# Kyon: Big Damn Hero

## The Laying Low Arc I

### Chapter Fifty One: Bait and Switch

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 so is every part of this fic
that isn't the property of someone else. For example: Additional characters
are borrowed from Higurashi, which is the creation of Ryukishi07, and Half
Life 2, which is the property of Valve.

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

* * *

"Chapter Twelve: Moderation"

"It really is possible to have too much of a good thing. Don't add too much
fuel to the fire, unless you're prepared to deal with the consequences...."

"Tending the Flame" -- [The author's name has been scratched out here]

* * *

While her sempai's plan surprised her, Kanae knew it was a good one as soon as
she heard it from the girl with the golden ribbons. She didn't have the same
problems that the other girls did with boys asking her out, but if she could
help Haruhi, well ... she would! Her friends in the Brigade had helped her out
so much, how could she not?

So, on Haruhi's instructions, Kanae steeled herself at the entrance to the
Brigade chief's classroom. The second-year students passing in or out shot her
amused, curious glances, but she gathered her strength and stepped into the
room, able to reassure herself by stealing a glance at her other sempai. He
was sitting next to Haruhi while eating from a bento that appeared to match
Haruhi's.

"What are you doing in here?" an unfamiliar, but friendly-looking girl sitting
near Haruhi asked, giving her a quizzical smile.

Yanagimoto -- who Kanae vaguely recalled -- answered before she could speak,
saying, "This is that first year girl that Kyon-kun rescued from that thug!
Kanae-chan is your name, right?"

"Y...yes," Kanae managed, feeling her face flush as the remaining students
turned their attention to her. She froze, feeling pinned down by all those
gazes, and swallowed, forcing herself to smile shakily. "U...um, I w...wanted
to give something to ... Suzumiya-sempai," she whimpered unsteadily.

"What's that?" Haruhi asked, before anyone else could question, already
grinning in anticipation.

Kanae swallowed and stepped closer, stopping a pace away from Haruhi and
producing the envelope that her Mikuru-onee had given her when she'd asked. It
was a soft pink color, sealed with a crimson heart sticker from Tsuruya. The
note inside, of course, was entirely Kanae's.

"U...um, S...Sempai," Kanae quavered, before forcing herself to blurt out:
"I've admired you for a long time, so if it's not too much-- Please accept my
feelings!" She concluded with a formal bow, holding the envelope out toward
Haruhi in both hands by the two corners closest to her -- presenting it
properly, so that Haruhi could see the heart sticker.

The Brigade's vice commander blinked in amazement, his mouth falling slightly
open.

The older girl's grin widened, and she got the faintest hints of a blush on
her face, even though starting this had been her own idea. Not that Kanae had
any objections! "Well! You had the courage to ask me to my face -- the first
person who's done that in a long while! So -- what are you really asking? You
want to date me?"

"Y...yes!" Kanae managed to eke out, as Haruhi took the envelope from her.

"It takes a lot of guts to confess in front of everyone like this!" Haruhi
replied, nodding. "You're pretty brave, especially for a kohai -- so I'll
accept it! You're too cute to pass up!" Still grinning, she opened the
envelope and pulled Kanae's note out. Her eyebrows rose as she scanned it,
adding, "Y...you've been harboring these feelings for a while, eh?"

"Y...yes," the slider squeaked out, still conscious of all the eyes on her --
most especially her sempai's, since he seemed as astounded as his other
classmates, outside of Haruhi herself. She hadn't told him in advance? She
supposed it didn't really hurt anything, but it was still a bit surprising!

Haruhi shook her head suddenly and rose from her seat, putting one hand on
Kanae's shoulder and rummaging through one skirt pocket with the other. "Um--
This was mine when I was in middle school. I found it again earlier this
morning and picked it up -- and now I know why!" she declared, producing a
flat, rounded hairpin. She held it up before Kanae to show it off -- the
grinning smiley face there was instantly endearing to the smaller girl. How
cute!

"I think it'll suit you," Haruhi added, when Kanae only stared in amazement at
the piece.

She didn't have long hair -- she couldn't compete with the others in the
brigade on that count. But maybe a hair decoration would be nice? "C...can I
try it on?" Kanae managed shyly.

"Let me," Haruhi said, raising her hands to Kanae's head, carefully brushing
her hair slightly to one side, and with a startling 'snap,' clicking the pin
into place. "Gah!" she gushed, shaking with excitement as her grin widened
even further. "You're _unreasonably_ cute like that!" she insisted, turning to
Kanae's other sempai and smacking his shoulder forcefully. "Don't you agree,
Kyon?"

"Er-- Y...yeah, Kanae-chan is really cute like that," he agreed, looking
dazed. "Um ... wow.... Congratulations, Haruhi ... I don't know what else to
say."

"Y...you're," Yanagimoto started to interject, the first of the other students
so find a voice after Kanae's confession. She bit off whatever she was about
to say and gave a tiny, determined shake of her head before fixing Haruhi with
a piercing gaze. "Um-- Suzumiya, you're ... into girls?"

"It's a 'Class-S' relationship," Haruhi answered without hesitation.
"Perfectly normal."

"For a middle-schooler," Taniguchi finally remarked. "Shouldn't you...." He
trailed off, wincing at Yanagimoto's sudden glare. "I mean-- Never mind! From
Suzumiya, this is nothing unexpected!"

Haruhi snorted, shaking her head, then asked Kanae, "Why don't we walk home
after school together? Until class gets out -- take care, my kohai!"

"Yes, Sempai!" Kanae agreed eagerly, spinning on her heel and fleeing before
her blush deepened any further.

* * *

Though Haruhi thought Kanae had done her part of the assignment admirably --
in fact, Haruhi hadn't expected anything nearly as earnest as her written
confession! -- she knew that her classmates wouldn't be satisfied with just
that. Even considering what she'd told Yanagimoto and Sakanaka the previous
day!

She wasn't surprised when the pair pounced on her with perfect synchronization
as she left the room the first break after lunch. She let the duo herd her
into the nearest bathroom, where Yanagimoto checked for eavesdroppers while
Sakanaka gave Haruhi a very severe look.

"Is this really okay?" she asked, while the gymnast returned to the pair,
nodding her own acknowledgment of the question.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Haruhi countered.

"Well-- Are you okay with people thinking that it's not that innocent?"
Yanagimoto asked. At Haruhi's sharp look, she waved her hands before her,
shaking her head quickly. "No matter what's going on -- your friends will know
what the truth is, but you know.... Others might think otherwise!"

"People will think what they want to think," Haruhi returned. "I don't care
what people say about me-- But Kanae-chan is a good girl and deserves someone
who can return her affection and give her an example of what dating is like.
Isn't that the whole basis for a relationship like this? To get ready to move
on and date boys?"

"W...well, it's not like I wasn't in a relationship of my own like that in
middle school," Sakanaka allowed, blushing faintly. "And she's small enough
that most people will pass it off as cute-- But for you...." She trailed off
and shrugged, offering an apologetic smile.

Haruhi was a bit taken back by the support her friends were willing to give
her, all things considered. "W...well," she allowed, before shaking her head.
"Okay," she sighed. "You're seeing through me, I guess.... In a way, I'm
actually also using Kanae-chan as ... a cover. And you can let Taniguchi know
that, so he can get those perverted thoughts out of his head, but only if he
can keep it to himself!"

"Cover?" Yanagimoto asked, looking confused. Her eyes narrowed even further,
her expression twisting to upset. "You're not _toying_ with that girl's
feelings, are you!?"

"Of course not!" Haruhi retorted, stung by the idea.

Yanagimoto's irritation faded, and she couldn't meet Haruhi's heated gaze.

Kanae was special to her! It was mutually beneficial, only.... She shook her
head, sighing again. "Let me explain," she offered the gymnast. "Everyone
thought I was interested in Kyon, didn't they?"

Sakanaka and Yanagimoto exchanged the briefest of glances before nodding
agreement, along with a synchronized emphatic, "_Yes_."

Haruhi felt her face warm up-- So much for being subtle on that count! "I-- I
don't want to get harassed by guys asking me out all the time, so by 'dating'
Kanae-chan, I have the perfect cover, right? We're both 'taken,' and so won't
be bothered!"

"That's perfect right up until either of you wants to ... be with...."
Yanagimoto trailed off, realization seeming to dawn in her eyes. "Oh," she
said softly, earning a sharp, questioning glance from Sakanaka.

Shaking her head, the gymnast sighed, asking, "This is because you can't have
Kyon-kun, isn't it? And neither can she-- So the two of you comfort one-
another while making sure you don't get pestered?"

"Wha-- That's--" Sakanaka made a face, then gave Haruhi a piercing, worried
look. "But, Suzumiya-san ... if you like Kyon-kun, is it really okay to just
let him go?"

She wanted to protest with a stock phrase, something along the lines of, "It's
not like that!" Her voice failed her, though, so she could only shift her
shoulders in an awkward shrug.

"Wait-- You and Tsuruya-sempai, if you're competing, don't you want to have
more of a fair shot?" Yanagimoto pressed. "She's-- She's basically cheating,
right?"

"Hang on," Haruhi countered, her strength returning at the idea of defending
Tsuruya's claim on Kyon. "It's not.... Tsuruya is a really good friend of
mine, you know? And ... while I can tell you honestly it's not something I
would have been cheering about a few months ago, I really _am_ happy for both
of them that they're engaged!"

That much was absolutely true, just like she had told Tsuruya, what seemed so
long ago now. "So ... if Tsuruya, Kyon, Kanae-chan, and I can all be great
friends, while Kyon and Tsuruya are engaged ... why risk losing the friendship
we've gained?"

"But-- What if you could be friends with them and still win Kyon?" Sakanaka
argued. "I just-- Suzumiya-san, you don't seem like someone who would want to
let something slip away! So, letting Kyon-kun go like this...."

"I'm not letting him go," Haruhi returned, smiling. "We're friends, right?
And, if I did steal Kyon from Tsuruya and managed to stay as friends, then --
what's to stop Kanae-chan from thinking that's the right thing to do, too?

"For any of us, wouldn't 'winning' Kyon be making the other friends lose? And
... if I were trying to steal Tsuruya's man, wouldn't that say I was a
terrible friend to her? The idea of being that selfish...."

Oh, once, the idea of her having Kyon all to herself would have seemed like
the better option. There were still moments when she wished she could have him
alone ... but more and more, those were being overshadowed by the images of
Kyon and the others she cared about, all happy together.

"I.... I don't know," Sakanaka muttered, shaking her head.

"And _I_ don't buy this," Yanagimoto added a moment later, scowling. "I just
don't believe you'd give up on him like this-- Good excuses or not. So what's
_really_ going on?"

"I told you what's really going on," Haruhi protested. "That's all!"

"And you're still making Kyon-kun lunch? That's somehow okay, when you're not
going after him at all?" Yanagimoto pressed skeptically. "You're not letting
his _fiancee_ do that?"

"I...it doesn't ... really seem like Suzumiya-san to smile like that in this
situation," Sakanaka agreed with a wince, unable to meet Haruhi's eyes. "Um--
We are your allies, you know; we'll help you in any way we can! But ... is
there something else going on?"

Haruhi cringed, not really expecting that she would have been seen through so
easily. "I.... It's kind of crazy," she relented, wincing. "I.... I guess from
you I can't actually hide it -- but it.... I can't talk about it here!" She
shook her head to emphasize that final point.

Yanagimoto and Sakanaka exchanged a glance and nodded. "Alright," Sakanaka
agreed, sighing. "We could have talked about this last night, but why not go
out for ice cream after school today to talk about this? Ah-- After I get out
of chorus, that is."

"Gymnastics for me -- but same difference," Yanagimoto agreed. "School gate,
when clubs let out, alright?"

Realizing she was going to have to explain things to the other two girls,
Haruhi heaved a sigh. Did she need another cover story for them, if the first
had failed? "I'll bring Kanae-chan with me," she agreed. "But -- there are
enough rumors going around already!"

"Ah ... it's not much-- But we're your friends, too, Suzumiya. I've learned my
lesson on that count-- And I owe you and Kyon-kun -- and even Tsuruya-san --
too much to watch you ignore your chance to be happy ... even if...." She
trailed off with a grimace there, shaking her head.

"If there's anything we can do to help," Sakanaka agreed fervently. "It's not
fair that you know who you like, and can't even tell him! There's no reason
for both of us to be stuck in that situation!"

"Yea-- Wait, what? Who are you interested in?" Yanagimoto asked her ally,
regarding Sakanaka curiously.

The other girl blushed, turning to look at her feet demurely. "I...it's
nothing..." she mumbled. "Suzumiya-san's situation is more worth our
attention, isn't it?"

"We can talk about me later," Haruhi countered. "Actually, Yanagimoto, I've
been stuck on figuring out a way to help Sakanaka-san with Kunikida."

"The short kid?" Yanagimoto asked in surprise, raising her eyebrows.

"He.... He's a centimeter and a half taller than me," Sakanaka protested
weakly. She blinked and realized quietly, "T...though if ... I were to somehow
manage to confess to him now, I.... I suppose that would draw some attention
away from Suzumiya-san...."

"That's a terrible reason to confess," Yanagimoto countered. She looked about
ready to launch into another tirade, and while Haruhi was tempted to hear what
the gymnast would say, she glanced at the clock over the bathroom door.

"We should talk about this later," Haruhi warned, shaking her head. "Class is
about to resume."

"It's a plan," Yanagimoto agreed without hesitation, ignoring Sakanaka's
feeble protests.

* * *

Alone in her office -- as she frequently was, thanks to the distance she kept
between herself and the officers -- Miyuki reviewed her notes again. Even
going over everything with a more critical eye, nothing immediately leaped off
the pages at her. She'd had Yamane Jun interviewed a final time after his
drastic shift -- the one following Kyon's mysterious appearance before the
camera.

After that, as a juvenile offender, he'd been relocated. The records were
still there, and she could go investigate his current location if she wanted
to interrogate him again. She doubted that would uncover anything new, and it
would certainly attract attention. But she still did have the records....

Naturally, she hadn't interviewed him personally, as she was doing her level
best to remain invisible to those she was chasing. She'd gone through the
recording of the conversation interview previously, and couldn't help frowning
at her note to herself.

Poring through records of interviews with both Kyon and Suzumiya Haruhi after
his shooting hadn't yielded much. Both of them answered questions as though
they'd been coached, but that wasn't really a surprise, considering Kyon's
role in a criminal organization. Haruhi's responses seemed -- surprisingly --
slightly better rehearsed than Kyon's ... but that could be chalked up to
Kyon's injury leaving him on less sure footing for his interview.

Or, Miyuki thought, pushing the papers in front of her around thoughtfully,
Haruhi was more involved than it seemed on the surface. How could a schoolgirl
like that be more important than Kyon himself? Well ... she supposed given
Tsuruya Haruka -- and Kyon -- it really wasn't out of the question.

Did that mean that she might be better served by focusing on Haruhi for her
investigation? And if so, why stop there? It wouldn't surprise Miyuki in the
slightest if the entire club were somehow involved in a criminal affair.

Sitting back in her chair she heaved a sharp sigh, shaking her head. Even
though it wasn't precisely lawful, she did understand that the members of
Haruhi's club were involved in uncovering the photography ring. Perhaps it
wasn't as neatly motivated as doing justice? What if, instead, they were just
taking out a rival group?

So ... who else in the club should she be investigating? More importantly --
how could she turn the investigation to reveal whoever was behind the curtains
on her side of things, giving her nearly invisible, unexpected 'help'?

She found her notes and hummed to herself thoughtfully, smoothing out the
slightly crumpled page and sipping at her tea. Ah -- yes. She'd intended to
have the 'Asakura Ryouko' character that Jun had mentioned investigated,
hadn't she? She was certain she'd delegated the task to one of the assistants
that had been assigned to her -- but if it weren't for the handwritten note
she'd left herself on her paperwork....

She picked up the stack of notes she'd made on the interview and possible
leads. Jun wasn't in a good mental state, and the initial examination hadn't
turned much up -- the girl was evidently a Kitago student who'd transfered out
of the country. At least, according to the records at the school.

Miyuki hadn't expected much from it, but had wanted Asakura Ryouko's
whereabouts investigated. Evidently, her subordinates had failed to follow
through -- or had decided on their own that it wasn't worth reporting to her.

Shaking her head, she pulled out the last known address before her move to
Canada. The building's address seemed familiar to her, and she frowned
thoughtfully, drumming her fingers on her desktop before realizing why.
Asakura Ryouko had lived in the same building as Nagato Yuki, another member
of the club that Suzumiya Haruhi and Kyon both attended. If she hadn't just
looked at that bit of information in her notes....

And wasn't it interesting that none of her assistants had noted _that_
particular combination of details?

She nodded thoughtfully to herself. That answered that question; obviously the
one she should focus on was Nagato Yuki. Now, how to monitor her without
allowing the mysterious forces pulling strings in the background to become
aware? That could take some work ... but that was going to be her next order
of business.

All things considered, at this point she had to wonder if there might have
been some sinister overtone to Asakura Ryouko's disappearance after all....

* * *

Kitago's Martial Arts club was not highly renowned, but Oe Akito had no small
amount of pride in it anyway. He'd worked very hard to round out the worst of
the club's flaws; in his second year, he'd supported his sempai in the club,
and together, the club had claimed a few decent trophies. After that, toward
the end of the previous year, his sempai had nominated him as successor for
the role of club president, and he'd been cheered on by the other members,
graciously accepting the position.

While he was successful in his club, and his grades were decent, he felt the
lack of a girlfriend keenly. Much _more_ keenly this year than last, as it
happened. It wasn't a lack of interested girls, because there had been a small
handful based on his prowess as a martial artist alone -- but he had been
searching for someone who was more of an equal than a pretty admirer.

All of the girls interested in him were meek and timid; he'd hoped to find
someone with a spark of her own. Someone energetic and enthusiastic! That girl
appeared, however unexpectedly, the previous year. His first encounter was
seeing her dressed in a daring bunny-girl outfit, singing on stage with some
of his sempai's classmates during a rainy spell of the cultural festival. It
didn't take long to find out more about her.

Some of his underclassmen knew her from her middle school, and gave him dire
warnings. More than just 'energetic' and 'enthusiastic,' she was 'un-tamable.'

That suited him fine!

It took some time to put his thoughts together on how to approach her, but by
the time he had ... his underclassmen warned him that she already seemed more
than just casually interested in someone else. Supposedly, someone had managed
the impossible, and begun to 'tame' her.

That specific someone else was an unimpressive-seeming guy from her year. That
was a blow to Akito -- to find out the kind of guy she was interested was
evidently a snarky standoffish guy? At least Akito could boast comparable
grades, after checking out Kyon's performance on the posted test results, but
that wasn't a very good start at all.

The realization that she seemed to admire strong guys after all -- coming to
light once Kyon had busted the photography ring -- was somewhat uplifting,
though. That meant he had a chance! Not that he could go after Kyon, though; a
guy who could dangle another student out the window with one hand was pretty
powerful, and more importantly, Akito had nothing to gain by challenging
someone who'd won the respect of almost the entire school.

Akito hadn't been happy about that ... but if he wanted to care for her,
trying to interfere with her choices wouldn't be that. So he'd turned his
attention to managing the club to the best of his ability; his sempai had done
a good job as president of the club, and Akito devoted himself to being worthy
of the nomination that his predecessor had bestowed upon him.

When he found out that she was instrumental in helping stop that tasteless
photography ring, backing up Kyon's strength with her intelligence, his
admiration for her increased even further. She was everything Akito had
dreamed of! Capable and intelligent, but also able to recognize and admire
strength in others?

And then, as though by magic, rumor reached him that Kyon had somehow gotten
involved (_engaged_, evidently) to someone in Akito's year!

That meant she was free!

He'd taken some time to steel his resolve, but knew he had to confess soon;
Suzumiya Haruhi attracted a lot more eyes than his own, and supposedly had a
reputation as willing to give anyone a chance. However it was going to work
out -- even if he had to challenge her other suitors -- at this point Akito
was willing to do it!

Walking with all of the collected cool he could muster, Akito sauntered from
his classroom toward the room he knew she held her club in. He couldn't
_join_, naturally; like her, he was a club president, too. That just meant
they had something in common!

Random snatches of conversation reached his ears as he approached the corridor
connecting the school building to the club house. Against his better judgment,
he picked up hints of further rumors.

"...already engaged? I don't want to speak ill of her, but if she wasn't at
least pregnant, why would that even be _done_?" someone babbled excitedly, not
as quietly as they probably should have.

"If it's not that, what is it?" someone else agreed. "Their families would
have to be _insanely_ traditional in this day and age!"

Bah -- that rumor meant nothing to him! He knew Tsuruya in passing, and even
just from _that_ doubted that she would be so careless. There was no
accounting for what other people might say, but he would respect his classmate
-- even as he thanked her for freeing Haruhi up to be dated. To say nothing of
the fact that if those rumors reached Kyon's ears....

He continued his march, undaunted.

"...and then Suzumiya accepted a confession from someone _else_," one voice
whispered in excitement.

"Yeah-- A first year, too!" someone else answered, just as energetic.

Even though he nearly stumbled at hearing such a thing, that wouldn't slow him
down! A true martial artist's resolve wasn't shaken so easily! He didn't want
to use the threat of force, but a genuine, fair challenge should be fine,
right? He wouldn't beat up a first-year, he'd just demonstrate his own skill
-- mostly by _not_ harming his opponent! He had just the pin in mind to use on
someone the size of a typical first-year!

That sounded like an excellent approach; Suzumiya Haruhi was on the lookout
for amazing and impressive things? She respected and admired strong guys?
Well, he'd had a small number of trophies to his name, and that seemed to
catch the attention of most girls!

"Hey-- Hey-- There she is!" a pale, nervous-looking first year student
whispered to a friend. "Oh, man, I hope that super scary sempai from her club
isn't around!"

This was it! This was his chance, Akito realized. He was just before the
corridor, so planted himself in the middle of the hallway, turning to face the
milling students and waiting for Suzumiya Haruhi -- and Akito's as-of-yet
unknown first-year opponent -- to emerge from the crowd.

It was Haruhi who emerged first, giving a dark look to a boy who was a bit
slow to make way for her, before she stopped and turned, hands on her hips.
"Hey!" she protested. "Let my kohai through!"

"S...sorry," someone else mumbled, stumbling through the crowd to let Akito's
opponent come into sight, even as he steeled himself, the words of a challenge
coming to his lips.

His speech became a wheezing, questioning noise as he deflated, eyes widening
at the first-year _girl_ that Haruhi led. And before he could wonder if there
was a mistake, the second-year girl grabbed her ... girlfriend's hand, Akito
supposed, feeling almost ready to fall over.

There was no _way_ he could challenge her! That wouldn't make him look like a
powerful, competent martial artist at all!

And as if _that_ weren't enough, he recognized her! Not just anyone, but....
It clicked into place and Akito leaped to one side -- out of Haruhi's way --
when she moved toward him with no indication of slowing down, towing Michikyuu
Kanae behind her. That first-year girl was the same one that Akito had heard
of in conjunction with _Kyon_.

The girl that Kyon had beaten up a third-year student with a _knife_ for?

He didn't realize how long he'd been in a daze until one of his club members
emerged from the milling crowd to look at him with concern. "Sempai?" the
younger boy asked cautiously. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I've just suffered the most crushing defeat in the history of our club,"
Akito groaned, bowing his head.

* * *

After they'd reached the clubroom and Kanae had changed into her stewardess
costume, Kyon was glad to duck in and hide from the small crowd of students
that just 'happened' to be lurking in the hallway. Koizumi bore up under their
gazes, but Kyon couldn't help feeling a bit nervous as a target for all that
attention.

Then again, considering that the snippets of rumor Kyon was hearing were about
Kanae's confession to Haruhi, he supposed it wasn't about _him_ as much as the
fact that he and Koizumi were just the best targets within range.

Safely inside the clubroom, he sat down at his seat and managed a smile in
return for Kanae when the girl beamed one at him, offering him a cup of tea.
After a cautious, scalding sip, he said, "Kanae-chan, you're really getting
the hang of this!"

Mikuru and Haruhi nodded their agreement, prompting the slider to blush and
duck her head, giggling in embarrassment as she served Koizumi his tea next.

"Kyon's right," Haruhi said, setting her own teacup down. "But let's not lose
sight of our goals! Even if you're doing a great job with the tea, we can't
forget about our costume design, can we? Mikuru-chan, you're doing an
excellent job as chief of mascot services! Now, will we need more material?"

"Ah, um," Mikuru stuttered, flipping through her sketchpad and then stopping
on a page with neatly penned notes. "Oh, yes," she agreed, wincing. "I-- I
feel bad about this, Tsuruya, um, but...." She trailed off, giving the other
girl an apologetic smile.

"No problems!" Tsuruya replied without hesitation, chuckling. "We got lots of
supplies, though, so what's missing?"

"Um, some buttons and ribbons, mostly," Mikuru explained sheepishly. "And, um,
some material for hats and other accessories...." She quickly pointed out a
list of other supplies as Tsuruya drew to her side, nodding her understanding.

Still blushing from the praise she'd received earlier, Kanae pulled out her
own sketchbook, checking some of Mikuru's drawings for reference. Her
attention to detail and grasp of scale -- skills Kyon suspected had been honed
to help her 'jump' -- translated well to turn Mikuru's sketches into practical
blueprints to make the outfits. At least, as far as he could tell.

Ryouko's tiny form was set on the table between Kanae and Mikuru, a virtual
screen over her head showing references to the characters the costumes were
based on. Yuki didn't have many corrections or suggestions on the process, at
least, and if it was close enough for _her_, well....

After gathering a list from Mikuru, Tsuruya nodded-- And then Haruhi declared,
"Okay! The costume design team seems to have things in-hand. Tsu-chan,
Koizumi-kun, we should discuss security! We want this to go off safely,
without a hitch!"

"Is there anything I should do to help?" Kyon asked. Not that he liked the
idea ... but running into something unexpected and unpleasant, that was
something he liked even _less_!

"You're our big gun and fall-back emergency measure," Haruhi negated with a
grin and a sharp shake of her head. "If we do things right, you can just be
your normal lazy self! It used to annoy me a lot, but now I like when things
are calm enough you're not in 'action mode'."

Kyon blinked, taken aback by that.

"I agree!" Tsuruya chirped. "Kyon-kun should be fine to relax!"

"Then ... what do I do?" he asked, frowning. It was no good being the one idle
person when everyone else had a task assigned!

Wordlessly, Yuki set a chessboard on the table between them, looking up at
Kyon ... not quite with a hopeful expression.

"Perfect," Haruhi declared, before Kyon could even protest. "Kyon and Yuki-
chan relaxed and playing a game makes me feel like there's nothing to worry
about! Ah-- On that note, Kanae-chan and I have something to take care of
after club, so Kyon, you should treat Yuki-chan to dinner to thank her for her
hard work for the Brigade recently!"

That sounded reasonable enough to Kyon. Except, he realized aloud,
"Considering the rumors going around already, is that a good idea?"

"Dummy," she chastised, "use your disguise!"

"It is not needed," Yuki said quietly. "A field to occlude observation can be
established."

Scratching his head and ignoring Koizumi's questioning look, Kyon nodded his
agreement. That didn't sound too bad at all.

* * *

As poor as her own luck in the romantic arena had been, Sakanaka was eager to
rush from choir practice to meet with Haruhi-- And Kanae and Yanagimoto. That
part was still strange to consider; Haruhi in an S-class relationship.

Still, Haruhi had said there was more to it than what she'd let slip to
Yanagimoto and Sakanaka the previous day, and she couldn't wait to find out
what her friend was doing. Absolutely, if she could help Haruhi get a happier
ending than the one she seemed headed toward, she would!

That thought in mind, she tried to offer a supportive smile, only actually
managing a cautious one when she found Kanae and Haruhi in the school
entryway. Yanagimoto rounded the shoe lockers as she arrived, both of them
slightly winded from club activities.

The first year girl looked happy being at Haruhi's side, her eyes distant and
a bit dreamy. Judging by Haruhi's smile, she found it endearing, at the least.
But then, she genuinely did seem to be looking out for the younger girl.
Really, the confession she had offered seemed so genuine, Sakanaka couldn't
help but worry that getting Haruhi together with Kyon might actually end up
hurting the smaller girl's feelings, too.

Well -- hopefully there was _some_ solution that could at least result in as
many happy people as possible-- Sakanaka had to believe that even if things
couldn't work out for her, her friends could have more success than herself.

Just before Sakanaka and Yanagimoto drew close enough to greet their friend,
they paused, realizing the rest of her club was around her, making their
farewells. Neither felt the need to intrude, so changed their shoes, also
unintentionally eavesdropping.

Haruhi spoke first, asking, "Koizumi-kun, what are your plans tonight,
anyway?"

"I'll be dropping by the hospital again," he said with a shrug. "Hmm-- While
there are other concerns, as well, I need to discuss Kyouko's release. She
can't stay there forever, after all."

"Ah, that's good," Haruhi answered, nodding even as she frowned slightly. "I
worry, though-- You're working awfully hard on that. Don't you want some time
to yourself to just relax and have fun?"

"Don't worry about me," he said with a good-natured chuckle, catching a
curious look from Kyon. "Kyouko and I have quite a bit in common...." He
trailed off and shrugged, still smiling.

"Y...yeah," Haruhi said slowly, blinking, before her eyes went wide. "Wait,
wait-- 'Kyouko,' huh?"

Koizumi managed another chuckle, scratching the back of his head with faint
nervousness. Sakanaka was mildly taken aback; quite a few girls at school
seemed interested in the handsome boy. They'd undoubtedly be saddened to hear
that his heart belonged to some other girl. Then again, if this 'Kyouko' were
hospitalized, she deserved some sympathy; a boyfriend like Koizumi might just
make her happy!

Haruhi's expression shifted into a smirk, seemingly mirroring Sakanaka's
thoughts. "Alright," she agreed, nodding. "I guess you two _do_ have a lot in
common -- have a good time, then!"

"I'll do my best," the handsome boy agreed, bowing slightly, then waving as he
turned to begin his walk away -- to the hospital, Sakanaka presumed.

Kyon blinked slowly, then shook his head and nodded to Yuki, the pair of them
also waving before they headed away. Sakanaka and Yanagimoto exchanged a
glance, as this left Haruhi and Kanae alone enough to approach.

They converged on Haruhi and Kanae immediately, Sakanaka's expression showing
concern, and Yanagimoto's determination.

"Alright," Yanagimoto started, before Sakanaka could speak. "Where to?"

"It has to be somewhere we absolutely cannot be overheard," Haruhi warned
severely, shaking her head.

"Ah!" Sakanaka gasped, brightening immediately. "Um-- I happen to have passes
for karaoke!"

Yanagimoto winced slightly, then shook her head. "Yeah -- against a member of
the choir and someone who performed on stage last year," she groused. "Alright
-- but no making fun of how awful I'm going to be compared to you two!"

Sakanaka giggled in embarrassment. "That's why I always have passes," she
admitted. "My mother encourages my singing, after all. I know I must be
getting better -- Rousseau doesn't try and sing along anymore!" She ducked her
head and led the group away from the school, down the hill. "This place is
about a block from the train station."

"Who's 'Rousseau'?" Kanae wondered, looking between Sakanaka and Yanagimoto as
Haruhi took her hand, snickering at the singer's remark.

"Oh, you haven't met him yet," Haruhi realized. "Well-- If Sakanaka-san feels
up to it, maybe we can introduce you at some point! He's her family dog, and
one of our mysteries was when he started getting depressed!"

"Really?" Yanagimoto mused, raising her eyebrows at that. "Have you gotten a
lot of those -- aside from ... that big one earlier this year?"

"Not too many," Haruhi admitted. "But that's not a problem, really. Sometimes
it's nice when things are peaceful and we can just play games!"

"Considering the alternatives, I'll have to agree," Yanagimoto sighed. At
Sakanaka's curious glance, she quickly clarified, "I mean -- I don't _want_
there to be another mystery like that photography ring to be uncovered at our
school!"

"Oh!" Kanae started. "I-- I don't, either." She paused, then couldn't help but
turn to Haruhi and ask, "D...did they have ... pictures of me?"

Haruhi grimaced. "They had pictures of almost everyone," she groused. "I'm
just glad we were able to shut them down before it got any further than it
did."

"That kind of made you school heroes," Yanagimoto remarked, giving Kanae a
supportive smile. "I mean ... your sempai did a lot of the hard work, and
Suzumiya was really important too -- just like Tsuruya-sempai. But you know,
everyone knows about the first year girl who Kyon saved fighting that jerk!
And that's you!"

Kanae's face reddened, and she managed to shakily say, "I-- I wish I could
have helped, somehow...."

"Everyone did their part, Kanae-chan," Haruhi consoled her, smiling. "You were
just starting out, and at that time, Kyon and Tsu-chan had to keep it secret."

Yanagimoto made a face at that, and then they were at the entrance to
Sakanaka's favorite karaoke parlor; she said nothing while the singer excused
herself from the group to approach the attendant and arrange for a room.
Judging by the first year girl's wide-eyed stare, she'd never seen the
interior of a karaoke parlor before. The singer couldn't help but hope that at
some point in the future, they could go just to sing, instead of discussing
whatever it was that Haruhi was going to tell them.

Of course, it wouldn't do to bring that up in the lobby -- Sakanaka recognized
quite a few regulars from school already, most of them waiting for another
friend or two to show up before heading in.

Once Sakanaka handed her passes over, the politely smiling attendant led the
group down a hall and to an unoccupied room, where they were able to hear
faint music coming through some of the nearby doors. Sakanaka couldn't help
but feel embarrassed at the sound of one particularly enthusiastic and
slightly off-key singer, until they stepped inside their room.

From there, she thanked the attendant as he left, closing the door and
immediately turning to the song list. Haruhi led Kanae to the sofa lining the
wall opposite the door, then pulled a menu from the stack on the central
table, while Yanagimoto lowered herself to a plush chair facing the karaoke
system's display.

"Alright-- Order your ice-cream, so we can get down to business," the gymnast
ordered, crossing her arms over her chest and giving Haruhi a stern look.

Not even looking up from the menu, Haruhi snorted, frowning slightly. "Ah,"
she decided, pointing to a picture that Sakanaka couldn't see from her
vantage. "Kanae-chan, want to split this with me?"

"Ah, okay," the first year girl agreed, perking up. "Um-- Can I sing 'Over the
Rainbow'? That's my favorite!"

A few minutes passed while Sakanaka picked out some songs, Yanagimoto
grumbling but still adding her own order as well -- a sundae for the gymnast,
and a simple float for the singer. After that, Sakanaka showed Kanae the song
book, and explained how to order songs. She really would have to take her and
Haruhi out again, so they could really just focus on having fun and singing.

After that, Sakanaka and Haruhi performed a quick duet of 'Sweet Blue Days' --
Kanae seemed utterly spellbound by the effort, and Yanagimoto too clapped in
astonished surprise. Kanae performed a decent rendition of her chosen song,
and after hearing that, Yanagimoto passed on even trying to sing, just shaking
her head. They set the microphones down when their orders arrived, and
Yanagimoto dialed in a song on the karaoke machine.

"Alright," the gymnast decided after sampling her sundae, "what's really going
on here, Suzumiya?"

Haruhi took a deep breath, giving Kanae a smile and setting her own spoon
down. The slider gave a cute, innocent smile, and tried a sample of the treat
herself. Her eyes went dreamy and distant again; not for the first time,
Sakanaka wondered what the smaller girl daydreamed about.

"This may be hard to believe," Haruhi began slowly, her face intent as she
glanced between the other two girls in her year, one hand taking Kanae's up
again. "Um ... so, I suppose I can't hide this from you, really ... but you
can't let anyone else know!"

"I won't tell anyone!" Sakanaka promised unhesitatingly.

"I.... If you're doing something behind Tsuruya-sempai's back," Yanagimoto
began hesitantly, "then ... I'm not sure I'll be happy about that. I mean-- I
want to support you and be your ally ... but this is difficult, because I know
that Tsuruya-sempai really does depend on Kyon-kun for a lot."

"It's not behind her back," Haruhi returned immediately.

Yanagimoto's eyes narrowed, but she nodded. "Alright," she agreed. "You've got
my word, Suzumiya."

The first year girl snapped out of her reverie, but bit her lip, evidently
having nothing to contribute. Shaking her head quickly, she sampled another
bite of the parfait she was sharing with Haruhi.

"So ... Tsu-chan and I have an agreement," the girl with the golden ribbons
said slowly, her gaze flicking between Sakanaka and Yanagimoto equally intent
on both of them. "I didn't.... I didn't know it was going to work out the way
that it does, but there's an, um, arrangement where we kind of ... share
Kyon."

Sakanaka blinked twice, and then her eyes crossed. She set her drink down
shakily, pressing one hand to her forehead. "R...really?" she managed to ask
shakily. How on earth did _that_ work?

Shaking her head while the other girls absorbed that detail, Haruhi picked up
her spoon again, sampling a smaller bite of parfait.

"...alright," Yanagimoto allowed, flopping back into her seat with an
explosive sigh. "Somehow-- Somehow, after seeing the way Kyon-kun was with
Nagato-san and Tsuruya-sempai ... I can believe this."

"What?" Sakanaka protested, surprised. "But that's-- That's just...." She
trailed off there, blinking. "D...does that-- How can you.... He's engaged to
Tsuruya-sempai! And-- And Kanae-chan here-- What about her?"

"She's got to be in on it, too," Yanagimoto reasoned, before Haruhi or Kanae
could speak.

"Yep!" Haruhi agreed, grinning, spooning up another mouthful.

Sakanaka worked her jaw for a moment, then sighed, leaning back into her chair
more delicately. "So.... So that's how it is?" she managed weakly, rubbing her
forehead. This didn't seem like something that would make Haruhi happy,
somehow!

"It wasn't easy!" Haruhi exclaimed, her hand giving Kanae's a comforting
squeeze; the smaller girl managed a subdued giggle, her mouth full of the
treat she was splitting with Haruhi. "It's sometimes _still_ not easy.... But,
hey, haven't you ever seen one of those harem genre anime?"

"Kyon has a harem," Sakanaka managed, sounding somewhat dazed, unsure how to
handle that. He'd never seemed the sort! She'd respected him! But he led
Haruhi to _this_? "How-- How could you let him push you into that?" she
protested, shaking her head and leaning forward intently once more.

"I pushed _him_ into it," Haruhi corrected her classmate. "Do you really see
_him_ pushing me into _anything_ I wouldn't accept?"

Sakanaka's ire withered, unable to keep her leaning forward as she slumped
back into her chair, slowly letting that sink in. "T...that's ... true," she
admitted.

"I need to hear this story from the beginning!" Yanagimoto insisted, leaning
forward as intently as Sakanaka had a minute before. "How _did_ this whole
thing get started?"

Even if she wasn't sure how to accept it, Sakanaka wanted to know that, too,
so nodded in emphasis to the gymnast's question.

"I'm getting to that," Haruhi said, shaking her head. "So impatient ...
sheesh-- This is hard to trust with people outside of our group, you know!
Anyway -- 'harem' may not be the ideal word, really -- but bear with me. You
know, the cliche and annoying harem anime?"

"Vaguely," Sakanaka allowed. "Um ... some guy who probably shouldn't manages
to get the attention of several girls and ... never commits?" She looked
puzzled at the last and gave Yanagimoto a questioning glance. She suspected
the other girl followed that sort of thing more closely than she did herself.

"Sounds right to me," Yanagimoto agreed, frowning as Haruhi spooned up a bite
of parfait--

At the last moment, the second year girl changed her mind on eating it,
instead presenting the spoon to Kanae.

"Eh," Kanae managed, slightly embarrassed. After a short moment of hesitation,
she opened her mouth, accepting the treat with a giggle, even as she blushed
darkly.

Sakanaka's mouth fell open slightly at the display ... but if she was
experiencing any doubt before, she had to recognize that it meant nothing in
the face of Haruhi's obvious conviction.

Haruhi grinned and gave Kanae a wink, then continued, "So, the main problem
with those anime is -- let's say that the guy's competent and genuinely
likable, not just some loser who inexplicably gets the attention of girls way
out of his league -- let's say that all of the girls really actually like that
guy, right?"

"O...okay?" Sakanaka managed, while Yanagimoto raised her eyebrows.

Sakanaka shook her head slowly at the sight of Kanae -- still blushing --
returning the favor for Haruhi. She supposed that technically ... the pair
were girlfriends. Haruhi momentarily dazzled the younger girl with a bright
grin, accepting the offered treat before Kanae's hand could tremble enough to
spill it.

The singer tried to rally herself to offer _some_ sort of token protest, but
fell into surprised silence, eyebrows raised at the spectacle.

Licking the last bit of cream from her lip, Haruhi offered Kanae a wink that
made the first year girl's blush intensify before continuing, "So-- That gives
you a basic formula, where the number of girls that are unhappy is the number
of interested girls minus one. And _that_ just _sucks_!"

"Y...yes, I suppose I can see that, but...." Sakanaka sighed and shook her
head. "I'm sorry ... I don't mean to be rude or difficult, but this is...."
She trailed off and spread her hands helplessly. What else could she say?
Despite her complaints, if Haruhi were set on it ... well, wasn't that the
extent of it, really?

"I-- I can actually see this," Yanagimoto allowed, managing a rueful grin,
rendering Sakanaka more speechless than anything Haruhi had said. "This really
_does_ sound like Suzumiya, you know? And ... I can understand how important
Kyon-kun really _is_ to Tsuruya-sempai. If he's just as important...." She
shook her head and mused, "I can't see a guy like him actually suggesting
something like this, though. So, of course he _would_ become this important to
more than one girl, and this is Suzumiya's plan to take care of that, huh?"

"My goodness," Sakanaka finally relented, shaking her head. "So ... then
you're trying to reach for a happy ending for everyone? Is that it?"

"That's exactly it!" Kanae agreed, before Haruhi interrupted her by spooning
up another bite. "Mmph!"

After swallowing, the smaller girl had to giggle and try for revenge. Sakanaka
watched the shameless flirting silently, letting the reality of the situation
sink in. "Anyway," Haruhi allowed, taking a napkin and dabbing at one corner
of Kanae's mouth, "we all look out for one-another. It's not like it's a
super-easy thing ... but we were angling for it already when Kyon's parents --
who are crazier than you probably think _I_ am -- went and engaged Kyon to
Tsu-chan.

"So, Tsu-chan was ready to throw everything away because she didn't want to
come between me and Kyon ... and let me tell you," she said, her expression
suddenly becoming dimmer, "realizing _that_ made me feel selfish and awful--
Kyon's done some really amazing things for me, like...."

She trailed off, hesitant, a look of intense irritation coming to her face. It
vanished into surprise when Kanae took advantage of the window to serve the
last bite of their parfait to her.

"You know," Haruhi said, brightening after she swallowed the final bit of
their treat, "he saved me from getting hit by a car, most recently -- but if I
had a paper crane for all of the things that Kyon's done for me, I'd have a
wish by now! And then he also saved Yuki-chan from some _real_ trouble with
her family -- serious stuff that I don't even want to get into -- and to top
that all off, he saves Tsu-chan from being shoved out a window in front of the
whole school!"

"A...and me from that scary person," Kanae added, shivering at the memory --
then relaxing and beaming what Sakanaka had to admit was an adorable smile
when Haruhi put an arm around her and gave the first-year girl a comforting
hug.

"I...isn't that a bit far for gratitude, though?" Sakanaka asked
uncomfortably, still wrestling with the idea. "Didn't he kind of save _all_ of
the girls at Kitago? Or at least our reputations?"

"It's not just that!" Kanae protested, before Haruhi could speak. "Sempai....
Sempai's a genuinely caring person, and ... there are some problems we can't
really explain -- but he helps us with them all, and so we became very, very
close!"

"Is Asahina-sempai in on this too?" Yanagimoto wondered. "Because her
explanation about dating some guy I've never heard of named 'Shutaro' sounded
a bit fake to me -- but I wouldn't push, since I know she's your friend."

"Eh, yeah," Haruhi allowed, mildly taken aback. "But like Kanae-chan says,
it's not just saving us from danger, it's the other things he's done, and ...
let's say he's really done a lot to earn it."

"I ... suppose," Sakanaka allowed. Goodness ... aside from Haruhi, Kanae,
Tsuruya, and evidently even Asahina-sempai ... how many people were
_involved_? "He's ... come a long way from when I distantly knew him in middle
school. Certainly, he's got hidden strengths!"

"He's not the only one," Yanagimoto chimed in. "I saw Nagato-san hold a club
room door shut with one hand! And Kyon-kun held Yamane out a window with just
one hand, too! I know he was a small guy, but that's no easy task!"

"I didn't mean physical strength," Sakanaka answered dryly, recovering enough
to manage a wry smile for the gymnast. "Though, that's impressive, too...."

"So-- That's what's really going on," Haruhi declared, shrugging. "And now you
know why we don't want anyone else knowing all about this. But ... I think we
can trust you."

"Yeah, but I can't let Tani-baka know about this -- ever," Yanagimoto said,
shaking her head. "The second he heard about it, his head would explode!" She
blinked, thinking about what she just said as her face reddened. "And I'm
going to shut up now," she muttered, reaching for her slightly melted sundae.

Sakanaka heaved an immense sigh. "I won't tell anyone, either," she agreed.
"For one thing, it would really just come across as a sad rumor -- if you
hadn't told me this yourself, Suzumiya-san, I wouldn't have believed it for a
heartbeat! But ... beyond that...." She sighed again and hung her head. "If
you're happy in some capacity, then I can't just let myself be jealous ...
even though I don't think I could manage to work the same thing out in my
situation.

"I-- I don't mean to be critical, I just think I'd be ... too selfish to do
that. It ... must take a lot of strength. More than I have, anyway." She
managed an apologetic smile at that, shrugging at her friend.

"Well-- Hey, even if he's kind of a perv and can say some dumb things, I don't
think I'd be happy about that with Taniguchi-kun, either," Yanagimoto agreed.
"It might be different if I was already really close friends with someone else
interested in the same guy.... But I think we're kind of lucky we don't have
to deal with that. And on _that_ note...."

She rounded on Sakanaka and set her empty glass down, fixing the singer with a
firm stare.

"What's going on with you?" she pressed curiously. "It's the shor-- uh, smart
kid, right? What makes you think he's out of your reach? Did you even _try_
confessing yet?"

"Ah," Sakanaka gasped, raising her head, her face coloring. "W...well, he
likes another girl, even though she doesn't seem interested in him, um...."

"Alright," Yanagimoto decided with a grin. "I would have been a bit conflicted
about helping Suzumiya -- even if I couldn't just watch when I thought she was
letting Kyon-kun slip away from her. Tsuruya-sempai relies on him and I owe
her for saving us from those _real_ pervs-- But you, I believe we can help!"

"T...that's not--" Sakanaka began, waving her hands in protest, before Haruhi
chimed in.

"She's got a point, you know! You've listened to me and agreed to keep our
secret; shouldn't I be doing something in return for you? We _are_ friends ...
right?" Sakanaka was surprised to hear the uncertainty from Haruhi's voice --
she'd wanted to be friends with Haruhi for quite some time; even though she
had been a bit antagonistic at first, Yanagimoto clearly did, too.

"That's right!" Kanae chimed in. The smaller girl's face glowed with cheer,
nicely complimenting the smiley face on her hairpin. Like that, she absolutely
exuded cuteness. "Let us help you, too!"

"A...alright," Sakanaka allowed meekly, feeling her face redden. It was fine
if Haruhi did things differently with those she was close with, wasn't it? It
wasn't like Haruhi was trying to press her approach on others as a universal
solution, after all! "S...so...."

* * *

After exiting the school building, Yuki fell into step at Kyon's side, the
pair walking away from the school building in relative silence. Her own habit
was to move silently simply because being more noticeable would have shifted
her from observer to participant, but that line had been more than crossed
already. Changing how she moved didn't feel necessary, even if her role had
changed somewhat.

Perhaps also by habit, Kyon's own steps were light; while she was able to
register the noise that both of them made -- and even their heartbeats, if she
focused -- he moved quietly enough that most humans would not even pick up the
sounds.

Did he do it simply because he was with her? He usually didn't take any
measure to silence his step, despite the training she'd given him in it.
Logically, there was no need for him to publicly change his demeanor, but if
he mirrored her in those situations....

At the bottom of the hill, where they would traditionally part ways -- he to
the train station across the street, and her toward her apartment -- he
paused, frowning. "Ah ... Yuki-chan," he said, causing that long-familiar,
inexplicably pleasant reaction in her chest as her heart-rate increased
slightly, "did you want to split up and change, or do you think we'll be okay
in our uniforms?"

The field she would erect would cause those details to not be noticed by most.
Mikuru had shown Yuki a lot about how clothes tied into expression, and that
wearing nicer clothes for someone could serve as a demonstration of affection;
beyond that there was the notion of clothing as a status symbol, and if they
were operating in a field to reduce notice from others, then that point was
entirely defeated.

More importantly, she calculated that it would be less enjoyable to lose the
time required to change than simply staying together.

"Maybe next time," she allowed, prompting him to raise his eyebrows. "There is
no need to change." She paused briefly, determining the most efficient words
to convey the next bit of information, and then declared quietly, "I do not
observe flaws with your appearance."

His look at that shifted to somewhat confused, and Asakura Ryouko chimed in to
fill the void, unexpectedly running Yuki's intent through the smaller
interface's superior social filter. "She says you look good to her anyway,"
the interface's tiny projection clarified.

"Ah," he managed, taken a bit aback, displaying the slight tension and awkward
stance that she'd come to associate with him being mildly embarrassed.

"Oh! And she thinks you're cute when you're flustered!" Ryouko added.

While Yuki was not able to directly deny that, somehow it felt like it
exceeded what Yuki actually wanted to say, so she replied, "Enable 'good
child' mode." Even after that, she still realized she was experiencing a
reaction; the capillaries in her face were filling with blood, and her eyes
continued to try and orient themselves away from meeting his.

His expression was, if anything, even more surprised at that, until he put on
a surprised smile, shaking his head. "U...um, in that case, what would you
like to eat? Wait-- You think about that for a minute; I should call my
parents and let them know I'll be home later, tonight."

What she ate had little bearing, as opposed to the company she ate it in, from
what she was able to discern of the situation. If it were a 'date,' then there
were entire databases on what should be considered 'romantic,' but she wasn't
certain how to apply those to her. Then again, the vast majority of those were
social issues, rendered almost completely irrelevant because of the field.

So she contemplated the options while he left a message on his mother's voice-
mail, showing faint relief over not having to speak with her directly.

By the time he concluded his call and pocketed his phone, she determined,
"Curry."

His eyebrows rose in mild surprise and curiosity before he shrugged. "Sure,"
he agreed. "That sounds fine-- Did you have a place in mind?"

It took only a moment of searching to determine the nearest suitable location.
A restaurant two blocks away. She turned and began walking toward it with a
small nod -- enough for him to catch, at least.

He gave her a subtle smirk and nodded, catching up to her almost immediately.
There was nothing else to say, though Yuki was enjoying his presence and
company anyway, engaging a field that would make the pair of them difficult to
focus on or remember to most bystanders as they moved. Another interface could
easily see through it, but Yuki did not anticipate direct action from any of
them at this point.

While she might have made a mistake and let Ryouko through her awareness once,
Kyon had handled that anyway -- with some help from Mikuru's alternate
temporal self.

She made a mental note to thank the time traveler at some point in the future.

It was possible the IDSE had configured Ryouko specifically to be intercepted,
but based on how the smaller interface was reacting to the events surrounding
their group, Yuki couldn't determine how it would benefit them. Certainly, she
was already on guard for anything else that they might attempt. Kuyou's help
in that regard was quite helpful.

As that thought processed, she observed a shift in the field around her,
warping its intent even further than she's initially planned, strengthening it
with resonance -- and allowing Suou Kuyou to emerge from an unfolded
hyperspace manifold at Kyon's other side. The dark-haired entity studied her
in silence as Kyon paused in alarm, quickly calming as he recognized her.

At her full size, Kuyou's height was slightly taller than Yuki's, though her
dark hair was longer by far. From Yuki's observation, the volume was slightly
above the range that a human her evident age could expect to achieve. That
suggested that Kuyou's emulation was off ... but within what Sasaki evidently
considered a plausible range.

She made another note to herself to pass that observation on to Haruhi and
Mikuru -- she suspected that they might have more insight into the
significance of longer hair to more socially capable females.

Dismissing that thought, and taking advantage of the opportunity afforded by
the increased strength of the occlusion field, Yuki grasped Kyon's nearer
hand. While slightly surprised, he didn't complain, and in fact gave her a
smile -- one that caused another of those pleasant reactions in her chest --
when she entwined her fingers with his.

Yuki watched closely as Kuyou immediately emulated the gesture with Kyon's
other hand, which prompted him to whip his head around and stare at her in
consternation. "Ah-- Um," he began, stuttering slightly.

There were no problems with it as far as Yuki was able to determine; no one
could see them, and Kyon had spent time between two females who were
interested before on multiple occasions.

She made a note to try and engineer an upcoming occasion where the other
involved female could be Mikuru again -- that had been a unique, but
worthwhile experience.

Kuyou's head tilted slightly to one side as she regarded Kyon questioningly,
though said nothing.

"I...is this really alright?" Kyon wondered aloud.

"It is fine," Yuki answered.

Kuyou agreed, "It is fine."

"Ah ... heh," he chuckled, nervous for some reason. In his coat pocket, Ryouko
waved her hands for his attention, out of his immediate line of sight as he
glanced between the full sized figures instead. "Um-- So, where is the place?"

"Here," Yuki said, pointing at the door of the restaurant as they approached.
It was much smaller than most buildings in the area, and the establishment
itself had a shorter menu than its nearest competitors.

"So, you like this place?" Kyon asked, as she and Kuyou both released his
hands, and he held the door open for them.

"It is fine," Yuki answered, dampening the severity of the field around them
enough to become noticeable to the server within.

A minute later, they were seated at a small booth, Kyon on one side of the
table -- Ryouko removed from his pocket and sitting next to his place settings
-- with Yuki and Kuyou sharing the other side.

"Er, do you like curry?" Kyon asked Kuyou wonderingly.

Kuyou's face tilted up and her eyes swept slowly closed and then open again.
After a thoughtful pause she determined, "Asahina Mikuru prepared curry. It
was superior to noodles."

Kyon managed a nervous chuckle, scratching the back of his head. "That's ...
okay, I suppose. Still, it seems neither of you really care much about the
food, do you?"

"You are here," Kuyou answered simply.

Yuki couldn't find anything to add to that, so nodded herself.

Looking slightly bewildered, Kyon managed a nod in return. "I...is that okay,
Yuki-chan? Um, that Suou-san join us for this?"

There were no valid reasons why that could be a problem, in Yuki's
understanding of things. Mikuru had effectively determined it was fine on her
own, labeling Kuyou's early attempt to kiss Kyon as 'too soon' instead of
'inappropriate,' according to the records from Ryouko and Kyon's PDA. If Yuki
were to trust her judgment, then this was probably within acceptable
parameters.

"I am not wanted?" Kuyou asked, her gaze fixing on Kyon.

"Er, no, no," he said quickly, shaking his head. "You're our friend, Suou-san,
I didn't mean that."

Kuyou abruptly smiled, emulating Ryouko's typical cheer when she was full-
sized. "I am wanted," she deduced.

Kyon looked about to say something, then shut his mouth and shrugged,
determining it was probably better not to clarify. After the server gave them
all tea and took their orders (beef curry with a side of tempura vegetables
for all) he sipped from his cup thoughtfully. Setting it down he said, "Well
... I wanted to thank Yuki-chan for all of her help lately-- But, Suou-san, I
have to thank you, too.

"So this isn't really much -- but I appreciate what you've done to help out
and protect the Brigade -- really, our whole world, at this point!" He settled
back into his seat and paused for a moment, giving Ryouko a thoughtful look.
"And," he relented with a sigh, shaking his head, "I have to thank even you
for helping.... I'm not happy about Imouto being in danger, still--"

Ryouko waved her small arms furiously, her expression showing genuine concern,
but unable to speak with 'good child' mode enabled.

"--but ... I can tell you're not happy about it, either. I still don't like
that you tried to attack me, but ... I guess you're proving that Haruhi was
right, and you really can grow. I can tell that you're not happy about what
almost happened to Imouto ... so for that, even if I'm not happy about
circumstances, I should tell you that I think I understand, at least."

Her waving slowed from frantic to much slower, her expression showing
surprise. Yuki had to acknowledge that it was unexpected to her as well; Kyon
might really be too trusting of her, all things considered. Still ... even if
she wasn't entirely sure how Ryouko had come to be so concerned for Kyon's
smaller sister, she could at least confirm:

"Her worry for your sister is entirely genuine." After a pause, she added, "It
is not currently possible to determine why."

"She has been placed in the orbit of his sister," Kuyou clarified. "Non-
destructive interaction with him is not directly possible without altering her
orientation and velocity; Suzumiya Haruhi altered her entry vector into this
system to bring her interactions into a more harmonious line. The first body
she encountered altered her trajectory in accordance with the Chorus,
harmonious with the Song."

Yuki analyzed the content of Kuyou's transmission. That was Kuyou's perception
of what Yuki had done with Haruhi's power that day? It filled certain gaps in
knowledge and understanding. Her social monitor caught a pattern in their
interactions, and she turned to face Kuyou while their server set their orders
before them.

Once the server was gone, Yuki said, "You are our ally. It is fine that you
are here."

Kuyou turned and cocked her head to one side curiously.

Yuki completed, "I categorize you as a friend."

The smile Kuyou showed in response to that did not appear to be emulated from
anyone at all.

* * *

After consuming the meal of curry with the entities that Kuyou had determined
were her friends, Kuyou followed Yuki and Kyon as they left the restaurant.
Having spent more time with the smaller entity, she picked Ryouko up herself,
carrying the tiny interface comfortably in both hands before her.

The group moved to the street, and Kyon gave Yuki a brief speech about how
important she was to him; Kuyou traced the resonances of the memetics
extending out from him and rippling across the memetic medium. Within the
occlusion field, she observed with intense focus as he concluded his somewhat
rambling expression of gratitude, and moved to turn away.

Before he could manage more than turning his head a few degrees, Yuki reached
up and turned his face back, pulling him down as she rose onto her tiptoes.

The pattern of dancing memetic strings intrigued Kuyou as the smaller girl's
form rose, and her lips met with his as their eyes closed. While initially
surprised, the strings intensified in resonance as he slipped into well-
rehearsed patterns, his arms going about her and holding her body tight to
his. Yuki's own body sagged slightly, leaning on him entirely for the duration
of the exercise--

Kuyou could only try and calculate what the experience might have been like in
the center of the memetic tangle -- but the rest of the Chorus couldn't offer
input on those observations. Still, judging by the strengthening bonds between
herself and Yuki, there was one way to observe directly.

Then the kiss finally broke, and Kyon breathlessly released the girl, both of
them flushed, though him much more intensely than her, Kuyou instantly moved
to a similar position and raised one hand toward his head--

Only to be intercepted by Yuki's grasp. Not excessively forceful; Kuyou gauged
that she could break free of her grip without damaging the environment badly,
but halted herself. She turned a questioning gaze to the other girl; why
couldn't she try to observe the same thing?

Yuki's expression wasn't easily readable, but the radiant memetic surges from
her carried the suggestion of mild amusement. "Not yet," she told Kuyou.

Kyon's eyes widened at this, even as Kuyou nodded her acknowledgment. The most
commonly observable pattern was that Kyon did not engage in that particular
transmission with those who he called with the '-san' honorific.

Obviously, she needed to determine how to tighten her orbit in relation to
his, at least enough that she changed honorifics. Observations from the Chorus
couldn't offer any insight into this; perhaps she should consult more closely
with Ryouko? She seemed to understand the exchanges between Kyon and the
others much better.

"Er-- Yeah," Kyon mumbled, shaking his head and giving a last confused glance
to Yuki. "Um-- I consider you a friend and an ally, Suou-san."

"Next time, I will make cookies for you," Kuyou determined. She was certain
that would help.

* * *