The sky had shifted by the time Jun stepped outside.
Gray, soft-edged clouds pushed against the horizon like slow waves trying to decide if they'd roll in or fade.
The streets were damp—not from rain, but from the restless breath of the city waking up.
Sidewalk cracks shimmered faintly under streetlamps. Vents exhaled steam like tired lungs.
> [First Task: Retry Available in: 23h 58m]
[Eviction Countdown: 2d 22h 48m]
Jun read the system logs once.
Then blinked them away.
Thinking too hard about the ticking wouldn't slow it down.
His feet moved without direction.
He didn't have beans.
Didn't have gear.
Didn't even have loose change to fake a plan.
All he had was time.
And even that was borrowed.
He ended up at the park bench—the same one he used to crash on when center shifts ran too late to justify walking home.
The wood was still splintered near the edge.
Still leaned slightly left.
But it looked smaller now.
Or maybe he was heavier.
With exhaustion. With waiting. With things that didn't show.
He sat down slowly.
Tugged the battered jacket tighter around him, the sleeve stitched at the wrist with mismatched thread.
And just… sat.
The task hovered in his mind like a question he already knew the answer to.
Brew real coffee.
Not instant.
Not half-hearted.
Real.
> [System Reminder: Authentic Extraction Required – Definition: Manual brewing of coffee from fresh grounds using heat and filtered water.]
No shortcuts.
No cheat codes.
Just grind. Heat. Patience.
Jun exhaled through his nose. The irony didn't escape him.
He leaned back on the bench, eyes following the flight of a single pigeon tracing lazy circles overhead.
No beans.
No way to grind them even if he found some.
No flame to boil water unless he wanted to blow another fuse back at the room.
Unless…
He tapped open the system window again.
Scrolled.
Skimmed past the glowing mission header and reward details.
There—tucked like fine print:
> [Optional Hint: Task Completion Methods May Include: Borrowing, Bartering, Pop-up Volunteer Opportunities.]
Jun sat up straighter.
A crease formed between his brows.
Borrowing.
Bartering.
Pop-ups.
A dozen old memories flickered.
Shared lunches during split shifts.
Free samples at street events.
A barista at the student union who once let him pour a filter brew just to try.
Maybe—just maybe—there was a way.
He stood.
Not fast. But deliberate.
Hands still jammed into his pockets, thumb brushing the seam where a coin used to hide.
This time, he didn't walk aimlessly.
He watched.
Listened.
For the scent of roasted beans bleeding through a half-opened café door.
For the faint clink of mugs behind a still-closed stall.
For sound. Warmth. Movement.
He passed tiny bookstores.
Bakery windows glowing gold.
Old men sweeping sidewalks in slow, habitual arcs.
The scent of flour and oil hovered in patches.
The city wasn't full yet.
It was that narrow hour where the streets belonged to the tired, the stubborn, and the hungry.
If he moved now—
If he asked carefully—
If someone didn't slam a door in his face—
Maybe, just maybe, he could find enough for one brew.
Not for sales.
Not for strategy.
Just for the system.
Just for the next breath.
> [System Log: Passive Quest Activated – Scavenge Opportunity Detection]
Jun didn't smile.
But something flickered behind his eyes—focus.
He crossed the street, breath fogging lightly in front of him.
The grind was beginning.
---
[System Record – Storyline ID: S08-Origin]
Logged User: Stylsite08
Path: Stillness to Mastery
Unauthorized copies may trigger system disruption.
Original work by Stylsite08. Do not repost or distribute without permission. All rights reserved.