“Be a Hero for 5,000 Yen an Hour.”
That suspicious advertisement caught Takashi’s eye on a bulletin board near the station.
“…What the hell is this?”
Just out of college, drifting from one part-time job to another without a steady income, Takashi scanned the QR code with his phone, mostly out of boredom. What popped up was a simple application form and a few disclaimers:
Suit rental is free
No special powers included
Client requests are unrestricted
—It sounded like a joke. But if he could become a “hero” for just 5,000 yen, maybe it was worth trying. That’s what he thought.
Hour 1: Hero Suit and Public Stares
The next day, Takashi visited the designated office building, where a red and black suit awaited him. It looked more legit than he expected. Striking a pose in front of the mirror, he had to admit—it didn’t look half bad.
The staff only gave one explanation:
“A hero is a hero from the moment they believe they are one.”
Wearing the suit, Takashi stepped out into the city.
And immediately—people started looking at him differently.
“Hey, check that out.”
“That guy… kinda looks like a hero, doesn’t he?”
He drew glances from passersby. A child pointed and shouted “Look!”, while a couple giggled as they walked by.
(…Whoa, this isn’t so bad.)
Feeling a bit bold, he slowed his pace, soaking in the attention—when suddenly, someone called out to him.
“Um… excuse me.”
Turning around, he saw a woman in her thirties standing anxiously.
“I think… I’ve been followed by a strange man for a while now…”
(…You’re kidding.)
He never expected to be relied on for something real. But with the suit on, he couldn’t just walk away.
“Don’t worry, I’m with you.”
Saying it made him feel a bit self-conscious—but when he saw her face soften in relief, it didn’t feel bad at all.
They walked together for a while, and by the time they neared her home, the man following her had vanished.
“Thank you so much, Mr. Hero.”
At that moment, a warm feeling bloomed in Takashi’s chest.
Hour 2: Borrowed Hero
After that, Takashi continued doing “heroic” things—carrying groceries for an elderly person, helping a lost tourist find their way.
But as the rental time neared its end, a wave of clarity hit him.
(…Once I take off this suit, I’m just a part-time nobody.)
For the past hour, he acted the part because he was given a role to play. But was that truly what he wanted to do?
(…In the end, I’m just a borrowed hero.)
A sense of emptiness crept in.
Final Hour: A True Hero
Just as Takashi turned to head back to the building—
At the intersection ahead, a grade schooler on a bicycle lost balance and toppled into the street.
At the same time, a truck’s horn blared.
—Before he could think, Takashi ran.
“Watch out!”
He threw himself forward, grabbing the child and tumbling onto the sidewalk. The truck screeched past with a piercing brake sound.
His breath was ragged. His hands trembled.
“…Th-thank you, mister.”
Looking at the kid’s face, Takashi finally realized what he had done.
(This time… I didn’t move because of the suit. I moved because I chose to.)
Slowly, he stood up.
In the distance, applause broke out. Someone whispered, “He’s a hero…”
This time, the words struck straight into his heart.
—He was no longer a borrowed hero.
The rental period was over. But Takashi had, without a doubt, become a hero through his own will.
On his way home, he looked up once more at the bulletin board by the station.
“Be a Hero for 5,000 Yen an Hour.”
Now, he understood exactly what those words meant.
