Multifandom fics

Y/N’s POV 

Here we sit, on our sides that are separated by a blue circle and red x. Gi-hun and a few of the other players went off to capture the ringleader of these games. Wonder if they will actually pull it off? 

“You're nervous for player 388 huh?” Yong-sik asks and I nod. 

“I’m nervous for all of them, what if this doesn’t work Yong-sik?” I ask, and he looks at me sympathetically. 

“That’s a valid question, let’s just hope it does work so we can all go home,” He says and I nod. I glance over at player 100, an old man who has been questioning Gi-hun since red light green light. I sigh, just wanting him to leave….all of those people with the blue circle to leave. But that means that they’ll be dead.

“Dae-ho looked nervous already when he left,” I say and he nods. 

“They all did Y/N,” He says. Just as we continue to talk, I notice Dae-ho running in mumbling to himself. It looks like he is looking for something. Yong-sik walks over to him as well as I. 

“We need the magazines…they’re in the pockets of the guards..” Dae-ho explains to the two of us and we help him gather the magazines. My hands shake as I walk over to the dead body of a guard. I’m still not used to seeing dead bodies…I don’t think I ever will. I manage to get a few magazines and walk over to Dae-ho placing it on the jacket. He stands up and gives us a nod, as I can see his body trembling. My heart aches for him and I wanna say something to him.

“Dae-ho,” I call out to him. He stops and turns around to face me. I walk over to him and give him a slight hug, the jacket with the magazines blocking our bodies from actually touching each other. 

“Be careful…” I whisper and he nods, wrapping his arm around my waist. 

“I will Y/N…” He says, placing a kiss on my temple before leaving again. I watch him walk and make my way back to my bed, my head racing with thoughts. Not even two minutes later, I see him running back in. He briefly talked to me about his PTSD the other night when we both couldn’t sleep. 

Dae-ho’s POV

I can’t….I can’t….I can’t…. Those words echo in my head as I bring my legs to my chest, my PTSD is making me crazy. I bury my face in my knees as my body trembles. 

I failed….I failed….I failed…I–

“Dae-ho?” I hear a voice say. I look up and see Y/N looking at me. My voice shakes as I try to speak as she approaches me slowly. 

“I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sor–” I keep repeating and she sits across from me. 

“Shhh shhh Dae-ho it’s ok..” She says and I shake my head as tears fill up in my eyes. 

“I failed….Y/N I failed…” I say 

“”They never got the magazines did they?” She asks and I shake my head. I cover my head with my hands, ashamed to even look at her. 

Y/N’s POV 

I sigh as I look at myself in the mirror, Su-bong wants me to go to the club tonight. Him and Namgyu are hosting a party for Su-bong moving onto the next round of the rap battles. I smooth out my bodysuit and leather shorts, putting on my boots. It’s summer time so it's a little humid out. After grabbing my purse, I head out towards the club. Once I get there, I walk over to the bouncer and he nods at me. I walk in and can hear the music thumping against the walls as I walk in. 

“Hopefully Thanos isn’t high yet…” I mutter to myself as I descend down the stairs. The smell of alcohol and sweat hits my nose, along with the blaring of the music. I make my way to the bar and order myself a drink, scanning the room to see the familiar purple hair that will stand out to me. I spot him and Namgyu at the vip section, laughing with drinks in their hands. 

“Y/N! Over here!” Su-bong yells over the music. I walk over to him and nod at the bouncer that is guarding the VIP section. He lets me pass and I step over to him, him pulling me into a hug. I hug him back and give Namgyu a small wave. 

“You made it señorita,” He says with the same grin on his face. I give him a small smile and nod, hoping that tonight will go smoothly. 

“Of course I would, wouldn't miss this for the world,” I say and he smiles, gesturing me to sit down. I sit next to Namgyu and Su-bong sits next to me. The night goes smoothly for the most part, Su-bong hitting his vape occasionally and chatting with me and others who join us. 

“You know you look good tonight,” Su-bong says, eyeing me up and down. I look at him as I feel my heart pounding in my chest. 

“Thanks..” I say. Him and I have been friends for years now, he always looked at the women he wanted to hook up with in that way. 

“Don’t look at me like that,” He says, whispering in my ear. I look at him confused and look at him. 

“Like what?” I ask 

“Like you want me to take you, make you mine,” He says, tucking some of my hair behind my ear and resting his hand on my hip. 

“I’m not into hookups, you know that Su,” I say, moving his hand away. He pouts and pulls me closer to him.  

“Who said this was a hookup señorita?” He asks and I look at him dumbfounded. 

“W-w-what?” I ask and he smiles. 

“You heard me, gorgeous,” he says with a playful grin, pulling me closer as he wraps his arm around my waist. Our thighs brush against each other, sending tingles of warmth racing through me. He trails delicate kisses up my shoulder, lingering at my neck, and across my cheek, before finally pressing his soft lips against mine. I kiss him back, and in that moment, everything feels so utterly natural, so right. My heart races as I think, God Y/N, what are you doing??? But just as suddenly as it began, the kiss is gone, leaving a whirlwind of emotions in its wake.

“Taste for later tonight,” he whispers, his voice laced with anticipation.

“Fucking tease,” I say, coming off as more of a desperate whine. He chuckles and looks at Namgyu, signalling that he’s leaving. He nods, giving Su a slight grin before he grabs my arm, taking me to one of the dimly lit backrooms of the club. Once we are inside, he slams the door shut and pins me against it. 

“God, you’re absolutely breathtaking, Y/N,” he breathes, gently cradling my face in his hands. His gaze sweeps over every inch of my features and traces down my body, igniting a thrilling shiver that dances through me. 

“Su-bong…” I whisper, my voice trembling with longing, aching for the warmth of his touch, the intoxicating scent that envelops me, the electric brush of his lips against my skin—his very essence is a balm to my soul.

"No more words are necessary my love....tonight I    will make you truly mine, and I      swear it with all my heart," he declares, his voice filled with unyielding determination. 

Dae-ho’s POV 

This game….what the hell is this game? You have to run into a room with a certain number of people within 30 seconds or get killed. We’re on another round of this….game. My heart is pounding with anticipation. I look over to see player 212 or Y/N standing next to me, the look of dread on her face. 

“Next round, stick with me ok?” I say and she nods, looking at me with dread but also a mix of hope. As the music starts playing and the floor starts spinning, I grab her hand hearing Young-il saying the next round will be two people. I grip her hand, giving it a slight squeeze, reassuring her that I got her. I see player 333 holding onto Jun-hee’s hand so I know he will run with her. I look over to see Gi-hun eyeing someone to grab for the next round too. As soon as the voice said 2, I started running with Y/N, trying to get to a room as quickly as I could. 

“In here!” I yell over the chaos and rush into room 25. I slam the door shut once we get in there and put my body weight against the door. 

“Dae-ho,” I hear her say, her voice trembling. I make sure no one gets in before it locks behind me. I breathe out a sigh of relief, thankful we made it through this game alive. 

“You ok?” I ask her, looking into her eyes. I see the relief and fear in them, making me frown. 

“Dae-ho…I don’t want to do this anymore…” She says, her voice becoming quiet.

“Then we’ll vote to go home….we’ll go home together,” I say, pulling her into a hug. I feel her body against mine, she’s so small compared to me. 

“Go I hope we win that vote,” She says and I nod, hoping the same thing. 

Y/N’s POV 

The vote ended in a tie….a fucking tie??!! 

“This can’t be real,” I say quietly…feeling an arm wrap around my shoulders. I look up and see that its Dae-ho, the only thing that's keeping me sane in this insanity of a game. “It is but we'll get through it,” He reassures me. I give him a small nod, not knowing if I will make it out of this game alive or not. After the vote, I sit down and eat my food, wondering what the next few hours are going to bring. Gi-hun and Young-il are sitting there not really touching their food. I frown and nudge both of them. 

“You both need to eat…” I say softly and they give me a small smile. 

“We’ll eat soon Y/N don’t worry,” Young-il reassures me and I nod. 

“You know when we get out of here, we’re grabbing soju and dinner,” Dae-ho says with a smile. My cheeks heat up and I smile back, Dae-ho isn’t bad looking and he’s help me feel sane along with Young-il, Jung-bae, and Young-il. 

“I like that idea,” I say and he grins, tucking some of my hair behind my ear. I smile more and look up at him since he’s on the step above me. 

“Good, you know, you’ve kept me sane while we're here,” He confesses. 

“I do?” I ask 

“Yes you do Y/N, more than you know,” He says move down a step, closer to me. 

“You keep me sane too…and make me feel safe,” I say 

“You do sleep in the bed with me at night,” He says, grinning even more. I feel my cheeks heat up again and I giggle. After the first night, I couldn’t really sleep so I snuck into Dae-ho’s bed. We’ve been a source of comfort for each other, which has helped my anxiety. 

“Yeah we do,” I giggle. He does something I don’t quite expect but I don’t complain about it either. He kisses me, not a quick one but a slow one, like the ones you see in movies when the leads kiss for the first time. I kiss back, humming against his lips and wrapping my arms around his neck. He grins against mine and wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him. After a few moments I pull away and rest my forehead against his. 

“Together?” He asks and I nod, 

“Together,” I say 

Y/N’s POV 

Growing up with the Hwang brothers always made things interesting. Everything was fine until In-ho's wife got sick, that's when things went downhill for the brothers and the entire family. Now it’s 2024, In-ho is still missing and Jun-ho won’t tell me what happened to him. 

“Jun-ho…” I say, as I watch him pack his bag to look for that island again. 

“Don’t,” He says, shaking his head at me. 

“Jun-ho you’re driving yourself crazy trying to find that island again,” I  say as he packs some clothes. He’s going away again but this time for the next five days. My heart aches for him but also am pissed that he won’t tell me what's going on. 

“I have to find it Y/N, In-ho is out there,” He says, sounding more determined than ever. 

“But at what cost? Your sanity? Our relationship?” I ask and he stops packing and looks at me. 

“Y/N you know how much finding that island means to–” 

“What about me? What about us?! You’ve been sneaking around, taking days off of work, quitting your job for fuck sake…and for what?!” I yell, getting more frustrated with him by the second. 

“You wouldn’t understand…he’s not your brother!” He yells back and I look at him hurt. 

“I grew up with you guys…he is a brother to me!” I yell back as tears fall down my cheeks. I hit his chest with my hand and he sighs. 

“He’s my brother too..” I say, quietly as more tears stream down my face. His gaze softens as he sees the tears. 

“Y/N…” He says softly while looking in my eyes. 

“I gave you time…please don’t shut me out…tell me everything…” I say and he sighs, cupping my cheeks with his hands. 

“Promise me you won’t tell mom,” He says and I nod.

“I promise Jun-ho,” I say. He hums and gives me a soft kiss on the lips. I kiss back, wrapping my arms around his waist. He deepens the kiss before pulling away, caressing my cheek with  his thumb. 

“In-ho is alive….he’s in charge of those games I mentioned to you,” he says and I look at him in disbelief. 

“Wait…is that why you got shot?” I ask and he nods. “He’s alive?” 

“Yeah he’s alive…trying to find the island to bring him home,” He explains further. 

“Will he though?” I ask and he hesitates for a moment.

“No idea…hoping he does in all honesty,” He says 

“Bring him home…” I plea. He gives me a determined look before giving me another kiss. 

“I will try my best love,” He says 

Y/N's POV

It’s been six days since I’ve heard from Myung-gi….six whole days of no contact and I’m worried. He has never gone no contact with me in this long…I wonder why and I’m worried sick. I haven’t eaten in five days because of the nerves, something tells me that something happened. Little did I know shit did happen. I eat my dinner and try to maintain a calm demeanor and keep my food down. I sigh as I hear a knock on my door. I get up, hoping it’s Myung-gi and wipe my hands on my pants. Opening the door, I see him standing at the door but he has bruises on his face and a bandage on his hand. 

“M-M-M-Myung-gi?” I ask, not believing that he’s standing right in front of me. He nods and gives me a small smile. I scowl at him and hit his arm, angry that he didn’t even bother to contact me the past week. 

“Ow woman!” He yells, rubbing his arm.  Asshole for not contacting me.

“Six days! Six days with no phone call or text?!” I yell as tears prick my eyes. He gives me a small, sad smile and makes his way into the apartment. 

“I can explain…” He says and I close the door. 

“Then you better start talking…” I say. He explains to me the games….who he ran into…how it went. I look at him dumb founded, wondering if he’s telling me the full truth. 

“So you’re telling me that 456 people voluntarily went into these games and you were one of the lucky few who made it out alive?” I ask, not fully believing his story. He nods, the look of guilt on his face. I look at him and try to read him, to see if he’s lying to me. I only see sadness and guilt in his eyes, indicating that he isn’t lying. 

“You idiot,” I say and hit his arm again. 

“Ow Y/N stop hitting me!” He yells 

“What if you died in there?! I wouldn’t have known what happened to you….I wouldn't even get your body back…” I say, my voice shaking with pent up emotion. His gaze softens and pulls me onto his lap. 

“I’m sorry love…I just wanted to get out of my debt..” He says, softly. I knew he was in debt, it's one of the things he told me about when we first got together. His bitcoin investment falling from under his feet, him losing his followers. 

“Don’t do that again,” I say, as tears fall down my cheeks. He cups my face with his hands and gazes into my eyes. 

“I promise to never do that again..” He says, rubbing his thumb on my cheeks. 

In-ho’s POV 

Ha! Gi-hun really thinks I’m just another player in the game. If he was paying any attention the last time, he would put the pieces together.  

“Wonder which game will be tomorrow,” I hear a voice say. I look up to see the most attractive person I have ever seen. I eat my meal and eye them, knowing what the next game will be but I have to keep it to myself. 

“456 says that its Dolgona,” I say, taking a bite of my food. 

“The sugar game?” They ask and I nod. Too bad that's not true at all. I watch them take a bite of their food, the way their mouth moves makes me just wanna…. No no no snap out of it In-ho you’re here for the plan, not to fuck a player. I look at their jacket and note that they’re player 111 and they have a red X on their jacket.

“Guess we will see who survives Mr. 001,” they say, giving me a smile. I can't help but give them a small smile back, a genuine one. I watch them as they talk to player 388 and player 390, listening to bits and pieces of their conversation. 

“Freeze!” Player 388 mimics Gi-hun during the red light green light game. I look over and see that 111 is giggling at 388’s attempt to be funny. 

“Became a big fan after that sir,” Player 111 says and Gi-hun gives them a small smile. I look between them and lean back on the step. During meal time, a fight breaks out between three players. I let it play out before I stand up to intervene. After taking down players 230 and 124, the crowd claps. I do a slight bow to all of them and walk back over to our group. 

“That was so bad ass 001,” Player 111 says. I smile at them and nod. 

“Thanks, they deserved it,” I say 

“That they did,” They say 

“Ah, to be young again,” Player 390 says, earning a chuckle from all of us. When lights out occurs, I slip away to my private apartment, my thoughts being consumed by them. 

“In-ho get your shit together, this will interfere with the plan,” I tell myself, going towards the player logs and search for this player that has consumed my thoughts. I grab the binder and flip through it until I land on player 111. Ahhh there they are, lets see what brought them to this game. I go through the page and find that they are in massive amounts of student loan debt. That’s a shame, they have a pretty face. 

“Why are you consuming me my dear Y/N?” I ask myself, wondering why I’m caring for this person when I should be focused on taking down Gi-hun. I sigh and close the binder, knowing I should go back before lights out is over. I leave my apartment and make my way back to the dorm. As I make my way back to my bunk, I pass their bunk. I stop and admire their sleeping form for a few moments. 

Dae-ho’s POV 

I arrive at our shared apartment, spotting Y/N sitting on the couch glancing at a book. I smile and take off my shoes, putting my indoor ones on. She looks up at me and gives me a smile. 

“Hey love, how was your day?” I ask, slipping off my jacket and join her on the couch. 

“Good, work wasn’t that bad today, how was yours?” She asks. I sigh and wrap my arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to me. 

“Tiring, I just want to sleep and cuddle my love for the rest of the night,” I say, sighing dramatically. She giggles as I pull her onto my lap, the scent of her perfume hitting my nose. I sigh contently this time and nuzzle my face in her neck. 

“You know we still have to eat dinner,” She says. I groan and nod, removing my face from her neck. 

“Can we just order take out?” I ask, hoping she will say yes. She nods, knowing that she doesn’t want to cook either.

“Ok love we’ll do that, you’re paying,” She says and I smile, chuckling at her. 

“You got it love,” I say 

Y/N’s POV 

As I lay down in bed, I already see Dae-ho fast asleep. I smile and kiss his cheek before reading my book. I get halfway through the second chapter when I hear faint whimpering. I close my book and look over at Dae-ho, making sure he’s ok. He settled back to sleep and I think nothing of it. After doing some more reading, I close my book and turn off the light. Settling in bed, my mind drifts off to sleep. But suddenly, I hear a scream. I open my eyes quickly and turn on the light. My eyes adjust to the sudden light and I notice Dae-ho thrashing around in his sleep. 

“Dae-ho wake up,” I say, shaking his shoulder. His hand grips onto my arm painfully I wince. I see sweat start to form on his forehead and his face twitches in distress, he’s having another nightmare.

“Dae-ho!” I yell, knowing me yelling his name worked the last time. His grip tightens more, causing more discomfort and pain to shoot through my arm. 

“Dae-ho wake up it's a dream!” I yell, more desperately this time. Tears form in my eyes, hating seeing him like this. If his stupid dad didn’t force him to join the marines he wouldn’t have ptsd. Dae-ho jolts awake, breathing heavy as sweat drips down his face. 

“Love it was just a dream…you’re ok,” I say, softly. He looks at my frantic and notices his grip on my arm. He quickly moves his hand away and looks at the red marks.

“I d-d-did tha–” 

“Shhh it's ok I know you didn’t mean to,” I say, cupping his face in my hands. He closes his eyes and leans into my touch, breathing shaky still. 

“It brought me back to that pla–” 

“Shhh just let me hold you,” I say, soothing his anxiety. He whimpers as tears start to fall down his face. He hugs my waist, resting his body in my lap. I rub his back and wipe the sweat off of his face with a towel. 

Dae-ho’s POV 

I feel my body shake still, even laying in her lap. I close my eyes and use her being near me as a way to ground myself. She’s too good to me…I laid my hand on her.. 

“I’m sorry for hurting you,” I say softly, talking for the first time in a while. She hums and runs her hand through my hair. 

“It’s ok love…I know you didn’t mean it,” She says but that doesn’t ease my guilt. 

“When I get like that…step away from me ok? So I don’t hurt you again,” I say, looking up at her. 

“It’s not going to hap–” 

“Promise me,” I say, cutting her off, knowing she will argue this. She nods and looks into my eyes. 

Gi-hun’s POV

He’s dead….he’s actually dead….Jung-bae…Young-il…all those men died and for what…for us to continue the games? We were so close and yet….we still lost. Is anyone even alive? Dae-ho? Hyun-ju? Y/N? So many thoughts in my head, where do I even start? 

“G-g-g-Gi-hun?” I hear someone ask. I look up, not realizing I’m back at the dorm already. I see Y/N looking at me with a worried expression. 

“He’s dead….Jung-bae…Young-il…they’re all…” I say, muttering softly. I see Y/N making their way over to me. The look on Jung-bae’s face is still fresh in my head. I feel arms wrap around me and I bury my face in their hair. Silent sobs wrack my body again, just wanting this all to be a bad dream. 

“Gi-hun…you did all you could,” Y/N says. So they're the one holding me.

“I could’ve protected him better….I shouldn’t have done it!” I yell, the guilt consuming me already.  If we won, they would all be alive...I could take Y/N with me and we can start over together. They joined the number of reasons why I wanted to end the games in these short few days. The guilt will consume me if I don't do something...

“Gi-hun! Blaming yourself wont bring them back from the dead!” They yell back. 

“They’re right….blaming yourself won’t bring them back…we must fight on and bring him down still,” Jun-hee says, putting her hand over her bump. Maybe they're both right....

“He already won…” I say, feeling lost. 

“We will figure it out,” Y/N says 

“Doubt they will let us vote now,” Player 333 says 

“Yeah doubt it too, guess we shall find out soon enough,” Player 125 says, giggling like a school girl. I look at him like he’s insane. 

“Ignore him, he’s high,” Player 333 says, earning a scowl from 125. 

“Mr., 456 sir,” Player 149 says and I look at her. 

“I’m Guem-ja and this is my son Yong-sik,” She says, motioning to player 007. 

“We might as well get to know each other's names, yeah?” Y/N suggests and I nod. 

“I’m Namg-yu,” “Myung-gi,” “Y/N,” “Gi-hun,”

“Dae-ho,” 

Y/N’s POV 

After finding out from Gi-hun what had happened, I was pissed beyond belief. You mean to tell me that the Captain shot Jung-bae short range in the chest? “This is bullshit,” I say 

“It is but here we are…” Gi-hun says and I look at him. 

“Screw this place,” I say, getting up from my bunk. 

“Y/N…” Gi-hun warns 

“Screw this place….and screw the captain for killing Jung-bae!” I yell 

“Y/N don’t,” Dae-ho warns again 

“You gonna kill the rest of us?! Huh?!” I yell louder, in the direction of the camera that I know they’re watching from. 

“You already killed Jung-bae, Young-il, Gyeong-seok…you killed everyone!” I yell, feeling tears stream down my face. Sobs wrack my body as I feel strong arms wrap themselves around me. I turn to see Gi-hun with tears in his eyes. 

“I want this to be over…” I say, my voice trembling as I talk.

Jun-ho's POV

It’s been months…months since I broke up with Y/N. It was for the best, ever since I woke up from my coma. Ever since then, I’ve been looking for that island. That island…where my own brother shot me in the shoulder when I refused to take his hand. Maybe I should have but the moment that happened, my mind drifted to her. She would start looking for me, I couldn’t do that to her or mom. Mom already lost In-ho, she can’t lose me either. The weather tonight is the same as the night we broke up, raining heavily making the roads slick if you aren’t careful. It’s summer time, the rain cooling down the humid air that clung to you like a sweater, suffocating you if you aren’t careful. 

“No Jun-ho she moved so you should too,” I say, trying to convince myself. Parts of me accepts that she moved on but a part of me doesn’t. A part of me hanging on to what we had, what we still have.

 I sigh as I drive home from work, I realize I’m close to where she lives, one visit won’t hurt right? Right? Turning down her street, I park across the street and look up to where her apartment is. The lights are on, indicating that she’s home but is she alone? Sighing, I look at the time. I cut the engine knowing I will be sitting here a while. 

“Jun-ho what are you doing?” I ask myself, finding myself stepping out of my car. I walk across the street and walk in as someone who is leaving. I make my way to the elevator and press the number of her floor. 

I knock on your door, my heart racing in my chest. I tried to move on, went on dates but my mind always went back to her. Her laugh, her smile, her smell, the little noises she makes when she wakes up in the morning. The sounds she makes when she’s turneed on…snap out of it Jun-ho. My heart pounds louder as I hear the door open. 

“Hey..” I say 

Y/N’s POV 

“Jun-ho…what are you doing here?” I ask, not believing he’s actually at my door. 

“I know it’s been months but I wanted to see you…” He says, quietly. My heart aches when I see him, part of me wants to jump into his arms and hug him. But another part of me is still bitter over the breakup. 

“You broke up with me Jun-ho..” I say, quietly too. He gives me a small smile and nod. 

“I know….may I come in?” He asks. Before I knew it, I nodded my head and he walks in, shrugging off his damp jacket. His damp hair is clinging to his forehead, making him more attractive than ever. I shake the thought of my head as soon as it came. 

“Want some tea?” I ask him and he nods. I can tell he’s cold from the rain but he won’t admit it. I hand him a towel so he can dry his hair while I make the tea. A few minutes later, we are sitting on the couch facing each other. The rain outside coming down harder now, symbolizing my growing heart rate. He still makes me feel butterflies in my stomach even after all these months. 

“What are you doing here?” I ask. He sighs and sets his cup down on the table. 

“Look I know I ended things with you but…I tried to move on from you. But my mind is always drifting to you…especialy when I tried dating someone,” He explains. 

“Still looking for that island?” I ask, sounding more bitter than intending to. Him trying to find that island was driving a wedge between us. Mainly because he wouldn’t tell me why, giving me a vague reason without telling me the actual reason why. He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. 

“Yeah I am,” He says and I scoff. 

“Of course you are,” I say, bitterly. He sighs and looks at me. 

“I didn’t come here to fight again Y/N,” He says, taking my hand in his. Feeling his hand in mine, brings back the memories of what we had. 

“It’s always been you..” he says, moving closer to me. I look in his eyes and try to see if he’s trying to deceive me. Finding none, I relax into his touch and sigh. 

“I’ve missed you holding me like this..” I say. He smiles and pulls me closer to him. 

“Can we start over?” He asks, looking in my eyes. I look into his and give him a small smile. 

How did I end up here? At first I didn’t believe what 456 was going on about, no one really did. However, as the game progressed I couldn’t help but to believe him. And here we are,  stuck here for another game. My anxiety being at an all time high, considering we almost died. Somehow surviving two games so far has led me down a path that I know I will not be the same after. Me and a few of the other players, 001, 456, 388, and 390 are sitting down after the latest vote. The X patch on my jacket looming in front of me, knowing I’m one of the 100 plus people who want to go home…but the other half want to stay. 

“I think we should get to know each others names,” Player 388 says 

“You think so?” I ask, feeling 456’s eyes on me. 

“Yeah I do, I’ll go first. I’m Kang Dae-ho,” He says 

“I’m L/N Y/N,” I say 

“That’s a pretty name,” 456 says and I feel a blush creep up my cheeks. I glance over to see 001 giving me a slight smirk. 

“I’m Park Jung-bae,” Player 390 says 

“I’m Oh Young-il, whats your last name Gi-hun?” Player 001 asks. So thats Mr. 456’s name. 

“Seong,” He says 

“Your last name literally means last name,” Young-il jokes. I suppress my giggle and I look to see even Gi-hun is slightly amused by his joke. A smile smile spreads across his face, the first time I saw him since in this place. I mean, it is hard to smile when you’re surrounded by death. 

-------

Lights out, which has grown to be my least favorite time of being here. You may think it’s the games themselves but its not. This time of day. I’m alone to my thoughts and my anxiety. Sighing, I sit up and glance around my area of the dorm, seeing if anyone is up. I glance to see that Gi-hun is awake. I can tell he’s carrying a heavy burden just by looking at him. Queitly, I slip out of my bunk and walk over to him. He must have heard me coming since he looks up when I approach. 

“Mind if I join you? Can’t sleep either,” I say and he shakes his head. 

“Please…I could use the company,” He says 

“Gi-hun…why are you back in the games?” I ask and he sighs, giving me a sad smile. 

“Trying to make it out of live with everyone….well everyone that I can get out of here,” He says, sighing. 

“The ones who want to stay…you trying to save them too?” I ask and he nods.

“Even them…they are blinded by the money,” He says, hearing the sadness in his voice. 

“Everyone in this place is blinded by the money….everyone is clouded by the debt we owe,” I say, trying to remind him of why he also came to this place for the first time. He looks at me and his gaze softens. 

“How much are you in debt?” He asks and I rub the back of my neck. 

“45 million…” I say and he nods, looking at me like he understands. 

“When we get out of here, we should grab some food,” He says and I smile, the prospect of getting out of here sounds promising. 

After I called that number, my life changed….don’t know if it's for the better or worse yet. Those games…like what the hell? There were 456 people that entered those games...only I came out alive. I came home a few days ago, 45.6 billion won is a lot of money for one person. I sent the money to whom I owed money too. So how am I gonna spend this remaining 45.1 billion?? Everytime I look at that money, I can’t help but think of the people who died in order for me to get it. It can fuck with someone’s head and it’s fucking with mine. 

“Y/N just move on with your life…,” I say to myself as I walk to one of the local cafes. When I walk in, the aroma of coffee and fresh baked goods hits my nose. I close my eyes and breathe in the scent before going to the counter. Ordering my tea and scone, I sit at a table and scroll on my phone. Sipping my tea, my mind drifts back to those games. When I close my eyes, I can still smell the blood and the popping noise of the gun shots. I hear someone clear their throat, probably to get my attention. Opening my eyes, the recruiter is standing in front of me, looking perfect as ever. Y/N no 

“Told you that I would find you beautiful,” He says, giving me the same smile he gave me weeks ago. His eyes still seem cold as ever, but there is something else there that I cannot quite place. 

“Congratulations stalker,” I say, groaning at the fact that he found me but also pissed that it took him this long. Wait, why am I pissed about that? He frowns and sits across from me, putting his chin in his hands. I look at him, wondering what he could be possibly staring at. 

“You seem…different.” He says 

“You would be too if you participated in those games,” I say, my tone is mixed with annoyance and a side of spite. He smiles and I just want to punch that pretty little smile of his. 

“What will you do with this new found wealth?” He asks, with a slight smirk. 

“It’s blood money you prick,” I say through gritted teeth, not caring if people heard me. 

“But still your money. You made it out of the dumpster victoriously,” He says, putting his hand over mine. I quickly take it away from him and shift in my seat. He pouts and leans back in his own seat. 

“455 people died in order for me to get that money. Sorry if I’m not jumping up and down, thanking the man who gave me the card," I start, looking directly at him. The look that he's giving me, one of sympathy makes me want to punch him even more. He brought me to the games, directly or not he's still responsible for my inner turmoil now.

"Thanking the men who run the games, thanking the wealthy white men who love to place bets on people who are in debt,” I say, not realizing tears are falling down my cheeks. My breathing becomes heavy as I grip the table trying to ground myself. 

“You let it haunt you,” He says, stating the obvious. 

“You would too if you lived out those games. Yes I paid off my debt but at what cost? My sanity?” I say, my breathing becoming even again and wiping the dampness from my cheeks. 

“You know you can become so much more than this,” He says and I laugh at him. 

“And do what? I’m not entirely sane anymore after those games.” I say 

“Take the money and go somewhere,” He says and I shake my head. 

“You wanna know something messed up?” I ask and he leans in towards me more intrigued. 

“I’ve thought about you the entire time I was there,” I say, I look at him and he has no reaction to what I’m saying. Of course he has no reaction, he sends countless people to those games every year. Why would I be so lucky or special to grab his attention? Then again, he did say he would come find me after the games...maybe something is there?

“Thought you were bluffing when you said you would come find me and yet here you are,” I continued.  He leans back into his chair and studies me for a moment before speaking.

“You shouldn’t be thinking about me, I’m a dangerous man Y/N,” He says, sounding like he was trying to convince himself more than me. I smirk and lean back in my chair. Old me would be cowering in my seat but this new me. Who has seen the worst of humanity the past, accepts it.

“Have a knack for dangerous men…these past few days I was surrounded by them in those games,” I say, cooly.

“And yet you outsmarted all of them, made it out alive,” He says

“But at what cost?” I ask, not myself more than him. 

“Everything,” He says, looking into my eyes. I look into his eyes and finally feel understood.  

“Those games took everything from me, can never go back to my old self ever again,” I say 

“Maybe that’s not a bad thing,” He says 

Y/N’s POV 

I sigh as I make my way down the subway, another day another half dollar. The warm Seoul air creates a blanket of comfort, it’s not too humid and the uv index is not that powerful. Fixing my cap, I tuck a loose strand from my hair behind my ear. Adjusting the strap of my backpack, I wait for the next train home. 

“You want to play a game?” I hear a voice ask behind me. I turn around and see a man wearing a suit and a briefcase. 

“Depends on the game,” I say and he gives me a small smile. He sets his briefcase on the bench behind us and opens it. Glancing, I see red and blue tiles, two piles of 50,000 won and one pile of 10,000 won. 

“We will play ddakji, when you win, I will give you 100,000 won. When I win, you give me 100,000 won. Deal?” He asks, with a small smile. I contemplate for a moment, I mean I am in debt that I need to pay so one round won’t hurt. 

“Deal,” I say and put my backpack down. He grins and holds up the red and blue tiles. I pick the blue one since it’s one of my favorite colors. He throws his tile on the ground, I take a deep breath and throw my tile on his. Frowning, I look at the guy sheepishly and laugh nervously. He looks at me, and gives me a small smile. 

“You don’t have the money?” He asks and I shake my head. 

“No I don’t..” I say, nervously. 

“You can pay me with your body,” He says and I look at him like he’s crazy. 

“What?” I ask, wanting to make sure I heard him correctly. 

“Pay me with your body but with slaps, shaving off the 100,000 won you owe me,” He says. I look at him, my mind racing with thoughts. 

“100,000 won off per slap?” I ask and he nods 

“100,000 won off per slap,” He repeats. After several rounds and several slaps later, I’m walking away with 200,000 won in my pocket. 

“You can make even more money by playing games like this for a few days,” He says, handing me a card. I see the symbols on it a circle, square and triangle. Turning it around, it has a phone number on it. I look up to see him walking away. I grab my backpack and look back at the card again. Wondering if I should join, since I am 50 million won in debt. Getting on the subway, I make my way home. Knowing my life is going to change as soon as I dial that number. 

A few days later 

Walking home from work, I sense someone behind me. No not like in the I’m in a crowded street of course someone is following me type of way. More in the way of I see him in the corner of my eye in this type of way. I turn the corner into an alleyway and hear footsteps behind me. 

“You know it’s rude to stalk people,” I say, turning around to see the man from the subway the other day. He smiles, but this smile looks different. A smile, more like a grin that wrinkles the sides of his face. 

“So you have figured it out,” He says, stepping closer to me. 

“Seeing a man with a briefcase everywhere I go is hard to miss,” I say and he chuckles, stepping even closer but remains a good distance from me. 

“Guess I have that effect, you have yet to call that number I gave you,” He says, like he’s stating the obvious. 

“Been thinking about it,” I say and he steps closer, his frame towering over me considering I’m 5’5. 

“I know you’re in debt,” He says and I look at him shocked,

“How did you–” 

“Have my connections,” He says, cutting me off. 

“Why have you been watching me?” I ask and he tucks a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. Feeling a shock of electricity between his finger and my neck, takes me aback but I don’t show it. 

“Have I?” He asks, his tone somewhat mocking me. 

“Think we both know the answer to that,” I say, looking up into his eyes. When I look into them, I see a coldness that sends a shiver down my spine. 

“So beautiful..” He says, his voice dropping to a soft tone. 

“If I call that number?” I ask and he smirks. 

“If you call that number and win the money, I’ll come find you,” He says, his lips forming into a slight pout. 

“Come find me?” I ask. He grins and rests his hand on my hip. 

“Yes come and find you sweet girl,” He says, looking into my eyes. 

“Win the games?” I ask 

“Yes, win and I can give you everything you want and more,” He says, whispering it in my ear. The huskiness of his voice driving me over the edge. He almost has me convinced to call that number. He laughs a deep laugh and sighs, cupping my face with his hands. 

“I will call that number…” I say and he smiles. 

“Good girl…” He purrs in my ear. I close my eyes and breath out a shaky breath. He lets my face go and walks away. 

“Good luck,” He says, picking up his briefcase and leaving the alley, leaving me alone to my thoughts and the card that’s in my pocket. Taking it out, I dial the number and wait for the tone. 

”please state your name and date of birth” The voice says on the other end. 

“Y/N L/N D/O/B”, I say 

Y/N’s POV 

He never fully mentioned his job, so me being here is a first. He did have me blind folded so I didn’t know where we were headed. Typical In-ho, being secretive about his job even to me his girlfriend/boyfriend. Once we arrived and came to his private quarters, he took the blind fold off. He was explaining to me how his job worked and what he does for six days. 

“So this is the notorious Squid Games?” I ask as In-ho pours himself a glass of whiskey. I look at the monitor in his room, quite large. 

“Yes it is darling, this is where the trash are sent to fight for their lives,” He states, walking over to where I’m standing. Handing me a glass of wine, I take it and look back at the screen. Seeing all these people with different numbers on them. 

“They’re all in debt?” I ask and he nods, a slight scowl forms on his face. 

“In crippling debt Y/N,” He states, not tearing his gaze from the monitor. 

“So they play these games for 6 days, to win the money?” I ask 

“Yes enough questions, sit,” He demands and I sigh, knowing it's best not to argue with him. I sit on his lap. He smirks and wraps his arm around my waist, holding his glass of whiskey in his free hand. 

“The VIPs place bets on them?” I ask and he nods. 

“Yes, you can place a bet if you like,” He says and I look at him intrigued. 

“Hmm interesting,” I say and he chuckles at me. 

“Mine is on player 218,” He says and I see the player on the screen. A gentleman, probably in his mid forties. He is quite handsome. But another catches my eye for some reason. 

“456,” I say and he looks at the screen. 

“Ah yes Seong Gi-hun,” He says 

“You know all their names?” I ask 

“Of course, we keep a record of all the players,” He explains as the game commences on the screen. I watch in baited breath as the players try to make it across the line within 5 minutes. I shift on his lap and he tightens his grip around it. 

“Sit still,” He says with a hint of warning. I bite my lip a little and nod. 

“Was just getting comfortable In-ho,” I say and he chuckles, his warm breath tickling my neck. 

“Be a good girl/boy for me,” He says, moving my hair to the side. I tilt my neck so he has better access to it. He grins and kisses my neck, sucking on my pulse point. I giggle as I grip his jacket. He pulls away and shakes his head, moving my hand away from it. 

“Don’t wrinkle it,” He says, his eyes half lidded and full of lust and love. 

“In-ho,” I say, quietly. He smirks and runs his hand up my arm, kissing my shoulder. 

“Does my precious little one want attention?” He asks, his lips brushing up against my neck. My eyes flutter shut, gripping the back of the seat 

“In-ho stop being a tease,” I say and he chuckles, pulling away from my neck. 

“Tonight I won’t be such a tease,” He says, moving me so I’m straddling his waist. 

“Good, I don’t think I can handle it if you were doing that,” I say, my voice sounding more desperate than intended.