22-26

EP. 26 # 2. (Actress Soo-rim) - Huh? (5)

"Now that your livestock name is decided, all that's left is to implant the barcode and RFID."

Livestock name. My name. My human name, Soo-rim, is gone. Now, this livestock name is my official designation.

My owner is Jun-seong, my brother. He wouldn't give me a strange name.

But I'm curious...

"Do you know what my livestock name is?"

"The owner asked us not to tell you. He'll tell you himself."

"Yes..."

Is he trying to surprise me? He's always liked surprising me.

What kind of name did he choose? I hope it's not something like a dog or cat name. My brother wouldn't do that.

Let's trust him. Don't doubt him.

"We've arrived."

[Animal ID Center]

The name sounds decent, but here, I get a barcode tattooed on my arm and an RFID chip implanted.

It's like a brand. There are RFID scanners all over the city. The excuse was that I wouldn't need to carry an ID, but it's really to prevent livestock from pretending to be human.

"My brother will definitely clear up this misunderstanding."

Let's trust him. He's my savior. Nothing he's said has ever failed to happen.

"Come over here and put your arm in."

A nonchalant man tells me to insert my arm into a machine.

The machine looks like a large hole with a soft entrance.

"What is this?"

"It's a machine to implant a barcode and RFID chip on your arm. Come quickly."

"...Yes."

I carefully put my arm into the machine.

Clank.

"Ahh!"

As I insert my arm, I feel something filling my elbow and hand.

"Don't be surprised. Your arm is fixed in place so the barcode can be tattooed properly."

"Yes..."

"It takes about three minutes."

Clunk. The man presses the machine's button, and a loud noise starts.

Zzzing.

Suddenly, I feel intense pain on my upper arm.

"Ahh! Ahhh!"

I try to move my arm, but it doesn't budge.

"Don't move. If the barcode is damaged, it will have to be redone."

The man's warning doesn't register. The pain feels like my arm is being branded with a hot iron.

"It hurts! It hurts so much!!"

"Endure it. It will be over soon."

"Haaa...Huuuuuuh!!!"

The pain lasts longer than the man said it would.

Zzzing. The machine noise gets louder, and the heat supporting my arm disappears.

"Is...is it done?"

"The barcode is complete. Now, the RFID chip needs to be implanted."

Pffft.

"Ahh!!! Haaaah!!!"

It's not just a pinch. A thick, long needle is inserted into my burned arm.

"Just endure it a bit longer. It will be over soon."

The man is a complete liar. He says it will be over soon, but it's not painless.

"Huu...Huuuuh...Uuuuh..."

I feel something entering my arm, deep into a place that can't be dug out. The chip is implanted in my body.

Zzzing. Chk-chk.

Something cool is sprayed on my arm, probably disinfectant.

Thud. Thud.

My elbow and wrist are released, and the soft part of the machine covering my shoulder opens wide.

"Take it out slowly. Don't touch the treated area."

"Huuu...Yes..."

The treated arm is visible. It's been cleaned with disinfectant, but blood is rising in a barcode pattern.

"It might sting a bit."

The man covers my arm with a gauze soaked in disinfectant.

"Huuuuh..."

He then wraps a bandage around it.

"Tell your owner not to wash it for a day."

"Yes...okay. Thank you."

"Now, I'll hand you over to your owner. I hope your future is peaceful."

The liar gives a polite bow to me, a livestock. Overall, this auction house is much more gentlemanly than the police.

His farewell seems peaceful, and maybe I'll regain my human rights someday.

I go to see my brother with hope.

"All the auction procedures are complete."

"Thank you."

My brother receives my leash. He doesn't say anything to me, and neither do I.

We're still in a formal setting. There's no need to show our relationship here.

"Let's go."

The leash tugs slightly, just enough not to hurt me or make me uncomfortable.

"Yes..."

We leave the auction house. A white MPV, which I used to ride in, is waiting at the entrance.

As we approach, the sliding door opens automatically.

"Get in."

"Yes."

"What's with the polite language? When did you start using it with me?"

"You're my owner now."

"I guess that's right. Stop talking nonsense and get in quickly."

"Hehe, okay."

I get into the car on two legs. The heavily tinted door closes.

"You must be tired. Wear this."

My brother hands me a shopping bag with a Chanel outfit inside.

"Livestock can't wear women's clothes, you know."

"Stop joking. Put it on quickly."

My plan to tease him after a long time fails.

Whoosh. My brother draws a curtain between the driver's seat and the second row.

He's still a gentleman.

I put on the clothes. It feels strange after being naked for so long.

The outfit is a neat suit, similar to what I used to wear when meeting investors.

"I'm done, brother."

The curtain opens, and he says:

"Good. You look nice."

There's a lot I want to ask, especially about the two months that were so hard on me.

"Brother, thank you."

"What are you thanking me for?"

"For saving me."

My brother is silent for a moment. It seems like he's touched by my gratitude.

"Well, if you think that way, it's fine."

"But why did you make me wait for two months? Why did you come so late?"

"There were circumstances."

"But shouldn't you have visited me at least once? I thought you abandoned me."

"Sorry, sorry. I had to confirm whether you really took drugs or not."

"Didn't Yoo-jeong tell you?"

"She did, but I couldn't just believe her words. I had to investigate everything, which took time."

"So, you doubted me. You thought I took drugs."

"No, no. I was sure you wouldn't do that."

"...Brother, you're really good with words."

It's been a while since we had a human conversation, and it feels happy. Chatting with him is enjoyable.

"Anyway, I'm still investigating Park Sang-moon. Don't worry too much. The lawyer said that if things go well, you might be able to regain your human rights. Let's get them back and earn some money for you."

When I hear the words I've been longing to hear from my brother, tears well up in my eyes.

"...Really, thank you, brother."

"Why are you crying again?"

"...You always help me when I'm in trouble."

I approach the driver's seat and hug my brother's neck.

"What's going on? Why are you doing this suddenly?"

"I'm giving you a reward because you're grateful."

"Quickly let go. If people see the agency head and an actress like this, it'll cause a scene."

"I'm not an actress anymore. I'm your livestock."

"Hmm, but don't think about that until you regain your rights."

"That's for later. For now, I just want to stay like this."

"Hmm, who can stop your stubbornness?"

Vroom.

I stay hugging my brother for a while.

"Are you hungry? Let's go eat."

"Is there a restaurant I can go to?"

There are no restaurants for livestock. Well, there are, but I'd have to be naked and wear a leash, and eat from the floor.

I wouldn't be allowed to use utensils, so I'd have to eat directly from the bowl.

"There is one, but it's illegal."

"I don't need to go there. I'd rather go home and eat."

"Do you not want to have a meal with me?"

"That's not it, but..."

The fact that it's illegal bothers me, but I decide to go because of my brother's kindness. I nod silently.

"Then I'll take it as your agreement."

Vroom.

The car drives for a while and stops between a quiet cluster of buildings.

"Get out."

"Is there a restaurant here? It doesn't look like a place with a restaurant."

"It's illegal, so it's not obvious."

My brother takes me underground. Since we're alone, I walk on two legs.

"If there are RFID scanners, we'll be discovered."

"Don't worry, I checked. There aren't any."

We're on the second basement level. There's a steel door with a white bell.

Ding-ding.

When I ring the bell, a camera above moves.

Clank. The door opens.

"Welcome. Are you Jun-seong, who made the reservation?"

"Yes."

"Please follow me."

The place looks like a medieval castle, with stone decorations and candle-like lights.

The waiter leads us through a maze-like corridor and stops at a door.

"This is it."

"Is the guest here?"

"Yes, they arrived five minutes ago."

What? A guest?

I thought we were alone?

"What do you mean by a guest, brother?"

"There's someone who will help you, Soo-rim."

Clank. The door opens, and my body freezes.

"Wow, Soo-rim is here? Ah, I guess we should call you Limi now."

It's like a room in a lounge. The chairman of STB, a national broadcasting company, is sitting there with a sly smile.

He's the one who tried to assault me two years ago. Why is he here?