029
“Hi, Senjogahara?”
“Oh, Koyo.”
“You’ve never once called me by that nickname before.”
“What’s the matter? If you’re calling me like this, does that mean you’ve settled whatever problem you ran into this time around?”
“No…”
“Does it mean you’ve prepared yourself emotionally for the way Miss Hanekawa and I are going to rake you over the coals?”
“You’re scaring me.”
“You only have yourself to blame. You can’t just skip school whenever the fancy strikes, you know… Not that I have any right to be saying that.”
“Hm? Well…I’m not finished, anyway. My plan was to wait until this was over before contacting you, but I couldn’t take it any longer. Sorry, I just got anxious.”
“I see… Well, I’m happy to hear that. I’d thought you were off flirting with Kanbaru and had forgotten all about the likes of little old me.”
“Of course not. Don’t say that, you’re going to make me mad. But, well─it’ll all be settled tonight. Yeah, I can give you a proper explanation once I’m back.”
“Is that so. Well, you can leave Miss Hanekawa to me.”
“Hm? Did something happen with her?”
“…Kanbaru never told you?”
“? About what?”
“Oh, nothing… It seems we share a terrifying junior in common. If you haven’t heard, though─just hear it straight from her once you’re back. That should also motivate you to return safely, right? I know you must be acting as reckless as ever, Koyo.”
“Could you please stop calling me Koyo?”
“Should I call you Koyote?”
“Oh, so I’m like your dog now?”
“If I’m being honest, I do wish you’d drop what you’re doing and make your way back home like a faithful little boy… But I take it that’s not something you can do.”
“That’s right. It’s not… There’s a lot I need to tell you once I’m back. A lot I want to apologize about, and a lot I want to say. We should talk about this face-to-face, though.”
“Don’t phrase things in a way that makes it sound like we’re breaking up, please. You’re scaring me.”
“Oh, sorry. That came out wrong. Hey, Senjogahara?”
“What is it, Koyote?”
“I really hope you haven’t decided on calling me that… Hey, there’s something I wanted you to tell me.”
“Chanel No. 5.”
“That’s not what I was going to ask, and that’s a lie, anyway. When Kanbaru entered Naoetsu High a year ago and met you─how did you feel? I want you to be honest. When your junior whom you’d had no contact with for a full year, someone you saw as a friend from the past whom you’d left behind, came all the way into your today─how did you feel?”
“…”
“Oh, sorry. That was a weird question. My bad, just forget about it.”
“No. Hearing that question, I see the problem you’re in, Koncourse.”
“Wow! Is that supposed to be a nickname for me?”
“Konsole works too.”
“How do you even get to either of those from Koyomi?”
“To be honest, it felt like a lot─you know, the weight of her emotions.”
“…”
“She’d always carried around too many fantasies about me─but if you’ll allow me to correct you on just one point, I wouldn’t say that I rejected Kanbaru unilaterally back then as she tried to cling onto me. She said some pretty rough things to me about the way I was going about my life.”
“Yeah. I was starting to get that feeling.”
“Of course, it didn’t really resonate back then. She’s special, someone chosen─which is why she could say those kinds of things, I thought. That she was a genius on another level compared to a phony like me.”
“…”
“‘Hard work doesn’t always lead to success, but everyone successful has worked hard’─people who are successful always say that kind of thing, right? They try to convince you it wasn’t luck that caused them to succeed, it was their own hard work. Well, I was at an age where I hated hearing that kind of thing.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s not something you age out of… In fact, I imagine you still hate it now.”
“Well, I had another thought when you helped me reconcile with her. That’s not how it is. Even geniuses struggle.”
“…”
“Everyone struggles─I guess that’s obvious. For so long, I wanted that feeling of ‘I’m special’ that special people have─but that’s when I realized it doesn’t mean anything.”
“…”
“Did we get a little off track? I said the weight of her emotions was a lot─but I think part of that was me. I was too light then to endure all that weight. If I wanted to be with Kanbaru, though, I’d have to become someone capable of enduring it─which is something I’m still pursuing. Of course, I’m also doing it for you. I’m working at it, believe it or not. So that I can become your bride one day, Araragi.”
“…”
“Was that too much?”
“No, not at all.”
“Really, there’s no such thing as special or normal. Those are just comparisons─right? Sure, people will think of you as special if you’re born into a fabulously wealthy family, but if you’re going to say that, everyone I know is special for being born during this age in such a peaceful country.”
“This might be my last chance, so could I ask you something that might upset you?”
“I wouldn’t mind answering as long as you redact that worrying lead-in.”
“If someone who outclassed me in every way told you they loved you, what would you do?”
“Ugh, you’re such a sissy! Oh my god, are you really asking that?”
“Er, um, yeah, I know, but.”
“You’re trying to get me to say something awful to you, aren’t you? You’re seeing how far you can push me before I get mad! Gross! That does it, we’re breaking up tomorrow!”
“Um, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to…and I think that reaction is enough of one on its own, but…please, could you not talk about breaking up tomorrow?”
“I get the feeling you’re having to swallow your pride to ask me this, so I’ll give you an honest answer. I’m a hundred percent certain I’d get over it.”
“Wow, you’re…amazing for being able to say that.”
“I know that no bond between two people is absolute. Watching my parents taught me that.”
“Senjogahara─no, that’s─”
“And if you think about it, the idea of an unbreakable bond is pretty scary─which just means you need to hustle instead, so someone can’t get over you. Even if you can’t become a special person, you can still be special to someone, right?”
“Special to─someone.”
“I’m working every day to be someone special to you and Kanbaru─so don’t worry, Araragi. You’re plenty special. To me, to Kanbaru─and to Shinobu. We’ve chosen you.”
“So you really did understand… Wow.”
“I’m your girlfriend. I’m very happy you called me. I love you.”
“I love you too. Once I get back, why don’t we…talk more about this kind of thing?”
“Let’s. I’ll be waiting for you in the nude.”
“…You have a lot to do with why Kanbaru is such a pervert, don’t you?”
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