Kenji: [What the hell?]
Kenji squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his hands to his temples, heart racing. The light still burned through his eyelids, a harsh orange that made him clench his jaw. He peeked out, wincing. The brightness was overwhelming, and he had to squint as nausea hit him.
Ahead, a dog walked on two legs, wearing a small green cap. It had on a custard-colored coat and carried a pink handbag, moving through the crowd like it was just a normal day.
Kenji: [What the—?]
He took quick, shallow breaths as anxiety crept over him. He fumbled with his phone, almost dropping it while checking his pockets for his wallet and keys, checking the big three. The gym bag on his shoulder felt heavy, both grounding and suffocating.
Kenji: [Sleeping? Not sleeping!?]
He forced himself to touch the ground. Cold, gritty gravel pressed into his palm. He looked around the market, searching for a Mini Stop sign, a familiar street, or a streetlamp—anything to prove he was still in Japan. But there was nothing. Only stone archways and colorful market stalls surrounded him.
Kenji turned, moving stiffly, almost like a broken machine. Just a few feet away stood the boy from the convenience store, still striking dramatic poses in his tracksuit. Earlier, he'd been worried about a ten-yen coin. Now, he was shouting at the sky, his face lit up with wild, desperate joy. Kenji watched, needing something to hold onto. Even sharing this moment with a stranger made the strange world feel a bit less lonely. It didn't fix anything, but it made things seem a little more real.
Kenji: [You…]
His voice was rough and strained. He stepped forward, his legs shaking.
Kenji: [The... the tracksuit. You were at the magazine rack. Three minutes ago. In Tokyo.]
The boy in the tracksuit stopped posing and let his arm fall. He looked at Kenji, his eyes moving over Kenji's tired face and the bags hanging from his shoulder.
Tracksuit Boy: [Yeah! And you're the guy who gave me the wrong—wait, no, you gave me the right change. You're from my world! This is amazing! We got summoned together!]
Subaru: [I'm Natsuki Subaru! Unemployed, hopeless, and apparently a world-traveler! And you are?]
He pointed his thumb at his chest and struck a pose, as if that was a normal way to introduce yourself.
Kenji: [Takaito… Kenji…]
Kenji's head pounded with every heartbeat. A heavy, hopeless fatigue weighed him down, almost too much to bear. He blinked through stinging, blurry eyes, trying to make sense of the strange sights—the dog in a coat, stone archways, and colors that seemed too bright. He gripped his bag's strap tightly, desperate for something real. Subaru's wild grin and his silly tracksuit were the only things that felt even a little comforting in all the chaos.
Kenji: [Where are we? How did we get from a Mini-Stop in Chibe to... this?]
His voice came out rough and shaky, full of doubt and fear, like his throat was raw. This had to be a dream. Maybe he was so tired that he was finally losing his grip on reality.
Subaru buzzed with excitement, not noticing how pale Kenji looked. Wide-eyed, he looked around the busy market and spread his arms as if to show off the whole strange world.
Subaru: [We got summoned, man! Isekai! Like, teleported across the universe! This is a fantasy world! Definitely not Japan. More like when Saito got dragged into Halkeginia in Familiar of Zero, or when Kirito found himself trapped in Aincrad in Sword Art Online. I feel like I'm about to pick up my first quest in an RPG with zero stats and no equipment. Classic. All that's missing is some glowing magic circle or a goddess telling us we're special like in Fushigi Yûgi or Digimon Adventure.]
He stopped and struck a heroic pose, one hand on his hip.
Subaru: [Okay, so usually there's a beautiful girl who does the summoning, right? Or, like, a magic circle?]
Subaru spun around, looking at the crowd. He squinted at a stall with glowing fruit, then at a tall woman with cat ears. His eyes shone with a kind of desperate happiness that Kenji couldn't understand.
Subaru: [No gorgeous sorceress in sight. Damn. And I don't feel any sudden, hidden cheat powers, either. No super strength? No magic spells? Ugh, classic. Always gotta work for it in these things.]
Subaru pumped his fist, his energy barely contained. He started listing off rules for their new world, talking faster and faster. Kenji, on the other hand, felt shock replacing his fear. A heavy numbness dulled the noise around him. Realizing this wasn't Japan hit him hard, making it hard to breathe or think.
His phone felt like a cold, heavy lump in his pocket, a painful reminder of home. Suddenly, memories flooded in—he needed to wake Hiro-Kun soon, convince Mei-Chan to eat breakfast, and get ready for his shift at Mini-Stop. Each responsibility stung, making him miss his old life even more as he realized everything familiar was gone.
Kenji: [I have school. Student council. A part-time job. I have to wake my siblings in… five hours.]
Subaru waved a dismissive hand, still grinning.
Subaru: [Dude, forget all that! You're in a 2D world coming to life! Who cares about mock exams or work shifts when there's a whole new adventure waiting? Consider yourself unemployed, like me! Except, way cooler, because we got summoned! Stop being such a stiff cashier!]
Kenji blinked, struggling to take in what Subaru said.
Unemployed.
The word sounded strange and scary. He looked at Subaru, noticing the tracksuit—the only thing that felt familiar here. Subaru might be acting crazy, but at least he was from the same world. Maybe he understood what was happening.
Subaru straightened and struck another pose, this one more confident, authoritative.
Subaru: [Look, I get it. You're the responsible type. Probably a genius. But I know how these worlds work. I've probably played, like, a hundred games like this. So, you follow my lead. We stick together. Find out why we're here, get some info, maybe score some sweet new gear! Who knows, maybe there's something big waiting for us around in an alleyway. There could be a lost relic to find, a world-altering secret about why we got pulled here, or some dangerous beast only we can beat. We just have to be ready for whatever this world throws at us.]
Kenji gripped his bag straps tighter. His mind raced, searching for any kind of plan in the chaos of monsters and market stalls. Subaru's wild confidence seemed both silly and strangely helpful. Kenji was too tired to think of anything better. He still felt the weight of his family responsibilities, each thought a sharp reminder. Clinging to Subaru's certainty gave him a bit of hope and shame, but mostly he just felt helpless.
Kenji: [Fine.]
Kenji walked next to Subaru, shoulders tense. The market noise still rang in his ears as they moved onto a wider street, cobblestones groaning under their feet. Heavy, four-legged beasts with shiny scales lumbered by, pulling big wooden carts loaded with goods. Each step made the ground shake. The air was thick with strange spices, sweat, and something sharp, almost like burnt sugar.
Subaru pointed into the distance, eyes wide.
Subaru: [I guess I can assume this is a fantasy world with typical medieval-style culture.]
He spun to face Kenji, an excited grin splitting his face.
Subaru: [See? No advanced tech, just good old stone and wood. And look around! Demi-humans everywhere. Cat ears, dog ears, lizard scales. Total classic RPG stuff. I bet there are kings, queens, maybe some noble knights. Probably a huge war brewing, a demon lord stirring up trouble. We'll definitely find an adventure guild, maybe even a quest board!]
Kenji clenched his jaw and looked where Subaru was staring. He saw people with animal features, strange clothes, and buildings that were nothing like Tokyo.
This was real. It was really happening. His mind raced, trying to make sense of the impossible.
Kenji: [War? What war? We don't have weapons. We don't even have money for food.]
His voice was flat and shaky as he tried to stay calm under the weight of dread. The idea of an 'adventure guild' seemed ridiculous compared to his real responsibilities. He barely kept the sound of defeat out of his words.
Subaru waved a dismissive hand, still beaming.
Subaru: [Details, details! The hero always starts with nothing! That's part of the fun. We just gotta find a quest. Something simple, like delivering a letter, or clearing out some slimes. Easy cash, then we can upgrade our gear, maybe find a healer for our party.]
Kenji's gaze drifted to a stall selling shimmering, unidentifiable fruit, then to a man with furred arms haggling loudly over a piece of cloth.
Kenji: [No. We need to find out how to get back to Japan. That's the only quest that matters.]
He took another step, his shoe scraping on the rough stone, arms wrapped tightly around his bag. Each step felt heavier, filled with thoughts of Mei-chan crying and Hiro-kun lost without him. The pain of being apart almost crushed him, every responsibility pulling him further from hope.
Subaru sighed dramatically.
Subaru: [Oh, you're no fun. We just got here! We gotta explore! Who knows what secrets this world holds? Maybe we're destined to save it! Or at least get super strong and rich!]
A sharp cry cut through the noise of the market, grabbing everyone's attention. Kenji and Subaru both turned toward the sound as the crowd gasped. Up ahead, where the street widened, a child about Mei-chan's age lay on the cobblestones, right in the path of a slow-moving cart pulled by a huge, scaly beast. The animal kept moving forward, unaware of the child, its heavy hooves thudding closer.
Subaru's eyes widened, a frantic joy lighting his face.
Subaru: [This is it! This must be an event pop where I can use magic!]
He spread his feet, dropping into his knees. His hands clenched, palms facing forward. Kenji stared, his brow furrowed, confusion warring with a fresh wave of exhaustion.
Kenji: [What are yo—?]
Subaru cut him off with a loud, guttural roar.
Subaru: [HAAAHHH!]
He pushed his hands forward, grunting with effort, eyes squeezed shut. Nothing happened. The air around him remained still. No flash of light. No surge of energy. The cart beast lumbered on. Its shadow stretched over the fallen child.
A blur of silver shot past. A knight, clad in gleaming armor, moved with impossible speed. The knight scooped the child from the ground, rolling clear of the cart's path just as the massive wheel rumbled past. The child, small and safe, buried a tear-streaked face into the knight's shoulder. The cart continued its path, leaving only the reverberating thud of hooves behind.
Subaru, still stuck in his silly pose, opened one eye. He glanced at his hands, then at the spot where the child had been. A faint blush rose on his neck. Kenji slowly stepped back, putting some space between them as he pretended to adjust his gym bag.
Kenji: [Fantastic. Just fantastic.]
His gaze flickered to Subaru, who was still standing in his summoning stance, a bewildered expression on his face.
Kenji: [Following this clown was probably the worst decision I've ever made.]
He could feel people staring, looking from the rescued child to Subaru's weird pose. Kenji lifted his chin and looked straight ahead, determined to act like he had nothing to do with the tracksuit-wearing idiot who just tried to use magic in public. Albeit failing to do so, as they both stood out sorely due to their clothing.
So they both ended up looking like idiots.
He might have to figure out a way to return home alone.
***************************************************************************************
Saying Kenji was annoyed would be putting it mildly. His jaw hurt from clenching, and every muscle was tense with frustration—the kind he usually saved for his brother's forgotten chores. After Subaru's failed 'magic attack,' everything became a blur of mistakes and embarrassment.
First, Subaru tried to buy "appas"—Kenji thought the name sounded stupid, even for apples—with a handful of yen. The fruit vendor waved the foreign currency away. "Broke kids with nothing to do," he'd sneered.
Kenji: [He didn't have to insult us like that.]
Next, a disastrous attempt at information gathering. Kenji spotted the symbol, a clear indicator, etched on the wall above the archway to the building which he assumed was a public bathroom. He tried to stop Subaru from going further into it.
Kenji: [Wait, Natsuki-San, the symbol—!]
Subaru, however, didn't hear him at all. He marched into the public building.
SLAP.
Subaru stumbled back, a bright red mark blooming on his cheek, a furious demi-human woman glaring from the doorway.
Their last try at figuring things out was at an 'inn,' which turned out to be a rough demi-human bar. The patrons, with their horns and tails, threw them out, and Kenji and Subaru ended up falling into a river. The only thing they learned was that they couldn't read a single word of the local language. Now, they stood in a narrow alley, soaked and defeated.
The narrow alley stank of refuse and damp earth. Rainwater from their impromptu river bath still dripped from their clothes, chilling them to the bone. Subaru leaned against a grimy stone wall, his earlier bravado completely deflated. He dragged a hand through his wet hair, leaving it spiky and unkempt.
Subaru: [Is this how it's supposed to be?]
He kicked a loose stone with the toe of his sodden tracksuit.
Subaru: [No quest giver. No grand summoner. No cute elven girl to explain everything. Just... bam! Here's a world. Figure it out yourselves, losers. Every game, every anime, they always give you something. A tutorial. A map. A cryptic prophecy.]
He gestured wildly, his voice rising in exasperation.
Subaru: [We're supposed to get powers! Or at least, like, a starting weapon! Not just... a slap in the face and a dip in the gutter! This is a terrible tutorial level!]
Kenji watched him, his own exhaustion a heavy cloak. He shifted his gym bag from his shoulder to the ground, tired of carrying it. He knew the feeling. The disappointment of a story that didn't follow its own rules. He'd read plenty of those fantasy novels himself, late into the night, a silent escape from the relentless demands of his own life.
Damn it, he was going to read the latest release from Konosuba once he got back home after all. Now he couldn't, since this place doesn't have a lick of signal or Wi-Fi.
Kenji: [Yeah. I know.]
His voice was flat, devoid of emotion.
Kenji: [But this isn't a game, Natsuki-san. We can't rely on plot convenience or cheat codes. We'll have to figure out how to live by real-world rules here.]
Subaru slumped further against the wall. Kenji looked around the cramped alley. Stone and wood dominated the architecture. He had seen enough history books to place the style.
Kenji: [So, what do we know? People here speak Japanese. The architecture... It's like medieval Germany. Those knights earlier? Medieval Britain.]
Subaru nodded, rubbing the red mark on his cheek.
Subaru: [That's pretty standard for Isekai world-building. Mash a few historical periods, throw in some demi-humans, and make everyone speak Japanese for the protagonists. Low effort, but effective.]
He looked at Kenji, a flicker of his earlier spark returning, though now tinged with genuine concern.
Subaru: [What we don't have is the problem. No information. No money. No food. No shelter.]
Kenji pressed his lips together. The list was harsh—every basic need was out of reach. He was used to having plans and schedules, but now his mind struggled with the emptiness. He had never felt so unprepared.
Just what was he supposed to do?
Safe to say he was going to get something to do that he was even more unprepared for.
???: [If you don't wanna get hurt, cough up whatever you've got!]
Subaru: [Crap, it's compulsory event time…]
Kenji: [Shit...]
He rolled his eyes, a dry bitterness in his tone. The mock excitement from earlier was gone, replaced by a grim recognition of the physical threat before them.
Kenji's shoulders, already tense from the day, went even tighter. The last thing he needed was a fight, especially with his head spinning from no sleep and three strangers in front of him. He thought about his gym bag and the 'Tigers of Toke' pride that once pushed him, but it felt useless now. Surviving meant getting back to Hiro and Mei.
That had to come first.
Kenji stepped forward, placing himself between Subaru and the looming figures. The gesture was instinct, a mirror of how he shielded his younger siblings from scraped knees or the world's harsher truths.
Kenji: [Look, we don't have anything. No local currency. Just some bags filled with uninteresting things.]
His voice came out flat and practiced, the same tone he used to calm down Hiro and Mei when they argued. He hoped logic would work here, too.
The lanky thug snickered, his silver-ringed tongue flicking out, tasting the air. Chains around his wrists and throat rattled a dismissive rhythm.
Lanky Thug: ["No LoCaL cUrReNcY," he says. What a joke. The clothes you both wear spin a completely different tale.]
Safe to say the negotiation died right there. If they don't come up with something, they'll die there as well.
The large thug, purple hair bristling, cracked his knuckles as his green vest strained over powerful arms. The short one, a brown mushroom of hair, grinned, large black eyes glinting in the gloom.
???: [Move it! Move it! You guys! Out of the way!]
A blur of gold and red sliced through the alley. A girl, running towards where all of them were, was accompanied by a sound of wind. She moved with a speed that defied Kenji's understanding of biology, her red scarf trailing behind her like a streak of fire.
Subaru, eyes wide, scrambled upright.
Subaru: [Here we go! Is that the cute girl who summoned us?!]
Kenji: [Now is not the time, Natsuki-San!]
The golden-haired girl paused mid-air, a flash of red eyes darting back at Subaru with genuine confusion.
Felt: [Hm? Summoned? I dunno what you're talkin' about, but I'm really busy!]
Kenji: [Wait!…]
She shook her head, a golden braid swinging, then launched herself higher onto the rooftops, her voice echoing back as she vanished, and Kenji's own voice was lost on her.
Felt: [Sorry! Live strong, okay?]
She was gone, leaving the alley's silence ringing with the sudden absence of her impossible speed. The three thugs, momentarily stunned, now turned their glares back to Kenji and Subaru, the tension even thicker, heavier than before. The lanky one's chains clinked a final, chilling warning.
Subaru: [So... did seeing that make you feel any less hostile by any chance?]
Burly guy: [Actually, it rained on our parade and made things worse.]
Kenji and Subaru: [Of course, it did...]
Kenji's chest tightened. Panic is rising now, but he forced himself to breathe slowly and count. It seemed that this would only lead to a fight, no matter how Kenji wanted it to be anything else. He didn't want to give up his belongings, since he'd need them once he got back home.
With the rough pavement under his feet. Kenji dropped into a wide, low stance, like a center guarding the paint. His shoulders were tight and aching as he stood between the thugs and Subaru. A steady throb behind his eyes reminded him of all the sleep he'd lost to work and study. Even exhausted, his mind went on autopilot, figuring out angles and distances.
He had no idea if Subaru could even fight, seeing that all the previous embarrassment had resulted from his genre knowledge. Despite looking like an athlete, he wasn't sure if he needed protection at all or not.
Turns out, Subaru doesn't need protection at all.
Subaru: [Lumps of EXP!]
Subaru lunged. He wasn't a master, but his right hook carried the weight of years spent in a neighborhood dojo. The fist collided with the Burly man's jaw with a sickening crack. The giant stumbled back, his eyes rolling.
Kenji didn't wait; he saw it as his chance. He stepped into the Lanky guy's space, using his hip to box the man out like he was fighting for a rebound.
Kenji: [Stay back!]
He delivered a sharp, utilitarian kick to the man's groin. As the Lanky thug doubled over, Kenji's hands became a blur—a rapid-fire hammering of strikes that caught the man's face. The thug's knees buckled, his chains clattering uselessly against the stones.
To his left, Subaru roared, driving his leg forward in a forceful kick. The Small guy, caught mid-sneer, flew backward, his spine connecting with the stone wall with a hollow thump.
But the Burly man had recovered. He shook his head, a predatory growl vibrating in his chest.
Kenji moved instinctively. He wasn't a fighter by trade, but he understood the balance of a court. He pivoted, using lateral slides to stay in the giant's peripheral vision, trapping his movements. Every time the man swung, Kenji was a half-step away, tagging him with persistent, annoying jabs to the ribs. Subaru provided the heavy lifting, throwing wild, unrefined blows that had some semblance of technique but carried desperate strength.
Working together, they started to overwhelm the burly man. Kenji dipped low to box out the thug's center of gravity, while Subaru landed a heavy right hook. Their strikes came in a steady, relentless rhythm. Fueled by adrenaline, Kenji's careful defense and Subaru's raw offense blended into a single, determined attack that pushed the giant back against the cold stone wall.
Every move felt rough and slow, like sand in a machine. Kenji's vision blurred. The lack of sleep was a real weight now, even heavier than his gym bag. He was running out of energy, and every step was a struggle.
Small Guy: [You bastards! You're dead!]
The mushroom-haired thug scrambled up, drawing a jagged knife. He charged towards Subaru, planning to stab him in the side.
Kenji's big-brother radar pinged. The same instinct that made him jump whenever Mei-chan tripped now forced his body to react. He abandoned his defensive trap on the Burly man, pivoting hard to intercept the new threat and protect the team.
Kenji: [Natsuki-San, watch out!]
He blocked the Small guy's path, but the move left his back wide open.
That was all the giant needed.
Large, calloused hands clamped onto Kenji's shoulders. The Burly man hoisted him into the air like a discarded toy. Kenji's stomach dropped. Then, the world exploded in white light as his spine met the alley wall. The impact shook his teeth and shattered his automatic rhythm.
The Burly man didn't stop. He rained brutal punches into Kenji's midsection and face. Kenji's head snapped back against the stone again and again. The sound of his own skull meeting masonry was a dull, wet rhythm.
Kenji's vision broke into flashes of light and shadow. Through the blur, he saw the other two thugs get up and attack Subaru. He was on the ground, flailing as the Lanky and Small thugs kicked and hit him.
Kenji tried to reach out, but his fingers felt like lead. The numbness spread from his core to his extremities, an icy emptiness. His last thought was of a half-finished grocery list and the quiet of a Tokyo midnight.
Then, as another fist pummelled its fist into Kenji's face, causing his head to be crushed between the punch and the wall.
There was only darkness.
But as Kenji slipped deeper, strange shapes flickered at the edge of his senses, a chill wind that tasted of mountain frost, far sharper than the winter air he'd walked through just minutes ago. Through the haze, a shimmer of silver cut through the dark, accompanied by voices, one clear and melodic, the other smaller and strangely playful. He thought he felt the weight of his body shift as if the cold light itself were lifting him off the gritty gravel, or perhaps he was falling into a void. Was this the end, or just another beginning?
He would soon find out.