22-1

EP.1 (Pre-Livestock Female University Student Lee Sol-ah) - I Have to Become Livestock...(1)

The graduation ceremony of National No. 13 Girls' High School was held, which coincided with the Coming of Age ceremony. The university admission results were also announced on this day.

"Congratulations on your graduation, daughter!! Where do you want to go to eat? Just tell me what you want, and I'll buy it for you!"

"Haigoo...! How did I raise you?! You failed?!"

The gym was divided into two groups: those who were happy about graduating and those like me who were depressed.

I didn't get into university. Only 30 out of 50 students from my school were admitted.

I was among the bottom 20. I didn't even make it into the top 60%.

My family consists of my father, his wife and property, my mother, and my fraternal twin brother, making us a family of four. However, my brother didn't come. It was fortunate that he didn't, given our strained relationship.

"Good job, daughter."

My father handed me a bouquet of flowers after seeing the notification of my failure. He looked disappointed.

[Disappointing.]

[What's the point of celebrating a future livestock?]

I was worried he might say something like that, but fortunately, he didn't. However, his lack of expression showed how much he was disappointed in me.

"You've become such a grown-up, dear. Aren't you happy?" my mother asked, kneeling beside him.

Her eyes, filled with a sad gaze and a collar around her neck, seemed to understand my feelings. A tear dropped from her eye.

"...Congratulations on your graduation, miss..."

My mother has no rights. She can't address me informally because I have rights, so she calls me "miss."

When I was younger, I thought it was normal. My mother was just a pet breeder in our household, nothing more or less.

As I grew older, I faced reality. Only recognized geniuses could attend the National Capital University. If I didn't get in, I would become someone's pet breeder like my mother.

My father is a high-ranking elite; he's very intelligent. I inherited his intelligence, but I wasn't recognized as a genius by the state.

I missed the cut by just one person. I couldn't get into the National Capital University. There's no chance for a retest; the state believes real geniuses don't need to study more.

My father had high expectations for me. Typically, girls start socialization education in elementary school, learning that it's natural for women to become livestock for human production.

However, our household is different. We believe intelligence is inherited, so we administer genius tests. If a girl passes, she doesn't attend regular elementary school but goes to a special school with other girls who passed the test. There, they learn subjects like Korean, math, and science alongside boys.

If I got into the National Capital University, I wouldn't have to become livestock. But I failed.

I have two options: marry by the age of 25 and become someone's livestock, or be taken to a state-run human production factory after that. Either way, I'm destined to become livestock.

Most women don't mind becoming livestock because they're educated from elementary school. Their families also provide early livestock training before school.

If a daughter refuses to become livestock, the entire family is sent to a national prison to perform hard labor for life.

The biggest social issue is people like me—failed geniuses who didn't undergo livestock socialization and failed to get into university. They often refuse to become livestock and try to escape, but they and their families are quickly caught. I've seen news about prisons being overcrowded with such families.

I thought I wouldn't end up like them. My high school grades were always in the top 10%, so I never expected this outcome.

It was strange. The marking wasn't unusual, so how could this happen?

However, the state's announcements are never changed unless there's solid evidence.

I have no evidence, so I must accept this result.

"Hey, Jae-hyeok! Long time no see!"

My father's colleague, Oh Won-seok, approached us. He's a colleague but uses informal language with my father because they started at the same time, though my father was promoted faster due to his abilities.

Oh Won-seok's daughter, Oh Ji-hye, has poor grades but always seems to be competing with me. Her personality is odd, and I've always felt uncomfortable around her.

Oh Won-seok's wife, who is his property, was standing naked on all fours, unlike my mother, who was dressed and standing on two legs.

"Long time no see," Oh Won-seok said.

My father greeted them without any change in expression.

"How was the graduation ceremony? Oh, and our daughter got into university! I didn't expect it, haha!"

Oh Won-seok was doing this on purpose. He knew I wasn't on the admission list through Oh Ji-hye.

"Did your daughter get in?" my father asked.

Oh Won-seok's expression changed slightly.

"Unfortunately, she didn't make it," my father replied.

"Oh, what a shame," Oh Won-seok said with a consoling face, but it wasn't genuine.

He came to humiliate us.

"Sol-ah, say hello," my father instructed.

I didn't want to greet him, but I couldn't disobey my father. I had disappointed him, so I had to comply.

"Hello...sir," I said.

"You were known for being a good student, so why did you fail? Anyway, forget those strange thoughts. If you don't, you and your father, or even the pet breeder, might suffer," Oh Won-seok said mockingly.

Behind him, Oh Ji-hye appeared with a smug expression, which further upset me.

My eyes welled up with tears.

Suddenly, Oh Won-seok slapped my cheek.

"You'll still sell well, even if you're not perfect. At least in the human production factory..."

"You can't do that to our precious daughter!" my father shouted.

With a loud punch, Oh Won-seok was knocked out by my father.

"Kkkk!" Oh Ji-hye rushed to her father, shouting, "What are you doing now?!"

My father ignored Oh Ji-hye's ranting and grabbed her chin.

"Khk! How about I do the same to your daughter?!"

"Kkk...kkk...huhu...huhuhu...Nothing will change just because of that...My daughter is a person, and yours is livestock...hahaha..."

My father released Oh Ji-hye's chin and took my hand.

"Let's go. We don't need to listen to that guy. Come on."

"Yes...sir," I replied.

My father quickly walked away, holding my hand and helping my mother up.

"Haha...haha...Sol-ah, it's better for you to receive livestock training soon. Otherwise, you might go crazy...hahaha..."

As Oh Won-seok cursed, my father covered my ears.

"Don't listen to him."

I wanted to hear more, but he didn't say anything else.

I saw tears fall from my father's chin, and I couldn't hold back my own tears.

A week passed, and no matter how much I cried, my heart didn't heal.

The future was uncertain, filled only with the prospect of becoming livestock.

My father didn't cry again after that day. He just went back to his routine.

"Miss, don't be too disappointed. If you meet a good husband like your father, you can live a comfortable life like me," my mother said, trying to comfort me.

But it didn't work. It felt like our household's pet breeder was teasing me.

"What does a pet breeder know?! Get out! Get out of here!"

"...Yes."

My mother couldn't disobey me because I have rights and she doesn't.

I felt sorry for her as she left the room. I didn't mean to call her a pet breeder.

I thought about using honorifics with her since I'll soon be in the same situation, but it didn't happen. For 20 years, I had spoken to her informally, and changing that was difficult.

Actually, my mother was right. Now that things have turned out this way, I should marry a good man and become his property.

My mother is treated relatively well. There's a law requiring pet breeders to wear collars when outdoors, but otherwise, she can walk on two legs like a normal person. She eats in the same space as us, though not at the same table.

In other friends' homes, their mothers were treated poorly. Some had to walk on all fours and even lived in doghouses in the front yard.

This is common in families of educated men, but it's worse in ordinary families.

It's also a duty of livestock to stimulate men's desires, so it's normal for them to be naked. My mother wearing clothes is unusual. Sometimes, elderly people criticize us for dressing our livestock.

My father has never forced my mother into obedience training. In other households, fathers often tie up their wives and beat them under the pretext of regular training.

There was a knock at the door.

"Hey! I told you to leave, but you're back again!"

It was my father, not my mother. His words are absolute.

I went to the living room, where my father and mother were.

"Why did you call me?"

"I've arranged a marriage for you. It's with the son of one of my juniors. He's very kind, and I'm sure he'll treat you well."