Monogatari Series - Volume 10 - Chapter 1.17

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Apparently the smell clings to your entire body even at classy barbecue places, so as soon as I got home, I decided to take a bath.

I scrupulously scrubbed my hair and body then immersed myself in the tub, which I had filled to the brim. I sank in up to my shoulders, up to my neck.

My hair was much longer than it had been back when I was playing basketball, and I left it down as I got into the tub, so it floated on the surface like seaweed.

How had Numachi and Kaiki come in contact? I couldn’t figure it out, and I hadn’t asked. Kaiki might know where I could find Numachi, but I couldn’t ask without bringing up Lord Devil and my left arm.

I felt like it might be dangerous to share too much info with that man.

However avuncular Deishu Kaiki might be with me, placing excessive trust in him was risky. Even if I got off unscathed, there was no guarantee that his machinations wouldn’t affect anyone around me.

“But I’m more worried about Numachi giving Kaiki that information than about Kaiki himself…”

Why would she do that?

What was her goal?

Had she found out that I was looking for her?

Either way─I couldn’t be concerned about keeping up appearances anymore.

No more putting on a show.

Up to that point some part of me had thought that I would try my best to find her, and if I couldn’t, then so be it. But now it seemed I had to break out of that mentality of good sportsmanship.

At this stage in the game, fair play was not what was called for.

What was called for was a single-mindedness to settle things with her no matter what─which probably folded in my anger at having been bested by Kaiki in a sprint, and if so, all the better.

Because it was an incontrovertible fact that I suffered the humiliating defeat thanks to Numachi tipping him off about my trip.

After continuing my full-body soak for about thirty minutes, I got out and wrapped a towel around my head like a turban, threw a bathrobe over my still-damp naked body, and returned to my room to call Karen.

“I’ve got a favor to ask, Karen, think you can help me?”

She responded with a quick “Sure, of course” after a moment of quizzical silence.

I felt a little guilty about exploiting her faith in me─particularly since this was a personal matter, unrelated in any way to “justice.”

“I think there’s a girl called Roka Numachi living here in town, can you help me find her?”

“Sure thing!” she agreed without hesitation─once she decided on a course, she never wavered, it seemed.

Hmm. I really worry about her.

Protect her, big brother!

Then again, the number-one threat to her safety was that big brother.

“What middle school did she attend?”

I gave her all the data I had, a mixture of what I’d already known and info I’d gathered over the course of the past week.

“Got it. With that much info and Tsukihi’s help, it’ll be a sure thing. Let’s see… Okay then, I should be in touch some time tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? No need to rush…”

“Not rushing might be hard for Tsukihi─she’s been on a real ‘better to burn out than to fade away’ kick lately. I wonder why… She used to take it so easy, it was like she was immortal or something.”

“Hunh…”

Search me.

I don’t really know Tsukihi.

We’ve barely met.

“All right,” I said. “Anyway, I appreciate it. I promise I’ll find some way to repay you.”

“Kwaaa? Just hang out with me again sometime,” Karen returned cheerfully.

It was a reassuring, happy reply.

Totally crushable.

I just said, “Thank you,” and left it at that.

But─in the end, the former Fire Sisters struck out.

No, they didn’t actually strike out.

Karen did thoroughly investigate Numachi for me, as I’d requested.

Just as you’d expect of an Araragi─but in the very, very short term, the request itself was superfluous to our tale.

Because the very next day, Monday.

At school, in my own homeroom of all places─I came face to face with Roka Numachi once again.