"I'll tell everyone you ■■■■■ ."
I always hated the last na "Ikusaba".
Sure, I get it——— it's got that bloody, warlike ring that doesn’t exactly suit a cute girl of my age.
A lot of people assud that’s why I didn’t like being called by my surna.
But the real reason was that it was my dead father's na.
My father was what you'd call an abusive husband.
A morally harassing husband———– a guy who pushes his own twisted rules onto his wife.
He looked down on Mama, forced his rules onto her.
He loved giving lectures.
I rember this one ti from when I was just a kid…… Mama had ssed sothing up around the house, and he———-
"Justice chokehold"
That's what he called it. He’d grab her from behind and choke her out until she passed out.
And when she did, he’d say,
"I had no choice…… I’m sorry. But it’s true that I love you with all my heart."
It was disgusting.
I had to fight the urge to throw up.
He was without a doubt a twisted, controlling piece of trash.
Outside the house, putting on a fake smile, he played the perfect husband.
But if things didn’t go exactly the way he wanted, he’d sulk like a child.
He kept repeating how Mama was useless because her parents were too.
Even when we visited his own parents, he’d mock her constantly.
He was the very definition of insufferable.
That said, Mama had her flaws too.
She just wasn’t very good at a lot of things.
She couldn’t read the room. Couldn't multitask.
Try to do two things at once and she’d panic.
Sotis she’d be so focused on sothing that she couldn’t even hear people talking to her.
And when that happened, he’d lose it. Start yelling.
Said it was "punishnt" and punched her in the stomach.
Afterward, he’d always say……
"This isn’t sothing to tell people about. It’d bring sha to our family."
Like he was so noble man.
What a coward.
But , I played the good kid.
I did everything right.
It's just, watching Mama just get pushed around like that really pissed off.
She never fought back. Always apologized with tears in her eyes.
Said it was her fault. Every ti.
Sure, my father was trash.
But Mama’s lack of spine frustrated too.
I found comfort in books.
Paperback books.
Even when I was just in second grade.
There was a reason for this.
My father didn't allow things like gas or manga.
He said "You can get a smartphone once you get a job."
It sent chills down my spine.
What the heck is this idiot talking about?
And so, I had no choice but to spend my ti reading paperback books.
I mostly went to the prefectural library.
It was conveniently located between ho and school.
I read all kinds of books.
At the sa ti, a question ford in my mind.
Why doesn't everyone read these useful books?
So people would just sleep on the couches in the library.
In the sumr, it was obvious so were only there to cool off.
"They can read all this useful knowledge for free, so what are they doing?"
Back then, I genuinely wondered that.
The first thing that began to grow in was a thirst for knowledge.
By third grade, I had started secretly borrowing Mama's smartphone.
I made sure to carefully erase the browsing history after using it.
Probably because I figured my father would check it.
I even looked up how to erase traces online.
The internet was amazing.
It was filled with a different kind of information than what you could get from books at the library.
What caught my interest were gas…… and mind control.
Mind control———- aning brainwashing.
What I found fascinating was that it wasn't limited to cults.
It was happening in ordinary people's lives too.
Including incidents with criminal elents.
Still———- I found it disappointing that it would beco a cri.
Like, even if soone brainwashed a person into committing murder.
The one who did the brainwashing would also get arrested.
Hmmm, how disappointing.
But then, a thought crossed my mind.
Right now, I'm just an elentary school kid.
Who on earth would suspect a grade schooler of performing mind control?
Isn't it precisely because I’m a kid that I might be able to pull it off?
So first, I made a new friend at school.
As a test run for brainwashing.
Well, part of it was also to get a chance to play gas at their house.
I told my father we were studying together.
I targeted a rich, well-bred kid as my friend.
So that b*stard would approve.
As for the brainwashing…… I think it worked.
Also, the gas were fun.
I liked math.
There was no room for emotions to get in the way.
That felt comfortable.
But before I knew it, I started to find language arts interesting too.
Controlling human emotions———– maybe it wasn’t so different from math?
It's just, at first……
"Explain how the author felt at this mont."
……I wasn’t good at those kinds of questions.
Why?
Because I seriously thought about them.
But later, I realized there were patterns to getting points on Japanese language tests too.
My grades improved.
Language arts was fun.
Everything was fun.
Mind control too, it really was fascinating.
And then, around the ti I entered fourth grade……
I’d had enough of my father. He was getting seriously annoying.
His emotionally abusive, borderline dostic violence toward Mama was getting worse.
Hmm…… though Mama had her own issues too.
Still, I hated my father more.
It was a different kind of disgust.
……Maybe I should kill him.
One day, I defied him.
I’d always been a good kid, so he was completely caught off guard.
After getting over the shock, he tried to hit .
At that mont, I said those words.
"I’ll tell everyone you ■■■■■ ."
My father couldn’t hit .
I knew that.
He could overpower Mama——— but not .
I understood it clearly.
This morally abusive man……
He truly cared about his public image more than anything else.
That’s why he only dealt out "punishnts" that left little to no evidence.
Like how they say in that old manga, "Aim for the body, the body."
Psychological abuse leaves even fewer traces.
No evidence.
And that’s precisely why——— my weapon worked.
What if his own daughter started spreading rumors that he ■■■■■ her?
Of course, no such thing ever happened.
But fabricating that "fact" was possible.
"The anguished cry of a young, innocent girl."
"A panicked, flailing adult in denial."
Now then, whose side would society take?
Looking at how this country works, the answer’s obvious.
Society would side with .
And once that happened, he’d be finished.
He’s absolutely terrified of social death.
If it ca to that, he’d have no reason to exist anymore.
His perfect life plan would collapse.
People like him can’t handle going off the rails they laid for themselves.
Ever since that day, he started avoiding .
He started looking at with fear in his eyes.
▽
One night, it happened.
He ca into my room.
He straddled on the bed and started choking .
Seeing his attempt——– I laughed.
I laughed at him.
He was so pathetic.
Then I said:
[Go ahead, do it.]
And then———- he let out a short, animal-like scream.
In a panic, he hurriedly left.
Of course.
He probably tried to take control using an adult's "strength".
But……
There was no way he could bear the title of a father who killed his own daughter.
It was a hollow, empty threat.
It was fun to watch him break.
The "punishnts" he inflicted on Mama also decreased.
It was partly because he was losing his composure——— but well, I made sure he couldn’t do it anymore.
Through mind control.
Because I beca the object of his fear, I was able to manipulate him in that area too.
My little puppet.
But keeping him alive might beco a risk.
Fortunately, Mama's family is well off.
Even if he died, our current standard of living would probably remain unchanged.
I moved his mind control into the final phase.
It was ga over for him.
And then, he———- hanged himself.
Since I didn’t want him to die in the house, I made sure he died in the abandoned factory near our ho.
To the owner of the factory, I’m sorry.
Well, he must’ve wanted to escape from this house, the one with ———- the "devil’s child."
When he died, Mama was sad.
I couldn’t believe it.
She's sad for that? Seriously?
Then she even joked about keeping his surna.
In modern Japan, a wife can continue using her husband's surna even after his death.
But she should have the option of returning to her original surna.
……Is she crazy?
Could it be that she actually loved that man?
This has to be a joke, right?
To keep using his———- the Ikusaba surna?
Please…… let the jokes be just about her clumsiness.
Please.
But, it was strange.
If I used mind control on Mom, I could make her change her surna back.
But for so reason———– I couldn’t bring myself to use mind control on her.
[………………]
Hahh…… So, we're keeping the Ikusaba surna huh……
……Hmm?
Speaking of which…… what was that guy's na again?
▽
I finally entered middle school.
I had my own smartphone, my own PC.
I could gather as much information online as I wanted.
I could read all the manga I liked.
And of course, I’d polished myself up a bit, as a proper middle school girl should.
Had to keep up with fashion too, you know?
There’s a certain hierarchy in class and at school when it cos to those things.
Well, I an (it may sound narcissistic), but I’m pretty cute.
That’s a weapon.
Above all, the ti I spent fixing up my face, doing little beauty routines…… it was honestly pretty pleasant.
Mama’s working a part-ti job now.
Maybe because that guy died, so money ca in after that.
Was it from insurance?
Or maybe support from Mama’s side of the family?
Either way, just like I predicted, our life didn’t suffer at all.
So then, why bother working a part-ti job?
It’s not like we’re struggling to get by.
When I asked this question, Mama said this:
[I just want to earn money with my own hands too, for Asagi-chan's sake.]
Then do the housework properly, for once.
……Yeah, that’s what I should’ve said.
So why didn’t I?
The things I had no problem saying to him…… why is it I can’t say them to Mama?
[I see. Thanks, Mama~~]
And just like that, I played the good daughter again.
Now that he’s gone, Mama’s incompetence has started to bother more and more.
Why is she so useless?
Isn’t she embarrassed to be alive?
She’d probably feel better if she just died.
……And yet, unlike with him, the thought of killing her hadn't crossed my mind.
Why is that?
▽
I completely imrsed myself in the world of gas.
Mostly social gas.
They connect you with players all across Japan———- sotis even the whole world.
Depending on the ga, you can play together in various ways.
So of them have sothing called a "Guild" system.
Basically, it’s like a team or a club within the ga.
The leader of a guild is often called the guild master, "GM" for short.
I often ended up taking on that GM role myself.
It was fun, manipulating the guild mbers to win the ga.
Surprisingly, being an actual JC (junior high school girl) ca in handy.
Since I was a JC, I couldn’t exactly spend a ton on microtransactions (well, I could spend a bit).
But there were plenty of "gentlen" with money who were happy to spoil .
So of them would spend like crazy and go all out in competitions on my behalf.
Anyone who talked about eting in real life, I cut them off instantly.
I an, co on.
Harboring criminals trying to prey on JCs? That’s way too risky.
Especially in this country, where youth is considered so valuable.
Ageism. That’s what it is.
Being a country overflowing with codgers and hags just makes it worse.
And then there’s appearance.
If you’re a good-looking young person, you get this short period where you’re basically untouchable.
This is also a country with strong lookism.
It’s a disgusting country.
There were tons of thods online for squeezing money out of lonely middle-aged n.
Hosts, sugar baby stuff, strears, idol business models…… all of that fascinated .
Aren’t those just a step away from brainwashing?
So of it’s even legal, which makes it all the more interesting.
There’s a lot to learn.
Before I knew it, "manipulation" had beco a part of my everyday life.
anwhile, I was starting to get really stressed out by Mama’s utter lack of awareness.
[You know, everyone at my part-ti job is sooo nice~~]
Mama said it with this happy little grin.
[They’re always like "Ikusaba-san’s that kind of person, so you don’t need to push yourself too hard", and they let take breaks. I an, it’s nice, but also I feel kind of bad being the only one getting special treatnt…… Fufu.]
No, Mama…… they’re mocking you.
Even that thing the store manager said the other day, that's mocking.
Saying they hired you because they’re short-staffed? That was sarcasm……
In other words, passive-aggression.
They’re mocking you, Mama.
Why do you take people’s words at face value?
This country’s all about saying one thing and aning another.
Why just swallow whatever so loser says?
You’ll end up crushed.
……And yet, I still couldn’t say any of that.
Instead……
[Hehh, really? Sounds like a nice workplace.]
[That's right, isn't it~~?]
One day, I decided to check out Mama’s part-ti job in secret.
……Ugh. As I suspected.
They were all younger than her.
To think she was being looked down on by them……
I waited until what looked like break ti, then approached the store manager.
[Um, excuse …… I’m the daughter of Ikusaba ■■■■■■———-]
Soti after that, Mama ca ho practically glowing.
[You know what? Everyone at work’s been so much kinder to lately! Fufu, do you think it’s because they’re finally recognizing how hard I’ve been working?]
She even did a little double-fist pump. Like she was cheering herself on.
[For you too, Asagi-chan! I’ve got to beco more dependable!]
……No, Mama.
It’s not because of your hard work.
It was because of .
How dumb can you be……
Stop it already.
You’re not capable of being dependable.
[Ah, and if I have more ti, maybe I can help you study? I an, I certainly haven't been able to lately, haven't I?]
That’s when it hit .
She still thinks she’s smarter than .
She really…… is hopeless.
You know, Mama……
It hurts to watch.
Please, just stop already.
Seriously——— you're so annoying.
▽
At this rate, Mama’s gonna fall apart.
She’s definitely going to ss up sooner or later.
I have to get her a man who understands her or she’s done for.
And so, I decided to find soone to pair her up with.
Soone who’s not too good-looking.
A guy who doesn’t seem confident in himself——— soone with low self-esteem.
Soone who’s reasonably capable and normal, but doesn’t have much luck with won.
A man who thinks “If I let this woman go, I’ll never get another chance.”
That’s the kind of guy she needs.
A kind one.
But not the type who makes a big deal of things just because he's "kind".
Soone who doesn’t even realize he’s kind would be better.
So I scouted for a guy who might be able to protect Mom.
Brainwashed him. Matched them up.
Of course, I made it look like they t by chance.
Mama seed to like him (naturally, I picked soone she would).
…………Seriously.
She’s so high-maintenance.
Honestly———– she pisses off.
She should just die.
▽
I entered high school and enrolled in Ogito Academy.
As for the reason I chose Ogito Academy, it was just because it was close to ho.
By that ti, I’d already grown bored of a lot of things.
Once you hit high school, killing through brainwashing starts to get risky.
I wasn’t about to get arrested.
Besides, I was already getting tired of the whole brainwashing ga anyway.
The sa goes for gas, they all seed to lead to the sa endings.
So lately, I hadn’t really been into them.
I dabbled in all sorts of genres, but a lot of them turned out to be impossible gas.
As soon as sothing felt like an impossible ga, I’d cut my losses.
Ti is limited after all.
But after bailing on so many things, even the gas themselves started to feel stale.
Well, there are still so amazing manga out there that I’m waiting on.
……Even if the ones I love the most always seem to go on indefinite hiatus.
There’s still a bunch of stuff I don’t know or haven’t experienced yet.
It’s not like I have no reason to keep living.
So I was just, well…… kind of coasting through life at a slower pace.
Middle school, high school———- what’s the difference, really?
Sa people, sa routines.
That’s how it was in my first year.
Boring as heck, just trying to blend in and play the normie ga.
But then, surprise, surprise.
The class I got placed into after moving up a year———- was none other than the fated Class 2-C.
Sogou Ayaka.
Kirihara Takuto.
Takao Hijiri.
Three people, all completely unlike anyone I’d t in my life.
Brainwashing them…… nah, I’ll pass on that.
Rather than trying to mold them into my own image, I want to observe them.
So I’ll just take it easy for now. (Besides, soone like Hijiri seems like she'd be trouble if I ssed with her.)
Huh.
High school…… might actually be kinda fun.
□
……Or so I thought, but turns out there was a superdreadnought-class Joker hiding in plain sight all along.
I an, seriously, your camo was way too good, Mimori Touka-kun……
Ahh…… but still, I really did want to fight you……
………………….
It was probably back then…… yeah, when we were in the dining hall of Mira’s castle, with the Fly King sitting across the table.
I let it slip, the story about how I made my father kill himself.
That wasn’t really like . Not sothing I’d normally do.
So most likely———- at that mont, already……
I had acknowledged him.
As soone like ———– As a comrade.
As a potential rival.
……They say your greatest enemy is yourself, and all that.
Never thought I’d actually et soone that much like while I was still alive.
This is why I can’t quit the world.
Well, not like it matters. I’m already dead.
All that's left———- is Kobato huh.
At first, I just planned to play this ga of manipulating the isekai people.
Kobato was just another pawn to .
If she died, oh well———- no big deal, I thought.
But looking back on it now, that line of thinking was garbage-tier.
She was the kind of pawn who should’ve gone to Ayaka’s group.
There was never any need for to approach her.
To put it simply…… I must’ve seen the cat by that point.
The cat———- Mama’s illusion.
When I arrived in this other world, I was so happy the noise was gone.
I thought, I'm finally free.
I believed I could finally spread my wings without that d*mn cat around.
But…… it was there.
A classmate who resembled Mama.
Co to think of it, before I realized, the way I interacted with her had changed.
Without being aware of it.
No…… I didn’t want to be aware of it.
I didn’t want to admit the cat was still there.
I was sick of it.
Sowhere deep inside, I was desperate to think "this one's different".
Ahhhh……
Because of Kobato———- because of Mama, my promising little masterpiece ended up turning into a sh*tty ga.
Well, that’s life, I guess.
There are people out there who actually like sh*tty gas, y’know.
In the end……
Sowhere deep down, I must’ve loved her——— Mama.
Otherwise, it wouldn’t have turned out like this.
Hmm…… still, those manga…… and how they ended……
Not being able to read those is kinda my only real regret.
Anyway, well…… Mama, have fun with that man of yours.
Your beloved daughter went through quite a bit to find him, you know?
See ya, Mama.
If heaven and hell really exist, I’m probably bound for hell.
Which ans……
That guy’s probably down there too.
Haaah…… there’s a chance I’ll run into that guy again……?
Oh well. Can’t be helped.
Doubt Mama’s ending up in hell, but if by so freak chance that guy's there———
Guess I’ll just brainwash him again and deal with him.
And so, with that…… this really and truly is———- Ga Over.
And with that, goodbye.
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