#gams

You sneak unnoticed away from your Night Night Bedtime, to one of the beautiful rooms and find player 388, scared and panicking, trapped in the big hide-and-seek game. The poor big boy needs a friend and a hug. How convenient that you, the unofficial princess of the island, have a big heart!

A/N: SPOILER_WARNING for Season 3

Player 388 needs a hug and a friend. So i couldn´t stop my brain from annoying me with that Idea. Divider by @enchanthings

TW: Fear, Fluff, and typical SQ Violence, Swear Words

It was by chance and good fortune that one of the new Tree-Angle Guards had neglected one of the baby gates and another safety precaution in preparation for the upcoming Hide & Seek game.

This would certainly result in consequences from the frontmen later. In addition to the general induction program for newcomers—including those regarding your interactions—there had been many rules, and what could you do about the fact that you didn't want to go back to sleep after waking up from your Night Night Bedtime?

(Actually, you didn't want to do Night Night Bedtime at all, but your father—In-Ho—had been very strict in his instructions to one of the Circeleys)—but now you were awake and remembered that two of the Squarys had said that Hide & Seek would be an exciting game.

You remember how a while ago you were allowed to play hide-and-seek with the Squarys, Tree Angels, and Circeleys in the huge play area consisting of rooms, stairs, and so many opportunities for hiding… and running around. It was so much fun. That's exactly what you wanted now. And so you stumble out of your room and somehow manage to escape undetected and quickly enter the play arena through one of the secret passages designed for staff use – about 10 minutes later you find yourself in one of the arena's corridors, amidst the chaos.

Of course, at almost 3 years old, you still don't understand…what the distant screams are muffled in the background, echoing to you from behind the various doors. It's a game. Only, there seem to be many more people playing…than when you played here with the guards.

"Oh, Me forgot sheep…sheep play too," - you murmur quietly to yourself, remembering that you wanted to take one of your favorite stuffed animals—a stuffed animal shaped like a sheep—with you to this secret nighttime game, and now the stuffed animal was lying in your bed. But you could tell him later that you had been very brave and no adult had seen you…yet.

Euphoric to play along, you stumble along one of the aisles, giggling quietly and with toddler-like energy, and when you hear a few loud shouts, you hide next to one of the smaller metal containers that are at the edge of the aisle (one of the Tree Angels had explained to you that they were originally trash cans but were never used as such). In any case, you make yourself very small next to the trash can and hold your hands in front of your face (that way, no one will find you - not that it would have been noticed in the lighting conditions that a toddler in Disney Princesses Anna and Elsa design had wandered into this chaotic playing field).

The footsteps clatter past you - followed by an adult who runs after you, cursing loudly (so many no-no words!) - and then when you carefully take your hands away from your face, you hear a dull thud and a very loud, painful scream and a noise…that sounds like…like…as if you, in a fit of rage at breakfast, You throw your sippy cup off the high chair because Appa doesn't want to give you a cupcake for breakfast or you're not allowed to watch Bluey on the tablet – it was a strange noise.

"New hide-and-seek…quick, quick" - you say quietly to yourself, getting up from the floor and looking in the direction where the two adults disappeared.

Was it a strange way to play? When you played hide-and-seek with the guards here, you laughed a lot, and the guards sometimes called out, "Where have you been hiding, little princess? Where are you?"…when they found you, there were lots of hugs and words of praise.

You were good at hide-and-seek, and maybe even at seeking.

So you stumble along, always making yourself small when other adults run past you in blind panic or try to catch each other…but why do some of the adults wearing red jackets run around with a magic wand? It looked like a magic wand with a beautiful green and pink stripe—through the corridors of the arena? Could they do magic?

As you continue down the long corridors and stop at a door ajar, where a girl in a blue jacket is lying, already asleep and with red paint on her clothes, you're careful not to step on the sleeping woman's fingers. But maybe the adult was also very tired and just wanted to play night-night? But was this a good hiding place?

The ajar door, blocked by the 'sleeping' body, leads to a staircase, and you knew from previous games of hide-and-seek that there was another door near the staircase…from there, there are further corridors and rooms.

With great concentration and some effort, you climb the stairs and then tap the door. It should actually open now…like last time…quite automatically…but nothing happened. That was strange.

"Open door, please?" - you say sweetly and try again to push your body weight against the door…but nothing happens…you stumble back and land on your padded bottom.

You have no choice but to go back the way you came, and in the process, you…almost…get run over by an adult in a red jacket who…seems to be in a very, very good mood and genuinely enjoying the game.

"…Fuck, these drugs are so awesome! You won't believe what I just saw, bro!" - you hear Player 124's voice echoing loudly to you. Followed by the following almost hysterically amused giggles.

"Hey Myung-gi, I swear there was a toddler who definitely wanted to play - it'll be fun, should we go back and give her a knife? Huh? Oooooh, but that would be fun, bro!"

The voice of the adult who was having so much fun faded…somewhere in the distance, someone screamed loudly and in panic…that's not how you play hide-and-seek…no, no…hide-and-seek is fun, and you shouldn't be afraid.

You stumble further and spot a door that's only ajar…a door to one of the beautiful, colorful rooms…the door is open just a crack, and a hand is clinging to the green wood. Maybe there's a great hiding place there?

"388, you cowardly bastard! Come here so Gi-hun can kill you. I've already seen the greed in his eyes! 388!"

The loud voice seems to come from behind you, and you automatically stumble faster to the ajar door and slip through just in time…because only seconds after you stepped inside the Raznes…it's being pulled shut from the inside.

The banging from outside and the renewed cursing don't bother you. One of the guards said that the doors can only be opened from the inside after a certain time…of course, you don't know exactly what that means.

But a quiet, panicked cry makes you turn your head to the right and see a boy with a blue jacket, messy dark hair, some of which he's tied back in a small braid, and red paint on his hands and the rest of his clothes - crouching in a corner…looking genuinely scared.

When a loud scream rang out from outside, you noticed the big boy flinching and putting his hands over his ears, beginning to tremble and cry even more.

"No cry…hide and seek fun…big boy no cry please?" - you said cautiously, taking a few steps toward the completely frightened and unsure man.

He doesn't even notice you, and as he cowers a little further in the corner and seems to be getting more and more afraid…you felt pity. Someone was playing very unfairly…if the big boy was so scared and had to cry. That wasn't nice.

You cautiously approach the big boy, who is so consumed by his fear, and gently pat his messy mop of hair.

Which makes poor Dae-Ho flinch even more fearfully and instinctively crawl a few steps away, not realizing at first what or who he's facing.

"N…No…please…please, I didn't mean to do this…don't…don't hurt me…please!" - begged the panicked player, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Okay, who was mean to the poor big boy? That person should be sent to Time Out. Hide and Seek shouldn't make anyone cry. That wasn't nice.

"Everything's fine….me dear….me good Princess….Big Boy safe," you say uncertainly, and now for the first time, Dae-Ho looks directly at you…his eyes widen in shock and disbelief.

"W…..Who are you…..?" - Dae-Ho sniffs fearfully.

You say your name and point to the beautiful stars on one of the walls of the room.

"Stars pwetty! Big Boy safe…..Stars…..Sheep….No Night night," - you say, walking to that spot on the wall and demonstratively pointing at the star with your hand.

When a loud banging against the door sounds from outside, your new friend jumps in alarm. You react immediately and naturally want to comfort him, so you padded over to him and hug him in typical toddler fashion.

"Hug! All better? New friend?" - you say, and as Dae-Ho slowly stands up, you grab his little finger and jump up and down on his hand.

"New friend? I…where are your parents? Appa? Eomma?" - Dae-Ho only slowly finds his voice, trembling, his gaze repeatedly gliding paranoidly towards the closed door.

"Appa work…me no night night shhh," - you say, and your father would definitely never know…that you're playing along too…like a big girl.

There's silence for a moment, and then a voice from the computer says the following words:

"The game is over. All participants who fail to reach the exit within the specified time or eliminate a player from the opposing team are eliminated from the game."

When the door is kicked open a few blinks later and two Triangle guards with weapons enter the room, Dae-Ho acts instinctively and takes you protectively in his arms (in a truly routine manner!).

"Don't hurt her, she's just a child and I don't know how she got in here. I…beg…" - Dae-Ho pleaded, and the two Triangle guards exchanged a brief glance.

"Player 388 - you're disqualified. Put the child on the floor!" - One of the Triangle guards spoke, and you could hear the trembling and feel the fear of your poor new friend.

"Tree-Angel, no mean! New Friend scared," - you said reproachfully, hugging Dae-ho as best you could, giving your Tree-Angels a judgmental toddler look.

This resulted in a senior guard calling in over the radio and ordering the Triangles to take you and your new friend back to your room.

"Player 388. Come with me - and you?" - One of the Triangles opened his arms to ask if he could pick you up.

But you shook your head and wrapped your arms around Dae-Ho's neck in trust.

And so, Player 388, with you in his arms, is led by the guards through one of the employee corridors to the frontman's private quarters.

A Square Guard is already waiting there, and when he sees you, he makes a playful, admonishing hand gesture.

"Squary! Me no night night…hide and seek…new friend," - you giggle, having—thankfully—no idea how much danger you were in.

"Get back to your posts! I'm waiting for the boss to arrive," the square guard instructed his colleagues, and after telling you that it wasn't nice to just sneak off like that, he addressed the following words to Player 388.

"The boss will decide your fate later, Player 388. Until then…" - Squary spoke, and you suddenly started bouncing up and down in Dae-Ho's arms, naturally interrupting the high-ranking guard.

"Sheep! There! Playing! New friend too! SHEEP!" you said, and after Dae-Ho sat down on the ground, you walked over to the stuffed sheep and gave it a big hug.

You didn't notice that Dae-Ho wasn't really relaxed or able to understand what was happening due to the presence of the square guard and the weapon in his hands, as well as the general situation. Of course, you knew the guards and weren't afraid of them.

"Sheep…Hi. New friend, say hi?" - you say, pressing the stuffed animal into his left hand, which causes Dae-Ho to focus on you.

Somewhat lost, he now holds the stuffed animal in his left hand.

"Hi….." - he whispers uncertainly, and you clap your hands once, almost in praise.

"Stroller - Sheep - Walk," you say, and a few moments later, you toddle toward Dae-Ho with a stroller for the stuffed sheep and look at him expectantly.

"Should… I put your sheep in the stroller?"

You nod, and Dae-Ho hesitantly complies.

When the sheep is sitting comfortably in the stroller and you roll it a few steps across the room and then ask Dae-Ho to push the toy stroller with the stuffed animal as well… you have no idea that with this encounter and friendship, you have saved the man's life.

And of course, Dae-Ho complies and pushes the toy stroller a few steps across the room while you walk beside him, describing what he sees on the "walk."

"Sheep look. Stars!"

A brief smile appears on Player 388's lips , as you point up to the glowing stars that sparkle when it's dark.

On July 9th, 1925, The Inquiring Reporter asks, “Do you consider the public display of bare knees by women objectionable?”

---