It seems He Narrated a Story

"Finally…"

Higashi Murasaki did not sleep for the whole night. He wrote his story at around 2k words per hour. It took him about six hours to write the entirety of the story. It took him another two hours to beta the whole thing himself.

After saving the document he looked towards the clock within his room. It was practically time for school already. He did not bother with eating breakfast. After a quick shower and a change of clothes, he went towards his school.

It is currently Thursday. Friday will be the last day of the school year so he has two days until he can take a break from school. Everything important has since ended and everyone was pretty much in lackadaisical mode. Hopefully, nobody would comment even if he sleeps in class.

The road to school was uneventful without any collision with a bread-eating hurried high-school girl who is almost late for class, sadly. The moment he reached his seat he collapsed and started snoozing.

...

"Oho? Quite the guts you have to sleep in my class, Higashi Murasaki."

He rubbed his eyes. In front of him was a single woman around her late twenties, cracking her knuckles with audible sounds. Hiratsuka Shizuka was mad and she needed to get laid before her stern attitude gets any worse.

"…Higashi Murasaki, repeat what you just said once more."

He blinked. Did he say that out loud? Sleepiness brews loose lips it seems. Nevertheless, he needs to salvage the situation and considering his System he just knows the absolute best way to do so was through making her blush.

Flirting has been something he always did, mostly to get a good slap in the back of the head from his girlfriend or other women, and the existence of his System only made it worse. Now he likes to flirt at every possible opportunity.

"…It can't be that bad if it means you're the first thing I see when I wake up."

"Wha—"

He stretched his hands upwards, showing his compact arm muscles to the class. He dismissed the screen telling him his affection bar with Hiratsuka has increased by a minuscule amount. You know what they say; the pennies will eventually pile up into a dollar.

"Good morning, Hiratsuka-sensei. Is it the fourth period already?"

From what he remembered Language was the fourth period of today's classes. Did he actually sleep through three entire periods? And the teachers didn't bother with waking him up?

He looked towards the clock of the class. Apparently yes, the teacher of the previous three periods did not bother with waking him up. He wonders why. Maybe they know about the death of his parents and took pity on him? Possible.

"I apologize for sleeping through the first three periods. I sadly did not sleep last night."

That did not seem to have placated his teacher, and he did not expect it to do so anyway. It was merely a set-up for the next performance. As expected the teacher parroted on his words with an annoyed expression on her face.

"Oh? And what could keep you up at night, hmm? What could be more important than your education?"

Now it was prime time to tease her. He could go and ask her back what she thinks a teenage boy could possibly do late at night, but he decided to take things a step further.

"Well one could say it was all thanks to you, Hiratsuka-sensei."

"...What?"

She was puzzled.

"Thanks to sensei, my fantasy kept me up throughout the night."

"W-wha!?"

She was flustered. Badly,

"I had so much fun alone last night, and it wouldn't have been possible if Hiratsuka-sensei wasn't my teacher."

"Y-you!"

Time to add the punchline before he gets punched.

"It was all thanks to sensei that I could write so much."

"…Eh?"

That stopped her in her track, which was very fortunate for Higashi considering her iron fist was centimeters away from his face. He gulped down his saliva along with his nervousness from the attack. Now was probably the time to clarify things for those who didn't have good deduction skills.

"I was inspired by sensei's language teaching and wrote a story. It wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for the kind and beautiful Hiratsuka-sensei who patiently taught and nurtured my language skills into what it is."

"Higashi Murasaki…"

Her gaze darkened and her fist trembles. Crap, he might have pissed her off more than he intended. Maybe he shouldn't have played around with her while so many other people were watching. Not to mention the fact the viewers were all her students, people who should have respected her.

Her reputation might have taken a blow from this. Putting it that way he clearly went overboard with the act.

"A-ahaha, please calm down, Hiratsuka-sensei…"

Strangely enough, the teacher left him after he said those words. She sat back own at her teacher's desk and put both her hands together, which incidentally covered her expression. Nobody said anything until a few seconds passed, upon which she let out a sigh.

"Higashi Murasaki."

"Yes?"

"Come to the front and tell the class your story. After all, it must be very good to be more important than your education correct?"

Ah, she was treating like he never insinuated anything. That meant he was safe though it was admittedly also a bit boring. As for telling his story…

"It's too long to cover through storytelling."

She scoffed.

"How long is it?"

"Around 10k words."

There was genuine surprise within her expression. What, did she expect something shittier out of him? Hmm, then again he doesn't know how good Higashi was at language class so maybe it was called for.

"…Tell parts of it anyway."

No way, his voice will be hoarse and it was trouble he doesn't even need to do anyway. Plus leaving his listeners on a cliffhanger wasn't exactly the kindest of acts, and more importantly, it would not be as exciting.

"Can't I just tell a short side-story instead?"

She grunted.

"What's it about anyway?"

"Hmm… About a smarter man with a brighter future?"

"…What's with that question mark at the end? Never mind, just get it over with."

He stood at the front of the classroom, exhaling a signature sigh before posing a small question to start things off. Might as well as do things properly.

"Before we start, please permit me to ask a small question to set the mood."

He looked towards all his classmates. Some were whispering to one another, some were writing in their book, some were daydreaming. But there were actually a few who were actually paying attention to him.

"How much do you think your own life is worth?"

And that spelled a pause to all of them. All the eyes turned towards him.

"I meant your life in its entirety, everything that has passed until now and everything that will come from now on. How much would your life be worth in monetary terms?"

He gained their interest it seems. And now he needs to entertain them one way or another.

"Please don't think about it too deeply. An estimate is fine. Just think about it for ten seconds."

With those words, he looked at the clock. Nobody spoke of anything. Some seem to be actually mulling over the question while the rest were just going with the flow. That was good enough for him. Perfection has never been something he strived for anyway, except in games.

Soon enough the allocated time passes, and those who were thinking of it seem no less puzzled to the answer than when they started. That was fine as well.

"Done. I wonder what everyone's answers were. Ten million yen? A hundred million? A billion? Or maybe I should have counted down rather than upwards. Was it less? A lot less?"

"That was a hard question to ask out of nowhere, I apologize. However, with that question in mind, let me delve into the story."

"The story starts within a certain used bookstore, where a man was handed about two thousand yen."

…

"You know I've got over one hundred books here, right?" A man said to the shopkeeper.

"They're in too poor shape. You've got a problem with it then try elsewhere."

The man exhaled a sigh, before feeling someone tugging his sleeve.

It was a young child still in grade-school.

"Let's have ice cream together!"

The man smiled just the tiniest bit, before patting her head.

"Good plan."

The two moved to leave the bookstore. However, the old shopkeeper said something before they could fully leave.

"Hey, you're strapped for cash right?"

"Yeah, and you're no help."

The man snapped back. Meanwhile, the old shopkeeper smiled.

"Well then, you want to sell your lifespan?"

"…Lifespan?"

"Yeah, lifespan. Even just a year or two could fetch a decent price."

"Are you asking me to try some kind of clinical product? Cause if you are I'd be happy to oblige right now."

The old shopkeeper shook his head.

"No, I'm asking you a question: do you want to sell your lifespan?"

"I don't get you. Sell my lifespan? What's that even mean? Explain it in a way I can understand."

A short silence between the two.

"It may not be easy to believe, but there is a facility nearby which evaluates lifespan, and buys it in years. If the remainder of your life provided to be of value, then just a few years of it would let you live out the rest comfortably. How about that? Dream come true, right?"

"Yeah that sounds like a dream alright… But unfortunately, my life's pretty much worthless. Just like those books I brought, it'd just go for the lowest price."

"The lowest price, eh…"

"Say, out of curiosity… What do you think is the minimum value is for a year of lifespan? Take a guess. If your answer's close enough, I'll buy all these books for 100 yen each."

"…Okay, sure, but I dunno how I'm supposed to know."

"I'll give you a hint. The evaluation is based on happiness, achievement, and contribution. In other words, how happy you'll become, how many goals you'll achieve, and how you'll contribute to other's happiness. Those decide life's value."

"Aa, that's simple then."

"Yeah? So how much?"

The messy man smirked.

"Not worthy of a price. Zero."

"…"

The shopkeeper wordlessly took out a ten thousand yen bill and lent his hand to the man. However, before the man was able to take it the shopkeeper drew his hand back.

"How'd you figure it was zero?"

"…Well, how should I say this?"

"Right, basically… Let's try rephrasing your question. If you can't make yourself happy, can't make others happy, can't realize a single dream…"

"Simply put… If you're someone like me, how would that life be priced? Comes to the same thing right?"

"…Go on."

"I thought back through these 32 years of life, and I've never felt happiness that felt like happiness."

"Had a bunch of dreams, but never achieved a single one."

"And forget making others happy, I actively stole their happiness away."

"Stole?"

"Yeah. I had to give it up now for a couple of reasons, but 'till recently I was sort of a conman."

"By the most optimistic measure, I'd say I've ruined at least twenty people's lives."

"That said, I had to do it just to survive. Don't regret it at all."

"But if I was buying, and it was the lifespan of a guy like me, I wouldn't offer a single yen for it."

The child beside him looked towards him as if she wanted to say something, but kept quiet anyway.

"…I see."

"Well, I'll ask you again now."

"Do you want to sell your lifespan?"

He scoffed.

"Gramps, were you even listening to a word I said? Who out there would sell something for nothing?"

The shopkeeper sighed.

"As far as I can see, I think your lifespan would sell pretty well."

"Just selling five years or so, I'm sure you could live comfortably on that money."

He scoffed.

"Oh yeah? On what basis are you so sure?"

the old man stared at him through his glasses.

"Certainly, if we're talking about the past, you might be human garbage not worth a single yen."

"In the eyes of most people, they might think you're not only worthless but that it would be better if you never existed."

"Thing is, your lifespan's value is your remaining life's value."

"So the past has got no bearing on that. It is the future which decided it."

He looked towards the shopkeeper with a strange gaze.

"Okay, I get how the past doesn't affect the value of lifespan. But still, gramps…"

"Do you see me as having a bright future ahead?"

"…Yeah."

He sighed.

"Well…"

"All the more reason to not sell."

"No logic in letting those years go if they're worth that much."

The old man stared at him, before turning his gaze away.

"…Right answer."

The two left the bookstore.

The sun was stinging its heat all over the place.

"Okay, got some unexpected temporary income."

"Ask now, and I'll buy you anything. Anything you want besides ice cream?"

"I want mom."

He shook.

"I'll keep looking into it with an open mind! But I'd appreciate something purchasable right now… And within ten thousand yen."

"I was just kidding. There's not really much I want. You haven't smoked in a while, right, mister? Want cigarettes?"

"No… I'm good. I'm thinking I'll try to quit while I'm at it."

"Hmm? Don't push yourself too hard okay?"

"You neither."

"Hey, mister, I think your lifespan would sell for a lot too."

"Why do you think that?"

"I mean if you asked me to choose between three billion yen or getting to stay with you... I think I'd pick you."

"…You're good at lifting my spirits, Hazuki."

"..You're bad at hiding when you're embarrassed, mister."

With that smile.

I felt just a little bit more willing to believe the old man's words.

…

He clapped his hands.

"And that is the end of the story."

Everyone was silent.

"You… Do you actually think zero is the lowest price of a human's life?"

Hiratsuka asked.

"Hmm? Of course not."

The teacher seems relieved.

"The lowest price a human could have… is one yen. There is a fine dividing line between the lowest price possible and not worth anythi—Gouf!"

It hurts. His abdomen hurts!