Chapter 1
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Modern-Day Slave
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Life is unfair.
Some are born with everything handed to them on a silver platter, while others enter the world without a single crumb to call their own.
I realized that harsh truth back in high school.
"Alright, take care today too."
As class ended, my desk was buried under a mountain of papers. Homework. Not just mine—homework for all twenty kids in our class, including me.
"Jaejun, where we heading today?"
"I know a spot with killer waves. How about that?"
The ones who dumped their homework on me vanished just like that. Left alone in the classroom, I looked up and scanned the empty room.
The school I attended, Daehan International High School, was a brand-new elite academy.
It had been founded with the lofty goal of grooming future leaders, and getting in required a very specific qualification.
A rock-solid background.
Every student here—even in our small class—was from chaebol royalty.
No surprise the facilities outshone most corporate headquarters. Right down to the tiniest details.
Though assigning homework on actual paper felt a bit odd.
Anyway, the only reason a nobody like me ended up in a place like this was some unspoken deal between the chaebol elite and the common folk.
When critics cried foul over the school's exclusivity, the conglomerates tossed in one token commoner via "special admission" to shut them up.
That's how I went from grazing peacefully with the impalas to being hurled into the lion's den.
And that's when the real bullshit began.
"Who's here this late?"
The homeroom teacher poked her head in, saw the lights on, then spotted me and the stack of homework. She turned and walked out like she hadn't seen a thing.
"……."
By the time I finished the homework, packed my bag, and stepped outside, night had fallen.
'Already 10 p.m.?'
Not ready to head straight back to the dorms, I wandered aimlessly off campus.
Rich versus poor.
Chaebol heirs versus commoners.
School's just a microcosm of society. And in society, you stick to your own level unless you want your legs ripped apart.
Me, the lowly sparrow, didn't want to follow the storks—but I had no choice. My legs weren't just torn; they were trembling.
'I wanna transfer.'
I wanted to hang with kids like me. Ditch this hellish routine.
But the school wouldn't allow it. Neither would the chaebols, the public, or even my own parents.
Everyone had their own agendas, and my feelings didn't factor in.
I had no say.
'Grab a cold drink at the convenience store on the way back.'
I was crossing the street toward the shop on the other side when—
Vroooom!
A roar of an engine echoed from the left.
The street was dark and deserted. Just me crossing the crosswalk and a little kid coming from the opposite side.
'Danger...!'
I lunged forward, scooped the kid into my arms, and rolled across the pavement. A car barreled through right where we'd been standing, vanishing into the night.
'Ugh.'
Hitting the ground hard left me aching all over.
The kid was fine, luckily. Round eyes stared up at me—no signs of injury.
"You okay? Not hurt anywhere?"
"Yeah. But you're bleeding, big bro."
Following his gaze, I saw blood trickling down.
"It's nothing. This is fine."
"No way, you almost died."
"As long as I didn't, right?"
"……."
The kid stared at me intently.
Maybe it was my imagination, but those eyes seemed too mature for a child. Curious like any kid, yet deep, like they'd weathered life's storms.
It felt like they were peering right through me. And somehow...
"Why risk your life like that?"
His question pulled the truth from me before I could stop it.
"Eh, guess I've grown disillusioned with this world."
This world is bullshit.
Some are born loaded and live their dreams, while others can't.
All I could do was sneak out late for some air or dive into danger to save some kid.
'If I'd been born rich, with a powerhouse family... or hell, even starting from the same line as them... would things be different?'
Who knows. Probably not in this lifetime—unless some almighty god showed up to fix my life.
"Hmm. I see. Well, you saved me, so here's a gift."
"Nah, I'm good."
"Take it."
The kid pulled a necklace from his pocket and handed it over.
"Lucky Necklace."
Despite the fancy name, it was just a plain black stone on a chain.
"It'll bring you luck. Wear it all the time, okay?"
"Uh, sure."
His voice carried an otherworldly weight, and I nodded dumbly.
I never saw that kid again after that.
"...Moved away, maybe?"
I fiddled with the necklace around my neck. Three years flew by.
『Dear graduates of Daehan International High School's inaugural class. It feels like just yesterday we started here, but now we've completed three years and it's time to say goodbye.』
Early spring, still chilly.
The air crisp enough to see your breath.
『...We wish you all the best in contributing to society and becoming leaders of the world...』
Graduation behind us, we were full-fledged adults now, off on an overseas trip.
Everyone buzzed with excitement. After three years—no, twelve long years—of school as a prison, we finally had unrestricted freedom.
『Our flight is now taking off. Please confirm your seatbelts are fastened.』
The grad trip was our freedom celebration—a grand fireworks display.
Even I felt a thrill. This unfair grind was finally ending. Just a few more days.
Habitually, I reached for the necklace around my neck and toyed with it.
Scratch, scratch.
The necklace that kid swore would bring luck if I always wore it.
Lucky Necklace, my ass. Nothing changed.
School stayed unfair. No choices for me.
But three years toughened me up. I learned to cope.
"Hey, grab me some wine."
They weren't bullying me—they were just used to ordering people around.
Not because I was poor, but because I was beneath them.
Like telling the maid, "Clean my room." Just demanding what they didn't want to do themselves.
To them, I was Employee No. 1 from their households. No name, just "hey."
I stood, nodded, and said sure. Next to the girl who'd sent me on the errand, another glanced around.
"Where'd all the flight attendants go?"
"Beats me."
Whatever. She shrugged.
"Hey, mine too."
"Me as well."
"You know what I drink."
Three years with them made me an expert on their habits.
Maybe even more than their parents.
Petty quirks, secrets—they spilled it all in front of me without a care.
Probably didn't see me as human.
Like Joseon-era nobles treating slaves like livestock.
...Yeah. I was a modern-day slave.
I scrounged up the wine and returned to the guys' circle, where lewd talk flowed freely.
"Kim Taehun, didn't you and Jaejun hook up with those fresh debutantes recently? Ditch the trainee nobodies—hook us up with some real stars."
"Nah, Jaejun just got lucky."
"Bullshit. So, worth it?"
Names of hot new girl group idols—the ones blowing up online that I'd glimpsed—flew back and forth.
"Fuck, I was so horny I grabbed her ponytail and railed her from behind."
"How tight?"
"Pussy was loose, so I went anal. She cried like a bitch. Hilarious."
Crude as always. I was numb to it by now.
"What're you standing around for? Hand over the wine."
"Sorry."
I passed the wine to the girls, my steps awkward.
'Ugh. Uncomfortable.'
My dick had swollen, making walking a chore. Not from their stories.
On the private jet, tons of girls lounged like they owned the place.
Cleavage, bra straps, even panties on full display.
'Driving me crazy.'
The guys yapped about idols, but honestly, these girls were hotter, with killer bodies.
Makes sense. Top chaebol kids from Korea's powerhouse families.
Generations of elite genes, including looks, far surpassing some rags-to-riches commoner.
Gourmet meals and top-tier care from birth—no idol could compete.
'Dirty talk I can handle.'
But elite beauties hiking legs up, cleavage spilling, axe-wound panties peeking? Or fishing pubes from bra? Scratching deep thigh cracks wide open?
I rushed the wine around and bolted for the bathroom.
Needed to straighten this monster before it burst through my pants.
Someone was already in there.
Thud. Thud. Thud-thud-thud-thud.
"Mmph. Ah. Nngh...!"
Muffled moans.
A flight attendant. One of the missing ones, banging a student.
Click.
The opposite door opened. Another attendant emerged, locking eyes with me. She smiled faintly.
I waited a sec—no one else came out. She was just handling business.
I slipped in, locked up, dropped my pants. My cock sprang free.
'Whew. Almost camped out here till it went down.'
Some might say just tuck it up through the fly. Not for me.
At 25 cm, I had to yank pants and underwear to my thighs to stand it straight.
I did, pulled everything back up, adjusted my shirt to hide the bulge.
"Ah. Oh god...! Ngh...!"
Heading out, the moans were louder now.
My softening dick stiffened again. Walking made the exposed head bob side to side under my pants.
'When do I get to use this thing for real?'
Masturbation urges flooded me.
Better hold off. Private jet or not.
'Whew. College first—get a girlfriend. Yeah.'
I sat, waiting for it to calm, when—
Bzzz.
Vibration at my chest. Light poured from... something.
'Huh?'
Pure white light enveloped the plane in an instant.
When I came to, everything around me had changed.
The world I knew was gone.