The Passive Income System

By the time we stepped outside, the sun had dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in deep blues and purples. Streetlights flickered to life, casting warm pools of light on the pavement. The faint hum of distant traffic filled the air, mingling with the murmurs of passersby.

I pulled out my phone, downloaded Uber, and made an account before handing it to Sawako.

"Here, put your address in or somewhere nearby," I said.

She fidgeted slightly but took my phone nonetheless. As she focused on the screen, I turned my attention to Itsuki and Yuta.

"See you two tomorrow."

"Yep! Make sure she gets home safe, my tsundere Amane," Itsuki teased.

"Make sure your girlfriend doesn't beat you for hanging out with other girls," I shot back.

"Heh, she won't because I told her beforehand! The funny thing is... she said it was fine because you were going. Your virgin energy is so strong she couldn't believe anything would happen," Itsuki quipped.

"Tch! You bastard."

"Hahaha~ See ya, man!" I waved Itsuki off, knowing he was definitely heading to Chitose's house.

Yuta shook his head, a big smile plastered on his face. "I'll see you tomorrow, Amane. You're surprisingly way more enjoyable to hang out with. Honestly, I didn't believe Itsuki when he told me."

"..." Do these two have something against me?

Yuta started leaving, giving us a final wave. Meanwhile, Sawako was still engrossed in my phone. What was she doing?

Since I was much taller than her, I bent down slightly to peek at the screen and...

"I see," I whispered. She remained zoned in, completely unaware of me watching. All she was doing was putting her number into my phone and deciding on an emoji to place next to her name. I couldn't make this up.

[Side Quest!]

[Bring Sawako home safely!]

[Rewards: $20, 100 relationship points, and instant Tier 3 relationship status with Kitao Kuronuma (Father) and Youko Kuronuma (Mother)]

Sweet. A free $20 plus the other rewards? Great! However, I wondered why this system gives "relationship points" when it is supposed to be an income system. Maybe relationships were considered a form of income? It made sense—relationships are all about give and take, after all.

"Here you go!" A few minutes passed, and Sawako handed me back my phone.

"Is this your address?" I asked.

She nodded, and I selected "Use Current Location" before purchasing the Uber. It was only $20, which meant with the reward, I was basically getting a free ride! In no time, our ride pulled up.

It was a newer model white Lexus—or at least, that's how it looked to me. The driver rolled down the window, glancing at me. "Amane?"

"Yeah," I replied.

"Hop in the back!" she said with a nod.

The driver was an older woman with striking blue hair, though her features didn't catch my attention much compared to others I'd met recently. Without much thought, I walked to the sidewalk-side door, opened it, and slid into the back seat.

"Here you go, Sawako," I urged her gently. This time, she didn't fidget or react nervously. It seemed she was starting to get comfortable with me—and hopefully with the others as well.

"Thank you," she said softly. I made sure she was settled and hadn't left anything behind before closing the door. Then I walked around the car and got in on the other side.

In about 20 minutes, we reached our destination.

"Thanks," I said to the driver.

"No problem!"

I got out of the car first, walking over to Sawako's side before she could react. Opening the door for her, she looked at me, visibly stunned.

"Wow~, you have a wonderful boyfriend! I'm kind of jealous," the Uber driver teased. My face grew warm, and Sawako wasn't much different. She hurriedly got out of the car, and I quickly shut the door. The driver laughed as we walked away, trying to put some distance between us and the embarrassment.

I glanced at Sawako. "Your home looks quite comfy. Is the neighborhood good?"

"Yeah! It's quiet and peaceful." We walked up to her front door. Her home was a modest two-story house, with soft beige walls and a dark brown tiled roof. A small front yard was bordered by a low wooden fence. Seeing this kind of scene felt odd for an apartment dweller like me—even back home, my family had a much bigger house.

"So this is a normal house..."

"W-Why do you sound so shocked?! Are you a cursed spirit?! Begone!" Feeling more comfortable near home, or maybe just being herself, she started acting a little out of character, pointing her finger at me like Gojo casting Red.

"Hahaha~ No. I shall cause havoc and destruction!" I raised my left hand and gently placed it on top of her head.

"H-Hey, don't ruin my hair!"

"Too bad, I'm a cursed spirit, remember?"

"Fine, fine! I'm sorry!" she huffed.

I let go reluctantly. Her hair was so smooth and smelled faintly of lavender, which fit her personality perfectly in my opinion.

"Ahem!" A sudden sound snapped us out of our banter. I'd forgotten we were standing at the front door.

"M-M-Mom?!" Sawako's face turned so red I could barely describe it.

I bowed slightly. "Nice to meet you, Miss. I'm Fujimiya Amane. If you don't mind, you can just call me Amane."

Sawako's mom shared her build and eyes—or perhaps Sawako shared hers. Aside from her mature aura, the only major difference was her short bob haircut, dyed brown.

"Nice to meet you, Amane. You can call me Youko—or hmm... mother might work as well!"

I felt heat instantly begin radiating from my face. Normally, I could mask my expressions, but this was the first time anyone had said something like that to me in person.

"Oh~! There she goes!" Youko-san's words made me realize Sawako had run inside. At least I wasn't the only one feeling embarrassed.

"I-I should get going then! Nice meeting you, Youko-san." I bowed again before leaving.

I heard soft giggling before Youko-san called out, "Get home safely, dear, and thank you for bringing Sawako home!"

I walked away, trying to process what had just happened. It must have been the Uber driver's comment earlier—it had to be!