Chapter 346. At a Motel with a Prostitute in the Room Next Door: A Chat with the Prostitute in the Morning. (6/8)
“Do you know a girl named Malory? No… actually, are you one of her group's eyes?”
“...”
When she failed to respond, I turned my head to the side and looked at her face. Her eyes were wide.
“Did you… know the entire time…”
“No. I didn’t know. I was just on guard against anyone who would be waiting outside any places we appeared at. You were just coincidentally there, it was a possibility I considered. That even in another gang’s turf there may still be some people from other gangs keeping tabs on each other’s movements.”
“The reason you approached me and were trying to get in my good books… was it because of that?”
“Not at all. I thought you had a nice soul and I wanted it.”
“You’re like a devil who tells people kind lies they want to hear.”
“When we were children, did adults not do the very same thing to us?”
“You’re saying adults are devils?”
“Those are your words, not mine.”
“Haaaah. Oh well. But to answer your question… I’m not one of them… anymore, at least.”
“Anymore?
“I used to be with them in the past, in her inner circle, but now I’m just a prostitute who Malory refers some clients to every now and then. Typically it’s to entrap some guys who are already in relationships and use it as blackmail to extort money out of them.”
“Though I’m no longer in her inner circle of friends, I still have access to the group chats for the gang she’s got ties to, so I saw what was posted to it last night. Malory put a bounty out for two people last night in the group chat. Yuna, her ‘precious friend’. And another one for the person who allegedly kidnapped her. If anyone captured and brought them to her, they’d receive a $1000 per bounty. Yuna was wanted alive… just… alive. The person who abducted her was wanted... dead or alive.”
“I see. But considering your position, why didn’t you snitch on us?”
“I… seriously debated it. If you knocked three times on the wall last night… I would have done it. But you didn’t. I was surprised to see you this morning at my door though. If you seriously took me up on my offer I’d have taken the chance to secretly reveal your location while we were doing it.”
I was seriously sweating bricks right now. Thank god I wasn’t a horny monkey without any control. Shit though, she seriously wanted me dead or alive? This bitch was serious. I couldn’t hesitate here at all. I didn’t even have any room to breathe. There was an unseen grim reaper standing behind me with a scythe held up to my neck.
“The reason you didn’t do it with me in the end, was it just because you were suspicious of me? If you weren’t suspicious of me, would you have done it?”
“No, I wouldn’t have.”
“Haaaah. Then I’m glad I didn’t go and out you. I know Malory hates all men after all. Honestly… because of what I experienced thanks to her, I ended up disliking men quite a bit as well. Nowhere near as much as her though. Just the kinds of guys in gangs like Swastika. If it turned out that you were like them, I wouldn’t even hesitate to make an easy two grand.”
“About how long have you known Malory?”
“How long? Well… since my third year of high school. She was in her first year when I first met her. Even back then, she detested men. At the time, I didn’t know just how deep her hatred for men ran. I don’t think anyone in school really knew the true depths of her hatred toward men.”
“Why does she hate men so much exactly?”
“You actually want to know?”
“Not really.” She’s the enemy, knowing about her might make me hesitate in a critical moment. It’s probably better to not know. But at the same time…
“Then why ask?”
“If you know thy enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles, you will never be defeated.” There could be a weakness I can exploit and take advantage of if I know more.
“I see. If she’s your enemy… I don’t mind telling you if you promise me something.”
“Promise you what?”
“Don’t kill her. Make her suffer the consequences of her actions for the rest of her life. If you promise me that, I don’t mind telling you what you’re looking for. The weakness you can exploit.”
“That’s a pretty risky promise for me to make. Not killing her.”
“So you admit killing her was on the table?”
“It’d lead to a lot of bloodshed, but yes, it was not an option completely off the table.”
“You’d be willing to dirty your hands to keep that girl safe?”
“There’s actually a lot I’ve got on my hands.”
“You mean… like your family?”
“Yeah. I doubt they would be off-limits to a crazy bitch like her.”
“You’re correct. They wouldn’t. If she finds them, she’d use them to force you out of hiding.”
“It’s a good thing she doesn’t know for sure who took Yuna away last night.”
“Yeah, you’re quite lucky she doesn’t know anything about you.”
“The most she may have right now is a suspicion that it’s Yuna’s coworker. That’s about all for now.”
“I see. But unless you make that promise I won’t tell you anything.”
“Why do you not want her to die though?”
“She’s pitiful. At the same time… I guess… I don’t want to see a decent guy becoming someone who murders girls in cold blood. I… think guys who are reliable, protect girls instead of killing, and can reform misguided girls who’ve lost their way in life are cool and attractive… they’re secretly my ideal type, okay?”
“Pfft. Hahaha. That’s your reason?”
“Is there a problem with that?” She covered the left side of her face as she awkwardly scratched at the top of her head with her left hand.
“I guess not. I just didn’t expect such an innocent-sounding response to come out of you.”
“Shut up. It was embarrassing enough to honestly go and say that. I’m a bloody prostitute of all things, what the hell am I blabbering on about my ideal guy for? What’s gotten into me?”
“Who knows? Whatever could be wrong with you?”
“Ahhhh! This is too embarrassing! You jerk, I went and told you my ideal type of guy. It’s only fair if you tell me your ideal type too.”
“I don’t have an ideal type though.”
“Then if you don’t have an ideal type, name a quality you find attractive in a girl?”
“A girl who’s creative I guess? A creator of some sort maybe.” Since I was an author, I naturally found girls with a creative side attractive.
“Huh? Creative? A… creator?”
“Yeah.”
“Do artists count as creators?”
“If by artist you mean an artist who can draw, then yeah, they fit the bill.”
“I see… a girl who can draw.” She had a thoughtful look in her eyes.
“Putting that aside, we got a bit sidetracked, don’t you think?”
“Oh, right. Malory…”
“I’ll promise not to kill her so long as I’m in a situation that allows it. If I’m in a situation where I’m cornered and the only way out is to kill her to survive, I’ll do that.”
“Well, I suppose that’s an acceptable compromise.”
“So, will you tell me? What is it that made her detest men so much?”
“When Malory was young, her father accumulated a lot of debt trying to save his failing business. It reached a level he’d never be able to pay off for as long as he lived. That debt was owed to the largest gang in this city, Swastika.”
“I see. So? What happened to him? Did he get killed off? Or did he have his wife and children taken away to be treated like toys?”
“Haha… you give him too much credit. If only he was just killed off. He was more than happy to make a deal with Swastika to have his debt forgiven. The gang leader at the time had taken a liking to his wife and daughter’s looks. Without hesitation, he sold his wife and daughter to save his own ass. He put his business ahead of his family. But you know, he also had a son as well. It turned out there were a few gang members who liked little boys. You know what the father did?”
“What'd he do...”
Chapter 346. At a Motel with a Prostitute in the Room Next Door: A Chat with the Prostitute in the Morning. (6/8)
“Do you know a girl named Malory? No… actually, are you one of her group's eyes?”
“...”
When she failed to respond, I turned my head to the side and looked at her face. Her eyes were wide.
“Did you… know the entire time…”
“No. I didn’t know. I was just on guard against anyone who would be waiting outside any places we appeared at. You were just coincidentally there, it was a possibility I considered. That even in another gang’s turf there may still be some people from other gangs keeping tabs on each other’s movements.”
“The reason you approached me and were trying to get in my good books… was it because of that?”
“Not at all. I thought you had a nice soul and I wanted it.”
“You’re like a devil who tells people kind lies they want to hear.”
“When we were children, did adults not do the very same thing to us?”
“You’re saying adults are devils?”
“Those are your words, not mine.”
“Haaaah. Oh well. But to answer your question… I’m not one of them… anymore, at least.”
“Anymore?
“I used to be with them in the past, in her inner circle, but now I’m just a prostitute who Malory refers some clients to every now and then. Typically it’s to entrap some guys who are already in relationships and use it as blackmail to extort money out of them.”
“Though I’m no longer in her inner circle of friends, I still have access to the group chats for the gang she’s got ties to, so I saw what was posted to it last night. Malory put a bounty out for two people last night in the group chat. Yuna, her ‘precious friend’. And another one for the person who allegedly kidnapped her. If anyone captured and brought them to her, they’d receive a $1000 per bounty. Yuna was wanted alive… just… alive. The person who abducted her was wanted... dead or alive.”
“I see. But considering your position, why didn’t you snitch on us?”
“I… seriously debated it. If you knocked three times on the wall last night… I would have done it. But you didn’t. I was surprised to see you this morning at my door though. If you seriously took me up on my offer I’d have taken the chance to secretly reveal your location while we were doing it.”
I was seriously sweating bricks right now. Thank god I wasn’t a horny monkey without any control. Shit though, she seriously wanted me dead or alive? This bitch was serious. I couldn’t hesitate here at all. I didn’t even have any room to breathe. There was an unseen grim reaper standing behind me with a scythe held up to my neck.
“The reason you didn’t do it with me in the end, was it just because you were suspicious of me? If you weren’t suspicious of me, would you have done it?”
“No, I wouldn’t have.”
“Haaaah. Then I’m glad I didn’t go and out you. I know Malory hates all men after all. Honestly… because of what I experienced thanks to her, I ended up disliking men quite a bit as well. Nowhere near as much as her though. Just the kinds of guys in gangs like Swastika. If it turned out that you were like them, I wouldn’t even hesitate to make an easy two grand.”
“About how long have you known Malory?”
“How long? Well… since my third year of high school. She was in her first year when I first met her. Even back then, she detested men. At the time, I didn’t know just how deep her hatred for men ran. I don’t think anyone in school really knew the true depths of her hatred toward men.”
“Why does she hate men so much exactly?”
“You actually want to know?”
“Not really.” She’s the enemy, knowing about her might make me hesitate in a critical moment. It’s probably better to not know. But at the same time…
“Then why ask?”
“If you know thy enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles, you will never be defeated.” There could be a weakness I can exploit and take advantage of if I know more.
“I see. If she’s your enemy… I don’t mind telling you if you promise me something.”
“Promise you what?”
“Don’t kill her. Make her suffer the consequences of her actions for the rest of her life. If you promise me that, I don’t mind telling you what you’re looking for. The weakness you can exploit.”
“That’s a pretty risky promise for me to make. Not killing her.”
“So you admit killing her was on the table?”
“It’d lead to a lot of bloodshed, but yes, it was not an option completely off the table.”
“You’d be willing to dirty your hands to keep that girl safe?”
“There’s actually a lot I’ve got on my hands.”
“You mean… like your family?”
“Yeah. I doubt they would be off-limits to a crazy bitch like her.”
“You’re correct. They wouldn’t. If she finds them, she’d use them to force you out of hiding.”
“It’s a good thing she doesn’t know for sure who took Yuna away last night.”
“Yeah, you’re quite lucky she doesn’t know anything about you.”
“The most she may have right now is a suspicion that it’s Yuna’s coworker. That’s about all for now.”
“I see. But unless you make that promise I won’t tell you anything.”
“Why do you not want her to die though?”
“She’s pitiful. At the same time… I guess… I don’t want to see a decent guy becoming someone who murders girls in cold blood. I… think guys who are reliable, protect girls instead of killing, and can reform misguided girls who’ve lost their way in life are cool and attractive… they’re secretly my ideal type, okay?”
“Pfft. Hahaha. That’s your reason?”
“Is there a problem with that?” She covered the left side of her face as she awkwardly scratched at the top of her head with her left hand.
“I guess not. I just didn’t expect such an innocent-sounding response to come out of you.”
“Shut up. It was embarrassing enough to honestly go and say that. I’m a bloody prostitute of all things, what the hell am I blabbering on about my ideal guy for? What’s gotten into me?”
“Who knows? Whatever could be wrong with you?”
“Ahhhh! This is too embarrassing! You jerk, I went and told you my ideal type of guy. It’s only fair if you tell me your ideal type too.”
“I don’t have an ideal type though.”
“Then if you don’t have an ideal type, name a quality you find attractive in a girl?”
“A girl who’s creative I guess? A creator of some sort maybe.” Since I was an author, I naturally found girls with a creative side attractive.
“Huh? Creative? A… creator?”
“Yeah.”
“Do artists count as creators?”
“If by artist you mean an artist who can draw, then yeah, they fit the bill.”
“I see… a girl who can draw.” She had a thoughtful look in her eyes.
“Putting that aside, we got a bit sidetracked, don’t you think?”
“Oh, right. Malory…”
“I’ll promise not to kill her so long as I’m in a situation that allows it. If I’m in a situation where I’m cornered and the only way out is to kill her to survive, I’ll do that.”
“Well, I suppose that’s an acceptable compromise.”
“So, will you tell me? What is it that made her detest men so much?”
“When Malory was young, her father accumulated a lot of debt trying to save his failing business. It reached a level he’d never be able to pay off for as long as he lived. That debt was owed to the largest gang in this city, Swastika.”
“I see. So? What happened to him? Did he get killed off? Or did he have his wife and children taken away to be treated like toys?”
“Haha… you give him too much credit. If only he was just killed off. He was more than happy to make a deal with Swastika to have his debt forgiven. The gang leader at the time had taken a liking to his wife and daughter’s looks. Without hesitation, he sold his wife and daughter to save his own ass. He put his business ahead of his family. But you know, he also had a son as well. It turned out there were a few gang members who liked little boys. You know what the father did?”
“What'd he do...”
