"Woah! An otaku! Let's get away from him! He's weird, and he'll grow up a criminal soon."
"Otaku!? Get away from me, you filth!"
My classmates, they never understood how I enjoyed spending time with the things that I like. I lost my friends and my opportunities to socialize as the gap between the people around me widened. The longer I experienced this, the more my emotions against loneliness were nullified.
"Are you really a member of the track-and-field club? Your skin was limp! I would highly suggest that you quit right now." The president of our track-and-field club suggested this to me. I love to run! No one can dictate what I want to do in my life.
"Really!? Are you an Otaku? Woah, that's great." Though some of our club members praise me for this unwanted title, I've noticed that all of their names vanished on my social media friendlist. Like hell I care about them! That doesn't even bother me. But deep inside, it really hurt… Like I'm slowly being burned in a flame called isolation.
"Get away from my daughter, you freaking son of a demon! Even if we're your neighbors, don't even dare approach us! You won't like what would happen to you."
Izumi's mother even brushed me off from her daughter. I don't know why she hated me so much… I never wanted to sever my friendship with Izumi, yet I never had the power to overrule destiny. The longer I saw the distance between us getting farther, the more I realized that she's a flying angel that I couldn't even reach, while I'm the ogre tainted with malice, my only foot cuffed to a heavy chained metal ball.
The world hated me when I laughed. They were overjoyed when I cried. I thought everything would change after I lost my foot in an accident when I was thirteen, but… Not even I received a single drop of tears from pity. That's when I thought… Everyone wished me death.
Bedridden, I got bored of staring at the same hospital ceiling for several days, no watches or calendars guiding me to count the time passed. I've had no tears left; these aren't worth dropping for someone who doesn't care. As I review this flashback, my stomach remains hardened from the pain recollected by my body.
None of my classmates visited me, only my teacher. "We're saddened to hear what happened to Kou, Miss Sugiyama." Though she said those words to my mom with a deliberately quiet exhale, I felt that she's grateful because I won't be bothering her throughout the school year.
They're happy… They're happy that I've been hurt. No one cared except my mom. She showered me with her comforting words, but she surrendered herself to my depression. It wasn't enough.
Though the pain doesn't bother me anymore, I've been drowned in seclusion. My breathing became shallow, so buoyant that air didn't expand my lungs anymore. I've lost all my hope, ready to end my life as an Otaku…
Not until…
On a certain day, my pale skin glowed vivid alongside the cozy sunray passing through the window. My monochrome world became scintillating.
When the door towards my room opened, she appeared, that prepossessing main character that came out of the fiction world, Momoka. She had a child figure with gorgeous magical clothes in a mix of white and pink and was the leader of the magic girl group that sought to fight evil and bring peace to the world.
Ever since I started emerging myself with the anime world, I have been a fan of Pretty Cure Magical Wonders. I've always gone home early from school to watch Momoka's journey to defeat the evil forces. I've never missed a single episode, ever since it was the Anime that made me ignore any negatives in my life and kept me pushing forward.
The moment Momoka stepped inside the room, she made succeeding gestures that imitated her scenes after her transformation and before she fought her enemies. She shouted, imitating the same tiny girl's voice which was accompanied by confidence:
"Mahou Shoujo Momoka, arise today,
With hope as my armor, I'll light up the way!
Shining bright, with a heart full of cheer,
Together we'll fight, for all that we hold dear!
Mahou Shoujo Momoka, commence!"
I could still remember how my eyeballs bulged as I left a slacked mouth. Even though I'm immobilized, I left my body stiffened. My depression suddenly buried itself into the void, and I couldn't sense it anymore. The hero in my dreams came into reality to save me!
"Momoka!" I exclaimed in high tone and spirits. I couldn't contain my grin that stretched from ear to ear. Her tiny body size, her costume, her speech, and her actions all matched. Though I'm not disappointed, I just knew who she really was when she introduced herself.
Giggling, she scratched her head and said, "Hello, Kou. I'm… I'm Mimirin, an aspiring cosplayer. I just started doing these things recently, hence you're the first one to witness my costume. I hope my performance helped you in some way."
"It really was outstanding! It's like… you've brought Momoka to life. Cosplays are amazing!"
"R–Really?" A flush creeped across Mimirin's cheeks. She averted her gaze and muttered, "I'm glad I was able to help you with this. However, I think this may be the only time I'll be able to do this. I'm not versed into this career."
"I hope not, Mimirin. You saved me by bringing my hero to life… and I know you'll be able to save someone soon with your cosplays."
"I hope that was the case." She approached me, rubbed my head gently, and smiled with warmth. "But… seeing how lively you are, I've made up my mind to pursue this career. I'm still a starting seed. I'd love to see those smiles on other people's faces too."
"I hope you'll be able to give others their dreams too. I'm looking forward to your cosplays even until you become popular."
"But… Kou, I would like to make a promise with you. You're an Otaku, and I'm confident that you're perfectly capable of this request."
"What was it?"
"Would you promise me that you'll be my manager for my career?"
Though I wanted to accept her offer, I looked at my cut up leg covered by a blanket. "I… I would humbly decline…"
"I see…" Mimirin lowered her head, pressing her lips tight. Though her face showed a bitter smile, her shoulders slumped. I'm bullied even before this incident, and my lost leg marks me as an incomplete person. This may only hinder her growth in the cosplay industry.
But…
"But… I want to make you a promise that I'll soon become your perfect manager that will make you the most popular cosplayer, even reaching the top rankings of the Regent of Glamour Rankings. I want to make you the shining star and show to everyone how you can save others through cosplays!"
I'm not a person who surrenders from bad gossip. I'll achieve my goals and dreams even if I'm disabled. No one can judge my ability to reach perfection. I swore that I would become the missing piece for her until she reached the pinnacle. It's like I realized I was born for her.
Her head returned up, her hand flew on her chest. She showed me again that warm upturned face of appreciation, smiling while gently speaking with her light voice, "I'm… I'm glad! I'll be waiting for that time, Kou. I'll always wait for you."
Kuru kuru… Kuruu kuruu… Kuru Kururing…
The ringing alarm clock, accompanied by a woman's squeal, woke me up.
***
"KYAA!"
When Kou woke up and sat straight on his bed, Sera had jumped away from the sound source, her teeth chattering from a loud repeating jingle. Her back bumped on the edge of Kou's bed. Kou could see the sleeping mattress on the floor that moved out of place due to her kicks.
The song continued to play from Kou's phone lying on the computer desk. When their gazes met, he squinted at her. Her eyes bulged with a sense of alertness, her arms were crossed and her legs were restless. Their incredulous eye contact didn't break for seconds until the alarm turned off automatically.
"W–w–what is that?"
"I have important matters to settle every weekend on this particular time schedule. Hence, I need someone to remind me that I need to wake up. It's like morning chicken's, but portable."
"What are chickens?"
I don't remember any Shizu-sama who was this dumb. Kou wanted to say that, but he has moral principles to keep intact. Since she only knew her recently, he doesn't want to destroy his image from a stranger. He narrowed his eyes tighter at her without responding to her question. Who doesn't know what chickens are and how tasty they were? How did she grow up not being able to distinguish meat? It's like it's her first time eating roasted beef yesterday. Is she from some kind of tribal forest? Wait—
A sudden realization made Kou's eyes bulge. With his change in expression, Sera gasped and jerked her head back. "W–What is it?"
Kou slowly leaned towards her, their lips distanced two-meters away from each other, both can hear their breathing through the cold atmosphere. However, the focus of his view wasn't her eyes, but her ears. As the gazes went longer, Sera bit her lips, her forehead wrinkling. She drew her head back, her legs trembling. However, Kou reached his arm over her shoulder and pinched the edge of her long unusual ears.
"AAAW!"
Kou hastily pulled his quivering fingers back. When he noticed Sera's cheeks burning red, his mouth fell wide open, his eyes bulging. With a high-pitched tone, he asked, "No, no, no… You're a real elf!?"
"What do you think I am!?" After exclaiming, Sera's lips pinched together, her cheeks puffed.
"A thief.."
"W–Why are you bringing that back!? I told you I've never stolen anything from you!"
"Then… You're Isekai-ed?"
Sera's irate and confrontational front hid back in her mind, her lips partly slanted and her head tilted slightly to the side. With her eyes narrowed, she asked. "What unfamiliar word was that?"
Kou sighed. "Your unfamiliarity says it all. You've been transported here from another world, like most Otakus dream of, including mine."
"Transported?" Sera asked, thinking how the magic circle sent her away from home for escape. "Then… am I in another realm? I can't sense any mana since I got here."
"Mana!? Just to clarify, the human realm doesn't harbor any magic stuff here like mana. The civilization is dependent on human's brute strength and sharp thinking. Fantasy has always been a dream."
"I see," looking down, Sera frowned. "I don't belong in this world."
"But still… You're Isekai-ed!? That's amazing! What was the other world like? You're a real elf, you should've lived in the forest, right!? How about the humans there? Do they also have magical powers? Ahh, I would love to see what the world beyond the dimensions looks like…" Kou's mutter continued, even until Sera crossed her arms as anxiety attacked her.
"That's…" She muttered, seeing Kou's excitement for the first time.
Knock! Knock! The mutters stopped as they both pivoted their gazes at the door.
"Kou? Are you awake? Breakfast is ready. Oh, and also, if Sera's awake, ask her to go downstairs," Maki's voice echoed behind the door.
"Yes, Mom! We're going to follow," Kou replied. As they heard Maki's steps going away, he narrowed his eyes to Sera. "You're going to fill my curiosity after school."