The morning after the expo, I woke up to a vibration against my pillow.
My phone. Buzzing nonstop.
[16 New Emails][3 Missed Calls][1 Message from: Ken - IronForge Gym]
The system hadn't even prompted anything yet, but I could feel it in the air.
Something shifted.
I sat up, wiped the sleep from my eyes, and opened the email app.
Subject lines flashed like signs in a tunnel:
"Interested in reselling your gear" "Bulk request for community center classes" "Need 12 units. How soon can you ship?" "Local newspaper story pending – quick interview?"
One stood out.
Subject: [Potential Distribution Deal - Let's Talk] From: Kazuki Tanaka (Director, ApexFit Japan)
I froze.
ApexFit.
That wasn't some side blog or fitness influencer. It was one of the rising names in urban home fitness equipment. Slick. Funded. Nationwide.
My hands were shaking as I clicked the email.
Mr. Ryou,
My name is Kazuki Tanaka. I lead a small but growing brand focused on hybrid fitness tools for compact environments. One of our scouts attended the recent downtown fitness expo and brought back a sample of your harness.
It was impressive. Not just the design, but the philosophy behind it.
I'd like to meet in person. Coffee on me. Bring a few samples. We'll talk.
K. Tanaka
My chest tightened.
A part of me wanted to scream with excitement. Another part of me—the quieter, colder voice that had seen hope crash before—whispered:
"Don't get your hopes up."
But this wasn't fantasy. This was real.
A professional. An offer. A door cracking open.
[System Notification: Major Opportunity Detected]
Category: Business Partnership Rank: Silver Outcome Potential: Game-Changer Emotional Stability Check: PASSED
+3 Focus+1 Intelligence
I got dressed. Carefully. Black collared shirt, dark jeans. Nothing flashy. Just neat. Capable. Calm.
I packed three of my best harness units into a plain gray duffel bag. Cleaned. Folded. Tension-tested.
I took a train across the city. Cramped against a crowd of tired faces, neon signs reflected in the windows, as my future tugged at me like a magnetic field.
By the time I reached the cafe, my throat was dry.
It wasn't upscale. Just a quiet street-side corner shop.
Inside, a man in his mid-thirties sat at a table near the back. Sharp black blazer. Clean undercut. Subtle gold ring on his right index finger.
Tanaka.
He looked up and nodded once. "Ryou. Glad you came."
I bowed. "Thank you for the invitation."
He gestured to the seat across from him. I sat.
He wasted no time.
"We like what we saw. One of my staff even tested your gear. Minimalist design. Good pressure distribution. Surprisingly effective for rehab and resistance-based flow training."
I nodded slowly, keeping my hands folded on the table.
"That's what it was meant for. Accessible training. Affordable movement."
Tanaka leaned back. "But it's not just about what it's meant for, Ryou. It's about how far it can go."
He pulled a tablet from his bag and tapped it once.
A mock-up loaded.
My harness. But sleeker. Branded. Black and neon green. Polished clips. High-end packaging.
"This is how we'd position it."
I looked at it for a moment. And I understood.
They didn't just want to distribute what I built. They wanted to refine it. Reshape it. Rebrand it.
Tanaka didn't stop.
"We can start with a three-month pilot. Limited run of 500 units. You'll receive a fixed design fee and per-unit royalty. You handle the blueprinting, we handle the supply chain, packaging, and e-commerce rollout."
He looked me dead in the eyes.
"But your brand name won't be front and center."
Silence stretched.
My heart beat steady. Not panicked. Just... alert.
He reached for his coffee. "Thoughts?"
I took a slow breath. "I have questions."
His eyebrows rose slightly. "Good."
For the next hour, we negotiated.
I asked about manufacturing oversight. He offered third-party audits.
I asked about price control. He said pricing would be market-tested.
I asked about branding. He admitted my name would be credited as the designer—but not listed as a partner.
I asked about the option to walk away. He said I could pull the blueprint before the second run.
By the end, I wasn't sure if I was being welcomed...
...or swallowed.
He stood up. "You don't have to answer now. Talk to someone you trust. Sleep on it. But know this—your gear is real. And the world needs real."
He handed me a business card. Not paper. Thin metal. Laser-etched.
Professional. Heavy.
"You have three days."
He left.
That night, I didn't sleep.
Not because I was scared. But because I was on fire.
One path promised growth, speed, and structure.
The other?
Freedom. Risk. Complete control.
I opened the system dashboard.
A new option had appeared.
[Branching Point Detected – Independent Builder or Strategic Partner?]
Choose:
Accept Tanaka's offer: fast-track growth, lose some control
Decline: grow slowly, retain all rights
I stared at the screen.
Then I whispered.
"I won't sell my soul."
And I clicked Decline.
[System Notification: Independent Route Chosen]
Trait Unlocked: Brand Integrity +3 Confidence +1 Resilience New Skill Unlocked: Solo Scaling (Lv.1)
I wasn't ready to become someone else's story.
I was writing my own.
And if the world wanted to hear it?
They'd have to meet me on my terms.