Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“I never dreamed that I’d meet somebody like you

And I never dreamed that I’d lose somebody like you

No, I don’t wanna fall in love (this world is only gonna break your heart) With you

What a wicked game to play to make me feel this way

What a wicked thing to do to let me dream of you”

-Wicked Game by Chris Isaak

Surrounded, outnumbered, and with no ammunition left, Gi-hun and Jung-bae slowly kneed onto the floor. They lowered their weapons and held their hands behind their head as the guards came behind them and aimed their guns at their skulls. 

Gi-hun was still in shock and denial. They almost succeeded in marching into the command center and shutting down the games. They were so close to finally confronting the Frontman and VIPs. Hundreds of hours into preparing the downfall of these heinous games, all for naught. Gihun was angered but also upset he couldn’t go farther. 

He had no clue what happened to the others after they separated. Despite multiple requests, additional ammo was never delivered and the radio soon went dead. 

And Young-il. He didn’t know if the man was dead, alive, or barely breathing. Young-il always seemed confident, put together, and driven. Despite this, Young-il always had his gaze on him with a look Gi-hun couldn’t discern. He was always observing him, even when he thought Gi-hun wasn’t looking. 

It nagged at Gi-hun but he didn’t have time to dwell on his thoughts any longer. Heavy footsteps echoed through the small hallway as a person approached them. Gi-hun heard their voice before he saw them. 

“Player 456.” Their deep, concealed voice spoke, causing Gi-hun to look up, his eyes hardening once he took notice of the black attire and mask. ‘The Frontman.’

“Did you have fun playing hero?” He taunted, making Gi-hun scowl. The Frontman lifted up his pistol from his side and pointed it at Gi-hun, while Gi-hun breathed deeply in anger. 

“Look closely at the consequences of your little hero game.” He then switched his aim towards Jung-bae and both friends exchanged a look of panic. Without hesitation, the Frontman fired a shot straight into his stomach, Jung-bae falling backwards onto the cold floor in a pool of blood. 

“No!” Gi-hun shouted, but he was too late. The damage was already done. Gi-hun rushed to his friend’s side and wailed as he held his friend’s bleeding body. ‘It wasn’t supposed to go like this. Jung-bae wasn’t supposed to die.’ Faintly, he heard the retreating footsteps of the Frontman. 

Overcome with anger, Gi-hun got up to lash out but was quickly apprehended by the guards. He tried to resist but was quickly overpowered. Harshly manhandled to the ground, Gi-hun couldn’t help but sob as he faced Jung-bae’s lifeless face. 

‘These damn games. Taking away my loved ones and friends. God damn it!’ Gi-hun mentally seethed. 

⬤▲◼

He was too late, Gi-hun knew he was always too late. Too late to save his marriage. Too late to get custody of his daughter. Too late to see his daughter growing up. Too late to save himself from falling into the loan shark’s hands. Too late to save his mother. Too late to save his friend. Too late to save anyone. 

After restraining him, the guards led him down the corridors and threw him into a small room. They took off his bindings and slammed the door, locking him inside. Gi-hun looked around cautiously. There was a singular bed with gray sheets and a sink with an accompanying mirror. 

Once he was sure no one was coming, he sat down on the bed and closed his eyes. Gi-hun was exhausted. He had no clue why the Frontman didn’t shoot him as well. Perhaps to sadistically feed on his misery? Gloat on his victory? Or keep him trapped here forever as a prisoner? Force him to be his lap dog?

Gi-hun would rather die than to give up his pride and morals. He’d sooner escape or die trying than become a source of entertainment for those damned VIPs. If Gi-hun was able to survive he needed to find a way to communicate with the other contestants. He also still needed to find a way to contact Jun-ho so he could track down his location. 

Gi-hun knew he needed to stay awake, but he was tired and desperately needed sleep. After a few hours of sitting in silence, Gi-hun decided to rest his eyes for a short while. He’d wake himself up in an hour, he told himself.

⬤▲◼

After shooting 390, that pest, the Frontman walked away without sparing 456 a glance as he weeped for his friend. It irritated the Frontman, or rather Hwang In-ho, that Gi-hun cared so much for useless people. In-ho held strong in his belief that Gi-hun brought his friend’s death on himself. For starting a game he couldn’t win. For not getting on the plane and leaving South Korea. 

Gi-hun should’ve escaped when he had the chance. If he left, he wouldn’t have fallen into In-ho’s hands. Now, In-ho didn’t want to let him go. 

When he first infiltrated the games as Player 001 Young-il, he wanted to experience how Oh Il-nam felt when he infiltrated as well. His goal was to keep an eye on Gi-hun, get close to him, and get his first-hand reactions of when he would eventually realize that people only care about satisfying their greed. 

He had planned to relish in Gi-hun’s despair once he realized people didn’t care for close bonds and would even kill each other for money. In-ho knew Gi-hun still held on hope that people had morals. Gi-hun, the fool, still believed the good in people. 

However, somewhere along the way, his plans changed and his feelings changed. In-ho couldn’t look away from Gi-hun, he was mesmerized. He was deeply curious about how Gi-hun’s mind operated. Why did he come back? Why did he work so hard in order to save mere strangers? And why did In-ho feel electrified when Gi-hun stared back at him?

Without being conscious of his feelings, he grew jealous whenever Gi-hun’s eyes weren’t on him. He was irritated whenever he sought Jung-bae to talk to. In-ho’s gaze was always on Gi-hun, observing him, but Gi-hun’s gaze wasn’t always on him. 

In-ho wanted Gi-hun for himself. To lock him up until his eyes were only on him. Even if his gaze was full of anger. Even when his soul was full of foolish hope. Even when his heart was full of hatred for In-ho. 

In-ho was originally going to reveal himself as Young-il to betray Gi-hun and stomp on his silly ideals that even trash people were above being blinded by greed and then kill him. But now, he wanted him for himself. To see, to talk, and to touch him once again. In-ho wasn’t going to let Gi-hun leave his side.

“How are the contestants?” The Frontman asked, as he walked through the hallway.

“The remaining players are in the main room with the guards keeping them in check. The rebel players have already been taken out and the bodies of the players and guards are being cleaned up.” The square guard answered from beside him. 

“Serve them dinner and don’t let anyone out of the room. As for player 456, keep him alive and take him into an empty room.” He ordered and the square guard left to relay the command. 

The Frontman then made his way to the command center where the Officer was waiting for him. “Report.” He ordered as he walked in, glancing at the screens showing the remaining players. A lot of them were anxious as they had zero information about the situation but no one else made any rebellious actions. 

“We lost a considerable amount of guards but we’re able to start the next game with no problems. Shall I notify the VIPs to make preparations to arrive?” The Officer asked behind him after his report.

“Hold off on that.” He said. 

“Yes, sir. And what of player 456?” The Officer asked. This time, In-ho looked squarely at the black suited manager.

“I’ll decide that.” He said definitively. “Bring my meal to my room and prepare for the next game. Also, have a speed boat ready.” With that, the Frontman walked away heading to his room. 

⬤▲◼

In-ho eats his meal while watching Gi-hun on his monitor. Gi-hun was sitting on the bed motionless before he finally decided to lay down and sleep. Deciding to let the man rest, In-ho catched up on the paperwork he missed while he was in the game. Afterwards he took a shower, changed into a fresh set of his black attire, and reattached his mask.

Then, flanked by guards, he went to visit Gi-hun. In front of the blue door, In-ho unlocked the keypad and motioned at the guards to stand back while he went in alone. Gi-hun must’ve awoken from the sound of the door unlocking because he slowly rose from the bed, still half-asleep. 

In-ho took out the foldable chair next to the door and sat down, facing Gi-hun who was realizing his presence. “ You. ” Gi-hun’s eyes narrowed as he spoke with venom in his tone. His hands formed into fists and he scanned him, looking for an opening to attack.

“Careful there, we wouldn’t want you or your friends to get hurt.” In-ho reminded him of his predicament, placating him as if he were a wild animal. To In-ho, Gi-hun certainly reminded him of a cornered stray dog, his hair was tousled and messy, his eyes were alert and cautious, and his posture was stiff. 

Gi-hun stood down at the threat but his face was still full of anger. “I told you your little hero game had consequences. You should’ve taken that plane.” In-ho reminded him. 

“And leave you to continue these twisted games?” Gi-hun scoffed.

“Then you’re happy you came back? Starting a coup and killing more people when they could’ve had a chance to win?” In-ho asked out of curiosity. 

“You’re not some saint generously giving people a chance to win money. You lure desperate people here just to amuse the rotten rich. They followed me out of their own will, to help take down these sick games.” Gi-hun accused him and defended himself. 

“We also let them make their own decisions, and the majority voted to stay.” In-ho fired back leaving Gi-hun silent.

“...and why am I here? Why haven’t you killed me yet? Are you going to make me your prisoner or lap dog?” He angrily fumed. 

In-ho thought about it. He certainly didn’t want to kill Gi-hun, the younger man was way too amusing to part with. He also didn’t want to keep him imprisoned. No, In-ho had better plans. 

He wants Gi-hun close to him but he also wants Gi-hun to submit to him and become wholly his out of his own free will. In-ho will make him the vice Frontman or even the next Frontman, becoming a part of the operation he so vehemently hates. 

“No, you won’t be imprisoned or become a mere jester. Instead, you’ll be mine.” In-ho declared.

“What?! Why would I ever be yours?” Gi-hun exclaimed, shocked at what he was hearing. 

Instead of answering, In-ho reached behind his head, detached the strap and slowly lowered his mask, revealing his face. Gi-hun's eyes widened, his mouth hanging in disbelief as he couldn’t believe the sight in front of him. 

“Young-il?” He tentatively spoke, his face going through multiple emotions; shock, confusement, sadness, then finally anger.

“You’re mine because you lost the game and I’m taking you as my reward.” He replied calmly.

“You betrayed me! Was it fun toying with me and laughing inside as I struggled? You must’ve enjoyed yourself lying to me.” Gi-hun spat angrily. 

“Sure, I may have lied a little, but you're the one who started this game. You had the chance to leave but you stayed. You came to me and now you're mine.” ‘And I won’t let you go,’ In-ho wanted to add that last part but restrained himself. 

“I’ll never be yours. Don’t delude yourself.” Gi-hun said with disgust. In-ho chuckled lowly and stood up from the chair, crossing the small distance to Gi-hun.

“Wrong. You’re already mine.” In-ho grabbed Gi-hun's jaw and tilted his head up to look into his eyes. 

“You resist or try to escape and I’ll order the guards to kill all the remaining players and make you the winner.” In-ho threatened, staring intently into the man’s brown eyes. “Got it?” He tightened his grip on Gi-hun’s face, expecting an answer. 

“Y-yes.” He weakly answered, the fight leaving his eyes as he grasped the situation, not willing to jeopardize people’s lives.

“Good boy. ” In-ho praised, his eyes twinkling with an emotion Gi-hun didn’t know how to interpret. He then closed the gap and kissed Gi-hun, who wasn’t expecting it. 

The kiss was harsh and rough as In-ho devoured Gi-hun’s lips. He waited so long to finally feel the press of Gi-hun’s plush lips on his. He bit down on Gi-hun’s lower lip, causing him to open his mouth, allowing In-ho to slip his tongue inside the younger’s mouth. 

He explored his warm, wet mouth for a moment before retracting his own mouth, ending the kiss. Gi-hun was compliant for now because he was surprised, but In-ho felt that if he continued pushing his buttons, he’d end up biting In-ho’s tongue off. 

In-ho released his hold on Gi-hun and leaned back to take in Gi-hun’s appearance. His lips were a plump red and glistened with saliva. His eyes were wide and doe-like, in a state of surprise. And his cheeks had a slight pink flush. In-ho wanted to see all the hidden faces of Gi-hun and more.

“W-what…?” Gi-hun sputtered, unable to comprehend what just happened to him, and its implications. 

“From now on if you want to make a request, I’ll honor it. But the price is a kiss for each request. This will be our little game.” In-ho smirked, no longer hiding his amusement or joyous mood. 

“You’re crazy!” Gi-hun exclaimed in disbelief. In-ho pondered his statement. 

“Yes, perhaps I am …”

Chapter Text

“ARGH!” Player 324 yells as he is shot by a bullet, falling to the floor. Bullets fly past them as the pink guards wait for an opportunity to strike. The atmosphere is tense with a thick cloud of gunpowder overhead, suffocating them. 

Player 246, or Gyeong-seok, sees 324 holding his injured arm in pain. Gyeong-seok moves to fire back in retaliation but finds his magazine empty. Seizing the opportunity, the soldiers fire at the pillar almost hitting him. 

Falling back, Gyeong-seok hides himself behind another nearby pillar. “We should retreat.” Player 145 says, his voice sore. “This side is blocked as well.” 246’s pillar is continuously being shot at, leaving them unable to escape. 

Player 324 glances at his remaining magazine, as the PA system issues another warning. The doors beside him open with additional guards coming towards them. Player 324 decides to reload his gun and aims the barrel under his jaw.

“No. Don’t!” Gyeong-seok desperately shouts as he takes notice. Player 324 exchanges one last glance with him before pulling the trigger, the pillar behind him sprayed with blood and brain matter. 

Gyeong-seok flinches as he stares at the body that was once breathing, leaving him petrified. He had served in the Korean military but was never prepared for something at this scale. He only joined the Games because he had nowhere else to turn to. 

He had piling debts and his daughter’s medical bills to pay that being an amusement park artist couldn’t cover. However, he never imagined he’d witness deaths firsthand or be in constant peril. 

“Let’s surrender. We need to survive somehow.” 145 suggests. Out of options and running out of time, the pair slowly walk out of their hiding spots with their arms raised in surrender. They lower their weapons as the pink guards surround them, aiming their sub-machine guns.

“Please don’t kill-” Player 145 begins but he’s gunned down mercilessly by the guards. Gyeong-seok gasps at the scene, realizing the guards aren't going to spare them. He backs away as more flood in. Another guard, Number 011, aims their rifle at him, cornering him in the small balcony.

“Please don’t kill me.” He pleads, his voice cracks and his hands are trembling in fear. “My daughter is very sick.” Gyeong-seok wanted to live. He wanted to see his daughter Na-yeon again. He didn’t want to die and never see his little girl grow up.

Soldier 011, or rather Kang No-eul, hesitates. She’s been watching the man since before the games started. Working as a mascot at the amusement park, her heart melted every time she saw Gyeong-seok’s sick daughter, Na-yeon. The little girl reminded her of her own daughter she left behind in North Korea. Every waking moment she missed her daughter and seeing Na-yeon made her feel protective of her. 

She knew Gyeong-seok wasn’t a bad father, only struggling to keep up with the compiling hospital bills. Nevertheless, she told herself that she had a job to do. To put these struggling souls out of their misery. Instead of suffering in the outside world, she would grant them an escape, she reasoned. 

With that reminder in her head, she aimed her sub-machine gun and fired without mercy. Gyeong-seok collapsed as the bullet struck him. 

No-eul lowered her gun and knelt down next to the fallen man, examining his body. 

.

.

.

.

“Don’t make any noise. Play dead.” She whispers. Instead of killing him, she had aimed to hit his shoulder precisely, enough to knock him down but careful not to nick an artery. 

Gyeong-seok was in excruciating pain as his shoulder bled but did as he was told and held back from making loud noises, despite the agony. No-eul grabbed the device in her pocket and scanned Gyeong-seok, marking him as eliminated. 

Pocketing the device, she got up and strolled up nonchalantly to the other guards who were inspecting the bodies. “Command says they need help getting more coffins, we still have the bodies on the other side.” She lies. The pink circle soldiers nodded and turned around without question, the large group exiting. 

She quickly scans the area, making sure all the guards have left. Once no one is around, she walks back to Gyeong-seok, whose eyes are closed but his face is scrunched up in sweat. No-eul stands behind him, lifts him up by his arms and swiftly drags him around the corner. 

Luckily there were no guards or cameras she could see, so she pulled him along the hallway until she found the supply closet. She opened the door and rapidly brought him inside, shutting the door behind them. Now out of sight, she leaned Gyeong-seok against the wall. 

“Stay here. Don’t make any noise and don’t open the door.” She ordered, getting ready to leave. “Okay, thank you, I really appreciate it…” Gyeong-seok thanked her honestly. He was still in pain but managed to give the guard an appreciative smile. 

Before she could stare longer into the man’s kind brown eyes, she forced herself to look away and exited the room quickly. ‘This is for Na-yeon.’ She reminded herself. She left to rejoin the other guards and continued with her tasks. 

After moving all the bodies into coffins, the guards had patrolling shifts. 011 broke away secretly to sneak into the medical room to get bandages and medicine. She then sneaked into the laundry room and grabbed a spare pink jumpsuit, hiding all the items inside her own suit. 

With all she needed in hand, she went back to the supply closet 246 was in. “You’re back!” Gyeong-seok brightened once he saw the guard arrive. 011 sat on the floor with the man and took out the supplies. 

246 had taken off his jacket and wrapped it around his injured shoulder, using it as a makeshift bandage to stop the bleeding. No-eul unraveled the jacket and tugged at his shirt, helping him take it off. 

“Ouch…” Gyeong-seok groaned in pain at the movement. Ignoring his complaints, No-eul applied the medicine on the bullet wound and wrapped it up in a proper bandage wrap. On further inspection, she saw that the wound wasn’t that deep and wouldn’t take more than a month to heal. 

“Stay here and don’t leave. Wear this for now.” She handed him the pink uniform. “Okay, thanks.” He took it gratefully. 

“I don’t know when I’ll come back so don’t open the door for anyone.” No-eul stood up.

“Wait, can I at least see your face? So I know who to look out for?” He asked, hopeful and curious.

“...You don’t need to know.” No-eul shot the request down and closed the door behind her, leaving him alone.

⬤▲◼

Gi-hun was confused. Scratch that, he had no fucking clue what was going on anymore. Firstly, the last message he received from the other players was that they were surrendering. He had no clue what became of them. Then he witnessed Jung-bae die by the hands of the Frontman. 

Most shockingly, the Frontman revealed himself to be Young-il who he previously thought of as a friend who actually faked his own death. Was it to gain sympathy from Gi-hun? Or did he want to see how he'd react? He didn’t know.

What irked Gi-hun the most was the Frontman trying to excuse his actions and make up ridiculous claims that Gi-hun was now his. Gi-hun vowed never to become someone’s possession, let alone the Frontman's. What drove Gi-hun insane was trying to figure out the reason the Frontman had kissed him. 

Why would the Frontman kiss Gi-hun of all people? They’re enemies for heaven's sake! And they’re both guys! Gi-hun has never kissed another man before so he was taken aback when Young-il suddenly kissed him. 

And that bullshit about a kiss for each request he makes. Whatever twisted game the Frontman was playing at, Gi-hun wasn’t going to fall for it. Gi-hun wasn’t going to foolishly believe the Frontman would carry out his requests just because of a measly kiss. 

And didn’t he have a wife? Or was that a clever lie? Gi-hun was divorced and had a kid for crying out loud! They were both grown adult men who were sworn enemies. He wasn’t going to let the Frontman distract him from his main goal of getting rid of the Games. 

After the kiss Gi-hun doesn’t want to remember, the Frontman ordered the guards to bring Gi-hun food. So there he sat, eating grilled mackerel, rice, and other dishes on a foldable table the guards brought in. 

He had initially refused to eat but Young-il had threatened to feed Gi-hun himself. Having too much pride, and hunger, Gi-hun ate in silence as the Frontman watched him, seated across from him. 

His piercing gaze was laser-focused on Gi-hun so he pointedly ignored him and observed everything in the room but Young-il. Gi-hun loathed the idea of submitting to the Frontman in any form but, because he lost, he needed to at least pretend to put up with it if he wanted the rest of the contestants safe. Gi-hun wouldn’t put it past the Frontman to decide he was too much of a hassle and execute everyone, one-by-one. 

Once he finished eating, the guards silently took the table away. Another guard tied the restraints back onto Gi-hun’s hands. When the soldier finished with Gi-hun, the Frontman reapplied his mask. “Follow me.” He ordered, exiting the small room without even a glance back. 

Gi-hun trailed behind him, not having much of a choice in the matter. Two pink guards walked behind Gi-hun, keeping their eye on him, harshly pushing him forward if he slightly lagged behind. ‘What's the point in these restraints if he’s just going to have people follow me.’ Gi-hun wondered, slightly pissed off. 

After a long time walking through multiple halls, they entered a large room filled with guards sitting in front of arcade machines. ‘The control room!’ Gi-hun found it almost laughable that he had assembled a force to break into the very room the Frontman was willingly leading him into. 

“Officer, we have a situation…” One of the square managers reported to the officer in a black jumpsuit, both not yet realizing the Frontman and Gi-hun had entered. “What is it?” The Frontman answered, causing both men to face him.

The square guard hesitated at first, probably unsure if he should say the information in front of a former player Gi-hun figured. “The cameras captured a soldier, Number 011, helping a rebel player hide.” He revealed. “Bring them both here.” The Frontman ordered and several guards went out to fetch them. 

“Captain, what will we do with him?” The Officer asked In-ho, referring to Gi-hun. In-ho was growing increasingly frustrated with his needless questions. He had given the man the job as Guard Commander because he was trustworthy and good at delegating tasks. 

However, being questioned on his abilities or actions was not something In-ho liked to put up with. He shot the last guy dead earlier that day who questioned his skills and dared to covet the spot next to Gi-hun. 

“Didn’t I say I’d handle it?” It was a threat, not a question. Gi-hun eyed both men cautiously as they were engaged in a tense standoff. The Frontman exuded an intimidating presence while the black Officer appeared uncomfortable.

“Yes, my apologies…” The Officer backtracked. Curiosity did kill the cat, and he doubted that the Officer wanted to be that cat by pushing the Frontman's buttons. Before Gi-hun could interject into their weird exchange, the guards had returned, escorting in an unmasked female guard and an injured Player 246 in the pink guard uniform, blood seeping out from his shoulder. Gi-hun instantly recognized him. Both Gi-hun and Gyeong-seok shared a look of surprise at seeing the other one still alive.

The guard had short, black hair and a serious but pale expression. “Number 011. Explain why we have a player alive when he should be dead.”

“Yes, Captain.” No-eul was nervous but she remained steadfast. She tried to channel the years of military training she went through to have a solid composure. She had broken the most important rule of equality, and she knew she’d have to face the consequences. 

However, No-eul wasn’t going to regret saving him. She didn’t want to accept that her husband and daughter were dead and foolishly dying here meant being unable to search for them. But something in her compelled her to save Gyeong-seok and in turn, protect Na-yeon.

“Instead of killing him, I thought he’d be a great asset to have. We lost a lot of soldiers so it would be beneficial to have his skills. He’s eliminated from the games so there would be no inequality happening.” No-eul tried to reason. 

Gi-hun thought the soldier was incredibly brave. He previously thought all the guards were soulless sociopaths who had no regard for human life. But seeing her stand against the Frontman gave Gi-hun hope to convince people to go against the games.

“Nevertheless, it’s against the rules. Giving him a second chance is not fair to the other players. You only get one try to prove yourself, which he failed.” The Frontman gave the ultimatum, whipping out his gun to execute Player 246. 

“Wait! Stop.” Gi-hun jumped in front of In-ho, blocking him from shooting Gyeong-seok. “Don’t kill him!” Gi-hun didn’t know if the asshole Frontman would listen to him but he couldn’t stand back while he watched one of his friends die.

In-ho calculated the outcomes in his mind. He could shoot the player which would enrage Gi-hun even more. Or he could spare the player, have Gi-hun owe him, and have the player as the perfect hostage to control Gi-hun with. 

“Is that a request?” In-ho lowered his gun, smirking to himself as he waited for Gi-hun to admit it. “Y-yes.” Gi-hun hesitantly confirmed. He was still unsure if the Frontman would really listen to what Gi-hun wanted. 

“Then, you know what you have to do.” In-ho holstered his colt and detached his mask, once again revealing his face. Dread spread on Gi-hun's face as he remembered the deal In-ho mentioned. “R-right now?” Gi-hun asked, desperately hoping the Frontman was just joking with him. Gi-hun didn’t want to kiss him again, let alone with an audience watching them. 

“Pay the price and I’ll listen to your wishes.” To In-ho, it didn’t matter if the player died or not, he just wanted leverage to use against Gi-hun. It would be better to have Gi-hun follow him out of his own free will and become his Frontman. 

“Will you really spare him?” Gi-hun asked. “Yes, I won’t go back on my word. Everyone watching can bear witness to this exchange.” In-ho promised, motioning the entire room present. To get Gi-hun to trust him, he needed to show he was trustworthy and someone Gi-hun could rely on. In In-ho’s perfect future Gi-hun would soon share his feelings. 

“Then stop the games too.” Gi-hun demanded. In-ho mentally sighed. Of course, Gi-hun was going to keep repeating that like a broken clock. The Games this time around were a disaster anyways with casualties on both sides. He could end the games no problem, In-ho just needed a method to appease the investors. He could probably raise the stakes in the next game or even have the VIPs interact directly in the games. 

“Fine.” In-ho agreed much to Gi-hun’s surprise. “Wait, really?” He asked, unsure if what he heard was correct. “Yes. That’s two requests now.” In-ho said, relishing in how increasingly uncomfortable Gi-hun was getting. 

Gi-hun really didn’t want to kiss the Frontman again. He glanced at the female guard and player 246 who looked clueless at what they were talking about. He really didn't want to but he had no other choice if he wanted to save everyone’s lives. The Frontman was a liar but Gi-hun had no other option but to believe him. And if he broke his word, Gi-hun swore he’d make him regret it.

“You better keep your promise or else.” Strengthening his resolve, Gi-hun stepped closer to In-ho and leaned forward before he could back out. 

Gi-hun meant for the kiss to be a quick peck, but as his lips pressed against Young-il’s and then quickly detached, he didn’t anticipate Young-il to grab the back of his head, keeping him in place as the kiss deepened. 

Compared to the last kiss, this one was steamier and tender as In-ho controlled the tempo. Gi-hun’s hands were still bound so he was helpless as the Frontman decided to explore his mouth again. This time, In-ho decided to take it farther, lightly sucking on Gi-hun’s tongue. 

Gi-hun didn’t want to admit it but he had never kissed like this before. His only experiences were with women and only had sweet and tender kisses. Short make-out sessions at most. With Young-il, it was his first time being dominated and experiencing rough, lustful, and intimate kisses all at once. 

A loud gruff cough beside them broke the pair out of their trance, causing them to pull apart. The two were practically in their own world that they forgot there were others in the room, embarrassing for Gi-hun and annoying for In-ho.

In-ho practically glared at the Officer who interrupted their moment, not bothering to hide his anger. In-ho wanted to savor each kiss and didn’t appreciate nuisances. He knew he had to leave the island if he wanted time alone with Gi-hun. 

“The Frontman is Young-il? And you ki-” Gyeong-seok gaped, trying to process what he saw. Gi-hun’s face turned bright red in embarrassment. Gi-hun wanted the floor to swallow him whole and never resurface. 

The soldiers all had their masks on so Gi-hun couldn’t gauge their reaction but the female guard with her face revealed had wide eyes and was struggling to keep a poker face. Gi-hun wanted to die inside. He couldn’t even provide a proper explanation of why he had to kiss Young-il aka the Frontman. 

“What shall we do with the games?” The Officer asked In-ho. “You heard him, we’re cancelling this year's games. Send the contestants back. We’ll start a new game next year.” In-ho said, still slightly pissed. The Officer excused himself and went to instruct the soldiers. 

“Wait! You said you’d stop the games!” Gi-hun yelled at In-ho, feeling betrayed and used. In-ho gave Gi-hun a sly smirk, “And I did stop them. This year. You have to be more specific next time.” Gi-hun was furious. ‘This lying son of a bitch.’

In-ho turned to address the soldier and player pair. “Player 246 will instead join as a soldier. Number 011, he’ll be your responsibility, so you’ll oversee his training.” Gyeong-seok perked up at the news and Number 011 was visibly relieved. 

“Yes, Captain.” She responded and with a dismal, the pair left the room. “Wait, you have to end the games for good!” Gi-hun demanded. Ignoring him, In-ho exited the room and Gi-hun chased after him. 

“Young-il, listen to me!” As they turned a corner, In-ho grabbed Gi-hun by the waist and pushed him up against the wall. His hand rested on Gi-hun’s small waist, his chest pressed against his, and their faces were mere inches apart. 

“In-ho. Call me In-ho.” He ordered, not breaking his gaze from Gi-hun's wide, perplexed eyes. “G-get off! What are you doing?!” Gi-hun snapped, fiercely resisting his hold. In-ho backed off and turned on his heel with a small smirk to himself.

“We’ll be leaving in an hour, so be prepared.” In-ho was looking forward to having Gi-hun all to himself. His previously bleak days would now be turned upside down by Gi-hun’s feisty and unwavering personality. 

“We’re what?! To where?! Oi, come back and explain properly!”

Chapter Text

Gi-hun was not happy. Though to be fair, Gi-hun found hardly anything to be enjoyable about the past few years. The last time he had any semblance of joy was when he first joined the Games. At the time, Gi-hun naively thought he and the others were there to make money. Play a few games and make a quick buck. He was painfully unaware that he’d never see any of his friends ever again. Not Ali, not Sae-byeok, and not Sang-woo. 

Sometimes when Gi-hun looks into a mirror he’s still haunted by their faces. Hears them whisper that he should’ve been the one to die instead. They were part of the reason why Gi-hun was so desperate to end the games now. He didn’t want the guilt that hundreds of others were dying from the games because Gi-hun turned his back on them. The little devil on shoulder whispered that he just didn’t want to get his hands stained with their blood. 

Gi-hun knew the guilt and traumatic memories would remain with him for as long as he lived. But he felt a responsibility to hunt down the bastards that put them through hell and end them with his own hands. He didn’t care if it turned him into a monster by the end.

At least that was how he felt until today’s reveal. It was unfair how his heart wavered the second Young-il’s face appeared behind the Frontman mask. He stupidly trusted Young-il and believed he was a friend. Before, Gi-hun felt an intense bloodlust to kill the Frontman for forcing them to kill each other. But now, his resolve crumbled and Gi-hun didn’t know if he’d be able to kill the man. 

Not that he could dream of doing so anyways, given his current predicament. After telling Gi-hun of their departure with short notice, Young-il, no, In-ho walked off while the guards led Gi-hun back to the small room he first stayed in. This time, folded clothes were lying on the bed, presumably for Gi-hun to change into. 

He didn’t like the idea of doing what the Frontman wanted but the player tracksuit he wore for days now stuck grossly to his skin and was caked with dirt and smelled strongly of gunpowder. A small part of him was glad to finally peel off the stinky outfit and change into a fresh set of clothes. What he badly wanted was a shower but the room he was in lacked one. 

After Gi-hun donned the clothes, he glanced at his reflection in the mirror. A soft navy sweater and black slacks. It felt odd to him that the clothes fit him comfortably and were in his size. Then again, they probably measured all the player’s sizes when changing them into the green tracksuits. 

“You look good.” 

Gi-hun's heart almost jumped out of his chest at the sound of In-ho’s voice. He was not expecting In-ho to be leaning against the doorframe, silently observing him. “What do you want?” Gi-hun ignored the compliment in favor of glaring at the older man. 

In-ho slowly raked his eyes over Gi-hun’s figure before answering him, “We’re departing in 10 minutes.” Gi-hun did his best not to squirm under In-ho’s gaze, feigning a nonchalant stance. “Fine. Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”

“Since you’ve been so well behaved, I guess I’ll tell you.” The way In-ho said it made Gi-hun bristle. “We're heading to my residence.” The confession threw Gi-hun for a loop. Why would they go to In-ho’s house? Of course, now that this year's games were cancelled there was virtually no reason to stay at the island anymore. However, that didn’t explain why they had to go to In-ho’s place specifically. 

Before Gi-hun had a chance to question In-ho further, the guards entered the room and restrained Gi-hun’s hands once more. Exiting, a now masked up In-ho led in the front while Gi-hun followed behind. They travelled down the corridors for a long time before they stopped in front of a trap door on the wall. 

The two soldiers unhooked the latch and pushed forward the doors, the moonlight seeping through the opening. Without warning, In-ho grabbed Gi-hun’s arm and dragged him outside, his firm grip never leaving his bicep. Gi-hun strongly wanted to protest but held back his tongue. This was the perfect opportunity to find out the island's location and layout. If it meant Gi-hun had to play along with In-ho’s stupidly domineering antics, he’d do it. 

The night air was cold but refreshing on his skin. Before the games, Gi-hun didn’t know how appreciative he was of fresh air after spending days on end locked in a room with hundreds of other people in the stale, suffocating air. They traveled along the dirt path, the large trees looming over them blocking most of the moonlight. 

Gi-hun could tell the island harbored a forest but so did dozens of other islands, so it didn’t really narrow the list down. As they walked, In-ho kept his hold on his arm. Whether to make sure Gi-hun didn’t escape or flaunt his power over Gi-hun, he didn’t know. Soon the dirt path turned into gravel and the line of trees ended, exposing a rocky cliffside. 

Below the cliff, was a red speed boat with a black interior docked on the water. There was only one occupant, a pink guard likely serving as the driver of the boat. On their descent down the steep, rocky slope, In-ho guided him down with a steady hand, easily stabilizing Gi-hun if he so much as swayed. It was almost gentle. It unnerved Gi-hun how caring In-ho was pretending to be. He had been acting so out of character that Gi-hun’s brain hurt trying to figure out why he was doing all this. It would make more sense for In-ho to kick Gi-hun down the hill and drag him across the sharp rocks. 

Once they were in front of the boat, In-ho released Gi-hun’s arm and went to retrieve something from the boat. While In-ho searched, one of the guard’s took off his restraints but they still kept a watchful eye on him. Returning, In-ho’s hands held a life jacket, and much to Gi-hun’s dismay he was already moving towards him. 

“Do I really need one?” Gi-hun scoffed. He was a grown adult and it’s not like the Frontman and his goons were sticklers to the Korean maritime laws on ocean safety. 

In-ho had his mask on but Gi-hun could imagine his stupid face quirk up an eyebrow like he was smarter than Gi-hun. “Yes, unless you’d rather end up at the bottom of the ocean.” 

Gi-hun grumbled out his annoyances but In-ho ignored it and helped Gi-hun wear the life jacket, even buckling the straps for him. Gi-hun was going to get whiplash with these different personalities of In-ho. One moment he’s about to shoot him and the next he’s personally attending to him. 

In-ho, Gi-hun, and another guard entered the boat and sat down in their seats. To his embarrassment, Gi-hun noticed he was the only one wearing a life jacket. He really wanted to question In-ho about it but decided against it since he’ll probably get another dumbass answer in response. 

Gi-hun relaxed in his seat and scoped out the boat. He was sandwiched between In-ho and the pink soldier, and the driver was starting up the boat, the engine roared and soon they were travelling across the water. In-ho’s gaze was fixed forward so Gi-hun took the chance to glance around the open waters. Maybe he could get a glimpse of Jun-ho’s boat and signal that he was there. 

His eyes scanned in every direction but didn’t see anything besides the dark blue ocean and the occasional small land masses. Gi-hun tried not to let the disappointment show on his face and continued to keep an eye out in case he spotted a vessel.

.

.

.

The boat sped across the murky waters at high speeds concealed under the darkness of the night, the island where the games were held becoming distant behind them. The occupants, oblivious to the fact they were being watched…

⬤▲◼

Jun-ho slips on his jacket and pushes the door open, entering the ship’s deck. Last night they had a terrible storm and were unable to search the islands or send up the drones. Jun-ho was growing increasingly frustrated. Gi-hun could no longer be tracked and their recent search ended up in disaster with an explosion killing and injuring their team. 

It felt like his brother was two steps ahead of him. Jun-ho hated to admit it but they were being outsmarted. He vaguely wondered if a spy was planted on his group. It was the only explanation Jun-ho could come up with for why their efforts always ended up failing short. Before he could spend more time entertaining the thought, the leader of the mercenary group came up to him.

“Hey, I think the drone pilot is missing. I did a headcount, but I can’t find him anywhere.” He reported. “Really? Have the team search the entire boat in pairs and if they haven’t found him in an hour, round everyone up at the front.” Jun-ho ordered and the leader left to pair the team. 

Nothing was going according to plan and Jun-ho knew it was only a matter of time until the team got fed up chasing after an imaginary island. Jun-ho still had access to Gi-hun’s money so he knew he could still search for months, maybe even years. But humans had their limitations and Jun-ho didn’t know how far everyone was willing to go on this wild goose hunt. 

After an hour of the entire ship searching, they were unable to find any trace of the missing drone pilot. Jun-ho stood in front of the assembled team, Captain Park, and Choi Woo-seok. 

“We’re going to end the search for now. It’s likely he stumbled out of his room and accidentally fell overboard. If you heard anything last night, report it to me, no matter how minor it may seem to you. That’s all.” Jun-ho announced. The group responded with nods or affirmatives before they went on their way. 

Jun-ho entered his small office which had a large table with maps sprawled across it. He used the room to try to map out potential locations for the island. As Jun-ho sat at his desk, filing through papers, the door opened. 

Woo-seok poked his head in. “Hey, can I talk to you?” He asked nervously. 

“Yeah. Did anything happen?” He questioned, laying down the stack of papers. Woo-seok closed the door behind him and stood awkwardly in front of Jun-ho.

“Well, I was awake last night during the storm. I thought I heard a noise last night, almost like a scream, so I went to investigate it.” He confessed. “When I got there, I only saw Captain Park and we guessed the noise was probably the crates in the back.”

“Why was Captain Park up?” Jun-ho questioned. “He said he couldn’t sleep. I didn’t think anything was amiss at the time but thinking about it again, I could’ve sworn I heard a scream.” Woo-seok retold.

“That’s definitely weird. I don’t want to blindly accuse the captain, but we can’t ignore this. Where did you see him?” He prodded. 

“It was on the starboard side; he was next to that little storeroom.” Woo-seok answered.

“Alright I’ll go check it out. Don’t tell anyone what you told me and act naturally around Captain Park. Keep him occupied while I search.” He ordered.

Jun-ho was grateful to Captain Park. He had found his floating body after his brother shot him and saved his life. He trusted Captain Park especially as he helped him for years searching for the island. But he couldn’t just shake the feeling that there could be a spy onboard potentially feeding the enemy information. 

As Jun-ho approached the area Woo-seok mentioned, he hoped he was just being overly paranoid. He searched the deck and outer perimeter for clues but found nothing. Deciding to check everything, he entered the small storage room. Hidden in the corner he discovered a drone. 

Picking it up, he noticed the drone was being tampered with. He knew the drone pilot had no reason to tinker with the drones in this small space since he usually fixed them up on the main deck and kept them stored elsewhere. That would mean someone intentionally took the drone and was trying to sabotage their search efforts. 

He really didn’t want to believe it was Captain Park’s doing, but at this point he had no choice. He needed to act now if he wanted to save Gi-hun and end the games. He didn’t have the luxury to sit back anymore. Jun-ho decides on the spot that he’ll confront the captain with a bluff and see if he slips up. 

Jun-ho places the drone back down and readjusts his gun before heading out to find the captain and Woo-seok. He found the pair at the ship’s wheel chatting with two mercenary members. “Captain Park.” Jun-ho kept his tone even, striding up to the older man. 

“Oh, Jun-ho wha-” Before the captain could finish his sentence Ju-ho raised his gun and aimed it at him. “Restrain him.” Jun-ho ordered, not once taking his eyes away from the man. The mercenaries broke out of their initial shock and grabbed Captain Park, preventing him from escaping. “W-what’s the meaning of this?” The older man asked, shocked. 

“Where’s the drone pilot?” Jun-ho questioned, the captain’s mouth opening in offence. “I don’t know anything! Are you really suspecting me?” 

“Woo-seok said he heard a scream last night and you were the only one in the vicinity. I also found a drone tampered with, rendering the footage unusable. If it wasn’t you then who did it?” He confronted him. “You mean those 'dromes'? I don’t even know how to operate one let alone mess around with it!” Captain Park argued. 

“TELL ME THE TRUTH!” Jun-ho yelled, enraged, leaving the room stunned. 

Jun-ho wasn’t one to lose his composure or yell at others so him losing his temper came as a surprise to Woo-seok and the others. “Tell me who you’re working for, or I’ll shoot you.”  

“Why would I hide anything?! I’m not working for anyone.” The desperation was clear on the captain’s face but Jun-ho was still unsure if he was being truthful. Jun-ho pulled the trigger and fired into Park’s thigh. 

“Argh!” Park’s face contorted in pain, and he crumpled onto the floor.

“Jun-ho! I-isn’t this going too far?” Woo-seok anxiously hovered nearby but Jun-ho paid him no mine. He raised the pistol against Park’s temple, causing the older man to stiffen in fear. “The next one’s going in your head. Confess now.” 

There was a long pause before Captain Park released a shaky breath and muttered quietly, “H-he gave me orders to keep you away or else he’ll kill my family.” Jun-ho’s eyes widened. He couldn’t believe Captain Park was really sent by his brother to spy on his actions and keep them from finding the island. 

“Please, I’m desperate! He has my wife and kids under surveillance.” Park pleaded. Jun-ho lowered his gun. He was sympathetic towards Park’s situation, but he still fed the enemy information that led to casualties on their side. 

“First, show us where the island is. We can pretend that you’re still spying for them and haven’t caught on. That way your family can stay safe.” He compromised. “And it better be the correct island or else.” He added on, with a glare. Jun-ho was angry. At Park for lying and betraying him but also to himself for not predicting that his brother would plant a spy near him. 

“Okay. I’ll need a map to show you.” He requested. Jun-ho nodded towards Woo-seok who immediately left to grab a map from his office. Meanwhile, Jun-ho grabbed a rope and had Captain Park sit on a chair to which he tied his legs against. 

“Don’t try anything and we’ll treat your wound.” He said and Park nodded in response. His face was paler and was sweating, likely from the pain. Woo-seok returned with a map and laid it on the table in front of the captain. 

Captain Park scanned the map before pointing at a relatively large island. “Here. It’s this one.” Jun-ho examined the map over his shoulder. The island was in an area Park had previously said was government land and used mostly by fisherman, which was likely to have been a lie to steer them away from the area.

By now, more of the mercenaries had entered the room and observed the situation. “Medic, treat the captain’s wound. Have three guards on him at all times, don’t let him out of your sight. Woo-seok, we’re redirecting closer to the island. Go get the drones.” He gave out the orders. 

While they hauled Park off, Jun-ho searched up the coordinates and redirected the ship to the island’s direction. Since he didn’t want to tip them off, he planned to hover around the vicinity for now and observe the situation discreetly with the drones. 

It didn’t take more than a few hours to arrive, the sky now pitch-black. With the drone, they flew it closer to the island and scouted from the air. Since the drone pilot was gone, Woo-seok operated the drone in his stead. “Jun-ho, look! I see a small boat leaving the island!” 

Jun-ho stood next to him, eyes fixed on the screen. “Get closer and zoom in.” Woo-seok moved the drone to follow the boat. When the screen captured the occupants, Jun-ho was shocked. It was Gi-hun and his brother. Gi-hun was alive and didn’t seem to be in distress. In-ho was seated next to him, but his face was covered with his Frontman mask. ‘Why were they leaving the island together?’

“What do we do Jun-ho? That’s Gi-hun on the boat.” Woo-seok asked, his wide eyes meeting his. Jun-ho pondered before responding, “For now, we’ll follow Gi-hun’s boat. We’ll need the other drones to keep an eye on the island as well.” 

“Alright.”

⬤▲◼

In-ho could tell Gi-hun was anxious, even without him outwardly having his nerves on obvious display. As Young-il, he was able to closely observe the younger man. He could tell when Gi-hun was stressed, angry, frustrated, or deep in thought. His eyebrows more often than not scrunched up and a pensive expression painted his face. 

It was almost cute how Gi-hun thought so deeply on how to outsmart him without realizing his enemy was right next to him. In-ho secretly liked the naivety Gi-hun had that allowed him to get close to others and in turn, allow others get closer to him without suspicion. 

Gi-hun liked to believe that he was guarded, his fortresses impenetrable, but In-ho easily wormed his way into Gi-hun’s heart, whether he’d like to admit it or not. In-ho could see how his presence affected Gi-hun. His gaze was still full with enough hatred to sink a thousand fleets but beneath it was a faint hesitance. 

In-ho planned to exploit whatever microscopic piece of affection Gi-hun had for him. In-ho longed for the day Gi-hun’s hatred for him to simmer down and looked at him with neutrality instead of disdain. 

In-ho knew Oh Il-nam would never pause the games for anybody, but he wasn’t him. All his life he bowed down to people, never taking more than needed. When he commanded the games, he had a new purpose. But a small part of him still felt unsatisfied. Without Oh Il-nam, he was truly alone and with a heavy burden to carry. 

To In-ho, Gi-hun was a worthy adversary. An equal on similar terms. An enigma that captivated In-ho. He was everything In-ho wasn’t--kind, selfless, sacrificial, and naive. He reminded him of the man he once was. A detective with a strong sense of justice who wanted to believe the good in people. 

Perhaps, what In-ho truly wants is a partner he could share his difficulties with who wouldn’t be afraid to argue with him head on. With this in mind, In-ho is dead set on having Gi-hun become a Frontman with him. Even if he currently was repulsed by the idea, In-ho will take his time showing him the appeal. 

As In-ho took in the vast, inky blue sea in front of him, he briefly considered bringing Gi-hun on a proper ocean date. He had a private yacht where he and Gi-hun could spend some alone time together and bask in the sunlight during the day. He needed Gi-hun to be more comfortable around him however, lest he wanted to be thrown overboard by said man. 

Ahead of them, In-ho’s private island came into focus as they drew closer. In-ho observed Gi-hun’s face, a mix of surprise and confusion. When In-ho became the Frontman he purchased the private island that included a grand villa with his winnings. After losing his wife, he couldn’t stand being in the mainland anymore, so he hid himself away. 

Its perks included being closer to his workplace and the distance from the mainland also kept him under the radar from local authorities. They did an excellent job remaining obscure, but it never hurt to be extra cautious. At the edge of the shore was a small dock where the boat driver pulled up to, the engine lulling to a halt. 

In-ho rose from his seat and pulled Gi-hun along with him. The two stepped onto the deck and In-ho unbuckled Gi-hun’s life vest, tossing it onto the boat below. Gi-hun had a scowl on his face whenever In-ho was in close proximity, but his current gaze was transfixed on the large house in the distance that he was too distracted to focus on In-ho. 

“You live here? In the middle of nowhere?” He asked.

“Yes. Don’t bother thinking of escaping from here. Unless you’d like to swim in the shark infested waters.” He warned. There were no vehicles on the island Gi-hun could access so In-ho didn’t bother with guards, only having cameras and a security system. 

Gi-hun scoffed and muttered under his breath but not quiet enough that In-ho couldn’t pick up on it. “Wasn’t planning to.” In-ho strode off towards the house once he saw the guards drive off in the speedboat, leaving them alone. Well, mostly alone. 

“Welcome! I’ve been awaiting your arrival Mr. Frontman, Mr. Gi-hun.” 

A young man was waiting for them in front of the house, gesturing grandly as they approached. He had black, wavy hair and was dressed in an expensive dark suit. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties and his handsome face put most models to shame. 

“Who are you?” Gi-hun eyed him warily but the young man gave him a bright, boxy smile, one that In-ho knew charmed even the most difficult people. It slipped his mind to inform Gi-hun of his subordinate, but he figured not telling Gi-hun’s his plans were the correct approach for now, considering he hasn’t agreed to join him yet. 

“Call me V.” He grinned, giving them a cheesy peace sign. 

⬤▲◼

Gi-hun didn’t know what to make of V and his relationship to the Frontman and the games. He seemed unassuming enough, even a tad playful and eccentric. He knew his name, so he assumed In-ho had told the man who he was. Was he an associate? A guard? A businessman? Gi-hun didn’t know and the man next to him made no attempt to explain who the mysterious man was. 

“How was the boat ride? Not too rocky, I take it?” He questioned, eager to chat with Gi-hun. “Uh, no. It went fine.” He answered indifferently, slightly put off by the man's cheerful demeanor. V’s face brightened up at his response, despite the lack of enthusiasm. “That’s great! I always get seasick if the boat goes too fast, ugh. I haven’t thrown up yet so that’s a small blessing.” He chuckled. 

“That aside, I bet you're super tired. You can go on ahead.” With a smile, V sidestepped to let Gi-hun pass. Gi-hun glanced at In-ho, wondering if the man would follow him or let him freely explore the house. 

In-ho met his gaze but made no effort to move. “Your room is on the second floor, first door to the left. Everything you need should be there.” With that, he turned to talk to V and paid Gi-hun no mind. 

Guessing this is where the conversation ends, Gi-hun stepped up the small stairs to the house and entered. He was interested in what they were discussing but Gi-hun couldn’t pass up the opportunity to snoop around In-ho’s house without the man around. 

Closing the front door behind him, Gi-hun observed the house’s interior. The hardwood floors were light brown, and the walls were a pale white. It was relatively minimalist, with some art paintings adorned along the walls. To his immediate left was the kitchen which lacked a door and had a somewhat open layout. In front of him was the stairs so he bypassed it. To the left of the stairs was a large dining room. 

Gi-hun turned the other way, deciding to explore the right side of the house this time. He entered the living room, which also lacked a door and instead had an arched doorway. The living space seemed more decorated than the entrance. There were two large couches, a coffee table with a vase of flowers and a fireplace with knick knacks and trophies, and a large TV. 

Exiting the room, Gi-hun searched around for In-ho’s office. ‘He must keep his important documents or other secrets in his office.’ Gi-hun rationalized. Doing a sweep of the first floor he found the additional rooms contained a bathroom, the gym, the laundry room, a gallery, and a locked room. 

Deciding breaking the door was not a smart idea, he ascended up the stairs to the second floor. Upstairs was a lounge with another fireplace and TV with a bar and countertop across the room. Ignoring the left side, he went to the right instead. Stepping into the hallway, he entered the rightmost room and saw the office.

The large desk was filled with papers and documents but looked organized. One side of the wall contained bookshelves. Above the wall behind the desk was a large mural that Gi-hun couldn’t make out the contents of since the curtains were drawn shut, enveloping the room in darkness. 

Gi-hun opened the curtains to allow the moonlight to shine in and so he could see better. In the corner of the room, Gi-hun noticed a small, decorated table. There were photo frames and a white, shiny box. 

Drawn to the secluded section, Gi-hun walked closer and analyzed the photos. It was of In-ho and a woman who Gi-hun didn’t recognize. Perhaps his wife? In-ho was visibly younger, and a genuine smile was placed on his face. He looked nothing like the In-ho of now who barely showed any emotion except when it came to teasing Gi-hun.

One solo portrait of In-ho surprised Gi-hun. In the picture In-ho was wearing a police uniform, and a high-ranking one at that. ‘He wasn’t always the Frontman?’ Of course, Gi-hun knew the older man must’ve had a life before he was the Frontman, but he would’ve never guessed he used to be an officer. 

Gi-hun eyed the small box. It was ivory white and had gold designs of crescent moons and stars. It looked out of place in the dark colored room so Gi-hun opened the top. A small platform surfaced up containing a porcelain figurine of a lady and a figurine band behind her. 

Immediately after popping up, the lights flickered on from the sides and the dolls started moving in a performance and music flooded from the box.

“Fly me to the moon and let me play among the stars,

Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars, 

In other words, hold my hand,

In other words, baby, kiss me”

Chapter Text

WHAM .

The front door slammed shut, startling Gi-hun and filling him with panic. 

In-ho was returning and Gi-hun was standing in his office snooping through his things. If he caught him, Gi-hun could kiss his short, pitiful life goodbye. 

The music box was still playing loudly so Gi-hun hurried to turn it off, his hands fumbling over the latch. Finally slamming the box closed he ran to close the curtains and quickly exited the room. 

He could hear In-ho’s slow steps making its way towards the stairs so Gi-hun dashed towards his room. Once inside, he slammed the door behind him. He wasn’t caught but Gi-hun’s heart was beating like crazy from the adrenaline. 

Taking a moment to calm down, Gi-hun noticed the room in front of him. In the center was a queen-sized bed with white and light grey covers. On either side were small nightstands with lamps. There was a large closet and the door to the bathroom. On the other end was a desk with some decor, a dresser, and a mirror. Compared to how impersonal and lifeless the rest of the house felt, his room had a homier feel with the softer tones. 

Gi-hun opened the dresser and saw it was full of clothes. He checked the tags and noticed it was all in his size. He felt a chill run down his spine knowing In-ho knew his exact size and had all the garments prepared beforehand. Ignoring the icky feeling of dread in his stomach, he entered the bathroom with some clothes in hand.

The bathroom was equally nice, with a sink, toilet, and shower. The cabinets were stocked with toiletries and the shower even had body wash and hair products. He turned on the water and took his clothes off. He didn’t know what In-ho was up to but Gi-hun found himself hardly caring as he stepped into the warm shower. 

He let the warm water melt away the nerves and stress from his body. The games had bathrooms for each gender but lacked any showers causing people to wipe themselves down with the sink water. When he lived in the streets and was homeless, he was so depressed he hardly showered. All his hardships gave him a newfound appreciation for how refreshing showers were. 

Gi-hun scrubbed his skin and shampooed his hair, determined to get rid of his built-up sweat and dirt. After showering, he dried himself off with a towel and changed into sweats and T-shirt. It was still the middle of the night, and the shower made Gi-hun feel drowsy, so he decided to lay down on the bed. 

He planned to rest for a few minutes before searching for In-ho to question him, but before he knew it, he drifted off to sleep. 

⬤▲◼

Gi-hun opened his eyes and was surprised to see darkness. It was pitch black and Gi-hun couldn’t even see two feet in front of him. He sat up from the mattress and suddenly was blinded by bright lights. He flinched from the intensity and shielded his eyes from the intrusive brightness. Once his eyes adjusted, he almost choked on his split once he realized where he was. 

He was back in the games. 

The main room was practically bare except for his bed and the large pig tethered to the ceiling. Why was Gi-hun back? Did he dream that he escaped the island? Or did In-ho bring him back?

Distressed, Gi-hun ran across the room and pounded on the large doors. “Let me out! Is anyone there?!” He shouted, desperately smashing his hands against the metal door. “Let me out of here!”

‘I don’t want to be here anymore…I can’t…’ Gi-hun felt pathetic. He hated the games, how they made human beings turn on each other for a few bucks. He didn’t want to be back and be unable to do anything about it. Every thought of this place reminded him of his friends he couldn’t bring back. 

“Gihun.” A voice called out and a hand grasped his shoulder.

Gi-hun whipped his hand around and saw Sang-woo standing behind him. “Sang-woo! H-how?!” Gi-hun was shocked and perplexed. It couldn’t be Sang-woo. Sang-woo was d-

“Gi-hun, how could you leave us?” Sang-woo asked, tightening his grip on Gi-hun’s shoulder. “W-what?” He replied, dumbfounded. 

Abruptly, the door in front of them opened revealing Sae-byeok, Ali, and Jung-bae in front a towering pile of corpses dressed in bloody green tracksuits. 

“Gi-hun, why are you alive?” Sae-byeok asked, her eyes devoid of any emotion. 

“Why did you abandon us?” Ali questioned, hatred and disgust painting his features. 

“Why didn’t you help me?!” Jung-bae angrily yelled at him.

“I-I d-didn’t-” The words got caught in Gi-hun’s throat and he was unable to respond. His poor attempt at words didn’t seem to appease them and within a blink of an eye they were all covered in blood. Sae-byeok was bleeding from the gash on her throat, Ali had a gaping hole in his head and blood covered much of his face, and Jung-bae’s entire stomach was coated in blood. 

Behind him, Sang-woo was cold and wet to the touch, almost as if he came back from trudging through a rainstorm. The three of them lunged at Gi-hun and he could feel deathly cold hands constricting his throat. 

“W-wait! S-stop-” He tried clawing the hands from his throat away but to no avail. He was overpowered and he was struggling to breathe. “N-no!” With tears in his eyes, he tried to move but was enclosed by their unmovable bodies. 

The hands on his throat tightened and Gi-hun couldn’t breathe anymore. He was suffocating. His face and throat burned, and he pitifully gasped for air. Soon, he could only see blotchy dark patches and his vision blurred. 

He was dying. Gi-hun was dying at the hands of his friends. He couldn’t think straight. Air, he needed air. But how? He couldn’t concentrate. All he could hear besides the ringing of his ears were them repeating his name while squeezing his throat.

“Gi-hun!” 

I can’t breathe-

“Gi-hun!”

Help-

“Gi-hun!” 

Gi-hun gasped as he startled awake. 

He quickly sat up and almost slammed into a presence besides him. Gi-hun took in harsh, ragged breaths as he tried to regain his bearings, his hands reaching up to touch his neck. 

“Gi-hun, are you alright?” The voice asked, which Gi-hun belatedly registered as In-ho. He hovered over Gi-hun with a hand on his shoulder and his face had a pensive expression, almost as if he was worried. 

‘Pfft, worried? For me? That bastard created this mess in the first place.’ Gi-hun scoffed in his head. “I’m fine.” His voice was rough and hoarse as he harshly slapped In-ho’s hand away. He ran a hand through his sweaty hair and took in deep breaths to calm down. 

From the corner of his eye Gi-hun could see that In-ho still hasn’t left yet. He hovered awkwardly with his arms stiffly at his side. ‘What’s this guy's problem?’ 

“Why haven’t you left yet?” He bluntly asked. Inho drew out a short huff before answering. “I’ll be gone the rest of the day but V will be here alongside you.” 

‘Great. He assigned a guard dog to keep watch over me.’ Gi-hun bitterly thought. “Fine.” He said shortly and resumed looking at the other side of the room, ignoring In-ho’s presence. Despite his lack of attention towards the older man, In-ho continued. 

“There's breakfast in the kitchen. If you get hungry later in the day, just tell V to prepare you a meal. The kid may not look like it, but he’s a good cook.” With that, the man turned away and left leaving Gi-hun alone in the room. 

Breathing out a deep sigh, Gi-hun flopped back onto the bed. It’s been a long time since he’s had dreams that vivid. He couldn’t even distinguish them from reality. It felt so real to him that he could still feel the ghost of their touch on his skin. 

Perhaps the most embarrassing part of this whole ordeal was that In-ho was there to see Gi-hun practically whine pathetically in his sleep over a nightmare. 5 years older dealt with nightmares better than Gi-hun had. 

Gi-hun buried his face into his pillow with a groan and willed himself to forget the humiliating incident. 

⬤▲◼

After V introduced himself, Gi-hun headed into the house by himself. In-ho would have followed him, but he needed to discuss some matters with his subordinate before heading inside. 

“So that’s the infamous Gi-hun the old boss talked about.” V grinned. “Has he decided to join us?” His eyes sparkled with excitement. In-ho took his eyes off Gi-hun as he disappeared inside the house and addressed the younger man. 

“Not yet. He still has to warm up to the idea first. Don’t try to rush him or he’ll close off.” In-ho informed him. V raised his hand in a mock solute. “Aye aye, sir!” 

In-ho internally sighed. Going forward will be a lot more exhausting with V around. Because Gi-hun decided to kill his top Recruiter who worked as his right-hand man outside the Games, he was forced to find a new Recruiter to occupy the position. V was the most qualified and experienced for the position that he was the obvious candidate. 

He had no particular attachment to the last Recruiter, but he was satisfactory in his job and didn’t ask many questions. V was just as efficient in his work but had an eccentric personality. Maybe if In-ho thought of him as an overexcited puppy it would be better for his health. 

“I’m heading back to the island in the morning, so I need you here with Gi-hun. His little rebellion cost us a lot of manpower, so I need you to compile lists for more soldier candidates. I trust you’ll have everything handled here?” In-ho spoke.

“Yes, boss.” V replied, more serious now he received orders. Despite his easygoing attitude and appearance, V was incredibly intelligent and knew how to read a room. He was a perfect choice that would break down Gi-hun’s defenses with his boyish charms but also smart enough not to give too much information away. In-ho definitely trusted V more than the last recruiter. 

“Good.” In-ho walked towards the house and entered, ready to sleep after too much time awake. His past job as a detective and his current role as the Frontman had many similarities, with the lack of sleep as the most prominent one. 

As he walked closer to the stairs, he heard a door upstairs slam shut. Most likely Gi-hun was uneasy about sharing a space together. Understandable after what he’s been through the past week. Letting the man have his space was the best option if In-ho wished for Gi-hun to have some semblance of trust in him. In-ho descended up the stairs and withdrew into his room that was on the right side of the house. 

He changed his clothes and slipped under the silk covers. He would have to visit the islands to oversee the games. He didn’t necessarily lie to Gi-hun, but he did stretch the truth. By now, the Officer would have gotten his message to allow the remaining players to vote on their fate. Continue to play or cease the games. 

Even as the Frontman he didn’t have the power to stop the games by his own will. The rules set forth by Oh Il-nam were practically the law and outrode any decision he could make. Additionally, the VIP investment was too high to simply dismiss and upsetting them was not in their best interest. 

He needed to get the games ready for their arrival and have the Officer ready to oversee the games in his place while he dealt with outside matters in his manor alongside Gi-hun. His short absence was a necessary sacrifice in order to obtain the time to be together with Gi-hun. 

He was confident in the Officer’s efficiency to proceed with games, having been at his side for multiple years. And of course, he’ll have V checking in periodically to report if the operation is running smoothly. In-ho may even invest in another method that could update him on the island’s affairs and also bring Gi-hun to realize there’s no escape from In-ho’s grasp as long as he values people’s lives. 

In-ho was an incredibly patient man. He could play the long game forever if it meant he could break Gi-hun’s walls, little by little. Soon, Gi-hun will realize that each decision he made was to awaken Gi-hun’s hidden desires the man kept locked away. 

Soon, his attention will solely be on In-ho. Soon, his heart and body will belong to In-ho. And soon, In-ho will have Gi-hun at his side, in his rightful place watching greedy creatures stomp over each other for monetary gains. He only wanted to give the best to his Gi-hun.

⬤▲◼

By the time Gi-hun had finished wallowing in his bed, it was 30 minutes later, and his stomach began rumbling, signaling his hunger. He heard the front door close a while ago, so he assumed In-ho left already to who knows where. He probably should’ve questioned him more about his plans but after that intense nightmare, the last thing he wanted to do was talk any longer to the psychotic man. 

His anger bubbled over every time he saw the man’s face, threatening to beat the life out of him. The only thing holding him back was the fact he needed to observe In-ho in order to figure out how to stop the games for good. In-ho held the most power as the Frontman, but he needed to go after the VIPs as well since their funding fueled the entire operation. He didn’t have a solid plan at the moment but knew he eventually needed a way to communicate with Jun-ho. 

Deciding eating was important to give him energy to strategize and escape, Gi-hun listened to his growling stomach and rose out of bed, heading for downstairs. Halfway down the steps, Gi-hun noticed someone was sitting at the dining table. 

V must have heard his footsteps since he raised his head towards his direction, eyes lighting up and a wide smile gracing his features. 

“Good morning, Gihun-ssi! Did you sleep well?” The younger man waved at him from his chair. Dressed in laid-back attire, he had a mug in one hand and a book in front of him. It was a strange sight considering they were in a house owned by the head of an illegal organization. V was even stranger as he seemed to be a normal, cheerful guy in stark contrast to the stoic, deranged In-ho. 

“Mm, yes I did.” He replied. V was unassuming enough and hadn’t given Gi-hun a reason yet to dislike him. He could’ve been kidnapped here like Gi-hun for all he knew. He reached the end of the stairs and noticed plates of food laid out on the other side of the table. 

“That’s great. I already ate so those are for you.” V gestured to the breakfast set up across from him. “Alright, thanks, uh, V.” He said, feeling weird about addressing the younger man by a letter. 

Gi-hun settled into the chair and picked up the utensils. Trying some of the dishes in front of him, he noticed some were cold already, likely due to his late arrival. It didn’t bother Gi-hun that much and the food was still tasty despite its cooling. 

“So, uh, what’s your relationship to In-ho? Are you a relative?” Gi-hun asked after pondering in his mind how to question the man in front of him. Was he his brother? Friend? Worker? In the end Gi-hun decided to be straightforward. Being secretive and scheming was never Gi-hun’s strong suit. Sang-woo was always the intelligent one in the dynamic whereas Gi-hun was loud and brash. If Sang-woo was in his spot, he’d probably have the whole Squid Games exposed to the world in under a year. 

Dismissing the passing thought of his close friend, he returned his attention to V. He didn’t appear surprised or uneasy about Gi-hun’s question, instead he chuckled at his words. “Haha, no, I’m not. Inho-ssi is like a mentor to me.” V answered. 

Mentor? Gi-hun doubted In-ho would be a good one unless it dealt with torturing people. Then, V wasn’t a captive like him and was likely one of In-ho’s men or lackeys, meaning Gi-hun shouldn’t trust him easily. Anyone working for In-ho may as well just be as bad. 

“So, you work for him? Like as one of the soldiers?” Gi-hun questioned, the food in front of him forgotten in lieu of extracting answers from the only person in this god-forsaken island who didn’t seem to be an asshole. “Ah, no. I could never work in that depressive place. I’m more of a freeloader right now. I just help with the animals in the back.” He boyishly grinned. 

“Why are you working for In-ho? You honestly don’t strike me as one of those cold, emotionless fuckers back at the island.” He pressed. It was true, V appeared more as an average kid you’d find laughing along with his group of friends at college as they played basketball or arcade games. 

V sipped his drink for a moment before answering. “It’s a long story. I wouldn’t want to bore you on your first week here. How about I give you a tour of the house instead? You probably weren’t able to get a good look yesterday and it’s best to know where everything is.” He easily switched topics. 

“Alright.” Gi-hun replied. He probably was too insistent with his questions so Gi-hun left it at that for now. 

They both moved to the kitchen and deposited their dishware into the dishwasher. After V pointed out where the silverware, ingredients, snacks, and drinks were, they moved on to tour the rest of the house. 

“The door in the dining area leads to the patio and pool area. There isn’t much outside besides the garden, stables for the horses, and the shed.” 

“Horses? Are they In-ho’s?”

“Yes, he’s a great rider. You should ask him to teach you sometime! I also know how to ride but I’ve been told I’m a horrible teacher, haha.” 

Asking In-ho to teach him how to ride a horse? Gi-hun would rather jump into the ocean and fight a shark. A strong pass. 

“This is the gym. In-ho wakes up at the crack of dawn to work out, but I always oversleep so I end up working out later in the day.” 

Avoid the gym in the morning, noted.

“This is the laundry room, nothing too exciting. Let me show you my favorite part of the house instead, the gallery!”

As the two approached the gallery room, Gi-hun noticed the locked door he couldn’t get into was right across the hallway. Stopping in his tracks he decided to ask V. 

“Hey, V. What’s this room?” Gi-hun asked, gesturing towards the door. “Oh, that’s my room. I got pretty lucky with the placement, I’m right across the gallery.” He grinned. “From my window I can easily see the dock, so I usually know when the boss man arrives.”

“Oh, I see.” Satisfied with the explanation, the two entered the art gallery, Gi-hun immediately spotting dozens of paintings lining the walls and pieces of artifacts on display. V eagerly explained each painting with unrivaled enthusiasm. 

“Look Gihun-ssi! This one is “Bal al le Moulin de la Gallette” made by Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Boss bought this one at a French auction.” 

“Oh, this one is my favorite, “Portrait of Doctor Gachet” by Van Gough. I heard it cost millions.” 

“I also like this one, “The Lute Player” by Caravaggio.”

Throughout the short duration of their time together, V was constantly chatting, always finding something to talk about with him. However, this was the first time Gi-hun saw the man absorbed in his own world. It tugged a little at Gi-hun’s heartstrings that the younger man was so passionate about his interests. It reminded Gi-hun of the times his daughter would run up to him to proudly show him her messy drawings. 

Gi-hun didn’t know anything about art but did hear V mention a few famous names to know In-ho’s gallery must’ve contained lots of famous, priceless works. ‘I guess when he’s not killing innocent people, he's out there tossing cash at other rich people.’ Gi-hun rolled his eyes at the thought. 

“Then, In-ho’s hobby is collecting art when he's not doing his main job at ruining innocent people’s lives?” Gi-hun couldn’t help but let the sarcastic remark slip past his lips. It annoyed Gi-hun that In-ho was just like those rich, scumbag VIPs who thought that just belonging to a high tax bracket would give them permission to do whatever the hell they wanted. It especially annoyed him when he thought of all the times In-ho would act superior and domineering to him when he was just a snotty rich asshole.

V paused, his attention now on Gi-hun instead of the painting of a cherry blossom with downturn leaves in a small, white vase. “Well, the majority of these paintings were from the old boss, Oh Il-nam. I can’t really speak on Boss’s behalf on why he continues buying artworks, but I do find looking at them relaxing.” V explained, glancing at the art piece with an almost forlorn expression. “My hyung would’ve loved this painting.”

Gi-hun didn’t know how to respond to that. His previous anger slowly dissipated. He couldn’t really take his hatred of the corrupt caste system out on a kid. He was an adult who knew better and needed to control his emotions. 

V leaned back against the wall, facing Gi-hun with a small smile. “I’m not ready to share my whole story yet but Inho-ssi is like a savior to me. He helped me when I was at my lowest point. So, even though he’s played a hand in destroying many lives, he at least has one life he saved.” 

His soft-spoken words left Gi-hun stunned. He obviously held a lot of respect for In-ho. To Gi-hun, In-ho was an unforgivable person. He was the man who killed all of his close friends. 

But small doubts kept chipping away at Gi-hun’s mental fortitude. He couldn’t help but remember the times he confided in In-ho, as Young-il, who listened to him with rapt attention. He was able to lean on the older man when he felt overwhelmed by the suffocating stale environment of the games. 

There were times when In-ho unabashedly stared at Gi-hun with an intense emotion he didn’t know how to describe. Even going as far as handling Gi-hun with gentle hands yesterday when he led him to the boat and even this morning when he respected his space. V’s words of praise only seemed to remind Gi-hun of those strange moments with the man who claimed he wanted to possess Gi-huh. 

In-ho did do an untold number of unforgivable actions, but his stupid brain supplied that he also stopped the current game and saved player 456 when Gi-hun asked him to. 

Gi-hun never really learned how to deal with his emotions. So, he did what he did best. Ignore it and hope for the best.

⬤▲◼

After the unexpected conversation at the gallery, they moved upstairs to finish the tour. V showed him the second living room, connected bar area, and the secluded library when they reached In-ho’s office. 

“Alright, this is Boss’s private study.” Without hesitance V opened the door. “Uh, won’t he get mad that we went inside his office?” Gi-hun questioned, slightly confused on how V confidently waltzed into the room. 

“Nope. He would’ve locked the door if he didn’t want us inside.” He explained. “He must really trust you.” The man threw in the small comment like an afterthought. Gi-hun doubted that was really the case but followed V inside. 

The small space looked exactly the same as it did last night, except he was able to see the true colors of the room now that sunlight poured into the room. Due to the light source, Gi-hun was now able to see the large painting that hung over the center wall and it filled him with unexpected unease. 

The portrait depicted a woman in a white nightgown draped across her bed, arms dangling off. Disturbingly, a small hairy, goblin-like creature sat on top of her stomach, bulging eyes glaring at the viewer. Off in the shadows was a black horse with white pupils and ominous presence. 

It was something Gi-hun would have never foreseen being in In-ho’s study. Unlike the artworks in the galley, this one contained by far the darkest imagery. V must have noticed his fixated gaze on the portrait because he spoke up. 

“Interested in the painting? This one is called “The Nightmare” and was made by Henry Fuseli in 1781 if I remember correctly. Pretty impactful, right?” He noted off but Gi-hun was too transfixed by the portrait to properly acknowledge his words. 

Gi-hun was not the best interpreter of art and definitely flunked school, but something about the painting drew him in. It made him feel uncomfortable with the disturbing creatures, but he weirdly related to the image. 

To Gi-hun, it represented sleep paralysis and nightmares out of the person’s control. It reminded him of his vivid nightmare he had earlier that day. His metaphoric position was the same as the woman, both weighed down by a malicious presence. 

He wondered if the painting hung on Inho’s study was just a weird coincidence or conveyed something deeper. Offhandedly, he wondered if In-ho also experienced nightmares.  

‘No, there’s definitely no way.’ 

Chapter Text

The noisy sounds of the helicopter rotor fills the air as In-ho, along with the pilot, fly towards the island. In-ho was heading back towards the games in order to sort out some management affairs and to instruct the Officer to finish the games without him. He would much rather have sent the instructions as a message but due to his position as the Frontman and the sensitive nature of their work, he needed to be there in person. 

Soon enough, the helicopter hovered over the expansive island which opened up the massive false forest floor to reveal the landing pad. The pilot stabilized the helicopter and descended into a successful landing. The ceiling closed above them and the helicopter noises ceased as the pilot turned off the engine. 

In-ho removed the noise canceling headphones and deplaned, beelining for the command center. The soldiers posted outside opened the doors for him as he strode in and he once again donned the sleek black mask. 

Inside the Officer greeted him and updated him on the game’s current affairs. As expected, the majority of players voted to continue the games. In-ho informed the Officer that he would be in charge of running the games and appeasing the VIPs while In-ho dealt with the paperwork. 

Once he returned to the island, V would be going back and forth from the island and In-ho’s villa for reports, check ins, and replenishing the supply of soldiers they lost. V would be his eyes and ears on the island that would allow In-ho to continue overseeing the games without leaving Gi-hun. 

As In-ho skimmed the new documents in his hand, the Officer handed him a new report. “I’ve been notified that Manager Park has failed to report in the last check in, sir. Yesterday, our radar also detected Park’s fishing vessel several kilometers from the island. They have been stationary so far but we’re certain they are using drones to scope out the island.” 

In-ho clenched the report in his hands as he contemplated how to proceed.

The year Gi-hun won the games was also the year his younger brother managed to sneak into the island and figure out where he had disappeared to. It broke his heart to shoot his own brother but it was the only way he could continue to protect him. 

Captain Park was one of the managers who In-ho had personally recruited. Whenever a game wasn’t taking place, the pair in addition to the previous recruiter would go fishing. Park already owned a boat so In-ho ordered the man to save his brother and also keep him from discovering the island’s whereabouts. Knowing Park took pride in his work ethic, In-ho knew the man would never miss sending a daily radio message. 

“He’s likely been revealed. Cease all communications with him and set up additional safeguards. Since you’ll be busy with the games, I’ll assign this investigation to a new team. I’ll have soldier 011 lead it.” He ordered. After a moment, the Officer nodded his head, “Yes, Captain.”

His brother’s case was a cautious matter he didn’t fully trust leaving to the Officer or any other official game managers. In-ho didn’t want to be in a situation where he had to execute his brother for real this time for discovering the games and VIPs. Even with Oh Il-nam gone now, there were eyes everywhere that didn’t allow him to move freely and act against protocol. 

In-ho need to assign someone trustworthy to ensure Jun-ho would remain naive of their location or ensure he didn’t leak out information to the public or authorities about their operations. In In-ho’s opinion, the most suitable person was the individual who you had leverage or blackmail over. If it was significant enough, you could bend that person to your will easily. 

Currently, due to his favor for keeping player 246 alive, he would be able to have soldier 011 handle Jun-ho’s case without worry that the game operatives would be notified. The only thing left to do was to relay the orders. 

⬤▲◼

In-ho was in his private room, relaxing in his chair and drinking whiskey, as he observed the players through the screen. After the vote that morning, they were all anxious. Some grouped together to converse while others preferred to keep to themselves. 

He noticed player 222 drifting to sleep on her bed after player 149 and 120 persuaded her to rest. During his time as Young-il, he was touched to see how much everyone cared for the young lady. 

It wasn’t his intention as the Frontman to invite a pregnant woman to play the games but she hid the pregnancy so well that it wasn’t until she arrived into the games that they were aware of her situation. Since she already accepted the invitation, there was nothing they could do but treat her as any other player to honor the rule of all players being equal. Her situation reminded him of his own wi-

The sound of the elevators opening behind him broke In-ho’s focus on the images. In-ho placed his glass beside him and rose to his feet to address his subordinates. Soldier 011 and former player 246, now newly assigned soldier 024, stepped out of the elevator and strode towards him. 

Number 011 stopped a few feet away and stood at attention without missing a beat, an exemplary example of a model soldier. Number 024 followed after, somewhat clumsily mimicking her actions. 

“Number 011, Number 024,” He addressed them. “I’ll be assigning you a special task. You’ll report only to me or Recruiter V.” He paused for a moment and the two responded with a nod in agreement. 

“Currently there is a fishing vessel a few dozen kilometers from the island. Your mission is to keep the vessel away from here using any means. Unless the vessel advances towards here, do not use force. If they get close to the island, you are authorized to fire upon them. If they decide to escape, do not pursue them. Questions?” 

“None, Captain.” Number 011 stoically responded. 

“You have the authority to assemble a team with soldiers of your choice. I want the vessel monitored 24/7 and you are allowed to access the armory for additional weapons and speedboats.” In-ho reaches behind him and grabs a small handheld radio and a black mask with a white square. 

In-ho hands over the items to Number 011. “You will be promoted to manager, Soldier 011. The radio is to communicate with Recruiter V and your teammates. When you finish assembling your team, inform him of the soldiers so he can replace them with new soldiers. Report any movements to him.” 

“Yes, Captain.” 011 responds, placing the radio on her uniform’s belt and replacing her triangle mask with the square one. “That is all, dismissed.” The pair nodded one last time before turning around and leaving via the elevator. 

Number 011 has been a perfect worker so far and despite being recruited by the Officer, In-ho is certain she is not loyal towards him and will perform well. Now the only thing left for In-ho to do is return to his villa and persuade Gi-hun to work alongside him willingly. Even if it means doing whatever it takes. 

⬤▲◼

Gyeong-seok walks beside the female soldier 011 as they leave the Frontman’s office. The past week has been eventful for the normally shy man. From joining the games, participating in a failed coup, to almost being eliminated and shot through the shoulder, then being saved by a guard, to discovering the Frontman was actually Young-il, and Gi-hun was alive but for some reason the two kissed?

The last part was especially shocking to Gyeong-seok. From his time with Gi-hun, he knew the man held a deep animosity for the Frontman and the people operating the games. So, it blew his mind when he saw Gi-hun and Young-il kissing. However, he mentioned sparing him and ending the games, so Gyeong-seok was grateful to Gi-hun for saving his life. 

Gyeong-seok knew that the players voted in the morning to continue or stop the games which resulted in the games resuming. He wasn’t fully sure if the Frontman kept his end of the deal but he wasn’t in a position to question his now boss’s actions. Plus he wasn’t sure where Gi-hun and the Frontman went.

And for the guard he was currently following, his savior who decided to save him despite putting her own life at risk, he was eternally grateful for her. However, ever since he saw her face when he was dragged in by the guards to the control center, he’s had this nagging feeling that he’s seen her before. 

He began to open his mouth to ask her but before he’s able to speak, a voice from the radio attached to her belt cuts through. “Number 011, report in.” 011 doesn’t appear to startle, unlike Gyeong-seok, and calmly grabs the radio to respond. 

“This is Number 011.” 

“Hello, this is V. Captain must have filled you in on the details by now. You’ll be observing the vessel 24/7 while being on standby to engage it in a potential gunfight. I recommend recruiting six to eight personnel to observe the ship throughout the day in pairs. There's a room on the east wing where the recruiters have files on the soldiers and screens to watch either the soldiers or players. I’ve given you access to the room so it can help you with assembling your team.“ 

“Copy that, sir.” 011 speaks into the radio. “If I may, can I ask a question? Why not send us with an already made team?” 

“This task is very confidential. Normally this would be left to the Frontman or the Officer to deal with, however the Captain will be busy attending to other tasks. He didn’t assign the task to the Officer because he doesn’t trust him. If I were you, I’d pick out soldiers who aren’t loyal or work directly under the Officer. Good luck.” 

The radio turned silent, leaving just the two of them again. The guard stashed her radio before nodding towards the hallway. “Let’s go.” She strode off. 

“R-right.” Gyeong-seok followed along. He had no clue what the conversations between 011 and her superiors meant but all he knew was that listening to whatever 011 told him to do would be best. 

The two made their way across the compound, sometimes passing by other guards, until they reached an empty corridor with a singular door painted in blue and yellow. 

011 touched the keypad and the camera above scanned her mask, granting them access. Both of them entered the small room which contained a desk with a computer monitor and a shelf filled with boxes of folders. The female guard made her way to the desk and sat down, turning on the computer. 

It was just the two of them so Gyeong-seok took off his mask and uniform hoodie. “Hah, I don’t know how you get used to this mask on your face.” He commented, abandoning his mask in favor of skimming through the boxes of files. He didn’t know what he was meant to look out for but he felt actively helping would be better than sitting around cluelessly. 

“In the future don’t remove your mask in front of others.” She scolded, still facing the computer as she went through the virtual library. “Yes, I’ll remember that, thank you.” He smiled, despite her being unable to see his expression. 

“By the way, I know last time you didn’t want to show your face but back at the control room, I couldn’t help but notice you seemed familiar. Have we met before?” He asked, anticipating her reply. 

The guard seemed to stiffen before she slowly reached to take off her mask. Gyeong-seok stepped forward to circle around the desk to see her face more closely. She was pretty with high cheekbones and striking features. He racked his brain to remember where he’s seen her before and briefly recalled a familiar face at his workplace.

“Wait, were you a worker at Soul Land? As one of the performers?” He asked, to which she nodded in response. “Woah, what a coincidence. My name is Park Gyeong-seok by the way, can I ask what yours is?” He added, hopeful she would respond. 

“...No-eul.” She provided, eyes flickering back to the screen. “If you want to be useful, search the files for the guard information on this year.” 

“On it.” He grinned, happy to finally know her name, before turning back to the shelf to start his search. 

⬤▲◼

Gi-hun walks past the pool and heads straight for the horse stables. After their tour wrapped up at In-ho’s office, V cooked lunch and the pair ate in a comfortable silence. When he finished eating, V excused himself and left for his room. Deciding to explore the rest of the property, Gi-hun went outside to check out the stables V had mentioned. 

Gi-hun unlocked the stable doors and stepped onto the wooden planks that were loosely covered in scattered hay. Soft grunts from the horses greeted him as he walked further into the stable. The structure was large but only seemed to have four horses. 

One of the horses with a brilliant white coat seemed to greet him as they stuck their head into the walkway. The horse seemed to eagerly wait for him, so Gi-hun hesitantly raised his hand and slowly petted the horse’s face. The horse appeared to enjoy the petting and nudged their face further into his hand. 

“Hello, what a pretty horse you are.” He smiled, no longer nervous. Despite his frequent outings to the horse betting rings, he never actually interacted with a horse before. He was born and raised in the city and never visited the countryside. 

As he brushed the horse’s white mane, he couldn’t help but recognize the similarities in how he used to bet on horses and how the VIPs bet on players. He felt disgusted that those people easily disregarded human lives but also disgusted at himself for participating in a similar system. 

“You never wanted to run those races, huh?” Gi-hun spoke softly to the horse, their black eyes staring innocently back. 

“She likes you.” 

Gi-hun startled at In-ho’s voice coming directly behind him, nearly jumping out of his skin. 

“W-what are you doing here?” He asked after spinning around to face him. He hadn’t heard the man arrive nor enter the stables. 

“I finished my work earlier than expected. Besides, I own this entire island so I can go wherever I want.” He said smugly. Gi-hun rolled his eyes at that, “What are you doing here , then? How did you know where I was?” 

“I have cameras everywhere, finding you wasn’t hard. I wanted to discuss a few matters with you.” He revealed. 

“Are you finally going to release me from this island?” Gi-hun asked sarcastically, knowing In-ho never intends to free him.

“Think what you want but I’m not keeping you imprisoned here. You have a bedroom, meals, clothes, and you’re free to roam wherever you want. I may consider taking you back home if you ask nicely.” In-ho winked. 

“Yeah and break yet another promise?” Gi-hun replied, pissed. “You told me you’d end the games but only ended this year’s game.” 

In-ho let out a long sigh and leaned back against the wall, his smug composure breaking down. “I don’t have that much power to completely end the games. Even if I die, they’ll just replace me. The players, guards, and the Frontman are just positions that are easily disposable.” 

“But you’re the Frontman, you operate those games!” Gi-hun yelled, frustrated. How could the Frontman who controlled every aspect of the games be powerless to stop them? Gi-hun didn’t understand how it was possible. 

“Yes, but there were others before me and there will be others after me. Oh Il-nam was the one who wielded the actual power, I was just another person he gave the position to.” 

“Then just gain the power to end them!” Gi-hun shouted, angered at his flimsy excuses. 

“...Even if I wanted to end the games, I can’t do it by myself.” In-ho gave him a leveled look. “I might not share all your beliefs but I do believe that with you by my side we could take over and control the games however we want.” 

Gi-hun reeled back, disbelief filling his entire being. In-ho wanted him to join the very corrupt organization he was trying to destroy? Gi-hun would rather eat shit and die than do that.

“No! I’m not taking part in a system that kills innocent people. Fuck you.” Gi-hun spun on his heel, storming out of the stables. 

“Innocent people? Like who? Your so called ‘friends’ that abandoned you?!” In-ho yelled after him, causing Gi-hun to stop dead in his tracks. Gi-hun slowly looked over his shoulder, “...What?”

“Why do you think you never received that additional ammo? They ran away to save their own skin. That kid, 388? If he had just brought more ammo we would’ve faced more damage and you would’ve made it all the way to the doors of the control room. Having trust in those kinds of people will only get you stabbed in the back.” 

“You're lying! They wouldn’t do that.” Gi-hun shook his head trying to get the growing suspicions out of his head. 

“If you won’t believe me, then maybe you’ll believe the footage from that night. Follow me if you wish to see.” In-ho said, walking off without a look back as if confident Gi-hun would follow no matter what. 

And Gi-hun did follow him all the way to his office. He didn’t want to be left in the dark anymore and wanted to see with his own eyes if what In-ho said was true.

In-ho grabbed the tablet sitting on his desk and tapped around, pulling up some video footage that he handed over to Gi-hun. It started from when they first started their rebellion in the main room, taking the pink soldiers off guard and shooting their way up the spiraling stairs. 

Gi-hun watched as Dae-ho ran back to the main room and gathered ammo from the stockpile. However, instead of walking out of the doors, Dae-ho stood still and unmoving. He dropped the ammo from his hands and retreated back to the beds. 

Gi-hun watched frozen as the other players tried their best to defend themselves with their limited ammo but were pushed back. Player 120 was the only one to run back to check on the situation but Player 149 stopped her from fighting back when the pink soldiers held the players in the main room at gunpoint. 

Gi-hun was angry, hell, he was absolutely livid. He was so mad that all he could see was red as he stared at the screen, watching the other rebel players being shot down by the pink guards. They wouldn’t have died if Dae-ho had just brought back the ammunition on time. Jung-bae would’ve still had a fighting chance. 

“He left you all for dead. The other players are all the same too. They wouldn’t hesitate to kill another human being if it meant using it to their advantage.” In-ho spoke softly next to him, despite the weight of his words. “Don’t you want revenge? It’s unfair that the rest of you had to survive by yourselves. I want to help you Gi-hun.”

“...How?” 

“I’ll tell my team to distribute the game invitations tonight. Whoever joins the games tomorrow will be doing it out of their free will. They would know the dangers and still have ignored your warnings in order to chase after their greed. If player 388 is there, then you’ll be able to get your revenge.” 

In-ho’s words were sound in logic. Gi-hun failed to stop the games and was in this mess because his friend betrayed the entire team. Loyalty meant everything to Gi-hun. In his eyes, it was unacceptable to forsake a friend in need. He felt so angry and genuinely felt like killing Dae-ho. 

“I need some time to think.” Gi-hun managed to choke out before leaving the tablet on In-ho’s desk and fleeing the office.

 Inside his bedroom, Gi-hun sat on the floor beside his bed and held his head in his hands. 

Should he accept In-ho’s offer and head back to the island? Or should he stay here and hope Jun-ho will rescue him? Should he place his trust that In-ho was telling the truth and defeat the games from within? 

Gi-hun was clueless what his next move was, and he no longer had any allies by his side to help him decide.

⬤▲◼

“The captain has left the island.” Gyeong-seok reported into the radio as he watched the Frontman leave the island via helicopter. Soon after he and No-eul skimmed through the guard records they were able to recruit six other soldiers to assist in surveillance. 

According to No-eul, they were new additions who were either skilled in surveying or dealing with weapons. Currently they were on the outskirts of the island, crouching beside a few trees to avoid being detected by drones.

“Still no movement from the ship.” A voice of a fellow guard spoke from the radio. 

Besides him No-eul was observing the ocean with a pair of binoculars. With her other hand she clicked on the radio, “Keep observing and report any suspicious movement.” 

“So uh, I guess we can rest easy for a while, right?” Gyeong-seok spoke up. No-eul lowered the binoculars but her gaze stayed fixed on the ocean, “For now.”

Since they had an even number of people on the team they had split up into pairs. No-eul decided on the arrangements and kept Gyeong-seok with her. He was grateful that he didn’t have to pair with a random stranger but No-eul wasn’t much of a talker so Gyeong-seok was usually the one initiating a conversation. 

Gyeong-seok was normally a shy person who didn’t try to attract attention but even he got anxious when the silence stretched for an uncomfortably long time. No-eul hadn’t gotten angry at Gyeong-seok for being too talkative yet so he decided to continue conversing with the stone-faced woman. 

“By the way, I wanted to ask…why did you save me?” Gyeong-seok asked after some long consideration. “Ah, I mean, I’m grateful that you saved me but I’ve been wondering why . It couldn’t just be due to the fact we’re coworkers, right? You risked your life for mine…”

No-eul was silent besides him, her blank face giving nothing away. However, because she was so poker-faced, Gyeong-seok was slowly learning to read her emotions. He’s always been observant and years as a portrait painter helped teach him the skills to read even the most guarded person. Her mouth turned slightly downward and her eyes were unfocused and laced with…saddess?

“I knew you had a sick daughter waiting for you back home. I didn’t want her to end up…alone.” She provided, her gaze shifting downwards onto the forest floor. 

“Na-yeon? I joined the games because of her hospital bills since she’s all I have left. After her mother passed during childbirth we only have each other. Thank you for saving me, I’ll never forget your kindness." Gyeong-seok smiled gratefully. 

No-eul stared at him but didn’t respond. From her open features he could only guess that she was slightly surprised. 

“So how did you end up as a guard? Was there some sort of application process?” He asked in order to change the topic but was also full of curiosity. 

“For the guards they also select people with debt or in bad conditions. The only difference is that they come from a military background or have a certain skillset.” No-eul explained.

“Then…are you also…?” 

“...I was in the North Korean military. I defected a few years ago and fled to South Korea.” No-eul admitted. 

“Really? What about your family? Did they also defect?” Gyeong-seok asked but instantly regretted it once he saw No-eul’s expression turn solemn. 

“No, my husband and daughter weren’t able to come with me. I’m…I don’t know where they are.” Her voice was so quiet that Gyeong-seok was only able to hear her words because of their close proximity. 

“I’m sorry I brought it up.” Gyeong-seok was remorseful. He didn’t mean to prod into the woman’s personal life so abrasively. Right as he was about to apologize more he suddenly remembered all the detailed information from the guard files. 

“Hey, what if we check the files and see if they contain anything about your family? I mean one talked about all the extended family one guard had that he never even met. I went through all the physical files and didn’t find ours but we could try the computer again?” He suggested.

“I already checked the computer files but there was no trace of ours. They must've restricted our access.” No-eul said, sounding defeated. 

“Then we could ask the Frontman.” No-eul stared at him like he suggested diving into hell. “We could! If we succeed in this mission we could earn his recognition. I can also ask Gi-hun if he would be willing to ask. He seems to have some sway over the Frontman so it might work!” Gyeong-seok was hopeful and confident in his plan. 

No-eul paused for a long moment that Gyeong-seok was beginning to think she would throw out his idea. 

“...Alright. We’ll go with your idea for now.” Her tone was as flat as it usually was, but he could see a ghost of a smile grace her features. 

⬤▲◼

After many hours of quiet contemplation, Gi-hun finally made up his mind. He slowly stood up, his stiff bones and muscles aching from inactivity. He exited his bedroom in order to find and confront In-ho. 

He didn’t have to search for long, immediately spotting the older man sitting at the bar pouring himself a glass of alcohol. Gi-hun dragged his feet over to the bar to join him. 

“Would you like a glass? Whiskey? Gin? Tequila?” In-ho offered, unfazed by his late night arrival.

Ignoring his words, Gi-hun spoke up, “I’ve decided." 

In-ho merely placed down his cup and looked expectantly at Gi-hun. His dark brown eyes staring straight into Gi-hun’s own, as if transfixed but never deviating. 

“I want revenge.”

In-ho appeared momentarily surprised but a charming grin quickly grew on his face. “Then I’ll make preparations. We’ll set off in the morning, but first,” In-ho poured an extra glass and slid it across the counter. 

“A toast.” In-ho raised his glass, patiently waiting for Gi-hun. 

Gi-hun grabbed his own glass and clicked it against In-ho’s. The pair swallowed down their alcohol, sealing their devilish deal. 

Chapter Text

After the pair downed their glasses Gi-hun could barely remember returning to his room. Confessing his inner desires, especially to In-ho, and perhaps because it was In-ho, gave Gi-hun a sense of relief and a rush of thrill. 

Now equipped with the truth, left Gi-hun clouded with anger. Images of all the rebel players who died because of him burned into his mind. He couldn’t forget how Dae-ho gave up their mission leaving the rest of them to die. Which also left Gi-hun at the mercy of In-ho.

Although he knew forming a deal with In-ho was basically shaking hands with the devil, Gi-hun was willing to do anything in order to achieve one thing: Vengeance. 

⬤▲◼

Come morning, In-ho was practically vibrating in excitement on the inside. Considering how defiant Gi-hun has been since he decided to attack the games, In-ho wasn’t sure how quickly it would take to break him. He was pleasantly surprised when Gi-hun decided to take action on his own after a few hours. 

Since he never ended the games and lied to Gi-hun, there was no reason for him to call the Officer about returning the players. He only communicated to V to send out word that the games are to resume in the morning and to make preparations for Gi-hun as a special participant. 

The next game was one In-ho personally designed, inspired by the many paintings that sat in his gallery and collection. It put Gi-hun’s moral compass to test on whether players would kill each other for their own benefit and survival. He was glad Gi-hun would be entering and see his creation first hand. 

In the kitchen, In-ho was preparing breakfast as usual. He didn’t typically cook, not after his wife’s death, but since Gi-hun arrived he took it upon himself to prepare his breakfast. V knew how to cook but there was a sense of enjoyment that came from Gi-hun eating his food, unknowing that In-ho, the man he loathed, was the one who made it.

“Good morning boss! Pajeon today? Smells good.” V chirped happily, popping his head into the kitchen. 

In-ho simply hummed in response, flipping another pancake with the spatula. “Prepare the table.”

“Yes, sir!” V cheekily replied, grabbing the plates and silverware before walking off to the dining area. 

In-ho grabbed the pajeon filled tray and added the last one to the pile. He turned off the stove and joined V at the dining table, placing the tray in the center. 

From above the stairwell came soft footsteps, Gi-hun emerged into In-ho view of sight as he descended the stairs. “Aren’t we leaving today?” 

“First we eat.” Ignoring how cute and soft Gi-hun’s tousled morning hair looked, In-ho took his seat and began to eat. 

“Come join us, Gihun-ssi.” V smiled warmly, waving Gi-hun to sit at the table. Gi-hun pulled up a chair and the three of them ate in a calm silence. Once again, In-ho was slightly grateful for V to be the tension breaker, radiating a welcoming aura that relaxed Gi-hun, even in the presence of In-ho. 

After they all finished, In-ho stood up from the table and made his way to the hallway where he left his coat and mask. Because of the open layout he could hear Gi-hun and V conversing. 

“Wait, I’ll help with the dishes.” He heard Gi-hun offer. 

“No, no I’ll do them. You two have to head back and besides I’ll be staying here.” V replied, likely insisting Gi-hun leave the chores to him. 

After a small moment Gi-hun responded, “Alright.”

As soon as he finished buttoning his frontman uniform, Gi-hun appeared at his side. 

“Ready?” In-ho asked the man. 

“Yes.” Gi-hun nodded, for the first time meeting his eyes head-on willingly. His eyes reflected a burning desire, similar to when he was defiant towards him, but now with a darker undertone. 

In-ho refrained from smirking, instead taking a step forward and lifting his hand to brush Gi-hun’s hair. Pleasantly, Gi-hun offered no resistance, only gazing at him with a confused expression as he smoothed out his hair.

“Your hair was a mess.” With no further explanation, In-ho retracted his hand. “Let’s go.”

⬤▲◼

“Manager, we’ve spotted the Frontman’s helicopter returning.” One of the soldiers radioed in. 

Gyeong-seok scrambled to sit up, abandoning his bento-styled ration, in order to grab his binoculars. After scanning the skies for a few moments he spotted the sleek black helicopter. 

“I see them. They’ve crossed into the island now.” He announced out loud. No-eul knelt besides him, radio in hand.

“The ship?” She asked through the radio.

“They're on the move and heading towards us. Estimated arrival is 20 minutes.” 

Discarding the binoculars, Gyeong-seok watched as No-eul stood and picked up her gun. “All personnel get ready to engage. Meet up at position B.” She relayed, pocketing her radio.

“...Will we have to shoot them?” He hesitantly questioned, grabbing his gun as well. 

“If they don’t leave after the warning fire then we’ll have to shoot.“ No-eul spoke honestly. 

Gyeong-seok anxiously bit his lip as he followed the female guard through the forest. He thought he’d never have to pick up a gun after ending his military service. He was deeply worried that participating in the battle would mean potentially dying and leaving his little girl alone. 

No-eul glanced over her shoulder, taking in his nervous expression, and likely sensing his fear. “Don’t worry, you’ll be beside me the entire time. I won’t let anything happen to you.” 

⬤▲◼

Park Yeong-gil has always loved the sea. Loved the salty breeze in his hair and the calm tittering of his ship as the waves pushed by. His father was a fisherman so it was only natural that Yeong-gil would follow his footsteps. 

That was until the fishing industry started going into the gutter. Now, it wasn’t enough for a single fisherman to make a living despite spending all day at sea. Due to his desperation, the multiple loans he took out were now starting to eat him alive. 

He would’ve ended up washed up, sleeping in a cardboard box in a random alley if he never received that invitation. Working as a guard at the Games was like a divine blessing. A world where previous restrictions and laws didn’t matter. There he was free to kill to his heart’s content. His newfound utopia. 

Of course, he was lying to Jun-ho when he said his family was being threatened. Yeong-gil had no wife, children, or family and cut-off any ties to distant relatives a long time ago. His vagabond lifestyle at sea gave no room for personal connections and he had no interest in keeping them. 

At the games, he steadily rose in ranks and even became close with the Frontman and previous Recruiter due to their shared interest in fishing. Under the Frontman’s orders, he kept a careful watch over his brother, successfully manipulating him astray and away from their illegal activities. 

The Frontman gave explicit orders to not kill Jun-ho, but to continue fooling him. Only when his identity as a spy was uncovered or if he saw the island was Yeong-gil given authority to dispose of any witnesses and capture Jun-ho. 

Yeong-gil was currently tied up to a bed in the sleeping quarters, watched routinely by three mercenaries. For now, Yeong-gil silently assessed the situation until an opportunity to escape arose. 

⬤▲◼

“Jun-ho, the helicopter is returning to the island again.” Woo-seok yelled out, grabbing the crew's attention. “I think I see Gi-hun there too!”

Jun-ho ran over to Woo-seok’s side, observing as the helicopter in the distance flew over the sea. Honestly, Jun-ho wanted to rush into the island the minute they discovered it but he knew they needed more information. 

His brother had Gi-hun taken to a remote island so Jun-ho decided it was best to monitor the situation and see if In-ho or the Games had more secretive locations under their name. 

However, after a few days of surveying, no new locations popped up. Jun-ho felt this was now their best chance to strike since they were all gathered in one place again. 

“Everyone, get prepared, we’re storming in today. Bring all the guns, explosives, and get the speed boats ready!” Jun-ho shouted orders, his team immediately dispersed to ready their gear. 

“Woo-seok, we’ll need to lower Park’s guards down to one in order to increase our manpower. Relay the orders but don’t let him get suspicious.” Jun-ho asked. 

Ever since Woo-seok casted doubt on Captain Park which led them to successfully identifying their spy, Jun-ho’s trust in the man increased ten-fold. Any task that required a close eye and trusted individual, Jun-ho let Woo-seok handle. 

“Don’t worry, I got it. You just focus on the attack plan.” Woo-seok patted Jun-ho’s shoulder in reassurance before walking off toward Park’s holding. 

Jun-ho entered the helm and directed the boat at full speed towards the island. Below, the mercenaries geared up, reloaded their ammunition, and readied the speedboats. 

Inside the ship, Woo-seok was conversing with the three mercenaries assigned to Captain Park. He told the men in front of Park Yeong-gil that one guard would be stationed inside with the Captain while the other two would be outside the door to keep watch over the skies. 

However, the two outside would actually be joining alongside the other on the raid. Woo-seok only hoped the decoy mannequins he positioned outside his door would leave the captured spy none the wiser. 

Back on deck, the mercenary team split into two speedboats, rifles loaded and explosives in hand. The mercenary leader announced their departure into the radio, filling in Jun-ho and Woo-seok who stayed behind on the ship. Jun-ho would’ve normally joined the team but since they had captured Captain Park, he needed to stay in case the man escaped. 

The two speedboats drove at full speed towards the island, no longer concerned with discretion. Halfway to their destination, Jun-ho spotted two orbs leaving the shore towards their direction. He quickly ran to the end of the ship. As he squinted, he realized the two orbs were speedboats occupied by numerous pink soldiers. 

He hurriedly grabbed his radio to yell in warning but it was too late. The guards opened fire, spraying the air with bullets. 

Jun-ho could only watch in horror as his team ducked for cover, the boats deviating off course for a moment before the mercenary leader took charge of the situation. 

Under his command, the two mercenary speedboats flanked their sides and returned fire. The previously calm ocean now became a battlefield. 

⬤▲◼

Arriving at the island, In-ho led Gi-hun through the facilities till they reached a large, luxurious hotel-like room. His old 456 uniform sat on the king-sized bed alongside a red vest, knife, and a revolver. 

“You’ll be joining the game as a player again but only for this round.” In-ho explained. “There are two teams, the taggers and hiders. Taggers are given a knife and need to kill a hider in order to win. Hiders must use their key and find the safe room to win.” 

In-ho picks up the knife from the bed and offers it to Gi-hun with an outstretched hand. “You will be entering as a tagger. This will allow you to kill the ones who’ve wronged you.”

Gi-hun eyed the knife in the older man’s hand before gently grabbing it. He twisted the knife in hand, analyzing the sharpened point in quiet fascination. For a seemingly toy decorated knife the blade felt sharp, enough to cause serious damage. 

Gi-hun walked past In-ho, laying the knife on the bed, before picking up his uniform to change into. Before changing, Gi-hun snuck a peep behind him and sure enough In-ho was still in the room, eyes fixed on him.

This fucking creep. 

“Turn around.” Gi-hun ordered with a firm tone. He wasn’t about to change in front of the man while he was blatantly ogling his body like a pervert. 

In-ho raised a singular eyebrow in question before wordlessly turning around till his back faced Gi-hun. 

Once he was sure In-ho wasn’t sneaking in glances, he changed out his shirt and jeans and into his uniform plus the red vest. Wearing his uniform again felt strange, bringing back painful memories he pushed aside.

“Alright, I’m done.” Gi-hun grabbed his knife again and started to walk past In-ho to exit the room before In-ho stopped him with a gentle hand on his chest. 

“Wait.” In-ho walked to the bed and grabbed the pistol, handing it to him. “Take this with you.”

“No. A knife is enough, I don’t need a gun.” Gi-hun rejected him. 

Not taking his refusal as an acceptable answer, In-ho snatched Gi-hun’s free hand and wrapped his hand around the gun. 

“You're taking it. You can kill Daeho however you want but this is for your protection. I’m not sending you into the game unless you take it.” In-ho was firm in his position, expression deadly serious.

With an annoyed tch, Gi-hun shrugged In-ho off and placed the gun into his pocket. “Whatever, take me to the game.”

⬤▲◼

When Gi-hun entered the game, it had already started, the timer displaying 28 minutes and counting down. The area was built like a maze, gray-bricked walls with a painted, child-like starry blue ceiling. 

As Gi-hun ventured further into the maze, chaos clearly unfolded. Players ran away from each other, desperate to survive or desperate to locate someone to kill. Players wearing a blue vest immediately scurried away at the sight of him despite Gi-hun having no desire to kill anyone but Dae-ho. 

Gi-hun jogged through the seemingly endless maze, checking every door he passed in hopes of locating Dae-ho. Players in red vests ran past him or went after the blue vest players he’d pass. Gi-hun was growing increasingly frustrated but kept his lazer-like focus. 

Turning a corner, Gi-hun spotted a lone player in a blue-vest, immediately recognizing him as Dae-ho. When he spotted Gi-hun, his expression was shocked, then went fearful as he took in Gi-hun’s angered face. Gi-hun sprinted after Dae-ho who quickly ran away in desperation. 

They both ran through the halls, Gi-hun tightening the grip on his knife and ignoring the other players around him. Dae-ho was a fast runner but Gi-hun was slowly catching up to him. 

Dae-ho disappears in yet another corner and Gi-hun follows, spotting Dae-ho opening a green door with his key. Gi-hun grabs Dae-ho from behind and pins him against the wall, brandishing his knife to stab him but stops. 

The man he was holding was not Dae-ho, only another player with a similar hairstyle. 

“Please don’t kill me.” The man trembles. Gi-hun slowly unhands the man, taking in a few heavy breaths as the random man scampers away. 

He turns, searching around for Dae-ho and spots the real one across the large gap, gazing back at him with an unreadable stare. Gi-hun stares back, fixation on him unwavering until Dae-ho shuts the door and retreats. 

Gi-hun turns around and continues his pursuit. He pointedly ignores the fights between players happening around him. That is until he notices two players soaked in blood killing players, regardless of their vest color. 

Player 124 slices the neck of a red player with his knife while his partner player 333 repeatedly stabs a man in the chest. Blood spatters on the wall and player 124 grins in excitement.

The pair were senselessly killing people, and even taking joy in it. The mere thought infuriated Gi-hun. With gritted teeth, Gi-hun took the gun in his pocket and aimed at them, clicking off the safety. 

If In-ho was the devil, these two were worse than that. And Gi-hun was going to be their executioner.

Gi-hun pulled the trigger, a loud deafening bang piercing the walls. With a pained scream, player 124 collapses as the bullet enters his shoulder. 

“FUCK!” He howls in pain. “Shit, get that asshole!”

Player 333 spots Gi-hun and charges at him. “You fucker!” He swings his knife at Gi-hun as he backsteps. 

Gi-hun narrowly dodges a swipe to his chest and aims again, pulling the trigger without hesitation. Player 333’s neck explodes in blood and the man falls backwards, choking on his own blood. 

Ignoring him, Gi-hun focuses on player 124 who’s now grabbed his knife with his non-injured side. 

“DIE!” Player 124 charges at him but Gi-hun shoots again, hitting him in the stomach. 

The man falls to his knees, knife clattering to the floor as he clutches his stomach. Gi-hun walks closer and aims at his head.

“Argh, shit.” He groans but seconds later bursts out into laughter. “You son of a bitch, I’ll see you down in hell. There's no redemption for monsters like us.” 

Gi-hun pulls the final trigger, watching blankly as the bullet goes through his head and blood coats his face. Behind him, he hears player 333 still gurgling on his blood, eyes wide in horror. 

Gi-hun simply walks away in search of Dae-ho. He’d rather not waste any more time on those lunatics. 

Minutes go past and he’s halfway up some stairs when he meets the fake shaman. He could care less about her or about his bad karma but 044 tells him that she saw Dae-ho outside and his leg is injured. 

With wide eyes, Gi-hun heads out and finds the trail of blood. As the timer reads less than 5 minutes remaining, he enters the room with the bloody doorknob and spots a trail of blood leading up the stairs. 

Halfway up, he notices the blood abruptly ends. Stopping in his tracks, he turns and walks quietly down the stairs.

Grabbing the door, he reels it back and sees Dae-ho hiding in the small corner. 

“Brother, I…I really wanted to do well.” Dae-ho sputters, arms raised weakly in surrender. Gi-hun steps towards him, knife in hand, but he scurries away from him.

“I never served in the Marines. It was a lie. I didn’t even serve in the military. I’ve never even held a gun. Even my tattoo is fake.” Dae-ho rambles on.

“I lied so I could be with you guys. I thought if I were one of you, even a pathetic loser like me… could do anything.” He pleads.

“It’s your fault.” 

Dae-ho shakes his head. “Brother. I was going to bring back the magazines. I swear. I had gathered them, and I was going to bring them back. But suddenly, I got scared.” He sobs.

“It’s all your fault!” Gi-hun shakes with anger and grabs Dae-ho by the collar, pushing him back onto the stairs. “You killed them! You’re the one who killed them all! You!” He screams while Dae-ho yells in fear.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” 

Gi-hun raised his knife, ready to plunge it but Dae-ho yells out, “Spare me! Please, don’t kill me.” 

Caught off guard, Gi-hun doesn’t notice Dae-ho’s arm reaching into his pocket.

“You motherfucker!” Dae-ho swipes at Gi-hun with a blade, slicing at his arms. 

“It’s my fault? My fault?” Dae-ho screams, pointing his knife in anger at Gi-hun who is clutching his arms in pain. 

“What about you? How come you were the only one to come back alive? And where have you been this whole time?” 

“It was you. It was all your doing, wasn’t it? You tricked us all so you could win the game.” Dae-ho laughs in disbelief. “You killed them. You killed all of them, you bastard!”  

With a yell, Gi-hun attacks Dae-ho, struggling to pin his arms against the wall. Gi-hun knocks down his arms and throws him onto the stairs, the knife clattering on the floor somewhere. 

Dae-ho tries to escape by climbing up the stairs but Gi-hun grabs his back, pulling at his shirt. Dae-ho kicks him hard and Gi-hun falls down the stairs, releasing his hold. Dae-ho runs away but Gi-hun picks up the discarded blade and follows after him. 

Hot on his tail, Gi-hun finds him at another door with a steep drop and raises the blade towards him. 

“Don’t come any closer.” Dae-ho warns, taking off his shoe to use as a weapon. Both men launch attacks at each other, but Dae-ho successfully manages to disarm Gi-hun. 

Dae-ho uses the chance to pin Gi-hun against the wall, and starts choking him. 

“Die! Die!”

Gi-hun musters up his remaining strength and pushes Dae-ho arms off of him, landing a powerful punch to his face sending Dae-ho to the ground. 

Dae-ho groans in pain and backs up to crawl away, but there is no exit. Gi-hun grabs him by the collar and hits him with several consecutive punches leaving Dae-ho’s face bloody. 

Gi-hun places his hands firmly on his neck and squeezes hard, his iron-like grip choking Dae-ho. Dae-ho tries to claw at his arms but is too weak to succeed. 

“It’s your fault.” Dae-ho wheezes out. 

Full of anger, Gi-hun squeezes harder, Dae-ho’s neck hot and pulsing under his hands. 

“It’s your…” Dae-ho exhales his last breath. His eyes roll over then his body goes limp. Gi-hun no longer feels any resistance and lets go. 

With heavy breaths, he backs away from the body. Resting against the wall, Gi-hun feels the tension leave his body. It’s over. 

Gi-hun slowly raises his hands. His hands that shot down two humans and choked the life out of another.

He took their lives. 

Gi-hun doesn’t know what to think. Is he relieved? Repulsed? Happy? Upset? His emotions are all over the place and he doesn’t know if he’s able to pick up the pieces. 

Gi-hun feels his eyes close and he slips into a deep slumber, utterly exhausted. 

⬤▲◼

Undeterred by the swarm of bullets, the enemy returns fire. Gyeong-seok ducks down and hides, as the bullets rain down on them. 

Once the opposition stop to reload, No-eul fires at the enemy, landing multiple hits. Gyeong-seok, along with the other guards, also joins in and shoots at the closest boat. 

The first enemy speedboat is decimated and all occupants are dead but Gyeong-seok notices the other guard boat is also down, blown up by an enemy explosive. 

Both sides are down to one speedboat, and with multiple rounds fired at each other, No-eul and Gyeong-seok are soon the only guards remaining alongside three enemies. 

Hiding below the seats, Gyeong-seok glances at No-eul, who despite their predicament, doesn’t look shaken. 

“What do we do, No-eul?” He worriedly asks. 

No-eul glances at him, before reaching into the pocket of a fallen guard, pulling out a grenade from his pocket. 

“I need you to cover for me.” She calmly requests, despite her shocking words. 

“But we’re outnumbered. I’ll be shot down.” Gyeong-seok argues with disbelief in his eyes.

“Trust me. I won’t let you die.” No-eul simply says. 

Despite all rational and his own logic, Gyeong-seok believes her. 

“...Alright.” 

No-eul positions herself, rifle in one hand and the grenade in the other. 

“3, 2, 1.” She counts down. 

Simultaneously, No-eul tosses her gun up in distraction as Gyeong-seok emerges and fires at the enemy. 

Multiple of them get shot but No-eul unclips the grenade and tosses it towards the opposing boat, sealing the deal. The grenade lands in the speedboat with a large clank.

“Get down!” No-eul pulls him down to the floor of the boat and the two take cover as the large explosion erupts. 

Fiery pieces of scrap dart past them at unparalleled speeds. Gyeong-seok is grateful that No-eul is an experienced soldier or else he’d kick the bucket a lot sooner in the fight. 

After the practical hellfire stopped raining down, the pair observed the aftermath. No survivors remained on either side. The only remaining vessel was the fishing ship but it showed no intention of moving. 

⬤▲◼

Park Yeong-gil is still handcuffed and confined when he hears the faint sounds of gunfire. With his eyes silently observing the mercenary assigned to him, he formulates a plan in his mind. As the boat rocks unsteady from the crashing waves, Yeong-gil makes his move. 

Yeong-gil launches himself on the mercenary and the two go tumbling down. The pair struggle for dominance as Yeong-gil manages to smack the mercenary’s gun away. 

Latching behind the man, Yeong-gil wraps the chain of his cuffs behind the man’s neck and pulls hard, unrelenting. Yeong-gil continues pulling until the man passes out. 

Yeong-gil searches the man’s pockets and unlocks his cuffs with the key he found. Picking up the discarded pistol, he makes his way up the deck, past the cheesy mannequins. 

Prowling silently, he makes note of the emptiness of the vessel. Reaching the front of the ship he hides behind the wall and observes Jun-ho leaning against the railing. 

He aims his pistol at the man’s leg and fires.

By some stroke of luck, the boat rocks against the waves once more and the bullet misses Jun-ho by an inch. 

Now alerted, Jun-ho whips around, pulling out his own pistol and fires back at Yeong-gil. Jun-ho hides behind a nearby wall and the two exchange bullets, narrowly avoiding each other.

The moment Yeong-gil pauses to reload a new magazine and Jun-ho finds himself out of bullets, he runs at him. Jun-ho delivers a punch to the older man’s face and the two exchange blows. Fighting over control, the pair tumble onto the floor. 

Yeong-gil manages to pin Jun-ho down. His hand holds Jun-ho’s neck in place and the other unsheathes a knife he had hidden. 

“Wait, why are you doing this? What about your family?” Jun-ho asks while struggling against the man’s hold. 

“Family? Ah, sorry. I forgot I told you I had one.” Yeong-gil taunts. 

“Who are you? Why are you doing this for him? Why did you save me?” Despite his dangerous predicament, Jun-ho desperately wanted answers. 

“I was just following orders. He told me to do whatever it took to keep you alive.” Captain Park reveals. “Because of that, I need you alive. So come with me quietly or I will take a limb.” 

Captain Park presses his knife against Jun-ho’s throat, enough to draw blood. 

Before Jun-ho has a chance to respond or take any action, a loud gunshot fills the air and a bullet flies into Park Yeong-gil’s head. 

Blood splatters onto the wall and Yeong-gil collapses on Jun-ho. Pushing the dead man off him, Jun-ho pushes himself up with elbows. Woo-seok is standing over them, gun in hand. 

“Jun-ho! Are you alright?” Woo-seok asks, voice full of worry. 

“Yeah.” Jun-ho catches his breath for a moment before standing up. “Thanks, you saved me.” 

“What do we do now? The entire team is dead.”

Jun-ho bits his lip as he ponders methods to proceed. “We can’t do anything by ourselves. Let’s head back to the mainland and recruit more people.”

Chapter Text

In-ho is monitoring the screens as Gi-hun enters the games once more. This time the younger man is walking in willingly and it’s more than In-ho could ever hope for. 

He doesn’t expect it when Gi-hun guns down two players in cold-blood, never even planning for it to happen. But of course, was secretly delighted to see Gi-hun embrace more of his true colors.

He had insisted on Gi-hun taking the pistol purely for self-defense reasons. In-ho knew how stubborn the younger man was and would insist on an even playing field no matter how disadvantaged it was to him. In-ho didn’t want to see Gi-hun injured so he sent him along with an additional weapon in case the other players were too much for him to handle. 

Following Gi-hun strangling Dae-ho to death and collapsing thereafter, In-ho personally entered the game arena to retrieve Gi-hun. Accompanied by pink soldiers, In-ho effortlessly lifted Gi-hun’s unconscious body in a bridal carry and carried him back to his office. 

In the middle of the room, directly in front of a large plane of glass, was now a large king-sized bed. In-ho gently laid Gi-hun on the bed, careful not to jostle him. Gi-hun stayed unconscious, his small intakes of breath and rising chest were the only indicators that he was still alive. 

In-ho sat beside him on the bed. He stared intensely at the sleeping man’s face, committing to memory each slope, mole, and feature. In-ho knew he was obsessed. He only wished Gi-hun was just as obsessed with him. Knowing Gi-hun’s personality, however, he’d likely say that’ll only happen when hell freezes over. 

The elevator dings announcing its arrival. Two guards enter his office, placing a bowl of water and a change of clothes on a nearby table before leaving back up the elevator. 

In-ho strides over to the table and dips the washcloth into the bowl. He lightly squeezes out the excess water. Turning back to Gi-hun, he gently wipes away the blood spatter on his face. When he finishes, he drops the washcloth back into the reddish water.

He undresses Gi-hun, tossing the green tracksuit into a hamper, and clothes him in much more comfier clothes. Now in a pair of sweatpants and t-shirt, In-ho pulls the covers over Gi-hun. Pleasantly, he observes Gi-hun’s unconscious scowl relax as he cutely snuggles closer to his pillow. 

Not willing to move away from Gi-hun, In-ho decides to stay on the bed and he uses the remote to activate the screens. He flicks through the cameras showing each area and notices three familiar players returning to the main room. 

Player 222 is visibly pale and limping but tightly holds the bundle in her arms. In-ho catches a glimpse of a small face from the bundle and concludes 222 must’ve given birth during the game. 

At the young woman's side is Player 149 and Player 120. The two are protectively beside 222 and urge her to rest on a nearby bed as they care for the baby for her. 

In-ho will likely have to decide soon whether to accept the baby as a player or not. It would be safer to not count the baby as a player in order to ensure its survival. He eventually concludes that he’ll have Gi-hun decide the child’s fate, whether the baby stays in the game or safely exits, he’ll follow Gi-hun’s wishes. 

In a passing thought, he entertains the idea of him and Gi-hun raising a child together, happily married, and living in a large house with a dog to keep their child company. 

In another life, perhaps. One similar to the life he would’ve had with his wife, if that incident didn’t happen…

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Later that night, as every player is sound asleep, a lone person ascends the stairs. With a heavy heart they tightly wrap a cloth on the bed. 

Next, they slowly wrap the other end around their neck. They take a few deep, shuddering intakes of air before closing their eyes and stepping off the bed. 

In a room full of players snoozing and unaware, one person takes their final breath. 

By morning the body of Player 149 is placed into a black coffin with a pink ribbon and carried away.

⬤▲◼

Gi-hun is warm, very warm. And comfortable. Which is weird because the last Gi-hun remembers is that he was in the game chasing after Dae-ho. His head is on a soft cushion and he feels a cozy material over him so he’s likely in a bed. 

Not wanting to leave the warmth just yet, he nestles closer to his pillow that’s radiating heat. Content, he takes in a deep breath of the smell of fresh linen but there's also a subtle hint of a musky fragrance, similar to a cologne. 

Also, he doesn’t remember his pillow feeling this firm or warm. Gi-hun cracks open one eye and almost dies on the spot. The warm object he wrapped himself over wasn’t a pillow at all. It was a body. In-ho’s body. 

His face was practically smushed into In-ho’s chest. His arms were draped across In-ho’s torso, holding tight with the grip of a stubborn octopus. 

How the hell did he end up in this position? He previously remembers passing out against a wall after killing Dae-ho. So why the fuck was he now cuddling In-ho in bed?!

To escape the embarrassing predicament he found himself in, Gi-hun threw himself backwards with such force he wouldn’t be surprised if he got whiplash. To his mortification, In-ho was already awake and observing him with a flicker of amusement in his eyes. 

“W-what the fuck?! Why the hell are you in my bed?!” Gi-hun sputters in disbelief and slight anger. “Is this one of your sick perverted games again?” 

In-ho calmly props himself onto his elbow and throws Gi-hun a cocky smile. 

“I admit I placed you here so you can rest and I sat down on the bed to watch over you. However, you were the one who dragged me down and wouldn’t let go.” 

“You're lying. Why the hell would I hug you, asshole!” 

“Asshole? Such harsh words, Gi-hun. I thought we were closer than that.” 

In one swift motion, In-ho reaches out to grab his wrist and pulls him closer. With their faces mere inches away, In-ho holds Gi-hun’s jaw with his other hand. 

“I suddenly recall a certain someone owing me their end of the bargain after I made a favorable deal with them.” 

Deal? Oh right, Gi-hun wanted revenge against Dae-ho and In-ho agreed to assist him. He never explicitly stated what he wanted in return though and– wait. Why was In-ho’s face suddenly getting closer to him—

With his hand keeping Gi-hun’s face in place, In-ho closed the distance and kissed him. His firm lips met Gi-hun’s in a soft but messy kiss. Gi-hun let out a small gasp and instinctively leaned backwards to escape but In-ho followed, capturing his lips once again. 

In-ho pressed himself against Gi-hun as their mouths moved in tandem. In-ho led the kiss, almost guiding Gi-hun in how to move their lips together and gave him no time to breathe. 

His tongue was hot against his own and Gi-hun felt his face burn red in embarrassment as he registered the wet noises their steamy kisses were making.

The hand that was previously holding Gi-hun’s wrist slid down and lightly traced his side before stopping at his waist. His touch was hot, searing into Gi-hun’s skin as his brain struggled to keep up, too fuzzy to come up with a plan to keep In-ho away.

“Welcome to the fifth game.” 

The familiar game announcer’s voice was loud and filled the entire room, breaking Gi-hun out of his trance. 

“The game you will be playing is Jump Rope.” 

“W-wait, stop!” Gi-hun placed his hands on In-ho’s solid chest and pushed him away until he relented. 

Glancing around the room, Gi-hun noticed in front of them was a large glass window that encompassed the entire wall. On the other side was the game arena where two giant robots held a rope while the players gathered on a platform behind the girl robot from Red Light, Green Light.

Gi-hun immediately straightened up and was about to move off the bed but In-ho held his arm, preventing him from leaving. 

“It’s a one-way glass, they wouldn’t be able to see you.”

“Why are the games still going on? I thought it was only supposed to be one more…” 

“They voted to continue playing.” In-ho lies easily. “Besides, why are you still concerned over their wellbeing? Haven’t you already killed three people and eliminated them from the game? Why bring it to issue now?” 

Gi-hun stilled. In-ho was right, Gi-hun had killed them with his own hands. How could he forget? He stole the lives of three human beings. He was nothing but a heartless murderer. How could he live with himself after robbing people’s precious memories? How would he be able to face his mother and friends in the afterlife? How–

“Hey, look at me.” In-ho’s voice snapped Gi-hun out of his spiraling. He didn’t notice he was shaking until In-ho gently grabbed Gi-hun’s hands and squeezed them softly. 

“Those people were sick individuals. They had no regard for human lives and were killing just to fulfill their own selfish desires and greed. You’re nothing like them. You stopped those two from hurting any more defenseless people. You only took revenge on Dae-ho because he endangered all of your lives. You’re better than them.” 

In-ho’s voice was resolute and he was holding Gi-hun as if he was a precious treasure, his gaze full of adoration.

Gi-hun felt conflicted. Logically, there was nothing wrong with In-ho’s words. However, the sane part of him argued that there was nothing morally or ethically right about justifying muder. Gi-hun’s mind was in turmoil and he was questioning everything he previously thought was right based on his moral compass.

His feelings were a jumbled mess and only In-ho was there, seemingly able to see right through Gi-hun, and helping him make sense of his scattered emotions. For better or for worse, slowly influencing Gi-hun’s judgement. 

A loud commotion from the game arena drew Gi-hun’s attention. Below, Gi-hun could see a player stepping onto the thin walkway. On closer inspection he noticed the player was Hyun-ju. She was advancing slowly, jumping each time the rope swept under her. 

She had a bundle wrapped around her torso and held it tight as she stabilized herself after each jump. 

“What is she holding?” Gi-hun wondered out loud, his focus fully occupied by the scene below them. 

In-ho lets go of one of Gi-hun’s hands as the younger fully turns to the window but continues holding his other hand close. He relished in how Gi-hun allowed him to continue touching him, too engrossed with the scene below to shrug him off. 

“Player 222 gave birth during the last game. They wrapped the baby in a jacket and player 120 is now crossing the bridge with the baby.” In-ho answers uninterested, more concerned with how Gi-hun’s hand fits perfectly in his. 

“What?!” Gi-hun anxiously watched as Hyun-ju slowly advanced on the bridge, unconsciously squeezing In-ho’s hand whenever Hyun-ju swayed dangerously, barely saving herself from falling off. 

Eventually, Hyun-ju and the baby made it safely across and Gi-hun breathed a sigh of relief. 

“Now Jun-hee needs to cross safely too…wait. What is she doing?” 

Instead of stepping onto the bridge, Jun-hee stepped close to the edge of the platform. With a smile, she told Hyun-ju she was entrusting her child to her. Despite Hyun-ju’s pleas, Jun-hee stepped forward and off the platform, plunging to her death. 

“NO!” Gi-hun sprung up from the bed and pressed himself against the glass as he watched in horror. He was unable to do anything. He was a helpless spectator witnessing a young girl backed into a corner. 

Barely holding back tears, Gi-hun slumped onto the floor. “Why would she jump?” He whispered, devastated. 

In-ho moved behind him, silently placing a comforting hand on Gi-hun to ease the grief-stricken man. 

“W-what about the baby? What will happen to them?” Gi-hun worried, uncaring that tears were now staining his cheeks. 

“In-ho, we can’t let a baby die. Please save them! Please.” 

Gi-hun was too distraught to worry about maintaining his pride in front of In-ho. The man in front of him has taken everything away from him but was also the only one who could give him what he wanted. If saving a life meant Gi-hun had to beg to In-ho, he would plead until his voice went sore and tears dried up.

Unbeknownst to Gi-hun, the man he previously saw as a devil masquerading as a man was slowly, in Gi-hun’s mind, turning into a man who would bend heaven and hell for him. 

In-ho lifted his hand and carefully wiped away the younger man’s tears with a swipe of his thumb. “If that’s what you wish to do, I’ll gladly do it.” 

Relieved he accepted his request, Gi-hun rested against In-ho’s body as the built-up tension left his body. He laid his head on In-ho’s shoulder for a moment, finding a small comfort in the older man’s strong, but gentle hold.

⬤▲◼

Hyun-ju couldn’t fall asleep. She was laying on her side with the baby settled closely next to her. The baby Jun-hee and Mrs. Jang entrusted to her. The small newborn was fast asleep despite the day’s hardship with the Jump Rope game. 

Hyun-ju never dealt with children, let alone newborns before, and was honored Jun-hee had trusted her enough. 

With now Mrs. Jang and Jun-hee gone, Hyun-ju was the only one left to protect and care for the baby. She wasn’t sure if she’d do a good job but Hyun-ju promised to try her best.

Because she was awake, Hyun-ju was able to hear the quiet footsteps approaching her. She placed an arm protectively over the baby as she glanced behind her shoulder.

It was a guard advancing toward them. The guard stopped next to Hyun-ju’s bed. 

“Player 120. Follow me.” 

The guard said nothing else and stood in place as they waited for Hyun-ju. Deciding not to argue with a person wielding a submachine gun, Hyun-ju gently scooped the sleeping baby into her arms and trailed behind the guard as they walked out of the main room.

The guard led them through a series of stairs until entering a lone hallway with an elevator at the end. The pink guard pressed the down button and stepped inside the elevator when it opened. Hyun-ju entered as well and the elevator closed, descending.

In a few moments the elevator arrived at its destination. The guard and Hyun-ju walked out and into a short hallway where the guard held the door open for Hyun-ju. They made no indication of moving from their spot, so Hyun-ju stepped forward into the room.

Inside was a small, reception-like room with a table and chairs. Already seated were two people, a man clad in black with a mask and…

“Gi-hun?” Hyun-ju questioned in disbelief. 

Gi-hun immediately stood up, relief flooding his face as he took in their presence.

“Hyun-ju!” He circled around the table and pulled Hyun-ju into a warm hug, mindful not to disturb the baby between them. “It’s nice seeing you again.”

“How are you here? We thought they killed you after the rebellion.” Hyun-ju asked, confused clear on her face. She also snuck in a quick glance towards the masked figure who was still seated and passively observing their interaction. 

Back in the games, Gi-hun often described the Frontman and VIPs to the rest of them. Hyun-ju believed Gi-hun’s account but seeing the Frontman in person was a little unsettling. Normal players don’t have any interactions with the Frontman and him being there must’ve meant their rebellion did more damage than previously thought.

“Oh, that. Well, I was kind of kidnapped?” Gi-hun nervously smiled.

Hyun-ju’s eyebrows raised up in surprise. “Kidnapped?” 

“It’s complicated…” Gi-hun nervously glanced behind him before focusing back on Hyun-ju. “We worked out a deal so he’s not going to harm me or you.” 

“Anyways, you’re here because I wanted to talk with you.” Gi-hun went back to his seat and motioned for Hyun-ju to join them. 

Hyun-ju sat down on the seat across from them, adjusting the baby to lie comfortably in her arms. 

“About Jun-hee…I couldn’t do anything, I’m sorry. It’s my fault, I should’ve never started that rebellion. I could’ve been together with you all and Jun-hee. She would have…” Gi-hun apologized, deeply remorseful. 

Hyun-ju let out a deep sigh. She had been thinking about the situation all night. She was surprised that Gi-hun was alive but she didn’t blame the man. Hell, she blamed herself for Mrs. Jang and Jun-hee’s deaths. She should’ve refused Mrs. Jang when she decided she’d be the one to kill her son. 

At the same time, she planned to honor Mrs. Jang and Jun-hee’s last wishes. For her to survive and take care of Jun-hee’s baby. 

“There's nothing you could have done. Jun-hee made her decision and there's nothing we can do to bring her back by discussing ‘what if’s’.” Hyun-ju may have sounded pessimistic to some, but her conclusion was objective. As much as she wanted to bring them back, nothing can bring back the dead.  

“So what did you want to discuss? I doubt you’d risk meeting me for something unimportant.” 

“I can’t convince the Frontman to end the games since he rejects me every time, but I can ensure the baby gets out safely. I don’t want it to be true but I know the other contestants won’t like the baby as a fellow player.” Gi-hun admits.

“That’s true…” Hyun-ju agreed. 

Half of the players that survived this round took a life in order to survive. She wouldn’t put it past them to see a baby as a nuisance or an easy target. The baby would be safer with Gi-hun who wasn’t actively participating in the games and receive better treatment than the whims of the executives. 

From her short time with Gi-hun, she trusted the older man and knew he was a kind person. However, it was the Frontman she didn’t trust. Who was to say he wouldn’t change his mind at the flip of a dime?

“And you trust that he’ll keep his word and keep the baby safe?” She asked in a hushed whisper despite the Frontman sitting right beside Gi-hun. 

Gi-hun didn’t shy away from her concerns and answered them with a serious expression. “I know he’s a bad person and I can’t forgive the crimes he’s committed, but he has kept his promises. I can’t entirely trust him but I believe he wouldn’t put the baby in danger.

“And if he tries anything, I will not hesitate to end him.” Gi-hun adds on while giving the Frontman a stern, warning side glance. 

Hyun-ju could tell Gi-hun was being honest and confident in his judgement. She pondered for a while which outcome would be the best. Glancing down at the infant in her arms, her heart bleeds for the small girl that was born into a dangerous situation and would never meet her mother. 

Hyun-ju had never taken care of children, let alone babies. She had no siblings or close relatives of similar age. But she knew Gi-hun was a parent and raised a daughter, a fact he was proud of. Hyun-ju knew the baby would be safer and happier with Gi-hun. 

She also wanted to win. During the hide and seek game, she almost left without Mrs. Jang and Jun-hee when she found the exit. She knew it was selfish of her, but she desperately needed the money. If the last game pitted her against the baby, she wasn’t confident in making the right decision.

“Alright. Please take care of her, Gi-hun.” 

Hyun-ju rose from her seat and gently handed over the sleeping infant to Gi-hun. The older man cradled the baby in his arms, rocking her softly with awestruck eyes. 

“Thank you for trusting me, Hyun-ju. I’ll protect her with my life.” Gi-hun met Hyun-ju’s eyes straight on. They were unwavering and determined, but also warm. Hyun-ju knew leaving the baby with Gi-hun would be for the best.

There was a subtle shift of movement she caught from the corner of her eye. The Frontman, who she for a moment forgot was there because of his silence, was staring at Gi-hun cradling the infant in his arms. She wasn’t able to see his expression under the mask but the man made no effort to move, just quietly observed the two. 

“Hyun-ju, come with us.” Gi-hun offered with an excited smile. “I’m sure I can find a way to convince this guy and you can escape the games with us.”  

“Leave the games?” Hyun-ju pondered on the idea. 

Gi-hun looked happy at the thought of Hyun-ju tagging along with them, but she wasn’t entirely sure about leaving. Maybe at first when she brushed death a couple of times, but now? There were only a handful of players left and it was clear they were nearing the end of the games. 

Deep inside, Hyun-ju wanted to win. She was so close to achieving her dreams, everything she worked hard for, working double to triple shifts and jobs, sleeping couch to couch, taking out loans and piling on her debt. With the prize money, she would be able to finish her surgery, pay off her debts, and live a comfortable life. And of course, also provide for Young-mi, Jun-hee, and Mrs. Jang’s relatives if there were any.

“I’ll stay here, Gi-hun. As much as I’d rather be home right now, I can’t deny that I want to win.” Hyun-ju gave her answer. 

“Really, are you sure? Even when you could lose your life?”

Hyun-ju chuckled, “You’ve played these games before Gi-hun, you must know how desperate one can feel to escape their current situation. I want to win, I know I can. I owe Young-mi, Junhee, Mrs. Jang, and their families at least that.” 

“But…” Gi-hun started, likely to oppose again, but was cut off when the Frontman unexpectedly placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Gi-hun, she’s made up her mind.” The Frontman spoke, his voice disguised by a voice changer. “There’s one last game left and I’m sure if she plays to her strengths, she can win.” 

“Really?” Gi-hun appeared both shocked and excited at the Frontman’s words. The Frontman nodded.

“That’s great news, Hyun-ju! I know it’s not a guaranteed win but I know you’re strong and can easily win this.” Gi-hun smiled, looking genuinely happy for Hyun-ju.

“Thank you, Gi-hun.” Hyun-ju smiled brightly in return. They all believed in her, even the Frontman surprisingly, and it gave her a boost in confidence. 

“We’ll be cheering you on, Hyun-ju. I’ll see you back outside. Outside the games and this island, in the real world.” Gi-hun stood up, opening his arm that wasn’t holding the baby for a hug. 

Hyun-ju smiled. Her parents were never supportive of her and kicked her out when she came out to them. Gi-hun always felt as a warm father figure to the younger players, Hyun-ju included. Maybe Hyun-ju would’ve had a happier life if Gi-hun was her father instead. 

“I’ll see you there.” Hyun-ju returns the hug, holding the older man tightly.

⬤▲◼

After Hyun-ju is escorted back to the main room by a guard, Gi-hun and In-ho are left alone in the room, alongside the newly acquired newborn sleeping soundly in Gi-hun’s arms. 

Without Hyun-ju’s presence, Gi-hun takes the moment to observe the baby more closely. She was small and weighed less than a feather. Her plump cheeks were a rosy red and had a moderate amount of fluffy hair on top of her head. She was cute for a newborn, who generally ranged from ugly to old looking. The only baby Gi-hun’s seen who was as cute as a newborn was his own daughter, but he admits he’s biased to his own blood. 

“She’s so small, In-ho. She barely weighs anything.” Gi-hun comments, eyes still focused on the baby.

In-ho hums in agreement. He wasn’t as quickly attached to the baby as Gi-hun was, but was secretly loving the attention and almost fond tone Gi-hun gave him. If having a baby made Gi-hun happy and less likely to leave him, In-ho would give him as many children as he wanted. 

“Let’s head back to the room. It’s still the middle of the night.” In-ho placed a gentle hand on Gi-hun’s back and guided him out of the room. 

Gi-hun offered up no resistance and was too absorbed in listing all the items they needed for the baby. 

“We need to find some formula, milk by itself is bad for babies. And some clothes and soft blankets. These jackets are keeping her warm but they’re too dirty, what if she gets sick? Oh, and also a bath. Or is it too early for that? With Ga-yeong I usually had the help of my ex-wife and mother to take care of her…” Gi-hun rambled on.

Now inside In-ho’s room, he guides the younger man to sit on the bed. 

“Relax Gi-hun. For now we can use a bedsheet to cover her. I’ll have a subordinate prepare formula for when the baby wakes up. For the rest of your long list I’ll contact Taehyung to have them ready by the time we head back to the island.” In-ho says, rifling through a closet and pulling out the warmest looking bedsheet. 

He hands it to Gi-hun who nods along to In-ho’s words. While Gi-hun carefully unravels the jacket bundle from the baby, In-ho heads to the bathroom to grab a soft washcloth and wets it slightly.

Returning to Gi-hun’s side, he hands the damp washcloth to him. With the cloth, Gi-hun gently cleans any remnant blood and grime from the baby as best he can. 

Once she is significantly less dirty, Gi-hun wraps the sheet around her until she is bundled up. With slow motions, he places her at the head of the bed to sleep comfortably. 

Gi-hun lays on the bed beside the baby while In-ho settles into a nearby chair. 

Feeling bold, Gi-hun questions him, “What’s the plan, In-ho? I doubt you’re going to release me and the baby so are you planning to drag us back to the island?” 

“I hardly doubt you’d want to raise a child here of all places.” Is as close to a joke Gi-hun thinks he’ll ever hear from In-ho. “We’re leaving in the morning.” 

Gi-hun stays silent for a long moment before piping up, “Can we stay until the last game ends? I trust in Hyun-ju’s abilities but I’d feel more at ease if I saw her win.” 

“You know I can’t let you interfere with the game.” In-ho impassively responds, scrolling through a tablet Gi-hun had no clue where he pulled out from.

“I know.” Gi-hun huffs out, exasperated. “I just want to support her even if she can’t see or hear me.” 

“You can just admit you’re curious about spectating the games to enjoy the show. No need to create excuses.” In-ho smirks.

“Fuck off asshole. I’m not a sadist like you.” He fires back. Gi-hun turns his back to In-ho, deciding to cease entertaining the man. He pulls the covers over himself and the baby and slowly drifts to sleep.

⬤▲◼

Gi-hun is awoken abruptly by the sounds of a baby crying. Gi-hun immediately sits up, muscle memory kicking in from years of Ga-yeong as a baby waking up the entirety of South Korea with her screams. 

The baby isn’t beside Gi-hun on the bed, instead In-ho is holding her and looking uncomfortably out of his element as he tries (and fails) to calm the baby down. 

“What’s wrong?” Gi-hun shakes off any remaining drowsiness and moves towards the pair.

“I don’t know, she woke up and started crying. I picked her up but she won’t calm down.” The panicked expression on In-ho’s face was almost comical and if Gi-hun hadn’t just woken up, he’d definitely tease the older man endlessly. 

“Well holding her as if she’s an active bomb isn’t helping at all.” He sighs, gently taking the baby from his arms. He checks the usual suspects but he finds she hasn’t soiled herself or is visibly injured. 

“She’s probably hungry.” Gi-hun concludes. 

Before he’s able to ask In-ho if, by some miracle, they had baby formula on hand, the elevator from the hallway dings. A guard enters the room with a bottle, thermos, and can of formula in hand. They leave the items on a nearby table before taking their leave. 

“Here, hold her properly.” Gi-hun hands the baby girl back to In-ho. He fixes the man’s awkward posture until his arms are supporting the baby’s neck and back. 

He moves to the items on the table and prepares a bottle exactly how he remembered making Ga-yeong’s. Once he makes sure the bottle isn’t too hot he takes back the baby and holds the bottle close to her. She immediately latches on and her crying fades away as she focuses on eating with renewed rigor. 

“What a good baby.” Gi-hun smiles. “We should probably name her. Got any ideas?” They can’t keep referring to her as ‘baby’ and Hyun-ju never mentioned her name. Jun-hee likely never had the chance to name her. 

“You name her.” In-ho passes off the responsibility to him like the jerk he is. 

Before Gi-hun can form a retort back, the familiar game announcer voice floods the room.

“Here are the rules of the game. Players will play on the square, triangle, and circle towers. You will play a pushing game on these three pillars.”

Gi-hun walks closer to the windows for a better look. The game arena now had three giant pillars with a square, triangle, and circle carved into each respectively. Seven players, including Hyun-ju, were standing on top of the square tower. 

“Please press the button on the ground to start the first round.”

Behind him, In-ho moved the chair closer to him and urged him to sit. Gi-hun complied, still feeding the baby in his arms, but also keeping an eye on the people below.

The group was scattered, talking amongst themselves as they discussed who should be eliminated. In the end, the group pushed player 125 off with a pole. 

Hyun-ju and the remaining players cross the bridge to the triangle tower. 

The baby in his arms has finished her bottle so Gi-hun peels his eyes off the scene in front of him to hold her against his chest. He pats her back until she lets out a small burp. 

“I’ll watch over her so you can eat.” In-ho appears at his side and takes the baby from his arms. 

Besides him on the small table was a tray filled with food he didn’t even notice was placed there. He was starting to get hungry anyway so he didn’t argue. By the way In-ho was now handling the baby properly, Gi-hun deduced he was capable of babysitting.

While he ate, the group were fighting amongst each other. Gi-hun was immediately worried Hyun-ju would be overpowered but she held her ground and defended herself well. That round three players were eliminated. 

Hyun-ju and the other two advance to the final tower. The two players decide to form a temporary alliance and go after Hyun-ju. She does her best to fend both of the men off and is lucky when one stumbles and falls off his own accord. 

There’s three minutes left in the time limit and the remaining player scrambles at Hyun-ju, holding her down. Gi-hun anxiously watches as the two wrestle on the floor and get dangerously close to the edge. 

The man has his hands wrapped around Hyun-ju’s neck with a crazed expression on his face. Hyun-ju uses her remaining strength to attempt to pry the man’s hands off her neck and sends a strong kick to his stomach. 

The man doubles over and slips off the tower. However, he latches onto Hyun-ju’s leg and she has to quickly find stability before she’s dragged down as well. 

With less than a minute remaining, Hyun-ju desperately holds onto the edge as the man clings to her legs. However, he soon starts losing strength in his grip and is unable to continue holding on. With a yell, his grip unlatches from Hyun-ju and he falls to his death. 

Hyun-ju slowly climbs back up, collapsing from overexertion, and lays there as she catches her breath.

It isn’t until the announcer confirms that player 120 has successfully won the game that Gi-hun breathes a sigh of relief. 

Hyun-ju had won.