Two hours later.
I was at Senjougahara's apartment, leaving Oshino and Shinobu behind in the abandoned cram school.
Senjougahara's home.
Tamikura-sou, it was called.
A two-story wooden apartment building, built thirty years ago. Tin mailboxes by the door. A shower and flush toilet included, grudgingly, in each apartment. One six-mat room with a tiny sink. Twenty minutes walk to the nearest bus stop. Rent ran from thirty to forty thousand, depending on the room (including upkeep, utilities, and neighborhood association fees.)
Not exactly what Hanekawa had led me to believe.
It must have shown on my face. Without me even asking, Senjougahara said, flatly, "My mother joined a cult."
Like that was an excuse.
She was clearly glossing over a lot.
"Not only did she hand over all our money to them, she ran up huge debts donating to them. Your house goeth before a fall."
"A cult?"
One of those dangerous new age 'religions.'
They all led to the same results.
"They finally agreed to divorce at the end of last year. My father got me, and we live here. At least, I do...but all the debt is in my father's name, so he's working night and day to pay it off, and almost never makes it home. I pretty much live here alone. With all the freedom that entails."
Sounded great.
"But the official address on the school rolls is the old one, still. Hanekawa-san wouldn't have known."
Um...
Shouldn't you change it?
"I prefer potential enemies not know where I live."
"Everyone's an enemy, hunh?"
Usually, that would sound like an exaggeration. But with a secret you were desperate to protect, it may well have been a reasonable level of caution.
"Senjougahara. When your mother joined this cult...was she trying to help you?"
"What an awful question," she laughed. "I don't know. Maybe not."
An awful answer.
Probably what I get for asking.
It had been an awful question. The thought alone made my stomach churn. I should not have asked, and because I did ask, Senjougahara was absolutely right to unleash the full power of her tongue.
Of course her family would have noticed their daughter no longer weighed anything. Especially her mother. Family wasn't like school, where we each owned a little space around our desks. If something terrible happened to your only daughter, you'd notice at once. And when the doctors had no idea how to help, and the tests went on and on, no one could blame her mother for seeking help in other places.
No, perhaps we could blame her.
It wasn't my place to say.
I shouldn't talk like I understood anything.
At any rate.
At any rate, there I was in Senjougahara's house, Tamikura-sou room 201, sitting on a cushion staring at the steam rising off the tea she'd given me.
Given her personality, I had assumed she'd make me wait outside, but she waved me inside, and even made tea. This came as something of a shock.
"I'm going to torture you."
YOU ARE READING
Monogatari Series
RomanceThe story centers on Koyomi Araragi, a third year high school student who has recently survived a vampire attack, and finds himself mixed up with all kinds of apparitions: gods, ghosts, myths, and spirits.
