Suzumiya Haruhi no Tsuisou - 116: Name

[slave_of_suzumiya]

... I swear, any time Asahina-san appears in this game to say anything more than "Time to go back in time!" it is a pain in the ass to translate.

キョン Kyon: Well, it’s about that time...

I got my mobile out to confirm the time. I’ll send a mail under John Smith’s name again in order to get close to Haruhi.
Since she’ll only hit me again, I decided to lure her in by sending the mysterious mail first... But that plan was rendered pointless by what happened next.
??? Somebody: Kyooon!
キョン Kyon: ... Huh?

ハルヒ Haruhi: This is great, I didn’t think we’d be able to meet up this quickly.
キョン Kyon: You... Suzumiya?
ハルヒ Haruhi: ... Huh? What is it, you planning something tricky?
キョン Kyon: Eh?
ハルヒ Haruhi: Oh well, whatever you might be planning, just go ahead and try it, fufu.
What with this sudden behaviour? It’s like... she’s the Haruhi from the old world.
Just as a test, I tentatively tried calling her by her given name.
キョン Kyon: H-hey... Haruhi.
ハルヒ Haruhi: What is it?
キョン Kyon: ...
ハルヒ Haruhi: If you don’t talk, you can’t tell me anything.
キョン Kyon: No... It’s nothing.
ハルヒ Haruhi: What’s with you, stopping mid sentence like that? If you continue with habits like that, you’ll never become a decent member of society.
キョン Kyon: That so? I’ll be careful then.

ハルヒ Haruhi: Forget about it for now. I’d like to introduce you to Koizumi-kun.
古泉 Koizumi: ... Hello, I’m Koizumi.

Which means Koizumi and I are still strangers in this setting. His slightly standoffish attitude doesn’t feel much like the Koizumi I know either.
Having been drawn in somehow, I replied to his greeting to be safe.

ハルヒ Haruhi: So, where should we start from?
キョン Kyon: You’re acting as if you’re only planning some ordinary sightseeing.

ハルヒ Haruhi: That’s the plan? What else is there to do?
キョン Kyon: No, well... searching for someone?
I hesitated on using John’s name due to how much she was like the old world’s Haruhi. However, Haruhi’s reply...

ハルヒ Haruhi: Oh, that’s fine. I’m sure he’s watching us from somewhere, so there’s no need to search on our end. I’m just here to enjoy the culture festival.
Honestly, this is confusing. Her reply makes it seem like she’s the Haruhi who had the hit live performance the other day, but that hasn’t happened yet... what kind of setting is this?
ハルヒ Haruhi: Anyway, we should go get lunch together before things get crowded. After that I plan to just look at whatever I want, so I don’t mind if you ditch.

ハルヒ Haruhi: Ah, the stalls are lined up over there, let’s go!

And off she goes without even waiting for a reply. Yare yare, she really is the same as always... I thought to myself as I began walking, before noticing Koizumi staring at me.

古泉 Koizumi: ...
キョン Kyon: What’s up?

古泉 Koizumi: No, it’s nothing. Shall we get going too?
He finally brought back his trademark dubious smile, but for brief moments after that, Koizumi would glance at me as if pondering something.

朝比奈さん Asahina-san: ... I’m thinking this situation may be a result of the STC data repairing itself.

While Haruhi and Koizumi were off in line for some food somewhere, I called Asahina-san to report the current situation, and was in the middle of hearing her take on things.
朝比奈さん Asahina-san: I mentioned at the time when we moved back to this morning that there’d been a large update in the data, right? Surely that influence... well, I think that’s the result. I mean the previous data was something similar to a remnant? I’m thinking that previous experience has somehow been inserted within Suzumiya-san. Probably in an altered form for logical coherence...
キョン Kyon: Is the shape of that change still malleable?
朝比奈さん Asahina-san: Indeed. You could say you’ve had a “Phase change”. As the restoration continues, it’s possible that Koizumi-kun will have known you from the beginning as well.
キョン Kyon: Does that go for Nagato and this world’s Asahina-san too?
朝比奈さん Asahina-san: It’s theoretically possible, but as for working in practice... Anyway, there’s something I want you to keep in mind.
キョン Kyon: What is it?
朝比奈さん Asahina-san: A change like Suzumiya-san in this cycle is a huge alteration of the data. As such it’ll be a rare occurrence. However, if you continue to actively engage with the people of this world, you’ll gradually build up other changes. For example, by utilising your memories and items, and moving through time with the dimensional bookmarkers, those changes will accumulate...
At that point, Asahina-san unexpectedly fell silent. I heard a sigh through my phone’s speaker indicating she was at a loss for words.

朝比奈さん Asahina-san: ...
キョン Kyon: ... Is something wrong?
朝比奈さん Asahina-san: Ah, no, I was just saying a little too much there.
キョン Kyon: Please tell me.
朝比奈さん Asahina-san: But...
キョン Kyon: You’ve got me intrigued, it’ll keep me up at night now.
朝比奈さん Asahina-san: You’re right, I’m sorry... This isn’t something you should feel responsible for, but...
Asahina-san paused for a moment so she could choose her words carefully as she continued.
朝比奈さん Asahina-san: Going back through time with the dimensional bookmarkers, means that this world’s surface level events will have never occurred. However, these surface level events are still existing facts. If you go and change the outcomes of an event, any STC data repairs in that time can also be unravelled, but the data from the change will remain. For example, even with the damaged data that needs repairs...
Honestly I don’t get this at all, but it felt like this was something important in a noisy little corner in my heart.

朝比奈さん Asahina-san: ... See, it wasn’t anything necessary. No matter what, Kyon-kun is always Kyon-kun after all.
キョン Kyon: ...
朝比奈さん Asahina-san: It just makes it sound too much like I’m prioritising the data restoration over all else.
キョン Kyon: No, not at all.
朝比奈さん Asahina-san: Thank you, Kyon-kun... If anything else comes up, give me a call. Bye for now.
キョン Kyon: Yeah, got it...
After hanging up the phone, while riding the emotional rollercoaster, I went back to join Haruhi in queue.