I stared at the glowing screen until my eyes burned.
Four out of a hundred.
The number mocked me every time I blinked.
I stood up slowly, testing my legs like they might betray me. The floorboards creaked under my weight—same old complaint they always made. Nothing felt different. No sudden rush of euphoria. No invisible hand patting me on the back.
Just the same shitty apartment and the same shitty life.
"Okay," I muttered. "Small steps. Happiness. Satisfaction. Whatever."
I walked to the tiny kitchenette and opened the cupboard. Three packets of instant noodles stared back at me like disappointed relatives. The fridge held half a carton of milk that was probably already turning and a single sad-looking apple.
I closed the door harder than necessary.
Food first. Eating something that didn't taste like regret might bump the number.
I filled the kettle, flicked it on, and leaned against the counter while it hissed. My phone buzzed in my pocket—probably another debt reminder or spam. I ignored it.
The screen hadn't gone away. It floated patiently in my peripheral vision, like it knew I wasn't going anywhere.
While the water boiled, I tried something stupid.
I closed my eyes and thought about good things.
Sunsets. That one time in high school when Sarah Miller smiled at me in the hallway. The smell of rain on hot asphalt. Pizza.
Nothing.
No warm glow. No little +1 notification.
The kettle clicked off.
I poured the water over the noodles, stirred, and sat at the rickety table with the bowl. Steam rose in lazy curls. I ate mechanically, barely tasting the salty broth.
Halfway through, the screen flickered.
[Minor Satisfaction Detected]
[Happiness Level: 4 → 4.2/100]
I almost choked on a noodle.
"Seriously? That counts?"
The text didn't answer. It never did unless I asked directly.
I shoveled the rest of the bowl down faster, like speed-eating would multiply the effect.
When I finished, I leaned back and patted my stomach.
[Minor Satisfaction Detected]
[Happiness Level: 4.2 → 4.5/100]
I laughed—short, disbelieving.
"Okay. Food works. Noted."
But 4.5 was still pathetic. I needed 10 for the hundred bucks. That meant more than just eating slightly less depressing noodles.
I stood up and paced the small room. Five steps wall to wall. Turn. Five steps back.
What else made people happy?
Exercise? Fresh air?
I glanced at the window. Gray sky. Drizzle starting. The thought of jogging in that made me want to crawl back into bed.
Sex popped into my head again.
Intimacy.
The word lingered like smoke.
I hadn't been with anyone in… God, almost two years? The last time was awkward, rushed, and ended with both of us pretending we'd call. We didn't.
I wasn't exactly drowning in options now either. My social circle had shrunk to coworkers who barely tolerated me and one childhood friend who moved to another city.
Still.
The system didn't care about romance or feelings. Just the result.
I shook my head hard, like I could dislodge the thought.
"Not yet," I muttered. "Let's not jump straight to porn-logic rules."
I needed something easier. Something immediate.
My eyes landed on the stack of overdue bills.
Paying even one of them would feel good. Really good.
But I had twenty-three dollars and seventeen cents.
Unless…
I opened my banking app again. Same number. Taunting.
Then I remembered something.
There was a cashback app I'd downloaded months ago and forgotten about. One of those "scan receipts, get pennies back" things. I'd used it twice, earned maybe four dollars, then gave up.
I opened it.
Balance: $8.42
Unclaimed receipts: three from last month.
I scanned them quickly with the camera. The app processed.
[Cashback awarded: $2.10]
New balance: $10.52
I transferred it to my main account immediately.
Bank app refreshed.
$33.69
Not much.
But more than twenty-three.
I felt a tiny spark in my chest—like the first sip of coffee after too many hours awake.
The screen responded instantly.
[Satisfaction Detected — Financial Relief]
[Happiness Level: 4.5 → 5.1/100]
"Holy shit," I breathed.
It was working.
Real money. Real change. Real number going up.
I sat back down, heart thumping now.
Five-point-one.
Still a long way to ten.
But proof of concept.
I opened every cashback, rewards, survey app I could remember downloading over the years. Most were dead. A couple still had tiny amounts sitting there—$1.20 here, $0.80 there.
I claimed everything.
Transferred everything.
Bank balance crept to $38.44
[Happiness Level: 5.1 → 5.8/100]
I laughed again, louder this time.
"This is ridiculous."
But ridiculous was better than nothing.
I stood up and started cleaning.
Not deep cleaning—just enough to make the place feel less like a tomb. I threw out empty noodle cups, wiped the counter, folded the clothes that had been living on the chair for two weeks.
Each small task gave a tiny ping.
[Minor Achievement]
[Happiness Level: 5.8 → 6.1/100]
[Minor Satisfaction — Order Restored]
[6.1 → 6.4/100]
By the time I finished, the apartment didn't look good, exactly. But it looked… less humiliating.
I checked the clock. 11:47 a.m.
I hadn't eaten lunch yet. No appetite earlier.
Now I was starving.
I opened the delivery app I hadn't used in months because delivery fees were a luxury I couldn't afford.
Today, though…
I scrolled through options. Pizza. Burgers. Thai.
My finger hovered over a cheap combo meal—$9.99 plus tip.
I could afford it.
I hit order.
While I waited, I lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
The rain tapped against the window like impatient fingers.
For the first time in forever, I didn't feel crushed by it.
Twenty minutes later the buzzer sounded.
I ran down the stairs—almost tripped on the last step—and opened the door to a bored delivery guy holding a plastic bag.
"Thanks," I said, actually meaning it.
He grunted and left.
Back upstairs, I spread the food out on the table like it was a feast.
One bite of the burger and grease dripped down my chin.
I didn't care.
It was hot. It was real. It wasn't noodles.
[Satisfaction Detected — Physical Pleasure: Food]
[Happiness Level: 6.4 → 7.2/100]
I ate slowly this time. Savored it.
When I finished, I leaned back, full for the first time in weeks.
[Major Satisfaction Detected]
[Happiness Level: 7.2 → 8.1/100]
My breath caught.
Eight-point-one.
I was so close.
The screen shimmered again.
[Progress Update]
[Objective Progress: 81%]
[Time Remaining Suggestion: Accelerate gains through high-yield activities]
High-yield.
I swallowed.
The word intimacy floated back up, more insistent now.
I glanced at my phone.
No new messages. No missed calls.
I opened my contacts.
Scrolled.
Stopped on a name I hadn't texted in over a year.
Lila.
We'd hooked up a few times back when I still had some semblance of a life. Nothing serious. Just two people who liked each other's company in bed and didn't ask for more.
She'd moved to a different part of the city last I heard.
I stared at the name.
My thumb hovered over the message icon.
What would I even say?
"Hey, remember me? I'm still a loser but now I have a magic happiness app and I need to get laid to pay rent"?
I snorted.
No.
But…
If the system didn't care about pride…
I typed slowly.
Hey. Been a while. You free tonight?
I hit send before I could overthink it.
The message whooshed away.
I tossed the phone on the bed like it was radioactive.
Then I waited.
Minutes dragged.
No dots. No reply.
Ten minutes. Fifteen.
Nothing.
I checked the app again—delivered, read receipt off. Maybe she blocked me. Maybe she changed her number. Maybe she just didn't care.
The silence stung more than I expected.
I exhaled hard through my nose.
Fine.
No reply. No problem.
The system didn't need her specifically. It just needed the result.
I opened the app store instead.
Searched for "random video chat" "free" "no sign up."
A dozen apps popped up—most sketchy, most full of ads, most promising "instant connections."
I picked one that advertised "15–30 second demo video chats – no registration required – anonymous fun."
The name was something stupid like SparkVibe or QuickSpark. Didn't matter.
Downloaded.
Installed in under a minute.
I opened it.
A quick splash screen: "Connect instantly. Keep it short. Keep it real. 15–30 seconds per match. Premium for longer."
I skipped the tutorial.
Hit "Start Random Chat."
A loading spinner.
Then—
The screen split.
A girl appeared.
Mid-twenties maybe. Dark hair tied back. Oversized t-shirt slipping off one shoulder. She was sitting on a bed, phone propped up, looking mildly surprised.
"Hey," she said, voice soft but curious.
"Hey," I replied.
The timer in the corner started: 30 seconds.
No small talk needed.
I didn't waste time.
"You alone?" I asked.
She smirked. "Yeah. You?"
"Yeah."
Her eyes flicked down, then back up.
"You cute," she said simply.
Heat crawled up my neck.
"You too."
She shifted, let the shirt slip a little more. Pale skin. Curve of collarbone.
The timer hit 20 seconds.
She bit her lip.
"Wanna make it count?"
I nodded.
She tugged the shirt lower. No bra. Just skin.
My breath hitched.
I angled my phone down, unzipped slowly.
Her eyes widened, then darkened.
"Fuck yes," she whispered.
The timer ticked.
10 seconds.
She slid a hand under the waistband of her shorts.
I matched her.
Fast. Desperate. No shame.
Her breath came quicker—short gasps.
Mine too.
The screen flashed: Connection ending in 3… 2… 1…
Black.
But the system didn't wait.
[High-Yield Physical Pleasure Detected]
[Happiness Level: 8.1 → 9.4/100]
I collapsed back against the pillow, chest heaving.
Nine-point-four.
So fucking close.
The app popped up again automatically.
"Ready for next match?"
I stared at the button.
The rain kept tapping the window.
My hand hovered.
Then pressed.
Another girl.
Blonde this time. Freckles. Tongue piercing glinting when she smiled.
"Hey stranger."
"Hey."
Timer started.
And just like that, the number kept climbing.
One short, filthy connection at a time.
The screen hovered silently beside my phone.
[Projected Happiness Gain: Significant]
I smiled—small, crooked, real.
And for the first time in years, the number on the screen finally felt like it was moving in the right direction.