Rin arrived at North High, the familiar architecture now imbued with a strange sense of unreality. He walked to his classroom, the mundane routine a stark contrast to the world-stopping events of the previous night. His eyes scanned the room, landing on Ryoko Asakura. She was at her desk, chatting with friends, her usual bright smile in place. Noticing his gaze, she offered a cheerful greeting.
"Good morning, Rin-kun!" she chirped, her smile unwavering.
Rin, ever the actor, offered a polite nod in return, acting as if she hadn't, just hours ago, tried to stab him with a knife. But as he used his Mind Reader, a flicker of confusion crossed his face. Her thoughts were completely normal: mundane school concerns, plans for the weekend, a slight worry about an upcoming test. There was no trace of the cold, calculating assassin, no memory of a metallic hand or a desire to trigger Haruhi's powers. She wasn't acting. This was genuinely her.
He moved to his seat, a new layer of confusion settling over him. The bell rang, signaling the start of class, and Haruhi, arriving just in time, slid into the seat behind him. He felt her presence, and a strange sense of apprehension washed over him. He read her mind.
His eyes widened, a genuine surprise rippling through him. I dreamt about Rin-kun kissing me last night… I wonder why? It felt so real… I can't look at him right now! Her thoughts were a whirlwind of embarrassment and a shy, fluttering warmth.
This made Rin utterly bewildered. He had kissed Haruno, not Haruhi. And Haruhi, the one he knew, wouldn't be blushing over a dream. He turned slightly. "Haruhi," he asked, his voice carefully neutral, "what happened after we visited Yuki last night?"
Haruhi looked at him, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Visit Yuki? Last night? What are you talking about, Rin? I don't remember anything like that." Her thoughts confirmed it; she genuinely had no recollection of the world stopping, of Ryoko's attack, or of their visit to Yuki's apartment.
Rin's confusion deepened. He subtly checked her status. His eyes widened further. Haruhi's romantic love towards him, which had always been stubbornly stuck at 75, was now at a staggering 89.
He realized it then. The Haruhi he knew, the one who craved the supernatural and manipulated reality, was not the Haruhi in front of him.
The class began, but Rin's attention was no longer on the lesson. He was observing her. This version of Haruhi was different. Her hair was longer, flowing past her shoulders, giving her a more refined, almost lady-like appearance. She carried herself with a quiet grace, a stark contrast to the boisterous Haruhi he was accustomed to. She had a bored look when nothing interesting was happening around her, but her mind… her mind was that of a pure maiden, filled with innocent thoughts and romantic daydreams. Yet, beneath it all, there was still the underlying pursuit of the supernatural, despite her self-proclaimed realism. It was a fascinating, contradictory blend.
Rin remembered this version of Haruhi. He thought of two anime titles: The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya and The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan. Both of those stories featured a Haruhi like this one.
When the lunch break began, Haruhi turned to him, a shy smile on her face. "Rin-kun, would you like to come to the clubroom with me?"
Rin didn't ask why. He simply followed her. He wanted to see the others, to confirm his suspicions. At the clubroom, everyone was present: Mikuru Asahina, Yuki Nagato, and Itsuki Koizumi. They were all there, eating their lunches, the atmosphere peaceful, almost idyllic. Rin felt a vague sense of unease, a feeling that something was fundamentally wrong, but he couldn't quite pinpoint it.
He decided to test his theory. He approached Yuki, leaning in slightly, as if to whisper. "Yuki," he murmured, "about our visit to your apartment last night…"
Before he could finish, Yuki's cheeks flushed a delicate pink. She shyly averted her gaze, trying to avoid him slightly. Rin, reading her mind, confirmed it. This was not the same Yuki he knew. Her thoughts were filled with a quiet, almost endearing shyness, a far cry from the emotionless humanoid interface. He quickly scanned Itsuki and Asahina's minds as well. They, too, were different. Itsuki's thoughts were less about observing Haruhi and more about maintaining a pleasant, harmonious atmosphere. Asahina's were filled with innocent worries and a gentle kindness, completely lacking the urgency of a time traveler on a mission.
He was right. He was either in the world of The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya or The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan. But then, another thought struck him. In both of those stories, Haruhi attended a different school, not North High. After a few minutes of internal deliberation, Rin concluded that this world might be a peculiar mix, a blend of the plots from all three anime series, creating a unique, unforeseen reality.
The school day ended, and Rin couldn't help but reflect on how his life had suddenly turned into a full-blown romantic comedy. Earlier, throughout the day, Haruhi had, for some reason, consistently displayed signs of jealousy whenever another girl, especially a stranger, tried to talk to him. She would frown, her eyes would narrow, and she would subtly insert herself into the conversation. Yet, when he confronted her, she would vehemently deny it. "I don't care about you at all, Rin-kun!" she'd insist, her words sharp. But in her mind, he could hear her repeating to herself, I don't care about Rin-kun… I don't care about Rin-kun… It was as if she was trying to convince herself, to remind herself that she wasn't supposed to have any feelings for him. A pure maiden, indeed, caught in the throes of a budding, undeniable affection.