Volume 4 - The Disappearance of Suzumiya Haruhi

by Tanigawa Nagaru

  “What’s the cause of it? I knew the future I’m from had changed, but when did it start to change?”

  “For more details you should try asking Nagato-san in this time period. I can only tell you one thing: the change in the time plane where you came from occurred three years from ‘now’, on the morning of December 18th,”

  For me, that would be two days ago. So it’s the time plane that’s changed? In that case…… Once again I tried to recall the two possibilities that Koizumi suggested. Turns out the non-alternate world theory was the correct one.

  “That’s correct. Overnight, the STC files…… I mean, the whole world has changed. Only your memories remained intact. It was a massive time-quake that could be detected even in the distant future,”

  It’s not like I wasn’t interested in what the STC or time-quake were, it’s just that I didn’t have time to delve into these irrelevant things, as I had more pressing questions to ask,

  “Asahina-san, is it because you needed to resolve this huge change in the future that even I got involved in that you were waiting here?”

  “It can’t be done by myself alone,” her face began to darken, “I would need the assistance of Nagato-san. Of course, it can’t be done without Kyon-kun as well,”

  “Who is the culprit? I can only think of Haruhi doing this,”

  “No,”

  Asahina-san retracted her smile and said seriously,

  “It wasn’t Suzumiya-san. The culprit is someone else,”

  “Is it some new unknown person? Like some out-of-world slider that I’ve not met or something like that……”

  “No,”

  Interrupting me, Asahina-san looked worried for some reason as she said,

  “It’s someone you know very well.”

  After looking at her watch, Asahina-san (big) said there’s still time and began to think nostalgically of her memories with the SOS Brigade. For me, all those memories had taken place this year, yet for her it was many years ago. Being dragged by Haruhi into the club room, forced to dress up as a bunny girl, making wishes in Tanabata, encountering a murder mystery on a lone island, wearing yukatas in the O-bon festival, the whole brigade gathering together to work on our summer vacation homework, the various things that happened while shooting the movie on location…… As my memories were slowly being rekindled, Asahina-san’s (big) voice became slower and slower.

  I was looking forward to hearing what my future would be like, and was waiting for her mouth to skip. Yet Asahina-san was extremely cautious about that, and kept the topic limited to the usual chit-chat.

  “It may have been rough, but those memories were great.”

  After making her concluding statement, Asahina-san kept quiet and gazed at me silently.

  I was thinking about what to comment on as something soft yet warm landed on my shoulder. It was Asahina-san’s head. What was the meaning behind this action of hers? The weight of her body leaning against me was worth it’s weight in gold - the fragrance and weight stimulated my nerves and triggered all sorts of wild thoughts in my brain, I just couldn’t think properly at all. What was she trying to convey with that aroma from the cloth of her blouse? Was she trying to feel something from me? Closing her eyes and leaning her face on my shoulder, Asahina-san (big) didn’t say anything, yet I could feel her cherry-red lips moving. She seems to be whispering about something, just what was it?

  Could it be…… I began to drift into fantasy again. Could this Asahina-san fall asleep as well, only to have another Asahina-san appear and tell me something enigmatic as well? And so I remain here forever as I meet numerous Asahina-sans from different time periods…… Damn it, my thoughts were becoming as mixed as the laundry in a washing machine, going around in the same circles. Just what was I thinking!? Can someone please bother telling me!?

  Asahina-san (big) leaned on me for about another minute or so.

  “Hee hee.”

  As if she could read my thoughts, she smiled and said,

  “It’s almost time. Let’s go.”

  She stood up as though nothing had happened, though it was a pity, I had no choice but to return to my senses. She’s right, it’s time to go. Um…… Where’re we going anyway?

  The second destination.

  The time was ten at night on Asahina-san’s watch, that was the time after “I” had completed my role as an accomplice to Haruhi the seventh grader and finished drawing the graffiti on the track field of East Junior High. It was the time when “I” held the hand of a sobbing Asahina-san as we entered Nagato’s apartment. It was at this time when time became frozen for “me”.

  Time to pay Nagato another visit.

  “Before that,”

  Asahina-san gave a heart-thumping and glittering smile and said,

  “Isn’t there something else you need to do first?”

  After walking a short distance from the park, I came to a residential area.

  Following Asahina-san’s directions, I turned into an alley.

  Ahead in the dark path was a tiny figure dashing like the wind. With a tiny pair of arms and legs sticking out from the short-sleeved T-shirt and shorts, she moved further and further away as her hair flowed.

  “Hey!”

  The tiny figure in a T-shirt and shorts slowly turned her head. After making sure she had noticed me, I cupped my mouth with my hands and shouted without holding back,

  “Please take good care of the John Smith who would shake the world!”

  After having a quick look at me, the seventh grader turned around looking pissed for some reason and marched forward.

  She was probably thinking she’ll be able to find me anyway if she went to North High, so she turned without hesitation. Looking at that semi-long dark hair, I quietly added,

  “Please remember it, Haruhi. You have to remember the name John Smith……”

  I prayed with the bottom of my heart to the 12-year-old Haruhi, who would probably continue to be mischievous in East Junior High for some time to come.

  Please don’t forget that I was here.

  I knew the road to the high class apartment like the back of my hand, so I could practically walk there with my eyes closed. Walking just ahead of Asahina-san (big), I lifted my head to look at the building which I had just visited about twenty hours ago. Though we were still outside, Asahina-san (big) had already hidden her nice figure and stood behind me.

  “……Kyon-kun, I have a favor.”

  Seeing as how she was basically begging me, there was no reason for me to turn her down. No matter which time period Asahina-san is from, I’m not weird enough to turn down her request.

  “I’m sorry, but even now I still feel uneasy when I’m with Nagato-san……”

  That reminds me, Asahina-san (small) was like that every time she was in the club room, it was the same the last time she came here. Besides Haruhi, the only other person to keep his composure when in the presence of an alien or time traveler was Koizumi.

  “That’s fine, I understand,”

  I said gently as I entered the number 708 on the keypad next to the entrance, I then pushed the bell button.

  A few seconds later, the intercom gave a knocking sound, indicating someone was listening on the other end.

  Silence was greeted by silence and returned to my ear.

  “Nagato, it’s me.”

  Silence.

  “Sorry about this, I don’t know how to explain it myself. In any case, I’m back from the future. Asahina-san is with me as well, the adult version that is. Oh, that’s Differential Temporal Variant for you.”

  Silence.

  “I need your help. After all, the one who threw me into this time period was you.”

  Silence.

  “Both Asahina-san and I should be in your apartment, right? Sleeping in that time frozen guest room……”

  Beep. The lock to the gate opened.

  “Come in.”

  The voice of Nagato coming through the intercom felt so soothi
ng. It was as calm as usual, without any exclamation or depression, though she sounded as though she was surprised, but maybe that’s just me. There’s nothing Nagato couldn’t do. Even in this situation she’s sure to find a way out, otherwise I’m finished.

  As if walking into a fortress in her high-heeled shoes, Asahina-san grabbed hold of my belt with her finger, looking extremely nervous. After opening its door, the elevator began to take us up vertically once we were inside.

  Finally, we have come before the familiar door of Room 708.

  There was a doorbell, but it wasn’t working yet, so I knocked silently on the door. I could not sense anyone standing behind the door, yet the metallic door still opened.

  “……”

  The bespectacled face looked through the gap towards me, she then moved her gaze over onto Asahina-san (big) before moving it back onto me.

  “……”

  Being expressionless and silent at the same time, she was so devoid of any emotion that I really wanted someone to beg her to say something. This was Nagato indeed, the Nagato Yuki that I first knew. The original Nagato during the beginning of the school term in spring, as well as the one which “I” had asked help from “three years ago.”

  “May we come in?”

  After a thoughtful silence, Nagato nodded her head for about a centimeter or so, then turned towards her apartment. I guess I’ll take that as a “yes.” I said to the beautiful woman standing right behind me looking anxious,

  “Let’s go, Asahina-san,”

  “Er…… You’re right, it’ll be fine,”

  Sounds as though she was saying it for herself.

  By the way, how many times have I visited this place already? According to my biological clock, this would be my fourth time, but chronologically, this was only my second time here. I’ve already been so confused by the order of time that I was impressed that my biological clock didn’t malfunction. Leaping from winter to summer and coming back to three years ago twice, it would have been normal if something wrong had happened to me, yet right now I’m feeling fine. Not to mention my thoughts are the clearest they’ve been since I was born. Maybe I’ve gotten so used to all these surreal experiences that I’ve taken it for granted. If it was someone else, his mind would have short-circuited already.

  When I look at it once again, Nagato’s lifeless apartment was as cold as I had remembered it. It was no different from the “three years ago” which we went to back in May.

  What was reassuring was that this Nagato was still the Nagato I knew. She was still expressionless and emotionless, she wouldn’t panic if something were to happen, the ever reliable alien.

  I took off my shoes and walked through the narrow corridor before coming to the living room. Nagato was there waiting. She stood there all alone, staring silently at me and Asahina-san. Even if she was surprised at our visit, I could not tell it from her face. Maybe she was already getting used to me coming to visit her from the future, though I didn’t want to keep coming back to this day again and again myself.

  “I guess we can skip the introductions,”

  Nagato didn’t sit down, so Asahina-san and I remained standing,

  “This is the adult version of Asahina-san, I believe you’ve met each other before,” Just as I said that, I remembered that that was actually three years later, “Sorry, you will meet each other. Anyway, this here is also Asahina-san, so try not to think too much about it.”

  Nagato looked at Asahina-san (big) with the eyes of an examiner during the national exam paper for mathematics. She then looked around the living room before finally fixing her gaze on the sexy figure behind me once again and said,

  “Understood.”

  She nodded lightly, her hair hardly even flickered.

  As I was following Nagato’s gaze, I noticed that place - the special room adjacent to the living room, separated with a paper door.

  “Can that be opened?”

  Nagato shook her head towards the room that I was pointing at and said,

  “Negative. The entire structural composition of that room has been frozen in time.”

  I felt a sense of both pity and relief at hearing that.

  A warm breath was felt on my neck, it was Asahina-san (big) sighing in relief. She was thinking the same as I was, it seems. If she had seen herself sleeping cozily with me in the same futon/room, what would Asahina-san (big) have thought? I’d really like to ask, but right now it was more important to explain what was going on.

  “Nagato, I’m really sorry for having to keep visiting you so suddenly. Anyway, can you please hear our story?”

  How much had the “me” in the adjacent room told her already? The history of the SOS Brigade up to Tanabata, was it? Then I’ll just have to continue from there and tell her what happened in the second half of the year, from the melancholic spring, where I had to put up with Haruhi’s boredom, to the incessant sighs I made while making her movie. Of course, you were there as well, Nagato. You had always come to the rescue. After all these, the world suddenly changed when I woke up the day before yesterday. I wanted to know why everyone has lost those memories of what happened, which was why I came here with the help of the Emergency Escape Program which Nagato had provided.

  It’s going to take some time if I go into details, so once again I recited the condensed version which I told Haruhi. I skipped the minor details and only mentioned the important context of the story. For this girl, that was more than enough.

  “……And that’s how it was. So here I am once again, thanks to you.”

  As evidence was more important than a mere testimony, I took out the crumpled up bookmark from the pocket of my jacket. Like handing a spell-charm to a phantom, I handed the bookmark over to Nagato.

  “……”

  Nagato took the bookmark with her finger tips. She looked past the flowery patterns on the bookmark and studied the text that was printed on the back like an archaeologist who had just dug out an LCD television from a Cretaceous-era bedrock. It seems as though she was going to take forever to study those words, so I interrupted her examination,

  “What should I do now?”

  “I, I wish to restore this temporal anomaly,”

  Asahina-san’s (big) voice sounded so nervous as though she was about to confess her love to the man of her dreams. Whenever she’s with Nagato, Asahina-san still remained as jittery as usual after all these years. That’s what I thought, anyway.

  “Nagato-san…… Can you please assist us? You’re the only person who could restore the altered time plane to its original state. I beg you……”

  Asahina-san (big) put her palms together and closed her eyes as though worshiping a deity. Oh Great Goddess Nagato, I too am praying for you to show mercy upon us. Please let me return to the club room where I could see Asahina-san and enjoy the tea that she brews, play board games with Koizumi, see you sitting like a statue and reading, while Haruhi would always barge into the room. That’s all I wish for.

  “……”

  Nagato lifted her gaze from the bookmark, and looked straight into the skies. I could understand why Asahina-san would look so nervous, since there was no chance of winning if she’s from a different faction than Nagato. I mean who in this world could fight even with Nagato? Only Haruhi perhaps?

  The perfect acoustics of this high-class apartment meant that there was no echo made. It was so quiet that it seemed as though time had stopped. Nagato and I exchanged gazes, and I saw her nod a few millimeters.

  “Let me confirm.”

  Nagato said. As I was about to ask what she was going to confirm, she closed her eyes.

  “……”

  Very soon she reopened her eyes and looked at me with her obsidian black eyes,

  “Unable to synchronize.”

  She said quickly, and then stared at me. Her expression has changed a bit, and this time it wasn’t me imagining things. This was the expression she had between spring and summer, even Koizumi has noticed this change
. Ever since she met us, Nagato’s expression has gradually changed, though it wasn’t the Nagato by winter time.

  Her pale red lips moved again,

  “I am unable to gain access to my temporal variant of that time period, because she has set up a protective barrier which selectively blocks my attempts to access.”

  Though I didn’t understand what that meant, I felt uncomfortable with it. Does that mean there’s nothing you can do?

  Nagato disregarded my fears and continued,

  “However, I have an idea of the whole situation. It is possible to undergo restoration.”

  Nagato softly caressed the words on the bookmark. After that, she began to explain with a voice that begins to accumulate words like a snowball,

  “The temporal converter has made full use of Suzumiya Haruhi’s ability to create data and altered part of the world’s data.”

  Her familiar calm voice sounded as serene as a music box I had heard when I was a baby and had soothed my heart.

  “Therefore, the altered Suzumiya Haruhi does not possess the power to create data. In that dimension, the Integrated Data Sentient Entity is non-existent as well.”

  I couldn’t quite understand, but it sure sounds very serious. Turns out besides myself, everyone, including Haruhi, has been given a new set of memories; a girls school became a co-ed, part of the students in North High were moved over to that other school, while all their memories have been secretly altered; the agent from the ‘Organization’, Nagato the alien, and Asahina-san the time traveler now all lived different lives; not to mention Asakura has returned while everyone in North High has no memory of Haruhi at all. Now it seems even Nagato’s boss has been erased.

  What a mess.

  “Using the powers stolen from Suzumiya Haruhi, the temporal converter was able to alter data concerning past memories in the range of 365 days.”

  In other words, everyone’s memories from last December - from the time where I came from, that is - to December 17th this year has been altered completely. Yet for memories concerning Tanabata three years ago - which is now - there was nothing the culprit could do about that. It was thanks to Haruhi being able to remember about what happened in Tanabata that I was able to come here. Just who’s the dummy out there doing the same idiotic stuff that Haruhi would do?