"December 16th." "it would break into nice clean chunks." "Cold!" "Shut up!" "Cold cold cold!" "Kyon-kun!" "Wake up!" "Mom says you have to eat breakfast." "Shami!" "Shami~ Shami~" "Shami breakfast!" "Cold..." "Cold!" "Rise." "Bow." "Thank you very much!" "Bye everyone." "Captain! but then December came and it cooled down so fast it was like mother nature just remembered she forgot something." "I am feeling the fact that Japan had no fall this year down to my very bones." "This had better not be the result of a particular someone confusing a wish for good business with some spell." "That Siberian cold front should just move somewhere else." "It really doesn't need to come visit us every year like this. but I'm worried about mother nature." "I only worry and don't give any thought to doing anything about it." "Koizumi?" "Hi there." "Committee meeting?" "{\question\委員長会か ?" "maybe}" "Yes." "Your face says something's bothering you." "What's the matter?" "Haruhi's been lively all day." "right?" "that." "hurry!" "yes." "Excuse me then." "Sure." "huh..." "Good grief." "Every day's so cold..." "Yeah... so why can't they give us a break for gym class?" "Agreed." "What's with that old man talk?" "I'm not even wearing a sweater." "but this season is perfect for me!" "Where do you get all that energy from?" "Share some of it with me." "Do you know what the date is today?" "December 16th." "What about it?" "What do you mean "what about it"?" "There's just one week left before the day your heart dances!" "Don't you guys remember?" "The end of term ceremony?" "It's true winter vacation is an event worth waiting for." "I don't mean that!" "There's a far more important event." "think about the date in 8 days." "got it?" "The answer should come to you pretty quickly." "I already knew." "Kyon-kun!" "Good afternoon!" "Tsuruya-san." "Hi there." "Why are you looking so down?" "you're young!" "{\しゃっきとするにょろよ、(清勝?" ")だよん！" "\I might be totally wrong as 清勝 seems to be something you write in letters to express you're glad they are getting on well lol}" "Kyon-kun!" "bye then." "I'll come after I've done a couple of tasks." "It'll be just a bit!" "Alright!" "I'd already foreseen that a certain someone was scheming something for next week." "the one person who'd easily spot this event before me sits right behind me." "and the likely cause of all my problems since April." "That's right." "Her." "I saw Asahina-san earlier..." "Nagato?" "Sorry for the wait!" "No one was waiting." "150)\blur1.0}The Disappearance Of Suzumiya Haruhi" "The answer is always in my heart" "but I chose you but Mr. Destiny deemed it so it's boring to just mimic" "You'll be right!" "So I'll do what I feel as I feel it right?" "In this world where truth becomes fiction not for the sake of someone" "Please come with me" "See me and my endlessly free self" "This time right now today that becomes the past tomorrow is the miracle" "Let's grab the future" "I believe you..." "Kotae wa itsumo watashi no mune ni..." "Nande daro anata wo eranda watashi desu" "Mou tomaranai unmei sama kara kimerareta kedo" "I believe mane dake ja tsumaranai no" "Kanjiru mama kanjiru koto dake wo suru yo" "Bouken desho desho!" "?" "HONTO ga uso ni kawaru sekai de" "Yume ga aru kara tsuyoku naru no yo dare no tame janai" "Issho ni kite kudasai" "Doko made mo juyuu na watashi wo mite yo ne" "Ashita kako ni natta kyou no ima ga kiseki" "Tsukamou mirai wo" "答えはいつも私の胸に..." "なんでだろ あなたを選んだ私です" "もうとまらない 運命様から決められたけど" "I believe 真 似だけじゃつまらないの" "感じるまま感じることだけをするよ" "冒険でしょでしょ!" "?" "ホントが嘘に変わる世界で" "夢があるから強くなるのよ 誰の為じゃない 一緒に来てください" "どこま でも自由な私を見てよね" "明日過去になった今日のいまが奇跡" "Does anyone here have plans for Christmas Eve?" "I knew it. but I'd feel bad if I didn't ask so I might as well check with you." "What the hell!" "And what if I did?" "Let me ask that first." "right?" "What about Koizumi-kun?" "Do you have a date with your girlfriend or something? my schedule before Christmas is completely open." "I've actually been pondering how I should spend the time." "You definitely did that on purpose." "I can smell your trickery a mile away." "Then you've nothing to worry about!" "That's an incredibly fortunate situation!" "Mikuru-chan?" "Did anyone invite you to go out late at night to see the moment rain turns into snow?" "Were you born in the Showa period or something?" "I don't really have anything planned." "Late at night?" "Asahina-san?" "Yuki?" "None." "Thought so!" "So fast!" "That being the case..." "Text:" "SOS Brigade Christmas Party the motion for an SOS Brigade Christmas party passes!" "write them down after the party." "I will." "she's charging forward at her own pace." "I suppose the fact that she bothered asking everyone counts as an improvement." "Um..." "What will we do at the party?" "That's what we're going to discuss!" "so we have a week plus a day till the 24th." "so have a look!" "If you want to run an event correctly then you need to start off by developing the atmosphere!" "And she's increasing the amount of junk in here again..." "Where does she get all this stuff from?" "This room needs an influx of some festive spirit!" "Kyon?" "my wonderful little sister would make me help her decorate her room." "but somehow she still believes in Santa." "You should learn from your sister's innocent heart." "Dreams start by believing." "even grantable wishes won't be granted." "You're putting it on now?" "do as the romans do." "follow the village rules." "so we have to follow the rules of Christmas!" "There aren't many people who don't enjoy having their birthday celebrated." "Even Mr. Christ would be happy seeing us having fun!" "Who's going to be cleaning that up?" "right?" "I figured as much." "Alright!" "but from the outside that'll be backwards." "Oh yeah!" "Mikuru-chan." "Really?" "Ta da!" "please wait!" "take it all off! seeing Suzumiya-san enjoying herself like that." "Because there's no closed space or avatars?" "That's right." "My compatriots and I prioritize that over anything else." "the frequency of occurrences has been going down since spring." "So they still appear every now and then?" "Rarely though." "These days they only appear between midnight and sunrise when she's sleeping." "She probably creates them unconsciously when she has bad dreams." "she's such a troublemaker." "Not in the slightest! I wouldn't have been able to imagine her laughing happily like she does now." "her spirit transformed to an astounding degree compared to how she was in middle school." "Is that so?" "Suzumiya-san is clearly changing." "too." "everyone else is changing too." "Me and you and Asahina-san." "Nagato-san as well." "That's surprising." "He's also noticed that Nagato's been changing bit by bit?" "You can come in now!" "Ow..." "Hey Kyon!" "Don't peep!" "The glory of the Santa that appeared before me surpassed the real—" "Pervert Kyon!" "600 years too early to be peeping at Mikuru-chan's underwear!" "right?" "It was deliberate!" "Like hell it was!" "That was an accident!" "An accident!" "I understand..." "I'm sorry as well." "this is quite something." "I'm sorry that nothing more poetic comes to mind." "It suits you very well." "Right?" "right?" "Have a little more confidence in yourself." "you're going to be the SOS Brigade's exclusive Santa Claus!" "Aren't you glad to have such a privilege?" "It's an honor!" "You can stay dressed like that the whole time until the party!" "December 16th passed." "Dawn of December the 17th." "huh?" "That's definitely something Suzumiya would do." "It's going to be in that clubroom?" "Just make sure the teachers don't find out about it." "There'll be trouble again if they do." "Are you going to come?" "but I'm afraid I can't!" "I don't have the time that day to attend some lame party." "What's that gross laugh all about?" "I have plans that day." "Only unpopular people would spend Christmas eve at a party at school with weird friends." "I'm no longer a man of that clique." "Don't tell me..." "It is exactly as you think!" "there is a red heart mark on the 24th." "I really am!" "I really must apologize!" "Who is she?" "A first year in Kouyouen Academy." "I guess I should decide where and how to spend the time with her!" "How troubling!" "and we spent the time putting up decorations in the clubroom." "Sign:" "Pure Student Life but next year we should also have a party for Buddha and Mohammad's birthdays." "Otherwise it's not fair." "They'd just laugh at the sight of us nonbelievers celebrating for them." "What does everyone want for food?" "Hot pot?" "Sukiyaki?" "Crabs are no go." "Picking out the meat from the shell is annoying." "Why can't crabs make their shells edible?" "I want to know why they didn't do anything about that during their evolutionary process." "That's exactly the reason why they developed shells." "They didn't undergo natural selection at the bottom of the sea just so you could eat them." "we're out of tinsel." "Pick some up on the way home then." "Me?" "You." "it'd be best if we book a reservation as soon as possible." "there won't be any space left anywhere." "since we're doing it here!" "Here?" "Hot pot?" "We already have everything we need." "All that's left is the ingredients." "No alcohol though." "I've sworn not to drink again for the rest of my life." "Hold it right there." "Open flames aren't allowed in this building." "It's more fun to do things like this in secret!" "I'll just show them my magnificent hot pot." "And then they'll be so overwhelmed by the taste that they'll tearfully allow us to continue. it's perfect!" "it's time to work!" "Let's liven up the room with some festive decorations!" "We will definitely make this party a success!" "Now then..." "That was probably too long for a prologue." "all that just happened really was merely the prologue." "Kyon?" "starting tomorrow." "what kind do you want?" "What do they have there?" "but that doesn't really matter." "a day where even the mountain winds seemed to freeze. and the day I was plunged into an abyss of horror." "Let me say this beforehand:" "It was no laughing matter for me." "Kyon-kun!" "Wake up!" "Shami~ Shami~ it's breakfast~" "Taniguchi." "Kyon?" "What's up?" "Caught a cold?" "Yeah... but my old man wouldn't let me." "That's pretty sudden after how lively you were yesterday..." "What are you on about?" "I was feeling pretty bad yesterday too." "Weren't you all happy about your Christmas Eve plans?" "you just need to get better before your date." "You're never going to have a chance like th—" "Date?" "What are you talking about?" "I don't have any plans for Christmas Eve." "What happened to the Kouyouen girl?" "Don't tell me you got dumped last night?" "What?" "what are you on about?" "I don't know anything about that." "I see." "It seems his date plans really did go out the window." "it must be pretty painful to even face me today." "I see..." "Don't worry about it." "How about joining the party in our clubroom after all?" "You can still make it." "Clubroom?" "Party?" "First I've heard of that." "Is that right... the shock was so great that nothing I say is getting through." "I'll back off then." "The eternally grand flow of time will heal all wounds." "I was shocked." "The cold had suddenly turned into an epidemic in class 1-5." "Taniguchi had headed straight for the nurse's office and hadn't come to class since." "Even more shocking was the fact that the seat behind me had stayed empty since first period." "Unbelievable..." "Had the cold kept even Haruhi home?" "Was this year's cold really that serious?" "I find it hard to believe any virus exists that's brave enough to try invade Haruhi's body." "Not to mention how unbelievable it is for her to be actually succumb to one." "I haven't really had any chance to use the pool." "It's all been weight training." "I guess that can't be helped." "so I guess I can sit here." "Yeah." "huh." "There were plenty of people with it already a week ago." "A week ago?" "It doesn't look like it's the flu." "since they have medicines to target that." "The cold was already going around a week ago?" "Plenty of people have been staying home sick." "Haven't you noticed?" "I totally didn't notice." "It's been getting worse since the week started." "I hope they don't cancel classes." "I get the feeling they'd cut into our winter vacation to make up for it." "Taniguchi's also been looking pretty terrible lately. so he wouldn't let him take a day off unless he had a 40 degree fever." "Kunikida... but I thought Taniguchi started looking bad only today..." "No way!" "He's been that way since the start of the week." "He didn't participate in yesterday's gym class either." "What's wrong?" "You're not going to eat?" "What on earth does this mean?" "Don't tell me this is some omen that will spell trouble for all humanity besides Haruhi..." "I was right." "My instincts can always be trusted." "There was no question that it was an omen." "What my instincts didn't pick up on was who the trouble would target." "It wasn't all humanity besides Haruhi." "The weight of this situation was coming to bear on just one person." "I shouldn't need to say who —" "Me." "I was left standing in my bewilderment as the rest of the world left me behind." "Good morning!" "Your cold got better?" "I heard you were taking the day off..." "You're not overdoing it are you?" "Are you really okay?" "You do look less pale though..." "I felt a lot better after getting an injection at the hospital this morning." "It's pretty boring at home so I figured I'd attend afternoon classes." "I'll be right back." "I should move." "What's with that weird look?" "Is there something stuck to my face?" "I'll clean up right now." "I'm just putting my bag down." "okay." "Thanks." "Take your time." "Hey!" "Yes?" "Why are you here?" "What do you mean?" "Is there something weird about me being here?" "Or do you mean it would better if I stayed sick for longer?" "I don't care about your cold." "That's not what I mean!" "Kyon..." "You're acting really weird..." "You've been saying strange things all day." "Maybe you should—" "Kunikida." "Doesn't anything come to mind when you look at this person?" "right?" "She shouldn't be here!" "What do you mean "shouldn't be here"?" "She's always been in our class." "It's pretty rude to forget your classmate's face after she takes a couple days off." "I haven't forgotten." "That's the face of the person who tried to kill me." "I get it!" "You must have taken a nap after lunch." "Did you have a nightmare or something?" "Why don't you go wash your face?" "I'll lend you my handkerchief." "I don't need it!" "I see..." "I don't know what else she might take out along with her handkerchief... tell me what's going on!" "Why did you put down your bag at Haruhi's desk?" "This isn't your seat." "It's Haruhi's!" "Haruhi?" "Who is this "Haruhi"?" "Huh?" "Kunikida-kun?" "Haruhi" huh..." "Um..." "Hey..." "I don't think I've heard that name." "Haruhi is Haruhi..." "You've forgotten who Suzumiya Haruhi is?" "How on earth could you possibly forget her?" "Kyon..." "There's no one with that name in our class..." "And this seat's been Asakura-san's since our last switch around." "Are you confusing her with someone in another class?" "That's not possible..." "That's not possible!" "That's not... possible!" "could you take a look inside my desk?" "The class register should be in there." "sure." "Kunikida..." "What?" "Pinch my cheek please." "I'd like to wake up." "You sure?" "hurry!" "Ow!" "right?" "I-I don't..." "I've never heard that name." "Asakura was supposed to have transferred!" "Don't you remember?" "What are you talking about?" "She's always been here..." "You must know who Haruhi is!" "I-I don't... right!" "?" "That's Asakura-san's seat..." "What on earth..." "Stop it!" "Stop it!" "Stop it..." "Let's go to the nurse's office." "It might be the onset of the cold..." "Haruhi's gone?" "No one remembers her?" "How could that be?" "Doesn't this world revolve around her?" "isn't she?" "Nagato..." "Nagato!" "Nagato!" "Not here..." "She'd be in the clubroom during lunch." "Koizumi!" "Where's class 9?" "What happened to class 9?" "This is beyond Koizumi..." "Does this mean a whole class of people have vanished?" "What is this?" "What on earth is happening?" "you... you know." "Dammit! and someone who must be here isn't." "then it means the world must have." "Who did this?" "Haruhi?" "Nothing from afternoon classes sunk in." "I was afraid. but of the fact that Haruhi and Koizumi weren't in this school." "school was already over." "passed right through my head." "I don't even remember how I answered them." "Not yet..." "I get kind of lost..." "Then how about I think up one for you?" "It's fine..." "I'll figure something out for you!" "Asahina-san!" "Asahina-san!" "Haruhi isn't here!" "And Koizumi's entire classroom is missing! and the whole school's acting weird!" "right?" "right?" "Um..." "I don't know what future you're talking about..." "P-Please let go... kid!" "You can't just jump out of nowhere like that." "You've gone and completely frightened Mikuru." "That hurts!" "Tsuruya-san!" "Huh?" "You know me?" "Don't tell me... no way..." "Who might you be?" "Have we met somewhere?" "Do you and Mikuru know each other?" "I don't know him!" "Uh..." "Um..." "You must be mistaken..." "Mikuru?" "Asahina-san..." "I'm fine..." "It's all good then." "Saying I've mistaken her for someone else..." "Though you really are popular..." "How could that be?" "Wait!" "There is a way to find out whether this person is the Asahina-san I know!" "Asahina-san!" "Yes?" "There should be a star-shaped mole on your chest around here!" "Could you show it to me?" "Mikuru!" "you can't let your obsessiveness show like that." "after all." "If you try anything like that again... you'll be feeling my fury." "Wait up Mikuru!" "It's over." "In more than one way." "I'm running out of options." "I don't know her home phone number." "I don't know her address either so I can't look it up." "I realized I have no idea where it is." "There's only one more lead left." "the final absolute line of defense." "it would all be over." "Terminated." "Please..." "She's here!" "Why is she wearing glasses?" "Why does she have that expression?" "Nagato..." "Yes?" "Tell me..." "Do you... know who I am?" "I do." "Actually I know a bit about you too." "Will you hear me out?" "but an organic android created by aliens." "You can use magic-like powers that have saved us many times." "and the entry into the cave cricket closed space." "That's the you that I know." "Am I wrong?" "Sorry." "Why is she apologizing?" "Why is she saying that?" "I know that you're a student in class 5." "I see you every now and then." "But I don't know any more than that." "This is the first time I've talked with you here." "Which means you're not an alien?" "Alien?" "And does the name Suzumiya Haruhi mean anything at all to you?" "No." "W-Wait!" "That's not possible!" "Come on!" "000 times!" "Please remember!" "The world changed between yesterday and today." "Asakura is here!" "Who's responsible for this player substitution?" "Was it the Integrated Data Sentient Entity?" "so you must know something!" "right?" "What's she plotting?" "You should be able to explain!" "That's the way it's always been!" "Stop..." "I'm sorry." "I didn't mean to attack you." "I just wanted to confirm something..." "Dammit..." "It's game over." "it's a resounding success." "Very commendable." "who's behind this?" "Haruhi?" "The Integrated Data Sentient Entity?" "Some new enemy of the world we've never encountered?" "Sorry." "This is just a Literature clubroom." "It looks just like it did that day in May when Haruhi dragged me in here and we met Nagato for the first time." "that's wrong." "That computer's the one thing in the room that looks suspicious." "It isn't the same one that Haruhi stole from the computer club." "She really isn't the Nagato I know after all." "The one I know wouldn't make that expression." "Nagato..." "Would you mind if I used that for a bit?" "One moment." "She must be moving or deleting some files." "I'm sure she has things she doesn't want others to see." "I know how she feels." "myself." "Go ahead." "Sorry for the trouble. nor the folder of Asahina-san pictures I had hidden." "I couldn't access the SOS Brigade website either." "There was no proof here that Haruhi existed." "just like that time Haruhi and I were trapped in closed space." "anyway." "Sorry for intruding." "Was that all?" "Yeah." "I couldn't find what I was looking for." "Wait." "if you'd like." "Sign:" "Club Entry Registration" "at least." "I have no doubt I'd be running to a counselor for help right now." "Where on earth is she?" "Where is that idiot living out her life without care?" "Dammit." "anyway?" "Kyon-kun!" "Dinner's going to be ready soon." "Shami!" "dinner~ dinn—" "What are you doing?" "Do you remember Haruhi?" "or Koizumi?" "right?" "What?" "I don't know them..." "When did we start keeping this cat?" "Who brought him here?" "Um..." "You took him in last month." "right?" "Shami?" "Give Shami back!" "I have something to discuss with him." "Alone." "right now." "You're going to talk with Shami?" "Really?" "It's cold!" "Booo!" "Mom!" "Kyon-kun's head has gone funny!" "Shamisen." "I told you before to never speak again." "But I'm taking that back now." "I'd be very relieved." "Shamisen." "Anything is fine." "anything you want." "It can even be a hard topic." "Please talk!" "Do you understand what I'm saying?" "but able to understand me?" "and your left paw for "no"." "I thought as much." "I've come to realize one thing." "This is not a world where cats can talk." "it would be weird for Shamisen to be talking in the first place." "this isn't weird." "This is actually normal for this world." "Is that really the case?" "December the 19th." "class time is shortened." "The cold had spread throughout the entire school." "Morning." "Are you awake today?" "I guess." "just having your eyes open doesn't necessarily mean you're awake." "Absorbing what your eyes take in is the first step to understanding your surroundings." "How is that going?" "Do you have a grasp on your surroundings?" "Asakura." "but I'll ask again." "Didn't you try to kill me?" "Maybe you really should go to a hospital." "Before it's too late." "Sign:" "Noncombustible can bin" "How about we put it this way." "Let's say there is a very unfortunate person somewhere." "But he wakes up one day to a world that has completely changed. and he encounters absolutely no misfortune anymore." "someone whisked him away from hell and brought him to heaven." "this person did not wish for that to happen." "whose identity remains a mystery." "and no one else ever finds out either." "should this person be happy?" "I've had my nerves rattled constantly by Haruhi dragging me into bizarre incidents." "But all that has nothing to do with the current me anymore." "and Nagato and Asahina-san are ordinary humans." "or ESP." "cats can't speak." "It's a perfectly normal world." "What do you think?" "or the one now without her?" "Am I happy right now?" "I walked towards the Literature clubroom out of habit. all while listening to Haruhi spouting nonsense." "I find it hard to stop after all this time." "But the atmosphere today is different." "What do I do with this?" "Nagato probably gave this to me yesterday in the hopes that I'd join the Literature Club." "it seems the Literature Club doesn't have any other members." "Is she just trying to recruit people?" "Sorr—" "Mikuru!" "I wish the days where I could drink tea served by Asahina-san would hurry back." "Come in." "Yo." "Was it alright for me to come?" "I see." "I don't actually know what I'll do next." "Are those books all yours?" "Some of them were left here from before." "I see..." "This is..." "This is borrowed." "From the public library." "I see." "have you ever tried writing your own book?" "I just read." "I'd really want to read it." "I wonder if it's sci fi?" "would it?" "Did you write this?" "Program run condition: collect keys." "Deadline: two days." "Did you write this? but I don't recognize it." "I don't remember writing that." "I see." "I thought as much." "It's fine." "It's better for me that you didn't." "just talking to myself." "Nagato!" "You left a message for me after all!" "I can treat this as a present from you right?" "A hint for how to resolve this situation... right?" "Program..." "Condition..." "Keys..." "Deadline..." "Two days?" "Today's the 19th." "Can I count that starting from right now?" "Or is it from yesterday when the world changed?" "that means the deadline is tomorrow." "but it seems I have to collect some keys to start some program." "But what are these keys?" "where do I exchange them for my prize?" "will the world return to the way it was?" "key" is way too vague." "but something like a "keyword" or a "key person" kind of key." "But even then the range of possibilities is too wide." "Is it an item or a word?" "Can you carry it with you or not?" "Nagato... key..." "It's no good." "I totally don't get it." "Is the Nagato here just incredibly shy?" "Or is she just not used to being watched?" "Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing to join the Literature Club here and continue living in this world without Haruhi." "right." "I can't just give up. and I haven't burned in Asahina's Santa outfit into my memory yet either." "I'm going home now." "Okay." "Don't tell me... you were waiting for me to say that?" "I'm walking home with Nagato." "I don't remember ever doing this." "Nagato..." "Yes?" "Um... do you live alone?" "Yes." "She's probably wondering how I knew that." "I've actually been to your place countless times." "it'd all be unintelligible nonsense to the you now." "why not keep a cat or something?" "Cats are great!" "Sometimes you get the feeling they understand what you're saying." "Pets are prohibited." "I see." "Um..." "Will you come?" "Where?" "My apartment." "Go ahead." "Sorry to intrude." "What is it?" "nothing... or aggressive?" "I have no idea anymore." "The layout of her room's changed a bit too. could I take a look inside this room?" "Go ahead." "Excuse me." "Thank you." "I..." "I've met you before." "Outside school." "Where?" "Do you remember?" "What?" "At the library." "In May this year." "You helped me make a library card." "I remember..." "It was the first SOS Brigade mystery search tour." "you wouldn't have budged from the bookshelves." "But this Nagato shouldn't remember that." "Nagato..." "Could you tell me the details?" "I think it was towards the end of May." "I went to the public library for the first time." "I didn't know how to get a library card." "so it was hard to ask them." "I'm bad at talking with strangers... someone called out to me." "And then he did all the work to get me a card." "I took the card and walked away without saying anything." "That person was you." "I've always regretted not saying thank you." "That's why I was shocked when I saw you at school." "Thank you." "It would be easy if I just said "I remember that"." "But there are inconsistencies." "We had gone to the library together because we'd given up on Haruhi's mystery search." "Haruhi doesn't exist at all." "Where did the Nagato I know go?" "Yes?" "Now's a bit..." "I understand." "Wait a moment." "Oh?" "Why are you here?" "why are you here?" "I'm something of a volunteer." "It's more unusual that you're here." "Did you make this?" "every now and then I cook extra and bring it to Nagato." "she doesn't eat enough." "You must be good friends." "We live in the same apartment complex after all." "why might you be here?" "Um... and..." "I'm considering joining the Literature Club... and she let me in." "I didn't force my way in or anything." "in the Literature Club?" "but I don't see that at all." "Do you even read books?" "Or maybe you write?" "I'm just wondering whether I should be reading or writing." "Oh?" "You're not going to eat with us?" "I'm proud of this dish." "Sorry for intruding." "I think I'll eat." "I'm so hungry I'm about to die." "I'll collapse on the way home." "if I went home now I think I'd regret it later." "Nagato declaring her own wishes so openly is a once in a lifetime event." "welcome back!" "Food tastes better when everyone's eating together." "Right?" "I went to look at clothes with a classmate." "I saw a scarf that would suit you. but it'd be a hassle for you if you had to return it because you didn't like it." "So how about coming with me to take a look at it?" "I'll buy the same kind." "I'll think about it." "the bath..." "This Asakura seems to be quite close to Nagato." "She's almost like a meddlesome aunt." "is it good?" "Y-Yeah..." "I feel like I'm camping right outside the gates of Hell though..." "Make sure you put the leftovers into a container and put it in the fridge." "so keep it till then." "Hey... too?" "I don't really have anywhere else to go after school." "Hey." "Hey!" "What's wrong? but you're acting like you've just seen an alien or something." "Seeing an alien wouldn't be unusual." "I saw something far more ridiculous." "Never mind." "what is it?" "do you like Nagato-san?" "It's not like I dislike her... the one who saved me from your knife." "But I can't say that." "I guess I was thinking too much." "so Nagato-san wouldn't really suit you." "How do you know my preferences?" "I heard it from Kunikida-kun." "right?" "That bastard..." "Spreading unnecessary rumors... you'd better think seriously about it." "If you don't..." "I won't forgive you." "Why are you so concerned about Nagato?" "Why"... it's something like neighborhood friendship?" "right?" "Later then!" "Yeah." "I wanted to return home quickly and sleep." "but..." "That girl could just as easily invade someone's dreams without even thinking about it." "Geez... at this critical moment?" "Can't you listen to my wishes every now and then?" "What the hell..." "I actually wanted to see Haruhi." "December the 20th." "Kyon-kun!" "Morning!" "I awoke from a dreamless sleep." "Time to wake up! but I still haven't found any keys." "the world will probably stay the way it is." "Or it could get even worse." "Nagato..." "Why did you set a deadline?" "Was it pushing your powers to the limits to even set this up?" "Kyon! and the teacher's going to pick my row for questions today." "Help me out a little." "Kunikida." "Teach this guy what you know about sodium hydroxide." "Especially about how it gets along with hydrochloric acid." "Well that's easy." "they get neutralized." "Which part?" "This here." "that." "That's easy." "Um..." "Do the calculation in moles first..." "Kyon..." "Apparently you were causing a ruckus a couple days ago?" "weren't you? and yesterday I didn't come to school." "What was it?" "Something about Asakura not supposed to be here?" "Something like that." "He said someone had been replaced by Asakura or something." "was it?" "Did you ever figure out who that was?" "Just forget it." "Haruhi?" "You don't mean Suzumiya Haruhi?" "Taniguchi?" "Yeah." "here too." "At least think about it a little yourself..." "What?" "There's no way I'll get it though..." "What did you just say?" "Huh?" "I don't understand this prob—" "Before that." "Suzumiya Haruhi?" "She was a nutjob in East Middle." "I was in the same class as her all through middle school." "why do you know abou—" "You damn bald octopus!" "Wha?" "Who's bald?" "!" "you're a cuttlef—" "You know Haruhi?" "!" "How could I not know her!" "I wouldn't be able to forget her in 50 years!" "Anyone from East Middle would know her!" "And will you let go of me?" "What the hell are you—" "Where?" "!" "Where is Haruhi now?" "!" "Will you quieten down?" "You're so loud!" "You're like a Taiko drum!" "Did you see her somewhere and fall in love at first sight or something?" "Forget about her!" "She's got the looks but her personality is messed up!" "Like this one time she snuck into school and drew these weird—" "I know that!" "Idiot!" "Where is Suzumiya Haruhi now?" "!" "Kouyouen Academy!" "She goes to that elite school!" "Kouyouen Academy?" "Was it always a high class school?" "It's just a rich girl's school isn't it?" "Kyon!" "That place has always been co-ed!" "Y-Yeah!" "It's got one of the highest university entrance rates in the prefecture!" "Are you alright?" "You really must have a fever." "Kyon..." "I'm leaving early." "Tell Okabe I'm about to die of the bubonic plague and dysentery and typhoid all at the same time." "Taniguchi..." "Thanks!" "Crap..." "I messed up." "but it's still the middle of classes. there's still an hour before school ends." "I guess I could force my way in... and it'd probably go well..." "Unfortunately I don't have that kind of confidence." "I can control myself when necessary." "Wasn't that girl in Koizumi's class 9?" "but they were at this school?" "At this rate there's a good chance Haruhi's here too." "It'd say a 50% probability." "I'll just have to remain a scarecrow right here." "Wait a second... and spends time with totally different people... that pisses me off." "Wouldn't that mean that me and Asahina-san and Nagato and Koizumi are all dispensable? I'd be a total outsider." "I don't like that idea." "Give me a break!" "Dammit!" "Who should I pray to?" "What should I believe?" "Christ?" "Buddha?" "Mohammed?" "Zoroaster?" "Lovecraft?" "I'll do anything." "I'll do anything!" "There she is." "I've finally found her..." "Suzumiya Haruhi." "And she's even with Koizumi!" "they're close enough that they walk home together... never mind that." "it's been a while since I've seen that expression on Haruhi." "before she created the SOS Brigade." "Eyes like those of a fighter without peer." "But this isn't the time to reminisce." "What the hell... was I always such a coward?" "Move!" "Move!" "Hey!" "What?" "What do you want?" "anyway?" "I don't ever remember a guy I don't know calling me out with "hey" before." "could you do it somewhere else?" "Is this the first time we've met as well?" "It would appear so." "May I ask who you are?" "Are you a transfer student here too?" "but how did you know that?" "Do you remember anything about a group called the Organization?" "Organization"?" "How might you write that?" "Haruhi." "Who said you could call me by my given name?" "What's with you?" "you're in my way." "Suzumiya!" "Wait—" "Don't use my surname either!" "anyway?" "That's a North High uniform isn't it?" "What are you doing here?" "Koizumi-kun." "Okay..." "Wai.." "Haruhi!" "You're annoying!" "Suzumiya-san!" "Koizumi-kun." "Okay..." "Wait!" "Hey!" "What are you doing?" "What school are you from?" "North High?" "I-I'm..." "Dammit!" "Wait!" "Haruhi!" "Tell me one thing!" "Do you remember the Tanabata Festival three years ago?" "you drew on the school field with white chalk!" "What about it?" "Everyone knows that." "You weren't the only one who snuck into your school that night!" "Asahina— right?" "You drew symbols with that guy!" "And what they said was..." "I am here!" "come with m—" "Wait!" "stop struggling!" "Suzumiya-san?" "Haru—" "That hurt!" "Why?" "How do you know that?" "Who did you hear that fro—" "No..." "I've never told anyone about that." "Back then..." "North High..." "What's your name?" "!" "John Smith." "You..." "You're that John?" "The weird high school student who helped me back then..." "Suzumiya-san!" "Someone call a teacher!" "Are you alright?" "I've found the connection." "This is it..." "I've finally found a clue." "the one person who shares the same memory as me..." "I met John Smith twice." "Twice?" "he called out to me on my way back home." "Take care of the John Smith who will shake up the world!" "That's different from what I remember." "but it's been broken again?" "of all things..." "It's almost like that John Smith was going out of his way to encourage her." "but..." "Could I just clarify some points with you?" "Sure." "you said?" "Yeah." "and members of some SOS Brigade?" "That's right. observe Suzumiya-san along with them." "That's correct." "Pardon me." "it would be quite shocking." "But it's rather unbeliev— right?" "Y-Yeah... right?" "Right." "But the me over there doesn't know right?" "S-Suzumiya-san..." "Just me?" "That's right." "You spend your days happily without a clue." "right?" "Yeah..." "Um..." "It sounds fun!" "You believe me?" "Suzumiya-san..." "The you over there didn't believe me at all when I told her." "Then that me is a real idiot." "I'll believe you." "After all... it's way more interesting that way!" "I looked into North High. but I couldn't find anyone that looked like John." "But that was because you weren't actually a student there three years ago!" "What are you laughing about?" "Nothing." "why didn't you come to North High in this world?" "There was no particular reason. and I never did find him in the first place anyway." "And my homeroom teacher kept pestering me about how Kouyouen Academy has a high university entrance rate." "I see." "And what about you?" "Same reason as Suzumiya-san." "I simply went to a school appropriate for my academic ability." "SOS Brigade huh..." "It sounds fun!" "You're the only one who gets to have fun without being dragged into problems though. there are two possibilities based on your story." "The first one is that you have entered a parallel world..." "Like this." "And the other possibility is that the world you were in..." "Thanks. with the exception of yourself." "either one leaves unanswered questions." "where did your counterpart in this world go?" "why were you the only person unaffected by the change?" "then you need to find some way to return to the one you came from." "then you need to find some way to restore it to the way it was originally." "I'm slightly bothered by the question of what will happen to the Suzumiya-san and I that are here now... finding the person responsible for all this would be the quickest path to a solution." "Who else could it be besides Haruhi?" "It might the work of some evil invaders from a parallel universe." "They might suddenly send some bad guy to challenge us." "Now you're not even being serious." "I am simply suggesting possibilities." "we should look for that "key" that Nagato Yuki-san wrote about in her message." "I want to take a look at that clubroom!" "I want to meet Nagato-san and Asahina-san too." "If I'm really the culprit behind this world change then maybe I'll remember something." "John?" "right?" "do you mean me?" "doesn't it?" "Not to mention it's a common name in western countries." "Who gave you such a lame nickname like "Kyon" anyway?" "let's hurry up and go!" "Huh?" "Where to?" "of course!" "I'll go call a taxi!" "That's totally like her." "It's relieving to see that behavior again." "I'm only paying for Suzumiya-san's portion." "are you close to Haruhi?" "I suppose so." "after all." "Are you serious?" "Yes." "She's a very charming person." "Where have I heard that before..." "But Suzumiya-san only appears to be interested in my outward characteristics." "She only started talking to me because I was a transfer student." "she seems to be getting bored of that lately." "right?" "she's dragged me into weird events without paying any attention to anything about me." "I see." "Then the Suzumiya-san in your world took a sincere interest in you without any regard to your characteristics." "assuming your Suzumiya-san and the one I know are the same kind of person ves you." "Hey you two!" "What are you doing?" "Hurry up!" "Let's go." "Y-Yeah... hurry up!" "Oh crap..." "It's already way past the end of school." "I told Nagato I'd go to the clubroom..." "Wait just a little longer!" "now what?" "but you'll stand out in that uniform." "If a teacher finds you there might be trouble." "That's true..." "I'll explain the plan." "Come closer." "...like that." "That's just like you." "Have you washed these properly?" "about a week ago." "where can we change?" "Right here." "I can't believe your legs are this long... make sure you cover for us." "Okay... hey!" "I'm wearing a T-shirt underneath." "I see..." "All done!" "Aren't you cold?" "Not really." "want to put up your hair in a ponytail?" "Why?" "No particular reason." "I don't mind... tying a nice one is pretty hard." "But I guess this way I'll look like I'm in a sports club." "Is this good?" "It's perfect." "Your charm has increased by 36%." "Idiot." "are you done?" "I suppose..." "You look cold." "I suppose... could I borrow it?" "Nope." "I need to use it to hide our bags." "here you go John!" "Now we look just like we came back from marathon training." "right?" "no matter what the situation." "and it seems this world's Koizumi also knows." "But to think we had to go through such pains just to get you into the school..." "Three days ago you two were normal students here." "This place is unexpectedly shabby." "Don't say dumb things!" "correct?" "let's hurry." "Wait up." "What is it?" "Let's go grab Asahina-san first." "But..." "Nagato-san can wait a little longer." "we'll make it in time." "to the Calligraphy Club then!" "wait just a little longer!" "Is Asahina-san here?" "Yes...?" "I told her not to cause a ruckus!" "it's that girl right?" "Is she really a second year?" "it's her." "Afternoon." "I'm Suzumiya from the student council's information division." "I need to ask you some questions." "Please come with me." "S-Student council's infor—" "Asahina-san... sorry!" "Nagato!" "I—" "Hello!" "We'll be intruding!" "Please excuse us." "Good afternoon!" "Um..." "Where is this?" "Why did you br—" "W-W-Why are you locking the door?" "What are you—" "Be quiet." "I could cry." "So nostalgic..." "And you're Nagato Yuki-san?" "Pleased to meet you!" "I'm Suzumiya Haruhi. and the guy in the gym outfit there is Koizumi-kun." "Hi there." "You look so suspicious." "And you already know that guy right?" "He's John Smith." "John Smith?" "Just leave it at that for now." "So this is the SOS Brigade's clubroom... but it's a nice room." "It's probably worth bringing a bunch of stuff in here." "Um... what do we do now?" "Huh?" "You came here without any plan?" "That seriously is your way of thinking." "isn't it?" "Meaning?" "but it'd be a waste of time making the trip here every time." "Oh yeah!" "How about we set a time and meet up at the cafe in front of the station?" "Hold on a second... you're going to create the SOS Brigade in this world?" "That's your plan?" "The name doesn't really matter." "our goal should be... to get you back to your original world!" "After that—" "Like I said..." "That gave me a shock..." "It was the computer?" "Suddenly starting up like that... you didn't do that?" "You didn't set it up to automatically turn on?" "let me see." "What?" "What's going on?" "Just hold on!" "John..." "What's wrong?" "Have you lost it?" "I'm quite sane." "then I am probably no longer myself." "Yeah." "Nagato.... and Koizumi Itsuki are all present." "That's right." "Everyone's been assembled." "0)}Text:" "That is the key." "You have found the answer." "It wasn't me who found it." "with Koizumi in tow as well." "Nagato." "0)}Text:" "This is the emergency escape program." "press any other key." "you will be given a chance to repair the spacetime continuum." "there is no guarantee of success." "There is also no guarantee of your safe return." "it will be erased." "it will also be erased." "what does this mean?" "What kind of trick is this?" "John!" "Nagato." "Do you remember any of this?" "No." "Are you sure?" "Why?" "This is a message that Nagato left for me. but there's no mistaking that this was set up by her." "If I doubt what she says then I've really lost it." "what's wrong?" "and you haven't told us anything about what's going on here." "What on earth is—" "Be quiet for a moment." "I'm trying to gather my thoughts." "I see." "What is it?" "Nothing..." "I got it." "Nagato." "but you can have this back." "I see." "Nagato..." "I already belonged here to begin with." "That's why there's no point in me enrolling." "After all..." "I'm a member of the SOS Brigade first and foremost!" "of course my answer is "okay"." "I won't forgive you." "This is... the Literature clubroom?" "But..." "It doesn't seem like I've returned to my original world..." "This is the Literature clubroom like it was just now." "There's none of the SOS Brigade paraphernalia that Haruhi brought in." "It's hot..." "Dammit..." "It's feels almost like midsummer—" "When is this?" "My shoes weren't in my locker." "And it's unmistakably midsummer right now." "It looks like I've been thrown into a different world again." "and second is." "after all." "Welcome!" "Nagato." "July 7th" "The nation-wide festival of Tanabata." "three years ago." "Which means..." "That's right... I went time traveling with Asahina-san and met her grown up version." "And then I helped the first year middle schooler Haruhi draw on the school grounds." "we went to Nagato's apartment and enlisted her help." "Which would mean that right now they are here." "Two people who can help me are here!" "we time traveled here and arrived at around 9pm. a grown up Asahina-san arrived to give me directions." "but I can't meet her before we're supposed to have our first meeting." "There they are!" "What an envious situation for that other me to be in..." "I really want to switch places with myself right now." "But that me at this time doesn't know another me is here." "I'll create inconsistencies in the timeline." "I don't want to mess up the spacetime continuum any more than it already has been." "Asahina-san?" "Here she comes." "right after that..." "I knew it!" "confirmed!" "Everything's proceeding as I remember. but this me has no business with her." "Asahina-san!" "Um..." "I..." "Kyon-kun." "hasn't it?" "I'm glad we managed to meet up." "I was worried I might have made a mistake somewhere." "you knew I would.... right?" "because it's a predetermined fact." "which is today." "right?" "Yes." "otherwise this you wouldn't be here right now." "Um..." "Could the John Smith that Haruhi said called out to her on her way home be... that's right." "Kyon-kun." "This you. but you have to decide your own course." "All I can do is provide guidance." "Did something happen to the flow of time?" "It seems like its become tangled in an incredibly complicated way." "I can't explain the details." "Classified information?" "that's not it." "I can't explain it in any way you'd understand." "you didn't understand any of my explanation either." "I'd only confuse you." "I see." "You'll understand soon. or something like that." "That's right." "The system of computers in this age that depend on networks now exist as a kind of shapeless sense within our heads." "The TPDD is the same." "That's the time machine?" "Time Plane Destroid Device." "Isn't that classified information?" "The rules are more relaxed for this me." "I worked quite hard to get to where I am now." "So what on earth is happening this time? and why?" "It'd be better if you ask this time period's Nagato-san for the details." "But I'll tell you one thing." "on the morning of December 18th." "after all." "the world itself changed." "That's about right." "Um..." "Here." "Say this is the normal flow of time." "the world will get changed to this." "the STC data... the world itself changes." "It was a massive spacetime-quake that we detected far in the future." "We'll need Nagato-san's help to return it to normal." "Kyon-kun." "Who was responsible for it?" "I can only imagine it was Haruhi..." "No." "The culprit isn't Suzumiya-san." "But it's someone you know well." "It isn't Haruhi?" "But—" "It looks like we still have a bit of time." "Shall we chat for a bit?" "Suzumiya-san dragged me in before I could even tell left from right." "I remember she made me wear a number of outfits." "Yeah... but they're all good memories." "Kyon-kun..." "Yes?" "you'll also look back fondly on these high school days. like you were living a beautiful dream." "And when you find yourself thinking that..." "Asahina-san?" "Did you say something?" "It's about time." "Let's go." "To Nagato's apartment?" "right?" "Hey!" "Take care of the John Smith who will shake up the world!" "Haruhi... the name John Smith." "Please don't forget that I was here." "do me favor." "even now..." "I kind of understand." "Nagato?" "It's me." "but I've come back from the future again." "The adult Asahina-san is also here." "We need your help." "the one who sent me here was you." "right?" "You have them sleeping in your guest room in suspended time—" "I'm heading to room 708." "Anything should be possible for Nagato." "she'll do something." "we're in trouble." "Can we come in?" "Let's go." "I suppose." "I'm sure it'll be fine." "this is the Nagato I know." "I suppose there's no need to introduce myself." "adult version." "Understood." "Can I look inside?" "I mean..." "It cannot be opened." "The structural composition of that room has been frozen in time." "but that's pretty much the situation." "The future you sent me to this time." "Um..." "We wish to normalize this aberration in the spacetime continuum." "You're the only one who can restore the altered time plane to its original state." "Please... great goddess Nagato!" "That's my wish too!" "Confirming." "Unable to synchronize." "I am unable to access my future spacetime continuum variant." "She has erected a system barrier that selectively rejects my requests." "I now understand the situation." "Restoration is possible." "and partially altering the world's composition data." "the resulting Suzumiya Haruhi has no powers whatsoever." "the Integrated Data Sentient Entity does not exist either. and approximately 3 years 5 months into the future on December the 18th." "The range of the alteration was 365 days." "Wait a second." "memories remained unchanged?" "is the original you?" "Correct." "you must travel back to December 18th and activate the restoration program right after the time plane is altered." "right?" "I cannot go." "Why not?" "I cannot leave them alone." "huh..." "Emergency mode." "What should we do then?" "Harmonized." "Inject the restoration program into the one responsible." "Isn't there a more refined method?" "It'd be bad if I stabbed the wrong place." "I see." "Yet another dangerous tool... but it is preferable if you target the skin directly." "right?" "It is a needle gun." "The program is embedded in the needle tip." "Who do I use this on?" "Who's behind this?" "Who's the one responsible for this time plane alteration?" "then who?" "Your target is—" "Are you serious?" "Yes." "Is that really true?" "Yes." "I will provide the spacetime coordinates of your target." "Okay." "Go ahead." "Understood." "right?" "you will also be affected by the spacetime alteration." "I will apply counteractive measures." "Your hand." "A stealth operation screen and a protective field have been applied to your body surface." "You too." "Okay." "It's been a while since you did this to me." "I put you through a lot of trouble back then..." "This is the first time for me." "Oh that's right..." "I forgot. let's go." "The real work starts now." "Thanks." "It doesn't matter." "Nagato..." "Are you going to wait?" "In that clubroom?" "I will wait." "Alright Kyon-kun." "Be prepared to get a little timesick." "Here we go." "We've arrived." "We're at the time and place Nagato-san told us." "This is same spot where Haruhi and Koizumi had changed their uniforms." "It must be a coincidence." "It's cold!" "Thank you." "Sorry for the trouble..." "This is nothing." "We forgot our shoes..." "I wonder if Nagato-san will take care of them for me?" "I think it should be fine." "I guess so." "It's about time." "It's currently 4:18am on December 18th. but it will change in about 5 minutes." "Haruhi and Koizumi are still North High students." "too." "Here she comes. just like Nagato had told us." "We can't rush in yet though." "then shoot her with the restoration program." "Amazing!" "It's an intense spacetime-quake!" "I never knew she has this much power..." "The alteration of the world is complete." "She has just now been reborn." "it's our turn now." "Yo." "It's me." "We meet again." "right?" "Why are you here?" "why are you here?" "I'm taking a walk." "No..." "Nagato." "You're tired. and probably doing other work without us knowing." "The weariness of it all must have built up..." "The error data accumulating in my memory database will cause a bug to trigger anomalous behavior." "It is an unavoidable event." "I will inevitably reconstruct the world." "because I do not know the cause of the error." "I do know." "What triggered the anomalous behavior that Nagato cannot understand?" "What exactly was the error data that she's been accumulating?" "It was the most basic of things. it's natural for that to develop." "but I do." "And Haruhi probably does too." "is what we call "emotions"." "so your reaction to it was that much stronger." "you must have wanted to cry or scream or yell "I don't care anymore!" "maybe you should have." "We should have let you." "I'm also partially responsible." "pose like you're about to spring upwards!" "O-Okay..." "Like this?" "just letting her deal with everything." "more!" "Like this?" "hold that!" "I could stop thinking." "I was even more of an idiot than Haruhi." "I don't have the right to point any fingers." "Nagato was driven to the point where she wanted to change the world." "Bug?" "Error?" "Not a chance." "That wasn't it." "This was what she wanted." "She wished for a normal world like this." "The answer to the question that has been bothering me for the last few days is now clear." "Why was I the only one unaffected?" "The answer is simple." "She wanted to let me make the choice." "Is the altered world better?" "Or is the original one better?" "The choice was mine." "Dammit..." "What were my thoughts originally?" "and of the various crazy scenarios I was thrust into?" "To hell with this." "Enough already." "Are you an idiot?" "I've had enough of you." "I was a normal guy who got dragged into troublesome situations against his wishes." "A high school student who complained while he struggled to meet Haruhi's unreasonable demands." "That was my role." "me." "you!" "I ask myself. and then answer." "Get it?" "Here comes the question." "0)}Text:" "Don't you find such an extraordinary school life fun?" "me." "Think about it." "Well?" "Let's hear it. keeping her oblivious to the fact that she's the cause of the whole mess." "Don't you find that fun?" "Or do you think it's too much trouble and want no more part of it?" "Is that right?" "So basically this is what I think?" "0)}That world isn't interesting at all." "Is that so?" "Is that how it is?" "and that everything that comes from her is depressing." "So you don't think any of that is interesting?" "Don't tell me it's not true." "You know it is. you pressed the Enter key." "The emergency escape program." "The tool that Nagato left behind to revert the change." "Ready?" "You answered "yes" to that question." "Am I right?" "but you rejected it." "Why?" "Aren't you always constantly complaining?" "Aren't you always bemoaning your misfortune?" "shouldn't you have just ignored the emergency escape program? and Nagato would just be a quiet girl that loves books." "then blush in embarrassment." "she'd gradually open up her heart." "That's the kind of person she might become." "You abandoned the chance for such a peaceful life." "Why?" "I'll ask one last time." "Answer clearly." "and being dragged into Haruhi's troubles fun?" "Answer me." "Of course I do!" "Of course... it was fun!" "Don't ask me something so obvious! then they'd be a genuine idiot." "Thirty times more senseless than Haruhi." "you know!" "but there are three interesting characters!" "there's even a maximum power Haruhi you know?" "{\しかも、さらに超強力なハルヒまでそこにいるんだぞ？" "}" "And there are even more mystery powers out there too!" "There's no way this isn't fun for me." "my answer will stay the same." "Of course." "That's the way it is." "I prefer the original world after all." "This one just doesn't suit me." "Nagato." "I prefer the Nagato I've known up till now over you." "you look better without glasses." "What are you talking about?" "Nagato." "Return it to normal." "Return yourself to normal." "I'll help you." "You don't have to use that power to forcefully change things." "It was fine the way it was." "Kyon-kun..." "It's pointless." "This Nagato-san is completely powerless." "She's just... a normal girl." "Sorry." "Watch out Kyon-kun!" "I can't allow you to hurt Nagato-san." "What on earth..." "What on earth is this..." "It hurts..." "It hurts!" "It hurts!" "It hurts!" "It hurts!" "It hurts!" "Asakura...san..." "Nagato-san." "I'm here for you." "I'll eliminate anything that threatens you." "That's the reason I was created." "After all..." "That's what you wished for... right?" "No way." "There's no way she'd wish for this..." "Nagato's anomalous behavior..." "She must have recreated an aberrant Asakura too." "That's all." "She must be Nagato's shadow..." "Let me send you off." "You just need to die." "You're causing distress to Nagato-san." "Does it hurt? because it's going to be the last sensation you feel in this life." "Why are you..." "How..." "I feel like I've seen this scene before." "Crap..." "I'm getting sleepy..." "Kyon-kun!" "I'm sorry Kyon-kun!" "Stay with us!" "I should have known..." "Please stay with us!" "both you Asahina-sans..." "Both?" "Oh I see." "This is a flashback." "It's cold." "My blood won't stop..." "Crap." "I'm going to die." "I could have helped out but I held back." "too." "Who is that?" "I don't understand..." "We'll deal with it from here on." "You just sleep." "Ah... damn..." "Nagato..." "I feel like I just saw an incredibly fascinating dream." "you've finally woken up?" "You were in quite the deep sleep." "but it's evening already." "I'm glad you've woken up." "I really was at a loss as to what to do." "You're looking rather confused..." "Do you remember who I am?" "do you know who I am?" "That's a strange question." "Of course I do." "When is this?" "That's your first question after waking up?" "You almost sound as though you're aware of what happened." "it's just past 4pm on December 21st." "The 21st..." "Where is this?" "A private hospital." "This is quite a fancy private room." "so we got you special treatment is the story." "...which is a complete lie." "Indeed." "I asked the Organization to step in." "You were unconscious for three days." "My superiors tore me apart for allowing this to happen to you under my watch." "I even have to write a formal apology." "Why was I hospitalized?" "Because I was unconscious?" "You don't remember?" "I suppose that's to be expected." "after all." "you didn't suffer any external injuries." "Your brain functions were perfectly fine too." "What happened?" "Tell me." "You fell down the stairs at school." "too." "we all went pale." "The sound as you hit the ground was so horrific that we thought you had gone to sleep permanently." "So I fell down the stairs at school on the 18th..." "It was terrible." "totally unconscious." "That's the first time I've ever seen Suzumiya-san go so pale." "The one who called the ambulance was Nagato-san." "Her levelheadedness saved you." "How did Asahina-san react?" "As you'd probably imagine." "She clung onto you while crying and calling your name." "What time did this happen? just as the whole SOS Brigade was about to go out shopping." "Shopping?" "You don't remember that either?" "Suzumiya-san proposed that we participate in a children's party on Christmas day that would be held in her area." "as always... after drawing lots." "and were heading out to buy materials. you somehow fell down behind the rest of us." "That sounds really dumb." "Suzumiya-san said that she felt someone was at the top of the stairs." "She said she thought she saw the flutter of a skirt for a moment." "we were the only ones left in the building." "It would seem it was a phantom girl." "We've been waiting for you to wake up so we can hear from you whether you were really pushed down or not." "I don't remember at all." "So apparently I was pushed down by a phantom girl." "I see..." "At least it sounds consistent." "Is it just you here?" "Why have you been looking around the room?" "Might you be looking for someone? to make sure there was someone by your side when you woke up." "Your family has just gone back to get you a change of clothes." "What's that look supposed to mean?" "I was just feeling a bit envious of you." "You could call it a bit of jealousy." "That's not something you'd say to someone in my situation." "but the leader believed it's her responsibility to keep watch over her members... since three days ago. both me and her." "Especially that distressed look she had..." "I'll tell you about that another time." "isn't there something you need to do?" "Draw on her face?" "I never thought of that." "Would you like to try it?" "Yo." "Dammit Kyon!" "tell me before you do!" "you know!" "Haruhi." "What?" "Wipe off your drool." "did you?" "Well I wanted to... do you have anything else to say?" "It looks like I made you worry." "I'm sorry." "it's fine." "Of course it's the job of the brigade chief to worry about her members!" "Asahina-san." "Isn't that a bit much?" "He just hit his head a little." "I knew he'd be fine." "There's no way this Kyon wouldn't wake up." "after all." "Of course everyone has to be present!" "I won't accept some lame excuse like hitting your head or going into a coma." "Got it?" "That three days of absence is going to cost you." "There's going to be a penalty for you!" "And a late fee too!" "I get it." "How much will this late fee be?" "Three days of treating everyone at the cafe." "And also..." "And also?" "You can dress up as a reindeer for the Christmas party and put on an act for us." "You'll keep it up till all of us are on the floor laughing!" "I'll kick you into another dimension!" "you can perform for the kid's party too." "Got it?" "but I couldn't just leave the hospital like that." "I had to stay another night so they could perform various examinations on me." "and have already returned home." "I finally got some time alone to calm down and gather my thoughts." "what would have happened?" "and Koizumi would just be normal people." "Haruhi would be a slightly peculiar high school student." "I've already given my answer." "I chose this present world." "putting my life on the line to save it would have gone to waste." "Sorry." "I could have helped out but I held back." "too." "We'll deal with it from here on." "You just sleep." "That sounds about right." "Yo." "did I make you look for me?" "right?" "I am responsible for everything that happened." "didn't you?" "About how you'd alter the world on December 18th." "Since April... the whole time..." "I knew." "Why didn't you say anything then?" "You could have told me anytime." "I would have done what I could." "I would have erased your memories regarding the incident and still altered the world." "there is no guarantee that I did not indeed do that." "I could only guarantee that you would keep as much of your original state as possible when the 18th arrived." "didn't you?" "That was more than enough." "Nagato..." "I'm sorry." "Yuki..." "Note: yuki = snow" "My punishment is being deliberated." "Deliberated by whom?" "The Integrated Data Sentient Entity." "There is no guarantee that I will not develop anomalous behavior again in the future." "the errors in me will continue to accumulate." "It is a dangerous possibility." "Tell them that's bullshit!" "Pass along this message to your boss:" "know this—" "I will let all hell break loose." "I will do anything it takes to bring you back." "but I sure as hell can stir up Haruhi." "That's why I've been keeping a trump card." "I am John Smith"." "That's right." "but Haruhi is stupidly powerful." "I will reveal everything to her and make her believe me." "After that we'd embark on a quest to get Nagato back." "Haruhi would be able to do something." "and I'd drag Asahina-san and Koizumi into it as well." "Nagato is our companion." "Haruhi wouldn't take it lying down." "That's the kind of person Suzumiya Haruhi is. our nuisance of a brigade chief." "I have no idea how advanced these Integrated Data Sentient Entity guys are." "They're probably ridiculously intelligent beings." "They can probably do all sorts of amazingly powerful tricks." "I want to tell them." "It should have been easy for them to give Nagato more character." "and even went shopping with friends on days off." "They clearly could create that kind of character." "lonely girl who shuts herself in a room and just reads books?" "Was it because she had to look like a Literature Club member?" "So she wouldn't stand out to Haruhi?" "Who the hell came up with that?" "I will take Haruhi and recreate the world completely." "but the Integrated Data Sentient Entity doesn't exist." "It would be a piece of cake for Haruhi." "even if we have to recreate the universe from scratch." "Tell that to your boss." "I will tell them." "Thank you." "wake up!" "{\one day he's gonna land on that cat}" "Wake... up!" "The following day... the morning of the end of term closing ceremony. and Asahina-san and Tsuruya-san know who I am again." "The world had returned to the way it was." "I still had the choice to keep this world or not." "the world won't be restored." "It's just that I haven't decided when to do that." "Will I have to clean up this whole mess sooner or later?" "I'm not going to second-guess myself anymore." "I chose this world." "My choice was different from Haruhi's usual subconscious rampaging." "to continue running around this world like an idiot." "I need to take responsibility to the end." "Serves me right..." "I suppose that puts me right in the middle of everything now..." "My time as an observing bystander is completely in the past now." "I now stand alongside the other elites of the SOS Brigade as a protector of the world." "I'm going to attend the Christmas hot pot party that Haruhi organized." "Haruhi and Asahina-san were in charge of buying the ingredients." "but I was allowed a reprieve while I recuperate. then uncover the pot and surprise everyone." "Or some plan like that. she's probably more interested in creating some experimental hot pot never before seen in culinary history." "Good grief. so I guess they've already started cooking." "I wonder what this sense of satisfaction I'm feeling is." "I'll have to go dive into trouble again." "I have to return to the past again and restore the world." "But oh well..." "There's still time." "but I don't have to do it right this instant either." "world... right?" "right?" "At least... right?" "nozomu koto ha nani?" "watashi ga toikakeru" "望むことは何？" "私が問い掛ける" "What is your wish?" is the question I ask." "nani mo iranai uso de wa nakatta" "何もいらない　嘘ではなかった" "I don't need anything — that wasn't a lie." "kieru sekai ni mo watashi no basho ga aru" "消える世界にも　私の場所がある there is a place for me." "sore wo shiranai jibun de sae mo" "それを知らない　自分でさえも who doesn't know it." "tojikumeta ishiki wa toki wo musubi" "閉じ込めた意識は　時を結び" "My imprisoned consciousness was bound by time" "negai wo kurikaesu mata au made" "願いを繰り返す　また会うまで until we meet again" "wasurenaide" "忘れないで" "Don't forget me" "meguru hibi no naka watashi ni nokoru no wa" "巡る日々の中　私に残るのは all that's left for me kioku sore tomo boukyaku darou ka" "記憶それとも忘却だろうか？" "or maybe I've forgotten?" "yagate sekai ni wa nemuri ga otozurete" "やがて世界には　眠りが訪れて sleep besets the world hitori hitori no ashita ni kaeru" "一人一人の　明日に帰る" "Each person returns to tomorrow" "erabareta mirai wo miokuru tobira" "選ばれた未来を　見送る扉" "The door that looks to the chosen future negai ga kanattemo wasurenaide" "願いが叶っても　忘れないで don't forget me" "wasurenaide" "忘れないで" "Don't forget me kieru sekai ni mo watashi no basho ga aru" "消える世界にも　私の場所がある there is a place for me." "sore wo shiranai jibun de sae mo" "それを知らない　自分でさえも who doesn't know it" "omoidasu made wa" "思い出すまでは" "Until I remember..." "There you go!" "Thank you!" "Here." "Let's go!" "Okay!"