The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (16 page)

I’ll be honest; this is a problem.

I wanted to be one of those side characters who merrily offers occasional advice from the sidelines to the guy who has to directly deal with all the trouble. I wanted this crazy situation, where my life had been targeted by a classmate, to stop at once. I was still quite partial to being alive.

I spent a brief period dazed and confused, paralyzed in the red-tinted classroom. All the while supporting Nagato’s seemingly weightless body.

This is… What is this? What am I supposed to think?

Since I had spaced out for a while, I only now noticed that Nagato had been finished with her regeneration or whatever for quite some time and was currently looking up at me without any expression on her face.

The next day, Ryoko Asakura didn’t show up for class.

I suppose that it should have been obvious, but apparently, I was the only one who thought so since homeroom-man Okabe said…

“Ah—. This concerns Asakura. Due to her father’s work—I also find this rather sudden—she has transferred to another school. I was surprised when I heard this morning. Apparently, they went overseas. Seems like they departed yesterday.”

And when that really sketchy-sounding story was delivered during homeroom, it was met with “What—?” and “Why—?” from what were mostly girls in an uproar. The guys were whispering about something with their heads together. Teacher-man Okabe also looked like he was deep in thought. Naturally, one particular girl wasn’t going to stay quiet.

A fist struck my back with a thud.

“Kyon. Something’s up here.”

Haruhi Suzumiya, who had completely bounced back, looked at me with shining eyes.

What do I do? Tell her the truth?

Actually, Asakura was a colleague of Nagato, who was created by this unknown group called the Data Overmind. And I don’t really know the details, but they had some kind of falling out over whether or not I should be killed. Why kill me? That had something to do with you, Haruhi, and your data or whatever. In the end, she was turned into sand by Nagato. There you have it.

Like hell I can! It’s not like I even want to. I would prefer to think that it was all one massive hallucination.

“First, a mysterious transfer student came. Now we have a girl transferring out for no explicable reason. Something’s up here.”

Should I praise her for her sharp instincts?

“Didn’t he say it was because of her father’s work?”

“I don’t buy that weak explanation.”

“It doesn’t matter if you buy it. That’s the most popular reason people transfer.”

“But it’s odd. It’s only been one day. Less than a day passed between notice of transfer and moving. What kind of job would that be?”

“Maybe he didn’t tell his daughter….”

“That’s impossible. This matter needs some investigation.”

I abandoned the idea of telling her that her father’s job was just an excuse and they were actually making a secret move during the night. I know all too well that it wasn’t true.

“The SOS Brigade can’t sit idly by while a school mystery is waiting to be solved!”

Give me a break.

Yesterday’s events demanded that I make significant changes. After all, I had been witness to actual supernatural phenomena. If I pretend that it hadn’t actually happened, that would mean I would have to decide if there was something wrong with either my eyes or my mind. Or perhaps there was something wrong with the world. Or maybe this was all just a really long dream.

And I just couldn’t bring myself to believe that the world would be unrealistic.

Man. Don’t you think that fifteen years and counting is a bit too early for someone to face a turning point in life?

Why did I, in my first year in high school, have to consider such philosophical questions as to how the world should be? I shouldn’t have had to think about these things. I’d like it if you didn’t give me more work to do. Since I already had another pending issue to deal with.

The pending issue on my mind was another envelope, just like yesterday, in my locker. What was up with that? Was putting letters in lockers the current fad?

But today’s was considerably different. This second note was no scrap of paper from an anonymous sender. A name was written on the back of the envelope that looked like it belonged on the side of a girls’ manga. And as long as my eyes weren’t mistaken in reading the steady handwriting…

MIKURU ASAHINA

… was what it said.

I swiftly placed the envelope in my blazer pocket and hopped into a stall in the men’s bathroom to open it. Written in the middle of the sheet of stationery adorned with characters out of a girls’ manga was…

I’LL BE WAITING IN THE CLUB ROOM DURING LUNCH.—MIKURU

After the ordeal I had gone through yesterday, my view of the world and reality had gone through a complete barrel roll and was currently spinning out of control.

I hoped to be spared another life-threatening experience if I went to the club room.

However, I had no choice but to go. The person who sent this was none other than Asahina. While I had no evidence to prove that this letter was actually from her, I didn’t doubt its origins for a second. She seemed just like the kind of person to use such a roundabout method, and the picture of her cheerfully writing on a sheet of cute stationery fits perfectly with her image, right? Plus Nagato was always in the club room during lunch. If something happened, she’d take care of it.

Don’t call me pathetic. I am just an ordinary male high school student.

Once fourth period ended and break started, I escaped the class-room without even eating my lunch, before Taniguchi, who’d been giving me meaningful looks, could come talk to me, Kunikida could invite me to eat lunch, or Haruhi could bring up going to the faculty office to find out where Asakura had moved. I quickly moved toward the club room.

It was still May, yet it already felt like summer. The sun was cheerfully shooting its energy to Earth, as if its furnaces were burning overtime. At this rate, wouldn’t Japan end up being a natural sauna by the time summer came? The elastic band on my underwear was soaked with sweat merely from walking around.

I was in front of the literary club room before three minutes had passed. I figured I’d knock.

“Come in!”

It was indeed Asahina’s voice. No doubt about it. I would never mistake someone else’s voice for Asahina’s. It was really her. Relieved, I walked in.

Nagato wasn’t there. In fact, Asahina wasn’t even there.

A woman stood leaning against the window facing the courtyard. A figure with long hair wearing a white blouse and black miniskirt. She was wearing visitor slippers on her feet.

Her face lit up upon seeing me as she ran over and took my hands in hers.

“Kyon… It’s been so long.”

It wasn’t Asahina. It was someone who looked just like Asahina, though. So much that I had to double-check to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. Actually, I didn’t see how it could be anyone else.

But it wasn’t Asahina. My Asahina wasn’t that tall. Her face wasn’t so mature. The ballooning of her blouse couldn’t have increased in size by thirty percent overnight!

The person smiling as she held my hands in front of her chest looked to be around twenty or so. She came across differently from Asahina the high schooler. Even so, she and Asahina were like two peas in a pod. In every way.

“Uh…”

I was suddenly struck by an idea.

“Are you Asahina’s… sister?”

Her eyes narrowed with amusement and her shoulders began shaking. Even her smile looked amused.

“It’s me, silly,” she said. “The real Mikuru Asahina. But I’m from a later future than the Mikuru Asahina you’re familiar with…. I’ve missed you.”

I probably looked like an idiot at this point. Yeah, the most acceptable explanation would be that the woman before me was Asahina after a few years had passed. A perfect beauty I could accept as the future version of Asahina.

“Ah, you don’t believe me, do you?” Asahina, dressed like a secretary, said mischievously. “I’ll prove it to you.”

She suddenly began unbuttoning her blouse. After undoing the second button, she thrust her cleavage at a very confused me. “Look. I have a star-shaped mole here, right? It isn’t fake. Want to touch it to make sure?”

There was indeed a mole captivatingly protruding from the upper edge of her left breast. Like a solitary accentuation atop her creamy skin.

“Do you believe me now?”

That wasn’t the issue here. I didn’t know where Asahina had moles on her body. The only times I’d seen that much of her skin would be when she was dressed up as a bunny girl and when I accidentally walked in on her changing. In either case, I didn’t have enough time to make any detailed observations. Once I informed her of my thinking, the charming adult Asahina said, “Huh? But weren’t you the one who told me I had a mole here, Kyon? I didn’t even notice it myself.”

She tilted her head in wonder before opening her eyes wide in astonishment. She then suddenly turned bright red.

“Oh… no. It’s still… Oh, I see. It hasn’t happened yet…. Oh my, what do I do?” Future Asahina clasped her hands to her cheeks and shook her head, shirt still partially open. “I’ve made a huge mistake…. I’m so sorry! Please forget what I just said!”

Easier said than done. Anyway, could you button up your shirt already? I’m having a hard time figuring out where to look.

“I understand,” I said. “I’ll believe you for now. I’ve become a person who’s ready to believe anything at this point.”

“Huh?”

“No, just talking to myself.”

This Asahina of an indiscernible age, hands still pressed to her flaming cheeks, finally noticed how my eyes couldn’t help but be drawn to her assets, and hurriedly buttoned up her shirt. She then stood up straight and let out a dry cough.

“Do you really believe that I’ve come to this time plane from the future?”

“Of course. Wait. Does that mean there are two Asahinas in this period right now?”

“Yes. The past me… past from my point of view, is currently having lunch with classmates in the classroom.”

“Does that Asahina know that you’re here?”

“No. I didn’t know at the time. After all, she is my past.”

Makes sense.

“I needed to tell you something so I made some unreasonable requests in order to return to this time. I asked Nagato to leave us alone.”

It is Nagato we’re talking about here so she probably didn’t even blink when she saw this Asahina.

“… Do you know about Nagato?”

“Sorry. That’s classified information. My, I haven’t gotten to say that in a long time.”

“I just heard it a few days ago.”

“That’s right,” Asahina said as she bopped herself on the head and stuck her tongue out. Now she really did look like Asahina.

But then her face suddenly became serious.

“I can’t stay in this time very long. So I’ll be brief.”

Say whatever you want.

“Do you know who Snow White is?”

I stared at this Asahina who was about the same height as me. Her black eyes were slightly moist.

“Well, yeah….”

“When you find yourself in a harrowing situation, please remember those words.”

“You mean the story with seven dwarfs, a witch, and a poisoned apple?”

“Yes. Remember the story of Snow White.”

“I was just in a harrowing situation yesterday.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about. It’ll happen… Let’s see. I can’t tell you any specifics, but Suzumiya should be with you when it happens.”

Haruhi? And me? Caught up in some trouble together? When? Where?

“… Suzumiya may not find anything wrong with the situation… but for you and for the rest of us, it will be a significant problem.”

“I suppose that you can’t—give me any more details, can you?”

“I’m sorry. Still, just think of it as a hint. This is all I can do.”

Adult Asahina looked on the verge of tears. Yeah, she really was Asahina.

“And that would be Snow White?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll remember that.”

Once I nodded, Asahina said that she still had a little time left and looked fondly around the room. She then tenderly brushed her hand against the maid outfit hanging on the rack.

“I can’t believe I was able to wear this. I wouldn’t be able to do it now.”

“You look like you’re dressed up as an office lady right now.”

She giggled. “I couldn’t wear a uniform, so I tried dressing like a teacher.”

Some people just look good no matter what they’re wearing. I tried asking, “What other costumes did Haruhi make you wear?”

“That’s secret. It’s embarrassing. Besides, you’ll find out soon enough.”

Asahina walked over to me, slippers pitter-patting. Her eyes were oddly moist and her cheeks were still flushed.

“I’ll be going now.”

Asahina continued to stare at my face, like she had something else to say. Her lips parted as if seeking something. Just as I started wondering if I should kiss her and moved to embrace her—she got away from me.

Asahina twisted around suddenly.

“One last thing. Don’t get too close to me.”

She sounded like a cricket sighing.

As Asahina ran over to the door, I spoke up. “Please tell me one thing!”

Asahina paused right as she was about to open the door, her back toward me.

“Asahina. How old are you right now?”

Asahina turned around with a flick of her hair. Her smile was so brilliant that any person would fall in love.

“That’s classified information.”

The door shut. There probably wasn’t any point in going after her.

Heh, didn’t expect Asahina to turn into such a beauty. Then I remembered the first words she had spoken. “It’s been so long.” Those words can only mean one thing. That is to say, Asahina hadn’t seen me for quite some time.

“I see. Makes sense.”

Asahina, being from the future, would have to return to her original time before long. A number of years passed before she saw me again. And that happened just now.

I wonder how much time passed for her. Based on her appearance, I’d say five years… no, three years? Girls go through some dramatic changes once they’re out of high school. I think of my cousin, a brainy type who didn’t stand out much. But the second she entered college, she metamorphosed from a chrysalis into a Monarch butterfly. Come to think of it, I didn’t know Asahina’s actual age. Though I was pretty sure she wasn’t really seventeen.