Junhyung didn't feel like talking. He'd been silent the past 2 days, his mother began to worry. A mother didn't need anything else but her instinct to know her son. She knew why he didn't want to talk. He was mad. Not just mad, but mad at her. Junhyung is an understanding young man; however, to enter into the world of the Human Market because of his mother. That he wasn't expecting since it came to him so abruptly.

"Junhyung-ah, please speak to me. I'm your mother," no matter how many times she pleaded, with her hands closed together and eyes wide and near to tears -- Junhyung said nothing. Not a single sound. His anger must be up way high to not even give-in to a mother's request.

His silence was breaking her heart.

"I'm sorry... that's all I can say now..." her voice cracking, she stood up, wiped away the tear streaming down her cheek and went to the kitchen. She left her eldest son in his room to think. He had less than 2 weeks before he would legally be 18 and ready to be taken to his owner.

Junhyung thought of many questions during his silence. "Who is Jang Hyunseung?" "Why did he buy me?" "What do I have that makes it worth having me?" "Did he buy me or did someone else buy me as a gift for him?" "What will happen to Junsung? My mother?" "I can't... I don't want to be an Item... can I reject this?"

All these questions he wanted answered. He was certain he couldn't get any of the questions answered...except...maybe from one person. He knew a girl that was from the Owner-Item system -- she was a previously owned Item that barely made it out alive. She lived hidden under the city but was well-known around Junhyung's side of town for being smart and sneaky. She found out things about the Owner-Item system and the truth was unbearable.

Junhyung left the house to think and decided to visit the only Item to ever escape.

"Gina-noona, it's me... Yong Junhyung."

 He knocked on the door. In a few seconds, he could hear the door being unlocked and was grabbed by the shirt and heaved inside the house. "Gina-noona, is something wrong?"

"The police patrol at this hour, you moron!"

"S-Sorry... I-I just needed to talk to you."

"Whatever it is, I can't help you"

"Noona... I was sold."

Gina then turned around, her facial expression looked as if something trigger inside of her. What she had heard was alarming news. "Follow me," was all she said and Junhyung did as told.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Junhyung had been to Gina's house plenty of times but it was the first time he had seen her research room. The room wasn't that big. All that was in it was a desk, chair, old computer and news clippings on the walls. Junhyung looked around and the news clippings were all about the Obyul. Recent news and old news, even those from fifteen years ago.

"Noona, what's with all this?"

"Shut up and sit down," she ordered as she looked for something in the room.

Junhyung saw a stack of papers and sat on it.

"Here it is," Gina found a black notebook and handed it to Junhyung.

"What is this?" Junhyung asked as he accepted it.

"It's a notebook I kept while I was an item. I wrote down everything I observed. Take a look." Gina then sat down on her chair and waited for Junhyung to look inside.

Junhyung opened it to a random page. It was a profile for an Obyul family.

"Kim family. Kim Sanghoon, 54, owns 20% of the Obyul. Park Eunbi, wife of Kim Shanghoon, 49. Kim Junhoon, 25, Kim Sanghoon's inheritance successor... Noona, this is the family you worked for, right?"

"Yeah... I was bought by Park Eunbi for her son when he turned 20. I had just turned 18 that time. I've kept this notebook with me since I was bought and I updated it everyday. I have details about each Obyul owner... Until last year, when I escaped."

Junhyung looked through the pages and reached 'The Jang Family'

"You updated this until last year, right?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Junhyung turned the page and the profile of Obyul owner Jang Seungho. Since the notebook was updated only up to last year, currently Jang Seungho was 51. His wife was 47. His daughter, Jang Guerim, was 17 and his son, Jang Hyunseung, was 18.

"So we're the same age..."

"Did you say something?"

Junhyung came back from his train of thought, "Oh, I-It's nothing. Is there no picture of the Jang family?"

"I only have a photo of Jang Seungho. I only ever saw his wife twice. I've never seen his kids."

"Oh..." Junhyung continued to scan the pages and stopped at a page. It was an old photo of a man. There was no family in his page. "Who's this?" Junhyung showed the page to Gina.

"Him? Well... 15 years ago, he was part of the Obyul. Well-known for his generosity. I think his name was... Oh Jin."

"He didn't have a family?"

"He did. But, after his murder, his family vanished. Nobody knows if they were also murdered or just fled the country."

"Why was he murdered?"

"I don't know." Gina grabbed her chair and sat in front of Juhyung, "Junhyung-ah, you have to be careful not to fall in love with your owner."

"What? That's not gonna be possible... my owner is--"

"I don't care who your owner is. Falling in love will mean fatal consequences."

"F-Fatal? Wh-Why would..."

"I fell in love with my owner."

"Eeh?!"

"It's against policy for an Owner and Item to have romantic relations with one another and it results to... to death as punishment."

"That's why you ran away..."

Gina was on the verge of tears, "He didn't want me killed. Junhoon-ssi loved me enough to set me free and escape. With his money, he was able to bribe the police to stop searching for me. But I believe his father would still kill me if he could."

"Did he ever come back for you?"

Gina wiped the tear flowing down her cheek and put on a fake smile, "He got married. He's married now... probably a baby on the way, who knows."

"Noona..."

"Just make sure to never fall in love. Never! Understand?!"

"Ye-yes"

"Now go before the police does house-to-house inspection and sees you here."

Junhyung was about to give back the notebook when Gina placed her palm before the book and pushed it back towards Junhyung, "Keep it. Use it to your advantage."

Junhyung smiled, "Thanks" and left the house quietly.

Gina's smile disappeared as she said to no one, "You're going to find out sooner or later, Junhyung-ah. I hope you do what you're destined to do."

In less than 2 weeks, Junhyung's life would be in someone else's control. But -- there are other things in life one cannot control. Love will always find its way in the middle.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Hi!~ Sorry I've been out for too long. It's hard to find time to write even a single sentence. I can't promise to update this every day but I'll do my best to finish this fic no matter what! I like this plot very much. ^^ I wanna keep writing it.

The next chapter will probably be of Junhyung's first day as an Item... or a transition to thay day. Anyways, next chapter will be Junhyung and Hyunseung's first meeting. I wonder what it'll be like. TUNE IN TO FIND OUT!

Comments are loved~