Unless one chooses the path of the Yakuza—offering pinky fingers to the boss to show loyalty—an ordinary person's life is mostly a struggle with the mundane: work, money, travel, kids, hanging out with friends... well, that last one is debatable.
At least it was for Araragi Koyomi, who insisted that "making friends makes you weak." He was the "aloof loner" type—or more accurately, a shut-in.
If he became human, he wouldn't be hunted. He wouldn't have to fight for his life like a beast. Even with superhuman strength, Araragi knew one thing: this was a human world. On the surface, the supernatural didn't exist.
So, he didn't celebrate his new identity. In fact... he wanted to die.
Suicide.
Every inch of exposed skin stung like needles, as if a blowtorch were slowly searing him. His body felt like a popsicle melting—no, it skipped the liquid phase and went straight to ash.
The pain spread, reaching the parts covered by his clothes. The agony was constant, yet it couldn't soothe the confusion in his heart. These weren't self-pitying fantasies; they were the consequences of his own actions.
When he woke from his coma to find he was no longer human, he felt fear, wandering, irritation, and self-abandonment. He didn't know how to face his family, society, or the blonde vampire he now had to call "Master." So, as a vampire, he walked into the midday sun, seeking self-destruction.
Then he got kicked back into the building by a "child angel."
There were no words of comfort. It was as if she'd kicked a soda can out of her way while passing by. That child angel didn't even offer a greeting. But strangely, as Araragi lay in the rubble he'd smashed through, watching his body repair itself, he didn't choose to walk back into the sun.
Since then, he'd tried to talk to the blonde vampire. He asked for the names Think and Jibril weren't interested in, asked about the enemies, and even tried to talk to the child angel who had nearly killed him with a kick but indirectly saved him from the sun. He even brought her snacks.
And he watched as the "fearless" enemies delivered themselves to the door, only to end up stuck in gasoline drums.
It was hard to articulate his feelings. Araragi was confined to this abandoned building, unable to leave or send word out. According to the large-breasted Elf, everything depended on the man's decision once he woke up.
Maybe it was because he woke up every day to see a translucent soul-body and a winged angel. Compared to a vampire—who looks human aside from the fangs—they fit the definition of "other" much better. One look at their appearance or personality told you they weren't human.
But seeing them made Araragi own sense of being a "freak" fade. No humans came by this abandoned building... it was like a kingdom of monsters. When everyone around you is a monster, being a monster is the norm. You shouldn't even call them monsters anymore.
This realization made him feel better. But just as he was trying to adapt to this body, the man woke up and threw a question at him: Do you want to become human again?
What was this?
What was the point of his hesitation, his pain, his sadness?
He didn't know what this man, Sū ěr, had been through. He didn't know what "having no choice" meant. He didn't know what expression lay behind those closed eyes; he only felt a deep weariness and helplessness.
Become human. Walk away from the stress. No need to worry about vampire hunters breaking into his home or threatening his family. He'd go back to worrying about homework, teachers' lectures, and whether to get a job or go to university... maybe he'd even meet a beautiful girl who would change his worldview and fall in love.
Undoubtedly, that was the life of a normal human.
"Can't decide?"
Araragi saw the man open his eyes. He was leaning against the translucent Elf, looking at him with a gaze that seemed to be smiling.
"...Yeah," Araragi hesitated. He realized he no longer had the decisiveness he'd felt when walking into the sun. Yet, he was certain he wanted to be human. That wish hadn't changed.
Araragi instinctively looked toward the vampire girl in the corner. Having recovered a leg, she looked older than her "little girl" form—and she was staring at him, as if expecting something, eyes unblinking.
"...Can you let me go see my family first?" Araragi hid his gaze behind his bangs. "I've been missing for days... I just want to see them from a distance."
"Pfft, so you were just being kept here the whole time?" This time, Sū ěr couldn't help but laugh. "Sorry, sorry. Go ahead. I have no intention of binding you. Think and the others were just being... well, helpful in their own way. But I suggest you be careful."
"After all, if what you said is true, you and the vampire over there still have three enemies in the shadows... You don't want your family getting hurt because of you, do you?"
"...Yes. Thank you very much."
"No need for thanks. I just saw a shadow of my old self in you. Helping you is just for my own satisfaction," Sū ěr said plainly.
"Then... do you have any advice?" Araragi asked respectfully. In his eyes, Sū ěr was clearly no longer "human."
"My advice?" Sū ěr looked at the ceiling. "It's normal to feel curiosity, fear, or rejection toward the unknown. So... why not try it all out?"