I Became the Final Subjugation Target of That Era’s Light Novel

Chapter

First of all, it wasn’t the athletic club president or the kids next to him who spread the rumors directly.

The biggest reason I could say this was that Kaneko didn’t react immediately.

I wonder if they were thinking of hurting me and provoking Kaneko, or if they intended to hurt me just enough to make me push her away.

But anyway, it must have been that they wanted to torture me, hoping Kaneko would get shocked by it, right?

Given that Kaneko didn’t come directly until the end of the fourth period, that was not the case.

After all, Kaneko didn’t even realize when she was ignoring her junior, so I have a feeling she’s been secretly tormenting people.

So, there was no problem during class.

However, the signs of it were slowly emerging.

As time passed in the classroom, the number of kids glancing and staring at me during break increased. It seems that the girl who spoke to me this morning talked about it with someone else.

…Did they see the tattoo on my wrist?

Considering I was wearing a hair tie on my wrist and didn’t get caught, it might have been thanks to Yamashita’s care. Moreover, attention was probably focused on the blood flowing from my forehead, so it might not have been such a big issue.

At least, I felt relieved about that.

It wasn’t my fault I got hit, right? If something like this leads to being ostracized, that would be truly ridiculous.

“Hey… Kurosawa?”

But aside from that, it seems I ended up worrying Miura after all.

About the time the second period break was ending.

“What happened yesterday?”

Miura asked me that way.

Miura has a lot of friends.

Her main buddies are Fukuda and Yamashita, but she is basically popular across the whole class.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Miura was someone’s first love among the boys.

“…”

I turned my gaze and saw the girl who spoke to me this morning.

What did she confirm about me? Was it merely to know the truth? Or was it out of concern for me? I thought it was probably the former.

“It was nothing.”

“…Really?”

When I said that, Miura looked at me with a slightly anxious expression.

I was doing my best not to look at Yamashita.

After all, we agreed to keep it a secret.

Yamashita’s gaze that was only glancing at me was blankly directed at the blackboard. My phone was broken yesterday, right, how am I supposed to message?

“Um…”

After glancing around again for a moment, Miura, after some thought, said,

“If something happens, I want you to let me know. I’ll help as much as I can.”

“…”

Ah, she’s really a nice person.

After all, this is why she had to die in the original work. That beast… must have enjoyed devouring the good ones.

Did Miura scream in despair while being eaten? It must have been the case since that monster chose to help those who ‘seemed nice’.

“Alright.”

When I replied like that, Miura nodded with a slightly stiff expression.

*

Kurosawa Koto Ne was a somewhat precarious child.

I don’t know the details. But anyone nearby could easily feel that she was unusual.

It wasn’t simply because the teacher had asked Miura to befriend her.

No, there’s some truth to that, but it’s not just that.

Even for Miura herself…

The fact that she had left Kurosawa alone that time was a heavy burden on her heart.

Kurosawa seemed to have no memory of that incident. The police didn’t manage to find the culprit, and naturally, no one knew precisely what happened to Kurosawa back then. Miura and Mako were in the same boat.

But—if anyone had seen Kurosawa in that situation, they would certainly agree that she must have experienced something that could become a lifelong trauma.

Her parents didn’t come to visit her in the hospital. She hasn’t made many friends. She probably eats alone too.

That same Kurosawa was seen yesterday with blood streaming down her head, supported by some kid.

It didn’t seem like mere rumors… At least, within this class, no one would confuse Kurosawa Koto Ne with someone else.

Among those rumors, there was another person—

Miura’s gaze turned to Yamashita Yuuki.

If those rumors weren’t false, could Yuuki be related to what happened yesterday? Miura thought about it but couldn’t easily reach a conclusion.

“…Why?”

Noticing the attention focused on him, Yuuki asked Miura.

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

Miura just mumbled that.

While Miura was unaware, did Kurosawa suffer another incident?

“…”

Throughout the remaining class time, Miura couldn’t concentrate on the lesson due to her concern about those rumors.

*

After class, I pondered briefly.

Should I go up to the club room?

Or I could just head home.

It’s been a long time since I’ve had a holiday… well, maybe a half-day, since I had classes in the morning… Anyway, I still had quite a bit of time left.

For someone like me, who spends more than half the week on part-time work, this was like golden time.

As I packed my bag while contemplating whether to finish Final Fantasy VI or not, my body suddenly tilted forward.

“Hey, Koto Ne! Are you going home?”

When I turned around, Fukuda had her arm draped over my shoulder.

“Um…”

“Don’t do that, let’s hang out for a bit. We have plenty of time.”

Even if for a moment, my student instincts almost awoke. Like… the thoughts of a nerd who would shrink away at the sight of delinquents. Back in high school, I was an otaku reading light novels.

Yet, at the same time, I caught a whiff of a scent that seemed to have been used by Fukuda.

There are often descriptions in school stories about how girls have this pleasant scent, and I guess this would be that kind of scent.

“…Sure.”

As Fukuda said that so close, I really couldn’t refuse.

“Are you okay with this?”

After getting my answer, Fukuda spoke while glancing back at where Miura was.

Miura, slightly startled, quickly put on a soft smile and nodded.

“Yeah… What about Yuuki?”

Then, hesitantly, she asked Yuuki.

“… I’m fine.”

Yamashita, who nodded while saying that, had his expression almost hidden, so I couldn’t really tell if he was genuinely fine or not.

But then again, that’s how he usually is.

Miura’s expression brightened up significantly upon hearing the response.

Could she perhaps want to ask about the rumors she heard? They were not only surrounding me.

…Well, even if she asked, I hadn’t thought of answering.

*

Thinking about it, there aren’t that many things to do outside in reality.

Back when I was a kid, when I hung out with friends, we would go to the bookstore to check for new releases or check out games in Yongsan, and sometimes eat a hamburger before heading back home.

What we were doing now was just a version of that for high school girls.

Walking down the street to look at clothes, browsing through small accessories, looking at cosmetics.

Of course, I had no interest in any of that, so I just stood there blankly, but Fukuda and Miura enjoyed bringing clothes to me and having fun.

Then we would go to karaoke or drop into a dessert cafe.

Today was the dessert cafe.

“Today’s lucky.”

Fukuda said with a smile.

“It’s not raining too much, right? Otherwise, we wouldn’t have said let’s wander around like this.”

The rainy season was in full swing. It was June 18, and the monsoon was expected to continue until mid-July, so it would probably get worse in the days to come.

It rained heavily this morning, then lightened up as we left for school, only to pour again right after we entered the cafe.

Let’s wait a little longer and head back when the rain lets up a bit.

That was the plan we set.

“…”

Up to this point, it was just like any other day, but a strange tension flowed among us that had never existed before.

Usually, I wouldn’t talk much, nor would Yamashita, and the atmosphere wouldn’t darken. Miura and Fukuda had bright and positive personalities after all.

But Miura seemed to have questions she wanted to ask us. Fukuda picked up on it and brought Yamashita and me along.

The problem was that neither Yamashita nor I wanted to answer those questions at all.

If the story spreads, things could get complicated. It wouldn’t stop just because the athletic club president and her lackeys quit.

There must be other members in the athletics club, and among them, there are likely people who are close to those three.

And there might be other friends involved as well.

Honestly, the current situation was already tangled enough, and I didn’t want to drag Miura and Fukuda into it. I just wanted this to end on my terms. But if I explained everything that happened yesterday, while I wouldn’t have to mention anything about Yamashita’s family, I couldn’t leave out the athletics club.

…If only it could just end like this, that would be the best.

As for Kaneko’s case… I’d have to think about how to resolve that when the time comes. I don’t even know the face of the person who ostracized me.

However, that ‘ending it like this would be the best’ probably wouldn’t be easy to achieve.

I realized that the moment I left school with my friends.

“…Kurosawa?”

“…Huh?”

Miura called out to me while I was staring at a corner of the cafe.

“Why? Is there someone you know?”

“…No.”

I don’t know anyone.

But…

That stalker who was following me the other day was much more obvious and clearly tailing us now.

I don’t know exactly where they began to follow us. At least they weren’t waiting at the school gate; it seemed plausible from a spot that wouldn’t raise suspicion.

Three boys.

None of them were in their uniforms. However, they looked similar in age to us, perhaps a little older. Are they high school students?

They were dressed casually but looked rather scruffy. Cargo pants with a chain; what era’s fashion trend is that—

Oh, this is 2004.

Still, I would think that kind of thing would be beyond ridiculous for this time.

Anyway, I forcibly shifted my gaze from those boys.

At least, it didn’t seem like they had intentions of picking a fight here.

Since Miura and Fukuda were still oblivious, maybe I should just leave it be.

And—

“Um…”

Noticing the attention on her, Miura must have thought it was time to speak.

“Yuuki.”

“Yeah?”

“Can I ask if you’ve had any worries or concerns lately?”

Miura carefully chose her words as she asked.

“I mean, you’ve gone somewhere alone without telling anyone last time…”

“…There’s no need to ask for permission.”

Yuuki responded to Miura’s words.

However, it seemed he was also cautious; while his words sounded indifferent, his voice was considerably softer than when we spoke yesterday.

“That’s… true, but.”

Fukuda just glanced between the two.

As if this weren’t the first time, she held her drink straw as usual with a neutral expression.

“Is there something that happened between you two?”

Both Yamashita and I fell silent.

“I heard… a story.”

I stole a glance at Yamashita.

“Yesterday, Kurosawa was bleeding.”

Yamashita stayed silent.

He probably included the part about me being dragged away by the athletics club members in that ‘I won’t say anything’ from yesterday.

“…I slipped in the bathroom.”

“Eh?”

But if I didn’t clarify at least a bit, Miura would continue to worry.

“I hit my head on the sink, and Yamashita found me and took me to the nurse’s office. That’s all.”

“Really!? Are you okay?”

Miura’s face turned pale as expected.

I knew this would happen.

Since I said I got hurt falling, I wondered what kind of reaction would come if I’d said I was perhaps being tormented by others.

When I looked at Yamashita, he glanced at me once before nodding.

“The nurse said everything’s fine; I even went to the hospital with the teacher.”

“Really.”

Miura placed her hand over her chest and exhaled deeply.

“What a relief.”

“Well, it was nothing serious like you were worried.”

Fukuda chuckled as she spoke. Even while stirring her iced drink with a straw, she seemed a bit reassured.

“What do you think she said? She thought you two fought.”

“…No.”

“Right, right. I was just concerned. The atmosphere around you two was bad, after all…”

Miura seemed to slump in her chair as though tired.

“Really, you’re not hurt anywhere?”

“I’m fine. Want to see?”

When I leaned closer to Miura, she waved her hand with a reluctant smile.

“No, that’s not necessary. It’s okay.”

Good.

At least it seems like I’ve managed to put Miura and Fukuda at ease. I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, but Yamashita looked a bit more relaxed too.

…Now there’s just those guys left.

In my thoughts, those guys are certainly related to the athletics club in some way. They might be boyfriends or something, seeing how their numbers perfectly match.

What should I do?

There was one method that popped into my mind.

While I briefly glanced at a corner of the cafe, I thought.

*

Sitting comfortably in the slightly relaxed atmosphere, we waited for the rain to let up a little.

Just as you would expect from the rainy season, the downpour that had been going wild for almost an hour finally let up, and we stepped outside.

The distance from the cafe to the station was a bit far. Perhaps about a five-minute walk.

And during that time, those boys had followed us at a slight distance.

It seemed the others were still oblivious. Well, it wouldn’t be unusual for people to be walking around in a busy district.

“Well then, Kurosawa, see you tomorrow.”

“Koto Ne-chan, bye~”

“Take care.”

The three waved goodbye to me. I waved back in response and entered the station to wait a moment.

…No matter how long I waited, the boys didn’t come in.

Right, they’re not pursuing me.

After all, the one who left a bruise on the athletic club president’s face wasn’t me but Yamashita.

I stepped back outside of the station.

I knew roughly what direction those three were heading. I didn’t know exactly where they lived, but they always parted ways at the station.

I hadn’t spent too long inside the station. Surely it wasn’t even a minute.

So, following three guys after one girl wouldn’t be that hard to do.

“Kurosawa.”

And if there’s one more person to help, it would make things a lot easier.

“Yuuki.”

I thought about when I saw him sitting in the corner of the cafe earlier, and there was no one as welcoming as an expert coming to help at a time like this.

*

“So, you mean to say you went through all that and didn’t contact me even once?”

“…Sorry.”

We walked while keeping those boys at a distance and talked.

The rain had gotten a bit heavier by then. It wasn’t as severe as it had been in the morning, but still.

“No, there’s no need to apologize.”

Upon hearing my apology, Yuuki sighed deeply.

Yuuki had also heard the rumors, of course. Since he was in the neighboring class, the news must have spread quickly.

Perhaps Sasaki Sota had heard the rumor too. He knew of me as well.

For now, only Yuuki was following me.

Yuuki knew what kind of state I was in. How he would interpret it is another story, but at least he knew that I would recover quickly even if I got severely injured.

So I could explain the circumstances of my injuries in more detail to Yuuki.

“So, those guys seem to be… following Yamashita, huh?”

“Yeah. They were tailing me since I left in front of the school.”

“Ugh.”

Yuuki swiped his face with one hand that wasn’t holding an umbrella.

“What if I wasn’t here?”

“…I’d call the police.”

“You’re planning to call the cops, huh? Should I praise you for that?”

No matter how I say it, I know this is sarcasm.

And Yuuki probably knows it too.

That this is a comment made without thought.

I didn’t intend to call the police.

I thought rather to deal with those boys myself and make sure they won’t follow again.

My body is quite strong as long as I don’t bleed out too much. Although I might be a bit lacking in strength.

“…I have a lot I want to say, but I won’t right now. Let’s resolve this matter first.”

Should I be scared?

Well, if it’s Yuuki’s scolding, I can listen to it willingly.

Maybe he’ll treat me to dinner, and I might even look forward to that.

The footsteps of the boys walking in front of us quickened just a bit.

In the distance, I spotted two girls waving hands; one with dyed blonde hair and another with short hair, separating from a girl with straight hair. They seemed to be waving at each other.

Fortunately, it looked like they weren’t paying us much mind.

Those three boys followed closely behind the now-separated Yamashita.

…There were no signs of people around in the residential area.

“Hey.”

I heard the blond guy in the middle call out.

“Hey, you in the sailor uniform.”

Yamashita didn’t bother to stop.

So, maybe out of anger, the guy ran over and grabbed Yamashita by the shoulder.

Yamashita turned back, shaking off that hand.

That cold, expressionless face was unmistakable.

Glancing at the boys, when our eyes met for a brief moment, Yamashita showed a flicker of surprise.

“Hey, young lady, do you have some time?”

The guy spoke in a sly voice.

“If you have time, we’d like to chat for a bit.”

“…”

Yamashita’s eyes returned to the guy again.

With his hands shoved deep in his pockets, he stood beside the man, while the other two slowly surrounded Yamashita.

In broad daylight. On a Saturday, right in the middle of Minato Ward.

That’s gutsy.

Honestly, even with such a conversation, people around us just threw glances and walked by. They probably didn’t want to get involved. Not that it was a fight or anything. They just viewed it as a common street hunt.

“Hey!”

But, there’s no way people like Yuuki and Yuka would just let it slide.

When Yuuki yelled, the golden-haired guy’s head turned back.

Seeing us didn’t seem to surprise him much.

“What? Need something? You guys want to join in?”

The two boys who followed behind him cackled.

Yuuki tightened his grip on the bag handle in his right hand and tossed aside the umbrella he was holding.

“Hmm? Hey, looks like someone really does want to get involved,”

The guy laughed at Yuuki’s actions.

“Isn’t it a bit embarrassing for three guys to corner one girl? At least you should match the numbers.”

“…”

The guy chuckled at Yuuki’s remark.

“Hey, it’s not that we gathered like this because of numbers. It’s because that girl owes us. Do you know how much she cried when we went to her house yesterday?”

Yuuki scoffed.

It seemed he wasn’t interested in listening any longer.

“Heh, you really do look like you want to try something. Hey,”

As the guy said that, the other two began inching towards Yamashita.

At that point, I tossed the umbrella aside as well.

Despite how it looks, I had confidence in my ability to take a hit. I might not be excellent, but I could grab one and pull them down.

Just as I was about to charge at the boy in front of us—

Suddenly, a blonde-haired girl burst out from an alley and delivered a low kick to the leg of the boy who was approaching Yamashita.

“Guh!?”

The bald-headed boy’s knee buckled.

“Fukuda?”

I called out her name without realizing it.

“Hey, did you really think I would just go home after seeing that face?”

“What… that’s right!”

Fukuda said from a little distance, while Miura shouted.

“With a face that worried!”

“…Mako.”

Yamashita muttered Miura’s name.

“…”

Ah, so she had no intention of just parting ways from the start.

“Seriously, how could you not notice them following so obviously since we left school? The blonde guy looks so pathetic.”

Fukuda’s insult made the blonde guy scowl.

He blamed his hair color while looking grumpy.

I swallowed that comment down my throat.

“I guess you thought the same as me.”

Yuuki said with a smile.

Indeed.

It’s probably just my misunderstanding, but for a moment it felt like Yamashita had smiled a little.

---