I kept thinking, Is Tsuruya-san really a normal person? To be able to get along happily with Haruhi, one must either be extremely queer or literally from out of this world. But it’s also possible that they just struck chords with each other.
After waiting for a few minutes, Tsuruya-san returned. The present she brought along was Asahina-san, and it’s not just a normal Asahina-san, but an Asahina-san who had just taken a bath. She was wearing what was possibly Tsuruya-san’s loose T-shirt. How should I say this? She was “only” wearing the T-shirt.
“Ah… S-Sorry to have kept everyone waiting…”
Asahina-san said, her hair still looked wet while her skin was bright red as she shyly hid behind Tsuruya-san when entering the room, and then squirmed tightly as she sat down. The shirt and the sleeves were just too long for Asahina-san, instead of calling it a T-shirt, a one-piece dress would be a better description. This only served to enhance her charm. The contact lens in her right eye, which she forgot to remove, continued to glow in a silver color, causing me to be alarmed for a while. Though it seems it would no longer be able to fire any beams or rays, so I was relieved. I really wanted to place Nagato, who was still wearing her pointed-hat and kneeling, into a Shinto temple and worship her.
“Help yourselves.”
Tsuruya-san placed a tray on the tatami, which contained some glasses filled with an orange liquid. Asahina-san gulped half of the glass that Tsuruya-san handed to her. She probably lost quite a lot of water, as she had worked the hardest today.
I gratefully enjoyed my fruit juice, whereas Haruhi finished hers in one gulp, and while spinning the ice inside the glass, said,
“Well, since we have the opportunity, let’s do the filming in this room!” Without any rest, filming began at once starting with the following.
Koizumi carried Asahina-san, who pretended to be asleep, into the room. For some reason, even the futon was prepared. Koizumi gently laid Asahina-san down and watched her face intently.
Asahina-san’s face was flushed bright red as her eyelids trembled incessantly. Carefully and slowly Koizumi placed a blanket over a defenseless Asahina-san, then sat by her side crossing his arms.
“Um…” Asahina-san murmured in her sleep, Koizumi began to smile as he watched her the whole time.
Nagato, who probably didn’t need to appear, was sitting behind me and Tsuruya-san and was still sipping her juice with a straw. Through the viewing panel, I slowly enlarged the image of Asahina-san’s sleeping face. As Haruhi didn’t make any directions, I was free to indulge in my own fantasies for now. Though Haruhi constantly gave commands to the two actors out there.
“Mikuru-chan, get up slowly, and slowly recite what I just told you.” “…Um.”
Asahina-san gradually opened her eyes, and looked at Koizumi with eyes that seemed oddly warm.
“You’ve awakened?” Koizumi said.
“Yes… Where am I…?”
“This is my house.”
Struggling to move her upper body, Asahina-san’s face looked conspicuously hot as her gaze wandered around the air. She looked notably seductive; was that part of her acting?
“Th… Thank you…”
Haruhi quickly ordered,
“Yes, that’s it! Put your faces closer to each other! Mikuru-chan, close your eyes. Koizumi-kun, place your hands on Mikuru-chan’s shoulders. It’s fine, just push her down and kiss her!”
Asahina-san had her mouth half-open looking perplexed, while Koizumi followed Haruhi’s instructions and placed his hands on Asahina-san’s shoulders. My patience was already at its limit,
“Hold it! The plot’s way too simplified. Why must we have this scene? What on earth is this?” “A scene where boy meets girl! A romantic scene! This scene is necessary for a movie about time-travel.” Are you an idiot? Do you think this is some prime time two-hour drama shown every week? You too, Koizumi, what are you working so hard for? If this scene ever gets shown, your shoe locker will be filled with hundreds of letters cursing you the next day, use your brain for a bit.
“Hee hee, Mikuru-chan’s acting… funny…”
It’s not funny at all… I had wanted to say, but something was definitely wrong with Asahina-san. She’s been looking so dreamy ever since the filming had begun. Her eyes looked teary, while her cheeks were red, and she didn’t even resist when Koizumi grabbed her by the shoulders. It wasn’t funny at all.
“Umm… Koizumi-kun, my head feels heavy…”
Asahina-san mumbled and trembled at the same time. I began to suspect whether she’d been drugged. I naturally turned my gaze to her empty glass, and found Tsuruya-san giggling and said,
“Sorry about that. I added a bit of Tequila into Mikuru’s juice. I was told that a bit of alcohol enhances the realism in acting.”
So this was Haruhi’s plan all along? I was beyond stunned, and was close to going ballistic. How could you sneak such a thing into her drink?
“Does it really matter? Mikuru-chan looks really sexy right now. This makes things even more exciting.” Haruhi said.
This no longer has anything to do with anyone’s acting. Asahina-san was already shaking to and fro and looking dizzy. Her face was bright red under her closed eyes. Of course it was good that she looked sexy, but I didn’t like the sight of her leaning onto Koizumi like that.
“Koizumi-kun, don’t worry, just go ahead and kiss her. On the lips, of course!” You can’t do that! How could you do this to someone that’s semi-conscious? “KOIZUMI, STOP!”
Koizumi went into deep thought, thinking whether to listen to the director or cameraman. I’m seriously going to beat you up, you bastard! At any rate, I put down the camera, since I refuse to shoot this scene, and I won’t be forced into doing it either.
“Director, this burden is too heavy for me. Besides, Asahina-san seems to have reached her limit.” “…I’m fine.”
Asahina-san said, but she didn’t look fine at all.
“Really, you’re hopeless.”
Haruhi scowled and walked towards the drunken girl,
“Huh? You’re still wearing that contact lens? You should take it off for now!” She smacked the back of Asahina-san’s head hardly.
“O… OUCH!” Asahina-san shook her head and yelled.
“Mikuru-chan, this won’t do! When your head gets smacked, you should let your contact lens fly out at once. Let’s practice again.”
Smack!
“It hurts!”
Smack!
“…KYAA!” Asahina-san shut her eyes tightly.
“STOP IT, YOU IDIOT!” I quickly grabbed Haruhi’s hand and stopped her. “What kind of practice is this? This isn’t a circus! What’s so fun about this?”
“What now? Don’t try to stop me. I planned this long ago!” “Nobody planned this with you! It isn’t funny! This is ridiculous! Asahina-san isn’t your toy!” “Well I’ve decided, Mikuru-chan is my toy!”
After hearing this, I could feel blood charging up to my brain, I even thought my vision was going red. I was infuriated, suddenly my impulse overrode my reasoning, and I made a subconscious reflex reaction.
Someone grabbed my wrist. I noticed Koizumi had closed his eyes and was slowly shaking his head. When I saw Koizumi holding my hand, I realized I had clutched my right fist and was about to strike at Haruhi.
“What the…?”
Haruhi’s eyes flashed brightly like a constellation of stars as she stared coldly at me.
“If you have a problem, then say it! All you need to do is just follow my orders anyway! I’m the commander and director… In any case, I won’t allow you to stand up against me!”
I don’t care if it’s an animal or a person, but anyone who won’t learn deserves to be taught a lesson, even if it means using my fists.
My eyes went red again. You stupid girl! Koizumi, let go of me! I don’t care if it’s an animal or a person, but anyone who won’t learn deserves to be taught a lesson, even if it means using my fists. Otherwise she’ll continue t
o repel people as though she has spikes on her back, hurting everyone for her whole life.
“No… stop!”
Asahina-san quickly ran over, and said, nearly incomprehensibly, “You can’t! You mustn’t fight…”
Standing between me and Haruhi, Asahina-san slumped to the ground with her face all red. She grabbed Haruhi’s knees and said,
“Um… Please get along well with each other… or… we’ll be…” Asahina-san said ambiguously, then slumped wearily to the ground closing her eyes, and then began to snore quietly as she fell asleep.
As I walked down the slope with Koizumi, we came across the pond where we were filming just a little while ago.
As the female lead had fallen unconscious, filming had to be stopped. Koizumi, Nagato and I decided to let Tsuruya-san take care of the sleeping Asahina-san while we would excuse ourselves. For some reason, Haruhi said she wanted to stay behind, and snatched the camera from my hand and turned around quickly. I remained silent as well and quickly carried the large amount of equipment out as Tsuruya-san led us to the door.
“I’m sorry, Kyon-kun,”
Tsuruya-san said apologetically, she then smiled again,
“I got too carried away as well! Don’t worry about Mikuru, I’ll send her home later, or she could stay here for the night.”
Nagato walked away the moment she stepped out of the door, as if she had no comment at all. Nagato’s probably like that all the time, she never has any comment for anything.
We now walked shoulder to shoulder on the way home. After about five minutes of silence, Koizumi finally spoke,
“I’ve always thought you were a calm person.”
I had thought so as well.
“Our world has already started to become erratic. I must ask you to please stop doing things that could cause a Sealed Dimension to appear.”
That’s not up to me to deal with! Isn’t that what your ‘Organization’ has been created for? You guys should be doing something!
“Regarding the incident just now, Suzumiya-san seems to have subconsciously controlled herself, and there has not been any sight of a Sealed Dimension being created. This is just my request, but please make up with her tomorrow.”
What I do is my own business. This isn’t something that can be settled by me agreeing to do what you say.
“What we should consider now is how to deal with the parts of the reality that she has affected.” Koizumi was obviously trying to change the subject. I decided to go along, “There’s no point considering, I really don’t care about what things have become.” “It’s very simple. Every time Suzumiya-san thinks up something, reality changes as well. Hasn’t it always been like that?” Images of blue giants creating havoc in a gray world appeared in my mind.
“When Suzumiya-san gives an opinion on something, we should act upon it. Our mission should be to find out the underlying motivation.”
I also recalled some glowing red spheres. Koizumi walked slowly while saying confidently, “We are basically the sedatives for Suzumiya-san’s mental state, we’re also her mental stabilizers.” “That’s… your business, right?”
“It is yours as well.”
The mysterious ex-transfer student still gave me his never-ending smile, “Our responsibility lies within the Sealed Dimension, while yours lies in the outside world, because you are the only one who can keep Suzumiya-san’s mental state stable and prevent the appearance of Sealed Dimensions. Thanks to you, for the past six months, I have been able to work less. Perhaps I should thank you properly.” “Don’t mention it.”
“Really? That would save me a lot of talking.”
Coming out of the slope and into the main road, Koizumi once again broke his silence, “Ah yes, I’d like you to come with me to a place.”
“What if I don’t want to?”
“It won’t take long. Besides, you don’t have to do anything there. Of course, you won’t be invited into a Sealed Dimension again.”
Koizumi suddenly raised his hand, and a familiar black taxi stopped in front of us.
“Now let us continue,”
Koizumi said as he leaned against the back seat of the taxi, while I looked at the back of the driver’s head.
“Right now it has become a regular routine for us to be involved with Suzumiya-san and you. Along with the other brigade members, it has become customary for us to tackle Suzumiya-san’s out of control behavior by physically countering them.”
“What a bother.”
“Maybe! But I don’t know how long this routine can last, since repeating the same things over and over again is one of the things Suzumiya-san hates most.”
She seems to enjoy herself pretty much right now. Koizumi gave a smile that lacked any sense of urgency and said,
“We need to find a way to contain Suzumiya-san’s out of control behavior within the confines of the movie.” To become a baseball player, one needs to start by swinging a bat and practice running; to become a master Go or Shougi player, one needs to start by memorizing the Go and Shougi rules; to get first place in the term-end exams, one would have a chance if they spent the whole night studying the reference books. In other words, different people may use different methods to succeed, but it all depends on effort. But, just how much effort is needed in order to remove the destructive factors within Haruhi’s brain? If I tried to stop her, she would become upset, and those hateful gray worlds might start reproducing like mad; but if I let her have her way all the time, her fantasies might just come true.
Both methods were very extreme no matter how you look at it, couldn’t she have a more moderate attitude to things? Geez… She wouldn’t be named Suzumiya Haruhi if she did things in moderation.
Outside the car, the scenery became greener as the taxi drove onto a meandering hill road. I understood at once. This was the hill that we passed by while on the bus yesterday.
A while later, the taxi stopped by the empty parking lot, which was mainly used by people visiting the shrine. It was here, yesterday, that Haruhi had committed the atrocity of shooting the shrine priest and the pigeons with her gun. It was that shrine again. Now that’s strange. Today’s Sunday… There should be more people around.
Getting out of the taxi first, Koizumi said,
“Do you still remember what Suzumiya-san said yesterday?” How am I supposed to remember every single piece of nonsense that she’s spouted out? “You’ll remember when we get there, to the inside of the shrine, that is.” Koizumi then added, “It’s been like this since this morning.” We climbed up the stone-paved stairs. We have climbed these stairs before, yesterday. At the end of the stairs would be a torii (Shrine Gateway), and then a stone path leading to the shrine itself. On the path would be lots of pigeons…
“…” I was speechless.
There were indeed pigeons all over the path, birds that pecked at the ground while moving around like a mobile carpet, but I wasn’t sure if these pigeons were the same as the ones from yesterday.
That’s because every pigeon’s feathers had become pure white in color…
“…Did someone dye their feathers?”
…Overnight.
“These white feathers are genuinely grown from their bodies. They were not dyed, and they were not caused by the colors running off either.”
Maybe someone brought a lot of white pigeons and used them to replace the pigeons from yesterday? “How is this possible? Who would do such a thing?”
I was only trying to guess, yet I knew what the answer was, but I really didn’t want to say it.
Yesterday Haruhi had said,
If possible, I’d prefer all the pigeons to be white, but I guess I can’t be picky now.
Seems like she was already being picky!
“Exactly. This is likely created by Suzumiya-san subconsciously. It was fortunate enough that there was a margin of error of just one day before the effects became apparent.”
Maybe they thought we were going to feed them? The swarming pig
eons gathered under our feet. Besides us, there were no other visitors.
“Suzumiya-san’s out of control behavior is slowly seeping out from the making of the movie, into reality.” Wasn’t it enough making Asahina-san fire lasers and beams from her eye? “Why can’t we just shoot Haruhi with a tranquilizer dart and let her sleep till the end of the school festival?” Koizumi responded to my suggestion with an ironic smile, “It’s a possible solution, but are you willing to take responsibility of what happens after she has woken up?” “No thanks.”
That certainly wasn’t included in my job description. Koizumi shrugged his shoulders and said, “So what should we do?”
“Isn’t she a god? You worshippers ought to do something!” Koizumi intentionally gave a surprised look,
“You say Suzumiya-san is a god? Who told you that?”
“You of course!”
“Oh, did I?”
I feel like beating the crap out of this guy.
Koizumi dodged this with his usual response, “Just kidding,” and then said, “In fact, I don’t think there’s a problem classifying Suzumiya-san as ‘God.’ Half of the ‘Organization’ has indeed treated her as a ‘God.’ Of course, there are doubters. Personally, I, myself, am skeptical as well. Because I believe that if she were a god, then it would not be possible for her to live in this world without being self-aware. Generally speaking, a creator should be someone watching over us from someplace afar, making miracles randomly, while calmly observing us panic over them.” I knelt down, picked up a feather dropped by one of the pigeons, and spun it with my finger while remaining kneeling down. The pigeons started to rumble again. Sorry guys, I didn’t bring any breadcrumbs with me today.
“This is what I think,”
Koizumi continued to ramble on,
“Someone granted Suzumiya-san omnipotent god-like powers, yet they did not allow her to become aware of it. If there were a God, then Suzumiya-san would be the person chosen by God. But no matter how you look at it, she’s just a normal person.”
I didn’t have to think a lot on whether that girl’s a normal person or not. But why did Haruhi have such omnipotent power that she’s unaware of? Enough power to turn pigeon feathers white. Why? Who was behind this?
Volume 2 - The Sighs of Suzumiya Haruhi Page 13