The Passive Income System

BEEP! BEEP!

"UGH!" I groaned as the loudest alarm in existence jolted me awake. Turning over, I reached out to silence it and glanced at the time.

[04:30]

"Ugh. Thank God it's Friday." After the hangout on Monday, everything went back to normal. I hadn't received a single text from Sawako or Yume, and I'd been too busy reorganizing the apartment to bother checking in. I did hang out with Yuta and Itsuki on Wednesday, but nothing noteworthy happened.

'Ah, speaking of which, I should check the relationships tab.'

I rubbed my eyes and sat up on the edge of the bed. "Relationships."

[Relationships]

Itsuki (Start of today) —> Tier 4 (25/1,250)

Yuta (Start of today) —> Tier 4 (0/1,250)

Sawako (End of Monday) —> Tier 3 (200/250)

Yume (Start of today) —> Tier 3 (0/250)

Mahiru (Friendly Acquaintance) —> Tier 2 (20/50)

I scratched my head. Right, Yume and I talk quite a bit at school, that explains the small boost. But man, it's getting a lot harder to earn points after Tier 3. I thought I'd see more progress with the guys, considering we've been hanging out all week. Mahiru's increase makes sense since her boost came from that side-quest reward during the basketball game.

With a groan, I got up and headed to the bathroom to get ready for the day. Brushing my teeth, showering, and throwing on some casual clothes, I felt more awake but still a little drowsy. Within no time, I was lounging on the couch, staring at the ceiling, thinking about school.

"I really don't feel like going… yeah, I'll call out today. I also need to prep for Itsuki staying over." As I talked to myself, I glanced toward the kitchen. Empty. I'd been relying on meals from the system lately, so grocery shopping had become a thing of the past. Today, though, I figured I'd switch things up. I'm not some hermit who loves being cooped up all the time, even if it is comfy.

Oh, right. I need to start planning for the Main Quest! Since, I'm definitely going to use the system's money, I'll have to focus on hitting that $50,000 threshold. Let's get that school stuff out of the way first and then head to the store.

In just five minutes, I had the school nonsense sorted and stepped onto my balcony. This apartment was ridiculously nice for a high schooler. Amane's (now my) parents clearly cared a lot, I'd have to pay them back someday!

I slid open the door, and the crisp morning air greeted me like a slap in the face, sweeping away any lingering drowsiness. The world outside was still cloaked in twilight, the moon and stars shimmering above, a perfect embodiment of peace at 5:30 AM.

"Coffee would go great with this. System, coffee please!"

[Medium roast with 5 sugars and light milk: $3.50]

[Transaction completed]

[Item delivered]

I turned around, and there it was—my order, sitting neatly on the small white round table. This system really is something else! Over the last few days, I'd discovered so many features it hadn't explained at all.

For example, I could designate delivery locations and methods. Digital stuff? It automatically went to a new email I'd set up specifically for the system. Physical items? They always appeared in my living room unless I specified otherwise.

Another handy feature was the ability to assign keywords, phrases, or numbers for frequently bought items. It made ordering even faster, a neat little addition. So, I could just say "System One" or "System Cat" and whatever was set would be bought automatically.

And perhaps the coolest but least practical feature? It cost me $500, but it was absolutely worth it: a voice module! The system now spoke with a mature, feminine voice, reminiscent of a caring older sister. Having never had an older sister myself, this felt like a unique opportunity, even if the system couldn't initiate conversations on its own. The only time it ever spoke was when distributing awards or transactions.

"Hah~, I guess I'll head back in. Hm?" A white puff of air escaped as I exhaled. Looking down, I spotted a woman running away from pursuers.

"A movie shooting?" I tilted my head, asking the question to no one in particular. Definitely strange to be doing such things so early, but maybe it was written in the script.

[Side-Quest: Help the girl below]

[All you got to do is help. Nothing more, nothing less.]

[Rewards: A free voucher of $1,000 from the system for the shop.]

Son of a bitch... isn't this the perfect opportunity for that? Hehehe~.

------

{Takina Inoue POV}

"Come here!" One of my annoying pursurers didn't seem to care about waking up everyone and getting us caught. However, from scum like his group it makes sense why should I bother thinking about it. The one thing I should be asking myself is why I decided to listen to Chisato!

Pew~

Bang~!

A bullet shattered a nearby window. Whoever's apartment that was, I truly apologize. I need to think fast though! Any longer and we'll both get caught, not really stealthy to get recorded by onlookers. 

"Just stay sti—GUAH?!"

"Wha—GU?!"

"Fuc—AH?!"

Huh? I spun around, startled by the sudden noises behind me. The men who had been pursuing me were sprawled across the ground, completely unconscious.

Standing over them was a figure I didn't recognize.

How did he get here? His movements were too fast, too precise. Almost like teleportation.

I hesitated, my mind racing. A parachute? A baseball bat? No... his approach was silent and deliberate. Who is he? 

I should thank him—he helped, after all—but my instincts are screaming caution. Trust wasn't something I could afford in a situation like this. I can only guess what kind of weirdo he is.

Still, I kept watching him, weighing my options. Ally or threat? Nobody just intervenes for no reason after all.

---

{Amane's POV}

[Side-quest complete!]

[Voucher can be used anytime.]

I ignored the system prompts. Why the hell is this woman staring at me like that?! This was just a complete coincidence.

One intrusive thought had taken over: dress up like a vigilante and knock out the enemies. It was one of the infinite male fantasies out there, okay?! I had the money and the opportunity, so why wouldn't I?

Sure, purchasing stealth gear, an all-black parachute, and a relatively strong baseball bat wasn't exactly a sound long-term investment. But for one fleeting moment, I kind of felt like Batman. Okay, maybe not as menacing or trained, but you get the idea.

And yes, jumping off my balcony with zero experience using a parachute? Definitely not the brightest idea I've had. But was it worth it? Absolutely.

Intrusive thoughts are dangerous...

I looked at the girl I'd just saved. Her face was mostly obscured by the shadows of the night, but I could feel her gaze. I gave a curt nod and walked away without a word.

Silence is best, I hope we never cross paths again.

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patreon.com/ZektGojo (It isn't complete though I'll be honest I just made it 10 minutes ago on 12/26/24 or 26/12/24)