After a long meal with the yakuza, we were only able to arrive in Manila late at night.
I wanted to go to Bohol or Zamboanga,
but right now, I had to come to Manila, where Patrick was.
My objective wasn’t the Philippines. It was Patrick.
Manila on the eve of the election was strangely quiet.
The city center, which would normally have been filled with dreadful traffic jams and blaring horns, was holding its breath as if a typhoon had swept through.
Only the colorful election posters still hanging all over the streets seemed to testify to the fierce campaigning of the past few months.
The campaign that had felt like a festival was now over.
Now was the time for voters to think about whom they would choose.
That was why campaigning was prohibited starting two days before the vote.
A liquor ban was also imposed.
The purpose was to make sure no one made the wrong choice while drunk.
I went straight from the airport to Patrick.
“Boss, thank you so much for coming.”
“Of course I had to come. Our Patrick is running for president.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Patrick spoke as if making a pledge to himself.
I accepted that pledge lightly.
I didn’t want things to become heavy.
I was afraid that pledge would turn into shackles that bound him.
“You’ll do well no matter what you do, Patrick. I’m not worried. Anyway, how’s the situation?”
I changed the subject.
“Thanks to your help, I think I’ll be elected without much trouble. Especially because you helped me so much with campaign funds, I was able to get through the election without difficulty.”
I had opened the vault for Patrick.
I told him to spend as much money as he needed for the election.
I told him to spend freely.
But Patrick hadn’t spent much.
My money was the Pacific Ocean, yet it felt like he hadn’t even scooped out a single spoonful with a teaspoon.
“You should’ve spent some money and run the election more comfortably.”
“No. Thanks to all the people helping me, I was able to do it comfortably. La Camara in particular helped a lot.”
As expected of La Camara.
In order to maintain their current position, they had no choice but to make Patrick president.
“They should help. If they want to keep eating.”
“Hahaha.”
Patrick laughed in good spirits.
“Once you become president, squeeze them harder. Those bastards still have plenty of room. Right now, it feels like they’re the ones helping you, right? You can’t let it stay that way. You need to press them down even more. Leave them only enough room to breathe. Those sons of bitches are already full, so if you don’t tighten the leash, they’ll start thinking other thoughts in no time. Don’t get stabbed in the back later.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Is there anything else I can help you with?”
“Please vote for me.”
“That, I’ll definitely do. I’m going to do it five times.”
“Pardon?”
“I have five Philippine identities. I’m going to use them all.”
“Hahaha. Yes. I’ll be counting on you. And…”
“And? What?”
“Could you stay by my side tomorrow?”
“Why? You’ll be busy.”
“On voting day, I won’t be busy. All I have to do is wait all day. I want to be with you, Boss.”
“You want the totem boost too?”
“That too, but… aren’t you my pillar of support? And you’re the one who dragged me into politics, Boss.”
My conscience suddenly pricked me.
‘How was I supposed to know this would happen?’
It wasn’t as if I had dragged Patrick into politics with some grand purpose in mind.
It was simply to make it easier to move around Zamboanga,
to simplify administrative procedures, that I made Patrick mayor.
That was really all there was to it.
But what we hadn’t expected
was the fact that Patrick had a natural gift for politics.
His personality, which had always loved making things bigger, fit politics perfectly.
He didn’t stop at being alone; he created a political party called Akbayan ng Katarungan and built up his power.
Akbayan ng Katarungan became the largest party in the Philippines.
And that natural gift was now looking all the way toward the presidency.
It was practically certain, but Patrick still seemed nervous.
“Fine. Let’s stay together from now on.”
“Thank you.”
We moved to the prepared waiting room.
There was a large table, sofas, and a big TV,
and in one corner, drinks and simple snacks had been prepared.
As I was sitting on the sofa, Sandro came in.
It had been a long time since I’d seen Sandro.
I was genuinely glad to see him.
We lightly embraced each other.
Sandro whispered in my ear.
“I absolutely hate hugging another bastard of a man.”
“Heh heh.”
Even so, Sandro didn’t remove the hand he had placed on my back.
It was Sandro’s own way of welcoming me.
A little later.
Dennis, Simon, Edward, Jason, Anna, Allen, and even Magiting.
Everyone gathered.
To cheer Patrick on.
A candidate barred from campaigning had nothing to do.
For the first time in a while, we clinked glasses.
With soft drinks, of course.
Drinking during a liquor ban was practically routine for us,
but today, I didn’t want to do that.
I didn’t want to put even the tiniest scratch on Patrick, who would become president tomorrow.
It wasn’t as if I’d die from holding back for one day.
The alcohol we drank after Patrick was elected would surely taste much sweeter.
.
.
.
Before dawn had even broken, a long line had formed in front of the polling station.
I, too, stood in line and cast my vote.
Voting proceeded without any major issues,
and when the sun went down, the vote count that would decide his fate began.
From the beginning, the gap opened wide.
Patrick ran far ahead of his rivals,
and as time passed, that gap grew even larger.
And before long, at an early hour.
Victory confirmed.
“Waaaaaaah!”
Patrick’s election was confirmed.
We shouted.
We cheered and applauded.
We embraced one another.
Breaking News.
Candidate Patrick Monteverde confirmed elected as the 18th President of the Philippines with 62.8% of the vote
President-elect Patrick rose to become a national hero during his tenure as mayor of Zamboanga, eradicating the city’s chronic security problems through flexible leadership. In particular, in order to resolve the Philippines’ long-standing power shortage, he pushed forward with the construction of large-scale solar farms and nuclear power plants, dramatically lowering electricity costs and drawing overwhelming support from ordinary citizens.
Experts assess that President-elect Patrick will break away from outdated family-based politics and bring in a new political paradigm of “pragmatism and justice.”
Having been elected with historic levels of support, and with reelection possible, attention is focused on how President-elect Patrick will change Philippine politics.
On the screen, Patrick was waving to his supporters with a flushed expression.
He hadn’t simply become the head of a country.
There were many people helping Patrick.
He had a large family.
Me, of course,
Sandro, the king of the Philippine gangsters.
Simon, the rebel leader.
Magiting, the president of the power company.
Jason, who smuggled goods.
Edward, who made drugs.
Even Anna, who laundered money.
Everyone would support Patrick both materially and emotionally.
On top of that, he held the vested interest group, La Camara, in the palm of his hand.
There was also the massive armed force known as the rebels.
Since I had a lot of money, he wouldn’t need to be swayed by money either.
If I stepped in, negotiations with Korea and China could be handled easily.
We could also make use of the Triads and the yakuza.
With all that, wouldn’t being president be easy enough?
I was certain.
Patrick would become the greatest president in Philippine history.
I would make him that way.
“Congratulations.”
I offered Patrick my sincere congratulations.
“Thank you.”
Patrick answered as he accepted the champagne I poured for him.
Then he spoke to me in a whisper.
“I’ll turn the Philippines into your greatest fortress, Boss.”
******
TV was filled with nothing but stories about Patrick.
As if every channel had made a pact, they were pouring out accounts of Patrick’s life.
How he had grown up,
how he had handled the rebels during his time as mayor,
and what kind of lonely battle he had waged against outdated family politics.
TV reported on it without rest, day and night.
They were stories that had already been consumed countless times during the election campaign,
but the moment the title of “president” was attached, everything changed.
Candidate Patrick and President Patrick were the same person, but they carried completely different weight.
While everyone was focused on Patrick’s achievements,
the place that was actually busy was somewhere else.
Candy Tour.
As rumors spread that Patrick had personally discovered and planned it,
Emerald Canyon and Lumina Lake instantly became the top tourist destinations in the Philippines.
They were already famous in Korea as must-visit travel spots in the Philippines.
There were many people who had gone twice or even three times.
But after the election,
as Filipinos and even people from all over Asia began flocking in,
Candy Tour was screaming with joy.
A full year’s worth of tours was already fully booked.
The person in charge of Candy Tour suggested increasing the number of tour participants.
I flatly refused.
Profit wasn’t important.
The people who visited that place had to experience something they would never forget for the rest of their lives.
It had to become a place that created memories they would carry until the day they died after seeing it just once.
Not a place they glanced at and left,
but a place where they stayed for a while, enjoyed the scenery, and had the leisure to reflect.
A place that lingered in memory the more they thought about it.
A place they would want to visit again someday.
Emerald Canyon and Lumina Lake were that kind of place.
That was also why goods featuring those places as the backdrop sold well.
Because people wanted to remember.
Meanwhile, Patrick, now president-elect, immediately set his transition committee in motion.
Reports from each ministry continued one after another.
Briefings across all fields—economy, public safety, energy, national defense—went on day and night.
Patrick was no longer the secretary who had reported his schedule at my side.
He was the leader of a nation called the Philippines.
As a totem, I had done enough.
Now what I had to do was return to my own place.
When I arrived in Unitown, the pleasant air wrapped around me.
Unity Town was still well maintained.
The entire town was neatly organized,
and everywhere, it overflowed with the laughter and energy of children.
And in the distance, Kwon Jua was waving her hand.
.
.
.
“It’s been a while.”
Kwon Jua welcomed me.
Her face looked very well.
Even under the harsh ultraviolet rays of the Philippines, she still maintained her fair white skin, as a matter of course,
and more than anything, her expression had brightened.
The anxiety and stress she had carried when she left Korea had faded, and she had gained some ease.
“It has been a while. Have you been well?”
“Of course. It’s nice here.”
Kwon Jua smiled.
That smile suited her very well.
“Ah. And I watched the presidential election. It felt really strange seeing someone I’d seen here become president.”
“Heh heh. It felt strange to me too.”
“President Patrick was only looking at you the moment he won, you know?”
“Huh? He did?”
Did he?
At that moment, everything had been too hectic.
I had been focused on the vote count as well.
“Yeah. His eyes were practically dripping honey.”
Kwon Jua’s words made me feel a little embarrassed.
I quickly changed the subject.
“Patrick will do well from now on. Anyway, aren’t you going back to Korea?”
Kwon Jua’s expression changed.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to go back,
but the memories of that day still seemed to hold her back.
The look in their eyes as they rushed at her like beasts, forcing her to sign.
The voices urging her to sign were still far too vivid.
But she couldn’t stay in Unity Town forever either.
“I’m thinking about it.”
“It should be all right to go back now. Your father has changed a lot too. He’s also too busy with K-ORIGIN right now. And it seemed like he wants to apologize to you.”
“I’ll think about it a little more.”
Kwon Jua answered carefully.
“Okay. Let me know once you decide. What are you doing this weekend?”
I asked to lighten the mood.
“I don’t have any plans.”
“Then should we go on a trip? You haven’t even traveled around the Philippines, have you?”
I thought of a trip on the spur of the moment.
It seemed fine to go somewhere for a quick weekend trip.
“That’s true. I’ve only been here in Unity Town.”
“Then let’s go on a trip.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know. We can look it up from now. Is there anywhere you want to go?”
“No. If you decide, I’ll just follow.”
“Okay. I’ll make the itinerary. You just get ready.”
“Got it.”
Kwon Jua answered with a bright smile.
Her face seemed to flush slightly.
.
.
.
I went outside and gave instructions to Scott.
Even as I was giving Scott instructions, I kept wondering if this was really the right thing to do.
I was uneasy.
But no one else in particular came to mind.
I couldn’t ask Shin Junggi.
“I’m thinking of going on a trip with Gwon Jua this weekend. Are you ready?”
“Of course. Don’t worry, sir.”
Scott answered with a broad grin.
That smile only made me more uneasy.
Scott quietly sent out a radio message.
“Boss is going on a trip with Code Pink. Let’s get ready.”
Allen barely held back his laughter as he replied.
“Roger. I’ll set everything up at the highest level.”
Scott and Allen’s travel preparations began.
.
.
.
“This is Emerald Canyon.”
Deep emerald water was flowing between the cliffs.
Every time the sunlight touched it, the color of the water changed.
“Wow~ I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
Gwon Jua marveled like a child.
“This is Lumina Lake. At night, the lake glows. It feels like a gateway leading to a fantasy world.”
For a while, Gwon Jua couldn’t say a word.
Lost in the blue light emitted by the plankton living in the lake, she simply stared at the sight in a daze.
We pitched a tent and spent the night at Lumina Lake.
And the next day.
The place we arrived at by private jet was a small island west of Zamboanga.
In the past, it had been difficult even to approach, let alone develop, because of the rebels.
But now we had bought the entire place and were developing it into a new tourist destination.
“This is an island Candy Tour is newly developing.”
A dazzling white sandy beach and a blue sea stretching all the way to the horizon.
It was, quite literally, a picturesque scene.
“It’s so beautiful. I can’t believe a place like this exists.”
Gwon Jua stopped where she stood and breathed out in admiration.
It was not yet officially open.
But in terms of natural scenery, it was the best.
It was a place that truly suited the word paradise.
On the island, just the two of us spent a happy time together without being disturbed by anyone.
We walked on the sand,
dipped our feet in the sea,
and ate the food we had brought.
“Inbae. I want to go back to Korea.”
“If it’s too hard, you can stay a little longer before coming back.”
“No. Now that I think about it, I think it’d be better to go now. I don’t think I can solve the problem by just running away from it anymore.”
“Okay. Do whatever feels right. No matter what you do, I’ll help you.”
“Thank you.”
Besides that, we talked about many things.
It was a time when we became honest with each other.
.
.
.
At that same time, Scott and Allen.
The two of them were waging a nerve-racking security war.
“No. I told you not to send planes this way! Reroute everything within a fifty-kilometer radius!!!”
Scott would not even tolerate a plane passing over the island.
Scott roughly snatched up the radio.
“Allen. You’re sure the underwater search is complete?”
“It’s finished cleanly. The dive team made two passes.”
“Under the reefs and inside the caves too?”
“Yes. Don’t worry. We confirmed everything thoroughly.”
“What about patrols around the island?”
“Recon drones are rotating through. High-speed patrol boats are also on standby. Don’t worry.”
It was only a date,
but to them, it was a national-level security operation.
Scott checked the monitor again.
There could not be even the slightest gap.