Stigma - 3
Han Seol-ah... Dyed blonde hair, sharp eyes, petite build. She was the kind of girl you'd find one of in any school—a total delinquent.
"So, you're the next guy up, huh, old man?"
I could tell right away from how she opened her mouth. This girl had zero manners.
"Yeah. I called you in because I wanted to see you."
She wasn't my subordinate or anything, so I didn't see the need to bother with polite speech either.
"...You look pretty normal. A guy like you hunting for slaves? Kinda weird."
"That's my personal business."
I had no interest in dating, and having a girlfriend wouldn't cut my taxes anyway.
"Why me, though? 'Cause I'm young? A virgin?"
"Your dad asked me to."
I could feel her face twisting up in disgust.
"Fine. So what the hell did my dad promise you to make you so desperate to buy a rude-ass slave like me?"
"I'm not desperate. And he didn't promise me anything."
To begin with, I wasn't allowed to take anything directly from him. That'd be illegal. Unless you're some chaebol who can hire expensive lawyers to twist asset trails however you want, you can't pull your family out that way.
"So, what do you think? Wanna be my slave?"
"What happens if I say no?"
"I'll find someone else."
She was being uncooperative. Way more than I'd imagined.
This was only my second time buying a slave, and I'd never met one who'd committed a crime before. But I had a rough idea of how they acted. They were servile. They didn't care who bought them—they'd do anything to avoid prison.
Pressuring a potential owner this boldly? That was definitely not normal.
She's kinda annoying...
Of course, judging someone's character from a short meeting would be foolish. Most people can hide their true nature, especially in a place like this where they're meeting a potential owner.
But...
When I bought Arin, I knew the moment our eyes met. She wasn't the type to do bad things. She just didn't have the skill to hide herself. Her heart was plain as day in her eyes—maybe some laziness or cowardice, but no malice.
She turned out even better than I'd hoped. I could say without hesitation, "Thanks to Arin, I'm happy."
"What, now that you've seen me, I'm not your type?"
"A little."
But what if she wasn't even considerate enough to hide herself?
Sigh...
I owed that middle-aged man a debt of gratitude. A kid who'd been separated from her dad young and lived a rough life? I could feel some pity for that.
"Too bad. I thought you'd be fine with me."
Her teeth flashed bright. She was grinning, but it didn't feel warm.
"Why?"
"...You gotta compromise. Those fat pig bastards and old geezers? They've all flipped out over one shot at me."
Obviously, that was likely. Buying slaves costs money. And guys with money, looks, and youth usually have no reason to shop at the slave market. They just hook up with someone nearby and turn them into a slave "by mutual agreement." Plenty of people walked around with slaves dangling off them like that, guys or girls.
I didn't think I was hot stuff, but I didn't have any major flaws in build or looks either. A guy like me might be hard for her to find.
"You committed a crime. Most people wouldn't want to buy you."
"Yeah, figured."
She gave a distant look, like she'd given up.
"Whatever. Fuck it, if I go to prison, I can just bite my tongue and off myself."
That, I could tell, was sincere. She didn't seem to think it'd be that painful or horrific.
One thing was clear: To this girl, life wasn't some sacred thing worth protecting at all costs. That's why she could be so arrogant in front of a potential owner. Getting picked or not, prison or death—it was all just "whatever" to her.
"..."
Taking her would definitely be risky. I needed a slave, but there was no reason it had to be Seol-ah specifically.
I was grateful for her dad's favor, but really, it was just like returning a lost wallet. Nothing more, nothing less.
There was no guarantee she'd cause trouble, but judging by her attitude alone, her odds of problems were "a bit higher" than others.
All that was left was the faint pity stirring in my chest.
Han Seol-ah had lived a shitty life. If I didn't take her now, she'd keep living one.
I could ignore it. Taking her was risky, no doubt.
"Alright. Come on."
I'd decided. The pity wasn't huge, but the risk wasn't massive either.
If she kept being rude, I'd ignore her. If she caused issues, I'd return her. She was a cheap slave anyway. If we just couldn't get along, send her back.
Even if I bought hundreds or thousands of criminal slaves like her, my fortune wouldn't budge.
The money I'd spend buying her might be worth less than the tiny nagging feeling I'd have if I left her behind.
I stood and told the staff I'd buy her.
"So, we can just go now?"
"Yeah? Usually people say goodbye to family, get their head straight—"
"Nah. I'm a prisoner, and I got no reason to say bye to family. Detention center's a fucking shithole. Old folks bitch like it's paradise, but..."
I felt a little bad for her. Her dad seemed genuinely worried.
Maybe she should at least see his face one more time? But if she refused, no point forcing it.
"Alright. Let's go."
I booked a taxi. She didn't say a word the whole way to my place.
/////
"Welcome back, Master?"
Arin came running up and hugged me tight. As always, I felt the soft press of her breasts.
"Th-this is the new slave..."
Arin's body shrank back.
"Yeah. Han Seol-ah, get along with her."
"Uh, u-um..."
Arin bolted like she was fleeing, ducking straight into her room.
"Weird bitch. Pretend slave girlfriend or just a slave?"
"Slave. And watch your mouth."
"Why, fuck? Did I say something weird?"
Was that it? To this girl, words like "bitch" might be so natural she could toss them at strangers.
If I thought generously, maybe she was just putting up an aggressive front to protect herself.
I didn't feel like calling her out right then.
"Come in. For now... make yourself at home."
I almost said "make yourself at home like it's yours," but I stopped. No idea how "at home" she'd feel here.
Better not make promises I couldn't keep.
I figured she'd ignore some scattered clothes or snack bags, but with Seol-ah, smoking in her room wouldn't surprise me.
"Sure."
She kicked off her shoes roughly and stepped inside, eyeing my place like she was appraising it.
"Nice pad. All apartment dwellers live like this?"
"Depends on the apartment price and interior."
"Fucking wild. So where does the slave sleep? Front balcony? Back one?"
"That room on the left."
"I get to sleep in a room?"
She stared at me like she couldn't believe it.
"What, you think I'd kick you out when there's a room right there?"
"Huh?"
"Bed and wardrobe are already ordered—coming tomorrow. Computer in about four or five days."
When I bought Arin, I'd had no clue what to get and brainstormed with her. Now? No need to think.
"Didn't buy clothes since you should pick your style. Order whatever online."
"..."
She was glaring at me. Sharply.
I suddenly realized I'd rarely felt real hostility aimed at me before. Never done anything too edgy, no big screw-ups or crimes. People might've thought I was pathetic, but no one had ever looked at me like they wanted me dead.
"What do you want?"
"Nothing."
I was a bit thrown off, sure. But not scared of this little girl.
I just couldn't figure it out. What had I done wrong? What pissed her off?
And honestly, I didn't care to know.
"Rest up. Food's in the fridge—grab what you want. When you're done, rinse 'em and toss in the bin by the sink. When it's full, run the dishwasher."
Arin and I had gotten close. I loved her, she loved me. Short time, but we trusted each other.
"What do you WANT?!"
Seol-ah's eyes were fierce. Her emotions boiling over.
"Nothing."
Arin was special. And I didn't hate that.
No need to treat every slave like Arin. No need to expect or demand they treat me like she did.
I'd bought Seol-ah out of pity, but I wasn't gonna use that to force emotional support from her.
"Just live."
No matter what bullshit she pulled, my singleton tax savings wouldn't change.
She could just live like she was watching someone else's life. Like when I first brought a slave into this house.
I was tired. I wanted healing.
Instead of my room, I went to Arin's. She sprang up from the bed like a spring and hugged me.
Warm. Soft.