It was supposed to be fall already, but the temperature had yet to cool. I guess Earth finally went senile and forgot to change the season in Japan to fall. The summer heat appeared set to continue diligently into extra innings with no end in sight. It would stick around forever unless someone hit a walk-off home run. Though I got the feeling that by that point, fall would be long gone and we’d be into winter.
Haruhi told us that it might take a while, so we grabbed our book bags as we left school. I wondered where Haruhi was headed as she rapidly descended the hill. I really doubt we can find a sponsor willing to donate money for a high school original movie. Maybe if we were a research society, but we’re an absolutely pointless, unexplained group that’s existed for over half a year despite the fact that we don’t know why we’re here. I wouldn’t be surprised if nobody even opened their door for us.
After we reached the bottom of the hill, we boarded the local line of the private railway and got off at the third station. We were near the cherry-tree-lined path where Asahina and I had taken a stroll. I saw a huge department store as well as a shopping district. A relatively busy place.
With Asahina and me in her tracks, Haruhi headed straight into the shopping district.
“Here.”
The place Haruhi pointed to after she had finally stopped was an electronics store.
“I see,” I said. Apparently, she intends to wrangle the equipment for filming the movie out of this place.
How?
“Hold on. I’m going to go negotiate.”
Haruhi handed me her bag and walked into the glass-walled store.
Asahina hid behind me, looking fearfully into the store illuminated by the lighting display, like a shy grade-schooler visiting a friend’s house for the first time. I was all pumped up to protect Asahina this time, observing Haruhi’s back as she waved and then began talking to a middle-aged man who looked to be the manager. If Haruhi even remotely looks like she’s about to do anything fishy, I’ll take Asahina under my arm and run for it.
On the other side of the glass, Haruhi was talking while pointing to some item on display, then to herself, and then to the guy. And the guy was just nodding. I should probably warn him not to acquiesce so readily.
Eventually, Haruhi spun around and pointed to the two of us, who were standing outside the glass door ready to escape at a moment’s notice. She then smiled like she’d eaten some weird ’shrooms and returned to her animated speech.
“I wonder what she’s doing….,” Asahina—hiding behind me to the side—said questioningly as she repeatedly stuck her face out for a peek before drawing it back.
If someone from the future doesn’t know, there’s no way I would.
“Beats me. She’s probably telling the guy to give her his most advanced digital handheld video camera free of charge.”
She’s a girl capable of saying stuff like that with a straight face. One slip and you’ll have her thinking that the world revolves around her.
I sighed. “What a pain.”
I recall posing a query to Nagato not too long ago.
Haruhi believes her values and judgment to be absolute. And it’s certain that she has no idea that other people, actually most people, may think or feel differently. If you want to achieve faster-than-light travel, let Haruhi on your spaceship. She’ll just simply ignore the theory of relativity for you.
When I mentioned this to Nagato, the reticent pseudo-alien responded with the following.
“Your belief is most likely correct.”
One of Nagato’s more meaningful sentences. A joke that wasn’t funny. That is the existence of Haruhi Suzumiya.
“Ah, it looks like they’re done talking.” Asahina’s hushed voice brought me out of my flashback.
As expected, Haruhi emerged from the electronics store looking very pleased. She was carrying a small box in her hands. I looked at the product photo next to the large logo of a well-known electronics maker. If I wasn’t mistaken, it looked like a video camera.
“What kind of threats did you make? Hand it over or I’ll set fire to the place? Boycott the store? Send prank faxes all night? Go into a violent tantrum on the spot? Self-destruct without any warning?”
“Are you retarded? I wouldn’t use those kinds of blackmail tactics.”
Haruhi was merrily walking under the canopy of the shopping district.
“The first step was a success. Everything’s going well.”
I walked after her, forced to carry the box containing the video camera, as I watched her straight hair swaying across her back.
“I’m asking how you got such an expensive item for free. Are you holding something over him?”
Yeah, the first thing she said after leaving the store was “Got it.” If he’s giving away stuff, hook me up. What are the magic words?
Haruhi looked back with a grin on her face. “Nothing special. I said that I wanted to film a movie, so give me a camera, and the guy was like sure and gave it to me. No problem at all.”
No problem now maybe, but I have a feeling there will be a problem later on. Or do I just worry too much?
“Stop getting worked up over every little thing. You just need to work enthusiastically as my servant.”
Unfortunately, it felt as though last spring, I had accidentally gotten on a ship with the word Titanic written across its side. I wanted to send out an SOS at one point, but I regret to say that I don’t know Morse code. First of all, I don’t have the temperament to just generously be anyone’s servant.
“Come on, let’s go to the next store!”
Haruhi walked off energetically, arms swinging, amid the crowd of shoppers. I exchanged a look with Asahina before running after Haruhi as she faded into the distance at a pace you’d expect from someone participating in a speed-walking race.
The next place Haruhi visited was a model shop.
Asahina and I were left outside again as Haruhi engaged in negotiations. I was beginning to understand. When Haruhi pointed at us through the glass, she was actually pointing to Asahina. Like she meant for Asahina to perform some kind of action to serve as payment through services. Asahina, completely oblivious to that fact, was curiously staring at the diorama in the display case. Should I tell her?