The weekend with Soo-ah felt like a dream that ended too soon.
By Monday morning, the city noise returned — horns, chatter, the hum of life rushing forward again.
I wasn't sure if I was ready to run with it yet.
[Back to reality,] Nova said as I pulled on my jacket.
"Yeah," I said, smiling a little. "If that's what we're calling it."
[You seem... lighter.]
"Guess I needed a reminder that I'm still human."
[You're welcome. Or I guess Soo-ah's welcome.]
I chuckled. "Yeah, she deserves the credit."
Campus felt different that morning.
Not because it had changed — but because I had.
The same buildings, the same faces, the same sounds, but I saw it all differently now.
Maybe peace has a way of changing how you look at things.
During lunch, Min-jun waved me over. "Rin, you hear about the innovation expo next month?"
I shook my head. "No. What about it?"
"They're inviting student businesses to present. UniTrade would crush there, man. It's a big deal."
I leaned back, thinking. "Hmm."
[Opportunity detected,] Nova said. [Potential for large-scale exposure and networking.]
Min-jun grinned. "That's your thinking face. You're already planning something, aren't you?"
"Maybe," I said. "But not just for UniTrade."
That evening, I walked along the Han River again.
The same place Soo-ah and I sat two days ago.
I could almost hear her voice in the wind, quiet but certain: You don't have to be superhuman all the time.
And yet, as the city lights rippled on the water, I felt that old spark again — the one that had driven me from the start.
Not greed.
Not ego.
Just possibility.
[You're thinking of expanding again,] Nova said, her tone somewhere between amusement and warning.
"I'm thinking of creating," I said. "Something new. Something that isn't just about money."
[That sounds dangerously like ambition.]
I smiled faintly. "Maybe. But this time, I'll do it differently."
Later that night, as I sat on my balcony, a soft chime rang in my mind.
[New Feature Unlocked: Talent System]
I blinked. "Nova… what is this?"
[A secondary system protocol. You reached stability in wealth management. The system is offering an expansion.]
"Expansion?"
[Talent acquisition. Max potential in chosen skills. Art, music, coding, acting—limitless creative aptitude.]
I stared at the glowing text.
It didn't feel like a reward.
It felt like an invitation.
"Activate it," I said quietly.
Light shimmered faintly through my room — not bright, not loud, just soft and silver.
The new interface appeared before me, elegant and calm.
[Talent System Online]
[Default Talents: Art | Music | Coding | Acting | Business Management]
[All Skill Levels: MAX]
I just sat there, silent.
Then I laughed softly. "So… now I can do anything, huh?"
[You always could. You just needed the confidence.]
The next morning, I messaged Soo-ah.
Rin: "You busy?"
Soo-ah: "Maybe. Why?"
Rin: "I have an idea. It's about creating something—together."
A minute passed before her reply came.
Soo-ah: "Sounds dangerous. When do we start?"
I smiled at the screen, then slipped the silver bracelet she'd given me onto my wrist.
The city outside was alive again, full of light and motion.
And somewhere deep inside, I knew — this was the start of something bigger.