The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya Page #11

It's cold.

My blood won't stop...

Crap.

I'm going to die...

Sorry, I could have helped out but I held back.

Don't worry though, it hurt for me, too.

Who is that?

I don't understand...

We'll deal with it from here on.

You just sleep.

Ah... damn...

Nagato...

I feel like I just saw an incredibly fascinating dream.

Oh, you've finally woken up?

You were in quite a deep sleep.

I would say good morning, but it's evening already.

I'm glad you've woken up.

I really was at a loss as to what to do.

You're looking rather confused...

Do you remember who I am?

Same to you, do you know who I am?

That's a strange question.

Of course I do.

When is this?

That's your first question after waking up?

You almost sound as though you're aware of what happened.

To answer your question, it's just past 4pm on December 21st.

The 21st...

Where is this?

A private hospital.

This is quite a fancy private room.

A friend of my uncle is a director here, so we got you special treatment...

...so the story goes.

And that is a complete lie.

Indeed.

I asked the Organization to step in.

You were unconscious for three days.

My superiors tore me apart for allowing this to happen to you under my watch.

I even have to write a formal apology.

Why was I hospitalized?

You said I was unconscious?

You don't remember?

I suppose that's to be expected.

You took a terrible strike to the head, after all.

Strangely enough, you didn't suffer any external injuries.

Your brain functions were perfectly fine too.

What happened? Tell me.

You fell down the stairs at school.

It was quite a magnificent fall, too.

Honestly, we all went pale.

The sound as you hit the ground was so horrific that we thought you had gone to sleep permanently.

So I fell down the stairs at school on the 18th...

It was terrible.

We called an ambulance and you were brought here, totally unconscious.

That's the first time I've ever seen Suzumiya-san go so pale.

The one who called the ambulance was Nagato-san.

Her levelheadedness saved you.

How did Asahina-san react?

As you'd probably imagine.

She clung onto you while crying and calling your name.

What time did this happen?

It was just after noon,

just as the whole SOS Brigade was about to go out shopping.

Shopping?

You don't remember that either?

Suzumiya-san proposed that we participate in a children's party on Christmas day that would be held in her area.

Doing whatever she wants, as always.

Suzumiya-san was to be Santa, and you accepted the role of the reindeer, after casting lots.

After that, we decided to make a reindeer costume, and were heading out to buy materials.

And as we left the clubroom and were going down the stairs,

you somehow fell down behind the rest of us.

That sounds really dumb.

Suzumiya-san said that she felt someone was at the top of the stairs.

She said she thought she saw the flutter of a skirt for a moment.

But at that point, we were the only ones left in the building.

It would seem it was a phantom girl.

We've been waiting for you to wake up so we can hear from you whether you were really pushed down or not.

I don't remember at all.

So apparently I was pushed down by a phantom girl.

I see...

At least it sounds consistent.

Is it just you here?

Why have you been looking around the room?

Might you be looking for someone?

We've been taking turns watching over you,

to make sure there was someone by your side when you woke up.

Your family has just gone back to get you a change of clothes.

What's that look supposed to mean?

I was just feeling a bit envious of you.

You could call it a bit of jealousy.

That's not something you'd say to someone in my situation.

We brigade members have been taking turns,

but the leader believed it to be her responsibility to keep watch over her members.

She's never left your side these three days.

We've been worried about you,

both me and her.

And especially that distressed look she had...

Well, I'll tell you about that another time.

For now, isn't there something you need to do?

Draw on her face?

I never thought of that.

Would you like to try it?

Yo.

Damn it, Kyon!

If you're going to wake up, tell me before you do!

I have to prepare myself, you know!

Haruhi.

Wipe off your drool.

You didn't draw anything on my face, did you?

Well, I wanted to.

So, do you have anything else to say?

It looks like I made you worry.

I'm sorry.

A-As long as you understand, it's fine.

Of course it's the job of the brigade chief to worry about her members!

Hello, Asahina-san.

Isn't that a bit much?

He just hit his head a little.

I knew he'd be fine.

There's no way this Kyon wouldn't wake up.

The SOS Brigade operates all year, after all.

Of course everyone has to be present!

I won't accept some lame excuse like hitting your head or going into a coma.

Got it?

Those three days of absence are going to cost you.

There's going to be a penalty for you!

And a late fee too!

I get it.

How much will this late fee be?

Three days of treating everyone at the caf.

And also...

And also?

You can dress up as a reindeer for the Christmas party and put on an act for us.

You'll keep it up till all of us are on the floor laughing!

If it's boring, I'll kick you into another dimension!

And while you're at it, you can perform for the kid's party too.

Got it?

Waking up was good in itself, but I couldn't just leave the hospital in that condition.

I had to stay another night so they could perform various examinations on me.

My mother and sister came to see me after hearing I woke up, and have already returned home.

I finally had some time alone to calm down and gather my thoughts.

If the world hadn't changed back, what would have happened?

Nagato, Asahina-san, and Koizumi would just be normal people.

Haruhi would be a slightly peculiar high school student.

However, I've already given my answer.

This world is fun because it's not normal.

If it weren't, all that trouble I went through, putting my life on the line to save it would have gone to waste.

"Sorry."

"I could have helped out but I held back."

"Don't worry though, it hurt for me, too."

"We'll deal with it from here on."

"You just sleep."

That sounds about right.

Yo.

Sorry, did I make you look for me?

No way that could happen, right?

I am responsible for everything that happened.

You knew all along, didn't you?

About how you would alter the world on December 18th.

Since April...

No, since three years ago, the whole time...

I knew.

Why didn't you say anything, then?

You could have told me anytime.

If you did, I would have done what I could.

Even if I had told you, once I became aberrant, I would have erased your memories regarding the incident and still altered the world.

Additionally, there is no guarantee that I did not indeed do that.

I could only guarantee that you would keep as much of your original state as possible when the 18th arrived.

You prepared the emergency escape program, didn't you?

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