The day after leaving my prototype at the gym, I couldn't sit still.
Every hour felt like a full rotation of the earth.
My mind kept spinning with questions I couldn't shut off:
Would anyone try it? Would they laugh at it? Would they tear it apart and say it's a joke?
Even with the system in my corner, doubt had a way of sliding between the cracks.
So I trained. Hard. Until my arms burned and my breath felt like smoke.
It didn't silence the doubt. But it reminded me that I was real.
The message came the next morning.
[Text from: Ken - IronForge Gym]
One of our guys tried your harness. He wants to talk. Come by.
I stared at the message. Then reread it.
Three times.
Then I got dressed and ran.
Not jogged. Ran.
The gym was louder today.
Even at 9 AM, sweat hit the air like steam, and iron clanged in rhythm like a factory floor.
Ken was at the counter, arms crossed. He nodded when he saw me.
"Back already?"
"You told me to come."
He smirked. "That I did."
He pointed to the mats.
A man stood there, maybe mid-thirties. Rough hands. Stocky build. Back brace. Sweat on his forehead.
The harness was on.
He looked up as I approached.
"You made this?"
I nodded. "Yeah."
He didn't smile. Didn't nod. Just said:
"Hurts like hell. In a good way."
Then he did something I didn't expect.
He held out his hand.
"Name's Daigo. Been doing rehab since a back injury took me off full weights. Your strap lets me do resistance rows without aggravating the disc. That's rare."
I shook his hand. Firm. Honest.
"How much you selling it for?"
I blinked.
"It's not mass-produced yet. I'm still refining."
"Let me know when you do. I want the first upgraded version."
Then he did smile.
A short, rough thing. But it felt like a sunrise.
[System Notification: First External Endorsement Acquired]
User has received genuine feedback and market interest.
+2 Confidence+1 CharismaTrait Progress: Entrepreneurial Spirit – 35%Unlock: Passive Buff "Word of Mouth" – 5% increased chance of referral sales.
I didn't realize I was smiling until I left the gym.
Not because I made a sale. Not even because someone liked my work.
But because it helped.
Something I built with my hands helped someone move again. Train again.
That's worth more than money.
That's a legacy.
Back home, I opened a notebook.
Title: Version 2 Concepts
• Wider shoulder support • Removable anchor head • Custom resistance band options • QR code instructions • Safety warning print
I worked until my hand cramped. Not because I had to.
Because I couldn't stop.
By evening, I received another text.
[Ken]
Another client wants to meet you.
The fire wasn't dying down.
It was spreading.