The morning sun crept through my curtains like it was trying to shake me awake. Golden light spilled across the floorboards, illuminating the stack of unopened boxes beside my desk—my "college starter kit," according to Mom.
A new laptop, some cheap furniture from IKEA, and a small pile of motivational notebooks that still smelled like fresh ink. They were supposed to represent the start of my new life. To me, though, they mostly represented money leaving my bank account.
"Alex, breakfast!"
Mom's voice floated up from downstairs, sweet and commanding at the same time. The kind of tone you don't ignore, even if you were dead tired.
"Coming!" I shouted back, rubbing my eyes.
I pulled myself out of bed, checked the time—7:52 a.m.—and sighed. Technically, I didn't need to be up this early, but I had my last shift at the convenience store later and needed to drop by campus for registration.
Another day of spending.
I splashed some water on my face, brushed my teeth, and stared at my reflection. Nineteen years old, slightly unkempt dark hair, and eyes that somehow looked both sleepy and tired at the same time. Not ugly, just… ordinary. The kind of guy you'd pass on the street and forget a second later.
"Perfect college protagonist material," I muttered. "Average guy. Minimal ambition. Big dreams. Zero budget."
Downstairs, the smell of pancakes and butter hit me first.
Our kitchen wasn't anything fancy, but it always felt alive in the mornings. Dad was reading the news on his tablet, Mom was flipping pancakes, and my little sister, Lily, was leaning over the table trying to drown her plate in syrup.
"You're going to get diabetes before high school," I said, taking a seat next to her.
She stuck her tongue out. "You're just jealous because Mom trusts me with syrup and not you."
"She only trusts you because you'd cry if she didn't."
Mom shot me a look—half warning, half smile. "Play nice, you two."
Dad lowered his tablet and gave me his usual calm smile. "Big day tomorrow, huh?"
"Yeah. Just orientation, but… still feels weird," I said, cutting into my pancakes. "Feels like life's officially starting."
"You'll do fine," Mom said. "Just focus, stay out of trouble, and don't waste your money on nonsense."
I smiled awkwardly. That last part stung more than I'd admit.
See, money had always been a tricky subject in our house. We weren't poor, but we were definitely budget conscious. I'd spent the last two years working part-time jobs—stocking shelves, delivering pizzas, even tutoring—to save for college expenses.
And yet, somehow, no matter how much I saved, it never felt like enough.
––––––
By noon, I was already halfway through my shift at the convenience store. The fluorescent lights buzzed quietly, and the hum of the soda cooler filled the silence.
I leaned against the counter, scanning the shelves.
"Yo, Alex."
It was Mark, my coworker and unofficial manager. He was a tall guy with a messy beard and the permanent expression of someone who'd seen too much retail in one lifetime.
"Can you cover register while I stock the back?" he asked.
"Sure thing."
Customers came and went—students buying snacks, moms picking up milk, and one guy who spent ten minutes debating which energy drink was "the most powerful."
Business as usual.
Then, around 2 p.m., a girl walked in.
She looked about my age—maybe a bit younger—wearing a plain white sundress and clutching her phone nervously. She had that soft, hesitant energy that made her stand out even though she clearly didn't want to.
She approached the counter, glancing at the price tags. "Um… hi. Do you guys sell transit cards here?"
"Yeah, right behind you." I pointed to the small display stand near the door.
"Oh! Thank you."
She picked one up and returned with a shy smile. "It's my first week here. I, um, got kind of lost trying to find the bus stop."
I scanned the card. "That'll be fifteen dollars."
She blinked, checked her wallet, and froze. "Oh no…"
Her face turned red. "I—I think I left my wallet in my other bag. I'm so sorry, I'll come back later."
Something in me hesitated. She looked genuinely embarrassed, not like someone trying to scam free stuff.
"Don't worry about it," I said before I could stop myself. "I'll cover it. Consider it a welcome-to-town gift."
Her eyes widened. "Wait, no—you don't have to—"
"It's fine." I handed her the receipt with a small grin. "Just don't get lost again, okay?"
She blinked again, then smiled—a warm, relieved smile that felt oddly bright in this dull little store.
"Thank you… seriously. I'll pay you back."
"You don't have to," I said. "Just… make sure to get home safe."
She nodded and hurried out, waving as she left.
––––––
By the time my shift ended, I'd mostly forgotten about it. It wasn't like I expected anything in return—it was just fifteen bucks.
Still, walking home, I couldn't help but wince when I checked my wallet. That was grocery money.
"Guess generosity doesn't come cheap," I muttered.
The sun had started to set, bathing the streets in orange light. Kids were biking, dogs barking, the smell of barbecue drifting from someone's yard.
It was peaceful.
Normal.
Then, as I turned the corner onto my street—something blinked in front of me.
A faint shimmer in the air. Like a screen flickering to life.
I stopped dead in my tracks.
"What the—"
A translucent blue window hovered before my eyes. Floating midair.
[System Initializing…]
My pulse quickened.
Was this… some kind of prank? AR ad?
The text shifted.
[Welcome, User: Alex Carter]
[System Type: Tenfold Rebate System]
[Initialization Complete.]
"…what?"
My heart pounded as more text appeared.
[Congratulations! Your recent act of expenditure on a female target has triggered the system.]
[Calculating rebate…]
[You spent $15.]
[Rebate Amount: $150.]
"Wait. What?!"
Before I could even process the words, my phone vibrated.
I pulled it out—and nearly dropped it.
A bank notification.
+ $150.00 deposited
My hands trembled.
This couldn't be real.
Then, another line of text appeared on the holographic screen, glowing softly.
[Please note: System rewards are automatically transferred to the user's account. Future transactions with female targets will continue to generate tenfold rebates.]
I stared blankly.
"Future transactions… with female targets?"
[Affirmative.]
A soft, feminine voice echoed gently in my head. Calm, polite—almost soothing.
"Who—what are you?" I whispered.
[I am your system assistant. My role is to monitor expenditures made toward eligible female targets and process corresponding rebate rewards.]
"So you're saying… every time I spend money on a woman, I get ten times back?"
[That is correct.]
I blinked. Then blinked again.
Somewhere between shock and disbelief, a laugh escaped my throat. "Okay, sure. I'm dreaming. Too much caffeine. That's it."
But the screen didn't fade. It hovered there, glowing softly, as if waiting for my next move.
I exhaled slowly. "...if this is real, my life just got very, very weird."