The Unwilling Slider [Azecreth & Wingshadow]

With the inevitability of time, summer had given way at last to the following autumn that nipped on it's heels. The morning air was laced with cold, forcing students to bundle up lest a chill be wrought to their bones as they made the trek to school. The weather was unforgiving as always.

Kyon grumbled to himself as he made the trek up the hill that blighted his existence, the one that served as a herculean torment to climb from where he lived to where his school sat. The weather didn't help, as he braced himself with hands in his jacket pockets. He was cognizant enough to know the suffering to come, that this was one of those days where it would be cold until one got out in the sunlight, at which point the jacket would have to be shed for something lighter, leaving a person in a confusing medium. It was as if the world couldn't make up it's mind, and he knew that he only had one person to blame for it.

Espers. Time Travelers. Aliens. Three things existing the known universe that had all been drawn to this place and time by one person, the person who had, like a tide of inevitability, taken over his life. That person was Haruhi Suzumiya, leader of the SOS Brigade, his classmate, and unsuspecting God. He just couldn't fathom how she enjoyed weather like this, if indeed this was something she had control of. And as it stood, there was no evidence to the contrary.

Still, it seemed that this situation would not be resolving itself in the immediate moment, so he simply bore with it. After a long and exhausting trek, he at last arrived at school, joining the throngs of students as they filed in. The first stop was his locker, to change shoes and collect school supplies from within. That tasked was accomplished fairly rapidly, and Kyon thanked his luck that he would not be subjected to inane conversation from Taniguchi. They were friends, but there was only so much that a man could take!

All his things collected, Kyon made his way up to homeroom. Undoubtedly he would find Nagato in the clubroom, as usual, but that was an encounter that could wait for lunch. At the moment he had a schedule to keep to, lest someone worry about him, or something like that. Though really, there would only be a few people that would worry, that much he knew.

Arriving at homeroom, he stepped inside and made his way to his desk in the back. At the same time he braced himself for what he knew was to come, that eager expression of Haruhi's face as she told him whatever new and crazy scheme she had thought up for them today. Though one could always hope, it would most likely be outrageous in some form or other.

But he would be ready for it as he sat down at his desk, producing a notepad and leaving his bag at his side. Time to go then, and to see what unfortunate things would be inflicted upon his life this time.

While Kyon may have been ready for another uneventful day, a certain someone had different plans, and her name happened to be Haruhi Suzumiya. For whatever the reason, the universe had blessed this adolescent and unaware goddess with A-class stats in all areas: looks, charisma, grades, and luck such that not one person in the student body or perhaps even the world could stand in her way. Perhaps she had subconsciously granted herself such blessings, but for whatever the reason they only served to further complicate matters within Kyon's own life and the other lives of those unfortunate enough to be found within her immediate field of view. Haruhi Suzumiya, after all, had made it her life purpose to seek out the strange and interesting things in the world, namely time travelers, espers, aliens, evil masterminds, hidden plots, mysterious disappearances, and the like. Unbeknownst to her, the world actually already contained several of these strange and interesting things, and they even happened to be close at hand. However, Haruhi had something special in mind for that day, and as always, Kyon was the first to know about it.

"Hey, Kyon," Haruhi's head popped out from behind his shoulder, her hand reaching over and landing a firm slap on his back in order to ensure his full and undivided attention, the attention that one gives their unwilling captor, "You're not doing anything after school today, right?" Many a conversation had started in such a manner, almost to such an extent that it had become routine. According to Haruhi, there could be nothing more important, prior plans with friends or family included, that could possibly hold more weight than whatever she had in mind. Granted, in Kyon's case such plans rarely if ever existed, but she made no pretenses concerning caring about said plans even if he had made any.

True to her form, Haruhi did not even bother waiting to hear his reply, "Of course not! I mean, what could possibly be more important than this?!" She waved her hand in the air, pointing at some small article cut from what appeared to be yesterday's newspaper. "...You know what that means, right? There could be an evil syndicate at work here, or perhaps even aliens... It could even be an evil syndicate made up of aliens!" Haruhi continued, not actually getting around to explaining how any of it was even remotely relevant.

"Come on, Kyon... At least try to keep up with recent events. Its about those strange lights people keep seeing at night. What are they called again... Will-o-wisps?" Haruhi shrugged, "Whatever... We are going to head over to the city park and check around for clues. Supposedly, there have been a lot of sighting there lately. In fact, someone claimed to have seen one just yesterday, even! Oh, and you're going to carry all the equipment over for us, you got that?" So Haruhi expected him to lug a bunch of her junk half across town for her, just because she felt like it.

"Morning Haruhi," Kyon replied matter of factly, wincing a bit against the slap delivered to his shoulder. He was fairly certain it wasn't her intent to do so, he couldn't help but wince at the pain from the sudden impact. Sometimes he had to wonder if she even knew her own strength. But there was enough said of that as he waited patiently for her to go on with her routine, and to tell them what it was that they would be doing this time, or whatever scheme she had thought up next.

And so it came, as she asked him if he was doing anything this afternoon before immediately going on with the assumption that he did. To be fair most of the time he didn't, since he lived a fairly mundane life, but it was nonetheless frustrating. Idiot, he grumbled inside his head, voicing that which could not be said aloud as Haruhi went on. Don't just make assumptions like that! You would think she would have learned that by now.

Of course, the newspaper clipping flying into his vision did a good job of distracting from his thoughts, and his gaze narrowed as he leaned forward to look at it. "Hm?" It did seem interesting, at least as a general scientific phenomena, but it was obvious that her mind was getting away from her, and leading her to all sorts of wild delusions. And the last thing he needed was it being true. "Haruhi, I think you're being a bit ridiculous," he pointed out in a (as he liked to think) calm and controlled manner.

His brow furrowed slightly as she mentioned the name, dredging up what he could from his memory of that sort of thing. 'WIll-o-wisps? Aren't those gas deposits or something?" He was fairly sure that that was what it was. Though why the city would simply allow something like underground gas deposits to go untended to was another story, but that was hardly any of their concern.

Just as quickly though, he was again distracted by once more being conscripted into luggage carrying duty. No, it was not alright! Why couldn't she have someone like Koizumi do it? One word from her and he'd gladly carry it all, and would wear a smile the entire time. But no, he was the one forced to suffer under such cruel and unusual punishment for simply existing in her life. "It's not like I have a choice," he grumbled, making his opinion known. "I don't think we're going to find anything though. There's a perfectly reasonable explanation for it." He had the feeling that she wouldn't believe him though. As usual.

"Well, if there is such a reasonable explanation for this phenomena, then that is exactly what we will find when we go looking for it," Haruhi replied, her eyes narrowing in obvious displeasure, "But if it is something weird and interesting, then it is our job to dig it up. It is your duty as well as a member of the SOS Brigade, so don't forget that." She huffed and turned her gaze toward the window without giving Kyon the opportunity to explain his own theory on the supposed sightings, "I think some of the other students have seen them, too. I won't forgive them if they uncover all the mysteries before we even get started on our investigation, so be ready to work your butt off." Haruhi stared down at the empty sports field, her gaze both energetic yet also frustrated. Just what did Haruhi want out of her life, exactly?

"If you try to skip out, its the death penalty, understand?" Her words carried a bit less sharpness to them than usual, however, perhaps on account of his outright dismissal of her assertions. There was little time in which for Kyon to respond as their homeroom teacher stepped into the room soon afterward, putting an end to the conversation as it stood. Haruhi only occasionally glanced in the teacher's direction, her thoughts and attention focused elsewhere, specifically on the strange and unusual things she spent so much of her time and effort pursuing. Just what did she intend to do when or if she ever found them? Unbeknownst to her, the SOS Brigade members went out of their way to conceal the truth, to maintain the delicate balance before them and so prevent the world they knew from falling into chaos. As far as Haruhi knew, however, they were simply her lackeys who answered to her personal beck and call.

"Yes, I've got it," Kyon replied dismissively once more as he was threatened with the death penalty. Again. To be honest he was used to it by now, even if it didn't change the impact that it had on his wallet. In the end he knew that there was no stopping Haruhi, and he could only do his best to deter her more crazy antics. Certainly he was the only one who actually had the force of will to try (Miku made the effort, but she was so soft spoken it might as well be useless) But he was only a single normal man, and the limitations that that imposed.

So, he could only wait for it to happen, occasionally glancing out the window much like Haruhi did as the teacher arrived and class began. Though to be fair, his own musings were about wishing that he was outside or anywhere but here right now. It was most likely incredibly different from whatever the girl sitting behind him might be imagining, which he was grateful for in some ways. So long as it didn't bother him.

There was just one slight problem though. Specifically, the SOS Brigade activity, doing homework, and the time he had awoken, all combined with the talking of the teacher to make him very drowsy. So it wasn't his fault as his eyelids dropped, his head dropped, and he decided to take a small nap, at least until Haruhi woke him up for being a lazy slacker. He deserved that much, right? With that in mind, he let his mind drift away, to whatever end might come from it.

"Hey," a distant voice called out to him, echoing out into the void of nothingness which surrounded Kyon's unconscious state. Apparently even a momentary reprieve from the trials of life was simply too much to ask, as the universe, or rather the person who so rudely demanded his attention, would have it.

tap tap

Someone nudged Kyon on the shoulder, presumably the person to whom the voice from earlier belonged.

"Hey, you big idiot," the voice, undoubtably Haruhi's by this point continued to berate him, "You have some nerve... How long are you going to make her wait?" What exactly Haruhi could possibly mean by this remained a mystery in and of itself, one that most likely would have been best left unsolved had it not been for the circumstances he found himself in at this point.

"You're going to make Mikuru cry!" Haruhi's voice shouted into Kyon's ear as a firm tug on his shoulder nearly pulled him out of his seat, to which a soft, gentle voice raised a timid protest.

"N-no, its alright Ms. Suzumiya, I'm alright waiting... I mean, I knew what I was getting into from the start," Asahina's delicate tone resounded like the words of an angel whispered to a forgotten and despondent soul. Haruhi herself stood with her hands placed firmly upon her hips, a clear expression of irritation painted upon her features. She relinquished her grasp on Kyon's shoulder, a sigh of disappointment escaping her as she did so, "I have no idea why you put up with him so well, Mikuru... I mean, if he were my responsibility, I'd-"

"No, no," Mikuru shook her head, protesting any further intervention, "I'll handle things from here, alright?"

"Fine..." Haruhi shrugged, and shockingly stepped away from the pair, albeit reluctantly, and stepped through the classroom door. A quick glance at the clock would reveal that Kyon had somehow managed to sleep through every single morning class. Hardly a short nap, but doubtless necessary considering the amount of strain he had to deal with on a daily basis.

"Are you alright, Kyon?" Ms. Asahina bent forward, that timeless smile of hers beaming down at him.

"Mmm." In the face of efforts to wake him up, Kyon hunkered in. It seemed that his wish for even a few minutes had been denied by Haruhi, though really he should have expected it. But he would not give in so easily if he could help it! If she wanted him awake, she would have to work for it.

The tap to his shoulder was more annoying and earned a grunt, but that, combined with the berating voice, stirred him to wakefulness. Better to give in now than to risk what else might happen. But who was she talking about? Kyon couldn't think of anyone he was keeping waiting, unless his sister had snuck here again.

Of course, the rough manhandling he received was much less welcome, as she nearly yanked him out of his chair by the shoulder, with seemingly near superhuman strength. 'Hey, watch it," he complained, after a few moments of flailing about to make sure that he didn't fall out of his seat, and recovering from the shout to his ear.

As the two conversed, he finally took stock of the situation at hand. First, the time, and he had to resist the urge to slam his forehead against the desk. Seriously, how had he slept through every single morning class? Was this some devious plot by Haruhi to get back at him for his lack of enthusiasm for her schemes? Was the death penalty not enough for her? And how had the teacher not noticed, much less escaping any efforts by Taniguchi to wake him up in the interim? It was near unbelievable.

Then the other, major, thing. Specifically, the heavenly voice of Mikuru Asahina, gracing his brain and his life once more with sweet words that served as a pleasant contrast to the constant anger of Haruhi Suzumiya. It was the sort of thing that one would never want to end. Of course, he also had to keep himself from staring at her...assets, instead focusing on that bright smile that sent joy and happiness swelling inside him without pause. It was a face that he always liked to see, in spite of what Haruhi would force her to do.

Haruhi leaving was practically unnoticed as he nodded, packing up his stuff. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit tired, that's all." He rose from his seat with his desk clear, ready to enjoy the break that he had before class was to begin again. "Should we go then?"

He would admit to a bit of surprise finding himself in this situation, but that was quickly subdued. Either this was related to time travel business, and the things he still needed to do to finish correcting the timeline, or it was merely a friendly lunch. Certainly he couldn't complain to the latter, so, as by habit, he began to make his way to the SOS Brigade room once they had left the classroom.

Man, he was hungry.

"Oh, that's good," Mikuru nodded once, her hands gently folded behind her back as she, "Yes, let's." Without further explanation, she followed after him to the clubroom, that universal meeting place where an esper, an alien, and a time traveler all shared the same space for an afternoon, oftentimes doing nothing meaningful at all for days on end. It had all come to pass because Haruhi wished for it, yet something felt a bit off about all this. This fact only became more clear as they drew close to the SOS Brigade room.

Mikuru walked by Kyon's side along the way, dropping behind him a bit when they reached the old school building. just like many other parts of the day, few other students wandered the old school building's halls, especially during the lunch hour. Only particularly reclusive students would even consider eating in one of these club rooms on a regular basis, such as one Yuki Nagato. Upon reaching the clubroom's door, however, Mikuru slipped in front of Kyon and opened the door for him, stepping inside after he had passed through. What they met inside, however, felt strangely devoid of Haruhi-centric influence. There were no cosplay costumes hanging on a rack against the wall. The state-of-the-art computer Haruhi had deftly swindled from the computer club had also gone missing, along with the entire desk. Instead, there were only a few tables set up in the center of the room with chairs placed around them in an orderly fashion. While the bookshelf and books remained, they had become coated in a thin layer of dust, giving them a somewhat unkempt appearance. Most of all, however, Nagato was absent from the room. Even the chair that normally stood in the corner for the taciturn bibliophile's use had been repurposed as one of the nondescript chairs placed around the tables in the center of the room.

Mikuru, however, did not react to any of these changes. Instead, she stepped over to the table and took a seat, placing a neatly wrapped boxed lunch in front of her. She looked up at Kyon and smiled, as if beckoning to him to join her. Apparently she found nothing at all strange concerning her surroundings, a fact that in itself was stranger than the room. After all, if there was no maid costume for her to dress in, how could she serve tea while wearing a maid costume?

There was the nagging thought that something was off in Kyon's mind, but for now he ignored it as he and Mikuru made their way along towards the Brigade clubroom. After all, it had been odd but not entirely unreasonable, and the presence of the happy girl beside him did a lot to assuage any ill feelings that he might have at the moment. It was how things usually went, and he didn't complain as they arrived at the old school building. It was all the usual, and so he certainly wasn't expecting anything to be that much out of the ordinary.

"Oh, thank you," he said to Mikuru as she slipped ahead to open the door for him, something that didn't usually happpen. He was more than capable of doing so himself, but the fact that it was her reduced a lot of the annoyance that he might otherwise feel. And at least she hadn't tried to run him over like Haruhi probably would have if the two of them had arrived at the same time. That had happened more than once.

But stepping inside, he looked around in surprise at what he saw. There was...nothing here. Just books and the table. No computer, no racks of cosplay and various collected paraphernalia, nothing to indicate that the SOS Brigade had ever been here. Even the dust indicated how little this room was used. That was...very strange, and he couldn't help but remember the event where Nagato had done much the same thing in the past, altering reality to remove Haruhi's godly powers and make a more normal universe. But even this couldn't be the same, since Nagato was missing as well.

More odd was the fact that Mikuru apparently didn't notice, and simply sat down at the table with her lunch. Kyon took a moment to bemoan the loss of maid cosplay, both in terms of the delicious tea and what said cosplay had done for Mikuru's appearance, before he shook himself out of that and joined her at the table. He went over it, and at last reached a decision. It was too hasty to assume anything right now, since the others might end up arriving later. He wasn't dead set on the idea of being thrown into an alternate universe or something just yet.

So he produced his lunch as he sat down across from her and opened it up his own lunch, doing much as he always did. "So, how was your morning?" Business as usual, at least until further notice. That was his resolve. He would not humiliate himself in a hurried panic, like he had the last time with Nagato.

The room itself had changed little, if any, with only the contents differing from how it should have been. From these simple facts, however, one could extrapolate that many events had not occurred which should have, at least if the room Kyon was familiar with was any standard to judge against.

Mikuru waited until Kyon joined her at the table before opening her own lunch, her delicate fingers working to untie the napkin around it before lifting the lid. "Hm... Well, I received back some of the quarterly tests results from last week," Mikuru replied, "I did a bit better than I expected to, and I think most of that was thanks to our study session." She quickly waved her hand in the air, "I know you don't like talking about school much, but I am very grateful to both you and Ms. Suzumiya for helping me out."

The soft spoken young woman gave Kyon a thankful nod before changing the subject entirely, "Say, Kyon, did you make your own lunchbox today? Everything looks so good today that I want to try some." She flashed him one of her charming smiles, possibly quite unaware of the influence she had on Kyon when she made such an expression. "I'll let you have some of mine instead, if you want." The lighthearted nature of the conversation only amplified how empty the room felt without Haruhi's imposing presence. From the look of the room, it appeared as if Haruhi herself rarely entered it as she had a tendency to fill living spaces with stuff when given free reign.

For all the changes, at least the lunch that Kyon had was still the same as when he had set out this morning. He didn't think it was all that impressive, but that was probably his kind and humble nature at work. At the same time, he listened to her talk as Mikuru related the school day thus far. Though he would admit that he was taken aback to hear that he and Haruhi had helped her. As far as he recalled she had never really needed help with schoolwork, though that was more because he knew that she had to blend in. But he was also confused when she didn't mention Nagato. Wouldn't the alien have been involved with anything like that?

"It's nothing," he demurred, pretending that everything was the same before she shifted on to another topic, all on her own. And that one was more interesting, as he looked up just in time to catch the smile aimed his way. My heart! He cried out mentally at the effect, like that of a gunshot as she struck him down with sheer cuteness and power, making it nearly impossible for him to refuse such a request even if he had wanted to. At a place and time like this, he was her willing servant. Haruhi could learn a lesson or two from this angelic vision of beauty.

So he smiled back, pushing his lunch box forward slightly so that Mikuru could have better access to it. "Um, yeah, I did. and sure, I guess we could do that." He tried, and somewhat failed, to fight back a blush and nervous chuckle as all sorts of visions ran through his head, like them feeding each other with chopsticks, even as he recognized that that sort of thing only happened in romance novels and not in reality. But a man could dream, right?

In such a state, he hardly noticed the emptiness of the room, even if it was strange. Credit a man with his priorities, if you would.

Mikuru reached over with her chopsticks, taking a piece from Kyon's open lunch box and placing it between her fair lips. Her eyes closed and for a moment after sampling she considered her response. She smiled and nodded twice, the absence of overdone theatrics as in cooking shows serving to reassure him that Mikuru did not simply feign approval of the dish, "Its good, Kyon... Here, try some of mine, too." Time itself appeared to extend, her chopsticks, the very same chopsticks which had touched her lips, those luscious, divine lips of hers, reached down toward her own lunchbox and grasped a stewed vegetable. It lifted up out of the small compartment in which it had been placed, the eating implements rendering it momentarily weightless as it were as it proceeding toward Kyon's face.

"Ne, Kyon," Mikuru giggled, her own cheeks tinted with the slightest of blushes, "Ahhh..." In a matter of moments, that one stewed vegetable had become the most delicious piece of food in the universe, at least to the mind of the young man seated across from her at the table. Having been subjected to ridicule, abuse, and more than a fair share of downright inconveniences, had the universe finally cut him a break? Just what manner of world had he stepped into? None of that mattered, of course, to the mind of the young man in question. No, perhaps against his better judgement circumstances dictated that he had a mission to fulfill: securing a divine gift offered from above.

Kyon waited patiently as Mikuru sampled his food, eagerly anticipating whatever she might say, whether it ended with his hopes being dashed upon the rocks of despair, or lifted up to the highest heights with her approval. Naturally he would prefer the latter, but it could not be denied that the former was also possible. And yet he would not be entirely surprised, since he had become used, even resigned, to such disappointments. All in all, it might be too good for him.

But no, his wishes were fulfilled as she voiced her approval of his meal, earning a burst of pleasure deep within his thudding heart. Mikuru's words lifted him up, brought him higher than he had been in recent days, and absolved whatever Haruhi had done to crush his soul. And it was only made all the better as she proceeded to offer him her own food, complete with cute directions for him to open his mouth wide.

Okay, that last bit was slightly humiliating, but moreso it was completely overwhelmed by how cute it was. And certainly it didn't matter as his mind practically shut down at the food headed his way on hovering chopsticks. This...this was what he had hoped for, dreamed of! Was his life finally turned around? Was Haruhi on some sort of romantic comedy kick? He didn't know, but there was no way he was going to let this by! No Haruhi around to cut him off, no Tsuruya to kick his butt, it was all set to go ahead! So with all hopes set to maximum, he leaned forward and opened his mouth as requested, ready to feast upon this most joyous of gifts.

Closer and closer the blessed offering moved, even as Kyon's mouth readied to accept it. Mikuru's cheeks flushed more deeply, and her hand holding the chopsticks wavered to such an extent that she had to lift her other hand to steady it. Onward and forward past the twin demons of embarrassment and hesitation she bravely fought, with only the short distance remaining standing in her way. Just before it moved past the point of no return, however, the unthinkable happened.

Twist

The doorknob of the club room turned, and through the open doorway peered a familiar but very much unwelcome face. "Oh... I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" Koizumi's apologetic tone rang with both sincerity and amusement. Mikuru quickly withdrew her hand stabbed the bit of food into her own mouth, the young woman's face burning a deep red. If her body heated up any more, it would have caused a localized warming of the air around her. Rather than simply turn around and leave, however, the intruder stepped inside and took a seat at the table beside Kyon, setting his own lunchbox on the table as well.

"I realize that the two of you have been tiptoeing around the issue for a while now, but if you keep doing things that would be easily misunderstood by your fellow students, you will only bring more of their ire down on you. I realize things with your childhood friend might be complicated, but it would probably be best for all of us in the end," Koizumi smiled, as if merely offering friendly advice to two people whose lives had little to no bearing on his own, "After all, my part time job has been pretty slow these days, and I'd very much like to keep it that way if at all possible."

Close, so close to what he wanted. Kyon was practically salivating, his own cheeks gaining a dusting of a blush at the same time at the thought of what he was about to do. After all, most of the time he wouldn't even get to this point. Physical violence was such a constant, that to not have it directed at him in this moment was amazing, even if he knew, deep down, that things weren't right.

Then, his hopes came crashing down.

The door swung open, admitting the other bane of his existence, Koizumi, into the room. Sadly it seemed that whatever changes had happened here hadn't gotten rid of him, nor his continual habit of butting into things that were none of his business. Outrage flared, but that was subsumed as he jerked back, removing whatever might be witnessed of a now embarrassing moment even as Mikuru did the same. So close, so dang close. It seemed this wasn't a romantic comedy after all. At the very least, he wasn't finding it funny.

"No one asked for your opinion," he grumbled, more to himself out of habit than anything, since he knew that trying to get Koizumi to change his mind was like bashing his head against a brick wall; an exercise in futility. Still, he knew the important job that the Esper did, and were it not for his own stubbornness, he would have been more willing to listen. Certain he appreciated the work that Koizumi and his group did, to keep the world safe from rampaging Haruhi brain monsters and such.

Then something he had said caught in Kyon's mind, even as the hormone denied teenager went back to eating his lunch. Specifically, the mention of a childhood friend. It was...probably Haruhi, assuming that sort of thing was the same. There hadn't been any indication otherwise after all. "What're you talking about," he said then, not looking over at the esper as he assuaged his damaged soul with food, musing on his bruised dreams and fantasies. So close, and yet so far.

"Sorry," Koizumi held up one hand apologetically, but even as he did so he opened the lid of his lunchbox with the other, "I may have said a bit too much. The other involved party is right here, after all." He gestured toward Mikuru, who waved both hands in the air in protest. The poor girl had most likely not accounted for the untimely intrusion from her fellow student and underclassman.

"N-no, you've got it all wrong," Mikuru stuttered, "Just because we have known each other since middle school doesn't mean there is anything of that sort going on between us! I mean, even though... I mean..." She found herself quite at a loss of words, her wide, glossy eyes glancing about the room until they settled on Kyon, wordlessly pleading for assistance.

"Do not worry," Koizumi smiled, "Your secret is safe with me. Rest assured that I will continue to do my best to maintain the status quo. All I ask is that you do the same. Haruhi is quite satisfied with simply observing the two of you for now. In fact, it seems she might even enjoy the way you play off each other." Koizumi's tone grew somewhat darker, "However, there is a fine line between interest and envy. If we happen to cross that fine line, we may be in a lot more trouble than any of us could imagine."

"Of course, this is all just a theory at this point," Koizumi's smile returned and along with it the lightness in the air, "It could be that she sees the two of you much like I do. You are both important friends of mine, and I would not want anything bad to befall either of you." He then shrugged, "I hope you do not mind me changing the subject once again, but would either of you happen to have plans for this weekend?" He began eating his lunch in a nonchalant manner.

Kyon gave Koizumi his best 'Not amused' expression, before glancing over at Mikuru. So...that was that then? Things began to fall into place as he interpreted what had been said, and the implications from it. Haruhi still seemed to be a God, but in this case it seemed like Mikuru wasn't a time traveler, but rather his childhood friend. Not that he was going to disagree with that, given his traditional mindset. Much to his lamentation though, it seemed that there were also elements here that sought to thwart his desires, the influence of Haruhi and her ever present dangers making it seem as anything that might be a sign of an open romance would be frowned open.

In a matter of moments though he couldn't help but notice the look that Mikuru gave him, the one that seemed to radiate as a plea for help and assistance. These were the sorts of things that Kyon was glad to do, even if it wasn't saving her from Haruhi's depravity. The fact that it was merely Koizumi only made it slightly less worthwhile. "Yeah, what she said," he replied in a less than approving tone, even though he knew that the unflappable esper would stay the same as ever.

Of course, following on the heels of that was the warning and the doomsaying, the promises of bad things to come should Haruhi be agitated. Like he hadn't heard that a hundred times already. "Yeah yeah, I know this already," Kyon pointed out with a wave of his hand as he turned to eating his food. It wasn't as if Haruhi was around at the moment, and even if she had been he had no doubt that it would have resulted in some pain for him, and life would have gone on as normal. Probably. Though at this point he should probably stop tempting fate like that.

Idiot, don't just change the subject after dumping that on both of us, Kyon ranted in his head, voicing none of that as Koizumi shifted the subject to weekend activities, like it was nothing and they were merely talking about the weather. Leaning slightly over his lunch box, Kyon glanced over to Mikuru before answering. "Nothing major," he replied then. He knew how to keep his schedule open, since more likely than not Haruhi would want them all for some adventure that would undoubtedly consume all of his free time. He was used to it by now.

Mikuru calmed down when Koizumi shifted the topic, her normal color returning as her lunch box once again regained her attention and the original goal of their meeting in the club room remembered. She began to eat once again without hesitation, only chiming in to speak with Kyon rather than including Koizumi in her comments. The two seemed fairly familiar with each other, but rarely conversed. This held true even under these slightly abnormal circumstances, it seemed.

"But Kyon," Mikuru leaned forward and whispered into his ear, "We did agree to go to a movie together after the half day at school on Saturday, remember?" She gave him a pleasant smile, "Do you think we should tell Koizumi about that?" She leaned in again and added, "Oh, and don't worry about what Koizumi said earlier. I'm sure he is just being extra careful, but I promise that Ms. Suzumiya won't become upset if we are a bit more open. I mean, she was the one who encouraged me in the first place, after all." She drew back, giving Koizumi room to chime in again.

"Well, if either of you have the time, then I would very much like you to meet someone," Koizumi once again smiled in that irritatingly easygoing manner, "Apparently her supervisors are very much interested in Ms. Suzumiya, but given that the two of you are the closest to her in terms of familiarity, it goes without saying that she should earn your approval first before simply walking up and introducing herself." Koizumi paused for a moment before continuing, "Her name is Ryoko Asakura, and she will be transferring into the school sometime next week."

Leaning over, Kyon also joined in the effort to somewhat exclude Koizumi, as Mikuru informed him that they had agreed to go to a movie this weekend. He certainly felt no desire to inform the esper, even if it might seem rude. After all, this was another thing he had only envisioned, and all sorts of things could happen in a movie theater. Holding hands, sharing popcorn, things that would make this world seem even more like a romantic comedy. He could only wonder where Nagato was (Or Tsuruya, for that matter, but he expected that she would show up eventually)

At least he didn't need to worry as much about interference from Haruhi, if Mikuru was right. Which didn't change the care he'd give it, but it was a lessening of the burden that he usually wore. "I don't think so," he whispered back to her, falling into the routine easily. "It's not like it's his business." If the two of them wanted to hang out, there was nothing the esper could really do to stop them. That was certainly true enough.

That said he shifted back and began to eat once more, while Koizumi indicated that there was someone that he wanted them to meet. "Hm?" Kyon glanced over as he continued to eat, wondering who it was. He could only imagine it was Nagato, but there would be very odd. Well, alternate universe he supposed, how bad could it-

The food caught in his throat, earning a cough as Kyon choked on his food, at the same time lamenting his misfortune. Ryoko Asakura? The psychotic Data Entity that had stabbed him and nearly killed him twice? Even the very thought sent dread through his form as he struggled to recover. What had seem like a very nice world had suddenly taken a turn for the darker, and he wasn't sure that he liked it at all.

"Kyon?!" Mikuru stood up from her seat and stepped over to his chair, a look of concern across her features, "Are you alright?" She reached out a few times toward his back, as if attempting to pat him and attempt to dislodge whatever had gotten stuck in his throat. She withdrew her hand each time, however, perhaps worried that her attempts at helping would only make matters worse.

Koizumi, for his part, showed neither surprise nor concern, "Have the two of you met before, by any chance?" His perpetual smirk remained, the look that concealed whatever true thoughts or emotions he might be harboring within that false exterior. "She approached me some time back, but I had some concerns about her methods. Even so, I believe it would be a wise choice on our part to earn her trust and guide her along a more moderate approach rather than oppose her outright,"

Folding his hands together in front of him, Koizumi continued, "Of course, you do have the final say in the matter, so I can do nothing more than offer advice. Let me know what your final decision is on the matter, and I'll let the others know as well. Either way, I believe the next few weeks will be quite eventful, wouldn't you agree?" He turned toward Kyon, his calm exterior yielding a slight hint of amusement in his demeanor. It was a cruel fate indeed, as no matter what universe Kyon stepped into seemed to be filled with countless inconveniences that Haruhi would doubtless find exciting but only caused trouble for himself.

Kyon coughed, pounding his chest as he attempted to remove the lodged food. Mikuru's help would have been appreciated, but really he hadn't expected it. Perhaps he was just getting too pessimistic. Fortunately for him and his prospects of survival though, he was eventually able to save himself, and merely coughed as the food slipped free. With his life saved, he took some deep breaths, recovering from his recent escapades. Though really, if Asakura was coming here then it might have been a better idea to get himself out of his potential misery now. But he couldn't do that to Mikuru, whatever he might think of the insane AI.

At the same time, he glared at Koizumi, the esper seemingly unconcerned with what had just happened Idiot! Have a sense of priority! Really, of Kyon had choked to death on food then where would they have been? He'd like to imagine that Haruhi would be able to magic him back to life, but he wasn't about to risk his welfare on it. Nearly dying once was more than enough for him.

"I'm fine," he said to Mikuru first, waving her off. At the very least he had to put her at ease, before anything else. That done, he looked over to Koizumi, showing off his lack of enthusiasm on the matter, though for anyone else it might be hard to tell that it was any different from normal. "I'll think about it," he told the esper before going back to his lunch. He'd prefer to figure out what was going on before revealing anything about alternate universes. He had learned from the last time, and would not make the same mistakes again. Or so he hoped.

Mikuru returned to her seat once Kyon was once again breathing properly, relief washing over her as she granted him another sweet smile, "I'm glad... You really worry me sometimes, Kyon. Try to be more careful." She once again resumed her lunch, which had been left open on the table in her panic. Even as she did so she sent warm, knowing glances in his direction, as if searching for a moment when her eyes would meet his. Unlike Koizumi and the Mikuru that Kyon was more familiar with, the Mikuru of this universe had few qualms about passing hints concerning her feelings, or at least what could be easily interpreted as such. With Mikuru, it could be difficult to properly gauge her intentions, after all.

Koizumi simply nodded in reply, turning his attention back to his lunch as the conversation faded away entirely. Once finished, he stood up and gave both of them a slight wave as he took his leave from the room, "Well, I should be headed back to class. My classroom is all the way across the school, after all. I would have preferred it if Haruhi had joined us, but as always she seems to have something else on her mind." With that, he slipped from the room and closed the door after him.

Mikuru looked up to face Kyon more properly now that the two of them were once again alone, her own lunch almost finished, with just a few pieces left. She began to fidget a bit, her hands holding her chopsticks in an awkward manner as if unsure what to do with the unused utensils. Perhaps she hessitated due to the worry that someone else would burst through the door uninvited if she dared to attempt feeding Kyon again, or perhaps she simply realized the possibilities that opened up to them when Koizumi stepped out. For whatever reason, however, she seemed both pleased and at the same time perplexed now that they were once again the only two occupants in the room.

"Sorry," Kyon apologized with serious intent. His heart was practically melting with that smile, and there was just no way he could refuse or make a snide comment when faced with it. At the very least, he hadn't exactly been planning to choke on his food, and so it was an easy request to follow. He was also certain that meeting Asakura probably wouldn't be conducive to a long life either, even if they hadn't met before. He was smart to predict how this would go, and he wasn't eager to be stabbed again.

Their glances mt as they ate in silence, with nothing to talk about. Eventually Koizumi finished his food and got the hint, taking his leave from the clubroom. That was one less thing to deal with, and Kyon merely waved as he departed. They would have to get going soon enough themselves, but for now they could relax a bit and enjoy simply being alone. Certainly Kyon didn't mind sitting in the presence of the person that he had known, and fantasized about so much before.

Even with his departure though, the conversation didn't resume. Mikuru seemed nervous (hardly a surprise) and Kyon was left to muse on things. So Ryoko hadn't shown up yet, had she? That left him to think about the as of yet unseen member of their group, and he sat back as he considered it, before taking the plunge. 'Hey Mikuru," he asked calmly. "Have you heard of someone named 'Yuki Nagato'?" He might as well ask, and he was ready to pass it off as nothing should she inquire further. It paid to be prepared. But at the same time, he was eager to hear what she might say. If anyone could help him figure this out, it would be her.

Mikuru set down her chopsticks when confronted with this question, her right forefinger reaching up toward her lips as she considered her answer. The room began to feel slightly colder than before, as if Kyon's question had touched upon a topic that simply did not belong. Mikuru, however, appeared oblivious to this fact. She closed her eyes for a moment then replied, "No, I'm afraid I do not know anyone by that name, Kyon. Is Nagato one of the first year students, perhaps?" She looked over at Kyon with interest, as she had likely picked up on the fact that he had not simply asked the question out of idle curiosity. Whoever this person was, she wanted to know their significance. No jealousy or mistrust resided within her eyes, which shimmered with a hint of excitement. Not one to be caught up in rumors or the like, Kyon rarely asked her such things, so she assumed some importance to his request.

"If you really need to know, I could ask Ms. Tsuruya for her advice," Mikuru smiled, "She knows a lot more people than I do and she might have heard something about that person." She seemed intent on helping Kyon, as a rare opportunity to do so had appeared before her. The clock hands on the far wall continued to move in their usual circular motion, ever rotating about on the same central point, counting the moments as second by second of their lunch break ticked by. The true reality of the situation began to sink in like a thick mist. For whatever reason, the brigade in its current form did not include the taciturn bibliophile. The full extent to which this had effected the progression of events in this universe remained to be seen, however.

Kyon grunted as Mikuru revealed that she didn't know who Nagato was. Admittedly he had suspected as much with the mention of Asakura, but the revelation confirmed it and sent a chill through him. If she wasn't here, then who would protect him from Asakura? And beyond that, who would he be able to turn to to help solve...whatever it was that was going around? Without the alien, it was like a support leg had been ripped away, and he would have to figure this out himself. But there had to be some clue, right? If everyone else was here, she couldn't simply not exist too.

"Yeah, I think so," he confirmed with a nod, though there was the slightest bit of hesitancy in that. But of course, Mikuru was always willing to help, no matter the reason or whatever the topic was. "Sure, that would be a real help," he replied, nodding in response to her offer of checking with Tsuruya. If anyone would know, it would be her. And it would probably be worth whatever physical pain was inflicted upon him in the process. With that done he relaxed a bit, and worked on finishing his lunch before they had to get back to class. One way or another, he was determined to work this out.