I PICKED UP A CHILD IN A DUMPSTER

***

(Earlier—)

When their turn came, it had been completely different.

A soft light had wrapped around Suha and Han, smaller than the others but brighter somehow, like it wanted attention. The announcer’s voice followed right after, almost playful.

"Let’s start the bidding for these two little ones who somehow ended up here. Anyone interested?"

The reaction was immediate.

"Oh? They’re cute. I want both."

"Relax, let me bid first."

"Shut up, you already have too many—"

"Too many? Says who? I collect them."

"Disgusting."

Voices overlapped, louder, sharper, more alive than before.

Si Hon had barely reacted at first, watching it the same way he watched everything else.

"Yeah... I guess no one’s going to—"

"Oh! And this is special, by the way!" the announcer cut in, clapping her hands lightly. "You don’t need to bid for them separately. They’re a set. Twins. You can take both together~"

That—

That flipped everything.

"The girl’s cuter."

"Ay the announcer said it. They’re twins, idiot. Take both."

"Don’t order me around."

"Fifty thousand."

"Already? You’re cheap."

"Then go higher."

A sharp laugh cut through the noise.

"Pathetic. One hundred thousand."

The numbers jumped fast. Too fast. No hesitation, no pause, just constant climbing like the value didn’t matter at all.

Si Hon’s eyes narrowed slightly as he watched it.

That wasn’t normal.

Not even close.

Beside him, Suha looked completely unfazed, casually biting her thumb like she didn’t fully understand what was happening.

Han—

Han did.

His body was tense, shoulders tight, eyes fixed upward as the numbers kept rising. There was something behind that look— something that recognized exactly what this meant.

"Hey, hey—look at the boy. He’s aware. I like that."

"Oh? Now we’re talking."

"Three hundred."

"Four."

"Five hundred thousand."

"Ha— finally someone serious."

"Don’t push it."

"You think I can’t?"

Another voice, smoother, almost bored.

"Seven hundred."

That quieted a few of them for a second.

Not silence— just a brief pause, like everyone recalculating.

Then—

"Eight hundred."

"Eight fifty."

"Stop dragging it. Nine hundred thousand."

That one landed heavy.

The kind of number that didn’t need to be repeated twice.

For a moment, no one spoke. Not because they couldn’t— just because they were deciding if it was worth going higher.

It wasn’t.

A few scoffs. A couple of amused clicks of the tongue.

"Tch. Fine."

"Not worth the trouble."

"Lucky brats."

"But... they’re so cute I want them... huhu... I want to adopt them, please come to MOMMY... (⁠っ⁠˘̩⁠╭⁠╮⁠˘̩⁠)⁠っ"

***

(Back to the present)

Si Hon sniffed lightly, almost out of habit, then lifted his gaze toward the announcer again, standing high above them on that pillar like she belonged there more than anyone else.

The whispers hadn’t stopped.

They just changed.

"No way... not even a single coin?" 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"Seriously? Not even one?"

"Guess he really was just lucky..."

Si Hon listened for a second.

Then didn’t.

His hand came up again, tapping lightly against his chin as his eyes stayed forward, expression settling back into that same calm, unreadable look.

"Alright," he muttered quietly.

Like he had already moved past it.

Or maybe—

Like he was just starting to think.

Well anyways, after that, the bidding didn’t slow down— it only climbed higher. Names kept getting called, lights dropping one after another as the numbers followed, louder and heavier each time.

Some barely made it past a few hundred thousand before the crowd lost interest, while others shot up without hesitation— two million, six million, twelve... even thirty four million at one point. The crowd of voices above overlapped constantly, arguing, raising, cutting each other off like the value didn’t matter as long as they won.

It didn’t feel random anymore. There was a pattern to it.

Preference. Taste. Something about how each person carried themselves, how they reacted under pressure— it all played into it.

Si Hon didn’t move much while watching, definitely not jealous, but his attention sharpened here and there, catching on certain names as they were called.

Aeloria was one of them. The moment her turn came, the reaction shifted instantly— quieter at first, then heavier, more deliberate. The Numbe rs didn’t jump wildly like before... they climbed with intent, like the people bidding already knew what they were looking at.

Fifty million came and went, and by the time it settled at fifty nine, no one even tried to push further. It wasn’t hesitation. It was acceptance. Like that number already said enough.

Han was different. When his turn came, the tone above shifted again, lighter this time, almost amused. The bids climbed steadily, not explosive, but consistent— four million by the end of it. Not overwhelming, but not low either— definitely not jealous. Si Hon glanced at him briefly, then away, already understanding why without needing to think too hard about it.

The face, the presence, the way he carried himself— it was the kind of thing people liked. Innocent type.

Edur and Seong, though— that caught his attention a little more. Edur’s number rose fast, cutting through the noise until it landed at twenty three million, solid and uncontested by the end.

Seong in the other hand followed not long after, and hers climbed even cleaner— twente nine million, sharp and controlled, like the people bidding didn’t hesitate for a second.

By then, the pattern was clear. Strength. Awareness. Potential. The crowd wasn’t just throwing money around— they were choosing carefully.

Si Hon exhaled lightly, his hand brushing his chin again as his gaze drifted back across the arena, quieter now, more focused. "Yeah," he muttered under his breath, almost to himself.

"I’m not so jealous.."

Well... eventually, the bidding came to an end— not with a loud announcement, but with the sound slowly thinning out until there was nothing left to add.

The voices above lost their edge, numbers stopped being called, and the last few lights faded one by one until the arena returned to its usual dim glow under the fake sun.

Whatever excitement had been there settled into something quieter, heavier, like a deal had already been made and there was no point arguing anymore. Si Hon glanced up briefly, then forward again, exhaling through his nose as his hand rested near his chin.

"Yea... Yea, let’s just start..." he muttered under his breath, eyes scanning the now still space. "Everyone beside me got picked."