Chapter 6: A New Opportunity
The days seemed to blur together as Andrean continued to navigate his secret world. The money in his account had grown—slowly, but steadily—until it reached 150,000 pesos (roughly $2,700 USD). Andrean hadn't told anyone, and he hadn't spent any of it yet. But with each passing day, the temptation to do something with the money grew stronger. He had always wanted to help his family, especially his mom, Cicil, who had struggled with her blindness all these years. But Andrean didn't know how to help without drawing attention.
One afternoon, as he was walking home from school, a strange notification popped up on his phone. It was from the cashback app, but this time, it wasn't just the usual congratulations for earning a small amount. This time, it was a new opportunity—a challenge.
New Challenge: "Assist a friend in need, and earn a rare bonus of 10,000 pesos (roughly $180 USD)."
Andrean stared at the screen, a little confused. Assist a friend in need? It was vague, but intriguing. He hadn't seen anything like this before. What did it mean?
Curiosity won out. He decided to head to Richard's house after school. Maybe his friend could help him figure it out.
---
Richard's house was quiet, as always. Andrean knocked on the door, and Richard's mom greeted him with a smile. "Come in, Andrean. Richard's in his room."
Andrean nodded and walked through the familiar house, his mind racing with possibilities. When he reached Richard's room, he found his best friend sitting at his desk, his nose buried in a book, as usual.
"Hey, Richard," Andrean greeted him.
Richard looked up, his expression calm. "Hey, Andrean. What's up?"
"I need your help with something," Andrean said, sitting down across from him. He didn't want to get too specific, but Richard would understand.
"Help? With what?" Richard asked, sounding mildly interested but not overly surprised.
Andrean hesitated for a moment, then pulled out his phone and showed Richard the notification. "I got this challenge on the app. It says I need to assist a friend in need and I'll earn a bonus. But I don't know what that means."
Richard looked at the screen thoughtfully, tapping his finger on his chin. "Well, it sounds like something the app is pushing you to do. Maybe it means you should help someone who's going through a tough time." Richard's tone was casual, but Andrean could tell he was thinking it through as well.
"Yeah, but who? I mean, I don't exactly know anyone who needs... money," Andrean said, feeling a bit of frustration. "I don't want to just throw it away on something pointless."
Richard raised an eyebrow. "You don't have to throw it away. Maybe the challenge isn't about money at all. Maybe it's about helping someone in a way that really matters."
Andrean's mind raced. He hadn't thought about it that way. Maybe it wasn't about buying things for people, but doing something meaningful.
"Maybe you're right," Andrean said, deep in thought. "But who?"
Richard thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up. "What about Ruben? You know he's been struggling with his family lately. I think his parents lost their job or something. He's always looking stressed in class."
Andrean nodded, remembering how distant Ruben had seemed lately. "I didn't know that. But if I help him, I don't want him to think I'm doing it for the wrong reasons."
Richard's smile was soft but knowing. "You're Andrean. He'll understand. You don't have to make a big deal out of it."
---
That afternoon, Andrean went to Ruben's house. When he arrived, he was greeted by Ruben's mother, who welcomed him inside. Andrean had always felt like Ruben's family had their own struggles. Ruben's father had been sick for a long time, and his mother had been trying to balance work with taking care of him. It wasn't easy.
"Ruben's in his room," Ruben's mother said, her voice strained. She smiled at Andrean, but he could see the worry lines on her face.
He nodded and made his way upstairs. When he knocked on Ruben's door, he heard a quiet "come in." Ruben was sitting at his desk, his face buried in his hands.
"Hey, Ruben," Andrean said gently.
Ruben looked up, a little surprised. "Oh, hey, Andrean. What's up?"
"I wanted to check in on you," Andrean said, sitting down across from his friend. "I've noticed you've been looking kind of stressed lately."
Ruben gave a small, tired smile. "Yeah, things haven't been great at home. My dad's been really sick, and my mom's working double shifts. I'm just... trying to hold things together, you know?"
Andrean felt a pang of sympathy for his friend. He knew what it was like to struggle, but he also knew he had the means to help, even if it wasn't about money. "If you ever need anything, Ruben, you don't have to carry it all by yourself."
Ruben looked at him, his expression grateful but hesitant. "I don't know, Andrean. It's a lot to ask."
"Listen," Andrean said, his voice steady. "You've always been there for me. And right now, I want to be there for you. You don't have to carry this burden alone."
Ruben was quiet for a long moment, then finally nodded. "Thanks, Andrean. I really appreciate it."
Andrean smiled, relieved that Ruben had opened up. As he stood to leave, he pulled out his phone, quickly transferring 10,000 pesos (roughly $180 USD) to Ruben's mother as a small gesture of support.
When he left Ruben's house, he felt a weight lift off his shoulders. It wasn't about the money—it was about being there when it mattered most. And in doing so, he realized something important: helping people didn't need to come with strings attached. It was about making a difference, no matter how small.
---
Later that night, Andrean received a notification from the cashback app.
"Congratulations! You've completed the challenge! 10,000 pesos (roughly $180 USD) has been added to your account."
Andrean smiled, feeling a sense of accomplishment. But this time, it wasn't about the money—it was about the connection he had with his friend. For the first time, he felt like he was using the money for something meaningful, and it didn't matter who knew.