The Daily Sign-in Rewards System

CHAPTER 6 — PUBLIC ENEMY 2

The atmosphere outside the security office felt completely different from the one Dylan had experienced earlier that day. The excitement and energy generated by the science fair had long since vanished, replaced by the quiet stillness of night. Darkness blanketed the university grounds while rows of streetlights illuminated the pathways and cast long shadows across the pavement. A cold breeze brushed against Dylan's exhausted face as he shoved his hands into his pockets and wandered aimlessly through campus.

A painful growl from his stomach reminded him that he hadn't eaten anything since morning. The realization brought a bitter smile to his lips as he reflected on the cruel irony of the day. He had started the morning by winning the biggest competition of his life, only to end it betrayed, humiliated, falsely accused, and locked inside a security holding room. Compared to everything else that had happened, hunger barely seemed worth noticing.

As he continued walking, Dylan gradually realized that people were looking at him differently. Students who passed by either stared openly before quickly averting their eyes or whispered among themselves while pretending not to watch him. Some didn't even bother hiding their curiosity and openly pointed in his direction. The video had clearly spread much faster than he expected.

The sight made another bitter smile appear on his face. It was astonishing how quickly a person's reputation could be destroyed. Only a few hours earlier, he had stood proudly on stage as one of the university's most accomplished students. Now people looked at him as though he were a violent criminal.

After several minutes of wandering through campus, Dylan eventually arrived at the restaurant where he worked part-time as a delivery rider. The bright lights shining through the windows contrasted sharply with the darkness outside. Under normal circumstances, he would have headed straight to the staff area, changed into his uniform, and begun his shift without a second thought.

Instead, the moment he stepped through the entrance, an uncomfortable silence settled over the room.

Several employees glanced toward him before quickly looking away, while others exchanged whispers behind his back. Dylan immediately sensed that something was wrong.

Before he could ask any questions, his manager emerged from the kitchen wearing a troubled expression.

"Dylan... we need to talk."

A feeling of dread immediately settled in Dylan's chest.

"What happened?"

The manager hesitated briefly before pulling out his phone and showing him the same video that had already spread throughout campus.

Dylan's expression darkened instantly.

"The customers have already started talking about this," the manager said while rubbing his forehead tiredly.

Dylan immediately shook his head.

"Boss, they're lying."

The older man looked genuinely conflicted.

"I don't know whether they're lying or not."

The words struck Dylan harder than he expected.

The manager sighed heavily before continuing.

"But I can't keep someone accused of assaulting women working here."

Dylan's fists tightened immediately.

"I didn't assault Amber."

The manager shook his head helplessly.

"That doesn't matter anymore. The internet already decided what happened."

Dylan remained silent because the statement hurt precisely because it was true.

The older man genuinely looked apologetic as he continued speaking.

"You're a hardworking kid, Dylan. You've never caused problems here before, and I've always appreciated your work ethic. But this situation is bad for business."

A quiet laugh escaped Dylan.

It wasn't amusement that caused it. Somehow, the day simply kept finding new ways to get worse.

Of course it came down to reputation.

Everything always came down to status, perception, and public image. The truth meant very little compared to what people chose to believe.

"So I'm fired?"

The manager nodded slowly.

"I'm sorry."

For several moments, Dylan simply stood there absorbing the words before finally nodding.

"I understand."

And honestly, he did.

The restaurant couldn't afford controversy, and although it still hurt, he knew the decision wasn't personal.

Without another word, Dylan turned around and walked out of the building.

The cold night air greeted him once again, though it felt much harsher than before.

By the time he finally returned to his hostel building, it was nearly midnight. Most of the hallways had fallen silent as exhausted students rested inside their rooms after a long day.

Dylan slowly unlocked his door and stepped inside.

The room looked exactly the same as it had that morning. The furniture remained where it had always been, the walls were unchanged, and the beds sat in their usual places.

Yet despite that familiarity, everything felt different.

The room no longer felt comforting.

It felt empty.

He walked to his bed and collapsed onto it without even bothering to change clothes. The ceiling above him appeared slightly blurry as exhaustion settled into every part of his body. His limbs felt heavy, but his mind felt even heavier.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop replaying everything that had happened.

The betrayal, the confrontation, the accusations, the humiliation, the security office, and the loss of his job blended together into an endless cycle that repeated inside his head.

Only that morning he had won the biggest competition of his life and genuinely believed things were finally improving. For the first time in years, he had allowed himself to hope for something better.

Now everything felt like a cruel joke.

His girlfriend had betrayed him, his best friend had stabbed him in the back, his reputation had been destroyed, and one of the few sources of income keeping him afloat had disappeared.

Slowly, Dylan covered his eyes with one arm as a painful tightness spread through his chest. For a brief moment, he genuinely wondered whether his life was cursed.

After lying there for some time, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. Opening it, he checked the money inside and immediately felt another bitter smile appear on his face.

There was almost nothing left.

He barely had enough money to survive for a few more days, and now that he had lost his job, even that small amount would disappear soon.

For the first time in years, Dylan truly had no idea what to do next.

A soft click suddenly interrupted his thoughts as the dorm room door opened and two young men walked inside while casually talking to each other.

The moment they noticed Dylan lying silently on the bed, both immediately stopped.

"Bro... we saw what happened online."

Luke closed the door behind him before walking further into the room.

"We know Amber is full of crap."

"And Brandon too," Ryan added immediately. "That guy always acted fake as hell."

Dylan remained silent for several seconds before finally responding.

"It's fine."

Neither of his roommates looked convinced.

Luke sat down beside the bed.

"No, it's not."

Dylan forced a weak smile.

"I'm past it already."

The lie sounded hollow even to his own ears because he wasn't past anything. The truth was that he simply didn't have the energy to talk about it anymore.

Ryan seemed to recognize this and quickly changed the subject.

"Wait, what about the competition?"

For the first time that night, Dylan blinked.

"...I won."

Both roommates froze.

A second later, their expressions exploded with excitement.

"What?!"

"No freaking way!"

Luke immediately grabbed Dylan's shoulder.

"Bro, that's huge!"

Ryan looked equally shocked.

"We're sorry we couldn't come support you. Our hotel shift manager refused to give us leave."

Despite everything that had happened throughout the day, Dylan found himself smiling faintly.

The smile was small, but it was genuine.

At least someone was happy for him.

At least someone still cared.

Then Ryan frowned.

"Wait. Have you eaten dinner?"

Dylan slowly shook his head.

Both roommates exchanged a knowing look before silently reaching an agreement.

Then Luke suddenly stood up.

"Get up."

Dylan blinked.

"What?"

"We're going out."

"I'm not hungry," Dylan replied immediately.

"Tough."

Ryan grabbed a jacket from a nearby chair and tossed it toward him.

"We're getting fried chicken tonight."

Dylan stared at both of them.

"You guys don't need to do that."

Ryan rolled his eyes dramatically.

"Shut up already."

Luke grinned.

"Our boy won first place today. We're definitely celebrating."

Ryan nodded proudly.

"Exactly. At least one good thing happened today."

For the first time since opening Amber's hostel door earlier that evening, a small warmth slowly spread through Dylan's chest. The pain remained, the betrayal remained, and the uncertainty surrounding his future had not disappeared. However, as he looked at his two roommates, he realized that not everyone in his life had abandoned him.

The realization didn't erase his suffering, but it reminded him that he wasn't completely alone, and at that moment, that small reminder was enough to keep him moving forward.