The city of Seoul. It used to be a gorgeous city. Beautiful and full of life. Today, it's nothing like that. It's a sick haven for the people that HAVE.

In this world, you're either a HAVE or a HAVE-NOT. You own a share in the monopolized Obyul industry, you're a HAVE. You are hired as Obyul industry's factory workers, you're a HAVE-NOT. The more money, the more power. The less money, the more you'll suffer.

How the city came to be -- no one knows for sure. Those in Obyul know how the city of Seoul turned from a land of trust to a land where citizens are clearly divided amongst Owners and Items. The HAVE-NOTs of society do not want to question those in Obyul. If they did, they'd risk themselves in being SOLD as an Item in the Human Market.

The Human Market is just like a Stock Market. A Stock Market has a collection of stocks from every company. Instead of stocks, a human market sells the have-nots of society, the ones unable to live for themselves. 

This is modern day slavery - with a special twist to its form. Now, slavery is legal and the people or  "items" have the right to speak and the right to live; other than this, nothing is given to items unless it's under the owner's discretion. Items work under their owner. Items live with their owner, as any item would be - it should be kept near the owner.

Items are also publicly sold. In the evening, hologram signboards around the city are lit and publicize the items for sale. Details such as the name, birthdate and the item's photo are plastered on the hologram signboards. Your entire identity is shown to everyone.

It's quite scary to live in this city.

But this is where I live.

I'm Yong Junhyung.

I'm an Item.

I was SOLD.

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AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Obyul (오별/5 별) means "5 stars." When you rank a place, the highest rank is usually 5 stars.

[Personally, 5 stars for me means TVXQ and I'm a TVXQ fan as well. If you're a TXVQ fan also, can you spot Cassiopeia in the art I made?] 

I decided to start this fic at least with the prologue. ^^ I hope you enjoy the future chapters to come!