In the heat of the auction, emotional walls crumble between Wonbin and Yujin, leading to a public display of passion and a heartbreaking loss as the bidding war claims its first victims.
“Unnie! Unnie! No! Let me go—unnie! Get off me! Unnie!”
In the endless mental fog, all I could hear were Wonyoung’s screams, echoing through my broken thoughts like bullets ricocheting off those dark, soulless walls that must have seen and heard so many sinful secrets.
“Wonyoung-ssi, please calm down,” a man pleaded. “The VIPs are watching.”
“Let her go…” Wonyoung’s cries faded into a hollow, broken sound, making it impossible to tell if she was being dragged away or just ran out of air. “Please… let her go… Unnie… I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…”
I wanted to speak. Scream until my throat tore apart. Reach for her, run to her, hold her.
But I couldn’t.
Not when my body had already forsaken me.
Not when my mind couldn’t even decide who to run after.
The love of my life—or the person who gave me hope when there was nothing left to live for?
The crowd fell into waves of whispers and murmurs. My limbs still refused to listen, and all I could do was crane my neck, just enough to notice Yujin’s trembling lips dancing between her pink blindfold and a collar that looked like it was dying to brag about once belonging to her.
Yujin.
I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault.
I should’ve never let you come here with me.
And then came the clicks; the rhythmic, sharp sound of heels striking the floor.
A single female figure emerged from the shadows, moving confidently into the spotlight before stopping right in front of Yujin’s bare, exposed body.
“Yujin-ah,” the woman said, in a soft, tender voice. “It’s been quite a long time, hasn’t it?”
“S-sunbae-nim?” Yujin asked in a ragged whisper. “Is that really you?”
I forced my head up. Every muscle in my body screamed in protest as I squinted through the blinding glare of the overhead lights until the silhouette sharpened.
IU… is the Queen of Clubs?
She didn’t wear a mask—just like Suzy, there was a golden crown on her head, and her black dress absorbed all the light from the stage like she was purposely shielding Yujin from the glares both above and below the stage.
“You’re so brave, sweetheart,” IU said gently, cupping Yujin’s face.
“Sunbae… I… I’m s-sorry,” Yujin choked out, leaning into the touch as if it were a life raft in a sea of despair. “I’m so sorry…”
“What could you possibly be sorry for?” IU whispered, reaching up to untie Yujin’s blindfold, letting the fabric drop to the floor.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t good enough back then.” Yujin’s tears slowly slid down her cheeks as her vision cleared. “I’m sorry I disappointed you.”
“No. You made me so proud.” IU brushed the tears away with her thumbs, her own eyes glassy with a reflection of her pain. “And standing here today, I’m still so proud. You sweet, loving girl. You strong, brave, brave woman.”
“I was burned, sunbae,” Yujin reminded her, her voice shaking as she cried. “I was a failure. I let you down. I let everyone down.”
“You weren’t burned, Yujin. You were traded,” she corrected, her gaze as loving as a mother’s. “Your sister bought the world with her own life and gave it back to you.”
Yujin shook her head in either disbelief or denial. “No. That’s impossible. He told me that Wonyoung had to replace me because I didn’t qualify.”
“That’s a lie, unnie!” Wonyoung yelled from the shadows. “It wasn’t your fault! Don’t say that!”
“It was my fault. I ruined everything for her. I wasn’t good enough and she suffered because of me. There’s no one to blame but—”
“No! That’s not true! It was—”
The Dealer clapped his hands loudly, cutting them off. “An Yujin is the only former Ace to ever make a comeback, ladies and gentlemen!” he announced, as if he wasn’t even mildly interested in hearing what they had to say. “This is her first and only Blackjack Auction—as her time as an Ace was cut short due to… very heartbreaking reasons.
“You see, An Yujin was drawn into the House of Clubs with great promise to become their newest rising star. But our dearest Jang Wonyoung… our lovely Jang Wonyoung… made the most noble decision…” He paused dramatically to let the room hold its breath. “To switch places with her beloved sister...”
“Unnie, don’t listen to him!” Wonyoung begged, her voice cracking.
The Dealer paused, pressing a gloved hand to his chest as if the memory physically pained him. The rowdy cheers of the crowd died down, and were instead replaced by a heavy, intrigued silence.
“It is a tale as old as time,” he continued, his voice dropping to a whisper that echoed through the silent hall. “As you may know, the House of Clubs is known for its most unforgiving physical demands. Its intensity. Its ruthlessness. When the cards were drawn two years ago, it was An Yujin who held the Ace of Clubs. It was An Yujin who was destined to be the face and pride of IVE.”
He began to circle Yujin slowly, and all I could see from below was his shiny dress shoes clicking against the stage floor.
“But Wonyoung… oh, our sweet, precious Wonyoung,” the Dealer sighed, a sound of mock mourning. “She couldn’t bear the thought of her beloved childhood friend being forced to take such a heavy burden upon herself. She couldn’t stand the idea of Yujin’s spirit being crushed under the weight of such… unrealistic expectations. So she begged the Kings. She pleaded on her hands and knees, offering the only thing she had of value—herself.”
The audience was quiet. The only sound in the room was Wonyoung’s sobs leaking out from the distance.
“W-Wonyoung…” Yujin’s legs gave out, and she sank to her knees. “W-what is he talking about…?”
“Unnie,” Wonyoung cried. “Stop listening, please…”
Yujin’s voice trembled in disbelief. “You… you begged them…? Why…?”
“I just—”
“Why did you do it?” Yujin’s voice rose, cracking with a mix of grief and a heartbreaking rage. “Why would you do something so stupid? Why?! Tell me!”
“I couldn’t take it! I saw the videos! I saw what they did to you!”
Yujin’s tears ran down her face. “V-videos? How? What videos? Who showed you?”
“Manager Choi!” Wonyoung cried, her spirit visibly breaking under the confession. “I saw how much you struggled, Unnie. I saw it with my own eyes—I couldn’t—”
“And so you suffered in my place?!” Yujin yelled. “I’m your unnie! I’m your leader! It’s my job to protect you!”
“No!” Wonyoung shook her head frantically, her hair whipping around her face as she reached out one last time. “It was never meant to be you! They told me everything—they planned to—”
Her voice was abruptly cut off, smothered behind a gloved palm as the staff members finally forced her back into the shadows.
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