"He doesn't love me… he owns me."
"I was sold by my own father."
The words didn't feel real.
Not even as they echoed inside Hinari's head… again and again.
The night felt wrong.
The sky wasn't black.
It wasn't even gray.
It was empty.
Like something had erased the world's color
just like her life was about to be erased.
Hinari stood outside her house, her fingers trembling at her sides.
Not from the cold.
From the voices inside.
"…I told you, she's untouched."
Her breath stopped.
That voice
her father.
"…you won't find a better deal than this. That price is already low."
Low.
The word struck harder than any slap.
Hinari couldn't move.
Her body refused.
Because deep down… she already understood.
If she stepped inside
everything would become real.
And she wasn't ready to lose everything in one second.
Then another voice answered.
Low.
Calm.
Terrifying.
"I don't buy defective goods."
Her entire body froze.
That voice didn't need to be loud.
It didn't need anger.
It was cold enough to make her feel like
she had already been judged.
Her father let out a nervous laugh.
"You can check if you want."
Check.
Hinari's stomach twisted violently.
Before she could run
the door opened.
Too fast.
Too sudden.
Too late.
Her eyes met his.
And the world… stopped.
He stood there like he didn't belong to it.
Tall.
Still.
Perfect.
Too perfect.
His face showed nothing.
No curiosity.
No interest.
No emotion.
His eyes
dark.
Empty.
Like nothing inside him was alive.
His gaze slowly moved over her.
From her face…
to her trembling hands…
to the way she tried to step back
but couldn't.
He wasn't looking at her.
He was evaluating her.
Like she was something to be bought.
Hinari's chest tightened.
"F-Father…" her voice broke.
No answer.
Instead, her father appeared behind him
smiling.
But it wasn't the smile she knew.
This one was
cold.
"You're just in time," he said lightly. "Come in."
Hinari shook her head slowly.
"…what is this?"
Silence.
Heavy.
Crushing.
Then
"Starting tonight," her father said flatly,
"you're going with him."
Everything inside her shattered.
"No…" she whispered. "No, this isn't funny"
"It's already decided."
Her heart dropped.
"Ayah… please…" her voice cracked,
"I don't want this…"
But her father didn't even look at her.
Not once.
Like she didn't exist anymore.
Like she had already been erased.
The man stepped closer.
Just one step
and Hinari stepped back instinctively.
Her back hit the wall.
She didn't even realize she had moved that far.
The air between them felt suffocating.
"Stay away…" she whispered.
But he didn't stop.
One more step.
Now there was nowhere left to run.
His hand pressed against the wall beside her head.
Trapping her.
Not touching
but close enough that she could feel the heat of his body.
Her breath hitched.
"I said… stay away."
His eyes lowered slightly.
Observing.
Calculating.
Then
"You're trembling."
Her fingers clenched.
"I hate you," she said, her voice shaking.
A pause.
Then something shifted in his gaze.
Not anger.
Not amusement.
Something darker.
"You don't get to hate what you belong to."
Her chest tightened painfully.
"Your name," he said calmly.
Hinari swallowed hard.
"…Hinari."
Silence.
Then a small nod.
Meaningless.
Like her name didn't matter.
Like she didn't matter.
"From now on," he said, his voice cold and final,
"you belong to me."
Her breath stopped.
Those words
weren't loud.
But they felt absolute.
"No…" she shook her head, tears forming,
"I'm not"
"Enough."
Her father's voice cut through everything.
Sharp.
Final.
And just like that
Hinari broke.
He turned away.
Didn't look back.
Didn't hesitate.
Didn't care.
Tears fell.
One.
Two.
Then she couldn't stop them anymore.
"…how much…" her voice trembled,
"…was I worth?"
Silence.
No answer.
And somehow
that hurt more than anything.
The man moved again.
Closer.
Too close.
His fingers lifted her chin.
Forcing her to look at him.
Hinari froze.
The touch wasn't rough.
But it wasn't gentle either.
It was control.
Ownership.
Their eyes met.
And for the first time
she truly saw him.
Not just a man.
Something darker.
"I don't like damaged goods," he said quietly.
Her breath caught.
"But I dislike it even more…"
His thumb brushed lightly under her lip
not soft, not kind
just enough to make her shiver.
"…when what's mine tries to run."
Her heart stopped.
"I'm not yours…" she whispered weakly.
Something shifted in his eyes.
Not warmth.
Not anger.
Something… dangerous.
"From now on," he said softly,
"you don't need to be anything."
His hand dropped.
But the feeling stayed.
Like an invisible mark.
"Because whatever you were before…"
his gaze sharpened
"…no longer matters."
The black car waited outside.
The door opened.
Like an invitation.
Or a cage.
Hinari stood in front of it.
This was it.
Her last chance.
She could run.
Scream.
Fight.
Anything.
But when she turned
the door behind her was already closed.
Her father didn't even watch her leave.
And in that moment
Hinari realized the truth.
She had already been abandoned.
Completely.
"Get in."
His voice came from behind.
Quiet.
But impossible to refuse.
Hinari closed her eyes.
One second.
Two.
Then
she stepped inside.
The door shut.
Soft.
Final.
Like the end of her life.
The car started moving.
Silence filled the space between them.
Heavy.
Suffocating.
Hinari pressed herself against the door.
As far away from him as possible.
But the space was too small.
Too close.
Too suffocating.
She could feel him
even without touching.
"Why me…?" she finally whispered.
Silence.
Then
"Because you were chosen."
Her brows furrowed.
"By who?"
He turned his head slightly.
And for the first time
there was something in his eyes.
Something unreadable.
"You'll find out soon enough."
Her fingers tightened on her dress.
Fear crawled under her skin.
"Tomorrow," he said flatly,
"you will marry me."
Hinari froze.
Her breath trembled.
But before she could speak
his voice dropped lower.
Darker.
"And after that…"
A pause.
Just enough to make her heart race.
"You will never leave."
Those words didn't sound like a threat.
They sounded like a promise.
And somehow…
that was far more terrifying.
Hinari stared at him in silence…
her entire world collapsing in slow motion.
But one question refused to disappear
Why her?
Why would someone like him…
choose someone like her?
And what did he already know…
that she didn't?
Because deep down
something felt wrong.
Not just this night.
Not just him.
But everything.
And the scariest part wasn't him.
It was the feeling growing inside her
slowly…
quietly…
dangerously.
Because monsters can be escaped.
But what if…
she stopped wanting to run?
👉 On their wedding day… Hinari realizes she was never chosen randomly.
If you were Hinari…
would you run?
Or would you stay?? ??