irreplaceable assembly. You are here. Asahina is here. Nagato is also necessary. I daresay I might also be included. We are united as one.”
According to your people, sure.
“Yes. However, this is by no means a bad thing. Do you wish to see Suzumiya set loose every few hours? This may not be for me to say, but that would be in very bad taste.”
I have no interest in seeing that. I never will. I can guarantee it.
Koizumi’s expression suddenly changed as his usual ambiguous smile returned.
“I’m relieved to hear that. Speaking of change, Suzumiya isn’t the only one who’s changed. We all have. You and I, along with Asahina and probably Nagato as well. Any person would have to adjust their mentality after spending time with Suzumiya.”
I looked away, but not because he had hit the nail on the head. I hadn’t realized that I’d changed, so I wasn’t particularly upset about his statement. But I was surprised that he had also noticed Nagato’s gradual transformation. The sham of a baseball game, a Tanabata festival that spanned three years, the cave cricket extermination, the murder show on a remote island, a looping summer vacation…. As we went through activity after activity, Nagato’s reserved manner and gestures certainly showed signs of change, while minute, from her behavior during our chance encounter in the literary club room when this all began. I wasn’t just hallucinating. My eyes are at least as sharp as a homemade telescope. In retrospect, she was already acting odd when we were on the remote island. Also when we went to the public pool and Bon Dance. Even more so when she was pretending to be a magician during the film shoot and taking on the computer society in that computer game. But…
That’s a good thing. Haruhi aside, I’d consider this revelation to be far more momentous.
“Organizing a Christmas party would be a small price to pay,” said Koizumi, with a smile on his face, “for the sake of keeping our world stable. And if it turns out to be an enjoyable experience, I won’t have a single complaint.”
I was starting to feel a little ticked off about how I couldn’t contradict him.
“It’s okay now!”
The clubroom door suddenly flew open, and since I had been leaning against said door, which swung inward, I naturally ended up flat on my back.
“Eek!?”
That voice didn’t belong to Haruhi or me. It was Asahina. And it came from directly above me. And since I was sprawled on the floor, I had no choice but to look up at the ceiling, only I saw something else instead.
“Hey, Kyon! No peeping!”
That was Haruhi yelling.
“Wah, whoa!”
That was probably Asahina panicking as she hopped backward. I swear to the gods that I saw nothing but leg.
“Are you going to lie there forever!? Get up!”
Haruhi grabbed my collar as I finally stood up.
“You’re such a perv, Kyon! Come back in 200,005,600 years if you want to sneak a peek at Mikuru’s underwear! I bet you did that on purpose. You did it on purpose, right?”
It was your fault for opening the door before you even finished warning us. This was an accident. It was an accident, Asahina, I was about to say, when something caught my eye. Anybody want to ask what that something was?
“Wah…”
What else but Asahina standing there with scarlet cheeks.
Red clothing lined in white, topped off by a red hat with a white pom-pom… was all Asahina had on as she gripped her short skirt with both hands and gazed at me with eyes that were teared up from embarrassment.
She made for an utterly perfect Santa without a single flaw. Thetrue identity of this Mikuru Asahina must be that of the granddaughter who’s taken over the family business from a senile old Santa Claus.
I’m willing to bet that eight out of ten people would believe that story. My little sister would certainly fall for it.
“Extremely lovely.”
Koizumi offered his impression.
“Forgive my use of a cliché, as I couldn’t come
According to your people, sure.
“Yes. However, this is by no means a bad thing. Do you wish to see Suzumiya set
I have no interest in seeing that. I never will. I can guarantee it.
Koizumi’s expression suddenly changed as his usual ambiguous smile returned.
“I’m relieved to hear that. Speaking of change, Suzumiya isn’t the only one who’s changed. We all have. You and I, along with Asahina and probably Nagato as well. Any person would have to adjust their mentality after spending time with Suzumiya.”
I looked away, but not because he had hit the nail on the head. I hadn’t realized that I’d changed, so I wasn’t particularly upset about his statement. But I was surprised that he had also noticed Nagato’s gradual transformation. The sham of a baseball game, a Tanabata festival that spanned three years, the cave cricket extermination, the murder show on a remote island, a looping summer vacation…. As we went through activity after activity, Nagato’s reserved manner and gestures certainly showed signs of change, while minute, from her behavior during our chance encounter in the literary club room when this all began. I wasn’t just hallucinating. My eyes are at least as sharp as a homemade telescope. In retrospect, she was already acting odd when we were on the remote island. Also when we went to the public pool and Bon Dance. Even more so when she was pretending to be a magician during the film shoot and taking on the computer society in that computer game. But…
That’s a good thing. Haruhi aside, I’d consider this revelation to be far more momentous.
“Organizing a Christmas party would be a small price to pay,” said Koizumi, with a smile on his face, “for the sake of keeping our world stable. And if it turns out to be an enjoyable experience, I won’t have a single complaint.”
I was starting to feel a little ticked off about how I couldn’t contradict him.
“It’s okay now!”
The clubroom door suddenly flew open, and since I had been leaning against said door, which swung inward, I naturally ended up flat on my back.
“Eek!?”
That voice didn’t belong to Haruhi or me. It was Asahina. And it came from directly above me. And since I was sprawled on the floor, I had no choice but to look up at the ceiling, only I saw something else instead.
“Hey, Kyon! No peeping!”
That was Haruhi yelling.
“Wah, whoa!”
That was probably Asahina panicking as she hopped backward. I swear to the gods that I saw nothing but leg.
“Are you going to lie there forever!? Get up!”
Haruhi grabbed my collar as I finally stood up.
“You’re such a perv, Kyon! Come back in 200,005,600 years if you want to sneak a peek at Mikuru’s underwear! I bet you did that on purpose. You did it on purpose, right?”
It was your fault for opening the door before you even finished warning us. This was an accident. It was an accident, Asahina, I was about to say, when something caught my eye. Anybody want to ask what that something was?
“Wah…”
What else but Asahina standing there with scarlet cheeks.
Red clothing lined in white, topped off by a red hat with a white pom-pom… was all Asahina had on as she gripped her short skirt with both hands and gazed at me with eyes that were teared up from embarrassment.
She made for an utterly perfect Santa without a single flaw. Thetrue identity of this Mikuru Asahina must be that of the granddaughter who’s taken over the family business from a senile old Santa Claus.
I’m willing to bet that eight out of ten people would believe that story. My little sister would certainly fall for it.
“Extremely lovely.”
Koizumi offered his impression.
“Forgive my use of a cliché, as I couldn’t come
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