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 Three: Reliability"
"Ideally, you'll know what everyone who answers to you is reliable for, and what the people who depend on you rely on. Everyone has different strengths, after all!"
"Methods of Victory" -- 'T.H.'
Kyon stared at the slider in his bed, happily curled up around him, with one arm across his chest as she slept. He'd seen her sleeping face before, as she occasionally dozed in the club room, and more than once she'd been summoned for nightly training already sleeping. In retrospect, he realized he'd already shared a bed with a girl, too, thanks to Tsuruya.
Then again, being caught in his own bed with a girl as compared to being caught in Tsuruya's bed-- He realized he was distracting himself and turned his eyes to his alarm clock quickly. He grimaced when he realized it wasn't a school day, and accordingly, he'd slept in until nearly eight in the morning. The sounds of his sister stirring in her room betrayed how little time he had left....
No matter that she didn't need to wake him up on the day there was no school -- she'd do it anyway. It was one of her favorite hobbies, especially if it meant she could try and wake him up first!
Fighting back panic, he tried to consider his options. First of all, he needed to wake the slider, and hopefully quietly. Placing one hand on her shoulder, he leaned toward the girl, one ear toward the hallway, listening for his sister, and gave her a gentle shake. "Mmm, Sempai," she mumbled sleepily, curling up around him more tightly.
"Kanae-chan!" he whispered, leaning closer and shaking her again.
"Um.... Suzumiya-sempai too?" she mumbled in a sleepy giggle.
He froze, his mouth open as he was about to call again. Had she just.... He shook his head abruptly -- "Kanae-chan, wake up," he whispered urgently, giving her another small shake -- just as his bedroom door swung open silently.
His sister was grinning as she peered around the door frame, her expression shifting to disappointment that he was already awake, followed by wide-eyed incredulity at the other girl in his bed. For her part, the slider blinked up at him sleepily before her eyes shot wide, her cheeks reddening. "S...Sempai," she stuttered, her breath quickening. "S...so early in the...." She froze, her eyes managing to widen even further as she yanked the covers from Kyon and pulled them up to her nose. "I'm n...not dreaming, this time?"
Kyon slapped the small part of his mind that wanted to question her on the 'this time', instead focusing on the practical aspects of the situation -- namely, how to extract the slider from his bed without anyone dying. Now that his sister knew, he surmised that he was as good as dead -- but if he was any kind of hero, he'd have to find a way to save Kanae. While she was curled up and whimpering, he managed to free his arm from beneath her, turning to his sister as he vaulted out of the bed, pressing one fingertip to his lips in a shushing motion.
Nonoko swallowed, her eyes still wide, then turned at something in the hall, beaming a bright smile at someone out of Kyon's line of sight. He was vaguely certain that both his and Kanae's hearts stopped simultaneously as his little sister gave an exaggerated whisper and called, "I'm waking Kyon-kun up!"
His mother made a vague noise in the hallway, and he heard her respond, "Alright, then; even if it's a weekend, your brother has a busy day. Breakfast will be ready soon."
Kyon snatched his PDA from his bedside stand as he heard his mother moving away, and his sister's bright-eyed grin turned back to him. She slipped into the room and closed the door behind her, bouncing on her toes as she looked between Kyon and the slider. "What's going on?" she asked excitedly, pitching her voice low. "More undercover work?"
In response, Kanae managed to blush even more darkly, burrowing deeper into Kyon's bed.
Despite the danger, he couldn't help but think the scene was actually kind of cute.... If it didn't have so much potential to go wrong, he might even try to take a picture. Instead, he took a step closer to the bed, reaching out and touching Kanae's shoulder through the sheets in what he hoped was a reassuring gesture. "I'll be right back," he promised her, "just stay under the covers for a minute, okay?"
Only the top of her face visible beneath the sheets, she nodded before burrowing even further into his bed, her tiny form seeming to vanish beneath the bedding, except the merest motion of her breathing. "Nonoko," he told his sister, frowning in consternation, "we need an outfit for Kanae-chan -- or a picture of one -- it just needs to look like normal weekend wear. Can you find that?"
His sister saluted sharply, then fled out of his room, her feet padding rapidly down the hall to her own room.
He quickly put on his wristwatch, then thrust the PDA into one pajama pocket before he stepped out into the empty upstairs hall. Not giving himself time to think about things, he hopped over the railing, realizing with a heart-stopping shock as he fell that he had only just missed landing atop his mother.
The woman stepped up the stairs as he landed noiselessly and weightlessly behind her -- betrayed by the wind of his passage. He didn't give her time to start at the motion and turn around, just launching himself toward the coat rack and snatching his coat as he rolled into the living room, out of his mother's line of sight. "I could have sworn..." he heard her begin as he lay flat on the floor, waiting for her to pass so he could struggle into the coat and get back to Kanae. "Yuuto, did you see someone run past me on the stairs?"
Kyon bit back a curse and looked up, realizing his father was reclining on the couch he had chosen as cover. The weight of his father's gaze bore into him like a physical thing before the man asked, "Do you think it might have been Kyon's cat?"
Blinking in shock, his mouth dropping open, Kyon stared at his father as his mother replied, "Maybe that's it.... Well -- in any case, Nonoko should have gotten him up by now."
Yuuto winced at that, and Kyon bit back another curse, giving his father a grateful nod as he heard his mother's steps on the stairs. He rolled to his feet, dashing silently past his bemused father, pulling the coat on as he slid into the hallway, already set to 'invisible' on his PDA. He hopped up the stairs behind his mother, bouncing off the wall of the stairwell and managing to land what he thought would have been an amazingly stylish flip -- if anyone could see him. He then dashed into his room and stripped back the covers of his bed, causing Kanae to squeak in alarm.
Of course, he realized belatedly, hurriedly pulling the greatcoat off and managing to drape it over the slider's shoulders before she vanished from his view -- just as his mother opened his door, peeking in curiously. From the slider's point of view, an invisible force had just stripped off her covers, revealing her nightgown to the world before she was suddenly wrapped in a coat as he assumed visibility. He turned as though he were merely mid-stretch, raising an eyebrow at his mother. "Morning," he offered, unable to force a smile.
She gave him a smile of her own, shaking her head. "Well, you're up, at least; Nono-chan seems to be adopting your old bad sleeping habits," she informed him. "Make sure she didn't go back to sleep after waking you up, then come down for breakfast!"
"Sure thing," he agreed. "Um, one of my club members is going to be coming by really soon, she has my, uh, science book," he offered quickly, moving to stand a step closer to his desk, hiding his stack of school books from her view.
She pursed her lips at that and nodded dubiously. "As long as you're sure your assignments are in on time," she allowed, before turning around. Given a heartbeat to himself, Kyon sighed, shaking his head. He closed the door and went to the window, casting about. A moment was spent looking for the slider before he gave up, just turning off the coat's invisibility.
Another squeak escaped the jittery girl when he turned to look at her, and he calculated his options. "I have a plan," he assured her, pleased at the way her worry melted away with that remark. "Okay, first of all, I've got to get you to the ground outside, and then we're going to hope that my sister is reliable for coming up with a disguise...."
"W...what should I do, Sempai?" she asked anxiously, already clutching his science book, trying to make herself small and looking adorably, waifishly cute in his too-large-for-her greatcoat, which hung to her ankles.
"I'll make you invisible again, then we'll hop out the window," he decided. It really lacked subtlety, but he couldn't think of another option at the moment. He toggled her invisible after noting her location, and managed to sweep the invisible slider into his arms without too much trouble. It was only after he managed to get the pair of them out the window that he realized what an ordeal that was, and by the time he had bounded back into his room, he was running late.
He dressed with hurried -- nearly frantic -- speed, then dashed to the hall, wrenching open the door to his sister's room and charging in. She was already sorting through a pile of her magazines and manga, looking up at him with a triumphant, satisfied look, holding a large print of Trope-tan in her casual clothing aloft.
He realized he could spend an entire day listening to his sister explain the finer points of magical girls and secret identities, and she'd probably never repeat herself. Rather than bring forth such a lecture, he hoped that that Kanae would some day come to forgive him for the poorly thought out plan he was undertaking, he scanned the picture from his sister's magazine, then delivered his mother's message, activating the newly acquired disguise ... wherever Kanae was.
After he left his sister's room, the doorbell sounded, somehow feeling like it almost conveyed the slider's anxiety. He got to the door before his father or mother could, smiling widely, but wincing internally at Kanae's outfit. Sturdy looking yellow boots, dark brown pants, and a yellow long-sleeved shirt that seemed intent on revealing her navel any time she moved. He thought the costume seemed a bit tomboyish, but the slider didn't seem to mind at all.
"Um, Sempai," she managed, holding out his science book, "um ... I ... came to return this."
"Oh, thanks," he said, accepting the book as his mother came to see what the fuss was about. Kyon's sister saw Kanae and gasped, her eyes growing wide as she recognized the same outfit she had just shown him.
"Going out to play before you've even finished breakfast?" his mother asked him, somewhat reprovingly.
"You know how it is," he said lamely, managing a weak smile.
"Well, not today," his mother decided, shaking her head. "Tsuruya Haruka-chan has invited you over, remember? Walk your friend home and hurry back for breakfast!"
"I ... don't remember that, actually," Kyon countered, frowning and checking his PDA's calendar. The only thing listed remotely near the date was Haruhi's mention of the SOS brigade's one year anniversary. He would have expected her to have a party, but--
It suddenly clicked together for him as his mother asked, "Are you sure?"
"Yeah," he allowed, "now I remember it." He turned to Kanae, shifting from foot to foot anxiously in the doorway. "I'll put my book back and be right with you," he promised the slider, pausing only long enough to drop the tome off before dashing back down the stairs. Taking Kanae's hand in his own, he quickly led her away.
"Um, Sempai," she whimpered, hobbling behind him, when he began to head toward her house, "I don't have any shoes!"
"Right," he realized with a frown, slowing so she could pick her way across the streets behind him more carefully. His sister's shoes were too small, and there was no way to borrow his mother's without her knowing.... After leading Kanae to the nearest park -- a block and a half away, he dropped onto a park bench and sighed, shaking his head. "Sorry, Kanae-chan. Are your feet alright?"
"I.... I'm fine. Um ... I'm sorry, Sempai," Kanae mumbled anxiously, sitting on the bench at his side gingerly.
"It's okay," Kyon assured her, frowning at his PDA. "Not how I planned to wake up, but it could have been worse." He shook his head, worn out from trying to figure out how to deal with everything so far. Deciding he didn't need to solve it all himself, he turned to his address book. "Got it," he declared, sitting up straight once more.
Kanae looked at him hopefully as he dialed Koizumi. "Y...you know how to take care of everything?" she asked hopefully.
"Make Koizumi deal with it," he answered her, nodding.
Sipping his coffee, Koizumi luxuriated in the easy-going weekend morning, with his schedule currently cleared of any responsibility. Part of the reason for him being in such a good mood was the regular weekly meeting between himself and Mori. Not that they didn't meet regularly, anyway, but she made a point of trying to spend at least one meal a week just visiting with him, making good on her promise to his parents that she would look after him properly.
He had learned long ago that she wasn't much of a cook -- she was too busy with other things. She was good at managing people, however, and she tended to have good taste. Instead of trying to spend what limited time she had improving her own skill, she had Arakawa make a breakfast for two, and then brought the meal to Koizumi, lacking only proper coffee.
Which suited him just fine, since he was convinced that no one else in all of Japan knew how to make coffee properly, anyway -- though Kanae actually managed to come surprisingly close. Mori broke the silence first, setting down her half-full cup. "Itsuki-kun," she asked, "are you doing well in school?"
"Quite well," he agreed, nodding. "It's recently come to light that were my grades to fall, I could depend on the Brigade for support in study, so it's less of a concern than it has been previously."
"You should still be concerned with keeping your grades up," she returned, smiling. "I am glad to hear that, though. All of the reports and procedure aside ... are you enjoying yourself?"
"Absolutely," he confirmed, smiling brightly. "My confidence in Kyon-kun and Suzumiya-san is unfaltering."
"They hardly seem infallible," Mori mused, her gaze going to the one good window in Koizumi's apartment.
He shrugged slightly, enjoying another sip from his drink before he remarked, "Mistakes may be made, but in my mind, that makes the pair of them more human. In any case, the mistakes that are made now are less threatening to the stability of the world than they might have been otherwise."
The older woman smiled at him, raising an eyebrow thoughtfully. "Well, no reason to get caught up in that argument again," she assured him. "Even if I didn't already agree with you, this is your time off!" She reached into her purse and pulled out an envelope. "Speaking of which, your family sent this."
He accepted the envelope gratefully, inclining his head but deciding to open it later. Not that he had anything to hide from Mori, but he was enjoying how peaceful the morning was. "Thank you," he said, smiling softly.
The day was perfect, he thought, as his phone began to ring, playing the chiming refrain he had chosen for the club's only other male member. His smile not lessening, he pulled the device from his pocket and answered cheerfully, "This is Koizumi, how can I help you, Kyon-kun?"
"Koizumi," Kyon answered from across the connection, "I'm at the park by my house with Kanae-chan. Um ... long story short, we need to get her some clothes and a ride back to her place."
"I see," Koizumi remarked, glancing to Mori pointedly, as she raised both eyebrows in curiosity, reaching for her own phone. "The park near your house? I'll ask Mori-san to send Arakawa-san by to pick the two of you up, then. If it's not too much trouble, Kyon-kun, might I ask why Michikyuu-san needs clothes...?"
Mori sighed, hanging her head as she held the button to speed-dial Arakawa.
"Because ... she's borrowing my coat right now," Kyon answered, sounding slightly annoyed. After a pause, he realized, "Wait -- Haruhi's throwing a party today, right?"
"Yes," Koizumi answered, while Mori rose from her seat and turned away, talking with her phone in hushed tones. "It's at Tsuruya-san's place. You haven't forgotten, have you?"
"Not exactly," Kyon grumbled. "Okay -- there might actually be an easier solution to this problem. If Arakawa's coming by, can I trouble him to take us to Tsuruya's place, and never mind the clothes?"
"If your plans change, I'm certain you can tell Arakawa where he needs to take you," Koizumi agreed. "I'll let you deal with the situation at hand, but it seems we might want to discuss things further later."
"Yes," Kyon answered dryly. "Sorry for the bother until then."
"Take care," Koizumi replied before disconnecting, as Mori hung up her own phone. "Well, it sounds like Kyon-kun's gotten his day off to an interesting start!"
"He seems to be rubbing off on you," Mori noted as she retook her seat and gave him a thoughtful, considering look. "Now you're acting cavalier about everything, too!"
"As I've said, I suspect he has things well enough in hand," Koizumi answered with a shrug, picking up his beverage and sipping at it. Setting the cup back down but still holding it, he added, "Also, I haven't finished my coffee."
She stared at him in surprise before chuckling and shaking her head ruefully.
While she couldn't really remember ever being badly injured, Kanae was reasonably sure that she was significantly closer to dying than she'd ever been before, thanks to sheer embarrassment alone. Somehow, when she had been asleep, she'd managed to master the trick that Yuki had been trying to teach her -- and just like that, she'd sent herself into her sempai's bed.
Being his ever-reliable self, he'd managed to sneak her out of his room, and even managed to preserve her modesty through the use of his nice coat. She couldn't blame him for being tired, having to deal with smuggling her out of his house first thing in the morning.... After he concluded his conversation with Koizumi he hung up, turning to her and asking, "What are your parents going to think when they look for you in your room?"
"U...um," she began, furrowing her brow in concentration. What would her parents think? Being honest, she hadn't paid much attention to them ... as much as parents were a variable feature of her life, many small details and habits changed. "T...they'd probably think I went to a friend's place early," she ventured. She winced in realization. "I forgot my phone...."
"Okay, good," he decided. "Now, we just have to ask Tsuruya-kun for help."
He reached for his phone to dial, and she hesitantly asked, "S...Sempai? Why not ask, um, Yuki-san?"
Not meeting her eyes, he said, "I don't like to cause Yuki trouble if I can help it. It's no good if we always depend on her.... She's reliable, so if something goes really wrong, we can ask her or Haruhi to fix it ... but usually it shouldn't take that." He straightened up, and Kanae swallowed nervously, thinking he looked particularly reliable. "I just like to solve what I can without troubling her, especially if it's thanks to the things she taught me that she can finally relax."
She managed a smile at that, some of her embarrassment fading. "I'm sorry about messing this up," she apologized quietly.
"Messing what up?" he asked, frowning.
"M...my sliding practice ... I learned to kind of slide short distances in the same world ... and I landed in your bed last night...." She trailed off without explaining why. Hopefully she wouldn't need to spell that out, but as it was, she couldn't look back on her vague memories of sleeping, nestled in his arms, and regret it.
He gave her a strange look, then chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, in that case, next time it happens, you'll be able to just go back the same way, right?"
She stared, blanching. "Um," she managed in a very quiet voice, "I didn't even think of that."
He chuckled even more loudly, turning back to his phone. "Hello, Tsuruya-kun?" he asked, after pressing a button.
After outlining things to Tsuruya as quickly as he could, the heiress agreed that Kanae could come over at any time before the party and take a bath -- and naturally, Tsuruya had Kanae's sizes. He didn't think it was precisely reasonable, but knew for a fact that Kanae would have clean clothes ready for her by the time she finished taking a bath.
Arakawa pulled up near the bench a moment later, and Kyon led the girl to the car, checking his wristwatch. "I'm supposed to be hurrying back to bring my sister to the party," he said, as the older man smoothly moved the car through the streets, speedily making his way to Tsuruya's estate.
"Y...you'll still come in with me?" Kanae asked anxiously, hanging onto Kyon's arm. "And help explain things to Tsuruya-san?"
"Of course," he agreed. "Plus, I have to get my coat back." He gave her an encouraging wink at her startled look, and felt reassured at the way she blushed and smiled back at him.
Now, if he could keep Haruhi from finding out about this, the day would really be perfect. And, even better, he hadn't had to burden Yuki!
Wondering only how things would go wrong, he helped Kanae out of the car, unsurprised to find Tsuruya waiting at the end of the driveway, wearing another of her kimono and giggling at Kanae's appearance. "Mega awesome outfits!" she cheered. "Why would you need a new one?"
Kanae blushed in embarrassment, and Kyon scratched behind one ear nervously, scanning around for potentially eavesdropping servants. Not seeing any, he explained, "Kanae-chan's slider power lets her teleport over shorter ranges, too, but she ended up at my house in her sleep."
Leading the slider into the house, Tsuruya chuckled, giving the smaller girl an encouraging smile. "Did you end up in Kyon-kun's bed?" she asked, mildly teasing.
"Y...yes," Kanae admitted meekly.
Kyon stepped into the house after her, freezing at the sight of Haruhi standing in the entry room, giving Kanae a strangely scrutinizing look.
"I didn't mean to fall into Sempai's bed!" she blurted out in protest, waving her hands at Haruhi. "We weren't sleeping together on purpose -- it was an accident!"
"Wow," Haruhi finally managed, shaking her head. "Just ... around you, Kyon, that slider turns into a living innuendo factory. Kanae-chan's little 'you wore me out last night' comment, her constant Freudian slips, and now, 'accidentally falling into your bed'?" She sighed, shaking her head again. "I can't even bring myself to get worked up over the things that get said between the two of you -- what really happened? And where'd the Trope-tan cosplay come from?"
Kyon blinked. "Part of me wants to say that your reaction to this is incredibly unreasonable," he noted, before slapping his own forehead with the heel of his palm. "Rather, only you would look at something so incredibly unreasonable, and choose to be so reasonable about it."
Haruhi raised an eyebrow then gave a pointed look at Tsuruya before turning back to Kyon. "I'm the only one who's reasonable? What about your fiancee?" she asked.
"I am going to forgo speaking privileges for the rest of the day," Kyon groaned, drawing his hand down his face. "Um ... as much as I'd love to find out how to embarrass myself further, I have to go face my mother now."
"Ah," Haruhi sighed, shaking her head. "Well, now you have my sympathy."
"Tell her I says hello!" Tsuruya cheered.
Kyon gave the pair a dry smile. "Thanks," he allowed. Turning to the slider he asked, "Um, Kanae-chan, just in case my day manages to get worse, do you think I could have my coat back?"
"R...right," she allowed, hesitantly pulling the coat from her shoulders, incidentally causing the illusion around her to flicker and vanish, revealing her nightgown.
Haruhi's eyes widened at the slider's pajamas. "So cute!" she exclaimed, seizing the girl in a hug as Kyon took his coat back, slipping it over his shoulders and grimacing at the outfit that suddenly wasn't boyish enough for his tastes. He toggled the coat to be invisible, but not before Tsuruya managed to snap a picture of him anyway.
"Kyon-kun," Tsuruya giggled, before he could complain, "you're cute!"
"Er," he managed, as she leaned close and planted a kiss on his cheek.
"Hurry back with Imouto-kun!" she added.
Haruhi's face lit up for some reason, and she hugged the slider to her even more tightly, but she said nothing, merely watching intently.
Deciding he'd been through enough already, Kyon managed a bow for the girls, and then fled back to the car where Arakawa was waiting.
It wasn't a magical-girl power-up, but being invited to a party with her brother's friends was still pretty good, in Nonoko's mind. Not just his friends, she reminded herself, but his fiancee, too. She was dying to know why she had found one of her brother's friends in bed with him, but clung to that secret for the time being -- she just knew if that got out, she'd lose all of the trust she had built up with her brother.
She couldn't ask him before he had to run off and sneak Kanae (dressed as Trope-tan, naturally) home, and by the time he came back, Miyoko had already come over for the party. For his part, Kyon tiredly trudged to the bathroom to try and tame his messy hair before breakfast.
Nonoko had eaten while Kyon was taking Kanae home, and Miyoko had eaten before leaving her home, so at her friend's suggestion, they left Kyon alone to finish his breakfast while they played video games in the front room. Once he'd finished his own meal, the trio met Tsuruya's driver at the front door, and then they were taken to Tsuruya's place.
Considering things, Nonoko realized that even though she suspected Yuki of being a magical girl, Kanae was becoming a likely culprit, too. Especially after her mysterious presence in her brother's bed! And if that weren't enough, Kyon had previously mentioned that he had worked for Tsuruya -- so her family probably helped support the secret defenders of justice. Now that she was actually at Tsuruya's house, she found herself uncertain how to proceed....
Either she could go to Yuki, or Kanae, or Tsuruya. If she understood things right, for some reason, her brother was still trying to keep some things from Haruhi -- and if she were careless, it might get back to her, anyway. This was a party, after all.
Looking around, she saw Kanae, looking freshly cleaned, with her hair still damp, dressed in a kimono that matched Tsuruya's, right next to Mikuru. Tsuruya, naturally, was busy gushing over how cute Miyoko and Nonoko were, and Yuki stood quietly at Haruhi's side.
The brigade chief was looking at Kanae sidelong and grinning, as though she'd just finished a long bout of laughter. Her eyebrows rose, and she grinned even wider on seeing Kyon. "Sleep well last night?" Haruhi asked in a teasing voice.
Nonoko heard her brother grumble something indistinct in response, looking away and not meeting her eyes.
Haruhi snickered, shaking her head, then insisted, "Come on, Kyon -- I want to talk to you, Yuki-chan, and Kanae-chan before everyone else shows up!"
"Right, sure," he relented, allowing himself to be led away by Haruhi, giving apologetic smiles to Nonoko and Miyoko.
For her part, Kyon's younger sister glanced between Miyoko and the older girls, wondering if she could risk asking Tsuruya in front of Miyoko and Mikuru. "Okay," Tsuruya remarked, glancing between the two younger girls as her smile widened. "So, are you looking forward to the party?"
Miyoko nodded, saying, "I'm not really sure what it's about, but I'm always happy to spend time with Kyon-nii-san and his friends!" Then the other girl giggled, blushing, and managed to ask, in a very quiet voice, "W...will Koizumi-san be here, too...?"
Tsuruya raised an eyebrow, grinning at the smaller girl. "Miyoko-chan ... do you have a crush on Koizumi?"
"Ah! Too cute!" Mikuru exclaimed, giggling from her friend's side. Nonoko realized that if she were more clever, she could come up with a plan to get Mikuru and Miyoko talking about something elsewhere, to get a moment alone with Tsuruya to beg for some answers. Mikuru hesitated after a moment, then turned a curious glance to Nonoko. "Ummm.... Oh, Nonoko, do you have a crush, too?"
She blinked at that question, completely surprised by it. She didn't have a crush on anyone she could think of. "What?" she answered, shaking her head. She liked spending time with her brother and his friends, but really, among people her own age, she didn't like anyone beyond being a friend. "Miyoko-chan is the person I like most," she decided aloud. Well, outside of her family, at least.
"That's even cuter!" Mikuru exclaimed, for some reason, grabbing her in a hug.
"Wah!" Nonoko managed, before she was seized as tightly as her aunt Rena sometimes held her.
"N...no!" her friend protested, her face red. "She doesn't mean like that!"
"I mean Miyoko-chan is my best friend!" Nonoko squeaked out.
"Right!" the other younger girl agreed anxiously. "It's just that ... I don't think Nono-chan likes any boys yet, so...."
She suppressed the urge to pout. It wasn't like she was unaware that she was the smallest girl in her grade, but now that even her best friend was trying to imply that she was immature.... Well, really, she didn't see what all the fuss was about. But why did her indifference to boys mean she was less mature?
After all, she wasn't the one swooning over a boy her brother's age just because he was pretty.
At least Mikuru still respected her. "I'm not like Shutaro, but no boy seems special to me," she offered.
Tsuruya finally got a hold of her laughter, prying her free from Mikuru's embrace. "Be nice to my imouto-kun," she said, before giggling again. "Some day, she's going to be my little sister-in-laws, right?"
She brightened instantly; it was hard to let her spirits be dampened for long, with her brother's friends. "Yeah!" she chirped, hugging Tsuruya as tightly as Mikuru had held her. "I also like Tsuru-nee-chan~!"
"Now," Tsuruya said suddenly, lifting Nonoko up, "how abouts we dress you up a bit today, Imouto-kun?"
"Ah..." Miyoko began, hesitantly, looking uncertain.
Tsuruya giggled, assuring, "Don't worries; your Mikuru-nee will help you out, Miyoko-chan!"
"Okay!" Nonoko agreed, realizing that this could be her chance. A minute later, humming happily, Tsuruya led her into a large, spacious room, and went to a closet after closing the door. "Mom made me get a nice dress recently," she noted, remembering it. "She said if I was really good, Tsuruya-nee and Kyon-kun would let me spend more time with them!"
Tsuruya raised an eyebrow at that, before flipping through an immense collection of kimono. "I like Imouto-kun too!" she assured the smaller girl, picking one of the robes from the rack and holding it up against Nonoko's chest, eying the fit. "Here," she decided, grinning.
"Yay!" Nonoko cheered, having no problems stripping down enough for Tsuruya to help her into the outfit -- she'd never gotten to wear one before, after all, not even in Hinamizawa. While she was holding still so the older girl could pull the costume into proper place, she began her cautious investigation, posing, "Um, Tsuru-nee, can I ask you a question?"
"Of course!" Tsuruya answered, adjusting the front of her robes and tying the sash in a careful knot. "Arms out!" Nonoko stuck her arms out as instructed while Tsuruya tugged at the hems of her sleeves a final bit, nodding to herself in satisfaction. "Okay, you can relax. Now! What's the questions?" Done dressing the smaller girl, she beamed a bright smile down.
"Um ... you're Kyon's boss, right?" Nonoko asked earnestly. "He says he works with you to fight the dark generals?"
Tsuruya blinked, raising her eyebrows at that, then nodded, smiling as though she was about to laugh.
Nonoko smiled back happily, asking, "Is Kanae a magical girl?"
"Close!" Tsuruya returned, giggling. "She's a magical princess, and right now we're protecting her from some enemies from her home world -- you know, just like in the alternate universe Trope-tan OVA -- Magical Pretty Trope-tan and the Kingdom of Light?"
"Right!" Nonoko gasped in realization. "That makes perfect sense! And she chose Kyon as her guardian knight!" Well, she knew he was a good candidate for that -- this was her reliable brother, after all!
"But this must be kept secret," Tsuruya warned sternly, still grinning. "Everyone in the SOS Brigade knows, but you have to be careful, okay? If our enemies find out, it could be very bad for her!"
"I wont tell," Nonoko cheered, offering an extended pinky. "I'll keep my word!"
"Good!" Tsuruya chirped, winking as she linked her own pinky finger with Nonoko. "I'll hold you to it! Now, let's see if everyone else is dressed up, yet!"
While she was bewildered, once she had time to settle down, wash up, and was surrounded by friends, Kanae felt much better. And despite her worries, Haruhi was actually very supportive, hardly looking jealous at all -- until her sempai came back with his younger sister.
Then Haruhi gleefully hauled Yuki, Kanae, and her sempai into another room and slid the door closed. "Okay!" she exclaimed, crossing her arms over her chest, her eyes going between Kanae and her sempai while she fought down a mischievous smirk. "I want the full story now! What happened?"
The slider swallowed nervously, but when she glanced at her sempai, he merely gave her a reassuring smile. "It was an accident," he said confidently. "So don't blame Kanae-chan for this!"
Haruhi looked annoyed and rolled her eyes. "Really, Kyon," she chastised, "the real concern here is that your mother would find her first! Did you sneak her out alright?"
He blinked, seeming strangely confused by the remark. "I-" he began before freezing, shaking his head. "Uh.... I got her out without my mom seeing anything -- my sister found out, so it's only a matter of time, though."
Giving a thoughtful nod, Haruhi remarked, "Tsu-chan should be able to take care of that." Decided, she turned her gaze to the slider. "Well then, let's hear it, Kanae-chan! How did this happen? It's a risk to upset Kyon's mother, you know!"
Kanae squeaked involuntarily at that -- suddenly she was under the spotlight again? "I...it was an accident!" she protested. "Like Sempai said! I didn't mean to, I just.... My new slider power...." She swallowed and bowed her head. "I'm sorry," she mumbled.
Haruhi gave a tiny sigh, then shook her head sharply. "Now, now," she chastised, "even though it was a risk, so far, it's alright ... no sense getting upset about it." She put one fingertip to her lips, frowning. "Still ... I wonder that Yuki-chan didn't notice...?"
Yuki blinked at that, turning her cool gaze to Haruhi.
"Or did you?" the brigade chief pressed, her frown deepening.
"I was aware of Michikyuu Kanae folding space after the conclusion of last night's training session," Yuki answered.
Kanae startled at that, glancing at her sempai, feeling slightly relieved that he seemed surprised as well. "Y...you knew that Kanae-chan slid into my bed?" he asked.
"Yeah!" Haruhi echoed in surprise. "If you knew, why didn't you do anything?"
Yuki's expression didn't change much that Kanae noticed, other than the previous day's mild blush, but she thought she detected the merest hints of confusion in her gaze. "What action should be taken?" she asked.
That response stymied Haruhi, and she frowned, cocking her head to one side. "Well, that's a good question," she relented, sighing. "I guess I just thought you'd want to keep Kyon's mother from noticing."
"How is that--" Kanae's sempai began, before cutting himself off, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath before continuing. "Er ... never mind that-- Who all is invited to the party, Haruhi?"
She gave him a quizzical look. "You forgot?" she asked blankly. "Well, the Tamaru brothers can't make it because they think they're being watched, the computer club president and his minions said they had a raid scheduled on 'Skywall', none of ENOZ could get away from their college classes to join us this time, and Taniguchi and Yanagimoto said they were studying." She sighed, shaking her head, then started ticking names off on her fingers: "Aside from the Brigade there should be Mori, Arakawa, Miyoko-chan, your sister, Tsu-chan's father, Kasai, Sakanaka, and your friend Kunikida."
Shrugging, she added, "I considered inviting your cousins, but I thought they'd overwhelm the other guests -- plus, it's quite a trip." She narrowed her eyes in annoyance, leaning closer to Kyon, so their faces were only a short distance apart. "You did forget!" she accused, jabbing a fingertip into his chest.
"Or," Kanae's sempai countered, giving her a mild scowl, "you just forgot to mention that we were having this party to me."
Haruhi was taken aback by that, and gave the boy a furious glare in response. "How can you think that I forgot to bring this up to you?" she snapped. "I've been planning this for weeks!" She took a breath, her eyes sparking as she thrust out her chest authoritatively. "In fact, nearly every single time that you had to ... do ... something else...." Her confidence slowly drained away as her mouth fell open and her eyes widened. She whipped her head around to fix Yuki with a pleading gaze, asking, "Did I really forget to tell Kyon we were having this party?"
Yuki nodded slowly, and Kanae felt her face heating up, realizing that she hadn't caught the fact that her sempai was unaware of the event, either.
Haruhi bit her lower lip and stared at the floor, her hands trembling. "D...damn," she swore. "I just.... Somehow, I thought that because it was important to me, Kyon would know ... and that was stupid...."
Her sempai shot Kanae a beseeching look momentarily, before turning his attention to Haruhi. "Okay, now ... it's not a problem. Somehow, even my mom found out, so my schedule was clear. I have no idea how Skynet missed it, but when you look at things, didn't I just get out of doing any preparation work at all for the party? In a way, really, from my point of view, this is a triumph!"
"Huge success," Yuki added, giving a tiny nod.
Unable to restrain the snicker that escaped her, Haruhi shook her head, giggling, "You slacker! Making me feel like that when you weren't that upset-- Okay, for that, I can no longer trust you to put your costume on by yourself! Yuki-chan, hold him down!"
"What," Kyon managed, not quite a question as Yuki was suddenly hugging him, seeming to teleport from her previous position.
"Kanae-chan," Haruhi commanded, pointing at a cloth-wrapped bundle, "open that up!"
"I have a perfect disguise kit!" Kyon protested, struggling against the small girl holding him, not budging her a millimeter. "I don't need to change at all!"
The slider hesitantly opened the bundle as Haruhi instructed, while the brigade chief and Yuki wrestled the boy's invisible coat off. She knew she really should help her sempai, but somehow, the idea of disobeying Haruhi right now.... "I'm sorry, Sempai!" she whimpered, searching for his costume in the bundle. "I'll try and help!"
"Y...Yuki!" her sempai protested. "Kanae-chan! Come on! H...help me-- Waaah! Help me out!"
"I am helping," Yuki's solemn voice assured Kyon.
Kanae swallowed deeply, sorting through the cloth, picking out the innermost layers of her sempai's costume out first. "I'm trying!" she promised frantically, not daring to turn around.
"This is your penance for letting me have my way with Mikuru-chan!" Haruhi declared. The slider shivered, wondering if she should ask Mikuru for clarification on what the brigade chief was talking about.
Her sempai plaintively cried out, "W-what kind of crazy justice is that!?"
"Success!" Haruhi declared, simultaneous to Kanae collecting the last piece of the boy's outfit and turning around. Wrestling in vain against Haruhi, who had just yanked Kyon's slacks off, and Yuki, who was laying across his upper body and pinning him in place -- in nothing but his boxer shorts.
"Ah!" Kanae yelped, her eyes widening. "U...um! Sempai!"
Later, after Mikuru had picked out a kimono for the smaller girl and helped her change, Miyoko and her self-appointed guardian returned to the main room, where Tsuruya and Nonoko (also in a kimono, now), rejoined them. Nonoko didn't hesitate to observe the dignity of her new outfit, just beelining across the room and glomping onto Miyoko in a hug. "Now we're both dressed up!" she enthused.
Miyoko managed a nod, seeing Tsuruya and Mikuru in similar outfits -- a minute later, that reliable Kyon returned, looking strangely annoyed in his own more masculine version of the outfit. Haruhi, at his side, couldn't help but shooting him eerily satisfied smirks every so often, which he steadfastly refused to acknowledge. Yuki was trailing behind him looking vaguely amused, and the girl at his side -- Kanae -- looked like she had just woken up, or was recovering from some severe shock.
She stared around, unblinking, until Haruhi gently shook her shoulder. Not long after that, more guests began to arrive -- first, the all-important Koizumi, joined by the woman Miyoko decided had better be the pretty-boy's aunt. Koizumi was dragged off by Tsuruya and Haruhi before Miyoko managed to reach his side to talk to him, so she sulked back to Nonoko while more of Haruhi and Kyon's friends showed up.
Nonoko seemed oblivious to her depression, just pointing out the new arrivals -- a boy named Kunikida that Nonoko said was Kyon's friend, and some girl named Sakanaka who was a friend of Haruhi, chatting anxiously with Kanae and shooting uncertain glances at the short boy while smoothing her hair. Well ... that resonated sympathetically with Miyoko, so she decided to try and talk to the girl about it, but then, Koizumi had returned, and he was just so handsome in his outfit....
Kyon was fairly handsome too, but Miyoko didn't want to deal with the competition trying to get to his side.... Not after she had managed to sidle up to Koizumi, just before Tsuruya's father and bodyguard showed up, making the room feel suddenly much more crowded. The large television on one wall was playing a movie quietly, and Miyoko was disconcerted to recognize Kyon's voice coming from it as the narrator, though she approved of Koizumi in the role of the male lead.
Kunikida turned to look at the movie with a wary gaze, seeming to notice it was on just as his own role came into play. He looked uncomfortably away from the screen, and was almost instantly accosted by Sakanaka. "You were in Suzumiya-san's movie?" she gasped in delight. "I thought for sure that was you!"
"Y...yeah," Kunikida chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. "To be honest, if Kyon hadn't asked and said that--" He caught himself and shook his head abruptly, saying instead, "That it was going to be so much fun...." He shrugged, offering a plainly forced smile to Sakanaka, who didn't seem to notice, busy fidgeting with the hem of her skirt. "Um, so, you're friends with Suzumiya-san, then?"
"Er.... Yes," Sakanaka agreed quickly, nodding. "Just like you are friends with Kyon-kun." This precipitated an awkward silence between the two. Miyoko looked to Koizumi to gauge his thoughts on the conversation she had overheard, but he seemed absorbed in a discussion with Tsuruya's large bodyguard and the gray-haired old man that she hadn't seen arrive.
"A...anyway," Sakanaka ventured, "um, you go to cram school, right?"
"Yeah," Kunikida agreed, grimacing. "My parents actually insisted I come to this party; they're worried I study too much."
"Er ... I was also thinking of going to cram school," Sakanaka tried, though without much enthusiasm.
"It's a good place to pick up better study habits," Kunikida commented, glancing over to where Tsuruya's father was speaking energetically to Mori. "Say, Sakanaka-san, Kyon's been surprisingly quiet about it, so, if I might ask, how did you get caught up in the SOS Brigade's affairs?"
"O...oh, well, back in March, Suzumiya-san's friends used a folk remedy to cure some neighborhood dogs of seasonal moodiness," the older girl supplied.
Miyoko wanted to ask Koizumi about that, but he seemed absorbed with the discussion between Mori and Tsuruya's father. In the meantime, Nonoko had popped up, seemingly from nowhere, and glommed onto her arm. The shorter girl nodded her head toward Kunikida and Sakanaka, remarking in a whisper, "That sounds like a low-level invasion ... I bet Yuki-nee-chan was the main one responsible for fixing it."
Miyoko wanted to laugh at her friend, but was too caught up in wondering if she would be right. Sticking as close to Koizumi as she could with Nonoko clinging onto her and giggling, Miyoko continued watching the pair. "Folk remedy?" Kunikida asked doubtfully, turning to look at Sakanaka -- for the first time since coming to the party finally giving her his full attention. "Seasonal moodiness?"
Sakanaka nodded eagerly, explaining, "Nagato-san had some strange music, and Asahina-san was dressed as a shrine maiden." The pair both glanced to where the girl was at the moment, dressed in a kimono like everyone else, except that her sleeves had been bound back to stay out of her way. She was hovering anxiously near the buffet table, giving eager smiles to anyone who drew close, then watching intently whenever they sampled some of her cooking.
Miyoko couldn't imagine why she was worried, though, it had tasted better than anything her mother had ever made. She turned back to the older couple just as Sakanaka finished, "And by using Kyon-kun's cat, they were were able to cure the dogs of their melancholy!"
"That's ... interesting," Kunikida allowed. "I wonder what Sasaki-san would say about that?"
Miyoko and Nonoko both caught the way the volume of the party abruptly dropped several levels, but Sakanaka seemed oblivious. "Who is that?" she asked. "Um ... another friend of Suzumiya-san?"
Kunikida chuckled and shook his head. "I'm not sure about that," he said nervously, shifting his shoulders. "Uh, Kyon, Sasaki-san, and I went to middle school together. I've been running into Sasaki-san in cram school lately, as well. N...never mind that, though; for their next movie, what do you think the Haru-tachi is up to?"
The room fell entirely silent at that, for some reason, Tsuruya's father and the large bodyguard looking at Kunikida intently. The silence was quickly broken by Tsuruya's chuckle, and the heiress smoothly offered, "After what happened the last time we tried to shoot a movie...." She trailed off and shrugged apologetically, still smiling, but her laughter had stopped.
Haruhi picked up a moment later, adding, "The next movie will be more like the last; for Kyon's safety, he's going to be cameraman and narrator again."
"Well, at least there's that," Kyon returned dryly, which prompted everyone to chuckle. Shortly after that, Mori, Arakawa, and Tsuruya's father excused themselves, citing business to attend to elsewhere. Tsuruya's bodyguard went with them, and it wasn't until after they had gone that Nonoko and Miyoko's joint spy-work paid off.
After the uncomfortably long silence between the two of them, Sakanaka ventured, "You're a rival with this other friend of yours?"
The boy lowered his gaze to stare thoughtfully into his drink. "I don't know that this person is really aware of me, but yes," Kunikida admitted solemnly.
Swallowing anxiously, her grip on the hem of her skirt tightening, Sakanaka managed to keep her voice steady as she asked, "So ... you like this girl a lot, then?"
Kunikida didn't say anything, but nodded, not diverting his gaze. Nonoko gasped quietly, but Miyoko judged that they had seen enough -- aside from maybe shepherding one of her self-appointed big sisters toward the older girl, she felt there had been enough eavesdropping. It would have been one thing to overhear and oversee a budding romance, but to see Sakanaka's hopes dashed like that....
"That Sasaki girl is bad news!" Nonoko whispered very quietly, casting about for anyone who might be listening in on them. "First she broke Kyon so he couldn't smile, and now she's trying to make his friends unhappy!"
Miyoko thought back to her encounter with the girl named Sasaki on the beach. Well, other than her friends.... Miyoko somehow doubted that Sasaki was a bad person. Really, she could feel a little sympathy for her. "Kyon-nii-san is okay now, though," Miyoko ventured.
"That's true," Nonoko agreed, grinning. "Maybe he'll turn that Sasaki to the side of good, after all!"
"What's this about, now?" Kyon asked, seeming to step from nowhere to lean close to the two girls with a soft, amused smile, a cup in one hand.
Miyoko couldn't help but giggle -- as handsome as Kyon was in his period-appropriate regalia, the cheap plastic cup of soda made it look a bit silly. "Kyon-nii, Nono-chan thinks that you're going to undertake a secret mission to redeem that Sasaki-san!" she whispered.
Kyon raised an eyebrow in response to the suggestion, then allowed, "Maybe, but if it were secret, I could neither confirm nor deny it, now could I?"
"Uh..." Nonoko returned with a pout, stymied.
Miyoko merely laughed harder, then shook her head, still grinning. "Thank you, Kyon-kun; you're so good to listen to us," she said.
A heartbeat later, the party's focus had shifted, and though she hadn't seen it coming, Miyoko found herself swept up in Mikuru's embrace. Nonoko had likewise been grabbed by Tsuruya, and that left Haruhi, Kanae, and Yuki to tackle Kyon. He managed to keep his footing, even with Haruhi clinging to his back and peeking over his shoulder, grinning furiously while the smaller girls adopted identical poses, clinging to his arms and immobilizing him.
"What's this about?" Kyon protested.
Koizumi ambled over to the group from the side, smiling brightly. "I trust you remember the dance that Suzumiya-san devised after our failed submission to that music competition?" he asked.
"Oh, no," Kyon groaned.
"Okay!" Haruhi chirped, still hanging onto Kyon's back. "Kanae-chan, Tsu-chan, you two get to sit out, since you weren't here for rehearsals -- everyone else ready?"
"No," Kyon protested, as he was hauled into position in front of where the last credits from the brigade's movie were still playing. Mikuru had released Miyoko to join the others, and Kanae hesitantly moved to stand by Tsuruya, watching curiously. A song she vaguely remembered overhearing Nonoko sing a version of started to play, and then, the five began to dance.
Despite the fact that Kyon looked like he wanted to be elsewhere, he matched Koizumi's moves perfectly, all of them delivering a flawless performance as they came to a stop, the music fading away. Tsuruya and Sakanaka cheered loudly, waving their hands, and Kanae clapped excitedly, likewise impressed.
It wasn't everything she had wanted, and it wasn't exactly even a year to the date the brigade was founded ... but Haruhi decided at the end, as sedate as it had been, it was fun enough. It was still a bigger party than the one they'd had for Christmas, and everyone who had shown up had fun, mostly. She wasn't sure why Sakanaka seemed down when she finally left, but resolved to investigate it at school the next day.
She was still annoyed with herself for managing to completely exclude Kyon from the planning process for the party, though. Because of that, she'd let Kyon get out of cleaning up, sending him off with his sister and Miyoko. Even though Tsuruya probably had an army of maids at her beck and call, Haruhi liked the idea of taking care of things herself, and Tsuruya had laughed and said it sounded like fun, so pitched in, too.
The pair of them finished cleaning shortly enough, and then with some time to spare, they had gone to the same porch they had viewed cherry blossoms from to relax with some tea. Haruhi glanced sidelong at the heiress, poised elegantly in kneeling position on her small cushion while sipping from her tea, and emulated the pose, seeing as they were dressed the same anyway.
Tsuruya seemed not to notice, just smiling softly and surveying the garden. Haruhi turned to study the patterns of leaves and flowers, wondering what the other girl saw. "Is Haru-nyan doing alright?" Tsuruya mused, sipping from her teacup and shooting Haruhi a curious, amused look.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Haruhi returned, glancing at the other girl curiously "We had a good party, right?"
Tsuruya nodded, her smile widening. "A great party!" she agreed. "But ... Haru-nyan still seems distracted, you know?"
Haruhi snorted and turned her attention back to the garden. She felt her face warm up a bit, but quashed the urge to deny Tsuruya's observation. "I'm a little worried," she admitted, sighing glumly. "I keep thinking about what Auntie Rika said about keeping too much information from Kyon.... I ... guess I'm just still so nervous about explaining things to him...." She shrugged weakly, not sure she could find the words.
Tsuruya giggled in response, and Haruhi nearly jumped in surprise when Tsuruya leaned close and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. "It's not too bad yet," she consoled her friend. "Kyon-kun is nervous; he just doesn't want to make a mistakes!"
"Y...yeah, but I'm starting to wonder if I already have," Haruhi managed, shivering.
The bubbling laughter of the taller girl buoyed Haruhi's failing spirits, and Tsuruya replied, "Haru-nyan is nervous, too; she doesn't want to make a mistakes either! That's cute!"
Haruhi found herself giggling nervously in response. "I'm glad you think it's cute," she chuckled. "How can you still not be worried about this?"
"I'm worried, too," Tsuruya replied in admonishment, grinning. "You think I'm not? But that's okay; even though I'm worried, I get to be around the people I like!"
"I still feel like I should do something for Kyon to make up for forgetting to include him in the planning," Haruhi mumbled, shifting her shoulders in a shrug.
"Small steps," the heiress remarked, squeezing Haruhi to her more closely.
Haruhi's face warmed up again. "Tsu-chan ... I need to ask you to help me out even more," she mumbled. "I know that we've got a long way to go, and I said that I wanted to do this with ... well ... with friends...."
Tsuruya's embrace tightened very slightly. "What do you mean, Haru-nyan?" she pressed gently.
"I mean ... I don't know if I could do this alone," Haruhi admitted, her face turning even more red. "Without you, Mikuru-chan, Yuki-chan, and Kanae-chan...."
"Aww," Tsuruya soothed, holding back another small giggle. "It doesn't matter if you could or couldn't! You don't have to!"
And that, Haruhi realized, returning her friend's hug, was what really mattered.
After returning to class, Kyon was uncertain if he should be grateful for the seemingly calm day or not. No sliders had teleported into his bed after training, at least. Lunch was relatively unremarkable, mostly filled with Taniguchi grumbling about studying all weekend, and thankfully devoid of Koizumi warning Kyon about some urgent happening.
When class got out, he was prepared for Haruhi to either ignore him, or grab his tie and run off. What he hadn't expected was for her to climb to her feet, waiting behind her desk without meeting his eyes. He studied her for a moment, then prompted, "What's up, Haruhi?"
She scowled at something, glaring out the window, and in an apologetic tone that didn't match her dour gaze, said, "I didn't mean to keep you out of planning the party."
He nodded at her, aware of the other students around them. "Um ... well, that's fine," he ventured, "but as it happens, I was going to try and take care of something -- I won't be able to make the club meeting today."
Haruhi's eyes widened, and her alarmed gaze swung to his. "What?" she asked in stark surprise. "Wait -- why!?"
"It's just to meet a friend from middle school," he returned nervously, unable to meet her eyes suddenly.
"Oh," she answered with relief, settling back into her seat. "Well ... that's fine, then." She looked like she was considering saying more, but bit it back, shaking her head. "Alright," she decided. "I guess you should have a good time. So, Tsu-chan and I want to have some of your time on Wednesday after the club meeting, okay? Keep your calender clear!"
"Got it," he replied dutifully, checking his PDA, which obligingly added the event. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow, then?"
"Y...yeah," she allowed, seeming strangely nervous about it. "U...um, see you then!"
She fled abruptly, before he could ask her further, and then he decided he was best off not thinking about it. There was so much lately he was better off not thinking about.....
He walked leisurely out of the school, spotting Taniguchi heading out at the same time, but walking with Yanagimoto. Kunikida was walking further ahead, already thumbing through his study guide. Glancing between the two, Kyon trotted to his shorter friend's side, calling out, "Yo."
Kunikida looked up with mild surprise, then folded away his study guide, nodding. "Decided to join the 'going home club' for today?" he asked.
"That's right," he agreed, smirking. "Also, I hardly got a chance to talk to you at the party yesterday. So, what's up?"
"Not much," Kunikida answered with a sigh. "I normally have cram school, but I think I'll skip today. My main motivation won't be there, so...." He shrugged.
Kyon nodded absently, not quite sure what Kunikida's motivation was. And, he realized, he probably didn't care; he had enough of his own problems to deal with as it was. If Kunikida had a real emergency, he'd surely be clearer about it. "So what's your plan for your sudden free time, then?" he asked.
Kunikida grimaced, shaking his head. "Not sure," he admitted. "Probably play some games, maybe just go to sleep early. These days can take a lot out of a guy, you know? Ah, but seriously ... why aren't you with your own club?"
Kyon shrugged, deciding he was best off not naming Sasaki; he'd be in enough trouble if it got back to Haruhi as it was. "I had alternate plans already," he answered. After a moment, he decided to try and pass it off as a joke, adding: "You know, typical hero stuff."
The shorter boy snorted, giving Kyon an amused look before shaking his head. "Naturally! Well, good luck with the daily heroics, then," he said, waving as he turned down his own street.
Waving his own farewell, Kyon walked the rest of the way to the train station in silence, considering his plan. He could easily meet his sister, but she would undoubtedly wonder why he had left the club early. As strangely spot-on as his sister's guesses had been lately (even with her odd perception that the world was a magical girl anime), she would probably divine what he was doing. Bad enough she'd somehow figured out that he was planning on talking to Sasaki.
A course of action in mind, he jogged home. Finding a convenient alley, he slipped into stealth and then took to the rooftops. It was only when he was leaping between houses, landing on the small ledge beneath his bedroom window that he realized his sister might actually not be that far off....
Sighing to himself, he used a previously established setting on his beam-saber to open his window from the outside, grinning at the barely audible hum. After glance to assure that his mother wasn't in his room for some reason, he slipped in, having the presence of mind to scan himself in the school uniform before changing into more casual clothing and sneaking out.
Invisible, he jogged back to the same alley he had ducked into, dropping his cloak and nearly colliding with an anxious Tsuruya-tachi member. The older man bowed apologetically, through looked obviously relieved to see him again. Something else he hadn't thought about, he realized, nodding at the man. "I'm going on a mission," he told the man quietly, "so it's fine to call off anyone watching me for the rest of the day."
The vaguely familiar man nodded, looking surprised, but walked down the street the other direction, reaching for his cell phone. While he walked to the train station, he mused that it was entirely likely that for all of his precautions, Yuki was still watching him. He contemplated sending her a message, then decided against it; he'd told her he trusted her judgment, after all.
He couldn't help but shake the feeling, despite all of his precautions so far, that he was headed into something dangerous. At the end of the day, he told himself, he couldn't claim to be an advocate of friendship if he ignored Sasaki. There were still things he hadn't figured out, but if he couldn't even understand his own situation with Haruhi, Tsuruya, Mikuru, Kanae, and Yuki....
Well, maybe despite not understanding, he'd be able to help anyway. That thought in mind, even though he knew he was early, he strolled into the cafe where he had agreed to meet her.