"Kenzaki, you're late again."
Haruto froze at the classroom door. His teacher sighed as he stumbled in, hair sticking up like he'd wrestled a futon. Giggles rippled through the room.
"Oi, Haruto," one classmate called, "did you oversleep after your anime waifu kept you up?"
The class erupted in laughter. Haruto clutched his bag dramatically.
"Hmph! Mock me all you like, peasants. You laugh now, but when the Demon Lord attacks Tokyo, don't come crying to me, the chosen one!"
Silence. Everyone stared.
The teacher massaged her temples. "Just… sit down, please."
Haruto slunk to his seat, ignoring the whispers. He opened his notebook… only to reveal a page filled not with notes, but with doodles of anime girls labeled Future Wife Candidate #7.
He grinned to himself. Yes. They don't understand now. But one day… my true journey will begin.
---
Otaku Fortress, Apartment 302
After school, Haruto returned to his tiny apartment—a single room that smelled faintly of instant ramen and despair.
Posters of anime heroines covered the walls. A stack of DVDs leaned precariously on his desk. Empty cup noodle containers formed a small shrine to his poverty.
Haruto dropped his bag and flopped on the futon.
"Home, sweet home… or rather, my secret base."
He pointed at a figurine on the shelf—a girl in a frilly magical outfit.
"Lady Celestia, guide me as always. I will not waver."
The figurine, of course, said nothing. But in Haruto's mind, it nodded in approval.
He then whipped out a notebook, flipping to a page titled:
"Operation: My Future Harem"
1. Meet cute girls.
2. Impress them with my vast anime knowledge.
3. Form party.
4. Defeat Demon Lord.
5. Live happily ever after in a castle with said harem.
He clenched his fist.
"Yes… soon, the prophecy will come true."
---------
Reality slapped him in the face a few hours later.
"Haruto! Stop monologuing and stock the shelves!"
His manager's voice cracked like a whip. Haruto, now in his work apron, jolted upright. He had been muttering dramatic lines while holding a rice ball like it was a holy relic.
"Ah—yes, Master! I mean, manager!"
Customers gave him odd looks. One high school couple whispered:
"Is he… acting out an anime?"
"Totally. What a creep."
Haruto pretended not to hear. He straightened, staring at the fridge section with grim resolve.
"Fear not… for every hero must endure humble beginnings. Even Aurelian once worked at a tavern before saving the princess!"
His manager threw a rag at him.
---
By the end of his shift, Haruto was practically vibrating.
"Tonight's the night… Episode Twelve… the battle against the Demon Sovereign!"
He sprinted out of the store the second the clock hit closing time. Pedestrians jumped out of the way as he yelled:
"Out of the path, NPCs! A main character is late for destiny!"
A tourist couple blinked.
"NPCs…?"
"Must be some new street performance."
Haruto leapt over a cone, then shouted Aurelian's catchphrase into the night:
"Light may fade, but the hero burns eternal!"
Nobody clapped this time.
---
The crosswalk light turned green. Haruto charged forward, eyes blazing.
"I'm coming, Episode Twelve!"
Headlights. A horn. Tires screeching.
Haruto froze, his brain recognizing it instantly.
"W-Wait… Truck-kun?!"
The divine emissary of isekai protagonists bore down on him.
In that frozen moment, his life flashed before his eyes. Not happy memories. Not friends. Not family.
Just… anime marathons. Waifu figurines. His carefully crafted harem list.
Tears welled up. His final thought was pitifully simple:
"I just wanted… to see the next episode…"
Impact. Darkness.
---The Awakening
Soft sheets. Warmth. A golden glow.
Haruto's eyes flew open. No cramped apartment. No ramen smell. He was lying in a grand chamber of marble and stained glass.
He sat up—and immediately noticed. His body was different. Taller. Stronger. His arms rippled with muscles.
He scrambled to a mirror. His jaw dropped.
The reflection wasn't Haruto Kenzaki, otaku loser.
It was Aurelian the Hero.
Jawline sharp enough to cut glass. Eyes that burned with protagonist fire. Armor gleaming. Hair flowing like a shampoo commercial.
---
Haruto screamed.
"OH MY GOD I'M HOT! This… this is my anime dream!"
He flexed. Abs popped. He flexed again. More abs.
"Six pack! I have… a SIX PACK!"
He struck Aurelian's signature pose. His cape fluttered. His teeth sparkled.
"I-I really am… the chosen one…"
He fell to his knees, sobbing.
"Truck-kun… you really didn't abandon me…"
Then his face froze. A new realization hit.
"W-Wait… if I'm here… then who's going to stream Episode Twelve back home?!"
His scream of agony shook the entire palace.
---
Thus began the legend of Haruto Kenzaki—failed otaku, reborn as the hero of his favorite anime. Whether the anime world was ready for him… was another matter entirely.