The Indignation of Haruhi Suzumiya- novel 8- Editor in Chief, Full Speed Ahead!

*MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD*

Editor in Chief, Full Speed Ahead!- the first short story of "The Indignation of Haruhi Suzumiya" (novel 8).

Set in late February 2004.
Koizumi informs Kyon that Yuki has been called into the Student Council office, and that they should also tag along. At the end of the school day Kyon walks there, meeting Yuki and Koizumi who have already arrived. The president is a tall second year. He is accompanied by Emiri Kimidori who is acting secretary. He coldly threatens Yuki to close down and vacate the Literature Club room. Because the SOS Brigade has not been officially registered by the council, this is their way of dealing with them. He claims that the literature club has done nothing to justify its existence this past year, and that at least one thing is required. He then takes another shot at Yuki, saying that quietly reading does not qualify a literature club. Kyon seems to think he can see an internal rage brewing within the mute Yuki as she simply stands there absorbing this jerks abuse. Haruhi, having caught wind of whats going on from Mikuru, turns up and barges through the Student Council room door. She starts taking over the conversation. She considers this president bloke as the biggest villain to her brigade, but eventually he settles things with them having to publish a literature club newsletter which would contain an anthology of essays and stories. They have a week to produce 200 copies of the newsletter and 3 days to distribute them, from a table in the main hallway without using any eccentric marketing techniques (an example being bunny girl costumes), otherwise the Literature club and therefore the SOS Brigade are disbanded, having to vacate the premises.

Haruhi and Yuki retire to the club room. Koizumi and Kyon hold back. The Student Council president takes off his glasses, sits at his desk and puts his feat up, then takes out a cigarette and lights it up. He considers it a pain having to put up such a charade. It is explained that he is an associate of the Agency, standing for school president sometime last year with Koizumi pulling the strings all the way. In fact this whole stunt is to keep Haruhi from getting board.

In Mystérique Sign, we were lead to believe that Emiri Kimidori's memories were manipulated by Yuki for the sake of saving the computer club president, but its now revealed that she is in fact yet another alien humanoid interface, sent to observe Haruhi. However her position changed after The Disappearance so she observes Yuki instead, and in between time she has since joined the Student Council.

Assigning herself with armband that says 'Editor in Chief', Haruhi spends the rest of the week getting the SOS Brigade to work as a literature club. She writes down the names of 4 story genres on paper cut outs, and places them face down in the palm of her hand. Everyone each then take one. Mikuru gets assigned with writing a fairytale, Koizumi gets a mystery story, Yuki gets a fantasy horror story, and Kyon gets a romance story (much to his disappointment). In a later conversation with Koizumi, Kyon is told that he was destined to write a love story because Haruhi wished it so, but this may not be true because at some point Haruhi tells Kyon that she wished Koizumi didn't pick up the paper with 'mystery' written on it, saying it was too obvious and boring for him.

Haruhi is desperate for material, so runs about the school on a daily basis seeking as much help as she can. She ropes in Taniguchi, Kunikida, Tsuruya, a manga artist from the art club, all the members of the computer club (for once they were more than happy to write geeky articles with video game and tech reviews) as well as others.

Yuki is the first to finish her story. Haruhi made sure that sci-fi wasn't a choice of what to write about given how easy Yuki would be able to write such a story, so being stuck writing outside her depth, this was Haruhi's way of pushing her personality up a notch. The result is a set of three one page incomprehensible short stories, which are sort of poetic and cryptic, yet may be a way of Yuki emphasising her emotions on paper.

Mikuru spends the whole week concentrating all her efforts on her fairy tale. After many rewrites and tweaks from Haruhi, it is finally finished. Haruhi decides it wouldn't be good enough to publish because it needs accompanying illustrations. Mikuru then spends the rest of the week drawing pictures, seeking help from the art class and reference material. Her final story combines several fairytales and a rebellious princess.

Koizumi decides to write a written version of the two mystery games he set up for the SOS Brigade.

After much deliberation and discussion with Koizumi, Kyon ends up writing a story about a date he had just before starting high school, with a girl named Miyokichi. He prints it out and gives it to Koizumi to read. He advises to give it a proper ending, otherwise it would come across as more of a mystery than a love story. Kyon does just this, and prints it out. Only he doesnt want anyone to read it, and is not absolutely happy with it. Haruhi barges in and sees Kyons manuscript. She sits herself down and reads it. She too isn't happy with its ending and pulls Kyon close by his tie. She demands why the ending is abrupt and forces him to admit that it was a true story. She starts beating him up for details about his date. Kyon tries to protect something in his top pocket and she catches wind of this. They scuffle whilst she tries to prise the piece of paper away from him, and they trip up with her landing on top of him. Mikuru walks in and gasps, apologising for interrupting them and runs out again.

Haruhi gets the piece of paper and its revealed that Miyokichi is actually a friend of Kyon's sister, and he had only taken her to the movies so that she would get her chance of watching an adult horror movie. She's a sixth grader that passes for a late teenager in both looks and mannerisms, hence why she got away with it.

Tsuruya's story, although not told, is described as being totally unprecedentedly hilarious. Kyon even says that it would probably make even Yuki smile or chuckle, if in private of course.

Haruhi even writes a passage which according to Mikuru when she reads it, is the fundamental principles of time-plane theory. She says in her time its one of the first things taught, but the original author of the theory was shrouded in mystery. Kyon wonders whether Haruhi's friend the genius boy, will sometime read the newsletter and learn the theory off by heart.

The SOS Brigade finishes the newsletter on time, with all 200 photocopies being produced and picked up. It turns out that Haruhi's running about all week acted as free advertising for them.

---

8-10. The best feature of this short story was the simple fact that we readers read the entire and unabridged stories from Yuki Nagato, Mikuru Asahina and Kyon. Mikuru's illustrations were also used for each page of her fairy tale.

Up next: Wandering Shadow.

Click here for easy navigation around my Haruhi articles