Disclaimer: The novel series of Suzumiya Haruhi that began with 'The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi' is the creation of Nagaru Tanigawa. 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. TVtropes (the website) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License (and it's possible that this fic technically is, too; seems fair to me). Additional characters are borrowed from Higurashi, which is the creation of Ryukishi07.
Notes: Count the tropes! Save, collect, trade for swell prizes!
"Chapter Ten: Loyalty"
"The thing is to remember that loyalty is earned, not just given. And if you want to be given loyalty, you tend to need to earn it. If you've already done that, just make sure you deserve that loyalty!"
"Methods of Victory" -- 'T.H.'
After transitioning herself, Michikyuu Kanae, and her primary protection target to her apartment, Yuki sat down at her table. She had prepared tea before leaving earlier that day, slowing relative time down for the small area around the kettle. The seal released as soon as she reached a hand toward it, pouring a cup for each of her guests, and then a third for herself. Kanae sat opposite her, and Kyon sat on the side between them, facing the new entertainment center she had been given by Tsuruya.
She wasn't sure what to think of the kiosk's presence in the main room. Most of the small changes that had occurred in her home were negligible, easily attributable to the passage of time. Even the new clothing could be missed, tucked into her closet as it was.
Now there was a new piece of furniture intruding on her previous order. Then again, it did allow for group media review, which was valued time; she could compare her own emotive values to those of the people around her, and understand the small, easily missed changes in her self more easily.
The slider set out her homework and sighed deeply, scooting a distance of a centimeter and a half closer to the boy at the table. "My math is kind of weak," she said apologetically, giving him a hopeful look. "Can you help, Sempai?"
While he turned to look, she decided that she could at least match the other girl, and approached the same distance. Kanae's eyes targeted her, and Yuki looked back, catching an intent, worried look. What was the slider concerned about?
Yuki pondered this while the slider edged forward another three quarters of a centimeter. There was the possibility of Kanae being afraid of her, but that didn't seem to be the case. Kanae's next glance was more worried, and she started to shift away from him when Yuki realized that the other girl was looking to her for approval.
She inclined her head a short distance, then tilting it toward him, as he leaned closer to her and explained a math problem to the slider. The slider grasped it a moment later and brightened instantly, turning to him and saying, "Um, Sempai, let me scoot around the table so I can see better...."
Before he could protest, she had scrambled around to sit next to him, turning her papers toward her on the table and spreading half of them in front of him. "Um," he said hesitantly, turning to look at Yuki as she moved to sit at Kyon's other side, the table making the distance between them very tight.
"I am helping," she explained, an inexplicable priority causing her eyes to orient away from his. An involuntary reaction? She contemplated rerunning a behavioral analysis on her current actions, but dismissed the idea immediately; Kanae had moved just as close already, so obviously it was okay.
On that basis, and since it was something she had done with him previously, she leaned against him, one arm going around the small of his back. Kanae looked across the boy between them with an envious smile, turning to look at her homework. "W...what's this all about?" Kyon asked hesitantly. "Not that I mean to complain, exactly, but just so I don't get myself in any trouble."
"Do not worry," Yuki responded, registering that he was demonstrating a high probability of being distressed ... though how much, she was unable to determine. "I will double-check your answers."
He chuckled at that, while Kanae began studiously reading the first paragraph of an imposing looking history book with a bleak expression. The slider shook her head abruptly, smiling brightly at him and saying, "But I trust you anyway, Sempai."
"I think that kind of answers that," he allowed, as she turned back to her book. "So, this is something I'm probably better off not thinking about. Anyway, I actually needed to ask some serious questions, Nagato."
"Understood," she replied, uncertain if his agitation had settled, or if she could reassure him. There was a significant probability that answering his questions would help him. She wondered if Kanae were aware, or if she just considered it to be below a threshold of concern. Or maybe her homework was just a higher priority?
"So ... somehow ... did Haruhi do something with her powers yesterday to let Koizumi use his powers?" he asked.
Yuki checked all of her records. She hadn't been on the beach when the fight had happened; some effect of the portal that the other slider had used had evidently also shielded the area from her awareness. Still, she did have a link to Suzumiya Haruhi, and nothing had registered there. "Possibly," she acknowledged. Considering further, she added, "I observe no state change in the powers possessed by Koizumi Itsuki from before that time and the present, outside of severing his limited memetic link with Suzumiya Haruhi."
He frowned, considering this, while Kanae scribbled a note to herself and turned the page. "So, Koizumi's powers haven't changed?"
She nodded, adding, "Correct," in case it was difficult for him to see her, given their proximity.
"Have they changed from, say, before we all told Haruhi about who we really were?" he asked.
She considered, checking her references. Koizumi's power was not something she habitually checked on. She compared a known good record to her last update. "Yes," she confirmed.
"So ... Koizumi has been able to use his powers in the real world for a while, and just never tried?" he asked.
"There is a significant probability that this is so," she agreed. This did leave the question of how his powers had changed, though. She resolved to investigate that later.
"And now, math," Kanae said, shaking her head and shutting her history book. She stretched a bit, briefly hugging herself against the boy that was between the two of them. "You're good at math, right, Sempai?"
"Thanks to Haruhi, I'm alright," he allowed. "And I'm sure Nagato will tell me if we're both wrong."
"Okay!" the slider agreed brightly. "Um! Can we watch Trope-tan when we're done?"
"Sure," he agreed, nodding. "If that's okay with Nagato. I should probably be more familiar with it before the movie this Friday anyway, right?"
Kanae hummed happily, finishing her first set of problems and sliding the paper over to him for evaluation. "That series is ... enjoyable," Yuki murmured.
He started slightly, twisting slightly around to look at her, then grinned, squeezing her in a gentle hug as he relaxed. "I'm glad to hear that you think that," he remarked. She was pleased to observe almost no discernible stress cues from him; correspondingly, her own agitation was settled.
Lunch was a welcome reprieve from the tedium of class. Unlike Kyon, Haruhi actually applied herself and focused on her lessons ... though, that didn't particularly make them more enjoyable. Still, he had behaved reasonably, jotting down notes and not actually dozing off, no matter how tired he looked.
As she had been doing for a while, now, she prodded Kyon's back with one end of a bento before he could turn around after the lunch bell. He obligingly turned his chair to the side so he could turn to face her, nodding gravely and accepting the offered lunch.
"It's not up to Mikuru's standards," she said with a shrug, "but I think it's pretty good for a mere mortal chef like myself."
He looked amused for some reason at that, saying, "It's still better than anything I could get from home."
Haruhi felt a small flush of pride at that, and decided to say nothing, just enjoying the quiet time they had alone.
At least, that was her plan. Kyon's friends Taniguchi and Kunikida pulled a nearby desk over and made themselves comfortable, joining the pair without asking. She pondered giving them a death-glare to try and scare them away, but ultimately fought back the urge.
Kunikida started, noting, "You seem to be asking me for help with assignments less and less these days, Kyon! Have you found a new study partner?"
"That, and some motivation," Kyon agreed between bites of his lunch. After pausing to chew a morsel, he added, "It's not like I've improved so much that Taniguchi is begging for help from me, instead of you, though."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah.... I get enough of that from my dad," Taniguchi grumbled around a mouthful. "And now from Yanagimoto-hime, too. So, what was your secret, Kyon?"
"Lately I've been studying with Haruhi," he said, indicating her as though to remind the boys that they were excluding her. "And for review, I've also been tutoring Kanae-chan."
"Well, like Kyon said, in his case it was more an issue of motivation," Haruhi offered, shrugging quietly. Kunikida offered a thoughtful nod, while Taniguchi merely looked annoyed. "In your case, Taniguchi, you should look for a tutor."
The boy looked about to protest, before Kunikida interjected, "You know, Taniguchi, couldn't you just study with Yanagimoto-san? You're spending all your free time with her anyway...."
"I guess," Taniguchi sighed, stabbing fiercely at a piece of broccoli, then staring at the speared vegetable moodily. "I mean.... I want to spend time with her, you know, with her, not studying."
"It could be an issue of motivation here, too," Kunikida sighed, shaking his head.
"Mm. I'd been meaning to ask about your study session with Kanae-chan, actually," Haruhi noted, turning her attention to Kyon. "Did that go well?"
"Er, yeah," he managed looking nervous and slightly embarrassed. "Um.... Nagato suggested that we could all watch some anime once Kanae-chan finished her homework, so she was really enthusiastic about it."
"Anime is not enough incentive for me," Taniguchi remarked, setting down his chopsticks. "And Yanagimoto-chan only wants to watch slice-of-life stuff.... Like Sketchbook Full Colors, which I can't get into, or Lucky Star, where the one kind of otaku girl's voice really creeps me out for some reason." He shrugged. "So, that's out."
"With a quitter's attitude like that, give up on study, enjoy every moment you have with her like it could be the last -- because it very well could be!" Haruhi snapped, irritated with him. He flinched back, shooting her a scowl. "You're so pathetic! Do you really think that Yanagimoto is going to stay with you if you don't mind your grades? What more incentive do you need?"
"Ah, um, you know," Kunikida interjected, trying to defuse the situation. "It's not completely pathetic!"
"Just mostly," Kyon chimed in. "But Haruhi's right, Taniguchi. If you're failing because you're not putting enough effort into it, whining about it without trying to change.... Come on, you need to man up!"
Kunikida leaned back and looked between Kyon and Taniguchi worriedly.
For his part the taller boy shook his head abruptly, as though banishing some thought or another, and sighed deeply. "You're right," he acknowledged. "Whining never got anything done; besides, girls like guys who are gar, right? So, yeah, I do have to man up!" With that, he leaped to his feet, sending his borrowed chair scooting backward and drawing attention from the half of the class still in the room.
Among them were Yanagimoto herself, halfway across the classroom chatting with some other girls. She broke off at the chair's screech, staring at the boy in alarm as he stormed toward her, then dropped to one knee at her side and proclaimed in a voice that had to reach the neighboring classrooms, "Yanagimoto-hime! I will study harder to be the man you deserve! All I ask is that you study with me!"
"Ugh," Haruhi groaned quietly, hiding her smile. "That guy...."
"This is your fault," Kunikida chided with a shake of his head as Taniguchi began to spew a flowery speech about his renewed search for a proper education to his stunned target.
"Hey, why should our club be the only people who get to have fun doing things a little larger than life?" Haruhi asked, letting the shorter boy see her grin. "The goal is to save the world by overloading it with fun, so this suits me just fine!"
"Perhaps so," Kunikida allowed, shaking his head with a weak, rueful smile. "Well--" He cut off suddenly, blinking in alarm and looking to Haruhi's side. "Ah, Sakanaka-san," he said, bowing his head slightly.
Haruhi kept her smile, toning it down a bit as she turned to look at the girl who was timidly approaching. "Hey," Sakanaka said with an apologetic smile, ducking her head slightly. "Um.... Suzumiya-san, do you have a few minutes free...?"
"Absolutely!" Haruhi agreed, her smile fading. "Is this urgent? Oh! Is J.J. alright?!" She had liked the little dog.... She kept meaning to visit Sakanaka to play with him, and then forgetting.
"He's fine, still," Sakanaka assured her, giggling quietly. "Um.... Maybe a bit lonely? You should come over and visit him some time! Ah, but I'd asked to speak with you about ... well...." She giggled bashfully, offering another apologetic smile.
It must be something she didn't want to discuss in front of the others, so Haruhi shrugged, pushing her last few bites toward Kyon. "Yeah, okay, I have the club room free, and that area's private," she assured her friend, rising to her feet. Sakanaka beamed her a brighter smile and fell into step at her side.
She did worry about what was going on.... Though Kyon had remained outwardly calm, she was sure he was anxious about the possibility of it being something he would have to deal with. Still, if she was careful and handled things well ... there was no reason she couldn't take care of it without bothering him. "Maybe tonight?" she suggested to Sakanaka. "Um, if you're free, that is; it would be nice to see J.J. again, and visit with you, too." And Kyon was taking his family out to dinner, so she could keep herself occupied.
"Um, that would be fine," Sakanaka agreed, stepping into the club room after Haruhi opened the door. Once they were inside and seated, Sakanaka nervously began, "I didn't want to give you a bad impression of what I wanted to talk about. It's not nearly as serious as last time, and ... um, well. I don't know Yanagimoto very well, but you seem to be getting along better with her, so that's seems good, too."
"Oh ... she was only ever mislead by Yamane Jun," Haruhi said in explanation, shrugging. "So what's the problem, then?"
"It's no problem, really, and maybe it's not any of my business at all, but um.... I suppose because my own life is relatively dull, and maybe just a little bit because we're friends and I want you to be happy...." She took a deep breath, while Haruhi pondered what could be bothering the other girl. "What I'm trying to say is that if you're trying to pursue Kyon, it's not much but you have my complete support," Sakanaka said in a quick stream of words, not even pausing for breath as her face reddened. "Because I think that Kyon likes you," she added, speaking even more quickly as her nervousness increased. "Unless-I'm-wrong-and-this-is-none-of-my-business!" she finished hurriedly.
Haruhi stared, eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't really gone out of her way to hide the fact that she and Kyon were.... What were they, exactly? "I think Kyon likes me, too," Haruhi agreed. "Um.... And I like Kyon, but, it's ... complicated."
Sakanaka cringed as if she'd just discovered she were responsible for a house fire. "I'm sorry!" she began. "I shouldn't have--"
"No, no," Haruhi interrupted, shaking her head. "Your instincts were right! And lately I've been so caught up in club activities I haven't been very good about keeping up with you.... Hmm, I guess to you it looked like after Kyon and Tsuruya uncovered that photography ring, I was trying to get his attention and it wasn't working very well, huh?"
The other girl's face was bright red as she nodded. "I...is it working then?" she asked cautiously. "Are you and Kyon...." She trailed off and made a vague gesture.
Haruhi thought that ironically enough, Sakanaka had defined their relationship almost perfectly with that motion. "I don't want a brief high-school romance," Haruhi said in answer. "I mean ... I like Kyon, so you got that right, but I.... Well, I want to try and make something that lasts. I mean, if we were to jump straight into it, then have a falling out or a messy breakup a year or two down the road, then it'd all be over, and...." She shrugged, uncomfortable with how that thought made her feel. "A...anyway, an aunt once told me that friendship is the first step to finding more. Why skip ahead?"
Sakanaka blinked in surprise at this, then cocked her head to one side. "I would have thought that.... I mean, that sounds a bit unorthodox, but it does also make a bit of sense," she allowed. "Ah ... now I feel silly for making all this fuss over nothing...."
"Nonsense," Haruhi disagreed as the bell warned that lunch was about to end. "You were trying to be a good friend, and I haven't been doing the best job of that lately." She winked at the other girl. "So, when we go to your place later tonight, you can tell me about the boy you're interested in!"
The return of the other girl's blush caused Haruhi to smirk. "Y...you can tell?" Sakanaka asked with a nervous giggle.
Haruhi chuckled, shaking her head. "Come on, let's not be late to class."
"I suppose," Kunikida remarked, watching Haruhi lead Sakanaka out of the room, "that we haven't really chatted in a while?"
"Not really," Kyon agreed. "We should probably take advantage of this brief interlude, free of Taniguchi."
"You should be so lucky!" the boy in question exclaimed, clapping one hand on Kyon's shoulder forcefully. "Come on, this is an emergency!"
Grumbling to himself as he finished gobbling down the last scraps of Haruhi's lunch, Kyon reluctantly let himself be dragged off by Taniguchi and his not quite as eager companion, Yanagimoto.
Shortly enough, he came to a stop in a very familiar stairwell, facing Taniguchi's best attempt at a stern expression, and Yanagimoto's doubtful gaze. "So," he asked, glancing between the two of them, "what's this about?"
"About you and Suzumiya," Taniguchi replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "What the hell, man?"
Kyon blinked, wondering where that came from. "What?" he asked.
"I know that Taniguchi doesn't have all the details, and with his perverted mind he'll never get them from me," Yanagimoto said, eying her boyfriend sidelong. "But never mind that. Despite his flaws, he really is trying to help. The question we have is, when you got a chance for an obvious setup with Suzumiya, why did you pass it up and run to a secluded location on the beach with a younger girl? She even mentioned you studying with that girl instead of her this weekend?"
The two of them had evidently hidden in the crowd and watched who he walked off with. "Well, that was...." He trailed off, realizing the situation. What could he really tell them? His normal approach of telling an outlandish truth wasn't likely to work, here. And mentioning the fact that he was engaged to Tsuruya wasn't likely to help, either.
"Don't be afraid of commitment!" Taniguchi chided. "Seriously, if you've lasted this long with Suzumiya, it's a done deal. You just need to face the music! And, anyway, weren't you just telling me that more gar was the answer?"
"My god," Kyon realized, mildly shocked. "Haruhi's old crazy has infected you. She calmed down, and it leaped to the next target. Yanagimoto, I may have to go into quarantine; we've obviously mistaken my carrier status for immunity."
Yanagimoto considered this, looking between Kyon and her boyfriend sidelong. Taniguchi waved a hand dismissively, rolling his eyes. "Okay, yeah, I may be overstating it, but come on man. You're only seventeen once! This will be your only junior year! Next year is going to be all about prepping for college. There's going to be no time for any romance! It's spring -- and the springtime of your youth! And if you're not going to commit to Haruhi, then at least pick someone."
"Yeah," Taniguchi's girlfriend agreed, nodding thoughtfully, recovering from her earlier surprise. "I suspect that I've got different reasons for saying that than him, though. You shouldn't lead Suzumiya-san on, if you don't care for her that way. Or those other girls, either ... especially that poor first year."
"Um," was all Kyon could manage to say in response. "It's ... technically summer."
"Look, just be honest with yourself and her!"
"For better or for worse," Taniguchi added. "In an anime, there'd be dozens of guys lined up waiting to fight you to make you pick a girl, you know."
"Don't get sidetracked," Yanagimoto snapped at him. "This is the real world, and no one's willing to mess with the school hero who dangles a certain nameless bastard out the window." She paused, huffing slightly, then crossed her arms over her chest, looking away. "Thanks, by the way."
"Um, no problem," Kyon mumbled.
Taniguchi grinned, leering sidelong, and began, "Any chance you kept some of the--"
"That's a little too obvious," she warned, shooting him a sharp look.
He swallowed, his smile fading. "I'll be good," he mumbled. Turning his attention back to Kyon, Taniguchi explained, "All joking aside, do the right thing, huh?"
"Got it," Kyon agreed, trying to pretend he had followed the bizarre exchange. "On a slight tangent, are you two considering careers in show business, or something?"
"I'm going to be a voice actor!" Taniguchi answered, nodding with conviction. "My cousin has a job lined up for me the minute I turn eighteen. It's going to be awesome!"
"You don't have to be eighteen to voice act," Yanagimoto said, narrowing her eyes suspiciously and giving her boyfriend another sharp look.
"Well," he said defensively, trying to hide a grin, "you do for this job."
Having heard more than enough, Kyon shook his head and slipped away. Next time, he decided, he was going to discuss academics with Kunikida and forcibly ignore Taniguchi.
By the time Mikuru reached the club room, Kyon and Haruhi were there, both standing outside the room, looking oddly tired, though Kyon looked worse off, to her estimation. "Is the key lost?" she asked cautiously, offering a worried smile.
"Yuki-chan won't let me watch her change," Haruhi grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. "She said something about the costume being just perfect."
Kyon shrugged wordlessly, mustering the strength for a small smile.
Mikuru realized that must have meant that Yuki was trying on her costume, and thus, she was thwarted from having her chance to dress up for Kyon.... She shook her head, rapping on the door. "Yuki-chan?" she called. "Do you need any help with your outfit?"
Kyon raised an eyebrow as the door opened, though Yuki herself was hidden behind it. Mikuru ducked her head at the other pair and slipped inside, Yuki closing it behind her once she was in. The smaller girl was already mostly dressed, except for the fact that the lacing in the back would naturally require help.
Giving Yuki an encouraging smile, Mikuru turned her around and began tightening the lacing. "This outfit requires some help to put on properly," Mikuru said apologetically. "Hmm.... Perhaps we should save it for when you and Tsu-chan both dress up? Then you could help one-another!"
Yuki gave a small nod in answer as Mikuru finished knotting the last part of the lacing and turned Yuki around, adjusting shoulder-straps and petticoats, then producing a bonnet from the costume rack and pinning it into her hair. "There," she said in approval, smiling at the shorter girl. "Ooh, my, that's...." She hesitated, then shook her head. "U...um ... Suzumiya-san might not be able to resist you, Yuki-chan; maybe this isn't a very safe outfit?"
The shorter girl tilted her head back thoughtfully, though her expression didn't change much.
"You're going to risk that for Kyon-kun, anyway," Mikuru realized, unable to keep from smiling. Well, she wasn't certain she had Yuki's courage, but she could respect that. After all, she'd wanted to dress up like a maid for Kyon.... She brightened suddenly in realization. "Um, if it's not too much trouble, do you think you could help me be the one who gets to dress up tomorrow?"
Yuki's gaze turned from the door to Mikuru, and she nodded once slowly.
Smiling, Mikuru ducked her head in gratitude again, then opening the door. The rest of the brigade burst in, Haruhi predictably already with a camera at the ready. Kyon was behind her, and the others had arrived while Mikuru was helping Yuki with her outfit. She stood in front of the table as though uncertain, not moving except to shift her eyes to the others as they came in.
"That's almost perfect!" Haruhi declared, not caring that Kyon had to squeeze around her to get in. He stumbled forward, eyes fixing on Yuki as his mouth dropped open and he froze.
Mikuru turned to admire the girl as well.... She tried not to be vain about her own tailoring skill, especially since it came from Yuki in the first place. But the costume was well made. She'd spent a bit longer working on it, compared to the one she had made for Tsuruya. Of course, Tsuruya's was mostly a very deep crimson with thick black trim -- for Yuki, Mikuru had chosen just white, with an incredibly pale blue trim, so faint it could barely be made out, yet still left the trim distinct.
A flaring skirt with neat, orderly pleats went to just past her knees, where the white stockings that Mikuru had bought for the costume covered her legs. The skirt had a fine lace ruffle that ran a few centimeters longer, and at the waist the skirt came into a wide white belt. Above that, the blouse had been embroidered with a simple floral pattern than extended from the belt up and across the sleeves, which ran only a short distance past Yuki's shoulders before ending in another ruffle. White elbow-length gloves left a tiny band of her pale skin show through, and her hair was capped with a thin white bonnet, festooned with lace roses.
"Offer someone some tea!" Haruhi ordered, moving to one side and snapping more pictures as the rest of the brigade trooped in.
Yuki turned her attention to Kyon, who had recovered from gawking and was now just watching raptly. "Why don't you join me for a cup of tea?" she asked, blinking.
"Aaaah! Don't say it like a pick-up line!" Haruhi protested. "Come on, elegant, Gothic Lolita!"
Yuki pursed her lips very slightly, adjusting her posture and tilting her face up toward Kyon while curtsying gracefully. "Would you care to join me for tea?" she tried.
"Success!" Haruhi exclaimed. "Perfect, Yuki-chan, that sounded so sincere!"
"...it was," Yuki said softly. Mikuru couldn't help but draw a breath of air in at that -- her sharp hearing aside, Haruhi seemed not to notice, just nodding happily with a wide grin, still taking shots with her camera.
"Er, yeah," Kyon said, shaking his head. "Um, that sounds great...."
With smooth motions, Yuki rose and turned about, walking sedately toward the tea set. "Mikuru-chan, another great costume," Haruhi added, snapping a few last pictures before handing the camera to Tsuruya, who was watching Yuki intently, as though studying her mannerisms.
"Adorable!" Tsuruya cried, throwing her arms wide and rushing to Yuki's side, taking pictures in quick succession as the calmer girl began to prepare the drink.
"Amazing work, Asahina-san," Kyon agreed.
"Let me see your phone," Haruhi demanded, prodding Kyon in the ribs. He handed over his PDA, but did not otherwise seem to take note.
"Thank you," Mikuru managed, giggling, then shaking her head. "But then again, that's all thanks to Yuki-chan teaching me."
"Yeah, but you did it," Kanae remarked, reaching a hand out to trail her fingers across her own stewardess outfit. "And I appreciate that; the costumes not only look great, they're fun to wear because you worked so hard on them!"
"Unless I miss my guess, that's Kanae-chan's way of begging you for another costume," Haruhi noted, winking at the slider when she blushed darkly.
Mikuru suddenly realized that Kanae may have been reluctant to ask before, when she was uncertain if she were going to be able to stay. But now, she was confident enough.... "I've got a sketch for a cute police-girl costume," Mikuru assured the slider, beaming her a bright smile. "It's based on the designs from 'You're Under Arrest'! I'm not sure if that's an accurate reference, but it was so cute I couldn't pass it up."
Haruhi nodded in satisfaction, scrolling through functions on Kyon's PDA while waiting for the computer to finish booting.
Koizumi shrugged and sat down at the table, producing a Scrabble board from the bookshelf. "Your English skills seem decent to me," he remarked. "Shall we give this game a try?"
"Sure," he agreed with a shrug.
"My English is terrible!" Tsuruya cheered. "I'll play!"
Kanae pouted, giving Tsuruya an odd look. "I was going to say that," she mumbled. "Except, I'm really terrible...."
"I think I'm okay," Mikuru chimed in, "I'll try and play.... If Kanae-chan's behind in her English studies, she can follow the game with a dictionary, and double-check all of us as a judge!"
"That sounds like a brilliant idea!" Koizumi agreed, offering Kanae a worn dictionary from the bookshelf.
"O...okay, that kind of sounds fun, too," the slider agreed, perking up as she accepted the book.
Haruhi hummed thoughtfully, tapping at some keys, her eyes glowing as she leaned close to the screen, reflecting the bright background of whatever she was looking at. Yuki finished preparing the tea and turned around, her measured pace stopping at Kyon's side as she set down a teacup and then carefully poured a cup for him. After sitting down in the chair next to his, she filled her own teacup, every motion smooth and practiced.
Mikuru took a seat herself, next to Koizumi, because all of the spaces near Kyon were taken. Tsuruya snapped a handful of additional pictures as Koizumi handed out game pieces. "Okay!" Haruhi called, looking up from behind the monitor with a wide grin. "Kyon, try that again! Don't just mumble thanks at Yuki-chan and nod your head!"
"What?" he managed, before Haruhi pointed his own PDA at him like a remote control. He blinked, looking down at himself in astonishment as his outfit shimmered, replaced almost instantly by what Mikuru recognized as an elegant Victorian-style suit with lace ruffles at the wrist and throat, and dark top hat.
"Hmm, not perfect," the brigade chief remarked with a frown, turning her attention back to the computer screen.
"Wait," Kyon said, blinking in alarm. "You can just scan pictures from the internet?"
Without even looking up, Haruhi chided, "You never even tried it? Well, your loss! Now come on, try accepting that tea properly this time!"
Yuki blinked slowly, raising one eyebrow in an elegant arch as she calmly sipped at her tea, giving Kyon what Mikuru thought was the most faintly expectant look.
Kyon dismissed a scowl and straightened, standing up with one hand rising as though to adjust his cravat. "Madame Yuki," he began in stately English, bowing, "it is an honor to be invited to tea." He reached one hand out to take Yuki's gloved hand in his own, raising it nearly to his lips, but not actually kissing her before releasing her and standing straight again.
Mikuru gripped the edge of the table and swallowed, forcing down the urge to squeal in delight.... But she was absolutely getting copies of those pictures Tsuruya was furiously taking later! The green-haired heiress was bouncing around excitedly, capturing every moment from at least two angles while humming energetically.
"The privilege is all mine," Yuki replied, bowing her head slightly, her eyes fixed on Kyon's. And ... was that the hint of a blush on her cheeks?
"W...wait!" Haruhi complained, waving her hands frantically. "Um, here, try this one!" She pressed another button on the phone, changing his costume to a slightly more sophisticated aristocratic outfit, still suit-like, but with more classic lines, and a slightly more rounded hat.
Kyon blinked, one hand going to his face. "A monocle," he said in a flat tone. "Really? Good thing it's just a hologram, that would be so annoying...."
"I take it that this means you're wearing your coat?" Koizumi asked, sliding Mikuru's pieces toward her, startling her out of a Kyon-induced daze.
"This is a really small price to pay for being bulletproof," he answered with a slight shake of his head.
Koizumi nodded sagely at Kyon. After that, he held out a bag, and everyone in the game drew pieces to determine who would go first. Not having a role in the game, Kanae sat on the edge of her seat, swinging her legs excitedly as she stared at Kyon, her eyes wide with delight.
Haruhi punched a few buttons, staring intently at the PDA as the monocle vanished.
After finding that he would play first, Kyon turned his attention back to Yuki. "Thanks for the tea," he told her, shaking his head and sipping at it. He flinched back slightly at the taste, turning to look at the cup in surprise. "Oh, English tea," he realized, grinning ruefully and then sipping again. "It's good."
"Ah! Yuki-chan, you didn't make tea for anyone else?" Tsuruya protested, just then realizing that, and finally lowering the camera.
"I'll do it," Haruhi interjected, shaking her head. "If I keep browsing the internet, the extreme cosplay potential is going to make me pass out!"
Mikuru swallowed nervously, eyes tracking to Kyon. "C...can anyone use your phone to change your costume?" she asked timidly.
"No," he said absently, shuffling his letter tiles around after lowering his teacup. "Haruhi insisted that Yuki had to make her a user account." He stared intently at the board for a minute, then parceled out tiles, spelling, 'tempers' across the center. "Is there a bonus for using all your tiles?"
Koizumi made a thoughtful noise and turned to the instruction manual, while Kanae struggled to bring her attention to her task and thumbed through the dictionary.
Mikuru's eyes tracked directly to Yuki's. The shorter girl sensed her gaze and turned to look at her. There was an instant communication; they didn't need augmented reality messages or any form of mechanical telepathy for this. Only a wordless understanding between both of them that Mikuru would have an account, too. For some reason, she felt very satisfied with that.
After getting home from school, her usual plan of avoiding her homework until she could play with Kyon fell through. She'd only skipped through the doorway before being instantly snagged by her mother and bundled into a taxi headed downtown. What followed was a tedious two hour trial in putting on different dresses -- or trying to answer her mother's questions when she tried some on.
By the time they actually got home, Kyon was already there, chatting with his father in low terms about one of the few goals that Kyon seemed to pursue on his own: a learner's permit to drive. "Like I said before," her father said with a chuckle as she stepped into the kitchen where they were standing. "If you can get into the top ten, then I'll help you get it this summer."
Kyon sighed at that, grimacing and then finishing the last of a glass of milk. Her plan was to charge him and glomp on, nice suit or not, but her mother snagged her and hauled her into her bedroom. Nonoko couldn't help but settle down a little; her parents' room was a mostly secret place, and she was curious to see more of it. Ever since she was four years old and had accidentally flushed one of her mother's favorite necklaces, her parents had seemed reluctant to let her spend much time there.
She was re-clothed by her mother in the dress that they had finally picked out for her -- a blue dress that in her mind wasn't terribly different from the ones her cousin Matsuri wore. After that, her mother redid her hair, replacing her usual hair-tie with a clip, warning her not to lose it, or get her dress dirty. "After all," the woman said, "if you want to spend time with your brother and his fiancee, you'll need to be well behaved!"
Thus admonished, she was ejected into the hall, free to charge her brother and glomp on. He didn't even flinch, one hand going to ruffle her hair before he paused, catching himself, and patting her on the shoulder instead of mussing her mother's work. "Anyway," he said, shaking his head slightly and checking his phone -- though it looked shinier than she remembered, "Tsuruya-kun suggested the place, and I had Sky-- Er, I checked the reviews on-line, too. She placed some reservations for us, but said there's no rush; they'll hold the table for us all night."
"That was very nice of her -- you should probably do something nice for her, too," their father suggested, offering Nonoko a glass of milk of her own.
She reluctantly peeled away from her brother to drink her milk. "I'm taking her to a movie premiere on Friday, actually," he confessed. "Miyoko-chan and Imouto are invited, too."
The man laughed at that, shaking his head. "My son, the player," he teased. "All those girls!"
"But no Haru-nyan?" she asked, frowning.
"Er ... probably not," her brother answered, shaking his head. "Say, do you know how long mom's going to be?"
"She probably needs help zipping up her dress," the man said, finishing his glass of milk and setting it down before moving to the stairs. "I'll be back in a bit."
He vanished out of sight, and Nonoko riveted her attention to her brother. "Is there a secret meeting going on tonight?" she asked in an excited whisper. "Or are we scouting out an enemy site to invade later?"
"We're going out to dinner," he told her with an amused smirk.
She couldn't help but pout at how boring that was.... She still wasn't trusted enough to be told more?
Though he seldom gave in to her best attempts, he relented, whispering, "Well, the place we're going is actually owned by allies. Don't blow anyone's cover, though, because they're trying to blend in, okay?"
"Okay!" she said, excited by the fact that she'd finally gotten some small measure of trust. This time, she would keep the secret for him!
She was so excited, she didn't let herself speak until their father brought their mother down the stairs, and then drove them quietly to the restaurant. It was pretty, she thought, with thick red curtains hanging everywhere. The waiters were all wearing what looked to her like tuxedos, or just very pretty black and white dresses, and all of the other guests were dressed up like her family....
They had a square table, and each of them got a side -- she was between her mother and her brother. She had to sit up as straight as possible in her chair, and even then she felt a little short. Worse, the menu had some complicated characters she didn't know yet, without any helpful side notes in more common characters. There was a 'children's menu' page, but she sensed that this was a rare opportunity, and she didn't want to waste it.
Then again, she didn't want to embarrass herself by not ordering something reasonable. She looked between items worriedly, wondering which incomprehensible characters meant what.... Her brother, sharp as he always was, caught her agitation and looked at his menu studiously. "Hmm, what are you thinking of getting, Imouto?" he asked.
She thought about that for a minute. She could identify enough characters to pick a few things out, so what would be a good choice? Something mature and elegant? Something grown up?
"Do they have noodles?" she asked curiously. Spaghetti was tempting, but she didn't think she could eat that without making a mess. Still, as far as she was able to tell, noodles existed in every culture, so surely there was some noodle dish here. Really, this was the kind of thing she should ask Haruhi or Mikuru about. They'd know for sure.
"I think you might like the ravioli," he suggested, as their mother looked up, glancing between the pair.
"No-chan," she said, giving her a curious, amused smile, "on the last page--"
"Ravioli sounds good!" Nonoko said quickly. She already knew where the children's menu was!
Her mother was slightly taken aback and opened her mouth to comment, but hesitated, glancing to where her husband had put a gently restraining hand on her nearer forearm, giving her a beseeching look. Nonoko held her breath. "Actually," her mother said, settling back into her chair, "I was thinking of getting the same thing. What about you, Kyon?"
"I was thinking of the lasagna," he answered, looking up from the menu. "What about you, Dad?"
"The carbonara," he commented, glancing to the restaurant entrance and blinking in surprise. Nonoko turned to look, and spotted a swarm of at least a dozen men in nice suits, slightly louder and rowdier than the usual guest. "Oh, dear...."
Kyon glanced at the men, his eyes flicking across them briefly before dismissing them. Even though it was behind her, Nonoko turned around and looked too. The men all wore the same pin as him. They must be the allies he had mentioned! Obviously they were worn out from fighting for good and justice; a few were even wobbling in place. They must be exhausted!
This wasn't just a restaurant, she realized, it was a hideout where heroes like her brother could rest between critical struggles. It was a safe haven! She restrained her delight at the realization that she was allowed to come to such a place.
"Hey!" one of the men in the crowd said suddenly, pointing at Kyon with a grin, then staggering toward him. "Aniki!"
The entire restaurant fell strangely silent.
"Aniki!" the man said again, stepping forward and clapping Kyon on the shoulder companionably. "Hey, hey, everyone, a cheer for Aniki, here! And our brother deserves a drink!"
"Um," Kyon said in answer, looking slowly over his shoulder at the man, his expression anxious.
Another pair of men stepped forward anxiously from the group, quickly grabbing the man who was speaking and hauling him back. "He's had too much to drink," the first said quickly.
"So sorry to bother your family; an honest mistake, Kowa-Kei-- Er, I mean, young man," the second chipped in.
The best dressed of the group stepped forward, as the two grapplers hauled the first man back, to vanish into the knot of men who had entered as a group. "Apologies again," he said with a deep bow. "Allow us to cover your bill to make this up to you." He bowed again, pressing a small fold of bills into the greeter's hands on the way out, along with a meaningful glance to Nonoko and her family.
"D...did a group of..." her mother began, her eyes unfocusing slightly.
"Were they calling Kyon..." her father echoed, turning to look at Kyon in confusion.
"They were just strangers," Nonoko said insistently. "They even said that it was a mistake!"
"Y...yes," her mother allowed, shaking her head. "Yes, of course. It's inconceivable that the boy who's engaged to Tsuruya Haruka-chan could be involved with anything so questionable as that!"
Nonoko suggested, "I'm sure those people are all from a chivalrous organization, anyway!"
Kyon pretended not to hear, looking up as a very pretty waitress in a very nice black and white dress approached, bowing to the table and asking everyone what they would like to drink. Nonoko was happy, though, even if she couldn't talk about it. After all, she was already doing a better job of hiding her brother's secret identity than some of his allies!
The entire operation to date had been a success by a slim margin. The NPA justified the expenses Miyuki had incurred against the fact that a number of suspects had been cleared off the streets. There was concern among her higher-ups that she had made the way much clearer for the only remaining crime syndicate in the area to take over.
Based on what she had seen, that was exactly what had happened anyway, but for the moment she hadn't caught any heat for that. The Sumiyoshi-rengo that had been arrested hadn't fronted any businesses or crime rings that competed with the Tsuruya-gumi. That seemed natural enough to Miyuki; she'd seen the larger and elder criminal organizations pretend to be oblivious to smaller groups. It let the smaller group think they were actually independent, but really, they were just a smoke-screen.
Inexperienced and overconfident youths who could be captured singly or in groups, giving the public the perception that crime was being stopped. Of course, crime was being stopped, but the public had grown comfortable, almost used to the comparably more respectable thieves.
The greater part of the Sumiyoshi-rengo had lost enough face, anyway. As well as the fact that thanks to the uniform lack of cooperation they had received from questioning the gangsters, she didn't have any evidence to implicate them in gun smuggling. That meant that the lot of them were just petty criminals, ultimately.
Watanabe remained the only potential link to the smuggling ring, which was ostensibly her target. If she couldn't produce evidence or enough information to at least implicate someone, she would be recalled to NPA headquarters. And if that happened, depending on her fate there -- promoted to a desk, sent back into the field -- she could end up having to give up before she could find out what Kyon was up to.
She knew now that the boy met with Mori with relative regularity. She still hadn't been able to determine what they were up to, but she'd slowly expanded her knowledge base. She had tried to learn more about his friends, to see if there were any other leads, there. Not many surprises, though. The boryokudan task force had heard a rumor from several sources that said that Kyon was now engaged to the heir of the Tsuruya-gumi....
Which made him a potential family head in his later years, should Tsuruya Haruka ever choose to step down. This did explain what his connection was to the crime family, but even with his eventual possible rank, what reason did anyone have to arrange for him to be shot?
She stood up in her small office and paced thoughtfully. The bulk of the Sumiyoshi-rengo prisoners wouldn't speak. The wiry accountant might eventually be broken, but if her suspicions were true.... What she needed was for the two officers she was using as pawns to get the information on the gun smuggling ring out of Watanabe.
But how to arrange that? They weren't even detectives, so unless she had them transfer Watanabe somewhere, and he happened to confess just then....
No, the officers wouldn't go out of their way to get a confession from the man. They'd do their jobs exactly as they were supposed to, already aware of the extra scrutiny on them for their recent accomplishments.
Having one or both of the officers sit in during an interrogation? Possibly, on the grounds of giving corroborating facts to any admissions that the men made.... But there would still be lawyers present, ready to deny anything, if the discussions were by the book. The only person who could get answers from Watanabe was likely to be Fujiya, but with both of them in custody, that wasn't likely to happen.
She sat back at her desk, smoothing her skirt and arranging her timetable on her laptop. She had just under fifty hours to get her required evidence or lead -- any longer, and she'd have to return to headquarters. Interviews had been arranged for every single members of the Sumiyoshi-rengo, as well as both of the teenagers.
eying the interview schedules, she slowly began to smile in realization. It was a bit of a stretch, but she'd managed to come this far without revealing herself to any of the other players in the field. With just a little bit of luck, she could get the Tamaru brothers back into the spotlight of Sumiyoshi-rengo awareness. And maybe, if she were to arrange things just a bit more carefully, she wouldn't need that much luck.
Smiling once more, she adjusted the schedules before reaching for her phone.
Masao was not a happy man. Having his entire operation crashed by the police was among the least pleasant experiences he'd ever gone through, right up there with having his entire force beaten up by a trio of high-school students. On the other hand, they'd walked away from that.
As it was, it was only due to the fact that a good number of his men were still recovering from their injuries that any of his men escaped arrest. A whole slew of petty crimes had been thrown at them, probably racking up to several centuries of served time among the men, should all the convictions go through. Thankfully, they'd narrowly avoided an extra stack of charges, all of their systems recently purged of questionable materials involving area high-school girls.
In fact, all things considered, if it weren't for that beating, he'd be even worse off.
For the time being, he endured an unpleasant litany of interrogations, limited discussions with the lawyer his boss had sent from Osaka, and endless fantasies of revenge concerning Watanabe. There was no question in his mind that if his unreliable underling hadn't gone out on his own -- and then tangled up additional members of the syndicate and drawn down the inevitable NPA heat....
He roused from his contemplations when a guard strode past his cell hurriedly. He frowned at the realization that a carefully folded origami flower was drifting through the air, spinning as it descended. Dismissing the urge to run to the bars and see who this mysterious guard was, he rose from his seat on his cot and collected the paper, unfolding it.
The message was short, and very simple: "The NPA are chasing the gun; if Watanabe talks, you can walk."
He refolded the origami flower, pressing it flat and folding it carefully into his pack of cigarettes. He could burn it the next time he was allowed into the yard. While it was nice to think that some NPA watchdog was willing to let him and his men slide in favor of unraveling the greater crime, the note was a far cry from a solid promise.
On the other hand.... He resolved to discuss it with his lawyer. Unless they changed his schedule, he would need to wait for that afternoon--
That thought was interrupted by a pair of guards at his cell door, one rapping the bars with his nightstick while the other opened the door. "Fujiya," the first guard said sourly. "Your appointment with your legal counsel."
Masao pursed his lips, forcing a smile away. Obviously, there was some impetus behind this theoretical NPA watchdog, after all. A short time later he discussed with his lawyer in what was ostensibly a private room. After outlining the situation, the high-powered lawyer pursed his lips.
"As you know," the lawyer said slowly, "while I am your attorney, I also represent the greater interests of the Sumiyoshi-rengo. While this seems like a ploy for you to get out of here, I can tell you what it truly is. If Watanabe talks, then those who sent me are implicated. While the heat may be off you, the cost to the organization...." He trailed off with a shrug, and Masao nodded his understanding.
Either get his men out and break with the Sumiyoshi-rengo, or remain loyal, and have him and his men remain imprisoned and silent.
He was being led back to his cell, hands cuffed behind his back when he found himself in a long corridor, a single guard behind him, and another prisoner ahead, walking toward him, also attended by a single guard. He vaguely recognized the other guard -- one of the pair that had arrested him. The guard behind him was the other one.
He was pondering which way he should go, knowing that either way, Watanabe was getting off much easier than he deserved. Should he be loyal to his friends and brothers? Or to his superiors?
As he and the other men were nearly shoulder-to-shoulder, there was a flicker in the lighting before an alarm sounded, and the gates at either end of the corridor sealed in lock down mode.
Both of the yakuza men stopped, looking at one-another warily. The guards drew away from the pair, consolidating themselves and watching the prisoners. Masao took a deep breath, realizing what he was going to do, ultimately.
Hopefully his NPA watchdog was telling the truth. Masao knew that Watanabe was a skilled fighter -- he had been one of the top three enforcers, without a doubt. As both men had their hands cuffed behind their backs, he opened discussions with an abrupt shoulder-check, slamming into his former enforcer and sending him to the floor with a choked cry of alarm.
He stumbled, but managed to twist as he fell, twining his legs around the other man's throat before he could recover his bearings. Watanabe's chin caught in the crook of Masao's knee. The two guards ran for the pair, but Masao didn't pay any attention to them; it would take at least a minute or two to pry them apart, and that was probably enough time.
Choking the other man, even as he thrashed around, Masao yelled, "Who gave you the gun?"
Watanabe choked and sputtered, his face turning red as the Tamaru brothers reached them, trying to pull the two apart. "Talk!" Masao shouted, clenching his eyes shut in anticipation of pepper-spray, or even a stray eye-gouge.
As he was finally pulled loose of Watanabe, Masao heard him wheeze, "Daitokuji ... Gendo ... Osaka...."
Masao let himself smile, wondering if the two guards who had heard the entire exchange would report directly to the NPA watchdog, or if they were just pawns. He may have been no more than a pawn himself, but his men had been loyal to him ... and even if he'd made a personal enemy, at least he had rewarded those who followed him to the best of his ability.