Epilogue
By the time the school’s festival started, we weren’t that busy any more.
Actually I think the most fun of any event occurs during the preparation stage. Once an event starts, everyone is so busy that no one notices time passing by. Very soon it’s time to conclude and clean up. So before that happens, let’s enjoy this free time! At the very least, I’m free today and tomorrow; I hope no one will yell in my ears during my relaxation period.
As for Haruhi, the only person who just might complain about this peaceful time, she’s in her bunny suit again, passing out flyers at the front gate. I kinda want to know how many she’ll manage to pass out before teachers and administrators step in again.
I walked out of the club room, striding towards the lively campus.
My heart, filled with unrest just a while ago, finally seemed to have settled down. Koizumi believed that, and Nagato also promised, so there shouldn’t be any problems right now. Because Shamisen can’t talk anymore, this is what I needed to confirm that everything is back to normal. The current Shamisen is as silent as Nagato; I felt that it would be inhumane to chase him out, so I thought I would keep him as a pet. Also, my sister is very excited about having a stuffed toy that can move about on its own, so I told my family that “the previous owner decided to move.”
This male cat would sometimes make meowing noises, but that was what it sounded like to my ears, maybe it really did talk… Eh, nevermind.
In terms of disappearances, those who were wearing weird costumes from several days before did not actually participate in the festival.
I’ve seen the pamphlet passed out by the executive committee, and they weren’t on there. I’ve also spied on possible club rooms (such as the Theater Society), and failed to find anything. Who were those people?
“Hmm.”
I unconsciously murmured to myself, while walking leisurely in the school’s building.
What if there were supernatural people walking around the school? What if they were also wearing futuristic clothing? Right, just like Nagato.
Had it been really like that, then Nagato-san might’ve dressed like that to conceal her true identity from Haruhi, if only to give her the impression that clothing like those only appear during festivals.
Nagato has always been the silent type, so I have no idea if any of this is true. But it’s very likely that another sort of conflict is happening outside of my knowledge, perhaps happening in a very relaxed manner. Even if we’re on the verge of Earth’s destruction, I believe she’ll still remain silent. If I ask her directly, she might tell me. But, I think she would just say something that is incomprehensible using the language available to humans, and I don’t think I have the intellect to try to comprehend what she might say.
Hence, I chose to be silent myself. Especially to Haruhi, I believe I should keep my silence.
Change of topic. Our movie is currently playing in the viewing room. I believe only ours and the Movie Research Society’s film are being played. This is after Haruhi made a huge protest to that club, and they finally gave in and agreed to show our movie along with their production. Hey, it couldn’t be helped, only that room has a projector. I have to admit they were looking very troubled until the very end, but still, they, as well as anyone else in this world, don’t seem to have the ability to reject any decision from Haruhi. So in the end, they were practically forced to show our low quality movie that has commercials in the middle.
Since we’re at this topic, I should also let you know that according to the student executive committee, the SOS Brigade still isn’t an official club. So “The Adventure of Asahina Mikuru” isn’t on the official list of events. Looks like we won’t be able to win the first prize after all. I think all those votes intended for us will probably go to the Movie Research Society instead.
Oh yeah, remember that midnight movie that supposedly gave Haruhi the idea of making our own film? After some research, I discovered that it didn’t win the Golden Globe Award. It was a black and white promotional movie which was shown in the Cannes Film Festival called “Only.” She must’ve been crazy to think this film would win any award. To confirm this, I even rented the film. It turned out that I fell asleep within the first half hour. So I have no idea whether the content is fun or boring. I think I’ll attempt it again before I return it.
Since it was a rare opportunity, I also watched the play from class 1-9.
Koizumi was smiling the whole time during the play. His character was someone who died very stupidly at the end; the stupidity level rivaled that of Haruhi’s movie. But somehow it seemed to be quite popular. Maybe I was unconsciously putting it down because the actor was Koizumi. His acting wasn’t really acting, it seemed more like him just representing himself normally. That was probably another reason why I didn’t think it was so good.
After bowing to the clapping audience, Koizumi winked at me as a reply. Of course I ran away from his wink as it reached me. As for Nagato’s class, I was going to make fun of them too. However, I didn’t expect that there was already a long line to the fortune telling room. I took a small peek inside. Under the black drapes, in the middle of several girls dressed in black, I saw Nagato’s white and expressionless face. She put her hands on the crystal ball, talking to the customers in a tone without much emotion. Nagato, please, just help them search for lost items and don’t do anything else.
About all those abnormalities caused by the movie, they all seemed to be fixed by adding “This story is a work of fiction” at the end. But this world can’t just be fixed by a simple saying like that, can it? Haruhi, Asahina-san, Nagato, Koizumi, and I are all still here, aren’t we? How is “There is no relation to any real people” even true? Maybe someday, all of us would live out our own lives, but at least the SOS Brigade still exists right now, both its chief and its members.
Ahh… How should I put it? Sometimes I would think, maybe all of this is a giant lie, and Haruhi really doesn’t have any powers, it’s just a joke made up by Asahina, Nagato, and Koizumi. Those doves were merely painted; Shamisen talking was just ventriloquism or a hidden microphone; and cherry petals in Fall, plus the Mikuru Beam were just special effects.
Even if it’s really like this, I still can’t say much to this.
“So there’s no way that it’s possible.”
No matter what now, that kind of situation isn’t exactly happy. I think everyone being stranded together is much more relaxing than being stranded alone with Haruhi. I’m glad I’m not the only SOS Brigade member.
Even if I’m the only normal one.
The classroom clock entered my line of sight, and this place has already become a place to relax, just like the 1-5 classroom.
Ah yes, now is not the time to space out, it’s almost time. How can I waste this precious discount coupon? Not to mention I’m also interested in what she’s wearing.
I quickly ran towards the meeting place decided with Taniguchi and Kunikida. The plan was to visit the udon place waited upon by Asahina-san.
Author’s notes
As the convenience stores nearby keep going out of business one by one, I now have to spend fifteen minutes just to walk to the nearest one. Along the way, there lies a large pond which would be gathered with migratory birds during winter.
It’s already summer, but for some reason, there was one male wild duck swimming idly on the surface of the pond.
I thought to myself, why would this wild duck shun his mates and choose to be alone? I imagined him waking up one spring morning looking stunned to find that he’s all alone, being left behind just like that. I felt a sense of pity for him. But a few days ago when I went out to buy some stuff, I found this wild duck walking relaxingly near the center of the pond quacking away. I breathed a sigh of relief for no reason. Turns out this duck was just an eccentric duck!
Just like there are eccentric humans who would shun society for no reason, this duck was the same among his kind. Perhaps he had turned down
his mates’ offer to fly north with them, insisting, “No thanks, I want to stay here. No particular reason, really.” And chose to stray away from his niche. As he was a strange duck that liked to loiter around at night, I instinctively concluded that this was a duck that doesn’t mind living alone in a wide pond, a duck that loved solitude.
I thought and agreed with my own deduction, but later some research have discovered that recently there were more and more migratory birds that remained here instead of flying north once spring has arrived. In other words, as there are often people feeding them by the pond, they didn’t have to worry about starving, and would start to feel comfortable staying here. This means this isn’t some eccentric duck, but a simple-minded duck that doesn’t like to go through so much trouble. I felt dejected by this fact, it’s as though my dreams have been shattered, and so I have written this, but I guess that duck wouldn’t give a damn about it.
Let’s get to the main subject, the next volume would be a compilation of short stories published in the Sneaker magazine (currently it is the summer of 2003). The title would be “The Boredom of Suzumiya Haruhi,” I guess? But it could be subject to change. Since I only spent less than three seconds to come up with the title of “The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi,” so I had no idea how to name the rest of the series. In fact, I never thought it would become a series of novels, sorry about that.
Changing the subject again, a big thanks to those that stayed on to play a long game of mahjong with me. I’m grateful for your mercy…… Nope, nothing.
Finally, I’d like to thank Mr. S for editing this book and Ito Noiji-sensei for her illustrations. As well as everyone involved in the publication of this book, and to the readers reading this book, you have my deep gratitude. I look forward to seeing you again.
—Tanigawa Nagaru
Table of Contents
Volume 2 Title
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Epilogue
Author’s notes
Volume 2 - The Sighs of Suzumiya Haruhi Page 18