The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2009)

Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody (1x8)

Air date: May 22, 2009

On Tanabata, July 7, Kyon and Mikuru travel back in time on a mission to the Tanabata of three years before. The future Mikuru puts her younger self to sleep and tells Kyon to help a certain person. Carrying the sleeping Mikuru, Kyon finds a young Haruhi sneaking into East Junior High and assists her using the alias "John Smith". After helping her draw strange symbols on the school athletics grounds, Haruhi questions him on the existence of strange beings; Kyon suggests that they might exist because he knows someone like her at his school (referring to her future self). After Haruhi leaves, Kyon wakes up Mikuru and finds that she does not have her time traveling device, or TPDD. They go to see Yuki, who helps them return to their proper time. Kyon wonders if he was the one who inspired Haruhi to attend North High and start searching for strange beings.