"I'll pay it all," Alex muttered through gritted teeth, his jaw tight with frustration.
The boy, barely into his twenties, stood facing the group—his so-called "friends"—who now wore mocking smirks, their eyes glinting with amusement. They knew all too well that Alex came from a struggling background. That was the whole point of bringing him here—to set him up, to make a show of his poverty in front of the girls. Especially her.
And now, when the bill came, they conveniently insisted he cover a portion. A trap disguised as a joke. A test disguised as camaraderie.
He felt their eyes on him like knives, waiting for him to fold. To beg off. To admit he couldn't afford it.
Instead, he pulled out his worn wallet.
Let them think what they want.
Let them laugh.
Even if it meant skipping meals for the next week, he refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing him flinch.
"It's alright. I said I'd cover that part," a calm voice broke through the tension.
All heads turned. Ella had stepped forward. Her tone was even, her gaze unwavering as she looked at the boys—not Alex.
The leader of the group, who had just been sneering moments ago, suddenly chuckled awkwardly.
"Ella, no worries! We'll take care of it. I was just messing with Alex. Just a little joke," he said quickly, the charm flooding back into his voice as he tried to recover. It was clear who he was trying to impress, and Ella's quiet disapproval had struck its mark.
The truth was, the entire gathering had been planned with one purpose—to win over Ella. Alex was just a prop. An example of "less." A convenient contrast.
But things didn't go quite as planned.
And something in Alex's eyes—just for a moment—shimmered with something new.
[Situation Analysis.]
[System Rebate applicable in this scenario.]
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Alex's lips as he looked down at the bill. The laughter, the mocking stares—all of it faded into background noise. He didn't flinch. He didn't hesitate.
He paid.
The moment his digital wallet confirmed the payment, a soft chime echoed from his phone, almost like a notification—but sharper, clearer, as if meant only for him.
His smile deepened.
[Rebate x3 Activated.]
The $50 he'd just spent... suddenly didn't feel like a loss.
He pulled his phone out under the table, his thumb sliding across the screen. What he saw made his breath hitch for a second.
+150.00 USD credited to account.
Not cashback. Not points.
Real money.
His fingers trembled slightly, not from fear—but thrill. He'd paid $50... and received triple that in return?
Was it a fluke? A glitch?
He didn't care.
For now, he only knew one thing: It was real. And he wasn't about to let anyone see the fire that had just been lit inside him.
With a calm face and a new gleam in his eyes, Alex slipped the phone back into his pocket and looked up—straight at the ones who had tried to humiliate him.
"Haha! Brother Alex, I was just messing around, you know? We all know how hard you work for your money. No way I'd actually make you pay for all this..."
Alex suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. The sudden shift in tone, the false concern—it was pathetic. If he didn't have a steel grip on his expression, he might've visibly winced.
He kept his voice neutral and his face unreadable. "It's fine. I already paid."
Then, turning slightly toward Ella, he offered a subtle nod. "But thanks anyway, Ella. I appreciate the thought."
Ella blinked, a little surprised at being addressed so casually. Most people tiptoed around her, too enamored to speak plainly. But Alex's tone was relaxed—normal, not flirtatious, not awkward. Just... real.
She studied him for a moment.
"Are you sure about the money?" she asked gently.
Her soft brown eyes matched the warmth of her voice, framed by chestnut hair that suited her delicate features. She was effortlessly beautiful, the kind of girl who turned heads without trying. In their media class, she was easily the belle of the group—graceful, intelligent, and oddly approachable despite the attention she drew.
Alex gave her a small, genuine smile. "Yeah. I'm not dumb enough to act generous if it meant starving later." He chuckled softly. "I've got savings. Besides, spending it like this once in a while doesn't hurt."
Ella seemed to relax a little, her expression softening with something that might've been respect.
The others, meanwhile, exchanged glances, their attempt at mockery having backfired. Alex wasn't flustered. He wasn't shrinking. If anything, there was a quiet strength about him now—like something had changed.
"That bastard..."
The sneering boy—Brent, the smug ringleader—clicked his tongue in annoyance, barely hiding the irritation behind his forced smile. He patted Alex on the shoulder a bit too hard.
"Haha! Brother Alex is really generous today." His voice oozed with fake warmth. "How about another treat? Just one more for the group, yeah?"
The baton had been passed—again. This time, not as a joke, but a challenge. One laced with envy.
"Right, Brother Alex!" another boy chimed in, too eagerly. "You wouldn't mind covering that too, right?"
His tone was so obviously mocking that it soured the atmosphere. Laughter faded. Even the others fell into uneasy silence, their eyes flicking between Alex and Brent, waiting to see what the poor kid would do this time.
But Alex?
He didn't flinch.
He looked at Brent—not with fear, but with a calm, unreadable stare. The kind that said you have no idea what you've just done.
[System Rebate Applicable in This Scenario.]
The subtle chime echoed in his mind again, like a secret only he could hear. A smile ghosted at the edge of his lips.
"Is that so..." he said, standing up smoothly. "All right. I'll pay."
Brent blinked, thrown off by the ease in Alex's voice.
Without another word, Alex walked to the counter, ignoring the murmurs behind him. His fingers tapped through the touchscreen menu with steady precision. He selected the most expensive item on the list—a special vintage wine bottle known for its rarity. He remembered its price clearly: $1,500. More than a month's pay from part-time jobs.
And yet, he paid.
No hesitation.
A quiet thrill buzzed in his veins.
[Rebate x3 Activated.]
+4,500 USD credited to account.
As the cashier bowed politely and handed him the delicately wrapped bottle, Alex stood still for a second, letting the sensation sink in.
This wasn't just spending.
This was leverage.
He turned back to the group, casually holding the wine in one hand, expression unreadable. Most of them looked stunned. Brent, most of all, couldn't hide the crack in his smile.
Alex walked back calmly and set the bottle on the table like it weighed nothing.
"Drink up." His voice was quiet but firm. "You wanted a treat, right?"
He didn't need to gloat.
He didn't need to explain.
"It's fine if you want to leech off me," Alex said, his voice calm but razor-sharp. "But next time, don't act like it's your party when you're just freeloading off my tab."
Silence followed.
Brent's face twitched—caught off guard, words stuck in his throat. The others sat frozen, unsure if they should laugh it off or just pretend they didn't hear it.
Alex didn't wait for a reaction.
He slung his bag over his shoulder and turned toward the exit without another word. The clink of the expensive wine bottle on the table echoed in the quiet room.
He didn't feel welcome here—not that he ever really was. And besides… he wasn't stupid. He didn't know how long the System would support this rebating magic. No point wasting money on people who never saw him as anything more than a prop.
As he walked away, his footsteps steady, a voice broke the silence.
"I'll go too."
It was Ella.
All eyes turned to her, but she was already standing, her expression unreadable.
Another girl got up beside her. "Yeah… it's getting weird here."
"Let's go, girls." One by one, the quiet rustle of chairs followed as the girls gathered their things and left the table—without a second glance at Brent or the others.
Brent's smile had long since disappeared.
Alex didn't look back.
After walking out of the venue, Alex finally let out a quiet breath he'd been holding in.
The night air felt cool against his skin. Calm. Honest. Unlike the plastic smiles he'd just walked away from.
For the first time all day, he was alone.
And that meant he could finally do what he'd been itching to do since the wine purchase: check the System.
He pulled out his phone—not because the System lived in it, but because it served as the interface somehow, like an app only he could access. As the screen lit up, a soft chime echoed in his ears again.
Then it appeared.
[Beauty & Rebate System - Active]
Total Rebate Earned: $4,650
Core Rule:
Rebate is granted when money is used to make a strong positive impression on a qualifying beauty.
Key Criteria:
Target must be classified as a "beauty" by system standards.
Action must be witnessed or known by the target.
Rebate multiplier depends on beauty's tier and emotional response.
Maximum 3x rebate per qualifying action.
Abuse of the system for non-social gain will result in no rebate.
System Insight:
"The more dazzling your impact, the bigger your return. Impress wisely."
Alex blinked at the screen, then slowly chuckled under his breath.
"So I wasn't hallucinating…" he murmured, reading the rules again.
It was simple—almost absurdly so. If he spent money to show off in front of beautiful girls, he got it back—and then some. As long as it made an impression, the System would reward him.
He muttered the core rule to himself again:
"It rebates the amount used to make a good impression on beautiful girls…"
Wild. Ridiculous. But real.
And incredibly exploitable.
Alex slid his phone back into his pocket, eyes narrowing slightly as his mind began to race with possibilities. Social climbing. Image building. Strategic generosity. It wasn't about wasting money—it was about using it cleverly.
He didn't need to become someone else.
He just needed to make them look.
And with this System?
They would.