Monogatari Series - Volume 31 - Chapter 6

Hitagi Neck

Apparently Senjougahara Hitagi had been waiting eagerly for this day to come. As to what "this day" means, it would be the day when I introduced her as my girlfriend to my two sisters, Araragi Karen and Araragi Tsukihi.

"Why were you so excited about today anyway... Are you like actually a big fan of the Fire Sisters?"

Now that I think about it, Senjougahara did actually know about my sisters before she met me. Of course, at the time, I was just terrified that someone I didn't know knew everything about my family.

"You could say that, Koyokoyo."

said Senjougahara.

Apparently "Koyokoyo" was referring to me.

I was absolutely opposed to that nickname. Actually it was more than just being opposed to it, I hated it, but she stubbornly refused to stop calling me it.

Well if I just tell myself that her stubbornness is just another part of her rehabilitation, if I just forced myself to think of it that way, I could just barely put up with it.

Or maybe it was her way of getting back at me for when I call her "Gahara-san" once in a while.

If that's the case I guess it's a pretty cute way of getting back at me, I hope that I'm not just rambling on about our lovey-dovey couple moments.

"When I hear the rumors about them it reminds me of me and Kanbaru back in middle school."

"Hmm, the Valhalla Combo."

"But it's not just that, I'm really happy that you're introducing me to your family, Koyokoyo. I feel like I'm finally being accepted as your girlfriend."

"'I feel like I'm finally being accepted as your girlfriend'..."

Would she really have said that?

She's gotten a lot gentler than I expected, even after her rehabilitation.

I wouldn't say that I really want the old snappy Senjougahara back, but this really makes it feel like time flies.

"Weren't you happy when I introduced you to my father, Koyokoyo?"

"Yeah, I was."

I answered so quickly it might have sounded suspicious.

Senjougahara's father.

Mr. Senjougahara.

How would I describe my meeting with that man who was aging quite well, memorable? A bit traumatic? It really had been unendurable, which was probably why I answered so quickly.

Although now when I think that Senjougahara trusted me enough to introduce me to her father even before her rehabilitation, it does make me quite happy.

I'd be lying if I said it didn't.

But I'd also be lying if I said it was all just happy times...

"That's why I'm so happy that I'll get to meet Karen-san and Tsukihi-san. Although I still felt like it was pretty out of the blue when you called me up right after I got home from Bon."

"Well there's some pretty complicated reasons behind that, mysterious reasons you could say, in any case I didn't really have any other choice so..."

I really didn't have any other choice.

If you want to read more about that you can refer to the other short-short stories in the booklet, but it was a bit hard to explain to Senjougahara.

"To be honest, my sisters forced me to."

"Forced you..."

"You better watch out, Senjougahara. They seem sort of opposed to you. I never introduced you to them before because I was afraid that you'd try to hurt them. Well I'm not worried about that anymore, but now I'm worried the opposite might happen."

"..."

"Just for today, Senjougahara. I authorize you to arm yourself with your stationery."

Senjougahara shook her head.

"Stationery is for studying, not for hurting people."

"... Well you're right but."

"I'll never write 'stationery' as 'stationary' like a 'stationary turret' again."

"I've never seen you do that before..."

And actually that's a really good pun.

Why didn't I think of that?

"You know, Araragi-kun,"

Senjougahara paused, then said

"I've always wanted a little sister."

"... I can't give you one you know?"

"I don't mean in real life, it was just a wish for me. Maybe that's why I always liked the juniors like Kanbaru so much. But with my parents ending up the way they did, that's not possible. But I still think about it, maybe if I had a little sister my family wouldn't have been torn apart."

"..."

"Maybe if that was true, I could've introduced you to my mother. Well just introducing you isn't really the point..."

"I get what you're saying."

Actually, maybe I don't.

Just because she's my girlfriend, because we're boyfriend and girlfriend, doesn't mean that we can understand all of each other's feelings. But I know for sure that Senjougahara must have always wanted to have that sort of normal conversation.

To be normal.

To Senjougahara, who had to go through her youth never being allowed to be normal, maybe just spending our days like this is enough to make her happy. But that doesn't mean she'll be able to take back the things she's lost.

Exactly because they're things that she's lost.

She'll always keep thinking of them.

"I know that just a little while ago I never would've thought that introducing people to my family or being introduced to other someone else's family would make me so happy. I'm sure I would've thought that even if I had a boyfriend, I'd want that to be just a private relationship between the two of us."

"I know..."

Honestly I would consider myself one of those people.

But now I guess I'm laid back enough to just go along with what Senjougahara wants. The Araragi Koyomi who used to say "I don't want friends, I'll get weaker as a person" is gone.

And I'm sure who I am now.

One day he'll be gone too.

"I just wanted to ask you, Koyokoyo. Both of your sisters have boyfriends right?"

"That's the first time I've heard of it."

"Come on, there's no way you wouldn't know... Besides you're the one who told me after all. You haven't met them before?"

"Yeah, I always run right away."

"Why do you sound so proud when you say that. You should just agree to meet them, next time it'll be you meeting your sisters' boyfriends."

"Well if I get the chance..."

I pray that I never do.

Honestly I hope that they break up before I ever have to meet them. I know I'm being close-minded, but that's just how an older brother feels about his little sisters' boyfriends.

Well if I think of it that way.

No matter how hostile Karen and Tsukihi are to meeting Senjougahara, they're way more mature than me.

"Oh, seems like we're here."

"It'll be my first time going inside."

After a fifteen minute walk from where we agreed to meet.

Senjougahara and I had arrived at the Araragi house.

Let the Summit begin.

I steeled myself for the worst.