The next morning felt different.
Not because anything around Ren had changed.
The same alarm rang. The same routine followed. The same dull rhythm of daily life continued without interruption.
But internally—
There was a shift.
Ren woke up without hitting snooze.
Not out of motivation.
But because he had something to test.
That alone was enough.
At work, he moved through his responsibilities as usual, teaching classes, answering questions, maintaining the same steady performance he always had.
But this time—
Part of his attention remained elsewhere.
Observing.
Waiting.
Calculating.
During lunch break, he didn't sit down immediately.
Instead, he walked out toward a nearby shopping street, his pace calm but purposeful.
This was step one.
He entered a small clothing store, scanning the racks casually before selecting a few items—nothing extreme, but clearly above what he would normally choose.
A jacket.
A shirt.
Total:
¥18,400
Ren stood at the counter, watching the number carefully.
This was still within a safe range.
He tapped his card.
The transaction completed instantly.
Ren stepped aside, already pulling out his phone.
Balance: ¥499,850 → ¥499,832
¥18 deducted.
Consistent.
No variation.
Ren nodded slightly, more to himself than anything else.
"Good."
He left the store, his mind already processing the result.
The system applied the same ratio.
No deviation.
No delay.
Which meant—
It was reliable.
But reliability alone wasn't enough.
He needed to test the limit.
That opportunity came sooner than expected.
Later that evening, Daiki approached him, his usual carefree grin already in place.
"Hey, we're heading out later," he said, leaning casually against Ren's desk. "Food, maybe some games. You coming?"
Ren glanced at him briefly.
Before, he would have hesitated.
Thought about money.
Made an excuse.
This time—
"…Yeah."
The answer came without resistance.
Daiki blinked slightly, then grinned wider.
"Seriously? That's rare. Don't back out later."
"I won't."
Ren's tone was calm.
Certain.
Across the room, Haruto glanced over briefly, his eyes narrowing just slightly before returning to his work.
That look didn't go unnoticed.
Later that night, the group gathered at a restaurant, the atmosphere loud and lively. Conversations overlapped, laughter came easily, and for once, Ren didn't feel like he was on the outside of it.
He ordered without overthinking.
Food.
Drinks.
More than usual.
The total rose quickly.
¥32,000.
Ren saw the number.
And didn't react.
He tapped his card.
The others didn't notice anything unusual.
To them, it was just a normal payment.
To him—
It was another test.
Outside the restaurant, as the group began to disperse, Ren finally checked his phone.
Balance: ¥499,832 → ¥499,800
¥32 deducted.
His gaze lingered on the screen.
Still consistent.
Still predictable.
Which meant—
He hadn't reached the limit yet.
Ren slipped his phone back into his pocket, his thoughts sharper now, more focused than before.
This wasn't luck.
It wasn't temporary.
It was a system he could understand.
And once something could be understood—
It could be used.
As the night settled around him, Ren walked home alone, his pace steady, his mind already moving ahead to the next step.
He hadn't tested the limit yet.
But now—
He knew he would.
Soon.
[End of Chapter 7]