John stood outside the gates of UP Diliman at exactly 5:30 in the morning. The sun was just starting to rise, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink. The campus was huge—trees everywhere, old buildings mixed with new ones, students already jogging around the oval even at this early hour.
He was wearing the janitor's uniform that had mysteriously appeared in his apartment the night before. Plain blue polo, dark pants, and a cap with the university's logo. In his hand was a mop and a small cart with cleaning supplies.
The system had provided everything. The uniform, the supplies, even the fake employment documents that somehow got him hired overnight. It was insane. Impossible. But it was real.
[Job Status: Day 1/3]
[Location: UP Diliman - Main Library Building]
[Task: Clean all floors from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM]
[Current Progress: 0%]
John took a deep breath and walked through the gates.
Okay, Lola. I don't know what's happening, but I'm going to trust this. For you.
The Work
The head janitor, Mang Tomas, was a short, grumpy old man who barely looked at John when he arrived.
"You're the new guy? You're late. Everyone starts at 5 AM, not 5:30," Mang Tomas grumbled, not even bothering to shake his hand. "Your area is the third and fourth floor. Classrooms, hallways, and bathrooms. Don't miss the corners. Students here complain about everything."
"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir," John said quickly.
Mang Tomas just grunted and walked away, leaving John alone with his mop and bucket.
The library building was four stories tall and absolutely massive. By 7 AM, students started flooding in—hundreds of them, carrying laptops and thick textbooks, talking loudly, laughing, rushing to their classes.
And John? He was invisible.
People walked right past him like he was part of the furniture. Girls chatted on their phones and nearly knocked over his bucket without even noticing. Guys in expensive sneakers tracked mud across the floor he had just cleaned, not even glancing his way.
This was what it felt like to be a janitor. To be nobody.
John had worked part-time jobs before—fast food, construction, delivery services—but something about this felt different. Maybe it was because UP Diliman was full of privileged students, the ones who would become lawyers, doctors, businesspeople. The ones who had everything John never did.
But he kept mopping. Kept cleaning. Kept his head down.
[Progress: 15%]
It was around 10 AM when it happened.
John was cleaning the fourth-floor hallway near the Economics classrooms when he heard voices—loud, obnoxious voices.
"Come on, just one date! Just give me a chance!"
"I already said no. Please leave me alone."
John looked up. At the end of the hallway, near the vending machines, a girl was backed against the wall by three guys. They were wearing expensive clothes—branded jackets, designer shoes. Typical rich kids.
The girl looked uncomfortable. She was pretty—shoulder-length hair, fair skin, wearing a simple white blouse and jeans. She was clutching her books tightly against her chest, trying to move away, but the guys kept blocking her path.
"You think you're too good for us?" one of the guys said, leaning closer. "Do you know who my father is?"
"I don't care who your father is," the girl said firmly, but her voice shook a little. "I said no. Now move."
The guy grabbed her wrist.
That's when John moved.
"Hey," he called out, walking toward them with his mop still in hand. "Let her go."
The three guys turned to look at him. For a moment, they just stared—confused, like they couldn't believe a janitor was talking to them.
Then they started laughing.
"Are you serious right now?" the leader said, the one holding the girl's wrist. "Mind your own business, manong. Go back to mopping."
"I said let her go," John repeated, his voice calm but firm.
The guy's smile faded. He let go of the girl's wrist and stepped toward John, sizing him up.
"You want to be a hero? You're just a janitor. Know your place."
John didn't move. Didn't flinch.
The tension hung in the air for a long moment. Then, suddenly, the girl spoke.
"Just leave it," she said quietly, looking at John. "It's fine. I'll go."
But before anyone could move, one of the other guys shoved John hard in the chest.
"Stupid janitor," he muttered.
John stumbled back but didn't fall. His jaw tightened, his fists clenched. Every instinct told him to fight back—to punch the guy right in his smug face.
But he couldn't. Not here. Not now. He needed this job. He needed to finish the three days.
So he just stood there, breathing hard, glaring at them.
The guys laughed again, then walked away, high-fiving each other like they'd just won something.
The girl looked at John, her expression unreadable. Then she bowed slightly.
"Thank you," she said softly. "But you didn't have to do that."
Before John could respond, she turned and walked away quickly, disappearing down the stairs.
John stood there alone in the hallway, his heart still pounding.
[Progress: 25%]
By lunchtime, the entire third and fourth floors were buzzing.
John was eating his packed lunch—just plain rice and canned sardines—sitting alone on a bench outside the library when he started overhearing the conversations.
"Did you see the new janitor?"
"Wait, which one?"
"The tall one! The handsome one on the fourth floor!"
"Oh my God, I saw him this morning! He's SO good-looking. Like, model-level handsome."
John nearly choked on his rice.
He looked around. A group of girls was sitting nearby, giggling and talking loudly. They didn't realize he was the one they were talking about.
"I heard he stood up to those Engineering guys earlier. The ones who are always harassing girls."
"Really? A janitor did that?"
"Yeah! Apparently he told them off. How cool is that?"
"Wait, but isn't it weird? Why would someone that handsome be working as a janitor?"
"Maybe he's broke? Or maybe he dropped out?"
"Who cares! I'm going to talk to him later. Do you think he has a girlfriend?"
John lowered his head, pulling his cap down to hide his face.
This was not the kind of attention he wanted.
The afternoon was worse.
Every time John moved to a new area, students would stop and stare. Girls would whisper and giggle. Guys would look at him with suspicion or jealousy.
At one point, a group of freshmen girls actually asked to take a selfie with him.
"Kuya Janitor! Can we take a picture? Please?"
John awkwardly declined and quickly moved to another floor.
[Progress: 60%]
By 4 PM, he was exhausted—not from the work, but from all the eyes on him. He just wanted to finish the day and go home.
But then he saw her again.
The girl from earlier.
She was sitting alone in one of the empty classrooms, reading a thick book. John was about to walk past and pretend he didn't see her, but she looked up.
Their eyes met.
For a moment, neither of them said anything.
Then she smiled—small, polite.
"Thank you again," she said. "For earlier. I didn't get to say it properly."
John cleared his throat. "It's fine. Are you okay?"
"I'm okay," she said, closing her book. "Those guys are always like that. I'm used to it."
"You shouldn't have to be used to it," John said before he could stop himself.
She looked surprised, then smiled again—this time, it seemed more genuine.
"You're right," she said. "I'm Sofia, by the way. Sofia Lim. Third-year Political Science."
"John," he said simply. He didn't offer his last name.
"Just John?" she asked, tilting her head.
"Just John."
Sofia nodded slowly, like she understood he didn't want to share more.
"Well, Just John," she said, standing up and gathering her books. "Thank you. Really. Not a lot of people would do what you did."
She walked toward the door, then paused and looked back at him.
"I hope you don't let those guys bother you. People here talk a lot, but most of it is just noise."
And then she left.
John stood there in the empty classroom, staring at the spot where she'd been sitting.
[Progress: 80%]
By 6 PM, John had finished cleaning his assigned areas. His back ached, his hands were sore, and he smelled like floor cleaner.
But when he checked the system, his heart jumped.
[Day 1 Complete!]
[Progress: 100%]
[2 Days Remaining]
[Reminder: Stay focused. Complete the job. Rewards await.]
John walked out of the campus gates just as the sun was setting. Students were everywhere—eating at food stalls, laughing with friends, heading home in their cars.
He was just a janitor to them. A nobody.
But for the first time in a long time, John felt like he was working toward something.
Something bigger.
He pulled out his phone and looked at an old photo of his grandmother—the only picture he had of her smiling.
"Day one done, Lola," he whispered. "Two more to go."
And somewhere in the back of his mind, the system's words echoed.
[Every job completed will progressively become more interesting.]
John didn't know what that meant yet.
But he had a feeling his life was about to get a whole lot more complicated.
End of Chapter 2