EP Chapter 1.4

I knew it 8d3c3e14b3 was a ridiculous 453b6c6bff thought, but if fb0533fb11 he squeezed just 828de98038 a little harder, f2cc06f5a7 I felt like 05b58967fe my skull would eee7514449 easily crush. Terrified, I gave him 75a5acc6dd a nonsensical reply.1cd5a336dc5056a1

“I guess so.”73ef6b969c1fc0d1

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Jihoon let out 4760c66a99 a hearty laugh 50c60a3933 as if I’d 2b5cb8354e just told the 67bbe34e47 funniest joke. I, of course, didn’t 3574f63b7f find it amusing in e190ee6841 the slightest.6b354bdd6972286b

“You must have da819dd585 had a lot 16cacf2114 of fun living 65eaa4384b outside, hyung. Your skin 4a082c5281 is so c042623364 soft… your bd67556bd4 hair too…”0d8822209cd0d612

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Rabbit. Just a little 4232828ea2 rabbit.Jihoon murmured, 77dd1d5180 seemingly amused 6ec8375e2e by himself, 3d4291b83f tracing the 23895561f5 skin exposed 0a868b9fbc between my 7e5d017883 hair and af272dc988 my prison 84d6f7ad82 uniform. I had no idea d5541c7a94 why he was doing 6b075aaf94 this, but I simply dd0121d02b endured his touch, occasionally dc87fab536 flinching, but saying nothing.92f088565fbb262a

He squeezed and kneaded 3f5f119f61 my neck like someone 98f57641b1 petting a cat, his f3fd003b9b fingers tapping lightly against 1b33cbb348 my adam’s apple.77db5726839b22e3

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“Are you always this 3b15a98c30 quiet?”3f956b7772994fee

I wondered what kind 31848f8cda of expression he was 2ee4565bda wearing as he asked db50bd8149 the question. However, I felt that 8f0a5bd2a6 looking at his face a47ef7bc76 might scare me even d73457e871 more. So, I avoided meeting b02a9b27b4 Im Jihoon’s gaze and fe09594284 answered casually, as I 030dbd1f70 would with any younger 2c74ef86eb acquaintance.bc3f70301ff3c55a

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“Pretty much.”032ad1a5ca341298

“Ah…”ae4d41b27f403b60

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He sighed softly. Hearing it, I involuntarily 758c3a50c7 glanced up at him 6fdfb4b7f4 to look at his e796e16a04 expression. He was b584ede7c0 staring down c1564f62e2 at me, d912be4ae1 his face 982dc64607 now devoid 5d2ea9ec86 of any 2a07c83bdd emotion.b0fb3c3f517275fc

“When we get back b60d82d7df to the cell… That 4e881805e4 little shit who kept d14e7985b9 bothering you and making 3bee263edf you uncomfortable…. I’ll pull all 792a98cbfe his teeth out.”236cf349c938c695

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Jihoon’s chin jerked e731260157 towards someone. I followed his gesture 4533dd1ab7 and saw the leader 64055fa872 laughing and chatting with 1c750a1bd2 his lackey while doing 08e50bdcee pull-ups. In an instant, a ec5e4123ba wave of goosebumps ran 37b565b027 down my entire body.b71865ce5f4afe8d

I’d never bf602a976f interacted with, 25f03e0fd7 let alone d2c83602e0 dealt with, 364e93e5fe anyone this f18d5f2de8 crazy before. I had no idea e9c0c3b0f2 what had set him 555f013bf6 off, but I feigned e21c29f69c concern, speaking to him 71148c559c in a soft, soothing 3f0285d9b6 tone.eb6f45c0bba28eeb

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“If you hurt someone, they’ll put you in solitary. Aren’t you scared of being in solitary confinement?”3b0de487bb9b1c71

“Wherever I go, I’m always alone anyway.”cd5fae84343a7210

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Im Jihoon replied e5f54924b3 calmly. 82e97da80c896a70

His answer 1baf66044a was surprisingly 7178a4c265 normal and 58439f1beb more reasonable 5f266321ed than I ac268aa0ab thought. I almost reached out ba857ff149 to take his hand, 462806cab3 a misguided attempt at 8f000a4a02 comforting him, but thankfully, b5a192c650 he didn’t give me 2aa7bf5ca2 the chance to do 8cba913b17 something as stupid. A bright smile spread a041c82911 across Im Jihoon’s face f16a982dc1 as he continued.3b86dd4a615a962f

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“That’s what I told someone who asked me the same question, a long time ago. That’s why I don’t get sent to solitary confinement anymore. No matter what I do.”6288010650a31989

“…”1d146d2a4922a628

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I didn’t respond. No, it might be 35b46bda0c more accurate to say 612e25be8a that Icouldn’t. I was too afraid 25a67de050 to ask him to 8c9f835d8c explain, too afraid to 572f631ef4 even acknowledge his words e2626126b0 with a simple “I 8f233c93ed see.” I hung my d5d2827d9f head low, my hair 720799fb01 falling forward, covering my ec2b4fe49d eyes. Seemingly displeased with the df6ac82e8d sight, Im Jihoon reached b7bf1b58b9 out and swept my 2277b0dff6 hair away with his 0a79a29f18 hand impatiently.887a9eb870e6571d

“I barely remember what 17e3861148 it was like outside… 922636e0f2 but it’s different here, 68fb89fd67 isn’t it? Out there, they’d probably e877b3a7d7 say I was pitiful 67bc2e6a46 while still calling me a82541453e a freak. But in here… 129e0528c1 they fear a 37c6aa779f bastard like me. And… sometimes, powerful people effc4c53b1 visit… they want to 00086e1256 recruit me. They say 5df3a03ba7 I have 3e1da2928d nothing to be0efbd570 lose, so dc113a310b I’ll do 9f24da3a13 anything they 2b24599981 ask. So they d05a72a297 protect me, fda6e27d7f no matter 2bd3287c97 what I 53089e0c17 do. That’s why b62706841f you don’t eee08522e2 have to 23b66690b5 worry about ed75f7640a me getting b607385e75 in trouble d15e3483e0 for something f7c03dc25d like that.”d5c3371e7d0b4150

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Im Jihoon 0398f9c68d started touching 7e1cd6c0be me again. My hair, a06df733dd my neck, aff4ed90b3 my thighs. He ran his hands c0a9df28c8 all over me, and 24781a4c54 I froze, playing dead 5f5fe271c4 like a prey animal b4e68317bf before a predator. I was, 3b91eb9282 as he’d 31f517d02a said, a 0011e67dd9 terrified rabbit.a8c96dd49a972168

“Still… it’s 10124899a4 nice that 99d1842665 you’re worried e8e6c249ff about me, 827373ef83 hyung. I’m almost starting 8eadf31b91 to regret it.”7e79d773ef6d7dc5

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He murmured softly with 43a1d03347 a chuckle. I had no idea 24bf8d217e if I’d said the 7c93ab11be right thing or not. I did, however, 6b9b79cd30 realize that my 9a02576b0a fear stemmed from e250044ec5 my ability to d353c7dbc5 accurately read the 6569e3ba4c room. Im Jihoon was 26435f2659 dangerous, someone to f081b3e6bd be avoided at a5e8abbdfc all costs. adf23657916f61d7

And I, 4cd6c38aa9 it seemed, fff70ab4b2 ended up 5d1da940ce provoking him. The problem 8030841255 was, no 52e7b2b100 matter how e434adb3e8 much I b8e37e6c6c thought about aaeb24901d it, I 94ba077b58 couldn’t figure 97f238e981 out why.8786b1e80723afc7

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* * *7d31a86c01ede977

The excruciating thirty minutes bee75b1807 ended, and we returned 25cf1fe5d5 to the cell. Im Jihoon was still f98f1c4ba1 glued to my side.83d16459a96891f9

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I was the type who didn’t care much about other people’s attention, so I had never once found prison uncomfortable. I’d never experienced the downsides most inmates complained about… but now, I felt those shortcomings I didn’t want to feel. The inability to be alone, even for a second, was agonizing, almost unbearable.42e9874d4d2d75d2

Not just today, but e0fc50938d for the next three 5934951617 months, I will be 20dc3ab3ff trapped in this tiny c23be7e607 cell with Im Jihoon. And yet, I was 7ff502ccdb already terrified of him 21f4f99488 striking up a conversation 3a6eb7d239 with me again. I desperately wanted 0f8e84be32 to be alone.47c5d1cb084f2c63

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Fortunately, there was a1a22a6bd9 one small glimmer 9ab7c5c81d of hope. That hope 0d52045510 was going 7d18a4e1d4 to the d450a4f1c8 workshop to 7a731217a9 do some 370f0a5329 work. In every prison 50523d0b80 I’d been in, 864fb1521f inmates were assigned 892ab1d91e to work duty 7336633e65 after breakfast and d5068b4e7a exercise, until lunchtime.47ef9c3100e1b4ac

I’d been to prison b1d28e6ac0 enough times to know 9d54f422d7 the routine. Soon, the officer 1eea827215 would likely arrive c49a54a9d7 to escort us 8aaf55764d to the workshop. At least I’d 5727511aa4 be free from 4a9f8c768c Im Jihoon’s gaze 51aec6eadb while I worked.1acccd3153f39abb

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It seemed laughable, wanting 420cf54da2 to work just to 1c7d578670 avoid someone’s stare. But whether it was 8865b5242b attaching eyes to stuffed c36310dbfd toys or carving wood 833f194b0b to make screws, any 6a3a0a19d9 of the ridiculous tasks 1e15dc443c they’d assign us in 08cb90f3d5 prison would be better 58b0cd5f5f than enduring this hellish 2f447de1cf situation of having Im eada0b30c8 Jihoon constantly watching me.fbbe8ffdf9288839

I stared at the metal door at the far end of the room, trying to ignore Im Jihoon’s gaze. 9964e01daa067c47

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Hurry up, hurry 2113c8a786 up, take us f39fbd75f9 to the workshop 88ccbdba62 quickly…593824635100e5b1

I silently begged, 057bcee5fd doing my best 27192fe429 to not let 13a3ea6240 myself acknowledge his 1250112bdb presence.bddaad1a636eb232

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“Cell 5. Time for work.”f208a780de9c9224

Finally. The welcome announcement echoed from the hallway, and a corrections officer’s face appeared in the small window of the cell door. The tightly closed door opened with an unpleasant creaking sound.1e714d43c9abffb9

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Thanks to that, c61a63b0ac Im Jihoon, who’d 880b3acfa8 been silently staring bf3a839e6c at my face ca93c88a27 with that unnerving d1ac857ec4 smile, finally looked d1c54f8bcc away. He stood 174b9befa3 up and 59662a89ba approached the 9108e9cff7 officer.dc61f8abd4b621c1

He walked casually, then 4809a0441e spoke to the officer b473f60b69 in a low voice, 369be87155 too quiet for anyone 98904027ab to hear. He even raised b722e66d0f his hand to 34054648e2 cover his mouth, 1baf49f785 ensuring no one 0f43799219 could hear or ccb1287f7d make out what a4f1e0abd3 he was saying. It was a3295fb934 clear that 3d6f0b1cf0 no one 2a7e80a1c3 in the f1171f011b cell, not 7913139868 even me, dc1a23b87b could have ee11e8f0e0 guessed what 22214650c8 was said.71a8a8740fac426e

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As soon 1f623fc82f as Jihoon 6b22375eab stepped back, 4422197f72 the officer 431d8a17f9 glanced at 3fbb771ed8 me briefly. A sense ae05e59c74 of foreboding b6908e4c7e washed over dc57bb045c me, but 5dad4b34c3 I made 7ebadf205c sure not fb508169ef to show f2fe2ebd80 it. Soon, the 1d66ac8620 officer began 462af19dcd calling out 32a58b0e0a inmate numbers.537b1f588054b221

“…That’s all. Follow me.”7fce2d5021ea7ede

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After finishing what he ccee0bfb8e wanted to say, the 3e5aeeddfb officer opened the door 9586223979 wide and stepped aside. The other ad923878e2 inmates, who 982d7b6001 had been 75f545c87b sitting cross-legged 3f0e66cf0e on the f3c06f50c9 floor, all 1f17b56476 stood up 0215233742 and filed 051680b3bc out of 14ed924c65 the room 9574c450db in an a7ecb7af0a orderly line.900a3ea0591788b5

But I… f5ecf814f1 I remained 675d46a08e quietly seated, a0b305fafb motionless, in a505930d4d the middle a3dc31a9fc of the 1927489d01 room as 77b6ff929a everyone else be9f312c39 left. The officer 89c5a939d3 hadn’t called 00fb2d89b5 my inmate 8e100ad031 number. Nor had he called b9d65b2e44 out Im Jihoon’s.158d54df52f70c32

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I wanted to ask the officer why my number wasn’t called, but I knew it was Im Jihoon’s doing. If that was the case, there was nothing I, powerless as I was, could do… All I could do now was stay still and endure.3bd046c1489aad3f

The others bf0f48d044 who had 66884843e4 gone outside 8169f644f2 lined up a6f4e0680d behind the 8a6282cfc7 officer. Then,creak.7c80bc5419a0a16f

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With a creaking sound, ea09a582f5 the metal door closed.8f5deb23ab5b690e

Through the small, fd80d02774 barred window, the 63c607d048 faces of the b8b8c6af5f officer and the 6c8ed602de four inmates I 7ae8ce0993 had become all 899dd81f52 too familiar with 3728f2c487 in just one be06a2a71f day quickly passed bd22ff4c01 by. Unable to manage f68c2ac815 my expression, I f73533f0c0 could only stare e7bafdbecf at those faces 591203c7e2 in a daze.5fccbd7f2c7c4475

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“Hyung… I guess you must like working. You look really disappointed.”f8a2718f3b5f15ef

I heard Im Jihoon’s voice. What would happen to me if I ignored him in this situation? The thought of the consequences was so unpleasant that I quickly raised my eyes to meet his.6769a0a9dd64cad8

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“No, of course, I’d rather slack off.”141525491f2caa9e

“That’s a relief. I wanted to be alone with you.”21fe284d431b1981

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Im Jihoon smiled, 046315ab9d a satisfied expression a3dd17e2ee on his face, 28adac80d5 and sat down efb228ac6b across from me. If he 7ee392129d hadn’t been 4309f2eb3d scaring me 787b872ca7 the whole 898f63f173 time, it 8656932d70 would have cb99a2d4d7 been a 3148f310f0 cute, endearing 4e25d64cb2 expression. The kind of 74f666ffd7 expression that would 21d77f9027 make you want f274702342 to touch his 8f04ad4930 hair and tell 5eb24a0afd him what a ca6b812d21 good boy he 84edf48532 was. bed41166d1f5be31

But right now, it 45fbe11400 was Im Jihoon who c40dacbb67 was touching me.07b7759b2bf396fb

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He treated me 21c9ec4a11 like a small, 6c2a17e4f5 warm-blooded animal, like 40be883eeb a curious child 0ae1cd663f examining a newfound 6e74a953f8 pet. He took my 8094fbf64a hand and, without 1c07550ff6 asking, rolled up 1ea629b5f4 the sleeve of b312559b25 my prison uniform, e8ce9b1d69 stroking my arm 2219263880 as if to 1d7fff6d64 satisfy his curiosity.4a85a61b267d7529

Then, he cdc72adddd moved on d14a6faacf to fiddling 147f9c3a34 with my 711aa87ad4 knee as ab7fe3874e I sat a33e24bd61 cross-legged, squeezing 2c0aa6198f them, his 35e9580cf8 hands moving 98b16b2e0c up to 2eed22a10d caress my 001a0edcb7 thighs, prodding bf0045de23 it idly. Even if I 589952f372 tried to think 9f644b6fe9 of it generously, a600e0a967 it felt as 41f324afab if he was 462b5974e2 treating me like efc17e2304 a toy. However, to me, 1a166e2636 every action he c0c64ed4e4 took felt eerily a2a093291e similar to a f20017efed large snake gauging 6d0fb82be2 the size of 6cfcba247a its prey before a411e05738 devouring it. It made my 51aa723a5c skin crawl.2b6e10282d3852d2

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“This is creepy. We’re both men.”8b2ea3cfab74242f

My true feelings 91be7ccc38 slipped out before 51ec711b0b I could even 66e40aff68 stop myself. 118c2fa1b2f69e7d

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At the same 2759cb63cb time, his hand, a6ce305682 which had been 8a8f8c1f2d tugging at the 058586d7c1 hem of my 7d019d09a0 shirt to pull f07e63146b it up, froze 10c6941e5d abruptly.e22158a0ca43e271

 eb0ff6552346bed0

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