#never mind Koizumi; every other page he’s like ‘well Haruhi and I had fun going to the mall together but SOME people teased us’

[daisyachain]

The ambiguity of Koizumi’s position in the story is lampshaded from Melancholy with Kyon commenting ‘two guys drinking coffee at a table is kinda sus but I guess we’ve got to keep this secret.’ His role is exactly 100% in line with Asahina and Nagato from gimmick ability through romantic tension with Kyon. Sigh through Disappearance back off slightly by emphasizing Koizumi’s feelings for Haruhi. So it’s kind of phased out, right?

No. The point at which the simmering wink wink nudge nudge subtext fades out is the point at which the explicit hints kick in. No longer is Kyon eyeing up his wardrobe, no, by Rampage Koizumi is pledging loyalty to Kyon after an implied sex dream and by Wavering Kyon feels compelled to say that he definitely 100% would not accept a confession from Koizumi. Tanigawa sniping at his fangirls? Sure, maybe, the fan translation and official translation are split on whether Kyon’s honest or in denial, but it’s still fun(ny) how little Koizumi’s undeniable something is downplayed in a series whose mission is to downplay