Thirty years old, this was the turning point of Katsuro’s life. Cross-referencing the complete literary works of the genre, Katsuro determined that his Isekai chances at this point were now at the pinnacle! He remained cellibate to ensure he was a 30-year old virgin. He refused to look for work to establish his NEET status.1 He ate poorly, punishing his body day-in and day-out to reach the form of the perfect Isekai main character.

He had analyzed the tropes of the genre extensively in order to become the ideal protagonist.

Now Katsuro was watching over the girls of the local highschools, eagerly waiting for the opportunity to throw himself in front of a truck to save one of them.2 He waited and waited, but the only opportunities that arose were intense lines of questioning by local peace officers.

…

“You should have gone for the overworked salary-man route. At least then you could just keel over and die from overexertion”, said Katsuro ONE

“Absolutely not! The previous life is the most important part of an isekai. The unaccomplished NEET serves as the perfect foil for a redemption storyline!”, said Katsuro TWO

This was not an actual conversation between split personalities in Katsuro’s mind. Rather, he was simply imitating inner monologues from Light Novels he had read beforehand. In terms of delusional Otaku, Katsuro stood alone as the most hopeless in all of Japan!

In contrast to his rational shortcomings, Katsuro had developed quite a repertoire of skills in order to prepare himself for his otherworldly journey. Many Isekai protagonists introduce a variety of modern technology when they reach their new world. Wells, steam engines, and agricultural systems being built from scratch were commonplace in the genre. For an Isekai author it was a simple literary device, but for Katsuro it took him years and years of cumulative study and practice to hone such a knowledgebase.

If he had not determined himself to be completely divorced from the productive world, he had more than enough useful skills to become a normal member of society. Was he to give away his two decades of preparation all because he could not find a highschool girl in front of a runaway truck?!?

“Many isekais stories don’t use a damsel-in-distress anyhow, so simply jumping in front of a truck should be enough…”

Katsuro looked longingly at the passing vehicles.

He was a man who sacrificed two decades of his life towards the fever-dream idea that Isekai was real. He was nothing if not dedicated. Could such a man compromise on one of the most important events in an Isekai plotline?

…

Time would relentlessly carry on, while Katsuro chased his improbable ‘ideal death scene’ he planned all those years ago.

…

…

“Damn…”

“I really want to be killed by Truck-kun.”2

That was Katsuro’s last thought, as he died quietly in his sleep at the age of 32.

…

…

…

Devoid of any meaningful awareness, a new voice rang out in his mind.

“I hear the yearning of your heart, my child… ”

Was this the call of another world, or simply just another one of Katsuro’s delusions?

Notes:

1 A majority of isekais have protagonists who are NEETs (Not in Education, Employment or Training) or in some field where they are commonly overworked till death (Doctor, Programmer, etc.)

2 So many isekai stories have a Truck accident as the inciting incident that readers have coined the term “Truck-kun” - to personify the friendly Truck that sends you to the next world.