My name is Alex Sasaki, and I never asked to be a hero. In fact, I had absolutely no intention of getting involved in any of this madness.
It all started like any other day at school. Well, except for the part where my friends and I were suddenly "summoned" to another world—like we were in some kind of role-playing game or something. Honestly, I couldn't care less. Saving a world in crisis? No thanks. I just wanted to go back to my normal life—my room, my video games, and a world without talk of "epic quests," "mystic powers," or whatever it is heroes are supposed to deal with. But of course, life doesn't work that way, does it?
All I had to do was stick with my friends, stay out of the way, and hope it all blew over quickly. That was the plan, at least. But that was the first time I realized that my plans always led me to the wrong place.
When we arrived in this new world, we were greeted by a figure who was clearly the "queen" of the realm. Apparently, our mission was to save her kingdom from destruction, or something like that. I wasn't really paying attention—I was more focused on figuring out how to get something to eat, because hunger doesn't disappear just because you've been "invited" to save a world.
What surprised me was how easy it was for me to fade into the background. While my friends stepped forward with passionate speeches about saving the world, I hung back in the shadows, like always. Standing out wasn't my thing, and neither was getting involved. But my best friend, Emi, didn't see it that way. She was always the kind of person to charge ahead, ready to face any challenge without worrying about the consequences.
"Alex, come on!" Emi shouted as she pulled me along the street. "They're waiting for us! This is our chance to do something amazing!"
I rubbed my head and sighed.
"Do I really have to go, Emi? I told you, I'm not the hero of this story. I'm the guy who watches from the sidelines."
But Emi didn't hear me—or maybe she chose not to. The idea of me staying behind was unthinkable to her. She always dragged me into the center of everything, while I preferred the comfort of staying in the background.
At first, I tried to blend into the crowd, but as always, Emi found me. And, of course, whenever things got complicated, I somehow ended up in the middle of the chaos. If someone was going to get dragged into trouble, it would be Emi—and I, for whatever reason, could never say no to helping her.
Take today, for example. We were facing some kind of "shadow demon," a creature from the other world that was wreaking havoc on a nearby town. Everyone else was fighting, with Emi leading the charge, her magic blazing without hesitation. I was in the back, doing nothing remarkable, just hoping it would all be over soon.
"Alex, cover me!" Emi shouted in the middle of the chaos, as if there was no other choice. "Don't let it get close!"
I didn't even have powers. I wasn't anything special. Just a regular guy who, for some reason, always ended up in the middle of disasters. But of course, my best friend believed in me. And, for some strange reason, I could never refuse her.
So I did what I always do—even if I hated standing out. I aimed at Emi, discreetly, and activated my ability. I might not be a hero, but my power was something simple yet valuable: I could enhance those around me. Nothing flashy or impressive, but it gave Emi a small edge. Without her noticing, her body moved more swiftly, her magic flared stronger, and she reacted faster.
Emi didn't notice a thing, but the creature sure did. Its attack missed her entirely, giving her the chance to cast a decisive spell that weakened it. It was a victory—but no one knew that I had given that little push.
When the battle ended, Emi thanked me as if I had done everything. I just nodded, happy it was over and no one had dragged me into the spotlight. But deep down, I knew that what had started as a simple quest was going to last longer than I thought—and that I'd inevitably get dragged into more trouble. But, as always, from the shadows.
"Alex, that was amazing!" Emi said, flashing me a radiant smile. "Did you see that? We actually saved the city!"
I just gave her a small smile, a look only she could understand, and glanced away. I knew this wasn't over. I knew Emi would keep pulling me into new adventures, no matter how hard I tried to avoid the spotlight.
And that's how it always goes. I'm just the guy who doesn't want to be the protagonist… but somehow, always ends up helping. From the shadows.
---
As we walked toward the next city, Emi looked at me with a grin.
"You know, Alex? I get the feeling this journey's going to be way more interesting than I thought."
I sighed. Of course she did. But deep down, I knew things were only going to get worse.