A blue screen suddenly appeared before Arin's eyes.
Integrating System…
Idle System Integrating…
Arin blinked several times, thinking his eyes were playing tricks on him. He looked around the hospital room, then at the police officer standing nearby.
"C-Can't you see this thing?" Arin asked, pointing at the air in front of him.
The officer frowned and tilted his head. "See what? There's nothing there."
Arin's face went pale. "It's right there! A blue screen!"
The officer gave him a careful look and said slowly, "I'll… call the doctor to have you checked."
His tone was calm, but the look in his eyes said everything — he thought Arin had lost his mind.
Arin sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. Great. Now I look like a mental patient.
He leaned back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. This can't be real… Stuff like this only happens in isekai stories or games.
Still, the glowing blue panel didn't vanish. It floated right in front of him, perfectly clear and bright.
Then, another message appeared:
Idle System Integrated.
Arin's gaze grew intense. In the dim blue light, he was able to trace back his image. His brain immediately sent a signal down to his heart which started to thump rapidly.
"So...it's not a dream," he mumbled. "It really happens."
Yet another shaky second passed for the display, and it changed from an outrageous facet to a very detailed one with digits and symbols.
Name: Arin
Money: $5000
Store Rating: 0
Shop 1 (Level 0)
Product 1: Locked
Product 2: Locked
Product 3: Locked
Shop 2: Locked
Abilities:
Idle (Level 5) – The ancient art of doing absolutely nothing!
Value Eyes (Level 1) – Can see the true value of all things
Quest: Open a Store
Reward: Shop 1 (Level 1)
Penalty: System Deletion
Time Limit: 1 Week
Arin stared blankly at the screen, his jaw dropping. His mind spun, trying to make sense of it all.
"What… what is this?" he muttered. "A system? A shop? Abilities?"
He rubbed his eyes, but the panel didn't fade. It was still floating right there — sharp and glowing.
His pulse quickened. "Idle… Value Eyes… Shop System?"
Then his eyes locked onto one line: Money: $5000.
His heart skipped a beat. That was the exact amount of money left in his bank account — the last of his savings after selling everything to pay hospital bills.
That meant this "System" somehow knew about his real life.
He swallowed hard. No way… this can't be just a coincidence.
Then he noticed the line that made his stomach twist:
Penalty: System Deletion.
"So… if I don't open a store within a week, it deletes itself?" he said softly.
He had no idea what any of this meant — or if it was dangerous — but one thing was certain: this wasn't normal. Yet deep down, Arin felt something he hadn't felt in a long time — a spark of hope.
He clenched his fists. "If this is real… then maybe this is my chance."
His lips curled into a small grin. "If I can use this system to make money, I can pay for my parents' treatment. I can fix everything."
A strange excitement ran through him. His life, for half a year, was rather a series of nerves, terror, and insomnia. So this strange single blue screen had really to him a new thing — a new motive for his life.
His great mood was so strong that he got up from the hospital bed without thinking and was laughing out loud.
That was the moment the doctor entered the room, followed by the officer.
The two men froze in the doorway, watching Arin do what could only be described as a "victory dance."
The doctor raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Arin," he said in a flat tone, "we're going to have to run some tests."
Arin stopped mid-spin, frozen in embarrassment.
The officer looked like he was trying not to laugh, while the doctor scribbled something on his clipboard. "Please rest," the doctor said calmly. "You may still be disoriented from the shock."
He left the room quietly, closing the door behind him.
Arin stood there, face burning. "Great," he muttered under his breath. "Now they definitely think I'm insane."
He sat back on the bed, running a hand through his messy hair. The blue screen was still there, waiting patiently, as if mocking him.
After a while, once the doctor allowed him to move around, Arin walked to the next room — where his parents lay unconscious in their hospital beds.
The sound of medical machines filled the air — the quiet hum of the ventilator, the steady beep of the heart monitors.
He pulled up a chair beside his mother and gently took her hand. It was cold, but it was still warm enough to remind him that she was alive. He turned to his father, lying motionless beside her, covered in light bandages.
For a moment, all his earlier excitement faded, replaced by a soft, heavy silence.
He whispered, "Hey… Mom, Dad… it's me."
No response. Just the quiet rhythm of machines.
"I don't know what's happening to me," he continued. "Some kind of system appeared — I don't even know if it's real. But… if there's even a small chance it can help me make money, then I'll use it."
He gave a weak smile. "I will take care of you both. All will be as it should be again."
The rain was over long ago. A small hole in the clouds allowed the sun to come through and its rays were dancing very delicately on the hospital window, thus making a gentle light to the room.
Arin noticed that his parents were looking up at him with sadness, so he decided to glance at the small blue light still near him.
"We'll rise again," he said softly. "I promise."