I Stole the Heroines’ Tragedy Flags

"This is a dream.
A memory I have no choice but to recall due to the curse.
A sweet dream I don’t want to wake from, longing for something I can never return to.

It was back when less than a year had passed since I possessed this body.
A body that had just turned eight years old. Every time I looked at my thin, short limbs and youthful face, I was reminded anew that I had become young again.
Lying on a small mound in the middle of an unknown forest, staring blankly at the sunlight filtering through the leaves—that was me back then.

'Ain~!'
'…'
'Ain!!'

'You’re noisy, idiot.'
If I spent too much time lazing around, someone would always come and interrupt my rest, just like now.
'Hehe! Ain, what are you doing~?'

'Spacing out.'
'Is that fun?'
'…Not really.'

There wasn’t much I could do with this child’s body.
Even more so, living in some unknown forest like this.
It was frustrating, but at the same time, I knew that this kind of leisure was something I could only experience at this age. So, back then, I chose to enjoy it.

It was a completely different feeling from the hospital room in my previous life.
'If it’s not fun, then come play with us! Ren and the others all want to play with you!'
'Too much of a hassle.'
Rather than a hassle, it was more accurate to say that I avoided it.

At the time, I had a strong aversion to playing with them.
It wasn’t even a matter of age differences.
The problem was right in front of me—Ron, and his twin sister, Ren.

‘I really don’t want to get involved with them…’
This new life that had been given to me was precious.
And the existence of these two—playable characters whose very presence was tied to death—would never bring any good to my peaceful life.

In the game, I had desperately tried to save them out of a sense of kinship.
But now that this was reality, they were nothing more than strangers to me.
Besides, I hadn’t even been able to save them in the game.

With only one life to live, I knew there was no point in setting myself on fire for something that had an impossibly low chance of success.
Reality wasn’t a game, and I wasn’t some webtoon or web novel protagonist.
That’s why I chose to ignore them. I tried not to get attached. I pushed away those who approached me with pure intentions.

‘…Why the hell did that bastard possess me into a body near these kids? I specifically said I didn’t want to get involved with them.’
I resented the one who had done this to me, but at the same time, I could only lament the reality that I couldn’t change.
‘Sigh…’

'Ainlet’splaytogether~~!'
Seriously, doesn’t Ron ever get tired?
How could he keep coming to find me every single day for over half a year without fail?

Unlike the mature and composed Ren, Ron was just like his in-game self—overflowing with energy.
If only he didn’t direct that energy toward me.
'Quit pulling my arm.'

'Come ooon, let’s play~~!!'
'How long are you going to keep this up?'
'Until Ain plays with us!'

'…Haa.'
‘Maybe I should just play with them once.’
If only to make this persistent brat finally leave me alone.

No matter what they thought of me, as long as I didn’t get attached, it would be fine, right?
After a brief moment of contemplation, I reluctantly opened my mouth.
'…Just this once.'

'…! R-Really? You’ll really play with us?!'
'Yeah.'
'Yesss!!!'

Ron started bouncing around in excitement, running in circles like an idiot.
Eventually, he got so carried away that he tripped over his own feet and fell.
'Ow…!'

'Hey, be careful or you’ll hurt yourself.'
'…Hehe, you sound just like Ren. Ain, you really are a lot like Ren!'
Me? Like her?

…Not even close.
'…We’re nothing alike.'
'You really feel like family, though.'

'Whatever. Just get up already. Didn’t you want to play?'
'Ah, yeah!!'
I pretended not to hear his last words.

Because if I acknowledged them, I might actually start to care.
If you are reading this translation anywhere other than .net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.
'Hurry up, Ain! Everyone’s waiting~!'

With that, Ron ran off ahead, his footsteps loud as he dashed forward.
Following behind at a leisurely pace, I soon arrived at a familiar sight.
A place that was both mine and their refuge, our home.

A small village hidden deep within an unknown forest.
A few houses clustered around a large central cathedral.
It was a place that took in orphans like us, a place where about a dozen people lived together.

According to what Ron told me when I first woke up here, I had been found unconscious in the nearby woods and taken in by the orphanage’s director.
‘…What a ridiculous coincidence. Or should I call it luck?’
If I hadn’t been the same age as these kids, that director would have killed me without hesitation.

I had already learned from the game that this orphanage was a complete hellhole.
The other children, still young and naive, were led by the warmth of the adults’ hands, unaware of the truth.
But I knew.

I knew that the reason they took us in wasn’t out of kindness.
It was a façade, a mask hiding something far more sinister.
‘They were suspicious from the start.’

I glanced around the village.
There were no fields, no farms, no livestock.
No wells, either—there was no visible source of food or water.

This was not a place that could sustain itself.
And yet, there were no signs of outsiders coming and going.
The adults here rarely left their homes, except during mealtimes when the children were gathered.

But I knew the truth.
I knew that late at night, after the children had gone to sleep, they gathered inside the cathedral.
A village that was suspicious no matter how you looked at it.

And this damned place would reveal its true nature when we turned ten.
'…'
Every child would be sacrificed.

Only Ron and Ren would survive.
That was an unchanging law of the game.
They were the only ones I could possibly save.

And even that chance was extremely slim.
‘…This world is fucking cruel.’
A bitter feeling welled up in my chest, but I forced myself to ignore it.

My own life was also on the chopping block here.
I had no room to worry about others.
Maybe I would have to step over their corpses just to survive.

'Ain, why are you so slow! Everyone’s been waiting!'
'…Sorry.'
Passing by the cathedral, I headed toward the clearing behind it.

Ron and the other kids were already there.
And so was she.
'…Hello, Ain.'

'…Hey, Ren.'
'I didn’t expect you to come with Ron. You never play with us.'
'It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s just a hassle.'

'That’s the same thing.'
She turned her head away with a pout.
…Wait, is she sulking? Were we even that close?

'You used to play with us all the time when we first met, but then you suddenly stopped…'
'…'
'Eh, Ren~ That’s fine! We can just have fun again starting today! Right, Ain?'

…Wait, I only agreed to play once.
-Wow, it’s been so long since I last saw Ain!
-You’re not mad at us, right…?
-Now that Ain’s here, what should we play?
-Let’s play tag!
The kids were reacting in all sorts of ways.

But despite how long I had ignored them, they all still welcomed me warmly.
‘…They’re much better at socializing than I am.’
Seeing their pure, innocent smiles, my earlier discomfort faded away like melting snow.

I chuckled lightly and joined their game.
…Though the game itself wasn’t fun at all."
***

"A year passed just like that.
'Captain! There’s a really weird-looking tree over here!'
'…Climb carefully. You’ll get hurt if you fall.'

'Okay, Captain!'
How did things end up like this?
At first, I only planned to play with them once and be done with it.

But somehow, I had become their leader.
Watching Ron and the other kids climbing trees, I let out a deep sigh, feeling a delayed sense of self-awareness.
'…Ain, are you tired? Want some snacks?'

'I’m fine, Ren. You eat.'
Ren sat on a pile of stones beside me.
Among the children, she was the second most mature after me, and it wasn’t unusual for her to just sit next to me and watch the others play.

…Now that I think about it, she doesn’t seem to hate playing, so why does she always stay by my side?
'Ain. I feel a little dizzy. Can I lean on your shoulder?'
'…'

…She doesn’t look dizzy at all.
Despite being more mature than her peers, she was still a child.
Her intentions were way too obvious, and honestly, it was a little uncomfortable.

Was I really that popular?
'…Go ahead.'
'Thanks, Ain.'

Thud.
The weight of her head pressed against my shoulder, and her hair lightly tickled my ear.
'…This is seriously uncomfortable.'

I had vowed not to get involved with the twins, so how did things end up like this?
If my past self saw me now, he’d definitely slap me across the face.
'…Ain.'

Just as I was regretting everything, Ren called out to me.
'That sword technique you showed me before—I memorized all the steps.'
'…Already?'

'Not just me. Ron has also been practicing the magic you taught him really hard.'
'That kid puts his all into everything.'
At the very least, the twins were exceeding my expectations.

For now, I had only been able to teach them theory.
But once they turned ten and their mana circuits fully developed, they would be able to apply what they had learned today.
With the sheer talent they had, they would pick it up in no time.

'But Ain, I’ve been wondering since the beginning—where did you learn all this?'
'Learn what?'
'The swordsmanship and magic. The things you taught us aren’t normal. The adults would never teach us something so dangerous.'

They’re not worried about you. Their goal is to keep you under control.
'Where did I learn it… huh.'
The magic theories I taught Ron and the sword techniques I showed Ren—

It was obvious that just calling it “game knowledge” wouldn’t be a convincing excuse.
So I mixed a bit of truth into my response, half-jokingly.
'I didn’t learn it from anyone. I already knew it.'

'How? You’re the same age as us—nine.'
'Who knows? Maybe I’m living my second life.'
'…? I don’t get it.'

'You don’t need to understand right now.'
I ruffled her hair as I deflected the topic.
As expected, she didn’t push further and simply enjoyed the sensation, forgetting what she had wanted to ask.

‘Technically, it’s my third life, though.’
But they didn’t need to know that.
For now, the only thing that mattered was surviving.

I bit my lip, struggling to suppress the fear creeping up inside me.
'…I really am an idiot.'
I told myself I wouldn’t get attached, and yet I had already given them too much.

Now that I had gotten this close, I had no choice but to do my best.
So that the everyday lives of these children wouldn’t be torn apart.
One more year.

By the time they turned ten.
If we all wanted to survive, there were more things to prepare for than I could count."