She turned and walked away, leaving Specs standing completely still, his jaw slack. He had been out-nerded. He retreated to the alley in a state of academic shock.

Huddled back in the alley for what felt like the fifth time, Keldric slumped against the cold brick. They had failed. Every single attempt, a unique and spectacular catastrophe. He looked at his companions: a hero from a cartoon, a fashionista, a gym bro, an academic fraud, and an emo poet. Then he looked at his own hands, remembering his fumbled words, the sting of the slap, the sheer cringing awkwardness of it all.

It’s not just them, he thought, a wave of cold, bleak clarity washing over him. I’m part of the problem. I’ve read a thousand stories about the hero gathering his party, but I have no idea how to actually... talk to people. Especially women. I’ve become the trope.

He was the socially awkward Isekai protagonist. And he had absolutely no idea what to do next.

A soft voice suddenly came from the entrance of the alley.

“Um... Excuse me.”