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

Chapter

…….

What now?

No, if you’re going, at least take me with you. If you just leave me here, it’ll get awkward for me.

Of all the remaining family, Yuuki’s family is uncomfortably impossible to just disappear or say they’re going home like that.

Moreover, looking at Yuuki’s expression now, it feels like he would follow if I said I’m going alone.

I looked up at the sky.

It felt like it should be night, but today is Saturday. Everything that happened after school with friends was during the day.

The rain had briefly stopped, but it was still humid and hot, and the sun had not completely set. The slightly reddening sky seemed to be asking, “Are you heading home already?”

“That person… is your mother, right?”

Yuuki carefully picked his words.

Well, I guess that’s true. If I let my guard down even a little, Kagami would have acted all energetic in front of me.

After all, on paper, she is my mother.

“……Yeah.”

“Is she always like that?”

“……”

Strictly speaking, she isn’t always like that.

When not in front of others, she speaks honorifics in front of me, and if I ask for something, she usually obliges.

And I somehow felt like I knew who that person was who would grant those requests.

I don’t know much about the Yakuza. I’ve read some online stories about the Japanese Yakuza, but my knowledge and image are limited to those legendary Yakuza games in Japan.

While it may differ significantly from reality, this place would be different from “the reality I used to live in.”

Furthermore, rather than just being an extra… being connected to Kagami means that it’s likely this person will appear in some way in the second half, right? The way they openly looked a bit pitying was telling. It seemed like someone with various connections to the organization.

And… Yes, if Miura has died like in the novel, then there might be reason for Yuuki and somehow shady Yamashita to be involved in the story.

“Kurosawa Koto Ne” is in the same class too.

…What if Yamashita and Fukuda, both of whom have numerous potential elements for outright disruption, are neutralized by Miura taking an active role in between? Judging by his skills in fights, he might be in the same position as Liu Bei between Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

This could be a reason I’d want to find out later on.

“Kurosawa?”

Yuuki, probably worried about me being lost in thought, called my name again with a concerned expression.

“……I’ll be fine if I don’t get into trouble.”

That’s what I said.

Even though I was given the opportunity, it still felt a bit too much to portray Kagami as completely terrible, so I said that.

“What do you mean by not getting into trouble?”

But for some reason, Yuuki seemed to be enraged by my words.

…Oh.

Could it be that I appeared to have been brainwashed or something?

“What was that about bringing in a guy last time? There’s no way you did that. Was that also a kind of ‘incident’? Did anything happen after that?”

“What are you talking about?”

Yuuki’s father asked with a worried expression.

I almost groaned in response.

Even with Kagami working to set things up, my situation leaves me stuck with the ‘poor kid’ frame. If it was more like I was just neglected, it wouldn’t have been this severe.

Though the other side is definitely serious enough.

“Yuka.”

Yuuki’s grandfather put his hand on Yuuki’s shoulder as if to calm him down. Yuuki shut his mouth tightly.

In fact, Yuuki must know. I had mentioned it to him before. It was necessary to resolve the situation. Yuuki had even come over after that incident.

Something seemed tied up because of Kagami’s words.

“…… But after that, it was okay. Nothing really happened.”

“Nothing happened… wait, no.”

Yuuki sighed deeply and rubbed his face.

“……”

A brief silence.

I debated seriously whether I should be thankful for Kagami’s help or resent them for going overboard setting things up. Then the grandfather, with a gentle smile, spoke up.

“Since we’ve come this far, how about we grab a meal before heading in? You’re going to need to replenish your strength since you just did some heavy lifting.”

As I looked at him, he stared at me silently and said,

“There’s a pretty good Yakiniku place nearby.”

To be honest, I wanted to decline a little.

Since I was already mentally and physically exhausted. No matter how much the wounds heal, getting hurt isn’t exactly something I enjoy.

Besides, recovering from those injuries seems to sap energy; on days I’ve taken heavy damage, I end up particularly tired. Yesterday was like that too.

But if it’s Yakiniku, it’s a different story.

If I spent energy, I must replenish it, right? Grandpa is right. According to the second law of thermodynamics, the energy consumed in my body won’t spontaneously regenerate.

When I nodded, Grandpa smiled and took me to the car.

Yuuki looked at me with a twinkle in his eyes, trying to decide whether to feel sorry for me or think it was absurd.

“Maybe we could use an empty room in our house…”

Seeing Yuuki mutter like that sent a chill down my spine.

No, I’m not a stray cat. It’s not like I’m being taken in just to be cared for.

Sure, if you focused on the menu, I might be a bit persuaded.

*

“Oh, that stalker from before.”

Yuuki said, closing his eyes.

Because of Kagami’s expression about bringing in a guy, it seemed Yuuki thought something else had happened in between.

Or maybe he was thinking something else. Given my situation, it wouldn’t be unusual.

“Did you meet him again after that?”

Honestly, I don’t really know what happened. No matter how out of control Kagami is, I don’t think he would resort to outright killing someone. If that stalker was just a regular office worker maintaining an ordinary life, the consequences of killing him would be far more significant.

“I haven’t seen him since then.”

I shook my head.

“……”

Yuuki silently watched as I chewed the meat I’d put in my mouth.

“…so, your mother then…”

“That’s how it was.”

“You think that’s your fault?”

“……”

Hmm.

Because of what I said earlier, it’s hard to deny it now.

So, I opted to eat in silence. It was delicious. It’s been ages since I had grilled meat.

“What about living expenses?”

Yuuki asked.

“How do you make money for living expenses?”

The way Yuuki asked with a serious expression gave me pause.

Why? I just work part-time. Isn’t that normal to think?

…Oh.

Thinking about it again, there were oddly provocative setups in many light novels of this era. Plus in reality, if a teen claimed they were living independently without family attention, people would definitely think that was strange.

“I work part-time at a café.”

I clearly stated regarding that matter.

“…… I see.”

Yuuki still looked a bit skeptical but didn’t pry any deeper.

“Well, well.”

Grandpa said.

“Now that we’ve come this far, let’s have a nice meal. Kurosawa must also want to rest.”

“……Yes, Grandpa.”

Yuuki responded.

Only then did he stick the meat he had picked up with his chopsticks in his mouth. He didn’t forget, huh?

*

Fortunately, Yuuki did not insist on following me home.

Yuuki is, after all, quite reasonable. In the novel, he didn’t act like a yandere and follow the protagonist around.

He worries a lot and has rich emotions, but he only thinks within the bounds of common sense.

Though I was still a bit concerned about the odd thing he muttered alone.

Really, I couldn’t be more grateful that Yuuki’s family drove me home.

For those living in Ota City, the southernmost part of Tokyo, Saitama Prefecture is in the opposite direction and quite far.

However, they showed not a hint of dissatisfaction and dropped me off right in front of my house as if it were the most natural thing.

Truly kind people. Truly a fitting family for a protagonist.

“If anything happens, make sure to contact me.”

Yuuki said seriously as he opened the car window, looking straight at me.

“I’m serious. If there’s something I can help with, I will surely help.”

“……Got it.”

“I’m serious.”

With that, Yuuki looked at me earnestly, looking almost a bit angry.

I nodded my head vigorously.

Yuuki also nodded seriously before retreating into the car.

“Come visit again sometime.”

Yuuki’s father, sitting in the driver’s seat, smiled warmly and said.

“Thank you.”

I bowed in gratitude, and Grandpa waved his hand.

The large car that seemed to have been around for about five years made a smooth engine sound as it drove away from me.

I watched until it turned the corner and disappeared from my sight before heading inside the house.

“……It always looks worn out.”

I murmured like that.

But still, it was a bit comforting.

The house had soft blankets, a TV, game consoles, rice cookers, and a refrigerator.

A house where I could properly rest my body. That atmosphere was definitely present. Since I live alone, there should be no incidents.

There was still a bit of time left before the day ended.

Wondering what to do, I decided to spread out the blanket and lie down.

Yeah, let’s just sleep now.

Given all the events that hit me at once, I figured it would be hard to focus on anything else.

As soon as I got under the blanket and covered myself with the thin summer duvet, my consciousness faded away.

*

Beeeeep.

I woke up the next day, almost around noon.

It wasn’t the sunlight coming through the window or anything that woke me up. It was simply loud noises.

My cellphone, which I had carelessly tossed beside the bed before diving into the blankets yesterday, was ringing.

Pushing the thin blanket aside, I got up and confirmed once more that I had fallen asleep in my sailor uniform.

The phone continued to ring without pause.

I rubbed my eyes and picked it up. My vision was still hazy from just waking up.

I blinked a few times to make my vision clearer, then looked at the name on the phone.

[Yamashita Yuuki]

Since I’m not the outgoing type who would put friend names as nicknames on my phone, it was probably because the contact had been registered shortly after I met Miura. That’s when I saved Fukuda’s and Yamashita’s numbers as well.

For most simple communication, emails sufficed, but calling and insisting on this…

A tinge of ominous thoughts crossed my mind.

No, it’s not like I thought Yamashita had encountered some strange event. If such a thing had happened, he would probably contact Fukuda or Miura instead. After all, both of them are now even somewhat aware of the situation.

If he had gone out of his way to call me, it must be something only I could resolve.

Beeeeep.

…However, it wouldn’t be a good idea to not pick up the phone.

Let’s hear him out first.

“……Hello?”

As I flipped the phone open and held the receiver to my ear, I could hear someone taking a deep breath on the other side.

After a moment of contemplation, the other party opened their mouth.

[……Kurosawa?]

It was Yamashita.

“Yeah.”

There was a brief silence on the other end before he finally spoke up.

[Can you let me stay for a few days?]

“……”

I pressed my temples.

Yeah, I had a feeling that was exactly the kind of request it would be.

For people in their mid-twenties or above, living alone isn’t that extraordinary. Of course, hearing someone has their own house would make people see them differently, but there are surprisingly many who simply rent a place and live alone.

If you have to distance yourself from your family for work or studies, what can you do?

However, that’s only a story after adulthood.

Usually, when teenagers hear that someone is “living alone,” they look at the other person with a strange longing.

At that age, when they’re experiencing a surge in sensitivity and growing independence, thinking of living without family interference must sound like a thrill. They imagine they could invite friends over at will and watch movies or play games all night without anyone caring.

Of course, living alone is tougher than it seems, but that’s something people without such experiences never understand.

“……Why?”

[…….]

Yamashita was silent for a moment before speaking.

[……I have nowhere to go.]

…….

I hesitated.

But I didn’t have the kind of persuasive words to send Yamashita back home. If I refuse, Yamashita would take it as “I don’t want to.”

While our reasons differ, judging by yesterday’s attitude, Yamashita doesn’t seem particularly fond of his father. He may come from a pretty patriarchal and oppressive family. I can’t just tell him to go back without knowing such circumstances.

……What happens to runaway teenagers? After considering several thoughts, none of the outcomes were positive.

I rubbed my face and said, “……Alright.”

On the other end of the receiver, Yamashita took a deep breath.

[……Really?]

“……But you might be disappointed.”

[As long as there’s somewhere to sleep, that’s fine.]

Yamashita’s voice sounded a bit exhausted. He might have gone out last night and was stuck somewhere since then.

But where?

It was the first time I learned that Tokyo has a curfew for youths. It’s not just a recommendation; it’s outright prohibited by local ordinances. I probably didn’t pay much attention when I visited Japan as an adult.

Furthermore, in South Korea, minors cannot stay in jjimjilbangs or gaming centers late at night either. That’s not to say there are no runaway teenagers in both countries…

I shook off those ominous thoughts and quickly snapped out of it.

[Where should I go?]

“Omiya Station.”

I responded as I got up from my spot.

[Got it.]

Yamashita replied.

*

I don’t know whether to call this fortunate or not, but Yamashita didn’t seem to be in worse shape than I thought.

He was dressed well, looking similar to how he appeared the last time I saw him. Even the uniform he wore was the same.

However, he really looked incredibly tired. His shoulders bore a heavy bag packed full of items, but it didn’t seem like that much stuff could fit in there.

“How was last night?”

“……I went from convenience store to convenience store. Also hit up some family restaurants.”

“……Ah.”

So, by that, it means Yamashita had literally not gotten any proper sleep.

Did he not run into the police along the way? Well, he might have been hiding from them. Even looking twenty years later in the future, there were kids openly homeless in the streets due to the Tokyo kids’ culture, so it must be difficult to police every single one in a big city. The one who gets caught probably had bad luck.

“It’ll take about 30 minutes to walk.”

“……”

Upon my words, Yamashita silently regarded me.

There’s really no other way to look at it.

Since I’ve never taken a bus since coming here. To save money, and the lack of intricate subway maps made it difficult to navigate. If only I had a computer at home, I would have figured something out.

“Alright.”

Feeling my sincerity, Yamashita eventually nodded.

It was a sunny day after a long while. Thankfully, I didn’t need to drench Yamashita in rain for the thirty-minute walk.

Still, it was just as hot, and by the time we reached my place, both Yamashita and I were drenched in sweat.

“……This is it.”

Yamashita stared blankly at the apartment I pointed to.

I had the thought that the entire size of the floor could potentially be smaller than Yamashita’s house. After all, he’s a kid living in Minato Ward. Plus, he’s the child of a Yakuza boss.

In a light novel with a Yakuza setting, he’d definitely be living in some extravagant traditional Japanese house with a massive entrance. It wouldn’t surprise me if I heard that his dad wore a hakama inside that house.

“Let’s head up.”

I said that and stepped forward, while Yamashita silently followed behind.

Fortunately, Yamashita had time to come all the way to Saitama Prefecture, so I was able to clean the house somewhat before heading out.

Still, it definitely looked more like a livable home than when Suzuki-sensei visited.

Yamashita seemed a bit shocked, but still.

“If you want to use the bathroom, feel free.”

“Ah, okay.”

Seeing Yamashita flustered was strangely amusing.

“……Um.”

Yamashita, who had entered the bathroom, peeked his head out and spoke.

“Can I use the bathtub…?”

He’s seemingly knowledgeable enough to recognize a bathtub.

It’s a rectangular one, and you need to sit in a cross-legged position if you want to take a bath, but it’s still quite nice. It’s alright when you’re feeling a bit tired.

When I nodded, Yamashita closed the bathroom door with an expression that looked like he had many things to say.

…Nice.

First, it doesn’t seem like I need to feed him. After all, the supplies at home only consist of cheap cup ramen, rice, a few pre-purchased bread rolls, and the minimum amounts of seasonings to go with them.

Plus, since he mentioned being at a convenience store and family restaurant throughout the night, it’s doubtful he stayed long in either place. Whatever he had been wearing last night was somewhat representative of being a ‘high school girl.’ If he had stayed too long, the shopkeepers might have figured out he was a runaway and called the police.

To avoid raising suspicion, I should purchase some food. And the best way would be to buy something and take my time eating.

Considering he likely didn’t come out with a single yen, I figure he must have eaten a fair bit.

Thus, I started to unfold the blanket I had rolled up.

Within a few days, I expect Yamashita’s family to come pick him up, but for now, I should make sure he eats and sleeps well. After all, I can’t keep neglecting someone’s precious daughter.

…….

But what should I do while he’s resting?

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