[You have received a new property! You are now the owner of your apartment building. You will receive monthly revenue from tenants and live rent-free.]
LET'S GOOOO!Your boy just ascended the social ladder—straight to landlord status!
While Akira did a celebratory fist pump that would put any anime protagonist to shame, several documents materialized in his hands. Fancy ones.Official-looking ones.
Yup. It was real.He owned the building now.
[Don't worry about liability or responsibilities. The system will handle everything. You just focus on improving yourself.]
"System… you beautiful, omnipotent life-hack of a being. I don't say this often, but I love you."
Finally, things were turning around.No more crushing bills. No more relying on leftovers and cup ramen.
Maybe this life was going to work out.Maybe this time… he really could overcome his issues.
But wait—back to the important part.
— "How much does this place make, anyway?"
[This building has 8 floors, with 6 apartments on each. Monthly rent is ¥300,000. After maintenance and staff costs, your net income is ¥10,000,000.]
Akira froze.
"…Ten… million?!"
His eyes sparkled with the light of a thousand lottery winners.
"GOODBYE, FINANCIAL STRUGGLES! HELLO, LUXURY! Women! Booze! Dr—"
[Stop. You wouldn't dare do any of that.]
"Tsk. Don't ruin my vibe, system!"
Still, he had to admit—it was a ridiculous amount of money for a sixteen-year-old with zero life experience.But why stop here?
— "Let's aim for ten times more!"
[Ambition is good. But don't lose sight of what matters.]
"Right. Totally. I'll be responsible. Eventually."
With that incredible news in the bag, Akira knew one thing for sure:
— "Sleeping tonight is gonna be easy mode."
The Next Morning
Akira woke up feeling like royalty.
The sun? Brighter.The walls? Whiter.The air? Scented with success.
— "So this is what being rich feels like? Everything's beautiful!"
Grinning like a fool, he skipped into the kitchen and threw together a basic breakfast.
— "This tastes better than usual… Not quite as good as Mahiru's cooking yesterday, but still. Progress."
[Cooking – Level 2.]
"Let's gooo! Slowly but surely, I'm becoming a domestic god."
After his meal, he did his usual morning routine. Jog, stretch, light workout. Same as always.
[Physical Conditioning – Level 2.]
"Hah! This is getting better and better, baby!"
But the real surprise of the morning came when he returned and saw Mahiru Shiina entering her apartment.
This was it.A chance for redemption. No more hiding!
— No running away this time.
Without waiting for the system to push him, Akira did the unthinkable:
He took a step forward.Voluntarily.
— "G-Good morning, Shiina-san."
Caught slightly off guard, Mahiru turned and smiled.
— "Good morning, Kurosawa-san."
[Congratulations. You're growing.]
That was it. Just a simple greeting.
But for Akira?A massive step forward.
[Mission: Improve Yourself! – Talk to someone at school. – Make a friend.Reward: ???]
"…Wait, what?! I just said hi and now we're jumping to making friends?! That's a whole arc!"
[You can do it.]
"Talking to someone is doable… but friendship? That's a whole side quest with emotional damage!"
[You already have someone who could become your friend: your neighbor.]
"…Fair point. Still. This is a lot."
[Put in the effort and you'll see the rewards. Trust me.]
"…You're not just a system. You're my dad. My mom. My big bro. My life coach. Thanks for having my back."
Maybe… just maybe…
This time, I'll get it right.