Chapter 1: A Chance Encounter
Andrean was just another teenager trying to make it through high school. At 16 years old, life seemed like a constant battle—homework, exams, and the ever-present stress of not having enough money. His family, although loving and supportive, could only provide the bare necessities. A quiet town in Zamboanga Sibugay wasn't exactly the place where dreams were made, but Andrean held onto the hope that one day, things might change.
It was a typical morning at Zamboanga Sibugay National High School. The sun beat down from above, and the humid air stuck to his skin like a heavy blanket. Andrean was walking to school, his worn-out backpack bouncing with each step. His uniform, though clean, had seen better days. His shoes—barely holding together—clicked on the pavement, making a rhythm as he walked.
"Hey, Andrean!" A voice called from behind, and he turned to see his best friend, Richard, jogging up to him.
Richard was a contrast to Andrean in many ways. He was loud, always cracking jokes, and somehow managed to get through life with a carefree attitude. While Andrean was more reserved, Richard was the one who kept things interesting. And it didn't hurt that he had a knack for making people laugh, even when the situation was serious.
"Hey, Richard," Andrean said, flashing a wide grin.
"You look like you're about to collapse," Richard said, raising an eyebrow. "Come on, man! You're only 16! Shouldn't you be full of energy and life or something?"
Andrean laughed and exaggerated a dramatic slump of his shoulders, pretending to drag his feet. "You know, it's hard to feel full of energy when you're always worrying about where the next meal is coming from."
Richard made a face. "I hear you, bro. But hey, at least you're not alone in that department."
Though Andrean cracked jokes and played along with his friend, there was always a calm and serious demeanor beneath the surface. Inside, he was more focused than people realized—his thoughts consumed by his family's struggles and his own quiet hopes for something better.
The two walked side by side into school, the bell ringing as they entered the campus.
---
Inside the classroom, Andrean sat in his usual seat near the back. The school wasn't the best—no fancy equipment, just enough resources to get by. His classmates were all in the same boat, struggling to make it through. But Andrean kept to himself, often feeling like he didn't belong in the world around him.
He reached into his bag to pull out his lunch, only to find that his lunch money had disappeared. "Again," he muttered under his breath. This was becoming a habit—losing small amounts of cash here and there.
"Everything okay?" Richard asked from the desk next to him.
"Just lost my lunch money," Andrean said with a shrug, trying to laugh it off. "It's no big deal."
Richard patted him on the back. "Well, if you're hungry, I've got you covered today. But seriously, man, something's gotta give. You can't keep going like this."
Andrean appreciated the offer, but he hated to rely on others, especially when it came to money. "Thanks, Richard. I'll figure something out."
---
After school, Andrean walked home with his mind buzzing. It wasn't just the lunch money that had disappeared—it was everything. Every day felt like a reminder of how little he had and how far away his dreams seemed.
But that day, something strange happened.
As he passed by a small electronics shop, he noticed an ad on the window. It was an advertisement for a new app that promised to give users "cashback on every purchase." At first, it seemed like another one of those gimmicky apps that never delivered. But something about it caught his attention.
Out of curiosity, Andrean opened his phone and downloaded the app. There was a simple registration process, and he had to enter a few basic details. After that, he linked his bank account to the app—just in case. The app promised no hidden fees or catches, just the promise of cashback every time he spent money. It sounded too good to be true, but Andrean was desperate for anything that could help him break out of his cycle of poverty.
---
The next day, as he walked to school, Andrean stopped by the convenience store to grab a drink. He used his phone to pay for it, forgetting about the app for a moment. But then, just as he was about to leave, a notification popped up on his screen.
"Congratulations! You've earned 50 pesos (roughly $0.90 USD) cashback for your purchase today!"
Andrean blinked, unsure of what he was seeing. He checked his account, and sure enough, 50 pesos had been credited back to him. It wasn't a lot, but it was something—something he'd never experienced before. For the first time, it felt like he had control over something.
---
Over the next few weeks, Andrean used the app more regularly, always paying for things with his phone. The small cashback amounts started to add up, and with each purchase, he felt a glimmer of hope. It wasn't long before he realized that the app wasn't just giving him cashback—it was triggering more substantial rewards for his purchases. He hadn't noticed at first, but his balance was steadily growing.
By the time he reached the end of the month, Andrean had earned over 2,000 pesos (roughly $36 USD) in cashback. It wasn't a fortune, but to him, it felt like a small miracle.
---
"Hey, Andrean!" Richard called out one afternoon. "I saw you walk out of that electronics store the other day. What's going on with that app you're always using?"
Andrean hesitated for a moment. He hadn't told anyone about his little windfall. It wasn't that he didn't trust Richard; he just didn't want anyone to know how much the app had helped him, especially not when it was just the beginning.
"It's nothing, really," Andrean said with a shrug, flashing a carefree smile. "Just a little cashback app."
Richard raised an eyebrow. "A little cashback app? Bro, it's obviously doing something for you. You've been walking around like you've got money in your pocket lately."
Andrean laughed nervously, but inside, he was deep in thought. "It's nothing big. Just... taking advantage of a good deal."
But deep down, Andrean knew that this was just the beginning. Something in his gut told him that this small opportunity was going to change his life.
---
The next day, Andrean used the cashback app to purchase a textbook he needed for school. When he checked his account later that evening, he was shocked to see that the cashback was far more than he had expected.
It wasn't just 50 pesos (roughly $0.90 USD) anymore.
It was 500 pesos (roughly $9 USD).
This was no ordinary cashback. Something extraordinary was happening, and Andrean wasn't sure how long it would last. But as his savings grew, so did his confidence. For the first time in his life, he felt like he might have a shot at something better.