**Jasmin Selene's POV**
I'm on my way to the address where I'm supposed to deliver, but I'm not sure if I'm lost or if I've arrived at the right place.
I've been wandering around this alley in a squatter area for a while now. I'm starting to feel anxious because of the way people are looking at me. I know not everyone living in a squatter area is bad, but some people really give off a strange vibe.
"Hi, miss, you seem to be lost?" said a man who blocked my path.
"No, this is where I'm supposed to go," I said, trying to sound brave. I shouldn't let him know that I'm nervous.
"I think I'm the one you're looking for, miss." His confidence was as thick as his body.
"No, you're not who I'm looking for." I was about to walk away when he grabbed my arm.
"Let's talk for a bit," he said, pulling me toward him.
I pushed him away with all my strength and ran. I just kept running until I had no idea where I was anymore.
Out of breath, I leaned against the wall of a house when I heard sounds from inside.
"Aahhh... yes, harder... aahhh!" I immediately stepped back from the wall. I wasn't stupid enough not to know what they were doing inside.
I quickly walked away. There was no way I was staying there to listen to their moans.
As I was walking, I encountered a little boy who was walking with a sassy strut. He looked like he was in a fashion show...
"Kid?" I called out to him. He came up to me.
"Do you know who Marites is—"
"Marites, the one who always gossips and talks like she's on the other side of the world? And when she walks, she's bent over like she has no butt? Her face looks like a clown because her skin is so white and her lips are so red, like a duck's butt?" He even described her in detail. I don't know who Marites is, how would I know if that's her?
I started to think of how I could find out if she was really the Marites I was looking for. "How many people here have the name Marites?" I asked the kid. Oh my god, I'm asking a kid for information!
"Only one, that's why everyone knows her," he quickly replied.
"Do you know where she lives?"
"Pay me first before I tell you," he said, holding out his hand.
"Why do I have to pay?"
"Ma'am, I've been answering your questions, and I'm thirsty. You should be thankful that I'm talking to you, because my mom says 'don't talk to power rangers.'"
"Strangers, not power rangers," I corrected him.
"Same thing," he replied, raising an eyebrow at me.
I sighed. "Here," I handed him twenty coins.
He looked at it, then back at me. "Can I buy milk tea with twenty coins?"
Oh, this kid is fancy now! He was asking for a soft drink earlier, now it's milk tea?!
"I thought you just wanted a soft drink? Why are you asking for milk tea now?" I asked.
"Ate, I'm a busy person. You interrupted me, so you should be grateful I'm talking to you. My mom says 'don't talk to power rangers.'"
"Strangers!" I corrected him again.
"Same thing," he replied with a smirk.
I rolled my eyes and handed him a hundred coins.
"Looks like you didn't want to give me this, huh?" he said, quickly shoving the money into his pocket.
"You said it, that's all the money I have left."
That's my fare home...
"Come on, I'll take you to Marites. I'm already late for my friends' gathering." He said, snapping his fingers.
He started walking, so I followed him. We stopped in front of a house.
"Mom..." he shouted.
"Is this your house?" I asked him.
"Yes," he replied simply.
"Why did you bring me here?" I asked.
"Didn't you say you were looking for Marites—oh, here she is." He pointed to a woman. "Mom, someone's looking for you," he said, then quickly ran off.
That little brat!!
"What do you need?"
I nervously smiled. "Are you Marites Gonzales?"
"Yes, I am. Why?" She raised an eyebrow. The kid was right, she did look like a clown with her pale face and red lips.
"You have a delivery—" Before I could finish, she grabbed the paper bag from my hand.
"Ah, this must be the makeup I ordered."
I was left standing outside the door, watching her walk away with a sway in her hips.
That little brat! I got scammed! Her mom's Marites... and I got tricked into giving her a hundred pesos.
I walked away, unsure of where to go next. I turned into an alley and found myself in a large open space. As I walked, people suddenly appeared.
I froze, looking around, realizing I was caught between two groups. I was stunned when they suddenly began charging at each other. Then someone grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the chaos.
"What the hell are you doing here?" I couldn't speak because I was too scared.
Imagine being caught in the middle of a brawl.
My heart was pounding so fast, I thought it would burst out of my chest.
"Hey!" I blinked when he snapped his fingers in front of me.
I looked at him and quickly backed away. He was wearing a black hat, mask, jacket, pants, and shoes. He looked like he was from the underworld.
"What are you doing here?" he asked again.
Who is this guy, and why does he keep asking questions?
"Twenty coins per question," I said, holding out my hand.
Just like the kid... I had no more fare left. The twenty coins was all I had.
He laughed... I couldn't see his face because of the mask.
Instead of giving me money, he just grabbed my hand and pulled me along. I started to panic. Was he a kidnapper? Or worse, a rapist?
I tried pulling my hand back, but his grip was too strong.
"Hey! What the hell... where are you taking me?" I shouted as I struggled to get free.
He didn't say anything, so I bit his hand.
"Ahh!"
He quickly let go of my hand, so I ran away. But I stopped when I saw someone blocking my path. It was the guy who stopped me earlier.
Great! This is so frustrating!
"Oh, it's you again... Looks like fate keeps bringing us together, miss," he said, grinning. I quickly backed away from him, smelling the alcohol on his breath.
He looked like a malnourished addict, so skinny, and he had the nerve to show off his body like that.
He came closer, trying to grab me again.
"Don't play hard to get, miss. I know you want me, that's why you came back."
"Sir, not everyone who comes back wants you. Some are just forced to. Like me, how was I supposed to know I'd run into you again?" I replied. I was about to leave when he grabbed my arm and pulled me toward him. But just then, another hand grabbed my other arm and pulled me back.
It felt like my arms were going to be ripped off because of how tightly they were holding me. I leaned back against the guy who had pulled me, and when I looked at him, it was the same guy I had run from earlier.
"Bro, I was here first," the malnourished guy said, pulling me toward him.
"I don't care!" the guy in black said, pulling me back to him.
It felt like I was being fought over like a rope. This is so annoying! Why did I end up in this situation?
"Can you both let me go!" I shouted, trying to shake off their grips, but their hold was too strong.
"Seriously!"
"Let go, bro... you can see she doesn't want to go with you," the skinny guy said, grinning.
"I'm not going with either of you! If you want, you can go together!" I shouted, frustrated. My time was being wasted, and I was tired of both of them.
Suddenly, the guy in black pulled me again, and I almost felt like my arm would be torn off. After pulling me, he grabbed the other guy's hand, twisted it, and made him let go of me.
While the other guy was writhing in pain, the guy in black quickly pulled me away from the scene.
"What the hell! Let go of me... stop dragging me around like we're close," I complained, shaking off his hand.
He stopped and faced me. I raised an eyebrow.
He took off his hat and mask.
"It's you!" I exclaimed, pointing at his face.
"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked irritably. He's the one who's irritated?
"Why do you care! You're here too," I snapped back. I saw his jaw tighten, the kind of look that makes women swoon.
"Do you know this place is a den of criminals? And you're walking around here alone?"
"I know, and you're one of them," I replied, which made his face scrunch up in frustration. He looked like he was about to lecture me, like we were close.
"You—" He stepped toward me. "—are really getting on my nerves!" he said.
"You—" I pointed at his face. "—nerve, your face!" I walked away, leaving him behind. At least he got me out of that place.
But then I realized I didn't have enough fare to go home because I got scammed by that kid earlier.
I sighed deeply. I went back to Sebastian...
He was still standing there, looking at me. I stopped in front of him.
He looked at me.
I held out my hand. "Can you lend me 50 coins?"
He chuckled, amused, and looked at me.
"Sorry, I don't have any money... but you can ride with me on my motorcycle," he said, smiling as he pointed to the black motorcycle parked by the side of the road.
No way!
"Never mind!" I said, walking away.
I'll just walk home instead of riding his motorcycle.
"You'll be walking all night if you do that," he said, riding slowly beside me.
"Even if it takes me until tomorrow, I'm not riding that motorcycle. Never!" I quickened my pace and ignored him.
"Don't worry, I won't take you anywhere... I'll just take you home, safe and sound," he reassured me.
I stopped and turned to face him.
"I'll only ride that if I'm about to die," I said, turning around and walking away.
I didn't hear him say anything else... I just watched him ride away, his motorcycle roaring as it sped off.
Tsk! That's why I hate riding motorcycles.
They drive like they own the road.
I sighed. "Sigh... time to walk home, Jasmin," I whispered to myself.