[This was inspired by the opening scene of the 2013 movie, The Wolverine]
ll-nam was barely a man when, and just like the other 5 million Koreans during World War Two, he was forced by the Japanese into harsh labour. ll-nam ended up working in a military base near Nagasaki. The Japanese worked him like a dog and his main duty was looking after Prisoner No. 456, who was locked up in bunker (it was bascially a glorified hole in the ground).
ll-nam wasn't sure why this particular prisoner was so important; he was constantly visited by doctors and surgeons, and everyday ll-nam was sent to clean up after them. Despite looking like a butchershop, ll-nam never saw so much as a scratch on 456's naked body. He heard snipets of rumours that 456 was from the infamous Unit 731 but was sent here for more 'field tasting'.
The strangest thing about 456 was that he was always in high spirits, and he always cracking jokes and making small talk. ll-nam tried to stay stoic (lost too many friends and family to the Japanese) but he eventually cracked when 456 offered his food rations, saying that he wasn’t hungry and introduced himself as Gi-hun. The two of them formed a deep friendship.
But, on August 9th 1945, the Americans dropped a nuclear bomb on Nagasaki and the base was close enough for them to be in the blast radius. Gi-hun saved ll-nam's life and ll-nam watch in a mixture or wonder and horror, Gi-hun's body healing itself from the radiation and burns.
Eventually the two of them returned to Korea, which was quickly split in two, and as ll-nam aged, Gi-hun remained untouched by the hands of time. They were close, they bond was stronger than steel, but when Gi-hun saw ll-nam go down a dark path, he couldn’t stay and watch his friend (his lover) turn into a monster, so he left.
Years go by but ll-nam never stopped looking for his little miracle and he didn't find him again till he was a very old man. His heart almost stopped when a very familiar face, wearing an equally familiar number on his chest, was asking him why he was counting the players.
His miracle clearly didn't recognise him... and he'd be damned if he was going to let him slip through his fingers a second time.
Ilnam, barely a man being caught by the Japanese along with his friends and forced to do grueling labor with barely any food or water.
He watched his friends die one by one until only he remained. Months later, he was pulled from his regular job and forced to watch over a prisoner they called No. 456 in what was essentially, a huge hole in the ground.
Ilnam was horrified at first. Every evening, he cleaned up after the Japanese soldiers, and everything was just covered in blood and visera but the prisoner didn't even have a papercut on him. Ilnam didn't know what to think.
He was even more surprised to find out that the prisoner, who introduced himself as Gihun, was always so upbeat and so optimistic. He talked to Ilnam as if he was a person, as if he cared about him. Ilnam didn't respond at first, still too skitish and angry about his other friends dying and unwilling to open his heart again.
But then, one day, Gihun gives Ilnam his food rations, saying that he wasn't really hungry and that Ilnam could have it.
Thats when Ilnam started talking to Gihun more and more, even joking with him and telling Gihun that someday, they would get out. Someday they would go back to Korea, and everything would be fine.
And then the bomb hit. Ilnam and Gihun were a little too close and Ilnam was dragged into the hole, with Gihun curling himself around him to protect him.
Horrified and in awe, Ilnam watched as Gihun's body fell apart and then immediately knit itself back together and now, he realized why the Japanese held Gihun and why Gihun never had any kind of wounds when Ilnam saw him.
Somehow, they get out of the camp they were trapped in and manage to survive long enough to get a ride back to Korea a year after the bomb was dropped.
Ilnam and Gihun stayed together. They couldn't bear to leave each other's side and they faced everything life threw at them head on. The splitting of their country. The war. The uncertainty, the hunger, the poverty, the nightmares, everything.
And then, Ilnam started to build his empire. He started out small-a lone loan shark, then the leader of the loan sharks and eventually, he had somehow amassed giant companies and was using his newfound wealth to basically do whatever he wanted and even started having people tortured and killed at his behest.
Gihun ignored everything at first because he LOVED Ilnam. He desperately wanted Ilnam to stay with him, desperately wanted to hold onto the man he loved but once Ilnam started outright killing people for fun, he couldn't ignore it anymore.
He disappeared one day and Ilnam could not find him. He sent countless men all over the country, but nobody could find his lover and Ilnam was absolutely devastated.
Decades later, when Ilnam is old and dying and decides to enter the games he built out of boredom, he runs into his miracle, his lover, his everything--Gihun.
But Gihun doesn't recognize him. While time has not been kind to Ilnam, Gihun still looks as young as he did back in that hellish camp. he still smiles the same, still laughs the same, his eyes still the same dark stars that Ilnam loves.
Ilnam can't believe his luck. Finally, FINALLY the universe had answered his prayers, and his miracle was returned to him and this time?
This time, Ilnam is NOT going to let Gihun go.
