Marcus nearly dropped his energy drink when Aiden walked in carrying shopping bags from stores they usually only window-shopped past.
"Dude. What—how—"
"Sit down," Aiden said, shutting their dorm door. Two weeks had passed since the system appeared. TechNova had climbed another 28%. His account balance now read $71,500. "I need to tell you something."
Marcus sat on his bed, eyes glued to the bag from Urban Threads, the upscale menswear place near campus. "Did you rob a bank? Please tell me you didn't rob a bank."
"Better." Aiden pulled out two boxes. "I made an investment that paid off. And I wanted to say thanks for being a good roommate. For being real with me when I was at my lowest."
He handed Marcus one of the boxes. Inside was a leather jacket Marcus had admired for months—$300 price tag still attached.
"Aiden, I can't—"
"Yes, you can. We've been splitting ramen and dollar pizzas for two years. Let me do this."
Marcus ran his hand over the butter-soft leather, eyes wide. "What investment? How much did you make?"
"Enough to know I'm not eating vending machine dinners anymore." Aiden opened his own box, revealing a charcoal wool coat that actually fit properly. "And enough to make sure the people who've had my back share in it."
"This is insane." Marcus tried on the jacket, turning to their mirror. "Holy shit, I look like I belong in a music video. What stock did you buy?"
"TechNova Industries."
"The AI startup? That's risky, man. How much did you put in?"
Aiden hesitated. The system had warned him about revealing too much, but Marcus deserved some truth. "More than I should have. But I had a feeling."
"A feeling that made you shop at Urban Threads." Marcus's expression shifted from awe to concern. "Are you sure this is legal? I'm pre-law, I can help if—"
"It's completely legal. I promise." Aiden pulled out his phone and showed Marcus his investment app. The number made his roommate's jaw drop.
"Seventy-one thousand? From how much initial investment?"
"Fifty."
"In two weeks? Aiden, that's—" Marcus stopped, studying him. "You really are different, aren't you? Not just the clothes. Something about you changed."
Aiden thought about the system, the charisma boost, the knowledge flowing through his mind about markets and trends. "I decided to stop being the guy people pity. To stop being too poor to matter."
"You mattered before," Marcus said quietly. "Jessica was wrong about you."
"Was she, though? I couldn't afford to take her anywhere. Couldn't buy her anything. Hell, I couldn't buy myself anything."
"Money isn't everything."
"No," Aiden agreed, buttoning his new coat. "But poverty isn't noble either. I'm done apologizing for wanting more."
Marcus nodded slowly, then grinned. "Does this mean you're buying tonight at poker?"
"I'm buying drinks. But I'm still taking all your money at cards."
"Big talk from a guy who lost to me with aces last month."
But Aiden knew he wouldn't lose tonight. The system had given him more than money and charm. It had given him confidence, the kind that came from knowing your life was finally moving in the right direction.
As they left for the poker game, both wearing their new jackets, students turned to stare. Not with pity or dismissal, but with interest.
Aiden caught his reflection in the building's glass door. The guy looking back wasn't the same person Jessica had dumped two weeks ago.
That person was gone forever.