There must be something in Haruhi's words that kicked me subconsciously. Just what is it, what is it, what is it~
"Are you all right?"
Somebody was saying something. Koizumi's words should offer hints, as well. Something that keeps getting delayed and has me worrying about...
Haruhi was off her seat and ready to dash home like a hurricane. She couldn't leave, or there would be no change to our situation. Have I done anything in the past to twist the scenario? Scene after scene ran past me like a slideshow. Everything we had done within the last two weeks...
And- things we had not done.
There was no time to think. I had to say something. How trivial matters not, just say it!
"My problems aren't over!"
I must clarify: that's not shouting. Looking at it with a cool head later, that would be an instant burnt in and erased from the hippocampus. The surrounding customers and staff, as well as Haruhi, who was at the automatic door, turned their heads around and looked at me.
Words came pouring out of my mouth straight from my head.
"That's right, it's homework!"
Everyone in the shop was shocked once more with my loud declaration.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Haruhi stepped toward me as if looking at a maniac.
"Your issue? Homework?"
"I haven't done a thing for the summer assignment that we were given. If that doesn't get done, I can't let summer end."
"Are you nuts?"
She showed a look of utter distaste for idiots. Who cares, who cares?!
"Oy! Koizumi!"
"Yes, what is it?"
Koizumi seemed to have gotten a fright.
"How about you?"
"Not at all, since we have been running about through this summer. I have about half left."
"Let's do this together, then. Nagato as well, you wouldn't have it done!"
Before Nagato could answer, I extended my hand to Asahina-san, whose mouth was as wide open as a marionette doll in a puppet show.
"Asahina-san, why don't you tag along as well? Let's get the summer assignment behind us once and for all."
"Ehh..."
Asahina-san was a sophomore, so her work was different from ours, although that had no importance right now.
"But... But... Whe... Where to?"
"Come to my place. Bring your notes and your books and we can talk amongst ourselves while doing it. Nagato, Koizumi, let me copy whatever you two got done."
Koizumi nods.
"Nagato, you in?"
"Yes."
The half-beat kappa head nodded and stared at me.
"All right! See you all tomorrow! Let's get started in the morning. We should be able to rush through it all in a day."
Just as I held my fist high with an ego to match-
"Hold it right there!"
Haruhi, full of pride and with her hands stuck to her waist, came back to the side of the table.
"Don't you decide this on your own! I am the chief! You better ask me if it is OK to do something! Kyon, any member making decisions on his own accord commits a serious offense of the brigade rules!"
With that out of her lungs, Haruhi glared at me and shrieked:
"Count me in!"
It was now the morning after.
I think I have it right. As I got up from my bed, I knew that we were out of the woods.
I knew this because I remembered that I had come back from the countryside when O-bon was over, and I could also recall memories of August from the pool and cicada hunts and so forth. Of all those memories to boot, the best of them would be yesterday's date, clearly in my mind right now.
Yesterday was the thirty-first of August, and today was the first of September.
My freshest memories revealed to me that, on the last day of summer, I hosted the SOS Brigade crunch fest in this room. I recall that feeling of dazed fatigue well. It was exhausting enough having to copy down all the notes, so I can only dread the magnitude of the work had I been left to my own devices. When I hit the bunks yesterday night, my brain was sure of one thing, that being that my HP, MP, and LIMIT bars were so low that just one swing would be enough to knock me out cold in my bed.
Yesterday, Haruhi took her pile of summer assignments to my room and shot a cold look at me, knee deep in work with my automatic pencil. Koizumi, Nagato, and Asahina-san then played with my little sister.
"Don't just plagiarize."
Haruhi continued as she was pressing the buttons on the controller and gaming with my sister:
"Paraphrase a bit, make sure you take extra steps with the equations as well. The teachers aren't all idiots. Math teacher Yoshizaki in particular likes to go after the gritty details. That said, Yoshizaki's solutions aren't exactly strokes of genius."
Having five people plus my sister in my room was cramped enough as it was, but adding my mom, who kept delivering lunches, desserts, and juice, only added fuel to my fire. Unlike most of us, who were close to getting carpal tunnel from all the wrist movements, Haruhi was having a great time. Just look at her! The higher-ups must look upon peons with that same smile on their face. Who knows if she's in over her head. Haruhi actually decided to offer input on Asahina-san's short essay. If Asahina-san comes home with a "C," we can blame it squarely on Haruhi...
As the trip down memory lane came to an end, I crawled my way out of bed.
Today was a brand new beginning in a brand new term, I guess.
This was the first time in my life that I had looked forward to the coming of the new term.
Class had ended. The principal's lecture was over, as was the short class meeting. Today was the first of September. I asked while in class, "What day is it?" with Taniguchi and Kunosaki giving me a look of pity. I guess it really is the first of September.
Because the cafeteria and the convenience store had yet to open, Haruhi headed off to the restaurant outside the schoolyard for her dining needs. The clubroom was occupied by me and Koizumi.
"Suzumiya-san is a maestro of the Renaissance. No doubt that she was remarkable from her infancy, so this summer assignment is not a burden of any sort to her. Such a remarkable personality would not fathom having to share the work with her friends, as it is pointless given her ability to single-handedly complete the tasks at hand."
Having heard Koizumi's explanation, I pulled the collapsible chair over to the windowpane. We were in the clubroom of the Literature Club. Today was orientation day, so we could've packed our bags and left, but I just felt like taking a detour in the clubroom, only to find Koizumi tagging along. The scariest and the most important thing is that Nagato was not with us. Although she didn't show it, the summer break must have been incredibly weary for her.
There was a change at hand over the cicada's territorial control. Higurashi were taking over the brown cicadas. Summer was over, that I was sure of. However-
"It's like a dream! We've been through the end of August for fifteen thousand somewhat odd times."
"It would not be baseless to think as such."
Koizumi started to shuffle the deck with his beaming smile.
"There is no common memory between us that existed within those fifteen thousand four hundred and ninety seven fortnights. They don't exist on the same time axis. Only we who have advanced in the fifteen thousand four hundred and ninety eight iterations have returned to the time stream."
That might be so, but I have received definite hints, those being the sense of familiarity that struck me so many times, especially that last wave that hit me. Maybe the gifts from "us" of the previous loops stuck in the moment. Would it be odd to say that's in the past? Whether it'd be before or in the beginning, time is just like tigerskin melted down to butter as it twirls round and round.
Well, it is thanks to the me in the thousands of repeats that the me of today can be back on track. If I don't think this way, then thousands upon thousands of summer days, courtesy of Haruhi, would've seemingly been wasted.
Not to mention the eight thousand seven hundred and sixty-nine mes who felt this "reset."
"Want to play poker?"
Koizumi started to hand out the cards like an amateur magician. It wouldn't hurt to entertain him.
"Fine, what will it be? Forget it if it's a money game."
"Then no money."
I only win big when winning doesn't matter. Royal flush! That's a first.
I swore in the back of my mind that if this day were to be repeated, I would be betting bucks for sure.
(Endless Eight end)