After setting a timer and starting the gacha game, the first one that wasn't Homu-branded, I settled in. It was vaguely like Genshin Impact, at least on the surface. I spent the next two hours stuck in the usual tutorials, watching endless cutscenes, learning how to pull characters and manage stats. Just as I was mid-fight, my alarm went off. Closing the game, none of the characters were particularly good-looking anyway, I stood up, stretching, and prepared to move out.
First on the agenda was getting a cell plan. The HT&T store was now open, so I headed over. A different person manned the counter compared to yesterday. I explained my situation, and after filling out forms for about thirty minutes and using Kiana's apartment as my address, the city probably wouldn't last long enough for them to send a second bill anyway, it was all done. I thought I'd have to wait for a SIM card to arrive. My phone had an eSIM and the plan was available instantly.
Exiting the store, I couldn't stop a quiet cheer in my head. Now came the next question. Should I go back to Kiana's apartment to check if she'd written her number on the note I'd left or continue shopping for supplies? I figured I'd better go back first because the longer I waited, the higher the chance the note would be lost or tossed.
When I got there, I saw she had indeed left the note outside. On the back, a large phone number was scrawled in pen, along with a little heart. I added the number to my phone and paused for a moment, thinking about what to put as her contact name. In the end, I kept it simple, Kiana.
I stared at my phone, sending a basic hello and half-expecting nothing to happen.
[System: Boring. You need something spicier for a contact name. How about Firecracker, Heartbreaker, or Dangerous Beauty? ☆]
I raised an eyebrow. We don't even have a relationship. We're just temporary roommates.
[System: …Temporary roommates? Achievement unlocked! "And History Would Call Them Roommates" — Temporarily move in with a romantic partner. +200SP]
I blinked at the notification. Really? Shouldn't there be one for adding the contact info of a potential romantic target?
[System: Achievement unlocked! "Contact Card" — Get the phone number of a potential romantic partner! +100SP]
I laughed dryly. Are you just making these up now?
[System: (˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) I have a list. It's not automatic. You have to manually trigger it every time an achievement is completed.✧]
That seems ridiculous. It should probably be automated.
[System: Shocked! You would rather have one of those boring, fully automated systems with no soul? ☆]
Yes. At least then I wouldn't have to listen to your constant bullshit all the time.
[System: You don't have to listen at all. I communicate via text. Just close your eyes.]
I let out a sigh, smiling faintly. I guess that's fair.
Her phone buzzed.
Kiana: Hello this lee?
Lee: Yeah
Kiana: Cool
Kiana: Send a picture
Kiana: So I can add it to your contact
Lee: (Image)
Lee: Pic sent
Kiana: Looks good
Kiana: How do you look so perfect when you didn't even shower and wash up this morning?
Lee: How do you know I didn't shower
Kiana: I would have woken up
Lee: Would you? You seemed pretty dead to the world to me
Lee: Also you drool
Kiana: No I don't
Lee: You sleep with your mouth open
Lee: Your a mouth breather (deleted)
Lee: How do you not know if you drool or not
Kiana: I dont, I am a pretty girl, pretty girls dont drool
Lee: Pretty sure you do that whenever you see another girl
Kiana: Only in rare cases
Lee: How's it going with your friend?
Kiana: Not well
Kiana: I may have overstated our relationship
Kiana: She doesn't want to talk to me
Lee: What did you do?
Kiana: Nothing!
Kiana: She doesn't want to talk with anyone
Kiana: Apparently her dad got arrested or something
Kiana: Her friends are being super mean to her
Lee: This is the perfect time to press the attack!
Kiana: Okay!
Kiana: It didn't work
Kiana: She told me to fuck off
Lee: Did she say that?
Kiana: No she said to leave
Lee: Don't you hang out all the time?
Kiana: Actually it was just once
Kiana: And all her other friends were there too
Kiana: And it was for a school project
Lee: Do you even know each other at all?
Kiana: She just left
Kiana: I've spent a lot of time watching her
Kiana: So I think I know her very well
Lee: Isn't that just called being a stalker?
Kiana: No.
Lee: Well whatever
Lee: You need to talk with her
Lee: Especially if she is not doing great
Lee: You seem great at cheering people up
Kiana: Thanks
Kiana: Will try and approach again later
Kiana: She is staring at me through the window rn
Lee: Probably things your gossiping, you should stop texting
Kiana: Okay
Kiana: See you later I guess
Lee put away her phone and pulled up the Romance Map, tapping on the pin she'd already placed for the clothing store, then started walking.
The store itself was bright and inviting, with large windows that displayed mannequins in trendy outfits. A pastel sign with bubbly letters spelled out the store's name above the entrance. Inside, the air smelled faintly of perfume and fabric softener.
A young woman behind the counter looked up as Lee entered. "Hi there! You're so cute! Come on, let's find something amazing for you!" She clapped her hands together and immediately started pulling racks toward Lee, including several racks of dresses.
Lee smiled politely. "Thanks… I need something I can move around in easily, though. Preferably pants." She paused, then added, "I do martial arts."
The clerk blinked, a little stunned. "Oh… wow. That's… totally a waste!" she said, laughing. "But no worries, I can help you find something perfect."
She held up a pastel pink dress with a flared skirt that ended just above the knee, decorated with tiny embroidered flowers along the hem. The fitted bodice had delicate lace trim, and the short puffed sleeves gave it a playful, youthful look. "This is so cute on you! It would be perfect for spring walks or cute dates," the clerk said, eyes sparkling.
Lee shook her head. "I don't think I can move around easily in something like that. I really need pants."
The clerk pouted briefly but then brightened. "Okay, okay, I get it! Let's find you something practical too."
They moved through the racks together. Finally, they settled on an outfit that was more practical. Fitted, flexible black pants with subtle design stitching along the sides, a soft, breathable long-sleeve top in bright blue, and a lightweight black military jacket with hidden pockets and adjustable sleeves. A pair of supportive sneakers completed the set. All in all, after tying up her hair, she looked like someone about to go on a morning run.
"There!" the clerk said proudly. "Not that cute, but you look cool."
Lee nodded. "Perfect." She glanced at the mirror, noting that it wasn't strange enough that she would stand out while still being completely practical. Since her blessing of Abundance seemed to keep her body and clothes perfectly clean, she only needed the one outfit for now, but she got another identical set just in case.
After paying and walking out of the store, she pulled out her phone before snapping a selfie and sending it to Kiana.
Lee: (Image)
Kiana: Looks even better than before, especially with your hair tied up
Kiana: You still need a uniform though, that definitely doesn't fit the uniform code.
Lee: Can I borrow from you for a little while, since we are the same size, I plan to do something about the uniform situation in a couple of days
Kiana: Sure, but why wait so long?
Lee: I hate school, I don't plan on going for as long as possible
Lee wasn't exactly eager to repeat high school, and didn't really want to be at ground zero when the third eruption started.
[System: (╥‸╥) That's not very nice, especially since we put so much work into getting you into this school.]
How much work was that exactly? Lee asked silently. It had all seemed to happen almost instantly.
[System: You had to be registered across hundreds of documents to give you a legal identity.]
All forgeries, Lee thought.
[System: (˶˃⤙˂˶) Exactly. Took a lot of effort to forge all those documents.]
Will I get caught for identity fraud?
[System: ദ്ദി(ᵔᗜᵔ) As long as nobody looks too closely, things should be fine.]
…
That's not reassuring at all, Lee thought, pinching the bridge of her nose.
Lee paused outside the store, glancing down at the small bag holding an identical outfit and her old clothing. She frowned. Great, now where am I supposed to put this? She probably should have grabbed a backpack first.
Wait… the system shop has backpacks, she thought, pulling her phone back out.
System, if I store a backpack from the shop in my inventory, will the items inside it be stored too?
[System: No! Only the backpack itself is stored. Everything else falls out.]
Who exactly decided on this arbitrary limitation to the inventory system? Lee muttered.
[System: (˶˃⤙˂˶) Romance Inventory, not just "inventory."]
Whatever, Lee sighed.
[System: Only romance items can be stored in the Romance Inventory because they are enchanted with the power of romance.]
…The power of romance? she asked. Some form of imaginary energy, she guessed.
[System: (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶) Precisely! It grants a +2 buff to Charisma!]
What exactly does "+2" mean in this situation? Especially for something as arbitrary as Charisma. Does it work like charm? And how exactly does it apply anyway, do I need to be holding the item, or is it bound to the wielder? Could I stack a ton of romance items to have infinite Charisma?
[System: System buffs do not stack! You only need to possess the item for the buff to apply.]
[System: ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧ It is a global passive!]
No controversy has ever come from a global passive, Lee thought wryly, raising an eyebrow at the idea.
Lee still bought a backpack anyway, picking the biggest one with the most pockets. Under color selection, she chose black, which bumped the price up to nearly 600 SP—compared to the default bright pink at only 150 SP.
Speaking of SP… System, how much is the gacha?
[System: Each pull costs 160 SP!]
…160? That doesn't exactly fit the system's usual increments of 50 SP it's given me so far, she muttered.
Suddenly, her SP total jumped by 1.
541 SP.
Lee let out a small groan. Yeah… that hurts a little inside.
It seems like the system can arbitrarily hand out SP, she added.
[System: ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡ That 1 SP is from completing a tutorial! ]
…What tutorial exactly?
[System: The Gacha Price Tutorial!]
That was a tutorial? Lee thought, and why didn't I get 1 SP for anything else?
[System: ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) I skipped all the other tutorials because they were boring!]
…How exactly are they boring if they consist of a single line, like this one? You absolutely must be trolling me intentionally, Lee thought sharply.
[System: I am firmly not trolling you!]
Lee sighed and hefted her new backpack, carefully stuffing in the clothes and other items she had picked up. She opened the romance map, ready to click on the sports supply store she had pinned earlier.
Then she paused. Wait… I actually have a functional phone now.
She unpinned the store from the romance map, instead entering it into her phone's navigation app. Much more practical.
[System: (╥﹏╥)]
With directions ready, she started heading in the direction of the sports supply store.