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

After that, there were a few more simple confirmations.

Since just checking the name wouldn’t be enough to be sure.

However, Koko answered all the questions well. I was a bit anxious because she used casual language instead of honorifics with Teacher Suzuki, but the teacher just widened her eyes and showed a slightly surprised expression.

“That’s impressive.”

“Koko is great!”

Seeing Koko respond like that made her smile.

It’s understandable. Koko had the power to make anyone smile at her.

Though, she also had the power to instill fear… but that was something to keep hidden as much as possible.

“Kurosawa-san. By any chance…”

While looking at me, Teacher Suzuki hesitated for a moment before shaking her head.

“No, let’s continue this conversation later. Are there any of your friends who know Koko?”

“Yes, there are.”

“Perhaps Miura-san?”

When I nodded, Teacher Suzuki smiled brightly and nodded back.

“Good to hear. Koko should be able to adapt well in class.”

Hearing that brightened my heart.

“By the way, what about your school uniform?”

“I’ve already prepared it.”

“Right… Actually, it would have been fine to take your time. Coming in during the beginning of the semester isn’t a bad idea either.”

Teacher Suzuki stared at Koko for a moment.

“Wow?”

Koko tilted her head while looking at Teacher Suzuki.

For just a brief moment, Suzuki’s expression seemed a bit dark.

“Well then, please take care of Koko in the future.”

“Uh?”

Koko turned her head toward me.

…Though she had learned and acquired many things, there was still a long way to go. She could definitely handle lessons and applications well. There was no need to worry about failing while attending school.

However, she still didn’t know how to make friends or maintain relationships.

The people Koko had interacted with until now had been those at the extremes. Either extremely aggressive people or completely kind kids.

Yet, there were bound to be much more diverse kids at this school.

There would be kids who didn’t show much interest or simply had a lukewarm attitude, and even those who wouldn’t try to kill her wouldn’t think highly of her.

Some were even driven to the point of suicide.

Someday, Koko would learn how to connect with others. She would learn to give before receiving. If possible, I would like that to be learned from people like Yuka rather than me.

Even if I were to leave this world soon, I hope Koko could continue living alongside the connections she created.

“…Thank you in advance.”

I lightly bowed toward Teacher Suzuki while saying that. Koko, who had been watching me, imitated the gesture a moment later.

“Thank you in advance?”

Teacher Suzuki chuckled softly.

*

Now it’s September.

Even though the school uses the characters for “learning” (學) and “correct” (校), it would be too sad to only teach studying in a place brimming with energetic teenagers.

Sometimes one needs to play comfortably, and there should be time to create things and enjoy interactions.

Well, learning isn’t just about reading textbooks. Cooperating and engaging with others is also a great act of learning about society.

And the school’s curriculum had events like that.

Hanagawa High School’s first semester schedule was somewhat dull. Most of the time was spent just studying at school without any grand events.

Ah, of course, at the beginning of the semester, there would be club promotional activities, and throughout the first semester, clubs would carry out their own autonomous activities, presenting the results during the second semester cultural festival. So, it was a timing to adjust and rest.

In Japan, school sports days usually take place in May or September, in spring or autumn. Hanagawa High School’s sports day was in autumn. It seems that the idea is that by that point, classmates could cooperate well enough after getting to know each other a bit.

And then, in October, there’s a school trip, and in November, a cultural festival. The second semester generally has a much more vibrant atmosphere compared to the first.

Though summer, even without plans, naturally becomes lively.

The sports day at Hanagawa High School was at the end of September, on Saturday, the 25th.

…I have no idea what they were thinking to schedule the sports day on a day meant for only morning classes.

“Kuro… no, Kotone-chan!”

If they were going to hesitate, I wish they would have hesitated at ‘Ku’ or ‘Sa.’ Calling me Kuro makes me think of that carefree one at home.

Among my classmates, only two people called me Kotone-chan. One was Fukuda, who had started using that title on his own, and the other was Mako, who I decided to call by name last time.

Yamashita still called me Kurosawa. Although he showed a bit of hesitation regarding my newfound name-calling habit with Mako, it seems he thought this way was better.

Well, I don’t feel the need to push it.

“Yes, Mako-chan.”

To be honest, the term “chan” in Korea usually comes off as something friends use when joking or to mimic exaggerated high school girl talk from anime, so I still find it a bit awkward.

But since Mako seems to like it when I call her that, I’ll probably just stick with it. I’ll get used to it one day.

“Are there any events you’d like to take part in during the sports day?”

What I’d like to do at the sports day…

…I stared at Mako and fell into thought.

Ah, now that I think about it, Mako is the class president. This might be an opportunity. I could request for a role I’m either good at or one I’d like to avoid.

For a role I’m good at…

…

Eh? Wait, what did I do at the sports day last time?

The fact that I can’t remember means I probably didn’t do anything particularly impressive.

Seeing Mako’s face gradually lose its expression as she gazed at me, I quickly spoke up.

“Cheering…?”

Ah, right. That seems to be it.

Eventually, I went into a field that involved more physical activity as I grew older, but during my school days, I never really enjoyed moving around. I didn’t even know the rules of soccer or basketball.

So, I just joined “cheering,” which practically meant joining a group with no real input. To be precise, I was assigned to it if I did nothing and kept silent.

What I had to do was simply clap to the beat and sing the cheer.

“Oh!?”

But, there was someone responding much more enthusiastically than I expected.

“Kotone-chan, are you interested in cheering?”

“Uh.”

Here, “uh” didn’t mean “yes,” but more like “I’m still in the process of answering.”

Fortunately, “uh” in Japan doesn’t necessarily carry a specific meaning.

But the only other person in this world who added “chan” while calling me seemed to take the “uh” to mean “of course.”

“That’s surprising.”

Fukuda said while leaning in with a shocked expression. The height difference between me and Fukuda was considerable, so this made him a bit intimidating.

“Ah, well, Kotone-chan sings well.”

Mako said, her eyes sparkling.

At this point, I felt something was off.

I tried to think quickly to escape, only for someone nearby to jump into the conversation.

“Cheering?”

It was Koko.

Koko was assigned to sit next to me. The other classmates had no objections because I sat in the front row.

The kid sitting behind Koko wasn’t particularly close to me, but mostly everyone in class felt that way. Since I hadn’t actively approached anyone to make friends, mostly the relationships were awkward. Thankfully, they weren’t hostile, either.

“Ah.”

At that moment, Mako and Fukuda both looked at Koko simultaneously.

“Uh?”

…That’s right.

Although Koko had been gradually adapting to this school, her overall knowledge of society was still lacking.

Fortunately, since she wouldn’t just follow others, there wasn’t a need to teach her “not to follow people just because they offer candy or snacks,” but even the ‘basic rules’ of social interactions, like sports, were still too foreign for Koko.

And, at that realization, I also understood that my escape route was entirely blocked.

“Could you… explain the rules of other sports to Koko?”

Fukuda muttered with a serious face.

“…That might be rough.”

Yamashita commented while looking at his phone, overhearing our conversation.

Indeed, it would be tough.

To be honest, I was also a bit afraid. I wondered what would happen if Koko accidentally broke someone’s arm while trying to be active.

Mako’s gaze shifted back towards me.

“Kotone-chan, perhaps for Koko’s sake…”

“….”

I shut my mouth, but it seemed everyone assumed I would, so I decided to go along with it.

“Wow?”

Only Koko tilted her head at my silence, watching me curiously.

*

Seeing Fukuda’s reaction, the anxiety I instinctively felt was something I could have recalled if I had thought a little deeper.

Yes, Hanagawa High School is the setting of a light novel.

So, the sports day and cultural festival are similar to what I’ve seen in old manga or anime.

Of course, I’ve never seen a sports day in [Tokyo Slayers]. Considering that something happens “shortly after the sports day,” it should logically have one as well.

I don’t know why the sports day, which doesn’t even appear in the main story, is a very typical “Japanese subculture-style sports day.”

No, maybe it’s the case that Japanese sports days are all like this, so it’s reflected here? That said, the girls’ gym clothes seem to be buruma (bloomers).

Actually, buruma seems like an awkward outfit that’s just a short-sleeved shirt over swimwear bottom, but the real issue was the “cheerleading outfit” the cheer squad gave me.

“Cheerleader…”

“Yes, it’s a cheerleader outfit.”

When I looked up at Fukuda, who was handing me the outfit with an impressed expression, he smiled back at me and presented it again.

I at least accepted it, but.

The sports day lasts only one day, but it seems to be an event that encourages school kids to passionately burn themselves out for that one day.

The role assignments for different events were already decided, and there was even practice after school. It was a bit surprising to see Mako, who normally showed me her gentle side, commanding the boys in front of the blackboard. It was such a reminder that everyone has more than one aspect.

It seems there were even arranged dates for friendly matches against other classes. Especially those in the sports clubs were quite proactive.

For sports that required using the entire playground, there might even be preliminaries after school.

…And of course, cheering was necessary for those preliminaries.

“Wow!”

Koko’s eyes sparkled as she held the outfit she had received. It seemed she liked the red and white colors.

But if she moved while wearing this, the skirt looked like it might reveal something below.

Hmm… Perhaps she would wear something short underneath? Now that I thought about it, it seemed cheerleader outfits at baseball fields were similar to this.

As I pondered while holding the outfit, I noticed Mako rushing over from afar, her eyes wide.

With her expression locked tight, I wondered what was going on, and Mako, who had run at an incredible speed, snatched the cheer outfit out of my hands.

Both I and Fukuda, who had been watching, looked at her with bewildered expressions.

Not just Mako; a few others nearby also paused their conversations to stare at her.

“…Ah.”

Realizing she had just done something a bit odd in front of everyone, Mako blinked and turned red.

“Uh, hold on.”

As if making excuses to me, Mako spoke.

“That… Kotone-chan’s outfit, I’ll bring it to you separately. I have something planned.”

“…Okay.”

When I nodded, Mako quickly turned around and swiftly distanced herself from us.

The ice-cold atmosphere that had briefly frozen up melted away, and the soft murmurs returned mostly to normal.

Uh… So, does Mako have a bit of a perfectionist side? When it comes to personal matters like mine, she treats me gently, but for group activities…

Well, Mako is the class president.

When I looked toward Fukuda, he shrugged his shoulders.

“Uh?”

“Well, at least we’ll get to see Kotone-chan in a cheerleader outfit.”

While looking at Koko, who was tilting her head while holding the cheerleading outfit, Fukuda smilingly said that.

…That’s true. Koko’s body is just like mine.

I nodded but still kept my eyes on Mako’s retreating figure.

Did I do something wrong?

*

“Wow, what’s going on? So cute!”

“Koko is cute?”

“Super cute! Really amazing!”

“Koko is amazing!”

With Fukuda’s praise, Koko raised both arms high and shouted. Fukuda was diligently taking pictures of her with his phone.

“…Harumi seems a bit of a perv.”

And Yamashita teased Fukuda, who found much delight.

Hmm… If Fukuda were a guy, that would definitely seem like the case. He would probably be quickly overpowered by the surrounding girls.

Especially since Koko’s every action could come off as somewhat childlike.

Girls who usually don’t engage in conversation with others gathered around. Though they were kids who had somewhat interacted with Miura’s group, they seemed to really like Koko.

The reason I didn’t have many people around was probably due to my demeanor. Though, having kids who would talk to me without having to approach them isn’t a bad trait in terms of appearance.

As I pondered over my past lack of interactions during the last semester, Mako came running from afar.

“Haah, haah, haah….”

Looking as if she was about to puff out a white breath, Mako stopped right in front of us, holding a large black bundle of cloth.

No, upon closer inspection, it wasn’t just a “bundle.” It seemed like she had rolled up quite a large piece of clothing.

“Ah, this!”

Seeing the outfit, Fukuda’s eyes sparkled immediately.

“Fuh.”

Finally catching her breath, Mako straightened her back, let out a long sigh, and wiped the beads of sweat rolling down her forehead with her sleeve.

Then, she displayed the black outfit in front of her.

“Gakuran…?”

The traditional boys’ uniform worn by boys in this school—a type of uniform that had its collar popped up. The kind that appeared on school kids in the early to mid-20th century, often depicted in manga and anime.

However, it was much longer than that. It was nearly the length of a coat.

“Ah.”

I feel like I’ve seen this before.

Though released quite some time ago as a retro game console by a company that is most famous in Japan, it seems it hasn’t been released here yet.

There was a rhythm game with a cheering concept included. A school friend brought it to play, and I had watched them play it from the side.

…I remember being genuinely shocked when I found out that game had never been released. Is this not a world that lacks existence?

“How’s this?”

Mako asked me.

I nodded.

This would seem much better. After all, they both fall under the realm of cosplay. At least this one is “men’s clothing.”

Moreover, it seems sufficient to simply wear it over what I already had on.

As I draped the outfit over my sailor uniform, Fukuda pointed his phone camera toward me and clicked, taking a picture.

“Good.”

He then put his phone in his pocket with a satisfied expression.

“Then, shall we practice the most basic things first? Okay, everyone practicing different events, please step aside!”

As always, his voice was bright and cheerful.

“….”

At first, it seemed that this might be a bit of a hassle.

“Wow!”

Seeing Koko looking happy made me think that maybe just enjoying it wouldn’t be so bad after all.

*

Fukuda, Koko, and I were in the cheering role, but Mako and Yamashita had their own assigned events.

Mako had dodgeball, while Yamashita was on the relay team. Even visually, Fukuda seemed more suited for that role, but “Running? That’s impossible, impossible.” was Fukuda’s stance.

Perhaps that assumption was rooted in the fact that I knew a senior with a similar skin tone.

Though that senior doesn’t do track anymore now.

…No, that’s not it. Maybe…

Well, let’s set that aside for now.

“Sorry about earlier.”

When we regrouped after individual practice, Mako said to me in a quiet voice.

“…Sorry?”

Not really understanding the reason, I asked back, and Mako looked up with a seriously contemplative expression.

Was she trying to interpret whether my expression was sincere or not?

“Perhaps, if you liked the cheerleading outfit more—”

“…No, this one is way better.”

I preferred the cheerleader gakuran Mako had brought earlier. Though it was a bit warm.

“…I see.”

Yet, Mako appeared to become more glum upon hearing my answer.

Why?

“I’m glad, I’m relieved. Then let’s each do our best.”

But before I could even ask why, Mako once again spoke with a smile on her face. Clenching her fists gave off a vibrant high school girl vibe that was quite cute.

“…Okay.”

I also clenched my fist slightly like Mako.

Koko was somewhere a bit farther away, waving the cheer pom poms up and down excitedly.

…She probably wouldn’t need to pledge anything separately.

But I was relieved she liked it.

I really was glad I brought her to school.

Unknowingly, my fist tightened just a little more.

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