The Blunt Force Trauma of Suzumiya Haruhi

Chapter three: In which there is a confrontation.

A 'Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi' fanfic.

Disclaimer: The novel 'Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu' is the creation of Nagaru Tanigawa. I do not know the producers yet, but the animation company responsible is Kyoto Animation. No disrespect is intended by the posting of this fanfiction, as I do not own the characters or settings involved. I'm merely dabbling with another set of paints. ;)

After detouring away from the normal route -- where I might run into Mikuru -- Yuki-chan and I make it to the library. This is the same library I napped in while I was supposed to be searching for some sign of the supernatural, once.

Once we get through the door I realize that I left my schoolbag in the clubroom.

It looks like I get to brave the hill yet again to get it back.

Well, I've got some time before that's an issue anyway. Yuki-chan wanders towards the shelves -- she looks like she's in paradise again. But she only takes a few steps before she stops, then turns around. "We should speak," she says in a lower voice than usual.

"I thought so," I say with a shrug. "That's why we're here, isn't it?" She looks away, then nods slightly, so I lead her to a more private area where we're unlikely to be overheard. In the back, surrounded by all these books.

Though, Yuki-chan's place has a lot more books now ... probably because Haruhi thought it should be that way, come to think of it. "Well," I say slowly, once we're both sitting down, "I guess you overheard most of what Koizumi and I discussed?"

She gives that tiny nod she uses. "This is relevant to the data thought entity. Your arguments will likely help your cause."

"Will they?" I ask, surprised.

"Even though I do not agree with the method, Suzumiya Haruhi is demonstrating autoevolution, and projecting it across her entire race," Yuki-chan says simply. "It is likely that as you have posited, Suzumiya Haruhi is undertaking an accelerated version of autoevolution within herself. You are the most evolved being after her, due to her interest in you."

Me? An evolved being? I guess that kind of makes sense. According to Mikuru, I have directed Haruhi's power before. Twice, at least. Let's hope I can do it again and get us out of this mess.

"So, you think the data thought entity will decide that I'm more useful left alive, huh? Though, things will change if Haruhi finds out about it."

That nod from Yuki-chan again.

"But you're not certain?"

"No."

"Well, any little bit to help. Do you know what Mikuru and I discussed yesterday?"

She stares at me for about a minute before: "It seems likely that you discussed the missing pages. My own calculations into their contents have yielded minimal results. This data may be lost."

Maybe not. Glumly, I explain, "Mikuru and I think that Taniguchi told Haruhi that I, uh, liked Mikuru. And that Haruhi couldn't make me like her."

Yuki-chan blinks several times. "Ah," she says.

"So.... Even though it at first seems too altruistic, that does seem like something Haruhi would do. Try and make things perfect, since she can't get her way. I mean.... No, she'd always want her way. But if Taniguchi told her everything else, she'd want to try and be responsible with her powers, wouldn't she?"

"My understanding of closed space is limited, but it would seem that more stress on Suzumiya Haruhi in the proximity of either failure or success would introduce a more profound destabilizing factor than originally considered," Yuki-chan offers. "Meaning that our hope of autoevolution is likely going to be declared a failure."

That sounds pretty terrible. "Huh?"

Yuki-chan shifts in her seat slightly, turning to face me. "Suzumiya Haruhi has considerable power, but very undeveloped skill. The process used to accelerate her autoevolution was too hasty. Despite Koizumi-san's plans, it seems unlikely that she will stabilize. It is most likely that she will become more erratic, and the created data will not be able to survive in the world for long.

"This will call for exponentially more data creation. Her lack of understanding with regards to the fundamental underpinnings of reality does not protect or assure any kind of return to stability until the extinction of the human race is a reality. Because of this, in fact, she must make changes at the levels she can perceive and understand. This will lead to a situation most easily defined as a resonance cascade failure.

"In essence, each change, like a ripple of water across a pool, will refract and create that many more waves when they rebound. As you should know, opposing waves do not cancel one another out when they meet; they combine into larger waves."

Ah, awkward silence. We're almost as good of friends as me and that hill, now. Convenient, though. This gives me some time to mull over what Yuki-chan said.

"Long and short of it, we've got a limited window to act before reality really starts to fall apart?" I hazard.

Yuki-chan's little nod, again.

"Well. Okay. So, if that's universal ... I mean ... if she's treating the symptoms, instead of the root of the problem, as it is.... She can't change Mikuru, because of the difference in timeplanes. She can't change me because she doesn't believe in that. Or because she does believe in that. So she changes everything around us to suit her goals."

"Precisely."

I think about that for a minute. "So, mostly what I need to do is convince her that everything was perfect as it was, right?"

"This seems to be the ... safest bet," Yuki-chan says quietly. "But it is a bet. There can be no guarantees at this point."

"With Haruhi, there never can be." I think about this some more. "After tonight, you're going to speak with the data thought entity, right?"

"Essentially."

Of course. They probably wouldn't really be 'speaking' at all. "Okay. Well, if things go down badly, I may not be able to talk to you afterwards. And if I have to, I'll...." Actually, better not tell her my plans flat out. Yuki-chan evidently agrees, as she presses a fingertip to my lips.

"I must report what I know," she says warningly.

"Of course," I say, when she lowers her hand. "Um. Anyway. Just in case something goes wrong ... can you make another backup of yourself in me?"

She blinks. "Of course," she says, nodding. "The previous backup was set up in advance. Time is limited, so I will not be able to be as subtle as I would like, however." She stands abruptly, and looks at me expectantly.

I stand up, too, wondering where we'll go. She grabs my collar and pulls me down, closing her eyes and resting her forehead against mine; I panic. For a moment, I thought she was going for a kiss. Instead, there's a spark, the tingling sensation across my scalp is a blinding spike of activity that leaves me seeing stars, and I'm lying on the floor.

On top of Yuki-chan.

"For shame!" someone nearby murmurs. I jump to my feet quickly. Yuki-chan, this is a bad thing to keep doing. Why didn't you warn me? And how can someone so dangerous and powerful feel so soft? Um, back to the issue at hand, though. Her eyes are clouded, and only slowly regain clarity. By then I'm kneeling at her side, holding one hand and patting it worriedly.

I've seen her take worse, though. Haven't I?

Of course I have; in a minute she's sitting up, holding my hand. "I apologize," she says quietly. "I forgot your senses would now alert you to that transmission."

Did they ever! And who could ignore a girl pulling herself closer like that, anyway?

"Well, as long as you're okay," I say, probably louder than I needed to. Just what I wanted ... a rumor going around that I'm two-timing Mikuru. Maybe I can get a Tsuruya-proof necktie. Like, a clip-on.

"I am," she assures me. Then she blinks. "I forgot your bag."

"Yeah, I'll get it tomorrow. You ... have to go soon, don't you?"

She nods. "It will seem that I am sleeping for a time," she replies. "Good luck, Kyon."

"Yeah. Thanks, Yuki-chan. I hope everything works out."

That tiny, infinitesimal nod again. It's kind of cute, really.

Ah, I can't afford to be thinking like that. I need to focus on Haruhi.

The second trip up the hill for my bag allows me to punish myself while trying to purge the wicked thoughts from my mind. Or really, to doubt the need to deceive Yuki-chan. She's under the impression that I'll be getting it in the morning, so she's not likely to find me at the school if she's suddenly ordered to hunt me down early tomorrow morning.

Though I really don't like this situation. I can't imagine many would.

Anyway, I conquer the hill's inevitability, reclaim my bag from the empty clubroom, and walk back home. This is still earlier than the club usually lets out, and much to my surprise I run into my little sister on the way home.

"Kyon!" she calls, bee-lining towards me and trying to tackle me to the ground. Trying, I say. I've grown used to it, by now. Instead, she lands a hug. "Yay!"

"And how did you do on your homework?" I ask, smiling.

"Great! Thanks to you, I got one hundred percent on everything!"

Well, it's nice to know that just as Yuki-chan said, Haruhi hasn't changed the basics. "Good," I say, as she lets go of my leg and we finish the walk home.

I plow through my homework, wondering if I can use my supposed deduction to get through it all easily. I can't, as it turns out. As boring and difficult as ever, so I gladly shove it all aside to help my little sister again.

After that, I reason that Koizumi and Yuki-chan have their orders, whatever they are. Mikuru is probably always going to be on my side, but she's really very limited in how much she can help me. I get a few instances of tingling in the back of my head -- a more Koizumi-like tingle than a Yuki-chan-like one, I realize, but nothing happens.

I attribute it to closed space, and eventually doze off.

When I wake up, I'm once again in an uncomfortable world of gray. I climb to my feet and run to the window, shaking my head to clear it. This is exactly what I don't need. I didn't hear my alarm go off, and I almost never wake up early.

But I've got a tingling in my scalp. Yuki-chan-like tingling. Either she or one of the other agents of the data thought entity is up to something.

My window opens and I peer out. Fog? Just fog. Okay, I can deal with that.

"Kyon!" my little sister calls, flinging my door open. "It's time to get- Oh!" She seems surprised and confused to see me awake already.

Well, I do like my sleep....

"Good morning, Kyon!"

"Good morning to you, too," I say, nodding at her. "Did you already take your bath?"

"Yep!"

I stifle a yawn. "Great, I'll be down in a minute to take mine, then I'll see you at breakfast."

"Okay!"

That gives me a little time to splash myself with cold water and wake up completely. That Yuki-chan-like tingle eventually goes away, which is probably a good thing. Unless I get to school only to find out it's been flattened.

Breakfast is quiet, other than my mother's jibing comment about me actually waking up on time.

Hah.

Then Mikuru shows up for the walk to school. I used to go with my sister towards her school, then ride my bike to the train station, take a train, and then walk up the hill. But with Mikuru, I just leave earlier and walk. My little sister's school is in walking distance, so I'd have to walk my bike halfway to the train station anyway to stay with her.

We get to where she meets up with her other friends, then Mikuru and I wave. She waves back.

So far this seems like a normal morning.

"Do you have any ideas on how to get us back to where we came from?" Mikuru asks.

Normal for me, I guess. And to think, Taniguchi once told me he was more normal than I was! He could have been right, come to think of it.

"A few," I say cautiously. "But I'm still working on them. The real trick is figuring out how to get us back without having Haruhi change things intentionally afterwards. Say, can you get me information on how things used to be?"

"You mean from the timeplane that was collapsed into this one?" Mikuru asks me, blinking. "I suppose you'd need that as an anchor point, wouldn't you?"

"The way I see things," I agree. "Mostly I need to learn about head trauma, I guess."

"Well.... It shouldn't be classified, just irrelevant.... I guess I can do that for you. I can probably get it by tomorrow, if you need it. But I can't bring objects back -- you know that."

She did mention that before. "That's fine. I just need to understand a bit about it. If you can learn enough to answer some questions ... or maybe just get them answered for me."

"That's no problem at all! Is there anything else I can do?"

"Well...." We reach the train station before I can answer. And then we board and she's pressed up against me in the crowd -- which I can't deny enjoying -- and we're quiet until we get off at the school's stop.

"Well," I say again, as we reach the base of ... of course ... the hill. "Could you get a nurse outfit like you used to have?"

"Eh?" She blinks and looks at me oddly. "W...well...." Then she smiles brightly. "If you'd like, sure!"

It's not for me, though! That is, not entirely for me. "J...just understand," I say quickly, "it's part of my plan. I'm not trying anything.... I mean...." I may enjoy the view as well, but that's not relevant. Entirely.

"I wouldn't complain," she says with a wink. Then we discuss school and the club, because Kunikida draws near us. I've never actually been annoyed to have him nearby, before.

"Good to see you two getting along again," he says, nodding his approval. Easy to say; you would just have watched. Then again, would I help someone who made Mikuru cry like I did? Probably not.

I just nod at him.

Mikuru blushes and looks away.

"Ah," Kunikida sighs. "I wish I could luck out like you, Kyon. Don't blow it this time, huh?"

"Yeah," I mutter, as he smirks and runs ahead. "Thanks for the warning again." Now, where were we, Mikuru?

Another humdrum day. Mostly.

I don't get any strange notes in my locker, and no one asks me politely to die. Or just attacks me, though that would actually be new, anyway.

No sign of Koizumi or Yuki-chan until after I head to the clubhouse.

Haruhi rushes out of class, and I stroll after her. When I get there, Koizumi is standing in front of the door, very tensely, scowling at it. I walk up behind him and think for a moment. Before I can say anything, he says, very quietly, "I do have orders to report your presence as soon as I see you. So far, I haven't, though. Which is probably for the best. If you succeed ... then I hope we'll meet again in friendlier circumstances. If you fail ... then I'm sticking with the Coalition; they're the closest thing I have to a dependable organization, and it's the only way I can watch over Haruhi."

"Oh?"

"Yes. We can't talk long here. If you do find anything out, and you don't make it ... since I suppose Yuki-chan is on your side, can you leave a record of what you discover with her? Or anywhere, really? If it can be done.... Well. Let's hope it doesn't come to that. I'm going to turn left and go home now. You should tell Haruhi I wasn't feeling well. Which is true enough; the thought of actually following through on my orders is making me sick to my stomach."

He pauses then, and I carefully step to his right.

"It would be for the best if you either beat me to the club or don't show up; I am under orders. If you aren't there, obviously the matter is out of my hands."

"Ah."

"Keep in mind that while I am hesitant, I'm not the only one involved in the Coalition. You can't expect anyone else to be this friendly about it. Again, Kyon ... good luck." He turns left as he said, striding away without looking back.

What a guy. No esper-tingle, though, which is probably a good thing. Not that it matters in real space. And I think if I were killed in closed space, I'd reappear as soon as it collapsed. So it's not like he could hide me there.

Then again, if he turned into a ball of light and dumped me far into the ocean.... Ugh. I'd rather not think about things.

I don't have much time now. Good thing I was expecting this. I know Haruhi's in the clubroom, so Yuki-chan probably shouldn't attack me openly. Mikuru hasn't warned me about it, at least.

And if I stick close to those two, I'll probably be okay for today.

I open the door.

The atmosphere is surprisingly tense. Yuki-chan looks up at me, then down at her book, hanging her head lower than usual. Mikuru looks happy, but it seems strained. Haruhi herself is hidden behind a newspaper.

The headline reads, "Bodies discovered in area apartments. Owners deny involvement in murder".

I close the door and say, "What a mood ... is everything okay?"

"Maybe," Haruhi answers, setting the paper down. "Did you see this?"

"Yes. It's a newspaper."

She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms over her chest. "Seriously," she chides me. "This article says that three bodies were found in apartment buildings across the city. Well, one was a few miles further north. They appear to be normal high school students crushed with some massive force, and in all three incidents, the people who live in those apartments claim that the bodies simply appeared from thin air. How do you think that can happen?"

I think that an esper who dies will reappear in reality -- dead, unfortunately -- as soon as closed space collapses.

"It could be a cover-up," I try. I get an unfortunately timed Yuki-chan-tingle. "Maybe there was a series of murders designed to look identical and be seemingly inexplicable. The unlikely circumstances might require the police to dismiss the incidences as a fluke."

"You think so?" Haruhi asks tiredly. "You don't think it was ... maybe ... something like aliens? Or...." She trails off and stares at the paper.

I feel guilty, knowing that it was probably my fault that Haruhi got upset enough for those deaths to happen. But I can't let Haruhi know that. "I suppose it could be. But that would be very hard to prove, wouldn't it?" The Yuki-chan-tingle fades. I glance at her. Today's book is 'The Confusion'. How appropriate.

"I guess." Haruhi seems unconvinced.

"Look at it this way," I say after a moment. "It's only recently happened, and that's a morning edition. They only found out just before the papers were sent out, so there's really only minimal information there. More evidence may come to light later. And then there could be a perfectly rational explanation for it."

Knowing the truth, it doesn't seem irrational to me when I think about it. So much for being normal.

"That's true," she grudgingly admits. "I guess it's not anything to worry about."

"Of course not," I agree. Mikuru offers an emphatic nod. Another page turns in Yuki-chan's book. "It's very unlikely it will concern us. After all, they didn't happen in our district, did they? They weren't students at this school."

"Yeah, you're right," Haruhi agrees. "I guess it's nothing. Okay!" She bounces back fast. Or pretends to. "Ah.... Say, where's Koizumi, anyway?"

"He said he was feeling sick."

"Really? That's too bad." I really would expect more concern for Koizumi than that, Haruhi. He is your boyfriend, isn't he? "Well.... I guess we can still play some games."

I think it's time for a little experimentation. Based on what I've heard, I need to find out the limits of Haruhi's ability. This could be dangerous. But rationality should see me through. It's basically the force most opposed to Haruhi anyway.

"Weren't you going to come up with an activity list yesterday?" I take a seat as I ask this. Mikuru gets up and starts making some tea. "How did that go?"

"Miserable," Haruhi grumbles. "Mikuru wanted us to make a movie. How would we do that?" She crosses her arms on the table and rests her head there, staring at a wall. "I don't know what to do."

I think she's talking about the larger picture, now, not what to do in her club. And we already made a movie. I would think she wanted to make another, especially given what she knows she can do now. She could make a really.... Well. It would probably be a terrible movie with excellent special effects, actually.

"Why don't we go for a few laps around the track?" I suggest.

Haruhi raises her head and stares at me in confusion. Mikuru looks puzzled as she serves tea, and even Yuki-chan looks up, blinking.

"What?"

"Well, Koizumi's out sick," I say reasonably. "We should obviously look after our health better. And the track team doesn't meet today." I don't know if they do or not. But I'm guessing.

"Oh," Haruhi says, frowning. "Well.... Okay. Yeah. Why not? I could use some exercise. We'll change in here." She shoots me a sharp look, but before she can follow it up, I'm stepping into the hallway, tea in hand.

"I'll change after you," I say.

Haruhi looks momentarily sad for some reason, before I shut the door.

Huh.

After we all changed -- even Yuki-chan, who did not teleport in and kill me while I was changing -- we went down to the track. Unsurprisingly, it is deserted. Was this because I told Haruhi it would be empty? Or did the track club really not meet today? Hard to say, and if she changed it, impossible, when you get right down to it.

Now, for my test. "Okay," I say, after stretching. Mikuru and Haruhi follow suit. Yuki-chan stands nearby, still reading her book. "Let's try and race, Haruhi."

"Race? You?" she asks doubtfully.

"Yeah," I say with a nod. And now for a dual experiment: How well can I lie, and how well will this work? "I can actually run pretty fast. I was in the baseball club, remember? And now that I'm going to school again, the hill's really built up my stamina. I think I could probably beat you."

"Hah! I'm hardly going to let you win!" but she doesn't seem totally confident. "Mikuru-chan, you'll sit this one out as our starter. Yuki, you're going to be the judge. A full lap, right? And Kyon, pace yourself. I don't need you collapsing on me."

"Collapsing?" I say indignantly. "I can run full speed for an hour at least! Do you know what kind of exercise they make you do when you're recovering at the hospital?"

"N...no," Haruhi says, looking suddenly very doubtful. "Is it really intense?"

"You'd better believe it," I say. "Are you ready? I'll try not to embarrass you too badly."

Now, this may seem very foolish. And it might actually be just that. But if this experiment works, then Haruhi will believe I am faster. Her conscious will seems unable to affect me a whole lot, but her subconscious....

Not only that, if people are trying to kill me, this could really pay off; I don't think I could convince Haruhi I was a great fighter right now. And even though it's not much of a plan yet, it'll be important in what I've got so far anyway.

"Okay," Mikuru says, nodding. "When you two are ready."

"I'm ready," I say, getting into a starter's stance, remembering what I can from seeing the Olympics. Haruhi grunts and gets into position next to me.

"Ready?" Mikuru calls, backing away, as though we'd knock her over with our wake.

Yuki-chan sets down her book and stares at us impassively. "Good luck," she says, though I'm not sure who to.

"Won't need it!" Haruhi insists, shooting me another wary glance.

"Set!"

"Mikuru-chan! We've been ready, and we're already set!"

"Aaah! Sorry! Go!"

And like that, we're off.

Something is different as soon as we launch ourselves down the track at Mikuru's call. I couldn't run this fast before, but I can now. I've watched Haruhi run, and she could be a star athlete, if she wanted to. But I can pace her, and I feel like I could do it for hours.

One foot before the other, my breath coming easily while Haruhi stares at me in surprise, then grimly forward, trying for more speed. I loose a chuckle and match her, almost. I'm not quite as fast as her, but in no time we're rounding the far end of the track, and when we reach the straightaway, she grits her teeth and throws herself into it wholeheartedly.

I push myself to my absolute -- and now expanded -- limit to pace her. Even when I try my hardest, I can only catch up, not overtake her. But I think we've seriously got a chance of setting a world record at this rate.

Mikuru probably realizes what I've done, and that this means I'm actually making headway at exercising changes through Haruhi; she's jumping up and down, waving her arms and cheering. It seems like we've only just begun when we're sliding across the finish line, and Yuki-chan blinks at us.

For good measure, both of us slow down and jog a bit to ease off our run. She's winded, not quite gasping for breath, but certainly heaving. I'm the same, though I struggle to hide it, grinning at her. "See?" I say, before I'm forced to wheeze, not quite masking it with a chuckle. "Tons of stamina."

Haruhi catches the attempt and actually grins at me. "I never knew you were such a jock," she teases me, placing her hands on her hips and stretching a bit more. "Maybe we should do athletic stuff, and play with the other clubs sometimes?"

When I've caught my breath a bit more -- which takes less time than I think it should -- I say, "We could, if you'd like. You're the club leader, after all."

She shakes her head as Yuki-chan and Mikuru catch up. "Beautiful!" Mikuru exclaims, clapping her hands together. "That was amazing!" Yeah, she has to have figured out what I was up to. Experiment successful. I feel great! Or maybe this is just the euphoria of exertion? I can't complain either way.

"The match was a tie," Yuki-chan notes quietly. "But your effort was very impressive." Haruhi shakes her head again, Yuki-chan pauses and shoots me a direct glance. "This could change your standing with the administrator."

"What?" Haruhi asks, frowning.

"Er...." Mikuru turns and looks at Yuki-chan.

"My grades did suffer from being in the hospital," I say quickly. "So I guess if I did well somewhere else, like in physical ed, it might bring my average up."

"Oh," Haruhi replies. "Well, hey, do you think the word of your club chief will amount for much?"

And here's where I have to be careful. Yuki-chan and Mikuru are looking at me, as is Haruhi. "It might," I say. "But this is only a club activity. I wouldn't worry about it anyway. I'm sure I'll pull my grades back up."

That seems to satisfy Haruhi. "Okay," she agrees. "Anyway, the Brigade chief and Kyon have set a demonstration! Now, Mikuru and Yuki-chan get to race!"

This should be interesting.

By the time club activities finish, Haruhi's run us all through a wicked exercise regime. I'm pretty sure my stamina has been improved, because I'm not dead. But we got to do everything. We ran, we leapt, we climbed, and there were some attempts at acrobatics, which were interesting.

I did a lot better than I expected. Mikuru hit her head and Yuki-chan sat that one out.

After that we returned to the club room to unwind, and I got to change first. I should be glad that Haruhi didn't insist that I change in the hall, I guess. But it was good to see Haruhi actually smiling, and seeming to mean it.

No esper-tingles, either. Which means, I guess, no closed space access nearby. There's a thought.... While I wait in the hall, and they change, I send a text message to Koizumi: 'Tried to reduce closed space creation. Reply if successful.'

No response immediately, unfortunately. No Yuki-chan-tingles, either, though that may not mean much. When the door opens, Mikuru is the first one out, and she rushes to my side, handing me my bag. "Let's go," she says urgently, though she's smiling.

Why not? I follow her out; we were just going to go home after activities anyway. Once we're on our way down the hill -- and my old nemesis seems less than its usual self, now -- she says, "I think you did very well, Kyon-kun. Will you be able to manage things quickly enough, though?"

"I hope so," I reply, glancing around to make sure no one is watching us. I certainly don't need another session with Tsuruya. "Depending on how things went, it could work out really well. Haruhi's in a good mood, so closed space isn't an issue at the moment. This doesn't take care of the other problems, but it all actually seems manageable somehow, now."

Of course, I still need to make sure I don't argue myself into a vegetable. That will be tricky. And Haruhi's still very dangerous if she's not careful.

"I'm proud of you anyway," Mikuru says. "I wish I could offer you more advice, but-"

"I know, I know," I reply, smirking. "Classified."

"Yep." Mikuru offers an apologetic smile. "Can I make you dinner tonight to apologize?"

"I don't know," I say after a moment. "Remember, if we're close, Haruhi gets upset."

"She doesn't have to know," Mikuru says, shaking her head. "Remember, it's only when she sees us that it's a problem."

That's pretty jarring. Mikuru, I never knew you were so devious behind that innocent exterior! "Y...you're kidding, right?" I manage.

"Of course not! After all, we're supposed to be dating in this world!"

"But, if we get back, we can't risk that, right?"

"Ah...." She trails off. "No, you're right," she agrees. "I've caused enough trouble as it is. So I just want ... well ... to enjoy it while we can."

"Mikuru-chan ... things like that make it very hard for me to focus on what I've got to do," I say, shaking my head. "I mean...."

"I know," she says, sighing and bowing her head. "Let's wait here a moment." We're at the base of the hill, a few blocks away from the train station.

"Okay," I agree. Maybe she needs to catch her breath.

"Kyon, I want to help you as much as I can. And I can tell you about the old world, even though I shouldn't ... but there's so much about this one I'm not allowed to talk about. So it makes it very hard for me to explain. But would you believe me if I told you it would be for the best if we just stood here and you held me for a few minutes?"

That's certainly something I want to believe! And it's in public, so it's not like it'd be too bad. But then, it could also get back to Haruhi. Then again, it'd make any rumors that went around much more positive in general.

This time I'd be beaten for taking advantage of Mikuru-chan, not making her cry.

While I debate, she hugs me. Reflexively, I hug her back. Her hair smells clean, like Yuki-chan's, but also like fruit ... strawberry and apples. A few minutes of this is quite reasonable.

"And you want to make dinner tonight?" I murmur.

"Please," she says, her face rubbing against my chest as she nods.

This is a huge risk in temptation, isn't it? What are you up to, Mikuru-chan?

I don't answer immediately. The moment extends, and I enjoy every bit of it -- until my cell phone vibrates abruptly, and Mikuru releases me with a smile. "There," she says in satisfaction.

Wait, she was just distracting me until I got a call? I try to answer, but it's not a call after all. It's a text from Koizumi: 'Close space growth almost completely halted. Superiors impressed. You have more time. Be careful.'

As I stare at those last two sentences, a large, dark car rounds the corner, a pair of men with dark glasses looking at me sharply and then driving away down another street. I know they're looking at me because I feel a definite esper-tingle from them, even behind the shades. I thought their powers didn't work in the real world? They don't do anything to me, either way. I realize that they're driving from the direction of the train station, of course.

"I'd be delighted to let you come over and make dinner for me and my family," I tell Mikuru, holding her at arm's length so that I can look at her solemnly.

She gives me that same shy, pleased smile that I found impossible to resist when I met her older self, what seems so long ago.

Devious, I tell you. Devious!

Mikuru isn't a bad cook. She's not a spectacular one, but I really can't complain. Nothing gets set on fire or spilled on me -- until my little sister knocks over her drink, and I'm the only one who gets splashed. Typical, I suppose.

But other than that, it's a nice, quiet meal. My mother thanks Mikuru for coming over and taking such good care of me, my little sister asks if she can study with us, and everything seems ... well ... nice.

Nice enough that I can just think about everything that went right today. Of course, a little sister is a perfect poor behavior deterrent. With her in the room, nothing can go wrong.

It doesn't hurt that Mikuru and I have different classes, so we can't really work together terribly well. All of my homework is old news to her. But I plod through it as quickly as I can, anyway. My little sister only asks me for help with a few problems, and Mikuru answers about half of those for me.

"Little sister is so cute," she gushes, when my sibling gets up to get a drink. I can only nod in agreement, though I doubt I would utter such a sentiment myself.

Mikuru turns to look at me and says, "Well, I've done what I can. I'll meet you here tomorrow and walk you to school again, okay?"

"Ah.... Sure," I reply. Then I get a text message. From Koizumi: 'Much to discuss; meet discreetly in Sakuragaoka park @ 11:00.'

My little sister returns, gathers up her books, and then gives Mikuru a big hug. "Thanks, Mikuru-nee-san!"

"Any time!" Mikuru replies, before starting to pack up her own things. I glance at the clock. It's just a few minutes after ten. "I hope I'll see you tomorrow, too."

This elicits a cheer, and then it's just me and Mikuru again, though the door to my room is left open. Suddenly, she turns serious. "Kyon, you shouldn't take too long getting to that appointment."

"You know, Mikuru, I think I've underestimated you in the past," I murmur.

She giggles, and puts one finger to her lips.

"I know, but I'm not asking any questions," I say, before the old 'classified' line comes up again. Though from experience, it is kind of fun to use.

She pouts cutely at that, and says, "Well, remember that it takes a certain kind of person to make unreasonable requests. And positions like this have extensive qualifications." Then she gives me a wink. "Wouldn't you like to know more?"

Heh. She's just looking for an excuse to say it now. "You're cute when you tell me things are classified, Mikuru. Did you know that?"

She blushes at that, her composure vanishing as she giggles and ducks her head. "U...um," she stammers. "N...no one's ever said that!"

"It's true," I assure her. "But we'd better hurry to avoid trouble. If you say I should leave soon, then I'm going to do that." I pause briefly, considering. "Should I walk you home?"

She shakes her head. "We can walk together a little."

So, we pack up all the rest of the schoolbooks and homework, and do just that. Mom is under the impression I'm just walking her home and I'll be back later. Though, if I come back after more than an hour has passed, I wonder if they'll get suspicious?

Nah. They didn't say anything when I went out with Koizumi for that painfully long car ride.

Anyway, Mikuru and I walk together in companionable silence for a few blocks, then she turns to go home and waves to me encouragingly. I watch her walk away for a bit, then turn the other way and walk to the park.

As I do, I feel another tingle -- Yuki-chan-like, not esper. I take a deep, quiet breath. If I have to run from Yuki-chan, I will. No, I will try. With Haruhi's changes on me, I'm even better at it, after all. Then again, Ryouko froze me in place, so if Yuki-chan attacks me, I'd probably best appeal to her better nature.

Assuming that will work. Really, she'd have to let me get away. I'm going to trust in Mikuru for now, though, and continue on to the park, unable to keep myself from jogging faster. Now, the park itself isn't terribly large -- it's a quarter of a block, and a good deal of that is taken up with a baseball diamond. Then there's a small gym for children to play on, and the rest of it is benches and paths through the trees. This is Japan, though, so it's all well lit, thanks to the vending machines lining the paths.

It doesn't take long to find Koizumi, though according to my phone, I'm almost an hour early. He looks intensely relieved to see me before assuming his placid expression. That Yuki-chan-tingle doesn't fade, but is joined by an esper-tingle.

That's a very discomforting sensation, by the way.

"You're early," Koizumi notes. He turns away. "Why don't we walk while we speak?"

"Just what I wanted," I say, falling in stride beside him. "A walk in the park late at night with you."

"I'm touched!"

"Not if I can help it."

He chuckles and shakes his head; I can hear the slightest sound of strain in that laugh. "I shouldn't be here, you know."

"Yeah, you mentioned something about that," I agree. "So either you're going to try and kill me," and good luck with that in the real world, Koizumi, "or something changed."

"Something has indeed changed," he agrees, nodding as he leads me out of the park, across the street, and down an alley. "My superiors are very impressed with you, as I said. But as I earn greater trust with the Coalition, I am learning that they are vastly different from the Agency. Understand I mean no insult by this, but I place Suzumiya-san as more important than you, given the world we came from."

Well, that's honest. "I guessed as much." We walk in silence as we emerge on the other side of the alley into a poorly lit street, and he turns to the right. "Wait. You're saying the Coalition thinks I'm more important than Haruhi?"

"And why wouldn't they?" he asks, shooting me a dark look. "You're at the center of most changes lately almost as much as Suzumiya-san, and since you have a better idea of what's going on, your influence is much more benevolent."

"Ah," I murmur, hiding a grin. Myself, a benevolent influence upon reality as a whole. Or just the common sense that keeps Haruhi from blowing everything up. That's somewhat sobering, though. "So, where are you going with this?"

"It's not been stated directly, and it wouldn't, since I'm supposedly her boyfriend. But I am under the impression that if you completely stabilize Suzumiya-san, the majority of the Coalition would want her destroyed."

I freeze in my tracks right there. Koizumi turns to one side, before another vending machine, and studies it for a minute.

"Are you serious?" I manage.

"Unfortunately, yes. But look at this from a completely logical vantage, Kyon. Suzumiya-san has implemented changes that only bring danger to the world. Three of the Coalition died last night. And while it has happened in the past, new espers haven't appeared since then, according to their history. This, unfortunately, matches what we've seen in the Agency."

"Maybe it just takes more time," I suggest. "Maybe it just takes longer than three years." Then, another thought occurs to me. "Or maybe your powers are hereditary. Does anyone in the Agency or the Coalition have kids?"

He shakes his head in response. "Those have been considered. So far, none of the children exhibit any powers. But maybe it takes longer than two years. We don't know, though." He pauses, putting some coins into the machine and pressing a button. He presses it again. Two hot coffees are vended, and he hands me one. "My guess is that Suzumiya-san didn't consider those ramifications when she made us. We are a product of her subconscious will, after all. Now the Coalition is divided, and the one side of the argument I'm certain of is not a pleasant image, either."

"What's that?" I ask, sipping at my drink. Bitter. The Yuki-chan-tingle intensifies, as the esper-tingle fades. What's going on, anyway?

"You are able to control Suzumiya-san to some extent," he said with a shrug. "I explained to the Coalition that you were attempting to curtail the creation of closed space. As soon as you did this, no new closed space came into being."

"That's only been a few hours though," I object. "Not even a day. They can't be acting so quickly!"

"Since we came to this world, an instance of closed space occurs approximately every ten minutes. Until you spoke with Suzumiya-san in the club room and ... the Coalition didn't have anyone in place to watch that. Someone on the track team is usually in charge of that, and they didn't meet today."

Oh, isn't that ironic. "I see. So because it seems I did something with Haruhi...?"

Koizumi sighs and drinks some of his own coffee, then turns around and leans against the machine, staring up at the darkened sky. "There are forces that want to capture you to try and control Suzumiya-san, to see if closed space can be destroyed forever, or if more espers can be created."

Chilling. The Yuki-chan-tingle seriously intensifies.

"Others are convinced that because of Suzumiya-san's belief in you, her powers, if you will, are fading." Then the Yuki-chan tingle diminishes a bit. What's going on?

"She's going to turn into a normal schoolgirl?" I ask in surprise. Well, as close to normal as she can manage, anyway....

"I don't know about that," Koizumi says with a shrug. "It's possible. It's also possible that she's giving her power to you simply because she doesn't know how to deal with it."

I blink at that. That can't be right. Why would she even do such a thing?

"Think about it," Koizumi says, pausing for another sip. "Suzumiya-san believes in you. She definitely believes in you. She built this world for your benefit, as far as I can tell. She's the center of our reality. But you're the center of hers."

I reflexively drink my coffee in silence, adding this to what else I know. "I thought she just exercised her powers through me," I finally said. "I thought I convinced her to make me a better runner. I didn't do anything but talk to her." And ... run better, actually.

"You believed in her, she believes in you ... in a roundabout way, you believe in yourself. I'm not certain ... but I think that Suzumiya-san's strength stems from belief in herself. Absolute confidence, if you will."

I nod and toss my empty can into a dustbin. Haruhi certainly displayed enough confidence in the past for me to believe this.

"But she's losing that confidence, even as she's gaining in power. She's got nothing to cling to but you. If things continue in their present state, you stabilizing her and using her power ... you could usurp her position."

"And the Coalition wants me on their side because they know I want to stop closed space," I murmur. "But why not simply approach Haruhi and tell her these things? It wasn't an option before, because it might result in too many espers -- but that's not really the problem now, is it?"

"That's true," Koizumi admits. "But here, Suzumiya-san is -- tragically -- a much more destructive force than she was in our own world. And it's not a recent trend, that's simply how the Coalition sees her."

"Why? She recreated the Coalition, didn't she?" I ask. Did those notes explain the Agency? Maybe they didn't. Maybe Haruhi just saw Koizumi throw his attacks and realized he was an esper. Would that account for the radical change?

Koizumi just looks at me expectantly, taking a long sip.

"So ... Haruhi sees you attacking Taniguchi, and thinks that espers are violent. For whatever reason that we still haven't figured out -- and it seems to me this is important -- she doesn't change you, but now the Coalition is more bloodthirsty and less patient than the Agency."

"Sounds reasonable," he agrees, finishing off his drink and tossing it after mine. "Though, you're right. I don't understand why she preserved me."

"Maybe Yuki-chan would know," I murmur. If only I had the specifics of that notebook! Even though I've established some things, it's coming clear that there's still too much I don't understand. "I wish we could ask her."

That same tingle of Yuki-chan-related energy, and I spin around. She steps out of the alley and looks at us askance. Should I run?

"This is a weak node for discussion," she says. She's not wearing her glasses, and for some reason, that reassures me. "I believe that the three of us should discuss this in a more private location."

How far is her apartment from here, anyway? Quite a walk. I don't know if I'd make it back home before the trains stopped.

"Nagato-san," Koizumi says warily. "Well. You've still got your trump card, Kyon. If anyone can pull through this, it's going to have to be you."

Do I still have Yuki-chan as a trump card? "Where should we go to speak?" I ask, just before everything around us shimmers -- big Yuki-chan-tingle for this one -- and we're in a box that melts away to show us her room. Well. That was efficient. So much for running away. "Okay. So, what should we be talking about?"

"I have observed portions of your discussion. Enough that my previous orders are rescinded. I am returning to my role as an observer."

"Direct communication between us has always been very limited," Koizumi says cautiously. "And, I'm only a low ranking member of the Agency, anyway. You're just a low ranking member, too, aren't you?"

Yuki-chan looks at Koizumi. "You are the highest ranking remaining member of your Agency," she notes. Ah, she's got him there, when you get right down to it.

He looks momentarily flustered, then nods and takes a seat at the table, taking off his shoes. I join him. Yuki watches us for a moment, then pours tea for everyone. I just drank coffee, so I only take a sip. Koizumi drains his cup.

"You're right," Koizumi says, sighing. "So, I suppose it's up to me. Assuming I'm willing to betray the Coalition. I need to be back at the park by eleven so that it will appear that Kyon did not arrive when the Coalition is watching."

"Understood."

"I'm glad you're both on my side," I murmur. And I am. These people would make terrible enemies. "Yuki-chan, how much of what he said is right? Is Haruhi somehow giving her strength to me?"

"This seems possible. The potential for autoevolution has not previously been observed as a contagious element, but may have gained these attributes in Suzumiya Haruhi's changes to the world." She seems hesitant, then refills Koizumi's cup.

He raises it in salute and sips before setting it back down.

"Because of recent factors it is critical now to preserve both Suzumiya Haruhi and Kyon from damage." I still only get a nickname, Yuki-chan? "This world is still destabilized. While our observations were able to gather crucial data, especially during today's experiment, there is much that still needs to be understood. In addition, even with full understanding, the damage done may be too extensive to mend at this node."

"So we're going to be stuck with Haruhi making worlds over and over until she gets it right?" I ask.

"Unlikely. Each attempt will fail on a larger scale, leaving her more frustrated and transferring more of her potential to you."

That doesn't ... really sound so bad. I'm not sure I really want that power, but I could make sure it didn't do any damage. "Would that work?"

"The result is not desirable. Your potential for autoevolution will curtail Haruhi's strength and lock it into a harmless factor."

"Which would leave us stuck with no way to change things back," Koizumi reasons. "And on top of that, we probably wouldn't get rid of the closed space issue, which would only get worse."

"Okay. But this still doesn't tell me why you can't approach Haruhi and just tell her what's going on, and ask her to fix it. I know Mikuru's got her reasons, but you are the Agency now, Koizumi. And you can explain things without revealing ... anything critical, Yuki-chan." Better not mention the data thought entity in front of Koizumi, just in case.

"I would be an anomalous affront to Suzumiya Haruhi's condition," Yuki-chan explains. "I should have been overwritten in this reality, and was only saved by you. I would most likely degrade her confidence further, which would only accelerate the entropic exchange."

"Telling Suzumiya-chan that her bad mood got people killed would probably crush her spirits," Koizumi says with an apologetic shrug. "Same thing, Kyon."

"So ... both of you ... just like Mikuru ... are saying that when it gets right down to it, it's up to me?"

"Hasn't it always been that way?"

You know, I think he's got a point.

"Okay. I need time to think about this. I've got a plan, kind of, but I may need to wait until things destabilize further," I say, nodding. "I'll go over it with Mikuru. Yuki-chan, try and protect Haruhi if you can. Koizumi, if you get any useful information, let Yuki-chan know. And ... if you can, Yuki-chan, I'd like a copy of what we know Haruhi read. Though, we'd better make sure she doesn't see it again."

"Understood, Brevet-Brigade-Chief," Koizumi says with a wink. "And ... Nagato-san, if I could trouble you ... I need to return to the park now. Otherwise the Coalition will likely see my arrival."

"Yes," Yuki-chan murmurs to me. "It will be in your book bag. At this node, all utility functions will be at your discretion, Kyon-kun."

"Okay," I say with a nod. "Then I'd better get home and get some sleep. I think tomorrow's going to be a busy day."

Author's notes: The next chapter is the last one.