Monogatari Series - Volume 24 - Chapter 2.23

023

I hadn’t asked her for her student card, and she seemed to be familiar with what was happening inside the Beniguchis, so I had zero doubt that the Recruit Suit-san I was meeting with was Beniguchi Hibari…but come to think of it, the only proof I had was her self-introduction.

Ononoki-chan was the one who assisted by sneaking into the Beniguchi residence, so I’ve no idea what Benikujaku-chan’s older sister looked like – let alone which department she’s in.

I didn’t even know she existed up until yesterday.

So then… yes, but, then this, so even with this crude impersonation, I’d take the bait…er, but why put on the act then?

That must be it.

She wanted to coax the details from me – even with a gagging order, if I’m dealing with a relative of a child victim, my mouth naturally loosens up; I’d try explaining everything to them, even with a heavy heart…that’s the thinking I’ve cornered myself into.

Then that would mean Benihibari – no, not Benihibari – that would mean Impostor Benihibari was the real kidnapper. That thought reared its head once again.

If the kidnapper pretended to be the older sister – that’d spell the resurrection of my paranoia.

To make sure if I saw anything I wasn’t meant to see – that’s why the evil kidnapper went to lengths to break into the uni I’m in…if her real identity wasn’t ‘the sister who’s worrying about her little sister’, then for her to be the person who ripped out all the small girl’s teeth wouldn’t be odd at all.

It wouldn’t be right, but it wouldn’t be odd.

– Please excuse me for the embarrassing embarrassment.

…Was there anything that the kidnapper wouldn’t have wanted anybody to see? It just looks like someone threw a bunch of miscellaneous, unwanted items on the staircase landing…

What did I see?

What did I not see?

Think back, was there anything amiss on those emergency stairs? Actually, the entire staircase was downright eerie, let alone amiss…

I can definitely think back, since that sight was burnt into my brain, and I was the first to discover it – wait a sec. Wait a sec, wait a sec.

If the lady in the recruit suit wasn’t Benihibari but the kidnapper, then not only was I not the first witness, I’ve even witnessed the perpetrator.

The small girl’s kidnapper, the criminal, the person of interest.

The first thing I can’t forget was her repetitively polite demeanour – in all honesty, that played a part in tearing down my guard, too.

Except she not only tore things down, but also tore things out…or am I jumping to conclusions?

Have I jumped to jumping to conclusions?

For the umpteenth time?

That said, even if Impostor Benihibari wasn’t the kidnapper, one thing’s certain: she’s not Benikujaku-chan’s stepsister – it could be a woman journalist who’s after an exclusive scoop, or, for that matter, an actual detective hired by the parents, faking her identity just to talk to me; could the parents have hired someone? Is that possible?

Right, calm down, let’s go through this one by one.

Don’t go and think about everything at once; first, let’s find out what we can confirm among us. That is to say, the part where it wasn’t Beniguchi Hibari who sat down with me.

‘Higasa-chan. I want to ask something of you; don’t ask any questions.’

‘Alrighty then. I’ll pretend to be your fiancée and meet your parents.’

‘None of us have said anything remotely related to that until now.’

‘Hey, Higasa, aren’t you getting a bit too close with my Araragi-senpai?’

Kanbaru revealed her jealousy against her close friend.

I was going to say that the superstar had her cute side too, but her jealousy can also simply be described as ‘frickin’ dangerous’ (more dangerous than even Hitagi, in a certain sense), so I’d better be careful – it seems my retorts need to be dulled in terms of specificity.

My Araragi-senpai, no less.

‘You’ve got a pic? Of Beniguchi Hibari-san.’

I said, turning things down a notch.

If a photo exists, then I can be sure that the woman I saw in a recruit suit wasn’t Beniguchi Hibari-san – Higasa-chan could’ve gotten old info from Mitonon; maybe she’s already made her way back to Japan.

In the worst case, even without a direct flight, it’s still possible to come back with a transfer – not exactly practical for a year one student at uni, but it is practicable.

She then obliviously went face-to-face with the evil kidnapper, and maybe she got killed then and there. Maybe I wasn’t willing to consider that possibility, but it’s something worth verifying.

‘Hmm~ I wonder…I’ll have to check with Mitonon, but even then, I don’t think she’ll have a recent photo of hers; it’s more likely that she has an older photo from years ago, but if it’s too old, then it’d be meaningless, no? No point in showing you what she looked like in junior high, don’t you think? Besides, I’m not giving it away for free.’

‘What? You’re not giving it away for free?’

Why?

Why would money figure into this conversation?

‘I’m an information broker.’

‘You are not an information broker.’

‘It’s not money that I want. Yeah, so, Mitonon’s actually had something like a crush on you for the past year or so; will you go on a date with her?’

‘Don’t say something so important so nonchalantly! You’re the one who made the Girls’ Basketball Club so awkward to be in, weren’t you, you scamp!?’

‘Calling me a scamp? You’ve made me very happy. You’ve always called Ruga the scamp and used “you” for me, which can be a bit distant sometimes~’

Higasa-chan showcased her surprisingly delicate side, as her fingers slid smoothly on my smartphone that filmed me just now – she’s not uploading this for the world to see, is she?

If she wants me to call her a scamp too, then I shall happily oblige. On the other hand, if this is what it takes to be Kanbaru’s best friend…their juniors must’ve had it really rough.

‘Woah, Mitonon’s real mad now. You see, Araragi-senpai, I revealed her true feelings to you.’

‘If that’s what you did, I think that’s a normal reaction.’

I can’t see it from this angle, but it appears a bombastic war of words is playing out on her phone…LINE, I presume?

‘No, it’s on Twitter.’

‘Don’t duke it out on Twitter! The whole world’s gonna see it!’

Hitagi, Hanekawa, the Girls’ Basketball Club…if people saw the venerable OG Club turning against each other,17 then my video message isn’t going to help at all!

‘Understood, then I’ll move it to LINE…woah, she’s spammed every angry sticker she has my way!’

‘…Doesn’t that mean she’s not actually that angry?’

‘If stickers are like hieroglyphics, then one could say modern communication has returned to the good old days, hasn’t it?’

When you think about it, in the future, social messaging apps are going to be like what the Rosetta Stone is to us now.

Both unconfident on modern machinery, Kanbaru and I watched on anxiously. Although Mitonon’s anger didn’t fully subside, in the end, she sent over a picture of, as she calls her, ‘Beniguchi-senpai’.

Such speediness when it comes to texting or arguing for the modern high school girl.

‘Here you go, for your viewing pleasure. It was taken a while ago, but it’s not ancient; this is what Benikujaku-chan’s stepsister looks like. Ta-da~’

Don’t think the ‘ta-da’ was necessary…

I looked at the smartphone screen that was passed over to me, trying to confirm the person in the photo…was this taken with a phone?

No, it’s a postcard.

A postcard with the words ‘I’ve moved out’ written on it – having gone away from her old home and started living alone…she’s so happy she finally left home that she wrote postcards for her juniors, is that what’s going on?

The quality’s not good, but the postcard dates back a few months, so it’s a useful source, I thought as I zoomed in with a pinch (I at least know you can do that).

‘…Wait.’

I grasped for words as I saw that person smiling, peace sign held out.

‘What the hell is going on here…?’

What’s going on wasn’t what was going on.

Or could it be, that’s what’s going on?

Then that would mean this didn’t start from today.

I – we have made a giant mistake right from the beginning. An unthinkable, unsalvageable mistake.

…No.

It can be done.

It can be salvaged – it can be saved.

Benikujaku-chan’s life – and her future.

‘Then, as promised, Araragi-senpai, you’ll have to go on a date with Mitonon.’

‘No, I’m not going on a date.’

‘What? Not even a date?’