The vision of a rampaging truck that lost its brakes alerted Kou as its route directed towards a school girl that was walking across the pedestrian lane near their school. Being the main character of his life, Kou rushed to push the girl out of his way. Did he have suicidal thoughts? Not really. It's his way of pleasing people, even if this accident would cause his death.
Did he get Isekai-ed?
Kuru kuru… Kuruu kuruu… Kuru Kururing…
"AAAAHH!"
With ramping breaths, Kou woke up and shouted along with the deafening echo of his phone's alarm. He sat straight on his bed, his slack mouth wide open. The alarm usually irritated him, but he only darted his gaze at it. "A dream… Just like back in the old days."
The sound of a lizard ticking on the ceiling reached through his ears. When he stared above, he witnessed that it only had three legs, one was chopped off. "Tsk… Tsk… If I only had a chance, I would choose to become a Lizard."
It was still six in the morning. Dragging his numb right foot out of his bed, he calmly stood to turn off the digital alarm clock, telling him it's currently Saturday, the long awaited weekend to purchase another merchandise of Fantasy Chronicles Online 5th, a game he was currently addicted to.
He wandered his gaze around his colorful room full of vibrant posters of anime characters. "I hope I will get a Shizu-sama figurine instead, but that's only a blessing from the Gatcha gods." Getting that figurine would mean that he had a chance to be hit by lightning since they have the same odds. He didn't wish to get another poster since there's no room for it to be placed.
He skimmed at the full-body oval mirror, reflecting his fringe brown hair, and gazed at his own hazel-brown eyes. He wore his glasses that stood over his computer desk. "Brown here, brown there… Soon, I'll become chocolate. No time to be negative! Let's ramp up and train! I need to become a shonen protagonist and rely on hard work."
It only took him thirty minutes to prepare for his departure towards the upcoming event and was on his way towards the station until he felt a leer from a neighborhood window. From the outside, Kou witnessed their neighbor's second floor window shut its curtains. They're currently the Hase family, and he doesn't want to get involved with them.
It was only a thirty minute travel from their place towards Akihabara, the place where Otakus and electronics meet. Even with most of its shops closed, the streets were already filled with residents, tourists, cosplayers, weebs, and maid cafe workers. Kou could only appreciate the fragrance of perfume everywhere, though he didn't count the smell of those who didn't take a bath for a week.
In front of the GAMER! store, a branch that sells discounted video games and visual novels, he witnessed a long line being bent up to a distant intersection. The store was still closed, and these people may be patient freaks that were already in here a day before. What in the freaking yonks is this TLDR? That patience… Argh, I need it, he thought.
He stayed at the end of the line, his eyes squinting. His muscles tensed while maintaining his two-faced behavior. It might be irritating for him, but he couldn't cause a ruckus in the public. Soon, he calmed down, overhearing the conversation of two other Otakus with cosplays as their topic.
"Did you see the upcoming CosFiesta Mashup 7th event that will be held in Neribei Park next week? Do you think Mimirin will attend the convention?"
"If she does, what does her alias 'Ghost' mean? Change my mind!"
"If she promised it, she will surely appear! If we're there, we'll be able to witness the first appearance of the mysterious cosplayer since her debut years ago. Those who were competing were newborn nuts! Would you think it was unfair for the newbies to compete with a legend from the Regent of Glamour Rankings?"
"You're baited. Those who will join are also Mimirin's fans. They will get exposure and a chance to meet their never-appearing idol at the same time. Win-win!"
Within the cosplay industry, the Regent of Glamour Rankings defined how popular a cosplayer was. Mimirin, a popular cosplayer of fantasy genres, stood within the top 9 of the non-NSFW rankings. She was only active in her social media accounts and never appeared in conventions. Not to brag, but Kou was one of her top fans, and it's not because of her skills in cosplaying… She saved his life in the past. How? Only Kou knew, and he didn't share this with everyone he knew, including his parents.
It was already eight, and the line wasn't progressing. For every five-minutes that the line moved forward, he rapidly tapped his foot, his face scowling. While his breathing grew heavier, his hard jawline appeared sharp on his face. I hate this! He silently screamed within his heart.
The giveaway would be only until nine in the morning. Judging by the line, Kou lost hope in getting his promo while abiding by the world's rules. He would only be the part of the giveaway if he did things dirty. Luckily, he had a trump card… a literal card.
Realizing this, he left his station and walked near the GAMER! entrance. He asked the butler in tuxedo and shades who was responsible for managing the line and ordering.
"Sir, may I request to enter the priority lane?"
"I apologize kid, but we don't have priority lanes. May I know your situation?"
"I'm not impatient, Sir. However, I'm only forbidden to stand for hours, and it will heavily strain my body. I'm a huge fan of FCO5, especially Shizu-sama. I hope you reconsider, Sir."
"I'm really sorry, kid. The owner didn't tell me about the priority lanes and warned me not to initiate one. I'm not referring to you, but many abusive people use the priority lane to skip lines. Since all of you are fans, you are all treated equally."
Kou picked a clear-white passport-like ID and handed it to the butler. "You can call my doctor if you want. I'm not lying."
He flipped the ID I gave him and raised his shades. After validating the card with his narrowed eyes, he halted the progression of the line and rushed into the store. It didn't take long for him to return to his position and give Kou's ID back. "I'm sorry, kid. I hope I'm not rude to you. You may now enter the store."
"Sure, I'm not angry. Thank you for listening to my request."
Kou was a registered Japanese resident associated with a private healthcare system. Hence, he always brings his Shogaisha Techo with him. It was similar in size and shape to that of a passport, with a cover on the outside and the actual photo ID on the inside.
Just like any other identification for persons with disabilities, it included an ID number, date of birth, address, issuing authority, disability type and the severity. The severity section may have attracted the butler's attention. His compressed face told Kou that he doesn't want to experience the same situation.
Kou registered his name for the raffle in the counter section, and he still had time to browse the newest games in the other floors. If they're within the building, the participants of the raffle will be called via the speakers exactly half-past nine. Since Kou still had an hour and half to wander around, the counter woman asked him.
"Sir, do you need a wheelchair? I'm informed that you shouldn't strain yourself from standing for a long time."
Kou shook his head. "There are already stools here. I'm also looking for games and cosplay references. I still had a dream that I shouldn't give up on."
"Wow! You're like a Shonen manga protagonist. But don't pressure yourself since there are normal people around you. If you need any help, don't hesitate to come to this counter."
I don't need your pity and help. I can stand on my own foot. The world was the same everywhere I went, only judging my disabilities and dragging me down internally. Kou wanted to say that while forcing into his thought that she was only concerned about his well-being.
While browsing the non-fiction section of the books, he encountered the book Manage Someone's Career for Dummies. On the outside, it looked like a reliable handy-man's guide on general management. He skimmed through the book, an enticing phrase caught his attention which he was currently applying to himself.
Embrace your passion and creativity while continuously improving your skills!
"Yeah, right! Real fact," grinning, he whispered in amusement. He twirled his head left and right, checking if there were other people present, and closed the book like he ended a religious sermon. "My cash can handle this."
Initiated from a short deafening static, the embedded speakers on the ceiling announced, "Ehem, participants for the anniversary giveaways for Fantasy Chronicles Online 5th, we may request your presence in the event room on the first floor. If you feel lost, just go to the counter and they will guide you with directions."
Being a seasoned Otaku he is, Kou went down the elevator towards his way to the capacious event room, its width took the space up to the second floor of the building. Only 150 participants were able to join. Each person's shoulder pushed against one another within the tight space. If not for the game's popularity, the numbers should be less, and people have room to breathe. Half of the population wore their cosplay, and Kou was pretty sure they were already suffering.
Before them lies a stage where a raffle drum took the center spotlight. Beside it were a table containing five limited-edition Shizu-sama figurines in various display cases, hanging merchandise shirts, character photocards, and posters for consolation prizes. On the right were two gaming computers with its screen connected to the back projector.
The event commenced when the host entered the stage and erupted chaos the moment he spoke on his microphone. The cheers competed against the speakers, and all Kou could smell were damp sweats. FCO5 was a turn-based exploration game featuring a vast worldbuilding, relatable story arcs, and characters with unique traits, backstories, and races. Shizu-sama was the elf goddess that brought the FCO5 protagonists into the new fantasy world. Kou knew that he wasn't the only Shizu-sama fanatic, but so far, he was the most competent.
The program flowed first with voice actor talks of playable characters, and it was followed by hardcore content gameplays of volunteers from the crowd. Kou was lucky to sit in the front-most priority zone, away from the chaos, hence he lasted in the event for about six hours. The most anticipated portion of the event made Kou's hazel-brown eyes glimmer.
"And finally, we're nearing the end of the program. We will be commencing the raffle event for the giveaways for FCO5! Five lucky winners will earn these limited edition action figures of Shizu-sama. Oh, wow! Look at those clothes! Fun fact, they're removable! The following ten winners will receive free merchandise clothing from our partnered clothing line. The following thirty will receive their designated character's photocards, which you can use as a bookmark I guess. The consolation would be posters. Don't worry if you don't get picked! We'll be providing you with promo codes within the game for a free ten pull!"
Long story short, the game developers were far from geniuses. They would only spend their earnings in improving their product, hence it appeared to its players as the game was balanced even if they were too generous. This work of art garnered massive amounts of audiences, including those who weren't interested in gaming like Kou.
"For the first lucky winner of the limited figurine…" The host stopped the raffle drum and picked a registration paper inside. When he unfolded it, he announced, "Mariya Stojaković! Wait, are you Serbian? If so, welcome to Japan! Who would expect that our first winner would be a tourist!?"
"Tsk!" The first roll ended, and Kou could only click his tongue out of disappointment. He thought that he still had a chance, but this hope degraded after the second, third, and fourth roll… He didn't even hear a letter of his name.
Kou made a firm eye contact towards the raffle machine, his lips parting. His hands moistened, a product of his uncontrollable trembling. It only took a second until he could hear his heartbeat. His fingers twitched compulsively and in repeat. I've never won a raffle once in my life. Please grant my favor just this once!
The host stopped the machine; Kou's heartbeat raced. He rocked in his place, shaking, moaning… He already thought of bargaining with the winner using his disability card if things didn't go well. However, this is a limited-edition figurine we were talking about.
The host unraveled the lucky person whose blessings were granted by gods. Even with a heightened level of pain resistance, Kou's chest tightened in pain as the host's words slowly echoed towards his eardrums.
"...... Kou Sugiyama! Are you in–"
"YES! HAHAHAHA!" Just when the host asked where he was, Kou stood on his seat and shouted in high colors, his face with a flushed appearance. He couldn't contain his laughter, even after he raised his arms up in a victory V. He stepped onto the stage, his heartbeat became his own drumroll. The warm sensation in his body made him feel like everything was not real. Before he took the figurine, he slapped his face slightly to feel pain. After the verification, he raised the figurine like a trophy and looked down at the unfortunate weebs.
Even after the event, Kou couldn't contain the sense of elation that he felt. This moment was only stored in his memory. A recording would be possible, but he doesn't have such friends to share his hobbies with. Walking on the street, he stood before the pedestrian lane of the wide street of Akiba. He planned to check out new gadgets in the Softmap's branch on the other street and survey an upgrade of his devices.
The traffic lights appeared green, and countless vehicles passed through Kou's view at high speeds of freedom. There was not a person within the pedestrian lane, and only those who dared to die would pass through. However, after an ice cream truck passed before his eyes, a woman appeared in the middle of the street, surrounded by high-speed cars.
She had blonde hair, and emerald green eyes, and wore a broken hair brooch. Not aware of the upcoming accident that will happen to her, she kneeled on the cement ground and dragged the bottom part of her white dress underneath it. Kou noticed that a public utility vehicle would soon hit her body, and she couldn't escape.
Kou wouldn't have cared if he wouldn't get harmed by his actions, unlike his morning dream. But reality was far different from dreams because of emotions. However, the worst part was… he hesitated.
He shook his head, released the bag of prizes from his hand, and ran towards the woman without a hint of care for his sides. The PUV would only be a meter away when he dragged her standing and pushed their bodies out of the rampaging car's route. He managed to get the woman to safety, though… The succeeding cars forced their halts to create a chaotic domino collision. Judging the speed of the vehicle, Kou was sure to be hit, but he never felt any pain.
Did he get Isekai-ed?
No. When he looked back, his right leg was squashed…