005: cat soup
Let’s start with a story first. The story of Tsubasa Hanekawa and Koyomi Araragi.
It starts with spring break. Vampirism. A story of an abused girl. A story of a girl who said, “Will you go out with me?” to a man who was already with another. And it continues, and it continues, and it continues.
Tsubasa Hanekawa is a strong woman for sure.
Wasn’t this the start of his growth? Something like that. This story of of telling Hanekawa that he’s already in love with someone else.
He thinks about these sort of things when their nostalgic meeting occurs once again.
Across a street, a slight breeze.
Of course there’s no panty shot here, not a single need to lead him down the path of a vampire. For he already went through that predicament.
Koyomi Araragi raises his hand.
Koyomi Araragi smiles.
Koyomi Araragi opens his mouth to shout.
“Hanekawa! Over here!”
There’s a certain kind of nostalgia and comfort knowing that the girl who only knows what she knows is here.
There was a reason why it all began.
There was a reason why she turned to the cat, and into one.
It was her outlet, for having been unable to confess her feelings – no, to be honest – with the boy that she had fallen in love with. It was a conscious choice when she allowed herself the feelings, it was a conscious choice that she allowed herself to be spoiled by his presence.
This time, if she wanted to win she would have to fight, but her friend was a friend she respected more than anything.
In turn, Araragi became so too.
She raised a hand to brush away hair from her face while skipping her way towards him, the sight of a familiar face was comforting – the man she had always respected for his unyieding kindness, and also perverseness. That honesty was something she admired, back then and now. Although she was trying to emulate what she has learned, from him, Senjougahara and the cats.
“Araragi, I hadn’t thought you would be here too.”
He knows that she’s playing games-- that smile and calm look, of course Tsubasa Hanekawa knew that he would be here. But this is their dialogue, the way things play out.
Like skipping rocks across a lake. That sort of deliberation is what Koyomi Araragi needs to start with in order to have a conversation like this with her.
Even the flirtatious or misleading words.
He wants to test her. It’s nothing unusual for the both of them.
“Of course I would be. I’m always around, you know? Wherever you go.”
He delivers this cooly, but it’s a bit creepy sounding in hindsight.
He sweats.
He can’t take it back now of course, but maybe she’ll overlook it? Or probably just tease him about it.
Being a teenage boy with little words is always so awkward.
