I stood on the sidewalk, still feeling the heat from the split-second slap earlier. My hand tingled, my dignity… maybe less so.
She'd looked at me like I was the neighborhood stray dog sniffing at her groceries — then jogged off without a single word.
Ding!
> [Task Complete! +$50 credited to Host's account.]
[Remaining daily tasks: 2]
The crisp chime echoed in my head like someone had just hit the jackpot in a slot machine.
Fifty bucks. Just like that.
I ducked into a corner, whipped out my phone, and refreshed my bank app. My eyes nearly popped out. The money… was actually sitting there.
"…Holy crap, this thing is real." I clenched my fists, grinning like a lunatic. "System, you might be the best scam I've ever signed up for."
Another pop-up flashed.
> [Next Task: Enter the café across the street. Confess loudly to the waitress with long hair.]
[Reward: $100]
My smirk twitched. "Confess? You mean… fake confess?"
> [Confess as sincerely as possible.]
"Oh, you're trying to get me beaten up. I see your game."
Still… a hundred bucks was a hundred bucks. That was a week's worth of groceries — maybe even toilet paper and instant noodles.
I tugged my jacket straight, took a deep breath, and crossed the street.
---
The bell above the café door chimed as I stepped in. A wave of roasted coffee and fresh pastries smacked me in the face.
Behind the counter stood a tall, slim waitress with silky black hair that swayed as she leaned over the cake display.
I could feel the curious glances from a few customers.
I walked right up to the counter and cleared my throat loud enough for the whole place to hear.
"Excuse me."
She looked up, blinking. "Yes?"
I placed my hand dramatically over my chest. "I've fallen for you. The moment I saw you, your beauty… it blinded me. Please… would you go out with me?"
The café froze.
A spoon clattered onto a saucer somewhere. A guy at the back tried and failed to choke down a laugh.
Her cheeks flushed a faint pink. She stared at me for a long second before her lips twitched. "Sir… I think you should leave."
Ding!
> [Task Complete! +$100 credited to Host's account.]
I forced a grin through my poker face. "Alright. I'll come back when your heart changes."
I turned and walked out, pretending I couldn't hear the snickers and muffled giggles behind me.
---
Outside, I leaned against the wall and checked my balance again. Bam — another hundred, sitting pretty in my account.
"System," I murmured, "I think I'm falling in love with you instead."
A new task popped up instantly.
> [Third and final task of the day: Buy a bouquet of flowers. Hand it to the next woman you see and tell her she's the most beautiful thing in the world.]
[Reward: $200]
I groaned. "At this rate, I'm gonna be famous in this neighborhood… for all the wrong reasons."
Still… two hundred bucks was two hundred bucks.
---
Ten minutes later, I was striding down the street with a bright, cheap bouquet from a street vendor.
The "next woman" turned out to be a middle-aged auntie pushing a shopping cart full of vegetables. The system didn't say anything about age or appearance, so…
I stepped up, offered the flowers, and said, "Miss, you are the most beautiful thing in the world."
She blinked at me, then burst into laughter so loud a passing dog barked. "Ah, young man, sweet tongue you have! I'll tell my daughter about you!"
Ding!
> [Task Complete! +$200 credited.]
"Wait, what—" I started, but she was already wheeling her cart away, humming like she'd just won the lottery.
---
By the time I stumbled home, I was $350 richer.
I collapsed on my bed, staring at the cracked ceiling.
"This is insane… but if I can earn this much in one day…" I could already picture it — no more instant noodles, no more running from the landlord, maybe even a decent gaming setup.
But then the thought hit me like a bucket of cold water.
"If these are just beginner tasks… what happens when it levels up?"
The system's voice was almost cheerful.
> [Tomorrow's tasks will be… more challenging.]
I swallowed hard. Yeah… this was going to get crazy.