Chapter 12.2

Chapter 12.2

I needed a connection. Someone solid to stand behind me. A rope to grab onto before I sank.

And last week, I think I’d finally brushed the end of that rope. Barely.

Barely. Because finding Deputy Ki wasn’t easy.

This was prison. I was an inmate; he was a guard. Just because we were in the same place didn’t mean I saw him every day.

When I didn’t need him, he’d show up out of nowhere. But the moment I tried to find him, he was gone.

Even when our schedules overlapped, it was only for a few seconds. A glance, maybe a word in passing. Nowhere near enough.

And Deputy Ki wasn’t like Chief Park. He wasn’t the type to flirt or throw looks around. With half his face hidden under that hat, I could never tell what he was thinking.

That’s why I waited. Counted down the days until infirmary cleaning duty. The only time I could be alone with him.

When roll call ended, I stood as my number was called. Crossing the cell, I could feel Yerai’s sharp, cold stare at my back.

I slipped on my white rubber shoes and stepped outside. The metal door clanged shut behind me.

“Hello, Deputy Ki.”

He didn’t answer, just gave a small jerk of his chin toward the hallway.

I turned and started down the gray corridor, my footsteps echoing softly.

It usually took about ten minutes to walk from the cell block to the infirmary. My steps dragged a little, and behind me, I could hear his steady pace, always one step apart.

After a full minute of silence, I couldn’t stand it anymore and decided to speak first.

“You weren’t there during cleaning last time. Why didn’t you come, Deputy Ki?”

A flat, expressionless reply came after a pause.

“I was off duty.”

“Oh, I see.”

Then nothing again, just the sound of our shoes tapping against the concrete. I let out a small breath and let my words fall out, as if embarrassed.

“…Actually, I was waiting for you.”

“……”

No response. My words dropped dead between us.

I glanced up at him from the side. He kept walking straight ahead, face unreadable under the brim of his cap.

What was this?

His attitude was so dry, so indifferent, I could hardly believe he was the same man who once kissed me back like he meant it.

What happened? Did he change his mind already? That couldn’t be…

I had something to ask him, a favor only he could do for me. I hadn’t even thought about what I’d do if he refused. No, there was no other way if he said no. The thought alone made my stomach twist with nerves.

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

“I wanted to see you.”

“……”

“…I just keep thinking about that night… it feels unreal, like a dream.”

I wanted him to remember—the heat of his tongue, the way he pressed against my thigh. This was the closest thing to flirting I could pull off in a freezing hallway like this.

But all I heard was the sound of our footsteps. That awkward silence crawled up from my toes to my face until I could feel it burning. So this was what it meant to be embarrassed.

And stupidly enough, I was the one getting turned on. Just picturing his face under that cap made the inside of my underwear feel damp.

I coughed to shake it off.

“You’re here, Yeohee-ssi.”

Doctor Ahn greeted me, wearing a beige coat instead of her usual white one. Her nose was red like Rudolph’s, her voice stuffy and weak.

“I, uh, caught a cold. Deputy Ki, can I head out early?”

Deputy Ki nodded, and she gave me a quick smile before leaving the infirmary.

If she was skipping a chance to talk to him, she must’ve really been sick. Not that it mattered. One guard was enough to supervise cleaning anyway.

He stood in the doorway, arms crossed, just watching me.

I started cleaning, pretending not to care, but my mind was spinning.

What the hell was with him?

How was I supposed to make a move if he kept acting like a damn wall? Did he really lose interest after one kiss?

That couldn’t be. But if he had… what then?

Every plan I’d made depended on him. If he turned cold now, I had nothing.

By the time I realized it, I’d already finished cleaning. I hadn’t even figured out how to get through to him yet.

“All done?”

Deputy Ki stepped inside and asked.

“…Yes.”

As usual, he gave the infirmary a quick once-over before nodding.

Damn it. Officer Ki’s attitude was so flat, so detached, it was like that heated kiss between us had never even happened.

He tilted his chin slightly, that familiar signal telling me to step outside and wait. I was still scrambling to think of what to do next when the infirmary door, which had been open the whole time, suddenly closed.

He grabbed the handle, tugged it once to make sure, and didn’t stop until I heard the click of the lock. Then he turned toward me and took off his cap.

“…Officer Ki?”

He ran a hand through his hair, the dark strands smooth and thick as they fell over his forehead. With his clean, bright face fully revealed—the same face that once left my panties soaked—he finally spoke.

“When you said you wanted to see me… did you mean it?”