The boredom of Haruhi Suzumiya and bamboo leaf rhapsody are both short stories from the third book in the series, titled the boredom of Haruhi Suzumiya, the same as the first short story.
Boredom and bamboo leaf rhapsody are the first two of four short stories in the third Haruhi Suzumiya book. Although taking place in the third book, boredom is the first story chronologically after melancholy.
In boredom Haruhi decides she wants the S.O.S brigade to play baseball in a high school league tournament, despite their lack of experience and insufficient players.
The other members of the S.O.S brigade decide it would be a good idea to win to keep haruhi happy and avoid more closed spaces. In the end Haruhi is only person doing well and is becoming angry at her team.
The remainder of the team is made up of side characters seen throughout Melancholy, but eventually Nagato is forced to use her alien data manipulation powers to win the first game and Koizumi leaves to take care of closed space, Kyon convinces Haruhi to drop out.
Bamboo leaf Rhapsody starts with haruhi bringing a bamboo plant into the clubroom to celebrate Tanabata, but after she has left asahina brings Kyon back to Tanabata three years ago.
After arriving in the past, Kyon promptly runs into young haruhi who forces him to vandalise school property, an action of haruhis we were told about in melancholy. When asked for his name Kyon answers “John Smith”.
After splitting from haruhi Kyon is forced to look for Nagato to return to the future as she had given him a letter before he went back. When he arrives at her house he finds in standby mode doing nothing as she will remain for three more years.
After verifying the letter from herself Nagato places Kyon in a room and freezes its time for three years. She reveals it was only possible because she activated emergency mode.
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