Disclaimer: I do not own The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya or the Nine Billion Names of God, nor do I financially profit from this fanfiction.

Why are we here? I moved my knight across the chessboard, knocking over one of my opponents pawns. This is not a philosophical question and, in any case, was the wrong question to be asking. I knew why we were in the clubroom this late in the day. I knew why I was playing my tenth game of chess with Koizumi. I knew why my brain was threatening to leak from my ears. Haruhi wanted us to be here. The question was: Why?

I frowned as Koizumi moved his rook forward, cutting off my king from my remaining bishop. Normally Haruhi would drive us all, or rather drive me, to the point of desperation with some hair-brained scheme of hers before dismissing us for the day. I moved a pawn forward and glanced over at Haruhi, who lay slumped in a chair behind the room's computer. Such quietness was unusual from our resident mistress of chaos. Downright unnerving really, not that I was complaining.

I sighed in frustration as Koizumi's bishop closed my king in.

The enigmatic exchange student's smile grew broader. "Checkmate."

I squinted as I looked across the board to him. How are you able to maintain that demeanour?

Before he could answer Haruhi yawned loudly and stood up. "I'm tired.

You say that as if the rest of us had kept you here.

Haruhi grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder, heading for the door. As she opened it, she waved a hand. "Dismissed." Then, leaving the door open, she stepped into the hallway and started towards the stairs. I listened as her footsteps faded into the background.

I guess we can go now.

"My thoughts exactly," Koizumi said as he tidied up our chess game.

Eager to leave, I said goodbye to Asahina-san and Nagato. Asahina-san smiled that heavenly smile of hers in return while Nagato stared blankly. I picked up my bag as both bid me well and left the clubroom.

As I walked down the hill that led to the school - a much easier task than walking up the hill - I heard a voice behind me.

"Yo."

I sighed. It was Koizumi. "I'm half asleep. I don't have time for your ramblings."

Koizumi, ignoring my sage advice, began to speak. "Suzumiya-san was looking rather resigned today."

"So that's what it was then, not exhaustion from the amount of effort that's she's put into torturing the brigade recently."

Koizumi smiled, or rather his smile enlarged. "Such a distinction would be difficult to notice in our esteemed chief."

I can never tell when you're being sarcastic or not.

"Do you have any idea why Haruhi would be feeling down?"

So, not sarcasm then. "How the hell should I know?"

Koizumi raised a finger. "You are closer to Suzumiya-san than anybody else."

On that you are sorely mistaken. I was snatched and forced into her brigade of preternatural weirdness, wherein I was then charged with protecting the world from her mood swings.

Koizumi continued to speak, but I had stopped listening. Ahead of us, beyond the street lights, a person lay sprawled on the ground. I pushed Koizumi to get his attention and then ran towards the collapsed figure. I gasped and knelt down beside her. "Haruhi!" I placed two fingers on her neck and felt for a pulse. It was weak. "Koizumi, call an ambulance!"

I heard a crack and noticed that Koizumi's phone had fallen to the ground beside me. I shot a look at him. "What are you doing?"

"Kyon," he whispered, gazing upwards.

I followed his eyes to the black sky. Overhead, without any fuss, the stars were going out.