Chapter 13.2

Chapter 13.2

Even when he came by to announce the end of work duty, unlike the others who dragged their feet and yawned through it, Deputy Ki would show up on the dot, sharp and precise every single time.

From all that, I came to a conclusion: he was a perfectionist. Maybe even obsessive, not just about his appearance but about everything he did.

Honestly, that’s what made it all the more surprising that he was the one who’d kissed me like that. It said a lot, really. If someone as disciplined as him had lost control, then maybe, to Deputy Ki, Ham Yeohee was more tempting than he wanted to admit.

I paused for a moment before saying quietly, “Still… even in a place like this, it’s full of people, isn’t it? People can’t help what they feel.”

Where there are people, there’s desire.

In the next cell over, there was a woman who’d been conned by a gigolo, lost everything she owned, and still went on to scam her own family and friends just to keep up with him. It was her third time in here.

You’d think she’d be sick of men by now, but she’d always say the same thing out in the yard.

“I can live without money, but not without a man. That’s a worse punishment for me.”

And she’d bat her lashes every time a guard walked by.

That’s just how it was here. Everyone in this place had come to be punished, and inside these walls, we were all supposed to bury our urges. But people couldn’t help themselves.

Whether it was lust, hunger, or pride, humans weren’t built to live without wanting something. If they were, this wouldn’t be a prison. It’d be a temple.

And really, what was there to say about someone liking someone else? Of all people, Deputy Ki must know that better than anyone, working in a place like this.

He listened quietly, like he understood at least part of what I was saying.

“…I know it’s shameless of me to have feelings for you, Deputy Ki. I’m sorry. Since you said that night was a mistake…”

I slowly let go of his hand, the one I’d been holding onto the whole time.

“…I’ll let it go.”

“……”

“I’ll make sure I don’t make you uncomfortable—”

Just as I started to pull my hand back toward my lap, something rough but warm caught my wrist. His grip was strong, the veins standing out along his hand, yet his palm felt surprisingly soft.

I lifted my eyes carefully. Between the long, narrow lines of his gaze, those dark eyes burned straight through me.

“What do you mean, let it go?”

The heat from his hand spread up my arm, and his eyes blazed with the same fire.

What did he mean, what do I mean? When someone says they’re letting go, it usually means they’re giving up, right? Was there another way to interpret that? While I was still searching for an answer, his voice cut in again.

“Are you saying you’ll let go because there’s another man?”

I almost laughed from how absurd it sounded.

Another man? In this prison? Where the hell would I even find one? What, was I supposed to suddenly stop looking at Deputy Ki like he was the only thing standing between me and the edge of the world, and throw myself at someone else instead?

But he wasn’t joking. His expression was too serious, his gaze sharp and cold, like he could catch even the smallest lie and pin it down in an instant. Maybe that was just the guard in him.

I wet my dry lips nervously, and his eyes flicked down, watching the small movement before he looked away.

“N-no, that’s not what I meant. I just meant… I’d stop. I figured you’d find it uncomfortable if I kept feeling that way, so I thought I’d… end it.”

As I stammered out the words, the intensity in his eyes eased immediately.

He looked conflicted now, his gaze drifting past me, as if he was wrestling with something he couldn’t quite name.

He looked down at my wrist still caught in his hand. I could see the thought flickering behind his eyes. To keep holding on or let go.

Something about it made a faint unease rise inside me, as if something wasn’t quite right. I couldn’t even explain why. It just felt… off. I was still trying to figure out what exactly when his thumb brushed lightly over my skin, slow and careful.

“Don’t let it go,” he said quietly. “Those feelings.”

“……”

“This is still a place where people live. And you, No. 7059—you’re a person too.”

A person. Like him.

My heart lurched for no reason I could name.

When our eyes met, the words you’re a person didn’t sound gentle at all. The way he looked at me felt like he would swallow me whole.

Whose memory is this? I could swear I’ve seen that look before.

Something in me hesitated. I didn’t even know why.

“It’s fine,” he said.

“……”

“Go ahead.”

Deputy Ki’s voice left no room for thought, like he was ending the conversation, or giving an order.

“Like me all you want.”