The Passive Income System

"What? I've watched and read JJK too! Yume's the only one who hasn't—she's more of a mystery nerd," Nanami teased, her ponytail swaying as her golden-brown eyes sparkled with amusement.

"You didn't have to say that, Nanami!" Yume protested, her face turning a noticeable shade of pink. It was probably time to move on.

"Yeah, yeah~." Nanami brushed off her friend playfully. The two started joking with each other, ironically leaving the rest of us out of the conversation.

"You guys ready to eat? It's on me, but please don't run my wallet dry," I said, attempting to redirect the focus.

Nanami, Yume, and Sawako: "Eh???"

"What?" I asked, genuinely confused. I didn't think I'd said anything strange.

"You're paying for all of us?" Nanami asked skeptically, her brow arching in disbelief.

I nodded as we began walking through the mall. The atmosphere felt casual, almost aimless, despite having a clear destination. Brightly lit storefronts showcased everything from sleek tech to vibrant clothing, while the occasional echo of laughter added to the laid-back vibe. Since it was a Monday, the mall wasn't overly crowded, though there was still a decent number of people. Most were students and young adults, with the occasional family or older couple scattered throughout.

"Are you sure that's okay? I mean, we're all students, and I'd feel bad making you do this," Yume added hesitantly.

"I second that," Sawako chimed in softly.

"Seriously, it's fine! I get paid weekly, so trust me, I'm completely okay. All of you together might only cost around $150–200, so it's nothing too much."

I really didn't want to make this a big deal. Hopefully, they wouldn't pry too much, though I had a feeling they might. If they asked, I'd just tell them I do remote work for a novel company. That should be good enough!

It didn't take long before we reached McDonald's, and there was actually a considerable line. Most of it consisted of students, which made sense—it's a place with cheap food and a great place to hang out.

"Do you guys want to go somewhere else?" Yuta offered. I didn't really care what happened, so I just shrugged and left it to the others.

"No, it's fine." Itsuki took charge, and the verdict was passed. Thankfully, my wallet wasn't going to encounter any unexpected variables.

We waited in line to use the self-order kiosks. It took about 20 minutes, but the time flew by as we chatted about random stuff. In no time, I raked in so many relationship points that I couldn't believe how easy it was!

I also had to remember to choose that item later.

"Relationships..." I walked up to the self-order screen and whispered quickly. It really is inconvenient that I have to verbally ask for the system, but whatever.

(An: I'll keep information as relevant as possible.)

[Relationships]

Itsuki Akazawa (Friend): Tier 3 (100/250) --> (190/250)

Kadowaki Yūta (Friend): Tier 3 (100/250)

Kuronuma Sawako (Friend): Tier 3 (0/250)

Irido Yume (Friendly Acquaintance): Tier 2 (35/50)

Aoyama Nanami (Friendly Acquaintance): Tier 2 (06/50)

"Close."

"Hmm?" Sawako looked up at me curiously, but I couldn't very well tell her about the system; otherwise, she'd think I was crazy.

"I said you can order first!"

Sawako timidly nodded and began placing her order: a Filet-O-Fish meal with medium fries and an orange juice.

"You like orange juice? I much prefer apple juice or something even sweeter," I said casually.

"I-I just think it's better than soda, and I wanted some taste, so I didn't choose water," she explained softly.

I nodded. "Makes sense. I do that myself sometimes."

Sawako wasn't as shy as before, but I noticed that my question about her preference might have made her self-conscious. I felt a bit guilty and decided to apologize.

"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I was just curious," I said, giving a slight bow.

"It's okay! I know," she reassured me quickly. "I'm just trying to get used to this. I normally don't go out much with this many people—if at all..."

"Why not?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"W-Well, people have said I look like the girl from The Ring, and I guess I don't help it with how shy I am. My mom says I'm unapproachable because of how my shyness shows on my face. AH—but she was just giving me her opinion! She doesn't treat me badly or anything!" she added hastily.

"I see. I think you should relax more, then! You're pretty and enjoyable to talk to, so I hope you can take that first step to lessen your shyness," I said carefully, trying to word my response so it wouldn't bring her into a negative headspace. I really did hope she could step out of her shell.

She was genuinely pretty, but I couldn't fault her for being hesitant. People's words could hurt, and I could understand why she was reluctant to try. Still, she had Yume and Nanami by her side, and that was a great start.

"M-Me?!" Sawako's face turned bright pink, the blush creeping up her cheeks.

I chose not to comment on her reaction and instead responded sincerely, "Yeah, you really are. Haha, I'm not going to lie to you!"

"O..." Sawako stood still, her mouth slightly open as if she didn't know how to respond. I chuckled softly before we were interrupted.

"Hey, Amane! Your turn!" Itsuki called out.

"Huh? How did you all order already?" I asked, confused.

"What do you mean, man? We just walked in front of you and ordered. I see, you were too busy flirting to notice. Shake my head!" Itsuki said dramatically, even shaking his head for emphasis. The urge to smash his face in surged, but I controlled myself.

I walked up to the screen and quickly placed my order: a 20-piece McNuggets meal with large fries and two apple juices. I glanced at Sawako briefly before adding the second drink.

Finishing my order, I looked at the total. To my surprise, it wasn't as much as I thought.

Total: 8,921 JPY ($60.50 USD)

Here I thought it'd be over $100 with this many people! Thankfully, I wasn't spending as much as I'd feared, which meant I could save for something else with the group or later.

After paying, everyone thanked me, and I smiled lightly, showing them it was no big deal. We continued chatting and bonding as we waited for and eventually got our food. I couldn't help but think about how much fun I was having. It was truly a blast to hang out with everyone, but the time was ticking. I glanced at my phone: [18:30].

Yume and Nanami did the same, cutting our time short.

"Sorry, guys, we have to go! See you at school tomorrow!" Yume said hurriedly.

"Sorry! Amane, thanks for the food—you have no idea how much it helps!" Nanami added with a slight bow before she and Yume rushed off. They seemed to forget something... or rather, someone.

"Did they just leave her?" Yuta asked, looking awkward. He clearly didn't have a problem with Sawako but found the situation odd.

"Yeah, dude. They didn't even give her a chance to catch up!" Itsuki chimed in, shaking his head.

I glanced at Sawako, who looked unsure of what to say. "I'll bring you home, Sawako, if that's okay. Or I can bring you close if that's more comfortable?"

"N-N-No, I can't make you do that! You already paid for the food; besides, I live pretty far," she replied quickly.

"How far do you live from this mall if you had to guess?"

"Walking? About an hour and a half to two hours," she admitted hesitantly.

"I see. How about I order you an Uber? Or we can walk?"

"S-Seriously, it's fine! You've done plenty."

"I just want to make sure you get home safe."

"I-I..." Sawako struggled to respond.

"Sawako-san, just let him help. Amane is just that type of guy," Itsuki said, grinning. I couldn't help but think how one could grin so much in a day, but he was just that type of guy.

Yuta smiled calmly, adding with a nod, "Itsuki's right. I haven't known Amane long, but even I can tell by how he carries himself,"

Sawako went quiet for a moment before replying timidly, her nervousness or shyness whatever one leaving her body. Her face, which really did make her quite unapproachable when her shyness took-over relaxed, "Okay, if you don't mind."

"Good! I'll get us an Uber—it'll be much quicker, and I'm sure your family will appreciate that."

Sawako's face flushed pink again, but I couldn't quite figure out why. Maybe she felt bad about me spending so much money on her when we'd just met? That seemed like the most likely explanation. Then again, I'd spend this money on anyone who needed it. Of course, I knew better than to say that aloud.

----

How do you guys want this story to proceed? 

Me personally, I'm feeling the harem vibe, but I'll let you all decide. After I upload chapter 10, I'll look at the comments.

Harem (meaningful and fleshed out ofc; Comment here)

or 

One girl (REALLY REALLY FLESHED OUT; Comment here)