[Save-Up Fantasy System]
[Total Savings = 1,000 Dollars]
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When Lu-el opened his eyes, the mysterious holographic screen flashing at the corner of his vision wasn't the first thing that caught his attention. In fact, he barely gave it—along with the monotonous voice he heard—any thought as to what they could possibly be.
"So I really have died..."
His realization came from the heart-stunningly sweet, bright smile—brighter than the clear blue sky—that greeted him the moment he woke up, from a girl he was barely familiar with.
They weren't particularly close.
They had taken a few classes together as first-year college students, though only by coincidence.
They talked to each other a few times during group activities, and that was the limit of their interaction.
He knew nothing about her except for her name, but he wouldn't deny that he was rather interested in her.
How could he not?
She had a charming and gentle personality, one that could heal his exhaustion from working two to three part-time jobs a day just by talking to her.
Her sweet, heart-stunning smile could brighten even the most depressing day of spending money on college necessities.
And of course, her attractive, innocent image—a cute, beautiful face behind her glasses, wavy long black hair, and even her fashion sense of wearing conservative clothes that didn't reveal much of her body figure.
Everything about Ka-sumi was a subject of his peaceful fantasies, curing his growing insomnia and helping him sleep at night.
"…Thank you, dear goddess," Lu-el said, closing his eyes once again as if accepting his death.
He had lived a good life, blessed with caring parents, supportive friends, and a lovable stepsister—in many ways.
He had regrets, of course—not being able to say a proper goodbye, sorry, or thank you.
Regardless, that's how life is.
Every journey has an end, and this was the end of his—of foolishly trying to save up 1,000,000 dollars.
What Lu-el had in mind now, as he lay on the grass under the shade of a tree, feeling the warm afternoon breeze beneath the clear blue sky and the softness of the goddess's lap beneath his head, was why the goddess had taken the image of his classmate Ka-sumi instead of his stepsister Yhu-na.
Whatever the reason was, he was glad that he had arrived in heaven.
At least, that's what he liked to think—until he fully woke up and realized that he wasn't dead yet.
"Umm… aren't you overexaggerating, Lu-el?"
The embarrassment he felt from calling Ka-sumi a goddess made him want to crawl into a hole and bury himself six feet under the ground.
"Sorry about that. I was still half asleep," Lu-el said, keeping his eyes closed, unaware of the flustered blush on his face that Ka-sumi was enjoying.
"Just stay still for a while," Ka-sumi replied in her usual sweet, gentle tone while resuming her head pats.
Keeping his eyes closed and accepting Ka-sumi's offer, since he felt incredibly comfortable—as if all his exhaustion had been healed—Lu-el awkwardly continued the conversation.
"What exactly is happening, Ka-sumi?"
"You should be the one explaining things, Lu-el."
The last thing Lu-el remembered was walking around the University Park, heading to his afternoon part-time job after his morning classes.
He was exhausted from his part-time job at the shopping mall last night and from working at the convenience store until dawn, yet he still attended all of his morning classes without getting a bit of sleep.
However, the last straw that snapped—causing him to feel dizzy while walking through the University Park—was skipping lunch since there was a free meal at his part-time job.
"Why are you pushing yourself that hard? Aren't your parents supporting you through college?" Ka-sumi said, both incredibly curious about Lu-el's story and genuinely worried for his health.
Her concern only made him want to continue the conversation so he could indulge himself in the lap pillow and head pats she was giving him.
"There was an idea..."
If he could save up 1,000,000 dollars by doing part-time and odd jobs before he graduated from college, then he could take it easy in life. He wouldn't need to tire himself out applying for and working at a job he didn't like, or he could even retire before he ever found one. In fact, he could quit college before graduating.
"Pfft~ Hahaha."
Hearing Ka-sumi's joyful laugh made Lu-el want to open his eyes and look at her, to see the sweet, bright smile he always liked about her. Still, her laughter only made him more flustered and embarrassed.
"I'm sorry... I'm not making fun of you," Ka-sumi said while trying to hold back her laughter.
"Well, it's a foolish idea..."
It was impossible in the first place, but having 1,000,000 dollars was a fantasy most people had daydreamed about.
"And how much have you saved up until now, Lu-el?"
"I'm at 99,000 dollars."
"In less than a year? That's impressive!" Ka-sumi exclaimed in surprise, assuming Lu-el was talking about his savings since he started working part-time jobs in his first year of college.
"No—in four years, since I was in high school."
There were barely any high-paying part-time jobs a high school student could take, so it was still impressive to Ka-sumi, despite Lu-el feeling ashamed of his total savings.
"How about I add 1,000 dollars for you to reach ten percent of your goal?"
Ka-sumi's remark made Lu-el instinctively open his eyes.
He wasn't wearing his glasses, as they had fallen off when he collapsed, so he had to squint to see more clearly.
Lu-el knew he always had an intimidating look whenever he wasn't wearing his glasses, but Ka-sumi kept her eyes locked onto his. In fact, it was Lu-el who awkwardly avoided her gaze, making Ka-sumi smile as if she had won a staring contest.
"If you really are giving me money, then I'll gladly accept it," Lu-el said, trying to regain his composure, though still avoiding Ka-sumi's gaze.
"But I'm not accepting it for free. You can ask me for something, like helping you with your studies or chores."
"Then can you start by telling me what that means?"
Lu-el finally raised his head from Ka-sumi's lap to look at what she was pointing at, only to feel completely mortified.
"Tell me, Lu-el... why are you getting hard right now?"
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[PoruShark Writer's Note: Characters' Profile]
Lu-el – Age 20, Height 185 cm, fluffy unkempt light-brown blond hair, wearing square-frame glasses.
For Lu-el's concept design, please look at the comments.
Ka-sumi – Age 19, Height 155 cm, wavy long black hair, wearing round glasses.
For Ka-sumi's concept design, her character reference was Kaoruko Waguri from the manga/anime The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity.