Volume 8 - The Indignation of Suzumiya Haruhi Page 5

  “Though a little abuse of authority is permissible,” Koizumi said calmly, “please don’t get carried away. Even though we are covering for you, there is a limit.”

  “I know that. I won’t goof up like getting cocky with the teachers, or I’ll lose my hold on the executives’ sympathy. We should create an adequate reason to sweep out the noisy remnants of the old Student Council. Then there will be no one to defy me any longer.”

  The President was really getting into it. While he was talking nonsense, for some reason I felt a strange force pulling me in. I feel uncomfortable saying that this guy’s okay, but…….

  Suddenly, Tsuruya-san’s face came back to my mind as alarm klaxons went off. What she said to me when we bumped into each other in the corridor was now clear. That girl possessed such keen intuition, that she had perceived that the current President of the Student Council had a hidden side. The Student Council’s spy―――wasn’t me, but Koizumi, Tsuruya-san. And he was not just a spy; he was the mastermind.

  Though I’m not particularly concerned about how the President is taking advantage of his post and his predisposition for evil, if, by any chance, Haruhi realizes this, she might propose an immediate recall and recommend Tsuruya-san to be the next president. And I have a hunch that Tsuruya-san would charge right in alongside her with a burst of laughter. If that happens, Koizumi and I will automatically be pulled in to Haruhi’s side, and the President will be overthrown.

  I wish you luck with your shadow endeavors, Mister President. Just do as you please in the places that we do not see.

  Well, you probably planned on doing so even if I didn’t say it, and even though you’ll be playing a role that will frequently go against Haruhi, I hope you don’t make a mistake in choosing your angles.

  I got beside Koizumi after we left the room, and as we walked along the school corridor on our way back to the clubroom, I remembered something that I had to ask him.

  “As I understand it, the President is under your personal supervision. Then what about the secretary? That Kimidori-san, is she one of your colleagues?”

  “You are mistaken.”

  Koizumi, like it was nothing,

  “Kimidori-san had taken the secretary post before I even knew it. Truth is, she was already there when I had become aware of her, so I didn’t concern myself about it. At the early stages of the present Student Council, we had felt like we should appoint a different student as secretary. When we investigated it later, the records showed that she has been the secretary from the very beginning. In everyone’s memories as well. No one, including the President, had questioned it. Even if they had falsified everything, it was a falsification beyond common sense.”

  If it is beyond common sense, why don’t you speak with a little more surprise?

  “My surprise is to such an extent, that if something more surprising were to happen, I might have cardiac arrest.”

  As we leisurely walked on, Koizumi turned his face to the window in the corridor,

  “Kimidori Emiri-san is one of Nagato-san’s colleagues. There’s no mistaking that.”

  That’s just as I thought. Kimidori-san coming to us with a request at the time of the kamadouma; that’s just too much of a coincidence. If it was just that, I might have been convinced that the whole thing was just arranged by Nagato and that everything was good, but considering the current situation, our encounter back then was no accident. Thinking about what kind of colleague she is worries me.

  “There was also the case of Asakura Ryouko. There is, however, no need to worry about that point anymore. It seems like Kimidori-san and Nagato-san have a somewhat closer connection. At least they haven’t shown any hostility between each other.”

  I have an idea why. It didn’t appear like they were on good terms. But it didn’t seem like it was going to get worse.

  “We in the ‘Organization’ wanted to evaluate our intelligence gathering capability a little. Though they weren’t that many, the ‘Organization’ contacted some TFEI’s similar to Nagato-san, in an attempt to understand their intentions. While they were by no means cooperative, we were able to make some deductions based on bits and pieces of conversation. It seems like Kimidori-san was dispatched by a school within the Integrated Data Sentient Entity which is different from Nagato-san’s. However, it is different from Asakura Ryouko’s; we know that they aren’t aggressive.”

  I, having listened to Koizumi talk about that gossip, also had the same hunch, and since nothing was going to start anytime soon, neither Koizumi nor I were anxious.

  Despite knowing that even aliens must have diversity, for sure Kimidori-san is one. She seemed to warn Nagato, who had become absolutely furious in the Student Council room, to inaction, so she might be from a peaceable school.

  “That may be so. We concluded that there was no need to be overly conscious of her. What I think, is that Kimidori-san is Nagato-san’s chaperone. I do not know since when, but it seems she has settled into that role for now.”

  Koizumi spoke with his voice sounding like he was in the middle of an expedition to climb a mountain, so I left it at that. As for Nagato, various memories of her were inside me. If I could, I’d just go on keeping more and more of those things to myself. Even though we’re all members of the SOS Brigade, I’d rather not explain things to Koizumi often. But I could play back my memories any number of times even if I just recall things by myself.

  For some reason, I silently hurried on my way to the clubroom, and Koizumi also kept his mouth closed as he followed.

  If you input weird information in rapid succession, what you hear afterwards will surely remain.

  Therefore, I didn’t forget.

  That Haruhi, who had flown away after snatching Nagato, was probably inside.

  I went into idle thought about the outlaw President of the Student Council and Kimidori-san.

  As I opened the door to the Literature Club room, Haruhi’s thunderous voice brought me back from my daydreaming.

  “You’re late, Kyon! And Koizumi as well. What were you doing? Dangit, time is limited! You’d better start moving quickly!”

  She seemed so happy, it was like there was no limit to it at the moment. Haruhi had that look on her face that she gets, without fail, whenever she has decided to set her sights on whatever goal.

  “We’ve been frantically looking for the club journals the Literature Club had made. I asked Yuki but she said she didn’t know.”

  Nagato was sitting on an isolated seat by a corner of the table. What she had been staring at, was the screen of a notebook computer the Computer Club had left us.

  “Umm……”

  Asahina-san was fidgeting as she stood in her maid costume with a worried look on her face.

  “Is someone going to make a book? Is it us? If so, what might we be writing……?”

  I didn’t forget that either. Haruhi was going blindly into the making of the Literature Club’s journal as the Student Council President had told us to do. For Nagato’s sake. Nagato was the only member of the Literature Club, and the truth was that she had another face as the member of an illegal school organization that had been possessing their clubroom despite being outsiders. But since the chief of the brigade gave her the okay, it had become the collective responsibility of the SOS Brigade to make the club journal. So ultimately, a part of that responsibility will be certainly dumped on my head, and more than that, we wouldn’t be able to complete the club journal if somebody doesn’t write something, and that somebody does not exempt any brigade member, including me.

  “Now then, pick one.”

  Lying in Haruhi’s palm, were four folded scraps of paper. The paper lots were like those used for classroom seating assignments. Though I was doubtful about what these lots were going to decide, I picked one up with my fingers. Haruhi grinned just as I did.

  Koizumi looked amused, and Asahina-san was nervous as they each took a scrap of paper into their hands, and as Haruhi passed the last lot to Nagato,
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  “You will be writing what is written there. That will then be placed in the club journal. Once we’ve settled everything, you will immediately take your seats! It’s time to start writing!”

  As an unpleasant premonition went through the top of my head, I opened the paper lot that was made from a cut-up notebook page. Haruhi’s handwriting jumped out like a freshly-sliced fish that was served as-is.

  “Romance story.”

  Came from my mouth as I read it out loud. I was immediately plagued by agony. A romance story? Me? I have to write such a thing?

  “Right you are.”

  Said Haruhi, with a smile like a tactician that was taking advantage of a person’s weakness,

  “It’s been decided fair and square by lottery. I won’t accept any complaints. Well then, what are you doing, Kyon? Get in front of the computer right now.”

  I looked around, and there on the table were an adequate number of notebook computers that had been left in startup status. Although time and effort aren’t needed to prepare well, can we write quickly when you’ve only just told us to write?

  While I was considering the scrap of paper in my hand like it was a grenade with the pin pulled out,

  “Koizumi, what did you pick?”

  I asked as I looked for a way out, but while I was thinking that we could possibly switch,

  “Mystery…… is what I got.”

  Koizumi answered with his refreshing smile as before; his face did not look particularly worried. Then Asahina-san, with her face embarrassed as usual,

  “For me, it’s a fairy-tale. Fairy-tales are aimed at children, so, um, will a bedtime story do?”

  You don’t have to answer that even if you heard me. But, from a mystery to a fairy-tale? Between those and a romance story, which would you prefer?

  I turned my attention to Nagato. As Nagato quietly opened her scrap of paper, she noticed my look, and lightly turned her wrist to show me Haruhi’s lively handwriting. What she had written there was “fantasy horror.”

  Though I didn’t know what the difference was between a fantasy horror and a mystery,

  “I’m relieved that it’s not a romance story at least. Because if it were me, I don’t think I could write something like that.”

  Koizumi said, as if he were trying to tweak my nerve, and made an obvious show of being relieved. I want to know the secret to how you can act so relaxed.

  “That is simple. In my case, there were the mystery games that we conducted in the summer of last year and winter of this year, which I could treat as real events and novelize. After all, those were my scenarios from the start.”

  Koizumi coolly turned to the table, and loosened his expression as he began working on the notebook computer. Nagato lowered her eyes to the liquid crystal while keeping perfectly still. She could’ve been pondering what a fantasy horror was, or maybe she was just thinking about Kimidori-san.

  There was no need for explanations, but panic marks were swirling within Asahina-san’s eyes as she went all nervous, and I was probably the same. Then I thought about it more. There were only four scrap paper lots. And the SOS Brigade had five members.

  “Haruhi.”

  I said, standing like an image of the two Deva kings after inhaling some laughing gas,

  “What are you going to write?”

  “Oh yeah, what I’m going to write.”

  Haruhi sat at the chief’s desk, and raised an arm band that had been prepared in advance.

  “But you see, there’s a much more important job for me. Listen up. A lot of work goes into the making of a book. There has to be someone who will handle all the supervision. And I’ll be the one who’s going to do that.”

  Haruhi, after swiftly putting on the arm band, declared as she puffed out her chest in pride.

  “For one week starting today, I will be temporarily sealing my role as the Brigade Chief. Since this is the Literature Club, a different position is appropriate.”

  The brightly shining new arm band told the whole story.

  And thus Haruhi arbitrarily selected herself to be the Editor-in-Chief, ignoring the bewildered Asahina-san and me as she flamboyantly spoke.

  “Okay then, everyone! Get to work at once! You’ll be writing anyhow, so no grumbling! And it better be amusing!”

  Haruhi laid back in the chief’s seat as she stretched out her legs, and lorded over the miserable brigade members.

  “Of course, if I don’t find it amusing, then it’s no good.”

  So―――

  In the week following that day, we stationed ourselves in the Literature Club room, and for that matter, we were diligently working on a Literature-Club-like activity.

  Running bravely on the forefront was Asahina-san. Although it’s been decided that a fairy tale suits her, if someone were told to write without warning and that someone started writing without any objections, then it would be simple for anyone to become a fairy tale writer.

  Still, Asahina-san was a hard worker. With an earnest face, she would read from a mountain of books she had borrowed from the library, stick post-its anywhere and everywhere, and then diligently push her pencil.

  Haruhi, meanwhile, was grinning as she gazed through a doujinshi she had borrowed from the Manga Club as a resource material.

  Asahina-san was steadily submitting manuscripts, and Haruhi steadily kept on rejecting them.

  “Hmm.”

  As Haruhi hummed, she continued to read the manuscript that Asahina-san, who was growing weak, had submitted who knows how many times,

  “It’s a lot better, but it still lacks impact. Ah, that’s it, Mikuru-chan, go and add in some drawings. Make it feel more like a picture book. People will be attracted with just one quick look, and you’ll bring out the flavor that text alone cannot.”

  “Drawings?”

  Asahina-san seemed to weep at the additional, unreasonable demand. However, to overturn something Editor-in-Chief Haruhi has suggested even once is no ordinary feat, so Asahina-san gave in once more and wearily started drawing.

  The all-too sincere Asahina-san, went to the Art Club and attended a lecture on sketching, then continued on to the Manga Club to study how to write four panel comics, showing perseverance without saying anything more, and since making tea is naturally difficult, I had to silently sip on tasteless green tea that Koizumi and I had made, and passed the time in inactivity.

  And so, there’s no romance story yet. But if it were a cat observation diary, I’d have as much material as I need.

  Only Koizumi was harmoniously making progress with his pen, as Nagato occasionally hit some keys. Though her high speed touch typing during the game war was unbelievable, it seems like she wasn’t having much success transforming the information in her head into words. I began to think whether there were some reason for her silence, but all the same, the fantasy horror that Nagato was writing was pulling on my interest, so I peered into her display,

  “…………”

  Nagato quickly turned the notebook computer sideways, protecting the display from my eyes, and expressionlessly looked up.

  Come on, just a little bit.

  “No.”

  Nagato said in a small voice, and every time I tried to look, she would change the angle with perfect timing. No matter how many times I tried, it was impossible. That just got me a little more interested, and a little while later, I tried jumping out from behind Nagato, but I could not surpass Nagato’s reflexes, and finally,

  “…………”

  Nagato pierced me with a silent look from the side, and I was easily repelled. Returning to my own seat, I went back to monitoring the white screen of the word processor where not a single character had been written―――.

  Well, the events that were unfolding in this club room, were how these past few days had felt like.

  Things came to something of an impasse, but even though it had become a sort of flying sensation, a change of pace came at the same time as Asahina-san gave an advan
ced introduction of her fairy-tale picture book.

  Having been continually rejected by Editor-in-Chief Haruhi, and then having drawings added under orders, Asahina-san’s work continually troubled her, so when I saw her agonizing over word selection, I had to throw in my suggestions, and finally, it was completed after the Editor-in-Chief put in her own revisions.

  Well, I’ll give it a look for the time being.

  ①

  It was not so long ago, but it was a story from before the present.

  Deep in the forest of a certain small country, there was a lone mountain cabin.

  And there lived Snow White together with the Seven Dwarves.

  Snow White had not been driven out, but had run away from the castle by herself and come here. Life in the castle was not so interesting to her, it seems. Since it was a small country and she was their princess, they had decided to make use of her by arranging a marriage of convenience. Isn’t that detestable? Snow White thought so, too.

  However, she was slowly getting tired of living in the forest as well.

  Thanks to the Dwarves, I don’t have to worry about food, clothing, or shelter, and I’ve become good friends with the animals in the forest, but I wonder if the castle is doing well by itself, she came to think.

  Those egotistic words just jumped out, but the castle was filled with nothing but good people. On the date when the arranged marriage was supposed to happen, the Small Country had to take hostages and form alliances just so they could get strong enough to survive.

  ②

  At around the same time, a mermaid who was swimming in a beach near the forest had just rescued a prince who had been left abandoned on a shipwreck.

  The mermaid moved the Prince to the shore, but the unconscious Prince just kept on sleeping. He didn’t wake up no matter what she did. The worried mermaid then made up her mind to take him to where Snow White was.