Chapter 111
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: Rescuing Deoksoon
Because he left a bit early, there are more people out and about than usual. Crow squeezes into the crowd and boards the subway train.
"Excuse me, just let me through a little."
"..."
The morning commute is incredibly chaotic and crowded. Right in the middle of it all, Crow grips the subway handrail like a perfect office worker.
Not many people are even looking at him anyway. Most have their eyes glued to their tiny smartphones. That little rectangular world contains the entire universe.
In fact, that's where Crow stands out as the weird one.
He stares at his reflection in the window as the train carries him along, completely detached from the drab reality around him.
Crow's destination is the prison interior, a place that's caused him endless suffering up until now.
Infiltrating it is a piece of cake. Disguised as an ordinary civilian, Crow knocks out a soldier who was lounging in a temporary barracks near the prison, playing games on his smartphone. He strips the guy of his clothes and belongings, then heads inside the building.
Next up, he needs to snag a guard's uniform. It hasn't even been a few days since the riot, so you might think it's a high-risk situation. But humans can't maintain their focus beyond the first couple of days.
After that, they start to slack off a bit. Their job is just keeping order inside the prison anyway. No one in their right mind would try breaking in from the outside. Except for Crow.
"Sigh..."
There's one guard letting out heavy sighs as she hurriedly finishes up in the bathroom stall. Crow recognizes her face. She's definitely the one who gave him that sharp glare during roll call.
Oblivious to Crow watching her from the next stall over, she tidies up. But instead of leaving, she pulls out her smartphone. She's already taken care of business and is just scrolling through short videos.
Crow climbs up the wooden stall walls like a spider. Her phone blares louder than any noise he makes. One of those trendy, brainless short-video songs echoes through the bathroom.
"Guh-!"
She's out in an instant.
Crow hooks her with his legs and hoists her into the air.
"Khek- Ack-!"
She fumbles for her gun now that she's aware, but Crow's legs don't give her the luxury. They grant her an unexpected break instead.
With her knocked out cold, it'll take at least a few more minutes before she comes to.
In that time, Crow strips her of her uniform and gear, slips them on himself, and then...
"..."
He shoves her head into the unflushed toilet, forcing it down with some effort.
Once he's in the guard uniform, things get a lot smoother.
Crow strolls down the prison corridors, acting completely natural. He already knows the layout inside out.
The path between the correctional officers' office—where he's come and gone countless times—and C Wing...
Beep!
Crow swipes open the steel door to C Wing.
A pair of glasses, a wig, and a touch of makeup completely change his look.
No inmate suspects he's Crow.
Instead, they think,
That guy's a newbie guard, huh?
"Hmm..."
Crow ignores their stares and walks leisurely. C Wing is packed with patients. Most inmates must have gotten injured during the riot.
And smack in the middle of it all is one oblivious idiot slurping ramen. Not a scratch on her, but her back is hunched over like crazy.
"Deoksoon, come with me."
"Huh!? Kek-!"
Crow clears his throat and speaks. Deoksoon chokes on her ramen in surprise. Getting broth stuck in your throat is pure hell.
"Kek! Ack! Kek! S-Sor, sorry...! D-Did you call for me?"
"Correctional officer wants to see you."
Deoksoon follows Crow with a dazed look on her face.
It's a shame to leave her half-eaten ramen behind, but she has to obey guards and correctional officers.
Wheeeeoooow!
But then an unexpected siren blares.
The inmates jump in alarm, wondering what's going on.
"..."
Crow's the only one staying calm amid the chaos.
"Just follow me for now."
"Huh? Um... this seems like an emergency..."
Maybe she developed PTSD from the last incident, but Deoksoon's sweating bullets and dragging her feet.
Crow grabs her wrist tight and stares right into her eyes.
"I said follow me."
"Uh..."
Those eyes... they look familiar...
"Wha, huh? N-No way...!"
Having ogled Crow's face plenty of times while drawing his water, Deoksoon spots his disguise right away.
That sharp nose, that decadent charm,
the good smell, those slightly seductive lips...
"Cro...!"
"Everyone stay in your spots. I'll be back after checking the situation."
Crow clamps his hand over Deoksoon's mouth.
The two bolt out of C Wing,
and their impromptu escape begins.
"Hic! Heek! C-Crow oppa...! What the hell is going on...!"
"Run properly. Your legs aren't hurt or anything, right?"
"N-Nooo... I'm just tired..."
"...Yeah, okay."
Crow leads Deoksoon down the corridor flashing with red emergency lights. But she keeps lagging, slowing her steps.
"Um...! But what exactly are you doing right now...?"
"Taking you with me."
"Huh? Whaaat?"
Following Crow right now would turn her into a criminal for sure.
A year and a half sentence? She could go out, lay low, and live quietly. But tagging along with a super villain like Crow...?
"Uh... um... no, I-I'm really fine here!"
She's screwed. Her life's over.
Better to serve out her full term and get out clean.
No matter how much she likes him,
no matter how shitty this prison is...
"Hey! You two! Where do you think you're—!"
Thwack!
But before Deoksoon can finish, Crow charges a guard rushing toward them and crushes her windpipe, knocking her out.
"Kehk-!"
"Put these on. Won't fit your build great, but just make do."
That's when Deoksoon realizes she has no choice.
"Y-Yes...!"
Shaking like a leaf,
she ducks into a corner and changes.
"These are way too small, eek..."
Her butt and chest are too full, squeezing tight,
but if she doesn't get dressed properly now, Crow might chew her out, so she stays quiet.
"We gotta hurry if we want to escape. Military's outside too."
"Eek...!?"
She's totally screwed.
The military?
"C-Can't I just stay here...? Eek... hic..."
"I'll take responsibility. Just follow me."
But Crow's stubborn.
He doesn't budge even seeing her tears.
"How are you gonna take responsibility... I can't even get married now..."
First things first, they need to get out of the building fast. If it was just Crow, he'd escape no problem. But now he's gotta drag along Deoksoon, whose physical stats are basically zero.
And on top of that...
"..."
A clear chill radiates from afar.
Crow knows exactly what that means.
"Let's hurry."
He urges Deoksoon on, trying to widen the gap with the chill, but oddly, it keeps getting thicker, closing in bit by bit.
It's like whoever it is knows exactly where he is.
And with all the other guards to dodge too, Crow's in a real bind.
"Roof's still under construction, right?"
"Y-Yeah... I think so?"
He plans to slip out via the roof like last time.
Unlike Lily, Deoksoon's plump and soft, but Crow can handle her no sweat. He could hide two bodies easy.
"..."
But halfway to the roof, Crow stops dead.
"Huh?"
Even Deoksoon looks confused by the sudden halt.
But he's already sensing Orca's presence, full force, just minutes away.
"We'll get caught like this. Gotta change plans."
So he strips off his clothes, tears them into long strips, and ties them into a rope.
"Deoksoon, we're jumping out the window. They don't know you've escaped yet, so surveillance on you should be lax. Orca and the guards are after me. Clearly tracking me down."
"Huh?"
Crow ties the cloth between Deoksoon's arms.
"I won't get caught anyway. You're the issue. Tie this around you, and I'll lower you to a safe height. Then jump. Military's outside, but they won't have memorized every guard's face. When soldiers come to check on you, say Crow broke in and threw you out the window. After that, slip outside as naturally as you can on your own. If it gets dicey, just stall. I'll come get you."
"O-Okay, okayyy...!? H-How am I supposed to do that alone...?"
Deoksoon flails in panic,
but Crow ignores her and dangles her out the window, dropping her down.
"Hiiiiaaack!"
"See you later."
Thud!
With that solid butt of hers, she probably didn't hurt too bad.
Now the real priority isn't Deoksoon anymore...
"..."
The chill's right in his face.
"Crow, it was you after all."
Orca blocks his path, breathing raggedly.
"Yeah, it was you..."
Her face is flushed deep red.
Is it anger?
Or excitement?
"Haa... Thank you, God."