The fact that I was mumbling about such stuff meant that my brain was beginning to function properly again. Instead of freezing in the winter waiting for spring to arrive, I’d rather be complaining about how hot summer was while waving a fan. Besides, I’ve had too many memories of my first summer in high school, though they were all physically and mentally exhausting, yet once I got them over with, they weren’t so bad at all. At least I got to see Asahina-san in a swimsuit. I don’t think we’ve had any SOS Brigade style activities in winter so far.
My mind was occupied with the taste of the hot pot I was missing as I walked down the slope. After fifteen minutes, I finally saw an illuminated sign. It was a convenience store which I occasionally go to so I can grab a bite on my way home. At least I knew another thing, the current time was before the store closes for the day.
I couldn’t wait for the automatic doors to open, and looked around the wall once I got inside. It took some time for me to get used to the coolness of the air conditioning. During this time, I looked heartily at the analogue clock hanging on the wall.
Eight thirty.
As the sun had already set, it should be eight thirty at night.
What about the date? What year was it? There were all kinds of newspapers on the rack. Any one would do. I randomly picked up a sports daily in the front and browsed very quickly at the contents. It doesn’t matter what was being written; even if it were the wildest imaginations cooked up by some third-rate tabloid, they wouldn’t go so far as to fake the date at the top of the page, as well, would they?
My gaze stopped on a certain spot, and I saw it.
A set of numbers, which some people would consider lucky, entered my vision.
What year was it? As though I was trying to swallow the paper, I carefully confirmed the year that was printed on top. The store assistant took a quick glance at me looking annoyed, but I couldn’t care less about that now.
I stared at the four digit number again and again. If I subtracted the year I had arrived from—where I was still having a cold December—from the year on this sports daily… Even a kid would know the answer to such a simple math question.
“So that’s how it is, Nagato…”
I lifted my head from the newspaper and sighed deeply as I looked at the ceiling.
The joyously romantic Tanabata festival.
Today was the 7th of July of three years ago.
Tanabata, three years ago… Just what happened on this day?
The Tanabata of “this year” was like a rhapsody; after writing our wishes and hanging them out on a bamboo stick, I had accepted Asahina-san’s invitation and traveled back in time to this day. Afterwards, I met the adult version of Asahina-san, who urged me to go to East Junior High that night. And so, I came across a seventh-grade Haruhi about to climb over the fence and was dragged along to help her write a message to outer space on the school’s track field with white chalk.
Thereafter, I brought Asahina-san (small), who lost her time-traveling device called a TPDD, to Nagato’s high-class apartment, and there the two of us slept for three years, allowing us to return to where we came from…
“That means…”
This was easier than a simple math problem. All I needed to do was trace back what I had done that day. That’s it, I’ve finally got the gist of it, the essential step needed to restore the twisted world back to order.
It has to be like that, right?
My legs were trembling hard, not from fear but rather the thrilling sensation from realizing that something very important needs to be done.
Three years ago. Tanabata. East Junior High. The mysterious signs. John Smith.
As all the seemingly unrelated pieces begin to add up, I finally came to a conclusion. It was a simple yet clear conclusion, I spoke the same line once again,
“That means…”
“They” are “here”.
The seductively charming Asahina-san (big) and the Nagato Yuki in standby mode.
The two helpful people who could assist me were right here in this time period.
I threw down the newspaper and bolted out of the convenience store, thinking as I ran along.
I remember that the first time when I came to three years ago, which was right now, Asahina-san had woken me up on a bench in the park near Kouyouen Station and told me “It’s about nine at night.” If I were to run for about half an hour, I should be able to reach there in time. The only problem was whether the culprit had also made changes to this time period. If there were changes, then I would not find my other self there. In any case, I’ve got to make contact with Asahina-san (big) or Nagato in her luxury apartment, or I could meet both. That means there were two places I should go, the question was where to go first.
Nagato would be in her apartment all the time, so I could see her anytime, but I would only find Asahina-san (big) in that specific time and place.
Dressed as a teacher, this adult Asahina-san was the one who had given me a hint concerning Snow White and quickly left, hailing from an even farther future than the Asahina-san I knew. The image of her pinching her younger self’s face and smiling cheerfully was still fresh in my memory.
That Asahina-san must know who I am, there should be no doubt about that.
Though the park wasn’t far from the station, there were hardly any people there. Maybe it’s because it’s very late now; this is an ideal time for all types of suspicious characters to come out. Is this the holy land for freaks I wonder… I was thinking the same thing when I first came here during the last Tanabata visit.
I didn’t feel like making a grand entrance, so I had to walk alongside the brick wall of the park in the dark. Though it’s called a wall, it was only as tall as my waist, while on top of it was a large wire fence, and surrounding it were all sorts of bushes. It was extremely easy to hide without being seen by anyone inside the park in the daytime, let alone at night, though I’ll need to be careful of any pedestrians outside giving me weird gazes behind my back.
I recalled the position of the bench where I had woken up that time and slowly moved along the wall to find an ideal hiding spot.
It was nearly nine at night.
I guess what I’m doing can be called voyeurism. After sticking my neck out from within the bushes, I finally saw what I wanted to see.
“…That’s the one.”
It feels like watching myself starring in a movie. It also feels like watching myself from a third-person’s perspective in a dreamscape.
“But how am I gonna explain this…”
The bench appeared under the illumination of the lamps, as though being showered by the bright light. Though it was a bit far, I couldn’t be mistaken, the two people on top were both wearing North High uniforms. It was as I remembered.
My past self and Asahina-san were sitting right there.
That other “me” was lying horizontally, resting his head on Asahina-san’s lap while sleeping. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t dreaming of anything worth drooling over. If a person couldn’t get sweet dreams using the world’s most precious pillow, then there’s no way he could ever sleep in peace.
Being used as a pillow, Asahina-san would occasionally take a look at me sleeping on her lap, or blow softly into my ear, or toy around with it. Man, I was feeling jealous already… No, wait, why was I feeling jealous over myself, anyway?
For a moment, I really felt like shoving off that other “me” and taking his place, but in the end I decided to suppress that impulse. The “me” in this time did not see my other self then. If I rushed out now, things would just get complicated… right? The space-time continuum was already messed up as it is; the last thing I want is to mess it up further myself.
Withholding my body’s irrational impulsiveness, I continued my role as a Peeping Tom. The more I thought about it, the more pleased I was with myself for managing to keep my composure at such an odd time.
It was under such thoughts that I continued my observation. A
sahina-san moved her cherry-red lips and said something; sleeping on her lap, “I” moved slightly and then slowly woke up. I couldn’t hear anything from where I was hiding, but I remembered clearly that Asahina-san said, “Oh, you’ve awakened?”
After conversing for a while with Asahina-san, she then felt tired and rested her head on “my” shoulder…
The bush behind the bench ruffled, and that person appeared.
Wearing a white long-sleeved blouse and a blue mini-skirt, there’s no way I could ever forget that teacher’s outfit.
Just before the end of May, she wrote me a note asking to meet me, and then gave me the hint about Snow White. She even told me about her star-shaped birthmark, as well. And then on this day, that is on Tanabata, she made Asahina-san (small) fall asleep, then guided me to where Haruhi was before disappearing…
The adult version of Asahina-san.
Her height and body had both grown for a couple of years, coming from an even farther future than Asahina-san the time traveler, this was none other than Asahina-san (big).
It was just like that time.
It’s true, I was there myself on Tanabata three years ago, yet what was happening was exactly the same as I had remembered.
After speaking to “me” for a while, Asahina-san (big) knelt down to pinch Asahina-san’s (small) face and caressed her body, she then stood up to say something to “me” again.
It was her mission to bring you here, yet from here onwards, it would be my mission to guide you.
Um… Just what is…
I think that’s what was being said.
After explaining everything to a wide-jawed “me”, Asahina-san (big) then walked away and disappeared from the illumination of the street lamp. It was now that I noticed that she was heading towards the exit that was opposite to the one leading to East Junior High.
“I” remained awestruck, staring at the sleeping Asahina-san (small) and thinking about something. I wanted to recall what it was that “I” had been thinking of, but I abandoned trying to walk down Memory Lane after a few seconds, as I didn’t want to lose track of Asahina-san (big).
I dashed out from the bushes where I was hiding and walked quickly along the edge of the park. There was no longer any need to hide my presence, as when I was “me”, “I” did not notice me. At that time, “my” attention was not fixed on me who came from another time period, neither did “I” realize there was another me in this time period. This made sense, as the “me” in the past could never have realized how messed up the time-space continuum in my time period would become. There was no time to pay any more attention to “me”, who was too busy carrying Asahina-san on his back to be worried about other things. I decided to walk away.
After passing the next corner I saw her at about a hundred meters away. She was walking with her back towards me. The tapping sounds made by her high-heeled shoes sounded melodic. She didn’t seem to be in a hurry—suits me as I was in a hurry to see her. If I lose her now, then I really won’t know why I went through all the trouble to come here.
Walking a bit faster, I shortened my distance to her. Under the dim lights at night, her long limbs and flowing hair seemed to glimmer in the light. Though I could only see her back, I was sure it was her.
It didn’t take me long to catch up and call out to her,
“Asahina-san!”
She stopped. The soft sound of her high-heeled shoes tapping on the ground ended. The soft brown hair on her back wavered. As if in slow motion, she gradually turned around.
I wondered what she was going to say.
Huh? Didn’t we just say goodbye a while ago?
Did you follow me all the way here? You couldn’t have.
Hey, where’s my other self?
In the end, it was none of the above.
“Good evening, Kyon-kun.”
With a beautiful face that was just as I had remembered, she greeted me with a beaming smile.
With a beautiful face that was just as I had remembered, she greeted me with a beaming smile.
“It’s been a while. For ‘you’, that is.”
The adult Asahina-san winked after saying that. It was indeed the smile that I last saw five months ago.
With the expression of a relieved child, Asahina-san (big) said,
“Thank goodness, we get to meet here again. Actually I was a bit worried whether I had made any mistakes,”
“I’m still pretty clumsy,” Asahina-san said and then cutely stuck out her tongue. It was such a charming move that was enough to soften the bones inside one’s body. But if I were to melt into a pile of dirt right now, then I’ll lose everything.
This Asahina-san knew what I was about to do next.
Trying my best to control my tongue, which seemed to have a mind of its own, I spoke,
“Asahina-san, so you knew I’d come here…… You knew I’d return to this time, and in this place, right?”
“Yes,” Asahina-san nodded her head, “Because this is a predetermined fact,”
“On that day of Tanabata, the little Asahina-san would bring me to the Tanabata three years ago…… Which is today. You must be the one who had arranged for her to bring me here, right?”
“Yes, that is a prerequisite. Otherwise, you would not be here now,”
If I hadn’t gone to East Junior High and drawn those graffiti, I wouldn’t have told the seventh-grade Haruhi now that my name was “John Smith”. Of course, that would mean that the Haruhi studying in her first year in Kouyouen School would never have heard of that name. In other words, I would not have found the link. Because besides that name, there would be no link whatsoever with me and that Haruhi who I was just with a few hours ago. As a result, the five of us would not be gathered in the club room, and the Escape Program would not be activated.
At this time, a question arose in my head. That other John Smith…… Could it be!?
“That would be you, Kyon-kun. The current you,”
Asahina-san (big) gave me a smile as pretty as a white rose,
“It’s a bit tiring talking while standing up, let’s find somewhere to sit down. We still have time,”
The power in her smile and words was enough to dispel all the anxiety and confusion within me.
If Asahina-san (big) was here, that means the future still exists. Not the chaotic future after December 18th, but the future where I and the Haruhi and Asahina-san I knew came from.
There’s got to be a way.
I’ve obtained a sense of confidence that made me feel relieved. As if to further boost that confidence, she continued,
“From now on, guiding you will be my mission. But after that, you’re on your own. I will only follow your lead then,”
She then gave me a wink that was enough to cause my knees to go soft.
We returned to the park and sat on the bench where Asahina-san (small) and “I” were sitting a while ago. Before sitting down, Asahina-san (big) looked as though she were touching an ancestral relic as she softly caressed the bench. I gradually sat down looking serious as well. The bench was still warm, it was the body warmth of myself and Asahina-san who five months ago had traveled back three years ago in time.
I asked quickly,
“Did something happen to the flow of time? I knew that the time period where I came from is linked to this Tanabata. If that wasn’t the case, I wouldn’t have arrived here. Then, Asahina-san…… Does that mean there’s no connection between the future you’re from and the altered future I came from?”
“I can’t tell you the details,”
I thought so, must be one of those classified information, huh?
“No,”
Asahina-san (big) shook her head,
“I cannot explain it in a way you would comprehend. Our STC Theory is built on specific concepts. It’s too difficult to convey it in speech for you to understand. Do you still remember the time when I first told you my true identity?”
I sure do, sitting by the river bank w
ith the cherry blossom petals falling, I heard Asahina-san, who I always thought to be just a cute upperclassman, reveal the shocking truth about her being a time traveler.
“At that time, didn’t I say something that you could hardly understand? That’s the point. If I had explained, I would just make you even more confused,”
Asahina-san (big) softly hit the side of her head as though knocking on it while winking at the same time. Every little thing she does is just so sexy.
“This is a concept that cannot be explained in speech, it can only be conveyed in ways other than that. Do you understand?”
Nope. As though trying to teach a kindergarten kid calculus, Asahina continued to explain to me, who was already feeling dizzy,
“Um, but, soon you will understand. You will. That’s all I can tell you now,”
Soon you will understand. Where have I heard of that before? That’s it, it was Nagato. Nagato had told me the same thing before…… No, hang on.
A flash of inspiration was triggered by the synapses in my brain as I gave the following reaction,
“Before summer vacation…… The one Nagato mentioned in the giant cave cricket incident…… About how computers in the future aren’t like what they are now, could it be……”
“Wow, that’s impressive. You still remember that? You’re right, the equivalent to computers or the so-called Internet in this time period, um…… It does not exist in a material sense in our time period, but rather it exists in a shapeless sense within our brains. The TPDD is also the same,”
The object that wasn’t supposed to disappear but has gone missing.
“Is that a time-traveling device?”
“It’s a Time Plane Destruction Device,”
Isn’t that supposed to be classified information!?
“Well, it was classified for me back then. But for me, the rules have been relaxed a lot. The fact that I could come here means I’ve been working very hard,”
Asahina-san proudly puffed up her chest, the buttons on her blouse were close to popping out. A physically impossible body proportion was revealed before my eyes, normally I would be dazed by such a sight, but sadly, I wasn’t in the mood to satiate the appetite of my eyes with such scenery. I continued to ask,
Volume 4 - The Disappearance of Suzumiya Haruhi Page 11