7:00 AM.
Sunlight slowly entered Vash's room.
He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling for a moment.
Then he smiled.
It had been one week since he returned home.
One week of waking up early.
One week of rehabilitation.
One week of studying.
And one week of completing his daily missions.
Vash opened the system.
---
[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: 0.8
Walking Stability: 0.7
Balance: 0.8
Skills
Cooking — Basic
Mathematics — Basic
English — Basic
Observation — Basic
Physical Rehabilitation — Beginner
Business Sense — Beginner
System Points: 34 / 100
---
Vash stared at the numbers.
"Thirty-four."
He smiled.
A week ago, he had only had a few points.
Now he had thirty-four.
Still, the number was nowhere near one hundred.
"System."
[Yes.]
"How long until I reach one hundred?"
[Insufficient data.]
Vash sighed.
"Of course."
He closed the interface and slowly got out of bed.
His legs still weren't strong.
But they were better.
He could stand longer now.
He could walk farther.
He didn't need to hold onto the wall every time he took a step.
Small changes.
But real changes.
---
When Vash entered Grandpa's Noodles, the restaurant was already alive.
His grandfather was arranging chairs.
His grandmother was in the kitchen.
The smell of chicken, spices, and freshly cooked noodles filled the room.
Vash stopped.
He watched his grandmother.
She moved quickly.
She added ingredients without measuring them.
A little sauce.
Some vegetables.
A pinch of seasoning.
Then she adjusted the flame.
Vash watched carefully.
He had seen her cook thousands of times before.
But this time, something felt different.
He wasn't just watching the food.
He was trying to understand what she was doing.
Why did she add that ingredient first?
Why did she lower the heat now?
How did she know exactly how much seasoning to use?
The system suddenly appeared.
---
[Observation Detected]
Cooking-related interest increasing.
Cooking Skill Proficiency:
24.0 → 24.2
Increase: +0.2
---
Vash blinked.
"Wait."
He looked at his grandmother again.
"Cooking?"
[Confirmed.]
"Just from watching?"
[Observation contributes to skill development.]
Vash smiled.
That was interesting.
He stepped closer.
"Grandma."
"Hmm?"
"How do you know how much of everything to put in?"
His grandmother laughed.
"Years of practice."
"Do you measure anything?"
"Sometimes."
"Sometimes?"
She shook her head.
"You learn the food."
Vash looked confused.
"Learn the food?"
Grandma smiled.
"You'll understand when you cook."
Vash looked at the pan.
For some reason, he wanted to understand.
He wanted to know how she could make the same dish taste almost exactly the same every day.
The system appeared again.
---
[New Learning Interest Detected]
Subject: Cooking
Interest Level: Increasing
---
Vash smiled.
Maybe cooking wasn't as simple as he had thought.
---
The morning became busy.
Customers entered one after another.
"Chicken noodles!"
"Two egg noodles!"
"Grandpa, one fried chicken!"
Vash helped where he could.
He carried plates.
He wiped tables.
He brought ingredients from the kitchen.
He even remembered several regular customers' usual orders.
An elderly man entered and smiled when he saw him.
"Vash!"
"Good morning."
"You're looking much better."
Vash smiled.
"I'm trying."
The man nodded.
"Keep going."
Vash watched his grandparents work.
They were still doing almost everything themselves.
He didn't like that.
One day, he wanted to make things easier for them.
Maybe business.
Maybe cooking.
Maybe both.
He didn't know yet.
But he wanted to learn.
---
That afternoon, Rohan arrived.
He placed his backpack on the table.
"Ready to study?"
Vash looked at him.
"Do I have to?"
"Yes."
"You're becoming annoying."
"I learned from the system."
Vash laughed.
They spent the next hour studying mathematics and English.
Vash still struggled with some topics.
But he was improving.
The system tracked his progress without giving him the answers.
After studying, Rohan helped him with his rehabilitation exercises.
Standing.
Balance.
Walking.
Rest.
Then repeating.
By the end, Vash was exhausted.
But he had improved again.
---
That evening, the restaurant finally became quiet.
Vash sat near the kitchen while his grandmother cleaned the cooking area.
He kept thinking about what she had said earlier.
Years of practice.
He looked at the shelves.
Then at the cooking utensils.
Then back at his grandmother.
"Grandma."
"Yes?"
"Do we have..."
He hesitated.
"A recipe book?"
His grandmother stopped cleaning.
For a moment, she didn't answer.
Vash noticed.
"Grandma?"
She looked toward one of the old cupboards.
Then back at him.
"Why do you want it?"
Vash shrugged.
"I want to learn cooking."
His grandmother stared at him for another second.
Then she smiled faintly.
"Since when did you become interested in cooking?"
Vash smiled.
"Maybe today."
She laughed quietly.
"You're strange."
Vash looked toward the cupboard.
"Can I see it?"
His grandmother's hand stopped.
For just a moment, her expression changed.
It was so brief that Vash almost missed it.
Then she turned away.
"Maybe tomorrow."
Vash raised an eyebrow.
"Why not today?"
"Because I'm tired."
She smiled.
"Tomorrow."
Vash nodded.
"Okay."
But as he walked away, he glanced back at the cupboard.
For some reason, he felt that there was more to that book than just recipes.
He didn't know why.
He couldn't explain it.
But his curiosity had already begun.
That night, before going to sleep, Vash opened the system one more time.
---
[DAILY TASKS]
1. Walk 20 steps. ✓
2. Rehabilitation exercises. ✓
3. Drink 500 ml of water. ✓
4. Study for 30 minutes. ✓
5. Help at Grandpa's Noodles. ✓
Tasks Completed: 5 / 5
Reward: +3 System Points
System Points: 37 / 100
---
Vash smiled.
"Thirty-seven."
He closed the interface.
Tomorrow, he would ask his grandmother about the recipe book again.
And perhaps then, he would finally discover what was inside.