I lent her the money she needed.
From the way things looked, she really needed the full 3000c, which I actually had that amount on me at the moment.
__________________________
Total credit: 211c
__________________________
Yeah. That number hurt.
I was completely drained.
Not just in a dramatic sense either. I mean actually drained. My wallet basically took a critical hit and did not survive. If my credits had a health bar, it would be blinking red right now with that annoying warning sound playing in the background.
__________________________
COMPLETED
Denice needs help with money
Lend her 3000c
Reward: 5♥︎, 10♥︎ Affection
__________________________
Denise
Affection: 10♥︎
Mood: 0♥︎
Lust: 30♥︎
Status: Stranger
__________________________
She looked down at her phone, checking her balance, and it didn't take long for her to realize the credits had already been transferred.
"A-Are you really sure you're willing to lend me this much money?" she asked, still sounding a bit unsure. "Don't you need it for yourself? I mean… no offense, but judging from how you look, you don't seem that well off either."
Ouch. Straight to the point.
"Well, hearing that conversation you had with that guy earlier… it sounded pretty bad," I said. "So I guess I just couldn't ignore it. I wanted to help. That's all. I'm just a friendly guy."
"A friendly guy, huh?"
She gave me a look. Not exactly convinced.
"From my experience, no guy who calls himself a friendly guy is actually just that," she said.
Yeah, that sounded like it came from experience. Probably not the good kind either.
"Well, thanks for the help anyway," she said after a short pause. "By the way, I think I heard you earlier. You said something about being interested in my body. I'm sorry, but I already have a boyfriend. I don't like cheating on anyone. Even if he's as much of a scumbag as that guy."
So she was still calling him her boyfriend after all that.
That was… honestly kind of impressive in a weird way.
"I'm pretty sure he's already done with you," I said. "And besides, that's not what I meant. I'm not interested in your body like that. I meant putting your body to use so you can earn the money back and pay me. You can work here for a while."
"For some reason, that sounds a little weird… but okay," she replied. "If I can get the money, I'm fine with anything. As long as it's not sex."
That part actually surprised me more than I expected.
With how she dressed and carried herself, I would have assumed she was more… easygoing about that kind of thing. But clearly, that assumption was wrong. Just goes to show how misleading appearances can be. People see a certain outfit and immediately think they understand everything. Turns out, not even close.
"So, what do I do now?" she asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Should I start helping you with the job now?"
"I don't think that's necessary. At least not today. Come back tomorrow. You can start then."
"Are you sure? I mean… I could just disappear, you know."
"Well, that's on your conscience," I said.
At that moment, I wasn't really overthinking it. I was just showing her some basic kindness.
If she decided to betray that, then that was her choice. I wouldn't go chasing after her or anything. But at the same time, that would be the last bit of kindness she would ever get from me.
Fair and simple.
Honestly, I was fine either way.
Right now, I had already gained 5♥︎ from her, which was actually a pretty big deal.
I could exchange that for 50,000c.
Which, when you think about it, made the 3000c I gave her look like pocket change in comparison. Not exactly a bad trade. If anything, it felt like I accidentally stumbled into a pretty profitable deal.
"Well then, thank you again. I'll come back tomorrow," she said.
Even after everything, it still felt a little strange.
Helping someone like her out of nowhere like that.
I didn't even know what kind of situation she was dealing with, but somehow, it felt like I had managed to do something genuinely good.
***
It was already 7 P.M., which was still relatively early into my shift. But since there were barely any customers left, the owner told me it was fine to head out early. He was planning to close up sooner than usual anyway.
"Honestly, I feel like the business isn't doing well," he said. "I'm worried I might go bankrupt soon."
"I guess so," I replied. "I mean, running a family restaurant in a place like this, with so much competition… it's tough. Especially when other places around here are already well-established."
"Yeah, that's true," he sighed. "I didn't think it would be easy, but I wanted to try starting a business at least once. Still… it seems like this just isn't for me. I think this place might be closing down soon."
I could see that happening.
And honestly, it sucked.
The people here were genuinely kind, and I actually liked the food. It wasn't just some random workplace for me. It had some value.
"I might even sell the place," he added.
The moment he said that, something clicked in my head.
Like a switch being flipped.
"Do you mind telling me how much you're planning to sell it for?" I asked.
"Huh? Hmm… probably around 100,000 credits," he said. "I want to start over with something else. Why? Don't tell me you're thinking of buying it?" he added, half joking.
"Well… I am," I said. "If that's okay with you."
"Huh? Wait, seriously?"
"Yeah. It feels like a waste to just let a place like this go," I said. "With this much space, I could start my own business here. I'm actually a business major, so I understand the risks. But if I manage things properly… I think I might be able to make it work."
Of course, I knew how things really were.
Succeeding in business wasn't easy. In fact, it was more common to fail than to succeed. The risks were high, and if things went wrong, I could end up in a situation even worse than his. Maybe completely broke, or maybe buried in problems I couldn't get out of. I might get into problems with the local mafias.
But if it worked…
Then the payoff would be more than worth it.
"Well, I guess I can sell it to you. Honestly, I didn't really expect you to be the type who'd want to run your own business. It caught me off guard a little."
I mean, fair enough. I didn't exactly look like someone with big business ambitions written all over my face.
If I were being honest with myself, even now, taking this course was starting to feel like a slow-burn regret.
But then again, I had a feeling I'd probably feel like this no matter what course I chose. So in a way, it didn't really matter. Might as well stick with it and see where it goes.
"Well, how about this?" he continued. "I can sell it to you for 50,000c. Since you've been helping this place, even when there were barely any customers coming in to try the food, I'll give it to you at half the price. Does that sound fair?"
__________________________
Your LUCK is high enough for you to succeed in such a deal!
__________________________
Oh. So LUCK actually mattered in situations like this.
Good to know. Not exactly something I could rely on forever, but hey, if it worked, it worked. I wasn't about to question it too much.
"Are you really okay with that?" I asked, just to make sure this wasn't some kind of last-minute change of heart waiting to happen.
"Of course," he said, smiling in a way that felt oddly genuine. "I want to see a young man like you succeed. I was the same before, you know. I wanted to make something of myself, so I tried getting into all sorts of businesses."
He paused for a moment, like he was replaying old memories in his head.
"But I guess business just wasn't for me," he added, letting out a soft sigh. It didn't sound bitter, more like acceptance than anything else.
"But that's the thing about being an entrepreneur. If you don't take risks, you don't get anywhere. And I can tell, your path might be difficult, maybe even a bit messy, but I think you'll make it in the end."
That… was actually really nice to hear.
Not something I was used to, especially these days. Most of what I heard lately wasn't exactly encouraging.
"Thank you," I said. "Can we go through the process now?"
"Oh? You want to buy it right now?" he asked, clearly surprised. "Wait, do you even have the money for it?"
"Well… thankfully, I've got something on me right now."
***
Now I was back in my apartment.
In my hand was the paperwork for the restaurant, clearly stating that I was now the owner.
Just looking at it felt a bit unreal.
This was the first time I had ever owned something like this. Not just working a shift, not just being another face in the background, but actually owning the place. It hadn't fully sunk in yet, to be honest.
Still, I already had an idea of what I wanted to turn it into.
There weren't any internet cafés in that area yet, which was already a good sign. On top of that, the location itself was pretty ideal. It sat right around a kind of crossroads where several schools and universities in Dusk City connected. That meant students passing through constantly, which also meant potential customers.
From a basic standpoint, it made sense.
Of course, calling it a proper business right now felt like a stretch. It was more like a starting point, something with potential but nothing guaranteed. Just because the location was good didn't mean it would magically succeed on its own.
If I wanted this to actually work, I'd have to put in the effort to build it up from the ground.
Well, maybe a little LUCK wouldn't hurt, but still.
For now, I needed to gather more ♥︎ before I could really move forward with anything serious.
Because when it comes down to it, no matter how good your idea is, no matter how perfect the location looks on paper, there's one thing that matters more than anything else.
Budget.
Yeah, not the most exciting answer, but it's the truth. You can have all the plans in the world, but without money backing it up, it's just a bunch of thoughts floating around. And unfortunately, thoughts don't pay for equipment, renovations, or anything else.
So yeah.
Step one was simple.
Get more ♥︎.