He is a legendary prison guard

Episode 6
Prison Life is Straightforward

After having lunch, Shi-Hyun was sitting in the break room watching TV and taking a short rest when someone placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Let’s go out for a bit and get some fresh air.”

It was his colleague, Jun-cheol.

“Ah, hyun. Why do you keep calling me when you’re smoking outside?”

“Hey, that’s not it. The air in here is stuffy, so you need to breathe some fresh air. That way, you can work refreshingly in the afternoon.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll go out.”

To smoke inside the facility, one had to either use the designated smoking area or go out the main entrance.

However, Jun-cheol disliked smoking in the designated area, so he usually went out alone to smoke by the main entrance. But sometimes, when their shifts overlapped, he would call Shi-Hyun out like this.

Once outside, Jun-cheol happily exhaled a puff of smoke before speaking.

“Congratulations.”

“What?”

Shi-hyun looked puzzled.

“Haven’t you been in the legal department?”

“I went in yesterday, but not today.”

“The ward you work in, our section, was ranked first for this month’s outstanding ward.”

“Oh?”

This was the first time he had been selected as number one during his time working here. While it wasn’t a huge honor, it was still something that could leave a good impression on the higher-ups.

“It was shocking.”

“Haha, what’s so shocking about it? I can do it if I want to.”

“The second place had five sticker issuances, and the first place had zero. How does that make sense? Have you never called the CRPT (Mobile Patrol Team) while working in the ward? Did the security director or correctional officers not catch anything while inspecting? What were you and your supervisor doing?”

“Wait… zero? Really?”

Shi-hyun looked surprised. Now that he thought about it, he couldn’t remember any inmates receiving stickers this month.

“Why are you surprised when you did all that work? It’s a fact, a fact.”

“No, I just didn’t know it was zero.”

“If you keep working like this, you’ll get a good evaluation. Impressive, impressive.”

In reality, work evaluations were quite ambiguous. It was impossible to monitor every action of the correctional officers, and accurately measuring who worked better was difficult. Therefore, evaluations were often determined by seniority. However, it was unfair that correctional officers who worked directly with inmates often received lower evaluations compared to those in administrative roles.

While managing inmates might seem easy, administrative tasks could only be handled by a few skilled personnel, reflecting the higher-ups’ thoughts.

But if someone like Shi-hyun had clear performance records, it was a different story. Ignoring visible results would inevitably lead to complaints.

“You’ll pass the promotion exam this time.”

Jun-cheol said.

The promotion exam consisted of evaluation scores plus written test scores. Even if someone had high written scores, many correctional officers failed due to low evaluations. Shi-hyun himself experienced this when he scored highly on his second-year exam but failed due to a low evaluation.

“I need to pass this time. If I have a good evaluation but fail the promotion exam, I’ll have nothing to say.”

“Make sure to do well on the written exam. You know our section is popular in the Seoul district, right? Do you know how limited our TO (Training Opportunity) is? We need to keep working together.”

“You said you’re staying, right? Do you still feel that way?”

“Yeah. I’m already married, and my wife works here, so moving is a bit burdensome.”

Jun-cheol was 35, married, and already had a child.

“That’s true.”

Staying for promotion meant slow advancement, but it also allowed one to remain in the same section until reaching level 6. This was preferred by many correctional officers.

On the other hand, exam-based promotions could be quick, but one had to relocate every time their rank increased. For example, one could suddenly have to move from Uijeongbu to Chuncheon.

There was no definitive answer to this dilemma. The priority depended on whether one valued quick promotion or residential stability.

“Anyway, I like you. So it’s good for me to keep working with you.”

“Ah, hyun. Why are you suddenly being so sentimental? What am I to you?”

Shi-hyun waved his hands dismissively.

“You’re a real gem of a person.”

“Oh no, it’s time to go. I get your feelings, so let’s head back.”

<0x18> <0xCD> ◈

Kim Man-deok.

He was short but had a sharp, piercing gaze. His body was covered in tattoos, and he had many scars from repeatedly self-harming.

Man-deok walked leisurely past the guard. For some, a prison might be hell, but for him, it was like a playground. Self-harm was just a way to pass the time when he was bored.

“Hello, I’m here with one. Here’s the neck chain.”

The guard escorting Man-deok saluted the chief, Park Young-hwan, who was standing in the hallway, and hurriedly turned to leave.

“Hey, Man-deok, you’re here?”

Young-hwan greeted him with a face that showed no warmth.

“Chief Park, let’s go into my room. I want to drop off my stuff and rest.”

“Before that, drop your stuff here and go into the office.”

“What’s this about?”

“Our chief wants to talk to you. So go in and have a meeting.”

Since Man-deok was a problematic inmate, Young-hwan elevated Shi-hyun’s position. He believed that treating subordinates poorly in front of such individuals could lead to them looking down on those subordinates. While many guards didn’t think this way, Young-hwan was certain about it.

“This chief? Which chief?”

“Chief Lee Shi-hyun, don’t you know?”

“I don’t know. What’s with the meeting? Just let me go in.”

“Don’t be difficult. Hand over your stuff.”

Young-hwan forcibly took Man-deok’s belongings. When the chief was so firm, Man-deok had no choice but to grumble and enter the office.

Inside the office, Shi-hyun sat with a relaxed expression.

“Mr. Man-deok? Please take a seat.”

“Let’s get this over with quickly.”

Man-deok sat roughly on the chair.

“You know me, right?”

“I don’t know you. Do I need to know every correctional officer’s face?”

His words became blunt. This was because he saw Shi-hyun as young and insignificant.

Of course, Man-deok wouldn’t treat someone older with respect either.

“You’ll get to know soon enough.”

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

“Remember this, you bastard.”

Shi-hyun suddenly spoke in a harsh tone. His voice wasn’t loud, but it was controlled enough not to be heard outside.

He felt like grabbing Man-deok by the collar, but he refrained since Young-hwan was watching from outside.

“What?! What?! You crazy bastard! You…!”

In an instant, Shi-hyun exuded the fierce aura of an iron-fisted guard. After practicing with other inmates, he was now able to control it freely.

Man-deok, who had been cursing in anger, suddenly changed his expression in shock.

“Dog… dog… Ah, is dog meat coming out for dinner today? Hehe….”

“Why would we serve dog meat in prison, you idiot?”

“Oh… right? Oh my… I’m such a fool, hehe.”

Man-deok wore a grin that he had never shown before. His whole body trembled like an aspen tree.

‘…I’m scared! I’m scared! I’m scared! I’m scared! I’m scared!’

He didn’t even know why he was scared. His mind was racing, and he didn’t even know what he was saying.

An unbearable fear weighed down on him.

“Listen to me well.”

“Yes, yes! I’m listening. Please continue.”

“I usually don’t speak informally to inmates. I stick to the rules.”

Normally, he wouldn’t even curse or speak informally to inmates.

But this time, he couldn’t hold back his anger. Man-deok was the one who had swindled victims, leaving many without a proper refund. Some victims had even taken their own lives due to financial strain and extreme stress. Yet here he was, comfortably living in prison without a shred of guilt while mocking the guards.

“Speak informally! Go ahead! I prefer informal speech!”

“Shut up and listen.”

“Yes!”

“You can commit crimes and end up here, right? But damn it, then you should live your prison life properly. Sure, maybe once is understandable. But you keep self-harming to screw over the guards? You bastard! If you commit a crime, you should atone for it and live your prison life properly! Do you understand? Speak up! You bastard….”

“I’m sorry! I truly regret it! I won’t do it again! I promise!”

Man-deok’s face turned pale as he fell to his knees, begging.

“Really? If you do it again, you’re dead, for real.”

“I swear, I swear! How could I dare lie in front of someone like you?”

“Okay, I’ll believe you this time. You can go now.”

“Yes, yes! Thank you! Thank you for believing me!”

He even gave a deep bow, something he hadn’t done even to his deceased parents.

After that strange display, he left the office with trembling steps.

Outside, Young-hwan stood with a completely dazed expression, as if he had seen something he couldn’t believe. His mouth was agape.

[Poahim is quite pleased with your actions].

[Wisdom + 8,
Mental Strength + 20,
Magic + 7 Recovery]

The rewards were fantastic.