Souta curled up in a corner of the kitchen.

  Far from the eyes.

  Far from the laughter.

  Far from any dignity.

  Head down.

  Hands on his knees.

  He took a deep breath.

  His voice came out low, almost swallowed by the clatter of dishes.

  — I just wanted to be a hero.

  — Not the kind from stories or movies.

  — A real one.

  — Someone who saves lives.

  Pause.

  Burning memories.

  — My dream was to be a firefighter.

  — Since I was a kid, I imagined myself running through flames.

  — Rescuing people.

  — Bringing hope.

  He closed his eyes.

  As if trying to erase everything.

  — But life...

  — Life likes to toy with dreams.

  Before high school, the diagnosis came.

  Cardiovascular problems.

  Weak heart.

  Even weaker dreams.

  — I had to give up before I even tried.

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  His chest tightened.

  Heat became the enemy.

  Fire, summer, even hot soup.

  — I started hating warm places.

  — So... I sold ice cream.

  — I know it sounds silly.

  — But at least it made someone smile.

  He looked around.

  Sadness and disappointment mixed together.

  — And now...

  — Even with this second chance...

  — In this world full of magic...

  — I'm still useless.

  Silence.

  Almost poetic.

  — Maybe that's it.

  — Some of us are born to... fail.

  He raised his head.

  Looked at the ceiling.

  Or maybe at the void.

  — If this is a hero cliché...

  — Where’s my upgrade package and new stats?

  A short laugh.

  Bitter.

  — Damn kingdom.

  ?

  Loose thoughts. Pure sarcasm.

  “Ah yes. A summoned hero who can’t even hold a fork. This’ll go down in history as the guy who saved the world... from his own hunger.”

  “I just wanted to save lives. But apparently, my role is saving dirty dishes.”

  “If I’m going to be rejected by everything and everyone, they could’ve at least sent me to a world with free desserts.”

  “Well, at least I don’t have to worry about income tax here. Small victories, right?”

  “Maybe I should open a school: How to Be Completely Useless in Fantasy Worlds. Bet it’d be a smash hit.”

  “Seems like destiny decided my only weapon would be my uselessness. Not for fighting... just for collecting dust.”

  “If uselessness were a skill, I’d be the most overpowered protagonist in this kingdom.”

  “Oh, so this is the moment the secret hero reveals his hidden power, right? No? Okay. Back to washing dishes.”

  “At this rate, my next big achievement will be... not slipping while mopping the floor.”

  “Can’t wait for the chapter where the legendary spoon saves the day. Someone write that down.”

  ?

  Souta sighed.

  The kitchen stayed alive.

  But he...

  He was just starting to wake up.