003
To me June 13th is a date of commemoration.
At least, it should be.
It has nothing to do with the bloomer or the school swimsuit. It began with a question from my girlfriend, Senjougahara Hitagi, who I've been going out with since last month. Mother's Day. May 14.
"We're going on a date."
This was during lunch break on the appointed day.
She abruptly said this while we were having a seemingly friendly lunch on the courtyard bench. I was so surprised that I dropped the egg omelet that I was holding in my chopsticks.
Huh?
What did this woman just say?
I look at Senjougahara.
She's wearing the summer uniform.
It is a short-sleeve blouse with the folds held by a pin, giving the impression of it being sleeveless. This has been a fad among the female students in our school recently. I had thought Senjougahara to be someone who wouldn't follow fads, but it seems that it was just my mistaken assumption. Nonpolitical. This is a new discovery. By the way, Hanekawa hasn't been grumbling about, though she isn't following this fad. Though both are honor students this is the difference between those who are staunchly so and those who are not. Of course in Senjoiugahara's case, the length of her skirt is the same as always.
Senjogahara keeps her bangs, which seem to have gotten longer recently, and the rest of her hair out of the wait with a red band while eating. Though it may look to be stupid hairdo, it puts her beautiful forehead on display without reserve and, to me, makes a very striking impression. On top of that, being able to see to this seemingly "careless" side of Senjougahara does feel nice.
"Huh...what?"
My haphazard reaction prompts Senjougahara to say, "Hmm," and to pick up a small amount of rice from her bentou with her chopsticks and to bring it towards me.
"Say 'ah'."
"..................!"
Wha....!
What is happening...!
You see this "love love" event between "love love" lovers in manga a lot, but I'm not happy in the least. No, just the opposite, or rather I'm just afraid! Senjougahara is as always with her usual flat expressionless tone....if she showed some embarrassment I would happily welcome this, but not being able to read the emotions of your partner in this situation is too intense...
I automatically wonder if she has an ulterior motive.
This just screams of something hiding under the surface.
Two "B" sides. (not sure what this line is about)
What if it's a feint and when I carelessly open my mouth she laughs at me.
"What is wrong? Araragi-kun. Say 'ah'."
"................"
No.....
I shouldn't be suspicious of my own girlfriend.
Senjougahara may be little mean, but she isn't someone that would do something so cruel. Though the month that we've been going out together can't really be called a long relationship, we have still gotten to understand each other rather well. We should have reached a point of mutual trust. There is nothing to be gained in destroying that by doing something stupid myself. I'm Senjougahara's boyfriend.
"Aaaaaaahhh."
I open my mouth.
"Here." Senjougahara places the rice just to the right of my open mouth and pushes it into my cheek.
"..............."
No, no, no.
I already knew the punch line, but...
"Fufufu." laughs Senjougahara.
A quiet laughter.
"Fufufufu....ahaha. Haha."
".....Seeing your smile makes me incredibly happy."
She almost never used to laugh before.
Though now she only laughs at things like this.
She is fundamentally expressionless, I guess.
"Araragi-kun, you have some rice on your cheek."
"You're the one that put it there."
"Let me get that for you."
Senjougahara puts down her chopsticks momentarily and brings her hand towards me. With careful movements she plucks the rice that she plastered onto my cheek one grain at a time.
Hmmmm.
Well, this is a little unexpected....
"There, I got them all," she says.
She briskly throws the clump of rice in the nearby trashcan.
....She threw it away.
Threw it away right in front of me...
Well, it's not like I really thought she would eat it.
"Well then," Senjougahara says and cleverly moves onto something else, making it seem as if the previous events didn't happen.
"We're going on a date," she repeats.
Though she right afterwards she says, "Hmmm," and seems to be uncertain.
"That's not right. Not like that. We are..."
"...?"
"Shall we...go on a date?"
"............"
"How would...about...going on a date...."
No way...!
She really doesn't even know how to go about asking for something...!?
I'm shocked.
But what surprises me even more is that Senjougahara proposes a date in such a straightforward and abrupt fashion.
Such is the one month anniversary of when we first started going out.
The girl that would not move a finger for my open pleading, or even for time itself.... as unmovable as the wind, as unmovable as the forest, as unmovable as fire, as unmovable as the mountains, Senjougahara Hitagi...would ask for a date? (Some of these things move, but this sounds better)
We, who have, up until now, been maintaining what Kanbaru Suruga calls "a platonic relationship." So much so that it is almost as if we had signed a treaty to this fact. And we are finally going on a date?
What has changed in her mind.
Although, not as strong as when she asked me to "Say ah," I still feel as if she's hiding something.....to feel such suspicion after being asked out on a date by your girlfriend is not good thing, but this is definitely surprising.
"What is it?" Senjougahara says flatly. "You don't want to, Araragi-kun?"
"No, it's not that I don't want to exactly..."
"That's right, I heard." Senjougahara says while showing a fierce expression.
Is that really an expression make to your boyfriend, though.
"Araragi-kun, your date with Kanbaru was quite fun it seems. You must be quite close to have passed the entire night together yesterday, right?"
"Oh, you heard? From Kanbaru I guess?"
"Yes...although that girl was reluctant to say anything."
"............"
What was the point in being reluctant to explain......! There is nothing to hide so just explain without trying to keep anything secret! By doing that, you just made it seem like there really was something to hide! People who don't know when to leave things out and when not to leave things our are the most troublesome!
"'Please do not blame Araragi-senpai' is what she said."
"Why do I have to be protected by her!? I didn't even do anything wrong!"
I'm innocent!
Innocent!
Innocent!
"In any case," Senjougahara said. "I am glad that you seem to be getting along with her."
"............"
What is that supposed to mean?
Of course, Senjougahara most likely feels indebted towards, and even a little inferior to, Kanbaru. Then there is the rivalry for Senjougahara that Kanbaru and I share, Senjougahara also knows this. That's why, to Senjougahara the closeness that Kanbaru and I have, I'm not sure what nuance it is, but whatever it is, is in the words that Senjougahara just spoke I think. Which makes me think about what Hanekawa said to me yesterday.
"Seeing this, I think Senjougahara-san would feel quite anxious."
With that in mind--
What in the world is this woman thinking I wonder.
"With this, now I have quite a valuable hostage in Kanbaru with regards to you, Araragi-kun."
"Thinking like a villain!"
Hostage!? She brought up the word hostage in an ordinary conversation!
"Kanbaru's adorable isn't she...by the way, that adorable girl will happily do anything I want her to. What do you think of that, Araragi-kun? This is unrelated , but don't you want to see a girl walk through the school on all fours while naked from the waist down?" Senjougahara utters those dangerous words in a forced melancholy tone with a sigh... Being born in such a peaceful country, I would have never thought it possible to something so violent with such a deadly stillness...
Senjougahara Hitagi.
You're not a tsundere or anything else, simply an evil person...
"My, how rude, Araragi-kun. This is the first time someone has ever said such a thing to me."
"Really...?"
"Not only that, but I am often told the opposite. 'You're a really upstanding person' is what I often hear."
"They're saying it sarcastically!"
If that's what you want, I can say it too! You're a really upstanding person!
"What did you say? Those people are lying to me? To be suspicious of their words, even if it is you saying that, Araragi-kun, I can't just ignore it..."
"Don't protect the people badmouthing you!" Or something like this. This exchange was done in jest. Just testing each other's "sense".
"With that said."
I don't know what "with that said" is all about, but Senjougahara ends the digression.
"You are going on a date with me, Araragi-kun."
"So that's what you came up with in the end..."
Well, it's proper in its own way. And there doesn't seem to be more to it than this.
"Do you have a problem...no, I mean do you have an questions?"
"I do not have any questions..."
"Well then, I will make up some sort of excuse after school and go home to get things ready. Araragi-kun, come to my house immediately after you finish with the cultural festival preparations," Senjougahara said in conclusion and proceeded to resume eating her lunch as if nothing had happened.
Senjougahara Hitagi is the one who gave higher priority to the date than to the preparation for the cultural festival, but I can't say that I'm not happy to be able to go out on a date with Senjougahara. On top of that, the date is at night so is filled with profound significance.
Senjougahara told me to leave the destination, the activities, and all the planning to her.
I chose not to press for further details and just decided to enjoy it while striking a triumphant post in my heart.
It was a long journey...
Who would have thought that just getting the promised date from her would require so much labor.
I had to go out on a date with her junior to achieve this, but as long as the results are good, then everything is all right.
Anyhow.
June 30th was to be the day I had my first date with my girlfriend and was to be a special commemorative day--or it was supposed to be.
Several hours later.
After school, upon finishing preparations for the cultural festival and heading home, I was met at the main gate by my younger sister's old friend, Sengoku Nadeko, bearing a pair of bloomers and a school swimsuit to give to me. That is when I was found by Hanekawa.
"Please! I'll give you 50,000 yen if you don't tell anyone about this!" I said with great emotion in my plea (of course, after that Hanekawa replied, 'trying to bribe an upright person, don't you feel ashamed,' and proceeded to preach to me. So I was scolded by a fellow classmate while holding a pair of bloomers and a school swimsuit under my arm). With this out of the way I proceeded to pedal the bicycle with greater intensity than normal and rode home, change from my school uniform to some appropriate clothes and, taking only my wallet and cell phone, headed to Senjougahara's house without delay.
I thought I was a little late, but Senjougahara said, "You got here earlier than I thought you would." And continued with, "This is fine. It would have been troublesome if you had gotten here any earlier."
Senjougahara was in street clothes too.
Her hair is divided in two in the back.
In school, aside from lunchtime and during physical education(recently Senjougahara has started to take part in physical education), she normally keeps it straight and outside of school she keeps it tied as a rule. Splitting it in two like this does conjure up an image of the class representative Hanekawa, but along with that, it seems to allow freedom of movement and is stylish. I was about to think of what her clothes reveals about our destination, but right at the moment she said, "Well then, let's go. Follow me."
As always, that was it.
From then on I was left with just waiting for the next unexpected development. Senjougahara Hitagi led me from the apartment in which she lived to a jeep parked out front.
We are going by automobile.
This is good.
I have no problem or question regarding this automobile based society.
The problem is that neither Senjougahara or I have licenses, neither for four wheeled vehicles nor for motor-bikes, due to the school regulations forbidding students from having them.
As a necessity both Senjougahara and I got in the rear.
But there was someone in the driver's seat.
It was Senjougahara Hitagi's father.
"................."
The girlfriend's father coming along on the first date...
A date that seems to be about torture...
What kind of commemoration is this.
No matter how you looked at it, the bad atmosphere inside the cab was everywhere. After hurried greetings, the jeep departed.
Though I was there, I still could not ask about our destination. Moreover, I couldn't care less about our destination right now.
Of course, this was my first meeting with Senjougahara's father.
If Senjougahara's father were someone frank and open, or even as polite as Sengoku, I would have been relieved, but he was the most difficult type of person for me to interact with, the taciturn type. A taciturn girl who is younger than me would be one thing, but such a quality in an older man...
Coming home from work---no, from his appearance, he seems to still be in the middle of work, Senjougahara's father handles the steering wheel quietly.
If I remember right, he is employed at a foreign company...He looks to be a very rigid person.
It might just be my self-consciousness acting up, but it seems like there's nothing I can do that will not make him angry.
At any rate...under these circumstances, this person's salt and pepper hair, as seen from our generation, would normally seem right for someone of his age, but it's incredibly cool. He's like a famous actor. It's as if the term "attractive older man" were tailor made for him. If I can say this of someone I care about, then a daughter such as Senjougahara Hitagi, who's beauty is spoken of in class as akin to that of a secluded aristocratic young lady, can only spring from such a father.
Since her father is so cool, then she herself would score even higher cool points...
"What is wrong, Araragi-kun?" Senjougahara asked after we had been on the road for a while. "You are very quiet."
"You know...do you get what kind of situation we are in?"
"I don't understand. When is 'now'? What characters do you use to write 'situation'?"
"You really don't get it!?" This girl, she's playing around. Without even taking my feelings into consideration.
"Araragi-kun. It's fine to be nervous on our first date, but if you don't relax you'll just wear yourself out before the evening is over. The night is long."
"Yeah..." I'm not nervous because this is our first date...! I miss the me that thought that an evening date was all that I had to be nervous about. That me was truly blissful.
Honestly speaking, the fact that the night is long is truly terrifying.
Why does the night have to be so long.
I am just wishing for this time to be over as soon as possible...
"Araragi-kun." Senjougahara says in an even tone.
She really doesn't feel any nervousness?
"Do you like me?"
"..........!" I'm suffering from incredible harassment! She can do this without using any biting words!?
"Answer. Do you like me?"
"............."
"What is it? You aren't going to answer? Araragi-kun, it can't be that you don't like me, can it?"
This is harassment...
There is no worse harassment than this....
" I, I like you..."
"I see," Senjougahara says without cracking a smile. A peerlessly expressionless facial expression.
"I like you too, Araragi-kun."
"Thank you....very much."
"Not at all, not at all."
....Wait a minute. You're okay like this?
You can really be this nonchalant with this type of conversation in front of your own father....No, that's not it. This is a person that would take a wound if it allowed her to harass me.
In that case, I timidly try to spy on the driver's seen with a sidelong glance (too timidly, I can't get a good look). But Senjougahara's father is blessedly unresponsive. He is completely concentrated on driving. Such a cool person.... From the route we're taking, I guess we are headed for the freeway after all. Freeway...I get the feeling that we are going really far. Well, I guess even Senjougahara wouldn't bring her father along on a date if that weren't the case...
Ten minutes later, we got on the freeway as expected. I have nowhere to run to anymore. No, even without this, it's not like I planned to run away from the start anyway.
"Araragi-kun, you are really are quiet. You are being quite taciturn. You are usually much more talkative, could it be that you are in a bad mood today?"
"It doesn't really have anything to do with my mood..."
*bad mood is kigen ga warui and stupid is atama ga warui so Hitagi plays around with that at Koyomi's expense
"I see. It's because you are stupid."
"You took advantage of my internal turmoil to say what you wanted to, right!?"
"Araragi-kun's retorts are always naughty, aren't they. That's fine. Well then, I will just kindly talk about other things. You just have to respond," said Senjougahara.
"What about me do you like?"
"The parts I don't like are showing themselves!"
What does she want. Anyway, I'm really beginning to wonder if this date is just an elaborate setup so that she can wallow in her great harassment of me.
Now I feel like running away.
"Damn it....even though I was feeling really good...even though it felt like my dreams had come true....!"
"Dreams? How grandiose," Senjougahara says in an expressionless voice.
[a kanji pun/joke that I have no intention of trying to translate]
A new kanji is born.
"I see you are troubled, Araragi-kun...but being able to only cheer you on as you struggle is irritation."
"Actually, you can say 'sorry' and apologize too, I think..." Still. Even if she apologizes, it's not like it will help. If apologies fixed everything, there wouldn't any need for the police.
"More than being troubled, I just feel really, really tired right now."
[another grammatical joke]
"...that's pretty funny..."
But I just can't bring myself to laugh. My heart just doesn't have the energy to spare for it.
Anyway.
"Hey Senjougahara...what is it that you really want?"
"Senjougahara? Are you directing that at me or could you directing it at Father?"
".................."
This woman....just this woman....
Stop, get a hold of yourself, me......if you let what you are thinking spill out of your mouth this will turn into a discussion about breaking up.....
"Father, Araragi-kun is calling you."
"Hitagi-san! I'm speaking to Hitagi-san!"
Of course I can't use her name without an honorific.
Hitagi-san.
It was just the other day that I had the "let's call each other by our first names" event with Kanbaru, but who would have thought that I would reach this point with my real girlfriend in this way....
"What is it, Araragi-kun?"
"......."
You're not going to use my name... Well it's not like it matters anyway.
"Um, Hitagi-san. I'd like to ask again....please let me know. Just what the hell are you trying to do? What are you up to?"
"I am not up to anything. More importantly, Araragi-kun. There is a renowned mystery author named Kuroiwa Ruikou, but if you split his name apart it becomes [black] [evil] and [child]. I think this was done on purpose."
"Who cares about that subject! That black child and that evil child are both about you!"
"What a horrible thing to say to someone in front of their own parent."
"Argh....!" It was a trap! I fell for it!
"Father. It seems that your daughter is a black and evil child."
She'll reporting me...
Senjougahara's father is as unresponsive to that as he is to everything else.
It seems that Senjougahara's father is used to the black and evil child's antics. Of course, now that I think about it, she is his own daughter after all...
Then it's just natural for me to be frazzled.
She made me dance around even without music.
"My. You have become quiet again. Could it be that I teased you a little too much," She says while looking at me.
"Araragi-kun, you react so well that I just automatically want to make you feel a little depressed."
"What you just said makes feel depressed more than anything else...." Good grief. Okay time to try a counterattack. Sometimes I want to see Senjougahara depressed.
"What do you like about me?"
"Your kindheartedness. Your cute parts. The you that would rush to save me whenever I am troubled, like my very own prince."
"I'm sorry!"
Why did I even think of trying to counterattack.
At this rate one day will become a thousand years of suffering under this ill-natured woman's harassment....
Senjougahara, the essence of expressionlessness.
This woman has no emotions.
Even knowing that I'm just receiving verbal attacks, my heart is still pounding.
"I don't know...why is it so...how did I lose my way and end up walking upon this path of thorns..."
"It's quite nice though, this path of thorns. The blooming of countless be beautiful roses on the path as you walk on it conjures up a wonderful image. Quite gorgeous and beautiful."
"Stop coming up with good explanations!"
"In the language of flowers, roses stand for 'foolish man'."
"Liar! Don't just throw out whatever you think works!'
"Which reminds me," Senjougahara said. She easily changes topics to suit her whims. "Which reminds me, trash...no, I mean Araragi-kun." (trash, gomi, sounds like Koyomi, but I'm not sure if she's trying to play off this, she does in the drama cd though)
"Right now you just called your own boyfriend 'trash,' didn't you?"
"What are you talking about? I would appreciated if you stopped falsely accusing me of saying things I did not say. More importantly Araragi-kun, how did the recent aptitude test go?"
"Huh?"
"You remember, it was the reason why I watched over you so diligently while we were alone together at my house from noon to deep into the night."
"......."
Why do you purposely say it in that way....
Speaking of the time we spent together in your home when your father wasn't there with said father right here where he can hear perfectly....
"The test results all came back at the end of last week, but you didn't talk about, so I assumed that the results were very bad and pretended to be uninterested. But I heard from Hanekawa-san today that it wasn't that bad, right?"
"Hanekawa?"
"That girl, as expected she was quite tightlipped so I could not get any details, but I figured that had you gotten red marks that she would have told me."
"................"
It seems that she employed an unpleasant method of asking. I did notice that Hanekawa seemed a little strained with regards to the topic of Senjougahara at the school gate earlier, so I guess this is the reason.
I did talk about the test results with Hanekawa at that book store yesterday...but despite Senjougahara's way of speaking, it was ungrateful of me not to let her know anything about them I guess. Well I also talked about college exams with Hanekawa so I guess I just somehow ended up not telling Senjougahara about the results....
"Why are you being closed mouthed. Hurry and tell me in detail. If you are trying to assume an air of importance, I'll bend all your joints in the opposite direction and give you a cool body."
"There's not a single thing cool about that kind of body!"
"Uncool?"
"It's not even in the same level as uncool!"
"(laugh) <parenthesized laugh>?" (uncool is kakkowarui and parenthesized life is kakkowarai)
"I'm not laughing!"
"Well, if you do not want me to make it so that your body allows you only to walk in the bridge position, hurry and tell me."
"Having all my joints reversed like that would leave me in a worse condition than that!"
I'd die.
I'd die five times before you finish making it so.
"Well I guess I should have told you sooner. Sorry. Yeah, I actually did better than I thought I would. Even the math part, which was my strongest area, was higher. It's all thanks to you. Thanks Senjougahara."
"Father, it seems like Araragi-kun wants to thank you for something. Maybe you should listen to him."
"Thank you Hitagi-san!" I don't care anymore.
So I ended up giving Senjougahara all the details of the scores for each of the subjects.
Senjougahara nodded her head while saying "yes, yes" and then asked about the problems that I got wrong and the ones that I didn't know. ....This girl actually remembers all the problems from the tests that she takes, I was a little surprised. Well, this is the prodigy that was able to grab the number seven rank in our year even while helping with my studies...to be honest, maybe I shouldn't be surprised at all.
Finally, we're talking about something that students should talk about.
This way I can feel more at ease in front of her father.
This is the perfect setting to present my serous side.
"We really should have discussed this right after the test was over, though," says Senjougahara. "Well, asking that of you right now would be a harsh I think...but you did score quite well. Even though I was the one who held teacher's pointer myself, this is still a little unexpected."
"Unexpected, huh?"
"Yes. This was not a very interesting result considering it was your result."
"I didn't study with you to get laughs!"
"To be honest, I was hoping to get a result in which you would say 'even though I studied so hard, my scores ended up worse than usual,' in a way, I disappointed."
"Seeking such a development is much harsher!"
"My, is that so?" is what she replies.
With a plop Senjougahara places her hand on my thigh.
Right on my thigh.
......? What is she doing?
That's right, a jeep isn't that big of a car, so even if Senjougahara and I are in the backseat we are quite close to each other.... If the jeep hits a curve right now, our bodies would brush against each other.
But having said that, to bend over and initiate contact through her own actions just makes my decision of how to react all the harder....
"But I must say that this was quite an achievement," Senjougahara says this without pause and is so detached from what her hand is doing that it is as if her hand were moving without direction from her. How can she do this without any change in her expression. It makes me wonder if she isn't wearing a fine mask.
"It is quite rare for me to praise someone, you know. How long has it been since the last time I praised someone I wonder. That's right, it was in the sixth year of elementary school, the person next to me had three wins in a row while playing Othello I believe."
"It really has been a long time, but don't praise someone something so lame!"
"I am joking."
"Joking..."
"But the part of about me rarely praising anyone is true, though."
"Yeah...I get that part."
"Be that as it may, though, this time I am actually indirectly praising myself. To be able to teach a dummy of Araragi-kun's level to this extent really is something for me to be proud of I think."
"........"
Well, I guess the truth is the truth.
"Well for dummy of a caliber that would make the mistake of writing 'Indian elephant' when trying to write 'impression,' coming this far is still quite an achievement."
"I didn't make a mistake like that!"
"Still, it does seem that you had a lot of careless mistakes...yes. At this rate you may be able to aim higher."
"Higher, huh?"
College entrance exams.
Career path...
"If you are fine with it, I can continue to help you study from now on."
"That's--"
To be honest, I secretly aiming for the school Senjougahara is likely to get into by way of recommendation, though right now I am nowhere near her level; so there is no reason to refuse her offer.
"This is better than I could have hoped for."
"Is that so," Senjougahara says while completely composed.
Hanekawa is pretty tightlipped even with all the things I've been sharing with her so it's not likely that she told Senjougahara about my intentions, but this woman may have already deduced what my plans are. That's what I think. But that's still fine. It looks as if she'll wait for me to tell her myself--having such an understanding of each other without using words feels quite nice.
"........"
But it seems as she isn't satisfied with just touching my thigh, but has started stroking my inner thigh. What's she trying to do? Isn't this how a molester would act? Is this really something to do in front of your father?
...Well, it's more accurate to say that she's doing behind her father's back.
"Well then, from now on we'll be studying at my house everyday."
"E-everyday!?"
This wasn't part of our telepathic communion! Wait, no... So it's no good unless I do it like this? But everyday.... is everyday? But I'm already studying in school, you know? So I have to do afterschool and Sundays too?
"What is it, Araragi-kun?"
"Nothing really...it's just that I'm thinking that smart people really do study this much."
"No, I don't study so much. It would be too bothersome. This is a special program for you of course."
".............."
Genius.... The person who has grabbed the seventh rank in our year just said that studying is bothersome...
"People who are smart are already smart even before studying. Grades are about the ability to understand and memorization."
"I see....but Hanekawa has said that her head starts to hurt if she doesn't study, or something like that."
"The 'studying' that Hanekawa-san does and the 'studying' that you and I do are of different ranks," said Senjougahara.
Having said that, there was a short silence.
"Hanekawa-san is the real thing. She lives in a world different from the two of us."
"....I see."
Even you see it like that?
The seventh rank, and the first rank.
They are supposed to be the same level, but there is still such a gap.
"The real thing..."
"It may be more accurate to say a monster instead. To be honest, it's unsettling, don't you think? For a person to have such a sharp mind. It's not about the wits she has at her disposal," Senjougahara says with her usual poison.
But that's not the impression I get. With regards to Hanekawa, this woman is always....yes, it's not that there is any spite.
There is just a strange detachment.
"You said the two of us?"
"Yes. The two of us. Just like how from your point of view, Hanekawa-san and I seem the same, I think from Hanekawa-san's point of view, you and I are of the same level."
"Is that how it is?"
"Yes. There is nothing more humiliating to me."
"Humiliating..." One top of that, there is nothing worse. She really does like to dent my pride.
"But even Hanekawa didn't get perfect scores in everything, right? Though she did get perfect scores in most of them..."
"If Hanekawa-san did not get a perfect score, it only means that there was something wrong with the test problem. ...But I wonder. How much pressure does she have to deal with...I cannot say that I feel very envious of her though."
"Pressure...."
"Or to be more accurate, stress."
"Stress, huh."
Hanekawa Tsubasa.
The girl of the fantastical wings.
"Even with that, it would be absurd of us to use such a reason to feel pity for Hanekawa-san, though," says Senjougahara.
"With that out of the way," says Senjougahara as she forces the conversation back on topic.
"Someone that grovels at the bottom of class rankings like Araragi-kun, who will never be able to match said 'real thing,' can only rely on his own unflagging efforts. That is what we will be studying at my place everyday from now on."
"Yes, yes...please allow me to do so."
"There are supposed to be three yeses, Araragi-kun"
*this is a play on the usual retort for when someone says "hai" twice since Hitagi wants 3 "hai" instead of the normal 1
"Yes, yes, yes!...Wait, why are you demanding that I be in such high spirits!"
"I want you to show that you are willing to put that much effort into it. I am offering my house as the place of study after all."
"Is that why..."
"Of course, Araragi-kun's house would be fine as well."
"My place isn't a good environment to study in...since my little sisters are so loud."
"We will occasionally use Kanbaru's house too."
"Why is Kanbaru coming up in this conversation?"
"Just like I am helping you study, I have to play with her a little too. Since I did promise her," Senjougahara says in a strong, flat tone.
...She stubbornly plays the villain with me, but with Kanbaru, she might really be a tsundere...
Well, she is the hostage after all.
Kanbaru Suruga.
"That girl does not seem to need any help with her studies, but you would like to play with her too, right?"
"Well. She's pretty interesting."
She might be too interesting though.
"She might be a little too attached to me, though I don't know why...she always gets me to play along with her a little too easily."
"I may be responsible for that," says Senjougahara. "I told her about how you save children from drowning and volunteer at nursing homes on Sundays."
"So all you did was lie to her!"
" I am joking. I only told her the truth."
"Hmmm....is that so."
"By truth I mean I was badmouthing you of course. Kanbaru's adoration of you comes from her own judgment."
"....."
She's using her badmouthing of me to indoctrinate...
Would you please stop.
"Praising my boyfriend to my beloved kouhai would be too embarrassing, so this is just my way of hiding it."
"When talking about hiding your embarrassment, I would rather you say it while actually showing embarrassment like a normal person...oh yeah, Senjougahara," I say to Senjougahara as I lower my voice in order to make sure that her father can't hear from the front seat. "I'd like to ask one more thing about Kanbaru though..."
"Father, Araragi-kun seems to want to speak with you privately---"
"Hitagi-san!"
She's just too sharp! She never lets a chance to tease slip by!
"What about Kanbaru?"
"Why is she so perverted?" I say as I place my hand in front of my mouth just in case Senjougahara's father can read my lips in the rearview mirror.
"Perverted? Kanbaru?"
"Yeah. Has she been like that since junior high?"
"Weelll. You are asking how she was in junior high...but I think a better question is whether she actually is perverted in the first place."
"She isn't? But even Oshino sees her as not a sports type, but as a perverted type."
"That just reflects the mistaken image that you and Oshino-san have of feminine modesty, don't you think? A theory held by men I guess. That girl is just true to herself. I do not think she takes it too far though."
"Really..."
Is that how it is?
I don't know.
"Araragi-kun, if you have the opportunity, you should read shoujo manga or BL novels targeted for junior high school students and above and see for yourself. You won't be able to call Kanbaru Suruga perverted anymore."
"Really...No, I don't think I'll read it." Especially BL novels. If I read them I feel that it will be the end of a lot of things.
"Is that so? I cannot overlook my precious kouhai being called perverted by someone judging her with such a narrow worldview."
"If you can't overlook it, what are you going to do?"
Narrow worldview.
I was supposed to be the victim...it's no good, discuss Kanbaru with her and Senjougahara will become Kanbaru's ally in her expressionless way it seems.
Even though she was supposed to be a hostage...
Wait a minute. Doesn't this mean that I'm the hostage?
"What will I do? I will shake the foundations of your point of view. By doing this you will see Kanbaru for the innocent girl that she is."
Upon saying this, Senjougahara moves closer to me and does not only lower her voice, but also proceeds to place her lips to my ear as if about to share a secret. Then she uses her hand to hide what she is saying.
"――×××× "
".............!"
Argh...! What did she just say.......!
"×××× in ×××× from ×××× like this, so××――×× with ××××――××× in ××――"
"A...aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!"
Senjougahara Hitagi...h-how can she say something so embarrassing and so dirty! ×× in ××!? Can you even do that!? I don't believe it...
...To think that simple words can arouse such sexual desire in a person!
"St-stop."
Argh....no good, I can't say anything! Senjougahara's father is right there! I can't let him see me so affected!
"×××――×× with ×××――"
"Argh...."
Bu-but her breath is tickling my ear...hey, what does this mean! Having your girlfriend whisper lascivious stories to you while she strokes your thigh, both done while in the presence of her father, this doesn't just seem like torture, it actually is torture! What do I have to confess to be freed from this torture!
I don't know anything!
I really don't know anything!
I see now... So that's how it is. The mystery has been solved, you are the master that Kanbaru studied her pervertedness under! Now that I think about it, it's so obvious! After all, Kanbaru was influenced so much by Senjougahara....! Damn it, I really have had a paradigm shift, the foundations of my world view are crumbling.... I see, Kanbaru isn't perverted, Kanbaru isn't perverted at all....
"Chomp."
She nibbled my ear! I feel her lips! NGNGNG, this is are totally erotic!
"Or something like this," Senjougahara calmly says as she moves away from me.
"What is wrong Araragi-kun?"
"Please, just do what you want with me already...Hitagi-san."
I'm can't do it anymore.
I didn't want a date like this...you really are shattering my cherished illusions piece by piece...
While this was happening, time had passed.