Jun sat cross-legged on his mattress, a half-eaten cup of noodles cooling beside him. The room was still, the silence broken only by the occasional buzz of a motorbike from the street below.
The system screen hovered at the edge of his vision, faint and quiet now. He hadn't summoned it. He didn't need to. The messages still echoed in his head.
[System Notice – Presence Noticed]
Observation logged: Local peer identified.
Emotional Tone: Focus required.
He replayed the moment in his mind—how the barista at Bean & Bite had just stood there, arms crossed, watching. No reaction. No smile. No interest. Just cold observation.
Jun took a bite of noodles, then pushed the cup away. His appetite had faded.
"Was it that obvious I was just a guy on the street?"
He shook the thought away. He didn't have time for doubt.
Instead, he opened the system screen.
[XP: 145]
[Unlocked Tools: Beginner Brewing Kit]
[Unlocked Passive: Calm Under Pressure]
[Next Task Available – Public Recognition Questline: Locked]
Requirement: Establish repeat exposure in a fixed location.
[Side Quest Available – Speed Brew Challenge: Optional]
Serve 3 customers within 20 minutes.
Reward: 20 XP + Brewing Speed Buff
Jun frowned. "Recognition, huh?"
He looked around his tiny room. The walls were still peeling. The faucet still dripped. And the countdown on rent hadn't stopped ticking.
[Time Remaining – 2 Days, 4 Hours]
Jun closed the screen and stood up.
He didn't have the luxury of chasing optional quests—not when rent was hanging over him like a noose.
[System Sync – Path Integrity Verified]
Emotional Drift: Stable
Flow Signature: Stylsite08
Copying disrupts emotional balance.
Original work by Stylsite08. Do not repost or distribute without permission. All rights reserved.