# Kyon: Big Damn Hero

## The Laying Low Arc II

### Chapter Fifty Two: The Slow Days

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!

* * *

"Entity Two: Sympathy"

"When subjected to a system for observation, it is impossible to observe
without having influence on it. Conversely, observations will also have
influence over the observer. Sympathy does not exist to be observed alone
without participation."

"Adaptation" -- LP-TK:AR Datastream Segment (-working translation-)

* * *

Tsuruya felt a bit bad for Mikuru that she didn't have family of her own
around, but was also glad that she could step in and keep her time traveling
friend from feeling completely alone. Kyon was occupied with Yuki -- something
Tsuruya didn't mind at all. The quiet girl deserved attention, too!

Anyway, a relaxing evening at home, doing homework and having dinner with
Mikuru seemed fine to her. It wasn't as good as Mikuru's cooking, but it was
still tasty. After that, they finished catching up on the last season of
Trope-tan, and then Tsuruya had insisted that Mikuru stay the night over.

Why leave a comfortable space with a friend, just to be alone?

It was hardly the first time Tsuruya had Mikuru stay over through the night,
anyway. When morning came around, she'd dragged the other girl to the bath,
since Mikuru was slower to wake. After that and a pleasant breakfast, the pair
undertook the familiar walk to school -- and Tsuruya was happy to run into
Kyon, Kanae, and Haruhi, walking as a group up from the train station.

"Ya-hoo~!" she cheered, waving at the trio, and deciding at the last minute
not rush over and grab Kyon in a hug. It might be fun, but wouldn't Haruhi
feel left out? And Mikuru and Kanae, too -- that wouldn't be very fair. Even
though she got to be 'the one engaged to Kyon' on the surface, she had no
desire to hold that over the heads of anyone else involved in their match-up.

Instead, she fell in at Kyon's side, since Kanae was walking between him and
Haruhi. It was his payday anyway, so she'd need to find a private moment to
give him the week's reward.

"Good morning, Tsuruya-hime," Kyon greeted her. "Asahina-san-- It's good to
see you two."

"Good morning," Mikuru echoed a bit more shyly, offering a blushing smile,
then falling in just behind Haruhi. "Ah, Kanae-chan, that hairpin is so
adorable on you~! I almost wish I had one!"

"T...thanks," the slider managed, blushing even more deeply than the time
traveler.

"So, what's Kyon-kun's plan for today?" Tsuruya asked him, raising her
eyebrows.

"Didn't have anything special planned," he replied, shaking his head. "Did you
need me for something?"

Tsuruya caught the brief hope in Haruhi's gaze, quickly suppressed as one of
her hands captured Kanae's, and the slider turned nearly crimson, still
grinning.

"So cute!" Mikuru chirped.

"How about a double-date?" Tsuruya proposed. "You and me, and Haru-nyan and
Kanae-chan!"

He blinked in consternation, hurriedly looking around for someone who might
have overheard, then abruptly stopped. Probably, Tsuruya thought with a smirk,
he had forgotten that with their cover, they didn't have a reason to _care_
who heard that!

Shaking his head with a rueful chuckle, he allowed, "That sounds fine to me,
Tsuruya-hime-- Haruhi, Kanae-chan, what do you think?"

"Yes!" Kanae yelped without hesitation, her eyes wide. "Ah--" She quickly
turned to Haruhi with a hopeful smile. "Ah ... um, Suzumiya-sempai, c...can
we? Please?"

Somewhat taken aback, Haruhi allowed a nod. "That's.... Yeah-- Yeah! That
sounds awesome! Good thinking Tsu-chan! We should have tons of fun!"

Tsuruya chuckled happily. Perfect!

She glanced back over her shoulder, her laughter dying off at Mikuru's wistful
expression. Well ... not quite perfect after all. Good enough for today, but
when had Mikuru last gotten time with Kyon? That was fine, though -- she was
confident that she and Haruhi together could arrange something for the time
traveler -- and until then, Tsuruya had no problem watching over the girl
herself!

* * *

Thinking about the planned 'double-date' that evening, Haruhi wasn't able to
keep a smile from her face. They parted ways at the shoe lockers, of course --
Tsuruya and Mikuru off to their third year classes, and Kanae to her first
year classes. Yanagimoto gave her a wave from the stairwell up to their own
classroom, and Haruhi nodded, stepping to the gymnast's side.

"What's going on?" Haruhi wondered.

"I've been doing a bit of digging," Yanagimoto said quickly, checking that no
one was nearby to overhear. "About Kunikida. Rumor mill doesn't have much on
him with all the noise about ... well ... _you_, but I got some things."

What could Yanagimoto have discovered? Haruhi nodded and prompted, "Yeah?"

"So, he was spotted on Tuesday night -- before he blew everything up by
announcing the engagement -- having dinner with some uncle of his at a cafe
downtown. They both looked pretty upset, so my theory is ... there's some kind
of family issues. That's why he's so distressed he made trouble, right?"
Yanagimoto offered. "I mean -- based on what you and Sakanaka said, he's also
got that crush on that 'Sasaki' girl, and that's not helping, but he's
generally a good kid, right?"

"Yeah," Haruhi allowed, shifting her shoulders uncomfortably at the thought of
Sasaki again. Well, even if Sasaki wasn't in on the plan with Kyon, she _was_
out of Kunikida's reach.... No way could he keep up with the things they were
tangled in.

"So the question is ... what kind of family trouble?" the gymnast asked with a
shrug. "Maybe a job for you guys? Investigate that uncle, see what we can turn
up? Maybe you can help him out -- if he's in a better mood, we can have
Sakanaka poised to strike!"

"Maybe," Haruhi mused, frowning. "It's not like we know what this uncle looks
like, or what his name is, or where he works."

"That'll take some investigation," Yanagimoto agreed. "Looked like a generic
salary-man. Anyway, we can't depend on the rumor mill too much."

Spotting the somewhat sullen boy ahead of them as they topped the stairs,
Haruhi shook her head slightly. There was no reason to be particularly subtle
about the investigation, was there? "Hey!" Haruhi called, startling him, then
picking up her pace to slide to a halt at his side, clapping a hand on his
shoulder forcefully, almost staggering him. "Kunikida! We're conducting a
research survey!"

"Huh?" he managed, blinking, then giving her a very confused look. "What?"

"We're asking how often people have dinner with their families at restaurants
away from home, right? So -- when was the last time you had dinner out with
your family -- or with an uncle or an aunt?"

He blinked again. "What?"

"Our sources say last Tuesday for you!" Haruhi exclaimed, shaking her head and
crossing her arms over her chest. She should have thought to grab a clipboard.
"So -- how often?"

Kunikida worked his jaw for a moment, then gave her a strange look. "It.... It
wasn't an uncle," he mumbled. "Just a guy who ... er...." He paused,
considering what he was saying, since everyone in the hall was staring at
them, including a stunned-looking Yanagimoto. "He's a good friend of my
father's," Kunikida mumbled. "I guess that's like an uncle."

"So -- what's his name, then?"

Kunikida looked irritated and opened his mouth, then closed it with a
thoughtful look. After a quick shake of his head, he rifled through his
pockets, producing a somewhat worn business card. "Here," he said, offering it
out. "Why don't you ask him?"

Haruhi snatched the card without hesitation. They had resources who could look
into this guy, didn't they? Well -- she'd try it on her own, first. No sense
locking Yanagimoto out of the loop, when she wanted to help. "Will do," she
affirmed, as Kunikida shook his head again and trudged into the classroom.

"T...that," Yanagimoto managed, trotting to Haruhi's side with wide eyes.
"That was ... pretty bold!"

"And it got us results," Haruhi countered. "Um ... tonight I have plans, but
we can check this guy out, maybe next Monday, right?"

Giggling, the gymnast nodded. "Alright," she agreed. "I'll keep seeing if
there's anything else we can find out at the school without asking him
directly, then."

"Sounds like a plan!"

* * *

Escaping the press of the rumor mill during lunch was a welcome reprieve, in
Kyon's mind. The tradition had started first when he was 'grounded' from
participating in club activities, but had been revived in the face of the
muttering going around the school. He supposed it could have been worse ...
though he wasn't sure when it had happened, most of the students didn't bother
him or Tsuruya--

Evidently, breaking up the photography ring had left a huge impression on most
of the students. Well, he supposed if he hadn't gotten desensitized by going
through things like that so much, he'd pay more attention himself. Then again,
it wasn't like the other students had any idea how minor _that_ ordeal was
compared to others!

He shook his head as he took his seat, smiling at Kanae as she set a cup of
coffee before him. "Thank you, Kanae-chan," he added, after she finished
handing out drinks to the others, then took her seat across from Mikuru. For
the time traveler's part, she appeared totally in her 'zone,' tuning out the
outside world to focus on swiftly cutting cloth.

Half of the table was taken up by her designs and the material she had laid
out, but there was enough room at the rest of the table for everyone else to
sit -- save Haruhi and Tsuruya, who shared the computer desk.

Still, if the rumor-mongers weren't bothering him or Tsuruya, and Haruhi had
dealt with those bothering herself and Kanae.... Who else was really left to
be annoyed? Mikuru had evidently warded them off by claiming to have a
boyfriend, and Koizumi didn't appear to have any real problems on that
front....

Of course, it wasn't like having lunch with the Brigade was any kind of
imposition, anyway.

Deciding to risk distracting the 'chief of mascot services' a little bit once
she set down her scissors, he gently tapped her shoulder. "Asahina-san?" he
hazarded.

"Ah!" she gasped, blinking out of focused state. "Um, y...yes, Kyon-kun?" she
stuttered, giving him a hopeful smile and blushing. "What is it?"

"I just wanted to ask how your project was going," he said, shaking his head
gently.

"Oh-- Very well," she said happily. Her smile faded as she looked thoughtful.
"Though ... I'm not certain there's enough time for me to make the costumes--
Kanae-chan's helping, but if I leave the sewing machine and supplies here...."
She trailed off and bit her bottom lip in consternation.

"Too much work?" Haruhi broke in with a frown. "Well, you shouldn't have to do
it alone -- we can help, right?"

"Ah, no, the help I've gotten so far is more than enough," Mikuru assured the
brigade chief, surprising Kyon with the confidence on her face. "It's just
that there's only so much time to use the machine."

"Okies!" Tsuruya declared, clapping her hands together. "While we're getting
ready for our plans tonight, Mikuru-chan, Kyon-kun can leave early to help you
carry those things home -- and meet with you in the mornings to bring it
back!"

"O-oh, that's perfect!" Mikuru agreed happily. Turning to Kyon, her face
reddening slightly, she managed a hesitant, "I...if that's alright with you,
Kyon-kun? Um! I could make you dinner!"

Koizumi paused and looked thoughtful, a morsel of food from his bento halfway
to his mouth, but said nothing, merely giving Kyon a considering gaze. Kyon
tried to ignore it, thinking of how best to answer.

"Ah, no, he's booked," Haruhi replied with a shake of her head before he could
say anything. "So he'll have to make a rain check on that.... Or, wait! He's
got to meet up with you in the morning, too-- Well, he's lazy, so I'll see
that he gets up early enough that you can make him breakfast-- How does that
sound?"

In response, Mikuru's eyes unfocused, and her smile widened dreamily.

"Good compromise," Yuki opined from her seat.

"It seems your schedule is quite full," Koizumi remarked, setting his
chopsticks down. "Kyon-kun, could I have a few minutes of your time for some
questions?"

"What's this about?" Haruhi asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Um ... let's say that it's suddenly come to my attention that Kyon-kun may be
the ideal person to turn to for advice in the matter of Kyouko," Koizumi
returned evenly, offering a cool smile.

Kyon felt his heart sink like a stone -- he hadn't really put enough thought
into how Koizumi was going to handle this revelation, had he?

Haruhi looked doubtful for a moment, before her expression shifted to surprise
as she seemed to suddenly realize something. "Um.... Alright," she allowed.
"Both of you should finish and come back before lunch is over, alright?"

"Understood," Koizumi agreed.

"Of course," Kyon echoed, both of them rising from their seats.

Shortly, the pair of them were walking to the coffee vending machine, but
considering the superior quality of Kanae's coffee, neither bothered to buy a
drink. He supposed it was more due to habit than anything else.... Still,
thanks to the need to be wary of anyone listening in, neither spoke until they
were strolling across the grounds by the track, comfortably out of earshot of
anyone nearby.

"You seem to have gotten quite close to the females of our association,"
Koizumi stated without preamble, surveying a distant group of students who
were opting to practice for the track team during their lunch.

"...yeah," Kyon allowed, shifting his shoulders.

"I'm not entirely certain what the ... plan ... in that regard is," Koizumi
said slowly. "And ... to be honest, I think I might actually be given to
jealousy over the circumstances -- had I not recently found Kyouko as
enthralling as she is."

Kyon blinked dumbly, looking at Koizumi in surprise. "Huh?"

"That is to say ... the major concern here is that Suzumiya-san is content.
And, knowing you as well as I do ... I must deduce that this is her plan, and
not yours."

"Uh, that's right," Kyon admitted, a little stunned. "I mean...."

Koizumi shook his head, smiling gently. "It does seem like something she might
do, though I must admit -- I am surprised that she's willing to ... share
you."

Unable to keep back the wince at the way the esper said it, Kyon nodded.

"Mori-san has been dropping the occasional cryptic hint that there was
'something' going on between yourself, Suzumiya-san, and Tsuruya-san -- but
I'm guessing based on Suzumiya-san's recent instructions to you it extends
further?"

"Yeah," Kyon mumbled, running a hand through his hair and sighing.

"It's hard to imagine Suzumiya-san settling for less than the maximum she
could envision, so I'll just guess ... it's all of them?"

"Yeah," Kyon mumbled again, bowing his head and staring at the ground by his
feet.

"And you've known all along, and not bothered mentioning this to me?"

Koizumi sounded only mildly annoyed, not as angry as he probably had a right
to be.

"To be fair, I've only known about a week," Kyon managed, raising his head.
"She's been planning it much longer than that."

The esper paused, blinking slowly, then forming the most amused smile Kyon had
ever seen on his face. "That ... is truly just like Suzumiya-san," he said
with a sigh of his own, clapping one hand on Kyon's shoulder. "In that case,
seeing how long she waited to notify even you, well.... It would be nonsense
to be annoyed. So, that in mind, I suppose since it's her planning, there's no
real reason to ask you for advice about Kyouko, is there?"

...somehow, Kyon couldn't help but be slightly annoyed at that. He quickly
shook his head, dismissing the irritation; he _did_ have an unreasonable
number of very cute girlfriends as it stood. What did getting upset with
Koizumi teasing him about it really do?

"Yeah, in my case, I was just lucky," he agreed with a shrug. "Still, if
things with you and Kyouko are, uh, heading in that direction.... Anyway, I
don't blame her for trying to trap me in that closed space, and I don't think
Haruhi's very good at bearing a grudge to people she knows well. So, all I can
really do is wish you luck, myself."

The esper blinked in surprise, then nodded. "You're right," he allowed. "Well
-- there's not really anything else to discuss on that front, except to note
that Suzumiya-san should probably be careful to be subtle. Though, thinking
about things, it's somewhat flattering that she and the others are comfortable
enough around me that they feel no real need to hide it."

Kyon coughed, managing a nod. "A...anyway-- Let's get back and finish eating
before lunch ends."

* * *

Even though she'd been there before, Haruhi had to admit that with Tsuruya's
access, going to probably the most expensive and fanciest restaurant in the
city was kind of fun. And last time, Tsuruya and Kyon had both already gone --
now she got to have a leg up on Kanae!

Not that she was going to torment the slider, but the chance to be there and
introduce her to such a fine experience ... that really seemed like it would
be fun!

Admittedly, there were going to be a few servers too many to get away with
cuddling up to Kyon and trying to puzzle out who got to kiss him (something
she was actually starting to look forward to), but there would be plenty of
time for that on the ride back home.

Even better, Tsuruya had gotten Kanae an incredibly cute kimono -- her pattern
was crescent moons and bamboo. Haruhi supposed it was supposed to reference
Kaguya-hime, the girl from the moon, but thought she liked the idea of it
being a Tanabata evening better.

Haruhi and Tsuruya had been familiar with the outfits, having worn theirs to
the restaurant together last time. Since they were much faster than Kanae,
they had both gotten to dress the smaller girl up while Kyon was helping
Mikuru move the equipment needed for her sewing project. Thinking of Mikuru,
she really needed to be rewarded for the amazing amount of effort she was
putting into those costumes.

Still, the three of them had arrived at the palatial restaurant before Kyon
did. Haruhi wouldn't have minded dragging him into a room and forcibly
changing him into his own outfit -- it had been so much fun last time! -- but
he was already dressed fit to match when he got out of the car he'd taken. She
recognized the driver as Kasai, and the girls all waved to him as he inclined
his head slightly.

The only really silly thing was Ryouko's small form perched incongruously --
and silently -- atop Kyon's head. Haruhi wondered if he'd forgotten about her;
the chibi hadn't uttered a single noise all day.

With the sun setting, the four of them walked into the establishment, Kanae
clinging to Haruhi's arm and trying her level best not to gape at the decor
and the immaculate serving staff. The only problem, Haruhi reflected, as they
were shown to the same private room they'd enjoyed last time, was that Kyon
looked anxious and distracted.

Once they were seated and served tea, she prodded, "What's bothering you,
Kyon? Did something happen with Mikuru-chan?"

"It's ... probably nothing," he answered with a shrug, giving her a half-
hearted smile. "I just didn't get a text...."

"Were you expecting ones?" Tsuruya asked from his side, her eyebrows rising.

"It's probably nothing," he said again, shaking his head. "Um-- Kanae-chan,
what do you think of this place?"

"Ah! It's amazing!" she gushed, beaming a brilliant smile. "With my favorite
people -- this is so much fun! A...and I've never really properly...." She
trailed off and blushed, bowing her head and poking the tips of her pointer
fingers at one another. "T...this is the first time I've really gone out on
date to a nice place like this!"

Haruhi felt some of her cheer reviving. "Yeah!" she enthused. "We have to
thank Tsu-chan again for bringing us here, don't we?"

"It's nothing, it's nothing," Tsuruya giggled, ducking her head. "Now, try not
to eat too many of the first courses -- they're amazing, but there's an awful
lot!"

As if summoned by that remark, a quartet of servers approached the table, each
bearing a small tray. Haruhi sat back and nodded, while everyone at the table
fell silent, not sure what they should say -- if anything -- in front of the
staff. Kyon still seemed distracted, and Haruhi had to wonder -- who was he
expecting a text from?

From what she understood, things with his parents were working out reasonably
well, and they loved Tsuruya, so wouldn't bat an eyelash at him having dinner
with her. He'd just _been_ with the rest of the Brigade, so who else--

She bit the inside of her cheek and stared into the bottom of her teacup,
hiding a sour grimace as she realized. What the hell was up with _that_? He
was at the table with three other girls, and was distracted thinking about
_Sasaki_?

She stewed for a moment, mulling things over. What should she do, anyway? Chew
him out at the table for ignoring her-- for ignoring Tsuruya, his fiancee?
Maybe just ask him more directly?

The servers finished setting the first course at the table and backed away.
Just as Haruhi had decided to try and be subtle -- but absolutely intending to
give him a piece of her mind -- Kyon's phone rang, though with an unfamiliar
tone. Seriously? At a place _this_ nice, he hadn't shut his phone off?

Before she could snap at him, he'd fished it out of his yukata and pressed a
button. "Yes?" he asked tersely.

Haruhi's protest died in her throat at the way his expression hardened. "What
do you mean--" He cut himself off and heaved a single abbreviated sigh. "Where
are they now?"

"Eh?" Tsuruya managed, looking surprised, but not nearly as put-off as Haruhi
thought she should. Opposite her, the slider just looked surprised.

"Alright," he allowed after hearing that, one hand going up and plucking
Ryouko from the top of his head, giving her a stern look and disconnecting.
"You can track her?"

"Target locked!" she chirped in response.

"Hey!" Haruhi protested, ignoring the servers as much as Kyon was -- wasn't he
usually the subtle one? "What the hell, Kyon? What's going on, here?"

Tsuruya sat back slightly and gave a questioning nod of her own, while Kanae
flinched slightly away, her expression worried.

"Sasaki's been kidnapped again," Kyon said grimly, rising from the table.
"I've got to go." He didn't wait for a response before dashing toward the
large, open wall with a view of the candle-filled pond.

Just before he vanished into the darkness, Tsuruya managed to call out, "Good
luck!"

"But--" Haruhi started to protest before scowling. "Damn it!"

"Ah," Kanae whimpered, looking anxious. "O...oh...."

"This is no good," Tsuruya sighed, shaking her head. She glanced to one side,
where the servers stood, seeming uncertain about how to react. "Well-- Kyon-
kun's doing his best." Waving one hand to the waiting attendants, she called,
"Ah, have his share boxed up for later-- He's going to be hungry!"

"We can't let this sort of thing slide," Haruhi grumbled. "I realize he's the
best for this job, all things considered, but this isn't fun -- or even
reasonable!"

"Haru-nyan, aren't you being a little hard on Kyon-kun?" Tsuruya countered,
turning back and giving her a small smile. "He's looking out for his
friend...."

"And just stood us up!" Haruhi snapped. "This is _stupid_! Once he rescues
her, I'm going to give him a _real_ piece of my mind!" She banged one fist on
the table in front of her, scowling at the meal she didn't even want to taste
anymore. "I know we have to look out for Sasaki, but it's not like he's dating
_her_!"

"Um," Tsuruya managed, her smile fading, reminding Haruhi uncomfortably of
another time she lost her temper when Tsuruya was around. "Haru-nyan, you're
not ... really being fair to Kyon-kun...."

"_I'm_ not being fair?" Haruhi growled, one eyebrow ticking.

"Ah," Kanae whimpered, hunching over trying to hide behind her napkin, tears
running down her face. "D...don't.... P-please don't fight...."

_That_ hammered home another unpleasant reminder -- one Haruhi couldn't
ignore. When had someone last begged her that in such a voice? She bit back
what she was going to say next and took a deep breath, swallowing back her
irritation. Wasn't Kanae supposed to be her date? And she'd just gotten so
caught up in being upset she totally ignored the slider breaking down in
_tears_?

She couldn't let that make her feel even worse; she needed to pull herself up
from this spiral -- for Kanae's sake, if nothing else. She was trying to make
Kanae feel comfortable, safe, and happy. If Kyon had some ... obligation, then
that didn't mean Haruhi could just throw away her own responsibilities.

Taking another breath and forcing herself to calm down, she rose from her seat
and moved next to Kanae, making the smaller girl scoot over and squeezing next
to her. "I'm sorry, Kanae-chan," she said sincerely, one arm going around the
slider and hugging her. "I just.... Never mind that for now." She clicked her
tongue and took Kanae's napkin, gently dabbing the tears from her face and
giving the girl the best smile she could manage.

"Um," Kanae whimpered, still hunched in on herself, but relaxing enough to
lean against Haruhi. "S...sorry...."

"You don't have anything to apologize for," Haruhi replied, giving her a
comforting squeeze. "It's a pity Kyon couldn't join us -- but we've got a fine
meal here, and...." She trailed off, looking to Tsuruya for support.

The heiress shook her head to banish some lingering concern. "Kyon-kun may be
busy reassuring Sasaki-san for a bit, but with any luck, once that's taken
care of we can make up for lost time later," she said resolutely.

Which would leave Kyon getting home late, likely not getting enough rest to
meet Mikuru for breakfast, Haruhi realized. "And if he can't, we still have
each other," she added. "So! Sorry for all that, but let's stick together!
Tsu-chan, take my old seat; Kyon's not here, but we can be cozy, right?"

"Of course!" Tsuruya agreed without hesitation, claiming Haruhi's old seat and
putting the slider between them.

Kanae perked up, still looking anxious. "R...really?"

In response, Haruhi hugged her even tighter and nodded confirmation. "You bet!
So-- Kanae-chan, you've been training at night with Yuki-chan and the others,
right? You must be getting really good as sliding by now!"

"Ah, heh," the slider chuckled shyly, a bit overwhelmed. "U...um, actually,
Nagato-san said that I should do other things, too, since I'll get tired if I
focus on only one thing. So, um, I've been learning self-defense!"

Haruhi tried to wrap her head around the idea of someone as cute and tiny as
_Kanae_ learning martial arts. While the images were _amusing_, she wasn't
sure how _plausible_ they were. "Really?" Tsuruya asked, laughing. "What
kinds?"

"H...how to escape, and acrobatics, and gymnastics," Kanae managed, her face
turning red.

"Ah! Yanagimoto does gymnastics, too -- you could probably discuss routines
with her! I bet she'd be amazed if you joined her for a practice session; I
think I'd like to see you do that, too!" Haruhi exclaimed. Plus, she thought
that the smaller girl would look positively _adorable_ in a leotard; she
certainly had a good build for it!

"You'll take pictures, won't you?" Tsuruya chuckled. "More for the
scrapbooks!"

"Now _this_ is a plan," Haruhi declared, glad that at least some of the good
mood they'd had before Kyon's departure could be reclaimed.

* * *

As troubling as things had been, Sasaki didn't want to be a burden on Haruhi,
her new friend. Oh, she wanted to help the other girl, but leaning on her too
hard wouldn't be accomplishing that. She tried to go through her life as
usual, but realized she was slowly becoming withdrawn from her classmates --
after all, they didn't really understand what it was like to be kidnapped.

That was not a pleasant experience -- though being abducted wasn't nearly as
horrifying as being made to watch Kyon get attacked....

She couldn't let that get her down, though. Keeping her resolve, she tried to
return to her life as normal. And that meant that even though things with
Kunikida had turned out more poorly than she'd have liked, she needed to
return to her schedule of attending cram school.

More importantly, it meant she couldn't afford to let fear rule her life, or
interfere with _Kyon's_ life by constantly bothering him. Of course, failing
to text him would really only exacerbate his concern, wouldn't it? Even so....
Before she could send him that reassuring confirmation that she was alright,
she realized one of her watchers was missing.

Unlike Takahashi's men, the ones who worked with Kyon had no qualms about
identifying themselves to her when approached, even if they also did their
relative best to remain subtle. Because of that, she'd gone out of her way to
learn their names and schedules; they seemed to understand her reasons and
agreed to go along with her request with little more than a shrug and an
acknowledgment that, "Aniki says you're trustworthy."

Strange as it was for older, more obviously battle-hardened ... well ...
_criminals_, really, to call Kyon 'big brother.'

She'd been through stranger, though. When a second of her three watchers had
vanished, still not quite at her cram school, she carefully saved her unsent
message to drafts and pocketed her phone. Watching for it, she saw the third
of her guardians looking unsettled -- just before a trio of men in ill-
fitting, mismatched suits dragged him into an alley with a yelp.

She was torn between trying to help, and just running away -- but was left to
feel helpless _yet again_ when the choice was made for her, another quartet of
thugs bursting from the store front she was passing and grabbing her. In broad
daylight, no less! Not that it had stopped them _last_ time, but even so--

Her attackers were too strong for her to overpower, and outnumbered her
anyway. Of course, as discouraging as it was ... it wasn't _particularly_
surprising that her cries for help weren't answered by the stunned onlookers--
At least, not before she found herself crammed into the back of a car between
two of them, while the others piled into the front.

It probably took less than thirty seconds for the mid-sized vehicle to break
from where it was parked and dive into traffic.

Instead of wasting her time struggling or continuing to cry in vain, she bit
her tongue and focused. She couldn't do anything herself -- yet. But she could
still think. That seemed like a better plan than just sobbing and waiting for
rescue!

So ... while the car sped through an intersection, running a red light, she
considered. They had obviously known her route to plan for the ambush. She
could _change_ her route in the future, but if they had learned who her
watchers were (a possibility she couldn't rule out), then they might not have
been following her directly. Instead, they could have just followed her
guardians, and determined her route from that.

Well, it was either that, or they'd gotten information from someone who knew
her. If it was someone in Kyon's organization, well, that was beyond her. It
wouldn't be Kyouko -- she'd been in the hospital and unable to volunteer
information to anyone except Kyon's allies. To say nothing of the fact that
Sasaki was certain that Kyouko's apology was genuine.

Those two possibilities seemed the most likely, but with nothing else to go
on.... "Why are you doing this?" she demanded, looking between the men on
either side of her. "Why am I so important?"

"Save it," the man in the forward passenger seat barked. "Not that we would
tell you -- but we're just following orders."

"Yeah," the driver growled. "Now, let's--" He cut off with a sharp curse,
mostly drowned out by the sudden screech of brakes. "How the hell--"

Sasaki was thrown forward by the rushed halt, caught from spilling across the
center console by the men on either side of her, since she wasn't belted in.
To her surprise, a limousine had skidded to a halt on the street in front of
them, sliding sideways and blocking the road. A crowd of surprised and annoyed
pedestrians were around it, all of them staring at the car holding Sasaki and
her captors in astonishment.

The driver grumbled and threw the vehicle into reverse-- Almost immediately
backing into a truck that someone had stopped just behind their car. "What
the-- Oh _crap_!" the driver exclaimed, as they recovered from being so
rattled. "It's Kowa-Keigo Kyon!"

The other three men in the car cursed simultaneously, and Sasaki was a bit
taken aback to see her friend with a sharp scowl on his face, stalking toward
the stopped vehicle from the limousine. "Quick!" the man to Sasaki's right
barked. "Run him over!"

"No!" the man to her left countered, before the driver could follow those
instructions. "That'll just piss him off!"

"Don't be stupid," the passenger started, before the driver cut him off.

"Forget it," he growled. "They have us surrounded-- Let's quit while we're
ahead; no one said we'd be tangling with him _directly_."

Sasaki blinked again, unsure if she should be more thrown off by the entire
conversation, or the fact that Kyon was wearing -- evidently -- a yukata.

Heaving an aggrieved sigh, the driver took the keys from the ignition,
shutting the engine off, then dropped them on the floor. "So, _now_ what?" he
grumbled.

"We blame you for not putting up a fight," the man on Sasaki's right replied,
as Kyon circled around to the driver-side door and rapped on the window. Not
that he was alone, she realized; she was just distracted from spotting the six
men flanking Kyon, one of which was the first of her guardians to vanish. That
man sported a black eye and what looked like a split lip.

Coughing, the driver rolled down the window on his door. "Uh, good, uh,
evening, Kowa-Keigo Kyon," he tried, earning him incredulous stares from the
other men in the car -- and Sasaki herself. "Can we, uh, help you?"

"I'm not really in the mood," he replied curtly, in a loose, relaxed stance.
"Let Sasaki go, and then my associates can discuss their grievances with you
on their own."

"Hey, let's be reasonable," the driver countered. "We don't really want
trouble, but we do have a bargaining chip-- We don't want to hurt your
friend--"

Whatever else he was going to say was lost as Kyon -- lightning fast --
reached in through the open window and seized the driver's tie, swiftly
tightening it. "I don't particularly want to hurt _you_," he returned. "Let
her go. _Now_."

"You heard the boss!" the passenger snapped, as the driver wheezed, pawing at
Kyon's arm feebly.

Sasaki was amazed -- as quickly as they got her into the car, the thugs let
her out even _faster_. Enough that she would have tripped, had one of Kyon's
men not caught her. At that, Kyon released the driver and heaved an annoyed
sigh, turning to Sasaki and taking her hand. "Are you alright?" he asked
gently, the irritation on his face melting away to the expression she was more
familiar with.

"I.... I'm afraid I'm starting to get used to this," Sasaki allowed shakily.

Kyon heaved another annoyed sigh, one hand rising to cover his face briefly.
"Right," he declared. "Let's get you out of here." Making a vague gesture to
the car she'd been crammed into -- and the men within -- he announced, "Make
sure they're not in a condition to make the police sympathetic when they're
handed over."

The associate with a black eye frowned at that, one hand in a fist. His name
was Akira, Sasaki recalled. She guessed he wanted a measure of revenge, but
before he could protest, Kyon regarded him and noted, "This is our territory,
and we can show that we're better than them; there's no need for petty
retaliation. See what we can leave to give the police good reason to lock them
up."

"Ah," Akira allowed, nodding. "Contraband in the trunk, obviously."

Kyon looked briefly troubled, then nodded. "I'll leave it to you, then."

"Sir," Mori called, coming from the crowd, but wearing the same pin as Kyon --
and attended by the huge figure of Kasai. "Is everything...." She trailed off,
seeing the scene was evidently already covered. "We came as quickly as we
could," she said instead.

"Yeah -- like I was saying, let's get Sasaki out of here; the police are
probably on their way." He glanced at the now massive crowd of pedestrians and
sighed. "So much for subtlety...."

Sasaki couldn't help but smile at how silly that part seemed, after everything
else, still hanging onto his arm. Even if Japanese people tended to turn a
blind eye to some things, this really _was_ a bit much to just be ignored.

"This way," Kasai said, leading the trio to a smaller vehicle, Kyon and Sasaki
climbing into the back before Kyon gave an explosive sigh. Kasai wasted no
time in starting the car up and driving away from the site.

"Sorry," Sasaki offered, a bit dazed. "Um.... I-- I should ... really start
taking classes on self-defense ... or-- Or maybe pepper spray--"

"Wouldn't really make a difference," Kasai countered. "You don't have the kind
of time you need to gain appreciable skill versus attackers who are both
larger and better trained."

"And if you'd injured one of them, or even just caused enough pain with pepper
spray, they might have injured you in response," Mori added. "Sasaki-san,
you're a civilian; properly, you shouldn't even need to worry about things
like this."

"I do not at all enjoy just being a victim," Sasaki countered, a bit taken
aback at her own vehemence. It was true, though; she wanted to be Kyon's
_friend_, not a burden. "Why do they want me, anyway?"

"At a guess, _those_ men in particular were working for someone who wanted to
use you as leverage," Mori allowed, her gaze focused forward, not looking back
at either Sasaki or Kyon.

"Against ... Kyon?" Sasaki asked, wincing.

The boy at her side heaved another sigh, slumping forward. "I ...guess this
must be my fault," he mumbled.

"I...it seems there really must be something more to this," Sasaki disagreed.
"This thing I can't be told about?"

"Ugh," Kyon groaned, covering his face with one hand again.

Well -- enough of complaining about being helpless. "I have deduced that
either they were stalking me in secret to learn my route and schedule, they
were following the men who were protecting me, or they got information from a
third party. Either an associate of mine, or...." She trailed off and left the
last unsaid.

"Ah, yes," Mori mused. "That's a good observation. Kasai-kun?"

"I don't expect loyalty issues," he countered. "Not within our association to
our enemies. The possibility can't be entirely ruled out -- but it seems to me
less likely than observers ... which in turn seems less likely than
information from a civilian associate."

"It wasn't anyone in the Brigade," Kyon asserted. "Though, being honest, I
don't think any of us know Sasaki's schedule that well. Ah ... Sasaki, is
there anyone you can think of that might know your schedule and route well
enough?"

Sasaki frowned. She didn't have any close friends at her new school -- not
really. Her closest association other than Kyon was ... Kunikida. But he had
... well ... a crush on her. She couldn't see him being so bitter about things
that he'd help criminals try to kidnap her! "I ... can't think of anyone," she
answered. "Honestly, not even my mother pays that much attention to my route."

"So, either a highly skilled watcher who's clever and agile enough to avoid
being noticed by any of our men, or an internal failure," Mori sighed.

"I'll look into the latter," Kasai said, shaking his head as the car slowed to
a halt before Sasaki's house.

"And I'll handle the former," Mori agreed. "Thank you for your insight,
Sasaki-san; if anything else occurs to you, please let us know."

"I'm just glad I can contribute anything," Sasaki said, managing a smile, and
realizing she was still hanging onto Kyon's arm.

"I'll walk you to your door," he decided, following her out of the car once
she released him.

"Ah, thanks," she managed, feeling her face redden. On the walkway, she turned
and asked, "When will you be able to tell me why they're after me? It has to
be some reason, and I suspect it must be greater than simply as leverage
against you. You have too many other friends -- who aren't being watched --
for that to be the only reason that I've become a target."

"S...sorry," he mumbled.

Sasaki bit her lip, realizing the undertone of what she'd said. "That's to say
-- it's not _your_ fault I'm being captured, and I know that; it bothers me
that you try and shoulder the blame when clearly there's something else going
on."

"Yeah," he agreed. "You're right about that and ... it's complicated."

"Well.... If this happens again, really, I'll need to start working for your
organization myself," she returned, giving him the strongest smile she could
manage. That would make her feel much better about things, anyway -- and even
if it was only a small bit, she had offered what she could to Mori and Kasai,
too! "Knowing you ... it's something that has bearing on more than just
yourself, or you'd tell me already!"

She could tell by the combination of annoyance and admiration on his face that
she'd hit the mark. ...maybe, just _maybe_, that daydream of her advising him
while he overpowered petty thugs.... She shook her head to quickly dispel the
forming fantasy.

"Ah-- Well, I will be skipping cram school for today," she decided. "Do you
think that Suzumiya-san would be free?" If it wasn't much of an imposition,
Sasaki was certain that spending time with someone who was in a similar
situation would be helpful for _her_, at least. Moreover, Haruhi could
actually help Sasaki start to get into Kyon's organization -- at least enough
to start trying to earn the trust of others.

"I'm ... really not sure," Kyon said with a wince. "She has plans tonight,
though."

"I'll call her tomorrow, then," Sasaki decided. "Ah ... in the meantime, then,
Kyon...." She clasped her hands together and gave him the strongest smile she
could manage. "Thank you again. I'm in your debt once more!"

"I...it's nothing," he countered, shaking his head quickly. "I wish you
weren't in danger, but I'm actually _glad_ I can help you when this kind of
thing happens. Anyway ... take care, Sasaki; hopefully I'll see you soon, and
not over something like this, right?"

"That's right!" she agreed, grinning. What did it say that she was getting
over people trying to abduct her so easily, anyway? Well ... that she was
coping, she supposed. "You take care, as well; give Suzumiya-san and your
fiancee my regards!"

He nodded, giving her a wave before turning around and climbing back into the
waiting car.

"No cram school today?" her mother asked from the kitchen as she entered the
house. "You've been skipping quite a bit!"

"There was an incident with some vehicles on the way to the school," Sasaki
answered, being technically honest after switching to her house slippers and
walking to the kitchen entrance. "I was a bit shaken; coming back home seemed
like a good idea."

Her mother turned to give her a cool, studying gaze, then nodded, her
attention going back to the stove.

* * *

While Kyon was glad to save Sasaki, he was less than thrilled about people
trying to kidnap her. Didn't the Sumiyoshi-rengo have something better to do
with their time than chase after her? This time, thankfully, it hadn't gone
down as badly as the last fight -- realistically, it was probably very lucky
he hadn't needed to call Yuki in....

Even better was the fact that it hadn't broken down into a fight; one of the
Yamaguchi-gumi members who had been attacked had been able to report the
incident quickly enough for other nearby forces to intervene. Still ... having
it come up during a date was pretty bad.

Haruhi and Sasaki might be getting along better-- Well, Haruhi might be
getting along with _Sasaki_ better, since Kyon's middle-school friend had
never really been antagonistic. It was still a lot to think that Haruhi would
appreciate something like _that_ interfering with a date.

He hadn't even really thought about anything but the urgent need to rescue his
friend; looking back, he couldn't help but cringe in the back seat of the car
Kasai drove. There was the time running to the scene -- which was fairly
quick, invisibly roof-hopping while Ryouko called up the men who were close to
Sasaki's location. Next was the thankfully brief confrontation to actually
_free_ Sasaki, and then more time to return her home. Then, since there was no
chance of returning quickly enough to finish the dinner that he was supposed
to be enjoying with Tsuruya, Haruhi, and Kanae, he oversaw replacing the men
who needed time to recover thanks to the Sumiyoshi-rengo.

For good measure, and also trying to sort out what he was going to say to
apologize to Haruhi for running off so abruptly, he also ensured that the
Sumiyoshi-rengo men who had been caught were taken care of.

"Here," Kasai announced, stopping not at the restaurant, but in front of
Tsuruya's home. So ... even longer than he had anticipated.

"Take care, Sir," Mori added.

"Right," thanks, Kyon replied belatedly, shaking his head. "Thanks, you two--
It's lucky that you were together when it happened."

"T-think nothing of it," Mori said quickly, as he climbed out of the car. He
paused, giving her a quizzical look, and the normally unflappable woman
couldn't meet his eyes, her cheeks.... Was she _blushing_? _Mori_? "Ah, Sir."

"Yes; take care, Kyon-dono," Kasai said, as Kyon reflexively swung his door
shut. Through the window he had rolled slightly down, he heard the large
ninkyo dantai man comment, "Dinner can be reheated, Mori-san."

"Of course, Kasai-kun," she agreed.

He stared dumbly for a heartbeat before forcing his attention to where he was;
standing around like an idiot would just give Tsuruya's ninja-like maid time
to catch him. Not that she was in any way malicious, but her reflexes and
insight were _unnerving_.

As if in response to that thought, the maid in question was just opening the
gate as he turned toward it. She gave him a bright smile. "Shinobu-san," he
greeted her, bowing his head as he reached the gateway.

"Kyon-dono," she returned quietly. "Tsuruya-sama is here and wishes to speak
with you; there's little time, but you can see Haru-chan, first."

He somehow didn't think it was just a suggestion. Though, which 'Haru' was it?
Haruhi? Haruka? Or ... maybe she was being clever, and it was both.

"Is Kanae-chan here, too?" he asked, following her through the gate and into
the entryway.

"Of course, Kyon-dono," she confirmed, before they paused and changed shoes.
From there, she gestured for silence, placing one finger across her lips, and
the pair moved in silent tandem across the entry hall and toward Tsuruya's
palatial living room. All three girls were curled up on one of the sofas,
Kanae dozing off as she leaned on Haruhi's side. Tsuruya and Haruhi were
chatting in low voices, and Kyon couldn't help but admire the scene.

He debated for a moment, then decided that Haruhi would not only forgive him,
she'd probably actually approve -- so produced his PDA and quickly snapped a
picture of the three of them together. The sound alerted both of the older
girls; Haruhi turned to stare in surprise, and Tsuruya snickered-- Kanae just
mumbled sleepily and shifted, pressing her face against Haruhi.

"H...hey," the Brigade chief mumbled, one arm going about Kanae. "So--
Everything worked out?"

"Everyone's safe?" Tsuruya added.

Kanae woke up, blinking awake and cheering instantly upon seeing him.
"Sempai!" she mumbled, one hand going to her face, rubbing the exhaustion from
her eye. "You're back!"

"Yeah," he answered, scratching the back of his head anxiously. "Everything
worked out; it wasn't that close, but ... you know how it goes." He shrugged
at that, managing a weak smile. Well ... the best thing to do would be to ask
if they could retry the entire thing. "So, what about tomorrow--"

"Ah, there's our boy!" the elder Tsuruya boomed from behind Kyon, prompting
even Shinobu to shift her feet in alarm.

He turned in time to catch some interplay there-- The maid gave the patriarch
a mild scolding look, carefully masked, but directed at the older man. For his
part, the head of the Tsuruya-branch of the Yamaguchi-gumi either didn't see
it, or intentionally ignored it. "Kyon-kun, there's been a development;
tomorrow, you are requested to meet with my superior concerning ... recent
events."

The maid's protests vanished beneath a display of genuine surprise before she
smoothed it back to her practiced mask.

"O...oh," Kyon stuttered. He'd just gotten used to being in the organization
as it was, but.... Wait a minute-- "Y...your superior? You mean ... the _head_
of the--" He cut himself off.

"Organization," Tsuruya Kenshiro continued smoothly from where he had stopped.
"That is correct; a car will meet you after school to drive you straight to
the meeting. Are you prepared?"

He hesitated, then gave a slight shake of his head and turned to Tsuruya. "Is
that alright?" he asked her.

"Yeah!" she yelped, her eyes wide. "Um-- That's...." She trailed off and
looked at her father worriedly. "I can be there too?"

The elder man gave a nod, explaining, "You were not asked to attend, but may
do so."

Kyon turned his gaze to Haruhi, asking the same question without speaking it
aloud. She could read his expression, and he flinched at her pained
resignation.

"Well, looks like we're on our own tomorrow night, Kanae-chan," she said
wearily. "Hey -- we can drag Mikuru-chan along for karaoke with Sakanaka-san
and Yanagimoto again, huh? How's that sound?"

"O...okay," Kanae agreed uncertainly.

"Ah, let me join, too?" Tsuruya asked after giving a shake of her head,
smiling at Haruhi. "Kyon-kun can take care of himself, right?"

"Let's not be silly," Haruhi countered. "He should have you at his side, Tsu-
chan!"

"Good," the huge figure at Shinobu's side announced, nodding. "Now -- Kyon-
kun, you should get home and rest properly; tomorrow will be quite busy!"

"R...right," Kyon managed, a bit confused. Well ... Haruhi didn't _seem_ to be
taking it that hard. "Then, some other day," he said lamely, trying his best
smile for the girls. Damn ... after all that work....

He let the elder Tsuruya guide him to the door -- but the moment they were in
the hallway he said in a low rumbling whisper, "This is nothing bad for you,
but things with the Sumiyoshi-rengo and our organization have become
problematic, so we must go over things; beyond that, it's very likely
considering your recent work for me that he will want your tactical input on
various factors."

"Ah, so, more time like last weekend," Kyon realize glumly. "Oof-- More
whiskey?" he added with a wince.

"We can wish it would be that relaxed," the man sighed, shaking his head. "But
-- no matter. I'm sure you'll be fine; just rest well and be prepared."

"Understood," Kyon agreed. He had the blessing of both Haruhi and Tsuruya for
this ... and it related to Sasaki's safety, more likely than not. Still, the
patriarch's loss of his speech impediment warned him how serious the whole
affair was. Mulling that over, he let himself be led to another car and then
driven home.

Well -- he could at least follow the instructions of his superiors. That
thought in mind, he was annoyed to realize that when he got home, he'd missed
dinner. He didn't really want to explain the circumstances to his parents --
thankfully, Haruhi made him enough extra he wouldn't suffer....

Maybe it was silly, but enduring that felt like it might in some small way it
made up for him failing to provide a better date for Haruhi, Tsuruya, and
Kanae. With nothing better to do, he concentrated on his homework -- much to
his parents' approval. Well, he _was_ promised that if he brought his grades
up enough....

He ended up going to sleep exhausted, and woken up to the barely familiar
events of his sister barging into his room. "Morning~!" she chirped, rousing
him before she could try a more energetic attack. He caught a whiff of the
scent of Mikuru's shampoo -- wait! Mikuru?! He'd slept through....

He sat up with a sigh.

"Nii-san?" his sister wondered, pausing from where she'd opened up Ryouko's
box and collected the small interface.

He gave her a weak smile, despite her playing with the alien that had tried to
kill him in the past. Things could be worse, and the tiny figure seemed oddly
protective of the girl, which struck him as a weirdly positive thing anyway.
Still -- he had to hurry out of the house to meet with Mikuru -- so at least
he could enjoy _some_ time with her...

* * *

Though she would rather have had lunch with the club, Haruhi couldn't afford
to forget about her other friends entirely. So when Kyon resigned himself to
dealing with Taniguchi (and also distracted Kunikida), she let herself be
hustled along with Sakanaka by Yanagimoto. Not that the gymnast could force
her, but she supposed she was getting to be like Kyon in that respect.

She couldn't force Kyon physically, but he let her anyway. Really, if she were
doing it for Sakanaka as a small, mild show of friendship and support, then
from Kyon....

"What's got you?" Yanagimoto asked once they stopped at a table outside, away
from other eyes. "Your face is all red-- Thinking of ... someone special?" The
gymnast didn't keep the smirk from her face at that question.

Haruhi grimaced, not outright denying it. Yanagimoto and Sakanaka both already
knew anyway.... "Hard to keep a girl like that out of your thoughts," she
returned instead. Was Kanae alright during her lunch? She hoped so....
"Anyway-- How has your investigation gone?"

"I couldn't find anything else out about Kunikida encountering family issues,"
Yanagimoto sighed. "Nothing he's mentioned at school, at least. We have his
card, though?"

"Yeah," Haruhi allowed, biting back a sigh. "Well -- Monday's ... mostly free
for me. We can check out where he goes. Hmm, I think Kanae-chan would be
happier sitting that one out; those kinds of things scare her easily...."

"Y...you don't need to go this far--" Sakanaka began, smiling nervously.

"We're your friends, so we're going to," Yanagimoto overrode her.

"Plus, Kunikida's probably inadvertently causing Kyon trouble, being jealous
like he is," Haruhi reasoned. "So if we can get him to behave _and_ pay
attention to you, that seems like a positive change all around!"

"Hmm, yeah, that doesn't really seem like him," Yanagimoto agreed. "But being
jealous of Kyon? _How_? It's not like he knows about...." She trailed off with
a shrug, carefully not mentioning Haruhi's ... situation with Kyon and the
others.

"W...well, it's just a misunderstanding, really," Sakanaka hazarded, her bento
untouched. "Um ... see, Kunikida-kun ... likes a person that Kyon-kun knows
from middle school. Her name is Sasaki-san, and...." She hesitated there,
looking to Haruhi for guidance.

The girl under scrutiny grimaced, setting down her chopsticks. "Yeah, yeah,"
she sighed. "Okay -- best I can tell, Kunikida's got a crush on Sasaki. I know
for sure that Sasaki has a crush on Kyon."

Sakanaka and Yanagimoto gasped in tandem, eyes widening. "W...wait-- So, this
girl, she's...." The gymnast silently made a vague gesture, one eyebrow raised
in expectant alarm.

Haruhi felt her face flush. "No! No-- It's...." She gave herself a moment to
calm down. "I'm friends with her, and she doesn't know about ... _that_. She
thinks we're just friends with him...." She squirmed in her seat, still not
entirely comfortable with that idea.

"Ooooh," Yanagimoto said slowly. "I ... think I see. So ... you're worried
that Sasaki-kun might turn to Kunikida?"

Haruhi grimaced. "The thought had crossed my mind," she allowed. "So ... I
can't let that happen."

Sakanaka was staring fixedly at her lunch in silence, her face solidly
crimson.

"...well, it may be the 'nuclear option' but if you don't dislike her that
much...." Yanagimoto hesitated, glancing between her friends, then blurted
out, "If she were already 'with' someone, then that wouldn't happen, would
it?"

"I'll ... try and keep Sasaki distracted from Kunikida," Haruhi sighed. "But
even if it's because she doesn't understand the situation entirely, she'd go
after Kyon, not Kunikida. Yeah-- Yeah, I'll come up with something for her.
Though.... If you two are up for it ... maybe if she had more friends...."

She trailed off there, uncertain.

Sakanaka still looked nervous, but Yanagimoto's expression lit up almost
instantly. "Gotcha!" she agreed, nodding. "Yeah -- we should be friends with
her, too. She doesn't have to be an enemy, and maybe she'd help give us more
insight into Kunikida, right? Hell -- she's probably the best ally you can get
here, Sakanaka-san!"

"B...best after you two," the other girl managed, offering an almost
overwhelmed bright smile. "U...um, thanks, so much -- for all of this,
really."

"You have got to stick with your friends," Yanagimoto insisted resolutely.
"Suzumiya and her club showed me that-- So we're friends, too, and it should
be no different for us!"

Somehow, at that thought, Haruhi had to agree, "Yeah!" with an exuberant
cheer, finally energized enough to retrieve her chopsticks again.

* * *

Things were going well in the costume-making department -- and Mikuru was also
fortunate enough to get to spend some time in Kyon's bed, even if he was too
tired to give her a kiss before she was sent back to her place. After that,
she'd been short on time, so hadn't gotten to make nearly as nice a breakfast
as she'd wanted to for Kyon, though he hadn't seemed to mind -- and still
helped her carry the sewing machine back to school.

From there ... the happiness she'd soaked up from spending time with him was
being eroded by her environment; Mikuru was starting to be overwhelmed by her
classmates. Lunch was the worst of it, and she was glad that the club provided
an escape from that.

Of course, Kyon looked distracted, so she couldn't ask him for help.... He was
busy with other things as it stood, wasn't he? Scary things like fighting
criminals and evil sliders!

She decided she would just focus on her assignment for the time being; she had
a deadline, anyway. Her ruminations as she prepared to lose herself in the
comforting distraction of sewing were jarred when Haruhi put a hand on her
shoulder. The Brigade chief herself looked more than a bit worn out, but still
gave the time traveler a studying look. "Are you okay, Mikuru-chan? You look
stressed," she remarked.

"I...it's nothing," Mikuru tried to defer, feeling her face heat up as
everyone's attention went to her. Oh, she hadn't even gotten to dress up!
"Nothing at all!"

Haruhi's eyebrows rose before she turned a questioning glance at Tsuruya.

"Hmm, I think Mikuru-chan's been distracted by boys who are pestering her,"
Tsuruya said, shaking her head faintly. "Saying that they want to meet her
boyfriend, 'Shutaro.'"

"Y...yes," Mikuru agreed with a sigh, her blush intensifying. "Um ... it seems
I should have a picture of him, and I don't...."

"Well, Kyon can help you out on Sunday, after our event," Haruhi determined,
putting her hands on her hips, frowning thoughtfully. "Yeah-- You two should
make an appearance somewhere. Ah, I know; Yanagimoto can give me some place
with a lot of classmates to happen to witness. Plus, you deserve some sort of
prize for all the work you're doing on our costumes! Something that isn't you
needing to cook for Kyon!"

Mikuru felt like she should protest, but could only manage to mumble, "Well,
that does sound good...."

"Assignment for tomorrow?" Kyon asked in mild surprise, as Ryouko's form --
sitting on one end of the table -- blinked, noting it down in his calendar.
"Alright.... Anything else?"

"Well...." Haruhi huffed a sigh, one hand rising to rub her forehead. "I got a
phone call from Sasaki last night -- she remarked that she thinks she should
visit Kyon once in a while so that people don't try to kidnap her so much. I'm
not exactly _thrilled_ about it, but Tsu-chan convinced me that we should give
her a chance -- so Sasaki will be joining us tomorrow."

"Ah, another costume," Mikuru fretted. "Oh ... if I had her sizes I could just
redo mine in her size...."

"I think I know her sizes," Kanae remarked, sitting up. "Nagato-san has taught
me a lot about recognizing distances and measurements!"

"Alright, but Kyon can't hear that," Haruhi interjected before she could
continue. "A girl's sizes are secret!"

"Ah, heh," Kanae giggled, blushing, biting back whatever number she was about
to spout. "Okay!"

"But now we have to figure out a costume for her, right?" Haruhi sighed.

"That's no trouble; I had my eye on something a little different.... Um,
thanks to Ryouko-chan and Yuki-chan's help, I found another costume design
that puts me a bit closer to Yuki-chan, and I think that one's okay," Mikuru
said, blushing faintly.

"Closer to--" Haruhi broke off, eyebrows rising. "If it's the character I'm
thinking of, I approve!"

Mikuru felt her blush intensify, and couldn't meet anyone's eyes. It wasn't
nearly as risque an outfit as the bunny costume, anyway.... "W...well, to work
then," she decided, shaking her head and smiling.

"On that note, Kyon-kun and I should get to a much less fun meeting," Tsuruya
warned apologetically, offering a small smile. "Haru-nyan, keep taking great
care of everyone!"

"Yeah; as long as you're the brigade chief, everything will work out," Kyon
agreed. "Keep it up, Haruhi; you're doing a great job."

Haruhi blushed faintly at that. "Someone's got to," she returned resolutely,
unable to keep from smiling at the praise anyway. "You two -- good luck at
your other meeting!"

"Thanks," Kyon and Tsuruya said together, before smirking at one another and
heading out the door.

"A...anything else?" Haruhi asked the assembled club members, scanning them in
order.

To Mikuru's surprise, Koizumi sat up in his seat and said, "Since you ask,
Suzumiya-san, well ... if it's possible to add one other to tomorrow's event,
I wonder if it would be alright to include someone else, as well?"

"What?" Haruhi wondered, cocking her head to one side. "Does Mori want to--
Oh! Tachibana wants to come?"

"She hasn't asked; I'd like to invite her," Koizumi clarified with a mild
shake of his head, his smile looking genuinely hopeful to Mikuru's eyes. When
had she ever seen Koizumi so earnest?

Haruhi snorted, giving him a knowing smirk. "Uh-huh," she drawled, smiling at
her former second-in-command. "Alright -- I'll let Mikuru-chan choose, since
it's more work for her!"

"Augh," Mikuru whimpered. "Koizumi-kun has a guest? There are so few boys to
use for...." She trailed off with a start. "Oh! Well-- I'll need to make a new
costume for you, Koizumi-kun, but if you're bringing her, I think I have the
_perfect_ outfit for you!"

"Eh? Mikuru-chan, what..." she distantly heard Haruhi start, before redoubling
her efforts on sewing.

She had a date with Kyon tomorrow, and that would only work if she met her
deadline!

"Well," she thought Haruhi continued, "we've lost her -- Mikuru-chan is
something else when she's inspired! Okay -- Kanae-chan, let me help you out on
those designs! No fair of her trying to shoulder this entire burden alone!"

* * *

Fighting back a sense of both nervousness and excitement, Tsuruya hardly got
to enjoy any of the emergency clothes-changing session in the back of the car
with Kyon. They were both too fast to really help the other, and there was an
awful lot to go over. Smoothing her kimono down, as Kyon tucked his tie back
into his coat, she gave him her brightest smile.

"Okay," she began, once he settled into the seat next to her. "Um, tonight
we're meeting with Shinobu Tsukasa -- that's not his real name, but that's the
name he uses. He's the sixth generation leader of the Yamaguchi-gumi."

"Right," Kyon mused, frowning sharply. "And I can't mess this up, since
he's...." He paused. "T...this is the guy on top? The big boss?"

"That's rights," Tsuruya agreed, taking Kyon's hand and giving it a reassuring
squeeze. "Um, I've never met him before, myself. Still, treat it just like any
other meetings: be polite, and let my fathers do most of the talking."

"Well ... you'll be there, so I'll be okay," Kyon reasoned, giving her a smile
that made her wish they had more time in the car -- or that she wasn't so
nervous. She managed to share another bright grin with him before the car
halted in front of her father's tower, and the pair got out.

From there, they were attended by grim-faced men with carefully polished pins
and immaculate suits -- everyone on their best behavior with the kumichou of
the Yamaguchi-gumi on site.

Tsuruya took advantage of a single unobserved moment in the elevator to take
Kyon's hand again, the pair exchanging reassuring smiles before it reached her
father's penthouse. Tsuruya couldn't help but smile nervously; Kyon settled
effortlessly into the calm expression expected of his rank.

The lobby was filled with high-ranking members of her father's men, and they
were quickly ushered in. Tsuruya was slightly off guard to walk into her
father's office and see his hulking form seated at a chair on the same side of
the desk as her-- He glanced over, a cigar in his mouth, and waved to Kyon and
Tsuruya, his smile widening.

"There's our boy," he said brightly. "Kumichou, this is my daughter, and the
boy we call 'Kyon' -- though his real name is what I just told you. He's my
future son-in-law, and also her saiko-komon."

Kyon and Tsuruya both paused when they spotted the man. He was smaller, less
imposing than the Tsuruya patriarch, though looked like a match for almost any
man in a fight. He appeared lean and worn, and more than a bit tired. "Let's
keep it casual," the man said in a dry voice, nodding at the young couple as
they bowed deeply.

"Of course," the elder Tsuruya agreed quickly. He waved the younger pair over,
and they took the remaining seats -- Tsuruya to the left, and Kyon in the
middle, facing the kumichou directly.

The man didn't even seem to look at them, his attention focused seemingly
elsewhere. "Sumiyoshi-kai upstarts," he sighed. "Oh -- right; you call them
Sumiyoshi-rengo here, eh?"

"That's right," Tsuruya's father agreed. "Kyon-kun taught the locals a lesson!
They've joined us, based on the incompetence of their former superiors."

"I like that," the kumichou agreed. "Well done--" He shook his head and
straightened up in his seat, picking up a glass of what Tsuruya guessed was
whiskey -- a half-empty glass of the same was sitting by her father. After a
healthy gulp, his eyes fixed on Kyon, surprisingly sharp, but also calmer than
Tsuruya had anticipated. "Boy-- Kyon.... What an unassuming nickname -- I like
it, though.

"You've done well, considering how briefly you've been with us. Caused a lot
of trouble, too, but most of that's been for others."

Kyon paled, sitting up straighter and saying nothing.

"The Sumiyoshi-kai are acting aggressive all over. We've had a longstanding
rivalry with them, but usually it doesn't escalate into some almost-unheard-of
under boss single-handedly shutting down their organization in an entire city
and then buying their men out. Follow that up with massive damage outside of
our city to their financial holdings....

"Well, it shouldn't be any surprise, and they've been doing it for longer than
it's been official.... But as it stands, they sent a message a few days ago
that because of the damage that Kyon has caused, they're at war with us."

Kyon froze utterly still, his eyes widening.

The Kumichou smirked at the boy's expression, nodding slowly. "They don't
really have a choice in the matter," he explained, sitting back in his seat.
"They have to do something other than looking hopeless and flailing around
while we seem to take them apart. For their reputation, if nothing else, they
have to try.

"Nothing much will truly change from them. And I'm not going to criticize you
for fulfilling the orders of your superiors well," he added, nodding at both
Tsuruya and her father. "Instead, I have a slightly more challenging order for
you."

"Y...yes?" Kyon managed, his voice shaky.

The kumichou's smile widened. "Be the better man," he ordered, pointing a
finger at Kyon imperiously. "Don't retaliate. Defend what is ours -- protect
the family. Stop them from acting in our city. But to truly shame them ...
don't attack them back."

Tsuruya heaved a sigh of relief, realizing how happy she was for that-- Kyon
had started a _war_ between the Yamaguchi-gumi and the Sumiyoshi-rengo! It was
a horrible situation for him to be in, but it would be even _worse_ if he had
to escalate, or enter Sumiyoshi-rengo territory to force them to yield!

"Okay," Kyon said slowly. "So, if they attack any of our f-- allies...?"

"Mmm, they're very interested in a friend of yours," the Tsuruya patriarch
agreed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "We don't know what they wants with
her, but you should protect her especially closely."

"That's right," the kumichou agreed, nodding. "Don't let them get her -- or do
anything else in this city! We can't let them see you shamed or beaten; that
will cost _us_ face."

"A...and that's ... all I should worry about for this entire 'war'?" Kyon
asked cautiously.

"Hareaki Fukuda-kun will let this go on for two, maybe three more weeks," the
kumichou replied with a shrug, pausing to sip at his drink.

"That's the kumichou of the Sumiyoshi-rengo," Tsuruya said quickly in a
whisper -- but not so quietly that their own boss couldn't hear. "They aren't
a proper families like us -- more of an alliances -- but he still has a lot of
sway with his men."

"And after seeing that he's only losing men and resources on this, he'll agree
to call it off," the kumichou completed. "Ah -- I've heard so much about you,
'Kyon,' that I wouldn't be surprised to see the Sumiyoshi-rengo start to make
up nonsense about you having supernatural powers to justify their own fear!"

The kumichou and Tsuruya's father burst into laughter at that simultaneously,
boisterous and booming; Tsuruya laughed too, but hoped they'd never realize
_why_. For his part, Kyon smiled weakly and managed a nervous chuckle.

Once he'd calmed down a bit, the kumichou shook his head and smacked one fist
on the table. "Anyway -- I'd see about promoting you, but it seems that one of
my best men has already engaged you to his daughter!" he chuckled. "So --
since you're stuck in town, while the Sumiyoshi-rengo are distracted down
here, I want the input of the legendary 'Kowa-Keigo' figure on these planned
raids."

The man tapped a single knuckle on the sheets of paper spread before him, and
Tsuruya smiled as Kyon smoothly switched gears, studying the papers and
looking the same way he did when Koizumi or Yuki managed to really challenge
him in strategy games. Combat practicals were something that Tsuruya's own
ability was lacking in, so despite being Kyon's superior, she quickly felt
like his aide as he and her father bandied suggestions and phrases like
'coordination' and 'tactical composition' around easily.

An hour -- maybe as many as three -- passed while they discussed, Tsuruya
discreetly signaling her ever faithful attendant to bring her and Kyon water
when his voice started to roughen slightly.

At the end, the kumichou nodded, sweeping his heavily marked papers into a
single neat stack. "Conservative, but the reduction in casualties on our side
will complement our superiority to the Sumiyoshi-rengo quite nicely," he
allowed. "I see the information I've been given about you is understated,
saiko-komon. Well done; you do your family proud! Now ... I charge you only
with this:

"Should things not work out between yourself and the gem that is Kenshiro-
kun's daughter, remain steadfast and loyal to the Yamaguchi-gumi."

"I won't ever turn my back on Tsuruya-hime," Kyon replied without hesitation,
prompting the girl to blush as Kyon flinched, realizing who he had spoken to.

"Hah!" the kumichou roared, as Tsuruya's father exploded into laughter anew.
"Well spoken!"

"I'd expect nothing less," Tsuruya's father agreed heartily. "Now -- there is
business to discuss so go, and be well, both of you!"

Tsuruya eagerly took Kyon's arm as the pair retreated. Finally, the pair were
alone and she could release a massive sigh of relief, carelessly throwing
herself at him as the elevator door closed. Kyon caught her with both arms,
grunting slightly. "D...did I do alright?" he wondered.

She pulled him down for a kiss, feeling lightheaded and grateful for his
support when he kissed her back. She barely mustered the strength to break it
off when they reached the ground floor. But then ... as intense as everything
had been, and Kyon saying such words....

The second they were both in the car, headed for her place, she threw herself
at him again. While initially startled, she could tell how much he'd been
stressed and uncertain. His return kiss was a bit more ... frantic than usual.
It wasn't the _safest_ thing in the world, but then, they'd changed clothes
while the car was driving -- he might be stuck in that suit, but a kimono was
fairly adjustable, wasn't it?

So she pressed her advantage, not that Kyon was really fighting back! Of
course, she could only go _so far_ without Haruhi, and she did want to be
fair.... But exploring those new frontiers together in the brief window they
had before getting to her place, well, she wanted to share _some_ of that with
Kyon, at least!

She couldn't help but think that the grin on her face might have been
permanently stuck in place by the time the car stopped. Before Kyon could try
to apologize, or say anything at all, she gave him one last kiss, barely
managing the will to say, "Take care, Kyon-kun~! Until tomorrow!"

"R...right," he agreed shakily, his own smile a bit goofy and distracted. But
it was good to see that face on him once in a while, too!

Tsuruya waved at the car as it drove out of sight, jumping in alarm when she
turned around and found herself face-to-face with an irritated Haruhi.

* * *