Disclaimer: I do not own the 'Haruhi Suzumiya' series, and this fan-fiction is non-profit. All credit goes to Nagaru Tanigawa, Kadokawa Shoten, and Kyoto Animation. Please support the original source material.

Doppel-kun and Clone-chan

Act 1: For Want of a Nail

Part 2

I am seated in a familiar café, a cup of the usual black coffee in front of me. With me is a congregation of supernatural entities. A humanoid data-interface, a timid time traveller, an Esper working for a mysterious organization, and lastly, a reality warper of sorts. Business, as usual.

My posture is intentionally congruent to the shape of my chair, as Haruhi developed a habit of rebuking me when my posture slacked, lecturing me about professional behaviour during Brigade meetings. Hypocrisy. My accuser is now leaning back on her chair, her feet up on the table, her eyes daring me to say one word.

Aside from Haruhi and her fundamental weirdness, the café, as usual, has a peaceful atmosphere. Customers aside from us are a rarity. It is quiet in here, giving the place a library feel. Nagato is at home here. She is sipping on a tall glass of juice with a lime green colour. The slight movement of her eye lids (going from half-lidded to one-thirds lidded) hints at her enjoyment of the beverage. Lying flat on the table is an unopened book, because Nagato is not Nagato if she doesn't have at least one book in her possession. To her right is Asahina-san. There is not much to say about Asahina-san except that she's lovely as always. Auburn hair done up in an elegant bun. A pink blouse underneath a sky blue shawl cardigan. Simple, white skirt that cut above her knees. Lovely. Too lovely. Next to her is Koizumi. My mood instantly sours.

A peaceful café, and in it, individuals possessing supernatural qualities. A stark contrast apparent only to me, a reluctant tag-along in this strange tale revolving around the intrepid Suzumiya Haruhi.

In this place, with these people, I am here.

Although, due to Haruhi's unceasing rebukes, I am starting to wish that I am not.

"Kyon, tuck in that shirt of yours. One mustn't dress so sloppily in the audience of a superior officer."

And what right did she have to call herself an officer? She possessed neither a badge nor certification. She must've seen some law enforcement themed T.V. drama yesterday night, fuelling yet another delusion.

"As a matter of fact, I did watch a documentary of our country's national police force. It was a fascinating review of the topics Okabe-sensei touched on in yesterday's Social Studies class. Although, I suppose you have no clue about that seeing how you drifted off in class, hm? Would you like to tell us about that?"

"I invoke my right to remain silent."

"Unfortunately for you, I am a corrupt cop with a penchant for sadistic behaviour."

"What sort of setting is this? Are we in the 80's when corruptness in the police force was abundant?"

"How naïve of you, to assume that police corruptness is a thing of the past. I'm sure that there are still some rotten apples amongst the current justice system."

"If there are any rotten apples to be found, I'm sure it'd be you. Just you."

"I'd find a suitable punishment for that treacherous remark, if you weren't paying for my lunch already."

"…"

Ah, what a one-sided verbal onslaught. I feel so ashamed that I just might cry.

"Yes, yes, cry away. It is my victory, after all."

This exchange continues until Haruhi feels satisfied. In my defeat, that is.

"Anyways, let's start the meeting!"

The meeting, of course, is as usual. Supernatural this, spreading the Brigade name that, and so on and so forth. I feel that my participation is neither needed nor is it wanted, so I seclude myself in my thoughts.

Naturally, I think about Clone-chan.

She is with Imouto. Somehow or other, I managed to convince my little sister that my female self was a long lost cousin. This convenient lie would make most people suspicious, but my little sister's childish mind couldn't put two and two together. Now, I'm not implying that my little sister is mentally deficient, but she is a bit of a late bloomer in terms of maturity. I mean, maybe it's unfair to compare her with a child who matured too early for her own good. Of course, I am referring to Imotou's best friend, Miyokichi. By the way, Miyokichi is also in my house right now, playing with Imouto. I put Clone-chan in charge of watching the two, though I'm more concerned about Imouto than her reliable friend. Clone-chan knows this as well. Right now she is on Imouto watch duties, a dangerous role if handled by an amateur. All older siblings will know what I'm talking about. So all older siblings please salute our comrade in our arms who sacrificed herself so little old me can play around with the Brigade. God speed, Clone-chan!

With that said, I have better things to do than attending this so-called meeting of Haruhi's. This meeting is important, she claims, and different from the rest, but it really is the usual, just more of Haruhi's exaggerated claims about the Brigade's reputation spreading worldwide. I mean, okay, so maybe the Brigade did procure a little bit of recognition in the local spectrum. But not for the reason Haruhi suspects. Word has gotten around that there is a high school club with three bishoujos in it (and one bishounen plus some other guy who just hangs around). More than an organization searching the world for mysteries, the general populous saw the S.O.S. Brigade as some sort of up-and-coming Idol group, a remnant from Haruhi's performance on the last culture festival, perhaps?

Now, please keep this a secret from Haruhi. Despite how she is at times, she really does give her all for the Brigade, and she'd be distraught to see how her efforts turned out. This dedication of hers is something that I've come to admire. And yes, I'll confess, I admire Suzumiya Haruhi, Well, at least, I admire the part of her that works hard for the sake of the Brigade.

There are times when I even forget that she is Haruhi. Now, that makes it seem as if being a Haruhi is a bad thing, but let me tell you that the Haruhi adjective is a complicated one. It's all in the context, really. When you happen to hear someone say, "You're such a Haruhi", don't forget to take a closer look at the interaction. Is the initial speaker muttering under their breath with a sour look in their face while complaining about how selfish and thoughtless the other person, the subject labelled as a 'Haruhi', is? Or is there a good mood between the parties involved. Perhaps the subject is working hard in their own way and the initial speaker has a proud smile on their face. 'You never cease to impress me. What Haruhi-like behaviour'. You see, 'Haruhi' can mean many things.

"Haruhi you are so Haruhi right now. Keep it up."

"Wha-? Excuse me?"

It is rather troubling that the origin herself is not aware of the adjective derived from her name. Perhaps a linguistics expert such as I should educate her.

Or not. Maybe I should stop fooling around, huh?

"Don't worry about it, Haruhi. Excuse me for my Haruhi-ness."

"I feel like I'm being mocked but I'll let it slide since I don't know what in the world you are talking about."

Indeed, a joke only I know is not really a joke at all, is it?

It comes to no surprise that the one to pick up on my nonsense is the Haruhi devotee himself. Koizumi Itsuki rubs his chin in thought. "I see, using the chief's name as an adjective. The applications would be numerous as the subject herself is brimming with complexities." He gives me a look of respect. "As expected of someone as Suzumiya-san as yourself."

Even in such a situation he uses an honorific.

"Even my vice chief is in on this little joke, huh?" She crosses her arms. "I will have to take necessary action if this foolishness persists."

There's nothing funny about an enraged Haruhi so let's leave the linguistics of 'Haruhi' aside for now.

Asahina-san has a look of confusion while watching our exchange. Ah, only an angel like her can make ignorance an admirable quality. She is a woman who could look angelic even with a knife in her hands while spouting yandere lines like 'If I can't have you then nobody can'. Hey, there is more than one type of angel, you know? An angel of light, an angel of darkness, an angel of peace, an angel of war, a fallen angel, a righteous angel. In the same way there is more to Asahina-san than it seems.

Well, whatever she is and whatever she turns out to be, Asahina-san will always be lovely. Too lovely.

"Ah, I don't understand what's going on, but everyone, let's try to get along, okay?"

See? What'd I tell you? If all the goodness in this world materialized, the product would take the form of Asahina-san.

Although, if Asahina-san is an angel then a goddess would be…

…well, of course it'd be Nagato. Great goddess Nagato.

And what is my deity doing right now? Well, nothing much, really. Oblivious to everything around her, or perhaps she is aware of everything around her but doesn't show it. Yes, that seems more likely. She is sipping on her lime drink, her expression my Nagato senses define as 'content'.

"Yes?"

She noticed my staring, it seems. As expected of Nagato.

"It is nothing much," she says.

How do you respond to a dismissive phrase like that? Of course, I know all too well of Nagato's small talk tendencies, or her lack of it for that matter, so I'll chalk this up as a good natured but failed attempt at communication. Despite her seemingly cold nature, there is an earnest person inside that doll-like exterior and face reminiscent of a Noh mask. I'm fine with this apparent coldness of hers as I am well-versed in the secret language of Nagato, but an ordinary person in my place would find themselves heartbroken after one discussion with our resident alien. Imagine cracking a joke, and Nagato looks at you with eyes that can freeze thermite and says, 'I see'. Oh, how painful. Well, actually, some people might like that sort of treatment.

"Are you one of those people, then?" the queen of cold herself says, while glancing at me sidelong with her pupils, her head itself unmoving.

"No I am not, and please stop reading my internal monologue."

She tilts her head. "I do not understand."

"Ah, actually what am I talking about myself, I wonder?"

That's peculiar, this sort of banter worked with Clone-chan. Maybe aliens are not capable of fourth wall breaking?

"I suppose we are not."

Is that resentment in your voice, Nagato, or are my Nagato senses in need of a tune up again? "Well, it's really no big deal. Please don't mind it. Rather, please forgive me for making you feel inadequate."

"I do not feel inadequate."

Of course, there is no one in the universe more adequate than great goddess Nagato, the benefactor of my life.

"Hm."

I guess the conversation is over then. Was it something I said?

"Stop bothering Yuki, Kyon. You're creeping her out."

"Yeah, okay. Sorry, Nagato."

"Don't mind."

So all is forgiven, it seems. Although with Nagato you can't really tell. Just keep in mind that Nagato is not one you want holding a grudge against you.

And so the meeting continued in much the same fashion. Haruhi being Haruhi, Asahina-san being lovely, great goddess Nagato gracing us with her divinity, and Koizumi…ah, my mood instantly sours.

"So, you've been messing around with the Brigade this whole time, eh?"

"Huh? How'd you know that?"

"I've seen everything past this scene break."

I am now in my home with Clone-chan in front of me. We are in the living room. She gazes up to me and I look down to meet it. The difference in height is five inches. The distance between us is less than that. I take a step back.

"How are you even aware of the last segment? Actually, never mind that. How is Imouto and Miyokichi?"

"Playing games."

"What kind of games?"

"I don't know, I let them browse through your collection."

"Do you have a grudge against me or something, Clone-chan?"

"Eh? What're you talking about?"

She seems sincere. I see, yet another contradiction caused by the difference in our genders.

"Never mind. By the way, the Brigade minus Haruhi is coming over. Make yourself presentable."

"Huh, what do you mean by that?" she asks.

She is wearing a shirt of mine and it's too big for her small frame. The sleeves slid of one of her shoulders revealing a lot of skin. From a certain angle, one could look down the collar and peek into her secret places. It was too erotic, and I don't want anyone in the Brigade to see me—albeit in female form—in such a manner. Or more like there's one person that I'm actually concerned about. Well, two, actually, but she's not coming today.

"I see. So you're more concerned about your pride as a man than my dignity as a woman?"

"Call it self-preservation, and because you are me, it naturally benefits you as well."

"I suppose I can accept that reasoning."

"Of course."

She goes off to the coat closet and retrieves my mother's wool sweater. It fits her well since they are about the same size, although it is a bit loose in some areas.

"You're thinking something rude right now, aren't you?"

"You can tell?"

"I am you, after all." She prods at my chest with a finger. "Hm, you're so confident when it comes to judging my body so how about I gave you a taste of your own medicine?"

I read her intentions. "Don't you dare say it—"

"Oh Doppel-kun, answer me this. If my female parts are small, and assuming our sexual growth is progressing in the same way, then how about your—"

"No, this and that are completely different things. Rather—unless you want to turn me impotent please don't say such things ever again."

"Ah, perhaps I went too far. Impotency is no joke."

"Well, as long as you understand."

"Okay, then let's make a truce when it comes to body shapes and forms, especially when it comes to things we are sensitive about."

I shake her hand in agreement.

"Sounds good to me."

We share a hearty laugh. How corny.

"I'm going to check up on Imouto. Are they still in my room?"

"Should be," she says.

"Okay. Please try to make the living room presentable for our guests."

"Huh? Isn't that your job? You're the one who lives here."

"This is your home too, you know. Alternate world or not."

She looks down at her feet. "Yeah, yeah, I get it."

"Do you really get it, I wonder?"

"Yeah, I do. I'm not as dense as I pretend to be. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, huh, Doppel-kun?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Clone-chan."

"Ah, see? There it is."

I ignore her provocations and head upstairs. On my way up, she calls out to me, "Hey, thanks. I-I'll try to feel at home." I almost miss it because she's mumbling.

"Don't mention it." I say. I climb up, but stop after a couple of steps. "You are me, after all."

Her eyes widen. "Wha...?" Her face shifts from varied expressions, but she settles with a small smile after muttering something to herself. It wasn't a million-watt smile like Haruhi's, more like static shock in terms of impact. But it's not bad.

…

I hear laughter and sounds of gunfire as I near my room. The fact that two girls playing a war simulation game, and trying to shoot each other with virtual murder weapons not bothering me as it should, is an indication of our state as a society. As to what this indication means, well—I'll let the sociologists decide.

"Oh, darn, I lost again." Imotou's voice.

"Ah, sorry." Miyokichi's.

"You better be. Let me win this round."

"Ah, eh? O-Okay."

I open the door, earning a startled yelp from the girls.

"Imouto, you shouldn't take advantage of Miyokichi's kindness like that."

Imouto pouts. "Okay, fine. Sorry, Kyon-kun."

"Don't apologize to me." I nod my head to Miyokichi who is squirming under all the attention.

"Sorry, Miyokichi."

Miyokichi blushes. Ah, that's somewhat cute.

She's eleven, though.

"Erm, it's fine. It's no big deal," she says.

Imouto grins while shooting up a victory sign with two fingers. She always gets off easy, and I'd like to lecture her more but she already apologized. I'd just seem petty if I berate her any further than I already had. The intricacies of raising a younger sibling are tolling to the mind, at least, its enough to give me a headache.

The game they are playing is a retro third-person shooter. Advanced for its time, 'Silver Glock 2' or 'SG2', features two player co-op gameplay, A.I. system with controllable difficulty levels, the best graphics of that time, and, perhaps the most notable renovation is the ability to save game data on the console's internal memory. No more spawning at restarts as soon as the 'GAME OVER' graphic flashes on the screen.

"Okay, let's play another round. Miyokichi, you up for it?"

"A-Alright."

Imouto turns to me. "Kyon-kun, wanna play?"

"No thanks, I have visitors coming."

Her eyes light up. She rushes over and tugs at my jeans. "Is Haru-nee coming?"

I swat her prying hands away. Haruhi really left an impression on Imotou, it seems. "No, not this time."

She pouts but immediately recovers. "How about the other nee-chan's?"

"Ah. Yeah, they're coming."

Sorry, Nagato, Asahina-san. You'll have a boundless ball of energy bothering you the entire visit. I consider changing the location to a nearby family restaurant, but it seems cruel to leave the girls behind while I go play. And there would be no one to watch over them as I needed Clone-chan to come along.

"Ah, Yuki-nee and Mikuru-nee. They're not Haru-nee but they'll do!"

Hey, don't even compare those two to Haruhi! It seems Imouto needs some thorough educating if she can't differentiate the forces of good from evil. If I don't deal with this soon then Imouto might grow up to be some Haruhi-incarnate. What a horrifying thought.

"Don't get me wrong, Kyon-kun. I like the other nee-chan's too, but I like Haru-nee the most!"

I'm not sure how to feel about her referring to Nagato and Asahina-san as 'the other nee-chan's' but I'll chalk it up as a child's favouritism. Kids have a favourite for everything. Favourite toy, favourite colour, favourite Sentai Hero, heck, even favourite parent. And they'll go out of their way to have their favourite thing, refusing to use or have anything else. It seems Haruhi somehow earned a spot in Imotou's heart as 'favourite nee-chan'. I'm not sure what to feel about this.

"Oh, and I like the new nee-chan too! Um, what's her name again?" She turns to Miyokichi.

"Ah, I'm sorry, but I don't know myself." Miyokichi looks at me inquisitively. "You two never told us, Nii-san. Perhaps you forgot?"

Her tone of voice held no accusation but her words fell heavily on me. A name. Even I didn't know her name. I had no reason to ask. I assumed that we had the same nickname, which is probably the truth, but I don't have a way to say that without looking suspicious. And I can't just go around calling her Clone-chan in front of other people. Well, I suppose I should be grateful that it was Imouto and Miyokichi who first raised the topic. If Haruhi were to meet Clone-chan and ask the same question, she'll sniff out my deceptions before I can even utter a single word.

Okay, as for the name, I can think up some fake aliases. However, I am not a creative person, and I am not one to think on their feet so I blurt out this nonsense. "Her name—well, let's call her Kyonko, for now."

"Huh? Isn't that pretty much the same nickname as yours?" Even Imouto could tell something was fishy.

"Well, yeah, she's our cousin, right? So our relatives gave her a similar nickname."

"But she's a long lost cousin, right?" Miyokichi asks.

Miyokichi, you're too clever for your own good.

"It was given to her when she reunited with the family. So, because it's a new pet name, if she doesn't respond when you call her as such, or when she looks at you strangely, then it's because she's not used to it yet. Do you two understand?"

"Yup!"

"Alright."

I let out a breath of relief. "Good." It really is good. With this the girls wouldn't suspect a thing, even if Clone-chan is slow to pick up on my deceptions.

Now, there's only one more thing to take care of.

"Listen, girls, let me ask you a question. This is important, okay?"

"What is it, Kyon-kun? Can you hurry up, I'm trying to beat—I mean, play with Miyokichi here."

I ignore that for now. "Did you girls find any weird games in my collection?" Ah, too direct. I should've thought about this more.

Imotou and Miyokichi share a glance. Miyokichi mutters something to Imouto while glancing at me. Her face is also blushing. A bad sign.

"Nah, not really," Imouto says.

"I see."

I guess Imotou is safe. Miyokichi is the only one I need to worry about, and considering that reaction too…

Well, even if that is the case, Miyokichi isn't the gossipy type. Maybe I should take her out to another of her beloved horror movies just to make sure I'm on her good side. And yes, I am willing to stoop so low that I'd bribe a kid.

"Okay, Miyokichi, let's hurry up and finish our duel!"

"Y-Yes!"

They immerse themselves in the game. I make my leave, not wanting to be hindrance.

I smell an assortment of spices in the air as I descend down the stairway. Ginger, garlic, cinnamon. There's also the smell of chicken. Curry? Chicken curry? Hm, well that's a dish I can cook as well. I somewhat expected Clone-chan—well, I suppose its Kyonko now—to have a wider culinary arsenal, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Of course, there's the possibility that our ingredients in the house are too scarce, and she couldn't make anything aside from curry. I do remember my mother buying curry powder in bulk, and the only vegetables in the fridge are things like potatoes, onions, and carrots. Well, I should just ask the chef herself.

"Oh, I only know how to make curry."

Well, I should expect this much, I guess. Or rather, I can't possibly be disappointed as I too can only make curry, and even then, not that well. From the looks of it, Kyonko has a better aptitude in cooking, although her culinary arsenal is limited. Quality over quantity, I suppose.

She is wearing my mother's apron, a plain white one, or at least it was originally white, but now there are culinary battle scars on it, things like soy sauce stains and flecks of dried up oil. There is a noticeable tear around the collar, and the strings meant for securing the apron around the waist is unusable, as one end of the string has been cut off. It was an atrocity that my mother refused to replace because she grew an attachment to it, despite my numerous urgings. Sentimental value aside, Clone-chan's girl points take a massive drop just by wearing it.

"You know, you shouldn't insult me like that when I have a pot full of boiling curry at hand."

"I'm sorry, your feminine levels are adequate."

"Adequate?"

"More than adequate. You're a radiant beam of sunshine."

"Ara, ara. Flattery will get you nowhere."

But it will save my life.

"Hey, Kyonko—"

"Hm, Kyonko?"

"Well, somehow that's the nickname you've been given. You don't mind, do you?"

"Nah. I have the same nickname as you back home. So a few syllables attached to it won't really make a difference. Although I'd very much prefer everyone to regard me with my real name, but that's never going to happen." She hangs her head, but panics when a strand of hair falls into the pot.

I see. So they called her by that embarrassing nickname there as well. I find relief in that, somehow.

"Ah, taking relief in another person's misfortunes. What do they call this again, Schadenfreude?"

"There's no point in finding pleasure in your unhappiness because you are me, remember? What kind of twisted self-depreciation is that?"

"The twisted kind you love, apparently."

I offer her assistance but she tells me it's not need. I keep insisting but she keeps rejecting.

We exchange confrontational words, but our altercation is cut short when more of her hair drift into the pot.

"Ah, help me scoop it up." She wears some disposable gloves and digs into the curry, picking out the hair follicles one by one."

I look at her long, auburn hair.

"Hey," I say.

"What?" she says.

"Why don't you wear a ponytail?"

Whatever she was about to say is interrupted by the doorbell ringing. I give Kyonko a look and head to the door. I look to the peep hole and see Koizumi. Behind him are the girls. Somehow sensing that I am at the other side, he gives me a wave. So creepy.

I take a breath and open the door. "Hey, everyone. Thanks for coming."

There's Koizumi with his ever present smile, Asahina-san with a pleasant smile of her own, and Nagato with an expression that was neutral, but to me seemed pleasant, if my Nagato senses are to be believed.

"You're all here at the same time."

Aside from personal tendencies, they all had their agendas and responsibilities, after all.

"Ah, that's because we had a secret meeting with Suzumiya-san," Koizumi explains. "So we all headed here together after we were dismissed."

I see, a secret meeting, huh? "But should you really be telling me that?"

"I try not to keep secrets from you."

Yeah, right.

"But never mind that. You don't seem to mind that we had a meeting without you," he says.

"It's fine. I guess it's karma for the secret meeting I'm holding now."

I'm honestly feeling guilty for excluding Haruhi, not to mention all the secrets we hide from her.

"That's true."

Although, I'm tempted to ask what it was they discussed without me, but that's not important now.

"So," he says, "what did you call us here for?"

I turn around and gesture for Clone-chan to come over. She seems hesitant but walks until she is behind me. I put a hand on her shoulder.

"Everyone, I have something serious to talk about."

Koizumi gives me a weird look and Asahina-san gasps. Nagato—yikes, what's up with my Nagato senses? They're going crazy!

"Kyon-kun, w-who's this girl?" Asahina-san says. "Um, what about Suzumiya-san?"

Koizumi has a serious look. "I thought we already talked about being careful with other women?"

And I hope my Nagato senses are seriously malfunctioning right now because I'm sensing danger from her.

"Hold on, I think you guys are misunderstanding something here."

"I hope we are," Koizumi says.

I look at Clone-chan and she looks at me. I give her a nod and she nods back.

"Hey guys." She steps forward and smiles uneasily. "Um, wow, you all look so different." She looks at Koizumi, more specifically, at his chest. "You know what, I think I'm starting to like this world."

There are many questions from Koizumi and Asahina-san, and some non-verbal ones from Nagato. I raise my hand and ask them to quiet down.

"I'll be blunt. This girl here—well, let's call her 'Kyonko'—she is from another dimension. And if what she says is true, it's a dimension where we are all gender-bent. Now, I know this must be tough to swallow, but—"

"Oh, I see. An alternate dimension. So the multi-universe theory presented by Einstein is true, after all."

"Wah, so this is a female Kyon-kun? She's cute!"

"I see."

What? They all took it all in stride, even though it took me a while before I could even come to terms with it. I suppose this shouldn't come as a surprise since I'm dealing with existences which, according to common sense, shouldn't exist in the first place. To them, the sudden reveal of an alternate universe, and an inhabitant of that universe crossing to ours, must be within the scope of prediction.

"Well, if I must be honest, I can only accept it because she looks so much like the original, exactly like what I imagined," Koizumi says, while examining Kyonko from head to toe.

Wait a minute, I don't like the implications of that!

"Wah, wah, so cute, so cute!" Asahina-san squeals.

Ah, I'm feeling jealous of myself. What complex emotions I'm having!

"Evaluation of molecular structure confirms claims of para-dimensional origin." Clone-chan gasps and steps away as Nagato somehow managed to close the gap between them. "Further examination is needed."

Nagato—I don't like the way you're exhaling through your nose.

I'm getting tired of all the tsukkomi-ing so I leave Clone-chan to the Brigade and head over to my living room, plopping down on my sofa. I watch the Brigade minus Haruhi talk to Kyonko. They seem to be getting along.

I hear footsteps trampling down the stairs.

"Ah, the Nee-chan's are here!" Imotou exclaims.

Miyokichi is a step behind. "O-Oh, hello everyone." She gives a small bow.

Imouto runs laps around the visitors, spouting incoherent sentences. I look to Miyokichi. She shrinks in on herself and reaches into her purse, taking out bunches of used candy wrapper. So Miyokichi had given her sugar despite my warnings. Imouto probably pressured her. Oh, Miyokichi. You mustn't be spoil this Imouto of mine or else she'll trample all over you like she does to me.

"Everyone, everyone, let's play~!" The sugar induced Imouto yells as she grabs Asahina-san and Kyonko's hands. She tries to wrap her legs around Nagato, an impossible task as the former side-steps her grappling attempt.

"Oi, Imouto, calm down." I try to pacify her. "Let's play later, okay? The big kids have big kid stuff to talk about."

She flails her arms around. "No, no, no. Let's play now."

"Like I said—"

"I want to play Kyon-kun's ero-games with everyone!"

Miyokichi rushes to Imouto and covers her mouth. "Shh! I told you not to tell. And don't say ero-games!"

"Huh, but that's what you called them, right?"

"Umu, please just stop already," Miyokichi wails.

Ah, so they saw them after all.

"Hoh?" Kyonko gives me an 'oh so that's what you were so worried about earlier' look.

For what it's worth, Taniguchi gave me those games as a birthday present.

Well, it's not what I expected, but it seems my introduction of Clone-chan to the Brigade went off without a hitch. But I can't escape the fact that I took the easy way out and excluded Haruhi. Sure I can hide the truth from her for as long as possible. Clone-chan can stay in my house and pose as my cousin while avoiding Haruhi, a difficult, but not impossible task. My parents are on another business trip, and I can give them the same 'long lost cousin' excuse when they come back. They are negligent when it comes to family affairs, anyway, so they would be none the wiser. Sure they send New Year's cards to relatives, but it ends as that, an obligation.

So everything is set. All I have to do now is investigate the nature of that space-time rift that lead Clone-chan into this dimension in the first place. And with Nagato aware of the situation, this should be easier than I anticipated. So everything is set. But it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth, and I know why.