Chapter 1: The Golden Trash and the 10-Second Miracle
The stomach growl was the only sound in the cramped alleyway behind the "Seven-Heaven" convenience store. Akira stared at the trash bin like it was a treasure chest.
"Expired egg salad sandwich... come to papa," he whispered, his fingers trembling.
At eighteen, Akira was the definition of 'rock bottom.' His apartment was a cardboard-thin room, his shoes had holes, and his social status at St. Jude's Academy was lower than the gum stuck under the desks. But Akira had one thing no one could take away: a world-class, degenerate imagination.
While others dreamed of becoming doctors, Akira dreamed of the Time-Stop. To walk through the world while the clock stood still—not to save lives, but to finally see the blushing face of the Class President, Haruka, from up close without getting pepper-sprayed.
Clang.
His hand hit something hard and metallic at the bottom of the bin. He pulled it out. It was a pocket watch, caked in grime but heavy. As he wiped the glass, a faint, golden pulse throbbed against his palm.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZING...] [HOST: AKIRA TOKIWA DETECTED.] [CHRONO-TRIGGER TOOL: ACTIVATED.]
"What the...?" Akira blinked. A translucent blue screen floated in the air.
[Current Shameless Points: 50 (Starter Bonus)] [Time Stop Duration: 10 Seconds] [Cost: 5 Points per Second]
Is this a prank? Akira looked around. A group of school bullies was walking past the alley entrance. In the lead was Kenji, holding an expensive strawberry crepe in one hand and his fat wallet in the other.
"Let's see if this 'toy' actually works," Akira muttered, his heart hammering. He pressed the crown of the watch.
CLICK.
The world turned grayscale. A bird mid-flight froze in the air. A raindrop stayed suspended inches from the ground. And Kenji... Kenji was frozen mid-laugh, his mouth wide open.
[TIME REMAINING: 0:09... 0:08...]
"Holy... it's real!" Akira scrambled out of the alley. He had ten seconds.
He ran to Kenji. First, he snatched the 5,000 yen bill sticking out of Kenji's pocket—Poverty solved for a day! Then, his perverted instincts kicked in. He saw Haruka, the Class President, walking a few meters behind, also frozen like a beautiful statue.
He rushed to her. He just wanted to see if her eyelashes were as long as they looked in class. He leaned in, his face inches from hers. She smelled like cherry blossoms.
[TIME REMAINING: 0:02... 0:01...]
CRAP! Akira dove behind a vending machine just as the color flooded back into the world.
"WHA—? Where's my money?!" Kenji yelled. "And my crepe?! Who took a bite out of my crepe?!"
Akira, hiding in the shadows, swallowed the mouthful of delicious strawberry cream he'd managed to snag. He looked at the watch.
[POINTS EXHAUSTED.] [MISSION: To refill points, perform a 'Shameless Act' in public. Reward: +100 Points.]
Akira leaned his head against the cold vending machine, a manic grin spreading across his face. He held the world in the palm of his hand.