Asahina-san jumped. Tsuruya-san's bright eyes narrowed. Have we been found out?
“Meh, whatever. There's a reason, right? A reason why Mikuru can't go back to her own house.”
The conversation was progressing really fast. It was a great help.
“How long does she need to stay for?”
“Eight days max,” I said.
Not counting today, eight days later Asahina-san will revert to her old self.
“Can she?”
“En, it's not a problem. Ah, yes. You can live in the separate quarters. Everything that was in the quarters at that villa is there as well. No one is currently residing there, but sometimes I go there to ponder a question alone. It's a good, quiet place.”
I gazed around at the Tsuruya residence surrounded by trees. It was wide enough to feel like there was nothing it didn't have. I even heard that there was an antique warehouse around here too.
I am surprised by, admire, and envy them. Tsuruya-san's mouth became a beautiful semi-circle while she stared at Asahina-san.
“But, Mikuru, what's wrong? So weird—— You don't need to be so alarmed.”
Tsuruya-san poked Asahina-san's lowered chin.
“She doesn't seem like Mikuru at all.”
Before the motionless Asahina-san could say something and incriminate herself, I interrupted.
“That person is Asahina-san's twin, Asahina Michiru.”
“That person is Asahina-san's twin, Asahina Michiru.”
“Twin? Sister? Michiru-chan?”
“Uh… yeah. They became separated after birth…”
“Eh——?”
“Um, every family has a problem. Asahina-san… I mean Mikuru doesn't know she has a sister.”
“Ha——. But why is Michiru-chan wearing a North High uniform?”
“Ah.”
Shit. I didn't think of that.
“How should I explain this… Ah, that's right. This Michiru-chan, she wanted to see her sister, so she got a North High uniform from somewhere. But, she didn't succeed and started to leave. Then I bumped into her and listened to her story. U——m, then…”
She patted my shoulder.
“That's good.”
Seeming extremely happy, Tsuruya-san said,
“If you were to start explaining, both the explainer and the listener would become tired. If she is Mikuru-chan's sister, they would definitely look alike. Do you only need to let her live here?”
“And you can't tell Asahina-san about her.”
“Obviously. I got it.”
“Um…”
As if not wanting to be ignored, Asahina-san piped up.
“Can I really stay? Tsu, Tsuruya-san.”
“En. Of course you can. Come, Michiru, this way, this way, I'll take you to the place.”
Tsuruya-san pulled on Asahina-san's hand, yanking her towards the Japanese garden. Before that, she shot me a gaze, and I couldn't help but feel like I was shot.
The separate quarters look almost exactly the same as those at the villa up in that mountain. According to Tsuruya-san, those were built using this for reference. Which means this is the original, kind of like a relative with the same last name. It's an extremely comfortable place.
Sitting on the Tatami Mats in this simple hut, Asahina-san resembled a marionette.
It's a good thing Tsuruya-san turned on the heater and the room was heating up, because I wouldn't have wanted to move otherwise.
Tsuruya-san explained the closets and drawers in the room and where the bedding was, and then with a, “I'll bring some hot tea,” she started to walk towards the main house.
“It's finally calm now,” I said.
“Yes, she's a very big help. We have to thank Tsuruya-san someday.”
Here the Asahina-san changed into Asahina Michiru approved,
“Michiru. That's not a bad name.”
She finally smiled.
On the Tatami mats, I stretched out my legs and looked at the antique lights. And then thought about Asahina-san's name.
Until Tsuruya-san returned laden down with teacups, a kettle, and a basket of clothes.
Tsuruya-san invited me to stay for dinner, but eating out two days in a row was sure to make my mother angry, so I expressed my disappointment and said I would have to leave. Perhaps it was because I had found a place for Asahina-san to stay, but I seemed to have lost my energy. If it kept going like this, I would end up sleeping out too.
I left Asahina-san in the solitary quarters and walked out. Tsuruya-san followed, pretending to be seeing me off. This was what she said.
“Michiru, she resembles Mikuru but she isn't Mikuru. In other words, there's a feeling that she is Mikuru, but also a feeling she isn't, you know? Oh, yeah. She's different from the one I met at school, right?”
I already said they were twins, Senpai.
“Ahaha~. Yes. That's how it is.”
Walking about a step and a half ahead of me, Tsuruya-san led me towards the main gate.
Looking at that swaying bun of hair, I knew I had to ask.
“Tsuruya-san.”
“What's the matter?”
“What do you actually know? Asahina-san and Nagato————The people of the SOS Brigade aren't normal, you said before.”
“Mhm.”
The long hair jumped. She turned her head. Her smiling face was bright even for a star.
“Kyon-kun, I actually don't understand very much, but I'm sure they're different. At least, different from me and you. They're not the 'normal' friends.”
Knowing that is good enough. Tsuruya-san will not ask for unnecessary details, and she definitely won't go looking for what Asahina-san truly is.
“Why?”
Tsuruya-san retracted her hands into the sleeves of her shirt and started to laugh.
“Me, I will become very happy just watching someone being very happy. I like people who eat meals they cooked themselves with very big mouthfuls. I don't care if it's someone I've never seen before. Un, so when I see Haru-nyan I feel very lucky. Even though I don't know why she's like that, but she's always especially happy!”
Do you want to join them or something? Aren't you lonely just watching from the side?
“U——n, me, I feel that many movies I see have a deep meaning, but I don't ever want to film my own movie. Seeing's enough for me. Whether it's the World Baseball Championship or the Pro Bowlers Association World Championship, I always warmly cheer them on. But I never think, 'Uwah~ I want to play that too!' and join them. Just watching those people do their best makes me have a good mood already. Anyway, that doesn't interest me! So, I should just do what I can do!”
No matter what I say, this is the exact opposite of Haruhi. If there's something interesting happening, she'll join in every time, since she has to try it herself no matter what.
Tsuruya-san continuously rotated her eyes.
“Like that, when I see Mikuru and Haru-nyan and Yuki-ni and Koizumi-kun and Kyon-kun, I think it's lots of fun. I like the appearance that everybody's busy! Apart from that, I also like the me standing off to the side watching you!”
An impossible to replicate smile and sound. She was speaking her heart. Just standing by her side, I felt happier.
"So I like where I am right now. I think Haru-nyan knows as well, so she hasn't tried to drag me in. There's five people, it must be crowded already.
Tsuruya-san jumped again. She turned back to face the front door, towing her long hair behind.
“It's impossible to find out every secret for every thing on this planet. I'm busy enough with my own devices as it is.”
She turned her head around and said something I'll never forget.
“Kyon-kun, you have to work hard. The future of mankind rests on you!”
Said Tsuruya-san. The corners of her mouth slightly moved, and she stared at me for a while. Then, as if she couldn't hold it in any longer, she started to laugh. From that benevolent, child-like laughter, I got the feeling th
is cheerful Senpai's words were just a joke.
Tsuruya-san continued to laugh until her belly hurt. Then, she wiped the side of her eyes and said,
“Well, Mikuru will always follow you! But, don't be mischievous. That's the one thing that's not allowed. If you wish to be mischievous, do it to Haru-nyan. Just my intuition. Mhm, I'm sure she'll always forgive you!”
This should be the only serious part of her speech. Don't know why, but I just had a thought like that. I didn't actually plan on doing anything.
After saying good night to Tsuruya-san, I rode away on my bike. But after a while, I had to stop.
”Good evening."
Because a person walked out of the shadows. And blocked my path.
“You worked hard. I don't quite approve of involving Tsuruya-san. But for safety, there's not a place safer than that.”
It's been two days since I saw this impeccable, smiling face. It was Koizumi Itsuki's honest, handsome, smiling face.
“Yo, what a random encounter.”
“You could say that. I guess. Random encounters have happened since you and I first met. No, you met Suzumiya-san first.”
As if greeting me, Koizumi raised his hand. Were you hiding there waiting for me in the dead of the night? If anyone mistook you for a mental pervert, they would report you to the police. It's not like you can deny it.
Fu~, Koizumi softly laughed.
“You look like you're doing something important. Not involving me again?”
I sighed. The air I exhaled turned white.
“This is Asahina-san's and my problem. It has nothing to do with you. Can't you just go play with your and be happy with that?”
“Those haven't appeared in a long time. I like to take walks like this from time to time too.”
You're not very creative, taking a walk in the middle of a cold night without a dog. Even though I said this, you appearing here isn't a random thing, is it?
“If it was by chance, that's too much of a coincidence, isn't it?”
“What do you want?”
After I asked this, the topic changed completely.
“Iya, if I said it now, you would probably understand everything. What do you know as of right now?”
“Does it have anything to do with the two Asahina-sans?”
After Koizumi pointed out the important points,
“And then, how did you explain it to Tsuruya-san? Said they were twins? Is it possible she believed it?”
“I think both worked.”
“I suppose. It's because the other person's Tsuruya-san.”
He said it very naturally. Who the devil is Tsuruya-san? That cheery Senpai seems like she knows everything, yet keeps a subtle distance between us and her.
“My superiors told me not to harm Tsuruya-san.”
Koizumi then seriously said,
“She actually has nothing to do with this. Originally she wasn't supposed to come into contact with us, but something went wrong somewhere, and we met each other. You could say, 'good job, Suzumiya-san'.”
Where did it start to go wrong? When Tsuruya-san ended up in Asahina-san's class? Or when we got her to play baseball with us?
“We do not inhibit her, and vice versa, she does not interfere with what we do. That's the deal the Tsuruya family and the 'Organization' have going on right now.”
Don't just calmly say something so surprising.
Kuku, Koizumi went,
“Just so you know, the Tsuruya family is one of the 'Organization's many supporters. But they don't care at all about what we do, and they don't mind us whatever we do. It's easy to be relaxed like this. But Tsuruya-san is probably the successor to the Tsuruya house.”
Tsuruya-san, you… I think we even kindly said she wasn't of importance sometime back then too. I want to know from the bottom of my heart. Who is she?
“An ordinary senior high student. She goes to the same public school as us, and she is a second-year living in a big house. Perhaps she's battling evil in a place we don't know about, and maybe she solved something extremely important, but this has nothing to do with us.”
I still remember what Tsuruya-san said to me clear as day. She said she was very happy not being closely connected to us. We should be like that too, and treat her as if nothing's different. Who she is, what she's here to do, that's not important at all. Just like how Haruhi's just Haruhi, Tsuruya-san's just Tsuruya-san. She's just the energetic, vigorous friend of Asahina-san. An honorary member of the SOS Brigade. This should be the best explanation.
But for her and Asahina-san to be friends, how much of it wasn't chance? Is there even a past the time travelers don't know? Haruhi obviously doesn't understand…
As I thought this, I suddenly remembered.
“Koizumi, last time, you said Asahina-san would be fine no matter what. What's with that?”
“Because the future can be changed too.”
He looked like he was expecting me to ask.
“Maybe you think that time travelers can meddle freely in affairs in the past, and firmly believe that the future is superior to the past. In reality, the future is a very fuzzy subject.”
So if you understand the foundation of the past and reverse time, you could change everything at will. In fact, that's what I did. I fixed that alternate world with the strange Nagato.
Koizumi slightly smiled.
“Changing and fixing things from the past works. If you know the future first, then you should theoretically change the future from that time.”
“How are you going to know the future. That's impossible.”
“Do you really think that?”
Koizumi's smile looks a little evil. He probably wants it like that. This guy has the weirdest hobbies.
“I am an esper, even though my abilities change depending on where I am. But, can you be sure there are no others? Why are you so quick to say that no one can possibly have powers that aren't only used to keep the in check, powers that are more easily seen? For example, what if there was a fortune-teller, and that person wasn't part of our 'Organization'?”
He reverted to his usual smile.
“I don't remember telling you that those kind of people don't exist.”
You…!
“Of course, I never said they did, either.”
So do they exist or not? And don't tell me that both are possible.
“To tell you the truth, I don't know. Didn't I tell you, I'm one of the lowest ranked people. I can't know everything. Like Asahina-san.”
This I accept. There's not a more unfortunate agent than Asahina-san.
“There’s a reason for not letting her know, of course. If a time traveler were to know their purpose in the past, they would inevitably analyze that purpose, and carefully plan their next actions, fearing to jeopardize their own future. This is why although Asahina-san is a time traveler, she doesn’t know anything about her true purpose here. She has been intentionally kept in the dark. This is the future’s countermeasure to ensure that the past, be it their own past selves or others native to that time plane like you and me, does not analyze their reasons and act unaccordingly, putting the future at risk. So all we know about Asahina-san is that she is required to remain in this time plane. If we were to successfully discover why she is here, it would be a very grave situation for the future. Therefore, the future takes great care to ensure that the only thing we can conclude is that she’s a beautiful representative from the future. I do not feel threatened by her now, but in a crisis, I believe that she will act based on her orders from the future.”
Koizumi smiled and shrugged his shoulders.
“Maybe that's the point of her being here, to make us think that's the point. So the 'Organization' doesn't do anything hastily. If we do act, and it turns out to be what the future wants, we will be extremely annoyed. Letting her be the future's puppet just isn't good.”
Wait, so does that mean you and Asahina-san are opponents?
“Can't really say we'
re hostile. In a nutshell, it's just a steady condition.”
My body froze up. Literally.
“I'll make a comparison. Here are two countries, A and B. Both are a thorn in the other's side, but they've never directly fought before. Now, before A appears nemesis C and before B appears nemesis D. For A, they cannot co-exist with C, and are bitter enemies. Same with B versus D. Finally, C and D create an alliance and work together. If there were only one enemy they could take them, but their army would have no influence against two countries. So, the proverb 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' proves to be true. A and B are like rivals that find themselves back-to-back and reluctantly fight together against a common enemy. That's kind of like this, is it not?”
Koizumi looked at me suspiciously.
“Are you listening?”
“Ah, sorry.”
I sat on my bike seat.
“I lost track when you got to something about D. I remember a bit about what you said at first, but nothing after D, since there's just way too much.”
“You should've heard me. Whether or not you processed it is up to your brain and how you want to think about it.”
Don't reply so seriously. I'm all confused now. I recommend trying stand-up or something someday. If you don't have a sense of humor, no girls will like you even if you do look handsome.
Koizumi smiled again. I wonder how many different faces you have.
“I will change my expression because of the time, the circumstance and the other person. But if the other person is you, all talks turn into this type of talk.”
You're a headache-inducing person.
“I think so too, but I'll stay like this for the time being.”
For some reason, Koizumi looked off into the distance.
“Someday, I'll be able to be your friend normally, and we will look back on past events as a joke together. I hope such a day comes. A day where missions and duties are irrelevant, but normal things apply.”
You would be satisfied with that?
“Well, I'll see you later in the clubroom.”
As if saluting, he raised his hand and turned around. Then he disappeared into the curtain of night like he was walking around aimlessly after a stroll.
After I returned home, I hurriedly ate a bit and slipped into my room.
Volume 7 - The Intrigues of Suzumiya Haruhi Page 10