By 10:12 a.m., Amano Haruya had walked 6,011 steps.
He hadn't left his apartment out of habit—only necessity. His legs felt oddly light now, not just from sleep but from something else. The system had been silent since dawn, but its interface flickered calmly in the edge of his vision like an ambient presence—responsive but unobtrusive.
He stood still in front of a vending machine, holding a lukewarm oolong tea in one hand and watching the step counter update in real-time.
¥20,500.
It felt impossible. But it wasn't. The bank app confirmed it. His legs had printed money—legally, visibly, and without question.
[Daily Login Reward Available]
[Claim Reward?]
"Yes," Haruya muttered quietly, breath fogging in the chilly air.
The interface flickered.
[Reward Granted: Men's Luxury Watch – Achéon Type-F (Retail ¥670,000)]
[Item delivered to PO box. Authenticated. Ownership verified.]
He blinked.
He'd never even worn a watch worth more than ¥2,000, and now he legally owned something only seen in glass display cases in Ginza.
A sleek icon pulsed beside the message.
[System Suggestion: Establish Controlled Identity Layer]
"Begin segmenting ownership, spending, and mobility to avoid pattern exposure."
He raised an eyebrow. "You're warning me to avoid standing out?"
Correct. You are legally funded. Not culturally recognized. Visibility will attract scrutiny before legitimacy."
He smirked faintly. The system wasn't just mechanical—it was coldly pragmatic. He liked that.
By noon, Haruya was walking through Kita-Senju's back streets, testing something new: route repetition, speed changes, terrain inclines. The system didn't favor any pattern. Steps were steps.
At 9,800 steps, the system chimed again.
[Task Generated: "Use step-earned income to obtain something with permanent passive value, capped at ¥10,000."]
Reward: Increased system favorability.
He stopped walking.
Permanent value. Less than ¥10,000. No reselling, no manipulation. Real use.
He paced slowly. Thought harder.
A few minutes later, he detoured toward a 24-hour soba shop where an old man was unpacking dusty vending capsules onto a sidewalk mat. Haruya recognized the setup—it was an off-the-books clearance of old capsule toy stock. Kids' junk, mostly.
But something sat beneath the crates: a thin manila folder.
"Selling lease sheets too?" Haruya asked, calm.
The man looked up. "Eh? This? Old vending license. My son stopped renewing it."
"Where is it registered?"
"Near Ohanajaya station. Crappy corner spot. You want?"
"How much?"
"Eight thousand flat. I was just gonna shred it."
Ten minutes later, Haruya scanned the QR code on the bottom of the sheet and pulled up the digital copy through the Tokyo Metro leasing office archive. The license was inactive—but not expired. Just dormant. He only had to pay the processing fee to reactivate the right to operate.
He tapped [Confirm] on the portal and watched ¥1,200 disappear from his bank account.
The license status changed to:
ACTIVE – Operator: Amano Haruya
[Task Complete]
Step efficiency increased. System favorability: +2%
[New Status: Passive Asset Registered – Vending Lease (Ohanajaya 3-Chome)]
It was real. His first real asset. Not something flashy—not a car, not a watch, not shares in a massive firm.
Just a vending lease. A slab of sidewalk. But it was his. And it would stay his.
That night, Haruya visited his PO box.
Inside was the watch, presented in minimalist black packaging with the brand embossed across the lid in gold foil. He tried it on. It fit perfectly.
In the subway mirror, he looked like someone who didn't belong in the basement he called home.
And yet—he didn't feel like an impostor.
He returned home, turned off the light, and lay down as the system chimed once more.
[Step Count Today: 17,219]
[Total Deposit: ¥17,219]
[Asset Portfolio: 1 Active Lease | 1 Vehicle | 1 Luxury Good]
[Progress: Acceptable.]
Haruya smiled into the dark.
And tomorrow, he would walk further.