The first thing Michatsu Kashimo noticed was the noise.
It wasn't the sound of cars or construction. It was the sound of the system cheerfully singing a jingle inside his skull.
[♪ Good morning, Host! Rise and shine, for your bright future awaits! ☀️]
"...I regret not dying properly," Michatsu muttered, eyes still half-shut.
He groaned and rolled over, face buried in a pillow that smelled faintly like detergent and exhaustion. For a blissful second, he almost managed to fall back asleep. Then the system spoke again—louder.
[Sleep time exceeded! Productivity protocol engaged!]
"Productivity what now—?"
A faint electric zap ran through his body, not painful but irritating enough to yank him upright. His hair stuck out in every direction like static had declared war on him.
"Okay, okay, I'm up," he hissed. "Turn it off!"
The voice softened immediately.
[Good morning, Michatsu Kashimo. The Entertainment System is happy to report that your synchronization is now 100 %. Opening dashboard.]
A semi-transparent window flickered into existence above his bed. It looked a little like a smartphone interface—sleek black with neon blue accents, numbers dancing across it.
┏──────────────────────────────┓
[ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM v1.0]
Host: Michatsu Kashimo
Age: 17
Rank: F-tier (Dormant)
Entertainment Points: 10,000
Yen Equivalent: ¥10,000,000
Current Stage: Mangaka
Next Unlock: Idol Stage (Locked)
┗──────────────────────────────┛
He blinked at the screen. Then blinked again.
"…Wait. Ten million yen?"
[Correct! One Entertainment Point equals one thousand yen. You may convert them freely—one way only, of course!]
"One way?"
[Conversion possible: Entertainment Points → Yen.] [Conversion impossible: Yen → Entertainment Points.]
"So basically, I can burn my balance on instant noodles and regret it later."
[Precisely!]
"…I wasn't being serious."
The system chimed again, sounding suspiciously like laughter.
"Fine," he sighed, pushing himself off the bed. "Show me the shop or whatever."
At once, another window unfolded before hi0m, endless rows of icons flickering into view.
┏━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┓
[ENTERTAINMENT POINT SHOP]
──────────────────────────────
Categories:
• Manga / Novels
• Music / Lyrics •
Scripts / Drama
• Idol Skills (Locked)
• Miscellaneous
──────────────────────────────
[Note: Purchased items will be integrated directly into host memory.]
┗━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┛
So this is the catch, Michatsu thought, rubbing his chin.
If he bought something here—say, Jujutsu Kaisen Volume 1 Chapter 1—then the entire work would be permanently etched into his brain. Every line, every detail, flawless recall.
A shortcut to genius.
But also… cheating.
He scrolled through a few pages lazily. The list was enormous, stretching infinitely with titles from every era. Each entry shimmered with its price in neat blue text.
[Attack on Titan Vol 1 Ch 1 — 45 Entertainment Points]
[Jujutsu Kaisen Vol 1 Ch 1 — 50 Entertainment Points]
[Chainsaw Man Vol 1 Ch 1 — 47 Entertainment Points]
"50 thousand yen per chapter? That's expensive."
[Quality content carries a premium, Host!]
"Yeah, yeah." He waved the screen away. "I'll think about it later."
The apartment was quiet except for the faint hum of the fridge. He opened it, found absolutely nothing edible, and sighed.
"Figures. Not even instant ramen."
The sun hadn't fully risen yet, casting a pale orange glow through the blinds. Michatsu squinted at the clock—7:12 a.m.
His stomach growled loudly, betraying his attempt at indifference.
"…Fine," he muttered. "Ramen shop it is."
[New Quest Added!]
He froze. "Wait, what quest?"
[Quest: Fill Your Stomach!]
Objective: Eat a proper meal to restore morale.
Reward: +10 Entertainment Points.
He stared at the floating box. "You're kidding."
[A happy artist is a productive artist!]
"…You're annoying."
[Compliment acknowledged!]
He grabbed his jacket and stepped out anyway. The hallway smelled the same as last night—old carpet and faint rain—but at least it wasn't zapping him awake anymore.
Outside, the city had started to stir. Neon signs flickered to life one by one, and a light drizzle painted the asphalt with reflections.
New world, same weather.
He shoved his hands in his pockets and followed the scent of broth down the street.
***********************
The little ramen shop sat at the corner of a narrow lane, a warm pocket of light in the gray morning. The noren curtain swayed slightly as he stepped inside.
"Welcome!" called the chef from behind the counter.
Michatsu grunted a half-response and slid onto a stool.
"Shoyu ramen," he said. "Extra egg."
The man nodded and went to work.
It was comforting, the way the air filled with steam and the gentle sound of noodles being pulled. For a few minutes, Michatsu could almost forget the word "system" existed.
Then voices broke through the haze of soup aroma.
"Hey, did you see the Manga Jump announcement?" one of the younger servers whispered.
"Yeah," another replied. "The competition starts next week—newly drawn, unpublished manga only. The prize pool's crazy!"
Michatsu's ears perked up. He turned slightly. "What prize pool?"
The two blinked, surprised he'd spoken.
"Oh, uh—Manga Jump's holding a national competition for new artists," the older one explained. "First prize is ¥500,000, second's ¥200,000, third gets ¥100,000."
He stirred his noodles absently, mind whirring. "So… you just submit something new?"
"Yep. Gotta be original work, though. They're strict about that."
He nodded, pretending disinterest even as ideas flickered at the edge of his mind.
Five hundred thousand yen, huh…
Before he could think further, the system gleamed to life again.
┏──────────────────────────────┓
[New Quests Available!]
1️⃣ Publish 3 Manga and Gain 50,000 Views or More per Manga
Reward: Random
2️⃣ Participate and Win Manga Jump Competition.
Reward: Random
┗──────────────────────────────┛
The text floated gently above his bowl, glowing faintly blue against the rising steam.
Michatsu stared at it, then at his ramen, then back at the box.
"…You sure love giving me homework."
[Opportunity detected! Success in entertainment begins with action!]
He slurped his noodles slowly.
Three manga… fifty thousand views… and win a competition.
He didn't even have a single idea yet.
Outside, the rain had stopped, leaving the city glittering under early sun.
He leaned back, chopsticks still in hand, eyes half-closed.
"Now the real question," he murmured to himself, "is what manga am I supposed to draw?"
The system stayed silent for once, as if waiting for his decision.
He sighed. "I'm too lazy to think about it right now."
The window dimmed. The ramen steam curled upward like a quiet promise of chaos to come.
To be continued → Chapter 3: "Brainstorming with a Cheerful Menace"