Sanctuary - Chapter Two
Title: Sanctuary
Chapter: 2/?
Authors: renichifreak and yeonah
Fandom: SS501
Pairings: Unknown
Rating: PG-16
Warning:Angst, AU
Summary: In this era, people are bought and sold as though they are cattle. The human life is only worth what one is willing to pay for it. What happens when two such people end up in the possession of two brothers who refuse to follow the very practices they were raised to believe?
A/N: Another roleplay story by us for your enjoyment~! Yes, Unlock is still going XD We’re going back and forth. HyunJoong and JungMin are played by me (yeonah ) and KyuJong and YoungSaeng are played by renichifreak . Credit for the original plot goes to renichifreak and hakkais_shadow ~ <3
KyuJong walked into his room, leaving the door open for the other to enter. He knew that the guards were following, given the man's extremely volatile attitude, so when they were inside he closed and locked the door before dropping onto his bed with a loud sigh.
"Make yourself comfortable. You can leave once the guards decide that you aren't going to kill me."
JungMin watched the other man warily. "I'm not that stupid," he grumbled, not liking this. He'd trusted in just being a general labor slave, not someone's pet. Now it would be twice as hard to sneak away. He'd still do it though. Nothing held him back for long.
Finding a chair to sit in, he kept one eye on the man in case he tried anything. They looked around the same age...though JungMin looked older than he actually was, so that probably made this other guy the oldest of the two.
"Who said you are stupid?" KyuJong asked, not moving. "I'm KyuJong, by the way. I get the pleasure of being the middle child in this crazy household," he chuckled dryly.
"And don't for a second think that I'm touching you. I am not like my father," he repeated, voice low and anger apparent.
The slave's suspicious gaze didn't lessen in the least. If he was touched, someone would find themselves missing a few fingers. Hearing the anger in the other man's voice, JungMin smirked, watching through his red bangs. "They say the apple never falls far from the tree." Lifting one hand, he tugged on his blue collar. "If you're not like your father, then take this thing off," he challenged, eyes dark.
"If you can't do that...you're no better than him to me."
Sitting up quickly, KyuJong glared at him. "I am nothing like him. If there's anything I hate more than anything, it's slavery. The only reason you're here is because I don't want you to get beaten. My hyung did the same to your friend because our father would never let him out of his bed, unlike HyunJoong, who will not touch him," KyuJong stated.
"Trust me. If I knew how to take that off without the key that my father no doubt has, I would. I don't want slaves. I want the entire barbaric system abolished!"
Amused by the reactions he was gathering from the older man, JungMin locked gazes with him and didn't look away. "Do you know why people like the idea of slaves so much? They like feeling in control. Life hardly ever goes the way you want it to, and no human being likes feeling powerless. Slavery gives them one of the greatest powers they could have: power over something else with a free will."
His gaze narrowed. "It's an illusion of control because human beings are too weak to accept they have none."
Drawing his knees up to his chest, JungMin gave the man the same dark glare he'd sent him before. "Forgive me, master, if I don't think you're some sort of saint who is above the emotions and pain of mere mortals."
"Don't call me that!" KyuJong finally yelled, eyes wide. "I am nobody's master. You are your own man. I'm aware that you have to call me that in public, but please, just don't do it when no one's around," he nearly begged.
"I'm not a saint, and I don't expect you to think of me as one. I'm as human as you are and am perfectly capable of doing things for myself."
Taking a deep breath, KyuJong sighed, mirroring the man's position. "Listen. If it's okay with you, would I be able to repay you for any labor that you do? Like, I don't know...pay you maybe? I don't like the idea of forcing someone...and this isn't a bribe or anything like that. It's payment for services..." he suggested quietly, looking away, unable to look at the hatred in his eyes anymore.
Watching the man draw in on himself, JungMin felt faintly pleased at the reactions…though he was surprised he hadn't been hit yet. He had been prepared for it, body tense and ready to retaliate, waiting guards be damned. But the expected strike never came.
JungMin bristled at the suggestion though. "I don't want your money," he glared at KyuJong. "I want to get out of here." Though that obviously wasn't going to happen right now. He'd have to deal until he could plot with YoungSaeng on how to escape.
In the meantime though...his reason for escaping came back to him, and he smirked. "Although...if you really want to 'repay' me, there's someone I'm looking for who a guy in your position should have no trouble finding." If he couldn't track down his little sister, he was going to use someone who could.
KyuJong noticed the tension and sighed. "I'm not gonna touch you, remember? Besides, you could probably break me in half. HyunJoong is the one good at self defense techniques, not me," he stated.
"I want to get you out of here, too. I just need to figure out how." That would be the hard part.
KyuJong tilted his head. "Um, sure. Who are you looking for?" he asked, curious. "And um, can I ask what your name is? I don't wanna call you 'Hey you'."
Pressing his lips firmly together, JungMin switched his gaze to the wall opposite him, thinking about his sister. "Park SunKyu," he said after a moment. "A pleasure slave." Just the thought of what could be happening to her sent his blood boiling. He needed to find her.
Maybe he would stick around long enough to see if KyuJong was able to find her or not. As soon as he had his information, he was gone.
Considering the second request, he rubbed absently at his red and scarred wrists out of habit. "Park JungMin," he said finally.
Reaching over to the notebook on the desk, KyuJong wrote her name down so as to not forget. "Okay. I'll give it a go. I'll get Hyung to help since he's the eldest and has more connections than I do."
Seeing the damaged wrists, he thought for a second before getting up and walking into the bathroom, returning with a small box. He walked over to where JungMin was seated and knelt down, motioning to his wrists. "Can I? I just want to clean and wrap them before they get infected," he asked, making sure to stay back a bit until he had permission.
Looking up when KyuJong left the room, JungMin jerked back in surprise when the older man knelt in front of him, nearly falling off his perch on the chair. Steadily himself again, he looked at the box warily as though it contained acid rather than medicine.
That had happened to him too. Thankfully his shirt hid that particular incident, as it did for the majority of his other punishments for misbehaving.
After a long pause, the slave finally held out his wrists slowly. "If there's anything in there that's not first-aid, I'm decking you."
Noting the hesitance, KyuJong held the box out to JungMin. "Here. You can look through everything first if you want to," he suggested with a very small and weak smile. He'd heard of people being cruel to their slaves, so he should have expected the doubt.
Watching the other man carefully, JungMin took the box and opened it away from him, in case it was explosive. Poking through it, he checked all four corners to make sure there was nothing out of the ordinary, frowning at the safety pins he found at the bottom. That wasn't enough to base his suspicions on though (even though they hurt like mad), so he held the box back out to KyuJong, lips pressed firmly together.
Taking the box back, KyuJong set it on the floor and took one of Jungmin's wrists, hissing slightly at the condition. "Bastards," he mumbled as he pulled out the antiseptic. "This is gonna hurt, so I apologize now," he said as he poured some onto a cloth and began to clean the cuts, wincing sympathetically.
After cleaning and wrapping one wrist, he quickly moved to the other, doing the same.
JungMin didn't look away as KyuJong worked on his wrist, biting his lower lip at the stinging pain to keep from reacting. This was nothing. He'd felt much worse. The antiseptic actually felt nice when the stinging faded somewhat, cold against the burning cuts and scrapes left by sharp metal.
"I still hate you," he said flatly as he watched the older man tend to his wrists.
KyuJong paused before finishing up, repacking the box. "I figured," he replied quietly as he got to his feet and returned the box to his bathroom.
Leaning against the counter, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He hoped HyunJoong was having better luck than he was, though he supposed the fact that JungMin hadn't tried to kill him yet was a good sign.
Glancing at KyuJong as he left the room again, JungMin ran his hand lightly over the bandages now covering his wrists. After a moment he wrapped his arms around his legs and rested his chin on his knees, red hair falling into his face as he considered his choices.
As of now, sticking around until he had some clue of SunKyu's whereabouts was the best idea. That meant he'd have to put up with being this guy's slave for now. That didn't mean he planned on playing nice, though he'd have to be careful he didn't tick him off too much or KyuJong wouldn't help him find his sister.
After a minute, KyuJong walked back out and motioned to JungMin. "There's a room attached to mine that's not being used, so you can have it." Heading toward the door, KyuJong opened it and stepped aside, allowing JungMin to enter if he wanted to.
"The main door is locked, but I'll try to get it unlocked so that you can leave the room whenever you want rather than me letting you out," he explained. "Until then, feel free to come through here and leave by my room, I guess," he shrugged.
Blinking, JungMin got up and slowly followed KyuJong to the connecting doorway. Thankfully labor slaves didn't have to stay in the same room as their owner, unlike pleasure slaves. At the same time, JungMin would be expected to stay close to KyuJong and be around to help him with practically anything from bringing him food to moving heavy objects for him to closing doors. It was a nuisance, but one he'd have to deal with.
Going into the connecting room, he looked around, sharp eyes taking in everything. It looked like it had been meant to be a guest bedroom, though as KyuJong had said the main door was locked. It had all the basics, even an old television set in the corner, though to JungMin's disappointment the window looked too small to be of much future use.
Glancing back at KyuJong, JungMin frowned at the older man. "Aren't you supposed to be lecturing me on what I'm going to be doing for you right now, not worrying about whether I can leave or not without you knowing?" he deadpanned.
Though the main door would definitely make it easier for him to sneak out.
KyuJong watched JungMin look around the room, noting his disappointment on the size of the window. The room used to be the one that their cousin would sleep in during stays at their home, but he no longer visited, finding as much fault in his father's stance on things as he himself did.
"You want me to lecture you? Fine. I'll only ask for your help if I know that I can't do it by myself, or if I think that we're being watched. I expect you to knock before walking in and I'll show you the same courtesy. The bathroom is in my room, so feel free to use it. The lock even works if you really think so low of me," he stated. "Lecture complete."
Looking the slave over, he nodded. "We can go out later and get you some clothes. You can pick them out and everything. I'm sure Hyung and your friend will be heading out anyway."
JungMin stared at KyuJong for a long moment. "So you're only going to actually treat me like a slave when someone's around to see it." His voice was suspicious again, not believing him.
At the mention of clothes, JungMin looked down at his worn shirt. Other masters had rarely let him have new clothes, unless they had slave uniforms. JungMin didn't really care much, as long as whatever he wore was enough to cover things he'd rather stay hidden. Sleeves he couldn't do anything about, but the scars on his arms were minimal, faint lines of pink skin that were only visible if one looked closely. He couldn't say the same about everywhere else.
KyuJong nodded his head. "I've gone 19 years without a slave, so I'm sure I can keep it up." He paused. "At least my brothers will be happy that I won't be asking for their help when I get bored and decide to rearrange my room, though I'll only ask for help with things. I won't ask you to do them alone. My bed and dresser are too hard for me to move by myself."
"I would prefer that you be comfortable in your clothes, so you pick out whatever you want, as long as it's easy for you to move in, since that's more or less your roll, right?" He sighed. "Hyung won't have it as easy getting clothes for your friend, though, since pleasure slaves have to be presentable at all times," he sighed. "Can I ask his name? I feel rude referring to him as 'your friend' all the time, and I refuse to call him Hyung's slave."
19 years? So KyuJong was older than him, though not by much. It didn't matter though; there was no way he was ever calling the guy 'hyung'.
Still watching him carefully, JungMin rolled his eyes. "You're going to die with a billion wrinkles if you keep sighing like that. His name's YoungSaeng." He'd never found out the pleasure slave's last name, though he'd never asked; some slaves were touchy about last names. Especially those betrayed by the family who gave them the name.
KyuJong couldn't help but release a quiet laugh. "Well stop making me sigh them, JungMin-sshi," he replied. "I'm usually the worrier of the family when I'm not protesting things that I don't believe in."
"So how old are you? If you'd like, we can always do a question for a question," he suggested with a shrug.
JungMin wanted to ask why the hell KyuJong cared and why he was being quizzed like this. Deciding he would put up with a few questions as thanks for fixing up his wrists and not stabbing him with the safety pin, he shrugged slightly then smirked, wondering how the older man would like this answer. Most people thought he was in his early twenties at least.
"I'm eighteen." He wondered if he would be accused of lying, and almost mentally dared KyuJong to say it. JungMin didn't lie; if he had something to say, he said it, hurt feelings be damned.
Deciding he didn't want to stand anymore, the slave sat cross-legged on the bed, watching the older man and playing with the bandages on his wrists as he debated on a question. "What does your family do?" Knowing more about the situation he was in would help him plan an escape.
KyuJong blinked in surprise. "Hm. I would have given you twenty," he mused. "So you're younger than I am." From just the last hour-had it really been so long already?-KyuJong could tell that the fiery slave was one to state his opinions openly, whether one wanted to know or not, so he figured that he wasn't lying.
"My father's the chief advisor to the President," KyuJong explained softly. "It's a position that he'd held since just after my younger brother HyungJoon was born." Pausing, he continued. "My mother died when I was about five. That makes HyungJoon three and HyunJoong seven. Car accident."
So he wasn't going to accuse him of lying. Took all the fun out of unexpected answers, but oh well.
JungMin took in the answer to his question gaze focusing on the wall opposite him. Chief advisor to the President...no wonder this entire place smelled of money. The three sons living here must have grown up in the lap of luxury. It angered JungMin to think people could live like this while there were others not even an hours drive away who could barely afford to feed and clothe themselves and their families. As for the information on the mother, he was sympathetic to losing a parent, but it was reality to so many others as well so he didn't comment on it.
KyuJong watched the other process what he had said. He wasn't fool enough to not know that his father's position would reflect badly on him. He'd grown up being either loved or hated, all due to his father, and having very little to do with KyuJong himself. It was one of the reasons that he was as quiet as he was. Unlike his hyung, he had never learned how to tell who wanted to associate with him because of his father or not.
"Um, do you have any other family, or is it just you and SunKyu-sshi?" he asked, mind still somewhat distracted.
The questions were becoming more personal. Eyes narrowing, JungMin decided on whether to answer or not. "I don't count them as family," he said finally with a shrug. While his parents hadn't had much choice in giving them both up as slaves (it was kind of hard to argue with shady men holding guns), he still hated them for it. They could have at least bargained for SunKyu staying behind. The slavers hadn't needed both of them, they'd had an overabundance of pleasure slaves already, they could have just taken him. But they didn't.
"Are you going into politics as well?" Politicians were shady, two-faced people.
"I've considered it," KyuJong answered. "It could give me the power to maybe change the things that I disagree with so much, but then I think that I'd just end up hating myself. I have no idea what I want to do, however."
While his brother focused on the sciences, KyuJong himself had immersed himself into many areas. In his mind, the more knowledgeable he was of the world around him, the better his chances became on changing the world, as minute as those changes would be.
"I'm not sure what else to ask without getting personal, so I'll just stop now, but if you have anything else to ask, feel free. I'm a pretty open book."
Somewhat relieved that the questions were over, JungMin rolled his eyes at the last comment. "I can see that." He didn't ask anything else though, not seeing any point in it.
His gaze lowered to the floor, attention leaving the older man as his body began to feel the effects of the long travel here. While the slave traders weren't able to hit the pleasure slaves, whose appeal was based on their looks, JungMin was fair game and preferred over the other labor slaves because he actually fought back. It was always so much more fun to try breaking those who still had a will left that could be broken.
Remembering the old television set in the corner, JungMin managed to keep his face blank rather than grin. These people had no idea how dangerous it was to leave him in a room where there was wiring and electricity. They'd figure it out eventually.
"I'll just leave you alone now. I'm sure that you're tired, huh?" KyuJong mused. Getting up from the chair, he began walking out of the room before stopping. "Oh. Is there anything you prefer food wise? Or anything that you can't eat? I'll make sure to inform the cook, or maybe I'll even make it myself. I cook when I get bored, so..."
JungMin blinked at him, then shook his head. He was still suspicious about being left alone like this when normally he was sent straight to work, and oddly enough at a loss for what to do or say. He should really get to work on dismantling the television set to see what it had that he could work with, but he was tired, only realizing it now that the adrenaline had faded from his system somewhat. "Where are you going?" he asked, frowning and blowing his bangs out of his eyes again.
KyuJong lifted an eyebrow. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving. I figured I'd check on my idiot hyung and make sure he hasn't done anything too stupid and explain to him what he needs to know since the moron doesn't know a thing about slaves and his ignorance could get YoungSaeng-sshi into trouble."
"I've done a lot of research and the punishment for a pleasure slave is far worse than a labor slave and I want to make sure that HyunJoong knows that," he explained.
If there was one thing KyuJong had learned, it was that if you wanted to abolish something, learn it inside and out.
JungMin frowned slightly; he'd have to keep an eye on YoungSaeng then.
"Alright." Giving a shrug, he switched to lying down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Research was swell, but it was just that: research. And as such, it could never measure up to the real thing.
"Is there anything that you'd like me to bring you to eat?" KyuJong asked. "I do have to warn you that I'm not the greatest cook in the world, but no one's ever complained, either."
He decided to not mention the time he and HyungJoon set the kitchen on fire.
The slave shook his head. "I don't need anything," he said forcefully. He didn't want anything from this man, regardless of whether he was hungry or not. He needed to look around the manor, but since it seemed like he couldn't do that right now he would have to settle for the television wires.
KyuJong just rolled his eyes and left the room, deciding if he should get food, or his brother first. He would simply bring JungMin something and hope he eats it.
Listening as KyuJong left the room, then his own, JungMin waited until the footsteps faded away before sitting up again, ignoring the urge to just lay there and sleep. He could pass out later. Now, he had some searching to do. Getting up and walking over to the television set, he sat down and pulled it away from the wall carefully, checking the back of the machine. A smirk appeared on his lips. Perfect.
Having a father savvy in even the trickier wiring, as well as past masters with tons of appliances to experiment on, paid off. It took JungMin only a moment to have the back of the screen open (after making sure the power was off), the slave inspecting the wiring and chuckling to himself. This would be interesting.
*********************
YoungSaeng remained curled up in the chair working on the composition, looking up at his owner every once in a while. It was still weird to him that he'd been there for an hour already and the man hadn't even touched him.
Not long after, he exhaled and placed the notebook back on the floor before yawning. Narrowing his eyes at the man, he forced himself to remain awake, but curled further into the plush chair.
HyunJoong was aware of YoungSaeng's eyes on him, but gave no visible reaction to it, continuing his studying. In between the formulas and equations, he wondered how he was even going to begin in taking care of a slave. He was busy all the time, either studying or occupying the small room in the corner of the manor he'd taken over as a mini-lab, or at school.
He would have to take YoungSaeng shopping for new clothes eventually, he decided. And a few possessions as well. Maybe having something of his own would help the younger man ease up a little.
Hearing the yawn, he put down his papers and glanced back at the slave, blinking at him. "You know if you fall asleep in that chair, you're likely to fall off it," he informed YoungSaeng. "There's a bed right there."
YoungSaeng blinked, trying to force back the sleep blurring his vision. "I'm fine. Not tired at all," he stated stubbornly. "And I see that you have a bed. I'm not blind."
Deciding to get up and walk around a bit to remain awake, YoungSaeng rose to his feet and took in the room that would now be his own as well. There were books everywhere, mostly university related.
"Yah. Do you have a hair tie or anything?" he asked. His hair had been bothering him and he just wanted to pull it back, even though there was many a day that he just wanted to cut it. His previous owners as well as the slavers, however, refused to let him.
Somewhat amused by the other man's attempts to hide his exhaustion, HyunJoong nodded at the question and stood. "I have one around here somewhere...” He'd used to have long hair that could be tied back at some point, before he'd gotten into the more explosive part of his studies and decided it just wasn't worth it to catch his hair on fire.
Wandering over to his dresser to hunt one down, he glanced at YoungSaeng again, taking in the slave's long hair. "Your hair's nice, though isn't it a little inconvenient to have it that long?" he asked. After a moment he found a hair tie that would work well, turning around and holding it out to the younger man.
Accepting the hair tie, YoungSaeng gathered his hair into his hands and threw it into a messy ponytail, strands falling into his face. "I wasn't allowed to cut it since my previous owners enjoyed having something to grab onto," he explained nonchalantly before looking around more, picking up random books and flipping through them.
HyunJoong blinked at that, somewhat surprised at the disinterested way the other man could talk about what was surely abuse. "Well, we'll be going to get you new clothes some point today or tomorrow," he said, glancing at his watch for the time. "There's a hairstylist right next to the shops, if you're interested."
YoungSaeng smirked at the clear surprise on HyunJoong's face. "Surprised that I can be so casual? Try becoming a pleasure slave at twelve. Once becomes quite numb to it after long."
That was a lie. He hated everything that he was forced to do just as much as he had the first time.
"...We’ll see," he remarked at the suggestion.
A light frown appeared on HyunJoong's face at the new information. Twelve was a very young age, especially for the kind of slave YoungSaeng was.
Walking back over to his desk, he reorganized the papers he had been studying and set them aside. "I don't believe you're numb," he shrugged. "If you had been, you wouldn't have bothered pointing out you won't...roll over for me, I think was the expression you used."
"If you're not interested in sleeping, what would you like to do? Are you hungry?" Belatedly he realized YoungSaeng probably hadn't eaten anything in a while. "Or we can go for the clothes now."
YoungSaeng regarded the man carefully. Perhaps he wasn't as naive as he'd first thought.
"There's something that's been bothering me," YoungSaeng spoke up, ignoring the questions. "You seem to know nothing of owning a regular slave, let alone a pleasure slave, right? So why ask for one if not to pleasure you?" he asked, deciding 'to hell with it' and taking a seat on the bed, eyes never once leaving the man.
Glancing back at the younger man, HyunJoong considered the question for a moment. "To keep at least one person safe from my father," he said finally with a shrug. "It was more or less a spontaneous decision. Nothing more intricate than that." He quirked a small smile. "I suppose after so many years of suffering at the hands of others, the least I can offer you would be a break."
"Hm...so the rumors were true. He enjoys breaking slaves," YoungSaeng stated with a nod. Good to know.
"So I was an impulse, huh?" he asked, mentally smirking before he sobered at the last statement. "Should I be thanking you then? Because you're 'nice', means that when I'm shipped to another owner as I always am, I should remember your kindness."
He paused. "Sorry to inform you that the world doesn't work like that."
HyunJoong shrugged. "I'm not looking to be thanked or remembered. As you said, you don't trust me, and you have every right not to.”
"Of course I don't trust you. I've only known you for an hour," YoungSaeng pointed out. He'd known his family for his entire life and look where it got him. Sold without a thought for his safety at the mere mention of money, even though they were in no way hurting for it.
After the 'lessons' began, he simply gave up trusting people.
“Even so, I can make you two promises. Whether you choose to believe them or not is up to you." HyunJoong looked at YoungSaeng properly, not the glances out of the corners of his vision or with slightly glazed-over eyes that hinted his attention was elsewhere.
As HyunJoong turned his full attention onto him, YoungSaeng tensed visibly, eyes narrowed. He hadn't noticed that the seemingly oblivious man could be capable of such an intense look.
"First...the only time I will ever touch you is with your explicit permission. Second...the bed in this room is used solely for sleeping purposes, in the real sense of the word. If I offer you the choice of lying down and sleeping, I mean lying down and sleeping...not an elaborate ruse to force you into situations I'm sure you've been in hundreds of times before."
YoungSaeng was unable to stop the expression of shock from running across his face at the words. No one had ever said such things to him, even the men who would try to earn his trust before revealing their true colors.
He didn't know what to make of this Kim HyunJoong.
Once he was sure he'd gotten his point across, HyunJoong smiled and the absentmindedness seemed to return as he leaned back against his desk. "You never answered my question before," he pointed out. "Are you hungry? Or is there something you'd rather do?"
He needed to run through some tests in his makeshift lab later (they weren't supposed to be doing experiments outside of the school labs or have the equipment to do it, but having a wealthy father had some advantages), but that could wait. Making sure this strange man was well cared for was his highest priority right now.
YoungSaeng blinked at the change before relaxing a small bit. The quickness his owner changed was more or less mind-boggling, though he supposed that he should get used to it, not sure how long he'd be in the young man's service.
"Sleep, I suppose," he finally answered. "As long as you keep your word," he added. "I'm extremely sensitive to my surroundings, so I'll know."
More like, his body had grown to be hypersensitive over the years, so he was always woken by even the slightest touch. It was something that he was grateful for now.
YoungSaeng kept his suspicious eyes on HyunJoong as he slid back, lying down on the bed, not even bothering with the blanket. He was asleep before he even heard the knock on the door.
Chapter: 2/?
Authors: renichifreak and yeonah
Fandom: SS501
Pairings: Unknown
Rating: PG-16
Warning:Angst, AU
Summary: In this era, people are bought and sold as though they are cattle. The human life is only worth what one is willing to pay for it. What happens when two such people end up in the possession of two brothers who refuse to follow the very practices they were raised to believe?
A/N: Another roleplay story by us for your enjoyment~! Yes, Unlock is still going XD We’re going back and forth. HyunJoong and JungMin are played by me (yeonah ) and KyuJong and YoungSaeng are played by renichifreak . Credit for the original plot goes to renichifreak and hakkais_shadow ~ <3
KyuJong walked into his room, leaving the door open for the other to enter. He knew that the guards were following, given the man's extremely volatile attitude, so when they were inside he closed and locked the door before dropping onto his bed with a loud sigh.
"Make yourself comfortable. You can leave once the guards decide that you aren't going to kill me."
JungMin watched the other man warily. "I'm not that stupid," he grumbled, not liking this. He'd trusted in just being a general labor slave, not someone's pet. Now it would be twice as hard to sneak away. He'd still do it though. Nothing held him back for long.
Finding a chair to sit in, he kept one eye on the man in case he tried anything. They looked around the same age...though JungMin looked older than he actually was, so that probably made this other guy the oldest of the two.
"Who said you are stupid?" KyuJong asked, not moving. "I'm KyuJong, by the way. I get the pleasure of being the middle child in this crazy household," he chuckled dryly.
"And don't for a second think that I'm touching you. I am not like my father," he repeated, voice low and anger apparent.
The slave's suspicious gaze didn't lessen in the least. If he was touched, someone would find themselves missing a few fingers. Hearing the anger in the other man's voice, JungMin smirked, watching through his red bangs. "They say the apple never falls far from the tree." Lifting one hand, he tugged on his blue collar. "If you're not like your father, then take this thing off," he challenged, eyes dark.
"If you can't do that...you're no better than him to me."
Sitting up quickly, KyuJong glared at him. "I am nothing like him. If there's anything I hate more than anything, it's slavery. The only reason you're here is because I don't want you to get beaten. My hyung did the same to your friend because our father would never let him out of his bed, unlike HyunJoong, who will not touch him," KyuJong stated.
"Trust me. If I knew how to take that off without the key that my father no doubt has, I would. I don't want slaves. I want the entire barbaric system abolished!"
Amused by the reactions he was gathering from the older man, JungMin locked gazes with him and didn't look away. "Do you know why people like the idea of slaves so much? They like feeling in control. Life hardly ever goes the way you want it to, and no human being likes feeling powerless. Slavery gives them one of the greatest powers they could have: power over something else with a free will."
His gaze narrowed. "It's an illusion of control because human beings are too weak to accept they have none."
Drawing his knees up to his chest, JungMin gave the man the same dark glare he'd sent him before. "Forgive me, master, if I don't think you're some sort of saint who is above the emotions and pain of mere mortals."
"Don't call me that!" KyuJong finally yelled, eyes wide. "I am nobody's master. You are your own man. I'm aware that you have to call me that in public, but please, just don't do it when no one's around," he nearly begged.
"I'm not a saint, and I don't expect you to think of me as one. I'm as human as you are and am perfectly capable of doing things for myself."
Taking a deep breath, KyuJong sighed, mirroring the man's position. "Listen. If it's okay with you, would I be able to repay you for any labor that you do? Like, I don't know...pay you maybe? I don't like the idea of forcing someone...and this isn't a bribe or anything like that. It's payment for services..." he suggested quietly, looking away, unable to look at the hatred in his eyes anymore.
Watching the man draw in on himself, JungMin felt faintly pleased at the reactions…though he was surprised he hadn't been hit yet. He had been prepared for it, body tense and ready to retaliate, waiting guards be damned. But the expected strike never came.
JungMin bristled at the suggestion though. "I don't want your money," he glared at KyuJong. "I want to get out of here." Though that obviously wasn't going to happen right now. He'd have to deal until he could plot with YoungSaeng on how to escape.
In the meantime though...his reason for escaping came back to him, and he smirked. "Although...if you really want to 'repay' me, there's someone I'm looking for who a guy in your position should have no trouble finding." If he couldn't track down his little sister, he was going to use someone who could.
KyuJong noticed the tension and sighed. "I'm not gonna touch you, remember? Besides, you could probably break me in half. HyunJoong is the one good at self defense techniques, not me," he stated.
"I want to get you out of here, too. I just need to figure out how." That would be the hard part.
KyuJong tilted his head. "Um, sure. Who are you looking for?" he asked, curious. "And um, can I ask what your name is? I don't wanna call you 'Hey you'."
Pressing his lips firmly together, JungMin switched his gaze to the wall opposite him, thinking about his sister. "Park SunKyu," he said after a moment. "A pleasure slave." Just the thought of what could be happening to her sent his blood boiling. He needed to find her.
Maybe he would stick around long enough to see if KyuJong was able to find her or not. As soon as he had his information, he was gone.
Considering the second request, he rubbed absently at his red and scarred wrists out of habit. "Park JungMin," he said finally.
Reaching over to the notebook on the desk, KyuJong wrote her name down so as to not forget. "Okay. I'll give it a go. I'll get Hyung to help since he's the eldest and has more connections than I do."
Seeing the damaged wrists, he thought for a second before getting up and walking into the bathroom, returning with a small box. He walked over to where JungMin was seated and knelt down, motioning to his wrists. "Can I? I just want to clean and wrap them before they get infected," he asked, making sure to stay back a bit until he had permission.
Looking up when KyuJong left the room, JungMin jerked back in surprise when the older man knelt in front of him, nearly falling off his perch on the chair. Steadily himself again, he looked at the box warily as though it contained acid rather than medicine.
That had happened to him too. Thankfully his shirt hid that particular incident, as it did for the majority of his other punishments for misbehaving.
After a long pause, the slave finally held out his wrists slowly. "If there's anything in there that's not first-aid, I'm decking you."
Noting the hesitance, KyuJong held the box out to JungMin. "Here. You can look through everything first if you want to," he suggested with a very small and weak smile. He'd heard of people being cruel to their slaves, so he should have expected the doubt.
Watching the other man carefully, JungMin took the box and opened it away from him, in case it was explosive. Poking through it, he checked all four corners to make sure there was nothing out of the ordinary, frowning at the safety pins he found at the bottom. That wasn't enough to base his suspicions on though (even though they hurt like mad), so he held the box back out to KyuJong, lips pressed firmly together.
Taking the box back, KyuJong set it on the floor and took one of Jungmin's wrists, hissing slightly at the condition. "Bastards," he mumbled as he pulled out the antiseptic. "This is gonna hurt, so I apologize now," he said as he poured some onto a cloth and began to clean the cuts, wincing sympathetically.
After cleaning and wrapping one wrist, he quickly moved to the other, doing the same.
JungMin didn't look away as KyuJong worked on his wrist, biting his lower lip at the stinging pain to keep from reacting. This was nothing. He'd felt much worse. The antiseptic actually felt nice when the stinging faded somewhat, cold against the burning cuts and scrapes left by sharp metal.
"I still hate you," he said flatly as he watched the older man tend to his wrists.
KyuJong paused before finishing up, repacking the box. "I figured," he replied quietly as he got to his feet and returned the box to his bathroom.
Leaning against the counter, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He hoped HyunJoong was having better luck than he was, though he supposed the fact that JungMin hadn't tried to kill him yet was a good sign.
Glancing at KyuJong as he left the room again, JungMin ran his hand lightly over the bandages now covering his wrists. After a moment he wrapped his arms around his legs and rested his chin on his knees, red hair falling into his face as he considered his choices.
As of now, sticking around until he had some clue of SunKyu's whereabouts was the best idea. That meant he'd have to put up with being this guy's slave for now. That didn't mean he planned on playing nice, though he'd have to be careful he didn't tick him off too much or KyuJong wouldn't help him find his sister.
After a minute, KyuJong walked back out and motioned to JungMin. "There's a room attached to mine that's not being used, so you can have it." Heading toward the door, KyuJong opened it and stepped aside, allowing JungMin to enter if he wanted to.
"The main door is locked, but I'll try to get it unlocked so that you can leave the room whenever you want rather than me letting you out," he explained. "Until then, feel free to come through here and leave by my room, I guess," he shrugged.
Blinking, JungMin got up and slowly followed KyuJong to the connecting doorway. Thankfully labor slaves didn't have to stay in the same room as their owner, unlike pleasure slaves. At the same time, JungMin would be expected to stay close to KyuJong and be around to help him with practically anything from bringing him food to moving heavy objects for him to closing doors. It was a nuisance, but one he'd have to deal with.
Going into the connecting room, he looked around, sharp eyes taking in everything. It looked like it had been meant to be a guest bedroom, though as KyuJong had said the main door was locked. It had all the basics, even an old television set in the corner, though to JungMin's disappointment the window looked too small to be of much future use.
Glancing back at KyuJong, JungMin frowned at the older man. "Aren't you supposed to be lecturing me on what I'm going to be doing for you right now, not worrying about whether I can leave or not without you knowing?" he deadpanned.
Though the main door would definitely make it easier for him to sneak out.
KyuJong watched JungMin look around the room, noting his disappointment on the size of the window. The room used to be the one that their cousin would sleep in during stays at their home, but he no longer visited, finding as much fault in his father's stance on things as he himself did.
"You want me to lecture you? Fine. I'll only ask for your help if I know that I can't do it by myself, or if I think that we're being watched. I expect you to knock before walking in and I'll show you the same courtesy. The bathroom is in my room, so feel free to use it. The lock even works if you really think so low of me," he stated. "Lecture complete."
Looking the slave over, he nodded. "We can go out later and get you some clothes. You can pick them out and everything. I'm sure Hyung and your friend will be heading out anyway."
JungMin stared at KyuJong for a long moment. "So you're only going to actually treat me like a slave when someone's around to see it." His voice was suspicious again, not believing him.
At the mention of clothes, JungMin looked down at his worn shirt. Other masters had rarely let him have new clothes, unless they had slave uniforms. JungMin didn't really care much, as long as whatever he wore was enough to cover things he'd rather stay hidden. Sleeves he couldn't do anything about, but the scars on his arms were minimal, faint lines of pink skin that were only visible if one looked closely. He couldn't say the same about everywhere else.
KyuJong nodded his head. "I've gone 19 years without a slave, so I'm sure I can keep it up." He paused. "At least my brothers will be happy that I won't be asking for their help when I get bored and decide to rearrange my room, though I'll only ask for help with things. I won't ask you to do them alone. My bed and dresser are too hard for me to move by myself."
"I would prefer that you be comfortable in your clothes, so you pick out whatever you want, as long as it's easy for you to move in, since that's more or less your roll, right?" He sighed. "Hyung won't have it as easy getting clothes for your friend, though, since pleasure slaves have to be presentable at all times," he sighed. "Can I ask his name? I feel rude referring to him as 'your friend' all the time, and I refuse to call him Hyung's slave."
19 years? So KyuJong was older than him, though not by much. It didn't matter though; there was no way he was ever calling the guy 'hyung'.
Still watching him carefully, JungMin rolled his eyes. "You're going to die with a billion wrinkles if you keep sighing like that. His name's YoungSaeng." He'd never found out the pleasure slave's last name, though he'd never asked; some slaves were touchy about last names. Especially those betrayed by the family who gave them the name.
KyuJong couldn't help but release a quiet laugh. "Well stop making me sigh them, JungMin-sshi," he replied. "I'm usually the worrier of the family when I'm not protesting things that I don't believe in."
"So how old are you? If you'd like, we can always do a question for a question," he suggested with a shrug.
JungMin wanted to ask why the hell KyuJong cared and why he was being quizzed like this. Deciding he would put up with a few questions as thanks for fixing up his wrists and not stabbing him with the safety pin, he shrugged slightly then smirked, wondering how the older man would like this answer. Most people thought he was in his early twenties at least.
"I'm eighteen." He wondered if he would be accused of lying, and almost mentally dared KyuJong to say it. JungMin didn't lie; if he had something to say, he said it, hurt feelings be damned.
Deciding he didn't want to stand anymore, the slave sat cross-legged on the bed, watching the older man and playing with the bandages on his wrists as he debated on a question. "What does your family do?" Knowing more about the situation he was in would help him plan an escape.
KyuJong blinked in surprise. "Hm. I would have given you twenty," he mused. "So you're younger than I am." From just the last hour-had it really been so long already?-KyuJong could tell that the fiery slave was one to state his opinions openly, whether one wanted to know or not, so he figured that he wasn't lying.
"My father's the chief advisor to the President," KyuJong explained softly. "It's a position that he'd held since just after my younger brother HyungJoon was born." Pausing, he continued. "My mother died when I was about five. That makes HyungJoon three and HyunJoong seven. Car accident."
So he wasn't going to accuse him of lying. Took all the fun out of unexpected answers, but oh well.
JungMin took in the answer to his question gaze focusing on the wall opposite him. Chief advisor to the President...no wonder this entire place smelled of money. The three sons living here must have grown up in the lap of luxury. It angered JungMin to think people could live like this while there were others not even an hours drive away who could barely afford to feed and clothe themselves and their families. As for the information on the mother, he was sympathetic to losing a parent, but it was reality to so many others as well so he didn't comment on it.
KyuJong watched the other process what he had said. He wasn't fool enough to not know that his father's position would reflect badly on him. He'd grown up being either loved or hated, all due to his father, and having very little to do with KyuJong himself. It was one of the reasons that he was as quiet as he was. Unlike his hyung, he had never learned how to tell who wanted to associate with him because of his father or not.
"Um, do you have any other family, or is it just you and SunKyu-sshi?" he asked, mind still somewhat distracted.
The questions were becoming more personal. Eyes narrowing, JungMin decided on whether to answer or not. "I don't count them as family," he said finally with a shrug. While his parents hadn't had much choice in giving them both up as slaves (it was kind of hard to argue with shady men holding guns), he still hated them for it. They could have at least bargained for SunKyu staying behind. The slavers hadn't needed both of them, they'd had an overabundance of pleasure slaves already, they could have just taken him. But they didn't.
"Are you going into politics as well?" Politicians were shady, two-faced people.
"I've considered it," KyuJong answered. "It could give me the power to maybe change the things that I disagree with so much, but then I think that I'd just end up hating myself. I have no idea what I want to do, however."
While his brother focused on the sciences, KyuJong himself had immersed himself into many areas. In his mind, the more knowledgeable he was of the world around him, the better his chances became on changing the world, as minute as those changes would be.
"I'm not sure what else to ask without getting personal, so I'll just stop now, but if you have anything else to ask, feel free. I'm a pretty open book."
Somewhat relieved that the questions were over, JungMin rolled his eyes at the last comment. "I can see that." He didn't ask anything else though, not seeing any point in it.
His gaze lowered to the floor, attention leaving the older man as his body began to feel the effects of the long travel here. While the slave traders weren't able to hit the pleasure slaves, whose appeal was based on their looks, JungMin was fair game and preferred over the other labor slaves because he actually fought back. It was always so much more fun to try breaking those who still had a will left that could be broken.
Remembering the old television set in the corner, JungMin managed to keep his face blank rather than grin. These people had no idea how dangerous it was to leave him in a room where there was wiring and electricity. They'd figure it out eventually.
"I'll just leave you alone now. I'm sure that you're tired, huh?" KyuJong mused. Getting up from the chair, he began walking out of the room before stopping. "Oh. Is there anything you prefer food wise? Or anything that you can't eat? I'll make sure to inform the cook, or maybe I'll even make it myself. I cook when I get bored, so..."
JungMin blinked at him, then shook his head. He was still suspicious about being left alone like this when normally he was sent straight to work, and oddly enough at a loss for what to do or say. He should really get to work on dismantling the television set to see what it had that he could work with, but he was tired, only realizing it now that the adrenaline had faded from his system somewhat. "Where are you going?" he asked, frowning and blowing his bangs out of his eyes again.
KyuJong lifted an eyebrow. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving. I figured I'd check on my idiot hyung and make sure he hasn't done anything too stupid and explain to him what he needs to know since the moron doesn't know a thing about slaves and his ignorance could get YoungSaeng-sshi into trouble."
"I've done a lot of research and the punishment for a pleasure slave is far worse than a labor slave and I want to make sure that HyunJoong knows that," he explained.
If there was one thing KyuJong had learned, it was that if you wanted to abolish something, learn it inside and out.
JungMin frowned slightly; he'd have to keep an eye on YoungSaeng then.
"Alright." Giving a shrug, he switched to lying down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Research was swell, but it was just that: research. And as such, it could never measure up to the real thing.
"Is there anything that you'd like me to bring you to eat?" KyuJong asked. "I do have to warn you that I'm not the greatest cook in the world, but no one's ever complained, either."
He decided to not mention the time he and HyungJoon set the kitchen on fire.
The slave shook his head. "I don't need anything," he said forcefully. He didn't want anything from this man, regardless of whether he was hungry or not. He needed to look around the manor, but since it seemed like he couldn't do that right now he would have to settle for the television wires.
KyuJong just rolled his eyes and left the room, deciding if he should get food, or his brother first. He would simply bring JungMin something and hope he eats it.
Listening as KyuJong left the room, then his own, JungMin waited until the footsteps faded away before sitting up again, ignoring the urge to just lay there and sleep. He could pass out later. Now, he had some searching to do. Getting up and walking over to the television set, he sat down and pulled it away from the wall carefully, checking the back of the machine. A smirk appeared on his lips. Perfect.
Having a father savvy in even the trickier wiring, as well as past masters with tons of appliances to experiment on, paid off. It took JungMin only a moment to have the back of the screen open (after making sure the power was off), the slave inspecting the wiring and chuckling to himself. This would be interesting.
*********************
YoungSaeng remained curled up in the chair working on the composition, looking up at his owner every once in a while. It was still weird to him that he'd been there for an hour already and the man hadn't even touched him.
Not long after, he exhaled and placed the notebook back on the floor before yawning. Narrowing his eyes at the man, he forced himself to remain awake, but curled further into the plush chair.
HyunJoong was aware of YoungSaeng's eyes on him, but gave no visible reaction to it, continuing his studying. In between the formulas and equations, he wondered how he was even going to begin in taking care of a slave. He was busy all the time, either studying or occupying the small room in the corner of the manor he'd taken over as a mini-lab, or at school.
He would have to take YoungSaeng shopping for new clothes eventually, he decided. And a few possessions as well. Maybe having something of his own would help the younger man ease up a little.
Hearing the yawn, he put down his papers and glanced back at the slave, blinking at him. "You know if you fall asleep in that chair, you're likely to fall off it," he informed YoungSaeng. "There's a bed right there."
YoungSaeng blinked, trying to force back the sleep blurring his vision. "I'm fine. Not tired at all," he stated stubbornly. "And I see that you have a bed. I'm not blind."
Deciding to get up and walk around a bit to remain awake, YoungSaeng rose to his feet and took in the room that would now be his own as well. There were books everywhere, mostly university related.
"Yah. Do you have a hair tie or anything?" he asked. His hair had been bothering him and he just wanted to pull it back, even though there was many a day that he just wanted to cut it. His previous owners as well as the slavers, however, refused to let him.
Somewhat amused by the other man's attempts to hide his exhaustion, HyunJoong nodded at the question and stood. "I have one around here somewhere...” He'd used to have long hair that could be tied back at some point, before he'd gotten into the more explosive part of his studies and decided it just wasn't worth it to catch his hair on fire.
Wandering over to his dresser to hunt one down, he glanced at YoungSaeng again, taking in the slave's long hair. "Your hair's nice, though isn't it a little inconvenient to have it that long?" he asked. After a moment he found a hair tie that would work well, turning around and holding it out to the younger man.
Accepting the hair tie, YoungSaeng gathered his hair into his hands and threw it into a messy ponytail, strands falling into his face. "I wasn't allowed to cut it since my previous owners enjoyed having something to grab onto," he explained nonchalantly before looking around more, picking up random books and flipping through them.
HyunJoong blinked at that, somewhat surprised at the disinterested way the other man could talk about what was surely abuse. "Well, we'll be going to get you new clothes some point today or tomorrow," he said, glancing at his watch for the time. "There's a hairstylist right next to the shops, if you're interested."
YoungSaeng smirked at the clear surprise on HyunJoong's face. "Surprised that I can be so casual? Try becoming a pleasure slave at twelve. Once becomes quite numb to it after long."
That was a lie. He hated everything that he was forced to do just as much as he had the first time.
"...We’ll see," he remarked at the suggestion.
A light frown appeared on HyunJoong's face at the new information. Twelve was a very young age, especially for the kind of slave YoungSaeng was.
Walking back over to his desk, he reorganized the papers he had been studying and set them aside. "I don't believe you're numb," he shrugged. "If you had been, you wouldn't have bothered pointing out you won't...roll over for me, I think was the expression you used."
"If you're not interested in sleeping, what would you like to do? Are you hungry?" Belatedly he realized YoungSaeng probably hadn't eaten anything in a while. "Or we can go for the clothes now."
YoungSaeng regarded the man carefully. Perhaps he wasn't as naive as he'd first thought.
"There's something that's been bothering me," YoungSaeng spoke up, ignoring the questions. "You seem to know nothing of owning a regular slave, let alone a pleasure slave, right? So why ask for one if not to pleasure you?" he asked, deciding 'to hell with it' and taking a seat on the bed, eyes never once leaving the man.
Glancing back at the younger man, HyunJoong considered the question for a moment. "To keep at least one person safe from my father," he said finally with a shrug. "It was more or less a spontaneous decision. Nothing more intricate than that." He quirked a small smile. "I suppose after so many years of suffering at the hands of others, the least I can offer you would be a break."
"Hm...so the rumors were true. He enjoys breaking slaves," YoungSaeng stated with a nod. Good to know.
"So I was an impulse, huh?" he asked, mentally smirking before he sobered at the last statement. "Should I be thanking you then? Because you're 'nice', means that when I'm shipped to another owner as I always am, I should remember your kindness."
He paused. "Sorry to inform you that the world doesn't work like that."
HyunJoong shrugged. "I'm not looking to be thanked or remembered. As you said, you don't trust me, and you have every right not to.”
"Of course I don't trust you. I've only known you for an hour," YoungSaeng pointed out. He'd known his family for his entire life and look where it got him. Sold without a thought for his safety at the mere mention of money, even though they were in no way hurting for it.
After the 'lessons' began, he simply gave up trusting people.
“Even so, I can make you two promises. Whether you choose to believe them or not is up to you." HyunJoong looked at YoungSaeng properly, not the glances out of the corners of his vision or with slightly glazed-over eyes that hinted his attention was elsewhere.
As HyunJoong turned his full attention onto him, YoungSaeng tensed visibly, eyes narrowed. He hadn't noticed that the seemingly oblivious man could be capable of such an intense look.
"First...the only time I will ever touch you is with your explicit permission. Second...the bed in this room is used solely for sleeping purposes, in the real sense of the word. If I offer you the choice of lying down and sleeping, I mean lying down and sleeping...not an elaborate ruse to force you into situations I'm sure you've been in hundreds of times before."
YoungSaeng was unable to stop the expression of shock from running across his face at the words. No one had ever said such things to him, even the men who would try to earn his trust before revealing their true colors.
He didn't know what to make of this Kim HyunJoong.
Once he was sure he'd gotten his point across, HyunJoong smiled and the absentmindedness seemed to return as he leaned back against his desk. "You never answered my question before," he pointed out. "Are you hungry? Or is there something you'd rather do?"
He needed to run through some tests in his makeshift lab later (they weren't supposed to be doing experiments outside of the school labs or have the equipment to do it, but having a wealthy father had some advantages), but that could wait. Making sure this strange man was well cared for was his highest priority right now.
YoungSaeng blinked at the change before relaxing a small bit. The quickness his owner changed was more or less mind-boggling, though he supposed that he should get used to it, not sure how long he'd be in the young man's service.
"Sleep, I suppose," he finally answered. "As long as you keep your word," he added. "I'm extremely sensitive to my surroundings, so I'll know."
More like, his body had grown to be hypersensitive over the years, so he was always woken by even the slightest touch. It was something that he was grateful for now.
YoungSaeng kept his suspicious eyes on HyunJoong as he slid back, lying down on the bed, not even bothering with the blanket. He was asleep before he even heard the knock on the door.