Precautions of a Snakepit - Chapter 19

Won didn’t miss the way the old man’s skinny shoulders stiffened at the name “Dr. Madison.” Animals are capable of recognizing and fearing those who harm them, so it isn’t a surprise the name would make him flinch, even if he lost his mind.

‘But… Is he really brain-damaged and incapable of coherent thoughts? Is his fear of Dr. Madison just a conditioned reflex?’

Wanting to find out, Won cupped the old man’s face with her right hand. It seemed like it was an affectionate touch of his cheek, but it was a way to place her thumb and other fingers on the carotid artery at the base of his lower jawbone.

Locking eyes with the old man, Won asked.

“Are you sure you can’t understand anything I’m saying? Or are you just pretending?”

“The… Guuu…”

It was the moment when the old man was about to say something.

“Why are you bothering Dr. Hudson?”

Someone barged into the room, pulling them apart. It turned out to be Ms. Yang, the patient who was her original partner in the conversation program and was dragged out for a breakdown.

“Dr. Hudson? Are you referring to him?”

Won asked, pointing her finger at the old man. Ms. Yang looked back and forth between Won and the old man then blinked.

“Huh? Who’s that? Miss, I don’t know anyone like that.”

“Ms. Yang just asked me a moment ago, ‘Why are you bothering Dr. Hudson?’”

“When did I? I never did that. By the way, you’re very pretty. Are you a celebrity?”

Won raised her eyebrows.

She could see the nurses coming over to them now. It was probably to find out if Ms. Yang separating Won from the old man was an act of violence or not.

“Ms. Yang, what’s wrong?”

“Ms. Won, are you okay?”

“Yes, it was nothing.”

“That’s good to hear, Ms. Yang. You don’t have to go to the detention room because Ms. Won told me this.”

Ms. Yang’s face changed at the playfulness of one of the nurse’s words.

“I’m not going to the CR. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Ms. Yang’s hands were shaking as she spoke.

The stabilization room is the last place a patient in the asylum wants to go, but Ms. Yang’s reaction was over the top. She wasn’t just disgusted, but in Won’s eyes, she was afraid.

“You’re trying to make me like Dr. Hudson, aren’t you? No!”

“Who is Dr. Hudson? Does Ms. Park know?”

“How can I know if she doesn’t? Ms. Yang, let me take you to your room.”

The two nurses grabbed Ms. Yang from the left and right side and carried her away. Won watched their backs for a moment, then turned to the old man.

“Dr. Hudson?”

“Hah, guh, guh, guh!”

The old man made unintelligible noises and ran away. Won could have chased and caught him if she wanted to, but she was conscious of the cameras.

‘His pulse quickened when he heard the question.’

She could see it because she was holding his carotid artery. His pupils also dilated. It’s a reaction to being surprised.

If he wasn’t in his right mind, he wouldn’t have understood what Won was saying, so he wouldn’t be surprised.

Moreover, the name “Dr. Hudson” repeatedly came out of Ms. Yang’s mouth.

‘Is the old man Dr. Hudson?’

Considering that Ms. Yang has Alzheimer’s disease, she can’t be sure. If Old Man Gugu and Dr. Hudson are one and the same person, it’s possible that…

“It’s not verified, but there’s also a rumor that Dr. Madison deliberately used a drug to make him like that.”

“You’re trying to make me like Dr. Hudson, aren’t you? No!”

Indeed, the hospital is not without its shady practices.

‘Madison and Hudson. Side by side, the names look pretty similar…’

By the times her thoughts had gotten that far, Won felt an unpleasant dampness on her shoulders and back. When she checked, her wet hair was sticking to her clothes, ruining her gown.

“Ugh.”

She didn’t want to get her clothes wet, so she gathered her hair and held it in her hands, but damn it. Won grabbed her dripping hair and went to the nurses’ station.

After drying her hair and returning the hairdryer, she checked the time on her wristwatch and saw that it was a little at 5:00 P.M..

‘Let’s go check it out.’

Won headed to the playroom without much expectation. It would be difficult to get all three of them together when they didn’t agree to meet at a specific time and date, but when she opened the door, she saw Target. He was looking at a board game, and as always, had an air of innocence and regality about him.

Won immediately took her eyes off him and looked around. A few feet away, Black Cat sat with a look of disapproval on his face.

The three of them were together. An opportunity that might never come again.

First, Won walked over to Jin.

“Hello.”

“Ah, Ms. Won.”

Their eyes met, and he softly smiled. Won felt her heart soften.

‘It’s nice to have a handsome man smile at you.’

“Are you here to play a board game?”

“Yes. I was hoping you’d come and now you’re here.”

‘He’s such a nice guy and so pretty.’

“There’s a game I’d like to play, but I need one more player. Why don’t we ask that man over there to join us?”

Won pointed at Black Cat. Jin looked at him and nodded.

“Let’s go.”

Black Cat turned, sensing them approaching him.

“Hey, do you want to play a board game? We tried to do it last time, but we didn’t have enough people.”

“… Why am I the last one?”

“What?”

“Nevermind, have a seat.”

Won was puzzled by his demeanor as he gestured across the table with a stern jerk of his chin. Was he offended by something? He was arguing over nothing.

“You must be Gyeom, nice to meet you. I’m Jin.”

“I know, Jin.”

Despite Jin’s cordial greeting, Black Cat’s response was rather cold. Apparently, they knew each other but had never spoken. Living in the same ward, they must have seen each other almost everyday.

“We’ll play the game we didn’t get to play last time. Okay, fine.”

Muttering in a sarcastic tone, Black Cat held up the game.

“We’re going to play an escape room board game.”

Leaving the title ‘The Cursed Hospital’ in plain view, Black Cat handed the instructions inside the box to Target. While he read the rules, Black Cat skillfully set up the tools and explained.

“This is a cooperative game, not a confrontation game. You win if you escape from the cursed hospital within the time limit according to the rules in the manual.”

Target looked up from the manual as if he were a speed reader and looked at Black Cat, his expression changing as he realized that he wasn’t just talking about the game.

Black Cat asked a provocative question.

“This is a cooperative game, so if you grab someone’s ankle, we all fail. Are you sure you won’t grab someone’s ankle?”

“Yes, I don’t remember grabbing anyone’s ankle before. Though, I have cut off the ankles of opponents who got in my way.”

Target responded with a coy smile. Won watched Black Cat flinch.

‘Is this it?’

Someone who looks glassy-eyed but is actually strong, versus someone who looks strong but is actually glassy-eyed?

‘Interesting.’

Won grabbed some popcorn, eager to watch the two men fight it out.

Target is the heir of the K group. He is the defending champion, a clean-cut man and looks so elegant that he wouldn’t even get a drop of blood on his hands. He’s also the heir to a large conglomerate.

Black Cat on the other hand… Won isn’t sure what he does, but he looks all tough and sharp on the outside, but is all fluffy on the inside.

Both of them have their own charm. Target is unexpectedly cool, while Black Cat is unexpectedly cute. The difference is that the former is admirable, and the latter is a bit of a tease.

“… Okay, then let’s do it.”

Black Cat took a step back with a nonchalant face.

“Please.”

Target remained polite to the end, but relaxed. Won made a mental note not to turn him into an enemy, not that she had any plans to.

The first time she played an escape room board game, she was unimpressed. However now, even Won, who had dismissed it as a silly game, found herself getting engrossed.

“Jin, are you finished decrypting yet?”

“I’m done, but I’m checking it. By the way, is that thing assembled properly? There’s something sticking out.”

“I’m checking too, just wait.”

The two men worked through the problem without much trouble. They surprisingly worked well together.

“You haven’t played this game, Gyeom?”

Black Cat’s cheeks slightly flushed when Won asked, since he didn’t look like he ever played before.

“Uh, no. I’ve been waiting for someone to play with me. It’s not fun if you know everything beforehand.”

He doesn’t look it, but he’s secretly sentimental.

“That’s romantic.”

The words were teasing, but Black Cat didn’t betray Won’s expectations.

“What does this have to do with romance?”

Won stifled a laugh at the man’s impatient retort. He had a temper after all.

“… Gyeom, have you checked to make sure it’s assembled properly?”

Target interrupted.

It was the first time he spoke to Black Cat first. Up until now, their conversation had consisted of Black Cat picking a fight while Target took it in stride.

I guess he didn’t like flirting while he was working.

“I am.”

Black Cat responded with a scowl.

In the end, they managed to clear the game before dinner time. It was a smooth progression, to say the least.

“Well, for a Prince in a Tower, you’re pretty good.”

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