[Task #03: Smile and greet at 3 strangers and get a compliment.]
[Penalty: underwear goes missing.]
↳ [Reward: $10,000 + Mood Boost.]
Since the task was to greet strangers, he stepped out of his room to go out and find people.
But he saw the landlord arguing with someone over a call in a frustrated tone, while slowly pacing toward him, pausing now and then in the corridor.
Should I 'greet' him first? Augustus thought and decided to wait for the call to end.
The landlord began moving, approaching him, and he could barely make out, "...yes, yes, I said I'll pay," the landlord's last words over the call before it ended.
"Augustus, when will you pay your rent?" he asked in a strict voice laced with impatience. And before he could continue…
Augustus interrupted, "I have already paid, Uncle Jacob," he said.
"Is that so?" Jacob raised his brows, but he knew Augustus wasn't one to lie.
"Good, I have been collecting money from all the rooms, so the message might have been buried down," the landlord eased with a light smile.
"Good thing you paid. Otherwise…I didn't want to kick you out. You are decent and hardworking.
Tenants like you are hard to find. Anyways, I'll see you later, Augustus. I'm busy," he nodded slightly and walked past him.
Come on, greet him, Augustus, he thought.
But the landlord was already knocking on door number ten. "Rent, please," while Augustus lived in room nine.
Augustus looked back and thought, Why did I hesitate to greet him with a smile? He shook his head and began walking.
Augustus was an absolute introvert who could hardly look into people's eyes, much less speak to them with a smile.
This task's main goal was to bring Augustus out of his comfort zone.
Today, I'll complete this mission and get the reward, he resolutely thought and began walking.
After walking for a dozen minutes, he finally arrived at Bridgemont City's central area.
Sweeping his gaze across, he took in all the surroundings: people walking with their dogs, cars moving, the rush of people. There were even street performers.
While walking on the footpath, his gaze locked on a man walking with his dog.
Augustus figured beginning with a man was relatively easier compared to a woman, so he chose his target thoughtfully.
"Come on, Augustus, you can do it," he mumbled, feeling a little awkward. But as always, he looked at the reward, preparing himself.
The man closed in as he began, "Uhm…h-hi, is this your dog?" He choked on his words.
Of course it's his. What am I even asking?
The dog wagged its tail while he replied, "Yes, buddy," with a soft smile.
"Your dog is really nice. Can I pet it?" he asked with a light smile.
"Sure," the man said casually.
Augustus exhaled slowly and crouched down while brushing his hand across the dog's head.
The dog wagged its tail gleefully, seemingly taking a liking to him. The owner chuckled, "It seems Bruno likes you," he commented. "Right, Bruno?" he questioned.
"BOW," it barked in an approving manner.
After petting it for a few moments, he felt quite nice for some reason. He stood up, "Thank you, sir," and thanked him with a bright smile.
The owner nodded with a small smile and began walking away along with his dog.
Augustus ran away excitedly. "Wow, that oddly felt good," he mumbled while stopping a few meters ahead.
Although the harsh reality had made him mature and turn into an adult quickly, he was just a kid at heart.
While he stood on the footpath looking for his next target, someone tugged at his pants.
"Kid… I haven't eaten in two days. Can you please give me something to eat?" a homeless man asked in a pitiful tone, his eyes dull with a malnourished body.
Augustus glanced at him. "Something to eat, please," he asked again while raising his hands.
"Sorry, I don't have mon—" he instinctively spoke but stopped mid-sentence after realizing…he did have money, and it was still coming in.
"Wait a minute here, old man. I'll get you something to eat," Augustus said with a pleased smile and crossed the road.
After a few minutes, he finally found an open stall that was selling egg rice.
He first thought of going into Pizza Domain, an established fast-food chain,
But decided to buy things from small-time vendors who were selling for a living.
He quickly purchased five large portions of egg rice and two bottles of water, paying $55—a staggering amount that now didn't feel so staggering.
Once the payment was through, he crossed the road easily and handed the parcel to the old man.
He grabbed the parcel, feeling warmth from it, his eyes widening. "I thought you had run away, kid. You are kind. May God bless you," he spoke, almost tearing up.
Augustus genuinely smiled—not because of the task—and mumbled, "Enjoy the food, old man." he eased with a bright smile, somewhat feeling lighter.
The old man immediately began eating like he was starved—because he was. And seeing him eat happily, Augustus' stomach and heart both filled with joy.
He always wanted to help the poor, but seeing his situation, he didn't have much of a choice to think about others. And if he did, he might have joined their ranks too.
Seeing him eat so intently, Augustus smiled and silently left from the vicinity.
"One more person to greet," he muttered happily to himself. After glancing around, his eyes fell upon a woman singing on the street as an artist to earn money.
He walked over there, and her soothing voice immediately stopped him in his tracks. He intently stood there and listened to her fully.
Unsurprisingly, people were listening to her singing while donating what they could.
Clap clap.
Everyone clapped with enthusiasm, satisfied by her singing. They put in a few coins as the singer approached them with a cap.
Augustus was also approached by the same girl. He put in a $50 bill, and as soon as he did, the girl mumbled,
"Sir, you've put in $50," looking at his shabby clothes and malnourished body. She reached a single conclusion: 'he had done it mistakenly.'
"I know," he said in a dazed manner and added, "Your singing is really good, Miss," he said with a genuine bright smile.
She raised a brow and chuckled, "You've got a good smile, by the way. Don't lose it," she said and walked past him to collect money from others.
The moment she said that his eyes automatically began tearing up, filling with moisture. He blinked, and a single drop trickled down.
Ding!
| Task #03: [Smile and greet at 3 strangers and get a compliment.]
| Task #03: [Completed Successfully!]
↳ [Reward: $10,000 + Mood Boost.]
Hidden Task Completed: [Gain more than one compliment during the Task.]
↳ [Reward: 2X Money]
↳ [Reward: $20,000 + Mood Boost.]