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

Although it was a stray cat, the strange cat that didn’t seem scared of people sat meowing until Sasaki’s younger sister and I left.

It didn’t show us its belly or anything, but it seemed to really like people.

Well, it was cautious for just a moment when I first met it, but it soon accepted my touch.

It was fine as long as I was just watching the cat.

But unexpectedly enough, Sasaki’s younger sister seemed to have a bit of interest in me.

“Brother, are you doing well at school?”

I have no idea.

To begin with, the classes are different, and I don’t talk to him. Not “barely,” but not at all. We never run into each other.

But I just answered “yes” to the earlier question of “Are you friends with your brother?” If he could be called a “friend” at school, then at least I should know how he’s doing.

I cursed myself a bit earlier. Why did I give such an answer? If I’d thought just a little more, I could have turned the conversation around with something decent…!

“…Yeah.”

In the end, that was all I could say.

Sasaki is diligent. Just like his younger sister, he can’t just walk past a stray kitten left on the street.

When Yuuki got hurt in the novel, he stepped up and got hurt himself, and he even risked his life to protect his sister.

There’s no reason he wouldn’t be diligent at school.

“At home, he’s pretty lazy, though.”

Huh?

“He still can’t stop turning his socks inside out, even after I told him not to. And his desk is always messy, and if I don’t nag him, he’ll just throw his clothes anywhere.”

Uh…

Really?

It was information I had no intention of knowing, but it seemed a bit rude to just cut it off here.

So, is she… bad-mouthing her brother to me?

Why? It’s not like I’m particularly close to him. This is the first time we’re actually talking. Sasaki and I at least had a short conversation while eating pork cutlet last time, but that girl was just sitting next to me watching with cautious eyes.

“He tends to forget his homework often, too, and he has forgotten his lunchbox, so I’ve had to bring it to him before.”

An early-rising little sister who packs her brother’s lunch. This world really does feel like a fantasy setting.

And only after hearing that did I take another glance at Sasaki’s younger sister’s face.

There was a strange joy in her expression as she spoke.

So… she enjoys just thinking about her brother?

This is more a source of pride than simple backbiting, I’d say.

But why is she talking about this in front of me?

…

No way.

Could it be that she’s trying to stop me from dating her brother? Isn’t she seriously misunderstanding our relationship?

Ah, of course, I’m not self-conscious enough to say it outright. I’ll consider it in the realm of possibilities.

When I think about the characters in the novel, she doesn’t dislike me. Rather, it seems she hates the idea of “losing her brother” to someone else.

I suspect it’s not due to romantic feelings. There might be something a bit more complicated happening here. I shouldn’t let on that I know such personal matters.

“…I see.”

After I replied in as calm a tone as possible, Sasaki’s younger sister stopped badmouthing her brother.

“Ah… um, I’m sorry.”

It seems she feels a bit embarrassed for gabbing on after thinking it over.

“It’s fine.”

I nodded and said so.

After all, I’ve hardly run into your brother at all.

If Yuuki connects with Sasaki, then I might be in for quite a bit of trouble, living with such a little sister.

“…”

We walked alongside each other in silence for a while.

“Um, are you going to work today as well?”

“Yeah.”

As I nodded, Sasaki’s younger sister hesitated for some reason.

Why? Is she planning to follow me?

Could it be that working in the maid cafe is more her hobby than Sasaki’s?

No, wait, thinking about it again, that can’t be it. If she were an otaku, it would have been emphasized in the novel. It’s a “trait” after all.

Thinking a bit more… Ah, is that it?

Is she thinking of pulling a brother-approved look?

“Um… if possible.”

Sasaki’s younger sister pondered for a moment before speaking.

“Can I learn that, too?”

“…”

I didn’t smack my forehead simply because of the patience I had from my previous life. As I admired myself a bit, I asked her.

“Why?”

“Well… for a reason.”

I thought Sasaki was pretty insane in the novel. There are always protagonists who leap into flames to save someone or let someone who tried to kill them off remain alive; you know, those types of characters.

Sasaki is indeed one of that kind, and because of this, I think of him as an insane person.

And, to be honest, I admired him. Isn’t that cool?

I’m not all that good-looking like character illustrations, and I’m not someone who’d risk my life to save a heroine like Sasaki. But I still thought he’s cool.

Maybe it influenced my choice of profession as an adult.

“…”

But this girl is way more insane than that.

“Work as a maid? In daily life?”

As I nearly fell silent, when I asked her like that, Sasaki’s younger sister’s face turned beet red.

I can somewhat understand thinking like this. Sasaki is all she has left. If for any chance he were to leave, she would literally be alone in the world. This is no exaggeration.

It could be a trait of the ‘holy tale’ type of stories. The bloody and violent settings can be seen as a feature, but also, having a heroine or protagonist with some abnormally lacking parts is a characteristic of the genre.

Or perhaps it was just from the trend back then.

“Um… yeah. I thought it might help with household chores.”

That excuse is rather lame.

“…It won’t help at all.”

As Sasaki’s younger sister’s face turned redder at my words, it looked like she still had no intention of backing down.

Stubborn just like her brother.

Now it’s tricky because I can’t reveal that I know about the past of the person I’m finally getting to talk to properly.

After thinking for quite a while, I let out a long sigh.

“…I’ll see what I can do.”

“Really!?”

Sasaki’s younger sister’s face brightened. It was like watching a flower bloom in fast motion, and I almost felt good just looking at it.

Calmly, I continued speaking.

“But whether I allow it or not, that’s up to the boss.”

“I know.”

With a serious expression, Sasaki’s younger sister patted her chest.

…

She has quite the enthusiasm.

It’s common for people to feel good when an impulsive story they randomly brought up turns out positively.

Well, no matter how you look at it, I don’t think the boss will hire a middle school student.

*

“Okay, fine.”

“I’ll do my best!”

With the boss answering nonchalantly, the middle school girl happily replied to him.

I slightly opened my mouth and looked back and forth between the two, then I quietly approached the boss and asked.

“…Is this alright?”

“Huh? She’s the one you brought, right? She looks capable enough.”

“That’s not it… she’s a middle schooler…”

“You were also a middle schooler until three months ago.”

Until three months ago, I was an uncle, though.

No, let’s put that aside.

“And it’s not like she said she’d work. She said she wants to ‘learn’ to work. Isn’t it fine to treat it like maid practice or something?”

It’s quite lazy reasoning as well.

Yeah, he’s definitely the type of boss whose focus is on the nostalgia-filled attitude. He would appropriately hire the protagonist, give them moderate work, and pay decently. And yet he appears totally uninterested in his business. But when help is genuinely needed, he definitely lends a hand.

Of course, the details of that will have to wait and see.

In the original story, there isn’t even a character like this. It would be awkward to call them extras since they are people outside the main stage.

Could it be that light novel-style settings are being applied even to such characters?

“You’re the senior? Then you just have to follow along.”

No.

I opened my mouth to object, but in the end, I couldn’t come up with anything proper and closed my mouth again.

After all, I was the one who asked for it, and I was the one who brought her along.

No, more than that, she won’t be getting paid? Is she serious?

…Whatever, I guess.

No one would work for free indefinitely. I suspect that, even if it’s Sasaki’s younger sister, if she’s not getting paid, she might quit within a few days. The boss wouldn’t bother to keep her either.

Thinking again, isn’t this a way for the boss to “drive her off”?

Having rationalized that, I turned around and went back to Sasaki’s younger sister.

“…This way.”

“Yes, senpai!”

Sasaki’s younger sister cheerfully shouted, filled with vigor.

Maid junior, huh?

Among those who have worked here, I am the youngest.

“First, let’s head to the changing room.”

“Yes!”

…This feels burdensome.

*

Sasaki’s younger sister… worked hard.

She worked much harder than me, who earned 850 yen an hour.

“Thank you very much, master! Please visit us again next time!”

I believe work is something you do for pay, but her thoughts seem to differ slightly.

Maybe it’s because the background is set 20 years ago. There’s often that idea, right? “You have to be diligent when you’re young,” or something like that was the common philosophy back then.

No, come to think of it, there are plenty of novels from 20 years later that portray protagonists working overtime, unable to return home, and even working on weekends.

I thought things had changed, but it seems they haven’t at all.

“Alright, that’s it for today. Thanks, everyone!”

As the boss stretched, it was apparent the last customer had just left. Technically, we still had a little time until closing, but there wouldn’t be enough time to prepare the menu for any new customers.

“Everyone did great!”

Even the maid whose existence is meant to roam around ignoring modern labor rights said this enthusiastically.

Even the other maids, who usually barely converse with me, looked a bit flabbergasted.

“I’ll change at the very end.”

“Oh, so you’re sticking to the order because you came in last, huh?”

Nope.

There are no established rules about seniority here. It’s a place where girls who find discussing their situations awkward come together to work little by little to earn some money.

Looking at it this way, it seems quite… well, kinda sketchy, but as long as the service isn’t illegal, does it really matter?

In the end, I was pushed by the “senpai” title and changed last but one.

“Where did you bring that girl from?”

As I was drowsily waiting outside while Sasaki’s younger sister changed, the boss asked.

Good question.

How could such a girl exist?

The world of the novel is impossible to fathom. It’s not like there’s a part of the story that exists only in the fiction; this world… I mean, it’s not vastly different from Earth as I knew it. Except for the time being 20 years ago and the fact that the characters from the novel exist just as they are.

Except for the beings that ignore physical laws, most reasonable aspects remained unchanged.

Then shouldn’t people’s personalities also be formed similarly to reality? That shouldn’t fall into the realm of ‘extraordinary,’ right?

“All dressed up.”

Sasaki’s younger sister, now in a white sailor uniform, spoke up.

A white base with blue trim. It was completely different in appearance from high school uniforms.

“See you tomorrow.”

I turned to see Sasaki’s younger sister come out and bowed to the boss.

“See you tomorrow!”

Are you really coming tomorrow?

*

…?

As I left the shop, I felt another slight sense of estrangement.

It wasn’t much different from the sense of estrangement I felt last time; it was a trivial sort of discomfort.

Turning around and tilting my head, Sasaki’s younger sister spoke up beside me.

“Is something bothering you?”

And while she directed her gaze towards where I was looking, neither of us could find anything.

As I turned my head back and began walking again, Sasaki’s younger sister started walking alongside me.

What is it, really?

I honestly thought that if I worked for a whole day without getting paid, I would definitely drop out then. Even if wearing a maid uniform seems a bit curious at first, once you realize it’s no different from working as a café waitress, it suddenly becomes boring.

But this… Sasaki girl not only stuck around until work was done but also declared she would come again tomorrow.

Just for reference, tomorrow is Friday. Japanese high schools tend to have class until the fourth period on Saturdays, which makes all that “Friday night fun” chat quite pointless, but still working on Friday night feels pretty gloomy.

Besides, I still have to work both Saturday and Sunday for eight hours. Well, on Saturday, I’m planning to be late by an hour because of school, but still.

“…”

After walking in silence for a bit, I felt it was useless and stopped.

“Kurosawa-senpai?”

Sasaki’s younger sister turned to me, tilting her head as if she genuinely didn’t understand why I had stopped.

“…Tell me the reason again.”

“The reason?”

“Why you followed me.”

“…”

“If you just want to work as a maid, there are easier ways.”

At my words, Sasaki’s younger sister’s face darkened slightly.

“Is it bothering you?”

Bothering… not so much. The more workers, the better. The boss would have been pleased to have free manpower.

But this doesn’t feel right. In the first place, what I’m doing is an easy job that requires just memorizing a few lines. That means there’s no need for a formal relationship between us at all.

I shook my head and said.

“That’s not it.”

“Then—”

“…But it bothers me.”

My words seemed to stop Sasaki’s younger sister.

“Explain your reason.”

After a moment of contemplation, she looked down and muttered “Um.” before nodding her head and looking at me again.

“Actually, it’s because of my older brother.”

“I already know that.”

“Yes? Ah, um, that’s not it.”

As I stared at her face, she stammered a bit before saying.

“Learning to work as a maid isn’t the goal. It is because of my older brother, yes.”

So I thought.

Somehow, this reason seemed like one of the possibilities I had in mind.

“Actually, it’s because it’s the first time my brother has shown interest in a girl of his age.”

I closed my eyes.

So that’s the case.

Rather than simple jealousy, it’s more about worrying if her older brother will end up dating a good woman or get captivated by a strange one.

And this likely had something to do with the events concerning Sasaki’s parents.

Well, I honestly believe it’s not the first time Sasaki’s shown interest in a girl. With Yuuki, the chance for a strong meeting like in the original story has disappeared, but, like typical in these novels, there’s still that childhood friend character.

This holds true for when Sasaki was in elementary school. During that time, the siblings had already grown apart, so the sister could hardly know about that presence.

Later on, after learning about that existence, a shocked scene appears in the novel.

“…”

I pondered for a moment with my eyes shut and finally said.

“…Actually, I lied too.”

“What?”

“I’m not close with Sasaki. We’ve only talked once when you weren’t around.”

“Eh!?”

Sasaki’s younger sister’s mouth dropped open. It was a somewhat exaggerated action, drawn out in a cartoonish way, but to be honest, it looked cute because of her appearance. Talk about a cheat.

My younger sister has never made such expressions for me.

If she did, I would probably have dragged her to a psychiatrist.

“We’re not the sort of friends that could talk like that.”

After I confirmed this again, Sasaki’s younger sister blinked a few times and tilted her head.

“Then… why would you lie?”

“Because it seemed like you believed it so much.”

“…”

With that, Sasaki’s younger sister closed her mouth.

After briefly looking around, Sasaki’s younger sister finally concluded and asked.

“So, you went along with my thoughts.”

More precisely, I was too lazy to provide any concise answer.

Sasaki’s younger sister’s shoulders drooped slightly.

“Really, I’m sorry for being a bother.”

Hmm.

Feeling sorry for her would just give me a slightly odd feeling of guilt.

“…It’s fine.”

I shook my head again as Sasaki’s slightly lowered head came up as if watching me.

“I also… enjoyed it a bit.”

“Ah, is that so?”

This time, she looked embarrassed.

“Yeah. But stop working for free. It’ll spoil the boss.”

“Isn’t he at least ten years older than me?”

Isn’t mentioning age even ruder?

“Let’s go.”

“Eh? Ah, yes.”

“For dinner, I’ll treat you.”

The sky had turned completely dark. As always, it wasn’t exactly bedtime yet.

“Eh? No, I came along without permission.”

“I said ‘senpai,’ so.”

“Oh, um, yes…”

“It’s to pay you back.”

“Pay back? How?”

“By treating you after you got the food from Sasaki.”

“Ah…!”

“Is there anything you want to eat?”

At my question, Sasaki’s younger sister thought for a moment and answered.

“I’ll go along with your preference…”

“Then, ramen.”

I said it sharply as I walked. There was a ramen shop nearby that I wanted to check out.

…To be honest, it is a bit painful paying for both of us… but… I guess that’s fine. Just for a day.

It would be a bit sad if I worked for free and couldn’t even get a meal for myself.

“…You were a good person.”

“…?”

“Oh, it’s nothing, just talking to myself. Let’s go eat ramen!”

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