LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 72
Episode 72
A day at the Special Detention Center began and ended with inspections. Director Yoon stood in front of the ward door, readying himself with an inspection board, as usual.
“Prepare for room inspections!”
Si-hyun shouted as he walked through the cell, telling the inmates to get ready for the check. Upon hearing his words, the inmates bustled into action. It was a stark contrast to their usual sluggishness, as they typically moved at a snail’s pace when hearing about inspections.
The inmates scanned their cramped cells, checking for any disarray in the common room. Si-hyun nodded in satisfaction, seemingly pleased with what he observed.
“Attention! Unit 2 floor 2 inspection is complete!”
Director Yoon’s booming voice resonated. It seemed that the Section Chief had entered the ward to conduct the inspection.
Si-hyun slowly walked in that direction.
“Room 1!”
As Director Yoon shouted and approached to check Room 1, a loud voice echoed.
“Hello!”
Lee Hae-chang, detained in Room 1, greeted them with a loud and boisterous “Hello!” that reverberated throughout the space.
“…Whoa, that was unexpected.”
The Section Chief looked startled by the sudden loud greeting, which was far more enthusiastic than the usual perfunctory hellos.
Director Yoon, standing behind him, had a similar expression of surprise, his eyes wide as he looked at Lee Hae-chang.
The Section Chief tilted his head.
“Is something wrong?”
“Not at all!”
“….”
Once again, Lee Hae-chang replied loudly. The Section Chief regarded him with a peculiar look. Come to think of it, even his sitting posture was different from usual.
Hale-chang sat cross-legged in the middle of the cell with a posture that was utterly straight. It was reminiscent of a soldier on standby, and his loud responses further reinforced that impression.
When someone suddenly acts out of character, it feels off. Yet, there was nothing particularly objectionable about it; in fact, such behavior could be seen as positive in a prison context.
“Hmm.”
With a slightly uneasy expression, the Section Chief moved on to the next room.
“Uh… Room 2!”
Director Yoon, still staring at Lee Hae-chang’s strange behavior, finally realized the Section Chief was moving and shouted.
“Hello!”
The inmate in Room 2 responded with a booming voice that rivaled Hae-chang’s, perfectly straight in posture as well.
“Hmm…”
The Section Chief displayed an expression that suggested something was genuinely off.
Are they all in cahoots…?
He asked with a serious face.
“Do you have any complaints?”
“None at all!”
“Was there something unusual today?”
This behavior wasn’t here until this morning. It seemed there had been no significant changes in the inmates.
But now, suddenly, they were acting this way in the afternoon?
It had to be related to something that happened in between.
“Nothing at all!”
As the inmate shouted back, declaring emphatically, it seemed unlikely he’d be forthcoming with information.
The Section Chief turned his head to glance at Director Yoon, as if asking what was going on.
However, Director Yoon didn’t know either. He, too, was curious about the situation at hand and shook his head in confusion.
Then, the Chief’s gaze naturally fell upon Si-hyun, who was standing at the back.
With a smile, Si-hyun replied, “When we conducted the inspection this morning, I pointed out a few shortcomings to the inmates, Chief.”
“Really…?”
The Section Chief wore an incredulous expression. These were not inmates that would be so submissive just because someone said a few words.
“Yes, exactly. Right?” Si-hyun asked, seeking confirmation from the inmates.
Immediately, an inmate answered enthusiastically, “Yes! That’s right! Director Si-hyun kindly explained the errors during the inspection!”
“….”
Well, let’s assume he did say that. But why on earth are they so quick to listen…?
The Section Chief’s expression revealed his confusion. Surely the inmates couldn’t have suddenly turned into model prisoners.
Having thought it over, he moved to the next cell, but received the same response there. By the time he finished checking ten rooms in total, he wore the look of a man possessed, genuinely pondering if he had seen everything wrong.
However, upon seeing Director Yoon’s dazed expression, he realized he wasn’t the only one experiencing this.
“…Director Yoon.”
“Yes, Chief.”
“Send any inmate to the Ward Office for a consultation.”
Typically, inmates weren’t shuffled around unless absolutely necessary during inspections.
Yet, this was clearly extraordinary enough for the Section Chief to request it.
“Understood, I will send someone immediately.”
“Okay, inspection complete. Good work.”
“Yes, rooms dismissed!”
Director Yoon shouted.
◈ ◈ ◈
“How did it go?”
As the Section Chief left, Director Yoon immediately questioned Si-hyun. It seemed related to his earlier walk through the cells and discussions with the inmates.
“I mentioned yesterday that I would ensure inmate order,” Si-hyun said with a smile.
“So, you talked to the inmates a bit.”
“Talking you say? So that’s why they’ve transformed so much?” Director Yoon asked in disbelief.
“Yes, I’ve got a knack for dealing with inmates. It’s crucial to be open; if you approach sincerely, they’ll respond sincerely as well. You can’t come at them with prejudice just because they’re criminals.”
“….”
“Of course, just being gentle isn’t enough. Sometimes, it’s necessary to be firm. The key to handling inmates is to control the balance of firmness and gentleness. In this case, I found they were too relaxed, so I spoke a bit more strictly. They seemed to realize they were in the wrong.”
“Huh… they realized they were in the wrong, huh?”
Director Yoon stared at him, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Yep, they did seem to understand. No need to worry too much, Director. If they harbor any discontent from this, I can take full responsibility.”
“Actually, I’m not worried…”
“Director Si-hyun is right! We’ve realized our mistakes!”
“That’s correct!”
Nearby, Si-hyun and Director Yoon were interrupted by voices from the inmates in Rooms 9 and 10 yelling in agreement. This abrupt interruption halted Director Yoon mid-sentence.
Si-hyun promptly turned to them and said coldly, “Who do you think you are, interrupting the conversation the Director is having? Did you receive that kind of education in basic training?”
“W-we’re sorry!”
“We’ve committed a grave offense!”
Oh, no, what do you mean grave offense…
Director Yoon appeared increasingly bewildered by this absurd situation. Just because Si-hyun raised his voice a little, the inmates turned submissive? Is this even real?
Si-hyun continued, “Let’s go discuss this in the Duty Room. It’s better to get out of here…”
“Y-yes, that sounds good.”
◈ ◈ ◈
Having completed less than a week of official duties, Si-hyun became a celebrity in the Special Detention Center. The rumors of a change in inmate behavior on floor 2, unit 2, were spreading like wildfire.
If it had been a slight change, such rumors wouldn’t have spread to this extent. But shockingly, inmates who had previously lounged around like layabouts transformed almost immediately into disciplined recruits.
There was no way to keep the rumors from flowing.
“Have you heard about Director Si-hyun?”
“What about him?”
“He was famous at the prison where he worked before.”
“Really?”
“They say he was the ace of the Security Department, overshadowing CRPT and everything.”
“Huh, I suspected as much from watching him now.”
“But that’s not all.”
“What else?”
“The correctional officer who became famous from that documentary, the one where the inmates couldn’t even move?”
“Oh, right, I know him.”
“That officer is Director Si-hyun!”
“No way! This guy’s a real monster; we’ve got a real monster on our hands!”
“Yeah, a monster indeed. And that’s why I’m worried. We also have some monsters among our inmates.”
“True.”
“What happens when monsters clash? I’m worried something’s going to blow up.”
“Yeah, we should probably at least give a heads-up or something, right?”
“No idea. If we warned them, wouldn’t they have curtailed their bad behavior already? That’s the problem.”
“Thinking about it, I guess you’re right.”
◈ ◈ ◈
“Bro, you’re incredible!”
Kang Baek said as he poured Si-hyun a soda. The two were out for dinner at a barbecue place after work. Neither was much of a drinker, opting for soft drinks instead.
“Come on, don’t get all mushy on me,” Si-hyun waved him off.
“No, really! I still get tense just looking at the inmates. But you’ve already got everything under control within a week. I’m genuinely in awe.”
Kang Baek spoke with sincere admiration, not merely flattering him.
“No, that’s just the result of experience. I was just as jittery looking at inmates when I started.”
“I can’t believe you had a nervous phase.”
“Seriously, you didn’t believe I was the ace of the Security Department back then either, now you’re just exaggerating.”
“Who didn’t believe it? I totally believed it.”
Kang Baek laughed, joking around.
“Anyway, how’s it going there?”
“Honestly, it’s easier than I was worried it would be. But then again, since the inmates are Awakened Beings, there is a sense of pressure.”
“Don’t stress too much. Once they’re locked up, there’s no getting out. Just be careful outside.”
“Yes, I’m especially mindful of my surroundings outside.”
“Good, keep it up.”
Si-hyun nodded and popped a piece of grilled pork into his mouth.
“Oh, by the way, something just popped into my head.”
Kang Baek spoke up suddenly.
“What is it?”
“I heard other seniors mentioning it.”
“Uh-huh.”
“They’re worried you might stir up some trouble.”
“Really? What sort of trouble?”
Si-hyun leaned in a bit closer, intrigued.
“They seemed concerned that you might clash with Problematic Inmates later on.”
“Ha ha, is that so?”
Si-hyun chuckled softly, beginning to understand their worries. The Problematic Inmates in the Special Ward were fundamentally different from those in the regular wards.
They were considerably more dangerous. Since they wield significant power, any issues they create could lead to serious incidents. It wasn’t feasible to keep them restrained at all times, which meant trouble could arise at any moment. Thus, it was probably true that even the correctional officers had to tread lightly around them.
This was similarly true in the regular wards, where even correctional officers had to exercise caution when dealing with the Problematic Inmates.
But if he decided to impose order among them, things could indeed go south, which was a totally understandable concern.
However.
“Do you know what my specialty is?”
Si-hyun asked, taking a refreshing sip of soda.
“Uh? Not really…”
“It’s rehabilitating Problematic Inmates.”