Confinement Constitution Guide

A Perfect and Wise Life in Confinement (3)

I thanked Sa Hae-geon, who was staring at me intently to an uncomfortable degree.

“…Thanks for now.”

“It’s just a basic quality a kidnapper should have. I think it’s a serious crime to kidnap someone without cooking skills. So I hope my food suits your taste.”

Does he think his kidnapping is just a misdemeanor, or not even a crime at all?

Sa Hae-geon, who casually made statements that would have shocked other kidnappers, blushed and used his chopsticks to pick up some spinach side dish and bring it to my mouth.

“I heard it’s good to eat vegetables first on an empty stomach. Eat the spinach first. Ah-.”

Caught up in Sa Hae-geon’s pace, I thoughtlessly opened my mouth. Sa Hae-geon gently smiled and put the spinach in my mouth.

“How is it?”

“…What’s this? It’s delicious. You’re a good cook.”

“Really? That’s a relief. I was actually a bit worried. I tend to eat bland food, so I was concerned it might not suit your taste. Have some more.”

Sa Hae-geon, chattering in a voice clearly filled with joy, picked up more spinach and fed it to me. However, no matter how lightly seasoned the food is, eating only side dishes consecutively can make it taste salty.

I thought it might be good to have some rice at this point. But Sa Hae-geon, with his harmless face, picked up more spinach and brought it to my mouth again.

“Say ah.”

After being fed spinach three times, I seriously wondered if Sa Hae-geon was trying to torture me with food.

Still, thanks to eating the mild yet slightly salty spinach, my appetite was starting to return. Sa Hae-geon, perhaps thinking this was enough to settle my stomach, handed me the chopsticks he was holding.

“I’ll eat well.”

“Yes. Enjoy your meal.”

First, I picked up the spoon and scooped up a full spoonful of white rice. I put the rice in my mouth, which was full of salty taste, and tasted the seafood stew broth that Sa Hae-geon had served. The unique savory and refreshing taste of seafood stock coated my tongue.

“…It’s so delicious.”

“Is it that good?”

“Yeah. Are you a chef? Did you work at a hotel restaurant or something? Or is your dream to be a Korean cuisine master?”

Sa Hae-geon’s ears turned red at the successive compliments. With a flushed face, he pursed his lips and seemed to be seriously choosing his words. Finally, Sa Hae-geon expressed his feelings in a slightly trembling voice.

“I’m so happy you say that. Really.”

It wasn’t just flattery; Sa Hae-geon’s dishes were indeed excellent in taste, just as they were appetizing in appearance. Whether he had a Korean cuisine chef certification or not, every dish was perfect from the preparation of ingredients to the color and taste. If I continued to have such luxurious meals while confined, my palate would soon become sophisticated.

If that happened, I probably wouldn’t be satisfied with the convenient foods I usually eat in the field, like high-calorie energy bars, rice balls, or triangular kimbap. But that was fine. Since I’ve been kidnapped by someone extraordinary in many ways, I decided to enjoy it to the fullest.

A confinement life with food so well-prepared it could break the table legs, expensive goose down blankets, and a high-quality mattress that fits my body perfectly? It’s not just excellent, it’s perfect. I was confident I could stay more comfortably here than in my own home.

‘The question is whether I can leave this place when I want to…’

Until now, I’ve pretended to obey the Espers who kidnapped me to some extent, but also managed to make them give up the confinement at an appropriate time. For example, spending a week in bed doing only the most basic activities like eating, sleeping, and washing, or engaging in conversation but not giving answers about pairing, or ostentatiously enjoying the confinement life.

Anyway, I’ve been inducing the Espers to give up in such ways, but would that method work with Sa Hae-geon, who kidnapped and confined me in a completely different way and for a different purpose than them?

Of course, I was currently so entranced by Sa Hae-geon’s cooking that I was even considering staying for more than a month, but I shouldn’t overlook the fact that the situation could change rapidly. But…

‘Ah, whatever.’

What does it matter when I’m this happy and peaceful right now? Forget about controlling the days of confinement, I intended to fully enjoy this blissful confinement life that was no different from heaven. I was a Guide who deserved that much.

* * *

As soon as I finished eating, Sa Hae-geon quickly cleared the table and did the dishes, then asked:

“Do you want to watch a movie to help digestion? Or play a game? Exercise is good too.”

It seemed quite serious for a kidnapping, and now he’s trying to take care of my hobbies too? Unlike previous kidnappers, Sa Hae-geon seemed to intend to manage this confinement life quite diligently.

While it’s fun in its own way to lie limp on the bed like salted cabbage, spending time doing various activities isn’t bad either. After all, until now, I’ve been literally ‘confined’ as per the word.

It might be nice to enjoy a new concept of confinement vacation this time.

“A movie sounds good. But what kind of movie?”

“Do you like horror movies?”

“Horror movies? Not bad.”

“Then let’s watch a horror movie. Actually, I have a movie I noted down thinking it would be good to watch with you.”

Saying that, Sa Hae-geon led me to what seemed to be the living room. As I had noticed with the room with the large bed and the kitchen, Sa Hae-geon’s house was completely different from mine.

Despite being separated by just a wall, how could the structure and size be so different? It even felt like I was in a completely different building.

“This is the living room.”

A huge TV that easily seemed over 100 inches, a high-end ivory sofa, and a marble coffee table were all the furniture in the living room. Apart from the soft gray rug under the coffee table and a clock on the wall, there were no notable decorations.

A space that looked simple but was absolutely not simple in price. That was this house’s living room.

“Sit here.”

Sa Hae-geon, who guided me to the center of the sofa, sat next to me and operated the remote control. I blankly stared at the familiar OTT platform logo appearing on the large TV, then turned my gaze to Sa Hae-geon.

He seemed busy looking for the movie he said he had noted down to watch with me. Soon, as if he had found the movie he was looking for, Sa Hae-geon’s eyes lit up. The movie started as Sa Hae-geon’s thumb pressed the center button on the remote.

“What movie is it?”

“It’s a movie about a prisoner escaping.”

“Didn’t you say it was a horror movie?”

“Yes. He encounters a shadow monster while escaping.”

A faint smile appeared on Sa Hae-geon’s lips as he replied nonchalantly. Seeing that, I suddenly felt a chill down my spine. My lips, which had been twitching to ask more questions, also closed weakly. So, the movie Sa Hae-geon wanted to watch with me had a very absurd plot about a prisoner trying to escape encountering a shadow monster.

‘…Is he warning me now?’

Is he showing this to mean don’t even dream of secretly escaping? I blankly stared at Sa Hae-geon, who was focusing on the movie that had started with a heavy background music, then turned my head.

On the large TV screen, a prisoner wearing the same prison uniform as me appeared, dragging shackles on his ankles while wandering around a cramped solitary cell. For several minutes, I watched the movie, unconsciously identifying with the prisoner.

After a scene of the prisoner attempting to escape with tense music, the shadow monster revealed itself. And Sa Hae-geon, turning his gaze…

“If I were the shadow monster, I’d confine the prisoner somewhere no one knows about.”

Despite being human and presumably an Esper with a mission to eliminate monsters, he seemed to identify with the shadow monster rather than the prisoner.

“Thinking of that prisoner as you makes me so upset.”

“…”

Is this why he made me wear prison uniforms as pajamas? Sa Hae-geon was truly out of his mind in many ways.

“I don’t like putting you in such a cold and unsanitary space, and even giving you a chance to escape. That shouldn’t happen, right?”

“…Is that so?”

“Of course. I think confinement is only allowed if you provide a perfect environment. So don’t worry.”

“Yeah. I’m not worried about that.”

I’m only worried about what other strange things will come out of your mouth, and what other weird behaviors you’ll show. I don’t have the slightest worry about this confinement environment becoming unsanitary.

“But there’s always a possibility, you know. I won’t give you a chance to escape, but if you somehow manage to escape from here.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I’ll definitely find you.”

“And then?”

“And then…”

Finally, Sa Hae-geon turned his gaze from the screen and looked at me. His eyes, as dark as the deep sea, seemed to flash with a fierce light for a moment. He slightly raised his reddish lips in a smile.

“I’ll never let you go again.”

“…Uh, okay.”

I responded glumly to the answer that I might have been better off not hearing. If a situation arises where I have to decide to run away due to unavoidable circumstances, it seemed I would need to do my best to escape without being caught by this madman.