On The Hunt

As they walked to the store, Jack realized it was a tightly knit community. People knew each other by name and always greeted one another with a smile.

It wasn't the best place to live, considering the condition of the houses, but when it came to people, it was one of the best.

So much so that Jack changed his intention. Mehra was rude as fuck and he would teach him a lesson for it, but he was also chill to a standard.

After all, there wasn't any landlord who would let a renter stay without paying six months of rent.

I need to change my ways.

In his last life, Jack had only made enemies. But this time, maybe making some friends wouldn't be so bad. Who knows, perhaps Mehra would rent him a place without requiring an ID.

Though it was a long shot, Jack decided to take it.

"Mr. Mehra, I hope you check everyone's information without leniency?"

"Of course, sir! I am many things, but a fool is not one of them." he proudly puffed his chest. "Everyone must have proper documents to rent from me."

"I see. That's good."

It was funny seeing a man of morals walking beside the king of immorality. They made small talk on their way and by small talk, Jack meant Mehra told him everything about his family.

His grandparents had migrated to Murica in the early 1900s. They worked any job they got their hands on and bought land there, the same one Jack stood on.

It used to be a farm with a few houses for the workers, but during the second world war, his father turned it into cheap housing for the soldiers and their families.

They eventually found better avenues and left, and now Mehra was carrying on their legacy, providing homes for the less fortunate. That's why the rent was cheaper than anyplace else.

Jack nodded, deciding not to hand a green hat to him. While Mehra wasn't the greatest guy out there, he wasn't the worst. With his mind made up, he decided to pay him and get out.

At least, that was the plan.

"We're here," Mehra announced, entering the store. "This is my wife, Miyuki, and my daughter, Anika."

Jack smiled and turned to see them, only for his eyes to widen in surprise. Both women were stunning, and that's when all the consideration Jack had for Mehra went out the window.

Asian girls had always been Jack's one weakness. So much so, when the men were chasing after him, he decided to have one last fling with his Japanese girlfriend, who shared the same name as Mehra's wife.

Unlike the Miyuki, Jack remembered, the one before him was quite mature. Her long, silky black hair went all the way down to her waist. She smiled gently when they walked in, showing off her grace and humility.

Other than her brown, almond-shaped eyes, the thing that caught Jack's attention was her pulp figure. Her narrow waist accentuated both her wide hips and her ample chest.

Beside her stood a younger woman who looked almost identical to her. It felt like Mehra's genes didn't even bother fighting Miyuki's. Other than her slightly darker skin color, Anika looked like Miyuki's twin, a much younger twin.

Unlike her mother, Anika had shorter hair that reached just below her shoulder. Her eyes didn't hold the maturity of Miyuki's, but were full of energy. Both of them wore a white top with well-fitted jeans that hugged their curves.

"What are you standing there for?" Mehra asked Miyuki. "Go get the card scanner."

"Yes."

Jack pretended not to notice it, but Anika's eyes hadn't left him since they entered the shop. Mehra realized what was happening and scolded his daughter, telling her to dust off the shelves. She rolled her eyes but did as asked, but not before shooting a smile or two in Jack's direction.

She wasn't interested in his looks, but in the clothes he wore. From a glance, she knew those weren't cheap. Which meant he was a rich guy, a spender. Perhaps she wanted him to notice her and kept dusting off the same shelves in front of him over and over.

Jack knew a gold digger when he saw one, and he also knew how to deal with them. It just happened that she was cute, so he let it slide… for a minute until Miyuki returned.

Meanwhile, steam came out of Mehra's ears, as he didn't expect his precious daughter to behave like that. He planned to give her a stern talking in private, as he had raised her to be better than this.

Just then, Miyuki returned, handing the machine to Mehra.

"Your card, sir?" he asked.

"Here."

Jack handed him Fortuna's card, ensuring that Anika got a good look at it and she surely did.

A gold digger like her had probably dreamt of this moment. Perhaps she even knew that usually the black cards had no spending limit. Fortuna's card didn't have a limit either. Jack could carry billions in his pocket, well… he would if he had that kind of money.

"Please enter the pin—"

"It's not needed for such a small transaction."

The pin wasn't needed because the card didn't have one. Yet, Jack decided to put on the air like he wasn't spending nearly half of the balance.

"Thank you, sir," Mehra smiled, handing the card back to Jack.

"No, I should thank you for giving Granny so much time to pay the rent," Jack smiled, looking at them. "I don't even want to imagine what would have happened if you threw her out."

He continued, "Please let me thank you and your family over dinner. It's the least I can do."

"Oh, no, that's unnecessary," Mehra said, and Miyuki followed suit.

However, Anika happily agreed.

"You can ignore them. They rarely leave the house," she said. "If you want to thank us, I'll happily accept the request. I even know a few placed you would like!"

It was exactly what Jack wanted, but he put on a hesitant expression, looking at Mehra as if asking him for help.

"I don't think that'd be appropriate, Miss Anika," he said, scratching his head. "It's a different thing for your family to attend together and for us to go alone. Please don't be offended, you're a beautiful woman, but I don't see you in that way."

Anika was taken aback. It was the first time she had been on the receiving end of a rejection and was having trouble processing it.

As for Jack, he ignored her, keeping his eyes on Mehra. After all, he had rejected Anika to boost his image before him, portraying himself as a rich, kind and respectful individual.

He almost saw Mehra nod in approval. Jack bid his farewell to them and was about to leave when Mehra called out to him.

"I can't make the time for it, but I would love it if you could take my daughter and wife out for dinner."

In his mind, Mehra thought nothing would happen between them in Miyuki was with Anika. Little did he know he was sending two deers straight for the tiger's den.

"Of course," Jack said. "Can you give me your number? I lost my phone on the way so I—"

Anika jumped at the chance, offering him her number. But Jack didn't take it, instead he looked at Mehra. It was a move to win more of his trust. Mehra liked a man of integrity and offered Jack more than his number.

"We have a spare phone or two," he said. "While it might not meet your standards, you can use it till you get a new one."

Jack tried declining, but Mehra shoved the phone into his hand, saying his number was already there. When Jack tried to pay for it, he refused, saying it was a gift.

He thanked them and left the store, promising to see them next week.

After all, he needed time to complete quests and get the money.