Well, it’s time to take a look at the first three chapters of the 10th volume of xxxHOLiC. I got to say, this volume is full of good, good stuff and when Del Rey releases it way later in 2007, it will be a sweet, sweet purchase. ^_^

And lest I forget, thanks to eXeXeX HOLIC for the scans.

Chapter 109

Summary: Yuuko-san is cooling in the blow-up kiddie pool much to Watanuki’s annoyance. The Neko Musume (cat girl) literally drops in, suffering from the summer heat. Yuuko-san gives Neko Musume a hat that helps her cool down. Since Neko Musume knows much (and is known as an information broker), Yuuko-san wants water from a certain well as payment. Of course, it is Watanuki’s job to get the water after Neko Musume leads him there.

The well is inside private property and Watanuki has to scale the fence to get it. He notices a woman sitting in the upstairs window of the house apparently watching him. Further, the window is opened. As the sun sets, Watanuki hurries to fill the jug full of well water as the woman continues to sit there.

Thoughts: I didn’t expect to see the Neko Musume again, seeing as how her introduction in volume 8 was quick and then she was gone. By making her someone who knows a great many things, it feels like CLAMP might bring her back again in the future. However, she’s not really doing anything for me as a guest character.

Again, Yuuko-san has Watanuki involved by making him get the water rather than have Neko Musume do it. So one wonders if Yuuko-san knows who the mysterious woman in the window is. CLAMP is setting this one up with an eerie, almost horror feel.

Chapter 110

Summary: Watanuki returns with Neko Musume and the jug (really, a glass pot) of water. The water meets with Yuuko-san’s approval and Watanuki comments on how unusually heavy the water was. Yuuko-san needs twelve more pots and since Neko Musume won’t carry any, that leaves Watanuki in a spot as he is very reluctant to return to the well. This leads Yuuko-san to ask if something happened at the house. He tells her about the woman and his feelings of not wanting to go back to that place, which leads Yuuko-san to come up with a solution — fill two pots at once and cut the number of trips in half.

Since it is impossible for Watanuki to carry two pots back at once, he needs an assistant. The Neko Musume immediately states her refusal to help. Mokona volunteers to help stating that it can help carry the heavy pots back. Watanuki decides the image of Mokona carrying two pots back is just too much, so Mokona is out. He briefly considers Himawari-chan, but due to the weight of the filled pots, he decides against it. That just leaves one other person — Doumeki-kun.

The two of them go to the house and again, the woman is in the window apparently watching them. Watanuki notes that it is not only the same woman sitting in the same place, but she’s wearing the same outfit from yesterday.

Thoughts: Not a lot to comment on. That Doumeki-kun would be the one to help Watanuki carry the water pots was a given. Why Yuuko-san wants 12 pots full of water is still a mystery.

Chapter 111

Summary: Watanuki observes the woman from the day before still sitting in front of the open window wearing the same clothing as the day before. Watanuki covers Doumeki’s shared eye (the one you’ll remember he shares with Watanuki) and since Doumeki can still see the woman, it means that she’s really there and not a youkai or spirit. Doumeki wants to know if Watanuki felt anything, but other than a brief chill, he fills nothing. Doumeki seems troubled by the woman in the window though.

At school Himawari-chan gets briefed by Watanuki on what has been happening; Doumeki-kun is silent. When prompted, he gives a vague answer, which seems to indicate he feels that Yuuko-san knows something.

That evening, Yuuko-san inquires as to why Watanuki is looking so down. He tells her about the woman in the window, then changes the subject to ponder what he should make for dinner. Hooking up with Doumeki again, the two return again and again to fill two water pots, each time observing the woman in the window.

One the afternoon of the final trip to the well, Himawari-chan notices Watanuki’s glum attitude of late. She volunteers to assist, but he is going to wait for Doumeki-kun to finish his club activities. She then asks him to promise her he won’t do to much and they perform an yubikiri (pinkie promise). The second their pinkie fingers touch, Watanuki notices something odd.

Thoughts: Well, once again, Himawari-chan is shown with sinister (though not evil) cloud around her that again Watanuki picks up on. Yuuko-san has long hinted that Himawari-chan is not all she seems to be. Heck, even the Ame-Warashi avoided her, though it is believed that this was mainly due to her name meaning “sunflower.”

Though Doumeki-kun mostly kept silent as to his feelings about the woman in the window, his thought seeming to indicate his belief that Yuuko-san knows more than she’s letting on bears watching to see if he’s right. I suspect he is.

Later this week, I’ll do three more chapters for you guys. Feel free to post any thoughts you might have on these chapters.