After standing frozen for quite some time, Randa finally snapped out of it. He couldn't help but recall what had happened earlier.
He remembered that the little girl was indeed the same child he had once saved. The woman with her also looked familiar—she resembled the woman who had once cried while hugging that child.
But Randa was certain this woman was different. From the way she spoke with the little girl, it was clear that the beautiful woman was actually the child's aunt.
Judging by their strong resemblance, there was a good chance the girl's mother was the aunt's twin sister.
"Then… what do these twins have to do with me?" Randa muttered in confusion.
Thinking about it gave him a headache. Yet deep down, he felt something odd. For some reason, he felt unusually close to those three people—especially to the twins.
It was as if he had met them before. The more he thought about it, the stranger it felt.
After a while, Randa decided not to dwell on it and returned his focus to work. He chose to treat it as nothing more than a small twist of fate.
He kept selling until five in the afternoon, until every last banana was gone.
A wide smile spread across his face. He couldn't contain his joy as he looked at his empty cart. Quickly, he began packing up his things.
When he finished, he even cleaned his selling spot, leaving it neater and tidier than before.
Then, Randa said goodbye to Aunt Rani, the owner of the place.
On his way home, he couldn't resist calculating his earnings. Even with a rough count, he realized he had made a big profit.
He couldn't wait to share the good news with his family.
Once home, Randa immediately unpacked all his equipment and washed it in the backyard.
Not long after, his mother came out, glanced at him briefly, then returned inside to finish cooking with a lighter heart.
"All right, that's enough work. Come eat!" Siti called a few moments later, inviting Randa to join the meal.
Randa obeyed at once. He was starving after working all day.
At the table, his father and younger sister were already waiting.
Nisa, spotting her brother, teased, "So, Brother, how's business? Did it sell?"
Randa didn't notice her playful tone and answered plainly, "Of course! Every single banana sold—not a single bunch left!"
Nisa just smiled knowingly and nodded.
Meanwhile, Siti and Faisal grew quiet, lost in thought.
No one spoke much after that. They ate peacefully, with joy filling the room.
After the meal, Nisa's curiosity flared again. "So, how much money did you actually make today?"
Randa pulled out a plastic bag filled with small bills. With full confidence, he emptied it onto the table.
Siti, Faisal, and Nisa froze in disbelief.
Randa, brimming with pride, began counting the money aloud so everyone could hear.
"One million… two hundred… four hundred… one million five hundred thousand rupiah!" he declared proudly, a wide smile on his face.
(P.S. That's approximately equal to USD 90.)
He expected cheers. But instead, there was silence.
Puzzled, Randa looked up—only to find his family staring at him strangely.
"What's wrong?" he asked, confused.
Siti felt guilty. She thought her son was only lying out of frustration over his failed idea. To her, the lie was simply too much.
Careful not to wound his pride, she said gently, "Randa, I know how badly you want to be a farmer. But this isn't the way. You can't lie about how much you made. Maybe today you can cover it up, but in the future you won't be able to."
Faisal remained silent, making no move to stop his wife's lecture.
Nisa nodded in agreement, her smile carrying unspoken meaning.
Randa grew restless. "Wait, what's going on? You don't believe me?"
Their silence said it all: No, we don't.
Siti stared at the money as if it were a snake. "Randa… you're not lying, are you?" Her voice trembled.
"Lying? Of course not, Mom!" Randa let out a laugh, but it sounded hollow.
Nisa bit her lip, trying to hide a cynical smile. "Seriously, Brother? Don't tell me you—"
"What's that supposed to mean?! What do you all think I've been doing?! Scamming people?!" Randa's voice suddenly rose.
The air at the dining table grew tense. Even the hum of the ceiling fan thundered in their ears like an explosion.
Frustrated, Randa pulled out his phone.
"Fine. See for yourselves," he said confidently.
Curious, Siti and Faisal leaned closer as he played a video.
On the screen, Randa was frying bananas. At first, they were still skeptical. But then, a group of children crowded his cart, buying eagerly.
Both parents frowned.
"Don't tell me you tricked those kids," Siti asked, unable to hold back.
Randa's face darkened. "Come on, Mom! Don't you trust your own son at all? Watch till the end—you'll see!"
The video continued. Adults appeared, buying his fried bananas enthusiastically.
Siti and Faisal finally understood: Randa hadn't been lying. Real customers were paying good money—even adults were eager to buy. Clearly, the food was worth it.
Their expressions softened. Randa felt relieved he had recorded everything.
"Well? Do you believe me now?" he asked proudly.
They began to believe, though doubt still lingered.
"But… can it really be sold that expensive? No one complained?" Siti asked worriedly.
"Of course not, Mom. Didn't you say yourself that place is an upscale area? It's only natural they'd buy. For all we know, their parking fees cost more than my bananas," Randa explained.
Siti nodded slowly, though still unsure.
Randa rolled his eyes. "If you still don't believe me, ask your friend who's been selling there for years. She'll confirm it."
Finally convinced, Siti grabbed the money and began counting it herself.
Randa smiled with satisfaction. Deep down, he felt his first step toward becoming a farmer was going well.
Just as he was about to shower, Nisa suddenly stopped him.
"What is it?"
"Nothing. I just want to watch the video of you selling. Can I?"
Randa didn't think much of it and handed her his phone before heading to the bathroom.
At first, Nisa watched casually, grinning to herself as Randa busied himself serving customers.
Then one scene appeared.
Two small children came running, faces glowing with joy, and cried out—
"Daddy! Daddy!"
Nisa froze. Her eyes widened, her heart leaping into her throat.
Daddy? Did they just say Daddy?!
She stepped back, eyes locked on the screen. Rewind. Again. Yes. They were calling Randa Daddy.
Her breath caught. Her hands shook as she gripped the phone.
No way. This couldn't be real… Brother Randa… has kids?!
Just as she was processing this,Randa had just stepped out of the bathroom, towel in hand, drying his hair, when Nisa's voice cut through the silence:
"Brother… do you… have children?"
The room froze. Siti, who had been counting money, stopped. Faisal turned, his brow furrowed.
Randa stared. "What?!"
"I'm serious, Brother." Nisa's gaze didn't waver. Her voice trembled, sharp yet unflinching. "Two kids in this video just called you… Daddy."
Randa snatched the phone from her hand in a rush, his heart pounding. The moment his eyes landed on the scene… it felt as if his blood had stopped flowing.
"This… this isn't what you think! I don't even know them!" His voice rose, on the edge of panic.
Siti stepped closer, her face pale. "Randa… you're not joking, are you? You didn't… do anything reckless, did you?"
"Oh my God, Mom! I've never even dated anyone! How could I possibly have kids?! They just misunderstood! I was only helping!"
But no matter how he tried to explain, his words couldn't erase the uneasy feeling that had already taken root in everyone's hearts.
He quickly explained what had happened that day.
As Nisa and Siti listened, they shuddered, imagining what might have happened to the little girl if Randa hadn't stepped in.
"Maybe she just felt grateful and wanted to call me Dad. She probably doesn't even understand what the word really means."
The explanation made sense. Still, it felt odd for someone to call him that—especially since Randa wasn't married. What would people say? And what about his future wife?
Even so, Siti and Faisal sighed in relief. They went back to counting money, not wanting to dwell on it.
But Nisa was even more intrigued. She studied the video closely, eyeing the three faces.
"But you know, Brother… you really do look alike. If I didn't know the truth, I'd believe you were their father." She spoke honestly, with no hidden intent.
For Randa, though, her words struck deep.
He grew unsettled. His mind drifted back to the twins, remembering how naturally he had bonded with them.
Unconsciously, he began to wonder: Could those twins really be my children?
But he quickly dismissed the thought. He was still a virgin—he had never even been with a woman. How could he possibly have kids?
Still, the shadow of doubt lingered in his mind.
...
The next afternoon, Randa had just finished selling fried bananas again. Like the day before, everything sold out, and he was thrilled.
After packing his things into the car, he didn't head straight home.
For a while now, he had been absorbed in a game inside his mind. To outsiders, it looked like he was either daydreaming or busy scrolling on his phone, since his head stayed bent down.
But in reality, he was playing Dragon King's Son-in-Law: Journey in Heavenly Prison.
The game was ridiculously hard. Randa had to repeat the same mission countless times just to clear a trivial quest.
Still, he didn't give up. The rewards were always worth it.
Finally, he completed the quest.
"Congratulations! You have completed the quest Hiding the Clip from the Guard! You have received Skill Book: Pickpocketing Level 1."
Randa groaned.
"Ugh, seriously? Why does this lousy game always give me useless skills—sometimes even dangerous ones?"
Before, he could tolerate skills like Porn Film Maker & Bootleg Liquor Brewer, since those could at least be adapted into short-video production or fertilizer mixing. But pickpocketing? What was he supposed to do with that?
It wasn't that he wasn't grateful—but he really had no clue how to make use of such a thing. Was he supposed to steal for real, just so the skill wouldn't go to waste?
Most likely, it would just sit and collect dust in his inventory.
"Looks like the early skills are just beginner freebies. That's why the first ones were useful. But this one…" he muttered in disappointment.
Even though it didn't seem worthwhile, Randa decided to try it once.
He pulled a coin from his pocket and began practicing, pretending it was on someone else's body, trying to take it without being noticed.
At first, it felt awkward. But gradually, he got the hang of it and grew more excited.
"Huh… turns out this skill is just sleight of hand, like a magician's trick!"
A small smile formed. It wasn't as useful as his other skills, but at least it could be entertaining.
Just as he was enjoying himself, his phone suddenly rang.
Ring…