Dropping the thin brown belt on the counter, beside the hundred-dollar bills, Lenny noticed the corner of Johan's curled lips twitch.
His spider-tattooed companion brazenly protested, as though voicing his master's thoughts.
"That's just a belt, you bastard!"
Undeterred, Lenny looked squarely at Johan and calmly asked:
"Didn't you say for every piece of clothing?"
Johan, unwilling to back down in front of his companions, forced a smile.
"Yes. Yes, I did. You can carry on."
A hiss of annoyance and disapproval escaped the spider-tattooed brat's mouth as he folded his arms.
He muttered, "Disgraceful fuck."
Shaken by that comment, Lenny acted as though he didn't hear, his actions remained deliberate and methodical.
He quietly took off his black surgical face mask and placed it beside the money, fully revealing his rectangular face and the cut on his lip. His left eye was bloodshot with a slight pinkish-red swell around it.
Seeing Lenny take off a simple mask to represent a 'piece of clothing', the spider-tattooed brat wanted to retort again, but Johan gestured for him not to interfere.
'…Yeah, listen to your master,' Lenny mocked inwardly.
Then, Johan, his smirk widening, slapped two more hundred-dollar bills on the counter for the face mask.
Quietly, Lenny took off his right sandal and placed it alongside the belt, face mask, and money, then paused. He was implying with his actions that the single right-foot sandal should be regarded as a piece of clothing, prompting Johan to do the needful, which he did.
Lenny constantly glanced at his phone, which lay flat in the cupboard at the side. The allure of the optional objective, which promised an extra 5 viral points, tugged at him. He contemplated the potential risks and rewards.
'…It says I just need to 'participate.' I've participated, so I should get the reward of 3 viral points. But, is that even enough? I'll need to test the app thoroughly, won't I?'
He thought as he gently placed the left-foot of the brown sandals on the counter, much to Johan's chagrin.
However, the handsome brat maintained his cool and added another $200 to the amount that was already there. Effectively making it a total sum of $800.
As of the moment, Lenny still doubted the app's legitimacy, but he knew this was a one-time opportunity to earn an extra 5 viral points. Considering this, if he happened to be wrong and the app turned out to be capable and legit, he would be reaping a very big boon!
Additionally, hadn't the app already displayed how enigmatic and mysterious it was? It knew Lenny's current situation and used it to issue a task!
Of course, it could be hypothesized that he was being stalked by a secret camera or so, but he had also received complete information about the new task without needing to look at his phone—Telepathy of some sort!
This was a feat Lenny's science and technology knowledge couldn't explain. If anything, it was truly paranormal.
Understanding this and thinking it through, he proceeded to take off his work uniform—a simple red sleeveless jacket—and placed it on the counter, making it a total sum of $1,000.
Then, fueled by the desire to earn those extra viral points, he gradually took off his long-sleeve t-shirt.
'…I need those extra viral points!'
He pushed aside any lingering feelings of humiliation and embarrassment. His life was about to change and the price was letting some dumb rich kids walk over him for a few minutes. Cheap!
Pa! Lenny slapped the shirt on the counter and urged Johan to drop the dollar bills with a hand gesture.
Johan let out a long sigh.
"It's almost as if you're enjoying this…"
Sinisterly, the corner of his lips curled, and he added, "Let's see how long that'll last. Go on."
Disregarding the handsome brat's words, Lenny, in the groove of things, grabbed the waist of his slightly oversized blue jeans.
But just then, he froze. The reality of the situation had finally dawned on him.
He was stripping for money, in front of kids!
'Am I … really that … desperate?' He thought to himself, unable to bring himself to pull his pants down.
Johan, relishing the situation, taunted Lenny with a smirk.
"What? Why aren't you taking it off? Don't tell me you still have some misplaced sense of dignity…"
Lenny raised his head and stared into Johan's predatory eyes. A cold chill ran down his spine and he took a big gulp along with it.
Those eyes were just like Boss Falcone's. They were eyes that sought to devour him as though he was a domesticated sheep and they were hungry, bloodthirsty wolves.
He gritted his teeth and released the grip on the blue jean trousers, letting it fall to the ground with a thud.
'…Yes. I am that desperate. Yes. I am that miserable. Yes! I am that hopeless! I've been living a dead life for Christ's sake and they still wish to devour me whole! When?! When am I allowed to be angry?! When am I allowed to be desperate?! When I'm dead?!'
He screamed inwardly as his anger, buried deep within, surged. For so long, he had been taking everything sitting down, never truly standing up for the change he needed to make.
No one was going to give him a brand new life on a platter of gold. He had to be ferocious, furious, and desperate enough. And not just any type of ferocity or fury or desperation. He had to be ten times more ferocious! Ten times more furious! And ten times more desperate than those who tried to keep him down!
Left with only a singlet outlining his bony figure and blue briefs on, he couldn't even be bothered to use his hands to cover the small bulge protruding from his lower body.
Johan, delighted by Lenny's display of tomfoolery as though he was watching a dancing monkey, slapped another $200 on the counter, now making it $1,400.
With a sinister grin, he urged, "What's taking you so long? Come on, we don't have all day."
Lenny, with a dark shadow covering his eyes, proceeded to remove his yellowed-out white vest. He noticed the brown-skinned girl chuckle slightly and mutter with exaggerated finesse to the spider-tattooed brat.
"Haha, he's like sooo skinny… like I'm looking at a skeleton. Hahaha…"
"Yeah, like a twig. It's like he hasn't had a proper meal in ages," the edgy brat joked and laughed.
"Pff…"
A little chuckle was heard. Surprisingly, it was Lenny's.
"Pff," he chuckled again, then burst into laughter with them.
"Hahahaha … AHAHAHAHA …"
It was all so funny. He had never imagined he would ever be in such a situation. He worked hard and studied. He did everything he was told about ensuring a successful future in an advanced society, however, he was immensely played. He was brazenly lied to.
As he laughed widely at their mockery of him, he slammed the vest on the counter. His body was exposed, revealing the bruise marks and red spots from Boss Falcone's onslaught, along with those from his goons.
What amount of brutality got this regular convenience store cashier like this? And had he possibly run mad? Such thoughts ran through the minds of the young customers at Lenny's display.
The brown-skinned girl and spider-tattooed brat were obviously scared, same for the girl at Johan's side. They wondered if they chanced upon one of those poor, mentally ill, and deprived people of the underclass, fueled by desperation and hopelessness to commit various criminal and inhumane acts. If so, they had best be leaving before things went south.
However, Johan was different. His smirk gradually widened to an abnormal degree.
"You're fun!"
He slapped two more hundred-dollar bills on the counter again!
Lenny's laugh died down at that moment. He knitted his eyebrows and clicked his tongue as he saw the sum on the counter had increased to a staggering $1,600. The regret he felt deep in his heart was palpable.
'…Tsk. Dammit. I should've worn more clothes…'
Without needing a jeer, he clutched the hem of his briefs.
"Wait," Johan intervened, pausing the proceedings.
He slapped another $200 on the counter and spoke succinctly:
"Don't worry about that one. Let's substitute it for something else. Besides, I don't think I want to see your junk."
Chillingly, Johan ordered, "Get down and kiss my foot."
"Sure, why not?" Lenny cheerfully concurred and left his position behind the counter, still limping.
In silence, he knelt before the handsome brat in only briefs, and without complaint, he pressed his lips on the tip of the latter's leather boot.
Johan squatted down to meet Lenny's gaze, a triumphant smile playing on his lips.
He placed a hand on Lenny's head and ruffled it, with furrowed eyebrows and a mocking grin, he voiced:
"It always puts a smile on my face to see someone that knows their place and embraces it. It is as the world should be, Lennard."
Lenny just held an awkward smile.
Despite his outward acquiescence, beneath the awkward smile, he harbored a deep resentment, anger, and a burning hatred for this world — this world where he was subject to the inevitable fate of life-long suffering, destined to lead a life of no meaning, and perish as though he never existed.
He had to do what he could to escape this fate, no matter how degrading or humiliating. There was no excuse for failure.
He had fully accepted his desperation, and desperate times … surely called for desperate measures.
'…Dignity? Pride? Integrity? Never heard of them.'
A deep shadow covered Lenny's eyes as he faced the floor, but raising his head to meet Johan's gaze, he sported a jovial smile as he let out in response,
"Woof!"
"Puhahahaha…" Johan burst into immense laughter but still maintained his gentlemanliness. He was so amused that he palmed his forehead.
However, he was the only one laughing. Noticing this, he immediately shot a deathly glare at the spider-tattooed brat and the brown girl in his arms.
"A…haha…haha…"
Awkwardly, they started laughing too.
During all this, Lenny couldn't help but notice that Johan's girl didn't share in the laughter. Instead, she looked on with discomfort, her gaze completely elsewhere.
His eyes met hers as she briefly glanced down.
She wore an expression of shock before noticing Johan was glaring at her from the corner of his eyes.
Suddenly, her face contorted to express a rising irritation as she said frightenedly to Lenny, her eyes darting around unfocused, "S-Stop staring at me, please. You disgust me."
The store fell into an uncomfortable complete silence after Johan's girl made her cutting comment, but it was quickly broken by the group's renewed laughter. This time, they were all genuine.
Still kneeling, Lenny held his awkward smile.
'…You can all laugh for now. It's alright. I'll make sure to laugh even louder when it's my turn…'
Johan's gaze shifted back to Lenny's half-naked body riddled with purple spots and bruise marks.
Clip!
Lenny was jolted from his thoughts as he heard the sound of a camera shutter. Johan had slyly taken a picture of him!
Fear and panic surged within him as he screamed, "W-What are you doing?!"
Pa!
Johan's open palm landed harshly on Lenny's face, causing him to fall to the ground.
The handsome brat spoke with deep annoyance, "I'm tired of your whining. Can't you just let us have fun?"
Lenny held his tongue as he lay half-naked on the dusty and cold floor of the convenience store. The familiar feeling of powerlessness washed over him once more.
Johan got up and walked over to the counter, snatched the pack of beer and cigarettes, then headed for the door with his friends.
"The money's on the counter. I wanted to take it back, but you're such a loyal dog. Heh, and every good dog deserves a treat. Also, don't ogle another man's girl so brazenly. Next time, I won't be so lenient."
He sported a smirk as he walked away, an arm resting on the fair-skinned girl's shoulders.
"Have a good one, Lennard. You have some nasty bruises, that amount is enough to pay for treatment or eat some proper food. Not that I care though."
As Johan and his group left the store, Lenny tiredly sat up.
The entrance door creaked open again, announcing a new customer's arrival. It was the spider-tattooed brat.
He quickly walked past Lenny, grabbed all the cash on the counter, and stuffed some into his pocket.
Lenny just stared blankly at him. Noticing his gaze, the bratty bastard stammered nervously with a grin, "Y-You won't mind if I take these, right?"
Without waiting for Lenny's reply, he stuffed the remaining cash into his inner jacket pocket and hastily ran out the door.
Gring~
Almost immediately after the brat's exit, a simple message registered in Lenny's mind.
[Task completed.]
