Marian
"Are you alone?" a long-haired woman in a sundress asked, looking at me.
"No. I'm with someone." I was annoyed. I didn't care what her intentions were or why she was talking to me. I just wanted to finish my sisig in peace.
"You're alone. I've been watching you for a while."
"My companion will be here soon. So, if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you didn't interrupt my meal and left."
Despite my rejection, she sat down in the chair across from me. I deliberately avoided looking at her, keeping my eyes fixed firmly on my sisig.
"People who are waiting for someone don't usually start eating first."
"We might be together, but we don't do everything together."
"Fine. Then I'll just sit here until your companion arrives."
"I'd rather you didn't. I don't like people watching me eat. If I did, I would've become a YouTuber."
"Then... should I eat with you? I wonder what's good here..."
"No thanks. I'm done."
Even though half of my sisig was left, I put down my spoon and headed to the counter to pay. I was no longer in the mood to eat.
When I stood up, she followed me out as if she were my companion. But I ignored her completely. I didn't even tell her to stop following me. I just treated her like a ghost, figuring she'd get tired and leave on her own. I simply walked along Alona Beach.
I grabbed a coffee and went to a shop to pick out some clothes. I couldn't survive three days with just one pair of shorts and an "I♥BOHOL" T-shirt. Yet, the woman clung to my side tenaciously.
"Those clothes don't suit you. And the stuff here is overpriced and low quality. Follow me. I'll show you a good place."
I was getting irritated. This woman was ruining my first vacation—or was it work?
"What is it? Why are you doing this? Do you need a 'friendship fee'? Or should I just pay you for guiding me?"
"No. Please, save me."
Only then did I look at her properly. Her face was filled with despair and desperation.
I brought her back to my hotel. I had wanted to talk in a cafe, but she insisted on going to the hotel, claiming that eyes were watching her even now. Come to think of it, I did feel like a man with a mustache had been staring at us from a distance for a while.
I had her sit in a chair and handed her a bottle of water.
"Talk. What's going on?"
She stood up, made sure the room door was locked, and turned up the TV volume. She drew all the window curtains shut. Only then did she open her mouth.
"My name is Marian. I was born here in the Philippines."
"I'm not interested in your birth story."
"I understand. There's a mafia in the Philippines called the Bahala Na. I was human-trafficked, and now I'm being held captive by them."
"The Bahala Na?"
"They say it's the largest syndicate in the Philippines."
I knew of them. I recalled hearing about them once. But the Bahala Na was gone—or rather, it had completely fractured. Yet, people kept using the name. It was a symbol of the underworld. If anyone started a gang, they just named it Bahala Na. As a result, there were hundreds, thousands of Bahala Na factions all over the Philippines. They didn't communicate with or even know each other, but they all shared the same name. The gang holding Marian captive was likely just one of those countless small factions. I doubted they had more than twenty or thirty members.
"We work for them. When there's a booking, we go entertain clients. On days when there are no bookings, we walk around like this to drum up business."
"That's a roundabout way of saying you're a call girl."
The woman glared at me, clearly offended.
"Whenever we go out to find clients, a watcher is always monitoring us. If we hesitate, the watcher points someone out for us. But they always pick the most disgusting bastards. I hated that, so I chose you. You looked the most decent."
"You chose wrong. But what do you mean by 'save you'? I don't think they're going to kill you."
"Why do you think that?"
"You still have commercial value. You're young and beautiful. They can make a fortune off you in the future. There's no reason to kill you."
It was true. Looking closely, she was gorgeous. I'd heard there were many mixed-race people in the Philippines, and she truly looked like a Spanish beauty. Long wavy hair, large double-lidded eyes, clear tan skin, a small face with a sharp nose, and an incredible figure.
"That's why I think I'll be killed. By my own hand."
...So what? Isn't that her choice? If she wants to end her own life, does anyone else have the right to interfere? At least, I didn't. I was a considerate person who respected individual autonomy to the utmost. I wouldn't help her, but I had no intention of stopping her either. Except...
"If you're going to die, I'd prefer you do it somewhere else. You're already ruining my trip, Marian."
Marian stared at me as if my response was completely unexpected. What kind of answer was she hoping for? I'll help you. I'll rescue you. Where is it? Lead the way. Surely she didn't expect that? Or what? It must have been so hard. You've suffered so much. Everything will be fine now. Was she expecting something like that?
"Buy me."
"What?" What absolute nonsense. "Ha." I tried to laugh it off, but Marian wasn't joking. She was dead serious.
"I'm asking you to buy me. I'll do whatever you tell me to. So please, I beg of you."
"If you're willing to do whatever you're told, wouldn't it be better to just stay here?"
"Whatever you make me do, it will be better than this place. This is literal hell."
How could she say such nonsense about doing whatever I ordered without even knowing what I'd make her do? Was she really that desperate to escape? If I looked at it as her trying to get out by any means necessary, I could understand. But still, can people only do what they like in life? What can you do about your circumstances? I grew up in a miserable environment too, but there was nothing I could do about it. That's just how life is. I wasn't a prince on a white horse, nor did I have any intention of becoming one. I'd played the hero enough in Congo.
"Or, if you buy me, I'll pay you back. With interest. How about it? It's not a bad deal, is it?"
"Stop it. I have absolutely no desire to buy you. Nor do I have the means."
"I'm not that expensive. You can buy me for just thirty thousand dollars. You can own me forever."
"Thirty thousand dollars? Do you think I just have that kind of cash on me? Do I look that rich to you?"
"Thirty thousand dollars isn't that much money to a Korean. If you buy me, I'll pay you back ten times that amount. I swear."
"I have no interest in buying you to make a profit. So let's drop this conversation."
"Then what am I supposed to do now?"
"Why are you asking me, someone you just met today, what to do with your life?"
"Because my life is miserable enough that I have to cling to a stranger! Because I want to escape this place by any means possible!"
Her voice rose, pouring out her raw emotions. But that didn't change the reality of the situation.
"If you want to escape, get on a plane. Or run to a police station."
"I don't have a passport. And if I go to the police, they'll just contact the Bahala Na to come pick me up. Then I'll be locked in a solitary cell where I can't even stretch my body. They won't beat me—scars mean I can't work. They won't beat me, but they'll torment me in every other way imaginable. I can't take it anymore."
Drip, drip. Tears began to spill from her large eyes. "Sob... hic..."
Without thinking, I pulled out a tissue and handed it to her. Korean dramas were definitely to blame. In dramas, whenever a woman cries, the man always hands her something to wipe her tears. Seeing those scenes so often had made me copy them unconsciously. Perhaps because her eyes were so large, her tears seemed massive too. A single tissue wasn't enough; it was soaked in an instant. This time, I pulled out three tissues and handed them over. This should be plenty.
"Can I ask you one thing?"
"Hic... what is it?"
"Why me? Why are you doing this to me?"
"Honestly?"
"Yeah."
"Every man in that restaurant was ogling me. But you were the only one who didn't look. I liked that."
"I wasn't just ignoring you; I wasn't looking at anyone. My only interest was the sisig."
It was the absolute truth. I hadn't even noticed Marian walk in. My entire focus had been on the sisig, a traditional Filipino dish I was trying for the first time. Plus, I had been starving.
"That's why I liked it. You cared more about sisig than me."
"Give me a break."
It felt like the conversation was going nowhere. Or was this what it felt like when my will was completely ignored?
"Then I won't ask you to buy me. Instead, let me accompany you for the rest of your trip. I'll be your guide."
"How much do you cost a day?"
"Normally it's four hundred dollars, but I'll discount it to three hundred for you."
"Too expensive. No way. Hey, with three hundred dollars a day, I can live like a king on my own. But you want me to drag you around, buy you food, buy you drinks, buy you this and that, and pay you a guide fee? I have to act as your guardian and pay for the privilege?"
"Don't look at it that way. Think of it as getting an excellent guide. And it includes other... additional services."
"No. I absolutely hate complications. I came here to relieve stress, but you're just piling more on."
"Don't be like that. Just relax." Marian stepped closer to me. What was wrong with this girl now?
The next day, Marian left the hotel early. She said she would return before lunchtime. I pressed two hundred dollars into her hand before she left. She probably needed money to hand over to her handlers. I could have checked out immediately to shake her off, but I decided to wait for her return.
To be honest, it was hard to believe her story completely. But I couldn't just dismiss it as a lie either. Her expression and the look in her eyes yesterday had been that genuine. If I was being conned, then that was on me. Was it a scam, or wasn't it? I couldn't tell. Even if it was a scam, it wasn't the worst thing. Getting ripped off for her three-hundred-dollar daily rate was acceptable. After all, I needed Marian today too.
A little past eleven, Marian returned to the hotel.
"Let's go eat." As soon as she walked in, I ushered her back outside.
"Do you know any good restaurants?"
"Out of the places around here, that one is decent." Marian pointed toward a steakhouse.
"Alright, let's eat there."
Eating steak for lunch didn't sit well with me. Just looking at it made me lose my appetite. I found myself wishing for a bowl of cold milmyeon noodles instead. But Marian sat across from me, happily chewing away. I watched her eat in a daze. Honestly, having someone with her looks eating steak right in front of me felt surreal. I pushed my untouched plate toward her.
"Have some more. I don't really have an appetite."
"More? I don't usually eat this much. But since you're offering, I won't refuse."
She placed the plate I gave her to the side and began to savor the steak, bite by bite. Slowly, diligently, and silently. She sliced the meat, put it in her mouth, and chewed, repeating the process over and over. Like someone performing a sacred ritual. Like someone who wanted to linger in this feeling and atmosphere for as long as possible. Like someone who believed they would never visit a place like this again. She ate that steak like a master craftsman.
While watching Marian's mukbang, my messaging app chimed.
We took a taxi to the Escar Hotel. I stood outside the entrance, refusing to go in. Instead, I handed a stack of dollar bills to Marian.
"We're staying here tonight. Go book a room. I'm going to have a smoke first."
"Then I'll stay with—"
"You said you'd do whatever I told you. Why would I keep someone around who can't even book a room?"
"Alright."
Marian turned and walked straight into the hotel. My reason for sending her? Nothing major. I just didn't want to book a room under my own name. That was all.
I lingered outside the lobby for a bit before stepping inside. Marian was sitting in the lobby, holding a key card, having finished the reservation. As I approached, she made to stand up, but I casually sat down in the chair opposite her.
"The lobby is nice. Let's have a cup of coffee here before we go up."
Having no say in the matter, she nodded. I sipped my coffee while scanning our surroundings. I kept checking to see if anyone was watching us, looking out for any gangster types. Given the nature of my business, I had to be cautious. Of course, I was confident I wouldn't get caught, but still.
It was a good thing Marian was by my side. To anyone watching, I looked exactly like a Korean tourist who had come for sex tourism, completely infatuated with a gorgeous local woman he'd lucked into. It was the perfect cover. I♥BOHOL
We sat in the lobby for over an hour, but no one suspicious appeared. After a while, the reception staff even shifted. Of all the people who had been in the lobby when I first entered, only Marian and I remained. No matter how I looked at it, now was the perfect time.
"Marian, I really need to use the restroom, so I'm going to head up to the room first. Can you do me a quick favor?"
"A favor?"
"Yeah. If you go to reception, there should be a bag left for 'Candy Boy.' Retrieve it and bring it up to the room."
"Is it something dangerous?" Marian asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. Sharp girl.
"No, it's just documents. I'm just in a hurry to use the bathroom. Besides, you said you'd do whatever I told you. Why do you keep asking questions? How am I supposed to trust you if you keep questioning me?"
"Ah... alright." Flustered, Marian stood up first, and I grabbed the room key card and moved.
Instead of taking the elevator, I hid nearby and watched. Fortunately, Marian successfully retrieved the briefcase from reception and walked over to the elevators.
We met in front of the elevator.
"You haven't gone up yet?"
"The elevator is slow. It just arrived. Let's get in." I naturally took the briefcase from her hand and stepped inside.