Haruto ran through the crowded streets, clutching the envelope containing one hundred thousand yen.
His lungs burned.
His legs screamed in protest.
But he didn't stop.
The nurse's words echoed endlessly in his head.
"Your mother's condition has changed."
Those words could mean anything.
Good news.
Bad news.
Or something even worse.
"Please be okay..."
For the first time in months, Haruto found himself praying.
A few minutes later, the large hospital building came into view.
Haruto immediately rushed inside.
"Room 307!"
After asking for directions, he sprinted toward the third floor.
The moment he arrived outside the room, he froze.
His mother lay silently on the bed.
Machines beeped steadily beside her.
The sight made his chest tighten.
The woman who had always smiled no matter how difficult life became now looked fragile.
Weak.
As if she could disappear at any moment.
"Mom..."
Haruto slowly approached.
He grabbed her hand.
It was cold.
His eyes became moist.
"I'm sorry."
"I'm really sorry."
"If I was older..."
"If I was stronger..."
"You wouldn't have to work so hard."
The room remained silent.
Only the sound of medical equipment answered him.
Suddenly, the door opened.
A doctor entered.
"Mr. Sato?"
Haruto quickly stood.
"Yes."
The doctor adjusted his glasses.
"I have good news."
Haruto's eyes widened.
Good news?
"Your mother's condition has stabilized."
For a moment, Haruto thought he had misheard.
"What?"
"She is still in a coma, but her condition is no longer worsening."
The doctor offered a small smile.
"To be honest, we were worried yesterday."
"But she managed to pull through."
Haruto nearly collapsed from relief.
His knees felt weak.
"Thank goodness..."
The doctor then cleared his throat.
"However..."
Haruto's heart sank.
Of course there was a however.
"The treatment costs still need to be paid."
The doctor's expression became serious.
Haruto silently nodded.
"I know."
He immediately pulled out the envelope.
"I have one hundred thousand yen."
The doctor looked surprised.
"That should cover a portion of the outstanding balance."
Haruto handed over the money.
For the first time since his mother was hospitalized, the debt decreased.
It wasn't enough.
Not even close.
But it was progress.
Tiny progress.
Still progress.
After the doctor left, Haruto sat beside his mother's bed.
Hours passed quietly.
Then a familiar blue screen appeared.
[Mission Progress Updated]
Mother's Hospital Debt
300,000 Yen → 200,000 Yen
Haruto blinked.
The system was tracking everything.
Another notification appeared.
[New Side Quest Available]
The Lonely Child
Objective: Comfort a crying child within the hospital.
Reward: 100 Happiness Points
Penalty: None
Haruto frowned.
"A crying child?"
As if on cue—
WAAAHHHH!
A loud cry echoed from the hallway.
Haruto jumped.
The system immediately displayed an arrow.
[Target Located]
Haruto stared.
"...Seriously?"
The arrow pointed toward the pediatric ward.
With nothing better to do, he followed it.
After several turns, he found the source.
A little girl sat alone on a bench.
She looked around seven years old.
Tears streamed down her face.
Her stuffed rabbit rested beside her.
Several adults passed by.
Nobody stopped.
Nobody noticed.
Haruto scratched his head.
"I'm not exactly good with kids..."
The arrow continued blinking.
Sighing, he walked over.
"Hey."
The little girl looked up.
Her eyes were red from crying.
"What happened?"
"My brother..."
She sniffled.
"He's getting surgery."
Haruto paused.
Suddenly, he understood.
She wasn't crying because she was hurt.
She was scared.
Scared of losing someone important.
A feeling Haruto knew all too well.
He sat beside her.
"My mom is in the hospital too."
The girl looked surprised.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Is she okay?"
Haruto forced a smile.
"I hope so."
The little girl stared at him for several seconds.
Then—
Her crying slowly stopped.
The two sat together quietly.
Supporting each other without realizing it.
A few minutes later, a nurse arrived.
"There you are, Emi."
The girl stood.
Before leaving, she turned toward Haruto.
"Thank you, big brother."
She smiled.
A genuine smile.
The system immediately exploded with notifications.
[Quest Completed!]
[100 Happiness Points Obtained!]
[First Child Helped!]
[Bonus Reward Granted!]
[1 Gacha Ticket Obtained!]
Haruto's eyes widened.
One smile.
Just one smile.
And he had already earned rewards.
For the first time, he began to understand.
This system wasn't about making money.
The money was just a bonus.
Its real purpose was something else.
Helping children.
Protecting them.
Giving them happiness.
And somehow...
That path might also save his mother.
Haruto looked at the glowing ticket floating inside his inventory.
A smile slowly appeared on his face.
"Looks like my work is just beginning."
Haruto stared at the glowing notification.
[1 Gacha Ticket Obtained!]
The ticket floated inside a small inventory window.
Golden.
Shiny.
And apparently worth a lot.
"Now what?"
The system immediately answered.
[Would the Host like to use a Gacha Ticket?]
YES / NO
Haruto looked around the hospital corridor.
Thankfully, nobody could see the floating screens.
"Can I at least go somewhere private first?"
A few minutes later, he found an empty waiting room.
After making sure nobody was around, he sat down.
"Okay."
He took a deep breath.
"Use the ticket."
The golden ticket instantly dissolved into particles of light.
A massive wheel appeared before him.
Haruto's eyes widened.
The wheel was enormous.
Hundreds of rewards filled its surface.
Skills.
Money.
Properties.
Mystery Boxes.
Rare Artifacts.
Legendary Items.
Even things that sounded impossible.
[Beginner Gacha Pool]
Common: 70%
Rare: 20%
Epic: 8%
Legendary: 1.9%
Mythic: 0.1%
"Those odds are terrible."
The wheel suddenly began spinning.
Faster.
Faster.
Faster.
Haruto could barely read the rewards anymore.
Then it started slowing down.
Common.
Common.
Rare.
Common.
Rare.
Epic.
Common.
The pointer finally stopped.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
DING!
Golden light erupted from the wheel.
[Congratulations!]
[You have obtained: Childcare Mastery (Beginner)]
Haruto blinked.
"...That's it?"
He was expecting money.
Maybe a skill that could help him earn money.
Instead, he got something about childcare.
The system explained.
[Childcare Mastery (Beginner)]
Effect: Increased understanding of children's emotions.
Effect: Improved communication with children.
Effect: Better ability to resolve conflicts involving children.
Effect: Slight increase in children's trust toward Host.
Haruto stared at the description.
"Why is everything related to children?"
A new notification appeared.
[The Gacha System was created to nurture happiness.]
[Children are the future.]
[A good guardian is worth more than gold.]
Haruto frowned.
The system was oddly philosophical.
Before he could complain further, another notification appeared.
[Bonus Effect Activated]
A warm sensation spread through his body.
His mind suddenly became clearer.
Memories surfaced.
Knowledge he had never learned before.
How to calm a crying child.
How to help children feel safe.
How to recognize signs of fear.
How to gain their trust.
The information flowed naturally into his head.
"What the heck..."
It felt real.
Like he had spent years studying childcare.
The feeling disappeared after a few seconds.
Haruto rubbed his forehead.
"That was weird."
Then his stomach growled loudly.
"...Right."
He hadn't eaten properly all day.
Between construction work and rushing to the hospital, food had been the last thing on his mind.
As he stood up to leave, another quest appeared.
[Emergency Quest!]
A Hungry Child
Objective: Feed a hungry child.
Reward: 200 Happiness Points
Reward: Random Gift Box
Time Limit: 30 Minutes
Haruto sighed.
"Another child?"
An arrow immediately appeared.
Pointing downstairs.
Of course it did.
Following the arrow, Haruto eventually reached the hospital lobby.
There, sitting alone near a vending machine, was a young boy.
The child couldn't have been older than six.
He stared at the food advertisements with obvious hunger.
His clothes were old.
His stomach growled loudly.
Haruto noticed the boy counting coins.
One.
Two.
Three.
Not enough.
The boy's shoulders slumped.
For some reason, Haruto instantly understood the situation.
The Childcare Mastery skill made it obvious.
The boy was trying to buy food.
But he didn't have enough money.
Haruto remembered countless nights when he and his mother had gone hungry because they couldn't afford proper meals.
Without thinking, he approached.
"Hey."
The boy jumped.
Haruto crouched down.
"Are you hungry?"
The child hesitated before nodding.
Haruto smiled.
"What do you want to eat?"
The boy's eyes widened.
"Really?"
"Really."
A few minutes later, the boy was happily eating a rice bowl and drinking juice.
His face lit up with every bite.
It wasn't an expensive meal.
But to the child, it might as well have been a feast.
Haruto couldn't help smiling.
Suddenly—
[Quest Completed!]
[200 Happiness Points Obtained!]
[Random Gift Box Obtained!]
[Current Happiness Points: 300]
The boy finished eating and stood up.
"Thank you, big brother."
Then he ran toward a worried-looking woman who had just arrived.
Apparently his mother had been searching for him.
The woman repeatedly bowed toward Haruto in gratitude.
After they left, Haruto looked at his rewards.
Three hundred Happiness Points.
One Random Gift Box.
And a childcare skill.
Not bad for a single day.
But then the Gift Box suddenly opened by itself.
A burst of silver light exploded from it.
[Congratulations!]
[You have obtained: ¥500,000 Cash Voucher]
Haruto froze.
His brain stopped working.
He reread the notification.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Five hundred thousand yen.
Five hundred thousand.
That was more money than he could earn in months at the construction site.
His hands trembled.
His heart pounded.
Combined with what he had already paid, this amount could nearly clear his mother's hospital debt.
Tears gathered in his eyes.
For the first time since his father abandoned them...
For the first time since the debt collectors began threatening them...
For the first time since his mother collapsed...
Haruto felt genuine hope.
Maybe.
Just maybe.
Everything was going to be okay.
However, before he could celebrate—
A crimson notification suddenly appeared.
Unlike the previous blue ones.
This one felt ominous.
Dangerous.
[Special Event Detected]
[A Child In Need Has Appeared.]
[Difficulty: High]
[Failure Consequence: Permanent Loss of Opportunity]
[Would the Host like to accept?]
Haruto stared at the screen.
Something told him this mission would change his life forever.