Volume 8 - The Indignation of Suzumiya Haruhi

by Tanigawa Nagaru

  “I, I’m s,sorry! I didn’t see anything! Honest!”

  She shouted misguidedly as she ran away.

  “…………”

  While Nagato kept waiting watchfully.

  “Didn’t you hear what the Editor-in-Chief said? Now, hand it over!”

  And Haruhi smiled ferociously.

  As Haruhi handled me with both hands while in the guard position, a prayer went out from my heart.

  Koizumi, you’re the only one I can rely on, now! Hurry back!

  About that last sheet that had been printed. Besides being hidden in the inside pocket of my blazer, this was what was written on it.

  By the way, Yoshimura Miyoko, nicknamed Miyokichi, was my little sister’s classmate, as well as her best friend, and at that time, she was a ten-year-old, fourth-year student in Grade School.

  Even one year ago, Miyokichi had such an adult-like appearance, that you wouldn’t think she was my little sister’s classmate. Her height made me skeptical about how she could be a light eater, her figure was good, the expressions you would suddenly see on her were good, and it was all at such an extent that she looked about as grown-up as Asahina-san. With such un-grade-school-student-like looks, the person at the ticket booth of the movie theater and the part-time ticket collector would probably overlook it.

  Though even if they did notice it, it would be a question of whether she would be stopped each time. They’d sell you tickets at the student price even if you don’t present your student ID.

  The movie that we went to see had received a PG-12 designation due to the Eirin. That is to say, it was required for children younger than twelve to be accompanied by a guardian. I was okay, since I had already turned fifteen.

  The problem was Miyokichi. Even though she knew perfectly well that her own appearance couldn’t be seen as less than twelve.

  However, she couldn’t bring herself to go alone. Since her parents were relatively conservative in character, they wouldn’t understand a gory, B-grade horror movie, and she’d be told off if she said she wanted to go see it―――was the explanation I heard from her.

  But the only friend she could invite was my own little sister, whom you couldn’t see in anything but early grade school, even up to now. The movie’s showing would be for most of that March, and then it ends. She would lose her chance to see it if she didn’t hurry.

  So she thought through it. Which person could she go together with that they were likely to sell tickets to, normally?

  That was me.

  I’ve always been fond of small children from a long time ago, if I do say so myself. With most of my cousins being younger than me, I think it became a habit after being made to look after everyone when we were all gathered in the countryside.

  Of course, having to deal with my little sister’s friends was an everyday occurrence. Among those was Miyokichi, so she also knew me pretty well.

  The big brother of a friend who was always in the house where she often went to play, and a guy who seemed to have a lot of free time during spring break. It turned out that I was someone who came to mind as being in the circle of friends of some fourth graders.

  She thought that way as well. On the occasion of that movie, it also comes as a place that would be difficult for a kid to enter alone. And along those lines, she had selected that tea shop. The waitress at that time turned out to be pretty pleasant. It was a shop that a grade schooler standing on her tiptoes would feel awkward to enter alone, and even I, as a Middle School student, still felt nervous in that position. With Miyokichi and me at that tea shop. Even from the eyes of outsiders, we couldn’t have been seen as anything but brother and sister.

  Currently in fifth grade, and soon to be sixth grade, Miyokichi, Yoshimura Miyoko. If you wait five more years, you just might become a rival for Asahina-san.

  Though somewhere, at Haruhi’s look, I had stopped talking.

  And now, it will be the post-fin from here.

  We managed to finish the Club Journal by the deadline. It was just a booklet printed on copy paper that we stuck together with a gigantic, industrial-sized stapler, but as for the content―――removing any bias I may have―――you could say that it was fairly substantial.

  Of particular excellence, was the Adventure Story that Tsuruya-san had written. Every single one who read her romp of a short story entitled “Hard Cheese! The Tragedy of Boy N“ had to hold his side in laughter. I, myself, had laughed so hard that tears came out. That there was such an amusing tale in this world―――I had this feeling for a long time after that. The only one who read it and didn’t even move a muscle on her face was Nagato, but that slapstick story in Tsuruya-san’s lively writing style was so funny, that I wondered if even Nagato would secretly read it in her own room and let out a few giggles.

  Though I’ve thought about this a little, I felt again that it was true. Could she be some kind of genius? That person.

  As for the other SOS Brigade affiliates, there were things like the terrible and uninteresting days essay written by Taniguchi, Kunikida’s trivia-like study column, four-panel comics drawn by someone in the Manga Club; thanks to Haruhi eagerly running everywhere to commission writers and demand manuscripts, it had turned into something that was plenty thick for a Literature Club journal, and though it took some time and effort to bundle and staple each copy, the two hundred copies we prepared sold well in one day without us having to do any advertising. Maybe all of Haruhi’s running around for outsourcing had inadvertently turned into advanced publicity, I thought.

  But that Haruhi, after saying “I’m gonna write something, too!” only contributed a short piece aside from the self-important editorial postscript.

  Entitled “Save the world by Overloading it with fun: Section One ・A Memo on the Formulae for Looking at Tomorrow,” the article was loaded with figures or symbols which, according to Haruhi’s explanation, are to be considered for the perpetual continuation of the SOS Brigade, and though that just seems like something she would say, I, at least, could not make any sense out of the text.

  Order in chaos, is a figure of speech that expresses this uncertainty, and while it carries with it the impression that the contents of Haruhi’s head had just spilled out on it, so to speak―――.

  However, what surprised me was how Asahina-san looked like her legs were about to give out after reading that pseudo-article.

  “But that’s……. If that was how it was…….”

  Since she had looked so shocked and her eyes so wide open that it seemed like those cute pupils of hers would pop out, I asked her why, but Asahina-san replied,

  “I can’t talk about it much since it’s classified information, but……”

  After giving her refusal,

  “This is the central foundation of the time plane theory. In my time period……erm, for people like me, it is the very first thing we learn. But who the originator was and which time it came from, has always been a mystery…… That it would turn out to be Suzumiya-san……”

  She was speechless after that. I went along with her and said nothing, although coincidentally, a wild idea had sprung into my mind.

  Haruhi would probably be bringing home at least one copy of the club journal we had made. And that club journal, you can’t say that there won’t be any chance it would catch that Hakase-kun-like, bespectacled kid’s eye. Haruhi was that boy’s special tutor, after all. Although Asahina-san and I had already given that Hakase-kun a lot of cues, I guess that wasn’t all of it. Would Haruhi become the root cause, after all? Even if she didn’t, it would probably be a mix of various elements. The number of questions I wanted to ask Asahina-san (big) had just increased by one again.

  After completing the distribution of the club journal on that same day, Haruhi purposefully marched to the Student Council room to give that report. And it goes without saying that an aura of pride was flooding from her body.

  The Student Council President couldn’t even move his eyebrows at Haruhi’s bre
ak in and matching introduction, and as his glasses simply shone,

  “A promise is a promise. I will approve the continuation of the Literature Club. However, there is more to be concerned with yet regarding the SOS Brigade’s existence. Do not forget that there is quite some time left on my term of office.”

  Leaving us with that crystal-clear parting remark, he turned his back.

  Taking that as a declaration of defeat, Haruhi returned triumphantly to the clubroom, and danced victoriously with Asahina-san in front of Nagato as she watched indifferently. Ah well.

  At any rate, I’ve told you about that one disturbance as everything ended. After that, there was nothing left but to wait for spring to arrive in full.

  As it is, if nothing more were to happen, we would all move on to the next grade. If I had to say, it would probably be about spring break by the time Haruhi perpetrates something for the remaining events.

  It’s hard to say if it’s been a long or short year. This is a secret, but I’m putting a circle on one spot of the calendar on April this year. The same day on April as last year’s Opening Ceremony.

  Even if somebody were to forget, or even if Haruhi herself didn’t remember, I will remember the anniversary of that day without fail.

  The day when I first met Haruhi. The day I’m confident I will never forget my whole life.

  Provided I don’t lose my memory.

  Wandering Shadow

  The volleyball went down hard on the floor, making a surprisingly melodic ‘Thud~’ before it bounced back up. A loud round of cheers then rang throughout the gym and, as if mimicking the volleyball, bounced off the walls and ceilings and gathered around me.

  I was wearing slightly dirty gym clothes, sitting with my hands behind my back and my feet stretched forward. If you were to ask me why was I in such a relaxed pose, the answer is simple. I was merely a spectator, watching the volleyball match before me. And why was I doing this, you ask? Also simple, it’s because I had nothing better to do. Since the school does not permit students leaving with an ‘I have nothing better to do’ excuse, my only option had been to head down here and watch other students play volleyball.

  I was sitting in a walkway, complete with handrails, instead of the bleachers, secretly suspecting that it was built for people like me who didn’t want to be in the middle of such an atmosphere. I wasn’t the only one who had dragged his lazy body all the way to this walkway to get away from the crowd though. It seems that there were other people besides me with too much time on their hands.

  Sitting beside me is my good friend, Taniguchi.

  “The girls in our class sure are athletic.”

  From the tone of his voice, it seemed that he wasn’t in awe, but kind of disappointed instead.

  “Yeah.”

  I uttered this half-hearted response while continuing to watch the ball fly around the court. The opponent began her serve, and the ball traveled in an arc, before being projected upwards by the other side’s setter.

  From behind the 3-meter line, a girl clad in gym clothes ran forward, then leapt high into the air. At the apex of her jump, the hitter raised her right arm, and viciously spiked the ball downwards. The angle was perfect, as the ball flew steeply down and landed in the corner of the opponents’ court. A member from the volleyball club, who was acting as a stand-in referee, blew his whistle. A perfect back attack indeed.

  Once again, cheers rang throughout the gym.

  What a powerful spike. That girl must have been really bored up till now.

  “Hey, Kyon, let’s make a bet, which side do you think will win?”

  Even though Taniguchi was the one making the suggestion, he didn’t seem enthusiastic at all. It’s a good idea, but the odds are highly stacked against the opposition.

  Before Taniguchi could say anything further, I said:

  “Class 1-5 will win. I’m sure of it.”

  Upon hearing this, Taniguchi immediately shut his mouth, frowning.

  “Isn’t that obvious? She’s in our class, you know.”

  After returning to earth, the aforementioned hitter turned around, revealing a bright smile full of self-confidence. She wasn’t looking at me though, and even if she had been, her smile was different from the one she usually revealed in the club room. This seemed like more of a, “that was easy, too easy!” kind of smile that she was showing her teammates, who had come running over to congratulate her.

  Our class had already reached 15 points. It was a landslide victory.

  Just like we predicted, Class 1-5’s Girls Team (A) had managed to sweep through the opposition, and their major scorer, their trump card, was currently buried among her teammates, gently beating her fists upon their open palms.

  As she left the court, she suddenly caught sight of the three of us squeezed inside the corridor by the wall. Her footsteps slowed down, as her gaze traveled towards me. I instantly shifted my gaze elsewhere.

  She was a super utility player, one who had managed to do anything perfectly. Once she tasted victory, she would only long for more, and that included scoring all the points in this current match.

  Ah, there’s no need to try to sound mysterious anymore. This girl, who was currently sitting on the substitute bench drinking the beverages the team had brought, was, without a doubt, Suzumiya Haruhi.

  It was now March, and the end of term exams had just ended. Many schools were already making holiday preparations, and that of course included North High. Now normally this would be the time to quietly wait for the school holidays, but apparently someone had suggested “Don’t we have better things to do instead of waiting for time to pass?” As a result, various intramural sports had been planned, and incorporated into the school’s holiday preparations.

  Maybe it was done out of the school’s concern for letting students have a break after the end of term exams, but if you ask me, I’d pick longer holidays over intramural sports activities anytime.

  In case you’re wondering, this year’s intramural sports event was soccer for the guys and volleyball for the girls. I was originally in my class’s Boys Team (B), but we had been eliminated by Class 1-9 in one of the knockout rounds. I had found myself disliking them even more now, and having Koizumi in that class doesn’t help either. Class 1-9 was a class for those interested in the Science and Mathematics Field, so it was naturally comprised of sharp-witted know-it-alls who did nothing but study. It would be downright humiliating to lose to them in soccer, all right.

  Which is why Taniguchi and I, as well the rest of Class 1-5’s boys population were feeling so bad right now.

  Having nothing better to do, all of us came down to the gym to support the Girls Team instead.

  “Suzumiya-san’s really something, isn’t she?”

  The soft-spoken Kunikida, who was also sitting beside me, said. Thanks to Haruhi’s hyper-activeness, Girls Team (A) had managed to advance up the ladder and into their 3rd match, while the Boys Team were scrapped and turned into spectators in their second match.

  “Why isn’t she in some sports club? Not everyone has such talent like her.”

  I agree completely with him. If Haruhi had joined the athletics (track and field) club, she would have been able to compete in the nationals right now. The same goes with any kind of sport. She would probably be one of the top athletes after rigorous training. After all, I haven’t seen anyone who likes the words “First Place” and “Victory” as much as her.

  As I continued to watch another match that was taking place beside the first court, I gave Kunikida my reply.

  “That girl has much more important things to do than wasting her youth on things like sports.”

  Suddenly, I wondered if by any chance Asahina-san or Nagato would be in the gym cheering her along too. Unfortunately, they were nowhere to be seen.

  “The SOS Brigade, eh.”

  Kunikida said through one of his smiles.

  “Yea, that seems just like Suzumiya-san. She’s never wanted to be an ordinary stude
nt ever since she began high school. It’s fitting that she’d want to play some weird games with someone like you, Kyon.”

  I didn’t even have the strength to reply.

  No matter how you viewed it, my first year was fast drawing to an end. Since there would be no activities after the intramural sports, class time had been shortened. After that would be spring holiday, and when the cherry-blossoms start to bloom, I would be in my second year already. One thing many worried about was which class would they be sorted into, because it could very well determine how well their future school days would go. I had no bad feelings towards Kunikida or that idiot Taniguchi, so even if I had to be in the same class as them for another year, I definitely wouldn’t mind.

  As I was deep in my thoughts, Kunikida suddenly arched forward, drawing my attention.

  “The next match is about to start, I think.”

  As I peered downward, I saw Haruhi walking forward like the Team Captain, with her other teammates surrounding her.

  Spring would arrive soon, but since this school was situated on top of a mountain, it was still quite cold. Or maybe that was just me, due to receiving my end of term exam results just days ago.

  I was pretty pleased myself with those results, but unfortunately it seemed that my mum wasn’t. She didn’t say it out loud, but from the way she brought home various flyers about tuition centers and cram schools, I could pretty much take a hint. Just the sight of them had made me feel weak in the stomach. My mum had suggested I enter a university, be it a local one or a private one. Okabe-sensei had written the same things on my report card. But give me a break man, it’s just too demanding.

  Haruhi had spoken to me about the same issue as well. Come to think of it, the only reason my marks weren’t hovering dangerously above the dreaded “Pass” line was all thanks to Haruhi. She had specifically become my private tutor, giving me some last-minute “Studying tips” in the club room after school. A few days before the exams, she had slammed an entire stack of reference books and self-made notes on my desk and said: