LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 21
Chapter 21: What Is This Prison?
In less than two days, Si-hyun became a celebrity to the documentary crew.
Whenever inmates rioted, he was there, a problem solver for the CRPT team, quickly bringing the situation to a close.
It was almost comical to see a furious inmate with a bright red face transform into a docile lamb in an instant; one couldn’t help but wonder if they were all in cahoots.
Perhaps sensing that this would capture the viewers’ interest, the main PD of the documentary ordered the rookie PD, Han I-seol, to focus solely on Si-hyun.
Thanks to this, I-seol prepared a dedicated camera to track Si-hyun and was capturing his every move from the crack of dawn.
And in between, she tossed in a question.
“What led you to choose the profession of a correctional officer?”
“Well, I just chose my college and major based on scores, and it happened to be Corrections at Kyonggi University. As I went through college, I wanted to make use of my major, so I decided to become a correctional officer.”
“I noticed that some of the correctional officers wear masks while working. Is there a special reason for that?”
“Ah, that’s because this is a high-rise prison, and it doesn’t ventilate well, so there’s a ton of dust. You can’t really see it, but it’s there. Among those who have worked here for a long time, there are quite a few with respiratory issues. It’s a kind of occupational hazard. So wearing a mask at least helps to block out some of the dust.”
“You seem to calm down rioting inmates effortlessly. Do you have any special techniques?”
“Haha, I’m sorry, but that’s my secret, so no comment.”
“Lunchtime, PD Han. Let’s take a break.”
The assistant director piped up from behind.
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“Hey, PD Han. Did you hear? There’s chaos over the inmate interviews.”
While eating in the prison cafeteria, the senior PD approached and spoke up.
I-seol put down her utensils and looked at the senior PD.
“Why? Are the inmates not cooperating?”
“No, it’s not that. Apparently, everyone’s been crying and in a frenzy.”
“What? Is that a problem?”
I-seol had seen several documentaries dealing with correctional facilities before starting this shoot.
It was not uncommon for inmates to burst into tears during interviews for a myriad of reasons.
Sometimes they were expressing remorse for the victims, but to her, it felt like there were more lamenting the mistakes that landed them in this place, wasting their youth.
Anyway, she thought it wasn’t exactly a problem that inmates were crying. But why was it causing such an uproar?
“That’s what I’m saying. I’ll find out when I see the footage later. I haven’t seen it yet either. Nevertheless, I think the main PD is a bit troubled by it. It seems he’s worried that they might say the reactions all look the same and it could be seen as staged.”
“Really? I’m dying to know how it turned out.”
I-seol wore a curious expression.
How could the reactions of the inmates be the same? Everyone has different life experiences, personalities, and backgrounds.
“Yeah. Let’s watch it after today’s filming.”
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“Hah….”
I-seol narrowed her eyes and adjusted her glasses as she watched the video of the inmate interviews.
Scenes she had never witnessed in a documentary before played out on screen.
-How is prison life for you?
Just a simple ordinary question.
But then, suddenly, the inmate made a grimace and wore a deeply remorseful expression. Tears welled up in their eyes, and soon they were dripping down their cheeks. It seemed like they were choking on their emotions as they stammered their response.
-I’ve been living too comfortably compared to the crime I committed… sniff… I-I’m so sorry. I truly apologize to the victims… I’ll spend the remaining time in prison with a heart full of repentance… wail….
The fierce-looking inmate burst into tears, which seemed completely out of character.
Whether genuine or not, the video gave the impression they were truly filled with sorrow. If this was an act, they should definitely think about a career in acting.
It wasn’t just one inmate.
-If you are released, is there something special you’d like to do?
Again, just a regular question.
-Hah… I would love to personally visit the victims to apologize, but I don’t have the guts to do that as it might bring back bad memories. But… but… I want to… sniff….
The inmate wiped their flowing tears with the back of their hand. They had a truly remorseful expression.
-I-I’m sorry… sniff… I want to work hard to earn money and repay at least a bit of what I owe to the victims….
Other inmates in the video reacted similarly.
I-seol shot up from her seat.
“W-what is this? Is this prison doing some kind of brainwashing?”
…It couldn’t just be a couple of them acting that way, could it?
This was utterly absurd.
“You could beat them senseless, but they wouldn’t go that far.”
The senior PD shook his head in disbelief, looking astonished.
“Right? This is insane, right? How is this even possible? But it’s real. It’s genuine.”
The main PD looked quite excited.
“I’m betting that if we cut a good trailer and spread it online, and do some pre-promotion through the media, we could hit an 8%? 9%? No, how about over 10%?”
‘Documentary 72 Hours’ typically recorded viewer ratings around 5 to 6%, but episodes covering intriguing themes often surpassed 10%. The highest rating was achieved when their comedy program was featured and hit 14%.
“But this feels overly manipulated, doesn’t it?”
The senior PD remarked.
I-seol nodded in agreement.
“I was worried about that too. But logically, does it make sense to collude with inmates? The viewers know what kind of people they are. Why would they listen so easily? When we filmed, we were shocked by how many vicious complainants there were. But this is where those complainants are all gathered.”
It seemed the main PD, who had been worried about this, had decided to let it go.
“Wait, though.”
I-seol raised her hand.
“I think one counterpoint would be fine. But if you pair it with Si-hyun, the correctional officer who subdues inmates in an instant, it really doesn’t match the realism here….”
“Eh, who cares! We’ll just go through with it. When have we ever staged a broadcast? We’ve built the viewers’ trust over the years, so just roll with it. The episode on Daehan Correctional Facility is going to be a hit. You can’t find videos like this anywhere else. I’ve seen almost all the foreign documentaries on correctional facilities, and none of them have this. Once it airs, it’ll be a huge sensation, I’m sure.”
The main PD smiled at the thought of high ratings coming in.
“Oh, and this time don’t let the assistant director handle the trailer; just have PD Han do it herself.”
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“Thank you for your hard work.”
Han I-seol thanked Si-hyun.
Though it was a short time, they had spent it together closely, leading to an unexpected bond.
They hadn’t shared a long time together, but he seemed like a decent guy.
In terms of work, it was as if he was perfect in handling his duties, and it made her think he was a truly born correctional officer.
“Thank you too, PD Han.”
Si-hyun requested a handshake.
Given that they were the same age, it felt impressive that she had passed the notoriously difficult media exam and was now working as a PD in broadcasting.
I-seol smiled and gripped his hand.
“If you don’t mind, could we exchange contact information?”
Her intuition told her that this man, currently at grade 9, could potentially become a significant figure beyond imagination in this field.
“Wow, thank you! I think it’s been ages since I heard a woman ask for my contact information.”
Si-hyun joked as they exchanged numbers.
“Make sure to watch the broadcast. Correctional Officer Lee Si-hyun will really be featured a lot.”
“When is it airing?”
“Three weeks from now.”