Volume 6 - The Wavering of Suzumiya Haruhi
Page 20
Since communication was possible even without the medium of speech, why bother? There was no need for vocabulary, no need for long winded speeches, and it certainly conserved energy.
The only response I could make, was to smile.
That was enough. Any thing that couldn’t be conveyed via speech would just have to be conveyed through the heart.
The following Monday.
The time was after school. Everyone gathered at the club room as always, trying the newly bought tea. After everyone had finished, the SOS Brigade commander said:
“Say, Kyon.”
Unlike me, Haruhi had no sense of gratitude, as she downed the entire cup of burning, 70 degrees Celsius tea in less than two seconds. After all that trouble Asahina-san and I went through, couldn’t you at least taste the damned tea?
“What?”
I replied as I secretly snuck a side glance at the smiling Asahina-san.
“Ahh… Do you want seconds?”
Asahina-san picked up the kettle, preparing to pour some tea into Haruhi’s empty cup.
Haruhi suddenly leaned forward, and placed her chin in her hands, before uttering out some strange lines:
“I happen to have a habit of talking to myself.”
Is that so? This was new. After knowing you for almost an entire year, this is the first time I’ve heard you’ve got such a habit.
“Even if there were others beside me, I would still carry on.”
Before that, you should get a mental checkup.
“So, I’m going to start talking to myself again. If by any chance any of you hear it, please bear with me.”
What are you trying to say? But before I could say that, Haruhi suddenly raised her voice, and said:
“You know, there’s a smart and honest kid living near my house. He wears spectacles that resembles a professor and looks really smart in them. His name is…”
Haruhi mentioned a name that I was sure I had heard just recently. My back suddenly started to sweat, but that wasn’t because of the heat.
Asahina-san froze on the spot.
“Soooooooooooooooooooometimes, I go over to help him with his homework. Which is why I went to his house yesterday. But that’s when he said: The bunny girl’s together with a guy.”
Haruhi let out a spine-chilling smile.
“When we filmed that movie in autumn, he just so happened to be nearby. He had a really deep impression of Mikuru-chan in a bunny suit. Since we were on the same topic anyway, I asked him what that guy looked like. This is what he drew.”
Haruhi took out a piece of paper that was clearly torn out from an exercise book. There was a rough sketch of a highly familiar face. Hmm… how come it seems like the one I would usually see every morning while looking in the mirror? Wait, that should be me. No matter how you look at it, it was my portrait drawn on the paper.
“Fufufufufufu~”
Haruhi suddenly let out a deep laugh.
That kid turned out to be a big mouthed yet talented artist! Isn’t he supposed to become a scholar some day? Don’t tell me he aspires to become an artist in the future? If I had known this, I would have bribed him, so that he would become temporarily mute and disabled.
My vision blurred for about three seconds, as I waited to see if a saint would suddenly descend to save the world.
Asahina-san was trembling all over, and her voice seemed to have lost its function. In a situation like this, chances that a new character would burst in were too slim, so I desperately swept my eyes around the club room.
“… … …”
After looking into Nagato’s negative four degrees Celsius eyes, for some reason I felt sick to the stomach.
On the other hand, Koizumi did nothing but smile, as if thoroughly enjoying the entire situation. Wait a minute. These guys wouldn’t have known everything from the start, would they?
“Hmm~?”
Haruhi’s expression resembled one who had eaten an onigiri covered with blended chili paste and crushed psychedelic mushrooms , that is to say, one who wanted to laugh but was trying to restrain herself.
“Spit it out. Where did you and Mikuru-chan go yesterday, and what did you do? Don’t worry, I promise I won’t get mad.”
I shot a sideways glance at Asahina-san, who resembled a frog drenched in green paint, her face green all over. I was one to talk, though, as cold sweat trickled endlessly down my face, like a toad being surrounded by three dozen serpents.
It must have been my illusion. For a moment I thought I saw Haruhi’s aura rise up behind her, before turning into a violent display of fireworks, which proceeded to smash the glass window pane behind Nagato.. Or some illusion of that kind of extent.
“I’m sorry.”
Koizumi stood up straight, as if wanting to avoid the invisible fireworks, before picking up his chair and moving away from the window pane.
Then, he made a gesture with both of his hands, and continued to smile like he used to. The only thing he missed out was the words “Please carry on.”
Damn you Koizumi! I’ll deal with you afterward by murdering you using big bets in poker! I’ll remember this!
“A-ah… About t-that…”
The task at hand was to create a lie that would convince Haruhi. But right now, I really don’t have the time to think of one, so could anyone out there please help me? If possible please text me, because even a courier service wouldn’t be able to make it here in time.
Faced with my stuttering self, Haruhi decided to repeat her question.
“Well spit it out, and I want it to be so long and precise that even Koizumi-kun, Yuki and I can understand. Or else…”
Haruhi took in a deep breath, and revealed a bright smile, before saying:
“The both of you will be punished severely! That’s right, how’s this one seem?”
Haruhi announced a punishment so inhuman that even the blood stained gates of hell would tremble after hearing it. I looked at Asahina-san and found that she was shaking.
Just like I was.
What happened in the clubroom afterwards, this I think needs no further explanation.
Faced with Haruhi’s sadistic smile, Nagato’s even colder-than-usual expression and Koizumi’s annoying smirk which seemed to suggest he was mildly enjoying this, I desperately racked my brain for some sort of explanation, like a lost soul furiously trying to squeeze out some water from a dry sponge in the middle of the Sahara Desert. Beside me, Asahina-san was thrown into a total state of panic, together with the kettle, tea leaves and all.
I really don’t think I need to explain any further. You guys can probably guess the rest.
Author’s Notes
Logically speaking there should be a long segment featured in this volume, but I decided to release this combination of medium to short stories. Unexpectedly, this actually continues the order of long segment, long segment, short segment, long segment and short segment in a recursive manner. It really is a coincidence so don’t think too much about it.
Live A Live
The annual school festival is something that would leave one’s heart dangling if the events of the day were left undescribed. As such, this piece is one where I am driven by the urge to think through the storyline clearly in my head and put it to paper. As for the lead role… Haruhi takes the stage.
Asahina Mikuru’s Adventure Episode 00
Let’s do a Counterattack of Nagato Yuki Episode 00 and conclude the sonata with the Awakening of Koizumi Itsuki Episode 00 altogether- although I don’t know if this is feasible. Maybe I just want to experience the thrills of being a director. ‘Haru’ of Haruhi didn’t appear once in here.
Charmed at First Sight LOVER
This interlude occurs after Disappearence and before Snow Mountain Syndrome. I’ve always loved American Football and watch the game often. It’s a pity that Japanese wireless television channels rarely broadcast the games live and mostly skip to the end score. Nagato is the undisputed lead here no matter how you
look at it.
Where did the Cat Go?
I was forced to come up with this story because Koizumi mentions the need for a cat in Snow Mountain Syndrome. Other than that I wanted to put my deduction to the test. The stars here would be Haruhi and Tsuruya-san.
The Melancholy of Asahina Mikuru
The long segment for the next volume will be on time and will be directly correlated to this piece. The lengthier piece that I am working on today becomes that much easier to pen thanks to me slaving away and frying my brain cells trying to connect the magazine parts with the newly written long segments. Most importantly however is to give the readers an easier time to follow along, and to ask for nothing more.
It is an honor to see this series continue to its sixth volume. I have only gratitude other than gratitude from my heart. This book is able to come to its fruition due to the assistance of everyone that toiled in the process, and especially due to the readers that have supported this series throughout the way. I offer the sincerest of thanks to everyone.
With that, see you in the next volume.
—Tanigawa Nagaru
Table of Contents
Volume 6 Title
Live A Live
Asahina Mikuru's Adventure Episode 00
Charmed at First Sight LOVER
Where did the Cat Go?
The Melancholy of Asahina Mikuru
Author’s Notes
Live A Live
Asahina Mikuru’s Adventure Episode 00
Charmed at First Sight LOVER
Where did the Cat Go?
The Melancholy of Asahina Mikuru