The Reluctant protagonist

Aunt Ichigo

I wrapped my leg carefully making sure to make it tight and secure. It was a painful process but it meant I wouldn't be falling down again for the next random character to offer to give me a piggy back home. I looked at the cat who was still circling me and muttered.

"I hope you're happy now"

"Of course I'm not happy! You fell on top of me! I demand compensation!" The cat yowled back.

I was already prepared for that though, my headphones securely in place and my music blaring. I didn't hear a thing! Picking myself off the ground I tested my newly bound ankle and determined it would be fine for the short walk to the last house on my route. Heading back would probably have been the easier course but I didn't want to let plot developments ruin my life and so I dragged myself to the front of the house right when the occupant walked out to grab his newspaper.... He had green hair and green eyes covered by a stylish pair of glasses. He looked quite young, though he was obviously older than me by at least half a decade. I didn't even see him, I just threw the newspaper at the front door and hobbled on my merry way.

"Hey wait!" he called after me

When I get home I'll put some ice on my ankle, then I think I'll let dad cook breakfast for once and have myself a nice relaxing day

I felt a presence behind me and when it reached towards me I grabbed its hand and judo flipped it. Then kept on walking.

Maybe I can talk dad into making me something special for dinner, I am injured after all

~~~

On the ground I felt dazed, the girl who delivered my newspaper kept walking as if nothing had happened. I picked myself back up and decided not to follow through with my plan. I had noticed her hobbling and was going to ask her if she wanted to borrow a crutch. I have a stock of them since I'm pretty accident prone myself. I headed back towards my house to read my newly delivered newspaper.

~~~

Home at last!

"Dad! I'm home!" I called out, hobbling towards the fridge to get some ice for my ankle

"Welcome back sweety!" he called back from the back porch.

I wrapped some ice in a cloth and headed towards the voice feeling exhausted despite it being so early in the day.

"Hey dad, you'll never guess what happened today!"

I stopped in my tracks as I noticed someone else was on the porch with dad. It was a lady I had never seen before. She had bright pink hair and a mole in the shape of a star on her left cheek. She had the most striking green eyes I had ever seen and she was dressed in a business suit that was pale pink with black trim. A tiny part of me hoped at her identity but I knew there was no way she could be my mum. A main character like her wouldn't have left us all alone the day I was born. My mum had to be an ordinary person with black hair and small eyes. But still, I hoped.

"Hello dear" the lady said with a smile getting up from her seated position next to dad. "I haven't seen you since you were this big!" she held out her hands to about the size of a large watermelon.

"Hey Honey, this is your aunt, Ichigo" dad explained, gesturing to the strange woman

"Look how beautiful you've grown!" Aunt Ichigo exclaimed

"Nice to meet you Aunt Ichigo" I replied formally with a bow, I wasn't used to meeting family members, they had mostly abandoned us when my condition had been discovered.

"So formal! Why don't you give your aunty a hug?" my aunt seemed to launch herself at me, squishing my face into her what I only just noticed were rather large breasts. "We have sooooo much catching up to do!"

I didn't even struggle from the embrace, I just stood there awkwardly waiting for her to stop, I generally avoided well-endowed people for this very reason. Finally dad pried her off of me, a worried look on his face.

"What's wrong with your foot honey?" he had noticed the bandage "did you twist your ankle again?"

"What's this!" Ichigo cried, pushing me down and grabbing my foot for closer examination "Have you reached this part so soon!" She seemed to be getting excited. "SO what's his name? Is he handsome? Of course he's handsome! Tell me everything!" she demanded

"Let her go Ichigo!" dad demanded, once more prying her off me. "she isn't like you"

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked in confusion "don't tell me!..."

"Yes, she's going to decide her own destiny"

"And you're letting her! You know what happens when people do that!" She screeched "people get hurt!"

What she said was true, I had known for a while now that my refusals often lead people in to difficult situations but is it really my responsibility to sacrifice myself just to stop a few minor inconveniences? True it meant I didn't stop the alien attack last week but the countless other magical girls dealt with it without a hitch and true I put some responsibilities on other people but they could always refuse as well! It's not my fault that the universe is against me!

"Don't go blaming her for the will of the universe!" dad defended me

I got up from the floor, dusted myself off and retrieved the cloth of ice that had flown out of my hand when I was pushed to the floor. Then I left. I couldn't deal with this person who was like me but didn't understand...

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