#junhee x reader

except it’s not a resort. it’s a luxury rehab centre with armed medical staff. LOL

they take his phone and put him through detox. they call you emergency contact when he threatens to claw out his IV with a fork.

nam-gyu gets one phonecall, and he uses it to call you a manipulative cunt.

you say: “if i don’t make you live through this, then what the fuck was the point.”

three weeks in, you visit during the allotted hour. he nearly lunges at you. staff pull him back by the shirt.

he screams in your face, “you know i hate you for this, right? you fucking psychotic manipulative cunt?” you tell calmly him, “i know. but i’d rather you hate me than die of overdose.”

he doesn’t talk to you for the next month.

two months in, you get another phone call.

“i don’t hate you anymore. still think about strangling you in your sleep, but. less often.”

you drive up the same weekend and bring him some junk food he likes and copies of dogeared murakami paperbacks that you’re not sure if he actually reads.

six months later, he mails you a polaroid of himself eating soba and flipping off the camera. on the back: “clean. bored. now get me out of this place.”

CHOI SU-BONG (최수봉) / PLAYER 230

so he disappeared for a full week during squid game. no staff contact, no sightings, no updates. rumors swirl—dead, arrested, fled the country most likely.

he finally reappears at a press event for his label, sunglasses on indoors, chewing on his hoodie string. when asked where he’s been:

“self-medicating,” thanos says with a dazzling smile. “creative reset.”

three months later, he drops the comeback album. every track hits global charts: two go platinum in korea. billboard ranks it top album of the year. fans call it “his magnum opus.”

track 8 is just titled “230.” nobody knows what it means. only you do. that song dominated melon, bugs, genie, itunes, spotify—all of it—for 14 weeks straight.

thanos starts soft launching you on his instagram stories: a dinner table—two sets of chopsticks, one plate, your hands blurry in motion pouring soju.

internet comments go feral and his PR team has an aneurysm. but he doesn’t care.

he refers to you in interviews vaguely: “my partner,” “the reason i didn’t die that hellish week.”

CHO HYUN-JU (조현주) / PLAYER 120

first things first: hyun-ju is already the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen. always has been—pre-op, mid-transition, but after the surgery, she glows.

during her recovery, you live together in bangkok for a while, five-star-hotels. days spent in silk robes, nights with mango sticky rice and rooftop cocktails. she loved the infinity pool and breakfast buffets.

when she’s strong enough to walk without pain, you both go dancing. in high heels.

every morning/evening she (shyly) asks you to take her photo by the window, natural light on her face, no filter.

a year later, you buy a pink bougainvillea near hua hin. it has white-tiled floors, tall windows that opened to sea air. breezy balconies, palm trees tangled over the fence line.

you get married barefoot in your own backyard, her veil pinned with seashells.

she calls you her wife every chance she gets.

“i waited my whole life to be me,” she says, resting her head on your shoulder. “and now i get to be yours, too.”

little does she know, you were hers in the beginning.

KIM JUN-HEE (김준희)/ PLAYER 222

after the games, you and jun-hee split the prize money. she tries to argue—insists she won’t take more than half—but you don’t budge. after all, she has a baby girl to take care of.

you relocate somewhere safe: a mid-rise, two-bedroom apartment with a 24-hour doorman. sunlight floods every room in the morning.

she spends her share of money on diapers, powdered formula, and baby clothes: soft pastel onesies, duck-shaped slippers, and a growing army of jellycats on the couch. you find them charming.

shyly, jun-hee asks if it’s okay to list you as her emergency contact.

eventually, you invest in a small online business together: handmade floral wreaths, pressed flower bookmarks. then grows into a physical space: a tiny but aesthetically pleasing storefront, minimal signage.

goes without saying that you’re the baby’s godmother.

The dormitory was filled with the usual dull hum of  players chatting and masked guards going about their duties—shuffling boots, quiet conversations, and the occasional scolding from a higher-up. But above all that, a sharp, familiar voice rang out.

"You absolute bastard, Myung-gi!"

A few nearby players and guards turned their heads ever so slightly before quickly minding their business. No one wanted to be caught in the crossfire when a pregnant woman was pissed.

You, however, had the misfortune of standing right next to her as she advanced on Myung-gi, who had the audacity to look amused despite the absolute fury radiating off of her.

"You knew I was pregnant, and you still dragged me into this nightmare?" she hissed, jabbing a finger into his chest.

Myung-gi scoffed, shoving his hands into his pockets like this was all some minor inconvenience. "First of all, I didn't drag you into anything. Second, you needed the money, didn’t you?"

Jun-hee actually looked like she might strangle him. "I needed money to take care of my baby, not to be stuck in this hellhole surrounded by trigger-happy idiots and—"

She gestured wildly in your direction.

"—him!"

You blinked. "Me? What did I do?"

She turned on you like a storm brewing, eyes fiery. "You're the one who keeps following me around, Triangle Boy!"

You raised your hands in defense. "That's because someone needs to make sure you don’t pass out from stress!"

Jun-hee groaned, rubbing her temple. "I swear, if I survive this, I'm killing you both after I give birth."

She stomped away, muttering under her breath, leaving you standing there awkwardly with Myung-gi.

"...So," he said, stretching, "you two got something going on?"

You shoved him as you walked past. "Shut up."

Later that night, you found her in the dimly lit bathroom, leaning against the sink, breathing deeply. Her hands cradled her stomach instinctively, her frustration from earlier replaced by something softer.

"You okay?" you asked, shutting the door behind you.

She huffed. "No. My feet hurt, my back hurts, and my brain is melting from being surrounded by morons all day."

You hesitated before stepping closer. "Anything I can do?"

She eyed you, skeptical. "Anything?"

"Uh... within reason."

A slow smirk formed on her lips, but it quickly faded into something more vulnerable. "It's stupid, but..." She exhaled, shifting uncomfortably. "My chest is killing me."

You furrowed your brows. "Like, heart pain? Or—"

She shot you a deadpan look.

"Oh. Ohhh." Your face heated. "That’s... um."

Pregnancy was making her breasts sore and swollen, and yeah, you’d read somewhere that relieving the pressure could help, but—

"Forget it," she mumbled, moving to leave.

You grabbed her wrist before you could think twice. "No! I mean... I can help. If you want."

She looked at you carefully, searching for any sign of mockery or hesitation. Finding none, she sighed and leaned back against the sink.

"Fine. But no weird comments, got it?"

You nodded solemnly. "I promise to be the pinnacle of professionalism while sucking your—"

She smacked the back of your head.

"Shutting up now."

You slowly slid off your mask– this was definitely against the rules but– when in need, eh?

Carefully placing your hands on her waist, you lowered your head to her tits as she adjusted herself slightly. The warmth of her body, the gentle rise and fall of her breath—it all felt strangely intimate. As your mouth latched onto her, a shudder ran through her, and she let out a soft, relieved sigh.

You held her waist with one hand as you kneaded her free breast with the other. She let out soft moans, arching her back in such a way that you took more of her into your mouth.

Your hand slid from her waist to the hem of her track pants– tugging at the hem as a silent ask for permission. She let you– shimming down the tracks, along with her panties. You rubbed lazy circles around her clit as you latched onto the other breast, giving both equal attention.

"...You’re surprisingly good at this," she breathed out, her fingers absentmindedly carding through your hair.

You pulled back slightly, meeting her gaze. "Do not make this weird, Player 222."

She smirked lazily. "Too late."

You rolled your eyes and returned to your task, focusing on helping her relax.

For a while, the world outside the bathroom didn't exist. There were no games, no fear, no guns—just the warmth of her body against yours and the steady rhythm of her breathing.

And then the door opened.

You froze. Jun-hee froze. A shadow loomed in the doorway, and through the dim lighting, you could make out none other than Player 001 himself.

There was a long, excruciating silence.

"...Am I interrupting something?" His voice was flat, but you could feel the judgment.

“Boss–It’s uh, not what it looks like–”

“BOSS?!”

Dead.

You were utterly dead, fate sealed into the depths of your tomb. Sealed in a black box decorated in pink ribbon.

It was as if death was a gift granted unto everyone trapped in the twisted bounds of this game, rightfully so considering the harsh reality worse than the end of life they’d meet—would they have gone back.

Whirlwinds of your unending anxiety continued to bubble to the surface like a typhoon racking the back of your throat ran dry, sweaty hands clutching the box cradled in your grasp in its shine of cerulean reflecting the dim light. You weakly thumbed at the triangle, circle, and square embedded in a sort of plastic in the center of the blue lid, the damp slips of your thumb sliding off the varied material only to drag along the friction of the roughened surface.

Though your fear should be the first issue lingering in your mind, making your chest lurch uncomfortably enough to nauseate you from the fact that this would certainly be your end. It somehow still wasn’t. Your worry only shifted to someone you held dear to you, far more than your own life. The other girl whose name you’d branded into your heart, pledged your care to despite the short time you’d known her, yet still growing close as the fabric nuzzled shoulder to shoulder between you two in the sequence of these horrific games was the only stability you both had clung onto.

Your gaze immediately tore away from the box as you scanned the heaps of players crowded in the identical teal tracksuits, all bearing similar reactions to their role if they’d been assigned as a hider meant to be stabbed to death by the seekers clad in red. Irrelevant. You were only focused on finding Jun-hee in that mix of hysteria and bloodlust.

Nowhere in blue. That was a good sign for her.

Glancing over at the split of red players compiled together, examining their winged, colorful knives in pink and blue so intently with a sort of sick excitement almost made you crinkle your face up in disgust, head throbbing with the certainty of the truly awful beings that the game managed to lure in. Bastards filled with greed and hatred, willing to abandon any semblance of humanity for the sake of cash spilling into their hands as they’d lap away at their own selfish desires. It was clear they’d been waiting, almost eagerly to drive a knife into someone’s skull and delight in the spills of blood that poured out.

Yet you couldn’t complain, you weren’t any better were you? After all, you had ended up here with everyone else.

A familar streak of sandy blonde highlights at the tips down a dark gradient caught your eye in mere moments, accompanied by the metal of her eyebrow piercing. Your attention fixated on the figure that you sought to find in the unending crowd. Yup. She was a seeker. And thank god for that.

The red vest loosely draped over her torso washed you in a hollowing relief that jabbed at your fear side by side, caressing the unsteady thumps of your heart slamming against your dampened chest through the moistened tracksuit stuck to the cold droplets of your skin. Jun-hee managed to shoot a fleeting glance over at you, meeting your gaze with the solemn worries clouded within her own darkened pupils as she gripped her own box between her hands, bright in the opposing color meant to drive you to your end.

Even several feet away, those unspoken words screamed between the thick fog of palpable despair mellowing the air of the enclosure, the scent of sweat and blood failing to alleiviate the tension stirred by the evident stakes of the game. She simply snapped her eyes away from you, likely to avoid further hesitation in the requirements she was made to fulfill by the knife sitting between the velvety felt of the open box.

Nor could she bring herself to look at the key that resided in your own box, patterned in the same pink and blue with its sprouted wings as a grim reminder to the potential fate you were faced with.

Despite all the conflicting emotions clashing head on within you, sparking your restless nerves and adding to your shaky hands which you unsuccessfully tried to compose, there was one thing you were certain you’d take delight in. The sight of him in the distance, panicked with the key twirling between his fingertips as if it would scorch off his fingers.

The prospect of Lee Myung-gi’s death was oddly delighting to you. Especially after all he’d done to her. And having the audacity to come crawling back like a pathetic worm the second he remembers she exists? You’d make sure hell reserved a special spot for him.

The guard’s speaker like voice, breathy and muffled through the enclosed mask fit over their face bellowed throughout the room, catching every player’s attention in an almost robotic manner harmoniously.

“We will give you a chance to change your fate. If mutually agreed upon, you may switch roles before the game. Removing your vest or switching is prohibited once the game starts.”

With those words, swarms of what you could only describe as a stampede of people ran over to one another in a frenzy in jumbled words and pleas, shoving boxes into each other’s arms either mutually or desperately. Scrambling through the others, shouldering past the alternating flickers of red and blue, you remained focused on finding Jun-hee within the crowd, navigating the spot which you had seen her lined up with the other seekers.

Once again. His audacity never failed to baffle you.

You only kept your cold stare fixed on Myung-gi motioning before Jun-hee, gripping the key between his thumb and forefinger as he extended an arm toward her, his mouth moving in unintelligible speech to you off in the distance. Probably a ploy or guilt to get her to swap with him so he could flee from being struck down like the coward he was. The irony of his bargain occurred to you as an afterthought, for he certainly was great at hiding from his problems, so how come he wanted to be a seeker so bad when hiding was all he was good for?

He never truly cared for her. Words were nothing but that—just words alone. Jun-hee and her child given to her by him weren’t of concern until he remembered, it was simply an excuse to justify his oncoming greed. No better than any of the other money hungry pigs in this game, yet truly viewing the woman he claims he prioritized as nothing but a burden, extra baggage which was leverage for his money grabbing strategies.

Myung-gi was nothing but a plague to your beloved. A parasite that chased her down the halls of pity with that clobbered face bloomed in old purple over his eye. Making her life miserable for god knows how fucking long, especially taking into account that she was nearing her due date. Had he really be so awful he hadn’t even checked up on her in those nine months she suffered through the pregnancy?

“I know you won’t be able to do anything with the knife.”

“Don’t act like you know everything about me.”

“Maybe I don’t, but I know one thing. You can’t kill anyone.”

Myung-gi pursed his lips as Jun-hee wordlessly looked up at him, glancing down at the knife in her hand as he expectantly reached for it. Only for her to repel back away from his hand.

“I would kill everyone here if it meant leaving here with you and the money.”

Bullshit.

“To protect my baby I’d do anything too.”

Needless to say, you had to suppress the small smile that threatened to stretch at your lips as Myung-gi sighed in defeat, along with Jun-hee standing firm with the knife gripped in her hand as he walked away. For a moment, you swore he was sulking from his mind games and heartless promises no longer working on the girl he claimed to love more than anything else, curling his lips as his expression scrunched up in dismay.

Yet that momentary triumph died down not too long, clearly picking up on the subtle body language exhibited by Jun-hee as Myung-gi stormed away. Her nails subconsciously flicking at the rim of her threaded sleeves as she toyed with the cotton gradually spilling over in loose threads, alongside her free hand situated on the domed curve of her stomach. He was right about one thing. She’d do it for her baby, yet she couldn’t normally.

You could tell from afar. The partial regret mixed in with relief, glad that she didn’t give him the knife, yet contemplating her decision from his undeniable words. Regardless, you didn’t seek to switch roles, only to comfort her with each step closer you took to Jun-hee, before lowering yourself at the edge where she was stood, sitting down directly in front of her. Certainly, those conflicting emotions were in fact shared between you two, with Jun-hee experiencing the lapse in judgement of her recent decision before softening her gaze the moment it met yours.

“So, you didn’t give him the knife?” you questioned, earning a firm shake of the head from her as she quietly murmured a reply.

“I couldn’t. How could I trust him over a few words?”

“He did say he’d come find you, and swore on it.”

“(Name). I don’t want anything to do with him, he should’ve minded his own business.”

Her snappy reply caught you off guard, eyeing the metallic glint of the light bouncing off of the bright silver hue of the knife with nothing but uncertainty flaring in her eyes. However, her irritation didn’t last long as she took notice of the bright blue vest hung loosely over the rise of your chest as well, recalling the words that she couldn’t dare to utter from the tensed reveal of the roles and objectives of the game.

“…stay safe. Please.”

You manged a nod, albeit quite hesitantly as your fingers twitched around the grasp of the solid key, carved in the steeled shape of a triangle—to which she took notice of.

“Go switch with someone. I don’t want you to die like this.”

“With who..? Everyone either switched already, or refuses to swap with me. Rightfully so, I don’t know who would want to give up being a seeker.”

Especially considering the seekers had a higher chance of surviving in comparison to the hiders. You weren’t sure what the guards did, yet you could come to the conclusion that firing bullets into you was more merciful than some sadistic person slowly cutting you open and savoring every stab, seeking to taste the very liquid that seeped from the cuts and polished wounds on anyone’s body. No matter who it was or how vulnerable they were.

Suddenly, you were met with the hard leather of a red box pushed to your chest, head snapping up to look in awe at Jun-hee. Her face nearly deadpan, yet hand trembling as well as she handed the box to you, staring into your soul through the windows of your eyes as if she had placed her utmost trust in you. Adhered to you and entrusted you to keep any promise you’d make as you’d wield the knife to come to her aid. Rather than a quest for money, the newly presented knife in your hands sitting before you in the red box was a testament to the genuine love that you’d shared with her, a promise in itself to be there for her.

“Jun-hee...are you sure? It’ll be more dangerous for you..”

“I’m sure. I trust you.”

You swallowed back any doubts you could possibly have, resolute on her choice for the both of you as you draped the red vest over yourself. With Jun-hee following suit as she slipped the blue vest over herself, but not before being met with an abrupt hug of you throwing yourself at her. Arms coiled around her back as your nose dug into the warm crook of her neck, moistened skin to skin as your eyes squeezed shut, to which she reciprocated with equal sentiments.

Pulling back, your hands rested on her shoulders, swiftly shuffling up aimlessly to cup her face between your hands palming the flesh of her cheeks as you pressed a hurried, yet sweet kiss to her forehead.

“I’ll come find you after I get my kill. I promise.”

The guards began to call out to the crowd, signifying the start of the game as blues began to line up single file into the starry grounds swallowing them up back to hell. You could only watch as they disappeared one by one into the distance, keeping your eye on Jun-hee until she disappeared as well, pleading within as you’d sell your heart and mind for her safety.

Yet, your concern morphed back into something stronger, a fuel of raging fire that cursed every fiber of your being, rushed through your streams at the sight of Myung-gi marching along with the other blues. Your eyes were set on your target, knuckles tensing around the firm handle as your thumb pushed up against the wings of your knife, seeking your very own sadistic wants for one man in particular as you sought to have his blood splattered on the steel the span of a few minutes. The day to repent was here. Retribution wasn’t an option of respect and morality, it was a requirement to cast him to his shame.

Kkokkkok sumeora, meorikarak boilla.

Kkokkkok sumeora, otjaragi boilla.

—

Arrays of bright gold stars scatters over the midnight sky painted on the walls in its deep blue engulfing the room, streaks of blood dragged on the rugged dirt ground littered with footprints and soaked vermillion pools. You took it upon yourself to stay quick on your feet, wits focused on every detail and blue vest that swung by in the fleeting dash of fabric hovering through the resistant fans of their speed.

However, you paid no mind to the other blues who darted through the crammed halls snaked in its narrow structure, desperately prodding at the keyholes uselessly to get away. Or the pained screams of those being practically mauled violently by other reds. No. You were set on him. Circling his every move, catching sight of every little step he took and tracing his path like a hawk as you sought to find that specific sequence of numbers in white on the back of his clothing.

333.

Your knife was kept curled tight between your fingers, dust racking the off white of your shoes with each thundering step you took through the narrow halls, hands resting on the wall for added caution for if you caught him. You wouldn’t deny it though, Myung-gi was intelligent. He knew you were after him with an unstoppable thirst for blood, only to be quenched by guzzling down his own. The man sure wouldn’t let you kill him, and he’d have an eye on his back as well to look for any sign of you alongside other reds seeking to split open blues.

17 minutes.

Normally, you’d say it didn’t matter. You’d take all the time you need to kill him. And only him. But you had a promise to keep, one where you’d reside over the woman you loved be there for her to keep her safe unlike the one you were hunting. And you were willing to keep it no matter what, for you in turn were the woman who she trusted to protect her with the knife she had given you.

—

12 minutes.

“Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck.”

Myung-gi audibly cursed under his breath with each shallow breath expelled from his lungs in rushed sprints, sweaty palms stuck against the wall whenever he hid from you sprinting toward him as well. Hiding as if it would help him at all with the sparkling tip of your blade coming dangerously close to his throat with your periodic swings you sought to plunge into him. Not that you were unskilled, but rather he was quite agile, thin frame easily matching your own speed as he kept running away.

You were glad he was blue. He was doing what he knew best. Running away.

But he couldn’t for long.

After what seemed like an eternity of the cat and mouse chase, you finally loaded Myung-gi’s evident exhaustion to your arsenal, using every bit of strength you had left in your legs to push yourself forward, lunging toward him. Kicking back a cloud of dust, your fingers bunched up in the back of his head, squeezing a handful of his hair heaped between your fingers as you yanked back, earning an ear piercing bawl while he squirmed in your hold.

Myung-gi’s high pitched bellows echoing in the corridor amplified with each plunge of the knife you drove into his chest, crimson seeping out and absorbed by the blue of his vest as splatters of his blood adorned your blade, glistening in beautiful red drops leaking down whenever you’d slice and stab him. Though you didn’t want to drag it out for too long, you still had to look for Jun-hee.

Speaking of her, you had to let him know of his neglect atleast. Something he can’t just fix with a word or two.

You quickly lodged the entire blade to sink down into his throat, twisting into the jugular as Myung-gi’s screams died down, eyes red and teary as he gasped for air while staring dead at you.

“…I’d do anything for Jun-hee. Unlike you. The recruiter said you’d pay with your body back at the subway, or did you forget?”

There was no response.

“Player 333 eliminated.”

“Player XXX, pass.”

—

You nearly jumped as you swung open the door, letting out a long held sigh of relief as you noticed Jun-hee sitting in the corner of the room safely. Added with a new person cradled in her arms as well, while you recognized Hyun-ju and Geum-ja settled at her side while she held her newborn. She must’ve given birth not too long ago, which probably explains the thing you heard earlier being akin to a baby’s cry. Good to know you weren’t hallucinating.

Hyun-ju was clearly ready to break your bones if you tried anything, judging from the sight of your red vest and knife, though she eased herself a bit when she noticed Jun-hee’s small smile stretching her lips as you cautiously approached her. Shutting the door behind you with a thud, you knelt beside her, transfixed on the new life hemmed in her grasp in the tracksuit jacket as you shifted closer.

And there you simply resided, in near silence as your cheek rested against her shoulder, with the other two—well, three. Knife kept at your side, ready at any moment until the end of this game.

You kept your promise.

Though that was expected, wasn’t it?

She meant everything to you.

Heart, mind, soul, and body.

A/N: I’m gonna be real I had no clue how to end this fic and it’s like 3 am lmao BUT I LOWKEY LIKE THIS ONE YAYYY anyway they’re all alive and having dinner together guys it’s canon i was hyunju’s earring and junhee’s eyebrow piercing

heads spinning. bodies were trembling in fear. the repetitive circular motion of the carousel causing unsteadiness. her heart was beating out of her chest in panic. she was on the verge of tearing her ears off, the eerie melody and children's voices haunting her. she felt nauseous and the smell of blood was doing nothing to help out. her feet were anchored to the ground. her legs were slightly spread apart so as to not lose her balance. she felt dizzy but distraction would rush her to her demise. at this point, she regretted all her life choices, from the great amount of student debt she amassed to study abroad, to accepting playing children's games she was unfamiliar with because of cultural differences.

fortunately, in this living hell, [your name] found hope. she had allied with seong gi-hun's group, also known as the previous winner of the games. the young woman was grateful to be part of this team. the odds had to be in her favour. she was surrounded by strong and reliable people, and in particular one of the kindest souls.

kang dae-ho.

although the first impression he had made on her had not been the greatest, she eventually realised she had been mistaken. she had noticed him in the dormitory after the first vote. a small crowd had gathered around player 456. most players who had come had voted to remain in the games, they were definitely asking for guidance to work on a strategy for the next round. perched on top of her bed on the opposite side of the room, she had deeply sighed as she watched the scene unfold with disdain. the crowd had seemed to consider they had a fair chance of triumphing in these games. she was incapable of fathoming how anyone would gamble their life for money. then again, compared to some of the people who ended up in this place, she was not the one with the most debt amassed.

the young woman had lifted her gaze to the clear golden piggy bank hovering over the room, a constant reminder of their desperation. all that cash hanging over her head and she was unable to reach it. it spoke to her, messed with her mind and interfered with her common sense. these people were toying with the players, a system exploiting the penniless for their profit and entertainment. regardless, greed did not consume her yet, and the student was far from willing to sacrifice her life.

the woman was ripped away from her string of thoughts when a deep exclamation erupted. two men were standing where the crowd once was. she recognised one of them as the man who had stayed close to player 456 during the first game. player 390 was proudly smiling in front of a tall man and muscular in a half ponytail, slapping his arm in a fatherly manner. his form was strict, worthy of a soldier, as he saluted the older man. he was the source of the disturbance. macho and prideful were a few of the terms she had come up with to describe the view. she had sent their way the most judgmental look she could have mustered, which they did not catch, too focused on their little show.

"the lunatic said the next game was going to be dalgona." she had overheard a woman say near her bunk.

dalgona? like the sweet? were they gonna have an eating contest?

[your name] had officially met the man as she was looking for a group during the six-legged pentathlon. the players had entered the artificial and colourful courtyard as the feminine voice was introducing the next challenge.

it was not going to be a dalgona.

thank god.

the young woman had been slightly relieved at the announcement since she had never competed in the presumed game. moreover, being part of a group was reassuring, knowing she could count on her teammates to win, or instead, they could bring her down with them. at least if she managed to be accepted, nay tolerated, in a group. [your name] had been dragging her feet around the playground for a while, scrutinising her surroundings. the walls were painted a baby blue shade, clouds drawn haphazardly all over them, similar to events in kindergarten where children would decorate the classroom with their craftwork. the main entrance looked like school gates with inspiring words on top of it. alongside the main entrance were countless fake windows with different coloured curtains and chalk drawings on blackboards. rainbows adorned the doors throughout the arena contrasting with the deathly atmosphere.

many players had already formed teams of six, men sticking together assuming letting a woman in was suicide. less than three minutes were left on the clock, time was ticking fast. everyone she had asked to join had either rejected her, laughed in her face or the team was already full. [your name] had been so desperate that she had even approached that marvel fan rapper wannabe known as thanos, however, she had been immediately shushed by his lapdog with a bob who insulted her under his breath. the purple-haired man had simply pouted at her, tilting his head like a puppy. thanos said something in english she did not comprehend, despite speaking the language, before jiggling his hands in front of his face, displaying his tattoos and ridiculous multicoloured nails. the rapper turned his body away, jumping and crossing his legs, and strutted away with an exaggerated movement of his shoulders, his two teammates on his tail. she shook her head in disbelief and pulled her attention away from the trio.

it was now easy to detect who had been left behind. her eyes darted around the playground in search of a despairing soul. her gaze eventually locked with the one of a young woman her age, who she remembered from "red light, green light". [your name] had stood behind her during the crocodile line strategy presented by player 456, she had helped the girl up when the latter's legs had almost given out under her weight. [your name] had pressed the stranger's back against her chest, tightly hugging her body. however, the student had been startled when she felt a large bump but had chosen to keep quiet.

her legs had a mind of their own and led her to the unmoving player.

"did you find a group yet?" she questioned, her fists clenched in her pockets. she tried to appear nonchalant, when in fact, she was terrified. her eyes betrayed her as she blinked too much to be relaxed. what would happen to people without a group? would they form a group together? or would they be eliminated on the spot despite being an even number, allowing them to make equal teams?

"not yet..." the woman responded. her interlocutor hummed in return, slowly nodding.

"do you wanna team up?" [your name] proposed, pursing her lips, nervously waiting for the girl's reply.

"yes, please." she quickly agreed. "i'm jun-hee." she introduced herself.

"[your name]." she coldly responded, offering a weak smile.

"now, we just need four other people. easier said than done..." the young woman admitted as jun-hee nodded.

they roamed around one more minute, eyeing groups who would perhaps take them in. they were not demanding, anyone would do. however, they were aware they were a not sight for the sore eye or promising candidates. a pregnant lady (most were not aware of her condition, regardless, she was still a frail-looking woman) and a foreigner (she would be a millstone round the neck simply by her cluelessness concerning the rules of the games). jun-hee landed her eyes on a specific group and began to walk in their direction. [your name] directed her gaze to where her teammate was heading and her eyes widened. she ran after player 222 in a hurry.

"i don't think they are gonna be very welcoming, jun-hee." she warned. jun-hee paid her no mind and maintained her pace. the man who had been previously yelling in the sleeping quarters had already fetched two players just as spirited, player 390 seemingly the most satisfied by the young man's find. too late, the team was full, not that they had any chance of joining. nevertheless, jun-hee would not let this prevent her from shooting her shot despite [your name]'s vain murmurs of protest.

jun-hee planted herself in front of the group and spoke up, her teammate awkwardly standing a step back.

"excuse me. please let us join your team." she pleaded, her eyes wide open. she appeared like prey in the wild.

"sorry, we've already got six people—" player 390 replied before he was abruptly interrupted.

"she is pregnant!" her teammate suddenly blurted out. all eyes were on her as she stood next to jun-hee, who was as startled as the men. the young woman straightened her posture, released a breath she had been holding and cleared her throat.

"you don't need to let me join, but please let her..." she whispered, getting a hold of herself after her short outburst. she hoped the men would show some empathy or, at best, pity her new acquaintance. if one of the two women could escape from an evident death, she deemed it necessary to overshare personal details even if it was not her place to do so.

"please help us." jun-hee finished, instinctively placing a hand on her bump and grabbing the other woman by the wrist.

a few seconds of unnerving silence ensued. none of the men knew the appropriate way to react. they all gawked at the woman's belly, her grip tensing on [your name]'s wrist in apprehension.

dae-ho had been the one to break the silence, advocating for the two women when he had recommended the two marines for the team.

"we can't let them fend for themselves. especially a pregnant woman. i say we let them join." he said, holding his hand up in a fist as his mouth tightened into a thin line. he threw an apologising look at the men, feeling slightly embarrassed. he had brought them over just to let them go in a matter of seconds. gi-hun immediately agreed with the young man and player 001, who seemed to follow anything the latter declared, acquiesced. player 390 was the only one who had not said anything since [your name] revealed jun-hee's pregnancy. regardless, his opinion would not count as his teammates had reached a decision.

"you have two marines to protect you, girls. you're safe with us." he forced out a smile. the group dismissed the other two men whose protests were ignored. they walked away, one patting the other's back. [your name] could not feel sorry for them, they would find a team in no time, however, the newly formed team was disadvantaged if people's opinions were taken into consideration.

to everyone's surprise, the team crossed the finishing line a couple of seconds before the end of the countdown. after all, the two girls turned out to be a valuable addition to the group, both of them completing their mini-game in one attempt (unlike young-il who had crashed out and cost them priceless time).

as the guards escorted them back to the dormitories, dae-ho walked alongside her and decided to strike up a small conversation.

"i am glad we survived. are you okay? i mean, after all that." he began, skimming over her figure to confirm any scrapes she could have. she frowned at the sudden interaction.

"don't worry, i'm fine." she assured. "you... uhm, you were really good at gonggi. like you did that all your life." she added to dissipate the awkwardness that only she was feeling.

"you could say so." he chuckled before moving his attention to the woman's mini-game. "i don't know how you passed 'cham cham cham' in one go. are you a telepath?" he joked, throwing [your name] a wide smile which she responded with a genuine giggle.

"actually, the guard made it pretty easy. i just had to observe how he did it with the other teams. he would start with the same two moves and the third one would be different. so i just had to pick the first direction he chose on the third round." she explained with a proud grin. dae-ho let out a long impressed noise, briefly clapping.

"i wouldn't have caught on." he praised with a toothy smile.

"what's your name?" he bluntly asked, taking her off guard as he tilted his head.

"oh, uhm... my name is [your name]." she introduced herself as the man hummed.

"that's a pretty name. i'm dae-ho, kang dae-ho." he replied placing his hand on his chest. "nice to meet you." he finished, an optimistic glint in his eyes. then, the group was stopped in front of the door to the dormitory.

[your name] was happily surprised by dae-ho. she was wrong all along. it will teach her before judging a book by its cover.

dae-ho was the quintessence of sunshine. through the darkness, he was the light she longed for. he never allowed her to renounce hope, always cheering her on. during their free time between games, they would talk about their childhood memories, dae-ho eagerly telling her how his sisters would use him as their human doll, and how, as a child, he much preferred their company over the one of kids his age. as for her, she would describe specific aspects and customs from her home country, attempting to teach him some words from her mother-tongue as he would miserably fail to pronounce syllables.

as maladroit as he could be, it was heartwarming.

jung-bae's sudden question brought her back to reality.

"what do you think it'll be this time?" jung-bae asked gi-hun from behind. she prayed it would be the last round as the uncanny and robotic feminine voice did not indicate how many more they would be compelled to play. before gi-hun could answer, young-il beat him to it.

"two." the imperturbable man promptly said as jung-bae made him elaborate.

"there are one hundred twenty-six people left, and there are fifty rooms. so there won't be enough rooms for everyone. only for hundred people." he explained. how did he know all that? did he manage to calculate the probabilities? did he just guess? it was irrelevant. "the rest will be killed."

over half of the players had already lost their lives in this nightmare.

she was fucked.

gi-hun would obviously pair up with his best friend. young-il was beyond her reach to run to safety within the time frame offered (and quite frankly, she was a little bit afraid of the man since the stunt he pulled during the six-legged race). hyun-ju would pair up with young-mi as she was her protege, and the old woman and her son were holding each other for dear life. as for dae-ho, he had made it his life mission to guard jun-hee. after all, she was pregnant, which made her a priority.

priority or not, [your name] wanted to live just as much.

she had voted to leave this place without hesitation since the voting system was introduced to the contestants. she deserved to live as much as anyone else, nonetheless, she also wanted her teammates to survive. young-mi would have died in the last round if it had not been for another group that had dragged the young girl into their room at the last second. hyun-ju was out of her mind when her friend was nowhere in sight, ramming into and yanking the door almost busting the hinges when the countdown ran out. the tall woman had lunged at the man who had forced himself into the safe room by pushing her out of the doorframe, preventing her from looking for young-mi. player 333, also known as a scammer, lashed out, claiming he saved everyone (he only saved himself uninterested by the people surrounding him). according to him, young-mi was condemned since she fell. harsh, but had the merit to be honest. everyone fell silent and eventually slowly agreed with him. when the nine of them finally exited the room in a dreadful frame of mind, young-mi yelled out hyun-ju's name, throwing herself in the woman's arms as she uncontrollably wept in her shoulders. both women collapsed to the ground trembling and choking out sobs.

she could always pair up with the new addition to their group, player 246. he seemed dependable and close enough to reach. she had never interacted with him, but pleasantries were not necessary in a game where death flirted with you every now and then. her strategy was to cling onto the man and bolt for any door while fending off frenzied players.

the machine abruptly halted as players held onto one another to keep their balance.

"two!" the voice announced as the lights began to flash.

young-il was correct.

[your name] looked around as player 246 got off the platform, holding gi-hun by the arm. her ticket out was slipping away. young-il was also out of the picture as he had grabbed jung-bae and bolted away the moment the number was revealed. her frenetic eyes failed to find any of her teammates on the carousel. players were fighting, pushing and pulling each other off the platform, ripping their tracksuits up. the melody was maddening as her pulse quickened. she felt palpitations in her whole body, unable to properly think without panicking. logically, one of her friends was still here considering the group was now made up of an even number.

where were they then?

tears threatened to spill, she was petrified, alone, like in the outside world. she eventually resigned herself to her fate, instead choosing to bravely endure it.

death.

[your name] closed her eyelids and faintly exhaled, welcoming the end.

as the first tear rolled on her cheek, she was yanked from the platform and rushed to a bright yellow door. her eyes widened, landing on a broad figure with a tiny ponytail. dae-ho grabbed her arm as he reached her and raced to the first door he laid eyes on. no one was in front of them, if they kept the same pace they would reach the safe room in time without any trouble. her lungs were on fire, dae-ho's grip was definitely cutting off her blood flow, and her shoes were slipping on the floor. but, adrenaline was pumping in her veins and she was determined to live. if she did not do it for herself, she owed it to dae-ho to ensure his survival.

the former marine nearly crashed against the door as he twisted the doorknob, jerking the door open. he entered the safe room, looking over his shoulder to confirm his partner followed close behind despite tightly holding her by the wrist. [your name] had managed to put a foot past the entrance before another player seized her by the collar, nearly choking her in the process. the player snatched her from dae-ho's grip when the latter brought his guard down and threw her in a puddle of blood. her head took a harsh blow at impact and bounced against the floor.

only ten seconds remained on the clock. the player who had attacked the young woman tried to push past dae-ho, stepping on the woman's ankle without a care for her well-being to enter the room. she felt a throbbing pain in the area and screamed. dae-ho sprung into action and blocked the player's way giving him a swift kick in the abdomen with his knee. as the attacker stumbled back, dae-ho rushed to [your name]'s side, clutching onto her wounded ankle as she winced because of the sharp ache, dragging her into the room with one second left. she lied still as dae-ho charged at the door, keeping it closed until it automatically locked. the ex-marine tried to overlook the despairing pleas in the arena as the player who assaulted his friend banged on the door. the player launched a string of curses at the man while simultaneously imploring for his life. the player stuck his arm through the small rectangular peephole, grabbing dae-ho by the collar and pressing his face against the door until blood eventually squirted on the ex-marine's face. gunshots echoed through the arena as a hole appeared in the middle of the contestant's forehead, life gradually vanishing from his eyes. dae-ho tightly shut his eyes to dismiss the monstrosities as the player's body slumped, hanging from the peephole like a rag.

both of them were heavily panting. dae-ho slid down against the wall, his legs finally giving out. his body tensed up and trembled as more gunshots were fired in the circus tent. the palms of his hands were pressed against his ears as his knees were pulled to his chest. he tried to do that one breathing exercise his therapist had taught him, and he ultimately managed to get his heartbeats under control. he opened his eyes and scanned the room. [your name] was lying on her back, her hands hiding her face as one of her legs was folded and the other casually stretched out. dae-ho hurriedly crawled to her shaking figure and delicately laid his large hand on her shoulder. her body relaxed under his gentle touch.

"are you okay? tell me you're okay." he begged. he helped the woman to sit up, placing her back against his chest carefully. she winced and moaned, the pain in her ankle and head intensifying.

"did you just use me as a mop?" she broke the silence out of breath, kidding to lighten the mood. dae-ho was speechless as she began to softly giggle.

"i was so scared when you got attacked by that guy. i thought i lost you." he said, tightly hugging her, his face buried into her hair. his hands clutched onto her vest, which was drenched in blood, tainting his hands, but he could not care less.

"you're not gonna lose me, dae-ho. never." she hugged him back with as much devotion.

"you saved me. i really thought it was gonna be the end for me back there." she admitted when they pulled away. she was ashamed since she had doubted him, assuming he would reach for another teammate, taking the easy route to save himself.

"you did scare me a little bit. you were frozen in place." he explained exhaling. the beeping of the forklifts that carried the coffins could be heard outside the room. they would be freed from this torture in a few minutes. "i grabbed your hand, but you didn't move at first, so, i had to be a bit more forceful." he said, softly stroking her back.

[your name] had been in such a state of panic that she had not felt his touch. dae-ho wanted to save her, he wanted to partner up with her this whole time. he had never hesitated one second. guilt flashed in her eyes and she lowered her head, her reaction confusing dae-ho. he leaned in to make eye contact with the girl before she abruptly threw her arms around his shoulders, crying in the crook of his neck. a restful silence settled between the two as dae-ho consoled her, all her emotions conveyed in an instant. the man suppressed his own feelings, convinced the only way to calm her was to be tougher on himself.

"everything is gonna be okay. i'll never let anything happen to you." he whispered in her ear as he delicately caressed her hair.

eventually, the door unlocked itself. dae-ho carefully stood up, lending a hand to the injured woman. he snuck his arm around her waist as she used his shoulder for support. she was struggling to hold herself. dae-ho was using most of his strength to prevent her from collapsing into another puddle of blood.

as they left the room, they were met with jun-hee embrace who had run as fast as possible towards them, given her condition. player 333 was on her tail with a defeated look, probably annoyed jun-hee's attention was on people he deemed unimportant. [your name] tensed up at the sensation, still hugging her friend back. however, the grimace the wounded player pulled did not go unnoticed by the pregnant woman.

jun-hee took a step back and scanned her friend from head to toe.

"what happened to you?!" she questioned, her eyes widening at the woman's pitiful condition.

"just the price to live." she answered, forcing a smile out.

"some player pushed me and walked on my ankle. i think it might be sprained. i hope it's not broken, though..." she continued, lifting her leg to show her ankle from different angles.

"let's just go back in the dormitory. she needs to rest." dae-ho added as the guard ordered the remaining players to gather in a crowd in front of the entrance of the arena. everyone was exhausted, their shoulders slumped, their steps slow and sloppy. a hundred players were left indicating the amount of the jackpot had to be massive by now.

they would finally be freed. far away from this torment.

safe and sound.

despite the pain, this thought brought a small smile of relief to [your name]'s face.

she survived.

she was going home.

these were the dumbest people she had ever encountered in her entire life. they truly did not cherish their lives.

after "mingle", another vote had taken place. casting her vote had been rather humiliating. she was limping and relatively slow. someone on the other side had even roared at her to hurry up, that they did not have all day. unfortunately, they did have all day, unable to escape this horror if more people had no regard for human life. she had shot him a glare and resumed limping towards the console displaying the bright red and blue buttons. moreover, she had exposed her injury, turning her into an easy target for the ill-intended players. she was served on a silver platter to eliminate.

soon enough, the results were in. it was depressing.

a tie.

the most disappointing part was that most people would have been able to pay their debt with the amount each player would have been given. however, the call for money was apparently too tempting. the players, proudly wearing their blue patches, did not understand they were doomed, or perhaps they were too arrogant to even consider it. they believed they were more qualified to beat these games than the people they viewed as cowards. they already pictured themselves in a pool of bills, grazing the upper-class society like they merited, free of concerns for the clear-sighted people who knew they would never be accepted by the rich. there is no winning for the poor in capitalism. the players were just puppets in these people's cruel games. lambs willingly throwing themselves in the slaughterhouse after being shown the outcomes.

in the beginning, [your name] understood why most players had selected to stay in the games. for a lot of them, the outside world had nothing to provide and dying was certainly better than their tough and tedious routine. however, they would all have had sufficient funds for a fresh start. they would never leave the game until only one of them came out victorious. selfishness reeking from their soul. they had been repeating they would play "one more game" since the rules of these silly, yet murderous, tournaments were revealed. they would not quit at any obstacle, each one of them's greatest wish undoubtedly was to obtain the whole cash prize.

money had a hold on them and had clouded their better judgement.

this was further proven when a ferocious fight broke out in the men's restroom, taking the lives of five players. [your name] had insisted on heading to the restroom by herself, deeming it unnecessary to be chaperoned by hyun-ju, although the others had insisted. she needed some space to reflect on what had occurred and to freshen up.

she entered the empty austere restroom, grateful no one else was present. finally some peace and quiet. she chose a random stall and slopped on the toilet lid, exasperatedly exhaling. she meticulously rolled up her pant leg to examine her injury. it was not pretty to see. as a matter of fact, her ankle was severely swollen and a slight blue hue had appeared on the skin. if it was not broken, it was at least severely sprained. she could barely maintain a straight posture, which caused cramps on her hip, let alone move her foot. she sighed, irritated, and rested her back against the toilet tank, relaxing her entire body and basking in the short serenity she was offered.

a short-lived moment.

shouts, insults and banging erupted from the men's restroom which lasted for a good ten to fifteen minutes. she jumped, climbing onto the toilet seats, in case anyone peeked under the stall if, eventually, the fight carried on to the women's restroom. she disregarded the pain in her ankle as her survival instinct took over, and pressed her hands on the cheap walls to balance herself on one foot. worried she would be preyed on if she made a single noise, she stayed hidden until a triangle mask guard knocked on the door.

it was not until she regrouped with the men that she realised the extent of this madness. she was met with a barbaric sight. guards had their guns aimed at the players ordering them to keep their hands up and visible. they were drenched in blood, a lethal glint in their eyes as they trembled with fury as some had been disfigured and tumefied in the confrontation. player 124 was the most striking with his erratic breathing, his hair obscuring a part of his face, and his constricted cat-like pupils. his friend was nowhere to be seen, he had probably perished in the fight which explained player 124's belligerence.

money had these people walk on a leash.

after they were escorted back to the dormitory, [your name] directly headed to her bunk where she had been staying with dae-ho and jun-hee. she ignored the absurd allegations player 124 threw as they walked through the doors, keeping her head down. she did not want to draw any undesired attention.

dae-ho instantly laid his eyes on her fatigued figure. she was walking close to the bunks, hiding herself from prying eyes. she trudged, relying on the metallic bars for support. he hastily pushed players out of the way, stepped over the rigid mattresses spread on the floor and clumsily hopped over the ones still on the beds. he rushed to her side as she stopped in her tracks, finding it increasingly difficult to even graze the floor with her wounded foot. the man snuck his arm around her waist as she instinctively placed hers around his broad shoulders.

"my saviour..." she joked breathlessly, holding onto dae-ho's muscles. he furrowed his brows, concern spread all over his facial features.

"tell me they didn't hurt you?" he asked, his eyes begging for clarification.

"don't worry, i stayed hidden in the women's restroom." she explained. "thank god you weren't there, though..." she finished, looking up at dae-ho, who agreed.

he could not even imagine what she had witnessed back there. everyone was astounded when both groups came back from their trip to the restroom. during the games, the players were not explicitly pitted against one another. "red light, green light" was an individual game, the six-legged pentathlon formed alliances as cooperation was the core of this challenge, and "mingle" made these same groups depend on other teams for survival. now, players directly attempted to harm one another bare-handed or with makeshift weapons.

"let's not think about it. you need to rest. you've barely touched your food." he said as they reached one of the beds in the far right corner.

[your name] carelessly flopped on the rigid mattress, letting out a groan. she put her weight on her arms to get into a comfortable position. dae-ho had walked where he had negligently abandoned his food. a few pieces of stale and cold kimbap sat in the crumpled aluminium foil as some grains of dry rice had scattered on the stairs. her rolls were untouched, still warm thanks to the preservation of the foil since the cheap wrapping was sealed. dae-ho grabbed her meal and his scraps, dodging the players who were heading to the stairs and sitting down after player 47 hurried the red team to gather.

"here, eat your food. you need some nutrients to stay healthy." the man urged his friend. he unwrapped her kimbap rolls, grabbed the fork provided with the meal and held it in front of her mouth, encouraging her to eat. she obliged, sitting up against the cold metal and devouring the piece of tasteless food.

"there are some leftovers, too." he informed, stabbing another piece of kimbap. [your name] shook her head once she glanced at the half-eaten food on the bed.

"we don't get enough food, dae-ho. you should eat it all." she argued, pushing the leftovers towards him.

"tsk! you need it more than me! i ate enough anyways." he insisted frustrated, catching the attention of a couple of bystanders. the fork still loomed over her lips which she simply pushed to the side.

"just at least eat half of what you have left. ii makes me feel guilty, like i'm stealing from you..." she admitted as she ended up eating the rolls by hand.

"don't be silly. i'm offering. you need to be cared after, especially now. i'm just doing my job as a marine when a comrade is down." he explained, warmly smiling at her. after some convincing from the young woman, he eventually shoved a roll down his mouth, obnoxiously chewing.

"happy?" he said his mouth full as [your name] playfully gagged at the sight.

the red team was anxiously huddled up on the stairs, some of them uncontrollably fidgeting. the silence was unbearable as player 047 counted the people still alive. the older man had started over three times by now to guarantee an accurate answer. one of the teams would be unmistakably disadvantaged during the second vote considering the fight had killed five participants, an odd number. dae-ho and [your name] were sitting on the nearest bed, shoulder to shoulder. the man stared into space, unable to stop his shaky leg. he kept flexing and relaxing his fists continuously, deeply inhaling and exhaling to tame his racing thoughts. the young woman noticed his strange nervous demeanour, her eyes softening at the sight. she gently placed her hand over dae-ho's knee, startling the man. their eyes met, [your name] offered a friendly smile as she squeezed his leg in an attempt to ease his mind from his apprehensions. his shoulders instantly loosened as his chest warmed up from her sweet gesture. she was such a good friend.

player 47 finally stated the total.

forty-eight.

two contestants had died on their side.

they would win the vote by one (if nobody changed their mind by tomorrow, which was less likely to happen).

the bell rang throughout the sleeping quarters, announcing thirty minutes before lights out. player 047 insisted on tomorrow's vote's importance, one last chance to escape this place. the group vehemently agreed with him and attempted to conceal their happiness to avoid roughening up the opposite team. the blue team stood ferociously in their military-like rows, appearing more threatening than usual, surely because they were predominantly men, not the most trustworthy kind. their faces had completely dropped, and their snarky remarks were cut short. the opposite group slowly dispersed and disappeared into their bunks, throwing daggers on the red team's way.

ten minutes had passed, and a small group congregated around [your name]'s bed, who could not walk long distances, sharing their apprehensions. jung-bae was still optimistic, affirming they would win the next vote no matter what. gi-hun instantly pooped his bubbly and lugubriously described what would ensue in the next hour. the blue team would massacre them one at a time to increase the prize and guarantee the prolongation of the games. young-il suggested attacking them first. he highlighted their foolishness, firmly assuming the red team would sit and wait, clueless of their intentions.

a couple of players agreed with him, however, the point was not to kill before being killed but to put an end to the games, to get revenge for all those the masked people murdered due to their classism and for their amusement. the red team was indisputably physically disadvantaged, indeed elders and young women were considered a liability. young-il had proven himself to be an amazing fighter, humiliating thanos and his minion. jung-bae was a former marine, but his prime was in the past. as for dae-ho, he was young and also a retired marine, he had a rather strong build (not that [your name] had noticed his broad shoulders or his muscular chest when he was distracted). however, these three would still be outnumbered by the bloodthirsty and money-hungry players.

gi-hun knew it.

[your name] knew it.

everyone knew it.

they could not lie to themselves.

gi-hun did sound like some crazy conspiracy theorist, vaguely talking about an organisation whose desire was to see the participants butcher each other. after all, this made sense. they were here playing deadly children's games for money. for all they knew, the events could be broadcast all over korean billionaires' televisions. even worse, this could be a worldwide concept with the lower class population preyed on and manipulated into believing they had a choice, that it was simply the consequences of their actions.

"you're telling us the pink dudes are not the only people there? there are more fucked motherfuckers? like higher-ups? [your name] angrily asked, supporting herself on her elbows, after dae-ho asked where the people watching the games were. everyone looked up as gi-hun brought their attention to the ceiling, implying the people in charge were on the upper floors.

"fucking cowards..." she whispered under her breath.

gi-hun carried on with his detailed plan to overthrow their system, but the more she listened, the more sceptical she became. it was one thing to advocate for everyone's freedom and dismantle an illegal organisation, it was another to jeopardize the lives of innocents by keeping them unaware. quite frankly, they had little to no chance of defeating the oppressor either way. however, more people seemed on board than not, and regardless, gi-hun would not change his position. he was determined, but was he prepared?

the group dissipated, leaving dae-ho and [your name] by themselves. ten minutes remained on the clock. jun-hee stayed with player 149 who fussed over her baby's health as her son sat embarrassed by his mother's over-the-top behaviour. hyun-ju, young-mi and gyeong-seok sat on the staircase between bunks. young-mi was beyond consolable after gi-hun's statements, tears streaming down her cheeks as hyun-ju tightly hugged her. gyeong-seok stroked her back, the young girl reminding him of his toddler left at home. she was absolutely terrified. she had begged the blue team to be reasonable and spare everyone's life, in vain. gi-hun and the other men were discussing in the corner, surely coming up with a more effective strategy than hiding and stealing the guards' guns. they did not have much room to improve the plan since they had to act quick.

"so... this is like... the end, i guess." [your name] broke the silence, dae-ho whipping his head in her direction.

"what do you mean?" he asked, frowning.

"we're getting out of here." she elaborated as the man slowly nodded, not contributing much to the conversation. tension was palpable in the already oppressing atmosphere, this place knew what would happen tonight.

"are you scared?" she asked, her voice hardly above a whisper as she anxiously fidgeted with her fingers. dae-ho parted his lips as stammering murmurs came out. the man was contemplating lying, containing himself by putting on a brave facade, perhaps he also did not want her to perceive him as a wuss. however, he opted for honesty. she had been kind and caring towards him these past few days. she would not judge him for showing emotions.

"yes," he answered, gulping. "'i'm terrified..." he admitted, humourlessly chuckling.

she hummed in agreement, she was just as frightened. she was not only afraid for her own safety but her friends' too, particularly for dae-ho and jun-hee to whom she quickly grew attached. harbouring such strong feelings for people in such a short time would usually be judged pathetic, nay creepy. in this place, societal norms were pointless, and bonding over a shared life-threatening experience had a way of bringing people close. life was short and regrets were futile, befriending the pregnant woman who was ghosted by her shitty ex-boyfriend had been a great decision and falling in love with the gonggi expert was effortless. she would no longer listen to people's opinions and let them walk all over her. it was a bit heartbreaking that she realised it a little late though.

"now that i think about it, we never really got to know each other." she pointed out.

"what do you mean? i told you so much about my life. what more do you need to know?" he laughed, tucking his hair behind his ears.

"that's true, but i don't know anything basic about you. i know a lot about your sisters, some things from your childhood, but nothing else." she explained. "if we're gonna die, i wanna know everything about you." she mumbled, avoiding eye contact. however, dae-ho caught her words as a grin crept on his lips.

"i mean we have seven minutes left. should i start?"

from favourite food to favourite films, indirectly sharing cultures, the two got to know each other on a deeper level with superficial questions. nearing the end of the countdown, both were lying down, facing one another, making direct eye contact during brief silence. dae-ho's eyes were gentle, glimmering at the view. she glowed like the sun, the brightest star of all.

"okay, let's dive deeper." she hummed.

"oh, i'm scared." he joked as he feigned shivers all over his body. the woman giggled, playfully pushing his shoulder.

"why did you let your hair grow this length?" she wondered, twirling one deep black strand of dae-ho's hair around her finger. despite the lack of showers and hygiene products in this place, his hair remained soft. in fact, most people's hair had become greasy because of how much they sweat and the humidity. dae-ho's hand instinctively laid on top of [your name]'s to feel her closer. she cupped his face, her thumb softly rubbing his cheek.

"to have control over myself, i guess." he answered, unsure.

once again, the opportunity to lie grazed his mind. dae-ho was usually reticent to open up despite being such a joyful and light soul. he could be seen from miles away. people assumed he was an open book, not one nonchalant bone in his body. he just preferred to keep to himself despite his loudness. but he felt like he could tell anything to [your name].

"in the marine, they cut my hair really short and i had to keep it that way until i was discharged. growing it felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders. like moving on from this part of my life, you know." he admitted, unintentionally biting his lip. her eyes held compassion and pride. despite their current predicament, she could tell dae-ho had bounced back and gotten back on his feet.

all by himself.

she whipped her head up to glimpse towards the countdown. three minutes lights out.

"one last question for me. why did you come here?" she asked. until now, their financial distress had not been brought up.

[your name] had supposed the man had been scammed or had a gambling addiction, but dae-ho did not seem the type to gamble or spend money on ephemeral pleasures. perhaps he was in a similar situation as her with student loans. it was less likely the reason, she had learned in their conversation that he did not attend college, his father enrolling him in the marines right after he graduated high school.

"well... i never told anyone..." he began, his eyes avoiding her gaze in shame.

"you don't have to tell me anything." the young woman assured. "it's up to you." she gave a sympathetic smile.

"i know... i still want to tell you though." he admitted which gladdened her heart.

"so basically..." he started, sighing. "after i was discharged, i had to be institutionalised. it was court-mandated. i stayed there for over a year, i think? not sure. and they diagnosed me with pstd."

[your name] intently listened to his story without interrupting. she could not imagine how hard his life had been. dae-ho always had the impression he needed to prove himself to his surroundings, always bringing up his time as a marine in conversations, like it legitimised him. most of the time, players would roll their eyes or mock him. however, these people only wished they could be half the man he was. brave, benevolent and gentle.

"all my savings went to paying my medical bills. i had to take out a loan to pay the rest and it got me here. i couldn't pay rent anymore and there was no way i would reach out to my family. they don't know where i am to this day..." he shamefully mumbled the last sentence. "i got a loan and around five months ago shark loans went after me. they've been more persistent this month, saying if i couldn't pay we could find another arrangement like giving some bone marrow and a kidney." both of them grimaced at the gruesome proposal. "i was already living paycheck to paycheck, i can't even hold down a job..." he finished clenching his jaw.

she was left speechless.

"i'm so sorry—" she uttered as dae-ho interrupted her with a frustrated groan.

"aish, don't be. you didn't do anything." he retorted, scowling. "if anything you make this place bearable." he confessed, rubbing circles on the back of her hand. their faces were only a couple centimetres away, hot breath tickling their skin. [your name]'s lips parted as she struggled to come up with a reply. dae-ho caught on to her effort, seeing the gears turn in her brain. he let out a breathless chuckle and continued.

"i think i have time for one more question." he said as he peeked over his shoulder, the countdown indicated one minute. he had to be fast.

"i don't wanna have any regrets, since— you know... we could die any moment." he mumbled, biting his lower lip nervously. "when we get out of here, do you wanna go on a date with me?" he finally asked, directly staring into her widened eyes.

in truth, dae-ho had already developed a sort of infatuation for [your name] the night they kept watch in case of players attacking them. she had been a bit dubious about gi-hun's claims, why would anyone go on a killing rampage wen they were already stcuk in deadly games? the group was building barricades out of mattresses. some had been placed on the floor under the metal bed frames, much to jung-bae's dismay, and some propped up like shields. she was not the only one sceptical, young-il mirroring her doubts. gi-hun, restless, insisted on the nature of these games, and how the masked people got into people's heads, turning them into cold-blooded murderers. he had witnessed it with his own two eyes. young-il backed away as fast as he voiced his query.

that night, gi-hun and jung-bae's banter had woken up the young woman who rolled out of bed groaning. she harshly rubbed her eyes, softly slapping her cheeks to pump some adrenaline as she violently shook her head. she had begrudgingly opened her eyes, blinking and squinting to dissipate the wet blurry layer over her pupils. [your name] turned around to see if jun-hee was awake, but was met with an empty spot, only a messily spread thin blanket as the sole attestation of a prior presence. dae-ho was still sound asleep on the other side of the bunks, his lips slightly parted with soft snores barely noticeable.

"you're so noisy, you sound like pre-teen girls." she compared as she approached them on all fours. both had turned around and eyeballed her, offended by her comment.

"just go back to sleep, we are holding up here." jung-bae waved her off with a grin. gi-hun had merely nodded in agreement, skimming over the area.

"you're probably my only chance of getting out of here with just a scratch. i'd rather you not snooze off mid-game." she replied, sitting criss-cross behind them.

"a marine is always on the lookout, don't worry." jung-bae said roughly slapping her on the shoulder, which she grabbed and squeezed to ease the discomfort. gi-hun side-eyed his best friend and turned towards the young woman with a tight-lipped smile.

"just go to sleep, you need it." he had assured her, his face immediately dropping as his stare returned to the room.

"for all i know you're not immune to fatigue either. i won't be able to go back to sleep anyways, so at least let me be helpful." she retorted. jung-bae was about to argue but was interrupted by gi-hun who agreed after briefly staring at her.

she was left alone with her thoughts, her eyes kept flickering back and forth between the quiet room and the cash prize. she did not think of herself as a materialistic person. she did have a phone, but an old busted one, she enjoyed dressing well, but could not even afford fast fashion. when she could, she enjoyed treating herself to a good meal or a trip to the mall to window shop. even before her crippling debts, she would barely spend money on herself, too busy worrying over saving money or too guilty to spend it on herself.

look where it got her.

raking over two hundred billion wons.

risking her life playing children's games to pay her debt.

she felt pathetic.

she closed her eyes, relaxing her shoulders, relishing in the quietness and the light glow emanating from the golden piggy bank. she imagined herself in the streets of seoul, in a coffee shop scrolling through her phone with a pastry and her drink of choice. something plain but she had taken for granted when her life had not gone downhill yet. now, affording public transportation was a luxury, taking short and cold showers before heading to her job, always refraining from going to the grocery store at the end of the month after a quick peek at her bank account, surviving on oversalted instant soups and cheap eggs. with the prize money, [your name] would stop by any convenience store as the fancy took her. she would fill up her cart to the brim with fresh fruits and vegetables, no more of those frozen meals with ice left even after heating up the product thrice. she would high-quality hygiene products instead of these thin pads and unbranded soaps. she would not steal anymore, often hiding items in her pockets, hoping no one witnessed her act of thievery before heading for the cash register.

she was in dire need of stability.

the frugal life was necessary but tiresome.

she wanted more.

she wanted to live the dream.

she was torn away from her moment of peace when a large hand fell on her shoulder, her body tensing up.

"i'm so sorry, i didn't mean to scare you." dae-ho apologised, chuckling when [your name] whipped around to face him.

"you? scaring me? you wish." she huffed as she turned back to the room. her blasé countenance made him overthink their fleeting interaction, clearing his throat to get her attention back.

"it's my turn to keep watch. you can go back to sleep." he explained, crossing his legs with his back hunched and his forearms resting on his thighs.

"actually, i'd like to stay here. i can't sleep anyways." she nonchalantly responded, not even bothering to look at him. dae-ho ruminated on her answer. she was being so dismissive, unlike her behaviour with jun-hee, fooling around and talkative. was he making her uncomfortable?

"then... i hope you don't mind if i stay with you." he confidently answered.

"i mean... i wanted to be alone." she slowly replied, pursing her lips. "but, i wouldn't mind the company." she admitted, an imperceptible grin hanging on the corner of her lips.

"that's settled then. let's be alone together." he beamed, straightening his posture. his enthusiasm was contagious which earned him a smile.

the buzzing from the light, their soft breathing and the agitated movements of the sleeping players were all that could be heard. plain silence. neither comfortable nor unbearable. no tension. no awkwardness. absolute silence. both in their own world.

dae-ho drummed his fingers on his knees, goggling at the piggy bank. no one could pry their eyes off the voluminous container and he was not an exception. dae-ho had never seen such a huge amount of money in his entire life, except when he would watch these american films about money heists his father owned. dae-ho was not used to wealth, being the youngest of five siblings. his family was not poor, far from it, they were upper-middle-class. his father earned enough for his mother to be a stay-at-home, and he attended an all-boy private school with tutoring lessons once a week. they were well-off, but his family was respectful and, therefore, never flaunted their wealth around. however, dae-ho always received his sister's hand-me-down clothes, he did not have any toys as his father believed they were too distracting, and throwing a birthday party after the age of twelve was out of the question. if it had not been for his sisters, he was pretty sure his childhood would have been entirely morose.

"what are you gonna do with your share of the money?" he absentmindedly asked out of the blue. she raised her eyebrows in surprise and pondered.

"uhm... i haven't really thought about it to be honest. obviously, paying my debts. but then, i have no idea." she said, shrugging. "i'm probably just gonna live life the same, minus the struggle for rent and food." she humourlessly laughed.

"what about you?" she returned the question, finally looking at him. dae-ho was still staring at the money looming over them. she had planted her elbows on her knees and her cheeks were pressed against the palms of her hands.

"oh, me?" he said, unexpecting the interest she took in him. "well, paying my debts too, but i always wanted to move to the countryside. buy a house somewhere quiet. maybe start growing my vegetables." he explained, lost in thought.

"i would like to start a family too." he confessed, he lowered his head with a dreamy smile plastered on his face.

"didn't know you were that much of a family guy." she replied. "i mean, it makes sense, you're close to your sisters." she hummed, nodding.

"i love kids. i've always idealised the perfect family." he revealed, sighing.

dae-ho had always craved his father's attention. just the bare minimum of tenderness from the stoic man he idolised. he would participate in extra-curricular activities he did not particularly enjoy such as wrestling just to be noticed in a positive light. he eventually gave up on the idea of a close bond with the patriarch, indeed focusing on healing the toxic mindset pushed on him over the years under his family's roof.

dae-ho wanted to be a better man than his father.

a better parental figure.

he wanted to give what he had always craved to his future son.

"i am sure you'll be an amazing dad, dae-ho."

his heart sunk to the pit of his stomach, his palms were damp and his breath was stuck in his throat. she patted his back in a friendly manner, with a tight-lipped smile thrown his way.

validation.

all he longed for given to him by a girl he had met the very same day.

was it that easy? was his father just that callous?

he profusely blinked to prevent the sea of tears from streaming down his face. dae-ho harshly rubbed his eyes, clenching his jaw to choke down the coming sobs. he would not allow himself to be vulnerable, especially in front of a stranger, let alone a woman. he had to be tougher.

but how could he when such a random act of kindness touched his inner child?

"no, i'm fine. i— umh— thanks..." he stammered, clearing his throat she checked on him. "it just means a lot to me." he finished, locking eyes with her. a hint of the young boy he once was showed her his deep gratitude.

back on the shared mattress, [your name] was left speechless. she was stumbling on her words because of the bomb dae-ho had dropped. dae-ho frowned as her answer never came.

he screwed up and had misinterpreted her behaviour around him for something more than friendship. to her, it was just casual. why did he have to be so selfish? he should have kept this information to himself. no matter the circumstances, no one developed feelings for someone in such a short period. confessing before the fight was reckless, his thoughts would be stuck on the woman who was about to reject him. how stupid of him.

"just forget what i— humph!" he tried to excuse himself but was interrupted by [your name] crashing her lips on his in a passionate kiss.

the kiss was clumsy and rough as teeth accidentally clashed, an unpleasant sensation. it was out of character for both of them, but a way to let out some pent-up frustration. one simple kiss that turned into a makeout session, blatantly ignoring their surroundings and curious eyes. her hands clutched to the collar of his dirty shirt as his hands grabbed her hips, pulling her as close as humanly possible. they wanted to freeze in time, stuck in this warmth for eternity. regardless, the eerie voice brought them back to the harsh reality, announcing lights out. their friends were already in bed, hugging the thin blanket to their necks, anxiously waiting to go through with the plan.

the couple pulled away and gazed into each other's eyes.

they felt like they belonged.

a puzzle and its last missing piece reunited at last.

beautiful and complete.

"we'll have to plan that date later, i guess." she whispered as he hummed. every player around had already regained their bunk, people still glaring from across the room at the rival team.

"i have to go..." he mumbled and reluctantly stood up. a hand grabbed his wrist preventing him from getting away, forcing him to sit back on the mattress.

"stay safe." [your name] whispered, concern washing over her face.

"i will." he swore.

dae-ho captured her lips in a brief but severe kiss. it was a simple peck filled with explosive emotions. it was a promise. it was the hope for a bright future. it was determination.

"you too." dae-ho whispered back. "don't ever leave your hiding spot, even when the fight ends." dae-ho instructed. he was hesitant to leave her side but eventually walked over to his bed. he looked over his shoulder one last time, worriedly chewing his cheeks as he forced out a smile to reassure the woman who reciprocated the effort.

the room darkened, merely illuminated by the artificial hue of the two letters on the floor.

they would be in for one hell of a night.

cries, wails and shrieks echoed through the slaughterhouse. the hunt had begun and the predators were bloodthirsty, attacking without hesitation, unbothered by the stench of the poor lambs' blood. the place was wrecked as bunkbeds were knocked down on the floor, pillows stabbed and metal poles used as weapons. corpse pilled up, both from the murderers and their victims. the perks of being killed by a guard were the prompt death and the efficient technique employed. a bullet to the head or the heart and your final breath was barely taken.

it was a massacre.

[your name] was hidden under her bed alone. she had her hands tightly clasped over her mouth, holding her breath to not be detected by the menace. no one could hear her gasps due to the din, but she could not lower her guard under any circumstances. her eyes were firmly shut to protect herself from this horrifying spectacle, feeling the intense pounding of her heartbeat resonating in her chest. already forced to listen to the cries of agony, she did not need to witness it too

shouts came from above as the bed loudly squeaked. two players were fighting. she felt her body tremble with each blow hurled at the man pinned down by his assailant. the blue player pushed his victim to the ground, the man had a long gash across his face and was unable to stand up. [your name] and the player locked eyes for a brief second before the latter was harshly grabbed by the hair and violently rammed into the metal of the bunk bed. she could not handle the sight and hid her face again. as the helpless cries of the victim ceased, she peeked through her fingers only to be faced by a hollow stare and teeth jammed into his gum.

she began to hyperventilate.

she was frightened, convinced she would be next.

the young woman was completely isolated from her group. apparently, their strategy would be more successful if people trained in combat were paired together. therefore, dae-ho was with jung-bae, gyeong-seok with hyun-ju, and gi-hun with young-il. the more vulnerable players stayed together, jun-hee was with young-mi, and, as expected, yong-sik clung to his mother (even if he had any fighting experience, geum-ja would have forbidden him from involving himself in this grand rebellion).

dae-ho had pleaded with gi-hun to stay by [your name]'s side in case a mishap happened. however, the older man reasoned with him, swearing the young woman would be safe as her bed was secluded from the others, insisting that, if they wanted to achieve the revolt, following the plan to the tee was crucial. dae-ho eventually dropped it and reluctantly agreed.

he would soon realise it was a great mistake.

[your name] felt a strong grip on her bad ankle and was dragged from her hiding spot. she tried to hold onto the floor with her sweaty palms, digging her nails in, to no avail. she screeched at the top of her lungs from terror as the pain in her ankle intensified. a last resort to save her life, the young woman threw her arms around the metal pole supporting the bunk bed. her assailant flopped on her back and yanked her arms away from the pole. she yelled for the person to get off her as she was flipped on her back, her body forcefully slammed on the ground.

player 124.

a bloodied fork in his hand and a hysterical glint in his eyes.

his face was dripping with blood.

not his.

nam-gyu straddled her, limiting her movements. he raised the fork above his head and aimed for her stomach. she dodged his blow by rolling on her flank, crossing her arms around her body to protect her organs. the fork smashed to the ground, slightly bending due to the force used. the player raised his weapon again, but adrenaline rushed through her veins. she sat up and struck his torso with both forearms, injuring his airway and resulting in a fit of coughs. as he stumbled back, she took it as a chance to crawl away from the fight. her back was met with another bunk bed, she rapidly flipped on her knees and grabbed the metal bars to pull herself up. she slowly climbed the row of beds to escape nam-gyu, pushing on her wounded ankle despite the ache.

nam-gyu quickly got on his feet and lunged at the woman, seizing her by the back of her jacket, and tossing her on the floor once again. the ferocious man straddled her with more force than before, this time aiming for the jugular. [your name] blocked the first blow by shielding her face with her arms. the second blow stabbed through the palm of her right hand, the tines poking through, just mere millimetres away from her nose.

the fork was ripped away from her hand, causing severe bleeding, as player 124 was struck in the head from behind. she grimaced, the pain was intolerable, moreover, she was further weakened. the young woman clenched her hand into a fist to restrict the gushing flow. she was panting with the exertion, limping to the dark corner of the arena, hoping to blend in with the shadows. she had considered going through with climbing the bunk bed until she saw payers knocking them down like dominoes, crushing players. she quickly gave up on the idea and fled the scene.

her eyes were set on her target. despite the excessive flashing lights, they would not flutter. she limped to the corner, invisible to the metal players, her clenched fist close to her chest which stained her already filthy white top a dark red shade. [your name] almost reached shelter when a muscular arm snuck around her throat, tightly squeezing which obstructed her airways. her hands instinctively grasped the limb, attempting to pull it away from her neck. her head was about to explode like a balloon as her eyes bulged out of her skull. suddenly, a sharp ache shot through her right thigh. she dug her nails into her assailant's arm, but his grip only tightened. she forced her chin under his forearm and brutally bit his exposed skin. a deafening cry pierced through her ears, tasting blood on her tongue.

the lights turned back on as guards barged into the arena, one of them shooting his weapon into the ceiling to startle the players. her attacker let go of her, pressing his hand onto his fresh wound as she collapsed on the floor. her leg muscles convulsed, unable to move. the weapon had drilled a deep hole into her leg, perforating her femoral artery.

she was about to bleed to death.

two guards approached them and ordered them to surrender. her attacker complied as the guard backed him up against the wall, the second guard threatened the harmless woman with his gun.

"don't shoot... i'm alive..." she begged, her voice sore as tears streamed down her cheeks. the guard simply shoved the barrel of his gun to her face. he would not hesitate to shoot a bullet between her eyes if he deemed her a danger.

nobody knew of the trouble she was in, her group believed she was hidden under the bed, out of danger. therefore, the revolt began. as he was lying on his back, having witnessed the player's penchant for murder, dae-ho had his mind stuck on [your name]'s well-being. he knew she was secure, sheltered from any risk, but she had to be scared.

the rebellion broke out. a bullet through the brain and the guard intimidating her dropped to the ground. bullets flew around as panic coursed through the guards' veins. indeed, they had their fair share of traumatising experiences working this job, in addition to their upbringing which clarified their career choice, however, players rising up in revolt was out of the ordinary. the first guard turned on his heels, taking cover behind a flipped bedframe, and instantly fired shots in her teammates' direction. [your name] was really close to the retaliation, terrified of getting shot by a lost bullet.

amidst the chaos, she wondered if anyone cared about where she was. did jun-hee notice her absence? would anyone go look for her?

the rebels fiercely resisted, fearless of the endless possibilities of this fight. dae-ho knocked out one of the guards who had restrained jung-bae. his act of bravery was short-lived, frozen in place, racked with crippling fear, cowering behind the staircase, unable to process the present. dead bodies and detonating noises triggering him.

the uncanny voice ordered the soldiers to retreat in an oddly sweet tone. the soldiers were outnumbered, having lost too many of their colleagues, more would go down if they stayed. the entrance doors slowly closed, and soldiers rushed to safety, except for their superior who had been too focused on emptying his firearm on those he considered vermines to save himself.

beginner's mistake.

well...

he was still a kid after all.

they took the chief guard, hyun-ju disabled their surveillance cameras and proceeded to collect the guns and magazines scattered around the room. dae-ho let out three brief breaths to cool his overheating mind down and followed gi-hun's directives.

"everyone! don't be scared. gather around, please! we're not trying to hurt you!" gi-hun yelled as jung-bae backed him up.

the room fell somehow quiet, [your name] took it as a chance to make her presence known.

"help... help! p-please— somebody, help!" she gathered her remaining strength to implore.

hyun-ju whipped her head towards the commotion and bolted to its source. she gasped at the sight and threw her rifle on the ground, dropping to her knees on the woman's side. she was a leader at heart, being a former sergeant first class in one of the special forces brigades of the republic of korea and all, it was second nature to her. a little bit of blood was nothing as she had witnessed worse in her time in the military. however, her friend's frail condition broke her heart, but hyun-ju did not let it transpire.

she assessed the problem as [your name] uncontrollably wept, furthering the pain as her leg jerked with the added tenseness. she judged her attitude to be puerile and childish, she was just relieved someone had bothered to come and rescue her.

"you're going to be okay, [your name]. everything will be fine." hyun-ju comforted, fondly stroking her hair.

hyun-ju jumped on her feet and ran to the beds used as barricades.

"someone help me! we have a player down!" she yelled, beckoning to her allies.

"coming!" dae-ho shouted back. after the lack of assistance he provided during the rebellion, he wanted to be as helpful as possible. oblivious to the sight he would be confronted by.

his pupils shrunk.

his breath stuck in his throat.

his mouth was agape.

his hands shook.

"we are gonna flip her on her back." hyun-ju instructed, crouching on the young woman's side.

thousand words to be spoken, none suitable to the crisis. he was dumbstruck with panic, loathing injuries and blood, he was confronted with such a stomach-churning sight. he should have relied on his gut feeling and blatantly disobeyed gi-hun's orders. rage bubbled in the pit of his stomach, aimed at no one but himself.

naivete had struck as trustworthiness was granted.

an innocent victim paid the price.

"right now, dae-ho!" she ordered once she noticed his unresponsive state. the severity of her tone startled him and regained his composure. dae-ho rushed into action, throwing his weapon and kneeling on the opposite side of [your name]'s body.

"it's going to hurt." hyun-ju informed the girl who kept crying. she counted down to three as dae-ho carefully placed his hands underneath the body. they flipped the woman on her back, landing in the man's embrace, as she shrieked from the ache.

"[your name]... it's dae-ho, i'm here." he weakly stated, his lips quivering. overwhelming nausea flowing through his stomach as he held onto his own tears.

"you're gonna be fine, hyun-ju knows what she is doing." he reassured, unsure. she finally opened her eyes, diving into dae-ho's gentle stare. he forced out a tender tight-lipped smile, a semblance of optimism. a sense of familiarity.

"raise her leg a little, i need to stop the bleeding." hyun-ju instructed. she removed her jacket and ripped the sleeve up to use it as a bandage. he lifted her leg like a fine priceless china, but she broke into pieces.

"dae-ho, you're shaking." hyun-ju warned, peeking at him through her eyelashes. he jerked his gaze to the woman, patiently waiting for him. dae-ho swallowed hard and corrected his posture, mumbling an unnecessary apology.

[your name] undeniably required professional medical aid, but for now, hyun-ju had handled the excessive bleeding. after her significant blood loss, it was a miracle she was still conscious, swimming in the crimson river that had steadily poured for a couple minutes.

"we have to move her." hyun-ju informed in a monotone, after tying the dirty piece of cloth around the deep gash. "carry her to the bed where the others hid." she ordered. dae-ho rushed into action and scooped her up, his arm under her knees and back.

"tell me if i'm hurting you." he stated. her head was leaning against his broad shoulder, her tears damped his shoulderblade, and her low irregular breathing tickling his neck alarmed him.

gi-hun beckoned to hyun-ju when she entered his line of sight, standing in stunned silence as dae-ho followed behind carrying [your name]. victim of his recklessness in overthrowing the masked people.

you could have heard a pin drop if it was not for the injured woman's whimpers. jun-hee, who had moved from her hiding spot, shouted her friend's name and scurried towards them, holding her pregnant belly.

"what happened?!" jun-hee frantically asked, grasping her friend's unwounded hand.

"i w-was attacked." she feebly uttered. dae-ho laid her on the rigid mattress, placing her head on the cleanest pillow.

"who attacked you?" dae-ho continued, anger boiling within.

"player 124." she stated, dae-ho clenched his jaw at the revelation. despite never interacting with the man, he was familiar with his despicable behaviour. "he pulled me from under the bed. and then some other guy did that to my leg." she explained.

dae-ho skimmed over the crowd, his eyes locking on nam-gyu. a coward hiding behind the beds after the killing rampage he went on. the ex-marine aggressively got up, marching towards player 124, driven by outrage, but was inevitably stopped by jun-hee.

"it doesn't matter, dae-ho." [your name] coughed out.

"it matters to me, [your name]." he insisted as he kneeled before her.

"i'm alive, and you're here. that's all i care about." she breathed out, reaching for his hand. he swallowed and tenderly reciprocated the gesture, bringing the back of her hand to his mouth for a kiss.

dae-ho gazed into her eyes, afraid she would vanish into thin air if he tore them away from her. he was memorising every single one of her features. from the moles scattered across her face to the pores. from the eyebags to the shape of her mouth that he longed to kiss one more time despite its dry skin.

she was the embodiment of perfection.

"dae-ho, come here!" jung-bae beckoned. the rebels formed into a line once they collected all the weapons and magazines spread around the room, displaying them on a wood plank. these had already been used, and hardly enough to fend off the troops they rebelled against, how were they supposed to reach the headquarters against an entire army with these?

dae-ho began to get up when [your name]'s grip tightened, stopping him in his tracks.

"don't go, please." she pleaded, tears welling up. the frazzled woman was desperate.

"i have to." he curtly answered.

it was his duty.

"no you don't!" she retorted. "this is a suicide mission. gi-hun is out of his mind if he thinks any of this will work." she harshly said, a tone of urgency slipping through. a small group against trained snipers, their chances of success were slim.

"i have to protect you." he claimed. "we'll get out of her and you'll get the medical help you need in a hospital." he assured, letting go of her hand.

"i promise you, i'll come back." he swore before joining the rebels, ignoring her pleas. an easy lie to give, short and sweet. nothing was set in stone. their fate as treacherous as their life beyond the island.

dae-ho was lined up with the other men, he was handed a weapon he clumsily held, scrutinising it in puzzlement, clueless and afraid. his jumpiness betrayed his confident facade.

jun-hee was sat next to an emotionally distressed [your name], caressing her hand as she quietly sobbed. the pregnant woman had dissuaded her ex-boyfriend from joining the fight with a simple nod when the latter seemed to consider gi-hun's request. dae-ho had willingly chosen to endanger his life despite [your name]'s desperate pleas. jun-hee believed he should have stayed by her side to soothe her pain. the injured woman persevered but was not spared from affliction. in the hope of escaping this prison, dae-ho had selflessly chosen to risk it all but had selfishly joined the revolt to prove something to himself. most players lacked the courage to even contemplate fighting for anything other than their own gain, yet dae-ho continued to see himself as a coward.

"he is gonna be okay." jun-hee said, unconvinced with her lie.

"don't lie to me, please." [your name] retorted in a faltering tone.

after hyun-ju's brief demonstration on how to operate the rifles, the group headed for battle. dae-ho glanced one last time over his shoulder, jun-hee weakly waved at him and [your name] was indiscernible behind the makeshift barricades. although her feeble state justified her lack of effort to bid her final goodbyes, she did not want her last memory of dae-ho to be sorrowful.

around half an hour had passed, ear-shattering bullets were fired in the colourful labyrinth and ricocheted on the walls startling the players shielded in the sleeping quarters. yong-sik was shivering on the floor, his eyes focused on his shoes. on the staircase, young-mi clung to geum-ja who was doing her best to reassure her. jun-hee was still by her friend's side whose blood loss had drastically increased. the mattress had absorbed most of the liquid that oozed from the gash, and the excess dripped on the floor forming a sticky puddle. her heartbeats had slowed down and her skin felt cooler. her complexion was sickly. her gaze was unfocused, her vision blurry from tears as well as the haemorrhage.

"i need water..." [your name] voiced, her throat burning from her cough.

"i know." jun-hee replied, her lips quivering. "i'm sorry."

the group had roamed around the room, seeking help from other participants, wondering if they had any spare water or a clean piece of cloth to dry her sweaty forehead. some shared remorseful looks and apologies as others, such as player 100, could not care less about the girl's well-being.

"why don't you let her die, already? put her out of her misery!" the old man shouted, pointing his finger at geum-ja who had kindly approached the group of men.

"you greedy scumbag! don't you have some empathy?!" the old woman yelled louder, anger laced in her voice.

"when she dies, it will be more money for us." he spat cruelly.

"you're probably gonna be the first one shot when those guards come back, you asshole!" geum-ja countered at player 100's face before getting pulled away by her son.

in a grim atmosphere, the group sat on the staircases by [your name]'s bed. any remaining hope had vanished, however, geum-ja could not bear to wallow in sorrow. she cheerfully turned around and raised her fists.

"when they get us out of there and you're out of the hospital, you should join us for dinner." the old woman suggested, referring to jun-hee and [your name]. as no one spoke up, she resumed.

"hyun-ju and young-mi are already coming. the more the merrier as they say." she grinned at the weakened woman who blinked, her lips apart.

"you can even invite dae-ho. such a brave young man." she praised clasping her hands.

the young woman faintly smiled. for a brief moment, she entertained the idea.

laughter echoed through the dining room, everyone passed food around, enjoying the delicious dinner geum-ja had cooked. dae-ho was by her side, fingers intertwined as his thumb stroked the back of her hand, chortling at one of yong-sik's jokes. she and young-mi were gushing over jun-hee's newborn (girl or boy [your name] was spoiling that baby rotten). hyun-ju was done with her transition, glowing as her true self. geum-ja told stories about her childhood on the couch and showed yong-sik's baby pictures. the latter whined behind his mother with flushed cheeks as she insisted on the importance of capturing every moment before they grow up to be ungrateful brats. losing track of time, dae-ho and [your name] eventually left the house around midnight to get home to their shared apartment. a rather small apartment, but it was home. their home.

the dream.

but it was only a dream.

"i-i don't w-wanna die." she blurted out, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"don't say nonsense, you're not gonna die." geum-ja berated. "you're a strong girl, and we're getting out soon." she lingered waiting for the group to back her up. once they noticed her expectant glare, they agreed with the old woman, wavering tones and unconvinced sentences. good intentions but an awkward execution. it was the thought that counted.

an unnerving silence arose cut by [your name] whimpers. they were worn out, plagued by the sweet fragrance of death and the melody of misery. the shots fired in the distance as the sole sign of their friends' state until dae-ho barged into the room like a madman murmuring something inaudible like a mantra.

"dae-ho..." [your name] whispered as she heard his trembling voice. what was he doing here?

yong-sik carefully approached the crazed man, observing his behaviour. dae-ho had flung himself at multiple corpses, rummaging through their pockets.

"dae-ho, what happened?" yong-sik tentatively asked. "why are you back by yourself?" he continued after being met with shuddery breaths.

"magazines!" dae-ho blurted, holding up one of the items. "get the magazines from those bastards' pockets. hurry!" he urged and rushed towards another corpse.

the former marine was drowning under the pressure, fully submerged by his mission. bearing the burden of the revolt on his shoulders. his eyes scanned the area, dae-ho was erratic and dizzy, repeating one thing.

magazines in pockets. magazines in pockets. magazines in pockets.

"dae-ho—" [your name] repeated above a whisper as she was taken by a coughing fit.

geum-ja took it upon herself to chase after dae-ho, no longer capable of witnessing the young woman's suffering. she struggled to keep up with his pace, scurrying after him. dae-ho eventually stopped running to count the magazines he had collected, giving her some time to reason with him.

"dae-ho, my boy. you're killing yourself." she scowled, skimming over the young man's a. her apprehension was gone in one ear and out the other as continued to rummage through the magazines. his ears were ringing, filtering out any outside noise.

yong-sik returned with half a dozen magazines, placing them in the pile formed in a green jacket.

"this was all i could find." he informed as dae-ho nodded. his skin grew paler by the second, his sanity gradually declining. geum-ja reached for his arm to prevent him from disappearing into the labyrinth again, to no avail. his mind was dark and foggy, he was unable to see farther than his task.

"kang dae-ho!" jun-hee angrily shouted from the barricade. the man froze like a deer caught in the headlights, her outburst ripping him away from his dissociative state. before she could go on, something in the background caught dae-ho's eyes, he dropped the magazines and ran past a confounded geum-ja and yong-sik.

despite the stinging sensation in her hand, the piercing pain in her leg and her aching muscles, [your name] had gathered her remaining strength to roll off the bed, ignoring young-mi's alarmed voice. she fell on the cold floor with a loud thud. she had landed in a puddle of her own blood, splashing some on her face as well as on young-mi's already dirty shoes. her physical appearance was the least of her worries. young-mi dropped to her side, grabbing her friend's elbow to usher her back to bed. [your name] harshly brushed her off and crawled towards the centre of the room. she collapsed several times under her weight, barely capable of dragging her body. she was met with stunned stares, disgust or disinterest from the same people who caused her harm. blood gushed from her wound, leaving a glistening red trail behind her.

she had pushed herself to exhaustion, unable to crawl any more. the young woman tried to stand up but fell onto the floor.

she was giving up.

dae-ho fell to her side and cradled her to his chest. he cupped her face in his sweaty hand, unnoticed by [your name] who was drenched in cold sweat and drained of energy.

"you came back." she coughed out, looking up at him through her hooded eyelids.

"i'm so sorry, i'm so sorry, sorry, sorry," he profusely apologised, uncontrollably weeping, tightening his grip on her sickly frame. "i should've stayed with you." he cried.

"you're here now, that's all that matters." she muttered, her chest hardly rising.

"dae-ho?" she called out weakly. the man hummed, sniffling.

"where are we g-going for our d-date?" she sweetly asked, as dae-ho erupted in a flow of tears. he let out a trembling breath before describing what he had planned for their first date.

"i was thinking of taking you to this korean barbecue near my apartment— or a picnic... i just want to spend the evening with you." he confessed as she lightly smiled, picturing the cosy evening. just the two of them, sitting close to one another, eating some smoked veggies and meat, relishing in each other's presence.

"i was thinking of bringing you flowers. a really big bouquet, because you deserve the most— and with the money i could have bought the most beautiful one for you." he choked out.

"tulips." she whispered. "i love tulips."

"i would have brought you tulips." his voice wavering as he sniffled.

"then, we will stroll hand in hand around town, just chatting— just hearing the sound of your voice makes me happy." he faintly chuckled as [your name] weakly grinned.

"we will sit on a bench, i will place my arm around your shoulders." he said as the young woman's head leaned against his chest.

"then, if i don't get cold feet... i will kiss you. and i will make the first move this time." he murmured waiting for her reaction.

nothing.

nothing came.

"[your name]?" he asked, slightly shaking her body to wake her up.

she was not dozing off.

"[your name]?!" he let out a gut-wrenching scream as he shook her body.

she was gone.

hyun-ju barged into the room yelling for dae-ho, her deep voice resonating throughout the room, only stopping in her tracks after catching a glimpse of the scene. dae-ho was wailing, his eyes were tightly shut as her empty ones stared into space, his hand firmly pressed to her cheek, his lips on her forehead as he rocked his body back and forth. his lungs scorched, his head reeled, his heart broke, he felt nauseous. she had passed away in his arms, helpless as he held her mutilated body.

so much wasted potential.

the ambition of making a name for herself gone, the determination to prove herself as a foreign student fading, the ashes of the past never reincarnating in a magnificent phoenix, instead flying away with a gust of wind. nevertheless, she was not to pity. she was free. free from the horror of this world. free from unrealistic expectations. free from her misery. her friends were still there, in this hellhole, traumatised and exhausted, drowning in debts. now mourning a loved one.

dae-ho lost someone who would have undoubtedly been the love of his life, the one to offer him the respect and tenderness he deserved, the one he would have desired the spend the rest of his pathetic existence with.

his reason to persevere.

"get down on the floor." the square mask guard ordered, firing his weapon into the ceiling as all participants obliged.

the pink guards barged into the room, their guns aligned to their line of vision. each guard loomed over a player, threatening to kill them at any wrong move. coffins were brought right after the soldiers and they proceeded to gather all the corpses, starting with the players. a guard raised his weapon at dae-ho, who had not taken notice of the chaos ensuing, and if he did, he did not bother to acknowledge it.

"let go of the body." the guard demanded. the grief-stricken man was unresponsive, too distraught by his loss, refusing to leave her side.

the guard turned over his colleagues, giving them inaudible directives. two circle mask guards moved towards the devastated man and ripped her lifeless body from his embrace. dae-ho fought back, alternating between shouting insults at the guards and begging them.

"no, no, no— please don't take her away you fucking assholes! no! please, please— oof!" he implored, clutching onto her lifeless form. the soldier hit him square on the head with the back of his rifle, dae-ho stumbled face-first onto the floor as his nose bled. the soldier pressed the barrel of the gun to his temple.

the two circle mask guards had grabbed [your name] by her ankles and from under her armpits, her body slouched in their negligent grip. they laid the body in the coffin, dae-ho's final glimpse at the woman before she was no more than a past memory.

the man's lips quivered as he broke out into tears. jun-hee pulled him into an embrace, her sobs matching his until they could no longer cry, tired and devastated.

he failed.

he failed to protect her.

he failed to bring the magazines to hyun-ju.

maybe his father was right.

after all...

... he was a failure.