Promises of Heaven chapter

The next day, the sky was clear and blue, without a single cloud - except in my hometown. Incidentally, Washington DC, where I'm currently based, also seems to have good weather.

Luckily, we live in a very convenient age, and when I checked the web for a local weather camera, it was at least not raining in Tochigi Prefecture at the moment - there was no sign of a typhoon approaching, and no sign of a tornado.

The ominous prophecy, or rather, the helpful advice from the eleventh witch, Oikura, seems to be nothing to worry about for the time being, but on the other hand, a low probability of precipitation is not the minimum requirement for glamping or sleeping in a car.

Since we're not going to be camping outdoors, there's no urgent reason to cancel our honeymoon, unless there's heavy rain or snow (even though it's summer) that makes it impossible to drive the car - as long as the theme isn't stargazing.

When it comes to stargazing, the issue isn't whether it will rain or not - even a slight cloud cover is a no-no.

It's been a while since I've done any stargazing myself - in fact, the first and last time I went out specifically for that purpose was a starry sky date with Hitagi, back when she was Senjougahara Hitagi. And even that was a bit of a sneak attack - I'd completely forgotten, but the condition of the sky is something you can only leave up to luck, literally.

Whether it'll rain or not is something you can deal with by keeping an eye on the long-term weather forecast, but whether it'll be cloudy or not... that, too, is quite literally a hazy feeling.

"No, I'm well aware of that, Koyomi. That kind of danger is part of stargazing. We have to enjoy the thrill of knowing that everything might end in vain, especially since this is the land the giant centipede attacked."

"The centipede's journey is not a complete waste of time."

"If it's cloudy or rainy, we can just go again. It's not New Zealand, it's Japan, so we can come back as many times as we like."

Hitagi said, calming me down as I panicked and panicked.

You knew that already, as an astronomy enthusiast.

"You can do it over and over again, and start over and over again. That's what family is."

Hmm, that's significant.

I was happy to have unexpectedly learned a part of Hitagi's view of family - especially when I think of all the hardships the Senjougahara family has overcome - but at the same time, I was painfully aware that even though I had made careful preparations, planned the trip, and created a roadmap, I was still me, and my haphazard, impulsive personality had not changed even at twenty-four years of age.

It's better that I can at least feel the pain.

It would be nice if I could later laugh about the fact that we went stargazing on our honeymoon and it was cloudy and unbearable, or that it was raining so hard you couldn't open your eyes - but of course, it would be best if it was sunny.

I'm worried about the future.

"More than that, I'm truly happy that you've finally introduced me to Shinobu. It's a wish come true. I've missed so many opportunities ever since that near miss at the old cram school. In fact, I even suspected that you were Koyomi's imaginary little girl."

It would be a big help if you said that.

No, it was a huge deal that he had unfounded suspicions like that, but Shinobu, who is not an imaginary little girl, is quite shy, so it was difficult to persuade her - I mean, to persuade her.

It was really hard to disprove the shinobi's (well reasonable) argument that since he'd kept it a secret from Karen and Tsukihi, who were his blood family, there should be no problem keeping it a secret from Hitagi as well... The former Fire Sisters had no idea about the existence of supernatural phenomena, let alone vampires, to begin with, but to Hitagi, the supernatural phenomena were already an open secret, so there was no point in keeping it a secret, I managed to argue.

Even so, if he had been the shinobi of old, he would have retreated into the shadows and never come out, behaving like Ama-terasu Oomi-kami, but instead he happily manifested and offered to accompany her on her honeymoon, so maybe he has changed after all.

Although my attempt to persuade Oikura to come failed (well, while I didn't think he would come anyway, I honestly wished he had), the trip for the four of us to Tochigi Prefecture was a success - it would be better if Nasu Highlands were sunny as well, but I hope that at least Senjougahara will be sunny as well.

Speaking of family, it takes a long time to leave the house, but if you're so carefree that you forget to check the weekly weather forecast, you might think that no matter how much preparation you make, it's the same and you should just hurry up - but, I'm sorry to those who are getting impatient, but I have one more thing I need to take care of in my hometown.

Before heading to the Kanbara family home, where we were to meet, I need to visit Kitashirohebi Shrine, where Hitagi and I had our wedding the other day.

No, Oikura hadn't pointed that out to me, but as I was talking to my childhood friend on the phone, I suddenly realized something... After having our Shinto wedding ceremony at that shrine with deep ties and pledging our eternal love, was it really permissible to visit a matchmaking shrine in another prefecture, even if it was a World Heritage Site? This was what I, an unbelieving person, had just about come to a realization.

You see, Hanekawa had told me when I was studying for the entrance exams that if you pray for success at too many shrines and temples, the gods might start fighting with each other, so it's best to limit yourself and not be so extravagant - looking back on it now, that advice seems like a harsh criticism of my everyday lifestyle, disguised as some trivia about praying for success, but now that I think about it, praying to gods here and there without any context might not be something to be praised for.

However, even so, I felt it was a little too considerate to stay away from Nikko Toshogu Shrine and Futarasan Shrine, which were already on the roadmap - so I decided that I could just talk to the friendly gods at Kita Shirohebi Shrine before I set off.

When I was in high school, I visited Kita Shirohebi Shrine early in the morning and had the hilarious experience of being ripped to shreds with a large sword, so it might be a good idea to get over that trauma now.

"Oh my. I was wondering who it was, and it's the newlywed Sakuragi Koyomi."

"I'm very honored, but don't talk like I'm the red-headed basketball genius from the recent movie. My name is Araragi."

"Excuse me, I bit my lip."

"No, I did it on purpose."

"I bit my lip."

"Not on purpose!?"

"A godly manga."

"Are you talking about Slam Dunk!?"

"I read it at the time without really thinking about it, but Sakuragi, Akagi, and Miyagi on the same team is a pretty biased surname."

"Don't criticize a godly manga."

And when it comes to Akagi, the main character is a red head... Maybe that makes it more realistic.

"In real life, it's also a basketball manga."

Says Hachikuji Mamoryoi, the god of Kitashirohebi Shrine, showing her insight. She's the same as always - or so I'd like to say, but she's in the same adult version of the shrine maiden outfit she was wearing when I met her at the wedding the other day.

To me now, she looks like she's about the same age as me, but why?

Aren't you the lost god, 11 years old and in the fifth year of elementary school?

"Well, I explained it at the ceremony. Since the first time I met Araragi-san, the times have continued to flow, and social standards have been updated. It was concluded that having an adult man and a girl carrying a school bag on the same screen was not good for compliance, so my character design was changed."

"Is compliance too strong that even the power of a god cannot handle it?"

"It's also not good to use child labor, so we changed at least my appearance. On the inside, I'm a fifth-grader."

That's a harsh setting in itself, but... well, I guess that's how it is for everyone. I've grown up in appearance, but on the inside, I'm still a fifth-grader.

Just because I'm 24 doesn't mean my personality has changed that much since I was a third-grader in high school... I can't even plan a trip properly, and I enjoyed the Slam Dunk movie just fine.

"That's right. It's just that Sakuragi and Akagi have become a little messy."

"That really feels like an adult's perspective... but, well, I've been thinking about the surname lately, so it's the perfect topic to talk about. Will you listen, Hachikuji?"

Since we had to meet up, I couldn't talk for too long, so I got to the point - maybe this is also a sign of becoming an adult. If I were a third-year high school student and Hachikuji was a fifth-year elementary school student, we would have spent three hours just talking about Slam Dunk.

We got excited talking about the flowing river.

But now, as he smoothly goes on to explain the main topic, honeymoons, I even feel a little lonely. I can no longer control the flow of time, like when a day was so long.

"Oh. I see. So you're going to Mount Akagi."

"Listen. Tell me what you want. Properly."

"Mount Nantai, huh? Well, I can't really tell you not to go."

As a god, Hachikuji sure has mixed feelings when he says it -- it's been a long time since Hachikuji made his home on this (nameless?) mountain.

He's no apprentice god.

He's probably proud of having protected the town from infectious diseases -- letting the virus get lost is quite a scary thing to think about.

"Personally, I think Shinobu-san and Senjougahara-san -- excuse me, it was my wife."

"My wife, you say? Are you also taking on the Columbo stance?"

"If you're going to introduce Shinobu-san to your wife, I'd like you to introduce me, too. It's about time."

"It's like we met at the wedding the other day."

"She can't see me. In that sense, she is truly a person who has never wavered. It seems like a lot has happened, but she has never once lost sight of home."

"Home."

"Or, family."

When you say that, I guess I've been floating around all this time -- from the day I first met Hachikuji Mayoi... to the day I had a big fight with my sisters, to the day we were about to leave for our honeymoon.

"If I take away Araragi-san's doubts, there will be nothing left."

"If you tell me that, it's the end, or it's a divine revelation. Well, it's sad that I've actually lost my doubts and can no longer see you. I want to gaze at you from morning until night."

"Even in the adult version of me?"

"I'm not fooled by appearances."

"That means that even in the adult me, you've found some fifth-grader-like qualities..."

The image of a high school senior and a fifth-grader messing around together is certainly not modern, but whatever the reason, the fact that we can sit here at the shrine and chat like this, like we're friends, is probably because we've known each other for so long.

I don't want to lose this. This me.

"It's probably best not to show it, like indecision. But it seems like Araragi-san is still indecisive, both in Japan and abroad, so it looks like this rotten relationship will continue for a while longer. ... I know I'm saying this myself, but rotten is a pretty strong word."

"Just rotten is pretty bad, but it's really rotten. Infidelity is going to make it rotten."

"Infidelity is also a dangerous word to use when it's a newlywed couple.

Yes. But, in Araragi-san's case, you've been one with Shinobu-san for a long time, so maybe you'd be able to see me even if I wasn't lost. You're also part of the Rumors Department, so you're practically an expert."

"Hmm. I wish that were the case... but it's true that I'm currently lost. You could say I'm lost, as always. Even though we had our wedding and we were legally married. Even the honeymoon we're about to go on is the result of that hesitation."

"You're impressive, Araragi-san, to be able to think so much just from your last name. Last names are important."

"But you said Sakuragi-san earlier, didn't you? Not only that, "You've been chewing my name for about 18 years?"

"You've been chewing it so much your jaw is getting tired."

"Don't say people's names like they're gum."

"I've mentioned this a few times, but when my parents divorced and my last name changed, I was confused too. I was attached to it, so it was fine. I got the last name Tsunade."

"I see. I know I shouldn't say it like this, but to me, Hachikuji has always been Hachikuji, so Tsunade felt new to me."

Tsunade Mayoi.

From a snail's perspective, that would probably be more appropriate.

"Why don't you also accept Araragi Mayoi at this point?"

"The Araragi family is a mess, aren't you? Are you planning to build a real Araragi harem?"

"Such a shady organization never existed, but now it's a group that's exhausting just to think about... There doesn't seem to be anything fun about the Araragi harem."

"It's completely dried up... It's sad to see Araragi like that. I can't stand it. I want to tell him not to talk to me and that I hate him."

These lines have a different weight when spoken in the adult version. On the other hand, memories of a real fight with a fifth grader are unbecoming of a police officer.

"I want to bury you to erase those memories."

"What are you talking about in the Sacred Precincts? That being said, the idea of ​​adopting Shinobu is far beyond what Araragi used to be."

"So I thought I'd adopt you as well, but it didn't work out."

"Please don't plan any charitable projects. No, I could, but... Araragi seems to be collecting orphans from all over the place, which doesn't leave a good impression."

In any case, adopting an adult version of Hachikuji feels like a completely different kind of criminality than adopting a fifth-grader.

"If anything, I'd rather be your adopted son, Hachikuji Reiji. It's old-fashioned and cool, isn't it?"

"It looks like he'd slide down Irohazaka. It certainly does seem like he has some miraculous powers, but... what's a vampire going to do if he joins the family of a god?"

More importantly, Hachikuji said.

Looking at my shadow that had fallen on the temple grounds.

"What does Shinobu have to say about that plan? I'm sure you're not the type to be keen on meeting Araragi's wife for the first time, so to be adopted by her."

"Should I ask him directly? I'll wake you up if you want."

Early morning for humans is late night for vampires, so Shinobu is currently fast asleep in my shadow. You could say he's sleeping like mud, covered in blood, because he's exhausted from arguing with me.

"There's an argument going on. What's with "sleep like a bloody mess"? Is that slang in the vampire world?"

"We're family, after all. We fight sometimes."

"You talk like you know what you're talking about, but you come from a dysfunctional family."

"Who's from a dysfunctional family?"

Me?

This may be a bit of an exaggeration, but it's true that (especially from my first to second year of high school), the Araragi family did tend to lose their function as a family.

At sixteen, Araragi could never have imagined a future where he could have a leisurely dinner with his sister, who had gotten a job at the same workplace. I'd flunked out of high school, my parents had no expectations of me, I was on extremely bad terms with my sister, and I was planning to leave home as soon as I graduated - or dropped out.

And that's how I ended up.

"It's a mess."

"That being said, I can't say it's functioning effectively even now. My parents are in Tokyo, not working away from home, but both of them are working overseas, I'm based overseas, and my other sister is missing. We're barely managing to keep our dysfunctional family functioning."

"Please don't try to keep it up."

I never would have thought that Karen, who I thought was the most free-spirited and unconventional, would be looking after the house all by herself...

"That's why I want the family I build to be warm and filled with laughter, isn't that too much to ask?"

"A family that never stops laughing? Well, isn't that better than a family that never stops being abusive?"

"That's not funny. Don't mix laughter with abuse."

"Actually, I'm rooting for you. I don't want a cycle of abuse to happen. Please lightly twist the ridiculous statement that children who grow up in dysfunctional families can't build healthy families."

"I don't want to grow up in a dysfunctional family, but that's what I want to do."

If anything, that might be Hitagi's determination. It's not about function or dysfunction, the Senjougahara family experienced the collapse of their family.

Even the single-parent family that followed was unstable and not very healthy - Hitagi lost weight and had to go to the hospital for a while.

So I think she made a good decision, even though building a new family was a big adventure for her. That's why I want to respect her view of family.

We could have left an escape route open for emergencies, like living together, being in a common-law marriage, or having a common-law marriage without changing our last names... but perhaps I wanted to cut off that escape route?

We'd been dating since Mother's Day in our third year of high school, and when we decided to get married, it's not that I didn't have those feelings at all... if I had to say.

I couldn't keep feeling like a student forever.

"He's still a student, going to the FBI Academy."

"That's a bit weak to say..."

"But, well, I understand that since he's going to be living with Araragi-san's wife, he can't just leave Shinobu as he is now."

"Is there any other way to say Araragi-san's wife? It's confusing for a god to call him a wife."

"Shall we call him his wife?"

"It's strange how a wife is no good, but a wife seems good."

"Araragi-san's wife accepted Araragi-san's proposal after knowing about Shinobu-san, so I think she understands that."

"Yeah. She's enthusiastic about meeting him. She said she was looking forward to meeting him today."

"Did she also agree to adopt him?"

"That's planned as a surprise for our honeymoon."

"That's a divorce flag."

Hachikuji looked taken aback.

If the adult version is repulsive, it doesn't feel like a joke, it feels like they're really repulsive.

He's a good actor, after all.

"He's really repulsive. You're trying to make a big decision that will affect his life a surprise, and move the conversation forward in a relaxed manner, Araragi-san. Even if it wasn't Shinobu-san, are you really going to push through a big decision that will affect your future married life, like adopting a child, in a starry sky romantic atmosphere?"

"Should I have told you beforehand?"

"It's not just okay. If you don't tell me beforehand, you shouldn't tell me at all."

Hmm, that's adult advice.

If this were a fifth grader, they would probably join in and agree, saying "That's great, let's surprise him!"... but when he gets seriously scolded, it does seem like he's right.

It's not something you should talk about under the stars.

It might be cloudy, after all.

"But still... I think that adopting Shinobu as Araragi-san's son would be the best answer, as long as Araragi-san's wife's feelings are taken into consideration."

"As a friend?"

"As a god."

That's on a grand scale.

I made it up that way, though.

"I've been trained by Gaen-san, after all. I've been taught in detail about the method of binding powerful supernatural beings with names - it's been over six years since Oshino-san sealed Shinobu-san away, and he's been away from this town for a long time. It wouldn't be strange if the seal loosened."

"The seal...loosening?"

That's not calm.

In short, it's a situation that suggests the resurrection of the iron-blooded, hot-blooded, cold-blooded vampire, Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade, so as a god, there's no way I can overlook it.

I hadn't considered that possibility, but it's a risk that's surprising that I hadn't.

"Rather, it's a miracle that Shinobu-san has been bound in the name of a wandering expert with no feet on the ground, Oshino-san. If Shinobu-san was a killing stone, it would have been broken a long time ago."

I don't want to praise him too much, but that just goes to show how talented an expert Oshino was──In other words, the idea that Shinobu's seal would be broken if the status quo was left as it is is the misplaced worry of an amateur FBI agent, and perhaps even the worry of an apprentice god.

Even if it's not a hundred or two hundred years, it may be that the seal will last until Oshino dies──Even so, I think it's time to end it. Rather than continuing to seal him in the name of some old man who just happens to be passing by, he should be sealed in my name as the person in charge and protector.

"Well, even so, he's still someone involved in that hellish spring break. We can take Oshino's name out, but keep Shinobu's."

"I know that's very condescending towards my benefactor, but even from a god's point of view, it wouldn't be good to completely remove Oshino's name. For example, it wouldn't be good to call him Araragiaaaa."

"Even from a human's point of view, that name wouldn't be good."

It's not an RPG after all.

But now that you mention it, it's a topic that makes you think... if I were to give Shinobu a new first name, what would it be?

This isn't just a fantasy.

In fact, the true ancestor who turned Shinobu - or rather, Princess Acerola and Lola - into vampires, Dystopia Virtuoso Suicide Master, designed his name in its entirety.

Although he had no intention of going against the advice from the gods that it would be better to keep the name Shinobu, it would be fun to playfully consider it as a pastime - what if he were to give the little girl a new name, just like thinking up a name for his own child?

"Hmm. It's just a random idea with no particular origin, but maybe Araragi Tsubasa."

"So heavy, so heavy, so heavy. And I think your wife said something similar a long time ago."

I remember.

If that's the case, they're a similar couple.

"Araragi Nadeko isn't bad either."

"More than being heavy, it's a sign of a dysfunctional family. Don't just name your adopted children after women you've cut ties with."

"It's not just names of women you've cut ties with."

"You're going to call him Araragi Ikusodachi after this anyway, right?"

"I was going to say that, but I'm not cut ties with Oikura. He's the one who's really the worst."

"Whether you call him childhood friend or worst friend makes a big difference in my impression.

Sorry... Was there anyone else? A woman Araragi cut off ties with. Tsukihi, perhaps?"

"She's definitely missing, but I have no intention of disowning her. She's my sister."

"That stance is consistent. Well, it's one thing if it's a great person or someone who's deceased, but I don't really recommend naming your child after a living acquaintance."

"I suppose so."

"Oshino didn't call Shinobu Oshino Mememe, did he?"

"Mememe."

Shinobu would have become a very different character, then.

Maybe he wouldn't have become so shy.

"She might have ended up being a little girl who liked marinated mackerel, not donuts."

"It's not Oshinoヾヾ. Then I think I'll name her Araragi Mayoi after you, who is deceased, not just a great man, but a god."

"That's very serious. I mean, it's just plain weird if Araragi-san gave his daughter a name like that. Why are you so keen to give birth to Araragi Mayoi?"

"It's a cunning idea that if you add you and Shinobu together and divide them by two, you'll have a perfect little girl."

"What's with the little girl thing? It's scary, if you start looking at an adopted child like that. There's no way someone like that could become a foster parent. It's not cunning, it's just a careless statement."

Hmm. I did a lot of thought experiments, but in conclusion, Araragi Shinobu is probably the best fit for now... and I don't see any signs of any ideas that could surpass that, either in terms of flow or sealing.

The world is well-worked.

"But you know, I can't help thinking about it. I think that if I wasn't named Araragi Koyomi, I might have been a completely different person."

"That's right. I might not have ended up dating your wife."

I don't want to think that a single name can change fate that much, but in reality, in middle school and high school, a different attendance number can change your position in class - I was an "A" so I was always number one or number two, and right after class changes I would stand out in a bad position when introducing myself.

I can't imagine that it didn't have an impact on the formation of my personality - on the other hand, if I was able to marry Hitagi now thanks to that upbringing, it wouldn't have been such a wonderful coincidence.

I thought it was four wicked, cruel characters that covered up my beloved wife's last name, but when I think about it, I have to be grateful that my parents gave me the name Araragi.

Strictly speaking, it's the name of my paternal grandfather's grandfather... Probably. It could be my grandmother somewhere, but the further back you go, the rarer it becomes...

"--Well, I should be going soon. We've cut down on pointless chatter, but I still lose track of time when I'm talking to you."

"It would be a great blessing to hear you say that."

"Why don't you come with me? To Senjougahara."

"Even in the adult version, I'm still young. A place like Takamagahara is too humble to be."

Takamagahara? Ah, it's at Futarasan Shrine, right? That's the sacred area. Everyone seems to know a lot about it, in Tochigi Prefecture. I wish I had taken more geography classes in high school.

"In return, I am praying for clear skies over Senjougahara from this far-away mountain."

"That's much appreciated, but you're the god of lost children, not the god of weather. Or could you make me a rain doll?"

"No, no, although I may serve as a god at a shrine named after a snake, I was originally a lost snail. I don't go there like Amaterasu Omikami, though."

Hachikuji said with a laugh.

With a childlike smile that reminded one of the sun.

"Controlling the rain is a piece of cake."