Monogatari Series - Volume 21 - Chapter 0.07

007

‘So Sengoku-chan started drawing with a “hyah!” then. Putting pen to paper, just like that? Ha-ha. What a fool —’

Ougi-san’s chipper commentary was as if hearing a rare, funny episode in a rapidly-decaying society — although I have some reservations about his attitude, now that I was on his BMX, I cannot complain much.

He might crash again.

Specifically, I was standing on the rear wheel, normally reserved for stunt performances. This was the first time I had done that, and trying to balance alone had me working up a cold sweat.

Ougi-san’s whimsical commentary was not something I had room to react to.

Leaving that aside, two people sharing a bike is already illegal, but I had no choice — I think there is a case here for emergency evacuation.

Please let it be true.

Because I have to capture the four of me who escaped.

‘“The four of me who escaped”, huh?’

Ougi-san gave a light chuckle.

Without even looking, I could about imagine what kind of smile he has on his face — it was something I could picture. I am not drawing it out though. The situation I am in the middle of is traumatic enough that I am tempted to quit drawing for the rest of my life.

But, as expected of boys.

Even with me in the back seat (no, wait, the back stand), he pedalled as if I were not weighing him down.

…He is a boy, right?

Leaving aside whether we were meeting for the first time… no, for some reason, the more I talked about it, the more I was sure we were meeting for the first time.

A boy that I was meeting for the first time.

Knowing that, to share a bike with a boy I met for the first time poses a different kind of danger too.

‘So what you meant was your test proved wildly successful. Four Sengoku-chans — Gentle Nadeko, Fawning Nadeko, Anti-Nadeko, and Divine Nadeko, all four states of Sengoku-chan have been neatly conjured from two to three dimensions. Ha-ha. My goodness, this is amazing. I’d even wager that Yotsugi-chan had no idea that all four would be conjured without a hitch — instead of actually needing the manpower, she’s likely trying to increase the success rate by ‘casting the net wide’. She’d probably go hip-hip-hooray even if there’s only one or two that ended up as shikigami.’

‘Mm… she did say so after that.’

Speaking of Ononoki-chan, she is now making her way in the opposite direction, also searching for the four mes — her mobility I have confidence in, but even so, I should not just sit back and watch.

Those four mes.

I cannot let those four Nadekos wander free.

‘Ha-ha. Hearing you say “Nadeko” reminds me of when Sengoku-chan used it for the first-person.’

‘…How would you know that if we are meeting for the first time?’

‘Oh, my bad. Pretend I said nothing just now.’

If I could let you off the hook like this, then pretend I also did nothing this morning.

Please.

‘Nono, powerless little me can only help you find your way — find your way towards that Sengoku-chan in the uniform. That’s the small role I play in this tale.’

Sengoku-chan in the uniform, huh.

In other words, that should be Gentle Nadeko.

Whilst finalising the designs of the four Nadekos, I gave all of them different clothes — allowing me to differentiate them without only looking at their hairstyles once they have materialised.

‘But Sengoku-chan, why would the four Sengoku-chans run away after they materialised as shikigami? Shouldn’t the four of them work together with you and start drawing manga to get to that ten-thousand-hour mark?’

Eh? Did I reveal that much?

There was no use hiding my goal of becoming a manga artist, so it didn’t make much difference.

‘Did Yotsugi-chan leave something out? That kid’s with Tsukihi-chan these days — and when anyone’s with Tsukihi-chan, something always goes wrong; is that why she messed up big time?’

So Ougi-san is also closely acquainted with Tsukihi-chan…?

He spoke as though he knows Tsukihi-chan personally, although I always think that Ougi-san and Tsukihi-chan would make an apocalyptic duo.

However, Ononoki-chan herself seemed to mind that as well (‘I’ve been underachieving recently’, she had reflected without emotion), though for this incident, only I, Sengoku Nadeko, Present Nadeko am to blame for this boneheaded moment.

‘It’s my fault for not thinking through…’

‘Uh huh. Same as me, then?’

It was not the same.

‘“To aspire becoming a manga artist” is current me’s stance… so even as I succeeded in conjuring past mes as shikigami, they would not be willing to help me.’

More than that, ‘there is no use hiding my goal of becoming a manga artist’ is also only applicable for current me; for past Sengoku Nadekos, it was a goal, a dream she went to great lengths to hide.

There was no point in hoping all of us would work together.

No hope in having a workable rotation.

More a self-perpetuating blizzard of self-hatred.

My quiet hikikomori abode had transformed into a cataclysmic battleground — whilst I did manage to calm everybody down, that also meant becoming the one everybody hated the most.

In the end, the four Nadekos did not even help me with the frames, and ended up scattering all over the place.

Since they all scattered at the same time, it left me and Ononoki-chan no time to react — the only thing they can co-operate on is making their escape.

Which was terribly like me.

When it comes to escaping, I am Japan’s number one.

By the way, there was one Nadeko who escaped out of the window — it goes without saying, that was Divine Nadeko. I expect nothing less from Sengoku Nadeko in her deity days.

Not just strong in body, but free in spirit too.

She escaped with a kyahahahaha! ’Twas terrifying.

But I cannot spend the rest of my life terrified. My utmost priority right now is to locate and retrieve all four of me, including Divine Nadeko — otherwise this town would soon be gripped by panic!

‘No, I don’t think it’d be that serious, no? It’s just four people roaming about who just happen to look the same as you, innit?’

Ougi-san’s response was akin to a splash of cold water.

He was right.

Panic was too strong a word.

On that note, for the four to scatter might be a blessing in disguise — four identical-looking people walking together would raise eyebrows plenty, but now that they had split apart, each one of them was just another middle school girl.

The town’s peace would probably be kept as long as their identity as shikigami was kept tight under wraps. It wasn’t the town that would descend into panic, but myself, as well as the one who got into trouble again, Ononoki-chan.

No, well, anyway, that could only be said for Divine Nadeko.

Strolling around town with a hundred thousand snakes on her head is prime phone camera fodder.

‘Well, about that, she is a god after all. She’s probably got some tricks up her sleeve to not be seen by ordinary folk — I think the other three should be your concern. If any of those three get into trouble, it’ll be you, Present Nadeko, who shoulders those responsibilities.’

That was true.

I cannot believe it turned out like this.

For me, who always ran away from responsibility, to now shoulder the responsibilities of others — those others being all me, of course.

Suppose they commit something worse than sharing a bike — oh no, Anti-Nadeko is making me really worried!

Then she is the one that should be prioritised; however, one ought not to ignore Gentle Nadeko or Fawning Nadeko either.

I had no idea what shenanigans past me could be up to!

‘Ha-ha. Quite. When Sengoku-chan was still Gentle Nadeko, she’d play with snakes, dismember them, and nail ’em onto trees.’

That was not playing. I was fighting for my life.

‘Besides, I didn’t nail them on trees. Though when I hear Ougi-san saying that, I can’t help but think that I did.’

‘Considering it’s the first time we met, there’s no way I’d say something like that. Don’t tell me you’ve subconsciously followed the anime adaptation? Ha-ha. Past events are ripe for future exaggeration.’

…Well, when it comes to last year’s events, my subconscious was not something to be relied on.

Although exaggerating the past was something I was facing right now.

After all, I did chop snakes into bits, so Gentle Nadeko could be armed with chisels; one wayward move and I could get hurt when facing her — I must be careful.

‘Right, here we are. This was where I saw Sengoku-chan in uniform before I almost hit you.’

Ougi-san said whilst braking all of a sudden, as if sending it into reverse — I almost flew out, but I held on fine, as I looked at where I was.

Where Ougi-san witnessed myself.

This was a place I was familiar with.

The front gates of Public Middle School #701.