Subjugating on Broadcast (23)
"Who are we sending?"
An argument had broken out among Lee Su-hyun's team over who should be handed over. The team was split evenly — four men and four women — and every last one of them had chosen coexistence from the very first day. Even so, Su-hyun's side had won every single game, which meant that he and Lee Yu-rim carried a little more weight when it came time to speak. The others already thought of Su-hyun as their leader besides.
"Anyone who actually wants to go first... I assume that's a no?"
Su-hyun glanced around as he said it, then immediately regretted the words. Nobody in their right mind would volunteer to become another team's slave.
"Um... can I be honest?"
A man raised his hand in answer to Su-hyun's question.
"Go ahead."
"Look, I know we've been cooperating this whole time in the spirit of mutual prosperity, and I know that's why we've done so well. I also know we owe most of that to you, Su-hyun."
The man paused, gathering himself, then pressed on.
"But have you actually thought about who walks away with that enormous prize money once we hit the semifinals and the finals?"
"We already agreed we'd settle that when the time came," Lee Yu-rim cut in.
If they won under the coexistence pact, the prize was supposed to be divided according to each person's contribution — and by that measure, Su-hyun and Yu-rim's pair sat at the very top. They had won every game, after all, and the pairs that lost had been spared enslavement only because Su-hyun had chosen mercy. Bringing up the prize money now was simply out of line. That was why Yu-rim had spoken up.
"She's right. Yu-rim has a point. But we're scared."
"Scared of what, exactly?"
The man fell silent for a moment. Then he looked around at the rest of the team, found his nerve, and said it.
"The two of you are too tight. We know you grew up together, but our feeling is that the two of you have way too much say."
"So that's it? You're saying you want to send me or Yu-rim this time?"
Even Su-hyun, who usually wore an easygoing smile, was starting to get angry. They had chosen coexistence so they could keep each other going in this brutal place, so they could stay decent to one another — and now those same people were turning around and aiming the arrow at him.
"The Joker already said it. Our team decides by majority vote. We've already made up our minds."
The others murmured in agreement.
"You really think you can get through the rest of these games without my physique and Yu-rim's brain? If you're thinking about what's coming, you don't throw away teammates this good."
On paper, Su-hyun's argument was perfectly sound. Almost no one here could match him physically, and Yu-rim's mind had been carrying the team just as hard. Aside from Dong-hyun, Han Gyeo-wool, and Seon Woo-hyun, there was nobody who could even come close to her intellectually.
"We know Yu-rim is smart. But the rest of us aren't exactly slouches either."
They couldn't beat Su-hyun in a physical contest, so they had put their faith in their own modest brains and quietly agreed among themselves to send Yu-rim instead. They couldn't take Su-hyun — but Yu-rim? They could live without her.
"Hah..."
Su-hyun stood there and weighed it. Beat them all down and decide himself — or play along.
"Ten minutes. Just give me ten minutes."
"Fine. But don't take any longer. There's a time limit."
The others conceded that much, if only to keep Su-hyun from doing something drastic.
"Yu-rim. Come with me a second."
Su-hyun led her outside.
"They're being completely ridiculous. After everything we did to get them this far, they pull this?"
Yu-rim was furious. They had been spoon-fed every victory, and now those same people were demanding the spoon back too.
"Calm down. I've got an idea."
"What idea? Is there another way?"
"We've been on good terms with Jin-woo since day one. If one of us ends up going over as a slave, I think he'll keep us safe. He already freed Gyeo-wool and Min-ju, remember?"
"But it's still too dangerous..."
Su-hyun intended to go to Dong-hyun and ask a favor. From everything he had seen, Dong-hyun was a reasonably logical, reasonably fair man — not the type who treated the women like sexual playthings the way the other male contestants did.
In truth, Dong-hyun was more vicious than any of them. Su-hyun had no idea.
"I'll go talk to him. If Jin-woo won't take you in, then I'll fight the rest of the team myself if I have to. I'll protect you."
"Okay..."
Yu-rim had no real choice. She agreed, and Su-hyun headed out to the main hall to find Dong-hyun.
Dong-hyun had already finished picking which slave to send over, and he was taking a breather in the main hall when Su-hyun approached.
"Um... Jin-woo? Could I talk to you for a minute?"
Dong-hyun had been resting, but he accepted the request without hesitation.
"Of course. What's going on?"
"Haah... I... it's about the slave exchange."
"Ah. We've decided to send over this guy named Lee Jung-hwan. Who are you sending our way?"
"Well... that's the thing..."
Su-hyun scratched the back of his head, clearly uncomfortable, then forced the words out.
"The rest of my team wants to send either me or Yu-rim. We chose coexistence, so everything gets decided by majority vote."
"What? After everything you and Yu-rim have done for them, they're turning on you?"
The moment Dong-hyun heard it, he realized there was a very real chance he could take Yu-rim as a slave — so he threw himself onto Su-hyun's side and put on a matching show of outrage.
Watching him, Su-hyun felt a rush of warmth and trust.
"That's why I came. They're leaning toward sending Yu-rim rather than me. I wanted to ask... if you take her, would you keep her safe?"
"They're sending Yu-rim? That's insane."
Dong-hyun piled on the indignation even thicker.
"It's a majority vote, so... there's nothing we can do..."
Su-hyun hung his head as he said it — which was fortunate, because it meant he missed the way Dong-hyun was barely holding back a smile.
"Hah... Then I guess there's no choice. Send Yu-rim over. We'll keep her safe."
The moment Dong-hyun gave his word, Su-hyun's face lit up.
"That's such a relief. I'm glad I came and talked to you that first day."
Su-hyun clasped Dong-hyun's hand in both of his, pouring gratitude into the gesture.
"I'm just glad you think so highly of me."
Inwardly, Dong-hyun was thinking the pumpkin had arrived still attached to the vine. He kept that thought carefully off his face.
"I'll go talk it over with my team, then."
Even as he walked away, Su-hyun kept thanking him — never once guessing at the darkness underneath.
Yu-rim was waiting in front of his room.
"Yu-rim. It's done. Jin-woo said he'll keep you safe."
"Really? That's... good, I guess. But can we actually trust that?"
Unlike Su-hyun, Yu-rim's worry came first. She was the one being sold off as a slave, after all. A little extra suspicion was only natural.
"He freed Gyeo-wool and Min-ju. That should tell you enough. He doesn't look like it, but he's not a bad guy. Not even close."
"Hah... I guess so...? But I'm so scared. I'm really scared..."
Yu-rim couldn't hide it. Being kidnapped and dragged here had been bearable because Su-hyun had been beside her — and now she was about to be pulled away from him.
Su-hyun pulled her into a tight hug.
"Su-hyun...?"
They had been childhood friends their entire lives and had never once touched each other like this. Yu-rim startled in his arms.
"I'll protect you no matter what it takes. Don't worry so much. You trust me, right?"
"Yeah... if it's you, I trust you..."
Then Yu-rim found her own courage and kissed him.
They had grown up together, but that didn't mean there had never been something unspoken between them. They had simply kept it buried. A moment this desperate was all it took for instinct to move first.
They stayed like that for a long time. When they finally pulled apart, neither of them could look the other in the eye.
"I'm... going to Jin-woo. Tell the others for me. I don't have the nerve to face them."
From Yu-rim's point of view, Dong-hyun was already more trustworthy than her own teammates. They had betrayed her, after all.
"Okay. I'll handle it."
Yu-rim started walking toward Dong-hyun's room, with no idea at all what kind of future was waiting for her there.