CHAPTER 19: Intrusive Thoughts

"Give it a try, it's really good."

"You better not be lying. If this tastes bad, I'm going to stab you with this stick."

"If you like it, you have to be my servant for a day."

"In your dreams, asshole!"

Walking back to my apartment, I couldn't stop thinking about the sudden flash of memory that had surfaced in my head. It was so faint—a blurred, fleeting moment passing through my mind.

I was talking to a guy in that memory, and if I wasn't mistaken, I was eating isaw. It seemed like the very first time I had ever tried it.

Come to think of it, when did I actually start liking isaw? When was the first time I ate it? I couldn't remember. Was that memory really the first time?

And the guy I was talking to, I was sure he was a man, but I couldn't recall his face because it was way too blurry. It felt like a dream with how hazy his features were. Did that actually happen, or was my mind just playing tricks on me?

I couldn't figure it out, so I just decided to stop thinking about it. Once I got back to my apartment, I immediately took a shower and changed into my uniform to prepare for work. As soon as I was ready, I headed straight to the hub.

"Hey, Neo! Cover my shift for a bit, will you?" my coworker, Onse, called out the second I arrived.

I knitted my brows at him.

"I just need to take care of something along your route. Don't worry, I already told the boss," he said, tapping my arm. "The parcels are right over there by the side." He pointed toward a box sitting in the corner, stuffed with packages.

I had no choice but to agree. Even though his route was a bit farther out, it was fine 'cause it gave me a chance to explore a new area.

I picked up the parcels I needed to deliver and arranged them neatly inside the cargo box mounted on my motorcycle.

As I was organizing them, I overheard my coworker, Alden, complaining about customers near the entrance.

"I swear, these scammer customers are getting on my nerves. I got a flat tire on my way to the address, only to find out it was a fake order! So damn annoying!"

"That's just how it goes, man. I've had my fair share of that," Jeoff chimed in. "The worst I've dealt with was a customer chewing me out because she claimed I delivered the wrong package. She just couldn't get it through her head that I delivered the exact parcel listed on the label and it was her shop that sent the wrong item."

He groaned and rubbed his temples. "It's so frustrating dealing with older folks. You end up wasting half your day trying to explain the simplest things to them."

I turned around and handed each of them a stick of cigarette. "Here, guys. You look like you need this."

Their faces instantly lit up. "Awesome, thanks Neo," Alden said.

I just nodded and gave them a small smile. Then I pulled a stick from my own pack, I lit it up and slipped it between my lips.

"What about you, Neo? What's your worst experience as a delivery driver?"

The worst? I tilted my head back for a second, thinking through the endless list of disasters I'd faced on the job. Honestly, I've had plenty.

I almost got run over by heavy trucks more times than I could count, but I never really dwelled on those things. I just treated them as random experiences and laughed them off later. That was just how I handled trouble. My motto in life was simple: never let karma enjoy ruining my life.

So as much as possible, I ignored my struggles, especially my mountain of debt. Still, there was one particular experience I couldn't just forget, purely because of how utterly infuriating it was.

"I delivered to a customer who turned out to be a celebrity..." I started, taking a slow drag from my cigarette.

"Oh, really?!" they both blurted out almost in unison.

"Wait, why was that the worst?" Jeoff asked, looking puzzled. "Shouldn't that be cool, meeting a famous person?"

I tilted my head. "The bastard mistook me for a stalker and threw a punch at me."

"No way!" Their jaws dropped in utter disbelief.

"For real?! What did you do?"

I took a slow step closer to them, dropping my voice down to a whisper so the boss wouldn't overhear and fire me on the spot.

"I punched him right back and mopped the floor with his ass," I said, a proud smirk tugging at my lips.

The two of them burst out laughing. "You're insane, Neo!" Alden hollered, wiping a tear from his eye.

"So who won?"

I folded my arms over my chest. "Do you even need to ask? Me, obviously."

They broke into another round of laughter. "Does the boss know about this?"

"Of course not," I answered flatly.

They shook their heads, still chuckling.

"You're unbelievable!" Jeoff grinned, slapping my shoulder.

"So, if either of you breathes a word of this to the boss, I already know who I'm flattening next," I warned, giving them a meaningful look.

"Don't worry, Neo, we're terrified of you," Alden replied with a laugh.

"Yeah, we can't afford to lose our main cigarette sponsor, especially with prices these days," Jeoff added.

"Good to know." That was all I said before turning around to grab the rest of the boxes, securing them tightly into my bike's storage box.

"Drive safe, man!" Jeoff called out.

I gave him a quick nod and hopped onto my motorcycle. Before starting the engine, I checked the first address on my phone, then kicked the kickstand up and revved down the street.

I had a lot of packages to deliver, so I had to hurry if I wanted to pick up the kids from school on time.

Yeah, I had a few side hustles going on. Besides being a delivery driver and a parking attendant, I was also the neighborhood designated school driver for a few kids whose parents asked me to look after them. They lived right in my apartment building.

It was approaching 4:00 P.M. and I still wasn't done with my run. The final address was in an area I was completely unfamiliar with. It was deeply hidden and far from the city center.

It was a heavily forested sector, though the road itself was paved. The path was winding and narrow and one wrong turn could easily send you crashing into the trees.

When I finally reached the address, I was completely confused.

There were no houses around, just a heavy, suffocating quiet and a massive, towering gate blocking the way. I peeked through the iron bars, but all I could see inside was more dense greenery.

There's a place like this in QC?

The trees inside the estate weren't just ordinary trees either—they were mangosteen trees. The orchard was huge and full of fruit. If I weren't on duty, I probably would've climbed that giant gate just to grab a few. Mangosteen was my absolute favorite, but I rarely bought it because it was so expensive.

I let out a dry laugh and shook my head at my own ridiculous thoughts.

I honestly couldn't tell if G****e Maps had the right address or if I was completely lost. Taking Onse's route was definitely a mistake. I wasn't good at navigating these winding backroads.

I tried dialing the phone number listed on the package, but nobody picked up.

It was a cash-on-delivery parcel, too. What if this was another fake order? A prank customer trying to waste my time? God, I hoped not—gas wasn't cheap these days.

I buckled my helmet back on and started the engine. I was just about to pull a U-turn when a sleek black car glided down the path, followed by two more. They were high-end, luxury vehicles that screamed wealth from a mile away.

And through the iron gate, I saw a woman running out in a panic to open the heavy entrance for the convoy.

I waited for the cars to pull inside before attempting my turn again. I was ready to leave, but the woman suddenly called out toward me.

"Sir!"

I paused and glanced back, confused. Why was she calling me? It's not like she could read my mind and know I was contemplating stealing her mangosteens, right?

"Sir! Do you have a parcel for this address?"

That was when it clicked. She was the customer I assumed was pranking me.

"What's your name, miss?" I asked, making sure I had the right person for my final delivery.

"It's Asuncion."

I double-checked the shipping label and spotted her name printed near the bottom.

Pulling the package out from my bike's storage container, I crossed the narrow road toward her by the gate.

"That'll be 250 pesos, miss," I told her, keeping my helmet visor up.

She handed me a 500-peso bill, so I pulled out my wallet to look for some change.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't answer your call, sir," she apologized, looking flustered. "It's super busy right now because the owner of the estate just arrived."

My eyes wandered over the sprawling property, taking in the endless rows of mangosteen trees.

"Were those the cars that just drove past?" I asked conversationally.

She nodded. "Yes, sir. He hasn't been back home in a long time, so we've been scrambling to get everything ready. I work as a housekeeper here."

"Really? Where's he been? Abroad?" I rattled off.

I really couldn't stop my nosy mouth from prying further.

"In Korea, sir. He's an athlete over there."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? What sport?"

"Hmm... baseball, I think."

"Wow, impressive," I remarked, handing over her change.

I sneaked another glance past the gate. The property was ridiculously vast. I couldn't even spot a house anywhere, so it had to be hidden way at the far end of the land.

My gaze settled back on a nearby tree heavy with ripe mangosteens, and my intrusive thoughts won out.

"Hey, miss... any chance I could get a few mangosteens from your tree?" I blurted out directly, sounding like we were old friends.

Dammit, my brain lost that battle instantly.

A bright smile spread across her face. "Sure, sir! Let me just grab the harvesting pole from the tool shed over there."

"Thanks, miss!" I called back. "I'll help you pick them!"

God, the shamelessness in me is off the charts today.

"Come on in, sir. I'll be right back with the pole," she offered warmly.

A massive grin stretched across my face behind my helmet.

Hell yeah. After years of missing out, I was finally going to feast on my favorite fruit. I was so thrilled I could've rolled around on the grass right then and there.

Finally, something good was actually happening to me. Last week had been a relentless streak of bad luck that kept my blood pressure through the roof.

Honestly, I felt like I could die happy right now.

I really hoped every day could be like this.

I really did.