The Criminal who became a God

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“Ohh, Your Majesty Seo Tae Hyuk. I’m sorry to bring you to this shabby place.”

Tae Hyuk narrowly opened his eyes and scowled at the other party.

That bastard, he always calls him that.

That was a jargon used in the prison to call the prisoners.

Those who have less than 3 years of term are ‘Plebeian’, ‘Noble’ for more than 10 years and ‘King’ those who have received life sentences.

Of course, there’s no meaning of respect in it at all.

A very insulting nickname with contempt and derision.

“I see.”

Seo Tae Hyuk sank on the chair in the middle of the room.

He was one of the very few prisoners who don’t shrink in front of jailors.

“There’s nothing to offer to His Majesty. Would you like to drink the coffee that I didn’t finish?”

Tae Hyuk drank it at once like it was nothing.

“Thank you.”

“Kuh. Your Majesty. You are composed like always. It’s already been 10 years, right? To think that I won’t get to see you anymore, tears are covering my eyes.”

“⋯⋯.”

“Yes yes. That day has come. It’s in one week.”

Tae Hyuk’s eye pupil shaked violently.

A groan came from his firmly closed mouth. Although he thought all sentiments disappeared over the past 10 years.

“Plea of innocence denied, the lawyer fled, and then⋯⋯.”

“It’s become like this.”

The jailer gave a few sheets of paper.

“What are these?”

“Write the menu you would like to have for your last night. And if there’s someone you want to visit you, write it down as well.”

What you would call the last supper and the last visit.

Tae Hyuk didn’t move for a minute. But a lot of thoughts went through his head more than he would in his entire life.

And then he slowly filled the sheets.

“Oho. a? You could have chosen fancier dishes though.”

“It’s my little brother’s favorite dish.”

“And to not add pork? This is quite an abnormal order. Perhaps you mean you were poor or something like that? ⋯⋯Oh, was I right?”

“⋯⋯.”

“Haha. Yes I see. You’ll be busy for the remaining time. It’s the first death penalty in 30 years after its reintroduction so everybody’s inexperienced so please forgive them kindly.”

Tae Hyuk couldn’t stand up from his sit for a while.

It was unfair.

It was unfair enough to come in prison after a false charge but to say he was going to die without having achieved anything…

“Ah, right. I had a thought, you know. A criminal who received life sentence is a king of crime, isn’t it? Then how should we call a criminal who is executed? Perhaps a god! Haha! In one week, Your Majesty Seo Tae Hyuk is going to become the god of crime!”

Tae Hyuk roared a while in the room when the jailer left.

.

One week went in an instant.

It seems his name was shown more on TV than celebrities.

It was because the whole country’s attention gathered since it was the death penalty that was revived after 30 years.

In front of the prison, human rights groups have set demonstrations everyday but nothing changed.

Tae Hyuk sank in thought on the visitation room’s chair.

He felt more serene when he accepted death. He requested his older sister and younger brother to come visit him. It’s already been about a year since he last met them.

What kind of talk to have? He wanted to say thank you to his younger brother who believed in his innocence until the end.

Is big sister who took the role of the mother instead of the dead parents, really living well and happily?

Tae Hyuk looked at the clock on the wall. The Kimchi Jjigae on the table was already cold.

*creak*

At the sound of the door opening, Tae Hyuk changed his face expression to look indifferent as possible.

“⋯⋯.”

Tae Hyuk lost his word when he saw who entered.

“Oh my, Your Majesty. I’m so sorry I’m not the person you were waiting for.”

It was the familiar face: the jailer.

The jailer sank on the chair in the middle of the visiting room.

“You don’t look to be so happy to see that it’s me.”

Tae Hyuk didn’t particularly deny it.

“Your family members. Was it Mr. Seo Tae Min and Ms. Seo Ha Ran? In other word, the two couldn’t come.”

“Is that so.”

Was it because they decided to give up?

It was fine even if he knew that he won’t to be able to see his family for his last moments.

Thanks for considering the incapable him who didn’t even had the ability to clear oneself’s false charge, as a family. He just wanted to say that one thing.

Right.

It was fine with this.

Please consider that the man called Seo Tae Hyuk hadn’t even existed.

Then let’s pray for my family to live happily. He decided to be content with this.

The jailer moved a bit of his of mouth.

“Last month, Ms. Seo Ha Ran, Your Majesty’s older sister, has committed suicide.”

“Sorry?”

“It’s really sudden, right? I mean, you know. A murder among the family. The mass com is speaking everyday about it. Journalists coming for being a family. And it seems the censoring place was unfortunately bad. So she got discovered by her company. Oh my, oh my. Then she got fired. And she had quite a lot of debt. And she lost the tiny little left to her in a pyramid scheme. So in the end…”

Cough cough!

The jailer imitated to strangle himself.

“Th-that’s impossible! How could my older sister..!”

“Then what became of the remaining little brother. Was it Mr. Seo Tae Min? He was someone very brilliant. Unlike someone. He came out of the S university’s faculty of law to save his older brother, right? And he was running after some major company or a politician I don’t know clues to find. He’s been missing not long ago. He may have thought he became a detective or whatever. He should have known his place.”

“⋯⋯.”

“Well, I guess he was put in an oil drum with concrete and is rolling at the bottom of the Yellow Sea by now. He should be getting well with his new neighbors. Well, his exact location is only known by the Sea King I guess?”

Boom!

Tae Hyuk slammed the table with his fist.

The Kimchi Jjigae splashed and the whole room was in a mess.

“Don’t you lie to me, you bastard! Are you fucking insane? What? My older sister suicided after being involved in a pyramid scheme? And Tae Min went missing trying to save me? Don’t fuck with me! I’ll kill you!”

The jailer was in stitches.

“Hahaha! Your Majesty Seo Tae Hyuk. You said you were going to kill me? You who has never killed before, not even a single ant?”

It was right.

At the very moment, Tae Hyuk realized something strange.

He thought the guy was just the jailer he’s been seeing for 10 years. But it was not. Such a jailer wasn’t in this prison. To begin with, there’s no way a jailer would know this much. Then why did he think it was the jailer?

“⋯⋯you. You are not the jailer.”

“Then. Indeed, what am I?”

The jailer smiled.

Tae Hyuk screamed at the man’s face.

“Uwaaaaaah!”

The place where the eyeball should have been was an empty hole.

And the mouth was ripped to the ear and each time he was laughing, something red dripped down.

The Thing smiled and said,

“I’ve got this one very appetizing proposal. First, how about hearing it?”