Chapter 5
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: A New Model Prisoner
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A strangely ticklish sensation.
It felt just like bugs crawling around inside my heart.
The blood flowing through my veins didn't feel like blood at all—it was something else entirely.
The more I focused, the stronger the sensation grew.
And the shape of that itchiness started to take on a consistent form.
It felt like blood circulating clockwise from the upper right.
The circular tickle repeated over and over.
'Is this the feeling?'
Once I had a grasp on it, I turned to look at her.
"How's it feel? Getting the hang of it?"
I couldn't help but be startled.
She was looking at me with a smile I'd never seen before.
It was the expression of a mother proud of her son.
A look that welled up from the depths of her heart.
Staring at that face, I felt like I could fall right into it any second.
Before that happened, I blushed and turned my head away.
"What's wrong?"
"N-nothing..."
-Tap
-Tap
She kept poking my back with her chains.
"Anyway, looks like your circle's formed, so let's check it. Hold out your hand."
After cooling my face a bit, I extended my hand toward her.
"Not just your hand—turn your whole body. What's the point if you just stick your hand out?"
"Ah... y-yes."
Embarrassing.
"Alright, now imagine fire coming out of your palm. Easy, right?"
With eager anticipation, I focused again.
I pictured fire bursting from my hand, pouring all my nerves into my palm.
'Fire... gas stove... lighter...'
-Whoosh
It happened in that instant.
A small but unmistakably hot flame flickered to life in my palm.
"O-oh! Look at this! It's real fire!"
I was thrilled like a five-year-old with a shiny new toy.
"Congrats. You actually pulled it off."
But success was success, and I wanted to clear up the question that had been nagging me.
"Um... right before I passed out, it felt like chains pierced through my body... Was that real?"
"Of course? It was real."
"So... you had to do that? It hurt like hell."
It was true.
That pain was unlike anything I'd ever felt in my life, and I never wanted to feel it again.
"Remember what you said earlier?"
"Yeah? What about it?"
"That it's hard to learn magic after adulthood. That's true. So I used another method."
I couldn't fully understand her words, so I just stared blankly at her face.
"Simply put, I pierced your body with chains and channeled mana through them... Something like that."
"Ah, I get the gist."
I didn't fully grasp the details, but seeing her, I could tell she'd done her best.
Sweat dripping from her forehead. Her breathing ragged.
Either way, she'd put in real effort for me.
"Thank you. I finally fulfilled one of my wishes. I've always wanted to learn magic."
"So, what do you have to do now?"
Her tone shifted.
"Huh?"
"Why the clueless look? We had a deal, remember?"
"Oh, right."
I'd teased her enough already, and dodging it further didn't feel right as a man, so I stood up to prepare to drop my pants.
"Fine, I'll show you as promised..."
"Yay!"
I could feel her excitement building.
Her eyes were locked entirely on my pants.
It felt like her breath was brushing my skin.
Just as I placed my hands on my waistband to pull them down...
-Ring
A bell sound.
It was clearly coming from my room.
Not many people contacted me here, so I knew it wasn't routine—I hurried to my room.
"Wait! You're just leaving like this? You said you'd show me!"
She reached through the bars, desperately calling after me.
"Sorry! I'll check the message and show you right after. Just a sec."
'Who could it be? Not many people message me...'
Checking my phone, the sender was the Prison Warden.
'Why's the Warden messaging me?'
I read the message she'd sent.
[Come to my office. I have something to pass on.]
Short and to the point, just like her style.
'First time getting a message like this... Must be urgent.'
Sensing something off, I rushed to the elevator.
"Where are you going!!!"
'Oh right.'
I'd been so focused on the message that I'd forgotten her.
But work had priorities. Now wasn't the time to hang out with her.
"Sorry! I'll come back and show you later!"
"Yaaaaaaah!"
Leaving her scream behind, I headed to the warden's office.
-Knock knock
"It's Yoo Seohyun. May I come in?"
"Come in."
Entering the warden's office, I felt a twinge of regret.
She was dressed normally this time.
"Your outfit's proper today."
"Haha! Of course. How could I strut around like before with you here!"
Something felt off.
Her speech gave off a forty-something guy's vibe.
Body and voice aside, it felt just like talking to my old supervisor back in my guard days.
'Kinda gives off bachelor-in-his-forties energy.'
Anyway, I sat down first and listened to her.
"The reason I called you is that we're assigning another model prisoner to the cell next to Park Seorin's on the 4th floor."
"A model prisoner?"
"Yeah. Normally, we'd assign an extra guard even for model prisoners, but this one's been rehabilitating exceptionally well, like Park Seorin..."
"Rehabilitating?"
She faltered, unable to continue.
"You'll be watching both of them alone!"
"Pardon??"
Of course, having dealt with Park Seorin, I knew.
Model prisoners didn't cause major incidents, but not every model prisoner was like her.
'I even got choked by that Park Seorin once...'
"Ah... of course, the pay will go up accordingly...! Don't worry, just do it."
"Warden... I already get hazard pay..."
In fact, my hazard pay alone exceeded her salary.
"Ahem... Just this once... There's a situation... I'll explain everything later, promise."
Seeing her keep dodging, doubts crept in, but I accepted for now.
"Alright, got it."
Truth be told, with just Park Seorin, I was starting to get bored from lack of company, so it wasn't a bad deal.
'But what if it's a weirdo, even as a model prisoner...'
Worrying pointlessly, I boarded the elevator and checked the file on the new model prisoner.
'Name's... Ian... from Underground 4th Floor...'
Being from Underground 4th Floor bothered me.
Park Seorin was from there too, but 4th Floor meant major criminal... Reading the file brought her notoriety home again.
'7th Circle Mage?'
Ian was a 7th Circle Mage.
I wouldn't have known before, but now I could tell she was an absurdly powerful figure.
'Park Seorin's 6th Circle, and Ian's 7th...'
Brimming with worries, I returned to Underground 4th Floor.
I checked Park Seorin's area, but the adjacent cell was empty.
The new model prisoner, Ian, hadn't arrived yet.
"What took you so long?"
She glared at me with a pouty expression.
She was clearly still mad that I'd just left.
"Ah, Seorin, good news!"
"What?"
Her eyes widened round again.
The words "good news" clearly piqued her interest.
"A new model prisoner's being placed in the cell next to yours. Won't be as boring now."
-Bang
-Bang bang bang
"S-Seorin?"
-Bang bang bang bang bang
The moment I finished speaking, she started slamming the wall wildly with her chains.
-Bang bang bang bang bang bang
"Wh-why are you doing that?"
"Who is it."
Scary.
Her voice had reverted to how it was at our first meeting.
"Huh?"
"What's the name of the woman coming to the cell next to mine."
"Ah... uh... I-Ian..."
"Ian?"
Hearing the name, she stopped hitting the wall.
"Ha... better than nothing, I guess... but she's a bit..."
"Calmed down now?"
"Calm my ass."
"You were... like... smashing the wall..."
"Just exercising."
"Ah... right..."
I had no idea why she reacted so intensely.
"You got bad blood with the 4th Floor folks?"
"Why would criminals get along? Especially... nah, never mind."
She looked like she wouldn't answer more questions, so I dropped it.
As the situation settled...
-Step step
Footsteps echoed from the corridor.
Two sets of footsteps approaching us closer.
"Hello. Here to deliver the prisoner."
Two guards, and between them, a woman completely bound head to toe.
Gag. Earplugs. Blindfold.
Every orifice sealed shut.
"You're Guard Yoo Seohyun, right?"
"Yes."
"Um... c-could I maybe... shake your hand...?"
"Pardon? Ah... s-sure..."
"Ahh..."
The moment I took her outstretched hand for the shake, she let out a muffled signal from her mouth.
"First handshake with a man... ah... sorry... take care!"
The two guards dumped the bound prisoner in Seorin's adjacent cell and fled like their lives depended on it.
Their red faces suggested embarrassment for some reason.
After the guards left, I went to check on Ian in her assigned cell.
I was curious deep down.
Her photo in the file was stunningly beautiful, and I wondered if she looked the same in person.
'Whoa...'
The emotion that hit me upon seeing her was strangely fascinating.
Pink twintails clearly visible. Pink eyes.
She had the face of a magical girl from my childhood cartoons.
"What're you staring at."
