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

It’s not common for me to be home alone.

Honestly, at my age, nothing major happens just because I’m home alone for a bit. In just a year, I’ll be a middle school student, officially in the age of being called a “teenager.”

However, ironically, the older I get, the more time I end up spending with Kagami.

When I was very young, Kagami often had to leave the house because she was making money on her own.

At that time, there was no one we could trust except each other. If I were truly a “real little kid,” I might have seen Kagami’s behavior more negatively.

But what can I say? Kagami was still a kid back then.

It’s not easy for someone who has never experienced what being a kid is like to raise a child purely as a child.

Fortunately, there was the landlady who helped us, and eventually, I started attending kindergarten, which meant there were people I could rely on to keep me safe.

After that, there were more people in the house than just Kagami and me. Kagami could get a bit more support and was able to spend a bit more time at home than before.

Speaking of now—Kagami was actually a full-time housewife at home, so even if I was resting, I wouldn’t be ‘alone.’

Even now, I wasn’t alone. Even if Kagami and Dad were momentarily out, Shii was in our house.

I hadn’t invited the friends who used to visit often since Shii started living here. Thankfully, the kids still weren’t overly eager to come over, so I managed to keep that fact under wraps.

Thus, when it was just Shii and me at home, the only person who would ring our doorbell was Sota.

“……”

But I guess that was just my misunderstanding.

The uncle looking down at me was someone I clearly remembered, but he wasn’t someone we interacted with regularly.

In fact, I had only seen him once. Yet, his strong impression had been enough to leave a mark in my memory for a long time.

“……”

The uncle and I stared at each other in silence for a moment.

Um, what should I say in this situation? “Who are you?” feels odd, and “Why are you here?” seems a bit rude no matter how you look at it.

Even though he didn’t seem like someone I had to worry about manners with, he was still Sota’s dad.

“……Hello.”

In the end, I chose such a bland greeting.

“……Are your parents inside?”

The uncle spoke with a somewhat embarrassed expression since he had yelled at me before.

“They’re not here.”

That was true. Rarely, both Kagami and Dad were out at the same time.

It wasn’t anything major. Dad had gone to work, and Kagami was out briefly to buy some scarce groceries. There was no reason for me to follow them outside, considering I wasn’t that weak.

Above all, this house was under someone’s watchful eye. If something were to happen, someone would naturally come.

The details of those living nearby had likely already been investigated, right? In that sense, Sota’s dad probably didn’t seem like the type to just go around beating people for no reason.

At my response, Sota’s dad was left speechless again.

“……What are you here for?”

I asked a bit late. Sota’s dad seemed to hesitate for a moment before exhaling softly and scratching his head.

“Then could you pass on a message?”

I nodded.

“I have to go on a business trip.”

“……”

His brow furrowed slightly.

I had heard bits and pieces about this. Not long after I started talking with Sota, I learned that he was a kid who had lived overseas for about two years.

So, if he said he was going on a business trip, it wasn’t too strange.

Parents who often go on long business trips and leave their kids at home aren’t that unusual, after all.

Even if they were now teenagers, they would still be affected by their parents.

But at the same time, that was also a condition for protagonists in games, novels, or comics. It was what allowed heroines to come and go freely, leading to steamy events.

“Sota will be staying at home. And—”

Sota’s dad looked at me silently, his expression slightly sour.

“And, he might be moving to a different place soon.”

I looked up at him quietly without speaking.

What a strange story.

In novels, I’d accept it naturally and even feel envious when I read about it as a kid, but now it felt so heavy and realistic.

Sota has a strong personality, but he’s still a child.

Even keeping up with the rules necessary for living in the neighborhood could be quite a burden for an elementary school student. Collecting trash and preparing enough nutritious meals to avoid going hungry.

Plus, I knew the reason he was doing this.

He didn’t like having Shii around.

And I also knew Sota wouldn’t ever give up on Shii.

Anyway, Sota already came over to our house almost every day. While he kept an eye on his dad, he still made it a point to visit regularly, as if it were his duty to see Shii. In January, they even went to the shrine together.

Shii, on her side, was counting down the days until Sota visited. While she knew we weren’t hostile toward her, she was at an age where she could understand the difference between family and non-family.

“……Yeah, I’ll pass that on to my parents.”

At my words, Sota’s dad nodded stiffly.

Even though it may not look like it, I was pretty good at keeping a straight face. I couldn’t completely block the furrowing between my eyebrows, but at least I managed a perfect poker face when I said that.

After Sota’s dad went home, I closed the door again.

Turning around, I found Shii there. The last time Shii’s mom visited, she had squatted in the living room, but her mental state was much better than then, and more importantly, she probably didn’t have an overwhelming fear of Sota’s dad yet.

“Koto Ne?”

Shii talked to me.

I couldn’t really decide how to respond to what she said.

When I was younger, I liked being home alone. Without the interference of parents or my younger sister, I could just do what I wanted.

However, maybe because I had grown up, it felt a bit hard to say something like that to Shii.

“……I’ll let you know when Mom and Dad are back.”

I said that for now.

Then, after Kagami returned home and Dad came back from work, I conveyed the message at a family gathering.

As I expected, Kagami and Dad made dark expressions, while Shii beamed brightly.

Just for reference, I was the one making a gloomy face.

*

And about a month later.

“If anything difficult happens, you can call for help right away.”

Kagami repeatedly urged Sota like that.

“It’s perfectly fine to just come over and stay for a bit.”

Um…. that kind of sounds a bit unpleasant.

Oh, of course, I think it’s possible that it would be better for him, separate from what I think. However, I still felt a bit uneasy about Sota staying over.

“I’ll do my best.”

Sota said that.

In this situation, I thought that it might be good to report it to the police— but who knows?

Would that really lead to a happy conclusion for Sota and Shii?

Looking at Shii’s sparkling smile next to Sota, I couldn’t bring myself to say that.

Yeah. For now, it might be better to leave it as is.

Having read the novel, I knew how those two had gotten through life.

I was sure that Sota and Shii would manage just fine.

“……”

But at the same time, I couldn’t help but worry.

I knew firsthand how hard it could be for a kid who had just turned 10 and a couple of younger kids to manage by themselves.

…I should visit more often. I should invite them more.

“Come over tomorrow too.”

I said that.

“Let’s eat dinner together.”

Sota and Shii looked at me and smiled.

Seeing them standing together like that made them look a bit alike.

And those two, smiling so beautifully, finding themselves in such a situation…

Watching it all unfold just like in the original work made my stomach turn a little.

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