November 2024 , present-day Japan
Through the bustling streets of Shibuya, a lone figure dressed in a black hoodie maneuvered through the chaos. Neon lights and towering billboards lit up the area, casting everything in a vibrant cyberpunk glow. Amid the noise, groups of girls in maid outfits hustled to attract attention, offering their services with practiced smiles.
"Onii-san, Onii-san! You look hungry! Come dine with beautiful maids!" one of them called out, waving her hand enticingly.
"Nah, I'm good," the man replied with slight annoyance, continuing his path.
As he disappeared into the crowd, the girl quickly turned to target another passerby, her smile never wavering, like it was plastered to her face.
He sighed deeply, muttering under his breath, "Fourth time this has happened today... 'Come to Japan,' they said." The man's name was Jaiden. He came to Japan to pursue his master's in Computer Engineering.
Being an anime watcher since he was young, Jaiden had come to Japan as soon as he received a scholarship, without a second thought. He had imagined his life here would be just like the anime he watched, but reality had given him a harsh wake-up call.
Standing at 185 cm with lush black hair and clear skin, Jaiden was undeniably handsome. He'd even dated a few girls since arriving here, but it never felt authentic to him. Though he was never the loner type and was usually talkative and outgoing, he felt strangely lonely inside, despite having many friends.
Just as he was about to book a cab to his apartment, he heard some noises coming from an alleyway.
"Mmmpphhh... aahh... please don't... aahhhhn..." The desperate, muffled sounds were enough to make Jaiden pause.
As he rushed over to the scene, the sight before him left him disgusted. A large, burly man was threatening a girl with his pants down, his drug-induced state evident in his erratic movements. The girl was visibly terrified. Jaiden didn't know her, but he couldn't just walk away.
Without thinking, Jaiden sprinted toward the man and slammed his fist into the side of his head with all his might. The man instantly crumpled to the ground.
But something felt off. Jaiden felt warmth spreading across his stomach. Looking down, he saw a hole in his abdomen, blood gushing out.
Turning around, he saw another man—a possible accomplice—holding a gun with trembling hands. "I-I didn't mean to... I'm sorry," the man whispered, his voice shaking with disbelief at what he'd just done.
Anger surged through Jaiden's veins. In a blur of rage, he grabbed the man by the head and dragged his face across the rough concrete, stepping on his skull until the man collapsed, unconscious.
As the adrenaline started to wear off, Jaiden collapsed onto the ground with a loud thud. The terrified girl rushed to his side, her hands trembling as she tried to press against the gaping wound in his stomach, her tears falling freely. "Please, don't die on me, sir... please don't die!" she screamed, her voice breaking.
Jaiden could only think how futile it all was. He'd lost too much blood. His vision blurred, and the world around him began to fade. Only his hearing remained.
And then, everything went dark.