Disclaimer: No disrespect is intended with the posting of this story. Situations and characters are property of Nagaru Tanigawa, and are used here without permission. His stuff; we're just borrowing it for a wee bit. Additionally, some tinting (characters and settings) are borrowed from Higurashi, which is the property of Ryukishi07; the gaggle of cousins that appear are covered by the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
Note: Takes place after novel eight and ignores novels nine through eleven. Welcome to a divergent AU! This is not a proper crossover; just using some established characters due to laziness.
It was a little disconcerting to see Kyon vanish so abruptly, but at this point I'm pretty much convinced that his cousins must literally be unable to let him sleep in - which really, for a vacation? I'd be hanging them out to dry if it was me. If you don't have anything to do, vacations are for relaxing!
Well, one way or another, he'll be back in a few days, and I'm sure he'll be his usual lazy self - he can catch up on his sleep in class. As long as he's not napping during Brigade meetings, I don't honestly care myself, and I guess I could help him keep up, at least for a while.
After he disappeared, the dream kept going, but it wasn't all that much fun. Mikuru was totally startled by Kyon disappearing, but it didn't bother her for more than a few minutes. Still, having what amounts to a puppet cheering for me just wasn't the same at all. Getting out of the dream was actually easier than I thought; I just pictured a giant switch - like something out of an old Frankenstein movie - and yanked it. Just like that, I found myself groggily blinking awake.
It was still totally dark outside, and rather than bother trying to get up, I just rolled back over and went to sleep - I was still pretty tired, after all, since I'd been lucid dreaming for the last few nights in a row - and thanks to that, I ended up sleeping in later than usual.
I didn't have anything planned for today, though, so it didn't really bother me that much - and thanks to that, I've pretty much taken it easy. The only minor interruption happened shortly after I woke up; my cell phone rang once, but by the time I got out of bed to check on it, it had already stopped - and the number wasn't anything I recognized, so I'm guessing it was just a wrong number that they realized after they'd let the phone ring. It was enough to get me out of bed, at least - and it was pretty late, anyway - so that's not a terrible thing.
Despite the whole 'Kyon takes over and ruins the whole setup I had going' thing, it was really a lot of fun - and given what happened there, the next time we do this I'm definitely going to get him back!
Just past lunchtime, my thoughts turn back to the others - and the first to come to mind is Yuki. Since she wasn't feeling well yesterday, I figure it wouldn't hurt to check up on her to make sure that headache wasn't the start of something more severe - she did say she was feeling a lot better last night, but it can't hurt to stop by anyway.
I remember where her apartment is; that's where we spent the time making those Valentine's chocolates, after all. I manage to luck out when I arrive; the superintendent is just leaving, and lets me in so I don't have to bother buzzing Yuki to get inside.
I'm actually surprised at what I find when I get up to her floor; the door to her apartment is open, and there's a familiar figure outside. I'm a little concerned, though - what is the student council secretary doing at Yuki's place?
The fact that she's there at all is a problem, definitely - but remembering what Yuki told me yesterday, maybe I'm better off trying to find out what's actually going on before I barge in.
With that in mind, I try to move slowly and quietly, getting close enough to actually hear what's going on before I announce my presence. Yuki seems to spot me fairly quickly, and I see a flash of recognition in her eyes - but she quickly focuses back on her visitor.
Kimidori doesn't seem to have noticed me, though, which suits me just fine. Once I get close enough, I can pick up what they're saying to each other.
"...expressly prohibited from taking action or investigating further," Kimidori says. What could she be talking about?
"The prohibition itself indicates the target," Yuki replies levelly - even for her she sounds unusually serious here! "You are aware of the possible repercussions if your involvement becomes known."
By this point I'm standing no more than a meter behind Kimidori, and I can just about look Yuki in the eyes over her shoulder. The Brigade's quietest member doesn't pay me any further attention, focused entirely on her obviously unwelcome visitor.
"Regardless, you have your instructions," Kimidori replies, then turns without anything further - and almost runs into me. The shock on her face is really evident, but she recovers quickly.
"Ah- Suzumiya-san! I... didn't expect to see you here!" She tries to give me a smile, but I'm not buying it after that... whatever it was she did to Yuki. A threat? A warning? I'm not even sure, but it didn't sound good!
I put my hands on my hips and scowl at the green-haired student council member. "I don't know what you're doing here with Yuki, Kimidori-san, but if you or your group are causing her - or any of the rest of my Brigade - any trouble, I will make sure you regret it!"
Her blanch is almost imperceptible, but I notice it anyway - mostly since I'm looking for it. What's more noticeable is that her smile fades, and she ducks her head as she moves around me. "I should be going, then," she says.
I can't resist a parting shot, though. "Ever manage to find another boyfriend, at least?" I call out mockingly.
She stops in the hallway and looks over her shoulder back at me. "I... have my eye on someone," she says, her voice a little strained.
I just snort in reply, turning my attention back to Yuki. "Are you all right, Yuki? What was that all about, anyway?"
"...troubles with family," she says, although I can't help but notice the slight hesitation as she says it. "Kimidori Emiri is a cousin."
I raise an eyebrow, then decide I should probably take this one head-on. "That's... you're not being entirely honest, are you?" I don't bother to wait for a reply before pushing on. "It's not just Mikuru-chan and Koizumi-kun that have secrets here - you do too."
Yuki pauses for a moment, then nods.
"And I'm guessing that if I were to ask you directly what it was, you wouldn't tell me." I shake my head - I was expecting more from Yuki since Kyon referred me to her, but even she's hiding something from me! "And Kyon won't tell me anything either! Isn't there anyone in this Brigade I can actually trust?"
"I... cannot say more," Yuki says, looking away from me. "I cannot speak for Koizumi Itsuki, but I can say that both Asahina Mikuru and myself are incapable of providing information about ourselves to you directly."
I'm about to snap back at her when one of those words pops out at me. "Some excu-- wait, incapable?" I narrow my eyes as I look at her. "What, you're trying to tell me that you're physically unable to tell me whatever it is that you're hiding from me?"
"That is correct," Yuki replies, not a hint of hesitation or uncertainty at all - and now you'd better believe I'm watching out for it!
That makes me pause for a minute, then I sigh. "Then what the hell did Kyon refer me to you for? If you can't actually say anything to me, how am I supposed to get your help in figuring out what's going on with Mikuru or Koizumi?"
Yuki - at least as far as her expression ever changes - looks puzzled for a moment, then her face settles into her usual expression - although with a glint in her eye that I'm not sure I've ever seen her with before. "I can... offer some small assistance, although its impact may not be immediately apparent," she explains.
"How so?" I cross my arms, waiting for a better explanation.
"I am... prevented from providing information to you, directly or indirectly," Yuki continues. "However, I believe you have the capability to discover what it is you seek without direct assistance."
I snort at that. "I appreciate the vote of confidence, but that's still not exactly helping me much."
Yuki nods. "The assistance I would offer would be contingent on your words to Kimidori Emiri - it may entail considerable risk for myself. If you are still willing to assist me at need, I will work to ensure that no other parties are able to interfere with your own investigation of the members of the SOS Brigade."
That gets me to stop and think, for a few reasons.
First: I'm wondering exactly how much to trust Yuki at this point. I don't think she's been lying to me about any of this stuff - other than the whole 'family' thing - but that seems more like a euphemism to refer to something else than an out-and-out lie. So on that front, I'm less concerned.
Second: If Yuki and Mikuru both are literally unable to talk about whatever it is they're not telling me, it must be pretty serious; the only thing I can think of that would prevent someone from doing that would be a major threat - like holding a family member hostage or something, or some sort of brainwashing. Neither one is something to take lightly!
Third: Logically, whatever the secret is, it has to be something related to me specifically, since Kyon seems to know whatever it is, and I can't imagine they didn't tell him directly since I don't see him as some kind of super-sleuth to figure that kind of thing out on his own. It's not like he's bad at figuring out mysteries, but I can't see him putting that kind of effort into tracking down clues - or just stumbling across enough of them randomly.
One thing I can answer with confidence, though, regardless of anything else. "I'm a little worried about what's really going on here, but if you're in trouble, I'll definitely back you up. We faced down the student council for you, after all! I'm not entirely sure what I can do - if this is something serious enough that neither you or Mikuru-chan can talk to me about it directly, I can't imagine it's something to take lightly - but whatever I can do, I will."
Yuki nods in reply, looking somewhat relieved. "Then I will do what I can to assist you. When you discover the truth about myself, you may ask me for further information, and I will provide it at that time."
I can't help but shake my head and speak my mind directly at that. "Sounds almost like some kind of game... but Kyon didn't make it sound like anything to joke about when he was talking about it, and I don't really get that from you either."
Again, the lavender-haired girl simply nods, although this time she doesn't elaborate any further.
"Then I guess I'm on my own for now," I sigh - although there's one last idea to try. "I don't suppose you could tell me if I got it right if I just started guessing stuff at random?"
A slight shake of Yuki's head puts paid to that idea, as expected. Guess I'm going to have to work for this after all!
Going home doesn't really have any appeal after that talk with Yuki, so instead I decide to wander around the shopping district while I consider my next moves.
Mikuru is still very much in my sights for piquing my curiosity in the first place, but after hearing what Yuki had to say today, and given the hints that Kyon dropped, I'm getting a really bad feeling about what might be going on with her. I'd still like to grill her - if I could make anyone talk, it'd be her! - but I suspect that following Kyon's advice there and treading lightly may be the best call.
Yuki... I don't know much more about her situation than I did before I talked to her, but I know she has a situation at least; I suppose the fact that neither she nor Mikuru can actually say anything about their situations directly is another good piece of information, since it does lend some gravity to what's going on. I don't really think it can be some kind of silly prank if that's really true - and if it's not, Yuki and Kyon are both going to be in some serious hot water! But I don't honestly think that's the case here.
Koizumi... actually, I know the least about him and whatever his secret is. Yuki didn't say he couldn't talk about it, the way she and Mikuru can't, but if he's got a secret as well then he might be the safest one to start investigating. Thinking about it, I actually have a few things to start with in his case, too - like that mysterious part-time job of his.
I've honestly never paid more attention to it mostly because I couldn't imagine how it could possibly be interesting - but it's definitely worth checking out now! Without any further ado, I pull out my cell and give him a call; I don't have any other plans for the afternoon, so there's no time like the present to get started.
"Ah... Suzumiya-san?" He actually answers surprisingly quickly once I punch him up in my phone book.
If I'm investigating, though, small details are going to be important! "That was quick - did I interrupt you on a call?"
"Nothing that can't wait," he replies smoothly. "Was there something I could help you with?"
Keep it nonchalant, Haruhi. "Yeah, I was just wondering if you had some time to hang out this afternoon," I say. "Today's been kind of slow, and since there haven't been any Brigade activities since Tuesday, I figured I should catch up with you, see how your week went. With the way it's been raining all week I just haven't felt like dragging everyone out, but at least we've got a break from it today."
If he's surprised by me inviting him out of the blue, he does a good job of hiding it. "Of course, that should be no problem at all! When and where would you like to meet?"
"Well, I was just visiting with Yuki, so I'm already downtown. If you want to head this way yourself, you can just meet me at the station like we usually do for our mystery searches." As I fill him in on the place to meet, I start heading that way myself.
"That sounds fine - I should be there quite soon," Koizumi promises.
"Good!" I bark back at him. "As usual, if you're late there will be penalties assessed!" Without waiting for any further reply, I end the call - he's got his orders!
Surprisingly, it really doesn't take Koizumi long to arrive at all. Yuki's apartment is a few minutes' walk away from Kouyouen Station, so by the time I've taken the train back to our usual meet-up location I only end up waiting a minute or two for him.
It's long enough to be mildly annoying, so I'm already starting to tap my foot impatiently before he arrives. He does at least have the sense to look apologetic about it; if this were Kyon, he'd be complaining about how I was closer to begin with or making some other excuse for why it was okay for him to have arrived after me.
Somehow, the lack of resistance isn't really improving my mood about it, though. With that thought in mind, I give Koizumi a halfhearted smile as he walks up; for his part, his expression fairly quickly turns to puzzlement.
"Am I... the first to arrive aside from yourself?" he prompts, after a moment in which I don't say anything.
"No, you're the only other person coming," I retort, only waiting a moment to make sure he follows me as I head out of the station.
"Oh! My apologies, I thought Nagato-san was joining us." He looks somewhat thoughtful at that.
"Nope, I was just checking in on her - she came over to visit yesterday and ended up having to head home because she wasn't feeling well, so I was just stopping by to make sure she was doing better," I explain.
"Nothing too serious, I hope," he says, looking concerned. "It's rather unusual for her to be ill."
"Apparently not," I answer offhandedly. "She had what looked like a pretty bad headache yesterday, but she was doing fine today - I just didn't think inviting her out was a great idea right after that."
"That was considerate of you," Koizumi says, his smile turning genuinely pleased. "And Asahina-san?"
"I went shopping with her a couple of days ago," I explain. "We had fun - but I gave her an assignment to try to come up with some costume ideas for the Brigade on her own. It's good that she's so willing to follow orders and she's a great mascot, but I'd like to see her show a little more initiative, you know?"
"Understandable," Koizumi answers, nodding in agreement. "I've wondered at her ability to keep up with us, since she usually has to receive orders before she does anything - I can't recall any time where I've ever seen her do something on her own initiative. But that should be an excellent way for her to show her interest."
"Hmm, you really think she's been troubled, then?" I push open the door to a coffee shop - not our usual cafe, I'm in the mood to try something a little different today.
"Ah... perhaps a bit," he allows. "I don't think it's so much that you've asked her to do anything unreasonable, just that she seems to have a difficult time doing what it is that you do ask for."
I don't really have an answer for that; given some of Yuki's hints and the way Mikuru acts most of the time, I'm starting to wonder if it's not something a lot more serious than that, but there's no reason to fill Koizumi in on my suspicions - at least not yet. I'll have to figure out more about what his secret is before I do that much.
Instead, I just head for the nearest open table and flop down in a chair. Koizumi seems satisfied to let me take the lead for conversation; he's definitely paying close attention to me as he takes a seat across from me. Something feels odd about that, but I dismiss it as I look over one of the menus that's been left on the table.
Rather than let the silence stagnate while I read, though, I decide to start some of my probing on Koizumi himself. "So... what about you, Koizumi-kun? Been busy with your family at all, since the Brigade's plans fell through?"
He looks slightly off-guard for the briefest of moments at the question, but if I hadn't been watching out for any unusual reactions I probably never would have noticed it. "Actually, not particularly. Most of my free time has been spent keeping up with my studies."
"Really?" I glance at him briefly, then turn my attention back to the menu. "That's a little surprising... although maybe not, I guess - my parents went out of town for the week, and since I had my own plans I just stayed behind by myself. Something like that for you, too?"
"Indeed," he replies smoothly.
"No part-time work? Seems like that's kind of fallen off lately - you haven't had to skip any Brigade activities for that in a while, at least that I can remember."
His smile actually broadens a bit at that. "Actually, no - I somewhat expected it to pick up a bit in the latter part of this week, but it's been surprisingly quiet in that regard."
I shoot him a quizzical look. "What exactly is it that you do, anyway? It's kind of weird to have a part-time job that only interferes with your club activities some of the time - I could understand it better if it was something that happened regularly."
"Ah -- that has to do with why I transferred," Koizumi replies. "I actually moved to Nishinomiya to help my great-uncle with his store - he runs a bookstore in the northern part of the city. "
"That's kind of cool, I guess," I say, glancing around the restaurant briefly. Where the hell's the server, anyway? I would have expected them to come by for the order by now! I huff a bit in frustration, then turn back to Koizumi. "Only thing that seems a little odd about that is the odd times and short notice when you have to duck out of Brigade activities."
"Ah, well..." Koizumi coughs politely. "It actually does a fair amount of business in used books, and while we know we'll receive more, we don't always know how many there will be. Usually, if I have to leave early it's because a particularly large shipment has come in, and I need to help my uncle move it - he's fairly old, and can't manage the boxes of books by himself very well."
"That makes a little more sense," I allow. "What's the name of this place, anyway?"
"I doubt it's anywhere you've visited before - it's a bit out of the way, at the edge of the shopping district." Koizumi hedges.
"Okay, fine, so I might not have seen it before, but maybe I want to check it out now," I shoot back testily.
His smile weakens a bit at that. "I apologize, I didn't mean to seem evasive. It's Northern Nishinomiya Books-"
"That's fine, I can just look it up online later," I snap, crossing my arms. And at that, I spot movement out of the corner of my eye; it looks like the waiter's finally decided to come over for our orders.
And then I turn to look at him, and have to resist the urge to imitate Kyon's favorite mannerism - smacking my palm into my forehead. Of all the people it could be...
"Taniguchi? What the hell are you doing here?" I can't help but bark out.
"Um-um-um-um... I work here?" he manages to stammer out. "C-c-c-can I take your orders?"
I can't help but wonder why he's so nervous, then I notice that he keeps sneaking glances over at Koizumi and then back at me. What the hell is so odd about the fact that Koizumi and I are out getting... something...
Now I really have to resist the urge to hit myself. I didn't even stop to think about what me going out to a restaurant with a guy, by myself, was going to look like.
I also don't hesitate once I've realized the implications, either. It takes me basically no effort to grab the front of Taniguchi's shirt and yank him down to eye level, rising halfway out of my seat in the process.
"I can already guess what's going through that perverted mind of yours," I growl, shooting him a look that promises pain. "We're here meeting on SOS Brigade business, and absolutely nothing more than that."
"O-of course!" he yelps, trying to jerk out of my grasp - but I'm not done with him.
"I also know you have trouble keeping your mouth shut, but if I hear word one of this at school I will make sure you regret it, am I clear?"
"Perfectly clear!" he squeaks out, and with that I finally let go of him. I don't honestly believe that'll stop the rumor mill from having a field day with this, but at least I made the effort.
Surprisingly, he doesn't scurry off immediately the way I'd expect. I shoot him a dark scowl at that - can't he take a hint? - but he just cringes and tries to hide behind his serving tray.
"I... er... still need to take your orders," he manages to get out.
That catches me off guard, if just for a moment... but on thinking about it, it's an easy enough question to answer. I glance over at Koizumi to see what his reaction is, but he just returns a faint shrug - although I can't help but notice that his usual smile has faded a bit.
"Forget it, I'm not hungry anymore," I snap, grabbing my purse from the chair next to me as I get up. "Koizumi-kun, we can get back to this at the next Brigade meeting."
"Of course," he replies smoothly, getting out of his own seat as well.
With that, I push Taniguchi back out of the way and stalk out of the cafe. I can't help but cringe at the thought of having to tell Kyon about this - I can already see the smirk on his face - but really, better that I say something than he find out from that pervert, which would be even worse.
I don't even bother to look back to see if Koizumi's following me out - frankly, I don't really care at this point. What a way to wrap up the day!
...well, I guess it's not entirely a loss. I did get more information about Koizumi's part-time job, at least; that'll give me something new to look into tomorrow.
I'll be glad when Kyon's back, that's for sure! Even if he doesn't tell me anything directly, I can see him letting things slip - now that I know to watch out for them, anyway.
When I next come to my senses, I'm in some kind of room made of what looks like blue metal. It's rather disorienting, until I remember to try my reality check - and then it's more surprising than anything when it turns out I really am dreaming again.
I have no idea why I'm controlling my dream again when I didn't intend to - but whatever the reason, I'm not particularly inclined to kick myself out of the dream, at least not yet. A cursory exploration of the room I'm in doesn't really turn up anything interesting, which seems unique in itself; so far, pretty much every place I've dreamed myself into originally has been pretty fantastic, but this is actually fairly boring.
At least, that's before I actually head for the door and step outside. The view outside the room is enough to take my breath away - almost literally.
The doorway opens out onto a small ledge, maybe a meter wide, made of the same blue metal. What's beyond that, though...
The only thing that I can compare it to is videos I've seen online of people attaching cameras to weather balloons and letting them go. The sun is in the sky, and I can feel it on my face, but the sky overhead is almost black and the stars are definitely visible. Out towards the horizon I can see a blue haze - what I'd guess is the edge of the atmosphere - and while there are definitely clouds out there, they're far more down there - with as high as I am, even the clouds have to be miles below me.
I definitely don't have a problem with heights under normal circumstances, but this is a bit much, even for me - I found myself grabbing the edge of the doorframe to steady myself, then looked down to see exactly what I was on.
I was expecting to see that I was in some kind of spaceship just leaving the atmosphere, but no - what's below me is some kind of ridiculously tall tower, made of this same weird blue metal. There are several odd protrusions and other structures popping out of the main tower itself, from what I can see, and a long way further down I can see a big ring of what looks like normal land surrounding the central column - but even that's above the clouds, and it keeps me from seeing whether the main shaft actually goes through the clouds or not - but I suspect it does even without seeing it.
The thought is as dizzying as the view - although once I remember that this is a dream, some of my apprehension goes with it. After all, even if I fell, I could make myself fly, or just appear somewhere else - I'm not in any danger here as long as I remember that I'm the one in control.
With that reassurance to steady my legs, I step out fully onto the ledge, taking the measure of the place. Recalling those weather balloon videos, I'd guess I must be about thirty kilometers up, if not more - which is pretty amazing, since the tallest real building in the world isn't even a single kilometer high! And looking up, I'm not even at the top of the tower!
I have to admit, seeing some of the places my subconscious mind comes up with on its own can be pretty amazing by itself; while I don't think I'd care to have made the effort to learn lucid dreaming just for that, I can't deny that it's a nice bonus.
Since I'm here, though, I might as well take a look around for Kyon. I tend to doubt he'll be here - even if I'm getting used to this kind of sleep, it still seemed to take some time, and I got started with actual lucid dreams before he did, so it may take him a while to get to the same point.
A few page-turns don't turn him up anywhere that I'd expect, however. The first stop is the clubroom, of course, but it's completely empty - and so is the palace from the dream I made last night. We haven't really done anything in any other places - other than the tour of Hinamizawa - so I'm not sure where else I'd even look at the moment; I could try to find him randomly, but since I don't even think he'll be here tonight, I don't see a reason to spend a ton of time looking for him.
So instead, I decide to simply enjoy the dream for what it is - a chance for my mind to make up the kinds of fantastic stuff I really want to find and explore it. The rest of the night is spent just turning pages randomly to see what's out there - and the variety of things to see was amazing in itself.
Some things were just plain weird, like being mounted on the back of Kyon's cat and trying to race against Sakanaka on the back of Rousseau - which worked about as well as you might expect; as soon as the flag was dropped, the cat promptly curled up and tried to take a nap, while Rousseau was off like a shot.
Most of the dreams are fairly simple, though - tons of surreal landscapes, everything from a domed city in space orbiting some strange planet to mountains that looked like they were made completely out of multicolored crystal. It's definitely a lot of fun, although I can't help but feel like it was kind of empty - it'd be more fun if Kyon was here.
I wake up on time, feeling pretty decent overall. The last time I ended up in lucid dreams a few nights in a row, I could barely keep my eyes open - and really, I'd been feeling pretty tired even before then. Even so, it's the fourth night in a row that I've been in the dream like this - maybe I'm actually getting used to this kind of sleep?
Sunday afternoon finds me headed out to meet Mikuru again; my parents are due back in town early this evening, but I'm not particularly keen on being around when they get back - they'll be tired and grouchy, so I'd just rather avoid them entirely.
Of course, meeting Mikuru isn't just so I can avoid my parents, although that does make a convenient cover story - even more so because it's true. I'm not going to interrogate Mikuru directly like I want to, probably not even as much as I did with Koizumi yesterday, but Kyon's suggestion was to be her friend, and Yuki's was to observe - and the best way to do both of those things is to spend more time with her.
And so, once again I'm meeting one of the Brigade's members at Kitaguchi Station for an afternoon of shopping - but with a mission of my own to accomplish at the same time. Mikuru's actually beaten me here this time, although with only two of us meeting there's no point in assigning penalties anyway.
I wave in greeting to the Brigade's mascot, then give her a smile as I get close enough to speak to her without yelling. "Thanks for coming out this afternoon - my parents are due back in from their vacation today, and my dad is always grumpy and worn out after he gets back from a long trip. Staying out of the house seems like the best bet for now, and it'd suck to just wander around by myself."
Mikuru essays a hesitant smile at that. "Ah - I was kind of wondering, since you hadn't mentioned anything else happening this weekend, and we'd already been out shopping earlier this week."
I put on a wry grin at that. "I'll absolutely admit that it's more of an excuse to get out of the house, but I doubt you had much else going on this afternoon either," I prod.
"Well... that's true..." Mikuru hedges.
"Good!" I take Mikuru's elbow and start off, heading on an unusual tangent out of the station - away from the boutiques we usually visit. "Besides, I've got someplace I want to check out today."
She allows herself to be pulled, although I do make an effort to slow down a little from my usual pace so I'm not actually dragging her behind me. She looks a little puzzled, so I figure I should at least give an explanation of why we're not doing the usual.
"I finally managed to get some info out of Koizumi-kun about that part-time job of his," I explain, waiting for one of the street crossing signals to change. "I figure, since we've already hit the usual spots this week, why not mix things up and go check it out?"
"O-oh," Mikuru says, looking nonplussed. "Are you... don't you want Koizumi-kun along to show you around, then?"
"Actually, no," I reply, giving her a conspiratorial smirk as the light changes and we continue on. "I always thought his story about a part-time job was kind of weird, so I want to get a look at it when he's not actually expecting me."
Mikuru blinks a couple of times at that. "Is that so," she says slowly, a rather amused-looking smile forming on her features. "Why did you think his story was strange, though?"
I shrug a bit; I can be honest about my original suspicions, even if they've changed a bit recently. "Honestly? It's just way too convenient the way he calls out of Brigade meetings on short notice sometimes - I've occasionally wondered if it was just an easy excuse to skip when he didn't feel like it, but most of the times he's done it I haven't really been in any kind of mood to follow up on it."
The Brigade mascot nods thoughtfully. "That makes sense... well, I can't see any harm in checking up on it then - although where exactly is it that he works?"
In answer, I point to the storefront just up the block - even from here, the 'Northern Nishinomiya Books' sign is readable. "Apparently, it's that bookstore up there - he works part time for his uncle doing shipping and receiving stuff."
Mikuru nods pensively as we get closer. As I can see more of the building, I can't help but notice how run-down it seems; the shop windows themselves seem pretty dirty, and while there are planters all around the building, most of the hedges planted in them are dead.
I can't help but shake my head at that. "Looks like that's all he does, though - this place could really stand some cleaning up!" I step over to one of the dead shrubs, picking a brown leaf out of the mess and letting it drop to the sidewalk. "Either that, or Koizumi-kun is just the world's worst gardener."
Mikuru hides a giggle behind her hand at that, and I give her an answering grin before pushing open the door into the shop.
We're greeted by a somewhat feeble "Welcome!" as the door opens. I greet the owner with a nod as we come in, giving him a discreet once-over; he definitely looks like he's getting up there in years, but I don't really notice much of a resemblance to Koizumi. I guess a great-uncle is far enough removed that something like that might not be obvious, but it's still something to keep in mind.
I decide to follow up with him later and push on into the store itself, Mikuru seeming a little nervous as she follows along behind me. And this time, I can kind of get why - this place is stuffed to bursting with books! The shabby look from outside definitely carries over to the interior; while the books aren't actually falling out of the shelves or anything, the shelves themselves look rather old and not all that stable. Even I'm a little nervous about trying to get anything down for a closer look!
With that in mind, it's not terribly surprising that Mikuru stays close to me while I browse through the aisles, keeping her hands held crossed in front of her. After I've walked down to the end of the first aisle, she does finally approach a little closer to talk.
"Umm... not that I mind looking around here, but... what are we looking for?" she whispers, glancing up at a rather precariously-stacked box on top of one of the shelves along the back wall.
I catch sight of what's got her attention and move a bit further along the back wall, just to be on the safe side - although pretty much all of these shelves look that sloppy. "As far as books go, nothing really - it's more about checking the place out, seeing if we can find out anything about Koizumi-kun working here." I can't help but speak in low tones myself - it may not be a library, but being among so many books makes it hard not to think that way.
"Umm... I'm still not sure what we're looking for, then," Mikuru admits, grimacing a little. "I mean, if he's here and we see him, that's obvious, but it's supposed to be a part-time job - what if he's not working today?"
I sigh sharply, leaning back against a shelf- and quickly straightening up as it wobbles in place. "Whoa... anyway, this is more about looking for details, little things that might show that he's been working here."
Thinking about it, though, we're probably not going to find things like that out on the sales floor, if he's been working on moving boxes - all of his stuff will be in the back room. With that in mind, I start working my way along the back wall to find the entrance to the back, although I pull up short as I see one of the signs on the aisle shelves - the used book section.
"Hold up, Mikuru-chan - let's check out the used books," I say, holding up a hand to stop her.
She blinks in surprise for a moment, then follows, still looking a bit puzzled. Rather than wait for her to ask, I continue my explanation as I start picking through the shelves - carefully.
"One of the things Koizumi-kun told me was that he usually has to cut Brigade meetings to move in the used book shipments," I offer, frowning a bit as I pull one of the used books off the shelf.
Now this is weird, and definitely on the fishy side! The book I pulled off the shelf could be brand new; there's no shrink-wrap, and the obi - the little dust-jacket with more information about the book - is missing, but aside from that it looks like it's never been read. The spine even crackles when I open it up!
Definitely suspicious; I stuff the book back on the shelf and grab another from the next shelf up - and the same applies to that one too. This one still has the publisher's card in it when I flip through it!
I can't help but smirk at that, shutting the book with a snap. "That definitely qualifies as suspicious!" I announce quietly, slotting the book into place. "These books are brand new!"
"That's... I guess that is a little we- eeeeek!" Mikuru's agreement is cut short by a sharp shriek, occasioned by a rather large box of books tipping off the top shelf! I'm just barely quick enough to brace myself and catch it before it falls on her head - damn, this is heavy!
I manage to shift the weight to a more manageable position after a moment, Mikuru peeking up and scooting back to a safe distance after she realizes she isn't going to be crushed. With the extra room to maneuver, I manage to get the box down to the floor, although it takes some work - with one box already having fallen, I don't want to lean it up against the shelf and make something else fall.
That done, I stalk up to the front of the store, Mikuru trailing along in my wake. I don't have to put up a front at all to confront the owner, in this case! "Hey!" I call out. "You should be more careful with your book boxes, my friend was almost hit by one just a minute ago!"
The elderly gentleman behind the counter blinks at me nearsightedly, fumbling for a pair of glasses before focusing on the two of us. "Eh? What's that?"
"Your shelves are dangerous!" I retort more loudly, setting my hands on my hips. "All I did was put a book back on the shelf, and a box fell off and almost hit Mikuru-chan!"
He finally seems to hear me at that, looking rather shocked. "Oh no - I'm very sorry! You're not hurt, are you?" he exclaims, peering through his spectacles at Mikuru.
"N-no, I'm fine - Suzumiya-san kept the box from hitting me," Mikuru explains, relaxing just a bit now that we're in a more open area.
"Oh good, good," the old man replies, settling back in his chair. "I'm very sorry about that - I know I should organize better, but I have a hard time getting up to the top shelves these days."
That gives me a perfect opportunity to work in some of my own questions. "I can get that, but if you're having trouble you should find someone to help you out! Someone could really get hurt if something like that happens again!"
"I do have some help from my nephew, but he's rather busy much of the time and can't come in that often," the proprietor replies.
That does give some credence to Koizumi's story, at least, but still... those new books? It's not all on the up-and-up, for sure! "You should at least get him to help you make sure the store is safe!" I snap back, finally grabbing Mikuru's hand. "Come on, Mikuru-chan, let's go!"
Mikuru lets out a little yelp of surprise as she's pulled out of the store; I don't let go of her hand until we've reached the other end of the block, turning to look at her while we wait for the signal to cross the road back towards the station.
"Are you okay, Mikuru-chan?" I ask, giving her a critical once-over. She didn't get hit - luckily - but given how easily she gets freaked out, I can see her still being upset.
"I'm not hurt," the redhead replies, taking a deep breath and sighing. "I was afraid I was going to get crushed under that box though - I can't believe you actually caught it!"
I wave off the praise casually, shaking my head. "I couldn't let you get squished, could I? I'm just glad you're not hurt!" I can't help but grin and give her a poke in the chest as I go on. "Although it'd take a pretty big box to make you flat!"
Mikuru goes scarlet at that, stammering as she hunts for a reply - which just makes me burst out laughing. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Seriously, though, it's not that big a deal - it was heavy, but nothing I couldn't manage!" I can't help but puff my own chest out a bit in pride.
She calms down a little at that, although she's still blushing a bit. "Even so... thanks, Suzumiya-san."
"It's nothing," I repeat. "Didn't I tell you earlier - I'm the SOS Brigade chief, of course I'm going to look out for our members! Especially our awesome mascot!"
One thing from that bothers me, just a little; if Kyon's right, and I should work on being Mikuru's friend more...
"And one more thing - you don't need to be that formal with me anymore - we've known each other for almost a year now! You can just call me Haruhi if you want to."
Mikuru seems more surprised at that than anything else that's happened today. "I... really?"
"Of course! I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it!" I retort, grabbing her hand and pulling her across the street as the signal changes. "Now come on - this mission's been a big success, so let's go get something to eat to celebrate!"
For the first time in a while, I don't actually go into a lucid dream, nor do I really remember what I dreamed about. It doesn't bother me too much, though; it's the first day back in classes, and I plan on having a long debriefing session with Kyon about what all he's done when I haven't been around in the dream.
With that thought in mind, my steps are light, and the walk up the hill that Kyon loves to grumble about so much is barely noticeable - not that it's really that much of a strain anyway, but it makes good teasing fodder now and then.
It's early when I settle into the classroom, so there's no sign of Kyon yet - although that's not that unusual. Since Kyon isn't here yet, I end up chatting with Sakanaka for a few minutes; given the dream with her on Saturday night, I ask whether she's remembered any other dreams since the last time we talked, but no luck. It does get me to wondering whether I might have actually seen her dream and not just a representation of her in my own dream - it's something to look into later, for sure!
Still, Kyon doesn't show up the entire time I'm talking with her, and while he does tend to cut it close, the chime to start classes going off with no sign of him definitely indicates that something's wrong. He might tend to take it down to the wire, but he's almost never actually late.
The continued lack of Kyon keeps me uneasy throughout the entire first period, then at the first break I waste no time in heading down to the office to find out if there's been any word from him. I could probably try asking Okabe-sensei, but he doesn't exactly strike me as the diligent type - so if Kyon's called in today, I somehow doubt he'd hear about it until after I did anyway.
The secretary in the office looks lost when I ask if there's been any word from Kyon; it takes me a moment to realize they'd know him by his real name, but even providing that doesn't turn up any news. I give the woman a quick thank-you, then start heading back to the classroom.
Just to make sure, I hit the speed-dial for his cell phone, but it doesn't even ring - it just drops me straight into his voicemail box, which I don't bother leaving a message on for now. I debate trying his aunt's phone number in Hinamizawa, but the break is almost over, and I actually have to run just to get back to my seat in time. Sakanaka gets a look at my face as I come in, and while I get a momentary look of concern from her, there's no real time to talk before the teacher clears his throat and starts up on the next lecture.
That pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the day. I don't check with the office at every break, but definitely again at lunchtime and one last time after classes let out - and neither time has there been any call from Kyon or his parents to explain why he's absent - and I definitely try his cell phone every time I get a chance, and even his house phone at lunchtime.
I'm actually half tempted to try calling his aunt's number at lunchtime, but I figure I can leave it until after the Brigade meeting at least; it's a long shot, but maybe one of the others will have some idea of what's happened to him - and I'd rather not disturb or worry his family if it really isn't anything major.
I don't actually see much of the others during the day; I get a glimpse of Koizumi walking through the halls at lunchtime, which is a little unusual since I'm normally the only member that does much roaming around - everyone else generally tends to eat lunch in their classrooms. I don't stop to talk to him, though, and he appears to be focused on his own errand, so there's not much to be said there.
In the end, I finally arrive at the club room feeling worried and irritable. Thanks to the check-in at the office, I'm the last to arrive; Mikuru's already in uniform and in the process of making tea, but Koizumi and Yuki both look unsettled - or at least don't look like they normally do. Yuki actually doesn't have a book in her lap for once; she's staring at the opposite wall as I come in, while Koizumi is sitting at the table looking much less cheerful than usual.
I slam the door behind me, dropping my bookbag with a sour grunt. "All right - has anyone heard from Kyon?" I bark out, looking between the brigade's members in turn. "He hasn't been in class all day, I can't get him on his cell phone, and even the office hasn't heard anything!"
Yuki turns to look at me, giving a minuscule shake of the head in response. Mikuru looks alarmed; I guess it's news to her, but given that she's in an entirely different year I suppose that's not too surprising. Koizumi, on the other hand, looks more serious than usual as he responds.
"I'm afraid I haven't heard much, although I did hear that he was missing today," he says, shaking his head.
"Well, that's just great," I huff, sitting down so forcefully in my seat that the chair bangs against the wall. "Nothing on his house phone either - I've thought about calling his aunt out in the country to find out if they got held up on the way back, but I can't see that happening and them not calling the school office about it."
Koizumi just shakes his head, and then I'm surprised by the next suggestion. "Search online," Yuki adds quietly.
"...online? Search for what online?" I snap. "His name better not be in the news!"
"Weather reports," Yuki continues, unperturbed - or at least by my anger; she actually looks a bit more focused than I'm used to seeing. "There were reports of heavy rains in northern Honshu."
I snap my fingers at that. "You're right, I remember you mentioning that the other day. You think the weather might have held him up?" Rather than actually wait for a reply, I fire up the computer - it's as good a place to start as any.
"It is possible," Yuki affirms. "I... have been unable to obtain further information about conditions in his area since we last spoke."
That sounds kind of troubling - and Koizumi and Mikuru both seem to agree, the two of them looking at Yuki in surprise. Given that I'm supposed to be observing everyone, I make a note of that, although I can't really focus on it at the moment - finding Kyon is the important thing here!
Finally, the computer finishes starting up, and I start looking for news reports as Mikuru passes out the tea. She actually hovers over my shoulder after setting my cup down, looking at the screen herself; I can't really blame her too much for that, though.
A quick search for 'Hinamizawa' actually gets results - three articles, two from Saturday and another today. However, scanning the first one gives me some really disturbing news.
"Wait... what the hell?" I scowl, looking at the details of the second article. "According to this, the levees around the dam in Hinamizawa broke in the early hours on Saturday morning, and later that same day there was a mudslide that cut off all access and communications with the village."
Mikuru lets out a little gasp at that, and Yuki looks slightly angry about it, for some reason. "Anyway, according to the article that went up today, the JSDF is up there airlifting supplies into the village, and since the weather still hasn't completely cleared up - and it's still flooding - they think it might be as much as a week or two before they're able to get the roads cleared and things go back to normal."
Koizumi actually loses his smile for once. "That... would explain it," he says slowly, a thoughtful look on his face. "If his family was planning to leave on Sunday - which would make sense - then they may have been stranded in the village by the mudslide. I can't imagine his parents would want to risk trying to get through those conditions with Kyon and his younger sister."
I slam my fist down next to the computer, which makes my tea slop over onto the desk. "This sucks! One of the Brigade's members is trapped - we're absolutely going to have to do something about this!"
Mikuru squeaks in alarm at the sudden sound, but Yuki still looks focused - when she catches me looking at her, she gives me a tiny nod, as if to say she's in agreement. I don't know why she'd be so upset about a natural disaster, but it's good to know I have her support!
"Ah... do you have a plan, Suzumiya-san?" Koizumi says hesitantly.
I'm about to snap back at him in reply, then I stop - he does have a point. "Hmm, you're right - there's no way we're going to sit back and do nothing, but if things are that bad in the village where he's staying, then we'll definitely need to be prepared if we're going to get him out!"
Mikuru ducks down behind her serving tray at that. "We're going to go get him?" she whimpers.
"Of course!" I return, shooting her a withering look. "You think we should just leave him there?"
She cringes at that, but it's Koizumi that comes to her rescue this time. "I think what Asahina-san meant to imply is that from your description, it doesn't actually sound like he's in immediate danger - perhaps we can allow the JSDF and the Department of Public Works to take care of retrieving those that are stranded, and help in some other means?"
"Like what?" I shoot back.
"What about something like a donation drive?" Koizumi says, giving me a small smile as he spreads his hands. "Obviously, with a disaster such as this there will be relief agencies such as the Red Cross that will need donations to help deal with the aftermath. We could stage a fundraiser here at the school, and in doing so help out Kyon-kun's family as well as the others in their village that have been displaced."
I don't like it, to be honest; I don't disagree that giving donations to places like that is a good thing to do, but it doesn't actually do anything to help Kyon. I'm about to tell Koizumi just that, too, but then a sneaky idea works it way into my head. A fundraiser to help with the relief efforts is definitely a good idea... but the agency they'll be going to is the SOS Brigade! There's no way I'm getting talked out of heading up there to do something to help, but if we're doing that - especially if it's more than just me that's going - we'll need money for train tickets and other things to prepare. And we can turn it into a real relief trip too - but that means we need to buy supplies and other things to take with us when we go, and that means money, too.
Judging from the look on Yuki's face, I think she wants to go just as much as I do - but I'll wait until after Koizumi and Mikuru are gone to check on that. For now, I just nod thoughtfully as I reply to Koizumi. "That's... actually not a bad idea... fine! You're in charge of getting the flyers prepared, Koizumi-kun - Mikuru-chan, your costume assignment is now due by tomorrow! We'll need something eye-catching to get people's attention for the fundraiser, so try to come up with something that fits the theme that we can all dress up in!"
Mikuru looks startled at being called out, but gives me a hesitant nod; Koizumi's affirmation is more emphatic.
"Right! Since everyone has their assignments, that's what we're going to be working on for the rest of today! Koizumi-kun, Mikuru-chan, you're dismissed - but I'll be checking in with you tomorrow at lunchtime for a progress report, since we're going to have to move fast on this!"
"Of course," Koizumi replies, his usual smile restored as he rises from his seat. "It's merely a shame that we have no way to let Kyon know that we're doing what we can to assist from here."
I almost blurt out that I can just tell him tonight, but manage to bite my tongue before I let that secret go. I can still do it, of course, but explaining how... no, I don't want to let the rest of the Brigade know about that just yet, at least until I can have a long talk with Kyon about it, and while we're actually in the dream isn't exactly the best setting for that.
My musing is interrupted by the click of the door closing behind Koizumi. Mikuru's already waiting next to the costume rack for him to exit, looking thoughtful; she seems to snap out of it a moment after I catch sight of her and starts changing back into her uniform without saying anything further.
While I wait for her to finish up and leave, I do a bit more digging around online to see what kind of information is available aside from the original articles I found. Unfortunately, there isn't much more; the villages are so small that they don't seem to merit much discussion in the news, and the only other tidbit I can find is that there has been communication with the village - apparently a couple of short-wave radios are working, and so they know that the village's school has been set up as a shelter of sorts. I have to wonder if Kyon is there, or if he's still staying with his family - I suppose there wouldn't be much reason for him to go to the school if his family's home was safe.
While I'm reading, I keep checking on Mikuru's progress; after scanning through the article that talks about the shelter, she's finally finished changing and left the club room. As expected, Yuki is still here, and still looking focused - I haven't seen her even touch one of her books all afternoon.
Once we're alone, though, I clear my throat to get her attention. "All right, Yuki - you look like you're worried about Kyon too."
She hesitates briefly, then nods wordlessly in reply.
"I'm telling you this since I think you'll agree - we are definitely still going to go up to Hinamizawa to help Kyon out." I fold my arms and lean back in my chair as I continue. "I can see that it makes Mikuru-chan and Koizumi-kun nervous, though, so we're going to keep this part of things under wraps until we're ready to go."
Given her usual quiet demeanor, I don't wait for an affirmative reply before I press on. "For now, I want you to work on that part - it's probably not going to be easy for us to make it into Hinamizawa if the roads are so bad or if it's still dangerous up there. What I need you to do is figure out how we get up there - how far can we go safely, how dangerous you think it'll be after that, what kind of supplies we'll need for the trip, how much it'll cost - as many details as you think you can put together.
"For now, keep your assignment to yourself. I'll want to know how hard this is going to be and get things ready before we spring it on the others. I don't expect Koizumi-kun to actually say no, but I can see that he's not terribly eager to do it either, and Mikuru-chan will definitely freak out at it. If they don't find out about it until it's already done and we're ready to go, there's that much less argument they can put up about it."
"Understood," Yuki replies, standing up and taking her bag. "I will provide you with further details tomorrow.
I nod in confirmation, but... honestly, while I can't say that she really looks agitated or upset given how stoic she is in general, this is about the most worked-up I think I've ever seen her - even when Kyon was in his coma she didn't seem this worried. Given that, and the fact that she's been more open with me about her own secrets - even if that isn't by very much - I decide to give away a tiny bit of my own.
"And, Yuki..." I say, just as she's about to leave the room. "I can't tell you how, but I will make sure that Kyon is all right as soon as I can, probably before anyone expects."
She pauses at that, but somewhat to my surprise doesn't actually question any further, just looking over her shoulder back at me, waiting for me to continue.
"Once I've gotten touch with him, I'll be sure to let you know how he's doing," I confirm, not meeting her gaze.
She gives me a final nod at that, then proceeds out of the club room.
I blow out a breath at that, then wipe my hands on my skirt. Kyon, you'd better be there tonight!