Japanese men and women tend to be shorter on average. Of course, there are always exceptions, and tall people exist everywhere, but overall, the chances of running into one are quite low.
Jinguu You, nearing the age of seventeen, stood at a solid 180 centimeters. Coupled with his lean, athletic build and striking features, he was already considered a rare specimen among Japanese students.
The boy who had just crashed into him stood barely over 170 centimeters. Slender and fragile in frame, he looked like a typical middle schooler. A pair of black-rimmed glasses perched on his face, which still carried traces of youthful immaturity. If one looked closely, one might say he was somewhat handsome. But overall, he was just another ordinary, unremarkable student—also unmistakably, a hardcore otaku.
"Ugh... oww oww oww oww..."
The boy sat on the ground, rubbing his backside. After picking up his fallen glasses and putting them back on, he let out a long sigh.
Today's just not my day, Aki Tomoya thought.
Today marked the release of the BD box set for a popular anime, along with the launch of a certain bishoujo game. He had dragged himself out of bed at the crack of dawn, done a quick wash-up, and hopped on the JR line to Akihabara, thinking he'd be among the first in line. But the moment he arrived, a line had already stretched down the block—judging by their dead-eyed expressions and rumpled sleeping bags, those lunatics had clearly camped out overnight.
There was no point in getting angry. As a student, it was basically impossible for him to stay overnight in Akiba. Despite his frustration, Tomoya had queued patiently. After what felt like an eternity, he finally managed to purchase his long-awaited treasures. And then, just as he stepped out of the store—bam! A full-on collision. The bags in his hands scattered across the ground.
"Wait! The bags!!"
Panic seized him. He didn't even bother checking who he'd bumped into. Crawling on all fours like a lunatic, he scrambled over to his haul and began inspecting everything with manic precision.
BD discs, game boxes, jewel cases... no visible cracks, no damaged packaging. Only after confirming everything was intact did he breathe a sigh of relief.
Say what you want about Japan—some of the stuff made here might be hit or miss, but when it comes to packaging quality? Top-tier.
If anything had broken, it would've been a painful hit for a poor student like him who'd scraped the money together from countless part-time jobs. Worse, judging by today's crowd, there was no way he'd get another set if these were damaged. He'd have to wait days, maybe longer—and for someone like Aki Tomoya, a battle-hardened otaku at the absolute peak of his craft, that was simply unthinkable.
Once his hammering heartbeat had calmed, he adjusted his glasses and prepared to give the bastard who knocked him over a piece of his mind. But then—he looked up.
Tall. Broad-shouldered. Stylishly dressed. The dude looked like he walked off a fashion runway. Definitely not someone Tomoya should mess with. With a build like that, a single punch would probably kill him.
Otaku he may be, but stupid he was not.
Besides, just by the guy's outfit and vibe, it was clear—this was a normie. The eternal enemy of all otaku-kind. Picking a fight would be pointless.
He lowered his head silently and opened his bags to start repacking. Some of these items were meant for Eriri. She had been warming up to him again lately—his so-called "childhood friend" had, without hesitation, commanded him to go get this stuff.
What Tomoya didn't expect...
Was that the supposedly normie-looking guy would squat down and start helping him gather his things.
"Huh. At least he's got manners."
Tomoya's mood lightened slightly. Even if they stood on opposite ends of society, a person with proper etiquette deserved respect.
Jinguu You wasn't the arrogant type. Back in his original world, he had always been polite. And even the "him" who existed in this world before he took over wasn't some pompous bastard. Those truly raised in the upper echelons of society often bore themselves with quiet dignity.
And in this case, he had partly caused the collision. He wasn't in a rush anyway. Calmly, he squatted and helped pick up the scattered anime BDs and game discs, placing them neatly back in the large shopping bag.
From start to finish, not a word was exchanged between the two.
The anime series was that mecha show he'd seen trending online—Mobile OX. The game was an unfamiliar bishoujo title. Whether it was R18 or not, he couldn't tell. What surprised Jinguu You, however, was that there weren't just one or two copies—
Every BD and every game disc had three or four duplicates.
"Is this that legendary concept...?" he murmured. "One to watch, one to collect, one to preach with...?"
Tomoya's head snapped up in shock.
He pushed up his glasses again. Despite his track jacket and otaku vibe, there was nothing creepy or shady about him. His eyes were clear and honest—surprisingly likable.
But then he started trembling.
The next moment, he lunged forward, nearly scaring You half to death. He grabbed You's hand in both of his, eyes sparkling.
"You're one of us...! I misjudged you!"
The terminology You had used wasn't something your average normie would know. Tomoya was convinced: this man was one of them—a fellow warrior.
He probably just dressed up fancy to hide his inner otaku nature. Just like a certain someone named Eriri Spencer Sawamura did all the time.
"Ah, no, not really," You said, subtly trying to pull his hand away. Being clung to by another guy felt... awkward. "I've only recently started getting into it. I'm hardly an expert."
Tomoya's eyes sparkled even brighter—like a pervert spotting a rare doujin in mint condition.
So he's a newbie... A potential convert...!
Perfect target for proselytizing!
Tomoya glanced at the ever-growing line, then back at You. He assumed the guy was here to buy the same things he'd just gotten.
"If you get in line now, they'll probably be sold out by the time your turn comes," he warned. "Next time, you gotta show up way earlier."
Then, after a moment of thought, he reached into his bag and pulled out a full set of BD discs and the game.
"These were meant for someone else, but honestly, she's not really into this genre. Even if she gets it a few days later, it's fine. Here—you take these."
Jinguu You stared in stunned silence.
These things weren't cheap, no matter how you looked at it.
Was this guy one of those rich, diehard otaku types who could afford to rot away in Akiba till the end of time?
And this was a gift he had originally bought for someone else! Just like that, he was giving it away?!
Japan... truly was a country full of madmen.
For once, Jinguu You found himself at a loss for words.