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

The long rainy season has finally come to an end.

Of course, there were final exams too.

I wouldn’t say I did particularly well.

I hadn’t studied that much anyway. During the exam period, I was wandering around and working part-time, so it’s strange to say I studied.

But still, I thought I could just barely avoid failing if I took it easy.

The difficulty level seemed similar to that of the midterms.

If my grades had been at a risky level back then, Suzuki-sensei would definitely have called me. Considering that she didn’t, I must have gotten a score similar to the last one.

In Japan, summer vacation is from the end of July to the end of August.

The first time I felt a sense of incongruity while reading Japanese light novels was precisely during this vacation period.

Summer vacation isn’t much different from Korea, to be honest.

But Japanese school starts in early April. After attending classes for nearly four months from April to July, there’s about a month-long summer vacation before the second semester begins.

In Korea, winter vacation lasts about a month too, with a brief start of the semester at the end of January, then a short break before moving up to the next grade after the brief spring vacation.

Back in the day, when I was in elementary school, I think winter vacations were even longer, but I’m not sure what it’s like these days.

Well, considering this is Japan and the year is 2004.

It’s probably that in Korea during this time, the school schedule I experienced in 2004 is being followed almost exactly.

Who knows? Just as there are yōkai in Japan, maybe there are all sorts of them in Korea, with shamans wandering around to catch them.

Anyway.

In Japan, the third Monday of July is Marine Day, a public holiday.

This year, Marine Day is July 19. The summer vacation starts two days later, on July 21, which is a Wednesday.

And for me, this holiday was an excellent selection. I don’t work part-time on Mondays.

With vacation just two days away and the semester nearly wrapped up, there was no need to study separately, so it was indeed a very model public holiday, allowing me to just lie down comfortably and kill some time.

It was hot outside. If I went out dressed casually, I would probably experience an embarrassing incident of changing my outfit again.

Whirr…

I had a fan pointed towards my face, listening to the familiar sound of the old fan’s large motor and the wind. The TV, set a bit louder than it, played in the background.

I didn’t really want to watch anything; I just turned it on because I didn’t want the silence to be too oppressive.

It seemed like it was the time when a drama was being rebroadcast, but I hadn’t looked at my phone, nor was I planning to continue watching, so I wasn’t particularly interested.

Cricket… cricket… cricket…

I heard the sound of cicadas chirping.

Thinking back, I often used to hear cicada sounds when I was a kid. When I was very young, I would go around with friends, plastic insect-catching kits from stationery stores in hand, trying to catch cicadas.

Thinking back, those kids spent a few years underground, crawling out only to live for a couple of weeks. I feel a bit sorry for how much fun we had catching them.

Wait.

Didn’t someone say that the sound of cicadas is actually for mating calls?

So, they’re just hanging on trees, singing hard to woo their mates. Some of them will find a partner and then die.

Thinking about it, the sound of those cicadas isn’t different from the noises of club-goers happy and shaking their bodies together.

I’ve never been to a club in my life.

My moment of sympathy faded away in an instant.

Hah…

I lay there blankly for a while before simply sitting up.

For some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to dive into a game.

That’s right. This habit formed while I was working. I exercised diligently to maintain my physical fitness due to the nature of my job, but I can’t beat age, so as time went on, I spent more time just lying in my room after work.

Maybe it was because I was cooped up at home that I didn’t consciously notice the sound of cicadas in the summer. Even when I wasn’t enjoying summer, they must have been hanging on trees, singing their courting songs.

It probably wasn’t just the cicadas; it was likely the same for Christmas and other holidays too.

I didn’t pay attention to carols either. I didn’t care about Chuseok or Seollal either.

Of course, there were many days I couldn’t rest because of work, but it’s also because holidays themselves lost meaning for me after I turned 28.

On TV, a beautiful actress was confessing to a handsome man. Both looked pretty, but honestly, they seemed a bit cheesy by my standards. I could tell because I had a glimpse of how celebrity styling would change two decades later.

Staring blankly at that confession scene, I just turned off the TV.

And I stood up from my seat.

“Yeah. I’d feel a bit frustrated letting today just pass by like this.”

That’s right. It is frustrating.

I was a teenager.

Specifically, a high school student.

The only advantage I gained in this body was becoming a high school girl, so shouldn’t I enjoy that at least?

Thinking that, I headed towards the shower.

*

So, what should I do today?

I had thoughts of calling Yuuki, but he has a family too.

His relationship with his father and grandfather doesn’t seem bad either, so I might as well let him spend the day happily with his family.

In that sense, the same goes for Shii.

As for the others… hmm, I don’t know them well since I’ve never called them first.

Sitting in front of the fan, drying my hair, I ultimately made up my mind.

Okay.

Then today, let’s wander around by myself.

I pulled out casual clothes from the drawer and slipped on some socks.

The outfit was just a pair of worn-out jeans and a slightly airy short-sleeved T-shirt.

I got dressed decently, tied my hair back, and put on some shoes.

Then, stepping outside and walking towards Omiya Station, I immediately regretted it.

It seemed I had underestimated the summer sunlight in Japan. It was shining down too harshly and felt overwhelmingly humid.

But I didn’t want to go back home either. If I did, the effort of showering and getting dressed would become pointless.

I contemplated where to go on the way to Omiya Station.

Shall it be to the ocean?

After all, it’s Marine Day.

I wouldn’t exactly be swimming, so let’s just check out the sea in front of Tokyo casually.

Though it’s going to take over an hour by subway.

*

So, I headed towards Odaiba.

Rainbow Bridge was cool, but honestly, it didn’t look as beautiful as I thought. Maybe it was still daytime.

The sky was clear and blue, and the sea darker than that. However, strangely enough, what popped into my head wasn’t the beach but the Han River.

It wasn’t nostalgia; it was just that the atmosphere reminded me of it.

After staring blankly at the sea and bridge for a while, I found a nearby cafe and went inside.

I ordered the cheapest drink, cooling myself down while looking outside.

Though brief, it was still a holiday. The rainy season seemed to have finally ended, and there were only a few clouds in the sky without any signs of sudden rain. The people I could see outside seemed to be enjoying themselves.

“…”

I drank my drink quietly without saying a word. It was iced tea. It tasted just like the iced tea sold in those plastic bottles at convenience stores.

I regretted not just getting coffee, which cost the same.

While staring blankly out the window for about an hour, the sunlight was still intense.

But if I stayed longer, I might start feeling a bit self-conscious, and I didn’t particularly want to buy anything else, so I simply went back outside the cafe.

As I walked down the street in silence, I realized something.

I don’t have anything I want to do.

This is quite frustrating. I’m only in my teens after all.

In my previous life, I was an adult and had a job of my own. As long as I didn’t get fired, I could just stay there and keep working. Well, it was because of that job that I ended up here, but in a sense, I could say I lived my life according to my goals and then left.

But here, I had to start all over again from scratch to set new goals.

It suddenly felt like everything in front of me was going dark.

When I was in high school, I didn’t worry about anything. I thought high school and university were still a long way off.

However, from the perspective of someone who has passed this way, the teenage years are an incredibly short period of time. In reality, the remaining part afterwards is much more.

I had to plan and study to survive in this world too.

“…I’ve thought about wanting to be a student again…”

Should I set my previous profession as my new goal?

I’m not sure if it’s even possible in this body though.

Walking down the street with a somewhat blank expression, I realized I had wandered quite a distance from the sea that I initially wanted to see.

Hmm…

This feels quite empty.

Thinking about it, it’s difficult to play around with the money in my pocket. Even if I did play, I would be alone.

While contemplating whether to just return, my phone in my pocket rang.

After a short vibration, I took out my phone and saw a message.

[What are you doing?]

I blinked a few times and looked at the screen. Since it was hard to see in the bright sunlight, I conveniently stepped into a nearby convenience store.

The message sender was Miura.

That was… a bit unusual.

While Miura and I were friends, we weren’t really on the level of inviting each other out on weekends.

Most of the time, I would walk home alone, primarily because of work.

[Just came to Odaiba for a bit.]

[Why? Is something going on?]

That worried tone almost felt as if I could hear it.

Though it’s the ocean in front of Tokyo… it’s right next to a big city.

There are many people who commit suicide at the Han River, so it’s possible there could be similar cases in Tokyo. I’m not a native Tokyoite, so I wouldn’t know how many places there are to jump from.

People can drown in a bathtub, so the chances of dying in the ocean would be even higher, right?

[It’s Marine Day.]

My answer seemed too disorganized, and there was a brief silence as if she had nothing to say.

Why?

Since it’s the middle of summer and it’s called “Marine Day,” isn’t it normal for families to gather and go play at the beach?

Though, if that were their purpose for going out, they probably wouldn’t come to the sea in front of Tokyo.

[With friends?]

[By myself.]

While there was a slight delay in her reply, I grabbed a small water bottle from the convenience store fridge and walked to the counter.

As I handed over a few coins to get the bottle of water, the moment I was about to step out, I received another text.

[Do you want to hang out today?]

“…”

I stared at that message for a while, then tapped my phone with the water bottle casually tucked under my arm.

[Sure.]

After all, I was in Minato Ward.

It shouldn’t be hard to meet up.

*

It was a casual-looking Miura.

Thinking about it, I don’t think I’ve seen this side of her today.

Even when we used to have little skirmishes after school, everyone wore the same school uniform. Well, if we didn’t meet like this, I’d never see her without a uniform.

Miura was surprisingly dressed similarly, but her jeans looked way more expensive than mine—I couldn’t exactly say why they looked costly. Her top was a flowy fabric clearly resembling a dress, hanging around the chest level.

If Miura’s outfit could be described as ‘casually dressed,’ mine would be ‘thrown on carelessly.’

“Wow, you should get some new clothes.”

Fukuda, who outright made that remark while looking at me, wore very short jeans that revealed her legs confidently, along with a very short top almost resembling a crop top. The reason I said ‘almost’ was because it barely covered her body.

Every time she moved, a bit of skin peeked through.

Her shoulders were also quite exposed, allowing one to see her black bra straps.

I thought maybe she should cover a bit more, but I didn’t want to say it out loud. That felt a bit too old-fashioned.

Yamashita, who gazed at me quietly, wore a sleeveless shirt with a skirt that reached just above her knees.

Despite her seemingly expressionless face, her outfit brought a bit of liveliness, but since Yamashita was standing there without expressing anything, her outfit made her look somewhat stiff. It’s like her expression swallowed the fashion.

“Harumi!”

As soon as she saw me, Fukuda pointed out my outfit, and Miura lightly slapped her arm. Fukuda stuck out her tongue in response.

Well… I don’t really have much to say.

I couldn’t dress in a uniform all year round, so I just bought whatever was on sale.

To be honest, I had no fashion sense whatsoever.

“But I mean it. Kurosawa, even if you think about it, that hairstyle and those clothes just don’t match.”

“…Really?”

This time, I was criticized for my hairstyle too, and I shot back.

By the way, this hairstyle was one Fukuda did for me. She didn’t play around with it too much, but she tied the ends together for me. I even used the ribbon she gave me back then.

“At least.”

Fukuda stepped close to me and gently tucked the hair that had fallen over my face behind my ear.

“See? It looks so much better! More importantly, why don’t you wear a ponytail regularly since you did so well last time?”

Because it’s a hassle.

It’s less troublesome to tie just the ends like this. I feel my morning time is too precious to put in more effort.

“Alright. Let’s just go look for some clothes right away. Have you eaten lunch yet?”

“Not yet…”

“We haven’t eaten either! In fact, it’s well past the usual eating time, and we’re starving. So let’s eat first.”

Well, if it’s like that…

Honestly, I hadn’t thought about lunch, but I had enough money to pay my share.

Unless we were eating at some five-star hotel buffet.

*

And we ended up having lunch at a five-star hotel buffet.

Why?

Isn’t this a bit excessive even for rich girls to eat for lunch?

Of course, there was something like a ‘lunch special’ written on the entrance, but no matter how I looked at it, the price for one meal felt way too special.

Just for reference, the money in my pocket doesn’t infinitely spawn.

If I eat one meal, it won’t be a huge problem. After that, I’d need to budget carefully and check my balance.

But I didn’t plan to spend a lot of money today, so there wasn’t much cash in my pocket.

Honestly, I was at the point where I would be contemplating whether I could buy one outfit if I went shopping after lunch.

Usually, once you step into a buffet, you’re already calculating with the money involved, so it already feels too late to worry.

“Here.”

As I hesitated to follow the three of them in, a clean plate was suddenly thrust into my hands.

It was Yamashita.

She was holding the plate as if ready to smack it against my neck.

“…Okay.”

I braced myself and took the plate.

Let’s just eat.

After all, once you’re in, saying “I won’t eat since I didn’t finish” would just make you a nuisance.

I could borrow some money from Miura or the others and pay them back later. Of course, it would be a bit embarrassing—

“You don’t have to worry about it.”

As if she knew my thoughts, Yamashita said.

“…Huh?”

“I’ll pay.”

Yamashita said that and turned back coolly.

That silhouette looked radiant.

So it means Yamashita will cover my meal.

I swallowed.

I hadn’t eaten a proper breakfast. The only things I had were the iced tea I drank at the cafe and the small bottle of water I bought at the convenience store.

So…

I probably still had quite a bit of room in my stomach.

Once I relieved my worries, a variety of food aromas rushed in.

Especially the smell of grilled meat was incredibly fragrant.

“Oh, right.”

Fukuda tapped my shoulder and said.

“They grill steak over there. You can eat as much as you want since it’s free refills.”

Can I?

When I looked at the spot Fukuda was pointing at, I indeed saw people diligently grilling steaks.

“Today must be Yuuki-chan’s treat.”

“Yamashita?”

“Yeah. It seems like something good happened.”

Fukuda said happily with a grin.

No way, are they just treating me out to something this extravagant?

…Are rich kids really like this when they treat each other? I’ve never experienced such luxury before, so I wouldn’t know.

But if that’s the case, it means I could eat without worrying any further.

Seeing the determined look on my face, Fukuda smiled wryly.

*

After a hearty meal.

Like always, no matter how determined you are to eat a ridiculous amount, once you actually begin eating, you don’t end up with more than just a couple of plates.

It was the same this time. I managed to eat ‘two plates full of meat’ and half a plate of dessert and was on the verge of bursting.

If I ate any more, I would surely regret it.

Aside from me, Fukuda and Miura had probably eaten more than usual too. They all sat back with their hands on their bellies, leaning against their chairs.

Yamashita, who had taken just the right amount from the start, looked just fine, though.

“Can we really shop properly like this?”

“That’s why I told you to eat moderately.”

Miura mumbled, and Yamashita responded.

“No, it’s impossible to stop when there’s so much delicious food.”

Fukuda countered Yamashita’s point, and I supported Fukuda a bit.

“But it’s strange to gather a piece of every food just to say you’ve tried them all.”

Once I heard Yamashita’s words, I reflected upon myself again.

It was true; that was a bit foolish of me.

“But it’ll probably be fine. If you tighten it a bit, it’ll be around your average size, I guess?”

“……”

Yamashita sighed, sounding somewhat exasperated at Fukuda casually saying that.

“Kurosawa.”

Yamashita called me.

“Yeah?”

“Are you alright?”

“…Yeah.”

In all honesty, I thought I should walk around a bit.

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