"Oh... What the fuck?"
Gray just sat there, staring at the document like it had personally insulted his sense of reality.
Rosewood Residences.
West Arcadia District.
The words echoed in his mind.
Gray slowly lowered the folder to the desk, his eyes still glued to the line. His mind went quiet for a second—not because he didn’t understand it, but because he did.
West Arcadia wasn’t just any district. It was the district.
It was the kind of place where penthouse lights never went off, where imported sports cars idled in private garages, and where the streets were cleaner than most hospitals.
It was a polished and luxurious neighborhood where every inch of concrete cost like gold.
And Rosewood Residences?
That name wasn’t unfamiliar either.
It was one of those buildings that was featured in magazines, drone-shot apartment tours on social media, and conversations between people who couldn’t afford to breathe near its lobby.
That condo building was known for its private elevator access, sky lounges, and concierge services that made five-star hotels look like one-star hotels.
Gray blinked again, slower this time.
"...No way."
Celebrities lived there. Retired CEOs. Business tycoons. Old money people. The kind who wore suits that cost more than cars. The kind of people who don’t look at price tags because they buy items that don’t have them.
He remembered hearing once that a unit there easily went for hundreds of millions.
And now?
He looked down at the envelope in front of him.
He had one.
"...Just what the fuck?"
Gray leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling like it would offer him some divine explanation. But nothing came. No answers. No reasoning.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and laughed quietly.
"I thought I was just gonna get a decent one," he muttered. "But no... I got a rich guy starter pack."
The system, of course, didn’t say a word.
And honestly?
That made it worse.
Because he had a lot to say to the system!
"..."
"..."
’..."
Gray didn’t know how long he sat there, in silence, processing it all.
Even as he closed the folder and packed everything neatly back into the envelope, his mind kept circling back to one thing.
How the hell did this happen?
Sure, he’d been hoping for a reward. He even expected something impressive from the system.
But this?
This was a whole new level.
A luxury condo in that area?
It didn’t make sense. But apparently, that’s just how the system works.
- - -
By the time Gray got back to the apartment, the sun had already started to set. The sky outside the window was bathed in a soft orange hue, and the city lights were just beginning to flicker on. He was still trying to make sense of everything when he walked through the door.
The second he stepped inside, Lily poked her head out from the kitchen.
"Brother?" she called. "You seem to be in a good mood."
Gray blinked at her voice, then laughed a little as he pulled off his shoes from his feet.
"I am," he said honestly and a smile suddenly appeared on his face. "It was a good day."
Lily eyed him suspiciously.
"You’re smiling too much, brother. Did something weird happen?"
"Define weird," Gray grinned playfully as he set his bag down on the floor.
"Hays..." Lily shook her head and puffed her cheeks. "I don’t know, brother. Maybe you won something."
Gray chuckled under his breath. He already bought dinner for the two of them since he was too lazy to cook.
"You’re not exactly wrong." He answered playfully that made Lily pout her lips.
"Whatever brother," Lily playfully rolled her eyes, but a smile lingered on her face as she saw the food that Gray had bought.
"Let’s eatttt!" She exclaimed out loud that made Gray laugh.
"We will, stupid. Help your brother first."
"Okayyyy..."
Lily quickly helped him. The two of them moved around the kitchen like usual, chatting idly about school, food, and how Lily’s music teacher was making her practice a new song for the upcoming talent show that she will join.
Eventually, they sat down and started eating. Gray had bought something simple. It was just rice with glazed chicken, buttered vegetables and miso soup.
After a few minutes, the two started everything.
"Hey, Lily." Gray took a bite, then glanced at her across the table.
"Mm?" she answered with a mouth full of rice.
"What do you think about moving out of here?"
Lily blinked.
"Huh?"
Gray set his fork down and looked at her,
"You know, just... out of curiosity. If we didn’t live in this apartment anymore—if we moved to another place. Would that be okay with you?"
Lily chewed slower, her eyes narrowing like she was trying to see if he was joking.
"Move? Why would we move, brother? Can you not pay rent anymore?"
"Of course not, Lily." Gray chuckled and shook his head.
"Hmm..." Lily tilted her head. "It depends, brother. Where would we move to?"
"How about something nicer?" Gray smiled sheepishly.
"You mean like... with more rooms?" Lily squinted.
"Maybe."
"And clean elevators?"
"Definitely."
"And no neighbors yelling at midnight?"
"Especially that."
Lily sat back with her arms crossed. She was thinking it over like she was negotiating a deal.
Gray found her adorable that he couldn’t help but laugh a little as he waited for he answer.
"I guess that doesn’t sound bad, brother.
"Good to know then..." Gray wiggled his brows as if hinting something to Lily.
"Brother...Wait, why are you asking this?" Lily suddenly asked, setting down her spoon. "Did something happen?"
Gray paused for a second, then sighed and leaned back in his chair.
"Let’s keep this a secret," he started, trying to think fast. "But... I kind of got a condo today."
Lily froze.
"...You what?"
"I got a condo," Gray repeated.
Lily blinked slowly.
"Like... a real one? Like the kind people live in?"
"Yes, Lily," he said with a smile on his face. "Your brother got an actual condo unit."
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"How?! Since when do you have condo money?!"
"I don’t," Gray said quickly. "It wasn’t something I bought."
"Then how?" Lily frowned, confused at how her brother can have a condo without buying one.
Gray hesitated for half a second before making up a lie that wasn’t too far from the truth. He didn’t want to lie to Lily, but he also can’t just say where it came from.
"Let’s just say, your brother got It from work," he smiled. "A... really generous person gave it to me as a reward."
Lily stared at him. She paused for a second before her eyes brightened.
"Really, brother?!" She loudly asked, almost not believing it.
"Yes, yes," Gray chuckled once more as he repeatedly nodded his head.
"When are we moving out brother!"
Gray smiled and laughed even more.
"Let’s move out in 3 days, shall we?"