6:30 AM.
Vash slowly opened his eyes.
For a few seconds, he didn't remember where he was.
Then he heard familiar sounds from outside.
Clatter.
The sound of boiling water.
The sizzle of something frying.
He smiled.
He was home.
Vash slowly sat up and looked at his legs.
They still felt weak, but they weren't as heavy as yesterday.
The transparent system appeared before him.
---
[ORDINARY SYSTEM]
Host: Vash
Age: 14
Level: 1
Physical Attributes
Strength: 6.0 / 10
Agility: 5.0 / 10
Endurance: 4.0 / 10
Reaction: 5.0 / 10
Recovery Data
Rehabilitation Progress: 0.1
Walking Stability: 0.1
System Points: 1 / 100
---
Vash stared at the numbers.
"Still weak."
[Correct.]
Vash frowned.
"You could at least say something encouraging."
[The system provides accurate information.]
"You're terrible at motivation."
[Statement noted.]
Vash couldn't help smiling.
He slowly stood beside the bed.
His legs trembled.
He held onto the wall.
One step.
Then another.
He stopped and took a breath.
Yesterday, ten steps had felt impossible.
Today, getting out of bed already felt slightly easier.
Maybe that counted as progress.
---
When Vash entered the restaurant, the smell of freshly cooked food immediately surrounded him.
His grandmother was already working in the kitchen.
His grandfather was wiping the tables.
"Good morning," Vash said.
Both turned toward him.
Grandma smiled.
"You're awake early."
"I heard you two making noise."
Grandpa laughed.
"We're running a restaurant. What did you expect?"
Vash looked around.
The restaurant looked exactly as he remembered.
Six wooden tables.
An old refrigerator.
A faded counter.
The small kitchen.
And the sign outside:
GRANDPA'S NOODLES
It wasn't a fancy restaurant.
It wasn't large.
But it had something better.
Customers.
The first customer entered just a few minutes later.
"Morning!"
Grandpa smiled.
"Morning, Sharma. The usual?"
"Chicken noodles."
"Coming right up."
Vash watched his grandfather prepare the order.
Another customer entered.
"One egg noodles!"
Then another.
"Chicken fried rice!"
The restaurant slowly became busy.
Vash smiled.
He had forgotten how lively this place could become in the morning.
Grandpa's Noodles had always been cheap.
That was one of the reasons people loved it.
Grandpa's Noodles
Vegetable Noodles — $1.50
Egg Noodles — $2.00
Chicken Noodles — $2.50
Vegetable Fried Rice — $2.00
Egg Fried Rice — $2.50
Chicken Fried Rice — $3.00
Fried Chicken, 2 pieces — $3.00
Chicken Soup — $1.50
Tea — $0.50
The prices were low enough for students, workers, and families.
But people didn't come only because the food was cheap.
They came because it tasted good.
Really good.
Some customers had been eating here for years.
An elderly man took his usual seat.
A school student came in with two friends.
A mechanic from the neighborhood ordered fried chicken.
Everyone seemed to know Vash's grandparents.
One customer noticed Vash.
He froze.
"Wait..."
He stared at him for several seconds.
"Is that Vash?"
Grandpa smiled.
"Yes."
The man's face immediately brightened.
"You're awake!"
Vash nodded.
"Yeah."
The man smiled.
"Your grandfather kept telling us you'd come back."
Vash looked at his grandfather.
Grandpa simply continued wiping the table.
Vash's chest felt warm.
His grandparents had been waiting for him.
And so had the people who came to this little restaurant every day.
---
Around noon, the restaurant finally became quieter.
The door opened again.
Rohan walked in carrying a backpack.
"Morning."
Vash looked at the clock.
"It's noon."
Rohan shrugged.
"Morning for me."
Vash laughed.
"You're late."
"You've been asleep for two years. Don't complain about my schedule."
Grandpa laughed from behind the counter.
"You two haven't changed."
Rohan placed his backpack on a chair.
"I brought the rehabilitation plan."
Vash's smile disappeared.
"Do I have to?"
"Yes."
"Can we do it tomorrow?"
"No."
"You're a terrible friend."
"Thank you."
---
They moved to a quiet area behind the restaurant.
Rohan helped Vash stand.
"Ready?"
"No."
"Good enough."
Vash slowly lifted his foot.
His balance immediately became unstable.
Rohan caught his shoulder.
"Easy."
Vash tried again.
This time, he stayed standing.
Three seconds.
Four.
Five.
Then his leg shook.
He grabbed Rohan's arm.
The system appeared.
[Balance Measurement Complete.]
Previous Balance Stability: 0.1
Current Balance Stability: 0.3
Increase: +0.2
Vash stared.
"Wait."
He looked again.
"Did I actually improve?"
[Confirmed.]
Vash smiled.
That tiny number suddenly felt much bigger than it looked.
"That's better."
Rohan grinned.
"Told you."
They continued.
Stretching.
Standing.
Taking steps.
Resting.
Then repeating everything again.
Vash's legs burned.
His forehead became covered in sweat.
At one point, he nearly fell.
But he continued.
After the session, he sat down heavily.
The system appeared.
---
[Rehabilitation Session Complete]
Rehabilitation Progress: 0.3
Increase: +0.2
Walking Stability: 0.2
Increase: +0.1
Balance: 0.3
Increase: +0.2
---
Vash stared at the numbers.
They were tiny.
But they were his.
Nobody had given them to him.
He had earned them.
Rohan handed him a bottle of water.
"Good job."
Vash drank.
"Tomorrow, I'll do better."
Rohan smiled.
"That's the spirit."
---
That evening, Grandpa's Noodles finally closed.
Vash sat outside with his grandparents.
The street was quiet.
Grandpa counted the day's earnings while Grandma cleaned the kitchen.
Vash looked toward the small room behind the restaurant.
Then he looked at his grandfather.
"Grandpa."
"Hmm?"
"Do you miss our old house?"
His grandfather stopped counting.
For a moment, he said nothing.
"Sometimes."
Vash lowered his head.
"I'm sorry."
His grandmother immediately looked at him.
"Don't."
"But because of me—"
"You didn't choose what happened to you."
Grandpa placed a hand on Vash's shoulder.
"We lost a house."
He smiled.
"But we didn't lose you."
Vash looked at him.
Those words stayed in his mind.
He clenched his fist.
I can't change the past.
But I can change the future.
The system appeared.
---
[Long-Term Goal Detected.]
Goal: Restore Grandparents' Home
Status: Recorded
Requirement: Continue personal development
Reward: Unknown
---
Vash stared at the message.
"System."
[Yes.]
"Remember this goal."
[Goal recorded.]
Vash looked at the faded sign above the restaurant.
GRANDPA'S NOODLES
It wasn't a big restaurant.
It wasn't a rich restaurant.
But it was home.
And one day, he would give his grandparents something better.
A real house.
A better life.
Vash smiled.
"Not today."
He looked at his system.
"Not tomorrow either."
His eyes became determined.
"But someday."
[Statement noted.]
Vash laughed.
"You're really annoying."
[Statement noted.]
The quiet restaurant stood beneath the evening sky.
And for the first time since waking up, Vash didn't feel like someone who had lost two years.
Open syster interface,
[DAILY TASKS]
1. Walk 15 steps. ✓
2. Rehabilitation exercises. ✓
3. Drink 500 ml of water. ✓
4. Read for 15 minutes. ✓
5. Help at Grandpa's Noodles. ✓
Tasks Completed: 5 / 5
Reward:
+3 System Points
System Points: 4 / 100
He felt like someone who had finally begun his next chapter.