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

Shii and Sota are often invited to our house, so we have meals together often.

Kagami, who has memories of running away alone during her childhood without an adult to protect her, and me, who spent a somewhat anxious childhood under Kagami, are the only ones in our house that Sota and Shii are particularly concerned about, up to our dad who now has a daughter that’s hard to meet.

Kagami’s cooking skills are fantastic. Having worked in kitchens for years, her skills have developed steadily, and now, the home-cooked meals she makes have become the best to the point that they occupy my favorite dish status.

It’s not that our family never eats out, but honestly, when there are dishes that Kagami can make, I can’t help but think there’s no need to go out to eat. When I eventually become an adult and become independent, the thing I will miss the most will definitely be Kagami’s cooking.

Sota and Shii also enjoyed our home-cooked meals. In particular, Shii seemed eager to learn the cooking secrets.

Kagami would often, for the reason of having made “too much,” deliver her dishes to Sota and Shii’s house.

And each time she visited, she’d subtly check the state of that house and offer to help organize or give advice.

I shared the same concern, so I would often stop by Sota’s house after school.

And every time, the feeling I had was—

Sota and Shii were doing better than I had expected.

…

Um, to be honest, it was really Shii who was doing well.

No, not that I’m saying Sota wasn’t doing well. Considering their age, Sota was actually supporting Shii with his spirit. If it weren’t for Sota, Shii wouldn’t have shown such positive emotions.

However, when it came to household chores, Shii was outstanding. Sota, being an elementary school student, would leave things lying around and not put things back in their original places, but Shii would clean up right away when she saw those kinds of things.

“……”

I decided not to think about where Shii picked up that habit.

“Shii.”

“Yeah?”

One day, as this daily routine repeated, while helping Shii clean the house, I suddenly spoke up.

Sota had some level of awareness too. He didn’t particularly like cleaning, but when Shii was doing it, he would work hard beside her.

I wasn’t someone who would usually pay much attention to the two, but I also wasn’t heartless enough to lay on the sofa watching TV while two elementary school kids cleaned.

Shii, answering me, had a bright expression.

No, ever since she started spending time with Sota, Shii’s expression had always been bright. She seemed to be having the happiest time in her life.

“How have things been lately? Are you doing well?”

Even though it was a story I could tell just by looking at her expression, I somehow wanted to ask that question.

“Yeah!”

Shii answered with a wide smile.

Her expression looked like flowers blooming.

“I’m so happy to spend time with my older brother!”

“……I see.”

I nodded.

I felt the same way.

If someone had asked me the same question back when I was living with Kagami, I would have answered the same way.

Sota was a few years younger than Kagami from back then, but I’m sure he would manage well. This isn’t just a guess I make because I read stories.

Shii had a much more mature personality than I did when I first came to this world, and Sota had someone by his side to help him.

Just having someone there made a huge difference based on the experiences I went through.

So, I wanted to help.

Once we finished tidying up the house, Shii took out three puddings from the fridge.

It was pudding that Kagami had brought for the two of them, but I felt it would be a bit odd to refuse alone, so I decided to eat together.

In the two-story house without adults, there was a strangely empty feeling—but at the same time, thanks to the warmth of the two, it didn’t feel lonely at all.

Was this what it would feel like in a kingdom just for kids?

I quietly watched as Shii and Sota enjoyed their conversation, taking small bites of pudding.

*

“Koto Ne.”

Every time I introduced myself to people around me, I had asked them to skip the process of calling me by my last name, so everyone around me called me that.

Whether they were close friends or just acquaintances.

I liked my name.

Hearing “Kurosawa,” or the fake surname I use, didn’t have much of an effect on me. Both last names sounded awkward in calling me.

Is this awkwardness because I lived in another country in my previous life? If so, it seems that ten years wasn’t enough to completely erase those past memories.

“Koto Ne?”

“Uh-huh.”

As I was lost in thought, Sota called out to me again.

“What were you talking about?”

When I asked, Sota made a somewhat bewildered expression. Sorry, I had been daydreaming and let his words go in one ear and out the other.

By the time fifth grade rolled around, the wall between boys and girls started coming down. There were talks of “dating.”

Naturally, I had no interest in getting a boyfriend or girlfriend, so I wasn’t really concerned about how far they were progressing in their relationships, but anyway, it was a fact.

Perhaps since I’ll be entering middle school next year, I’m feeling the time we can spend together getting shorter. I don’t know if we’ll separate; that will depend on going to different schools, but it feels like for the first time I’m aware of the “possibility.”

Thanks to that atmosphere, even if Sota and I walked together, the kids didn’t pay much attention to us. If anything, knowing that we went to school together, they seemed a bit surprised at how we were finally doing that.

We just didn’t talk while walking together anyway, and there wasn’t any need to make it a big deal.

“Koto Ne, which middle school are you going to?”

What Sota was asking me was that kind of question.

“Anywhere.”

I simply replied.

“Somewhere I can walk to from home.”

It was a place I hadn’t chosen to live, but living in this neighborhood, one thing I’ve realized is that it is a surprisingly pleasant place to live.

Good security, clean streets, and it definitely looks like a quiet, expensive neighborhood at first glance.

I probably wouldn’t have any major problems attending any middle school.

So, I actually dislike ones that are too far away. I truly hate crowded subways and buses.

If possible, I’d like to push that feeling as far back as I can—

Yeah.

Until I become a high school student.

“Uh…”

My clear answer seemed to take Sota by surprise.

“Why?”

“Um, no, it’s just that…”

When I tilted my head in confusion, Sota hesitated briefly before saying,

“I thought it’d be better to have a clear target school.”

He said that.

Hmm.

Ah, right, in a way, I was Sota’s most natural friend to talk to.

He probably thought that it would be better if I had at least one friend I knew at the middle school.

But wouldn’t it be better to have more same-sex friends? That would feel more natural. Having too many opposite-sex friends could make things uncomfortable in various ways.

“If we end up going to different schools, it won’t matter much, right? I’ll still be living in this neighborhood, and we’ll see each other often.”

“Is that so?”

Sota tilted his head, pondering.

“Still, it seems like Shii wants to go to the same school.”

“To the same school?”

“Yeah. We’re at the same school now.”

I took a moment to think.

…Even if we went to the same school, wouldn’t it be for a short time? After all, when Shii is in first grade, I’ll be in third grade, and in Japan, high school requires entrance exams, so the time isn’t that long.

And especially in high school, all the more so because you have to go to university.

“I think you just want to use the word ‘senpai.’”

That made me chuckle a little.

“You can use it even now.”

“Because I’m an elementary student,” he said.

Sota could hardly hold back his laughter when he said this.

We walked together while sharing a brief laugh.

…Well, in the end, I might hear the word later on. Shii would be going to a middle school run by the same foundation as that high school.

I intended to go to the same high school as Sota.

The reason for wanting to go to the same high school, even though middle school wasn’t a big deal, was only one.

I also wanted to appear in the main part of that story.

…That might be a risky thought. The novel “Tokyo Slayers” is one where the protagonist rolls around and gets wounded. Perhaps at the same high school, I, too, might find myself rolling around.

But at the same time, perhaps that would make it the safest place.

Because I’m not even sure what could happen outside the story.

I had no idea whether Kurozawa Koto Ne would appear in the main story or not.

But no matter the situation, I knew that the protagonist could resolve it.

If I help from the side, perhaps things that could be difficult could be resolved more easily.

…I didn’t know what Kagami might think.

And, who knows?

At that high school—I might just pass by as an unnamed extra. One of Sota’s many friends.

The protagonist was always Sota. The center of any event was always Sota. Or maybe he could ask for help from the people gathered around Sota.

…Yeah, it might be a cowardly thought. Planning such things while still looking at an elementary school kid with the knowledge I had.

But—

I wanted to protect Kagami.

From those creepy beings chasing us.

I needed strength.

The strength to protect everyone.

With a bit of guilt, I walked next to the oblivious Sota.

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