The Unwilling Slider [Azecreth & Wingshadow]

"Huh?" Haruhi blinked, visibly confused at his response, "Did you hit your head on something, or are you trying to make fun of me?" Her expression shifted from concern to mild annoyance, "If you are going to do something crazy like attempting to jump between universes, at least do it on purpose... I mean, its not like wierd stuff happens to you all the time, so stop trying to change the subject." She pulled him down a bit more firmly, her voice softening once again, "Besides, saying something like that is the same as implying that you've become someone else entirely... I wouldn't want that." So apparently Haruhi was fine with the idea of him attempting to escape to a different universe, but only so long as the Kyon who switched places with hers was the same Kyon as the one from her universe. Not only was this paradoxical in itself, it also did very little to lessen the guilt she had unintentionally piled up on him.

"Fine," Haruhi nodded, apparently accepting his lie more readily than the truth while finally releasing him, "But if it is really more than that, just let me know, alright. You need to show some honesty and confidence too, after all." She then turned and began to walk back down the stairs, apparently finished with the conversation and no longer in the mood to put the moves on Kyon, for the time being at least. With morning classes still a good fifteen minutes out, he still had some time to spare. Chances are he'd just run into some other troublesome person soon enough, however.
 
"Huh?" Kyon was admittedly surprised that she had taken it that well, rather than completely dismissing it out of hand. it seemed that was a difference, though perhaps Nagato being in the computer club and the other changes meant that Haruhi had been more able to notice the strange stuff that went on. It was just fortunate that she thought it was him, and not her. Himself in this world had to be a pretty quick thinker to pull off stuff like that, that was for sure.

At the same time though, there was also some worry. For some reason it seemed that she was fine with the idea of him jumping realities, which was understandable with her desire to encounter the weird and inexplicable, but only if it involved the Kyon that she knew. Which made it worse for him, since he was distinctly not that guy. He did his best to keep from getting too down about it, since it wasn't as if he had a choice in the matter.

"Don't worry, I will," he reassured her falsely, watching as Haruhi departed down the stairs like her usual self. A sigh escaped at the same time as he rubbed the back of his head. Geez, this was proving troublesome wasn't it? Sure, she was the same, but there was a lot different and it seemed he was having trouble fitting into the mindset of this self. Well there was no point in hanging around here, and he eventually walked off towards the classroom, taking his time in the process. Undoubtedly he would run into someone along the way, so he was prepared for it. What was the worst that could happen?
 
Just as he began walking down the hall, a certain someone turned the corner in front of him. She had long blue hair and a bright smile, one that only widened when she spotted Kyon and hurried over to him. Under normal circumstances, any high school student would be happy to have a beautiful young woman smile and approach him, but this was certainly not the case under these circumstances. No, her approach would only bring a sense of utter fear and dread, but this young woman was none other than Ryoko Asakura.

"Good morning, Kyon," she beamed brightly as she stopped a mere two feet away from him, "Its rare to see you here so early... Is Ms. Suzumiya feeling insecure again?" She folded her hands behind her back and sighed, "You should really pay closer attention to her, Kyon. She's not going to keep looking the other way when you come to me for advice so often. Even she has limits for how understanding she will be concerning such things." She smiled once again, "Not that I mind, of course, but a woman's heart is a mysterious thing, you know... I might end up falling for you as well." Her playful teasing carried more than just a hint of interest, but not necessarily of the romantic kind. Just what was this universe's Asakura plotting behind the scenes. Whatever it was, the Kyon of this universe did not seem to have been as aware of the danger this blue-haired interface posed, assuming she was an interface at all in this universe, of course.
 
Walking down the hallway, Kyon was definitely not prepared for the girl who rounded the corner, and his heart leapt as he took an involuntary step back. Oh no, not her again! You have to be kidding me, he protested in disbelief, railing against this crime of nature. Why was it that only his universe was the one where Asakura had been dealt with! It just wasn't fair, at least as far as he was concerned.

"Asakura," he replied at last with a nod, hoping that she wouldn't think anything much of his different attitude. It seemed that this Kyon hadn't had the same experiences, and even moreso it seemed that he was coming to her of all people for relationship advice! Actually, that explained quite a bit, to his own misfortune. Of course he actual Kyon of this timeline wouldn't have to deal with this sort of stuff.

For now, he needed to figure out if she was an interface as well, and what sort of game she was playing. Was she deliberately cultivating this relationship with Haruhi to see what would happen? And if she was an interface, he would have to make sure he was prepared for her schemes. He didn't want the third time to be the charm as far as murder attempts went.

"Yeah, we came early," he confirmed before going on. "I'm sure that it will work out, but I'll keep it in mind regardless." Being the love interest of an omnipotent, albeit unsuspecting, deity tended to limit your options. And he most certainly did not want to win the heart of the girl who was all too good with a knife, even if she was just a regular girl and not an alien. It was obvious she had some ulterior agenda.
 
"I'm glad to hear it," Asakura nodded, "Well, I shouldn't hold you up here for too long or we will both end up late for class, and that certainly would not do either of us any good." She cupped her hand over her mouth and bent forward to whisper to him, "Oh, and I found something interesting you might want to take a look at. I left it behind the sports supply shed." Her ominous tip left much to be desired. What could she have possibly discovered that Yuki had not? Furthermore, what was she even investigating in the first place?

Just as quickly she packed away from him and folded her hands behind her back, "And don't worry, I'm always around to listen if you feel the need to talk." She turned and began to hurry off toward the classroom at a brisk pace, joining up with a group of girls who waited for her in the hall. They quickly glanced back at Kyon then at Asakura before giggling, obviously taking their interaction in very much the wrong way. Why did everyone at this school have to jump to conclusions so quickly?
 
"Yeah," Kyon agreed, also glad to be ending the conversation for now. He was distinctly uncomfortable at the moment, taken off guard and unsure as to how he should be acting around Asakura. Undoubtedly she wouldn't understand the fear that he held to of her, yet at the moment she didn't seem to be all that suspicious of him and how he was acting at the moment. Either she knew something, or he was just that lucky.

He paused then as Asakura leaned in to give him that information, kindling his interest and confusion at the same time. "oh, I see. Thanks." What could it possibly be that Yuki hadn't been able to come up with? And how could she know what his problem was already? With the time remaining it absolutely could have been a trap, and her tip wasn't exactly clear as to her intent.

A sigh escaped then at the visible amusement of the girls Asakura was with, as if they hadn't been talking quite plainly so anyone could hear. They hadn't exactly been clandestine about this chance encounter in the hallway. Why is everyone so quick to make assumptions in this school?

With that matter settled he headed off to his classroom, ready for whatever would happen this time, and ready to wait until he had the opportunity to see what Asakura had found. Hopefully it wouldn't be too difficult.
 
When Kyon entered the classroom, Haruhi had already taken her seat and had resumed her usual pasttime of staring out the window beside her. Granted, she did not have that ominously brooding aura around her that forewarned imminent oddness in Kyon's immediate future, but she did carry a sense of unease on her shoulders. On this particular occasion, Taniguchi made it a point to approach Kyon with Haruhi still present, a rare occurance if not outright unpresidented.

"Hey man... What the hell did you say to her?" Taniguchi whispered, "You losing your touch or something? If I didn't know better, I'd say that-" Before taniguchi could continue, the homeroom teacher entered the room and cut him off cold as he made a swift retreat to his own seat. If even Taniguchi picked up on Haruhi's shift in mood, then it certainly went without saying that there was something more going on under the surface. The class representative, however, did not give any sort of hint as to what this might be...

Class proceeded as usual, without anything particularly notable transpiring throughout the lessons until the usual lunch break helped break up the monotony. Haruhi, as expected, approached Kyon before Taniguchi had an opening in which to continue from before. "Hey, let's head over to the club room," Haruhi motioned to him, "Its hot and crowded in here..." Without further comment she turned and made her way out the door, allowing Kyon to follow her on his own accord if he so wished. Asakura glanced over at Kyon once Haruhi was out of her field of view and gave him an energetic smile, one that earned him yet another envious glare from Taniguchi.
 
Kyon held back a wince as he entered the classroom to see Haruhi in place with a brooding atmosphere around her. It wasn't as bad as the looming aura of death and destruction that he had seen her wearing before, but it didn't exactly make him feel good either. An unhappy Haruhi generally meant that his life was going to get more difficult, and as things stood the last thing that he needed was more trouble. Thanks a lot Asakura.

He didn't make it far before Taniguchi came up to talk to him, the man the same as ever as he butted into their business once more. Specifically between him and Haruhi, like always. "Huh? I didn't tell her a-" Before Kyon could answer in full he was cut off, and that allowed him to escape to his seat so class could begin. However, now he was really worried. If even Taniguchi could notice, then things had to be bad. Just what was he in store for?

Class went better than it had last time though. He managed to stay awake and even participate a bit, though it was muted a bi by the sneaking suspicion that Haruhi was drilling holes into his back with her eyes. Maybe it was just old habits, but it definitely felt like it was happening.

Eventually class ended, and as expected Haruhi suggested that they head off to the club room. He was hardly going to refuse that even if she wasn't angry with him, since it wasn't as if he had other plans. He met Asakura's gaze, resisting the urge to shiver and grimace at her show of support before he rose from his seat and left the classroom, hurrying to catch up with Haruhi as they went to the clubroom to have lunch together.
 
Haruhi set down her lunchbox in the empty clubroom and opened it silently, waiting for Kyon to join her as if she had somehow confirmed he had, indeed, decided to follow her despite not once visually confirming such along the way. She looked up at the doorway when he entered, gaze remaining fixed on him until he sat down with her at the table. Picking up her chopsticks, the began the discussion in a casual enough manner, "Hey, Kyon... Have you thought of what we could get for the clubroom to spice it up a little more?" She paused, "Another outfit for Mikuru, perhaps? I'm thinking of a shrine maiden or a police officer... Have any suggestions?"

Given her earlier behavior, it seemed highly likely she tossed this conversational topic as a way of baiting information out of Kyon. Clearly she had not entirely bought his earlier lie, or perhaps she was just trying to take her mind off her own insecurity. In either case, he would have to tred lightly. She continued eating, but paid little attention to the meal before her as she focused nearly all her attention on the boy across from her instead. "Perhaps I should just ask the drama club if they have any spare costumes we could borrow. It would be cheaper anyway," Haruhi shrugged.
 
Arriving in the clubroom, Kyon sat down across from Haruhi as he opened his lunchbox, noting hr eyes upon him all the way there. Yep, he was definitely going to be in trouble of some kind, though he had not yet interpreted or worked out what the punishment might be. Given how close the two of them seemed in this universe, it could be all sorts of unpleasant things, and he didn't exactly want to wait around to experience it.

As a result the question was something of a relief, yet also a surprise as he began to eat his lunch. A quick glance to the side confirmed what uniforms they had for Mikuru to wear already. Normally he would have argued that they didn't need to get her another ridiculous costume, but given how Haruhi was right now it might not be wise to do that. But at least she wasn't threatening to go to the drama club and take a costume by force.

"Why those," he asked at last. "Is it so I can be arrested when something unfortunate happens to me?" Well, he would admit there was a certain humor to having Mikuru dress as a Shrine Maiden, especially given who she would be dressing for. Having an unknowing Goddess was amusing like that sometimes. That said, he then provided an actual answer. "Well, unless we do something like a giant frog outfit, I suppose a shrine maiden would work." And now he was cursing himself internally for bringing something back from that Endless summer. Smooth Kyon, real smooth.
 
"No reason, really," Haruhi blinked, a bit of relief from her previously tense tone, "I thought it might be interesting for a change of pace. The maid outfit has sort of lost its impact. But you're right, something unusual like a frog outfit would be perfect! I wonder if I could find one of those lying around somewhere..." Interestingly enough, she completely ignored his suggestion that something unfortunate might occur in the near future. She raised her arms above her head and stretched, "I've got some interviews lined up already, so feel free to hold things down here while I'm away. See you in class, Kyon." Without further ado, she stood up and vanished through the doorway, leaving her empty bento behind in the process.

Apparently he had passed whatever test Haruhi had laid out for him, or he had successfully distracted her from it. In either case, he was free to move about as he wished for the remainder of the lunch period... Assuming none of the other brigade members showed up to monopolize his time, of course.
 
Kyon resisted the urge to facepalm as Haruhi seized upon the frog idea, raising the spectre of possibly having to act in those stupid things again. It had been a sweltering inferno inside the last time, and he really didn't want to do it again. Especially since he sincerely doubted that Haruhi herself would join in on the terrible job that had to be one to earn that costume in the first place in his world. If that had to be done here, anyway. Though he wasn't concerned about her missing his message since he hadn't been trying to send one in the first place.

"Oh, bye," he said as Haruhi made her exit to go do some interviews. A sigh escaped once the door closed, Kyon relaxing in his seat. Right, he had to do that didn't he. Well, at least he had a bit of peace for the moment, and could rest easy in the fact that he had passed whatever test she was doing. It allowed him to eat a bit, and to allow time to pass.

Yet he could not totally settle that disquiet he felt, the worry stirred by Asakura. He had to know if she was an alien, if she had some ulterior motive. And there was only one person who could answer that. So if none of the other club members appeared, he rose from his seat and slipped into the hall, opening the door to the computer club to see if Nagato was there. If she was then he would step inside, otherwise he would return to the SOS Brigade Clubroom.
 
Thankfully none of the other brigade members showed up before Kyon made his move. Apparently they had decided to give the two of them some privacy or Haruhi had caught them at some point along the way. In either case, they would not inhibit his current mission's progress. When he reached the club room, only the whirl of the computer fans could be heard from outside the room, a necessity even during this part of the year.

Sure enough, the taciturn alien sat in the exact same seat as he had found her in the first time in this universe, although this time her eyes turned up toward him as soon as he opened the door. She did not say anything at first, merely observing him as he entered. She closed the book resting in her lap and placed her hands on top of it, eyes blinking twice at him blankly while staring at him through her glasses. She pivoted in her chair in order to face him properly and listen, although she most likely had not anticipated what he would ask her about on this particular occasion.
 
Fortunately Kyon was not interrupted by a surprise Mikuru or Koizumi, much to his relief as he stepped out of the classroom and moved next door to the computer room. Somehow he was not surprised to see Nagato there, the alien continuing to hold to her habits even in this alternate plane. It definitely made things easier though, and he was grateful for it. Now he wouldn't have to put off this conversation for longer than was necessary.

"Oh, hey Nagato," he said as he stepped inside, cognizant of the fact that she had immediately noticed his presence and was now pretty much staring at him, even as she waited for him to talk first. Well, he would do that. Even if she didn't like it. At least he didn't have to worry about revealing the secret he had to deal with. "I had a question for you. Is Asakura with the Data Entity?" Given all she could do, he doubted that he needed to explain more than that.
 
"Ryoko Asakura is a data interface that has been assigned with the task of directly conversing and interacting with Haruhi Suzumiya," Nagato replied promptly, "As part of her assignment, she assisted in setting up the current state of affairs between yourself and Haruhi. However, lately I have observed that she has taken a special interest in and unnecessary actions toward yourself. I have not observed any behavior outside the prescribed limitations, but I would advise caution." She then resumed staring at him as if expecting more from him than merely asking about a fellow data entity. Considering that the Kyon and Nagato from this universe did not have the same sort of relationship as in the universe he was mare familiar with, a simple question such as that likely would not have warranted a special visit.

Despite the difference in setting, Nagato did still bear some strikign similarities to his own Nagato, such as the fact that she spent the majority of her time reading, never seemed to attend classes, and rarely, if ever, ate while at school. It came as no surprise that the other students found her unusual and somewhat unapproachable. None of that really seemed to bother Nagato, however, as she acted quite satisfied with her current state... Or was she really as satisfied as she appeared? Nagato's expressionless gaze refused to yield any clues as to the truth of the matter.
 
"Oh, I see," Kyon replied with a slight grimace. Well then, that was bad news. Nice in that she seemed to be helping out and had engineered this situation of her own volition, but the news that she was giving him special attention was not good at all. He could see light reflecting off of a knife in his memory, and it was a sensation that he never wanted to be repeated if he had the chance to avoid it.

A worried grin appeared as he scratched at his cheek, explaining before she got the wrong impression. "Sorry, me and Asakura didn't have the best relationship back in my plane." Epic understatement sure, but Nagato could figure it out. she was smart. That just left things as they were, him standing there while Nagato looked at him blankly, apparently waiting for him to say something more. His mind quickly worked, trying to come up with something lest this become more awkward than it already was.

At last he came up with something, leaning slightly forward to get a better look before settling on his heels once more, even as he took a few steps closer with his hand resting on one of the tables there. "Hey Nagato," he said then, curiosity returned in full. "Do you miss being in the Reading club? I mean, if you're here then it obviously doesn't exist anymore." He could only remember that time when Nagato rewrote the universe, and the two of them were in the club together, or almost were. It seemed to be an almost universal constant, that Nagato would be interested in books.
 
"Understood," Nagato gave him a slight nod, "I will continue to observe her actions and take precautions as necessary." She did not pry further, but given her intellect it would likely have been an unnecessary measure. "However, my involvement with matters directly concerning Haruhi are restricted. Haruhi initiated the supposed rivalry between the club I am currently in and her own, so an exception was made," her promise came with a warning, it seemed, one that Nagato seemed to imply Asakura may attempt to take advantage of.

With the shift in topic, however, came a change in Nagato's demeanor. Perhaps it was merely in the way she held herself or in the way she eased forward in her seat ever so slightly when he spoke, but in any case Nagato reacted rather strangely to his question. "Any actions outside my assignment are of a secondary nature," Nagato continued, "Any and all direct contact entails risk, yet you still seek answers not pertaining to the Kyon whose place you are currently borrowing or the state of the planes between which your conciousness shifts between." Her words carried her own personal observation, perhaps indicating more than mere confusion, "Myself from your plane... Is this the way you speak with her?"
 
"Thank you," Kyon replied gratefully, a bit more relaxed now that he knew he didn't have to worry, to some extent, about getting stabbed here either. As for the rest about her not being able to interfere, he was used to stuff like that at this point. He would just make due in the best way that he could, just like every other time. Certainly he was used to this sort of thing by now, so it would not be an ironclad deterrent.

He was taken off guard by her reaction to his more trivial question though, confusion flashing across his features even as Nagato questioned why he was talking to her like that, and why he would pose this question in the first place. Kyon was filled with the desire to sigh and rub his head, as he was confronted with an issue that had been dealt with before in his own plane. For how different things were, it seemed that some things had stayed quite the same, if even less developed from his own world.

"Sure," he decided at last as he addressed Nagato, answering her question. "She's a person too, just like you are. You've got feels, desires, just like everyone else. I don't know why I should ignore that and pretend you're some kind of emotionless machine." He'd already had this discussion once in his world, and he was not going to abide it here.
 
"I see," Nagato nodded, her gaze falling down toward her lap to steal a glance at the book she had laid there for the first time since he entered the room. She stood up rather abruptly and took two steps toward Kyon before extending the book toward Kyon, "Read it. It is interesting." Her eyes once again met his, but something had changed about her eyes. They had softened, perhaps hinting that her demand was of a personal nature. If he did not accept it right away, she would place it on the table next to him before passing him, making for the door. She stopped and turned on her heel, however, to look back at him once again before sliding the door open.

"Be sure to read it before we speak next," Nagato reaffirmed her desire, despite the fact that given the title it did not at all seem like ordinary science fiction casual reading, "I would like to hear your opinion on it." With that she slipped out the door, her light footsteps carrying her down the hall to leave Kyon with perhaps more questions than answers. This Nagato certainly behaved a bit differently than the others, but why was that? The book she had passed on to him had been marked with small tabs at various points, perhaps indicating that this was a book she personally owned rather than being a book from the library. Bold english letters gleamed on its front cover, almost ominously so... Did she really have to read something in a foreign language?
 
Kyon was used to Nagato having him read books, to some extent, but the circumstances surrounding it were a tad more unnerving. It seemed he had hit a soft spot, as her stature and aura changed overall even as she offered him the book. "Alright," he said at last, taking the book from her hand and looking at it. A slight wince escaped at the english title, forcing him to read something in a foreign language, but he was more interested in the small bookmarks. The Nagato he knew didn't have any books like this, so far as he knew.

"Oh, right. I'll do that," he confirmed before Nagato slipped out of the room, leaving him alone and confused. "What is going on here," he muttered to himself as he considered the book once more. Well, if Nagato wanted him to read it then it had to be important. But why did she seem so different from the other Nagatos that she knew already. Was it because of that status as the rival, and perhaps something she didn't want and would like to rectify if she could? There was no way for him to know at this point.

With a sigh, he held the book as he moved back to the SOS Brigade clubroom, to finish his lunch and store the book away so he could read it later. He definitely had a lot to think about, that was for sure.
 
When Kyon returned to the club room, Mikuru and Koizumi had already arrived. Mikuru, somehow, had already managed to change into her usual maid uniform at some point. Given Koizumi's comfortable position at the table, the entire situation felt a bit too casual. Had Koizumi been present when Mikuru changed? Unlikely, considering Mikuru's nature, but the possibility alone was irritating.

"Ah... Good afternoon," Koizumi smiled in Kyon's general direction, "I was surprised when we arrived first, especially considering that we ran into Haruhi in the hallway rather than the club room. Did you have some errands of your own, perhaps?" He folded his hands together in that calm yet ominous manner of his, that signature smile still spread across his face. He glanced down at the book in his hand for a moment before looking back up.

"Good afternoon," Mikuru nodded to Kyon as well, placing some tea on the table for him before stepping back.

"Just a word of advice... Miss Suzumiya is quite understanding in many respects, but even she has her limits," Koizumi remarked, "If you're going to cheat on her, at least do so with a measure of subtlety."

"E-eeeh?!" Mikuru's tray dropped from her hands, "K-kyon wouldn't do anything like that!"

"I'm just joking, of course," Koizumi shrugged, as if such topics were a natural choice for discussion.
 
Kyon took the fact that Koizumi and Mikuru were in the clubroom in good stride, even with the short time that had passed since he had left the room. He was looking forward to Mikuru's tea, and he strolled over to his backpack to slip the book inside even as he wondered whether Koizumi had stuck around while Mikuru was changing. Unlikely, but it was still a possibility, and that fact did annoy him to some extent.

"I did," he confirmed as he closed up his backpack now that the book was inside, before resuming his seat so he could eat his lunch. He did shot an irritated look at Koizumi, not exactly amused by the statements the esper was making. "I'm not cheating on her, unless you're implying that I'm having an affair with foreign literature."

Without anything more said, he rose from the seat once and turned to help Mikuru clean up the tray that she had dropped, if only because he was a nice guy and nothing else. He wasn't going to leave her to clean it up herself, maid outfit or no. "You're not exactly helping to avoid any misunderstandings," he grumbled at the same time, which was true as far as he was concerned. He had done nothing wrong and no one could argue otherwise, so why did people keep insisting that he was having an affair?
 
"Ah, yes... Words can be ever so passionate," Koizumi nodded, simply going with the flow of the discussion before bending it according to his own whims, "They can carry with them the weight of a life, the pain of a knife, and the heart of a maiden all at the same time. Words are mysterious things, indeed, allowing one person to collect, record, and convey thoughts and emotions. What is that english expression..." He leaned back in his seat, "The pen is mightier than the sword?"

Mikuru looked over at Koizumi in a confused manner, apparently not used to hearing him ramble on in such a nonsensical manner. "Oh, thank you," Mikuru noticed Kyon moving to help her when he knelt down to pick up the tray. She pulled a towel out from her pocket and began to wipe up the flooring.

"Perhaps not," Koizumi admitted, "But I could not help but notice that you have been acting a bit differently lately. Before, I doubt you even recognised that Miss Asahina here was female. That in itself I found rather allarming when we first met, until I realized that it was merely your way of expressing your singleminded appreciation of Miss Suzumiya. Forgive me for jumping to conclusions. I merely found it remarkably odd."
 
Kyon was relatively calm during Koizumi's tangent, simply ignoring it since he was used to that sort of thing from him. Admittedly it was taken to an extreme, but it was hard to tell who the real Koizumi was anyway. He wouldn't put too much stock into this literary philosophy or whatever, since it was probably just the esper trying to mess with him.

Placing the tray back on the counter, Kyon paused as his mind worked. Oh, right. He hadn't told them about wha was going on. Given who was involved, he would have to do it sooner or later. He just hadn't had the chance before because Haruhi was around before, and he would probably need their help if he was going to set everything right. Besides, he'd already started to tell the others in the other planes, so it would be unfair to keep it from them here.

After a moment he sighed, scratching his head as he leaned against the counter and looked between the two. "That's because I am different," he said, before going on to explain his situation. If anyone would believe him then it would be them. "I'm not the Kyon that both of you know. Apparently there are three universes moving towards each other, and my mind keeps swapping between the versions of myself in these different universes. That's why I wasn't here when you showed up, since I was talking to Nagato next door. We have to figure out what's causing it and then how to stop it, before all three universes are destroyed."

Well, here went nothing. He wondered how much he would have to explain to get them to believe it.
 
"W-w-w-what?!" Mikuru jumped back and looked around uncomfortably, "Y-you mean... I... Um..." The poor girl was beside herself with confusion, unable to fully process what Kyon had just told her.

Koizumi, however, did not appear the least bit fazed, not outwardly at least. Instead, he placed his elbows on the table and rested his head on his hands, "I see... I have always wondered if there were other worlds out there with other people just like us, but different. I considered the possibility of something like this happening at some point, but I had not quite put it all together yet. Miss Suzumiya certainly does not give us much time to rest, does she?"

Koizumi then raised his hands and shrugged, "In any case, it would certainly explain your behavior lately but it does bring up an even more important question."

He then smiled as he placed his hands onto the table, "Tell me, do you have any idea why your conciousness was chosen above that of the Kyon from this universe? Out of anyone surrounding Miss Suzumiya, I would think that Miss Nagato or Miss Asakura would make far more natural choices. She chose you instead, or rather, a you from an entirely different universe. Doesn't that strike you as a bit odd?"
 
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