Precautions of a Snakepit - Chapter 11

It was the first time Won had heard his voice. It had a rich bass in it, unlike last night where her attacks nearly destroyed his voice.

‘Thank goodness his vocal cords are intact. I don’t think I’ll need to introduce him to a specialist.’

“Hello, I’m Won.”

After they exchanged textbook greetings, Won saw Ju-hee return from the other side. Black Cat stepped back and frowned.

“I like to play board games. I’m usually in the playroom after lunch and before dinner.”

With that, he left.

Ju-hee, who had come with a notebook and pen, curiously asked about the encounter.

“What did you talk about with Oppa Gyeom?”

“Nothing, just saying hello. I’ve never seen him before.”

“Nice, are you interested in him, unnie?”

“What?”

“This has never happened before. As far as I can remember, this is the first time oppa has ever approached someone for no reason.”

‘There is a reason, you just don’t know it.’

“Maybe he fell in love with you because you look like a goddess.”

“That’s absurd.”

“Absurd? Your face is like a legendary tale. Don’t underestimate your own beauty.”

Ju-hee had a sarcastic attitude.

“When I first saw you, I was surprised that a person could be so beautiful.”

“Maybe it’s because you’re young and haven’t seen anyone beautiful yet.”

“I’m not that young and I have good eyes.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Ju-hee seems to lack social experience since she was confined at such a young age. There are many beautiful people in the world, but maybe Won’s looks are her preference.

Won patted Ju-hee’s head, feeling both grateful and apologetic. Ju-hee’s eyes widened and she smiled.

Ju-hee was very pretty. She was still young and had more of a cute impression, but once she grew out of her baby fat and matured, she would be stunning.

Sitting down next to Won, Ju-hee opened her notebook and began to explain.

“Oppa Rock is, to put it mildly, the number one patient in the closed ward. The reason for his hospitalization is… this, as far as I can tell.”

IED. Intermittent Explosive Disorder?

Ju-hee circled “Intermittent Explosive Disorder,” as she wrote with the pen, and added something in a smaller print below.

= Anger Management Disorder.

“From what I heard, he beat a politician or businessman or whatever to death, so he should be in jail. Somehow he got away with it though and ended up here,” Ju-hee whispered.

Won shuddered at her tickling breath but thought a bit more about what she was told.

If Ju-hee was right, Top Dog should be in a psychiatric prison, not a private hospital like this one. For criminals with mental illness, the courts sentence them to therapeutic confinement so they can receive both punishment and treatment at the National Forensic Hospital.

Of course, the world doesn’t always operate how it is supposed to, so it isn’t impossible that Top Dog ended up here instead of in prison. It could be just as Ju-hee put it, that he “somehow got away with it.”

‘Is anger management disorder just an excuse to be hospitalized and he isn’t actually mentally ill…’

Won decided to set aside whether beating someone to death is something a sane person would do if they didn’t have anger problems.

“That’s why I don’t touch anyone. Since all of us live together, everyone is scared of violent patients. Most people think that schizophrenic patients are the scariest, but they aren’t really that aggressive. The only exception is when they are extremely paranoid.”

“I see, but isn’t this just a rumor? Has he actually ever been violent?”

“Well, I wouldn’t call it violent, but I heard he once knocked out a guy who was a little bit like this by punching and kicking him.”

Ju-hee put her index finger next to her temple and swirled it in a circle to represent crazy. It was somewhat ironic that she was using a gesture like that in an asylum.

“What else is there? Oh, he’s popular with the female nurses because he’s a bad boy. He doesn’t have to touch them, but he’ll do it on purpose, like on their arm or something or while handing them something. Sometimes it’s funny because he seems so desperate and clingy.”

In addition to that, Ju-hee gave a few other tidbits of information about Top Dog, such as where he hangs out, what he likes to do for programs, and what treats he eats.

“That’s it for Oppa Rock. Next up is Oppa Jin.”

It was Target’s turn.

“Oppa Jin has the shortest hospital stay of the three, but rumor has it that the reason for his hospitalization is… a substance-related disorder.”

“Substance-related disorder?”

Won’s eyes widened at the unfamiliar terminology. Instead of answering, Ju-hee scribbled in her notebook.

Drug addiction.

‘I guess a substance is a drug. Well, it is a plausible label for a chaebol heir.’

Drug scandals in the upper echelons of society are never shocking. It was likely why Target was labeled with drug addiction and locked in the ward.

‘Or maybe he actually does drugs.’

It didn’t matter though because Won wasn’t a cop to judge him. It didn’t change her plans to get him out of there.

“But I don’t know. He doesn’t seem to be going through any withdrawal symptoms, and he is pretty easy to talk to. He’s polite to a kid like me, but he’s hard to get close to because of the rumors about why he is here anyway. Drugs are… Well, they aren’t something you get every day.”

“I suppose so. You usually don’t get them in your lifetime.”

“Yeah, but I don’t think he’s a bad guy. He’s more like the prince of the dead than a drug dealer, right?”

Won was shocked by the phrase that she had never thought of. It was so fitting for Target, but it wasn’t the end of it.

“The attitude of the female nurses is completely opposite to the way they treat Oppa Rock. They usually cling to Oppa Rock, but with Oppa Jin, they’re… how should I say… more cautious? They seem to have a hard time with him. It’s understandable. Like if you think about eating, Oppa Rock’s food looks irresistible and you want to eat it right away, but Oppa Jin’s food looks like a feast that shouldn’t be touched or eaten.”

Won raised her eyebrows at the teenager’s analogy.

“Ju-hee, you can’t say that…”

“Why? Did I say something wrong?”

Won couldn’t think of anything to say to her as she innocently blinked. Maybe it was a problem due to her adult brain, but not a kid’s brain.

After rattling off a little more information about him, Ju-hee flipped the notebook over and scribbled “Oppa Gyeom” on the new side. She underlined it, then stopped with a look of disapproval.

“Oppa is weird.”

“How?”

“I don’t know, but here is why he was hospitalized.”

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

It sounded pretty in character for a patient locked in an asylum.

As she poked the top of the pen around what she had written, Ju-hee lowered her voice.

“But I’m not sure, and this is just my opinion… I think Oppa Gyeom is a fake patient.”

“Fake?”

“Yes. I don’t think it’s a case of being dragged in for family reasons like me and unnie. I’m guessing they are pretending to be a patient for a purpose.”

Won cringed as Ju-hee whispered again. She understood that it was necessary to keep what she was saying a secret, but it was tickling her.

‘An undercover, fake patient.’

Won wasn’t surprised since that was also her position.

‘It would be nice if we were in the same industry and could work together…’

Sadly, that didn’t seem to be the case for Black Cat, who was so easily subdued by her. Judging by the way he searched for secret passageways and ventilation shafts, it was easy to tell he had no training. What story could he possibly have that would make him enter the asylum?

‘Well, it’s not my place to wonder about that.’

It has nothing to do with her mission. It was just Ju-hee’s speculation and Won wasn’t sure if he even had an ulterior motive.

Won was about to dismiss her interest in Black Cat, but Ju-hee’s cheerful voice piqued her interest again.

“Oh, and I don’t know why, but the adults call this oppa a ‘Snake’ behind his back.”

“… What?”

Won felt like she was suddenly slapped in the face.

‘Snake. Why does that word pop up here?’

“I guess it’s a nickname or something. I went to the smoking room and overheard a conversation there and that’s what they called him.”

Her answer was so nonchalant that Won almost didn’t notice how odd it was.

“But Ju-hee, why would you go to the smoking room?”

“What? Because I smoke…”

“Aren’t you underage?”

“Oh, I’m still in high school, but I’ve been smoking for a year now. I’m twenty years old and have been smoking since last year. You can smoke here even if you’re underage, and the nurses will let you with a guardian’s permission. Honestly, how am I supposed to live if they keep me in a place like this and don’t let me do things like that? Dad and stepmom should have at least a little conscience and give me permission.”

When she said that, Ju-hee looked like a stranger. Won was speechless, feeling like she was sitting in front of a completely different person than the one she knew.

As the silence grew long, Ju-hee began to talk once more.

tbh i love ju-hee’s character so you should donate to my Kofi 🙂