xxxホリック ◆ 戻 chapter 05
xxxHOLiC Rei chapter 05

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Doumeki and Watanuki are eating lunch at school, so Watanuki updates him on events with the two female customers and the identical damaged cat phone straps that represented the damaged woman. Doumeki asks what Yuuko-san said, to which Watanuki answers, “It’s not over yet.” Further, Yuuko-san said that the women would be back because of hitsuyou (necessity).

Watanuki returns to the shop after school and is greeted by Maru and Moro, who inform him that Yuuko-san is with a customer. Customer 2 is there and seems troubled that Customer 1 had been there. When Yuuko-san asks what the matter is, Customer 2 puts on a smile and says she’s worried about Customer 1’s injuries. Yuuko-san reminds her that they work for the same company, but Customer 2 says they are in different departments. Yuuko-san presses, saying that she could still see Customer 1.

Customer 2 starts opening up, saying that despite Customer 1 being a dear friend, some things are unforgivable simply because they are a good friend, such as stealing someone’s boyfriend. However, retaliating against the woman who’d stolen the boyfriend in a physical sense would make the person doing the retaliation look bad. So, Customer 2 found the phone straps on the Internet and purchased them, giving one to Customer 1. Thus, she has not physically done anything against Customer 1. Further to that, she hasn’t communicated with Customer 1 in any form, so Customer 2 feels that anything bad that has happened to Customer 1 has nothing to do with her.  Watanuki walks into the room, so Customer 2 says that she now has more witnesses of her innocence.

After Customer 2 leaves, Watanuki serves Yuuko-san food and beverage on the engawa (veranda) and wants to know Customer 2 was up to. Yuuko-san explained that it was necessary for Customer 2 to prove she had nothing to do with Customer 1’s injuries. Watanuki cites the woman’s chattiness, but Yuuko-san reminds him that they didn’t record her and the police wouldn’t believe them anyway. Watanuki wonders about Customer 1, so Yuuko-san says she’ll be back due to hitsuyou.

Thoughts/Review:

So, we get confirmation from Customer 2 that she’s basically mentally causing Customer 1’s injuries, or she’s using the cat figure like a voodoo doll to inflict damage on Customer 1.  I couldn’t help but be reminded of the original xxxHOLiC tale where the woman came in with the photo, which ended up revealing that the woman killed her friend by pushing her off a cliff.  Customer 2 here has a similar, sinister vibe to her.

I’m not sure I actually believe that Customer 1 actually stole Customer 2’s boyfriend in the traditional sense. If anything, I can see a situation where Customer 2 goes out with a guy, who doesn’t feel much for her, so he breaks off any further attempts at a relationship. In the meantime, he asks Customer 1 out, and they get along well. Customer 2 gets jealous and enraged, but channels that negative energy into the cat figure to get her revenge on Customer 1.

Who knows, Customer 1 may well have stolen Customer 2’s boyfriend. With CLAMP, you never know where there likely to end up.  I figure we’ll have things wrapped up in another chapter or two though.

Beyond there, I know we are only five chapters into xxxHOLiC Rei, but something seems to be missing to me. I can’t quite put my finger on it. I’m curious to know if you other xxxHOLiC fans have sensed that too or is it just me?  Let me know.