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

If there’s something regretful about getting younger, it’s that the amount of food I can eat at once has drastically decreased.

And it’s not just the quantity; my taste has changed too.

How should I put it… in some ways, it feels natural, but I guess I’ve developed more of a ‘kid’s palate.’

As I’ve gradually grown older since childhood, I find it’s not easy to notice the change in my taste buds as much as I thought. The speed of the change is too slow, so at some point, I just realize that foods I didn’t like in my childhood have suddenly become delicious. I can’t even remember when it started exactly.

If my taste had gradually shifted towards that of a child, I might not have noticed the sharp contrast, but I’m different.

I was an adult and then suddenly became a child overnight.

To be honest, vegetables don’t taste great. Meat is still good, but I prefer it drenched in sauce, and overall, I’ve come to enjoy stimulating, sweet foods.

Things like ice cream, snacks, and candy.

Of course, I know that I should eat a variety of foods even from a young age, so I’ve been diligently eating most of the meals that Kagami prepares without leaving anything behind, but still, I can’t help but prefer sugary foods.

Especially on hot days like this, I crave refreshing foods.

“Koto Ne, you shouldn’t eat so quickly. You might get a tummy ache,”

Kagami advised as she watched me devour the shaved ice.

Even though it was just a simple snack of finely shaved ice with syrup, it tasted amazing in the sweltering summer heat.

After hearing Kagami, I slowed down a bit.

Even though the yukata was made of a cool fabric, the part covering my arms felt a bit warm. The flowery yukata Kagami and I wore together was pretty, though.

Maybe because it was so hot, the shaved ice felt even more delicious.

However, no matter how much it’s suited for a child, honestly, I can’t eat that much. I could manage to finish it, but just as Kagami said, I didn’t want to get a tummy ache.

“Mom.”

I scooped a spoonful of shaved ice and offered it to Kagami.

Kagami chuckled at my gesture and gently accepted the bowl of shaved ice drizzled with Hawaiian blue syrup.

“Yummy.”

“Yeah, it’s delicious.”

By the way, Harumi was holding a candy apple, and Yuuki had a chocolate banana. All extremely sweet foods. I guess what I’m eating isn’t as sugary?

Yamashita and Fukuda didn’t seem to particularly enjoy munching on something while walking around; they were just hanging out. After Miho handed them some takoyaki, the two didn’t buy anything in particular either.

Of course, they readily accepted one bite from their daughters.

Once I became an adult, wandering around alone at midnight or with friends didn’t feel like a big deal. Wasn’t it just customary? Eating and drinking usually means night falls.

Sometimes, I would pull an all-nighter. After I began living alone, I sometimes did that until I lost my family.

But being a child is another story.

At that age, it’s natural to return home when it gets dark outside. Eating dinner with parents and then, as it became that sleepy time, it’s the age where you spread out your blanket and go to sleep.

So, having the experience of being outside with my parents even when the sky darkened was special.

The streets were lively even in such darkness. People were chatting happily here and there, and some were kids around our age.

The landscape was somewhat surreal, like a scene from a dream, so as I walked holding Kagami’s hand, I kept looking for her.

“Ah! A goldfish scooping booth!”

Harumi shouted, running off, with Miho quickly chasing after her. Yamashita walked leisurely behind, his height making his strides naturally faster.

Harumi dashed to the booth selling goldfish, which was just like something out of a childhood cartoon. It felt strange to see it in person. Honestly, I didn’t feel compelled to try it myself, but seeing Harumi crouched in front of the tank full of goldfish brought her joy, making me squat beside her.

Yuuki did the same; his eyes caught by the shiny, colorful goldfish.

Well, in my past life, was there anything similar… like hamsters or chicks sold in front of the elementary school? Those were never for playing; it was just buying one for 500 or 1,000 won and taking it home.

“Dad, I want to do this!”

Harumi cried out, and Yamashita nodded in agreement.

“Koto Ne, do you want to try it as well?”

Kagami, squatting next to me, asked casually, but I shook my head.

“I just want to watch.”

Looking at my face, Kagami seemed to understand I was sincere, smiling as she placed her hand on my shoulder and continued to watch Harumi move.

“Hey!”

After a few initial misses, Harumi managed to scoop one goldfish. It seemed she got the hang of it as she caught a second and third.

“Look, I caught three!”

With a childlike cheer, Harumi’s excitement made the surrounding adults laugh. Perhaps the stall owner also got swept up in the festive atmosphere.

But even though she caught three goldfish, Harumi didn’t put all of them into one bag.

Instead, she received one fish per bag and handed one each to me and Yuuki.

Caught off guard, Yuuki and I looked at each other, then back at Harumi holding the goldfish in our hands.

“We have to take good care of them!”

Harumi exclaimed energetically.

It didn’t seem to carry any significant meaning, so I looked up at Kagami, who merely smiled and patted my head.

Goldfish… they say they’re frequently sold, but once you try to keep them, they require a lot of care.

But I didn’t want to refuse Harumi’s kindness. A gift is a gift.

Let’s just try raising them. As well as I can.

I thought as I stared at the goldfish swimming lazily in the transparent bag.

Blub, blub, the goldfish was moving about inside.

…Once I get home, I should find a decent bowl to put it in right away.

*

The highlight of the festival is undoubtedly the fireworks.

This is not limited to Japanese festivals but seems to be the case for most university celebrations as well. There’s a university not too far from where I live, and I could see the splendid fireworks every year during its festival.

The sight we saw today was the same.

Colorful fireworks rising into the sky, high, high up, bursting with bang sounds, brought our surreal mood to a peak.

For some reason, I wanted to see Kagami’s face more than those fireworks, so I turned my gaze sideways.

And I locked eyes with Kagami.

Kagami, meeting my gaze, smiled and gently patted my head.

“……”

I thought to myself that I was glad I turned around.

The other kids were all fixated on the fireworks. Even the now middle school student Miho was no exception.

Yamashita and Fukuda were the same; everyone was enchanted.

Perhaps this day would pass just like any ordinary day.

Among the many ordinary days we would continue to experience, this could be just another day—

……

No.

At least today, I won’t forget.

For this is the first time I spent a festival with Kagami.

Isn’t it a fitting starting point for the days yet to come?

Kagami reached out, gently hugging my shoulders.

I leaned against her and together we looked up at the sky.

Bang, pop.

Blue, yellow, and red fireworks shot up high into the sky.

Bright, vivid colors that felt like they would be etched onto my retina.

Until the fireworks ended, we quietly gazed at the sky above.

*

Once we returned home, we transferred the goldfish into a suitable bowl.

“It’s summer break, right?”

Kagami said with a smile, looking at me while I quietly stared at the goldfish.

“Let’s buy the necessary things for raising the goldfish next week. Since you’ve received a gift, you should take care of it properly until the end.”

I heard that goldfish have quite a long lifespan; I wondered if I could raise it to the end?

But as Kagami said, having a pet at home didn’t seem bad.

Raising a dog or cat had its challenges, but one tiny goldfish could do.

Yeah.

I thought it wouldn’t be bad to raise it as a witness to my first memory.

Blub, blub.

The goldfish swam leisurely in the bowl, without a particular thought.

That, too, I found somewhat comforting.

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