The morning bell rang, and J High buzzed louder than usual. Posters plastered across the halls screamed "Festival Day!", with arrows pointing toward the gym where the slave auction was to be held.
For most, it was a chance to laugh, cheer, and maybe even snag a date with their crush.
For Seong Min, it was nothing more than noise.
He walked through the hall with his usual calm gait, uniform sharp despite the faint stiffness in his movements. To anyone watching, he looked the same as ever — poised, unreadable, untouchable. But under his collar, faint bruises lingered from Tom Lee's fists.
Only Crystal knew.
She had seen him stagger the night before, his blood staining the White Tiger mats. Now, as she stood at her locker, her eyes followed him. The mask was flawless, but she alone knew the cracks beneath.
"Back already?" she murmured when he passed.
Seong Min's lips curved faintly, but his voice stayed low. "Can't vanish too long. Students get curious. Better they think I'm bored than broken."
Crystal's nails tapped against her notebook. "Charles won't let you linger. Enjoy the farce while you can. Tonight, you're his again."
He gave no answer, only brushed past, his hand briefly settling on Yui's shoulder as she approached. The touch was casual, possessive. Yui's cheeks flushed, her lips curling into a private smile.
Zoe, trailing behind, noticed. Her fists tightened.
The Auction Begins
By the time the gym filled, the noise was deafening. DJ Chatty's voice boomed over the speakers, hyping the crowd.
One by one, candidates were called up.
Vasco stood stiffly on stage, veins bulging with nervous tension. Girls in the audience whispered, then shrank back. None raised their paddles. His shoulders slumped, and when the timer ended, he burst into tears. Jace rushed to comfort him.
Eli Jang walked up next, hair shining under the lights. Half the school screamed his name, but the Beauty Department outbid everyone, refusing to let him go. Their cheers drowned out the rest.
Daniel Park stepped nervously onto the stage. For a moment, there was silence — then a storm. Paddles shot up everywhere, girls shouting over each other. The bids climbed higher and higher, until the floor shook with laughter and disbelief.
Watching From the Sidelines
Crystal sat near the back, legs crossed elegantly. To the untrained eye, she looked indifferent. But her pen tapped faintly against her notebook.
Every cheer for Daniel, every shriek for Eli, every tear Vasco shed — she weighed them all against one silent figure not on the stage.
Seong Min.
What would happen if he stood under those lights?
Her chest tightened at the thought. She shoved it down, keeping her face cool.
Beside her, Yui leaned forward eagerly, shouting and laughing louder than anyone. But every so often, her lips curved into that secret smile — the one only Seong Min had put there.
Zoe noticed. And hated it.
Absent, But Looming
The auction raged on, but whispers about Seong Min threaded through the crowd.
"Why isn't he up there?""He'd fetch the highest bid, no contest.""Maybe he refused?"
Nobody knew the truth. That he had already been claimed by forces far larger than a high school festival.
Crystal did.
Her phone buzzed against her thigh. She glanced at the screen. One name lit up.
Charles.
She slipped out of the gym quietly, the roar of the auction fading behind her.
When she answered, his voice was smooth, commanding.
"Bring Seong Min. His school games are finished. It's time for the next test."
Her grip on the phone tightened. Her eyes flicked back toward the stage, where laughter and cheers drowned the world.
For them, today was just a festival.
For Seong Min, the real game had only begun.