He is a legendary prison guard

Chapter 18 
Huh?

After finishing all the investigations, Shi-Hyun took the subway home and pulled out a piece of paper.

As a guard, he often received calls while working that required him to take notes, and he frequently had to write down complaints from inmates.

Because of this, it had become a habit for him to carry writing utensils and notepads with him.

**Concept of a prisoner?**

Shi-Hyun wrote this down and took a moment to organize his thoughts.

First of all, prisoners in real-world prisons correspond to the concept of prisoners mentioned in the text.

Since he had experienced it firsthand, there was no room for doubt.

Then, what about prisoners in that other world?

Since he had not experienced it, he could only speculate.

However, he strongly suspected that this category also fit the concept of a prisoner: someone who has committed a crime and is confined in a facility, which is essentially the typical definition of a prisoner.

This time, Shi-Hyun wrote down what he had learned today.

**Criminals, murderers = prisoners, death row inmates (X)**

The person he encountered today, Bayan, was a terrible criminal and murderer.

Yet he was neither a prisoner nor a death row inmate.

This meant that he had never been confined in a prison in that other world.

Questions naturally followed.

What if a criminal has completed their sentence?

Would this apply to all individuals who have ever lived as prisoners, even once?

It was an important question, but he couldn’t know for sure at that moment.

“Ah!”

Suddenly, Shi-Hyun had an expression that indicated he had thought of something.

There was a way to experiment with this world.

He could visit released inmates.

Typically, it would be extremely inconvenient for a guard to go looking for a released inmate. It would create an awkward situation for both parties.

Inmates wanted the matters of the prison to remain within the prison.

They greatly disliked being involved in anything, even after they had returned to society.

Therefore, it was common for inmates to casually exchange lies about their circumstances among themselves.

‘It would be a total inconvenience.’

Shi-Hyun scratched his head.

If he asked the inmate he was responsible for about their current residence, they would likely answer honestly.

If he set his mind to it, the experiment he thought of was entirely feasible.

Still, he hesitated, thinking it wasn’t basic courtesy.

He had resolved to be a guard who kept his principles, but this felt a bit off.

After a while, with a look of determination, Shi-Hyun nodded.

Just this once.

—

**<0xCD> <0xCD> ◈**

When he got home, he simply boiled some instant noodles for dinner, as he was too lazy to prepare side dishes.

After eating, he quickly brushed his teeth and washed up before collapsing onto his bed.

Feeling mentally and physically exhausted, he just wanted to lie down and sleep.

However, once he lay down, he found he couldn’t fall asleep.

So he picked up his smartphone.

While browsing through posts on his favorite community, Empark, he noticed an intriguing post.

**Title: [Information]
A documentary about prisons is being filmed. **

**Content:**

A friend of mine works at NBS, and they are filming a documentary at 00 Prison. I don’t understand why they are doing this.

It was just an ordinary information post, so there weren’t many comments.

However, it was sufficient to gauge the public’s perception of inmates.

**Why are they showing documentaries about criminals locked up in prison? The last documentary about the juvenile detention center was utterly chilling. Two innocent people were killed, and they conducted the usual interviews claiming they had changed, showing them living comfortably and getting certifications. I can’t imagine how the victims’ families feel watching such documentaries; it must be infuriating.

**Exactly. What’s the purpose of such documentaries?
Are they trying to evoke sympathy? **

**It’s just a waste of license fees.**

“Mm.”

Shi-Hyun nodded as he read the comments.

He had anticipated this reaction.

Three years ago, a documentary about a juvenile detention center stirred quite a buzz online.

The interview of an inmate who received a 15-year sentence had caused a stir.

With a bright expression, the inmate talked about wanting to date after being released.

Though they used a pseudonym and pixelated their face, their age was revealed, and a 15-year sentence was the maximum penalty a minor could receive. It was a sentence that could only be given for serious crimes like murder.

After watching the documentary, netizens became obsessed with uncovering the case, and eventually, the inmate’s identity and the details of the crime were fully exposed online.

The incident involved a 16-year-old boy who broke in to steal money and brutally murdered the wealthy couple present.

The sight of someone who had inflicted such an irreparable wound on the victims’ families casually giving an interview sparked public outrage.

Comments exploded across various communities.

**Death penalty is the answer. People like that don’t change.

**They should have been executed instead of being featured on such a show.**

**We need to stop glorifying these criminals in broadcasts.**

**I feel no sympathy for them. I can only think about how unfortunate the victims and their families must feel. **

**Still, they deserve a chance. Isn’t this a rule-of-law country?

**Of course, rehabilitation and education are necessary! But I wish they wouldn’t film these broadcasts.

**Human rights advocates are ridiculous.Even if you wash rag, it’s still a rag.People like that will never rehabilitate and will end up committing crimes again.**

Shi-Hyun understood the sentiments of the netizens to some extent.

Murder is the worst crime, one that cannot be undone.

However, a broadcast that only highlighted the perpetrator’s perspective was bound to provoke anger.

Personally, Shi-Hyun agreed that there was no need to make such documentaries.

From a guard’s perspective, it was the same.

There was a risk of increasing public resentment towards inmates.

Seeing that people who had committed crimes were living more comfortably than expected in prison could lead society to feel that something was wrong and become angry.

‘But where is this 00 prison?’

He hoped it wasn’t the Daehan Prison.

Filming would only complicate matters.

—

**<0xCD> <0xCD> ◈**

On Monday morning, Shi-Hyun was waiting for the inspection in the break room.

Every morning, staff checked attendance before entering the inmate housing, and this time was used to convey instructions from the warden or the security chief.

However, today instead of the usual supervisor, the deputy chief was coming in.

“Okay, first, I’ll check attendance.”

The deputy chief confirmed the number of staff present.

After confirming everyone, he delivered the instructions.

“The warden has instructed that no staff should drive under the influence. I’m sure some of you have heard that one of our staff members was caught driving drunk yesterday. That staff member will face disciplinary action and will be sent to Chuncheon. Everyone, please be careful.”

“Understood.”

The staff responded.

“Is it the age we live in where public servants drive under the influence?” someone muttered quietly.

“The security chief’s instructions are that there should be no unauthorized uniforms with inmates. Please check to ensure that inmates only have the designated number of uniforms. If there are any excess, collect them and store them in the warehouse. If you get caught, you’ll hear about it.”

“Yes.”

Good grief, how annoying. This time, it was a very quiet voice, so the deputy chief didn’t hear it.

“And finally, has anyone heard of the NBS documentary ’72 Hours’?”

’72 Hours’ is a documentary that films a location for 72 hours and then airs it.

The deputy chief continued.

“NBS recently requested filming cooperation from the correctional headquarters, and the headquarters decided it would be a good opportunity to show the lives of guards and the conditions of the prison. Therefore, they have approved the request. The location will be our Daehan Prison.”

‘Oh…’

Shi-Hyun clicked his tongue.

He had hoped this troublesome matter would pass him by.

“The filming will cover everything, but they have arranged to primarily film in the 5th floor, 2nd cell block. That’s the most exemplary cell block, and it will give viewers a positive impression of a well-ordered prison.”

…What? The 5th floor, 2nd cell block?

That was Shi-hyun’s cell block.

‘Oh?’

Suddenly, a notification popped up.

[Poahim is disappointed by your low rank and reputation. As you achieve higher ranks and reputation, your mood will improve, and you may receive unexpected rewards.]

Fame: Thoroughly Unknown Rank: 9th Grade Guard