The train back from Tokyo felt different this time. Not the familiar weight of disappointment that used to settle in my chest after job interviews, but something heavier—expectation. The WellCorp contract sat in my messenger bag like a small bomb, 150 units with an option to scale. My first real corporate deal.
I pressed my forehead against the cool window, watching the city blur past. The System had been unusually quiet since I'd left the WellCorp building, just a small notification glowing in the corner of my vision: [Achievement Unlocked: First Corporate Deal | Reputation +15 | Stress Level: Elevated]
Stress Level: Elevated. That was new.
"Couldn't just let me enjoy this, could you?" I muttered under my breath.
[System Alert: Host vitals indicate increased cortisol levels. Recommend stress management protocols.]
I almost laughed. Here I was, finally getting somewhere, and the System was worried about my stress levels. But as the train pulled into Shibuya station, I felt it—that familiar knot in my stomach that had nothing to do with hunger.
The apartment felt smaller when I walked in. Maybe it was because I now knew exactly how much space I'd need for 150 units, or maybe it was because success had a way of making you see the limitations of your current situation with brutal clarity. Mrs. Haruka had left a neat stack of finished harnesses on the dining table, along with a note: "Ryou-kun, congratulations on your meeting. I heard from the neighbors you looked very professional this morning. —H"
Even Mrs. Haruka, my part-time seamstress, had more faith in me than I had in myself sometimes.
I set down my bag and pulled out the WellCorp contract, spreading it across the table. The terms were better than I'd dared hope: ¥8,500 per unit, payment within 30 days, and a potential scaling option if the pilot performed well. On paper, it was exactly what I needed. In reality, it meant I had six weeks to produce more units than I'd made in the past three months combined.
[Quest Activated: Corporate Delivery Challenge][Objective: Deliver 150 units within 6 weeks][Bonus Objective: Maintain quality standards][Penalty for Failure: Reputation -50, Stress +100]
"Thanks for the pressure," I said, dismissing the notification with a thought.
I pulled out my phone and called Mrs. Yamamoto, the manufacturer I'd been negotiating with. She picked up on the third ring.
"Ryou-kun! How did the meeting go?"
"I got the contract," I said, trying to keep the uncertainty out of my voice. "150 units, six weeks."
There was a pause. "That's... ambitious. With our current setup, we could maybe manage 100 units in that timeframe if we push."
My heart sank. "What would it take to hit 150?"
"More machines, more workers, more space. Essentially, we'd need to double our capacity overnight." She sighed. "It's possible, but it would require significant upfront investment. And even then, there's no guarantee we could maintain quality."
I hung up and stared at the contract. This was the problem with opportunities—they always came with impossible timelines and unrealistic expectations. But backing out now would mean losing not just the deal, but potentially my reputation in the industry. Sarah Chen had been clear about one thing: this was a test run for bigger things.
[System Suggestion: Analyze resource allocation options]
A new interface appeared in my vision, breaking down potential solutions:
Option 1: Expand with Mrs. Yamamoto (Cost: ¥500,000 upfront)Option 2: Find additional manufacturers (Risk: Quality inconsistency)Option 3: Hybrid approach - Mrs. Yamamoto + handmade units (Feasibility: 78%)
I rubbed my temples. The hybrid approach made the most sense, but it would mean pushing myself back into the 3-hours-of-sleep routine that had nearly broken me before. The System seemed to sense my hesitation.
[Warning: Previous burnout patterns detected. Recommend sustainable approach.]
"Then what do you suggest?" I asked aloud.
[System Analysis: Host requires team expansion. Current skill: Leadership (Lv.0). Recommend immediate upgrade.]
Leadership. That was the piece I'd been missing. I'd been so focused on doing everything myself that I'd never learned how to work with others effectively. The System was right—I needed people, not just more hours.
The next morning, I posted a job listing on a freelance platform: "Seeking skilled seamstresses/tailors for fitness equipment production. Immediate start, competitive pay, flexible hours." Within two hours, I had twelve responses.
The first interview was with Kenji, a 28-year-old who'd been laid off from a textile factory. He arrived twenty minutes early, portfolio in hand, and showed me samples of his work that were honestly better than anything I'd produced.
"Why fitness equipment?" I asked.
He shrugged. "I've been going to the gym since I lost my job. Figured I should understand what I'm making." He picked up one of my harnesses, examining the stitching. "This is solid work, but I could show you some techniques that would cut production time by 30% without sacrificing quality."
[System Alert: Potential team member identified. Compatibility: 87%]
I hired him on the spot.
The second interview was with Yuki, a 35-year-old mother who'd been doing piecework from home. She was quieter than Kenji, but when she demonstrated a seam technique I'd never seen before, I knew I'd found my quality control specialist.
By the end of the week, I had a team of four: Kenji, Yuki, Mrs. Haruka, and a college student named Taro who could work evenings. We turned my apartment into a proper production line, with cutting stations, sewing areas, and quality control checkpoints.
[Achievement Unlocked: Team Builder][Skill Gained: Leadership (Lv.1)][Trait Evolved: Solo Hustle → Collaborative Vision]
The change was immediate. What had taken me two days to produce alone, the team could finish in six hours. But more importantly, the quality was better. Kenji's techniques reduced material waste, Yuki's attention to detail caught issues I would have missed, and Mrs. Haruka's experience kept everyone focused when the pressure mounted.
But with great power came great responsibility—and great stress. I found myself constantly checking their work, second-guessing decisions, and staying up late to review every unit that went out. The System kept pinging me with stress alerts, but I ignored them. This was too important to mess up.
Three weeks into production, we hit our first major snag. A batch of webbing from our supplier arrived with a defect—the material was slightly thicker than specification, which meant it wouldn't fit through our hardware properly. Forty units worth of material, unusable.
"We can send it back," Yuki suggested, "but it'll take a week to get replacement material."
I stared at the defective webbing, calculating timelines in my head. We were already running tight; a week delay would push us past the deadline. "What about sourcing from someone else?"
"Possible," Kenji said, "but we'd need to test it first. Different manufacturers have different specs."
[Crisis Event: Supply Chain Disruption][Options: 1) Wait for replacement (Safe, but delayed) 2) Source alternative (Risky, but timely) 3) Modify design (Creative, but uncertain)]
I looked at my team, all waiting for my decision. A month ago, I would have panicked. Six months ago, I would have given up. But now, with four people depending on me and WellCorp expecting results, I felt something I hadn't experienced before: the weight of leadership.
"We modify the design," I said finally. "Kenji, you mentioned a technique that could accommodate thicker webbing. Can you show me?"
He nodded, pulling out his toolkit. "It'll require a different stitching pattern, but it's actually stronger than our current approach."
We spent the next twelve hours redesigning the harness. It was exhausting, but also exhilarating. Watching my team problem-solve together, seeing ideas bounce between us and evolve into solutions—this was what I'd been missing working alone.
[Quest Updated: Crisis Management][Skill Gained: Adaptive Problem Solving (Lv.1)][Team Cohesion: +25]
The modified design was actually better than the original. Stronger, more versatile, and with a cleaner aesthetic. When we tested it the next day, even I was impressed with what we'd created under pressure.
"This is good," Taro said, adjusting the straps. "Really good."
[Achievement Unlocked: Innovation Under Pressure]
But the real test came two weeks later, when Sarah Chen arrived for the delivery inspection. I'd been expecting a quick handoff, but she brought her entire team—quality control, product development, and a fitness consultant who put our harnesses through stress tests I'd never imagined.
"Impressive," she said, examining the modified design. "This is actually an improvement over your original prototype. How did you come up with this?"
I glanced at my team, who were pretending to be busy while clearly listening to every word. "We had a supply chain issue that forced us to innovate. Sometimes constraints breed creativity."
She nodded approvingly. "That's the kind of thinking we value at WellCorp. Adaptability, problem-solving, continuous improvement." She turned to her team. "What's the verdict?"
"Quality exceeds expectations," the QC specialist reported. "Stress tests show 15% better performance than the original design."
"Functionality is excellent," added the fitness consultant. "I'd actually recommend this for our premium line."
Sarah smiled. "Well, Ryou, congratulations. You've not only met our expectations, you've exceeded them. I'm authorizing the full scale order—500 units over the next three months."
[Quest Completed: Corporate Delivery Challenge][Rewards: Reputation +30, Stress -20, Financial Stability +50][New Quest Available: Scale Operations]
After they left, my team and I sat in the apartment, surrounded by empty boxes and the smell of success. The silence stretched until Kenji started laughing.
"Did we just land a 500-unit order?" he asked.
"We did," I confirmed, still processing it myself.
"So what now?" Yuki asked.
I looked around my apartment—our apartment, really, since it had become our workspace. We'd outgrown it weeks ago, but we'd made it work through sheer determination and creativity. Now, with a 500-unit order and growing demand from other sources, we needed to think bigger.
"Now we find a real workshop," I said. "And we do this properly."
[System Alert: Major milestone achieved. Host development: Exceptional. Leadership skills: Rapidly evolving. Recommendation: Prepare for next phase of growth.]
That night, after my team had gone home, I sat with my laptop, researching commercial spaces. The System had been quiet for most of the day, but now it seemed almost... proud?
[Personal Note: Host has exceeded initial projections by 347%. Original goal was basic confidence restoration. Current trajectory suggests potential for significant impact.]
"Are you saying you're impressed?" I asked.
[System Response: This unit does not experience emotions. However, host development has been... noteworthy.]
I smiled. Even my mysterious System companion was learning to evolve.
As I scrolled through rental listings, I thought about the past year. From finding my girlfriend cheating to building a team and landing corporate contracts—it felt like someone else's life. But every morning when I looked in the mirror, I saw the same person. Just... more. More confident, more capable, more connected to the world around me.
My phone buzzed with a message from AyakaFit: "Saw the WellCorp announcement! Congratulations! Ready for that collaboration video? I have some ideas..."
I typed back: "Let's do it. I've got stories to tell."
[Quest Available: Brand Storytelling - Collaboration][Objective: Create authentic content showcasing journey][Potential Reward: Expanded reach, industry recognition]
I accepted the quest and closed my laptop. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, new opportunities, and new ways to grow. But tonight, I was content to sit in my small apartment, surrounded by the evidence of what hard work and good people could accomplish together.
The broken beginnings were behind me. What lay ahead was still being written.
[Status Update: Ryou - Level 12][Primary Stats: Confidence 89/100, Leadership 34/100, Resilience 92/100][Special Traits: Brand Sovereignty, Collaborative Vision, Innovation Under Pressure][Current Objective: Prepare for next phase of growth]
I turned off the lights and headed to bed, knowing that tomorrow would be another step forward in a journey I was finally excited to be on.