Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator : M.N 1391
Chapter: 25
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They were about to keep playing cards without Kyung-wan, but sensing a guard approaching, they hurriedly cleaned up the gambling table. Even if some things were overlooked, doing it openly was another matter. To enjoy whatever little freedom existed in a place without freedom, one had to act with some finesse.
When lunchtime came, Kyung-wan and the inmates followed the guards to the cafeteria. Naturally, the meals were better than the military’s. It was said this prison was favored by bigshots and high-profile inmates, which explained the quality.
Kyung-wan thought this place was better than homelessness. He even felt grateful toward the judge who had sentenced him to five years.
After the meal came walk time and free time to digest. Guards moved the inmates according to shifts and rotations so too many people wouldn’t crowd one space.
In the yard where one could get sunlight and do light exercise, Kyung-wan’s cellmates scattered, each busy with something, leaving only him behind. Sitting in a sun-bathed spot, he closed his eyes and savored the warmth.
But then he felt a shadow fall across his face. Without opening his eyes, Kyung-wan rolled his body sideways to avoid it. He hadn’t meant to homage Diogenes telling Alexander the Great not to block his sun, but in terms of eccentricity, they shared similarities. For reference, Plato once described Diogenes as “a mad Socrates.”
Seeing Kyung-wan avoid the shadow without even opening his eyes, the owner of the shadow clicked his tongue and opened his mouth. Not because he recalled Diogenes, but because he was dumbfounded.
“Ha! Look at this bastard?”
At those words, Kyung-wan opened his eyes. Before him stood a muscular, tattooed man. The prison uniform sleeves were long enough to cover his arms, but the shapes and colors of the tattoos visible at his wrists and neck suggested his arms, or shoulders, were fully inked.
“What’s the matter?”
“When someone comes, shouldn’t you look at them?”
To the provocative tone, Kyung-wan replied:
“I had my eyes closed. How am I supposed to know if you’re just passing by or staring at me because you’re curious? If you’ve got business, just say ‘open your eyes.’”
At Kyung-wan’s words, the man grinned wide, and viciously.
“Huhuhu! This guy’s something, huh?”
“I’m not ‘something,’ I’m someone. Anyway, what’s your business?”
Kyung-wan wanted to get to the point quickly; he didn’t want to waste his sunbathing time. Seeing his obvious annoyance, the tattooed man twitched his eyebrow but finally spoke.
“You’re sharing a cell with Cho Pil-tae, right?”
“Yes.”
“If Cho Pil-tae talks about himself or anything, remember it and secretly tell me.”
“Why would I?”
“If you do, your time here will be reeeal comfortable. You’ve got five years, right?”
His tone was dripping with the nuance of “Do it, or I’ll make your life hell.” Sounds like he had a longer sentence or more influence in the prison than Cho Pil-tae.
Only then did Kyung-wan lazily look up and examine him. Piercing eyes, fierce face, tattoos running from wrist to shoulder. Clearly one of those quick-tempered types.
“And who are you?”
“Not your concern. You doing it or not?”
“Isn’t it standard to put down a deposit before asking for a job?”
“Hah. Hah. Hah. This bastard… Fine, you’ve got a point. Check your commissary balance this weekend.”
“Okay.”
When Kyung-wan nodded, the man walked away, and Kyung-wan returned to his cell, immediately telling Cho Pil-tae all about the proposal.
“What did that bastard look like?”
Cho Pil-tae’s usually friendly face hardened. Kyung-wan described the man’s appearance in detail.
After listening, Cho Pil-tae curled one corner of his mouth, as if he recognized the man, forming a vicious smile. But he quickly replaced it with a friendly one as he asked:
“Why’d you reject his offer right away?”
“Didn’t want to get involved. It’s none of my business.”
His intention was to let the two of them fight their own battles without him.
“Yooou little shiiit.”
Smiling as if pleased, Cho Pil-tae ruffled Kyung-wan’s hair.
Kyung-wan frowned, remembering Cho Pil-tae had just come out of the bathroom.
“Did you wash your hands?”
= = = = =
The days repeated in prison. One lived according to the schedule and the guards’ direction, but for someone like Kyung-wan, whose idea of freedom was unique, it wasn’t such a bad place. In fact, it was boring precisely because he didn’t have to worry about survival.
Honestly, people “free” outside had far more worries. What do I eat today? My landlord is kicking me out, where do I go now? My boss is an asshole, how do I endure this?
They say it’s better to be a hungry wolf than a well-fed pig, but the reality was that many weren’t wolves at all, just starving pigs.
From that perspective, being a well-fed pig wasn’t so bad. As long as no one came to slaughter him.
“You son of a bitch.”
During free time, an unwelcome visitor came looking for Kyung-wan, who had been quietly alone. It was the tattooed man who previously tried to make him snitch.
“Why are you cursing out of nowhere?”
“You shithead! I gave you an easy, comfy job and you fucked it up?!”
His voice was low, but his tone murderous; his eyes carried killing intent. Enough to make an ordinary civilian shrink like a scared cat.
But Kyung-wan wasn’t someone who got intimidated by something like that. Instead, he put on an innocent face.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You bastard! You tattled to Cho Pil-tae about what I told you!”
“Me?”
“Yes!”
“That’s weird.”
“What is?!”
“I don’t remember doing that.”
He remembered telling him, but not “snitching.” Who was he to assume betrayal? Were they friends? Did he know him well? Kyung-wan stayed confidently defiant.
His shamelessness made the man boil inside.
“Then how did he find out?”
“Why ask me? Am I the only mouth in here?”
The man fell silent. True, he had no proof Kyung-wan had tattled. Maybe someone else with ears around the prison had overheard and told Cho Pil-tae for pay.
He glared at Kyung-wan and left without another word. And Kyung-wan muttered loud enough for others to hear:
“Ah, fuck, this is so annoying.”
For several days afterward, Kyung-wan enjoyed peaceful time. Some prisoners showed curiosity about him, but his vague answers and uninterested attitude drove them away. The fact that he was basically broke and had nothing to exploit also helped.
But such peace didn’t last long. As usual, with his eyes half-closed, calmly sunbathing and meditating, someone approached with clear hostile intent.
His half-open eyes shifted. A sole suddenly filled his vision, swoosh, forward.
Kyung-wan jerked his head back. The heel grazed his chin, but since he was already moving with the kick’s direction, the impact was minimal. Instead, his arms coiled around the attacker’s ankle and shin like vines. His thigh clamped the knee; his ankle glued to the hip joint.
A snare snapping over prey, swift and precise. Then his core muscles twisted powerfully.
Crunch!
“Arghhhh!”
The man who had attempted to kick Kyung-wan fell and screamed, clutching his grotesquely bent knee. His joint was shattered.
It was the tattooed man again.
“Holy shit, you scared me. Turn on your blinker before you approach. I almost dropped my soul.”
“You fucker! I’ll kill you! Kill you! I’ll definitely kill, ”
“When you say things like that, it’s hard for me not to defend myself.”
He wasn’t some random civilian, either, he screamed gangster.
Kyung-wan lowered his stance and grabbed the uninjured leg. Guards yelled “Stop!” from afar, running toward them, but Kyung-wan’s powerful core didn’t hesitate, he twisted the ligaments surrounding the knee and tore them.
“Aaargh!”
The man's scream exploded. Feeling from the sound and sensation that he’d achieved his goal, Kyung-wan released the leg, stood, and raised both hands as if to say, “I will not resist.”
“You bastard!”
But one guard swung a baton at him. Kyung-wan wasn’t going to let himself be hit by something thicker than a file folder.
“You little, ?!”
The guard’s wrist stopped when Kyung-wan grabbed it mid-swing. The guard glared at him like, “How dare you?” and Kyung-wan frowned back.
“Let’s refrain from unnecessary violence.”
“You crazy fuck! What’re you babbling?!”
While the angry guard tried to yank his hand free, Kyung-wan looked to the other guard.
“If he hits me, I can sue, right?”
“Officer Kim. Stop.”
Only then did Officer Kim regain composure. He glared at Kyung-wan. Before things escalated, another guard took Kyung-wan away, settling the situation.
For committing violence inside the prison, Kyung-wan was placed in solitary for a month. Meals were delivered inside, and free time was heavily restricted.
With no TV, he had nothing to do except meditate or borrow books through the guards. In the shared cell, he could gamble, earn snacks, and kill time more easily, but solitary required new strategies.
One could meditate all day, but he wasn’t a monk. There was no reason to force it.
“Officer! Please let me go to the library!”
He opened the little hatch on the solitary door and called out. No reply. The guards were ignoring him, they were sick of his daily library requests. Escorting a prisoner was a hassle.
But Kyung-wan was persistent. When ignored, he began singing to ask for library time.
“I’m too tired! Solitary! Solitary! I’m tired of waiting, solitary! solitary! Without books, this room is too, too cold~!”
He parodied trot,
“Yeeeaah~! Korea’s prison weirdo! I have~ returned~! Dumbass of solitary, everything screw off!”
He parodied gangster rap,
“I’m a book-god, motherbooking book-god! I can do it alone, my bro is book or die!”
He parodied kids’ songs,
“Even when I’m lonely or sad, I read books~. Read and read and read again, why cry, why cry?”
He parodied K-pop,
“My book sweat tears~! My last dream! Yeeeaah~.”
Eventually he made a medley and sang it with intentionally pig-slaughtering shrieks until finally a guard yelled:
“HEY! SHUT UP!?”
And Kyung-wan obediently closed his mouth. His mouth only.
Bang! Tata-bang! Bang bang-bang-bang-bang!
The metal solitary door became a percussion instrument as Kyung-wan drummed various rhythms, from traditional beats to bizarre syncopation designed to annoy.
Taradang! Thump thump! Taradang! Bang! Bang-bang-bang! Bang-bang!