Free The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya by Nagaru Tanigawa Page A

passion for filmmaking being on the excessive side. If you went through every single school in the country, you could probably find another group of people doing something similar. Or to put it simply, this was “normal.”
    No attacks by Nagato’s kind. No time traveling with Asahina. No glowing blue mold-like giants showing up. No murders leading to delayed revelations.
    This was totally normal school life.
    As the countdown to the approaching cultural festival progressed, Haruhi was on a high, riding a steady stream of adrenaline and racing like a pet hamster getting whipped into running Mach 1 on a wheel.
    In other words, business as usual.
    —Until this day, that is.
    In retrospect, I’d have to say that Haruhi was still holding back. I realized that we had yet to shoot a single frame of the movie. The only footage recorded on the digital videotape was of bunny-girl Asahina promoting the electronics store and plastic model shop in the local shopping district, which only served to get sponsors. Not a glimmer of light had been shed on the film that would be produced, directed, and supervised by Haruhi. We didn’t even know the story line yet.
    I guess we would have been better off not knowing.
    I could have lived with a video of Asahina reporting on the local shopping district. Actually, wouldn’t that bring in a bigger audience? It’d also promote the local area. That’d be killing two birds with one stone. Yeah, why don’t we just turn it into a Mikuru Asahina promotional video. That’d make me a lot happier. Considering that’s my true motive as the cameraman.
    Still, I knew that Haruhi would never be satisfied by that. She always carried through on her word. If she said she was gonna do it, she’d do it. She never gave up halfway through. A troublesome case of keeping one’s word.
    And so, beginning the following day, we would once again find ourselves caught up in some bizarre business. Yeah, seriously. I’m at a loss for words. What was it that Haruhi said again?
    Once your soul breaks free of its worldly bonds, latent abilities you never knew about will awaken and release incredible power
—or something like that.
    I see.
    Haruhi?
    Why did you have to be the one to one to experience that awakening?
    And without you even realizing it.

CHAPTER 3
    Saturday. The day of.
    We assembled in front of the station. I stuffed an assortment of junk into the largest backpack I could find in our house and walked all the way to the station to find the other four lined up waiting for me.
    From a distance, my eyes were drawn to Haruhi in casual dress and Asahina in feminine clothing next to her. Like two sisters who didn’t resemble each other the least bit. Asahina was supposed to be the upperclassman here, yet she looked like the younger sister. Only her clothes appeared to be more mature.
    Asahina, surrounded by the trio of weirdos, spotted me and waved her hand in a somewhat relieved fashion by way of greeting. Hmm.
    “You’re late!” Haruhi was yelling, but she looked to be in high spirits again today. She was standing empty-handed because her megaphone and folding director’s chair were among my burden of assorted junk.
    “It isn’t nine o’clock yet,” I said sourly as I looked left and right at Nagato’s porcelain face and Koizumi’s easy smile. “Anyway, Nagato always wears her uniform when we don’t have school so that’s normal, but why is Koizumi also wearing his uniform?”
    “It would appear that this is my costume for the movie.”
    That was his response.
    “That is what I was told yesterday. My role will be that of an esper disguised as an ordinary high school student.”
    Isn’t that exactly what you are?
    As I dropped the bag stuffed with the camera and props and wiped off my forehead, Haruhi grinned like a grade-schooler about to go on a field trip.
    “Kyon, you were the last to show up so you’ll be fined. But not yet. We’re taking the bus now. I’ll cover the bus fare. Call it