The old cassette player droned into the refectory while the inmates ate. Seungcheol took a bite of his apple, listening to Junghan whine about everything as always. It was a slow day in the refectory and he didn’t think he was in the mood to eat anything but the apple in his hand at the moment.

“Eating that?” Jisoo said, taking Seungcheol’s tray as he tried to move out of the way. In doing so, Seungcheol caught sight of a little boy walking into the refectory, his small frame hunched in as he made his way around looking for where to sit.

“Who’s that?” He asked as Junghan looked back.

“Tiny Lee.” Junghan said. “Just turned eighteen. Court reinstated his sentence.”

Seungcheol bit his apple, staring.

“What’s he in for?”

“Murder, , embezzlement?”

Seungcheol looked at Junghan in suspicion.

“How the fkkk am I supposed to know?” Junghan asked back. “I’m just here worrying about my own skin. I don’t care about the new dude.”

“Maybe you should claim him.” Jisoo said.

Seungcheol scoffed. He wasn’t going to claim anyone. He knew exactly what claiming meant and that wasn’t something he wanted to do.

“He’ll die in here if someone doesn’t claim him soon. Just look at him.” Junghan said, as all three of them watched the little boy sit in a corner, setting his tray down on the table as he stared down at it. “Maybe he’ll be your roommate.”

Seungcheol highly doubted that. He’d been in that cell for two years and he’d never gotten a cellmate. He was glad for it, but sometimes, he got a bit lonely. Maybe he’d be lucky this time. It wasn’t as if any of it was up to him. If the warden decided to give him a cellmate, he’d be glad, but it wouldn’t be because he asked for it.

Looking back at the boy, Seungcheol saw a tall, lanky man head up him and take the space in front of him. He watched the man talk to him as the boy tried to move away. Then the man grabbed him and Seungcheol found himself getting to his feet but he had to stop because…

Right before his eyes, the boy had jumped over the table, tackling the man to the floor as he bit into the man’s neck, causing the man to scream and shout in agony. Alarms went off as all the inmates went down, lying flat as guards came and tried to pry the boy off. Immediately they got close, he backed off, raising his hands and kneeling as they pulled both hands back and cuffed him, shouting for paramedics to come and take the other inmate to the infirmary.

As the music from the cassette-player continued to ring through the refectory and he was taken away. Seungcheol didn’t miss the satisfied smirk on his face. And he was certainly sure that everyone else had gotten the message, loud and clear.

That Tiny Lee was completely off limits.