# Kyon: Big Damn Hero

## Gearing Up Arc III

### Chapter Twenty One: Measure and Distance

Disclaimer: The novel series of Suzumiya Haruhi that began with 'The
Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi' is the creation of Nagaru Tanigawa. No
disrespect is intended by the posting of this fanfiction, as I do not own the
characters or settings involved. I'm merely dabbling with another set of
paints. TVtropes(dot)org is part of the public domain, I think? I actually
couldn't find a 'legal' section on the site! Additional characters are
borrowed from Higurashi, which is the creation of Ryukishi07.

Notes: Count the tropes! Save, collect, trade for swell prizes!

* * *

"Chapter Three: Friends and Enemies"

"There's an old quote that goes, 'keep your friends close, and your enemies
closer'. Personally, I think that's about the dumbest thing I've ever heard.
Don't ignore your enemies, if you've got any, but at no point should your
vision and focus be so clouded by _anything_ that you forget to pay attention
to your friends."

"Practical Heroism and You: Awareness" -- Tadamichi Kyousuke

* * *

Morning came, and with it, bright beams of sunlight, spearing through the gaps
in the curtain by Kyon's bedside. As they slowly traced across his pillow,
finally settling on his eyes, he woke up again.

Blinking to clear his head of the dreams he'd had, he spent a very long moment
staring at the unfortunately familiar ceiling. More so than at home, the bed
felt warm. And not uncomfortably, unseasonably warm, or 'it's too cold to get
out of bed today' warm ... just perfect.

Without trying to rise, he turned his head and looked across the room. The two
chairs he'd dreamed that Mikuru and Tsuruya had fallen asleep in were empty.
He raised a hand to his chest, checking the injury he'd remembered receiving.
One bullet wound, and enough solid impacts to send him to the ground. Yuki had
healed him, though, not even a scar remaining.

He sat up, frowning when he realized he was holding a yellow ribbon in his
free hand. Haruhi's, at a guess.... She must have visited. He was somewhat
surprised to be alone in the room, considering Haruhi's insistence the last
time he'd been hospitalized. He turned to look toward the narrow space between
the bed and the window, wondering if she'd hidden her sleeping bag there again
-- but before he could even reach the edge of the bed, he realized that
someone was curled up at his side, beneath the blanket and atop the sheet.

His face colored at the thought. What did that mean, he wondered.... Setting
Haruhi's ribbon on the stand next to his bed, he carefully peeled back the
blanket, pondering scribbling on her face with permanent marker, as he'd
promised he'd do once. Except, when the heavier cloth was pulled away, it
revealed a mop of somewhat tousled soft purple hair.

Did Yuki actually have to sleep? He'd never _seen_ her do it before.... She
was always the last one to go to bed at any SOS Brigade overnight event, and
he never recalled her needing to be woken up. Her face was turned toward him,
her eyes were closed, and one of her light arms was across his legs -- so
insubstantial and weightless that he hadn't even noticed. He couldn't help
himself; as he'd done once before with Haruhi, he gently traced his fingertips
across her face.

Would she show an expression, when she was sleeping? Haruhi's face had gone
through a number of amusing contortions before she awoke. But, unlike with
Haruhi, he didn't pinch Yuki awake before the door clicked open quietly.
Pulling the blanket back up to Yuki's chin, he turned, not particularly
surprised to see Koizumi walking into the center of the room carrying a paper
bag.

"Good morning," Koizumi said, only smiling the smallest bit. "I hope you
rested well?"

"I've rested much worse," he allowed. "What's going on?"

"First of all, I was told to tell you this: 'You can easily overlook "the
quiet ones" when you make an assumption about the situation'," Koizumi said.
"And also that you would want this." The esper handed a piece of paper with a
few handwritten remarks on it, the third of which was what he had just
uttered, verbatim. "I trust that you know what this means?"

"Damn it, future self," he grumbled, rubbing at his forehead.

Koizumi looked mildly taken aback. "You don't get along with yourself?"

"Well ... 'future me' is a bit arrogant and constantly thinks that he can talk
down to me just because he's been through whatever," Kyon sighed. "While past
me is in fact incompetent, and I'd never go back to save him if he hadn't
messed up in the first place. Present me, naturally, is just perfect."

The esper blinked slowly, looking at Kyon askance. "Is that an entirely
healthy viewpoint?" he asked. "Given that, really, you are all three of the
same person...."

"It's not like I say it with much heat," Kyon replied, smirking. "Really,
mostly I annoy myself so that I can remember the things I'll have to do at the
present later."

"Well, you seem to have a handle on that, so I'll leave it to you, then,"
Koizumi allowed. "I wish I could be of more help to you."

Kyon studied the esper in silence for a minute. Even if his face didn't betray
much, and he'd always had trouble reading Koizumi -- or, he forced himself to
admit, if he just spent too much time trying to _ignore_ him.... There was
quite an aura of tension around the taller boy. "What's wrong?" he finally
asked. "Sorry if I'm being blunt, but you look troubled."

Koizumi nodded, admitting, "I am troubled, but I do not know if I can put my
troubles into words politely. I may have to be somewhat blunt myself, and I'm
not certain that the time is appropriate for it."

Sighing, Kyon made a vague gesture with one hand. "Let's get this over with,"
he said dourly. "That bit right there was blunt enough."

The esper chuckled humorlessly. "As you say," he allowed, inclining his head.
"Ah ... in that case.... Kyon-kun, you may not test well in school generally,
or show much drive to do well on your assignments, but I have a hard time
thinking that you are unintelligent."

"Thanks, I think." Kyon took a quick, deep breath, guessing that he wasn't
going to like what he heard next.

"Suzumiya-san has ever increasing regard for you, and even when she says
unkind things of you, she means them in kind ways. Surely you're not
oblivious--"

"I get that she's tsundere for me, if that's where you're going," he overrode
the esper flatly.

Koizumi threw a fake cough into one hand. "Ah ... yes. Well. In that case, you
are aware of her regard, and then...." He gestured at Kyon.

Not at _him_, Kyon realized, frowning, but _Yuki_.

"It would be ... unfortunate if she were to see this, don't you think?"

Without twitching so much as a fingertip, Yuki's voice suddenly broke in,
commenting, "I was instructed to ensure his safety."

Koizumi's ire became visible, though he carefully looked out the window, not
meeting anyone's eyes. "Well, Nagato-san. You're intelligent as well; I would
suspect that Suzumiya-san's emotional turmoil, instead of creating closed
space at this point, reflects upon _you_ in some way, now. Is it wise to bring
such upon yourself?"

"Permission had been granted," Yuki remarked, sitting up and looking at
Koizumi. "You may discuss this with Suzumiya Haruhi if you wish."

The esper worked his jaw for a moment, wordlessly, then pinched the bridge of
his nose, closing his eyes. "On to more immediate matters," he said, the
tension still in his voice. "Kyon-kun, let us go over the cover story to
explain the shooting to the authorities. Also, even though you should only be
seen by trusted individuals, it would be best for you not to sit up on your
own while any nurses or doctors are present."

Kyon nodded, realizing somewhere that he had screwed up very badly indeed.
Watch out for the quiet ones? There were none so quiet as the one he had tuned
out. And hadn't he promised his uncle Keiichi that he was going to try and be
friends with his group? And in the face of that, he'd left the esper in the
dark.... The issue of Yuki using him as a body pillow aside (he had no
complaints on that count, personally), being shot provided a brilliant object
lesson on inattention.

"Koizumi," he said, before the esper could launch into an explanation, "I
think we need to discuss something else." He turned to look at Yuki, giving
her an apologetic smile, and unable to keep himself from brushing some of the
hair soft hair from her face. "I'm sorry about this, Nagato, but could you
give Koizumi and I some privacy for a bit?"

She nodded wordlessly in answer, climbing out of the bed and walking to the
door without objection.

Once she was gone, he found the control to make the bed's back angle up,
motioning to one of the seats. Koizumi sat down, looking wary. "This is my
fault, so I suppose I'll have to start it off. First of all ... let me confess
to being more than just a bit petty," Kyon sighed, running one hand through
his hair. That wasn't comfortable to admit, but it was true. "So ... let me
get this out. You're better looking than I am, you've been better connected,
and you're smarter -- half the time when Nagato talks to me, I need you to
translate. And ... you are one of the very few people I have a hard time
actually reading."

He chuckled at himself, still not meeting Koizumi's eyes.

"That's kind of arrogant, isn't it?" he continued. "I mean ... my aunts ...
Satoko and Rena, they spent a lot of time when I was younger trying to teach
me about who I could trust. I won't claim that I'm perfect at it, but that's
one of the few things I've ever felt competent enough to claim to be 'good'
at.

"So, when you take all of that, and I was suddenly given the ability to do
better.... I've gone more than a bit overboard, and I let my feelings on those
other factors influence me. I've gone and forgotten that you are a part of
this brigade too, and ... I have to apologize for that."

He took a breath and turned to look at the esper, who for once bore an honest
looking expression -- flabbergasted surprise. "Y...you were jealous of me?"
Koizumi asked, seemingly amazed. "That had ... never occurred to me!"

Kyon wondered if he'd gone too far by saying he considered the esper smarter.

"Sorry," Koizumi added belatedly, shaking his head. "I'm a bit off-guard." His
false smile hadn't come back, yet. "Making myself see things from your
perspective, as much as I can imagine that ... I think I might understand
some. The 'mysterious transfer student' comes in from seemingly nowhere,
and...." He trailed off, giving a somewhat bleak smile. "Well, in that matter,
you have Suzumiya-san's regard, which inspires some small measure of jealousy
in myself. Admittedly, I don't think I have the courage that you do in those
matters; you seem singularly unique in your ability to tell her 'stop'. Even
when I did it last night, I could only bring myself to do it as conveying your
command."

He suddenly realized there was a gap between his perception and Koizumi's. A
rather large one, too. For all that he'd been scared on occasion that Haruhi
might react badly to something, really, he wasn't actually scared of _her_.
Just her reactions. He'd taken the esper's blind 'yes-man' attitude to be a
measure to annoy _him_, or just try and win her trust. It never occurred to
him that the esper would be too _scared_ of Haruhi to offer resistance!

But then, when he made himself stop and think about it, Koizumi had as much as
told him, long ago, and he'd let his perception become clouded by jealousy and
annoyance. Wasn't the esper terrified to discover he had his powers? He'd said
he was afraid he might have gone mad, and Kyon had done nothing but remark
that perhaps he _had_. From Koizumi's point of view, his own lack of fear
toward Haruhi was probably mind-bending; the esper must have seen every
interaction with Haruhi as playing with fire.

"We aren't very good friends," Kyon remarked, causing the esper to wince.

"Perhaps that is so," Koizumi allowed. "However, as we must work together--"

"Wait, wait, I wasn't done yet," Kyon protested, rubbing at one temple. "We
really _should_ be friends, given our situation. So, let me take that first
step and apologize for being jealous of you."

Koizumi didn't meet his eyes, giving a genuinely apologetic smile. "Ah ...
well, let me also apologize," the esper managed, "for behaving in such a
manner out of my own petty annoyance that a 'mere mortal' was able to achieve
so much regard in Suzumiya-san's eyes."

Kyon snorted, shaking his head. "I feel a little bit like a jerk," he allowed.
"So, let's put that behind us."

"I must be acting extremely outside of my established character," Koizumi
remarked ruefully. "I should--"

"Be yourself," Kyon interrupted, shaking his head. "I know you once said that
I might not like your real self ... but judging by the bits I've seen here, I
think you'd be happier."

Koizumi said nothing for a moment, pulling some apples from the bag at his
side and setting them on a tray. He began peeling almost absently, and
commented, "In the time I've known you, though this scares me a bit to admit,
I feel I've ... _changed_. In a way, much of the mask I wore in the company of
the brigade has come to be the way that 'I' am now. I wonder if that old 'me'
is gone, and the new 'true' me is somewhere between what I was, and how I
acted...?"

"Now you're just being arrogant," Kyon retorted, snorting. "You're not an
adult yet, either. You think personalities are set in stone? That people can't
change? At _our_ age!?

"If you _act_ like something long enough, you may well _become_ like that.
That's why our parents teach us good habits when we're younger; so we grow
into responsible people. If you really want to try and convince me that you
were an unlikeable person, then shouldn't you admit to yourself that you might
just be a person with an unlikeable history?"

Koizumi pursed his lips, quartering the apple before him. "Truly," he said
after a moment, "you have a strange way of rendering difficult ideas with
simple vocabulary."

"I can try some complex analogy, if you'd prefer," Kyon suggested, grinning.
"But I'll warn you right now, it's going to be centered around water, stone,
and erosion. Seems kind of obvious, really."

The esper actually managed a chuckle, shaking his head. "That is a fair
point," he allowed. "Still...."

"Anyway, I ended up joining an organized crime family," Kyon added. "Is your
'unlikeable' history that bad?"

"Perhaps not," Koizumi admitted. "But it still causes me difficulties to
remember it. I believe you must know the facts to make your own judgments."

"Why not?" Kyon asked, shrugging. "You know my history. Your Organization
already investigated that, right?"

"Ah ... true enough. Well, in retrospect, it's possible that you're right, and
I'm making a much bigger deal out of this than I must." The esper paused to
reach for another apple. He hesitated, then set the knife down and folded his
hands in his lap, staring at the floor. "When I was younger, though not truly
that long ago, I found that quite a few people felt that I was 'better
looking', as you said. And at the risk of sounding arrogant, I traded on that
heavily, using my appearances to manipulate people for my own ends. I ... was
very shallow. I couldn't be troubled to do my own homework when I could
convince someone else to do it for me ... or bring my own lunches, when that
could be arranged, too."

Kyon had to restrain himself from rolling his eyes. "You were petty,
manipulative, and shallow?" he asked.

Koizumi nodded, shifting his shoulders uncomfortably.

"Ah ... well ... as respectfully as I can say such a thing ... that's a lot of
noise for acting childish when you were younger," Kyon judged. "You don't have
someone in the Organization doing homework for you or cooking for you now, do
you?"

"Haha, no, of course not."

"Well ... manipulating people isn't the best thing in the world, but it's a
habit you've grown out of now, right? I can admit on occasion being annoyed by
you acting superior, but you've never been a bad person in the way you
describe yourself -- at least, that I've seen."

The esper nodded. "It wouldn't have fit the persona we wanted Suzumiya-san to
see as her 'mysterious transfer student' to be conniving. Shortly after
joining the Organization, I had to undergo 'training' to learn more positive
habits."

"So! That's that, then. You've grown, and the person you are isn't the person
you were. I mean, don't we all change? A year ago, I doubt I'd be having a
deeply meaningful conversation about the nature of the self with an
irritatingly bishounen fellow the day after I got shot." He gave a weak, but
sincere smile to show he didn't mean anything harmful. "So, yeah. Let's try
and actually be friends; right now, with Haruhi acting the way she is,
confusing me all the time, I could really use that."

Koizumi chuckled again. Kyon wasn't one to care much for how other males
around him laughed, but the _honesty_ of Koizumi's expression was refreshing.
"Fair enough," the esper allowed, reaching for the apple he had set down. "Let
me just say this, though. I'm not convinced that it's for the best for you to
... show so much affection for girls aside from Suzumiya-san? I mentioned this
once before, during the winter. While I generally believe you are the expert
in Suzumiya-san related subjects, I think she would be ... jealous, at the
very least, if she were to see something like that."

Kyon thought about it. Koizumi was probably right. "Well, I agree," he
allowed. Oh, he was going to burn for a long time for making out with Yuki on
occasion behind Haruhi's back. Unfortunately, he was just too spineless to
tell Yuki 'no' ... he could try and hide behind the excuse of 'helping her
stabilize', but even if that weren't a factor, her quiet requests broke
through his defenses without being slowed in the slightest. And then, there
was Tsuruya, and the picture that Mikuru sent him, and the way that Mikuru's
future self was constantly--

"I would like to point out that I woke up with Yuki at my side," he added,
eying the esper. "I mean, I didn't ask her, or anything." Admittedly, he still
had no complaints whatsoever, except that Haruhi would eventually--

Yeah, there was going to be a special hell set aside just for people like him.
Still, it would be best to jump off that bridge when he got to it.

The esper gave Kyon a frank look, one that spoke volumes of skepticism.
"Suzumiya-san is the one you must convince," he finally answered, before
shaking his head and turning his attention back to his apple peeling. "Though
I suppose, if she does not become aware of it, it may not be so much of an
issue. Well, thank you for this opportunity to become friends, Kyon-kun; I
appreciate that. Now ... at the risk of becoming that annoyingly superior-
acting fellow again, we really should get to explaining that cover story...?"

"Right," Kyon agreed, sighing.

* * *

She was shaken from the experience, and horrified -- terrified, actually --
that her friend, that ever-reliable Kyon, had been injured trying to do her a
favor. After the initial jarring rush of being hauled through the night air at
unreasonable speeds, and then being carried through a series of explosions in
terrible variety, Miyoko finally found herself holding a strange, heavy metal
cylinder, while that same ever-reliable person -- though, dressed differently,
evidently not wounded from a gun-shot, tried to explain things to her.

His explanations were surprisingly easy to follow, but it was hard to focus
with the eerily familiar woman next to him constantly objecting, "That should
be classified!" Well, when she wasn't protesting that, she looked very lost in
thought. The older woman -- Miyoko judged she was probably twenty two, at most
-- spent a lot of time bantering with Kyon, using strange code-words, or
referring to things that she just didn't understand.

Eventually, Kyon did manage to explain things to her, somewhat. He was a time-
traveler. Well, she'd gathered he was some sort of hero, his sister was
claiming _that_ was true for some time, going on about dark generals and such.
Evidently, she'd only seen the merest tip of the iceberg, which Miyoko
understood well enough. She loved Nonoko like her own sister, but even she
knew that Kyon's little sister could not keep secrets.

Kyon did try and explain that he was more of a 'time passenger' than a 'time
traveler', but she doubted that was really that important. No matter the
means, even if he was hitchhiking through time, he moved in ways that Miyoko
was relatively certain most people couldn't. After the explanation, Kyon
concluded with a heartfelt request, explaining he needed a favor that very few
people in the world could do for him -- and she was one of those very few
people.

In her mind, she owed him already. Buying drinks and popcorn at the theater
was hardly enough payment on her part, considering that he'd gotten assaulted
by armed ruffians. As far as she could tell, he was going to be _okay_, since
he was in front of her from the future. Getting shot, though ... that couldn't
feel very good.

So, after he'd returned her home, on time, with her parents oblivious that
she'd had an adventure, she found her normal life returned. Mostly.

Horror movies had lost some of their luster, though the idea of becoming a
doctor or a nurse still sounded good to her. At school the next day, Kyon's
sister mentioned that Kyon was in the hospital when she asked, but
surprisingly enough did _not_ elaborate on his situation. A mystifying
development; was Nonoko learning the value of secret-keeping?

Still, as Kyon had requested, she went to visit him in the hospital. It was no
trouble going with Nonoko; the hospital was near their school, so they could
go together, and Nonoko's mother was going to pick her up there, anyway. When
they got to see him, Kyon looked remarkably healthy, considering, offering a
weak smile at the pair and reclining in his hospital bed.

When Nonoko was distracted briefly by an unfamiliar boy offering both of the
girls some apples he had sectioned, Miyoko crept close to Kyon's bed and
whispered, "I need to talk to you about something classified."

She _thought_ it was a code-word, based on the way that he had given her the
instructions last night. Still, he barely seemed to react, just raising one
eyebrow, then nodding. "Imouto," he called, looking past her at his sister,
"could I ask you a favor? The doctors said I can have it, so would you get me
a drink?"

"Okay! What kind?" she chirped. "You've got a pitcher of water right there."

"Well, you know me; I do love cold milk," he answered, giving her a smile.
"Koizumi can show you where the cafeteria is, if you need."

Miyoko was aware of the looks the boys exchanged at that, conveying hidden
messages she couldn't follow. "Naturally!" Koizumi agreed. "This way, young
lady!"

"Miyoko-chan, are you coming?" Nonoko asked, pausing in the doorway.

"I have to thank your brother," she answered, waving at her friend.

Kyon's sister looked the tiniest bit doubtful, but nodded and followed the
tall boy away. Sighing, Miyoko turned to her school backpack and hauled the
heavy metal cylinder out. "This, um, can only be touched by certain people,"
she said apologetically. "I don't know why that is, or who those other people
are. I was told to leave it for you, but that you shouldn't touch it yet,
either."

"Do you know what it is?" he asked, studying it without reaching toward it.

"Nope!" she answered, ducking her head apologetically. "Someone named Nagato
Yuki-san can explain it to you?"

"Alright," he answered, nodding. "Anything else, then?"

"Um, something about a Michikyuu Kanae," she said, struggling to remember. She
set the object on the stand near his bed. What was it that he'd said....
"Something about one of her enemies, and that this object is related to them."
She paused, wracking her memory. Wasn't there something clearer? "I.... I'm
sorry, I should have remembered better, but last night was so.... So
strange...."

She braced herself for the deluge of questions that he'd have for her. She
knew she would have _countless_ questions for someone who'd met a version of
her from another time. And she'd even forgotten a part of the message!

He didn't ask anything, though. Instead, he gave her a sad smile. "I'm
terribly sorry that this got you tangled in it, as well," he apologized,
shaking his head. "You just wanted to see a movie, not any of this...."

Amazed, she could only stare for a long minute. "You got hurt!" she protested,
feeling like she should cry. "You had to.... I couldn't even remember all of
the details of the message you gave me! Why are you apologizing to me!?"

He chuckled, shaking his head again, giving her a rueful smile. "Miyoko-chan,"
he said reassuringly, "you haven't done a thing wrong. What happened was a
predetermined event. It's not something you can blame yourself for. I had to
tell Mori-san the same thing earlier today. I'll admit; I'm not clear on the
_why_ yet. But I'm satisfied that some day, I will be. For me, that's enough.
For _you_.... Well, I'm just sorry you have to deal with this craziness."

She wasn't sure why, but she found his relaxed demeanor made her laugh. Well,
why should she worry? He had more to deal with, and didn't seem particularly
troubled. "Thank you, Kyon-nii-san," she managed, just before Nonoko and
Koizumi returned.

After some brief chatting until Kyon's mother showed up, Miyoko and Nonoko
left the hospital together, a few paces behind the woman, just out of earshot.
Nonoko gave Miyoko a very calculating look, and asked, "So, Miyoko-chan wants
to date Kyon-kun?"

"Geh!" Miyoko choked out, her face suffusing red. "T...that's not it!" she
protested anxiously. Admittedly, she wouldn't complain -- but surely he had to
be interested in one of the other girls around him? And when she compared
their relative ages.... But then, maybe if she let Nonoko think that's all it
was.... "Um, I just.... I mean.... T...there was...."

Nonoko giggled, giving her friend a smug, knowing smirk. "I won't tell on
you," she said solemnly. "But I will warn you ... there's quite a few girls
interested in Kyon-kun~!"

"Oh, well...." She gave a weak smile. "I'll just have to settle for being a
friend, I guess," she said.

Kyon's little sister nodded knowingly, as her mother glanced back at the pair.
"What's this all about?" she mused.

"Nothing~!" Nonoko chirped. "Just talking about Kyon-kun!"

* * *

Mikuru had slept too long to bother attending school. When she finally woke
up, a bit stiff from being in the chair all night, she realized she was the
first one up. Tsuruya was curled up awkwardly in the chair opposite her, also
soundly asleep. Kyon was still sleeping in his bed, but with Haruhi and Yuki
cuddled up on either side of him in matching poses. The tiny bed was really
only meant for one person, so they were almost squeezed together -- but didn't
look uncomfortable at all.

She didn't pass up that opportunity, and snapped a quick dozen pictures with
her cell phone's built-in camera. She envied both Haruhi and Yuki, but she'd
always found it strangely soothing looking at Kyon's sleeping face. She'd even
had a picture she kept, taken during the island vacation last summer, hidden
in her room for a while -- though, she'd just recently replaced it with the
much more ... interesting ... picture that Haruhi had gotten from Kyon's aunt.

"Whatcha droolin' over this early?" Tsuruya asked with a sleepy chuckle,
snapping her out of her contemplative daze.

"I just woke up," Mikuru mumbled, wiping her mouth with her handkerchief.

She stretched awkwardly, and Tsuruya did the same, wincing a bit and putting
her hands on the small of her back. Once she was up, Tsuruya fished her own
handkerchief from the sash of her rumpled formal kimono, and wiped at Haruhi's
face until she woke up, grumbling. After a quick, hushed discussion, which
Kyon slept through, it was decided that everyone would collect changes of
clothes, then meet at Tsuruya's to take a bath.

Haruhi instructed Mikuru to bring the coat she'd made for Kyon, and Yuki to
stay behind and watch over him. Without shifting from his side, Yuki nodded
her acceptance. Mikuru was a bit baffled that Haruhi didn't seem jealous or
upset with that, and wondered, just maybe, if she could....

She tried not to think about it, but it was very hard. After everyone had
washed and changed, they swung by the school as it would be letting out, and
Tsuruya and Haruhi got the assignments for their respective years. At the same
time, they picked up Kanae, who hadn't been told what was going on, but was
anxious until she saw her friends.

"Where did you guys go!?" she cried, waving her arms. "The club room was
locked, and no one's seen Sempai around all day!"

"He's okay," Haruhi assured Kanae, ruffling the small girl's hair. "Let's go
see him!"

"Suzumiya-san," Mikuru managed, as Tsuruya's limousine pulled into the
hospital parking lot, "could I ask you about something?"

"You just did!" Haruhi gave a knowing smirk, crossing her arms over her chest
and nodding. "But, I'm gracious; I'll let you ask me about something else,
too!"

Mikuru couldn't help but smile a little at that. They climbed out of the car,
Tsuruya taking Kanae ahead, giving them a small degree of privacy. "Um ....
you said once, almost a year ago -- last Tanabata, actually -- that we should
have a contest, and see who got their wishes granted first, right?"

Haruhi looked taken aback, but nodded. "I didn't forget," she agreed. "Now,
Tanabata's an important time for me! You'd better not be joking around!"

"I'm absolutely serious!" Mikuru protested, feeling her face flush slightly.
"Um, um, what I mean to say is.... The contest.... I wished to become better
at cooking and sewing, right?"

"Yeah," Haruhi said slowly. "The Tanabata tree is still there.... I mean, kind
of simple wishes, but--" She cut off suddenly, raising her eyebrows. "Well,
okay, I guess when you look at it, with Yuki-chan's help, you actually did get
your wishes granted first! But, I was expecting to wait for the speed-of-light
delay to.... Hum. Alright, congratulations, then, Mikuru-chan. I guess you win
the contest!"

"You didn't choose a prize yet, right?" Mikuru guessed, her face still warm.

Haruhi rolled her eyes. "I thought I had at least a dozen years," she groused.
"So, not really. That's fine, though! It sounds like you have something in
mind, so what is it?"

Steeling herself, remembering what Yuki had said, the other girl's difficulty
expressing herself, and Haruhi's instructions to herself to really try her
hardest, she blurted out, "I want to go on a date with Kyon-kun!"

Too loud, she thought, wincing in on herself as Kanae and Tsuruya looked back,
surprised. One of Haruhi's eyebrows ticked very slightly. "I ... guess I did
ask for that," she said slowly, sounding annoyed. "Urg.... Well...."

"I.... Um, I mean, Yuki-chan should come too," Mikuru added quickly, her face
so hot she was afraid it would melt. She felt a dreadful certainty that the
x-ray technicians down the hall would be bemoaning the radiation that escaped
her skin and ruined their film. "S...so.... I mean...."

"Alright," Haruhi sighed, shaking her head and looking down the hall absently.
"Fine. Yuki-chan wanted 'peace' and 'harmony' for her wishes, so at times,
she's won, too.... However!" Haruhi suddenly wheeled on her, and Mikuru felt
she was looking up a great distance when she met the other girl's gaze.
"Remember what Yuki-chan wanted, and make sure that it isn't a competition!
The two of you with Kyon ... together."

"R...right," Mikuru squeaked. "J...just like us last night!"

Instantly Haruhi's agitation seemed to vanish. "Right," she agreed, giving an
encouraging smile. "Just like that! Slowly, step-by-step! Always edging toward
that brighter tomorrow.... It's a real pain, but I've been told that's the
key." The brigade chief nodded knowingly, before continuing:

"And, you know what? Sometimes I think that there's a distance between
yourself and Yuki-chan. I'm actually really pleased with you just now, Mikuru-
chan~! Standing up for yourself, not taking that quitter's attitude, and
looking out for Yuki-chan, too? That's the kind of thing I expect from a
brigade member!" She clapped one hand on Mikuru's back encouragingly, even
though the time traveler was terrified for a moment that she'd be imbalanced.

"Though," Haruhi noted, as Tsuruya pointed out the door to Kyon's room, and
Kanae dashed through it like a shot, "we are leaving Kanae-chan out."

"U...um...." Mikuru didn't mind the slider ... the smaller girl _was_ cute,
not quite in the same way Yuki was. It was going to be a little awkward as it
was having a 'date' between herself, Yuki, and Kyon, already. But she had
trouble imagining Yuki being able to easily request it herself, even if she
wanted such a thing. Adding Kanae to the mix....

"Well, I'll come up with something for her," Haruhi decided. "Tsuruya-san's
going to take Kanae-chan and Kyon out to see that 'Trope-tan' movie, anyway.
That won't make for a bad start."

"Y...you think that Kanae-chan really likes Kyon?" Mikuru wondered aloud.

Haruhi looked at Mikuru sidelong. "There must be a connection between insane
cuteness and blind spots. Well, if you haven't gotten it from the way she
adores Kyon, what with her worshipful 'sempai'--" she started, before a crash
echoed from Kyon's room.

The pair dashed the remaining distance to the room, Haruhi making it first.
Inside, Kanae was clinging to the side of Kyon's bed, bawling her eyes out.
"Sempai!" she wailed. "Waah~! Don't scare me like that! I don't know what I'd
do if you were hurt! I can't stand being alone again -- you're all I've got!"

Tsuruya was taken aback, and Kyon looked utterly bewildered, one hand
awkwardly patting Kanae reassuringly on the back, while his gaze went
beseechingly to everyone else in the room in turn.

"Maybe that's been on the back burner too long already," Haruhi mused
thoughtfully.

Mikuru sighed, grateful that her request was answered, at any rate. She
spotted the bedside stand that Kanae must have knocked over in her agitation,
and straightened it back up. Some metal cylinder was on the floor nearby, as
well. She decided it must have fallen from the stand, and grabbed it, setting
it back on the tray. For some reason, it made her hand tingle faintly. She
wondered what it was, but really, Kanae seemed the higher priority at the
moment.

"Sempai!" Kanae sobbed, shuddering.

"That's enough of that," Haruhi said surprisingly gently. "Such behavior....
I'm disappointed in you, Kanae-chan!"

"Ah, um," the slider managed, burying her face in Kyon's side, still
sniffling.

Sighing, Tsuruya nodded her understanding, setting a gentle hand on Kanae's
shoulder. "Alone?" she asked. "What abouts us, Kanae-chan? We'd still be
heres."

"Right," Haruhi said in a commanding tone. "Dry those tears! Turn around and
face your friends! We're your allies in this, and anything else! I guess we've
been distracted by other things, but it seems to me you've been running for a
very, very long time. I don't know if you can stay here forever, but if you
want to try, we'll help you. I know that this place isn't your home, but as
long as you do, too, then we can try our best!"

"Y...yeah," Kyon agreed hesitantly. "Kanae-chan ... we're all friends --
nakama, even. Don't just rely on me; I'd like to be reliable, and I'm, um,
flattered you think so highly of me.... But to say it's all me, well, you
discount the help that Asahina-san, Tsuruya-kun, Nagato, and Haruhi give you,
too. Even Koizumi has his Organization trying to watch out for you!"

"I'm sorry," Kanae sniffled, slowly turning around and looking up at the other
girls. "I.... I just...."

"Next official brigade meeting, we're going to have a talk about your enemies,
and what we can do to help you," Haruhi decided. "Until then, Kyon's fine!
Don't make him feel bad for making you cry -- be happy that he's alright!"

"Y...yes," Kanae agreed, as Mikuru knelt and dabbed at the girl's tears with
her handkerchief, giving the most reassuring smile she could.

"You know," Mikuru remarked, "I should have learned this a long time ago, but
friendship is a very powerful force!"

"Believe in it!" Haruhi declared. "Anyway, if you want something to cry about,
it's this: I brought our assignments, so we can catch up on missed school
work!"

"Well," Kyon commented dryly, "_I_ might cry over that one."

"Wuss! Where's Yuki-chan, anyway?"

"Oh, my parents forgot, so she and Koizumi are grabbing a change of clothes
for when I get released tomorrow."

* * *

Haruhi naturally had already brought everything he needed to do his homework
while hospitalized, including a small lap-desk, so he could write. Or if she
hadn't brought it, she stole it from a nearby room -- he decided it was better
not to ask. After Kanae settled down, still shaken, he followed along with
Haruhi's instructions, but was distracted by a culmination of factors, and a
realization that he'd done something wrong. More specifically, that he was
being lazy and putting off things he needed to do. Yet another ignored 'quiet
one'.

That Sunday when he went back and fought off twelve goons for Tsuruya had yet
to occur, after all. And then he'd let himself get shot without taking care of
that.... He'd been given ample clues and warnings about whatever it was Kanae
was being chased by, the last one delivered by Miyoko. Haruhi thought it
needed to be dealt with, too....

Maybe he _should_ rely on the others, but there was no real excuse for
delaying the initiative on taking care of something so important. Though, the
fact that Haruhi had left one of her ribbons with him left her with a very
distracting ponytail. That wasn't helping. Her hair wasn't _quite_ long enough
to pull it off, just yet, but it was absolutely coming along.

Yuki and Koizumi returned just as the homework was being finished, and then
Haruhi suggested getting dinner. Kyon was still ostensibly confined to his
bed, and Kanae was reluctant to leave, so Mikuru, Koizumi, and Tsuruya
volunteered to see if there was anything worthwhile at the hospital cafeteria.
No point in mentioning that the nurse would bring him a meal, anyway, he
decided. Plus, there was every chance that Haruhi had already intercepted such
a nurse.

Now that the hospital was under a combination of Organization control and the
ownership of Tsuruya's family, Haruhi hardly even had to do anything
ostentatious to arrange things like that, either.

Still, while things were relatively calm, he turned his attention to Yuki.
"Um, Nagato, I was given something a bit strange, maybe you can shed some
light on it?" he posed, giving a weak, apologetic smile.

She blinked at him, and Haruhi fell silent, watching curiously.

"I was told that only specific people could touch it," he added, pointing at
the metal cylinder on the bedside stand.

Yuki nodded and rose from her seat to step near the thing, placing one hand
over it thoughtfully. After a moment, she said, "This device has a genetic
security measure installed. Only a specific individual or near relatives can
come into direct contact without triggering it." She paused, staring intently,
then pulled her hand back. "This technology is beyond the means of the humans
of this time."

"Well, we've got you and me," Haruhi said, grinning. "And I haven't gotten to
do much fun in a while. So! Yuki-chan ... you can hack that security thingy
and figure this out!"

"Program loaded," she acknowledged, looking to Kyon.

He couldn't see anything wrong with understanding whatever the device was, at
least. "Permission granted," he allowed, shrugging. And Haruhi was right that
he hadn't let her do much in a while, either. Though, when he looked back and
considered things, she hadn't _tried_ much, lately.

Yuki nodded, her eyes going back to the strange device. Tiny, almost invisible
crackling blue lines of something like electricity surged from her fingertips
to the surface, then back, and after a moment, she dropped her hand to her
side. "The device is now awaiting a new genetic imprint to identify
ownership," she announced.

"Well, before that -- what is it?" Haruhi asked suspiciously.

Kanae made a quiet noise, shaking her head. "I think I know what it is," she
admitted unhappily. "It's a weapon ... the one that I've seen one of the other
sliders use. It changes shape for him; he can make it turn into different
things."

Yuki blinked, then studied the device intently. "Malmetal compound," she
commented. "This device has the potential to assume multiple forms."

Haruhi made a gesture, and the cylinder lifted from the tray as she studied
it, frowning. "I'm going to guess that your future self did something to get
this for you, Kyon," she finally decided. "Which is good enough ... I mean,
mostly we have powers, and you don't. So you'd need tools to make up the
difference. Hmm, yeah. You're going to need a lot of tools." Another gesture
sent the thing spinning toward him, hovering within reach over his lap. "Well,
I'm sure you can be trusted with this. Oh, hey, I missed seeing Yuki give you
that wristwatch armor thing, but now I get to see your much-needed powerup!"

He wasn't actually certain he _needed_ a 'powerup', but reluctant shounen
heroes ended up getting forcibly reminded that they couldn't handle things
without help -- and he'd had enough painful reminders recently. "So, I just
touch it?" he asked Yuki.

She nodded.

Deciding he was best off not thinking about it too hard at the moment, Kyon
reached out and grabbed the cylinder. He felt a tingling sensation, an eerie
pulse of power that resonated through his entire body, and felt a highly
disconcerting _awareness_ of the weapon. Like it was telling him what its
capacity was. In his hands, it shifted shape, exactly like Yuki had said. The
metal seemed to _melt_ into a different form, and in less than a second he was
holding an over-sized model of the same weapon he'd been shot with.

"Ah, great," he said sourly. "I would have preferred something more
futuristic, and more liable to stun people, not hurt them." Abruptly, the
surface shimmered and wobbled, reshaping itself to some highly shiny sci-fi
looking weapon. "On second thought, I think I can deal with this. It's a bit
heavy, though ... it'll be a pain to lug this around, everywhere."

He set it down on the bed and let go, curious. Instantly, it re-assumed the
original cylinder shape. Kanae stared at the thing nervously, and given that
he remembered her saying she'd been shot with it once, he understood why. "The
big question in my mind, though," Kyon said, crossing his arms and staring at
the piece of metal, "is how this got here? My future self didn't give me many
good clues this time. What do you think, Kanae-chan?"

"I.... It's better for Sempai to have that ... thing ... than my enemies,"
Kanae managed, nervously. "Um ... but I'm still a bit scared of it."

"I can imagine," he agreed, sighing. "Um, Nagato, will this thing still melt
if people aside from me touch it?"

"No," she answered. "That security can still be re-enabled."

"Will it work for other people?"

"There is a high degree of compatibility in function with genetic relatives,"
she said. "Your parents and sister are highly likely to be able to utilize all
functions. As well, further distant ancestors would have chances of being able
to activate functions."

"Hmm, that explains why Miyoko-chan could touch it," he mused, nodding
thoughtfully.

"Kyon!" Haruhi protested, growling. "Are you telling me that your future self
abducted Miyoko-chan off the street to get this while you lay there bleeding
-- and didn't do a damn thing to help!?

"I keep saying that future me is a jerk!" Kyon grumbled. "I mean ... I guess
at some point I must see this as the way things _must_ be.... But then, I
suppose if you think about it ... I know right now that you were able to
handle things. Why would I interfere with that and risk the stability of the
timeline?"

Haruhi's expression flickered between annoyed and pleased before she finally
settled on thoughtfully pensive.

"My head hurts," Kanae whimpered.

"Right," Haruhi decided, making another gesture. The cylinder rose from Kyon's
bed and landed back on the stand it had been retrieved from. "On the subject
of _tools_, hmm.... Well, Mikuru-chan can give you a little something after we
eat dinner!" She clapped her hands together. "Subject change! Let's talk about
something more cheerful! So, Kyon, you actually _have_ an ancestral sword
style?"

He blinked, staring at her, then chuckled and shook his head. "Not that I know
of," he admitted. "I asked Nagato, and she said she'd guess what style my
ancestors used based on region and my family name."

"Oh, but you really did learn to use one.... Yeah, we should figure out how to
get you an energy sword," Haruhi mused. "As long as it can be set to 'stun',
that'll be really awesome! Plus, _something_ cut through the back of the van
last night, but I never saw what it was ... energy sword or beam saber sounds
really good to me!"

Somehow, with Haruhi making decisions for him like that, Kyon felt
simultaneously relieved and annoyed.

Kanae blinked, shaking her head quickly, seeming to dispel her previous
discomfort. "If he lets you borrow it, since you can already levitate things,
does that mean you'd be a Jedi?" she asked curiously.

Haruhi burst into laughter at that. "Kanae-chan, that just gave me a _great_
costume idea for Kyon!"

"Oh, good," he managed, smirking anyway as he shook his head.

* * *

After picking out what looked best from the cafeteria and finding that the
cashier already understood the Tsuruya's imminent purchase of the hospital,
Mikuru, Tsuruya, and Koizumi took their loaded free-of-charge trays back to
Kyon's room. Mikuru was starting to realize all of the cooking skill Yuki had
imbued her with was leaving her with a remarkable bias, but the attendants had
gone out of their way to make everything that they had picked out freshly for
them.

Tsuruya seemed to take it in stride, likely not even really thinking about it.
Koizumi, quietly observant as always, seemed to notice but not remark on it.
Haruhi and Yuki had brought a number of folding chairs into the room, and
another small table, so there was just barely enough room to set all the trays
down. Kanae was still agitated, in Mikuru's estimation, but the slider was
putting on a strong show of pretending that she was fine.

As she expected, Kyon was observant as well, his considering gaze flickering
to her more than anyone else in the room. After everyone finished eating,
Haruhi inspected Kyon's tray, frowning slightly. "You ate all your
vegetables," she remarked.

"Well, of course," he said, raising an eyebrow. "I can hardly tell my cousins
that they have to if I don't do it myself.... Wait, you wanted to chastise me
about that?"

Mikuru smiled, and barely resisted the urge to giggle at Haruhi's faint blush.
"Never mind about that!" the brigade chief snapped. "Even though you messed up
and let yourself get hurt, well, Mikuru-chan went way out of her way for you!
So, here's something that should help the next time you're clumsy, and make us
all worry about you!"

Not expecting to be put on the spot so suddenly, Mikuru's repressed giggle
escaped. "Um, one moment," she managed, setting her tray down and going for
the bag she had set on the floor earlier. "Er...." She hesitated. Kyon would
hardly be able to try it on, sitting up in the bed. "Um, maybe, Kyon-kun, are
you well enough to get up?"

Koizumi glanced at the closed door, remarking, "It should be fine; the duty
nurse has already come by ... she shouldn't be by again for a few hours."

"Alright, then," Kyon agreed, flipping back the covers and swinging his legs
over the edge of the bed, seeming to have no trouble standing. His hospital
gown was thankfully modest, tying at the side instead of the back, but she
still felt herself blushing when she presented the bag to him.

"I m...made this for you," she managed. "I wanted, um, to thank you for
helping me get that new sewing machine, and this is the first major project I
really worked on with it."

He accepted the bag gratefully, bowing his head as he pulled the heavy coat
from within. The bag fell to the bed as the full length of the cloth unfurled,
and he quickly raised it to prevent it from falling to the floor. "Try it on!"
Haruhi demanded, bouncing excitedly in her seat. "Come on!"

His own face coloring slightly in embarrassment, Kyon did as instructed,
pulling his arms through the heavy sleeves. When it was on, he tested the fit,
raising an eyebrow at how well the shoulders were adjusted to him. There was
the tiniest bit of room for him to grow, just in case, and she'd already
washed it, so it shouldn't shrink any further. But, as she'd anticipated, he
looked very dashing in it.

There were no epaulets on the shoulder, but deep pockets were on both sides,
and the interior as well. It was long on him, and cut to allow full movement,
without a lot of decoration. It was an entirely different look from her
favorite Kyon -- that being what Tsuruya teasingly dubbed his 'domestic-mode'.
She could easily imagine him with a noble expression, one leg up on a boulder
and someone swooning in his arm on the cover of a cheap sci-fi novel.

The buttons hadn't been shined yet, so were currently a dull color. In
retrospect, she wished she had gotten a blue cloth, instead of tan, but
supposed that it would look a bit more conspicuous if it were so sharp. But
those observations aside: "Y...you make it look very dashing," she managed,
offering him a shy smile.

"It's really comfortable," he returned, grinning. "Very warm, too. It's pretty
heavy, but it doesn't feel like it once it's on." He nodded thoughtfully and
grabbed the heavy metal cylinder that Kanae had previously knocked over,
tucking it into one of the coat's interior pockets. "Oh, that's good," he
mused, shifting his shoulders around experimentally.

Tsuruya and Koizumi were giving him matching odd looks. "What?" he asked them,
frowning. "I think Asahina-san did a great job!" Turning to her, he gave that
knee-melting grin she rarely received, a much more potent version of his
'grateful for your tea' smile that she usually got. "I won't be able to get
much use out of this until next winter, but I know once I do, I will greatly
appreciate this! Asahina-san, I don't know what I've done to deserve such a
fine present, but I am very grateful."

"I've seen that coats before," Tsuruya remarked, cocking her head to one side.
"You had it on when you beat up those Sumiyoshi-rengo fellows who hurt Kasai!"

"Y...yes," Koizumi agreed, nodding. "I've seen that once before, as well, that
day you left even Mori-san impressed."

"Or, you know," Kyon sighed, "maybe even sooner than that." He shook his head,
straightening, giving Mikuru another, though less knee-melting smile. "It
appears I already am going to get quite a bit of use out of this, then. Hmm,
that's a bit reassuring, though, since I guess it means I haven't put off
going back _too_ long...."

She didn't like the idea of taking him back in time to get into a fight ...
she hoped if it had to happen, she'd be able to receive some of that promised
training from Yuki, first. She managed to smile back, her face still warm.
"I...it's not much, but I'm glad you will like it," she managed.

"Right," Haruhi said, shaking her head. "Yuki-chan, Mikuru-chan made something
amazing; we should help to make sure it never goes to waste, right?"

"Huh?" Mikuru and Kyon managed together, looking at the enthusiastic brigade
chief.

"So, let's see.... Um, most importantly, that coat's subtle enough that it
won't stick out too much. So, it should be super durable, too, so it doesn't
get damaged -- that would be a real pity, and more work for Mikuru-chan! And
Kyon's lazy, so maybe it shouldn't get dirty very easily, either.... Yeah,
that sounds good." She nodded decisively, then looked at Yuki. "Is that
doable?"

"Program loaded," Yuki acknowledged.

"Let's not go overboard," Kyon protested. "I really like it, but don't sell
Asahina-san's hard work short!"

"I ... don't mind only doing the least important part," Mikuru lied, forcing a
smile. More honestly, she continued, "The important thing is that I wanted it
to protect you ... maybe only from the cold, but making it something better
able to help you out is fine, too -- more than fine, really! So, that's okay!"

"If you're sure," he said dubiously, seeming to see some small bit of her
inner doubt.

"It's fine, really fine!" she insisted, waving her hands. She _did_ at least
get to give him a gift ... that was worth something.

"Alright, then," he allowed. "Permission granted."

Yuki raised her hand, and shimmering bands of electrical energy licked out
from her fingertip, surging into the coat ... and leaving it looking
identical, once the light-show faded. "Protective attributes have been
assigned," she announced.

Kyon shook his head ruefully, taking off the coat and folding it carefully
before putting it back in the bag. "I really am grateful, Asahina-san," he
said again, sitting back on the bed.

"Well, in that case, since she and Yuki-chan finished this for you, you can
make it up by taking both of them to see another movie," Haruhi declared,
nodding decisively. "After all, that last one didn't end so well, did it?"

"I suppose that's my fault?" he asked dourly. "But, alright, fine. If it was
fouled and requires a do-over, I'll try harder next time."

"Don't forget, you owe me a make-up movie, too," she added, grinning.

* * *

On occasion, Maruyama Iyouji still had nightmares. In some of them, a bored-
looking school girl chastised her way through ranks and ranks of burly, but
ineffective Sumiyoshi-rengo. In others, the growling, annoyed expression of
the dread bodyguard Kyon didn't flicker, dark eyes locked on Iyouji as dozens
of yakuza were mown down like wheat.

In all cases, he woke in a cold sweat, believing for long minutes that he
still heard the ominous echoing laughter of the Tsuruya heiress.

Far from interfering with his work, the dreams compelled him to work even
harder on making sure that the numbers were neat, and the operations were all
run flawlessly. More importantly, he and his boss were especially diligent to
ensure that in no instance, did a single one of their activities step on the
toes of the Yamaguchi-gumi. _Especially_ they went out of their way to avoid
_anything_ to do with the Haru-tachi.

Iyouji considered himself, ultimately, to be a little bit of a coward. He
wasn't ashamed of that; even if he _had_ gotten placed in a criminal
organization, it was as an accountant, not a common thug. But as a coward in a
criminal organization, he was careful to remain calm, aware of his position.
When trouble came, he faced it logically, methodically, and when there was
danger he bowed, scraped, and if required, begged without a scrap or shred of
pride or dignity.

So for the first time in a long while, probably, he thought, several years,
Iyouji found himself surprised at how angry he was.

He was careful! He didn't make mistakes -- but if he did, he would calmly and
apologetically own up to them. When someone else made a mistake, he was sure
that his own share was done well enough to show where the fault lay. Most
importantly: He was too much of a coward to willingly bring danger down upon
his own head.

Thus, as he was happily reviewing the numbers for a blackmail scam involving a
minor public official and a woman who worked with their group, he received a
phone call on the 'emergency bail' line. Not too unusual; Fujiya Masao had
long ago ordered Iyouji to maintain a fund specifically for the purposes of
posting bail when any of his men were jailed. There was usually enough in it
to afford to hire a decent lawyer for preliminary hearings, as well.

However....

When he first received the call stating that one of Masao's top three men --
Watanabe -- had gotten himself arrested, he felt concern. In these trying
times, the loss of a high-ranking enforcer was nothing to laugh about. But as
the explanation went on, and Iyouji understood what Watanabe had done, concern
gave way to fury.

After politely declining to fund any kind of lawyer, and acknowledging that
bail wasn't going to be permitted for Watanabe, Iyouji hung up the phone and
stormed to Masao's office. The men in the room -- those who had only been
badly bruised, and weren't still recovering from the last unfortunate
encounter with the Haru-tachi -- looked up in fascination at the irate banker.
He ignored them, pummeling the door.

Masao wrenched the door open with a dark glare, blinking when Iyouji didn't
back down. Lip curling in annoyance, the boss nodded, gesturing his underling
in and slamming the door back shut behind him. "Sit," he growled, taking a
seat behind his desk.

Iyouji did as he was instructed. "It's Watanabe, Sir," he said. "And trouble
with the Haru-tachi."

Masao groaned, dragging one hand across his face, then pulling a pair of
tumblers and an unopened bottle of Suntory whiskey from a desk drawer. After
pouring both glasses almost entirely full, he slid one to Iyouji. "Explain,"
he ordered.

Nodding his head and sipping at the strong, burning beverage, Iyouji explained
what had happened -- repeating the phone call verbatim. Masao listened to the
entire thing before offering a single, succinct curse in response, throwing
back his entire drink and pouring himself another.

After finishing the second tumbler and contemplating, Masao sighed deeply,
setting his elbows on his desk and steepling his hands, palms apart,
fingertips touching. "You are going to tell them that I must apologize," the
boss said. Realizing that Masao was right -- only a spineless coward like
himself would be allowed close enough to beg forgiveness -- Iyouji grimaced
and downed the rest of his drink.