The next morning, Grandpa's Noodles opened earlier than usual.
Vash stood behind the counter, watching Grandpa count the money from the previous day.
There were more notes than Vash was used to seeing.
Not a huge amount.
But enough to make him notice.
Grandpa separated the money into different piles.
Supplier expenses.
Restaurant expenses.
Savings.
And the remaining cash for daily needs.
Vash watched quietly.
"Business is getting better," he finally said.
Grandpa glanced at him.
"It is."
"By a lot?"
Grandpa smiled.
"Compared to a few months ago? Yes."
Vash looked toward the dining area.
The old wooden tables were already being cleaned.
The restaurant wasn't the same place it had been before.
Customers came more regularly now. The gang boss and his men had brought attention to the restaurant, and word of mouth had spread beyond them.
People came because they had heard about the food.
Some came because they wanted to try Golden Noodles.
Others simply liked the atmosphere.
For the first time in years, Grandpa's Noodles wasn't merely surviving.
It was growing.
Vash smiled slightly.
That was good.
Very good.
Then his mind returned to yesterday.
The homework.
The WhatsApp group.
The instructions he couldn't access.
And the embarrassing moment of standing outside the classroom.
He didn't want that to happen again.
But there was still one problem.
He didn't have a smartphone.
---
That afternoon, Vash was sitting at the restaurant table with his school notebook open.
He had finished his assignments.
Then he opened the Ordinary System.
A familiar blue interface appeared in front of him.
[ORDINARY SYSTEM]
[Daily Tasks]
Task 1: Physical Rehabilitation — Complete
Task 2: Academic Study — Complete
Task 3: Restaurant Assistance — Complete
Task 4: Cooking Practice — Complete
Task 5: Mental Training — Complete
[Daily Tasks: 5/5]
[Reward: +3 System Points]
[System Points: 73/100]
Vash nodded.
"Three points."
He had learned not to underestimate them.
Three points every day didn't seem impressive.
But three points repeated over weeks could become something much bigger.
The System had always worked that way.
Small progress.
Repeated every day.
He closed the interface.
Then he heard Grandma calling him.
"Vash."
"Coming."
He walked toward the kitchen.
Grandma was preparing vegetables while Grandpa stood nearby.
"We've been talking," Grandpa said.
Vash immediately became suspicious.
"About what?"
Grandpa looked at Grandma.
Then back at Vash.
"Your phone."
Vash's expression changed.
"My... phone?"
"You need one."
"I know I need access to the school materials."
"Not just that," Grandpa replied. "You need it for studying too. Your school is becoming more digital."
Vash looked down.
"I can use someone else's phone."
"For how long?"
Vash didn't answer.
Grandpa continued.
"You shouldn't have to depend on your classmates every time the school sends something online."
Vash understood.
But there was another problem.
"How much?"
Grandpa raised an eyebrow.
"How much what?"
"The phone."
Grandpa smiled.
"We haven't chosen one yet."
Vash immediately shook his head.
"Then don't buy an expensive one."
Grandma laughed softly.
"You haven't even heard the price."
"I know you."
That made Grandpa laugh.
Vash folded his arms.
"We have the restaurant to manage. We need ingredients. We need to save money. And we still need to rebuild what we lost."
The room became quiet.
Vash hadn't forgotten.
The house they had sold.
The money they had spent.
The years of treatment.
Everything his grandparents had sacrificed.
"I don't need an expensive phone," he said.
Grandpa looked at him for a long moment.
Then he walked toward the counter and picked up the small notebook where he recorded the restaurant's finances.
"Do you know how much the restaurant has changed?"
Vash nodded.
"It's doing better."
"Exactly."
Grandpa opened the notebook.
"We've paid the suppliers. We've covered our regular expenses. We've put money aside."
Vash looked at the numbers.
Grandpa continued.
"We aren't rich."
"I know."
"But we're not where we were before."
Vash stayed silent.
Grandpa closed the notebook.
"You spent two years fighting your way back to us."
Vash looked at him.
"We're not going to feel guilty about spending some of our money to help you build your future."
Vash didn't know what to say.
Grandma placed a hand on his shoulder.
"This isn't wasting money."
She smiled.
"This is for your education."
Vash looked away.
For some reason, those simple words made his chest feel heavy.
He finally sighed.
"Fine."
Grandpa grinned.
"Fine?"
"But nothing ridiculous."
"We'll see."
"Grandpa."
"I'm joking."
He wasn't entirely joking.
---
Later that evening, Grandpa and Grandma went out.
Vash stayed at the restaurant.
He helped finish the evening work and cleaned the tables.
When they returned, Grandpa was carrying a small shopping bag.
Vash stared at it.
"You actually bought one?"
Grandpa placed the bag on the table.
"Yes."
Vash slowly approached.
Grandpa opened it.
Inside was a new smartphone.
Not the cheapest model.
Not a basic phone.
A high-quality iPhone.
Vash froze.
He looked at Grandpa.
Then at the phone.
Then back at Grandpa.
"How much?"
Grandpa hesitated.
"About eight hundred dollars."
Vash's eyes widened.
"Eight hundred?!"
Grandpa laughed.
"You're acting like we bought a car."
"Grandpa, that's still $800!"
"I know."
"You could have bought me something for $200!"
Grandpa crossed his arms.
"And then six months later you'd probably need another one."
Vash stared at the phone.
It was far better than anything he had expected.
For a moment, he didn't touch it.
"You really bought this for me?"
Grandma smiled.
"Of course."
Vash slowly picked it up.
The screen lit up.
For someone who had spent so much of his life recently focused on recovery, studying, cooking, and helping the restaurant, holding something like this felt strangely unfamiliar.
It wasn't just a phone.
It represented something else.
A world he had fallen behind.
A world that had changed while he was unconscious.
Technology.
School.
Communication.
Information.
And now he finally had a way to access it.
Vash looked at his grandparents.
"Thank you."
Grandpa waved his hand.
"Don't thank us yet. Learn how to use it first."
Vash smiled.
"I will."
Then—
A familiar blue window appeared.
Vash's smile disappeared.
The System had detected it.
[ORDINARY SYSTEM]
[New Environmental Change Detected.]
[Digital Access Device Acquired.]
Vash stared.
Another window appeared.
[MISSION GENERATED]
Mission: Acquire a Smartphone
Objective:
Obtain a personal smartphone for educational and digital-access purposes.
Requirements:
• Obtain a functioning smartphone.
• Gain regular access to digital study materials.
• Complete the acquisition without abandoning current responsibilities.
Reward:
+10 System Points
Status:
INCOMPLETE
Vash blinked.
"Wait."
He looked at the phone.
Then at the System.
"You're giving me a mission for this?"
No response.
Vash frowned.
The mission was strange.
Not because of the reward.
Because of the wording.
Digital access device.
Not simply phone.
Not entertainment.
Digital access.
He stared at the System for several seconds.
"Why do you care?"
Nothing happened.
The interface remained silent.
Vash slowly lowered the phone.
Maybe it was just another System objective.
Maybe there was nothing more to it.
He decided not to think about it too much.
For now.
He looked at the mission again.
The status was still incomplete.
"Of course."
Vash understood immediately.
The System hadn't rewarded him just for receiving the phone.
He would have to actually use it for what the mission required.
Education.
Digital materials.
Responsibility.
He nodded.
"Fine."
He would do it properly.
---
That night, Vash sat at his desk.
His new phone rested beside his textbooks.
He opened the school WhatsApp group.
Messages appeared one after another.
Homework instructions.
Study materials.
Announcements.
Class discussions.
Things he had been unable to see before.
Vash stared at the screen.
"So this is what I've been missing."
He scrolled through the messages.
There were several assignments he hadn't even known about.
Instead of feeling angry, he felt relieved.
Now he could keep up.
He opened his notebook.
Then the phone.
Then the textbook.
For the first time, all three were connected.
A strange thought crossed his mind.
The System had been damaged since he woke up.
It had given him abilities.
Tasks.
Objectives.
Points.
And now it had created a mission connected to technology.
Why?
Vash frowned.
He still didn't understand what the System really was.
But he had learned something important.
Not every mystery needed an answer immediately.
Some answers had to be earned.
He placed the phone beside his notebook.
Then opened his textbook.
"First, study."
The System remained silent.
But somewhere inside its damaged interface, another piece of Vash's ordinary life had been connected to it.
And Vash had no idea how important that connection would eventually become.
System Points: 73/100
Smartphone Mission: INCOMPLETE
For now, that was enough.