A Day of Number 3
A Day of Number 3
Number 3's mornings started early.
06:00 AM.
The moment she woke up, she tidied her bedding and waited at her designated spot for roll call.
Morning Roll Call.
She didn't know why, but Number 3 and the rest of the numbered women had to line up and sit in formation at exactly this time.
On paper, it was for a headcount and a health check, but as far as Number 3 could tell, it felt like nothing more than a way for that woman named Jeong Ji-min to amuse herself.
What was the point of a headcount when they couldn't leave anyway, and what meaning was there in assessing their health at a glance?
So, from Number 3's perspective, it just felt like petty tyranny.
But well, what could she do?
Even if she had complaints, Number 3 had no choice but to follow the rules here.
Because ever since the world went mad, she'd been reduced to a position where she had to cling to the strong.
Number 3 had learned that lesson painfully at the Gangdong-gu Department Store.
She lacked the strength, so she was captured.
Captured, restrained, and forced to endlessly service men's sexual appetites.
Compared to that, life here in the camper van was nothing short of heaven.
She had physical freedom and the luxury of free time.
Well, reading books was about the only thing she could call leisure, but even that felt like a blessing to Number 3.
If she had one minor complaint, it was that she had to watch her step constantly.
Especially around that woman with the striking dyed-blonde hair, Jeong Ji-min.
The other women showed little interest in Number 3 and the other numbered women, but she was the only one who lorded it over them like this.
"Yaaaawn... Is everyone awake?"
Thirty minutes later.
Jeong Ji-min trudged in, scratching at her tousled hair.
At the same moment, Number 9's voice boomed out.
"All hands, attention! Loyalty!"
"Mm, loyalty."
Jeong Ji-min acknowledged the crisp salutes with a half-hearted wave of her left hand.
...Weren't salutes supposed to be done with the right hand?
The sight of this clumsy game of soldier was enough to make her head spin, but no one dared to make a peep.
Having firsthand watched Number 6 get beaten like a dog in a heat wave the last time she spoke out, the women didn't bother showing any pointless defiance.
"First Generation Morning Roll Call personnel report! Total strength ten. Absent zero. Present ten. Present, sound off by number!"
"One!"
"Two!"
.
.
"...Number ten, end!"
"Morning Roll Call preparation complete!"
At Number 9's booming shout, Jeong Ji-min drew the corners of her mouth up in satisfaction.
"Good, rest. No issues overnight, I take it? If anything hurts anywhere, see to it you report to me immediately."
"Yes, ma'am!!!"
"Mm-hm. Well then, everyone enjoy your meal later and do your best in rehab. Let's go, fighting, fighting~!"
"Ma'am! All hands, attention! Loyalty!"
"Yeah, yeah~."
Jeong Ji-min, just as indifferent, turned her back and waved her left hand.
Just as she was about to step through the door, she let out a little exclamation, as if suddenly remembering something she'd forgotten.
"Oh, right. Number 2, go to the bathroom right now. That guy was looking for you earlier."
At those words, Number 2's face went pale.
Because "that guy" Jeong Ji-min referred to was none other than Kang Ha-rin's younger brother, Kang Ha-jun.
Although he was quite handsome, Kang Ha-jun's image among the women was far from favorable.
Largely due to Number 2's reactions, most of them frowned the moment his name came up.
Number 3 was fairly indifferent to the whole thing.
It was pitiful that Number 2 had been reduced to a sexual outlet for a green young man, but that was the extent of it.
'As long as it's not me.'
Like most people in the world, Number 3 paid little mind to things that didn't involve her.
And besides, could she really feel pure pity for Number 2 when her situation had vastly improved from how she used to live?
Back then, it had been many men. Now, it was just one twenty-year-old man with nothing but sex on the brain.
So it was pitiful, but only up to a point.
She felt sympathy, but offered no help beyond that.
"Well then, bye-bye for real~."
Creeeeak, thud.
The door finally closed.
Only then did Number 3 feel the tension drain from her body.
She let out a short sigh of relief and pulled the book she'd been reading yesterday from the drawer.
This book was something she'd received from that man, the real power in this camper van.
Though from the looks of it, the man himself seemed to have been kidnapped by someone named Angelica.
Well... even so, seeing that the atmosphere here wasn't grim, it didn't appear to be a serious matter.
In fact, Jeong Ji-min had dismissed it with 'You don't need to worry about it.'
That was when it happened.
Tap tap. For some reason, Number 4 in the next spot lightly touched her arm and spoke.
"Whoa, reading again? Is it fun?"
"At least more than doing nothing at all."
"I see. But, y'know, books just don't click with me. If I read more than three lines, I start getting a headache."
She had no interest in this conversation.
So Number 3 responded with an indifferent air.
"What do you want?"
"So cold. We're right next to each other, I'm just trying to get a little friendly, you know. If you keep cutting people off like a knife, you'll be hated, you know?"
"Why not do that with Number 5?"
"Number 5 is... hmm, a bit too stoic. You've never seen her open her mouth outside of roll call either, right?"
Maybe I should've adopted that persona too.
Number 3 felt a belated pang of regret.
"See? Even now, I'm talking about her right next to her and she doesn't even spare a glance. Never budges from her meditating pose all day, I tell you. Ugh, she's no fun at all."
"I'm not much fun either."
"No, but at least you actually have a conversation like this. The rest... honestly, I don't really know."
As Number 4 shrugged her shoulders, Number 8 from across the way chimed in with a fuss.
"Oh my, oh my. How mean. Are you saying the rest of us can't even hold a conversation?"
"Number 8, you talk way too much. I need someone who listens a bit. You only ever say what you want to say."
"Wow, really mean. I do listen when it's time to listen. But if you feel that way, it's probably because you only talk about pointless stuff."
Number 4 and Number 8 fell naturally into chatter.
The sociable pair had become fast friends in just a few days since escaping that place.
The rest, of course, were not like that.
Number 5 was a meditating Buddha. Number 6, once the most insolent, had been utterly deflated since the day Jeong Ji-min gave her a beating.
Number 1, Number 7, and Number 9 had a sense of 'every woman for herself.'
Those three didn't get entangled with anyone, spending their time doing rehab or reading books like Number 3.
And then there was the great Number 10, Im Soo-ah, who seemed to want to join the lively conversation between Number 4 and Number 8 but kept stealing quiet glances, lacking the courage to speak first.
In terms of score, she was identical to Number 8, but because Jeong Ji-min gave her special treatment, she'd been assigned the highest number.
More precisely, it seemed her treatment was different because that man called her by her name.
In any case, time flew by, and before long it was 08:30 AM.
When breakfast time came, the women lined up in single file and stepped out the door.
A savory smell pricked at her nose.
Judging by the scent, it seemed like soup again today.
But Number 3 had no particular complaints.
The food made by that woman named Kim Ha-yoon was quite the delicacy.
Well, even if she had complaints, she wouldn't be able to voice them.
"....."
And so, to receive their soup, they lined up and moved to the kitchen area, holding out their plates to Kim Ha-yoon.
Even the lively chattering Number 4 and Number 8 fell silent in front of Kim Ha-yoon.
They simply took the soup she handed out and bowed their heads.
They were extroverted enough to chat up Jeong Ji-min first, but in front of Kim Ha-yoon, Ha Hui-ryeong, and Kang Ha-rin, they shriveled up like frogs before a snake.
Number 3 knew the reason.
These were the people who had crushed Park Jung-woo's gang in Gangdong-gu, so it was only natural for them to be intimidated.
And the atmosphere around them was just fundamentally difficult to approach.
Regardless, Number 3 took what was given, sat down, and silently began her meal.
"Unnie, can I have a little more...? I'm still a bit hungry."
"Oh... is that so? Miss Ha-yoon, is it alright if we take just a bit more for the kids?"
"Do as you please."
"Thank you. Here, kids. Unnie got you some more~."
Seated across the way, for some reason, was none other than Kang Ha-rin.
She was feeding her two young siblings seated beside her, and in those moments, her expression was bright.
Kang Ha-rin, who usually exuded such a gloomy aura it was hard to even address her, was a woman who could smile brightly when with her younger siblings.
Spooning her soup, Number 3 stole glances at them.
Were they the only ones in a relatively normal position?
Her gaze naturally drifted toward Kang Ha-rin, the one who showed at least some human warmth.
It was around then.
The door suddenly burst open and someone trudged in.
"Hey, I told you to come. Why didn't you?"
"Huh...? Ah, ahh... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I was just going to eat first and then g-go."
"Forget it. Come on."
Kang Ha-jun.
Coming out of the bathroom, he berated Number 2 and grabbed her roughly by the wrist.
"B-but, still, breakfast..."
"I said, come on."
Number 2, trembling in fear, tried to resist him, but there was no way she could overpower a man.
At that blatant display, Kang Ha-rin furrowed her brow.
Her deeply contorted expression was thick with displeasure.
"Ha-jun, that's enough. She's still a person. She needs to eat, doesn't she?"
"....."
Of course, there was no way he was going to listen.
Kang Ha-jun barely spared a glance at his own sister before wordlessly turning his back and dragging Number 2 by the wrist.
"Hey, Kang Ha-jun!"
Shouting changed nothing.
As always, Kang Ha-jun dragged Number 2 into the bathroom and slammed the door shut.
And from within, soon came the faint sound of Number 2's moans.
'Right... that filthy woman is still in there too, isn't she.'
The woman Kang Ha-jun had brought with him, the one with the slightly unhinged look in her eyes, hadn't been able to leave that place since yesterday.
Her situation was definitely worse than Number 2's.
Number 2 always came out covered in bruises after being in there. What state must a woman be in after being kept in there continuously?
It was bound to be utterly horrific.
As Number 3 was clicking her tongue inwardly, an irritable voice rang out from behind.
"Hey! Shut up and eat quietly! What's with all the ruckus first thing in the morning!?"
It was Ha Hui-ryeong.
She had been lying on the sofa wrapped in a blanket, but now she bolted upright and snapped at Kang Ha-rin.
"...I'm sorry."
"Sorry? Then you shouldn't have done something worth being sorry about in the first place. Ha-rin, you're great in most ways, but you pull this crap that really pisses me off sometimes? Huh? Can we do a little better?"
Ha Hui-ryeong's mood always seemed foul.
Whether it was because that man had disappeared, or just a thing of the moment, she was exceptionally irritable.
Unless she was giggling to herself while staring at empty air, she just lay there like a person drained of life, then turned hysterical the moment the ambient decibel level rose, just like now.
"Unnie, aren't you going to eat?"
"Not feeling it. More importantly... give me a glass of water. With ice floating in it."
At Ha Hui-ryeong's request, Kim Ha-yoon looked around at the people seated at the table.
Then, abruptly, her gaze stopped on Number 3.
'Me...?'
Number 3 panicked for a moment, but the instant she saw Kim Ha-yoon's brow furrow, she immediately shot up from her seat and poured a glass of water from the fridge.
Then, carefully, yet swiftly, she handed it to Kim Ha-yoon.
Kim Ha-yoon snatched the cup and lightly waved her hand.
Astonishingly, tiny bits of ice materialized in the air and then plopped into the cup.
"Gulp... ahhh...! That's a bit better. Huh? And what are you?"
Having let out an ahjussi-like exclamation, Ha Hui-ryeong spotted Number 3 and tilted her head quizzically.
Number 3's body flinched.
As if it were nothing, Kim Ha-yoon answered Ha Hui-ryeong's question.
"Ah, that person is Number 3. That's how he, well, assigned the titles."
"Now that I think about it, that Jjintta bastard did assign numbers to everyone. What was his criteria again?"
"Pussy score."
"...What?"
"He gave a comprehensive score based on how tightly they could squeeze mana, how big their breasts were, and whether their face was pretty or not. He did it back at the department store last time."
"Huh... what a spectacle. So she's a 3, is that it?"
"Right? Three points, so Number 3. Ah, he made an exception for Im Soo-ah. He liked her, so she got Number 10. Ah, Jeong Yeon-ji is here too. But that woman hasn't been evaluated yet, so she's Number 0, excluded from the cohort."
Ha Hui-ryeong wore a dumbfounded expression, at a loss for words.
But soon enough, she waved her hand dismissively, saying, "Well... I get the gist. You all handle that part among yourselves."
Kim Ha-yoon likewise sent a subtle glance, issuing a silent order to leave.
Number 3 inwardly sighed with relief, slipped away from them, and returned safely to her seat.
'My nerves are completely fried.'
Even that brief entanglement left considerable fatigue weighing on her shoulders.
Maybe it was from being so tense—she couldn't tell if the soup was going into her nose or her mouth.
Just then, Number 4, sitting beside her, suddenly poked her in the side.
Number 3, her expression slightly scrunched, glanced sideways at her.
'How was it?'
Number 4 mouthed the question.
In response, Number 3 mouthed back, 'Not much. Nothing.'
"...."
Not getting the reaction she was hoping for, Number 4 shrugged her shoulders with a sulky look on her face.
Number 8 giggled at the sight of her.
After breakfast wrapped up, Number 3 and the rest of the numbered women began their rehabilitation therapy under Jeong Ji-min's lead.
Truthfully, everyone could walk just fine by now, so it was nothing more than harsh discipline disguised as rehabilitation.
"Roll left! Roll right! Ah, Number 0! Stop slacking off and do it properly! Hmph. No, really, this won't do. Because of Number 0, we're doing one more set."
"...I-I'm sorry!"
"What's that? There's no such word as sorry here, you bitch! The time you spend saying crap like that, you do one more roll. Execute!"
Jeong Ji-min kicked at Number 0 while blowing a whistle she'd gotten from who-knew-where.
Number 3 panted heavily, enduring Jeong Ji-min's tyranny.
The recently added Number 0 had extremely poor stamina, so at times like this, all eyes shot glares toward the weakest link.
In terms of looks, she was the prettiest one here... but that was it.
In this place, outward appearance only mattered to that man. To them, it held no value whatsoever.
"This time, on one, 'Spread your pussy!' On two, 'Clench it!' You come up with that. Now, one!"
"Spread your puuussy...!"
"Two!"
"Clench it...!"
After who knew how many of those bizarre chants, time had slipped past noon and was nearing 03:00 PM.
Unexpectedly, it was Ha Hui-ryeong, who had been lying endlessly on the sofa, who put an end to this nasty abuse.
"Hey, why do you seriously run them around with stuff like this? Is this fun for you?"
"Hehe. Of course. It's kinda enjoyable, you know? Every time I look down on them from above like this, my whole body just shivers. It's an absolute fucking thrill, I'm telling you."
"...You really are something. But stop this crap soon and get ready. We're about to arrive at the place where that Jjintta bastard is."
"Oh? Did we already pass Daechi-dong?"
"Yeah. He says he's on the outskirts of Yeoksam-dong right now, so we'll be able to meet him soon."
...So that's why she'd looked so happy earlier.
"I'm not letting that fucking bitch Angelica off the hook. I'm going to discipline her myself. So thoroughly she won't be able to meet my eyes."
Ha Hui-ryeong's eyes blazed with a steely glint as she adjusted her grip on her bat.
Number 3 had a strong Intuition that this woman named Angelica would be joining them before long.
And that, perhaps, she might even be placed below them.