The Rampage of Haruhi Suzumiya by Nagaru Tanigawa Read Free Book Online

desires, which she herself does not know, and grant her wish. I suppose we should be grateful that our memories are being reset. Or else we would have suffered mental breakdowns long ago.”
    Fifteen thousand four hundred ninety-eight times.
    Seriously? Isn’t Nagato just trying to fool us? Quite frankly, I find



this hard to believe. Still, I could certainly see Haruhi doing something like this, since I’ve seen her power, still an unsolved mystery, do some blockheaded things without her knowing. Doesn’t matter if she’s doing something consciously or unconsciously. The end result can only mean trouble for everybody else. 
    And since we continue to faithfully stick with Haruhi, you have to wonder if we’re some kind of overly nice goodwill organization. The SOS Brigade has some really good-tempered members. Though you know that the world’s gone off its rocker when I have a say in its fate.
    Besides, people like to assume that the world should be a certain way to which we absolutely must adhere, but in reality, that’s just a bunch of bull that ends up tailored to different ideologies. And since they don’t realize this, we find ourselves with people who blindly force their own ideals on other people. You might want to consider how future generations will view your actions in a thousand years or so.
    I was going off on a nice little tangent when Koizumi suddenly interrupted me.
    “I don’t know what Suzumiya’s looking for, but why don’t we try this? Embrace her from behind without warning and whisper, ‘I love you’ into her ear.”
    “Who’s supposed to do that?”
    “Would anyone be more suited for the role than you?”
    “I’m vetoing that idea. I pass.”
    “Shall I give it a try instead?”
    I had no way of seeing the look on my face at that moment, since I didn’t have a mirror handy. However, Koizumi could.
    “I merely jest. I wouldn’t be able to fulfill the role. It would only serve to confuse Suzumiya.”
    And with that, he began to chuckle in a grating tone.
    I fell silent again as I stared up at the radiant moon, the only visible light in a hazy summer sky.
    The silver disk, surrounded by engulfing darkness, almost seemed to beckon to me as it reflected brilliant sunlight. Beckon me where? Who knows?
    That was all I could think about as I watched Nagato stand perfectly still and look up into the sky.
       
    Summer wasn’t quite over yet, but our summer vacation was about to end. And yet, we couldn’t be entirely sure if it would ever end. Give me a break—seriously.
    We might find ourselves going back to August seventeenth. How are we supposed to figure out what’s still “left to be done” in Haruhi’s mind?
    What’s left? I haven’t touched the stack of homework that I’m supposed to do over summer vacation, but that shouldn’t have anything to do with Haruhi. Hell, she already finished her homework.
    “Where are we headed next?”
    “Let’s go to the batting center.”
    Haruhi was carrying an aluminum bat. The same beat-up bat she’d swiped from the baseball team way back when. The really old-looking one that seemed more suited for beating people to death than for hitting baseballs. Didn’t realize she still had it.
    Our brigade chief tossed back her hair as she flashed a million-dollar smile at all of us and led us to the batting center along the railroad tracks. I’m guessing that the inspiration for this came from watching high school baseball.
    I’m also guessing that the brigade members are taking turns being melancholic. Right now we have Asahina, who’s either blue or looking blue. Bad news for me, unfortunately. Guess she still wants to return to her original time.
    Nagato and Koizumi were more or less back to their usual selves, Noh-mask girl and smiley-face boy, as they walked behind me. They’re acting like this isn’t any of their responsibility. Could you at least pretend to look serious?
    “Sigh.”
    I exhaled and focused my eyes ahead on