up saving us all. Of course I might need to ask for it really.
There awaiting our arrival were a butler and maid.
"Hi, Arakawa-san, it's been a while."
Koizumi said loudly, raising her arm to greet them.
"You too, Mori-san. Thanks for going to the trouble to pick us up."
Koizumi then turned and looked at us with our jaws wide open, then shrugged her arms ridiculously like a stage actor trying to impress her audience, her grin four times wider than usual. Of course that meant something was obviously wrong. Don?t smile like that Koizumi! You?ll give everyone the wrong impression!
"Allow me to introduce them. Arakawa-san and Mori-san are the maid and butler of the new mansion, and will be in charge of taking care of us. Ah yes, you must've already guessed that by their attire."
It was easy to guess. I looked at the two figures who stood still after having bowed to us. I guess in this situation, the right word would be "captivating."
"It must have been a long trip for everyone. I am Arakawa the maid."
The old woman with well permed hair and dressed in the maid uniform bowed to us. She glowed with a radiance of reliability.
"I'm the butler, Mori Sonou. It's a pleasure to meet you."
The young man standing beside her also bowed at the same angle, and then both raised their heads at the same time. One wonders if they've drilled this countless times. Maybe they have.
Arakawa-san looked elderly, but it was difficult to tell her exact age; while Mori-san looked very young. Comparing him to us, he looks about the same age as we are. Was he was born with a youthful face? Or maybe he does something to make himself look young?
"Butler and maid?"
Haruki murmured in surprise; my reaction was the same as his. I never knew these professions existed in Japan. I always thought they only had a conceptual existence, having already been fossilized.
I see. It seems the two people standing gracefully behind Koizumi are genuinely a butler and a maid. They look so much like it, at least after hearing their self-introductions, one would think, Ah......I see. They're the real thing. Especially the maid, Arakawa-san, if I remember correctly. No matter how you look, she's still a maid. Because she's dressed in proper maid attire. This comes from my experiences observing Asahina-san being forced into dressing in a maid costume in the club room, so I can guarantee this. And Arakawa-san and Mori-san don't look like they're dressed like that just to entertain Haruki, but are really dressed for their profession.
"Wah......"
Asahina-san gave a gasp and simply stared at them with awe - more specifically, he was staring at Mori-san and Arakawa-san. Perhaps he has remembered about the several occasions of abuse he had to endure and maybe is wondering why Haruki never made him wear something more fitting like the butler uniform?
Nagato-san didn't give any expression at this moment, and his face remained the same. Yet his black obsidian eyes remained transfixed on those two professionals.
"Now then......"
Arakawa-san invited us with her opera soprano-like voice,
"The boat is prepared to take us to our master's island. The trip shall take about half an hour. As it's a lone island, I do apologize for any inconvenience caused."
Mori-san bowed as well. I felt itchy all over for some reason. I really wanted to tell them that we weren't really that important to deserve having them serve us so elegantly. Could Koizumi be the daughter of some billionaire? I had thought that she was just an esper who could only use her powers irregularly. I wonder if she has people calling her "Young Master" every time she comes home? I?ve connected this to her large bust; maybe they?re actually fake! Ha Koizumi! You have nothing on me now. Wait, why am I thinking about this?
"I don't really mind!"
Haruki said in a cheerful voice, blowing off all my questions. As I looked carefully, Haruki had the smile of someone who has just conned some ignorant sponsor to fund his movie. Is this going to be the set Haruki? Are you really going to be the detective and the criminal? Why don?t you turn yourself in right now Haruki? Hmm......
"That's more like it, a lone island! We wouldn't mind if it took a few hours, let alone half an hour! A lone island in the middle of the ocean is just where I wanted to go. Kyon, Mitsuru-chan, you two should be happy. There's a mansion on the island, and a weird butler and maid as well! You probably wouldn't find a second island like this in the whole of Japan!"
There won't be a second island. I really hope. And what?s with calling them weird? You should have more manners!
"Wah! T...this is great......I...I can't wait!"
Asahina-san hesitantly said. Haruki?s glare clearly state for her to at least pretend to be excited, but for Haruki to actually call someone "weird" in front of their faces was just plain rude. Yet those two just smiled. Maybe they were weird in some way. I started to think ?The more I think about this island, the more it seems like its becoming like one of those mystery dramas.? I stare at Nagato-san who had yet to stop staring at the two. Nagato-san, please stop that, you?re making me feel like I should be afraid!
I looked at Koizumi, who was chatting away with Arakawa-san the maid, while Mori-san stood by silently with his hands at his sides, staring quietly towards the sea ahead. The sea looked calm, and the skies were clear. Don't think a typhoon will be coming soon.
Will we ever return to the Japanese mainland in one piece?
Nagato-san's calm poker face just seems so reliable all the time. I felt so useless. Couldn?t you just at least tell me it?s going to be alright Nagato-san?
He turns to face me and then turns to gaze at a passing seagull. No, that isn?t very specific Nagato-san, I?m not sure what you?re trying to say at all.
We were lead to the dock and as we were reaching the speedboat I had imagined it to be a simple and small one; however before us was a stylish private boat. The speedboat looked so posh that I dared not ask how much it cost, knowing I could never make that much in my lifetime. Why do I suddenly want to go fishing? I never liked fishing, I?ll keep to the simple eating of fish thank you!
Because of my daydreaming, I found that the rest of the SOS-Dan had already been lead to the boat by Arakawa-san. Mori-san stayed behind and offered his hand to me. His youthful face stared at me and he gave me a small smile. ?Ahh? t-thank you!? I said ?I-I was just day dreaming! I-I can do this myself!? I hastily declined his offer, he nodded and gave a small bow and I hurried to the boat. He walked to the boat.
As we were lead to the cabin we were amazed to find a western styled kitchen, but before we could appreciate the novelty, the speedboat was already off. It seems that all butlers these days have speedboat licenses, as Mori-san was the one driving it.
Arakawa-san sat opposite me with a gentle smile on her face, as though she were a decoration in the boat. The maid uniform she wore was that of the French variety, I?ve seen it plastered over newspaper advertisements for maid cafes. I?m not sure why men get so excited over them. Since Arakawa-san is older, I would expect her uniform to be thicker than the one Mitsuru has been forced to wear occasionally. However I?m not very sure, having no real experience with the maid profession. Her calm face made me feel uneasy; could there be people who were really this easy to get along with? Or maybe this just comes with her job.
I wasn't the only one looking uneasy. Asahina-san was the same as well. He had stared at the costume with discontent. Perhaps he was haunted by painful memories? He would look from Arakawa-san to Mori-san; his expression switching between jealousy and sadness. Asahina-san, it doesn?t matter what you wear; I?m sure you?ll look cute in anything.
Nagato-san sat facing the front, not moving at all. Koizumi had a casual expression, and remained as smiling as ever.
"This is a good boat, perhaps fishing wouldn't be a bad idea?" Who is he suggesting that to anyway? Does he even like fishing?
Haruki sudden shouted:
"Hey, does the mansion have a name?"
"I'm not sure I understand what you mean."
"Is it called something like ?The House of the Black Death?, the ?Lilas Manor?, ?Koketsu Castle?, or the sort?"
"Nothing of the sort."
"Have there been any frightening stories like the mansion having a lot of hidden traps, or the architect being murdered, or a room where none may leave alive?"
"I haven't heard of any."
"Then, are there stories of the owner wearing a mask, or having three weird brothers living within her mind, and then vanishing without a trace?"
"No." The maid added, "Not yet, anyway."
"Then, does that mean it's possible these things might happen some day?"
"Perhaps."
Is she trying to please him? Maybe she?s been taught how to defeat hot blooded youths like Haruki. It?s amazing she kept her calm. Unfortunately that maks me feel even more uneasy.
As the boat began to speed up, Haruki ran up to the deck and began talking to Mori-san. From what I could hear of the dialogue ver the sounds of the engine and waves, Haruki seemed to have excessive expectations about the island's mansion. Speaking of which, why does he want so many strange specifications like an island far away from land? Isn't it enough to just swim, walk around, get to know each other better, and then return happily? I was hoping we could do that.
Perhaps it's too late already.
I never thought there would be a butler and a maid. This is more unexpected than being attacked by a shark in a public swimming pool. So I probably won't be surprised if the owner of the mansion wears a mask or has other weird looking guests. What other surprises does Koizumi have in store for us?
"Ah! I see it! Is that the villa?"
"It's the mansion."
Haruki's battle-cry boomed like thunder and pierced through my heart. Mori-san had almost let go of the steering wheel in surprise but quickly regained her composure. Haruki looked like he was about to jump off the boat, perhaps imagining that he would get to the island before us if he did.
At first glance you would call the mansion quite ordinary; however its fortitude and how it shined in the sun told me that this place was anything but. I had never expected to be able to set foot in such a place.
The building at the top of the steep hill looked just like something a rich person would build as a summer getaway. There was nothing suspicious about its architecture. It didn't look like any medieval European castle, it didn't have red thorny roses surrounding its outer walls, and there were no strange looking towers attached to it - and of course, no ghosts.
Haruki looked at his proposed ?villa? with a face that seemed to say he had just realized that he brought no clothes with him in his suitcase?wait, he wouldn?t really care, would he? Regardless, he was slightly disappointed as his image of the ?villa? melted away, leaving just the mansion.
.
"What the hell is this? The looks are an important factor; did the architect even refer to previous experience when building this?"
I stood beside Haruki on the deck, looking at the view of the island. I was forcefully dragged out there by him, by the way. He had tried to carry me, but I slapped him before he could manage to grab me; I can walk by myself, thank you.
"Kyon, what do you think? It's a lone island, yet the building looks so ordinary. Don't you think it's a pity?"
I ignored Haruki and was actually wondering about how stupid the owner of the mansion must have been. She must have had huge stores of food or something, as the nearest grocery store is about an hour away by speedboat. Isn?t that just inconvenient? Then again she might have been able to afford to import her food by plane or helicopter.
"I'm talking about the atmosphere! I always thought it'd be one of those eerie villas, but from the looks of it, this is just an oridinary vacation mansion! Our objective isn't to come to some rich friend's place to have fun."
What? Isn?t that exactly why we were here in the first place? I don?t remember agreeing to go to a remote mansion for your amusement. Haruki, you can have Koizumi do that for you. Nowadays, she does seem willing to provide a lot for you.
"That's what they call a field trip. What were you expecting? Going out on an adventure? Or did you want to simulate being stranded on a deserted island?"
"Hmm, that's not a bad idea. I'll include exploring the island as part of the itinerary. Who knows, we may be the first to discover a new species."
Oh no, I have a feeling that the excitement level of Haruki had just risen by a huge amount. If this island has a spirit protecting it: please be merciful; I don?t want to die young.
As I was praying for the island spirit?s protection......
"The islands around here were apparently formed by ancient volcanic activity."
Koizumi said as she walked out slowly.
"Besides new species, we might even pick up some ancient artifacts. There were artifacts left behind by the ancient Japanese on other islands. It's quite dramatic, isn't it?"
I don't see any connection between the works of the ancients and this new mansion but I'm not that interested in searching for Tsuchinoko or digging for treasures. Why don't we split up? Haruki and Koizumi can go explore the island, while I'll stay behind with Asahina-san and Nagato-san and have a stroll by the beach. Now that's a nice idea.
"Huh? There's someone over there! Kyon! Look!"
Haruki grabbed the sides of my head and pointed my face at a newly built pier. It seemed to be built specifically for this speedboat, since there were no other boats parked. There was a person waving at us, it seemed to be a woman.
Haruki instinctively waved back while crying out
?Hey there! Koizumi, is she the owner of the villa? She looks quite young."
Koizumi waved and said,
"No, she's another guest who was invited besides us. I believe she's the owner's sister. I've only seen her once before."
"Koizumi," I interrupted, "You should've told us this earlier! I didn't hear anything before about any other visitors besides us."
"I only just found out now as well."
Koizumi shrugged it off calmly. For her tone of voice it sounded like a blatant lie, but then again so does nearly everything she says. It?s peculiar and isn?t natural at all, yet she continues to play it; perhaps it?s something she?s grown in to? Or maybe something which she can?t just discard?
"There's no need to worry! She's a nice person. And of course, the owner Tamaru Keiichi-san is also a nice person."
This Tamaru Keiichi-san is also quite an imaginative person. She built a mansion in such a remote area just so she could live in it during the summer. She's a distant relative of Koizumi's, something like her mother's cousin on her father's side or something like that. I'm not too sure about the details, but I hear she's been quite successful in the field of biotechnology, and is now reaping the rewards of her success. Her wealth must be so enormous that she doesn't know how to spend it all; otherwise she wouldn't have built such a mansion.
The speedboat gradually slowed down as it approached the pier, until we could see the person's face. She was dressed in a long skirt and a casual blouse, probably in her twenties. She's probably Tamaru Keiichi's sister.
The maid is Arakawa-san, the butler is Mori Sonou-san.
That leaves the owner of the mansion, Tamaru Keiichi-san.
Is that the entire cast for this trip? The more I look at it the more I tell myself that something bad is going to happen. I?m also wondering ?Doesn?t Keiichi-san have any other friends?? Maybe she wears a mask after all.
Because of how the boat rocked and continued to do so even after the motor had been shut off; we were left rocking ourselves. As we reached land we trembled every step of the way.
The young woman ran to greet us; she had well cut hair and gave an impression of a well off youth.
"Ah, Itsuko, it's been a while! How have you been?"
"You too, Yutaka-san. I?ve been fine!"
Koizumi replied, and began to introduce us one by one.
"These are the friends that have taken such good care of me in school!"
What a blatant lie she just said. But regardless, she continued to introduce us.
"Here is one of my most incredible friends: Suzumiya Haruki. He's very easygoing and even more energetic. I ought to learn some of his assertiveness."
Wait, what the hell did she just say? Suddenly I felt that she had just said something from a script; probably written by Haruki. Why didn?t I get a copy? Haruki why are you wearing that fake courteous mask? Have your brain cells been damaged by being rocked too much on the boat?
"Yo! I'm Suzumiya. Koizumi here is one of the most vital members of my brigade! She?s the reason why we?re here! She's a very reliable vice-commander. I can assign her to anything!"
How can you just blurt that out? Don?t you have any shame? Koizumi ignored the cold steam being emitted by me and went on to introduce the other members, such as:
"This is Asahina Mitsuru-san. He is considered an idol in the school and is a boy even though he doesn?t look like it.?
Or:
"This is Nagato Yuuki-san. He has great grades and you can ask him anything! He doesn?t talk much but that?s considered his charm point; don?t you agree?"
He went on with his glorified introductions, which I was included in, but I?m not going to tell you. I?m pretty sure you could imagine what she would say about me.
With a smile befitting of Koizumi's relative, Yutaka-san said,
"Welcome everyone, I'm Tamaru Yutaka, right now I'm just an employee helping out at my sister's company. Itsuko always talks to me a lot about you. I was very worried for her when she suddenly had to transfer schools. It's great that she's made so many good friends."
"Well, then."
Arakawa-san's cheerful voice alarmed us in a way, but we were relieved to know that he and Mori Sonou-san were still there; they had been so quiet during the introductions.
Turning around, I saw them carrying our luggage and getting off the boat.
"The sun's a bit bright here. May I suggest we move to the mansion?"
Yutaka-san nodded and said,
"You're right, sister's waiting for everyone. Let's bring the luggage in as well, I'll help."
"We're fine. Could you go help Arakawa-san and Mori-san instead? They bought a lot of groceries from the main island."
Koizumi smiled and said. Yutaka-san also replied with a smile.
"I'll be looking forward to the meal!"
After the niceties, we followed Koizumi's lead and headed for the mansion at the top of the cliff.
Thinking back, things were already beginning to get strange then.
Of course, this is all spoken in hindsight. I?m not sure why I continue to explain this to you; after all I?m sure you already know what?s going to happen.
As we climbed the steps, which were as steep as Mt. Fuji, we had reached the mansion. Though the others were brimming with excitement, by now I couldn?t tell whether or not it was sincere. Haruki let out a cry.
?What?!?
Perhaps the sight of a normal mansion simply killed his enthusiasm. I think it reassured me; oh, how wrong I would be.
The tall building seemed to have three stories, and mostly likely has a basement too. But it had seemed flat, perhaps because of how wide it was? I initially intended to count how many rooms there were, but I gave up assuming that it could fit about two football teams and still have room to spare. The mansion seems to have been built after leveling out the dense woods on the hill, but how did they ship all those building materials? A lot of logistics were probably needed. I'm really perplexed by how the rich operate.
"This way please."
Koizumi led us to outside the entrance hall like a butler. We stood in a row. The moment had come for us to meet the owner face to face.
Save Haruhi, who stepped forward like a horse not following its herd, rearing its head out suddenly. I couldn?t understand why he was so eager for this moment, he had even stuck his tongue out on his lips and placed it back in many times. Asahina-san tidied his hair, trying to give a good first impression. Nagato-san stood still, as usual, like one of those lucky cats by store entrances.
Koizumi turned and looked at us, a small smile growing on her face, as she very casually pushed the button on the intercom near the door.
Someone replied, and Koizumi went through a lot of niceties again.
Ten seconds later, the door opened slowly.
Needless to say, the person welcoming us wasn't wearing an iron mask, nor some funny hat with shades, neither did she suddenly attack us, or say some very puzzling remarks. Just a normal middle-aged woman.
"Welcome!"
I don't know if Tamaru Keiichi-san became wealthy suddenly or gradually, but right now this middle-aged woman was dressed in a long stylish white dress, stretching out one of her hands, beckoning us to come in. She looked youthful and seemed like a bride who would soon be wed. Needless to say the dress was astoundingly beautiful.
"Itsuko and everyone else, I've been waiting for you for a long time now. Frankly, this place is really boring, you'll get frustrated after staying for only three days. The only other person to accept my invitation besides Itsuko was Yutaka. Oh my!"
Keiichi-san's vision moved to my face, then towards Asahina-san, Haruhi and Nagato.
"Itsuko, you have such cute friends! I heard from Itsuko, but you?re prettier than I thought. You've certainly injected some life into this lonely little island. You're most welcome."
Haruki grinned heartily, Asahina-san bowed his head politely, while Nagato-san remained motionless. Three people with three different reactions, yet they all had the eyes of someone seeing a music teacher appear during history class, looking at Keiichi-san, who was welcoming us from the bottom of her heart. I?m not sure what expression I had myself, perhaps one of confusion but of general thanks. After a while, Haruki stepped forward and said,
"We're very grateful you could invite us here. It's an honor to be able to stay in such a luxurious mansion. On everyone?s behalf, I'd like to express my gratitude."
He had spoken with a deeper and louder voice, as if he was preaching to a group of inattentive children. Does he intend to be like this the whole trip? He had been a rather large wolf wearing an obvious sheep costume, for it was 2 sizes too small already. Haruki, can?t you act normal for once? It?s not very hard.
Perhaps Tamaru Keiichi-san was thinking something like that as well?
"So you're Suzumiya-san? Hmm, you're different from what I heard. Itsuko told me you're more......um......how should I say this, Itsuko?"
The ball got bounced into Koizumi's court. Without flinching, she said with ease,
"A frank person? I do remember saying that."
"That's it! He said you were quite a frank male."
"Ah, really?"
Haruki promptly took off his mask and readily gave a wide happy grin shouting,
"Nice to meet you, mansion owner! Allow me to ask frankly, have any strange events happened in this mansion before? Or maybe some frightening rumors from the locals about this island being haunted? These sort of things interest me the most."
Don't go around declaring your interests to someone you just met for the first time. To be precise, don't say stupid stuff about what happened in the past to the owner. What would we do if we were driven away?
However, Tamaru Keiichi-san was simply such a nice person that she only smiled and said,
"I've got similar interests to yours, though I have?nt heard of anything bad lately. Besides, this island used to be uninhabited."
She kindly pointed her hand towards the back,
"Well, don't just stand there, come in! This is a western style mansion, so you don't need to take off your shoes. I think I'll show you to your rooms. I wanted Arakawa-san to show you around, but it seems she's attending to the luggage, so I guess I'll be your guide for now."
Keiichi said and led us into the mansion. We entered the mansion slowly and hesitantly. It was an innocent beginning, as some may say. And nothing other than the possibility of this happening was actually suspicious. I foolishly said to myself back then: ?Everything will be alright!? Of course, I?ve already readily forgotten that the purpose of this whole trip wasn?t so that the SOS-dan could go off and play happily, but to entertain Haruki. How you complicate things Haruki; can?t you just live like a normal high schooler once in a while? It?s not hard, it?s what?ve you were planning on doing, until the fateful day that you changed your mind. I remember the day when you told me that, the railroad crossing, and how you walked back home. What changed that child Haruki? What made you what you are now? My musing would continue on, but nonetheless I would soon find myself in the calm before the storm.