The Real Doll's Bitter Existence
Life as a Real Doll was grueling. Everything from one to ten was different from her human days. It felt like waking up one morning as an illegal immigrant. No... it was worse than that. She learned to her bones that humans couldn't do anything without belonging to society.
She couldn't even inherit from her only blood relative, her father, after his death. The court's logic was, "Real Dolls are not human, so they have no inheritance rights." Trauma Confectionery naturally fell to Vice President Kim Wanyong with the shareholders' support, and tangible assets like the mansion and paintings weren't given to Isia either. Inheritance for a Real Doll? The idea itself was absurd.
"Dad... ugh..."
She couldn't even attend her father's funeral or visit his grave to this day. Isia, once the heiress of a massive conglomerate, had become penniless in an instant.
No matter how much she'd been modified into a Real Doll, she was still a living being. Eating, sleeping, and excreting were essential for survival. The problem was that even these basic needs were hard to secure for a Real Doll.
Her resident registration was erased. Her passport, erased. No legal protection, treated officially as an object, so no human rights at all. Even a dog got affection for being cute, but Real Dolls were reviled as abominations.
"Um, excuse me. I'm looking for a part-time job..."
"What? You're a Real Doll? I can't hire one—I've got a wife, and if she finds out, it's divorce. Get lost."
"No, I want to work at your hamburger shop here. I've done counter work before."
"......"
"I-I'm confident I can do well! You can pay me minimum wage..."
"Argh! Business is bad enough without every freak crawling in! Scram!!!"
"Kyaaack!!"
At the fast-food joint for an interview, the owner dumped hot french-fry oil straight on Isia. It burned. It was humiliating. But... thanks to the coating, her skin didn't blister. The coating had felt creepy and repulsive at first, but it turned out to be surprisingly helpful.
"Shit shower!"
"Kyaaak! W-what are you doing?!"
"You're a Real Doll, right? Can I fuck you too?"
"G-get away! Get away from me!"
"Aw~ what's this? A Real Doll acting all high and mighty? Guys! Stomp her!"
"Ow! Ahh!"
The coating protected her from scratches when a gang of bratty boys trampled her, and it shielded her skin from sleeping on the ground or enduring rain without an umbrella. Real Dolls were expensive luxury goods, so the manufacturer took the coating seriously to prevent damage.
The coating prevented most external injuries, but the real problem was hunger. She hadn't had a proper meal since becoming a Real Doll. No one would hire her, so she couldn't earn money.
After agonizing over it endlessly, Isia decided to seek out her friends. The ones she'd shared dreams and futures with every day... maybe they'd accept her like this. Clinging to that faint hope, she headed to the campus she'd once strolled freely.
The prestigious American university she'd barely gotten into after studying hard... She'd already paid $50,000 in tuition. If she could just get that back... no, even $5 would be precious now. She hid her Real Doll necklace with a scarf scavenged from a trash can and wandered the grounds, waiting for her friends to pass by.
She wanted to meet someone she knew. A friend who'd accept her like this. But at the same time, waves of fear crashed through her at the thought of anyone who knew her old self appearing. It terrified her. What if her friends mocked the Real Doll she'd become? She'd probably kill herself right then.
Maybe she should just leave. Go back to sleeping on the park bench with the homeless. That felt easier. As she turned to go, a familiar voice rang out.
"Huh? Is that Isia?"
"......"
"It's Isia, right? Sia! Don't you recognize me?"
"......"
A man's voice. Deep, smooth... still kind.
"It's me, James! From the football team... remember?"
"J-Ja... mes."
"Whoa! Never thought we'd meet like this! Wow!! Long time no see?"
"Y-yeah... long time."
Isia lowered her eyes without confidence. James had consistently shown interest in her as a woman from the moment they met—a solid guy friend. Popular with girls as a sports star, but he hadn't won her over yet. He'd planned a full confession at her birthday party, but things had gone wrong.
Isia clutched her scarf tighter, scared James might have heard she'd become a Real Doll. The necklace around her neck still glowed with "Real Doll. Seeking Owner."
"...Sia. You okay? You look like you haven't washed. You're so skinny."
"...R-really?"
"That rumor was true, huh. They said you got turned into a Real Doll."
"!!!!"
Rumor. Rumor. Rumor. A terrifying word.
"Isia's a Real Doll now."
"For real~? 'That' Isia?"
"Kekekeke!"
"So she can't come to school anymore?"
"Whoa~ Thought she was hot shit, but she crashed hard."
"Life's so fucking pointless."
"Real Dolls aren't human anymore, right?"
"Her birthday party's canceled 'cause of that?"
"What a pathetic loser."
Imagined backbiting she'd never heard bubbled up from the sea of her mind, trampling her ears in real time. Even with only James around, panic hit like she was surrounded by a mocking crowd.
"I-I... I'm...! I'm!!"
"Calm down, Sia. It's okay!"
"I'm a Real Doll...! No...! I'm human...!"
"I know, I know. Calm down. I'm always on your side, Sia. You know that, right?"
James gently patted her back to soothe her. For the first time since becoming a Real Doll, someone treated her kindly, and tears burst from Isia.
"J-James! James!"
"I've always liked you. Even if you're a Real Doll now, my feelings haven't changed. Haha."
"Sniff! S-sorry. I didn't know you were such a good guy! Hic!"
"Aw... no need to cry."
James wrapped his massive frame around her and scanned the surroundings, as if scouting a spot. His eyes landed on an old shed. A place he'd snuck into to rest during brutal football practices. Perfect.
"Too many eyes here. Let's go somewhere we can be alone."
"Y-yeah. Thanks, James... I'm hungry."
"Yeah, yeah. Just follow me and trust me."
The old shed was pitch-black without windows, a dusty ruin with nothing but moldy mats and broken wooden planks.
Isia couldn't understand why he'd brought her here. "James...? Weren't you taking me to a motel or restaurant?"
"What? Why would I spend money on a Real Doll like that?"
"...? James?"
James had shed his jacket, baring his furious upper body. The football quarterback dropped his sweet mask, beast-like, and tackled the Real Doll.
The worn mat caught Isia softly, as if accustomed to such things. That's what this place was for, after all.
"James! James! What are you doing?!"
"What? Using a Real Doll for its intended purpose."
"You gonna rape me?"
"Not rape, you dumb bitch. I'm gonna jerk off. Why's a Real Doll still pretending to be a woman? You got some delusion? Call the cops now, and you'll get hauled off for resisting. That's your place in society."
"...Ugh."
James was right. If a Real Doll injured a human, it got scrapped on demand. Killed.
"Got it? Then stay still. You dared act pricey with me, a Real Doll? I'll break in that ass today. Heh."
"J-James. Didn't you like me?"
"Bullshit. I've got a girlfriend now. The bus left, you idiot. Your friends are all thrilled you're a Real Doll now."
"N-no way. We were all close."
"They just wagged their tails 'cause you were the conglomerate heiress. No one's sticking around a Real Doll. Best bar topic lately? Betting "how many times has Real Doll Isia been fucked by now?"
"That's too much... They aren't even worried?"
"Worry's for humans. You're a Real Doll. Do you understand? Shut up now—time to fuck you. I'll buy you a Big Mac after. Nice, right?"
"...You bastard."
"Hey, don't be like that. I was gonna buy you and be your master when I heard, but you're $100 million? Where'm I getting that? Maybe after NFL debut and getting rich—guh!!"
James clutched his head and collapsed. While he fumbled excitedly with his pants, Isia had swung a broken plank in secret.
"You bastard! Bastard! Bastard! Bastard! You bastaaard!!"
They say the strongest martial art in the world is kendo. James was toughened by football, but Isia was an elite athlete with a national gold in kendo at the nationals. In her hands, broken wood became a deadly weapon.
"Die! Die! Die! Dieee!"
"Urgh! Urrgh..."
In the end, James suffered broken limbs and brain damage, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. His NFL dreams vanished, and a life with nothing but sports went downhill. Even his girlfriend dumped him.
Isia's plight was worse. Branded "Real Doll Who Harmed a Human," she was wanted and on the run.
Blackstars could track her via the necklace anytime, but handing her to the police meant they'd pulverize her and dump her in a landfill. No gain for the company. At $100 million, scrapping her was a massive loss. So Blackstars pretended not to notice, leaving her be. When her buyer—her owner—showed up, they could just shift the blame.