I, Lee Jia, Swear Absolute Obedience
Lee Jia's mind couldn't process the sentence Kim Dohyung had just spoken. "Wh-what?"
"Didn't catch that? Ha... Seriously, Jia. Do you know what I hate the most in this entire world?"
The playful expression on Dohyung's face froze into something ice-cold.
"Having to repeat the same thing. Got it? Do you understand?"
"Y-yes..."
Seeing the look on his face, Jia pressed the ballpoint pen to the paper. Dohyung watched her with pure delight. Because the line he had just delivered was exactly what he had always been forced to hear.
The gang that used to torment him would always say it—that they hated repeating themselves, that he shouldn't make them say the same thing twice. But now the situation had completely reversed. Now it was something Dohyung could say to them.
"I'll be nice and say it one more time. First: I, Lee Jia, swear from this very moment onward to obey every single word spoken by Kim Dohyung. Write it."
"First... I, Lee Jia, from this moment onward... swear to obey every single word spoken by Kim Dohyung."
Jia transcribed his words slowly across the paper. Dohyung smiled again as he watched.
"Good. If you'd listened properly from the beginning, we wouldn't have this ugly atmosphere, would we? Next. Second: Lee Jia will faithfully carry out all of Kim Dohyung's orders and, should she violate them, will receive fitting punishment."
Jia continued writing as she read his words aloud. The fear was so thick that the meaning barely registered in her mind.
"Third: Lee Jia will place Kim Dohyung's happiness above her own and will devote herself wholeheartedly to ensuring it."
"Fourth: Lee Jia will always maintain peak condition so that she may serve Kim Dohyung at any time."
"Fifth: Lee Jia will hold a heart full of gratitude for everything about Kim Dohyung."
Jia finished copying every last sentence onto the paper.
Only after she was done did the realization hit her.
This is a fucking slave declaration! This crazy bastard—what the hell did he just make me write?
She wanted to scream at him right then and there. But the fear of that whip flying at her again kept her silent.
"Excellent. You did very well. Now, why don't you read it back to me?"
"Huh? What?"
The question slipped out before she could stop herself. The answer came in the form of sharp pain.
SMACK!
"Kyaaak!"
"Tsk... Didn't I just tell you? I hate repeating myself more than anything. So why are you making me repeat it? Hm? You should understand on the first try."
"I-I'm sorry! I'll read it! Just please don't hit me..."
Jia picked up the paper with trembling hands and read every line aloud, clearly and carefully, exactly as Dohyung had ordered.
"Well read. Shall we check if the recording came out nicely?"
"Recording? What are you—"
Before she could finish, Dohyung pulled a phone from his pocket. The moment he pressed play, a painfully familiar voice filled the room—her own voice, reciting the bizarre declaration she had just written.
First, I, Lee Jia, swear from this very moment to obey every single word spoken by Kim Dohyung.
Second, Lee Jia will faithfully carry out all of Kim Dohyung's orders and, should she violate them, will receive fitting punishment.
Third, Lee Jia will place Kim Dohyung's happiness above her own and will devote herself wholeheartedly to ensuring it.
Fourth, Lee Jia will always maintain peak condition so that she may serve Kim Dohyung at any time.
Fifth, Lee Jia will hold a heart full of gratitude for everything about Kim Dohyung.
"Wow... The recording quality is excellent. Technology these days is no joke. It picked up everything even though the phone was in my pocket."
Dohyung listened to the recording with clear admiration.
"Y-you... what is that?"
"What do you mean, what is it? It's a recording of your declaration. You're saying you'll live for me from now on, right? This is so you can reflect on your past sins."
"What the hell are you talking about?! Why should I live for trash like you?!"
Jia exploded at the realization that this was a declaration of total slavery.
"Well, this is basically my trophy. Whether I spread it or not is entirely up to me. By the way... your tone is a bit short, isn't it?"
"What?"
"These are the commands I'm giving you starting today."
Dohyung smiled with clear enjoyment as he raised a finger for each order, holding them in front of Jia's face.
"First command: You will always answer when I speak to you."
"Second command: Every word directed at me must be spoken with respect."
"Third command: When you address me, you will always call me Master."
Jia couldn't believe what was happening. The reality felt like a nightmare—certainly not a happy dream, but the beginning of something utterly horrific.
"Understood?"
"No... this isn't right. Dohyung... I know I did wrong, but this... this isn't it! This isn't the kind of thing you do in this day and age! I'm not a slave!"
Jia screamed at him, driven by rage and desperation.
"Ha... Jia. Didn't I already tell you? I hate repeating myself. Looks like even a dog would understand better than you."
He swung the whip through the air with sharp whistles.
"But that's fine. A few more hits and you'll learn. I know from experience. No matter how disgusting the order is, after enough beatings, you just accept it."
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I was wrong! I was wrong, please! Please don't hit me!!"
The thought of being struck again made Jia beg frantically, hands clasped together.
"No can do. Read the second line you wrote earlier."
Jia looked back at the paper with shaking eyes.
"Lee... Jia will faithfully carry out Kim Dohyung's orders and, should she vi-violate them... will receive fitting punishment?"
"You clearly made a declaration, yet you can't even follow the very first command I gave you. In that case, I have no choice but to punish you."
Jia began trembling violently as she stared at the painful-looking whip.
"C-can't we... skip the beating... Master?"
"No. I keep my promises. I'll even let you choose how many times you'll be hit."
Jia's mind spun rapidly. Shit... if I say one or two, he'll probably find fault with it... but I can't ask for too many either...
The memory of the whip's sting was still fresh, making it impossible to answer right away. But she feared stalling would only anger him more, so she blurted out the first number that came to mind.
"Th-three! I'll take three hits!"
"Three, huh... I wonder why three?"
Startled by the sudden question, Jia panicked and the words tumbled out automatically.
"B-because! You just gave three commands and I failed to follow them, so I thought I should be hit three times!"
"Hmm... That's actually a decent reason. Fine. Three it is. This time I'll hit your thighs, so stretch your legs out. Don't make me force the position like last time. You know what'll happen if you do, right?"
"Yes... Master..."
The humiliation of being reduced to a slave and whipped by the same boy she and her friends had treated like a toy in high school was almost unbearable. But she had no choice. The whip hurt too much, and she knew she couldn't resist him.
Her only hope was that someone outside would notice she was missing, report it, and the police would eventually find this place.
Fuck. Fuck!
Unable to stand because of the collar, Jia remained seated as she stretched her legs out and lifted her skirt, exposing her thighs.
Dohyung crouched down and tapped the whip lightly against her thigh.
"Just in case your stupid brain forgets, I'll remind you beforehand. Remember the last line of the declaration? The one about holding gratitude for everything about me? That obviously includes being grateful when I punish you. Don't forget it."
Seeing him sneer at her with amusement made rage boil inside her, but Jia held it in with everything she had.
Dohyung looked at her face for a moment, then swung the whip at her thigh.
SMACK!
"Ugh! One! Thank you, Master, for this punishment!"
"Very good."
SMACK!
"T-two! I will not forget today's commands and will obey them!"
"Nice."
SMACK!
"Th-three...! Thank you for punishing your slave, Jia... Hic!"
The pain radiating from her thigh combined with the sheer humiliation of the situation finally brought tears streaming from Jia's eyes.
"Heh... I was worried you were too stupid to manage, but you did well. Excellent. You'll become a shining example for all the other excellent slaves."
Dohyung stood up and stroked the crying girl's hair.
He checked the watch on his wrist.
"Let's see... It's about time to sleep. We'll stop here for today. Starting tomorrow, your real education begins, so keep that in mind."
Dohyung put the whip back where it belonged and turned to leave the room.
"W-wait!! No, please wait!!"
As he headed for the door, Jia desperately called after him.
"I-I'm really thirsty... What about water?"
In truth, quite a long time had passed since Jia had regained consciousness in this room. She had no way of knowing, but at least ten hours must have gone by. She hadn't eaten anything, but the thirst was far more urgent. The constant beating had made her forget it for a while, but now that it was over, the thirst came rushing back.
"Water? Of course I have to give you water. Obviously. Wait a moment."
Dohyung left the room after speaking. A few minutes later he returned with a water jug full of water in one hand, the other hidden behind his back.
"Here, water."
"Th-thank you!"
When he extended the hand holding the jug, Jia reached out to take it. The moment her fingers were about to touch it, Dohyung pulled it away.
"Not like that. There's a bowl more suited to you. You have to drink from this."
Jia couldn't understand what he meant at first. But the moment she saw what he was holding in the hand hidden behind his back, everything became clear.
"N-no... that's—!"
"Yes. It's the bowl that suits you perfectly."
What Dohyung had been hiding was a double pet bowl—the kind used for dog food and water. He placed it on the floor, poured water from the jug into one side, and pushed it toward her.
"Go on, drink it quickly. And no using your hands."
The absurdity of the moment left Jia completely speechless.
He wants me... to lap water from a dog bowl like an animal?
"Why the hesitation? It's what you all made me do, isn't it?"
Dohyung had made one firm resolution upon returning to this world for his revenge: he would return every single thing he had suffered... No, he would repay it all with interest.