Prologue: The Center of the World
When you’re young, your parents are your entire world. Being a "good child" simply means following their orders. Since I wasn't particularly smart or gifted, the only way I could earn their favor was to be obedient. Being submissive was the only Value Sagiri Keiya possessed.
"No video games."
I couldn't keep up with the topics my classmates talked about. While I wasn't exactly bullied, I naturally drifted away from everyone until I was isolated.
"Pick your friends carefully."
There were kids who tried to hang out with me, but I turned them away because of my parents’ instructions. Honestly, being bullied would have been easier; instead, because I couldn't follow a single conversation, people just naturally stayed away. They didn't mean any harm. We just didn't click, so they didn't approach me. If I’d been smarter, maybe they would have asked me about schoolwork, but I was always the one doing the asking.
"Don't stay up late."
"No TV after five."
"Be kind to others."
"No excuses. Listen to what your parents tell you."
Oppression, restraint, and constant reprimands.
There is a concept called "learned helplessness." When you repeatedly experience that your actions have no impact on your circumstances, you begin to believe that everything you do is meaningless. Eventually, you stop acting altogether—even in situations where you could change the outcome. I had learned that nothing mattered, so I didn't want to become anything. Looking back, that's exactly where I was. I wasn't being "obedient"; I just thought resisting was pointless.
Children rely on their parents to survive. I had no vision of a life away from them, and no reason to want to live that badly anyway. I assumed I would spend the rest of my life like this, with a worldview that looked like mere laziness to others.
That was what I was thinking on my way home from elementary school when I met Ouhouin Eina.
"I’m lost. Where is the park?"
She had black hair that reached nearly to her ankles and wore a black children's dress that even an amateur could tell was expensive. Driven by the command to "be kind," I helped her automatically before I even processed the situation. It didn't matter who she was. It was just a hollow reason, something drilled into my head: kindness is good.
"Thank you. I asked many people, but you’re the first one who actually told me. I wonder... would you like to be my friend?"
My parents told me to choose my friends carefully. When I told her that, Eina simply said, "I see."
The next day, five million yen was delivered directly to my house, and my parents suddenly approved of our friendship. My parents—especially my mother—were greedy for money. As soon as they realized how rich Eina was, they told me to get close to her and beg for things.
So, I asked for all sorts of things. Eina bought them all without a second thought. To Eina, anything of Value can be bought with money. Anything that can't be bought is worthless and has no reason to exist. She told me that the five million was just a "friendship fee," so I shouldn't worry about it.
I was so happy to have my first friend. My heart raced because the first girl I ever met was so beautiful. Naturally, I fell in love. Because Eina didn't have any other friends, her expression was always stiff, making it hard to tell what she was thinking—but she listened to every boring thing I had to say. Whether I was complaining about my parents or lamenting my grades, Eina was there, listening.
My mother never stopped us from hanging out. Since every other part of my life was so oppressed, I became obsessed with her. Our house began to overflow with luxury goods. All of them were gifts from Eina. Playing with Eina kept my parents in a good mood. I had no reason to stop. Without knowing anything about her home life, her school, or her hobbies, our relationship continued...
The day after middle school graduation, she bought me and became my Master.
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