Kyon: Big Damn Hero

Thwarted Lull Arc IV

Chapter Thirty Two: Debriefing

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 (the website) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License (and it's possible that this fic technically is, too; seems fair to me). Additional characters are borrowed from Higurashi, which is the creation of Ryukishi07.

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


"Title: Fallible"

"A mistake is made,
"errors perpetuated:
"personal failure.

"Apology is denied;
"judgment, refused.

"His analysis:
"'it's fine, no one is perfect';
"a comforting thought."

"Snow, Verses: A Compilation" -- Committed to record: 2011.5.21


Haunted by the experiences of the day, Kyon didn't really feel that the beach trip was terribly relaxing. On the bright side, even without proper planning, the brigade had been successful against one of Kanae's enemies. There was still a lot that he couldn't be sure about, things like when the next attack might come, but he doubted it would be instantaneous.

Of course, even with the small bits of good news, he couldn't really stop thinking about it. Being hit with the alien energy beam had been disconcerting; shields or not, armor or otherwise, being hit had really stung. Especially since after the first moment of being struck, he'd gotten flung back the length of the beach into a stone wall.

He had already decided it was one of those experiences he was never going to forget, no matter how little he liked to. It hadn't hurt as badly as that time Asakura Ryouko had stabbed him, but it came close. Yuki alone remained from the girls, and of course, rather than take off his shirt and show his tattoos on the beach, Kasai was stuck on land, too. After glancing around, Kyon realized that Koizumi had gone to swim, as well. Or, possibly to chat with Mori quietly about what had happened while they were out of sight.

After a quiet moment, he glanced to Yuki, kneeling nearby. He had heard the turning of pages -- slower than usual, for Yuki, and not quite as regular, but she wasn't reading. She was facing him, but her eyes tracked some point along the waterfront; Kyon guessed watching over the others instead of reading. Sitting up, he realized that the one reading was Kasai, who had dug himself out from the sand pile, and was now reclining against it while flipping through a small book.

Curious, he leaned forward to examine the title, raising an eyebrow when he read, 'The Gateless Gate'. Somehow, sparking up a discussion on eighth century zen koans didn't sound mentally relaxing enough to him, so he turned his attention back to Yuki.

Seeming aware of his gaze, her eyes swung to meet his, and he gauged that she seemed irritated or unsettled. He straightened himself up and asked, "Is something wrong?"

Yuki's gaze somehow became more contemplative. She hesitated and made a small gesture; the fingertips of her right hand moved an almost imperceptible distance. Kyon suddenly realized he couldn't hear the sound of the surf, or nearby people chattering. Kasai turned another page in his book, but it was utterly silent.

"There is ... distress," Yuki said at length, to his gaze looking even more troubled. "Several instances of threatening situations to yourself have occurred, while I have not adequately been able to protect you."

He frowned, not having considered it from that angle before. "You can't blame yourself," he said, shaking his head. "Sometimes it feels like we've got a lot to deal with. Is the entity giving you trouble?"

"Possibly," she allowed, her eyes going to the shoreline again. "Events may be manipulated such that they are invisible to me until inevitable. Regardless, I ... feel that I have failed in instances where you are at risk."

Aware that everyone around them could probably still see them, Kyon stretched his right hand out, allowing his fingertips to brush the side of her hand. She lifted her gaze to look up into his eyes. "Nagato, it's normal to feel a little down when something bad happens to someone you care about, like your friends and family. But it's not your fault that it happened.

"If anyone's at fault, it's really me, for letting myself get into these situations. Kanae-chan warned us that this could happen.... And, anyway, you gave me the forcefield and armor that let me survive, even if you weren't there -- and you help me learn enough to take better care of myself in fights, too. So don't let yourself feel too bad about it."

Yuki nodded very slightly.

Looking into her eyes, Kyon gave her a weak smile. "You still feel bad, huh?" Yuki's next nod was more pronounced. "Well, I'm okay now, so we can both relax, right?"

"You do not," she replied.

He winced, nodding acknowledgment to her. "Fair enough," he allowed. "Okay. Well, it's still not your fault; I'm just worried about when we can expect to be attacked by Kanae's enemies again. And what Suou Kuyou intends. And Sasaki's intentions, and the fact that I'm engaged to Tsuruya-kun, how to deal with Haruhi about...." He sighed, giving her an apologetic shrug and what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "I suppose it would be convenient if I could simply stop being worried, but since I can't, I have to do my best and be satisfied with that."

She contemplated this, but Kyon thought she didn't look convinced by that answer. And why should she? He wasn't really able to give her much more than vague platitudes. When he stopped to think about it, given her perceptions and ability to understand reality through the link with the IDSE, she probably felt practically blind in comparison. And if she hadn't let it bother her much visibly before, from her point of view being caught off guard as much as she had lately....

Aloud, he asked, "But through it all, there have been some good unexpected things as well, haven't there?"

He picked up the merest hints of surprise in her gaze. "Yes," she agreed, unhesitant despite the evidently unexpected question. "This is uncertainty."

"I wish it could be more than just empty words, but, if there's anything I can do for you, let me know," he told her.

Her familiar, hesitant way of making requests or speaking of things that were unfamiliar to her had slowly become an endearing trait, and he bit his lip at that realization. "A significant amount of junk data was created today," she said, which he realized made perfect sense. "Through an unknown mechanism, my capability of withstanding this is improved by your presence." He stared, surprised at the rarely seen tiny blush on Yuki's cheeks. "Tomorrow ... please visit my apartment."

"Um, you're saying that even though I can't do much to help you, you're reassured by me?" he asked.

She blinked twice, seeming to consider that, then gave her tiny, solemn nod, and a look that was almost, but not quite, a smile.

"Seeing you like that reassures me," he told her, relaxing as she made another tiny gesture, and the sounds of the surrounding beach-goers slowly came back to his perception. "I think I might try for that nap after all."

She nodded, shifting her sitting position slightly and pulling one of the Trope-tan manga that Haruhi had brought from a bag. Laying back down and closing his eyes, Kyon slowly dozed off.


After swimming, Tsuruya and the others returned to their base camp, where Kasai and Kyon were waiting. She realized that Yuki had stayed behind as well, probably to spend time with Kyon more than from an aversion to swimming. Well, that was fine....

Kyon was reclining against the large mound of sand left behind from Nonoko and Miyoko's early attempts at burying Kasai, not far from the burly man as he contemplated his book. At a glance, the boy looked like he was asleep. Tsuruya was pondering what to do with a sleeping Kyon, but Mikuru was ahead of her, quickly snapping several pictures on her phone while Haruhi watched on with amused approval.

To Tsuruya's surprise, before she could really join the others, Yuki's small form stood before her, the quiet girl's hooded eyes staring unflinchingly at her. In a voice that Tsuruya guessed no one else would hear, she said, "I surmise that he is distressed by this atypical arrangement; as in most cases concerning him, I wish independent verification of this supposition."

Tsuruya raised her eyebrows in consideration, then gave a judicious nod. "I agree with you, Nagato-chi-- Ah, no.... Yuki-chan. I'll talk to Kyon-kun about it tonight and try to reassure him," she decided. That could be arranged, she was certain. "I'll do my best to reassures him! You'll let Haru-nyan know, too?"

Yuki gave her solemn nod in response.

That thought in mind, even though it was time on the beach with friends, she had a hard time thinking of anything else except the prospect of spending time alone with Kyon. So in the late afternoon, when everyone was thoroughly exhausted from swimming and playing, the entire group returned to the Tsuruya estate.

"Ah, Kyon-kun," she called, while they were sorting through bags of beach supplies, "can you stay for dinner?"

"Is this about ... uh ... family business?" he asked.

She nodded, since it was close enough to the truth, and he shrugged. "Shouldn't be a problem," he allowed, twisting to one side and grabbing his sister before she could glomp onto him. "But you, Imouto, have to go home! Aren't you responsible for making sure that your friend Miyoko gets home on time?"

Nonoko's only response was a fierce pout.

"What would a defender of justice do?" he pressed.

The little girl relented, moving to stand next to her friend. Haruhi watched the exchange wordlessly, giving a grudging nod of her own understanding while Kyon was distracted. "I probably should have been more careful," the brigade chief sighed. "Well, that's okay. I'll start on making our plans for the next trip to Hinamizawa!"

"Another trip to Hinamizawa?" Mikuru mused, looking thoughtful. "Hmm, that might be fun...."

"I've never been," Kanae said enviously. "That's where Sempai is from?"

"Ah!" Haruhi exclaimed, putting an arm around Kanae's shoulder. "Kyon's family -- at least, his family in Hinamizawa -- is really awesome! You'll love them! Hey, why don't you, Mikuru-chan, and Yuki-chan come with me, and we'll work on the plans while Kyon is doing business with Tsu-chan?"

"As well, there are things that I must discuss with Mori-san," Koizumi interjected. "Might I request a meeting tomorrow to go over the events from today, however?"

"Good thinking," Haruhi agreed. "I'll leave scheduling that to you, Koizumi!"

"Understood," Koizumi agreed, bowing. "But in that case, I should be off to attend some paperwork."

And shortly after that, everyone was gone, except for Tsuruya and Kyon. "Huh," he mused, frowning, looking at the large gate to the estate's driveway as it silently closed itself. "If I'd thought about it, I probably would have asked Nagato to join us."

"That would have been okay," Tsuruya allowed, glancing around. Kasai was driving Nonoko and Miyoko home, her other driver was taking care of Haruhi and the other girls, and Koizumi had stepped into a car with Mori, driven by Arakawa. Shinobu stood near the walkway into the house proper, and Tsuruya nodded at her. "I've invited Kyon-kun to stay for dinner," she told her chief maid.

"Understood," Shinobu acknowledged with a bow. "I will notify the cook."

Kyon fell into step behind Tsuruya as she led the way into her home, and then through the corridors until reaching the recreation room. He lowered himself to one of the couches while she flipped on the television, more for background noise than anything else. The first show was a crime drama, some young female actress squealing in unconvincing distress as an eyeroll-worthy characterization of an organized criminal cackled malevolently. She flipped channels without hesitation, pleased to stumble across a program she remembered from her childhood, Pythagora's Switch.

Kyon perked up at the familiar tune as some Rube Goldberg contraption conveyed a steel ball bearing through a variety of obstacles before the show's name popped up on a tiny flag from some home-made block castle. "You likes this, too?" she asked, sitting at his side.

He nodded, looking away from the screen as a round of commercials began. "So, what's going on?" he asked, sounding strained, like he was trying to be patient, but was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Well, he had just fought a slider-bot, but he was undoubtedly going to be asked about that at tomorrow's meeting. As much as she'd like to know, she realized he didn't need to talk about that specifically at the moment. Aside from which, Haruhi and Kanae could probably tell the story, too. "Well, I agreed 'family business'," she told him with a wink, before leaning against him. He tensed slightly, as she made herself comfortable against his side, only shifting around to put one arm around her shoulders. "I really just meant about us."

"O...oh," he managed. Snuggled up to his side as she was, she could tell that he was still tense. "Um.... L...listen, Tsuruya-kun.... I know I'm not really the greatest guy around, but lately--"

She shushed him with the simple gesture of placing a fingertip against his lips. "You're too tense," she said softly. "You blames yourself for things that aren't your fault."

"Well.... But--"

"So, let me guess, hum?"

"Alright," he allowed, sighing. "You're perceptive; you probably already know what I'm doing wrong."

"You blame yourself too much," she chastised him. "So, do you feel bad because you kissed other girls?"

"That, too.... And, well.... I meant what I said about our engagement, Tsuruya-kun, but lately, I feel like I'm really disrespecting you," he confessed.

"Silly," she sighed, straightening up at his side, and planting a kiss on his unresisting lips. He kissed her back, at first reluctantly, and then she felt that he surrendered to his desire, because the kiss was the same deep intensity she'd shared with him once before. When he finally released her, she felt her face flush. Guiltily, she realized she was very happy to have him all to herself. Well, for the moment ... but she shouldn't really let herself spend the entire afternoon and evening in that little daydream, especially if they were working together to make a brighter future for everyone.

More than her word -- which was valuable to her -- she was afraid of the cost to her friends should she try something so selfish. Except, thanks to the small privacy they had, and that kiss, she completely understood Mikuru's nearly desperate passion, and Haruhi's own reluctance to share. Yuki's stoic resolve and seemingly inexhaustible patience were remarkable, in comparison. She could console herself with the fact that even though she wanted Kyon all to herself for that moment, she wasn't actually jealous of her friends ... in fact, she was pleased for Kanae, finally getting what she'd been hopeful for after so long. "Okay, sos ... we're really probably too young to worry so much about this, huh?"

"That's probably true," he allowed, giving her a rueful grin. "But that's hardly an excuse to behave irresponsibly for me, is it?"

"I'm older than yous by eighteen months," she reminded him, wishing that admission didn't make her feel like some naughty older woman preying on Kyon's relative innocence. Though....

She banished that temptation. Slow steps; the price to pay for trying to reassure Kyon like that could be too high. "What I means is, we're all too young to worry so much about this; you're not ruining anyone for marriages. You're not trying to toy with anyones.... Maybe it's only a guess for me, but you're trying your best to take care of peoples you care about!"

"That's the only reason I've let myself go this far ... but even then--"

She shushed him with her fingertip again, shifting her position around, pulling herself into his lap. She was a tiny bit surprised that despite his reluctance, he helped her position herself comfortably. Since she was already almost as tall as him, she found herself looking slightly down at him, their noses nearly touching. "Kyon-kun," she said sternly. "You're not allowed to feel bad about this! As long as you keep being responsible, and caring ... then I won't complain. I don't speak for the others always, but this once, I think they would all agree that it's okay...."

She dropped her fingertip from his lips and settled into him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"H...how.... Setting aside everyone else for the moment," he said softly, startling her slightly with the way his voice resonated through his chest while she curled up around him. "I mean.... I...if that's really okay with you ... how is that okay? How does that not make you ... jealous or upset?"

"For the time being, let's leaves that a secret," she said, shaking her head slightly. The motion was really more like her rubbing her face on his shirt, but she liked the closeness. "Just know that it's okay for you to go on dates with and kiss a few other girls...."

"Specific girls?" Kyon asked. "I'm not really sure how to feel about this, but the idea of.... I mean.... Just the girls in the Brigade, right?"

She giggled. "I think Miyoko-chan likes you, too, but yes, let's leave it as things are for the moments. For now, just think of it likes ... building something stronger than just friendship."

He didn't respond for a moment, but she thought he felt slightly less tense. "I don't really understand," he confessed. "I don't.... But if you say it's okay ... well, I could use one less thing to worry about. And if it's one of those things I'm really bad at figuring out, I guess, so much the better."

She didn't think that was the ideal answer.... And she didn't really like the idea of Kyon only agreeing that it was okay because he didn't understand it. But if it would let them continue toward that goal without stressing him too much..... "That's okay for now," she allowed, pulling away far enough to see his face, giving him her brightest smile. "I think you'll understands in time. But, for me, the most important things is that my friends are happy. Even if it's just a little bit ... do I make you happy?"

He nodded without hesitation, giving back a nervous but genuine smile. "I wish I could make you happy, too--" he began, before she silenced him with a kiss that was not broken until loud footsteps warned that a servant was approaching.

Sliding to sit at his side, feeling very satisfied with herself, Tsuruya ruefully reflected that Shinobu's uncharacteristically heavy step probably meant that she was entirely aware of what was going on. The chief maid trotted into the room on feet that were mysteriously silent again, bowing her head and murmuring that dinner would be ready within the next half hour.

"Right," Tsuruya declared, her face still slightly red from the intense kissing session. Or was it more than kissing? Kyon's hands hadn't really wandered much but she was reasonably sure that qualified as making out. "Um ... I'll take a quick bath before dinner -- wash the sea out of my hair." While she would have loved to teasingly invite Kyon to join her again, she didn't know how well she could make herself behave, there. Instead, she winked as she rose to head to the bath, leaning close and whispering, "You do make me happy, Kyon-kun."


It wasn't until they were all squeezed into the elevator going to Yuki's apartment that Kanae realized that Haruhi's plan had been to constantly distract her. The moment the door shut, Haruhi backed up to the wall beside Kanae and demanded that Yuki play her recording of Kanae kissing her sempai for everyone to watch.

Kanae didn't know how to read Yuki's expression as well as she gathered the others could, but she couldn't help but feel that Yuki looked amused again, then produced the shiny new cell phone that her sempai had given the girl, playing the video back. "Wah," Kanae managed weakly, as Haruhi put one arm about her and gave her an unbalancing squeeze, nearly causing her to stumble. "Um!"

"So cute!" Haruhi reiterated, though her attention was far more on Kanae than the video. Her look wasn't pitying, or upset, outside of tiny hints of easily understandable jealousy. In a way, the look actually reminded Kanae of her sempai. Haruhi looked concerned and protective, but somehow, strangely confident. It was a look that made Kanae think that what Kyon said was true; Haruhi could bend the universe to her whim if she had to.

Thanks to her sempai, she wouldn't have to.... But for all her fear and apprehension, her friends had dealt with the enemy attacker. And now Haruhi was trying to boost her confidence and also distract her from her worries, while reminding her of all the reasons she had to stay.

Kanae sniffled, realizing she was on the verge of tears; how long had she spent running? The years blurred together ... which made her head hurt to think about; how many years could it have been? She had only just turned sixteen.... It was six years, right? Somehow, it felt like so much more.

Before she could really ponder it further, or try and regain her composure, she found herself caught up in Haruhi's hug. Their surroundings seemed to shift or melt, and then they were in Yuki's apartment, and Mikuru was a soothing presence at her side, while Yuki walked to the kitchen to prepare tea. She settled down after what felt like far too long, managing to say, "S...sorry ... and thank you."

"I told you that you were part of the brigade, and we'd look out for you!" Haruhi scolded her, grinning as Mikuru dabbed at her cheeks with a handkerchief. "Anyway, even if I was teasing you about it before, surely that kiss with Kyon helped to settle you on believing in us!"

"Y...yes," she managed, her cheeks warm. "Um.... W...with all of you for friends, and Sempai...." She swallowed nervously, glad for the chance to hide her mouth behind the teacup Yuki handed her for a moment. After taking a sip, she admitted, "I feel a bit silly, now ... maybe guilty for being so hard to convince."

"Maybe a bit silly," Mikuru said gently, winking and touching the tip of one finger to Kanae's forehead. "But that's okay; you had to learn to cope with something that was very different from what you are used to. It's a jarring adjustment ... so believe me, even if it's only a small bit, I understand how you feel."

"Ah..." Kanae managed, uncertain what to say.

"Now," Mikuru said more briskly, rising to her feet, "if I can trouble Yuki-chan for some ingredients, I'll make dinner." With that, she strode into the kitchen. Yuki stared after her a moment, seeming torn between following and staying where she was, before drifting after the time traveler.

Haruhi released Kanae from the hug and said, "Though, I guess it was kind of scary ... I was worried for Kyon, but thanks to you, Yuki-chan, and Mikuru-chan, he can use the hyperbolic time chamber to keep up. You know, even if it doesn't feel like much to you, you're a big help to the rest of us, too! Ah...." She sighed, and shook her head. "Sorry, I'm a bit excited from the fight ... Kyon actually looked kind of cool, didn't he?"

"Yeah," Kanae agreed, blushing. "Um.... Kissing is really something else...."

"I haven't gotten to kiss Kyon in over twenty-four hours!" Haruhi moaned. Then she shook her head abruptly. "Um.... Man, for all I complained that I didn't believe in love, it sure hit me hard, didn't it?"

"T...that seems to suit you, though," Kanae hazarded, smiling cautiously. "If it's worth doing, it's worth going all out on?"

"That sounds about right," Haruhi said, frowning thoughtfully. "I mean, I can't say I regret it, though ... especially since it doesn't really get in the way of my main goal. At least, not so much that it isn't a worthwhile trade-off. Yeah, that sounds about right." She gave a judicious nod at that, then flashing the slider with a bright smile.

"So," she added, nudging Kanae with an elbow, her smile widening into a grin, "how about you, then?"

"I.... A...after seeing him and...." Kanae swallowed nervously, then confessed, "I mean, this is where Sempai is, after all. So, I wonder now, if it might be okay ... for me to stay here? I don't ... really have a way to go back to where I started out, s...so...."

Haruhi swept her back into a reassuring hug. "Of course!" she cheered. "You're the club's first inter-dimensional transfer! Why wouldn't we want you to stay here? Except, really, isn't that something you have to decide, not us? I know it's not quite what you were asking, but I think that I know Kyon at least well enough to say that he'd want you to stay, but it's your choice. I'd like to say you have to stay, really ... but it's not up to me!"

Kanae was stunned.... She'd thought of the others as friends, especially since the core of Haruhi's plan was using that as a foundation to build an even stronger relationship. But she'd never felt such a strong connection to anyone other than her sempai ... and now from Haruhi as well. Was this the deeper friendship Haruhi was working toward? She felt herself grow teary with relief and happiness again as she hugged back as strongly as she could, and squeaked out, "Thank you, Suzumiya-sempai!"

"Eh?" Mikuru's voice came from the kitchen entrance. "Suzumiya-san? Are you alright? You look dazed!"

"S...something amazing happened," Haruhi said, her voice oddly faint. "I think I understand Kyon just a little bit better, now."


After recovering from an overload of moe that made her wonder if she should watch her blood sugar, Haruhi realized that it was already time to eat dinner. Even though Kyon had spent most of the afternoon napping, the others had spent some time in the water, so Mikuru's excellent cooking was just the thing. After they were done eating, Haruhi produced the collection of Trope-tan DVDs, proclaiming, "Look what I borrowed from Tsu-chan~!"

The rest of the evening was spent quietly watching the series. According to what Haruhi could find on the fan wiki, she'd read the manga up through the first season of the anime, and the second season suffered some amazingly divergent adaptation decay. There was a bit of a divided fan-base as to which continuity was better on-line, but as far as Haruhi could tell, everyone she knew in person was a bigger fan of the animation.

Though, she realized, she was trying to focus on that to distract herself from something. Somehow, even though Kanae had a habit of looking cute -- much like Mikuru, but in a different way -- all the time.... Something about the slider being in her arms, looking up at her and calling her 'sempai' in that adoring, sweet voice....

"Um, that dinner was especially excellent, Mikuru-chan!" Haruhi exclaimed, trying to distract herself again.

"Thank Yuki-chan, not me," Mikuru said with an embarrassed giggle. "She's the one who taught me how to cook, after all!"

Haruhi turned to Yuki, but in response the quiet girl said, "There will be an extended maintenance session tonight."

For a moment, the brigade chief was bewildered, before remembering Yuki's training along with Kyon. "Ah, right," she realized aloud. That wouldn't be fun for her ... she'd be stuck all by herself. Well ... if she was going to have to be excluded for Yuki's sake, that was that. As much as she wanted to be part of that, and to be doing ... whatever it was they did with Kyon, she'd survive....

But, thinking of that.... "I know I can't go," Haruhi grumbled, trying to keep the irritation from her voice as she crossed her arms over her chest. "And I guess that's how it has to be ... but, you could let Tsu-chan go too, right?"

Yuki nodded in response.

"Right!" Haruhi decided. "Last time she had a chance to go, I think she stayed behind because she would have felt like she was abandoning me at her place alone. Well, since she's not here right now, it doesn't make so much of a difference, this time. Plus, maybe she'll give me a better report of what this training thing is really like! Kyon didn't explain it to me very well."

"Um.... Yuki-chan erases certain parts of the training, so it doesn't feel like it's as long as it was," Mikuru noted worriedly. "It's not that Kyon-kun isn't trying, it's that.... W...well, we've been having this sort of training for over a month now, right?"

"Right," Kanae agreed, nodding. "Wow, has it really been that long?"

"And, relative time, it takes a full year inside ... so ... would you really be happy if we all remembered more than thirty years of training, but only a single month spent here?" Mikuru asked, giving Haruhi an apologetic smile. "It's a bit different for me, because classified-- Oh.... A...anyway, I don't think you would be so happy about that, really."

Haruhi contemplated what Mikuru said, letting the reference to classified information pass for the moment. "Well," she allowed, "Kyon did mention once very early on that he really missed someone the first time he got the training...." Or something, but Haruhi was almost certain that it was a person. And, maybe a bit selfishly, she thought that person might be her.

"Aaah," she moaned, shaking her head. "Ever since Kyon told me the truth, I've had such a huge weak spot for him! Damn! I can't go training with you, so I just want to drag him to an empty room and--" She cut herself off without completing that statement, but judging by Mikuru's poorly concealed smirk, and Kanae's blushing smile, they both knew.

"Understood," Yuki replied, pulling her phone from her pocket and holding one of the buttons down. Haruhi stared as Yuki raised the phone to her ear and waited a moment, before saying, "Yes. Your presence is requested before tonight's training session."

There was a pause, while Haruhi wondered what kind of things Kyon said to Yuki when she couldn't overhear. Whatever it was, incredibly tiny sparks of blush appeared on Yuki's cheeks. "It is a request ... on behalf of a friend." She straightened very slightly, and her eyes flicked to Haruhi's, then quickly away -- almost as though she were guilty, Haruhi thought. "I also look forward to our time tomorrow," she said, before disconnecting the phone.

An awkward moment of silence ensued, before Kanae hesitantly asked, "D...do you have a ... date ... with sempai tomorrow?"

Yuki didn't meet anyone's eyes, but quietly said, "Similar."

"I suddenly feel like I'm falling behind," the slider said in quiet realization, while Mikuru nodded her agreement.

"Arg.... And yet, we really should try and avoid pushing Kyon," Haruhi groaned, rubbing at her temples. "Damn! S...so, I'm going to, um, tonight...." She trailed off and shrugged, feeling she didn't need to explain it in further detail. "Yuki-chan hasn't had an opportunity for a while, so tomorrow, after our meeting, I guess.... Um, Tsu-chan, too, so...." She sighed. "This is going to be a bigger pain than I thought."

"B...but on the bright side," Mikuru countered with a hopeful smile, "we're having trouble with finding time, not, um, being jealous or something else.... I...it seems to me that there must inevitably be some difficulties with an, um, arrangement such as this one. That this is the sticking point, isn't that in some ways a good thing?"

Haruhi couldn't resist. Kanae was in reach, and Mikuru wasn't much further away; she swept the pair of them into the same tackling hug. "That's right!" Haruhi cheered. "And you've figured out what I was missing, Mikuru-chan! Since we're not always going to be able to be with Kyon, we still have each other in the meantime!"

"Ah!" Kanae squeaked.

"Um!" Mikuru whimpered.

Haruhi struggled to restrain herself. "Making such cute noises ... if he ever tries to start something, those sounds will make Kyon unable to stop!" she chastised them, barely finding the strength to let go. If Kanae had released another one of those breathy 'sempai' whimpers....

"S...Suzumiya-san!" Mikuru cried. "Spare Kanae-chan! T...take me instead!"

Quite abruptly, before she could react, Haruhi felt a far-too familiar tug on the collar of her shirt, someone hefting her up and pulling her away from the older girl. "Eh?" Her heart stopped, and she thought she felt her entire body's concentration of blood flowing to her face as she twisted around to see who it was. "Y...you," she stammered, frozen in terror. "H...how long...?"

Yuki calmly repeated, "'If he ever tries to start something, those sounds will make Kyon unable to stop,'" in a calm monotone, though there was a glint of something.... Was she amused?

"Somehow," Kyon said, shifting his gaze away, "I wasn't really sure that I should interfere...."

"L...let me go!" she shrilled, flailing wildly for a moment before twisting herself around, shoving herself free of Kyon's grasp.

"Oh!" Kanae exclaimed suddenly, eyes widening. "We have to take care of that ... thing in the kitchen, right Asahina-san?"

"R...right," Mikuru agreed, giving an oddly mischievous smile. "Um, Yuki-chan, ah.... Well, I'm sure I can ask you to help watch over things with us in the kitchen?"

"W...wait!" Haruhi demanded, waving her arms in useless protest as the other girls trooped away. So, now she had that time 'alone' she'd wanted with Kyon, but there was no way the other girls weren't using Yuki's powers to watch and record.

As if to underscore that point, Mikuru paused in the entry to the kitchen, looking back with a bright smile. "Unless you'd prefer one of us to stay out here with you? Maybe Kanae-chan should have a reprieve from washing dishes?" she asked, so innocently. She wasn't innocent at all! What revenge play was this!? Where had Mikuru learned such behavior?

Underscoring that thought, Kanae peeked out from the kitchen, both hands on the edge of the door frame, her eyes wide. "U...um, did you want me to stay ... Suzumiya-sempai?" she asked.

Kanae was in on it! This wasn't fair!

Both girls retreated into the kitchen a heartbeat later, not quite giggling, but Haruhi could sense it anyway. Ooh.... This was mutiny!

"So," Kyon began, crossing his arms over his chest and eying her. "What's this about?"

She suddenly felt very self-conscious in her pajamas. He'd seen her in them before, during the island adventure a year ago. Annoying as it was, she hadn't grown that much. His pajamas amounted to a thin light blue sweat suit, the unimaginative jerk. She repressed that frantically; no way she was going to let herself behave like a stereotypical tsundere on camera! "I ... wanted to spend a minute alone with you," she forced herself to admit, her face still red.

"Er, okay," he allowed, nodding. "About the fight on the beach?"

"No, d...dummy," she managed, biting her tongue and trying what she hoped was a teasing smile. "I wanted ... y...you know...." She shrugged awkwardly, steeling herself. If she was going to be recorded, she might as well make sure the experience was worthy of it. What was the sense in just fumbling about? She reached up and put her hands around the back of his head, pulling him down to her with minimal resistance. After a moment of hesitation, before their lips touched, he seemed to try and take charge, closing the rest of the distance himself.

She gave as good as she got, she thought, some time later, when she finally surrendered and broke for air. She felt woozy and light-headed, burying her face in Kyon's shoulder to muffle her panting. Okay ... no sense getting out of hand. She was being recorded, after all. Which reminded her of something....

As she was smoothing her hair back into place and retying her short ponytail, she gave Kyon a triumphant smirk, and he gave her a guilty smile back. Not as guilty as he'd been last time, which was a sign that either she had really improved her technique, or Tsuruya had done her part to try and reassure him.

Hopefully it was both.

A single second later, Mikuru walked in, humming, followed by Kanae and Yuki. "So," Haruhi said, clearing her throat, not quite meeting anyone's eyes. "What's the training plan for tonight?"

"A...actually," Kanae said hesitantly, "instead of practicing sliding, I'd like to try and learn something, um, more useful for staying around here.... I.... I mean, I can always learn the other parts later, right? I...if that's all right, Sempai?" For whatever reason, she still seemed to look to Kyon for encouragement.

He nodded quickly, looking slightly confused. "That's fine by me," he allowed. "I'm not sure what it is you want to learn, but I'm behind your choice to stay with us, at least for the time being. We are your friends, after all."

Haruhi couldn't help but approve of the fact that Kyon turned Kanae's request to him into acceptance from the group. "So, you're leveling up your energy sword skill, right?" she asked him quirking an eyebrow higher.

"That's the plan," he agreed.

"I'm happy with my training," Mikuru said, smiling softly. "I haven't needed it, really, but I'm glad for that, all the same."

"What, are you learning how to be a paramedic?" Haruhi teased, smirking.

Mikuru beamed her an even brighter smile and nodded enthusiastically. Haruhi was surprised; this from the girl who had fainted at Kyon being injured?

But then ... that seemed like a good way of dealing with that, ultimately. "Good for you!" Haruhi approved, nodding acknowledgment to the time traveler. "And then ... where's Tsu-chan?"

Yuki shifted her attention, and an empty space in the apartment was abruptly filled with Tsuruya, sitting on the floor with her arms stretched over her head as she yawned hugely. She blinked, looking around herself, then down at the soft robes she usually slept in. After scanning everyone else in the room, smiling despite her confusion, the heiress cocked her head slightly to one side, guessing, "I get that trainings you promised tonight, Yuki-chan?"

Yuki nodded in response. Before she could speak, Haruhi repeated her question.

Tsuruya pondered for a long moment, then decided, "Well, it may be a bit of a waste, but I'd like to be even a tiny bit as good at self-defense as Kyon-kun. But, you know, Haru-nyan, I don't mind passing on tonight if you want someone to keep you company. Yuki-chan mentioned you couldn't go, and you'd be all on your own, right?"

Yuki nodded again, and Kyon crossed his arms over his chest, looking between Haruhi and Tsuruya thoughtfully. While Haruhi wouldn't have minded having someone with her, she shook her head. "No, you go and try it out," she insisted. "I just want a report or something, since I don't know what it's like. I'm jealous, you know, but since I can't...." She shrugged, smirking, then patted her bag. "Plus, I've got a lot of Trope-tan manga to catch up on."

"Understood," Yuki said, nodding, before everyone vanished.

Alone in Yuki's empty apartment, Haruhi couldn't help but shiver a little. At least Yuki had a television and DVD player now, but unless Haruhi missed her guess, Yuki had either only recently bought them, or just used her own limited powers to turn something else into those devices. "More than a relative year of time," she mumbled, grimacing. "I wonder how long it'll be for me?"

Shrugging, she eyed the somewhat untidy piles of bags and discarded clothing from the other girls, finally crawling beneath the kotatsu with a comfortable pillow and a stack of manga. She'd have liked the opportunity to practice ... but she didn't have that much to complain about, really. After all, even if it was recorded, she'd gotten yet another make-out session with Kyon.


Koizumi really tried to keep himself from grinning constantly, but it was difficult to deny his satisfaction at the most recent turn of events. Kyon hadn't been injured, really, thanks to Yuki, and Haruhi was in a good mood since Koizumi had been able to fight the enemy slider robot. Mori absorbed his report with a skeptical stare, until he produced a small bit of red energy in one hand, wavering like flame.

He banished it quickly, realizing it was unseemly to show off, but understanding Kyon's incredibly flashy entrance when he'd first intervened on Koizumi's behalf. Really, when the esper stopped to think about it, all he'd really done was return the favor with Haruhi's help. After an evening of explaining what had happened to him to Arakawa and Mori, the pair had congratulated him and suggested he rest adequately.

Arakawa had looked genuinely pleased ... but Mori seemed to be hiding some sign of worry.

He was too excited to have rested well, which meant that when the appointed meeting time the following day came around, he was far more tired than he wished. Tsuruya had offered her home as a meeting place, so everyone was to assemble there. Koizumi offered to give Kyon a ride, deciding to ask Haruhi instead of Kyon.

Haruhi answered her cell phone and decided that was fine, and then Koizumi called Kyon and explained what the brigade chief's orders were.

For his part, Kyon met Koizumi at the door with a dour expression, his sister dashing from the living room and sliding across the bare floor on her socks for a moment before grabbing the edge of the doorway and watching the pair expectantly. "Is this a secret meeting about the enemy forces?" she asked in a loud whisper.

"Exactly right!" Koizumi agreed, nodding.

Kyon nodded tiredly. "But this time," he said, patting his sister on the head, "it's not Haruhi's fault."

"Can I go?" she pleaded, clasping her hands together and giving Kyon her best puppy-dog eyes.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "You got to go to the beach trip, and I'm taking you out to dinner tomorrow; this is a secret meeting."

"Alright," she grumbled, sulking as she slowly plodded away, shooting a sniffle over her shoulder at him.

Kyon sighed and closed the door behind him, hiding her from view. "I'm guessing this is your way of arranging a moment for us to chat?" he asked.

"Precisely so," Koizumi agreed, walking to the car and opening a door for Kyon. Kyon looked irritated, then walked around to the other side, taking the opposite seat. Shrugging, Koizumi climbed in, sitting behind Arakawa.

The car rolled into motion, and Koizumi began without further preamble, expecting that Kyon didn't feel a need for pretenses, either. "Yesterday, Suzumiya Haruhi appears to have sidestepped your safeguards to use her ability to alter reality," he said, feeling very calm despite the remark.

"She unlocked your esper powers, or something?" Kyon hazarded.

"That is how it seems to us," Koizumi agreed. "Significantly, no other espers appear to have been granted the ability to use their powers outside of closed space."

"That puts you in a nicely unique position," Kyon observed, glancing at him sidelong.

"It's not problematic," Koizumi assured him. "I'm still assigned as a liaison, not a full member, so it has no real bearing; I just thought it was worth mentioning because it does serve as evidence to support our theory of Suzumiya Haruhi's abilities being utilized, even if it was on a seemingly subconscious level."

"It's not what I'd have hoped for, but I'm willing to overlook yesterday's esper ex machina," Kyon disagreed, crossing his arms over his chest. "The whole goal of Haruhi having limitations is that she learns to use her powers responsibly. I'll admit, if you asked me from a year ago, when our club was just forming, I'd have said that I could never imagine her behaving in a reasonable manner.

"But as things go, now, she--" He cut off suddenly, frowning, and shook his head sharply. "Alright," he amended. "As far as that goes, I'm aware of it, but I feel it's under control. I'll double-check with Nagato later; I'm sure she'll be able to tell us more definitively than us just guessing."

"As to control," Koizumi said, nodding, "would I be correct in saying that at around ten o'clock last night you were with Suzumiya-san...?"

Kyon colored, shooting the esper a sharp scowl. "That part hasn't changed?" he asked stiffly.

"No," Koizumi confirmed. "For any of the other espers, either. For what it's worth, we have determined that I do have the highest ... awareness, but all the same...." He gave Kyon a smile and shrugged.

"You should ask Haruhi about it yourself," he decided, shaking his head. "I'm sure if you ask, she'll change that."

Koizumi thought about that. "I suppose that would be more earnest," he allowed. "More to the point, while I trust your judgment, I'd like to note that it's possible that if Suzumiya can overstep her intended limitations in time of need, she may do this on accident at times, as well. The same influences that were a risk previously could easily become a reality if we are not cautious."

"As if we didn't have enough trouble, considering the whole slider invasion," Kyon sighed. "Mori-san, what's your take on this?"

"To be honest, Sir," she said in a respectful tone, ducking her head and twisting around in her seat to look back at him, "I'm out of my depth on the sliders. We have poor contacts at best with the IDSE, and while we've identified a handful of time travelers, they're very close-mouthed -- as Koizumi assures me you know quite well. With regards to Suzumiya-san, as we've mentioned before, you are the expert."

"That's true," he agreed, forcing a smile.

"We have no slider contacts to question or try and establish communication with," she continued, shrugging. "So we know almost nothing of their goals, or how to deal with them."

"We can save that for the meeting, then," Kyon decided, glancing out the windows as they rolled up to the Tsuruya estate's gate. A minute later, they were all in a spacious room with a low, classically designed table. Koizumi tried to sit next to Kyon, but found himself between Yuki and Tsuruya; it seemed wherever Kyon chose to sit, everyone else wanted to sit, too.

Haruhi sat to one side of Kyon, and Kanae on the other, with Mikuru just past the slider. Or maybe, Koizumi realized, it was intentional that Kanae was between Kyon and Mikuru. He supposed he'd be reassured with that, too. Mori was there as well, exchanging guarded glances with Tsuruya's chief maid, until Shinobu quietly excused herself to prepare a tray of drinks for everyone.

"Okay!" Haruhi called, smacking one palm on the table to bring the meeting to order. "As we all should know, yesterday we ran into Kanae-chan's enemies. Koizumi-kun and Kyon were able to stop the attack. Kyon, you were there from the beginning, so what did you learn?"

"I believe there's some connection between the sliders and Kuyou Suou," he said, frowning. "The other slider -- I don't know his name, but he was pretty rude -- complained that Kuyou Suou was unintegrated. In fact, she reprogrammed the slider's guns. Fujiwara, the other time traveler, got one of them -- but it's the one that I will eventually recover here." He set a pair of cylinders on the table before him.

Koizumi noted the way that Kanae shrunk back from the devices, and Kyon gave her a thoughtful glance before continuing, "That probably means that whatever Kuyou-san is, in other universes they're working with the sliders. Likewise, that's why she was able to hack the slider's weapons in the first place." He gestured to the larger cylinder, adding, "I don't know if it makes a difference, but if this has any kind of history you can try and read, Nagato...." He shrugged.

Yuki stared at the object fixedly for a long, tense minute, but then shook her head abruptly, determining, "No significant data remains prior to reset."

"Hmm, that sounds like a loose end, though," Haruhi noted with a frown. "Isn't the step where you actually get the Fujiwara to drop your other gun and then leave it for you to find later.... Well, don't you have to do that?" Mikuru pursed her lips thoughtfully and gave Kyon a questioning glance.

"I'm putting that off for now," he said with another shrug. "I need to keep a time loop open to occupy the IDSE anyway."

"Hmm," Haruhi mused, before shrugging. "Well, okay.... I'll trust that you know what you're doing. Koizumi?"

"My powers finally came in handy yesterday," he contributed with a slight incline of his head. "I was able to assist Kyon-kun, but the issue remains that myself and the other espers are still ah...." He trailed off and gave Haruhi an apologetic smile. "We still share awareness of your current state," he said, hoping that was put discreetly enough.

Haruhi's look was first quizzical, but slowly the color drained from her face, and he felt uncomfortably aware of just how embarrassed she suddenly felt. "Um," she managed. "Um, yeah, well.... I'd really like to make it so that you would stop being stuck reading me! As brigade chief, I think I deserve mental privacy!"

"Program loaded," Yuki murmured.

"Permission granted," Kyon answered without hesitation, shaking his head. Koizumi felt the mental shift of his connection to Haruhi being severed, snapping back almost painfully. If he weren't seated at the table, he likely would have fallen over by the reeling dizziness that overcame him. After all of those years of being at least dimly aware of Haruhi's emotional state, it was strangely ... quiet, suddenly.

"Thank you," he managed, nodding at Haruhi.

She waved a hand at him, not meeting his eyes. "Just ... use those esper powers responsibly," she said, shaking her head. "Anything else to bring up?"

"W...we do need to know when they'll come back next, right?" Kanae asked nervously. "I mean ... that Kuyou girl, she might know. I ... only really know her as one of the other sliders that comes after me, but here, she seems to be friendly to Sempai...."

"Maybe I do something to get on her good side via time travel," Kyon suggested, giving Kanae a small smile. "But I honestly don't know.... I mean, I'm grateful, but I still don't know if we should trust her. And if the sliders have some way to take her over, or control her, which the guy we ran into seemed to suggest.... Even if she wants to help us, she might be turned against us."

"Probably too dangerous to just ask for helps, then," Tsuruya mused. "But, it really would be nice to know when they'd show up next."

"Cross-dimensional rifts are energy inefficient," Yuki said quietly. "The resource cost of yesterday's attack is significant."

"However, we don't know their energy reserves to calculate how long it would take them to attack again," Koizumi noted.

An uncomfortable minute passed before Yuki replied, "The next encounter will most likely provide sufficient data to determine more."

"Well, we can guess that they'll take an interval of time that is less than the amount of time Kanae-chan was here, first," Haruhi reasoned. "We don't have a lower bound, but for now we've got less than a month, possibly as little as zero time at all."

Yuki nodded.

"Well, as encouraging as this is ... what should we do in the meantime?" Kyon asked.

"Aren't there defenses or plans we can prepare?" Mikuru asked worriedly. "Surely ... there must be something we can do, even if we don't know how much time we have?"

"Creating the dimensional rift causes a noise, similar to that of Asahina Mikuru's method of time travel," Yuki said slowly. "Carrier-waves can be detected before the rift is opened; a program can be created which will monitor for these carrier waves and send notice when they are encountered."

"Ah, good!" Tsuruya cheered. "That sounds perfects!"

"I agree," Haruhi chimed in. "So, let's go with that defensive program!"

"Understood," Yuki replied.

"Now, if there's no more serious business, we should start planning our next event; the club's one-year anniversary is coming up!" Haruhi announced.

"W...what?" Kanae stuttered, wide-eyed. "B...but, I thought we had to plan...?"

"We do," Haruhi agreed. "But we're only fighting to make sure we can do what we want! Just because we have a strict organization at times doesn't mean we don't have fun! While it really bothers me that we can't do a whole lot about our enemies, we did prove we can handle them, and they're not here right now. We'll learn more about them the next time they show up, and some day we'll deal with them once and for all!"

Kanae's eyes were wide as she stared at Haruhi during her speech, allowing a tiny gasp of awe to escape as the brigade chief finished her statement by leaping to her feet, nearly upsetting the table as she did so.

"I'm happier when we don't have to worry about the serious stuff, too!" Mikuru chimed in, giggling softly as she and Tsuruya gave Haruhi's speech polite applause.

Koizumi thought that some things had gone unsaid, but suspected that the girls had discussed their observations with one another, choosing to leave himself and Kyon in the dark. Well, he thought, shrugging internally as Haruhi retook her seat, maybe that was for the best.

"If it's not too much trouble," Mori said, shaking her head slightly, "there is a slightly more mundane issue that I would like to bring up."

This surprised Koizumi ... what was it that she hadn't told him, first? Or brought up when it was just the two male members of the brigade in the car with Mori? Kyon glanced at her thoughtfully, but it was Haruhi who answered. "That should be fine," she allowed. "Hmm, this is about the investigation because of Kyon getting attacked by those Sumiyoshi-rengo characters, right?"

Mori nodded her head in confirmation, biting her lower lip as Shinobu swept into the room silently with a tray, wordlessly parceling out cups and pouring tea. "It's fine," Tsuruya said, shaking her head slightly. "Shinobu can be trusted."

"And would likely figure it out anyway, even if we didn't say anything," Kyon mumbled, earning him a sharp glance from Haruhi and a nod of agreement from Tsuruya.

"Alright, then," Mori agreed reluctantly. "Ah.... As you may know by now, the Sumiyoshi-rengo members that we met with recently to apologize to Kyon have all been arrested. Through what seems like a coincidence, the Tamaru brothers ended up being given credit for the arrests and most of the investigation."

"If the Tamaru brothers works for us, and the Sumiyoshi-rengo knows that, this looks bad for us," Tsuruya warned.

"Do they know that?" Haruhi asked, crossing her arms over her chest after gulping down her tea. "Is there anything that the Sumiyoshi-rengo have to make them think that we're responsible?"

"We don't have intelligence on them," Mori said with a grimace and shake of her head. "It's possible."

"Words among the Yamaguchi-gumi is that the Sumiyoshi-rengo outside of this city are pretty upset with us," Tsuruya acknowledged. "The Fujiya-tachi and our own organizations are on good terms, or at least were. But the other Sumiyoshi-rengo may choose to act anyway. Even if there's no proofs, the timings makes us look suspicious."

"But this is all guesswork," Haruhi grumbled. "What's the upshot, here ... does this mean that Kyon's going to be attacked, again?"

"I believe there is less to fear on that count." Koizumi tried to look more confident than he felt. "There's little to point to Kyon-kun specifically, after all. Unless the Fujiya-tachi are released, or otherwise have a chance to get in touch with the other Sumiyoshi-rengo, but even then, I'm given to understand that they wouldn't be likely to implicate him, anyway."

"I...is it possible to try and calculate their odds of attacking, maybe?" Mikuru asked, shifting her shoulders. "Um, I know it's not quite enemy sliders, but they are enemies ... surely it's possible to analyze the pattern of their classified information and...." She trailed off, shaking her head, then sighed, "I suppose that classified information hasn't been discovered yet. I wish I could be more helpful, here...."

That raised all sorts of questions, to Koizumi, but he wasn't sure how to follow such a comment. Haruhi stared at Mikuru, looking thoughtful. Kanae looked between the other girls apprehensively. "You can't think like that," Haruhi said, shaking her head. "You're still one of us, and you're still an asset to the team."

"Well," Tsuruya finally said slowly, "it's helpful sometimes if you knows your enemy, to try and put yourself in their shoes and understands what they would do next."

"I can't do that at all," Mikuru said bleakly, shaking her head.

"However, that sounds rather like a game of chess, or poker," Koizumi posed. Smiling, he teased Kyon, "So, as you've always beaten me at those games, what do you think, Kyon?"

"I think you're playing against the wrong person," Kyon judged at length. "In terms of chess, the capture of the entire Fujiya-tachi is a pawn sacrifice. It drew out the Tamaru brothers, and left them exposed to the rest of the Sumiyoshi-rengo. But then, Mori-san already suspects this, or she wouldn't have mentioned that they got credit through seeming coincidence."

"Exactly so, Sir," she agreed, nodding at him. "While retaliation from the Sumiyoshi-rengo is a possible factor, I'm more concerned with the fact that someone in or above the police force has sent orders down that give the Tamaru brothers complete credit, and almost complete responsibility. They can't reasonably refuse those orders, so, as you determined, they captured the pawns and are left in the field ... most likely to try and draw us out. In the meantime, because I suspect that they're being watched, it's also become much more difficult to communicate with them."

The woman shrugged with a glum smile. "Perhaps it's nothing, but it seems to me it's better to be safe than sorry," she explained. "I cannot prove anything at this point, but my suspicion is that an agent from the NPA -- that is, the National Police Organization -- thinks they're suspicious, and is waiting for them to lead the NPA to us."

"Awesome," Kyon sighed, drawing one hand down his face. "Rival gang members, the NPA, enemy sliders, the IDSE.... Did I forget any enemies?"

"Sasaki-san's strange friends?" Haruhi chided him, elbowing him gently in the ribs. "Come on ... it's not that bad. As many sources of trouble as we have, we're sitting around a table chatting about it, not going straight into boss-rush mode."

"Fair enough," Kyon acquiesced. "When you look at it that way ... I suppose all that's different is that I have a better idea of where the trouble is going to come from." He shook his head abruptly, straightening up in his seat. "And it's not like I regret getting caught up in this for my friends."

"Personally, I'd be happier if we could just crush them all and get it over with," Haruhi sighed. Koizumi exchanged a worried glance with Kyon. "But I can tell from the way you and Koizumi are looking at each-other you'll never agree to that. Well! If we can't do anything about it now, let's just be careful for the time being."

"Yes," Mori agreed, nodding. "I didn't expect immediate action, I merely thought it would be best to inform you. Sorry for taking so much of your time."

"Don't worry about it!" Tsuruya said, chuckling. "In the meantimes, we should check with Kasai. His father knows an NPA agents, so he might have some insight and advices. My father should be told about the Sumiyoshi-rengo; I mentioned it to him earlier, but a reminder will keep the Tsuruya-tachi ready in case they try anything."

"Then I guess we can go back to planning our next group activity?" Haruhi asked, looking across the table.

"Um ... I've been putting off my homework," Kanae admitted, looking guilty. "I ... should really do that...."

Haruhi looked at Kanae in surprise. "I'm sure Kyon didn't either," she allowed after a moment, sighing. "I guess we can have an emergency study session...."

"I did my homework on Friday night," he countered, shaking his head.

Haruhi's eyebrows rose. "Okay," she allowed. "But you've done enough lately, so ... hmm, Kyon, why don't you help Kanae-chan with her homework? I'm the brigade chief, so I can handle things from here."

Kyon looked doubtful, and on the verge of protesting, until he glanced at the young slider. "I can do that," he agreed.

Yuki's slow gaze went to Kanae, who was trying to hide her happy grin, and Kyon, who was giving Yuki an apologetic smile. "My apartment provides a quiet environment for study," she volunteered after a moment.

Koizumi bit his tongue.... Well, he wasn't directly aware of Haruhi's emotions, but she didn't look jealous.... To say nothing of her inexplicable behavior regarding Kanae kissing Kyon while delirious. Evidently Haruhi thought of it as a take for a movie, or something along those lines. It was the only rational explanation he could think of, at any rate, but now she was sending Kyon off alone with Yuki and a girl who had kissed him only a day ago?

"That sounds alright to me," Kyon said cautiously. "I do feel a bit bad about leaving the meeting, but I guess I do like the idea of helping out my subordinate, just like you helped me out before."

"Er," Haruhi managed, her face flushing red at the unexpected praise. "W...well, yeah! S...so do a good job! If you don't help Kanae-chan's grades improve--"

"Right, right," Kyon cut her off, nodding. "Death penalty. I get it. Nagato? Kanae-chan? Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, Sempai!" Kanae chirped happily, nodding.

Yuki's more subtle nod followed. Kyon chuckled ruefully and shook his head, commenting, "Well, I guess we should be off, then, so--"

Anything else he said was lost, vanished with him and the two girls as they disappeared into nothing. Koizumi stared very hard at the space they had occupied, while Haruhi shook her head. "A...anyway," she continued, shaking her head, "back to planning."

"Right," Koizumi agreed. Well, if Kyon wasn't concerned, and neither was Haruhi ... he supposed he shouldn't be either.