Monogatari Series - Volume 30 - Chapter 1.16

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The pizza, baked in an impromptu stone oven with whatever ingredients we had on hand, was better than every other pizza I had ever tasted in my life—well, I’m not even sure if I can say I’ve eaten a real pizza (I’ve had frozen “pizza” at best). Maybe the true essence of a meal starts with the process of cooking itself.

There’s truth in the saying that everything tastes better when you make it yourself.

And, when the pizza was done, the sleepy-eyed Hitagi lauded it with a “bravissimo!” So I guess it really was good. Seeing Hitagi so drowsy was a rare occasion.

Even her compliment was intonated like she was talking in her sleep.

I would like to believe that witnessing this rare side of Hitagi will become a part of our everyday lives…

“No, I think our original plan is just fine, don’t you? Didn’t you say so yourself? Visiting Senjougahara in the rain will make for fond memories. There’ll be plenty of times when things won’t go as planned in the future, too.”

“It’s a relief to hear that, as the planner behind this—but what about stargazing, your priority?”

“If not celestial rain, at least terrestrial rain.”25

Under normal circumstances, that might have been brushed off as just a pun, but hearing it from my bride during our honeymoon felt like an incredibly charming catchphrase.

“And in the worst case, we can always view the starry sky of Senjougahara on a website, can’t we?”

“I think that’s too dire.”

“On our way home, let’s stop by a planetarium instead.”

“Or better yet, let’s revisit this place, say, during our golden wedding anniversary… By the way, are you okay with driving on the winding Irohazaka slope? Honestly, I’m not too confident.”

“Oh my, is it because you’ve gotten used to driving on the right side of the road in America?”

“It’s not that I’m used to the conquest of roadways or anything. It’s a mountain road, after all. Irohazaka is one-way, so there’s no right or left side… ”

“In that case, it’s alright if the road isn’t all right.”

A typical pun.

I guess it’s no fright.

“It’s just that I’m worried about navigating the winding road in the rain, and Kanbaru doesn’t have a license.”

“I won’t hesitate to drive without a license for your sake!”

“Please don’t do anything as reckless as a blackjack on the streets. For our sake too. So, Hitagi, if we have to go through with this in the rain, I have no choice but to entrust the safe driving on Irohazaka road to you.” 

“Leave it to me. I’ll show you that I can pull off a drift even in a minivan.”

We would drift off to the afterlife.

What we’ll witness is hell itself—I even saw the shores of Sanzu River last night.

“The point is not so much stargazing but seeing Senjougahara itself, isn’t? If there’s no avalanche or anything of that nature, the marsh in the rain should be romantic as well.”

Regardless of whether it’s romantic or not, once it was put that way, it made sense. Stargazing was actually added to my original plan—my sole purpose for the honeymoon, one might say, was to take Hitagi, who lost her last name because of me, to Senjougahara.

Right.

Let’s proceed with caution, as if tapping on a stone bridge before crossing it.

“And stones again… I’d rather be looking at stars, though.”

“But Araragi-senpai, aren’t stars kind of like stones? I mean, they’re also called meteorites, after all.”

“That’s true, Kanbaru. It’s a shame it’s not meteorites falling from the sky instead of rain, like a meteor shower.”

Ah, you’re all too soft with her, Hitagi-san.

Maybe she’s trying to make up for all these cold days back in high school. Regardless, we both have a lot of making up to do, don’t we? Putting that aside, let’s proceed with our plans as scheduled, without any major changes.

We’ll relax until noon and then set out from the campsite, enjoying a leisurely lunch at some point along the way, before heading to Nikko Toshogu Shrine. Visiting Nikko in the rain does have a certain charm to it. 

Besides, while waiting for the pizza to be cooked by Kanbaru, a sudden inspiration struck me—I really wanted to visit Toshogu Shrine.

Afterward, we’ll celebrate our marriage at Futarasan Shrine.

Whether or not we’ll actually climb Irohazaka depends on how the weather progresses, but we’ll give up on the swan boats for sure, and simply settle for a view of Lake Chuzenji. Following that, we’ll see Nenekirimaru at Futarasan Chugu Shrine before heading to Senjougahara.

How about that?

“Are we giving up on visiting Kegon Falls and Ryuzu Falls, too? With the rain, the water volume will have increased, and they’ll be spectacular sights.”

“Why are you trying push yourself closer to danger? That’s out of the question.”

“If only your boathouse was built by Niagara Falls.”

“That would have been impossible.”

As a reckless high school student, I might have gone along with such ideas. But now, prioritizing the safety of my family, I reject the proposal.

Well, in a way, I felt a bit relieved.

Thanks to the stormy weather, I don’t have to worry about the usual fretting over what the weather will be like, what I’ll do if clouds roll in, or how I’d spend the sunny morning I’d have if it were clear. 

That said, I still cling to some hope in the phrase that mountain weather is fickle… Who knows, by the time night falls, maybe the skies over Senjougahara will be unexpectedly clear as far as the eye can see?

“By the way, Koyomi, how did the job go that had you leaving your new bride for the night?”

“Without a hitch,” I answer in regards to work. But it might’ve stirred up some problems on the personal front. “And your midnight deal?”

“I moved billions of yen. Though it was someone else’s money.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

“Don’t worry. Tonight, I’ll switch off my phone entirely. Come rain or spears or a shower of stars, I’ll be here.”