I was seeing red again. Damn bitch. Let me go, Koizumi. Doesn’t matter if you’re dealing with animals or humans, anyone who refuses to listen deserves to be socked. Or else she’ll spend the rest of her life as a prickly moron that everybody avoids.

“Pl-pl… please stop!” Asahina jumped in, speaking in a slurred voice. “You mustn’t. Mustn’t fight…”

Asahina, who had come between Haruhi and me, collapsed to the ground, face bright red. She put her arms around Haruhi’s knees.

“Uh… hic. Everybody has to get along together… Or else… hmm—Oh, that’s classified.”

And with that, Asahina’s eyes closed as she mumbled. And then her breathing grew regular as she fell asleep.

Koizumi and I were walking down the hill. We could see the pond we had been using below us.

The actress was no longer employable, so filming was called off. After leaving the sleeping Asahina in the hands of Tsuruya, Koizumi and I along with Nagato retired from the mansion, but for some reason Haruhi insisted on staying behind by herself, took the video camera from me, and turned her back on us. I didn’t say a word as I gathered up our belongings. Tsuruya saw us off.

“Sorry, Kyon,” Tsuruya said apologetically, but she soon smiled. “I got a little carried away there! Don’t worry about Mikuru. I’ll send her home later. Or she can even stay the night!”

Nagato trudged off the second she was through the gate. Doesn’t seem like she has anything to say about all of this. That’s how she is anyway. She never has anything to say about anything.

After five minutes of walking by my side silently, Koizumi opened his mouth.

“I expected you to be a more composed person.”

That’s what I thought too.

“We already have enough irregularities in the real world to deal with. I would rather you refrain from any actions that would lead to the creation of closed space.”

Like I care. Isn’t that what the fishy-sounding secret “Agency” or whatever is for? You people can deal with it.

“In regard to the prior incident, it would appear that Suzumiya was unconsciously restraining herself. Closed space has not appeared anywhere. This is a request from me. Please make amends with her tomorrow.”

I decide what I’m going to do. I’m not going to do something because you told me to.

“Well, what’s important now is to think about what to do about any effect she has had in real space.”

Koizumi shamelessly changed the subject. I went along with it.

“Can’t really do any thinking about it. I have no idea what’s wrong with what.”

“The theory is simple. Whenever Suzumiya has an idea, there is a ripple effect in the real world. Isn’t that how it’s been?”

I recalled the blue giants wreaking havoc in the gray world.

“Whenever Suzumiya says something, we have to respond accordingly. After all, that is our role in this world.”

I remembered the glowing red balls. Koizumi spoke in a confident voice as he strolled along.

“We serve as Haruhi Suzumiya’s tranquilizer. Her sedative.”

“Well… guess that would apply to you.”

“It also applies to you.”

The mysterious former transfer student continued to smile.

“Closed space is our primary workplace. You are responsible for the real world. If you can keep Suzumiya calmed down, closed space will not appear. As a result of your efforts, my workload has decreased significantly in the past six months. I should thank you.”

“Don’t bother.”

“Is that so? Then I won’t.”

We reached the road at the bottom of the hill. Koizumi broke the silence again.

“Incidentally, there’s somewhere I’d like you to come with me right now.”

“If I refuse?”

“We will reach the location shortly. You won’t need to do anything there. Of course, this is not an invitation to closed space.”

Koizumi abruptly raised his arm. A familiar black taxi came to a stop next to us.

“As I was saying.”

Koizumi leaned against the backseat of the taxi. I stared at the back of the driver’s head.

“At the present, there is a pattern to the situations involving you and Suzumiya. The basic framework involves you and the rest of us brigade members actualizing Suzumiya’s whims.”

“It’s a pain.”

“Indeed. However, we do not know how long the status quo will be maintained. A repetition of events is most likely one of Suzumiya’s peeves.

“Though she appears to be having fun right now,” continued Koizumi with a smile that lacked any sense of urgency.

“We must strive to keep Suzumiya’s quirks within the contents of the movie.”

“If you want to become a baseball player, you start by practicing swinging. If you want to become a shogi or go player, you start by memorizing rules. If you want to score the highest on final exams, you should start by having the resolve to stay awake all night with your eyes glued to your textbook. In other words, different methods can be applied to the concept of hard work. However, what kind of hard work is needed to eliminate Haruhi’s mental delusions?

“If you tell her to stop, there’ll be a mass outbreak of that stupid aggravating gray space. But if you just go along with her fantasies, there’s a possibility they’ll become reality.

“Either way leads to an extreme result. Does she not understand the concept of moderation? Well, I suppose that’s what makes Haruhi Suzumiya Haruhi Suzumiya.”

I noticed that you could see more green in the scenery outside the car. The taxi was driving a snaking uphill road. It led to the mountain the bus had taken us to yesterday.

Eventually, the car came to a stop in an empty parking lot. It was for visitors to the shrine. The shrine where Haruhi had turned a gun on the priest and doves yesterday. That’s odd. There should be more people here on Sunday.

Koizumi exited the taxi first.

“Do you remember what Suzumiya said yesterday?”

“Like I’m going to remember every random thing she’s said.”

“You’ll remember once we’re there. Let’s head inside.” He then added, “It was already like this in the morning.”

We ascended the stone stairs. We passed through here yesterday. The gate’s at the top and there’s a gravel path that leads to the shrine and that’s where the flock of doves…

“…” was my reaction.

There were doves bustling all around. A flock of birds pecking at the ground like a moving carpet. However, I couldn’t be sure that these were the same doves as yesterday.

That would be because every single feather on the mass of doves was completely white.

“… Did someone paint them?”

In just one night.

“There is no doubt that the white feathers on these doves are completely natural. They are the result of neither dyeing nor bleaching.”

“Maybe they were really scared by Haruhi. Or someone brought a whole bunch of white doves and replaced the park birds.”

“Infeasible. Who would so such a thing?”

Just throwing the idea out there. I’ve already come to my own conclusion. I just don’t want to say it aloud.

This is what Haruhi said yesterday: I’d prefer doves that are completely white, but I’m willing to take any color at this point.

Obviously, she wasn’t.

“That’s how it is. This must be the result of an unconscious act by Suzumiya. We are fortunate that it happened a day later.”

Possibly expecting us to feed them, the rustling doves came over to us. There weren’t any other worshippers around.

“As you can see, Suzumiya’s rampage is steadily progressing. The ill practices from the film production are advancing into the real world.”

Wasn’t Asahina shooting rays and wires from her eyes enough?

“Can’t we just shoot Haruhi with a tranquilizer and let her sleep until the cultural festival’s over?”

Koizumi responded to my proposal with a chuckle.

“It’s plausible, but would you be willing to handle the aftermath when she wakes up?”

“No thanks.”

It’s not my duty to provide such service.

Koizumi shrugged. “What do we do then?”

“Isn’t she God? You fanatics can deal with it.”

Koizumi feigned a look of surprise.

“Suzumiya is God? My, who said such a thing?”

“You did?”

“Is that so?”

This guy’s the one I should punch in the face.

Koizumi laughed and delivered his usual “Just kidding” before moving on.

“The fact of the matter is, I see no problem with labeling Suzumiya as ‘God.’ The general view within the Agency is to regard her as ‘God.’ Of course, there are dissidents. I would consider myself a skeptic as well. What I’m trying to say is that if she truly were God, she would not be living in this world, unaware of that fact. A Creator should be high above, performing occasional miracles and watching calmly as we scurry around.”

I squatted down and picked up a feather that had fallen. I then began twirling the feather. The cries of the doves grew louder. Sorry, I didn’t bring any bread crumbs.

“This is what I believe.”

Koizumi was still talking to himself.

“Suzumiya was granted divine powers, and she is unaware of that fact. If a divine being really exists in this world, then Suzumiya would be a special human chosen by God. But she would still be human.”

“I don’t think it makes much difference whether she’s human or not. Still, why does Haruhi unconsciously possess such baseless magical power? Enough to turn doves white? What’s it for? Who’s it for?”

“I haven’t slightest idea. I do not know. Perhaps you do?”

Is he trying to pick a fight?

“Excuse me,” Koizumi chuckled before continuing.

“Suzumiya builds, but at the same time, she destroys. Perhaps, our current reality was a failed effort. And perhaps Haruhi Suzumiya is the existence who has been given the mission of correcting this failed world.”

Keep going.

“Which would mean that we are mistaken. Suzumiya is always in the right. We who interfere with her actions would be considered alien elements to this world. That’s not all. In fact, every human besides Suzumiya would be mistaken.”

Huh. Sounds bad, eh.

“The problem would be for those of us on the wrong side. When the world is reconstructed in its correct form, will we be a part of the new world? Will we be removed as bugs? Nobody knows the answer.”

Don’t say anything if you don’t know the answer. Especially not in a tone that makes it sound like you know what you’re talking about.

“But you could say, in a way, that she has been unable to effectively reconstruct the world. That would be because her conscious is suited to create. Suzumiya is a very positive person. However, what do you think would happen if that were reversed?”

It didn’t look like he was going to shut up. I gave up and asked, “What will happen?”

“We don’t know. However, it is easier to destroy than to create. I don’t believe in that, so it should vanish. That’s all it takes. Just like that, whatever she’s referring to would cease to exist. She can cancel everything. It doesn’t matter how strong a foe may appear, Suzumiya needs only to deny its existence and it will be destroyed. Be it magic or advanced technology. Regardless of what it may be.”

“But Haruhi wouldn’t reject it. Since that’s what she’s been waiting for.”

“That is why we are concerned,” Koizumi murmured in a voice that didn’t sound very concerned. “I doubt we have any way of knowing whether Suzumiya is a god or a similar existence of some sort, but there is one thing we can be certain of. If she were to freely use her power, it would not matter if the world changed or not because no one would realize it. That’s quite impressive. After all, Suzumiya herself would not realize it.”

“Why?”

“Because Suzumiya is part of the world. Evidence that she is not the Creator. The God who created this world should be outside of it. However, she lives in the same world as the rest of us. And the fact that she can only cause incomplete changes is unnatural and extremely bizarre.”

“From where I’m standing, you’re the bizarre one.”

Koizumi ignored me and continued.

“However, I am quite fond of the world we live in. A number of social contradictions exist, but humans should be able to deal with them over the course of time. The problem would be if there were a change such as Ptolemaic theory becoming accurate and the sun orbiting Earth. We must do what we can to prevent Suzumiya from believing such things. You returned from closed space because you were of a similar opinion, correct?”

I dunno. Beats me. I forgot already. I’ve locked away past memories I don’t want to remember.

Koizumi smiled thinly. A self-mocking sort of smile.

“I spoke out of character. I must have sounded like a defender of justice convinced that we were protecting the world. Please excuse my outburst.”