What would a curve look like other than a curve?
“That’s why you’re so bad in math! You have to use your intuition sometimes! Lend me that for a while, okay? Koizumi-kun.”
Using the red marker she had just acquired from Koizumi, Haruhi began drawing on the map.
“If we extend this curve, while maintaining its original angle, and join them together, we’ll get a perfect circle, no?”
You’ve got a point there. The shape that Haruhi had just traced did resemble a perfect circle.
Just like those circles you see indicating buried treasure in treasure maps.
I finally understood. So that’s what this is all about?
“In other words, dogs are unable to enter this circle, right?”
“That’s merely my speculation.”
If that area is really shaped like a circle, then the places dogs dare not approach should be the ones outlined in this map. Even though we can’t conclude if this is caused by spirits or has some material cause, at least we can confirm which areas they dare not enter.”
Koizumi pointed at the circle he had just created with Haruhi.
“If there really is something behind this, then it should be somewhere in this area. And the most suspicious point would be the center of the circle. Since I only used these three points as reference, I can’t really say where the center is, but I think I’ll be able to make an educated guess. The center of the circle should be located—-”
Before Koizumi could point out the location, Haruhi had already beaten him to it, as she used the tip of the marker to pinpoint the exact location.
“It’s really the river, after all.”
I don’t need to hear Haruhi explain any further. The center point of the circle marked on the map should coincide with a very long row of cherry-blossom trees. And opposite those trees would be a bench Asahina-san and I were definitely familiar with.
“Incredible~~”
Sakanaka-san said in awe.
“To think you’d be able to think of such things, Koizumi-kun, you’re amazing!”
“It’s no big deal, really.”
Sakanaka-san has a very impressed look on her face, as she stares at Koizumi’s smiling face. Erm, Sakanaka-san, I’d advise you to stay away from this fellow. There’s no knowing what’s going on in his brain. He also possesses the ability to turn himself into a glowing red orb that could manifest itself at any time. He’s just like a mutant!
Even though I wanted to warn Sakanaka-san about this, I found my lips tightly sealed shut, as I quietly studied the map.
I just realized that unless something weird is happening to me, I would find it incredibly hard to travel to that location, as if someone is warning me not to go. I don’t need to save yet another boy from an accident, do I? During that incident, only Asahina-san and I were present. This time, however, the SOS Brigade is fully assembled. Even if something were to happen, I’m sure at least someone would lend me a hand, right?
Especially so, since the all-important Brigade Commander is here!
“Let’s go.”
Haruhi said, appearing cheerful.
“Let’s head for this suspicious place then! Rest assured, Sakanaka-san, JJ! After we take some pictures of the spirits, I’ll be sure to exorcise them for good!”
“E-exorcise?”
As if finally realizing what outfit she’s wearing, Asahina-san wrapped both her arms around her shoulders, and began trembling. Haruhi grabbed her wrist, and said,
“This is an emergency! We shall head out now!”
With that, Haruhi began dragging Asahina-san, proceeding towards the river.
Thanks to Haruhi’s ‘this is an emergency!’ all of us got to the riverbank relatively fast. According to Koizumi’s deductions, the most suspicious place was none other than the riverbank lined with cherry-blossom trees.
Haruhi had already taken the map from Koizumi, and began staring hard at it, as if trying to find the most precise point of the circle. Too bad Haruhi, all your efforts are in vain. I have a feeling that Koizumi already has it calculated in his head.
“Perhaps that’s the spot?”
“That side?”
For some reason, if it ever came to it, I would find Koizumi’s cool and composed answer more reliable than Haruhi’s, who is still busy staring at the map. Could he have found out something suspicious?
Only the 5 members of the SOS Brigade were present. Sakanaka-san and Rousseau were at home, patiently awaiting news from us. In other words, Sakanaka-san had refused to come along with us, stating she couldn’t ‘let Rousseau go to a place he detested such’. Even if she had tagged along, I doubt that she would have been of much use anyway, so that’s why Haruhi and I didn’t protest much about her leaving. Of course, I know that I’m one to talk, seeing that I’m just some random guy Haruhi picked to join her Brigade, much like a stand-in comedian somebody got off the streets.
“Mikuru-chan, I’m sorry to keep you waiting. It’s finally your turn to step up on the stage.”
“Y-y-y-yes.”
To Haruhi, Asahina-san was probably the most useful one in this situation. That’s why she had Asahina-san dress up all like that. If we had journeyed all the way here without doing at least something which had connections with spirits, the whole miko outfit would have been a waste.
“B-but w-what am I supposed to do?”
“Just leave it all to me! I’ve done all necessary preparations beforehand! Mikuru-chan, stand over there. And raise your ceremonial staff high too.”
After ordering Asahina-san to stand by the riverbank and raise her ceremonial staff high, Haruhi withdrew a something from her pocket, which was curled into the shape of a cylinder.
“This is it.”
Haruhi said as she put her arm menacingly on Asahina-san’s shoulder.
“Now let’s start the exorcism!”
“Vajrac… chedika?… Prajnapara…mi… ta… Ekasha…ri.”
…seeing Asahina-san clad in a miko costume chanting out Buddhist Scriptures made me feel uneasy, as if there were going to be a divine intervention at any moment.
For a while there I wondered what sort of incantation Haruhi had cooked up. It turned out to be nothing more than a simple Sutra of Wisdom Perfection. However, seeing Asahina-san clad in a miko costume chanting out Buddhist Scriptures made me feel uneasy, as if there were going to be a divine intervention at any moment. But if you think about it, maybe this way would be better. Maybe the combined forces of Shinto and Buddhism would be enough to exorcise the spirits.
After looking at the Sutra Haruhi had written, and at Asahina-san frantically trying to recite the lines, I really feel the need to apologize to all the true priests and shrine maidens in the world. All I can do is silently pray they don’t mind us.
Haruhi played the role of an assistant, as she frantically flashed Asahina-san the different verses.
“Demons be gone… Demons be gone…”
As Asahina-san was trying to recite the verses even though she was a fake miko, I shot a glance at someone I knew who cared very much. I think it goes without explaining who this particular person is, no?
“………”
Nagato’s eyes resembled a chime in the night wind, as she gazed at Asahina-san. There was nothing wrong about her. It’s just that her eyes were fixed on Asahina-san instead of a book this time.
After seeing this, I was relieved.
I didn’t think it was going to be of any use for Asahina-san to continue on chanting like that, since we’re not even sure if the whole ruckus is indeed caused by spirits. But one thing I know for sure though, is that be it spirits, paranormal events or things that science can’t explain, Nagato was with her, and there is nothing that could escape Nagato’s attention. And once Nagato detected something, there was no way I would fail to notice it. Of course Nagato would try to notify me if she had detected anything strange, just like that incident with the kamadouma.
Perhaps she had noticed t
hat I was staring at her, because Nagato suddenly turned her head towards me, as if saying, ‘What are you thinking?’
“Nothing.”
No bombs, no hibernating bears, no radioactive elements, or any weird titanium rods?
“No.”
Not even a trace?
“Nothing I can detect.”
Nagato replied in a monotonous voice, as if reciting her times tables.
“No traces of anything paranormal.”
Then why were Rousseau and the other dogs afraid of this place? Shouldn’t there be something strange or unusual here?
“……”
Like a chime in the wind, Nagato shook her head slightly, as she shifted her gaze behind me.
As if following her lead, I too turned back.
A tall, well-built guy was walking upstream. As he approached us, I shot a glance at him. It’s not like he was particularly attractive or anything, it’s just that—-
He had a dog with him. A Shiba Inu to be exact. Now under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t be surprised. After all, it was just an ordinary Shiba Inu, nothing special about it.
The problem was, wasn’t this an area where no dogs dared to enter?
“Huh?”
It seemed that Haruhi had finally noticed, as with Asahina-san too, for she had abruptly stopped chanting the verses. In her shocked state, all she could say was:
“Impossible… How…”
“Hmm.”
With a puzzled look in his eyes, Koizumi eyed the guy walking with his dog.
This Shiba Inu definitely didn’t share the same reaction as Sakanaka-san’s Scottish Highland White Terrier. In fact, it looks happy, as if enjoying this walk with its owner. It was panting steadily as it followed its owner on all fours.
By rough estimation, I’d say the dog’s owner was a university student. He eyed us suspiciously, before continuing on his walk with his dog.
“Wait a second! Wait!”
Haruhi yelled as she jumped forward to block his path.
“I’m sorry, but can I ask you something?”
Haruhi eyed the Shiba Inu with a gaze so terrifying that it would halt anything in its tracks, before saying:
“Can I borrow a bit of your time? Why is your dog able to pass through this area? Because you see… Erm, well… It’s a long story.”
With that said, Haruhi grabbed me by the collar, and dragged me towards the Shiba Inu’s owner. The guy stood there with a bemused look on his face, as if wondering,’who are these people?’ Even the Shiba Inu rolled out its tongue, as if saying that it didn’t understand what was going on. Haruhi shot a slanting glance at them, before saying:
“Come on, you tell them, Kyon!”
Me?
As I was about to drag Koizumi here, I found myself unable to move, undoubtedly shot by Haruhi’s terrifying glare. Seeing that she had already dragged me along, I have no choice, do I?
Beginning with a simple “I’m sorry for interrupting your walk”, I slowly began to explain to them what was happening. I heard that about a week ago, the dogs in this area begin behaving strangely, apparently refusing to come here for a walk. After hearing about this from one of my friends, this struck me as highly unusual, hence I came here to investigate. The same friend I mentioned earlier came here with her dog, and indeed it behaved as if it didn’t want to approach this place. That merely deepened my suspicion, and I decided to come here to investigate once more. Just as I was beginning my investigation, I suddenly saw you having a stroll with your dog, which is seemingly unaffected. That’s why I was wondering, could you shed some light on this?
“Oh, so that’s what it is,”
Said the guy, who was probably in his twenties. As he spoke, he curiously eyed Asahina-san, who was still clutching the ceremonial staff in her hands.
“It’s true that sometime last week, this fellow,” he said, pointing at the Shiba Inu, “suddenly hated his original route, which was supposed to be from here to further upstream. No matter what I did, he just wouldn’t budge. Even I was stumped at that point.”
This athletic guy shifted his gaze to a spot between Haruhi and Asahina-san, and continued:
“However, in my opinion, this place was still the most suitable place to have a walk. A thought suddenly struck me then. Why not try pulling him along by force? About three days ago, I decided to give it a try, as I forcefully pulled him along. Even though I met some resistance initially, after a while, he eventually began to get accustomed to this place again. Now we’re able to take a stroll here like we always used to.”
While I know nothing about animal psychology, this dog looks perfectly healthy to me, as it sits obediently by its owner’s side. It has its eyes opened wide, with a relaxed look on its face.
“I’m guessing that if your friend pulled his or her dog along by force, they’ll be able to recover instantly. Even though I’m not sure what happened, I definitely feel that there’s something unusual about it. Maybe it’s a scent left behind by a hibernating bear or something.”
As expected of a university student. Even his deductions were the same as Koizumi’s.
“So can I go now?”
“Oh yes, thank you so much for your time and valuable information!”
Haruhi thanked the guy sincerely, as he once again looked at Asahina-san’s outfit. For a second there he looked as if he was about to say something, but in the end, all he said was “Well, take care then”, before he continued his walk with his dog.
And so the only ones left were Haruhi, who was still holding the Mahayana Sutras in her hand, Asahina-san, who resembled a miko who got lost on her way to the shrine, Nagato, who was still looking at the river, Koizumi, who was busy scratching his chin, and me myself. We look more like the Five Stooges of the SOS Brigade here.
“What’s going on here?”
It’s just like you just heard.
“What about the spirits? I was really looking forward to spirits materializing!”
I told you from the start there wouldn’t be such a thing.
“Then what’s going on here?”
No idea.
“…… You seem to be happy about this. I wonder why, because I for one am not happy about this at all!”
Are you trying to pick a fight? I’ve been serious all this time. I’m not happy that something you wished for didn’t come true, and I never once wished against you either.
“Liar.”
With that, Haruhi took off with great strides, leaving before my startled eyes.
The SOS Brigade once again gathered, and left for Sakanaka-san’s house, leaving the row of cherry-blossom trees far behind us. Not only did we need to report our findings to Sakanaka-san, we also needed to retrieve our bags, which we had left in her house before we departed.
“But……”
Trying to avoid everyone else’s gaze, I lowered my voice, and said quietly to Asahina-san.
“What do you think the real reason is? Rousseau seemed to hate this place.”
Before Asahina-san could reply, Koizumi abruptly butted in, and said:
“According to what that guy said, his dog had been wary of this place until three days ago. That means that there was something here that would arouse suspicion in his dog then, something that no longer exists now. From what Sakanaka-san said, other dogs, including Rousseau, dared not approach this place, even till now. My best bet is that there is something in their memory that scares them from coming here. If that Shiba Inu’s owner hadn’t dragged him along by force, I’d say that it would still be afraid of this place. Rousseau, on the other hand, clearly refuses to enter this place. Maybe he’s got a better memory than that Shiba Inu.”
“………”
Nagato walked silently without saying anything. This made me happier, though. As long as she didn’t mention anything, chances were that nothing out of the ordinary had happened. I could rest assured that no bear had recently awoken here three days ago.
It was already dusk
, and our surroundings became cooler. All of us tried to match Haruhi’s swift footsteps, as we hurried back to Sakanaka-san’s house. It was rare to get a client, and having everything end so abruptly without a conclusion was somewhat disappointing. If we were to hand in such a report to our client, I’m afraid that it’ll shatter Haruhi’s pride as a Brigade Commander. But even so, I know that she’ll get over it relatively fast. Even though she had an angry scowl on her face, I’m sure that she’ll forget everything in a while. Haruhi wasn’t that kind of person that would obsess on lost opportunities. If something didn’t turn out well in the past, then so be it. She would immediately focus her attention on another matter.
As we arrived at Sakanaka-san’s house, we could finally enter as guests. After being served delicious treats hand-made by Sakanaka-san’s mother, Haruhi softened up a little, as she began eating in big bites.
“This is amazing! It’s really, really delicious! You could open a restaurant with these! I’m sure they would sell very well!”
In such a luxurious mansion, even the treats appeared exceptionally high-classed and the sofas exceptionally comfortable. If I put Shamisen on one of these sofas, I’m sure that he’ll be able to sleep for 12 hours straight. Rich people are really different after all. With such a beautiful mother, and such a high-classed dog, even the atmosphere here seemed different. If Haruhi had been brought up in such a place, she might have even ended up like Sakanaka-san.
As we were busy indulging in our treats, Koizumi reported our findings to Sakanaka-san, who was cradling Rousseau in her arms, and nodding as Koizumi went on. After Koizumi had finished explaining everything though, a peculiar look appeared on her face.
“I understand what you mean, but there’s still something that’s bothering me.”
Sakanaka-san said as she looked at Rousseau’s little, fluffy ears.
“Rousseau still seems to dislike that place. Until the day where every other dog will have a walk there without being forced, I won’t be bringing Rousseau along that route. It just seems too pitiful.”
That’s up to you to decide then. What a good owner you have Rousseau, even though I think she’s spoiling you too much.
Volume 8 - The Indignation of Suzumiya Haruhi Page 16