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 so is every part of this fic that isn't the property of someone else. For example: Additional characters are borrowed from Higurashi, which is the creation of Ryukishi07, and Half Life 2, which is the property of Valve.
Notes: Count the tropes! Save, collect, trade for swell prizes!
"Fragment: Clan Annals (unverified)"
"Entry for 6.12.2011:
It is tragically easy to do harm when good is intended; a bridge built is easily burned. Hopefully, this gap can be mended....
-- Tsu-Oyabun # 108"
"[Undecipherable]" -- Recovered From Primary T.E.S.A. Archive
Haruhi couldn't keep the scowl off her face as a dreamy-eyed Tsuruya turned to face her while the car carrying Kyon back home cruised away. Tsuruya knew how to manage a kimono, but the outfit was rumpled enough to be telling, and judging by the way things were going, Haruhi didn't think that Tsuruya had just come out of a fight.
No, it was easy enough to imagine what had happened -- while she was waiting for her friend to get home, since she was left out on the ninkyo dantai front, Tsuruya....
"So," Haruhi couldn't help but growl, "you enjoyed some quality time with Kyon after all?"
Tsuruya's smile vanished instantly, and she winced, glancing around. No servants were in sight; Haruhi had told the chief maid that she'd wait on her own, since she didn't expect it to be long. And it hadn't -- she'd hoped to see Kyon at least briefly, and then discuss the plans for tomorrow with Tsuruya.
She hadn't expected that she would have been left out like she had been!
"Ah, Haru-nyan," Tsuruya started uneasily, "I--"
"Save it," Haruhi snapped, surprising herself with her own vehemence. Tsuruya flinched and bowed her head, her hands curling before her. "I thought you had work to do, not--" She bit it off when Tsuruya merely turned her head slightly, not moving to defend herself.
Heaving an angry sigh, the Brigade chief grumbled, "I'm not happy about this -- but being angry with you is stupid. I was going to ask you for help finalizing the transportation arrangements for tomorrow, but now I'm going home. Send me a text message when you get it sorted out."
"A...ah, Haruhi," Tsuruya tried weakly, as Haruhi strode through the gate that the car had come in.
Losing time with Kyon for Sasaki's kidnapping was bad enough, but they couldn't even make it up because of Kyon's work with Tsuruya's 'family.' It just got worse once it turned out that Tsuruya could still get to spend time like that with Kyon, even while they were working!
Stalking through the dark streets toward her home, Haruhi reflected that the one good thing to come of this was that she wasn't angry at Kyon. Oh, it'd be easy to blame him, but he'd been going through enough already this week so far, and he was genuinely doing his best. Having to deal with his sister putting herself in danger, one of his friends from middle school being abducted....
And as far as his involvement in making out with Tsuruya and leaving her out ... she knew Kyon well enough to know that he wasn't much for taking the initiative. Probably, considering the arrangement they were trying to work toward ('frisky' Yakuza heiresses notwithstanding) it was even for the best that he'd reciprocate, but be slow to take his own steps.
But that made the entire thing Tsuruya's fault! Hell, she was even the one that was already publicly engaged to him! Haruhi had made a sacrifice on that count; she didn't mind being with Kanae publicly. The girl was cute, genuinely nice, and Haruhi was starting to suspect that the slider had a real crush on her as well as Kyon.
"Stupid precedence," Haruhi muttered, kicking a convenient can as she passed beneath a streetlight, taking a tiny bit of satisfaction from the way it launched down the street. What could she really do, though? Kyon's parents did like the arrangement with Tsuruya's family, and Kyon's mother seemed to hate Haruhi -- if she wasn't terrified of the woman pulling Kyon from the club, she'd try and investigate, but that was too much of a risk.
Well, whatever! So Tsuruya got ahead a little.
At least ... even if Sasaki would be there too ... Haruhi could spend some time with Kyon tomorrow. Maybe, with a little bit of luck, she could even arrange some of it to be alone with him.
Sasaki had been happy to accept Haruhi's invitation, as exciting as the event was promising to be. She'd been surprised to be picked up at her home -- no risk of being captured en-route, she supposed -- by the familiar figures of Kasai and Mori, and then delivered to Tsuruya's home.
The heiress seemed more subdued and distracted than Sasaki recalled her, but given how much she seemed to be coordinating, that was more than reasonable. Sasaki wished she could help, but even more than that, she wanted to visit with Haruhi.
Haruhi was a frenzy of activity herself, overseeing everyone being put properly in their costumes, then giving brief drills for how everything was actually going to work out. It seemed straightforward enough -- not the kind of thing Sasaki would ever have tried on her own, unprompted.
Still, it could be fun! And with friends.... Well, the tricky part would be arriving. Until the designated moment, all of them had lightweight but bulky coats to conceal their outfits.
From there, to keep it from being too obvious, they would enter in small groups from different entrances, converging in the central area. In some ways, it felt like plotting a crime, and some part of Sasaki wondered ... were they a distraction for a real crime?
She knew she shouldn't think some things -- and absolutely she shouldn't be eager for the chance to do work for a criminal organization. She still couldn't push down the excitement at the possibility of her dream coming true, even if only in a small way.
Once everyone was in costume, they were all bundled into different vehicles to be dropped off around the train station. Sasaki was delighted to find herself between Haruhi and Kyon in the back seat of their car -- but then, she supposed that made sense, if she were a target. If anyone did try and reach her, Kyon was right there on one side, and Haruhi on the other.
They had no problems, though, other than a small handful of glances their way. There were enough other people around, dressed in their own casual clothing, not to notice a small group of high school students in similar coats. It was a bit warm wearing both the costume and a coat, but it wasn't that bad; Haruhi's costume was probably much warmer. Kyon's, too, but he looked like he hadn't even noticed the temperature.
That was probably some side benefit from the training he'd obviously undergone.
In short order they reached the central hall of the station, where most people would pass through on their way to a given train. Kyon produced his phone from one pocket, showing they were slightly early -- but not too much so. The three of them wandered in a wide circle around the hall, giving the impression of heading somewhere without having a destination in mind to pass the time.
It didn't take long for the others in their group to wander in -- and naturally, with a concentration of people in such similar outfits.... Of course, some costumes were much less subtle than others, and harder to conceal beneath a coat. Koizumi's was the worst on that count, but he didn't seem to mind, even if he did draw gazes in.
"That's fine," Haruhi whispered over the crowd, as though to comment on Sasaki's silent observation. "A little attention before the reveal means more people will get to see-- And it's almost time! Kyon?"
"Twenty seconds," he replied, his voice neutral.
"Right," Haruhi agreed, leading the three of them to the hall's central point.
The others were converging on the same location, naturally drawing even more attention to the group-- They managed to line up in the center of the hall in a wide circle, curious onlookers leaving the center free as Haruhi called out loudly enough to be heard through the entire area: "Show-time!"
As one, they all shrugged out of their coats to drop to the floor, securing hats and wigs. Sasaki was a bit surprised to see Kuyou there, as well, but before she could remark on it Kyouko hefted the boom-box she had been carrying and hit 'play.'
As the police were not able to charge him with any specific crime, Maruyama Iyouji hadn't been held for long after the Sumiyoshi-rengo had been raided. That meant he was one one of the few men who were loyal to Fujiya Masao who still walked free. Since it was assumed that he was still being closely watched by both the police and the Sumiyoshi-rengo that wouldn't be pleased about the defection....
He was surprised to realize that for all of his assumed cowardice, he wasn't very worried about them coming after him. If the Sumiyoshi-rengo did want to punish them for their disloyalty, well, they'd have to go through Kowa-Keigo Kyon -- and the accountant's faith in the saiko-komon's ability to chastise all comers was unshakable.
Even better, while they were laying low and working on funding the legal effort to get the rest of their men out of jail, Iyouji had been assigned a legitimate job. It wasn't a high-level accounting position in a law firm -- instead, he was given a role in a Yamaguchi-gumi-run front, managing the books and helping ensure that things were legitimate enough from the outside.
He wondered if he might enjoy a life outside of crime more.... Really, the greater issues were with credentials, but as it was, handling finances for a small model shop was within his capabilities. The owner, Yamatsuchi Keiji, wasn't fully a part of the organization, but didn't mind working with them -- or the help that Iyouji could bring in.
Iyouji could see how the arrangement ended up working out; the man had borrowed money from the Tsuruya-gumi to get started. His business wasn't quite the success he'd hoped it would have been -- he'd mentioned to Iyouji once that he'd even accepted endorsements from some high-school students working on a movie for their cultural festival. Iyouji had merely nodded at that -- advertising wasn't his forte.
In any case, since he wasn't making enough to get by, and the Tsuruya-gumi recognized that he wasn't making enough profit to pay them back, they'd done something that Iyouji found rather novel. Instead of shutting him down and reclaiming their losses, they set him up as a front to launder money.
The practical upshot was that every so often, in order to make inventory line up with 'profits,' Iyouji also occasionally got to take home free models or kits. Keiji was surprisingly relaxed about things, considering he'd unintentionally turned his dream-job into a front, but Iyouji could see he enjoyed what chances he got to interact with legitimate customers. And since that only strengthened the image of the front....
That of course, was why Iyouji was walking through the train station on his way home, three piece Trope-tan figurine collection under one arm. The Tsuruya-gumi was a good organization to partner with, he thought, just as some commotion from the center of the hall drew his attention.
There was a group of people -- high-school students, he expected -- standing in a circle, one of them producing a boom-box and turning it on. Initially curious, Iyouji paused to watch, staggered to recognize the heiress to the Tsuruya family in that group as she and the others discarded their coats, many of them producing a wide variety of hats and putting them into place atop their heads.
The heiress's costume was a stylized set of miko robes -- in blue rather than the more traditional red. The top was a vest with blue trim and detached sleeves kept in place on her forearms with a length of blue ribbon. A lock of green hair to one side of her face was kept neat with a blue-and-white ribbon, sporting a decoration that looked a bit like a snake. The long blue skirt she wore didn't quite fit with the miko's more traditional hakama, and was patterned seemingly randomly with dots and lines. One hand hefted a shaku -- a wooden scepter with a square piece of paper attached to the top.
He couldn't quite determine what she was supposed to be doing before he recognized another familiar face. He remembered those eyes from unpleasant dreams, cool and almost empty of emotion, even if they did look a different color. She had to be wearing a wig and contacts -- but the little girl who had traveled with the Tsuruya's saiko-komon was unmistakable. The wig was the color that he'd remembered her hair being, but was much too long to be real; her eyes now matched her hair perfectly. Beyond that, her outfit looked like a shapeless pink and purple striped gown -- like pajamas, almost, beneath a long pink robe. Complementing the robe was a puffy pink hat with a golden-colored crescent moon pin.
Just when he was certain that there could be no greater shock to him, he recognized the dreaded bodyguard himself in that crowd!
It made a certain degree of sense, he supposed -- he was protecting the heiress, no matter what she was doing. His wig matched the hairstyle he wore the time Iyouji had seen him on better terms, when no chastisements were necessary, save that the color was white. He was wearing both colored contacts (gold) and a pair of small half-rimmed spectacles. The two-tone kimono in blue and black, triangle embroidery along the seams suited him better than most of the other outfits in the group. The only other notable feature to it was the large leather pouch strapped to his waist.
More than anything else, Iyouji recognized the unimpressed, faintly annoyed look that the boy wore. That was unmistakably Kowa-Keigo Kyon!
Not sure what else to do, he kept staring, quickly trying to study the other actors in the confusing play. Immediately opposite the heiress was a girl that Iyouji didn't recognize at all. She was dressed in some Western-style witch costume with a long blonde wig and a pointed black hat decorated with a large bow. To complete the image, she was even carrying an old-fashioned straw broom in one hand. Beyond that, her costume was black with two rows of gold buttons and a short white apron -- almost like a maid's. Iyouji couldn't help but blink when she shifted position, her skirt flipping up briefly and revealing a pair of bloomers beneath.
Was that part of the costume, or her own modesty? He couldn't think that someone who dressed up like that in public was that worried about being embarrassed.
At the blonde witch's other side was a shrine maiden -- sort of. It was hard to tell if the Tsuruya heiress or this girl with brown hair were closer to the traditional costume. Her top was a loose vest-like affair with a modestly closed front and tied with a yellow band, but it sported a huge lacy white collar, and the arm-holes went nearly to the girl's hips. For modesty, she was wearing sarashi -- chest bindings -- beneath, and sleeves were held in place on her arms with red ribbons.
A massive red bow flopped atop her head as she gave anyone who looked at her an embarrassed, shy smile, ducking her head slightly. More of the 'red and white' motif was conveyed by the skirt, and a pair of hair ornaments on either side of her face. As if the bow wasn't enough! Iyouji wasn't certain, but guessed her shoulder-length brown hair was real.
Next to the small, lethal girl with the crescent moon ornament on her hat was a girl in a slightly less outlandish costume. A pair of bat wings protruded from beneath her reddish hair, but beyond that, the white blouse she wore under the black vest and matching short skirt could fit in almost anywhere. Well, there was probably some tinting in her hair, and the red of her eyes were undoubtedly contacts as well -- seeing as they almost perfectly matched both her hair and her tie.
Next in the group was a girl wearing a light blue hood, hair from a purple wig poking out. More contact lenses? Purple eyes peeked out from beneath the matching hair, and underneath the nearly waist-length hood was a long-sleeved, knee-length white gown, with a blue, flame-like pattern at the hem.
Iyouji wasn't sure if the boom-box she was carrying was part of her costume, or not -- but directly next to her, and reminding him of rumors of Kowa-Keigo Kyon's supposed 'demon ally' was a boy wearing one of the strangest outfits yet.
He was wearing a cap to make him appear bald, and then had also attached a fake beard. Beyond that, he appeared bare-chested, and surprisingly well muscled. Iyouji supposed it could be part of the costume -- considering the entire thing was a shade of purple or pink, shockingly visible once the boy tossed his coat aside, it was hard to say. He wore loose looking pants below, though thin strips of cloth matching the dye on his skin and fake hair gave him a wispy, cloud-like appearance.
On the other side, next to the girl in red and white, was a much shorter girl -- she couldn't be more than ten, by Iyouji's guess. Her outfit was a simple pink sun-dress with red ribbons on the hems, and her black wig was interrupted by twin floppy rabbit ears. If that weren't enough, there was a pink 'puff' on the rear of her sun-dress, and she was sporting a pendant that looked like a carrot.
She bounced on her feet excitedly, grinning widely and flashing her own eyes -- red contacts? It must have taken some doing teaching a girl that age to wear them!
The next figure in the group drew Iyouji's attention, and he let his eyes move on. The next girl was wearing a blonde wig that ran slightly past her shoulders, tied off with thin red ribbons -- but atop her head sat a wide brimmed straw hat sporting a giant pair of googly eyes. Her purple jumper was embroidered with frogs in various poses, and beneath that she wore a white blouse with incredibly long, baggy sleeves and white knee-socks.
She probably had to be older than the bunny-girl, but younger than the rest.
The last of the group sported a massive cloud of black hair. Her eyes were dark, and her outfit seemed traditional enough that Iyouji might not have put her with the others, if she hadn't stood with them. She wore a simple lavender top and a red skirt patterned with gold flowers and leaves.
And just when he thought it couldn't get any stranger, the girl in the long white gown with the boom-box hit a button on it.
At that signal, Kyon, his small and nearly silent enforcer, the girl with the bat-wings in her hair, and the boy dressed as a bearded, pink/purple cloud all turned to the witch, who declared, "Show-time!" just as the boom-box started playing.
He didn't even notice when the bag of Trope-tan figurines in his hands fell to the ground.
While she wasn't certain exactly what Haruhi was planning, Yanagimoto had gotten to the point where she trusted her enough to show up when Haruhi insisted that 'something awesome' was happening. Naturally, she'd hauled Taniguchi with her, and Haruhi had mentioned it to Sakanaka, as well. So they met up at the train station early, not sure what to expect -- merely standing by in the hall of the train station with cell phone cameras at the ready.
And true to form, Haruhi did not disappoint! Her entire Brigade, plus a few other friends dropped their coats to reveal themselves in costume. She and Taniguchi both raised their cameras, fiddling for the 'record' function instead of settling for a snapshot--
Taniguchi's would undoubtedly turn out better, thanks to his height, but they both got them started before music began to play, and Haruhi (in a witch costume!) led her Brigade in a dance. Yanagimoto's mouth fell open a short distance -- Sakanaka had mentioned they had a dance at a party like that, but she'd assumed it was just something trendy. This looked like Haruhi had devised her own!
Haruhi started in the center, flanked by Mikuru and Yuki, and past them were Kyon and Koizumi. She was a bit surprised at first that the singer was Haruhi-- Then again, considering how well she'd done at the culture festival and at karaoke....
They completed their dance, surrounded in a circle by their friends in costume. And then, just before the onlookers could burst into applause, a girl that Yanagimoto didn't recognize (wearing a red and white outfit with a massive red bow atop her head), raised her hand and gestured to the other girls, who Yanagimoto didn't recognize.
"E...everyone!" she called out, not quite as confident as she appeared to hope. Her face flushed, and Haruhi looked surprised before moving to the side, she and the original Brigade members moving to make room for a girl that Yanagimoto didn't recognize in the center. "Kuyou-chan, Kyouko-chan -- ah, Tsuruya-san, Kanae-san, we can do this too, right?"
"Yeah," Haruhi agreed belatedly. "Sasaki can lead!" Then Haruhi's grin flashed brighter than before as she took the boom-box from the girl with the hood -- who suddenly looked very nervous. "Everyone can do this dance!"
Yanagimoto nearly fell over-- That was Sasaki? At her side, Sakanaka stiffened, eyes wide and a small alarmed noise escaping as her gaze went to....
She wanted to smack herself in the forehead -- or better yet, the boyfriend beside her, grinning like an idiot and recording as Sasaki led the other costumed participants in a slower, more instructional form of the same dance, pausing the music to explain the steps cheerfully to everyone in earshot.
Yanagimoto was almost positive that Taniguchi was responsible for Kunikida appearing at the station. Then again, it wasn't like she'd told Taniguchi to keep it to himself....
Still, the mood was dampened for her, even as nearly everyone else in the train station allowed themselves to be led along to the music -- the Brigade's core members being sent out into the crowd to assemble groups of five. It was pretty amazing that Haruhi could arrange something like that, getting nearly an entire train station full of people to stop their daily lives long enough to learn the dance she'd set up.
"This is amazing!" Taniguchi chuckled, still recording.
"Really impressive," Yanagimoto agreed, seeing Kunikida stare wistfully at Sasaki before turning around and leaving the train station.
Flushed with exertion -- and a bit of pride -- Sasaki was amazed that her attempt at emulating Haruhi had worked out so well. Kuyou and Kanae, among everyone else in costume who hadn't practiced the dance beforehand seemed to copy the motions of the others most smoothly -- Sasaki thought that she and Kyouko would have been the clumsiest.
But Haruhi had been very encouraging and given instructions -- not just to her, but everyone in the platform -- so even if it wasn't perfect ... it was fun!
After Sasaki's group finished demonstrating the dance, Haruhi directed everyone in their collective to lead another group of onlookers in the same steps. Shortly, almost the entire room was absorbed in going through the same dance, or just watching and recording on their cell phones.
Just when she was starting to worry that it might be disruptive, Haruhi called everyone back together, and they collected their discarded coats from the floor, streaming to the exit amid thunderous applause.
Which was just as well -- after leading a mother of three and her children through the same performance, filled with laughter and giggling, Sasaki could use a chance to sit down and catch her breath. She wasn't usually one to go out and dress up like she had; as she'd hoped long ago, being Haruhi's friend had given her a wonderful opportunity to experience something she'd never have thought to try on her own. And absolutely, it wouldn't be something she had the courage to suggest!
As they exited the train station, Sasaki managed to suppress a small gasp of alarm-- Haruhi looked pleased with her performance, and it seemed to have made her forget. She looked about ready to grab Kyon's hand as they crossed the street. Moving swiftly to Kyon's opposite side, Sasaki quickly distracted the Brigade chief, commenting, "That was fun!"
Haruhi startled, wincing-- Sasaki's less-than-subtle warning had reached her, at least. "Ah-- So, did everyone else have fun?" Haruhi asked, looking away from meeting anyone's eyes and rubbing one arm self-consciously.
"Yeah!" Kyon's sister cheered, echoed by all of the others.
"Though, I still am going to complain about you dressing my little sister up as a bunny-girl," Kyon remarked, taking the girl's hand as the light changed and they crossed the street in a large crowd, attracting quite a bit of attention.
"What's wrong with bunny-girls?" Nonoko wondered.
"Ah, I want a bunny-girl costume," Kanae echoed, her face blushing. "Sempai's sister is so cute like that!"
"It's moe," Haruhi answered, smirking. "A different kind than our lovely Mikuru-chan, though."
"I'm surprised about the contacts, though," Sasaki remarked as they reached the sidewalk on the other side of the street. "Er-- That is, it must have taken a bit of practice to put those in. Is that right, Nonoko-chan?"
"Nope!" the girl chirped. "Yuki-nee put them in for me, and gave me some eye-drops, so it was super easy!"
"You wear contacts normally?" Sasaki asked the girl with the.... It had to be a wig, no matter how natural that hair looked.
"No," Yuki answered quietly. "Practice from filming."
"That's right," Mikuru agreed belatedly. "Um, Suzu--"
"Mikuru-chan!" Haruhi barked, though she gave the older girl a smile. "What did I tell you about that name?"
"Ah, heh," Mikuru giggled in embarrassment, ducking her head. "Haruhi-chan's movie-- For that, I had to wear contacts. It wasn't very hard, but I'm not used to wearing them for a long time."
"We'll take them out once we're seated," Haruhi agreed, as they stepped through into the cafe entrance.
"Ah," a server with light-green hair remarked upon seeing their group. Sasaki was sure she recognized her from previous visits, but was surprised that Haruhi froze as if surprised to see her. "Um, a moment please, while we arrange some tables for your party. How many is it, then?"
"Twelve!" Nonoko chirped happily.
"Is that right?"
"Er, eleven," Haruhi corrected, frowning. "Kimidori-san? I'm surprised you have time to work here, considering your student council duties!"
Sasaki was certain she saw a flicker of irritation on the waitress's face before she smiled. "A special request was filed," she answered quickly. "Many Kitago students come through here, so this serves as a good chance to monitor the student population and ensure they're behaving reasonably, and not going to restaurants or shops in uniform."
"Uh-huh," Haruhi answered, clearly unimpressed by the response.
Did Haruhi deal with that waitress at school? Sasaki supposed if she were on the student council and Haruhi were to cause problems.... That could be awkward. "If this is a problem, should we find another cafe, perhaps?" she posed worriedly.
"Not at all," Kimidori insisted. "In fact, I'll give you a small discount; we can all get along, can't we?"
Haruhi opened her mouth to reply, then paused, thinking about things. For some reason, she gave Sasaki a glance before nodding. "We can stay here; that's fine."
"Yeah," Kyon grumbled, eying the girl doubtfully, "what are the odds of another kidnapping attempt happening in the same location, anyway?"
Kimidori's smile stiffened. "I'll prepare your tables now," she said, before bowing and moving off to do that.
"S...so you know her, then?" Sasaki asked. It was mostly a pointless question, considering what she'd seen, but....
Haruhi took the prompt, shaking her head and sighing. "She gave us some grief; it could be my fault for teasing her about the photography ring," she explained. "The student council president is on our side, now, but she's still holding a bit of a grudge."
"It's probably fine if she's just observing," Kyon said, somewhat doubtfully.
"Acceptable limitation threshold," Kuyou said quietly, seconded by Yuki's silent nod.
"I'd read about it in the papers, but I've never heard the entire story," Sasaki remarked. "And I couldn't think it was all true-- Could I hear the story of that photography ring from those who actually participated in breaking it up?"
"Your table is ready," Kimidori announced, returning from where a number of smaller tables had been dragged together, forming a single long table. "I'm afraid a larger order will take a bit longer to fill; would you like me to start you off with water?"
"That's fine," Haruhi agreed as they trooped to the table. Sasaki was surprised to find that Haruhi arranged for herself and Sasaki to sit on either side of Kyon, but didn't mind that herself. "Um ... Kyon, why don't you tell the story? I don't think I've ever heard your take on it."
"Eh?" Kyon started. "Well.... Koizumi? You're good at stories like this."
"That's kind of you to say, but your information is probably better than mine," the boy with dyed skin replied, shrugging. "I mostly did paperwork."
"I know this story!" Nonoko piped up. "About Kyon and the dark generals! Can I tell it?"
"I.... I'd like to hear Kyon's version, too," Mikuru agreed shyly, blushing faintly. "Ah, Imouto, let's get those contacts out while Kyon tells the story. Um, Yuki-chan, can you help me?"
The quiet girl nodded, turning to the smaller girl at her side. Sasaki was impressed at how skillfully -- and gently -- she brushed the lenses out of Nonoko's eyes, prompting Kyon's sister to blink repeatedly and rub her eyes. The others around the table that were wearing contacts removed them as well, except for Kyon and Yuki.
"Alright," Kyon sighed. "So ... the investigation started when I stumbled across Tsuruya-hime. Some guys were giving her trouble, and after that -- well, Haruhi couldn't stand to see her friend in danger without help, so she loaned me out to help Tsuruya-hime's investigation."
Tsuruya snickered, though it seemed a bit weak to Sasaki. "Kyon-kun's too modest," she countered. "He went all 'warrior philosopher' on some very bad men, and saved me from a lot of dangerous trouble-- But he's right! Haru-nyan is great for letting me borrow him."
Haruhi shifted uncomfortably in her seat, seemingly grateful for the interruption as Kimidori set a tray of glasses at the table and quickly parceled them out before taking orders and vanishing again.
Once the waitress was gone, Haruhi allowed, "It wasn't like I could sit by, though Tsuruya-san was being really secretive about what was going on until the very last minute."
"Um, yeah, a bunch of stuff like that happened," Kyon agreed, shifting his shoulders. "There were a few times that some pretty ... unpleasant people caused problems. You've, uh ... met some of them before. Then again, considering what they were doing -- taking pictures of the girls while changing...." He trailed off and shrugged again.
"What, do you have no pride in your accomplishments?" Haruhi chided. She glanced at the end of the table, where Koizumi and Kyouko seemed absorbed in their own very quiet conversation, watched by a seemingly very curious Kuyou. "Sheesh, he's underselling himself a ton -- mostly because his parents give him crap about using force, even when it's justified."
"Force?" Sasaki asked cautiously. She'd seen Kyon fight, so it wasn't a huge surprise....
"Well, I had to stop the guy who pulled a knife on Kanae-chan," Kyon said firmly. "And the ones who wanted to stop Tsuruya-hime."
"Sempai was so cool!" Kanae gushed, blushing excitedly. "It was so roma-- er, heroic!"
Sasaki internalized a wince; the younger girl's crush was blindingly obvious.... She'd never thought of Kyon as the type to attract followers in such a way -- but then, his actions probably seemed heroic to every girl who had her picture taken.
And it wasn't like she didn't have sympathy for that situation herself! Obviously, she would need to figure out how to include Kanae with Haruhi in keeping a united front and respecting Kyon's engagement to the girl he was addressing as a princess.
"Anyway -- after fighting off wave after wave of thugs, Kyon made his way to the boss of the photography ring at the school," Haruhi continued. "And he was a huge jerk, so Kyon had to dangle him out the school window to get his passwords and information on where he hid the pictures."
Sasaki couldn't help the gasp that escaped her. Kyon? Doing something like that? She understood he was capable, but.... "R...really?" she asked, giving him an uncertain look.
"He tried to kill Tsuruya-hime," Kyon said flatly, his eyes hard. "So, threatening him with what he tried on her seemed fair."
Tsuruya shivered at the reminder, managing a very weak smile. "But -- I'm okay," she said quietly. "Thanks to Kyon-kun."
Haruhi winced herself, looking conflicted and annoyed. "Yeah, Yamane totally deserved that," she said quietly. "Kyon's not the kind of guy who'd use force first."
"He's not," Sasaki agreed, a bit shaken by the image. She wasn't sure that violence was ever particularly justified -- even if someone 'deserved it.' Then again, her stance on that was starting to shift dramatically, considering how often she'd been endangered by people who didn't respect the law anyway. She was starting to see more and more that it was an occasional unfortunate necessity, but Kyon seemed to grasp it even more easily than she had.
Well, obviously a good bit of his training wasn't just how to be violent, but when to use force. It was admirable, really -- not that he took the law into his own hands, per se, but that he recognized that it wasn't a hammer to be used to solve every situation. As a minor, Yamane would have enjoyed a lot of protections, possibly to the point of concealing the evidence. It didn't look like the most ideal solution, but Kyon clearly wasn't thrilled about using it....
To her, that was even more admirable than saving Kanae or Tsuruya from danger -- something she herself had in common with them!
"But then, that means that you've rescued Tsuruya-san from danger before?" Sasaki realized aloud. "Is that ... um ... the basis for your engagement?" She shook her head quickly, starting, "I...if that's not too rude to ask!"
"It's fine," Tsuruya agreed, giving a small shake of her head. "That's right anyway, though. Father thought that...." She trailed off with an uncertain look at Haruhi, then shook her head again. "Well, that's right."
Sasaki wondered what was going on there.... Haruhi looked uncomfortable, too -- had there been some tension because of the engagement? If that was the case, Sasaki clearly had to show what support she could! "Ah, I didn't mean to change the tone of things so much," she apologized quickly. "So-- What are our plans after this?"
Haruhi hesitated, then allowed, "Well ... Mikuru-chan has a date with her boyfriend Shutaro this evening." For some reason she looked annoyed at that ... perhaps jealous over not being able to be in a relationship? "I was thinking of just relaxing myself. After all, we had a very successful mission today, and I think everyone had fun!"
"I did," Sasaki agreed fervently, echoed by the others at the table. Haruhi's expression seemed to brighten a little at that. "Well, I had no plans myself-- Perhaps we could do something together? I understand that Asahina-san has a date, but the rest of us...."
"I...I'd like to visit with everyone a bit more," Kyouko hesitantly agreed, though Sasaki was certain she was more interested in spending time with Koizumi.
"Let's have more fun together!" Nonoko agreed.
"Ah, but, Kyon-kun can't make it," Tsuruya noted, frowning.
"Oh, yeah," Haruhi agreed.
"Why ever not?" Sasaki wondered. "Did you have something else to do?"
"Kyon-kun does part time work for my father," the heiress said quickly, offering an apologetic smile. "So-- So while Mikuru-chan is on her date, um, I'll be working with my father, and Kyon-kun will be, too."
"So diligent," Sasaki giggled. Though, reading between the lines, the only 'work' Kyon did that she knew of.... "Ah, but I wish you the best of luck at your job, Kyon."
"Thanks," he allowed belatedly. "Um ... some days are better than others; I think this one will be alright. I should see about getting Imouto home before heading to work, too."
"No!" Nonoko protested with a pout. "Nii-san, you're going to take Ryouko-chan with you, so I want to play with Haru-nee and Yuki-nee!"
Kyon was about to protest when Haruhi cut in, saying, "It's fine; we can watch over Imouto, Kyon. She's never any trouble."
"Yaaay~!" the little girl cheered.
"Adorable!" Mikuru gushed, giving the girl an affectionate hug. "Aw, Imouto, Kyon-kun's so lucky to have you for a sister!"
"Yep!" Nonoko agreed, nodding.
Kyon snorted, shrugging. "Alright," he allowed. "But best behavior, Imouto."
"Don't worry -- I'll take cover with the others if there's a dark general attack!"
Sasaki couldn't help but giggle. Even if she did spend half her time in a world of fantasy, she was cute; Kyon really was fortunate. Still.... "Who is 'Ryouko-chan,' Imouto?"
"Ryouko-chan is the sprite that made me a magical girl," Nonoko declared proudly. "She's right there!" she added helpfully, pointing to an empty spot on Kyon's shoulder. "She helps Nii-san plan and fight the dark generals!"
An imaginary friend? Well ... that was cute, but she seemed a tad old for that and her fantasies of 'dark generals.' Sasaki bit her tongue and nodded instead of saying anything; it was probably cruel to disillusion her. The girl's long-ago admonishment on how Sasaki had accidentally hurt Kyon doing the same thing still resonated. She wasn't going to repeat that mistake!
"Um, Kuyou-chan," Mikuru posed curiously, turning to the dark-haired girl. "I'm sorry I didn't think to make you a costume -- but the one you picked out is very pretty! Where did you get it?"
"It's not a bad fit, either," Haruhi added.
Mikuru beamed a smile, nodding. "Did you make it yourself?"
"Yes," Kuyou agreed, blinking, her attention shifting from Kyouko and Koizumi, turning to the others. "Ryouko's suggestion."
That surprised Sasaki even more. Kuyou was typically so quiet and uninvolved, it was nothing short of astounding she'd connect with the little girl deeply enough to play along with her imaginary friend! Maybe she hadn't been the best friend she could have to Kuyou if she'd missed her playful side.
"Haru-nee! Haru-nee! Can we watch the movie you made with Nii-san?" Nonoko asked excitedly, bouncing in her seat.
"That's a good way to start things off," Haruhi agreed, nodding. "Yuki-chan, is your place alright to hang out, since Tsuruya-san is going to be busy with Kyon, and Mikuru-chan is going out on her date? We should have enough time to watch our movie before we go home."
Tsuruya bit her lip and looked away, staring distantly out the window.
Yes ... there was absolutely something going on there. Though she wanted to try her hardest to help, it would be for the best if she understood the situation better first.
After some relatively companionable chatting, and their drinks finally arriving (Haruhi did have to wonder if Kimidori was being intentionally slow), it was time for the group to move on. Tsuruya rose from the table first, remarking that Mikuru could catch a ride home with her and Kyon to prepare for her date.
Sasaki watched the trio thoughtfully, but didn't say anything-- Haruhi wondered just how sharp she was, but guessed it was actually very sharp. Hopefully she didn't figure things out too soon....
Still, having a date interrupted by a mission to rescue Sasaki had really sucked -- she could at least see that Mikuru didn't have to deal with that, and she deserved some reward for her amazing work on the costumes.
Speaking of which.... "These are very nice costumes," Sasaki remarked. "I should properly compliment Asahina-san for them later-- I'm very impressed that it fits me so well!"
"Kanae-chan is a genius at understanding distance," Haruhi answered simply. "Her perspective work and costume design are top-notch! The only part that was trouble was finding something to steal to make my costume work -- but Yuki-chan helped with that."
"Y...you had to steal a part of your costume?" Sasaki wondered, confused.
"To properly be this character, of course!" Haruhi agreed, indicating the hat she was wearing. "Mikuru-chan improved it quite a bit, but Yuki-chan used this costume last year-- Well, we'll show you the movie we used it in. You'll see!"
Sasaki relaxed at that, nodding.
While Haruhi still wasn't thrilled about Sasaki's lack of control of her ability to nullify other people's powers, it wasn't like Sasaki understood it. And, anyway, that same power had just blown away whatever it was Kimidori presumably used to spy on the Brigade without anyone realizing it. Well, Yuki might have, but Haruhi wouldn't have caught on if it weren't for Sasaki.
So, she was able to see what the Sumiyoshi-rengo jerks that kept trying to kidnap her saw in the girl.
Haruhi was a bit surprised at how sympathetic she found herself to Sasaki -- maybe it was her annoyance with Tsuruya coming into play. Sasaki thought she was supporting Haruhi because Tsuruya meant that Haruhi couldn't be with Kyon -- and while it wasn't absolutely spot on, it wasn't terribly off from the real situation.
With those factors in consideration, she was impressed at how easy it was to get along with Sasaki. Sure, she'd have to keep herself in check from levitating small objects, and she couldn't use her powers if they were -- somehow -- attacked. She also couldn't be as free with Kyon as she wanted -- but that was an ongoing issue anyway. So in the meantime, Sasaki was actually a decent and friendly person, once Haruhi could struggle past her fears.
It also didn't hurt that she'd taken Haruhi's simple flash mob idea and then turned it into something even more engaging -- first by having the courage to try the dance without real practice, and then getting everyone else in on it!
Tsuruya settled the check, surprising Haruhi a bit, and glibly remarking, "I owe a penalty anyway." She shook her head and gave Haruhi a cautious, hopeful look. "Um ... later tonight -- while Mikuru-chan is on her date -- could we talk for a bit, Haruhi?"
...that was starting to make Haruhi feel uncomfortable about her reaction to Tsuruya earlier. But it still wasn't fair that she got to spend so much more time with Kyon! And she got to be the one who was visibly 'with' him?
"Yeah," Haruhi agreed quickly, while Kyon was distracted saying his goodbyes to his sister -- leaving her in Haruhi's care. He had enough to deal with already.
"So, what is the theme for these costumes?" Sasaki wondered, following Haruhi and the others out as they trooped toward Yuki's apartment on foot. "Is it an anime I haven't seen?"
Ah-- Now there was a welcome subject change, Haruhi thought. But before she could answer, a boy she vaguely recognized -- wasn't he another time traveler? Kyon had said he called himself 'Fujiwara.' He stepped in front of them, scowling, but not meeting anyone's eyes. Haruhi was on her guard immediately, even though she knew she couldn't do much with Sasaki present.
"What do you want?" Haruhi barked suspiciously, subconsciously putting a hand on Nonoko's shoulder and pulling the girl with the modest bunny-girl costume closer protectively.
Koizumi also stepped forward, looking prepared -- but relaxed. For her part, Kyouko looked like she was trying to resist the urge to run away, cowering behind Kuyou.
Sasaki looked wary as well. "Fujiwara..." she began cautiously.
"I-- I wanted to apologize," he said gruffly, still not meeting anyone's gaze. "S...sorry, Sasaki-san." He then broke into a deep, formal bow. "I-- I acted out of line the last time we spoke."
"...well," Sasaki said uncomfortably, as they were all still drawing attention in their costumes. "Um-- Kyon mentioned that ... there were things you couldn't explain, and it wasn't entirely your fault. Even so ... as long as you mean well and do your best.
"That is, you must do the best you can. I can recognize that your intentions are usually positive ... and you're working with Kyon-- That makes me much happier about things. I don't understand what happened, entirely, but I think you're heading for a better path -- and I still consider you a friend, since you do mean well."
Haruhi blinked, surprised at the speech. Kyon had explained that the other time traveler had helped Kyon deal with a dangerous situation. "Y...yeah, I learned a few lessons there," Fujiwara agreed, straightening up, looking away and running a hand through his hair.
"Well, I accept your apology, then," Sasaki allowed, ducking her head slightly.
Nonoko started suddenly, squinting at the boy curiously. "You're a redeemed dark general?" she wondered.
Fujiwara blinked at that, giving her a strange look. "Something like that," he sighed.
"So-- You and Kyon worked things out, then?" Sasaki pressed, offering a cautious smile.
"Pretty much," Fujiwara agreed, shaking his head and turning his attention back to Sasaki. "We're ... still working out some details -- I need a favor from him relatively soon. Next time you see him, can you let him know I need his help to slipshank-- Er, I need his help to arrange a package being delivered."
Haruhi pursed her lips thoughtfully. "What did you have against Kyon, that you're over, now?" she asked. "And Mikuru-chan, for that matter?"
"I--" His eyes flashed and he scowled, shooting Haruhi an annoyed look. "You don't need to know that."
"But I'd like to," Sasaki reprimanded gently. "Unless there's some reason you can't share it with us.... Suzumiya-san is my friend too, Fujiwara -- just like Kyon."
The boy winced, deflating. "I'll give my word that even if you can't understand it, those are two people I cannot actually directly hurt," he muttered. "I want to change things -- and influencing either of them could do that -- but harming them is absolutely not my goal." He shrugged. "You have my word that no matter what I do, I can't -- and don't intend to -- harm either of them-- I don't plan on harming your other friends either."
"I can't like how much is being hidden from me," Sasaki said dryly, shaking her head. "I'll accept that for now, but in time, I would like a more complete explanation -- if only so I can try to help you."
"You always have been the most supportive," he agreed, sighing.
Sasaki frowned, looking mildly confused. Haruhi could only deduce that he was referring to something that happened in the future.... So he knew Sasaki then? Maybe she had even met him before he met her? But if that were the case, wouldn't that mean that Sasaki's power had been overcome, to prevent a paradox?
"I ... apologize, but I don't recall--"
"All I should really say at this point is that I intend to forge my own path, and earn the respect of classif-- Of someone," he grumbled, shaking his head sharply with a look of annoyance. "Stupid.... Anyway -- the rest, well, you'd need to get that from Kyon," he said, for some reason his eyes going to Haruhi as he added the emphasis there. "Now-- No further information is available here."
"That was odd," Sasaki sighed, as he marched away.
"Yeah," Haruhi agreed. So, he was trying to imply something about Kyon and Sasaki? That was something to think about later -- while everyone else was distracted watching the movie, maybe. "Well-- It seems to be okay, at any rate."
"C...could have been much worse," Kyouko agreed shakily, moving to stand by Koizumi's side. "I should ... be glad he wasn't angrier at me."
Sasaki frowned. "I ... think he has a strange way of showing it, but has actually always liked Kyon," she mused. "And possibly Asahina-san as well-- He only truly became enraged when he thought that Kyon and I had somehow become endangered...."
"This isn't fun," Nonoko complained. "I want to watch Haru-nee's movie!"
"Right, right," Haruhi agreed, realizing she was still holding the girl close to her. "Sorry, Imouto. This way, everyone! We can worry about that later, right?"
"Of course," Koizumi agreed thoughtfully, his gaze lingering on Fujiwara before he turned a corner.
Once they were in motion, Sasaki shook her head, asking, "I'm sorry, where were we.... Ah-- I was asking what anime these costumes are from?"
"Actually, it's a series of games I really like," Haruhi began, giving Sasaki a grin, even more grateful for the distraction.
"I'm not much for computer games myself," Sasaki said apologetically, giving a tiny shake of her head. "What's it about?"
"Well...."
The work to make all the costumes for Haruhi's event had been challenging, but at the same time.... It was the most effective and productive that Mikuru had felt in a long while.
It was tiring, but being able to really contribute, not just dress up like a doll and make tea.... Well, that suited her perfectly. Even better, she got to go on a date with Kyon as a reward?
Sure, he would need to pretend to be 'Shutaro,' but with his disguise ability, that should be trivial -- and she could even appear in public with him! When Tsuruya and Kyon dropped her off at her place, he promised to meet her at her doorstep as soon as he got home to change.
That thought in mind, she quickly changed into what she hoped was a cute outfit. She really had a mind to design and make one for herself, but she'd been so tied up in making the costumes that there simply hadn't been time. She also wouldn't have minded cooking for Kyon, but the idea of not worrying about preparing any dishes was very appealing, too.
Her simple sundress was decorated at the collar with an understated flouncy bow, nothing too extravagant. She hoped she looked alright, but tried her hand at applying a touch of makeup. She'd never really gotten heavily into it, even though Tsuruya had gone over the intricacies of it with her at one point, so applied the faintest touches, hoping that would suffice.
She'd only just finished when there was a knock at the door. She hurried over to answer quickly, expecting Kyon and pausing at the unfamiliar but well-dressed boy she saw there.
"Ah, hello?" she managed curiously, before spotting a very familiar pin. One of Kyon and Tsuruya's allies?
"It's me," he answered with a slightly embarrassed smile, his voice sounding the same to her. "You know," he added with a wink, "Shutaro."
"Ah!" she gasped in realization, comforted that his voice was familiar, even if his face wasn't. Giggling, she ducked her head in a blush. "I-- I've missed you," she said honestly, even though they hadn't been apart long. She had enjoyed cuddling up to him while he was asleep, but getting to spend time with him awake was appealing, too.
Before he could answer, she bolstered her courage and stepped close, wrapping her arms about him and holding him tightly. He hugged her back -- and she was strongly tempted to just let herself slump in his embrace and enjoy the rest of their time together like that.
Except, of course, the point of him being in disguise was to be seen by classmates, so she wouldn't have to worry about being seen as 'free' to date. And since she wasn't, that seemed entirely sensible.
"Ah, Suzumiya-san suggested a place we should go to eat," she said, reluctantly letting go of Kyon.
"Right," he agreed, nodding. "Skynet's got directions, and there's a cab waiting for us downstairs."
"Then, shall we?" she asked shyly.
He nodded, offering her his arm, which she gladly accepted, following him to the waiting vehicle. It was a surprisingly short ride before they were dropped off at what looked like a reasonably popular restaurant. She could recognize a small handful of students from their school standing around -- Kyon's attention was drawn to a boy she vaguely recalled from filming the movie.
She was reasonably sure that the girl with him had been hanging out with Haruhi quite a bit lately. It would be good to be seen by her, right?
As a couple -- oh, how fun that was! -- they asked for a table, and were shortly seated. Everything seemed to be going well, even Ryouko being well behaved while sitting on Kyon's shoulder -- but Mikuru wasn't certain why so many people were looking at her and her date.
"Why is everyone watching us?" she whispered to Kyon once they were in their private booth.
"Not sure," he admitted, a bit nervous himself. "Except that you look really nice-- It could be that!"
She could only blush for a long minute in response. After they placed their orders and were left alone again, she shook her head-- This was more than just a date, or a demonstration for the benefit of others. "How is everything going for you, um, Shutaro-kun?" she prompted softly.
"Mostly alright, all things considered," he answered, giving a weak smile. "I've got one thing I still can't figure out, but everything else could be much worse. My sister's safe, the people I care about aren't hurt, and today was more fun than humiliating -- your costumes were amazing, as always!"
Her face heated up again at the compliment. "Ah, th-thank you," she chuckled, fanning herself with one hand. "Um-- Maybe I can help, though? What's going on?"
He shifted, shaking his head. "We should be having fun," he countered, "not worrying about things."
"But maybe I could help?" she pressed again. "I ... well, if I can in some way, I'd like to do that...."
Biting his lower lip for a moment, he finally sighed, checking to make sure no one was eavesdropping on them. "I'm worried about letting Haruhi down," he relented. "She gave me instructions to figure out how to get everyone to Hinamizawa for my birthday, but I don't have any idea how to do that without my parents figuring out that something's going on. And I'm really worried about using Tsuruya-hime as an excuse and alarming them even more."
He shook his head and stared at the table with a frown, heaving a sigh.
"Sorry," he mumbled. "That's not a fun subject for a time like this, is it?"
Her thoughts were elsewhere, though. She might actually be able to help him, once she thought about it; traveling through space was trivial, once she could move through time. Of course, she couldn't just do that vicariously-- She was subject to the orders of her superiors.
She almost just blurted out a suggestion to have him make the order -- her superiors always seemed to approve of that -- when a thought struck her. She'd had the thought lodged firmly in the back of her mind since Sasaki had mentioned encountering her 'older sister' at one point. It wasn't an absolute, but if any part of her suspicions were correct, then it was entirely possible that....
Well, why should she guess? She could just check-- And while her requests for information were always denied....
Such a request was probably unreasonable, but she tried anyway, shaping the information packet through her augmented reality interface. Could she get permission to transport the entire Brigade -- plus Kyon's sister and Kyouko, and Kuyou as well -- to Hinamizawa for Kyon?
Surprisingly enough, her request was returned almost instantly -- though transport for Kuyou was denied, and temporal coordinates were provided for her.
"Ah," she managed, shaking her head at Kyon's worried, questioning look. Giving him the warmest smile she could muster, she declared, "Ky-- Er, Shutaro-kun shouldn't worry about that! Everything will work out, I just know it!"
He looked troubled and opened his mouth to object, then paused and shrugged. "Alright," he allowed, smiling weakly. "There's no sense worrying about that when there are issues I can handle more easily in front of me already."
She pursed her lips, not sure she was satisfied with that. "Will you trust me if I say that I know things will work out well in the end?" she posed instead, not willing to risk running into her internal self-censoring if she tried to be more specific.
He met her eyes for a long moment, and then nodded -- really nodded. It was subtle, but she could see him shrugging off at least some of the concern he was shouldering. "I do trust you," he answered earnestly, giving her a stronger smile. "So if you say that, then yes-- I really will try not to worry about it."
"Ah, heh," she managed, feeling her face heat up. Oh, she was absolutely going to try her best to distract him once they got back to her place for him to drop her off-- This time, no 'Mikuru-chan' required!
After a date with Mikuru -- and wasn't that something to be happy about having! -- Kyon managed to just barely pry himself from her grip. As much as he wouldn't have minded staying longer, possibly even succumbing to Mikuru's half-hearted attempts to pull him into her apartment....
Well, Tsuruya had asked him to come by after he took care of Mikuru -- for something. He wasn't sure what it was, but he trusted it was important.
Mikuru reluctantly agreed as well, and after one final, dizzying kiss, she let him go. After slipping into cover and ensuring that the men assigned to watch over her were doing their job, Kyon dropped the 'Shutaro' disguise that Ryouko had fashioned from an 'aged up' picture of his cousin. From there, a quick shift into invisibility, and then....
Once Haruhi discovered how much he enjoyed leaping from rooftop to rooftop in the dark of night, he knew he'd never hear the end of it. Even if it was simple and probably more than a bit silly, he loved the chance to emulate his old manga heroes. It also had the convenience of being almost as fast as those old stories had suggested, since he got to move in a more-or-less straight line.
It did mean he got to enjoy it a little more briefly than he'd have liked ... but he'd indulged himself enough for one evening anyway.
Mindful of the Tsuruya estate's security concerns, he landed in the street and dropped his invisibility, striding casually into range of the front gate cameras. Before he could even reach the intercom button, the gate swung open, Shinobu's familiar face giving him a smile and gesturing him in.
"I'm glad that you're here, Kyon-dono," she said quietly, closing the gate and then leading him to the house at a faster pace than her usual. "Haruka-chan and Suzumiya-san seem to be having a bit of a disagreement-- If it's not too much...." She trailed off there as they reached the front door.
He nodded, switching his shoes out for slippers and hurrying down the hall. "I'll see what I can do," he promised, wondering what would have come up between them. Hopefully it wasn't too serious; things had seemed to be settling down a small bit. Well, Haruhi's flash-mob had been pretty exciting, but that was all by plan.
His heart sunk as he reached the doorway to the living room and Shinobu retreated on silent feet, just able to hear Haruhi grumbling, "...hardly fair, Tsuruya."
"I ... I didn't mean it like that," Tsuruya answered weakly. "I'm sorry, Haru-nyan--"
"What did you want to talk about?" Haruhi snapped, still testy.
"What's going on?" Kyon couldn't help but ask as he stepped through the door into the room. The television was off at the moment, and the two girls were sitting on separate couches-- Haruhi had her arms crossed over her chest and was glowering at the blank screen, while Tsuruya had her head bowed, looking away.
When she realized he was there, Haruhi startled, her arms dropping to her side before she looked away as well. "It's nothing," she muttered. "Nothing important-- You have enough to worry about already."
"It's not like I can ignore this," he countered, frowning.
"Um," was all Tsuruya managed in response.
Haruhi heaved a sigh, shaking her head. "No, it's...." She trailed off, then finally slumped back on the couch. "I didn't want to do this, Tsuruya," she grumbled. "With Kyon here, too? I shouldn't be surprised at you, really.
"So-- I'm more than a little unhappy about not getting to spend time with you, alright, Kyon? That's what's wrong-- I'm getting left out while you have to do big important things with her! You're meeting some other boss who's not one of us! And after that, she goes ahead with you even further?!"
Tsuruya winced away silently, while Kyon's mouth dropped open a short distance. "I-- I didn't realize," he said quietly, frowning. And he had been distracted lately, hadn't he? This was no good ... not at all.
He took a breath to steel himself, while Haruhi glared at the floor.
"Um ... Tsuruya-hime, I don't ... know what's going to happen next, so ... I'm sorry about this."
"Oh, and you're apologizing to her now?" Haruhi snapped, shifting her gaze to him.
"I'll make this up to you," Kyon swore, wincing at the thought as he recalled the code phrase. It had last been in this same room, come to think of it -- with Tsuruya watching him.
Still not sure how it would happen, he stepped forward to kneel before Haruhi, which made her flinch back, faintly mollified, but mostly confused. "What are you--" she started, before he interrupted.
"Haruhi," he said as levelly as he could, "I'm sorry-- But I am John Smith."
He really was getting too used to this, he thought, as the world exploded away around them.