Chapter 10. Nicknames (2)

Translator: Lili

It wasn’t long after meeting Mini Cat that Shushu understood the guard’s earlier comment about the ‘senior inmates’. About three hours later, the door to Room 207 burst open, and a group of women barged in.

“So, the new rookie likes sitting on her butt, huh? Didn’t even show up during exercise time.”

Leading the group was a towering woman with a massive build—not just fat, but pure muscle. She radiated an intimidating aura as she circled Shushu with a sneer.

Shushu couldn’t help but notice the flaming red hair tied up behind her head and the tattoos covering her hands, arms, and even her neck—skulls, hearts, and other designs that screamed danger. Shushu, clearly terrified, was breathing heavily from the tension.

“Hey, relax. We haven’t even started yet.”

The woman teased with a smirk.

‘Yet.’

That one word made Shushu’s insides curl with dread, but she forced herself to speak.

“S-sorry, um… who are you?”

The question was met with a pause, followed by uproarious laughter. Not just from the large woman, but from the entire group. It wasn’t a friendly kind of laughter, and Shushu felt her mouth go dry as she instinctively tried to back away.

The laughter eventually subsided, but Shushu felt even more uneasy. The red-haired woman stepped closer, her sharp eyes scanning Shushu from head to toe. Her gaze lingered on Shushu’s slightly wavy brown hair, golden eyes that betrayed her nervousness, and her youthful, innocent appearance. Then, with a whistle, the woman commented.

“Well, well. Cabbage, huh? Cute enough, I guess. I’m Mary, from Room 200.”

“Mary?”

“Yeah. Around here, we go by nicknames.”

Mary laughed, amused by her own comment, though Shushu wasn’t sure why. As Mary casually glanced around the room, her eyes stopped at the bunk bed. Specifically, at Mini Cat, who was still lounging on the top bunk.

“Hey, Cabbage.”

“…Yes?”

Shushu belatedly realized she was being addressed and stiffly responded.

“Tell me something. Your roommate over there—did she slit her wrists already, or is she just too busy crying her eyes out to move?”

“I, uh, I don’t know. I just met her.”

Before Shushu could explain further, Mary shoved her aside and approached the bed. She grabbed the metal frame, preparing to shake it, when Mini Cat suddenly stirred.

“Wow…”

Even without turning her head, the sight of Mini Cat’s face silenced Mary and her group, leaving them momentarily awestruck. Shushu, blushing at their reactions, found herself wondering if she’d looked the same when she first saw Mini Cat.

Mini Cat leisurely scanned the crowded room before gracefully descending from the top bunk in a single fluid motion, skipping the ladder entirely. It was only then that Shushu realized just how tall she was. Her slim prison uniform couldn’t hide her strikingly proportioned figure.

Mini Cat walked to the window and threw it open, letting fresh air flood the room. Though the window only faced the prison’s interior, it lacked bars, giving the moment an oddly liberating feel.

Mary whistled again, her earlier irritation replaced with admiration,

“Damn. You’re the real deal.”