NOVEL NEXT Chapter 39
Chapter 39
“Huh, what? You seriously want to hit me? This clueless guard… How do you plan to handle the aftermath, huh? You little punk, you also want to experience prison life, don’t you?”
Choi Kwang-ho’s words became more intense and rapid. Despite my disbelief, an ominous feeling crept in.
“Don’t talk too much. If you get too flustered, you might lose control. Then you might really end up on the other side.”
“What? You little…”
Before Kwang-ho could finish his sentence, Lee Si-hyun’s tightly clenched fist struck him hard in the abdomen.
Boom!
The sound resonated like a drum in the air.
“Gagghh…!”
An uncontrollable scream burst out. Despite receiving just one hit, the shock was so severe that Kwang-ho doubled over, cradling his stomach like a shrimp.
His body trembled uncontrollably. It was the first time in his life he felt such pain from being hit. It was excruciating.
“Ugh… huh?”
He wanted to collapse and catch his breath until the pain lessened, but his body automatically stood back up, returning to a stance in front of Si-hyun.
“Let’s take another hit.”
“No…”
Before he could fully utter the word “no,” another punch slammed into his abdomen.
Boom!
“Guggh…!”
A searing pain surged through his belly, as if set on fire. Kwang-ho collapsed to the ground again, finding it hard to breathe from the intensity of the pain.
Si-hyun watched him with satisfaction. Then, noticing another correctional officer approaching from outside, he signaled Do-yeon, who was on lookout.
Upon seeing the signal, Do-yeon opened the door to the duty room and came in.
“Yes, senior.”
Do-yeon’s expression looked quite pleased. His gaze upon Si-hyun was reminiscent of a hero observing a villain being defeated. It was a face that suggested how much resentment had accumulated from the inmates over time.
“Can’t hear anything outside?”
“No, it’s silent. You can proceed freely.”
“Good, keep up the hard work.”
“Haha, what’s that? Then you keep suffering, too.”
Do-yeon laughed and left.
Si-hyun’s gaze turned back to Kwang-ho.
Somehow, he had returned to a standing position. The pain was evident as he grimaced and let out ragged groans.
“Hrrrgg, ugh….”
“You need to take more hits.”
“U-uh, let’s talk. Okay? Talking is enough for you to understand.”
Kwang-ho pleaded with a weak voice, realizing that if this continued, he might really meet his end. In this life-threatening situation, he had no space in his mind for lawsuits or grievances.
“That’s right. Talking is clear enough.”
“Y-yes. Exactly. Hahaha.”
Kwang-ho’s expression brightened for a brief moment.
“But why were you throwing punches instead of talking?”
“Huh? Well…”
“Then let’s keep hitting.”
Boom!
Si-hyun’s fist seemed to hit Kwang-ho’s belly with even more force.
“Grrrgh…! Haaaa…! Ugh…!”
After just three hits, Kwang-ho vomited what was inside him. He sprawled on the ground, writhing in agony, feeling as if his insides were being torn apart by intense pain.
“What you threw up, you clean it up. First, take the hits, and then we’ll talk.”
Si-hyun’s smile appeared cruelly in Kwang-ho’s eyes.
◈ ◈ ◈
“Aw, does it hurt a lot?”
Si-hyun paused the assault momentarily to ask.
Kwang-ho’s condition standing before him was no longer human. If it weren’t for the shouting skill that commanded him to stand, he would have already collapsed flat on the floor.
His pale face was covered in tears and snot, foam escaping his mouth. His eyes were dazed, as if lost in insanity. His body trembled continuously like a patient suffering from a fever.
“Aren’t you going to answer?”
“Uhhh… hurgh… It hurts…”
“Of course.”
Si-hyun approached Kwang-ho more closely, with a chilling smile on his face.
“It must hurt a lot, huh? If it’s this painful when you get hit, why have you been hitting others?”
Si-hyun grabbed Kwang-ho’s chin, lifting it up.
There was not a hint of madness in his expression, merely an overwhelming look of pain.
At the same time, Kwang-ho felt a vivid fear. A man who had bullied others with violence was now crumbling in the face of more overwhelming and ruthless violence.
“Are you still going to keep hitting people in the future?”
“Huh… N-no, absolutely not….”
Kwang-ho shook his head vigorously.
“Really?”
“I-I swear… I really mean it….”
This time, he nodded up and down like crazy.
“Hm, I usually tend to give people some credit.”
Si-hyun looked at Kwang-ho with a curious gaze. Had it not been for the quest window, he might have completely believed that Kwang-ho had surrendered.
However, the quest window was speaking to him.
[Quest: Show the process of rehabilitating problematic inmates using the scary guard’s commanding shout. 0/2]
It was clear that Kwang-ho had not yet been rehabilitated.
Si-hyun continued to speak.
“Somehow, I can’t bring myself to believe you. So let’s take more hits.”
Surprised, Kwang-ho shouted desperately.
“Guggh… I really mean it! I-I’m sorry! Please, stop!”
“What did you do wrong?”
“Hitting people… and… and… I was completely wrong. I promise I won’t do it again. Please forgive me.”
The great Choi Kwang-ho was begging for forgiveness with a pale and terrified face. If anyone who knew him saw this scene, they wouldn’t believe it even in their dreams.
“Hm, you have no credibility whatsoever.”
“Absolutely not, officer! Trust me! If I betray you, I’m no better than a dog!”
Kwang-ho exerted every ounce of energy he had left to shout.
Si-hyun shook his head.
“Considering what you’ve done, you actually are that dog.”
“…Officer, please! I sincerely wish to show my heart by splitting open my chest!”
“Hmm.”
Si-hyun squinted, observing Kwang-ho. Inside, he could barely contain his laughter. Given his actions, he might have genuinely been fooled had it not been for the quest window. Of course, it was a behavior driven by the fear of genuinely not wanting to be hit.
Yet the quest window was indicating otherwise. There was clearly some remnant of rebellion still left in him.
Kwang-ho looked at Si-hyun with desperate eyes.
But Si-hyun shook his head again.
“No. It’s still not enough. You need to suffer more. Only then can you understand how miserable it is to be on the receiving end of violence.”
“Ugh…! Officer! Please, officer!”
“This time, as a man, you need to take a real hit. That way, you can really feel it.”
“P-please, officer!”
“Since you like to fight, you know what a low blow is, right? Let’s go for that.”
Si-hyun bittersweetly decided to choose a target area that would completely break Kwang-ho’s mentality. Of course, he needed to control his strength well.
“Ugh… no! Please! Not there!”
Kwang-ho pleaded, but Si-hyun completely ignored it.
Si-hyun’s fist moved swiftly.
“Huh, no…!!”
Kwang-ho instinctively screamed in a single breath, but there was no way to avoid it or block it.
Boom!
His tightly clenched fist struck terrifyingly fast at his groin.
“Gugghhh…!”
Kwang-ho clutched his groin with both hands, collapsed to the floor, writhing in pain and screaming.
“Now are you awakening to the reality?”
“Gughh… Please… stop….”
“I feel like you still need more. Let’s take another hit.”
As his mind began to fade and unbearable pain threatened to push him over the edge, his uncontrolled body stood upright like a spring toy and returned to Si-hyun.
“Bite down hard. One, two, three.”
Si-hyun kindly counted down to prepare him for the hit.
“AAAAAH! No, please!!”
Boom!
“Guaaargh…! Guh…!”
Enduring the pain of being hit again in the same area. It was unimaginable torment.
Tears streamed down Kwang-ho’s face. These were not just tears of pain, but desperate tears of pleading.
“Please… don’t make me a eunuch… please, I can’t… not like this….”
Facing the terrifying dread that his testicles might rupture, leading to a lifetime of impotence, Kwang-ho begged earnestly.
“Hmm.”
Si-hyun pretended to worry with a thoughtful expression.
“Officer, please… I will serve you as a brother for life. Please… just spare me from being a eunuch…”
“Why would I be your brother? I’m not a gangster; I’m a correctional officer.”
“I-I’m sorry! I’ll quit the gang and go back home to live quietly… Please, forgive me… please, please….”
“….”
[Quest: Show the process of rehabilitating problematic inmates using the scary guard’s commanding shout. 1/2]
Finally, the count was up.
It seemed that the last remnant of his spirit had been crushed by that punch to his private area.
This should be enough. The fear was likely etched deep into his bones. Just hearing his name might trigger a panic attack. Now, he wouldn’t dare even dream of disturbing prison order. Moreover, he was quitting gang life, meaning he wouldn’t harm any more innocents.
“Alright. Let’s end it here.”
“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”
Kwang-ho bowed deeply, tears flowing freely, genuinely looking grateful.
Si-hyun gestured to Do-yeon, who had been sneakily observing from a distance.
He rushed in as if running.
“Yes, senior.”
“Do-yeon, put this guy back in his cell.”
◈ ◈ ◈
“Senior, you really are amazing. Really.”
After putting Kwang-ho back in the cell with ten hits, Do-yeon looked at Si-hyun with shining eyes.
It was no longer the era of the past where guards could physically deal with inmates as they pleased. Criminal rights had rapidly evolved. The debate on how far criminal rights should be respected was ongoing.
Those who argued for respecting criminal rights claimed that criminals are also humans and, therefore, deserve fundamental human rights.
Opponents argued that criminals have already infringed upon others’ rights, so there is no need to respect theirs. They believe it’s absurd for criminals to want their rights respected when they have trampled others’ rights first.
Do-yeon had never deeply considered such matters. Due to his personality, he found it difficult to deal with inmates, but usually, following the established rules was enough.
However, when facing certain problematic inmates, he sometimes felt a genuine rage building up. The lack of remorse for their crimes and their blatant disregard for the guards only fueled his frustration.
Thus, senior correctional officers often advised him to engrave the character “patience” into his mind when dealing with such people. They claimed that without that mindset, one wouldn’t withstand the stress.
But, Do-yeon had just witnessed a guard who not only showed patience but completely wiped the floor with his opponent. A rush of exhilaration and admiration welled up inside him.
“Well, this much is nothing.”
Si-hyun said casually, making him seem even cooler.
“I admire you, senior. Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty.”
“Hey, don’t exaggerate.”
“Oh, but really, are you sure this is okay? What if that guy goes and talks about it…”
Do-yeon suddenly voiced some concern.
Si-hyun himself would face severe penalties and possibly legal issues, and he, who had condoned or ignored it, wouldn’t escape punishment either.
“Don’t worry. He won’t say a word.”
He had hit him where no one could rebound. And with the shouting skill, there was a safety mechanism in place. More importantly, the system had counted their rehabilitation. Nothing could be more certain than that.
‘Now there’s just one left.’
Si-hyun’s eyes focused on the last target.