Chapter Text
If you take a trip through the dense forests and run down outskirts of cities, you’ll find a community dispersed about—a community of those who fail to conform with the binary.
Shifters.
Shifters originally arose from a gruesome experiment that took place in the early 1900s by a deposed scientist, Song Joochul. The scientist extracted the hormones from a stray dog and directly transplanted them into his 4-year-old son, resulting in a disfigured creation. The boy died only 3 days later but it marked significant advancements in science! Well…at least in Joochul’s mind. He vicariously documented every change he saw throughout the entire process in a thick pocket notebook.
He was actually the one to rat himself out, unable to keep silent about his triumph for any longer. He wrote to his former company to tell them about the experiment in great detail, even urging them to come take a look for themselves. It’s widely unknown the exact state that the body was found in but the prominent rumor has it that the tiny boy was haphazardly stuffed into an even tinier kennel. He was arrested a few minutes into the meet up and committed into a psych ward.
Unbeknownst to the citizens, the scientists weren’t going to let this discovery go to waste. Remember that pocket notebook? Yeah, detectives couldn’t find it anywhere. The science company was appalled at the gruesome nature of the experiment but not the experiment itself, so they pocketed his notebook for later (pun intended). If they were able to pull this off successfully, they could be rich! What started as a solo experiment blew up into a full fledged global scheme with thousands of animals being captured to be used as test subjects. Though, they decided to switch the implant around; human hormones were transplanted into animals.
Once again, outrage boomed from the people once the conditions that animals were being subjected to caught wind. The riches that were being hoped for, were kissed goodbye. There was so much hate circulating in newspapers and in person as protesters flooded the streets. Months of burning buildings and brutal brawls later, the governments finally took initiative. A worldwide funding cut to the science department that forced the scientists to halt their transplanting in order to focus on more important matters. Wasn’t a very good tactic, but whatever.
That solved the production issue…but what about the hybrids already roaming the earth?
Now, remember when I said that the people were outraged at the use of animals being forced into test labs? Yeah well, the minute human-like features were expressed, their outrage zoned in on them. Hybrids carried the reminder of a 4-year-old boy being mutilated and stuffed in a kennel in the name of ‘science’, not a new species completely oblivious of their origins.
Cue the arson and fighting!
Legislators were confused on how to navigate extending rights to this species. They could tie them in with existing animal laws, since they are animals, but a small community of people argued that they were just as much human as they were animals.
The results were split.
Many countries allowed for the hybrids to integrate with society, implementing extensive laws to protect them. Others deemed them not as people, but as low-life slaves. Owning them like one would an animal.
South Korea, however, took a unique path. Shifters were completely frowned upon. The experiment originated here and that brought shame to the public image of Korea, which had once been praised for its unity and pristine image. They wanted them gone, for good. It would of course be impossible to ship them all away because at this point there were well over 10,000 shifters. How would they round all of them up and where would they go?
It was very unrealistic, so…they turned to something that was easy and achievable.
Hunting.
Though, hunting is used very loosely.
Laws regarding criminal acts were ignored when the victim was not ‘human’. Violence became the new norm of South Koreans, it wasn’t uncommon to see a hybrid being beaten in the middle of the streets while a surrounding crowd points and laughs.
Hybrid families were torn apart. Fathers were tortured and slaughtered in broad daylight, Mothers were captured and forced into sex work, and children, yes children, were used as games. Babies were thrown around by adults and kids alike until inevitably being dropped and toddlers were being strung up and hit with sticks as if pinatas.
It’s hell on earth for hybrids. All because they fail to conform with the binary. Their lives are upturned as their autonomy is stolen from them, one strike of a hand at a time.
Equality doesn’t extend to those who are inferior to them.
That’s cool though. I mean, your people can ban us from your world, beat us, rape us, and kill us while no bats an eye, right?
Bet.
You’ve taken our freedom. You’ve taken our autonomy.
But there is one thing that y’all can never take from us.
Our voices.
Watch out Korea, here we come.
-
“Hurry up!” a voice called out from across the room.
“Chill, I’m coming,” Yeosang slams his journal shut before walking over to the group of boys huddled around a radio.