Monogatari Series - Volume 30 - Chapter 1.23

023

“What a pity. To think Kanbaru would get an urgent call from her training site when she’s not even a full-fledged doctor yet. It must have been an emergency.”

This was meant to be the real honeymoon.

Kanbaru had mentioned as much, and while it was true, the inside of the minivan we found ourselves in alone felt strangely spacious—and the child seat in the rear looked so very empty.

We were like an ordinary couple with a child.

The question of what happened to the baby would undoubtedly arise. Though it was a common scenario, would we arouse suspicion and be questioned by the police? 

If we were, I’d have to show my police ID, but I’d rather not get into any more trouble than necessary.

“Ah, I guess that’s how it is. Kanbaru had her reasons.”

The reasons were really mine, but Kanbaru had forbidden me from speaking of it. Her point was to not make Hitagi worry. It was a valid argument, but who knew keeping secrets from your partner could be this difficult?

I had explained her nocturnal nature, so Hitagi wouldn’t ask about Shinobu again. But, when night fell, I’d have to explain why she wasn’t coming out… What was I supposed to say?

“Ready or not, time to conquer Irohazaka.”

“Could you say ‘climb’ instead of ‘conquer’? The rain is only getting stronger… Seriously though, should we leave the radio on for landslide disaster information?”

“Just checked a while ago, so no worries. We’re all clear. So we’re skipping the swan boats on Lake Chuzenji and heading straight to the Futarasan Shrine, right?”

“Ah, no, actually, we can skip that too. Toshogu Shrine was really crowded, and we’re really pressed for time.”

“Really? Didn’t Shinobu want to see the legendary sword Nenekirimaru?”

“Yeah, she did, but she said when you actually get up close, it’s not all that impressive—she’s got her own giant sword, after all.”

“Really? Interesting.”

“She’s the type to lose interest right before she starts, even though she’s the one who brought it up.”

“Sounds like a troublesome type.”

It was a nerve-wrecking conversation—even though we hadn’t yet tackled the mountain pass—considering that in the past, being caught in a clumsy lie would’ve led to being stabbed in the eye by a sharpened pencil.

You may have forgotten, but such things did happen.

“So, we’ll head straight to Senjougahara from here then?”

“Yeah. Let’s stick to that plan.”

“I did say ‘straight’, but it’s going to be pretty winding.”

Back when “Senjougahara Hitagi” was an all-around tense and prickly girl, she would’ve easily seen through my deception. But, the twenty-four-year-old Araragi Hitagi seemed content with the situation and continued on her way to Irohazaka.

And that’s a good thing.

Not just because it works out for me, but also because I wouldn’t want her to revert to the way she was, constantly on edge. 

But what would Hitagi do if she knew about Shinobu’s disappearance? As I recall, when Shinobu went missing the day before the cultural festival, I used every contact I had (all three of them) to launch a search for her, and Hitagi was the only one who didn’t participate.

She had refused me.

I remember being surprised about that.

While there were enough circumstances that led to her refusal, I wonder if Hitagi now would have abandoned our honeymoon to search for Shinobu with me? 

I honestly don’t know if that would be desirable. Some may argue that a married couple should share both happiness and adversity, but maybe not a bad ending to a spring break.

Since we had a traditional Japanese wedding, we didn’t make that particular vow, but there is something to the idea of standing together in sickness and in health.

Even if Shinobu wasn’t an aberration, and even if she didn’t feed on humans, I’m still not sure if it would be the right thing to do—to raise a daughter who periodically runs away from home, and propose such a thing to the person I love most… But that’s what adopting a child entails, isn’t it?

On the other hand, Shinobu is no longer who she was back then. She’s not at a crossroads between vampire and human, unable to decide which path to take—Her journey of self-discovery had begun before she was sealed.

And now, she seems to have settled into the coffin that is my shadow.

This time, it’s different from the last time she ran away—it’s not just “again.” My opinion may differ from Hanekawa’s, but she didn’t leave because she wanted attention like an old, household cat.

Well, that was my inner Hanekawa’s voice, so more like my own voice—anyway, if she had left in secret due to her own free will, I can assert that she didn’t do it to trouble me. 

On the contrary, it was for my sake. 

There’s chance that she had discretely left in order to let us experience the “real honeymoon”—although it would be difficult to read the scenario far enough to predict that Kanbaru would go out searching for her alone. There was a past between the two that led them to the brink of killing each other, so it’s not impossible to say that they understand each other in the way delinquents might, after a heated fight.

So, what about the possibility that the two conspired to pull a surprise on us? I doubt it. Neither of them is the type to pull off such things, in both a good and bad sense… really, in both an excellent and a terrible sense.

But, it is also true that the two are capable of communicating without words. It might be nothing more than a wishful hope, but if it turns out to be true, I have to be angry that it was unnecessary meddling.

A honeymoon for just the two of us.

A night spent with Hitagi on Senjougahara.

On such an important night of our lives, I would have definitely wanted her to be by my side—I’m sure Hitagi must have had similar feelings for Kanbaru, too.

Regardless of her name.

Regardless of her species, or her staple food.

We call that family.

“Now, we’re entering. Hehe, look at the GPS. It says it’s the way to go, but the road is twisting and turning like a snake. It’s almost coiled up. How odd.”

“It sounds like this is the most exciting part for you and not Senjougahara. Huh? Wait, for real… Is this a glitch? Can a minivan really climb up a hill like this?”

“Leave it to me, the conqueror of Irohazaka.”

“Please quit it.”