With that, Noa left his seat.
Hana followed him closely, and they both approached the counter to pay for their meal.
The table, on the other hand, remained silent.
Mr. James—no, James—froze in shock and anger, his blood pressure rising. Funnily enough, his face turned red with rage, and all he wanted was to tear Noa to shreds.
"Let's see how you will escape from here," he mumbled. "There is no way you can afford that wine."
His companions didn't say a word, curious to see the situation unfold.
Noa, however, remained calm.
His face showed utmost confidence, and Hana also mimicked his expression, acting like a rich lady whose every wish would be fulfilled.
Soon, the waiter gave him a receipt and a scanner. "Would you mind tapping your card here, sir?" he asked politely, his head hanging low.
Without blinking, Noa slipped his card out.
In a moment, the machine made a soft beep sound, and the waiter smiled deeply. "Thank you for dining with us. Please visit again."
Seeing this, Hana held her head high.
She even giggled and proudly glanced at the table, as if reminding them that she was right.
The people in question, however, broke the silence.
They whispered among themselves, fascinated by how capable Noa turned out to be—especially after hearing about his previous situation.
Under the table, James' hands trembled.
He wanted to teach Noa a lesson—to show him that he shouldn't mess with adults.
But now, everything went down the drain.
He was left with nothing but confusion and anger. "Impossible!" he shouted out of nowhere, standing up so abruptly that his chair toppled over.
The sounds echoed through the restaurant.
As heads turned in his direction, James' ego was set ablaze again. "A brat like you should be groveling at my feet. How dare you act up and humiliate me?"
He roared as if he had lost his mind.
The wine had about 15% alcohol, enough to get a man drunk after drinking more than three glasses.
That's why he was so easily agitated.
But the restaurant staff members didn't care. The guards arrived momentarily and escorted him out, even blacklisting him from the café.
He continued shouting all the way to the exit as the guards dragged him out.
Soon, his voice grew fainter, and the guests returned to their meal, shaking their heads at the scene.
Still, they quickly forgot about the drunk man after the manager rushed forward and apologized for the commotion.
She even personally spoke to Noa. "Sorry for the disturbance. We will ensure this never happens again and… have a great night."
Noa nodded slightly at her words.
He knew he couldn't blame the personnel for James' outburst.
Hana, however, seemed glad to be treated so politely.
She even flashed an adorable grin at the manager before leaving the café with Noa.
They stepped out of the mall, leaving its lustrous hallways and amazing experiences behind. They were holding countless bags full of freshly bought items.
Just as Noa was about to catch a taxi, a voice cut through the air.
"Wait!"
Noa turned towards it, curious to see who was calling him.
It was the blonde woman, hurrying after him and stopping to catch her breath. Then, she reached into her purse, pulling out a sleek business card.
"My name is Clara," she said softly. "You did great, shaming that bastard. I would love to meet you again to discuss something. You can contact me through that."
Clara pressed the card in his hand.
Her eyes shone with interest. But it wasn't exactly romantic, more so from professional curiosity.
Noa knew that as well.
He looked at the woman for a moment, then at the card. "We will see," he muttered and walked away without adding anything.
The taxi ride back home was peaceful.
Noa couldn't remember the last time he had used anything other than public transport.
This time, he was enjoying the comfort while the trunk was full of clothes and other essentials he had bought with Hana.
Speaking of the girl, the second she put her head on Noa's shoulder, she dozed off.
Hana had the time of her life.
She did practically everything she dreamed of doing in a single day.
That's why she was too exhausted to move, leaving Noa alone with his thoughts.
Noa's life changed.
It happened quickly and abruptly.
Now he knew what trajectory his future would take. The money would come, and he could finally pay off the debts.
With that, he could also purchase a new house in a better neighborhood.
Hana could go to a better school, get tutors, eat healthy food, and wear nice clothes. She would live a life he never had.
That was one of Noa's ultimate dreams.
Now it was within his reach, and after getting out of the taxi, he gently placed the girl in her bed.
She was still sound asleep when Noa sat down, glancing at the empty table where his old PC should have been.
He didn't really mind that it was gone now.
Instead, he looked at the system notification that popped up right after completing the mission.
[Quest Completed]
[Requirement: Spend $10,000 in one day]
[Reward: The money you spent will be returned to you this one time]
Reading the message, Noa couldn't help but grin. Even after spending $10,000, he was about to receive it back, and though it was only a one-time thing, he was glad to have free money.
His new balance was updated instantly.
[Account balance: $10,111.37]
Only moments ago, Noa was broke again. Yet the system showed mercy, giving him more spending money before streaming became his main source of income.
Just as he relaxed in his chair, thinking how to start the next stream, another notification blinked into existence.
[New quest available]
[Start your first official stream before midnight]
There was one more.
[New quest available]
[Reach either 100 live viewers or 25 subscribers]
"Well then," Noa snorted, smiling. "Pull me back in. I want to talk to those losers."
He couldn't even blink.
The scenery before him shifted, replaced by familiar darkness and streaming interfaces around him.