Precautions of a Snakepit - Chapter 22

The boy crushed his almost-finished cigarette into the ashtray and left the room. He had a somewhat threatening aura as he walked by Ju-hee.

Won gave her a look to see if she knew what was wrong with him, but Ju-hee just shrugged her shoulders and walked back inside.

“Did you have any fights with him?”

“No? Not really. I guess he just doesn’t like me.”

Ju-hee didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she was indifferent.

“Aren’t you scared?”

“What should I be afraid of? He can’t touch me anyway.”

Well, the ward is covered with CCTVs, so she didn’t need to worry about physical violence.

“Mr. Ho only does that to Ju-hee. Maybe he likes her and is just pretending to be tough to hide his feelings. Maybe he confessed to her and she rejected him, so he’s holding a grudge?”

With that guess, the young woman stood up and flicked her cigarette into the ashtray. Won didn’t know about the former, but that the latter was quite reasonable.

The smoking buddies quickly disbanded since a single cigarette burns fast. Won and Ju-hee were the only ones remaining in the room.

Won still had about half a cigarette left, so it would be unnatural for her to put it out. Won rubbed the filter on her lip, hoping it would burn faster, but noticed a strange look on Ju-hee’s face.

“Did you do that before?”

“What?”

“Rubbing the filter on your lip. Did you do the same thing in front of everyone?”

Won didn’t understand. She was just trying to visually fit in and not take a puff.

‘Is it against cigarette etiquette or something?’

When she was checked by a friend who smoked, she wasn’t told to fix it.

“Does it look bad?”

“Not really… but don’t do it in front of others.”

Ju-hee rolled her eyes. Won softly laughed. She was her only friend and found her to be cute, so she wasn’t threatening.

“Okay.”

She wouldn’t need a cigarette until she had to come back for more information anyway.

Hearing Won’s answer, Ju-hee relaxed. As Won inhaled the smoke, something strong hit her and she almost coughed. Won barely managed to hold it in, but she couldn’t stop her eyes from watering.

As Won forced herself to finish the cigarette, Ju-hee stared at her and spoke up.

“Don’t wait for me. Go back in first, noona.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Because it’s bad for you, and I’m going to quit from now on…”

Reaching out, Ju-hee snatched the cigarette from Won and tossed it into the ashtray.

“You should go.”

Won was surprised. She didn’t feel bad because she knew it was out of concern, but it still felt harsh. Taking someone’s cigarette and putting in the ashtray without permission was more than coercive.

‘I don’t like cigarettes anyway, so it doesn’t really matter.’

She was secretly grateful to stop smoking.

“Okay, I’ll go first then.”

Won lightly stroked Ju-hee’s hair with the hand that didn’t smell like tobacco and left the smoking room without remorse.

When she stepped outside and breathed in fresh air, she felt like she could live.

It wasn’t even clean air since no windows are opened for fear that patients will attempt suicide or escape. The structure relies entirely on mechanical, forced ventilation, not natural ventilation. Even so, it is miles better in comparison to the stale, cigarette-stained smell of the smoking room. It was like breathing life back into her decaying lungs.

Back in her room, Won sat down on the bed and opened her notebook. At this point, she felt like she needed to organize the people she met in the ward.

Her belongings can be seen by the medical staff at any time, so she should exclude anything that will arouse suspicion.

Her fingers fidgeted with the pen.

[List of Patients]

*Ju-hee (20F)

Reason for admission: Forced hospitalization due to accusations of abusing her half-brother (she claims), delusional disorder + daydreaming (Rock’s claim)

Characteristics: Mixed use of unnie and noona (Gender Identity Disorder? Double Personality?)

– “I have been smoking since I was a minor.”

– Does not have good relationship with Mr. Ho

*Rock (estimated 30M)

Reason for admission: Intermittent Explosive Disorder (rumored)

Characteristics: Snake tattoo on right arm, monopolizes best couch in the main hall

– “Good at board games.”

*Gyeom (estimated late 20s/early 30sM)

Reason for admission: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (rumored)

Characteristics: Serious about board games

– Doesn’t get along with Jin

*??? (estimated 40M)

Reason for admission: Tic Disorder + Manic Depression

Characteristics: Skinny and constantly shakes head

– Was talking to Ju-hee about a snake story when he suddenly interrupted and claimed he saw the back of a snake. After saying that, he had a seizure and was taken away.

*Mrs. Sook (estimated 60sF)

Reason for admission: unknown

– Patient who reported “snake roaming the ward” myth

*Ms. Yang (estimated 40sF)

Reason for admission: Alzheimer’s disease

– Patient who was portrait-painting partner in conversation program

– Appears to have close relationship with Grandpa Gugu

*Grandpa Gugu (estimated 60s-70sM)

Reason for admission: unknown

Characteristics: When he has a seizure, he produces a loud screeching sound similar to pigeon’s.

– Sickest patient in hospital

– Said to be unable to properly speak

*Mr. Baek (estimated 40sM)

Reason for admission: unknown

Characteristics: A gaunt face and sagging, octopus-like gait

– Patient met in the conversation program. Had a knack for art.

– Saw Rock’s painting and said he saw a similar one before.

*Mrs. Gill (estimated 50s-60sF)

Reason for admission: Alcoholism (presumed)

Characteristics: Heavy smoker doesn’t know what to do when she can’t smoke.

– Acted like daughter when I grabbed her sleeve and looked up.

*Mr. Tae (estimated 40s-50sM)

Reason for admission: unknown

Characteristics: Heavy smoker like Mrs. Gill

– Doesn’t seem to have very good eyesight

*Ho (estimated late teens to early 20sM)

Reason for admission: unknown

– Patient met in the smoking room. Seems to dislike Ju-hee

Won made a quick note of the personal information of the patients she had met so far. She double-checked her belongings for anything that might get her in trouble when she was unexpectedly searched.

‘This should be enough to seem like I’m getting used to life in the asylum.’

Just as she was about to close the notebook, a thought occurred and she picked up the pen again. She unscrewed the cap, took a deep breath, and drew a ? next to Jin’s details.

If she was going to pretend to like him, she might as well be thorough.

One somehow seemed insufficient, so she added ‘???’, closed the notebook, and buried her face in her hands. A subtle sense of embarrassment washed over her.

‘I’m doing things like this now that I didn’t even do as a teenager.’

She would never call Top Dog “oppa,” but she’ll do anything for her mission.

Sighing, Won got up from her seat, exercised to prevent her body from becoming stuff, washed up, and went to sleep.

***

“Seo Hee-Hyun! It’s Seo Hee-Hyun!”

The man who shouted the words jumped to his feet in the middle of lunch and was immediately taken to the CR for causing a disturbance.

Won watched as the man was taken away by the guards with a meal. He had a stern, gaunt face and languid gait. It was Mr. Baek.

‘Seo Hee-Hyun? Who is that?’

It was a habit to look around to gather information, but Top Dog was wearing a frightening expression.

He quickly returned to his normal face, but he looked like a staved animal on the verge of ending its hunt. It was a fleeting moment, and if he had turned his head a moment later, she would have missed it.

Won ate her meal and quietly thought about it.

‘What on earth had awakened a man who was usually so laid-back and unassuming?’

Top Dog was a fierce man, but he wasn’t high-risk; he wasn’t the type to throw a punch or start a fight anytime soon. From what Won has seen, he won’t show his temper unless someone provokes him or invades his territory. Although he will annoy someone who catches his eye, like a lion playing with a mouse.

Of course, if you piss him off, he’ll beat the fuck out of you as rumored, but at least he isn’t a ticking time bomb that ignores and detonates at random. She only has seen two incidents where Top Dog acts as such and they both happened with the same person: Mr. Baek.

‘Is it just a coincidence? Or is there a connection? Is it because he just doesn’t like him or is he annoying him?’

Chewing her food, Won searched her memory.

Mr. Baek is not a patient with much of a presence; he is a man who is often confined to his room due to a lack of energy. He rarely comes out to the main hall and he doesn’t participate in morning exercises or other programs.

It’s the first time in Won’s memory that he has caused such a widespread inconvenience. She isn’t sure if there is anything in particular that would offend Top Dog. There is also the old man who screams like a pigeon, echoing throughout the ward…

“Not enough. It’s obviously amateurish, but it isn’t good enough and yet… it has a feeling… What is it? I can’t even think of the word for the style to describe it, but I think I’ve seen a painting with a similar feeling before… Hmmm.”

“Seo Hee-Hyun! It’s Seo Hee-Hyun!”

Won paused with her chopsticks in hand.

top dog would donate to my Kofi