Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Dae-ho

“We just need to focus on winning the game tomorrow. Okay?” Player 390 settled the dispute between player 456 and player 001. “We have someone with us who's already won. If we just work as a team, then we have nothing to worry about. You know?”

“That's right, my friends.” Dae-ho hopped down from his bunk, wiping the last bit of his lunch from his mouth. “You say we should work as a team, right? I agree. I'm with you all the way.”

“And who are you?” One of the men raised an eyebrow at him.

“Ah, excuse me. Dae-ho. At your service.” He flashed his most charming smile. “Kang Dae-ho. That's me.” He extended a hand to Player 390, who just stared back at him as he glanced back and forth between the three older men.

“Ah, Dae-ho, sure.” Player 390 eyed him skeptically. “Do I know you?”

Dae-ho chuckled a bit awkwardly, “Earlier, when Mr. 456 went ‘Hold still!’ I loved it.” He exclaimed, imitating the way Player 456 covered his mouth and instructed the other players through Red Light Green Light. “Became an instant fan. I'd like to get to know all of you. Give me a chance, sir.” He bowed to Player 390. "’Hold still!’ That was awesome, man.”

“Uh-huh. Wait.” Player 390 approached him, grabbing his arm and rolling up his sleeve slightly.

“What... What is it, sir?”

“The Marines?” He asked, inspecting his tattoo.

“Yeah, why?” Dae-ho raised an eyebrow.

“Which cohort?” Player 390 asked.

Dae-ho looked down for a moment and chuckled assuming he must be joking.

“Oh.” The older man laughed as he began removing his jacket. “Just wait.”

As he rolled up his sleeve, revealing a matching tattoo, Dae-ho realized he was in the presence of a fellow marine, and an elder officer at that.

“Victory at all costs! Sir!” He straightened into a salute. “Cohort 1140, sir!”

“At ease. ‘Dae-ho.’ No wonder I had a good feeling about you.” Player 390 exclaimed with a light slap to Dae-ho’s shoulder.

“Sir!” He shouted back in response.

“I was 746. Welcome, Marine.”

“Won't let you down, sir!” Dae-ho shouted.

Player 390 laughed heartily at the younger marine.

“Sir!” He shouted each time the older man tapped his shoulder. “Sir!”

“I like your discipline!” Player 390 remarks, still laughing in amusement.

“Thank you, sir!”

The men were distracted from sharing their military experience by a commotion across the room. The pair turned to see three players going at it, player 124 holding up player 333 as player 230 punched him repeatedly.

They watched from afar as the smaller man was pushed to the ground and the other men began kicking him.

“Oh, to have all that energy. It's gotta be nice to be that young.” Dae-ho shook his head in amusement.

“He could get really hurt if this continues. Someone should intervene, right?” Player 390 replied, looking over at his younger counterpart.

“Yeah, I know.” Dae-ho nods before realizing the older man was looking at him. “Me? Or...”

Before Player 390 could respond, though, a petite young woman came between them, walking towards the fight with clenched fists by her side.

“You’re not going to just let that little girl go break the fight up, are you?” 390 raised an eyebrow at him.

“W-well—you don’t think they’d hit a girl, do you?” Dae-ho looked at the older man nervously. “Maybe she can stop it without escalating the situation..”

She slowed as she got closer to the three men. “Hey! Assholes!” Well, that wasn’t a great start to peaceful conflict resolution. “Come on, knock it off. Everyone here is just trying to enjoy their meal. Don’t you think we’ve all had enough excitement for one day?” She called out to them.

The purple haired man chuckled lowly, “Listen sweetheart,” his voice dripped with condescension, “There’s history here you can’t possibly understand.”

“Maybe,” she replied, “but I understand two against one isn’t a fair fight.”

The man turned to face her, looking a bit taken aback when their eyes met, as if the insult he’d been gearing up died on his lips. He stepped toward her placing a hand on her shoulder, “Senorita, you’re too pretty to be acting like such a bitch.”

She smiled in a way Dae-ho thought seemed almost smug. “You know, if you go sit on my bed and wait for me to finish dealing with this loser, I’ll give you a proper welcome into the Thanos world.” He flashed a toothy grin that clearly got him a lot of unearned attention, and Dae-ho almost thought his bullshit was going to work on her as she raised one hand to rest on his arm.

That is, until she twisted his arm, a loud crack echoing through the dorm that made Dae-ho involuntarily wince. She turned her body away from Thanos swiftly, never releasing his arm as he cried out in pain. Then, as if she had the strength of a marine herself, she flipped him over her back, slamming him to the ground with a loud thud, clearly knocking the wind out of him.

The purple haired man coughed, his uninjured arm cradling his stomach.

The dark-haired man with him started coming up behind her, and Dae-ho worried for a moment that he might catch her by surprise and hurt her. But the skinnier man revealed himself, muttering, “Fucking bitch.” as he approached her.

Just as he was about to grab her, she jammed her elbow into his nose, causing him to shuffle back as he clutched his bloody face, swearing under his breath. Then she turned to kick him in the balls, sending him collapsing to the ground clutching his groin in agony.

Thanos was starting to push himself up to his knees, eyes full of fury. But he couldn’t even make it to his feet before she kicked him square in the nose, leaving each of the men on the floor with matching bloody noses, groaning in pain.

All Dae-ho could do by this point was stare in disbelief, thinking to himself, She may not look it, but damn, that girl is strong.

Player 333 appeared to be in the same boat, staring up at her wide-eyed as she single handedly took down both of the men attacking him.

She stalked off back toward Dae-ho’s little group, leaving the two assholes to nurse their sore faces and egos together as Player 333 scurried away. Everyone across the entire room broke out in applause, and Dae-ho could’ve sworn he saw her roll her eyes. He and Player 390 clapped along mindlessly, eyes fixated on the mysterious girl as she threw her long black hair with bright white and deep red streaks over her shoulder.

She caught his eye as she got closer to them, raising her eyebrow and saying, “What the fuck are you staring at?”

Player 390 looked away awkwardly, but Dae-ho couldn’t tear his eyes away from her. The only word he could muster was a breathy, “Wow.” as his eyes followed her back to the bunk behind his own, wondering why part of him was excited she would be so near him.

“Attention players, lights out will begin in 30 minutes.”

“We’d better go to the bathroom before they lock the doors for the night and get ready for bed.” Mr. 456 instructed them.

After freshening up a bit, Dae-ho crawled into bed, noticing the girl from before fidgeting with one of her many necklaces.

This one in particular was shaped like a pocket watch but looked like a compass.

“That was awesome.” He said nervously. “What you did back there.”

She looked at him distrustingly.

“It was pretty badass.” He offers a small smile.

“Someone had to put those guys in their place.” She shrugged, lying back against her pillow.

She seemed almost cold, but Dae-ho was so intrigued by her, secretly hoping he could get a chance to get to know her better before going home, or… Well, he didn’t want to think about the alternative.

Chapter Text

Jin-ae

The eerily cheerful music echoed through the large dorm room as the bright lights flickered on, waking the disgruntled players.

Jin-ae stretched as she sat up, kicking the itchy blanket off her legs and pulling her discarded jacket back over her shoulders.

“Attention, please.” The creepy woman’s voice rang across the PA system. “The second game will begin momentarily. Please follow the instructions from our staff.”

Jin-ae rubbed her eyes, swinging her legs over the edge of the tall bunk bed and hopping down. She followed the herd of players to the doors and out through the bright pink halls. She fidgeted nervously with her necklaces as she absentmindedly followed their lead through the many staircases until they finally entered the game hall.

She shook away the anxious thoughts, reminding herself of the conversation she’d overheard the night prior between many players and the crazed Player 456 who had sworn he’d played the games before. He had claimed the second game would be dalgona, and all the players around him agreed that selecting the triangle shape would result in an easy victory. So, there was nothing to be nervous about.

“Welcome to your second game.” The all too familiar voice announced. “This game will be played in teams.” Panic filled her chest. “Please divide into teams of five in the next ten minutes.” Dalgona isn’t a team game. And she didn’t know anyone here at all.

She looked around the room nervously as all the men around her seemed to latch onto each other immediately. She noticed the arrogant Thanos and his little follower eyeing her across the room and couldn’t help but laugh to herself when she noticed their bruises and the dried blood around their noses.

Time was running out and none of the people applauding her last night seemed to want her in their team. Women shuffled away from her nervously when she approached them, while the men turned their backs away from her entirely.

She was just beginning to worry she might not find a team willing to have her before the game began and wondered if they would just shoot her on the spot. She flinched as a hand met her shoulder, whipping her head around to see who was behind her.

“Wait! Don’t hit me!” The obnoxious marine with the ponytail that had been staring at her the day before released her arm, covering his face.

She raised an eyebrow in confusion as he slowly lowered his hands.

“What do you want?” She asked a bit too harshly, reading his player number. 388 .

“Oh-um,” he stuttered a bit nervously. “I was just wondering if you might want to join our team? We already have four, so we just need one more.”

“You want me on your team?” She asked in disbelief, considering no one else seemed to.

“Well, yeah.” He shrugged. “Like I said yesterday, you’re a badass. Any team would be lucky to have you.”

She hesitated, feeling uncertain, but it wasn’t like she had a lot of options. “Okay, sure.” Besides, the guy was very handsome and he seemed kind of sweet.

“Great!” The tall man beamed at her. “Here, my team is over this way.” He grabbed her hand, guiding her through the crowd.

As they approach his group, she notices it includes the older marine he’d been staring at her alongside the day prior, along with Player 456 and Player 001.

“Dae-ho! What is this? I thought I told you to go find a fifth man to join us!” Player 390 chastised the younger man.

Before 388 can speak up, she retorted, “And what makes you think I wanna be in a group full of old men?”

“Well, you’re here aren’t you?” Player 001 points out.

“If I had known you all would be so childish, I wouldn’t have come.”

“Look it’s nothing against you, it’s just that our best chances of getting through this game is having a strong team.” 001 says.

“Did you see her yesterday?” 388 finally pipes up. “She’s obviously a lot stronger than she looks, and clearly has more balls than any man here with how she stood up to those arrogant bullies.”

The older men all pause dumbfounded.

“I mean if that’s how you really feel, I’ll just go find another team to join.”

She shrugs and starts to leave, but one of the men says “No!”

Player 456 steps forward. “Dae-ho is right. We won’t be at a disadvantage if the game requires strength. We’ve all seen she can carry her own weight. And we don’t have any clue what the game will be yet. For all we know it could be something women are typically better at. Then we’d be at a disadvantage without her.”

“Team selection will end momentarily.” The creepy woman’s voice announced.

“Gi-hun’s right.” 390 concedes. “It was impressive how you kicked those guys asses yesterday. We’d be lucky to have you.” They all gather in a circle and he adds. “I’m sorry, Miss, for my poor judgement.”

“What did I tell you guys? Leave it to me, and I’ll find a great addition to our team.”

Dae-ho beamed.

“The time for team selection is now over.”

The voice announced. “The game you will be playing is Six Legged Pentathlon. You will start with your legs tied together.

Each member will take turns playing a minigame at every tenmeter mark,

and if you win, the team can move on to the next one. Here are the minigames.

Number one, Flying Stone.

Number two, Ddajki.

Number three, Gonggi.

Number four, Spinning Top.

Number five, Jegi.

Your goal is to win all the minigames and cross the finish line in five minutes.

Please decide players for each minigame.”

The team sat in a straight line together, looking down the row at each other as they tried to determine who was best suited for each game.

390 speaks first. “We’re lucky we got a woman. You can play Gonggi, right?”

Aera shakes her head.

“I don’t get it. Do girls not play Gonggi anymore?”

“No, I’ve never played it.”

They all fall silent in disappointment.

Player 388 looks down at his hands, as if embarrassed. “Actually… I can play Gonggi.”

“You? An ex marine?” 390 asks in disbelief.

“Uh.. I grew up with four older sisters. I used to play it with them sometimes.”

“Of course you can. There’s nothing a marine can’t do.” 390 slaps his shoulder with pride.

“Everyone else, what game are you confident playing?” 456 asked them all

“I can do flying stone.” 390 said. “I was a pitcher for my baseball team, so I’m good at throwing.”

“I can do Ddajki.” Jin-ae spoke up. “I played with my brother a lot when we were kids. Even against the man in the subway, I won more times than he did.”

“Alright, Miss 321, you’ve got Ddajki.” 390 replies. “That just leaves Jegi and Spinning Top.” He turns to the remaining two men.

“Which are you good at?” Player 456 asks Player 001.

“You pick, Gi-hun. I’ll just take whatever you don’t.”

“How do you know my name?”

“Oh I just heard your friend calling you that. Thought I’d give it a try.” Jin-ae couldn’t help but notice Player 001 seemed to give off a suspicious energy, but she didn’t question it out loud. “Does it bother you?”

“No, it’s fine.”

“So, Gi-hun, what are you good at?”

“I guess I’m better at Jegi.”

“Hmm. Then I’ll do spinning top.”

“All right.”

“Guys, bring your hands together. All together now!” 390 told them.

Jin-ae hesitated for a moment, not wanting to get overly close with her fellow players. After all, even if they made it through this game, they might not make it through the next, so what was the point in setting herself up to grieve strangers? The tall marine who’d recruited her for their team brushed against her slightly and whispered “Come on.” She finally placed her hands on top of his.

“On three, we go, “Victory at all costs.”

One, two, three.” 390 said

“Victory at all costs!” They chanted together.

“Teams 1 and 2, please get ready.” The voice announced.

They watched intently as the first two teams took their places, both struggling to get through each mini game.

One man kept his team stuck at flying stone until their time was up, quite literally pissing himself after missing for the tenth time or so. The other at least got through most of them, just barely finishing spinning top as the time ran out. But apparently beating the opposing team couldn’t save them without crossing the finish line. Fortunately that meant if by any chance both teams competing crossed the finish line, they could all live.

All ten players were shot and killed the moment the time ran out, gunshots and screams ringing through the game hall.

Player 388 covered his ears and squeezed his eyes shut tight.

Jin-ae was too distracted by her own fear as the shots fired, but when they stopped she noticed he was still covering his ears.

“Hey, you okay?” She asked, gently rubbing his arm.

He flinched away at her touch, so she jerked her hand back and said “Sorry…”

“No-no, I’m sorry.” His eyes seemed  to clear as if he was remembering where he was, realizing the girl next to him wasn’t dangerous. “All this just kinda freaks me out.”

“It’s okay. I understand.” She reassures him, replacing her hand on his shoulder to provide some comfort. “It would be stranger if it didn’t.”

He offered a small smile in appreciation.

The next two teams lined up and they all felt terrible looking at team 4. An old woman and her son, a meek young girl, a trans woman, and a young pregnant woman. This was going to be painful to watch.

To their surprise, the players worked incredibly well together. The man got the flying stone on his second try, and the pregnant girl got the ddajki on her first try.

The older woman struggled for a moment with Gonggi until her son whispered something to her that seemed to calm her and help her concentrate.

“Ugh, makes me anxious.” Player 390 covered his eyes. “I can’t watch.”

She began again, rolling the plastic stones across the small table and catching them piece by piece as she tossed them in the air. Before long she was to the final step.

“Jung-bae, look.” Gi-hun said, shaking his friend slightly. He looked up just in time to witness her final toss and the guard forming an O with their arms as the voice announced, “Success.”

“She did it!” Jung-bae exclaimed rising to his feet alongside the younger marine, who extended a hand down to Jin-ae, helping her to stand beside them where she could see better.

The younger girl struggled a bit with spinning top, Jin-ae and her teammates watching nervously as she could fought to get it wrapped. Then, the woman next to her helped her take a deep breath to calm down and focus. Nearly every player in the game hall cheered when she finally succeeded, shouting “1! 2! 1! 2!” with the team as they walked to the final game.

Their last teammate, the trans woman, asked everyone on her team and in the crowd to look away. They turned, counting along in a whisper as she kicked 5 times, getting the Jegi on her first try after.

Cheers erupted from the crowd as the team screamed in excitement.

Every player in the hall was standing and cheering along with them yelling “1! 2! 1! 2!” as they approached the finish line.

When they crossed the finish line, Player 388 wrapped his arms around her, lifting her off the ground into a huge bear hug.

Everyone around them screamed, excited not only that this team who seemed to have the odds stacked against them had made it, but also that they now knew it was truly possible to get through all of the games within the five minute limit.

He placed her back on the ground, wrapping his arms around she and Jung-bae as they jumped up and down cheering together in a group hug.

The cheerful energy among the crowd was quickly destroyed by the familiar fire of gunshots at the losing team as they all ducked instinctively, Player 388’s hands shooting back over his ears.

When Jin-ae noticed, she rubbed circles on his back to try to soothe him, the way she always had for her little brother, Min-ho, when their mother was being particularly cruel to them. She couldn’t quite rationalize why, but she felt a similar need to protect this man.

“Thank you,” he whispered when he finally calmed down. “I’m sorry it gets to me so much.” He looked at her apologetically.

“You don’t need to apologize. People are dying. We’re all scared.” She assured him, continuing to rub his back.

The next teams went by in a blur, she tried to keep Player 388 distracted, so that maybe he wouldn’t be quite so nervous.

She payed close attention to the timer so she could prepare him each time the shots were about to begin.

She tried to think of something to talk about to keep his mind off the games as he practiced Gonggi with rocks and shaky hands.

“Tell me something about yourself. Something you can’t tell anyone else.”

“What?” He seemed shocked by her question.

“Come on, man we could die in the next hour, so who cares? Might as well get that shit off your chest.”

He glanced at her nervously. “Okay, fine. It doesn’t have to be some super secret. We can start simpler.” She thought for a moment. “What’s your favorite color?”

He relaxed a bit. “Orange. What’s yours?”

“Green.” She replied.

“You must love our tracksuits then.” He laughed a bit.

“No, not that ugly green.” She laughed with him. “Like an earthy green. Like the grass and the leaves on the trees.”

“Gotcha.” He answered, smiling at her.

“Alright, your turn.” She said, returning the smile.

“My turn?” He eyed her inquisitively.

“Yeah, you ask me something now.”

“Okay.. um,” he thought for a moment.

“How old are you?”

“26.” She answered. “And you?”

“32.” He replied.

“My turn.” She grinned mischievously.

“What’s something you always wanted to try but never got to?”

“Seriously?”

“What?” She asked innocently.

“You said simple.”

“We’re working our way up.” She shrugged, feigning innocence.

He thought for a moment before answering. “Dancing.”

“Dancing?” She found his answer quite amusing.

“Yeah, I mean I guess I’ve technically done it before, but I never really knew how to, so I definitely looked like an idiot any time I did.”

She laughed. “Tell ya what, 388, if we make it out of here alive, I’ll teach you how to dance.”

He chuckled along with her. “What about you?”

“I always wanted to travel.”

“Anywhere in particular?”

“Honestly, anywhere but here.” She shrugged. “I’ve never left the country, but I always wanted to see the world.”

“Why haven’t you?” He asked.

“Well, if I had the money to go to France, I probably wouldn’t be here.” she said, gesturing to the room they were in.

“Right. Sorry. Dumb question.” He laughed nervously .

“Hey, times about to run out. Cover your ears.” She said, wrapping an arm around his neck to pull him close to her and covering his hands over his ears with her own hands as the final seconds ran out, and the all too familiar shots began firing.

They bothered her too but not as much as they bothered him, and he seemed so kind hearted it made her long to protect him in any way she could.

When they finally stopped, she took her hands off his letting one trail down to rub his back, whispering, “It’s okay, it’s over now.” She slowly eased him back out of his shell.

“Thank you,” he said when he finally felt okay again. “It’s not so bad when I can prepare for it.”

“Of course,” she smiled at him sweetly.

“So, I know you’re an ex-marine, but what do you do for work now?”

“Well I’m kind of between jobs right now.” He scratched his neck embarrassed. “I’ve had a lot since…” he trailed off absentmindedly. “But, nothing ever really seemed to stick.”

“That makes sense. Must be difficult adjusting back to normal life.”

“It hasn’t been easy,” he admitted. “What do you do?” He asked.

“I’ve been kinda in the same boat, going from job to job, but I’ve stuck with the same thing for a while now. During the day, I clean houses, and at night I work in a pretty big club in Seoul.”

“Which club?” He asked.

“Club Aura.” She replied. “You ever been?”

“No, clubs aren’t really my scene.” He blushed. “Too loud and crowded.”

“That’s understandable.” She assured him, “It’s definitely not for everybody.”

“Alright, my turn.” Player 388 says, finally relaxing fully. “What are you going to do if you get the money?”

“Pay off my debts. Get a better apartment.” She laughed. “Maybe get a dog.” Finally find my brother, she thought to herself but didn’t dare to admit it out loud to him.

“Same.” He laughed.

“I suppose we should dare to dream big,”

she remarked. “Given we don’t know yet how much we could end up with. If we survive, that is.”

The marine went quiet at the reminder of their potentially gruesome fates.

“Do you still talk to your sisters?” She asked, trying to change the topic.

“Of course. We’ve always been very close.” He beamed like his big sisters were his pride and joy. “What about you?”

“I don’t have any sisters.”

“But your brother?” He asked

“Ah, that wasn’t the question though.” She flashed an evil grin.

“That’s not fair-“ he started to protest but she suddenly realized there was only 5 seconds left on the timer.

“Quick! Cover your ears,” she wrapped her arms around him once more.

As the shots slowed then stopped, she looked around the room realizing they were one of only two teams left.

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s over.” She spoke gently.

He uncovered his ears, looking up at her like a sad, scared little boy. It broke her heart to have to tell him, “It’s our turn now.”

The man’s hands shook by his sides as they stood together.

“Just take a deep breath.” She placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“The final two teams, get ready.” The woman’s voice announced.

“It’s strange being the only one’s without an audience, no?” Jung-bae chuckled. When he noticed the younger 388 was being awfully quiet, he asked, “Hey, are you afraid?”

“No sir.” 388 put on a brave face.

“At least it’s quiet.” Jin-ae offered. “It should be easier to focus without everyone else watching.”

“Hey!” Jung-bae shouted across the game hall. “We’ll see you all at the finish line! Victory at all costs!”

“Hell yeah, we’ll see you safe on the other side!” A man shouts back.

“Thank you for saying that!” One woman shouts.

“We’ll see you there.” One of the men chimes in.

“Good luck!” One of the others shouts.

The guards finished chaining their ankles together, Jin-ae squished between the handsome Player 388 and Jung-bae, linking their arms together.

“We’ve got this, I have faith.” Player 001 said. “Besides, we’ve got a previous winner with us.” He smiled at Gi-hun.

And with that one of the guards fires a single shot, indicating the start of the game as they take off, shouting “1! 2! 1! 2!” as they walk step by step to the first game, flying stone.

“Knock it over! I believe in you sir!” Player 388 shouted at Jung-bae. “Get it in one!”

“Back when I used to pitch, I never threw very fast, but the ball always went right where I wanted it to.” He said taking a deep breath as he aimed.

They all fell silent as they watched him throw the stone, cheering when he knocked the small tombstone over.

“I knew you could do it sir!” Player 388 shouted as they approached the next game, Ddajki.

Jin-ae took a deep breath, selecting the blue tile. She threw it down as hard as she could, flipping the other tile on her first try as the men in her group cheered.

“Great job!” Player 388 shouted as they approached the third game, Gonggi.

Player 388 grabbed the plastic stones, and they all squatted down together as he held them to his lips.

“Here we go.” Jung-bae looked across Jin-ae at the younger marine. “Okay, Dae-ho. Just try to stay calm. Even if you miss.”

Dae-ho, whose name she had only just learned, turned his head, bringing his finger up to shush the older marine, who Jin-ae noticed pouting a bit out of the corner of her eye.

Now that they were all silent, he closed his eyes taking a deep breath before flicking his wrist, rolling the stones across the table. It was the fastest game of Gonggi they’d seen all day.

Dae-ho’s practice clearly paid off as he tossed the stones in the air, catching each without fail and quickly getting through to the final flip. Jin-ae couldn’t help but think he was quite good with his hands. Ew, shut up. That’s gross. Just focus on the game, she mentally lectured herself.

Dae-ho tossed the stones in the air for a final time, swiftly catching them before slowly turning his palm over to reveal all five stones as a small smirk played on his lips, looking up at the guard for approval.

As the guards arms formed the O shape and the woman’s voice confirmed their success, she grabbed Dae-ho’s shoulder cheering in excitement as he screamed.

“That was amazing! Daeho, my boy!” Jung-bar beamed.

The other men hoisted them to their feet, heading to the last two mini games.

“There’s no rush. Take your time.” Jung-bae assured Player 001 as he began wrapping the spinning top.

“Damn, the whole team might get through on the first try.” Dae-ho grinned back at her, squeezing her arm gently.

Player 001 geared up and threw the spinning top which rolled on the ground, as if Dae-ho had jinxed them.

All of their smiles dropped.

“It’s okay.” Gi-hun assured them. “We’ve still got plenty of time. Now, let’s go get it.”

Jin-ae glanced up at the timer, grateful she, Dae-ho, and Jung-bae had managed to get through their games so quickly, as they still had 3 minutes to get through the final two. They marched forward to collect the spinning top.

“It’d be boring to win everything fast.” Jung-bae said.

“Yeah, that’s a good point. I mean, if you’re ever gonna grow, you need to fail first right?” Dae-ho replied, ever the optimist.

Player 001 rewrapped the spinning top as the walked backwards.

“You’re fine. Relax.” Dae-ho reassured him.

“Everything’s okay now.” Gi-hun added. “Just stay calm, and don’t rush yourself.”

“Hold on. Give me some room.” Player 001 ordered, pushing Gi-hun and Dae-ho away from him.

As he threw the spinning top forward, it stuck to the string as he yanked back to spin it, sending the top flying behind them.

“Shit. Sorry guys. That’s on me.” Player 001 hung his head in shame.

“It’s okay.” Gi-hun replied, “Let’s just go and get it.”

“How the fuck did you do that?” Jung-bae exclaimed in shock. “That takes real talent, doesn’t it.”

Player 001 kneeled to pick up the top, staying down for a moment.

“Are you taking a break down there? Get up!” Jung-bae ordered, and Player 001 rose.

“Good. Now go forward.” Gi-hun said as they started walking forward again.

“Wait! I need my arms.” Player 001 said, shaking away from Gi-hun and Dae-ho. “Ah shit, what the hell is going wrong?” He groaned in frustration as he struggled to rewrap the top.

“Just calm down. Just breathe and relax.” Gi-hun tried to calm him down.

“Slowly! Slowly!” The players exclaimed as he rushed to throw it again.

Jesus. This guy needs to get a grip before he gets us all killed , Jin-ae thought to herself.

Gi-hun picked up the top for him as Dae-ho and Jung-bae swore under their breath. “Listen, we really are cutting it close now.”

Suddenly, player 001 screamed in frustration. “Pull it together! What the hell!”

Dae-ho flinched away, and Jin-ae gripped his hand in hers without realizing what she was doing. He placed his other hand on her shoulder, hiding his face in her neck, his heavy breathing tickling her slightly. It may have been a sweet moment if they weren’t about to die because this guy is having a breakdown.

Player 001 slapped himself repeatedly calling himself a piece of shit, and Jin-ae could feel her hand trembling in Dae-ho’s.

“Hey!” Gi-hun shouted, grabbing him. “No one is blaming any of this on you.”

Dae-ho grabbed the top from where Gi-hun dropped it again with his free hand, wrapping the string around for Player 001 as Gi-hun desperately tried to get him to contain his emotions.

“Now! Take a deep breath, okay? You played this when you were a kid. Try to recapture how that felt.” Gi-hun instructed, as Player 001 took the top from Dae-ho to finish wrapping it. “Good. Now, deep breaths. Just stay calm.” Jin-ae glanced nervously at the timer. “Good, just stay calm. Take your time. Don’t rush. Nice and calm.” Gi-hun rambled on until Player 001 lined up to throw the top once more. Jin-ae watched nervously as it launched forward, spinning when it hit the ground.

She grabbed Dae-ho’s hand again, this time out of pure joy and relief rather than fear. They all screamed in excitement before rushing toward the last game.

Gi-hun took the Jegi from the guard, who held up 5 fingers in his face to indicate the 5 times he had to kick it to win. “I know how to play.” Gi-hun pushed the gloved hand out of his face.

Their eyes followed the Jegi as it bounced up and down, Gi-hun hitting it each time. His fourth hit sent the Jegi flying forward, and Jin-ae’s eyes widened in terror, fearing this was the end for her little group.

But Player 001 lunged forward, extending Gi-hun’s leg with his own, just in time for the Jegi to land on Gi-hun’s foot. The motion nearly sent Jin-ae to the ground, but Dae-ho’s strong hands caught her waist, pulling her back to her feet as Jung-bae muttered, “He did it. He hit it!”

“Success!”

The group cheered, charging toward the finish line. As the pink ribbon broke around them, the buzzer rang, letting them all know they just barely escaped the gruesome fate of their fellow fallen players.

Dae-ho screamed out in relief, he and Player 390 squeezing Jin-ae to their sides in as close to a group hug as they could manage with their legs chained together, shouting, “We did it!”

Their moment of joy was cut short by the gunshots ringing through the game hall as the other team collapsed. Nothing was joyful anymore.

Dae-ho’s arm trembled around her as they all stared at the players they hoped they would have been able to share this victory with. No amount of joy could last more than a moment in a place like this.

Chapter Text

Dae-ho

Dae-ho couldn’t shake the image of the final fallen players as his team followed the guards back from the game hall. He walked alongside the lone girl of their group as they slowly made their way back to the main dormitory.

Despite all the terror and insanity of the game, she had managed to provide him some comfort. He was very grateful for the way she had warned him before the shots began, holding him and soothing him as he cowered covering his ears. He wanted to thank her, but felt so ashamed that she even felt the need to protect him like this. He must have looked so weak for a tiny little thing like her to take on the responsibility of looking after him.

Though, he certainly wasn’t complaining about having a pretty girl by his side, holding his hand as they tried to make it through the final two mini games. But the way he had hidden behind her like a coward was haunting him. She must think I’m a pathetic excuse for a man.

He couldn’t even look in her direction as they walked side by side through the winding halls toward the dorm.

A blush crept upon his cheeks as he felt her fingertips brushed against his. He lacked either the courage or the confidence to grab her hand, in case it was just an accident, but he longed to spend the rest of the night wrapped in her arms, face buried in the crook of her neck.

Finally, they entered the familiar dorm room, and Dae-ho realized none of them had uttered a single word since winning the game.

“Doesn’t seem like they’re too happy to see us.” Player 001 remarked as they realized the other teams all looked either indifferent or disappointed by their return.

That is, except for the older woman with her son, who waved at them with a warm smile.

Jung-bae waved back, saying to the others, “That old lady is nice. I like her.” Then he paused and groaned slightly, “Awh, I miss my mom.”

Before Dae-ho got a chance to think of what he might say to her, the younger girl rested a hand on his lower back and asked, “Are you alright?”

She startled him slightly. “Oh—uh, yeah.” He stumbled over his words. “Thank you for looking out for me. Being here, all of this…” he trailed off. “I guess it just reminds me of things I’d rather not remember.”

“I get it.” She replies, rubbing her hand in circles across his back as they approached the corner with their bunks. “I have things I’d rather forget, too.” She offered him a reassuring smile as she dropped her hand to sit with the other men.

Dae-ho plopped down next to her, reminding himself she may not want him to sit so close and shifting away slightly. But she smiled at him softly again and his anxious thoughts began to melt away.

All he could think about was how pretty her smile was, how the ends of her long hair were beginning to curl up a bit, how her stacks of necklaces, earrings, and facial piercings complimented her features so well, how he could see a bit of ink etched into her skin, peaking out from beneath her jacket. She was mesmerizing. Everything about her made his head spin. How could someone be so strong yet so gentle? So assertive, yet kind? So fiery, yet so sweet?

She seemed like a girl pulled straight out of his dreams. And yet he didn’t even know her name.

“I’m sorry about earlier.” Player 001 apologized to the team, pulling Dae-ho from his thoughts.

“It’s okay.” He offered.

“It’s alright. During Jegi, if you hadn’t stepped in to help with that last part, I never would have made it.”

“Hey, young lady. Are you doing alright?” He asked the girl of the group.

“Yeah,” she nodded. “Thank you for letting me join you guys.” She said with a small bow of her head.

“Remember the second round, the ddajki flipped like bam! On the first try.” Jung-bae smiled at her, imitating the way she had launched the tile into the ground.

“Yeah! That was so cool!” Dae-ho added, noticing the slight blush on her cheeks as she smiled shyly.

“Since she’s joined, she’s kinda been like our good luck charm, right?” Jung-bae beamed.

Dae-ho nodded along. “And sir, you were incredible at flying stone! You just lined it up and wham! First try.” Dae-ho exclaimed, mimicking the way Jung-bae threw the stone. “And I saw, you threw it underhand like,” he stood to demonstrate exactly how Jung-bae threw, “Bam! Like that.”

“Oh, come on,” Jung-bae scoffed.

“It was like watching Kim Byung-hyun throw!” Dae-ho said with a laugh as he sat back down.

“Me? What about you? You were a Gonggi machine, like,” Jung-bae made little sound effects as he imitated Dae-ho’s Gonggi skills, “all in one move! Like someone from a kung fu movie.”

Dae-ho laughed, basking in the praise. His own father would never in a million years be so proud of him for anything, but especially not for being good at a girl’s game like Gonggi. He almost couldn’t believe he had gained this level of support from Jung-bae in the matter of just a day.

“Oh, it was nothing.” He brushed it off. “Since I was her only son, you know, my mother only let me hang out at home with my sisters.”

“Yet she sent her little boy to the marines.” Jung-bae pointed out. “How’d that work?”

The smile slowly fell from Dae-ho’s face. “That was my dad’s idea. So…” All the shame came rushing back at the reminder of his father who had always hated how Dae-ho trailed after his big sisters, playing Gonggi and letting them take turns braiding his overgrown hair. “He thought I should be tougher.” Wanting desperately to stop talking about his father forcing him to join the marines, Dae-ho decided to just frame it as his father wanting to pass on his legacy, which was at least partially true, but less embarrassing than admitting his own father thought he was a whiny little pansy. “He fought over in Vietnam, back when he was younger, actually.”

“Oh, he sounds like a great man.” Jung-bae replied.

He isn’t, Dae-ho thought bitterly, but just nodded and gave a simple, “Yeah.”

“So, your father was a marine, too, then?” Jung-bae leaned in closer.

“Uh.. Hold on sir,” Dae-ho needed to change the subject and get it as far away from his father as possible. Then, he realized he still hadn’t learned the names of the rest of their teammates. “Sorry, would you just excuse me for a second?” He stood to face the whole group. “I was thinking, what if we go around and say what our real names are? I still don’t know what to call either of you.” He looked back and forth between Players 001 and 456. “Same goes for you, Miss 321.” He smiled shyly at their good luck charm, as Jung-bae had called her. “I’ll go first.” He said lifting his fist in the air proudly. “Kang Dae-ho! ‘Dae’ as in huge, ‘ho’ as in tiger.” He beamed, he had always been proud of his name, striving to live up to it.

“Oh, now that’s a cool name!” Jung-bae said with a chuckle. “Well, so my name is Park Jung-bae. Means righteous and double, so I should be living twice as righteously I guess.” He said, scratching his head.

“I’m Jang Jin-ae.” The young girl introduced herself next. “I’m not sure what it means though.”

“Beautiful.” Dae-ho said without thinking, blushing when all eyes fall on him. “Uh, it means beautiful or treasure.” He clarifies.

He’s embarrassed, but relieved when she smiles up at him sweetly.

“Well, there’s no wondering why your parents gave you that name.” Player 001 added. “They must love you very much.”

Her smile fell and she looked down at her lap.

As though noticing the tension he’d caused, Player 001 continued, “Oh Young-il. That’s me.”

“Young-il?” asked Jung-bae.

“Yeah, you know, like ‘yeong il.’ ‘Zero one.’ It’s hard to forget.” He said pointing to the number on his chest.

“Oh, that’s crazy!” Dae-ho exclaimed. “Your name is the number you were given!”

“And what’s your full name?” Young-il turned to player 456. “I just know you as Gi-hun.”

“Oh, right. Seong Gi-hun is my full name.”

The members of the team repeated his full name, committing it to memory.

“Seong literally means ‘last name’.” Young-il pointed out with a chuckle.

The alarm buzzing distracted them from their conversation as the masked guards returned.

“Congratulations to all of you for making it through the second game.Now, if I may have your attention, I will announce the results of the second game.”

They all watched intently as cash filled the piggy bank. Dae-ho wondered if it would be enough to satisfy all the players; he was certainly ready to go home even if it meant he didn’t have enough to pay his debts in full. Whatever he was able to take with him, he would give to his sister, Ka-young to help with her ill son’s medical bills; as for his own debt, he would figure something else out. As of now, all he wanted was to see his mother and his sisters again.

“In the second game, 110 players were eliminated, bringing the total prize money to 20.1 billion won. The remaining players would each receive 78,823,530 won.”

Many players were outraged by this announcement, insisting they must have miscounted the remaining players, demanding an explanation from the guards.

“Your disappointment about the prize money is completely understandable. However, please remember that we always keep the door open for you to explore other opportunities.” The guard said suggestively, but Dae-ho wasn’t sure what he was implying. “On that note, we will now begin the vote that will determine if you would like to continue to the next game.” Two guards wheeled out the voting panel. “Whether you stay here and continue playing to increase your winnings, or stop the games now and leave, is a decision we leave entirely up to you. We want you to feel empowered to exercise this right in a free and democratic manner.”

Dae-ho thought carefully. 80 million won wasn’t quite enough to cover his debts after what he would give to Ka-young, but he knew it wasn’t worth risking their lives again. He overheard Gi-hun and Young-il talking, with the latter saying he would change his vote this time.

Dae-ho looked up at Gi-hun, “Sir, this time we’ll get out of this place.” He tugged on the blue patch on his chest. “Knowing when it’s time to retreat is essential to being a good marine. Isn’t that right, sir?” He grabbed Jung-bae’s shoulder.

“Uh-yeah, of course. Marines only have one life, just like everyone else. We should leave.” Jung-bae stumbled over his words, seeming preoccupied.

“We need to end the games here by any means necessary.” Gi-hun looked to Jin-ae, “I swear I’ll help you, all of you, once we’re all out of here. All I want in return is to have your support during the vote.”

“Alright, here we go. Let’s say Victory on the count of three.” Dae-ho stuck his hand in the middle of the huddle, smiling as Jin-ae placed hers over his, the other men of the group following suit. “On three. 1, 2, 3.”

“Victory!” They all shouted.

Dae-ho pumped his fist, rubbing Jung-bae’s shoulders aggressively, letting himself feel the excitement of possibly going home.

“Unlike last time, we will begin the vote with player 001.” The guard explained. “Player 001, please cast your vote.”

They all watched closely as each player voted, X’s and O’s neck and neck as some changed their votes and others remained the same. Dae-ho’s heart sank each time someone who had previously voted X changed their votes to O, though who was he to judge? After all, he had the same blue O patch from the last vote.

Suddenly an argument broke out amongst the players, Young-il trying to convince the O voters that they must get out alive before they can worry about the future. A young girl Dae-ho recognized from the group with the older woman began crying, begging to go home and Dae-ho’s chest ached feeling horrible for the girl. The O voters dismissed her concerns with everything from needing more money to insisting they would be alright since it’s just kids games.

He felt Jin-ae grab his hand, squeezing it tightly as the Os began chanting, “One more game!” over and over.

They watched together in horror as the gap between Xs and Os increased, with Os in the lead. Finally, Jin-ae’s number was called. “Player 321.”

He gently squeezed her hand one last time before dropping it as she headed down the center of the floor, pressing the X button without hesitation, exchanging her own blue patch for a red one.

Shortly after, it was his turn. He instantly pressed the X button, ripping the blue patch from his chest and trading it in for a red one. He turned to give Jung-Bae and Gi-hun a smile as he joined Jin-ae and Young-il with the other X voters.

Jung-bae was called immediately after him, and Dae-ho watched hopefully as he made his way to the front of the room.

To his shock, Jung-bae pressed the O button, though he looked down in shame as he exchanged his patch and joined the O side.

That doesn’t make any sense! He was willing to leave with less money at the last vote. Why on earth would he vote O?

Dae-ho’s jaw hung in disbelief. Sure, he had thought about voting O, but ultimately he had agreed to vote X with the team.

Dae-ho suddenly realized he had quickly grown to trust people he has only known for a day. No, you’re only alive now because of each other. You all care about each other enough to spend your time in the dorm together, praise each other’s successes, protect and comfort one another. He must have had a good reason.

He felt a bit of short-lived relief as the next player voted X. But the Os still had over 10 votes on them and there were very few players left waiting to cast their vote.

He looked over where Jin-ae stood beside him. Her vote wouldn’t have made a difference either way, but she still did the right thing. And she stood up to those overgrown bullies. And she was there for me in the game today.

Dae-ho figured if they were stuck here indefinitely, he was glad to have Jin-ae and the group by his side for the time being. He knew he was lucky to have found a group of people to stick with in case there are more group games in the future, and it would be so lonely without knowing anyone, eating alone everyday, wandering aimlessly at the announcement of a team game. That would be a nightmare. Well, even more of a nightmare, he supposed.

He reached down and grabbed Jin-ae’s hand, feeling bolder as they were inevitably facing potential death again the following day. They watched together as Gi-hun cast the final vote which didn’t make a dent in the difference.

“139 Os to 116 Xs. Based on the majority’s decision, all players will proceed to the third game tomorrow morning. Thank you for your cooperation.” The guard announced the obvious.

Gi-hun looked at them apologetically, but he couldn’t have saved them no matter how hard he tried. Dae-ho knew his goal was to save as many people as possible, and found him very admirable especially compared to greed driven players like 100 and 230, who were indifferent to those dying around them and the possibility they could be next.

He and Jin-ae waited together, hand in hand, as they brought in their lunch. She dropped his hand, though, as they walked to join the line, and he wasn’t sure why he felt a little bit disappointed.

She did wait for him to walk back together after she got her meal though, which he thought was nice.

He sat next to her in their little corner with Gi-hun and Young-il. They both dug into their bread, and Dae-ho gulped down half his milk. Then he noticed, someone was missing. Where’s Jung-bae?

Dae-ho glanced around the room before his eyes fell on his older marine, sitting a short distance away from the group facing away from them. Looks like he put himself in timeout over the vote.

“Hey, sir!” He shouted, but Jung-bae ignored him. “Sir! Jung-bae!” He heard Jung-bae sniffle as he turned his head farther away. “Oh god. Give me a break.” He huffed as he stood to go get him. “Sir, just come sit with us already.”

“No, really. I’m fine right here.”

“Enough get up. Hey! Come on. It’s okay! Get up.” He pulled Jung-bae to his feet.

“Hold on,” Jung-bar tried to pull away from him. “Wait—”

“You should’ve sat further away! What the heck are you doing? By yourself trying to look all sad.”

“I’m sorry. Jin-ae, Young-il, I’m sorry.” Jung-bae apologized to the team. “Gi-hun, I mean it. Okay look I borrowed some money for a little emergency and these guys are going after my ex wife and kid now. But the thing is I really think I can pay it all off. If I just make it through this next game-“

“Really Jung-bae? Of all the people here, I never would have expected you.” Young-il chastised him. “What ever happened to ‘twice as righteous’?”

Jung-bae looked down in shame.

“Anyway, to be honest, even if you had voted to leave with us, it still wouldn’t have made a difference in the end.” Young-il sighed.

“That’s true. You can’t say I’m the only person whose fault this is.”

“To be honest, sir, I—um, get why you did it. The cash in there still isn’t quite enough for me, so I did consider trying to play one more just like you did.” Dae-ho offered.

“Really? You did?” Jung-bae gripped him.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Dae-ho said quickly, trying to loosen Jung-bae’s grasp on him. “Okay. Okay!” He pushed Jung-bae off him completely, taking a small step back.

“Thanks for not kicking me out” He said to the group gratefully. “Here’s the thing, I also pressed O, ‘cause I have faith in us. I mean, we work so well together, huh? If we keep working as a team, I’m sure we’ll get through this next game, too!” Jung-bae explained.

“Next game?” Gi-hun finally spoke, but still wouldn’t look at Jung-bae. “What if in the next game, we have to kill each other to win? What then?” His tone was so solemn, Dae-ho knew there had to be a story there from his previous experience in the game.

“Oh, come on, Gi-hun. Don’t be so pessimistic.” Young-il said. “With the way things are going, I think we should all try to stay positive. Yeah? So, let’s eat our food, pull ourselves together, and do our best in the next game.”

Dae-ho took his seat back next to Jin-ae. After taking a few more bites, he drank more of his milk, realizing he finished it all and still had half of his roll to go. He put the carton down disappointedly.

“Here, you can have mine,” Young-il handed him his milk.

“Oh, that’s alright, sir.”

“I can’t have milk anyway, just take it.” Young-il insisted.

“Thank you, sir.” He gave a small bow, taking the milk from Young-il.

“And, you can have my bread.” Jung-bae offered to Jin-ae. “I don’t deserve to eat.”

“Oh, Jung-bae.. I don’t want your food.” She shook her head. “Please, eat.”.

“Please, I insist.”

“If she doesn’t want it, I’ll take it.” Dae-ho said, mouth still full of bread, earning him a look from everyone but Gi-hun, followed by the sweetest laugh he’d ever heard, coming from the beautiful girl sitting next to him. Woah, he needed to stop thinking about Jin-ae like that, they just met. But he couldn’t deny, he thought she was pretty amazing.

“Have at it, big guy.” She snatched the roll from Jung-bae’s hand and tossed it to him.

Soon they had finished eating, and Dae-ho announced, “I’m heading to the bathroom if anyone would like to join.”

Everyone stood, no one seeming to want to wait to go alone.

As they split off, with Jin-ae heading to the ladies room down the hall, Dae-ho worried a bit for her. Some people in these games seemed.. dangerous, to say the least. He couldn’t imagine being a smaller woman here with no female allies, let alone no allies whatsoever. But he assured himself, she single-handedly beat the hell out of two guys, and went out of her way to break up their fight knowing she could do so. She could definitely protect herself from anyone in there.

He followed Jung-bae, Gi-hun, and Young-il into the bathroom to find Player 333 once again on the receiving end of the rapper’s rage.

He and his groupies, now plural apparently, froze when they saw the other men, clearly afraid of anyone intervening in their hostility. But, as Thanos released Player 333, he was sure to tell him, “I’m watching you,” as his group left.

“Those guys still giving you trouble?” Jung-bae asked.

“If they keep bothering you, you can come hang with us.” Dae-ho offered.

“It’s okay, I’m fine.” The man with the bruised up face replied.

Once they finished relieving themselves, the men waited in the hall for Jin-ae, then walked back together as a group. They returned to the announcement of 30 minutes until lights out.

Gi-hun directed each of them to move empty bunks and mattresses around their corner to form a fort.

“Hey, do we really need to do all this?” Jung-bae asked Gi-hun “Not a fan of sleeping on the ground.”

“When the lights go out, someone could try to attack us while we’re asleep.”

“What? That’s allowed?” Dae-ho crouched down to hear him better.

“Killing each other also adds to the piggy bank.” Gi-hun explained. “It’s part of how the whole game was designed.”

“Gi-hun, I know you’re on edge, but don’t you think that’s a bit of a stretch.” said Young-il. “I have trouble believing anyone here would do that.”

“In the games that I played, I saw dozens of people murder each other in the middle of the night. Right where we’re standing.” Gi-hun snapped. “You have no idea. You don’t understand this place.” He got in Young-il’s face. “The kind of monsters it can create.”

“Yeah, of course.” Young-il nodded. “I wasn’t thinking. You know better than anyone. I’m sorry.”

Gi-hun turned back to the rest of them. “Once the lights are off, we need to take turns keeping watch. I’ll take the first shift. You four choose the rest of the order.”

Dae-ho was thankful to have someone like Gi-hun in their team. A previous winner, he knew the strategies to not only winning the games but surviving long enough to do so. He only hoped after the next round the majority of people would be able to walk away with enough to pay their debts. Surely, then they would vote to go home.

“I’ll take the shift after Gi-hun.” Jung-bae said.

“I can go after you, sir.” Dae-ho said.

“I’ll go after Dae-ho.” Jin-ae volunteered.

“I guess I’ll take the last shift then.” Young-il said.

“Just wake me when you get tired,” Jin-ae told Dae-ho as the other men continued working on the fort. She leaned in and whispered, “Or, you know, if you just want some company.” She smiled up at him, making his heart flutter.

As they finished building the barricade around them, Dae-ho grabbed two extra mattresses, pillows, and blankets, setting them up side by side near the bunks along the wall.

“What are you doing?” He heard Jin-ae ask as she walked up behind him.

“I made you a bed!” Dae-ho beamed.

She smiled at him, giggling a bit at his enthusiasm. “Thank you, that was very kind.” She took her jacket off, laying it on the floor beside her bed. Now, Dae-ho could see the tattoos up and down her arms. He gazed at the artwork etched onto her skin, longing to know the story behind each and every one.

“Whatcha lookin at?” She asked, evidently catching him staring.

“Oh-uh, sorry, just—um, your tattoos are cool.” He stumbled over his words.

“Thank you. One day I’ll show you the rest of them,” she replied with a wink

“Five minutes til lights out.” The creepy woman’s voice announced.

Dae-ho looked around, a bit on edge at the potential threat of fellow players attacking them in the dead of night, but the fortress they’d built around themselves provided a bit of security. He sighed deeply as he stripped the jacket off his back, laying it on the ground beside him as he sank into the thin mattress. On the make-shift bed beside his, Jin-ae did the same, giving him a soft smile as she settled in.

“Hey! Why do you two get beds while the rest of us are sleeping on the floor?” Jung-bae called out as he approached the pair.

“Because I made them for us.” Dae-ho shrugged, looking up at the older marine.

“If you don’t want to sleep on the floor, by all means, grab yourself a spare mattress.” Jin-ae added with a giggle.

Jung-bae grumbled as he stalked off toward the pile of discarded bedding.

All things considered, this wasn’t too bad. The bed wasn’t very comfortable but it was certainly favorable to the concrete floor beneath them. And how could Dae-ho complain when the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen was lying across from him smiling like he’d hung the stars and moon in the sky just for her. And truth be told, he would if she asked him to. Despite the short time in which he’d known her, he felt certain he’d do almost anything for her.

The fluorescent lights above them flickered as darkness consumed the wide open room, making it feel much smaller around him. The dim glow of the blue and red lights in the center of the floor illuminated Jin-ae’s face just enough for Dae-ho to see her smile before whispering, “Good night,” and closing her eyes.

“Goodnight,” he whispered back, closing his eyes and willing his head to stop spinning long enough to fall asleep.

Dae-ho could have sworn he’d only been asleep maybe half an hour when Jung-bae shook him awake, though logically it had to have been longer. Although, logic played no factor in his exhaustion.

He patted Jung-bae on the back and told him, “Get some rest,” before ascending to his watch post. As he sank into his seat, he let out a deep sigh, adjusting a bit to try to get as comfortable as possible. He wanted to try to stay up as long as possible so Jin-ae could get some rest.

As the minutes passed him slowly by without more than a quiet cough or the rare cry of someone likely reliving the day’s events in their dreams, Dae-ho found his mind wandering, always leading back to the same place. Or, rather the same person: the girl he’d only just barely gotten to know, who had already amazed him with her strength, courage, kindness, and humor even in this demented game.

His thoughts were consumed by her gorgeous smile, her array of gold jewelry, the way her deep red and bright white strands peeked through when she tucked her hair behind her ears, her long fingernails painted black tracing circles along his back, the way she’d fidget with her necklaces absentmindedly, how she tried to distract him from the anxiety of the day’s game and protect him from his own overwhelming fears when each round ended in gunshots. Everything about her made him yearn to learn anything there was to know about her. He longed to trace each of her tattoos etching them into his mind where he’d treasure them forever, hear every one of her stories funny and sad alike, figure out how to make her laugh and do it over and over again just to relish in the sweetest sound he’d ever heard.

The truth of the matter was, Dae-ho was a lover boy at heart and always had been. When he found a girl that made his heart beat a little faster, he fell hard and damn near immediately. He knew deep down he was a hopeless romantic, and the odds of a girl he just met returning those feelings was slim to none in ordinary circumstances. He wished he had met her anywhere but here, so he could win her over with chivalry and charm the way he’d like to. In these circumstances, he just had to be grateful a girl like her even decided to join his group for the pentathlon, let alone stick by them afterward. At least they were becoming something like friends.

He was startled out of his thoughts by a hand on his shoulder. He gasped as he whipped his head around to find Jin-ae snickering to herself at his reaction.

“It’s just me,” she assured him in a hushed voice. “What’s the matter, did I catch you sleeping on the job?” She asked as she plopped down next to him, tucking one leg under herself.

“No, no,” he chuckled softly. “I was just lost in thought, I guess.”

“Shift that boring?”

“No sign of movement,” he reported. “I’d say if someone was going to attack, they would have done it by now.”

“Maybe they haven’t realized it will add to the piggybank yet.” Jin-ae shrugged.

“Hopefully it’ll stay that way.”

“Hopefully we don’t have to spend another night here.”

“Hopefully,” Dae-ho sighed, feeling pretty hopeless considering the wide gap by which the O voters had won that night. It was like these people thought they weren’t just as likely to die here as anyone else. “Why do you think everyone keeps voting to stay, even though they know what could happen if they lose the game?”

She leaned forward on one hand with a sigh, hair falling in her face. “Some are just overcome by greed, the promise they could be the one to walk away with 45.6 billion.” She paused. “But others, they know they’ll face a fate worse than death if they leave here without enough to pay their debts.”

“What could be worse than being stuck here?” He looked at her puzzled.

“There are plenty of things worse than a swift shot to the head, my dear.” She spoke sweetly though her message was grim.

“I suppose you’re right,” he conceded. After a few moments of silence he asked, “Why did you decide to come here?”

She tilted her head back as though physically weighing the question. After a few moments, she finally spoke, “I’ve been on my own since I was 17 years old. Finding a job is hard when you never even finished high school. Even when I finally found a job and a place to live, it was impossible to keep up with my bills and I had to take out loans, but it wasn’t like a bank was going to give me one. So, I turned to loan sharks, and over time I racked up a lot of debt with them. They’ve been threatening me for a few weeks now, so I have to cough up half of what I owe by next week, or else.”

“Or else what? Wait—did you say when you finally found a place to live? What did you do before then?” Dae-ho stuttered out in confusion.

“Uh… I was homeless.” She whispered, almost like she was hoping he might not hear her. “For about a year in a half.”

“What—that’s crazy!” He exclaimed.

“Shh, you’ll wake everyone up.” She hushed him.

“Why didn’t you just go home?” He looked at her inquisitively.

“Um.. well, if I had a home to go to, I wouldn’t have been homeless.” She explained half-heartedly.

“But what about your family?” He asked. “Your parents, your brother?”

“My dad died when I was little..” she spoke softly. “And my mom kicked me out, so I obviously wasn’t welcome at her house.”

“But surely if she knew—“

“It wouldn’t have mattered” Jin-ae snapped. “Look, I know you’re close with your family, so this probably doesn’t make any sense to you. But my mother hated me my entire life, and once she had a good excuse to get rid of me, there was no turning back.”

The silence hung heavy between them for a moment as Dae-ho tried to find the right words. “I get it,” he finally spoke. “Families can be tough. I am close with my mom and my sisters but…” he trailed off, searching for the confidence to say out loud what he never had before now. “But I was never more than a disappointment to my dad.” In her lack of response he began to worry that his attempt to relate to her had come off as making the conversation about himself. “Why did she kick you out?” He asked, quickly followed by, “If you don’t mind my asking.”

“Um…” She looked down at the floor far below where they were perched atop the stacked bunks. “I-I’d rather not talk about it.” She seemed almost meek, speaking softly and avoiding his eye. Though he’d just barely begun to get to know her, she had always seemed so self-assured  and assertive, even teetering on the edge of abrasive. But now, she looked so small and frightened that he hardly recognized her. It made him want to hide her away where the guards and other players could never find her, where she’d be safe from the games and the pains of life.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, carefully wrapping an arm around her shoulder, slowly enough that she could easily shift away from the contact if it wasn’t wanted. But though she flinched slightly, it only took a moment for her to relax into his touch, even leaning in until her head rested comfortably on his shoulder. Dae-ho tried to ignore the way it made his heart race. “Whatever happened, you didn’t deserve that.”

“Nothing can be done.” She sighed. “Life rarely goes the way we’d like it to. All we can do is make the best of the hand we’ve been dealt.”

For a moment, they fell into only slightly awkward silence as Dae-ho scoured his mind for the right thing to say. He settled eventually on slightly shifting the subject away from her family. “So, um… let’s say we get through the next game and win the vote to go home. What’s the first thing you’ll do when you get back?”

“Sleep in my own bed.” She laughed breathily, rolling her head back over his shoulder. “Then straight to the liquor store when I wake. I’m sure to need a drink immediately should I ever hope to forget this place.”

“Do you think you could?” He asked, craning his neck slightly to look her in the eyes. “Forget this place?”

“Probably not.” She admitted. “But I suppose there’s no harm in trying.”

But Dae-ho didn’t want to forget, not if it meant forgetting her, too.

“Where is home for you?” He asked curiously, without confessing he was secretly hoping it wasn’t too far from his own home.

“Seoul. Not too far from Yongsan Station.”

“No way!” Dae-ho exclaimed. “My apartment is right by Yongsan.” He couldn’t believe his luck. It all felt so hopeless, meeting the girl of his dreams in hell on Earth. All this time, she was within reach, hidden in plain sight.

“Wow,” she smiled softly at him. “Small world after all.”

Dae-ho summoned all the confidence of the tiger for which he was named. “If we both make it out, do you think maybe I could take you to dinner sometime?”

“Are you buying?” She asked insincerely with a giggle.

“Of course,” he squeezed her gently against his side. “I wouldn’t let you pay even if we didn’t get a bit of that prize money.”

She sighed contently, letting her face rest in the crook of his neck, her breath tickling him a bit. “Oh, if only we could have met anywhere but here, like real people do.”

“Maybe we’d catch the same train, or I’d wander into your club one night,” he let his fingers find their way into her hair splayed across both their shoulders.

“We could’ve had a drink,” she smiled against his neck. “Maybe a dance or two. Like we had all the time in the world.”

They fell into comfortable silence as Dae-ho stroked her hair, imagining what it might have been like to find her in all her glory dancing around Club Aura without a care in the world. He let his mind carry him off to a fantasy world that existed only within the confines of his mind. One where he’d cook breakfast while she slept in and spin her around a dimly lit kitchen and kiss her forehead as she fell asleep curled up in his arms on their couch. He allowed himself to believe even if only for a moment that it was possible, that this fantasy could one day be their reality.

He was finally pulled from his daydream by a soft snoring against his ear, realizing the girl who had consumed his every thought since the moment he laid eyes on her had drifted off peacefully laying on his shoulder. He couldn’t help himself as he leaned in and pressed a kiss against her forehead.

With his free hand, he scooped her up into his arms, careful not to wake her or send them both tumbling down the stairs as he carried her to their beds, laying her down gently. After waking Young-il to take over for the final shift of the night, he sank into his mattress, grateful to at least be able to rest his eyes a bit before the morning brought another new horror with it.

Though no matter how heavy his eyes got, he couldn’t tear them away as he tried to memorize the details of Jin-ae’s face, just in case the unthinkable happened in the next game.

Chapter Text

Jin-ae

“Your attention please. The third game will begin momentarily. All players, please wake up and prepare to move to the game hall.” The woman’s voice woke Jin-ae from a deep sleep, though she couldn’t recall returning to her makeshift bed after her shift with Dae-ho.

The man in question was stretching out beside her, shielding his eyes from the bright lights flickering to life. He pushed himself to his feet, offering a hand to help her up to join him.

As the rest of the group was distracted with pulling their jackets and shoes back on, she took the opportunity to ease the anxiety of the upcoming game in the only way she knew how. She lifted the small compass pendant dangling around her neck, opening the hidden compact and quickly retrieving a little white pill. Hearing footsteps approaching behind her, she snapped the compact shut and popped the pill in her mouth, swallowing dryly. Just then, Dae-ho placed a hand on her shoulder gently, silently signaling to her that it was time to go.

Together, they followed the guards through the maze of light pink and yellow staircases until they entered a wide open room with a large round platform in the center. Jin-ae felt hear breathing and heart rate beginning to slow as a calm rushed over her. Despite the hopelessness of the games, she felt unusually confident she and the men she’d aligned herself with would make it through safely. Like Jung-bae said, if we keep working as a team, we’ll get through this next game, too.

“Players welcome to the third game. We will begin momentarily. The game you will be playing today is mingle.”

What the hell is Mingle?

“I will now explain the rules of the game. All players will step onto the platform in the center of the arena. Once the game begins, the platform will spin. Shortly after, a number will be called out. You must then form a group that matches this number, enter one of the surrounding rooms, and close the door within 30 seconds, or be eliminated.”

“Wait this one? It’s like what we played on field trips when they called numbers and we formed groups by hugging?” Said Jung-bae.

“Yeah, instead of hugging we go behind one of those doors.” Said Dae-ho, pointing at the doors lining the room.

The group huddled together to form a plan.

“If they call out a number higher than 5, we grab all the people we need as soon as we can.” Said Gi-hun.

“But what if the number is less than that?” Asked Dae-ho. “If it’s groups of 3, then what?”

“If that happens, we’ll figure it out as we go.” Said Jung-bae.

“The really crucial thing for us to do is stay calm and don’t panic.” Said Young-il. “And we’ll all get out of here in one piece. Deal?” He stuck his hand out, and one by one they added theirs on top of his. “1, 2, 3”

“Victory!” They shouted together.

“With that, let the game begin.” The voice announced.

As the platform started to spin, Jin-ae stumbled a bit, falling into Dae-ho’s chest. He wrapped his arm around her, steadying her as he helped her regain her balance.

“Round and round we go, round and round we go. Turning, turning in a circle as we dance along,” the song rang through the room as Jin-ae clung to Dae-ho’s jacket.

Suddenly, the music stopped as the platform came to a screeching halt.

“Ten players.” The voice announced, and their little group scanned the crowd around them frantically searching for another group to join them.

“How many are with you?” Gi-hun asked a woman Jin-ae was sure she recognized, probably from a previous game.

“We’ve got five.” She answered, and four heads popped out behind her, belonging to the older woman and her son, the meek girl, and the young pregnant woman from the pitiful group they all feared wouldn’t make it through the last game.

“Us too.” Gi-hun replied.

“Let’s go!” Jung-bae shouted taking off toward the nearest door. “Door 44!”

Jin-ae followed quickly after him before pausing as she noticed Dae-ho was no longer by her side where he’d been glued since the pentathlon. Before she could find him though, Gi-hun linked an arm around hers, dragging her toward the door.

As they entered the room, she quickly realized why Dae-ho had seemed to lag behind them. His arm was wrapped around the pregnant girl, guiding her into the room and shutting the door behind them with time to spare.

“Are you alright?” He asked the pregnant woman the moment they were safely inside. She only responded with a small nod. “You’re pregnant aren’t you?” He asked in a hushed voice, causing her to look down at the ground. “Don’t worry, we’ll look out for you.” He assured her.

Jin-ae couldn’t wrap her head around the twinge in her chest. Surely she wasn’t jealous that he was acting protective over this young pregnant stranger? She probably just reminded him of his sisters. So why did Jin-ae feel almost abandoned by Dae-ho despite only knowing him for 24 hours?

 She was in too deep. How could she have let her guard down so much as to immediately get attached to this man?

Besides, it wasn’t as though Dae-ho belonged to her, and she definitely was not interested in him in that way. They literally just met, and she wasn’t the type to believe in love at first sight or any of that fairytale bullshit. No, Jin-ae kept everyone at arm’s length. She never developed feelings, and she always ended things before they could get too serious. No one could handle the mess that followed her around like her own personal rain cloud, hovering above her head, soaking her to the bone.

The familiar beeping sound indicating their time had run out drew her from her thoughts as the pleading screams of those left behind echoed through the hall. As the gunshots rang through the almost empty room, Dae-ho quickly found his way back to her side, gripping the sleeve of her jacket in an obvious plea for support. She had to remind herself that the men of her little group knew she was more than capable of taking care of herself, not someone needing protection as the older woman or young pregnant girl might.

Gi-hun watched through the small window in the door as the guards eliminated those poor unfortunate souls who likely had no allies within the games. Thankfully, his back blocked the horrors from their view.

Jin-ae wrapped her arm around Dae-ho’s back as he hunched over her, burying his face in her neck like a child might while watching a scary movie. But their reality was far more frightening than any horror movie she’d ever seen.

As the shots finally ended with the thud of a body hitting the ground so loudly it was undoubtedly right outside their room, they all looked around at each other, the silence hanging heavy between them. Jin-ae could feel Dae-ho trembling against her as the voice over the intercom system listed off the eliminations and instructed them to return to the platform.

The two little groups had now merged, all standing together on the platform as the music began again, sending them spinning into another round. Out of the corner of her eye, Jin-ae could have sworn she saw the purple haired douche called Thanos across the platform dancing in circles with his little fanboy.

She stumbled slightly into Dae-ho as the platform came to a stop. “Four players.” The voice announced.

They looked around their now slightly larger group, all clearly wondering who could be the odd two out.

“You three, go.” Gi-hun instructed Jin-ae, Dae-ho, and Jung-bae, before turning to the pregnant girl. “Go with them, they’ll keep you safe.”

“You four, go together.” Young-il told the rest of the other group that had joined him. “Your teammate will be safe with them.”

“But what about you guys?” Dae-ho lingered, looking concerned.

“We’ll find two other players.” Gi-hun assured him.

“You need to get into a room before it’s too late.” Young-il warned them.

Jin-ae cast her envious grievances aside, linking an arm around the pregnant girl and leading her toward the nearest room without looking back for Dae-ho or Jung-bae. As they approached the room, Dae-ho appeared on the other side of the girl as Jung-bae darted ahead of them toward the door. Together, they helped her inside, securing the door behind them.

As the final moments on the timer ran out, Jin-ae glanced anxiously toward Dae-ho, who she found covering his ears to tune out the oncoming gunshots, leaning against Jung-bae. Seeing as he already had the support he needed and they didn’t know the pregnant girl very well, she stepped away from the other three, staring out the window to see if Young-il and Gi-hun were still out there. She couldn’t spot the pair, but with how many people were still searching for a group, she feared they could be anywhere. All she could do was hope they’d managed to find two other people and get in a room before the time ran out. If they hadn’t, well… nothing could save them now.

She listened intently to the eliminations, watching in horror as the guards lifted each fallen player into large black boxes with big pink bows. Thankfully, she didn’t hear Player 001 or 456 called. They conveniently had the lowest and highest numbers of any player in the games, so they’d have been announced first or last.

As the doors unlocked, the group emerged slowly, all looking around for the rest of their teammates.

“Gi-hun!” Jung-bae called out.

“Young-il!” Dae-ho joined his efforts.

“They’re safe.” Jin-ae assured them. “Their numbers weren’t called.”

“Jun-hee!” A woman’s voice caught their attention. It was the older woman, running up as fast as her body would allow to hug the pregnant girl.

“We’re so glad you’re okay.” The tall woman, Player 120 joined them, the old woman’s son and the poor girl who had cried during the last vote trailing behind her.

With the reunion of their new teammates, Jin-ae might have missed the return of Young-il and Gi-hun. She surely would have, if Dae-ho hadn’t cried out, “Sirs! I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“I knew you’d make it.” She smiled at them as Gi-hun pulled her into a hug. Part of her that feared getting attached to new people she was bound to lose before long wanted to pull away. But the part of her that found her father’s kind eyes and generosity in the former winner took over, and she buried her face into his chest.

“I’m glad you’re safe.” He whispered, just loud enough that only she could hear him.

It was stupid, really, entirely impractical and foolish the way she latched onto damn near any older man who showed any kind of care toward her. The truth was, she had spent more years missing her father than she had with him, and any small reminder of him filled her with an incomprehensible storm of emotions ranging from grief to joy to shame.

She shook away those thoughts as she followed her team back onto the platform, focusing back on the task at hand: survival.

This time, the song was hardly halfway through when the platform jolted abruptly, sending her stumbling between Dae-ho and Gi-hun. “Three players.”

“Jung-bae, take Jin-ae and Dae-ho.” Gi-hun instructed without hesitation. Jin-ae wasn’t overly fond of splitting up again, but it wasn’t as though they had much choice in the matter.

“We’ll find another person to join us.” Young-il said.

“You three go together. We can find a third person.” Player 120 instructed the older woman, her son, and the pregnant girl.

Jin-ae almost offered for Jun-hee to go with Dae-ho and Jung-bae, assuming they’d be able to get her in a room quicker than the old woman, but before she could speak up, they had each hooked their arms around hers, hauling her off toward the nearest room. She collapsed against Dae-ho as they stumbled through the door, breathing heavily. It was all getting to be far too much to bear.

She was only grateful to have allies beside her in a game like this. If they hadn’t welcomed her to stay with them after the last game, she probably would have died the very first round, especially with the way the majority of players had turned their backs to her during team selection.

She could only imagine how hopeless it must feel, searching around the crowded platform, begging to join anybody only to be left alone, terrified, awaiting a gruesome fate.

She leaned into the warmth of Dae-ho’s chest, seeking solace in his presence as he wrapped his arms around her protectively. How quickly their roles had reversed. He even brought his hands up to cup her ears as the gunshots fired, as she had done for him the day prior. 

She allowed herself to drift softly away, feeling truly safe for the first time since the day’s game had been announced with Dae-ho’s strong arms shielding her from the terrors occurring on the other side of the bright pink door.

Her moment of peace was short-lasted, as Dae-ho guided her through the now open door back toward the platform. Shit, I didn’t even listen to the eliminations.

“Where’s Gi-hun?” She asked Dae-ho, glancing around the game hall anxiously.

“There! I see him,” he told her, pointing toward Gi-hun and Young-il who were walking back with a girl who looked to be around Jin-ae’s age. She had similar facial piercings and short dark hair.

Jin-ae pushed herself off of Dae-ho running over to Gi-hun for no particular reason, seeing as they were only a short distance apart. But she needed to hug him, feel him to believe he was really safe.

She had been so attentive of her allies, keeping track of the eliminations when they split off, noticing when they needed reassurance or someone to lean on; she couldn’t believe how foolish she’d been, overindulging in her childish emotions, fear and jealousy. She’d allowed herself to crumble under the pressure and in doing so neglected the few responsibilities she’d assigned herself: protecting Dae-ho and making sure her teammates survived.

After several moments had passed, she realized she had been gripping onto Gi-hun far too long and quickly pulled herself together. “I was so worried about you.”

“We’re okay,” Gi-hun squeezed her shoulder gently.

“We even found another teammate.” Young-il gestured toward the girl.

Jin-ae wondered how she’d gotten this far along without a team. Or perhaps it was that she had a team but ended up being the odd one out whenever the number three was announced.

“Thank goodness you’re all alright!” The older woman called out, approaching them with her son and Jun-hee in tow.

Just then, the other two women of their group approached them, with another man, presumably their third person from the last round. The younger girl gushed about how Player 246 had saved them, like a knight in shining armor.

Though, they had little time to bask in their reunion as the platform began moving again, the telltale music confirming the game was not over just yet.

Jin-ae glanced between her teammates, anxiously obsessing over what the next number could be, though she did not have to wonder very long.

“Six players.”

Their luck truly could not have been better, the newest additions bringing their group to a total of twelve, a perfect split.

The short haired girl that Gi-hun and Young-il had brought back with them joined their half of the group while Player 246 went off with the half comprised mostly of women, aside from the son.

Jin-ae allowed herself to hope this might be the last round, that they might all really make it out together, as she gripped Dae-ho’s hand, running together toward a purple door. She dared to dream they might even win the vote, leave together, pockets a bit heavier. The six of them filed into the room quickly, Gi-hun holding the door open for each of them before entering himself and closing it behind him. Maybe they’d all meet up once they got out, have a big trauma-bonded dinner and learn about their lives outside of this place.

Now, the only problem was she couldn’t remember which numbers to listen for, all those sticking out in her brain plastered on the jackets of the men surrounding her.

She tried to distract herself from the impending doom, the impossibility of trying to determine whether the other group had made it, by turning her attention to the newest addition to their group. “We’re lucky you joined us.” She offered a hand to the girl, who eyed it skeptically. “I’m Jin-ae, and this is Gi-hun, Jung-bae, Young-il, and Dae-ho.” She introduces each member of their group.

“Se-mi.” Was all the girl said as she cautiously shook Jin-ae’s hand.

“You’re welcome to stick with us,” Dae-ho offered, kind as always. “We look out for each other.”

It would have been a sweet moment, if it hadn’t been spoiled by the all too familiar sounds of gunshots interrupting them.

Dae-ho gripped Jin-ae’s jacket as she wrapped her arms around his head, trying desperately to protect him from anything that could harm him mentally or physically. She did her best to tune out the sound until the door clicked open.

Her heart sank as the woman announcer instructed them to return to the platform. It wasn’t over yet.

They looked around the hall for the other half of their group, and found them all staring at the ground solemnly as they approached the platform. Something was wrong. No, someone was missing.

Jin-ae didn’t even know a name or player number to ask about, but she was certain the absence of the meek girl who had begged to go home during the vote was the source of their despair.

She stepped toward Player 120, who was clearly the most impacted by the loss, sniffling into her jacket sleeve.

“Your friend…” she started, but couldn’t find the right words. Besides, she didn’t need to ask. Their faces said it all. Whatever the girl’s name was, she hadn’t made it. “I’m sorry,” was all she could muster, placing a hand on the woman’s arm in a way she hoped was comforting.

To her surprise, the woman graciously accepted the limited comfort Jin-ae could offer her, pulling her into a hug and crying softly against her. All Jin-ae could do was run her fingers through the woman’s short hair and whisper, “I’m so sorry.”

Now with Player 120 leaning down, face buried in her neck, Jin-ae caught a glimpse of a man whose face was littered with bruises, lingering behind the group and staring almost longingly. She thought she recognized him from somewhere, but couldn’t quite place the connection.

The announcer repeated the instructions, reminding them all that they had to return to the platform to attempt to get through at least one more round. Jin-ae reluctantly made her way back onto the platform alongside her teammates, praying to a god she had never quite believed in that this would be the end of it, that they could walk away with only the one loss.

“Now, the final round will begin.” The voice instructed, a sigh of relief rippling across the significantly less crowded platform as the music began.

“What number do you think we’re gonna get next?” She heard Jung-bae ask Gi-hun.

“Two.” Young-il responded with such certainty it made Jin-ae wonder how he could possibly be so sure of it.

“Wait, why?” Jung-bae voiced the question weighing on her mind.

“There are 126 people left, and there are 50 rooms. Even if there’s 2 in every room, then there’s still only enough for 100 of us.” Young-il explained his reasoning before adding ominously, “If you don’t find one fast you’re done for.”

Suddenly the platform stopped for what they knew would be the last time, and sure enough the announcer called out, “Two players.”

Jin-ae glanced between her fellow teammates rapidly, knowing they had little time to dwell on the pairings. Young-il had taken off immediately, dragging Jung-bae along with him. The old woman was gripping onto her son, struggling to keep up with him as they charged toward the doors lining the room. Jin-ae wanted to grab Dae-ho and run without a second thought, but concern, mostly for the remaining women of her group, kept her feet planted as she struggled to decide who to grab. One of them had to look out for the pregnant girl, but there was also the new girl, Se-mi, and Player 120, who had just lost her companion, to think of. Before she could give it anymore thought though, a familiar hand wrapped around her waist, dragging her toward the nearest door, leaving her no room to continue debating.

Jin-ae glanced back over her shoulder, hoping to see their teammates each paired off and heading for a door, but she couldn’t catch a clear glimpse of anyone. She turned her attention back to keeping up with whoever had grabbed her, thankful they had managed to think quicker than she had. Relief flooded her chest when she noticed the ponytail bobbing slightly ahead of her, as the man she’d come to care for in the little time since they’d met guided her toward the nearest door. She clung to his arm as they approached the bright red door, time seeming to slow despite the ever present ticking of the seconds quickly passing them by.

Dae-ho swung the door open, letting Jin-ae in before closing it behind him. She leaned against the wall, heaving as she struggled to catch her breath, the worry of whether her teammates had made it in time weighing heavy on her heart and mind. A hand on her shoulder distracted her from her thoughts just as the final seconds on the timer ran out.

Realizing she had yet to acknowledge the way Dae-ho had just saved her from decision paralysis which may have left her alone as the group broke off in pairs, she finally turned to face him. “Thank you, Dae-ho. I’m sorry, I just froze—“

But she was cut off by hands on her waist, lips pressed desperately against her own. She was taken aback slightly, hesitating to kiss him back mostly from the shock of it. Her hesitation had him pulling away before she’d even been able to process what was happening.

“I’m sorry, Jin-ae, I just—“

She gripped the collar of his jacket pulling him back in to crash her lips against his. His hands cautiously returned to her hips, drawing her in closer to him as hers linked around his neck. He turned her around in one swift motion, pressing her back to the door as it locked behind them and reaching one hand up to trace her jaw with a finger, before threading them through her hair and tilting her head back gently as he deepened their kiss.

Every instinct screaming at her internally to push him off and run as far from him as her legs could carry her went ignored as she melted into him. As much as she might regret this later, she couldn’t deny that it just felt so right.

When their need for oxygen eventually outweighed their desire to be meshed together, they pulled apart only slightly, Dae-ho leaning over to rest his forehead against hers. As confusing as everything had been since they woke in this strange, deranged place, the one thing Jin-ae felt truly certain of was that she would stay right here with Dae-ho pressed against a deep red door for eternity, if only they could stay frozen in this moment.

But the gunshots rang around them with the final round of elimination announcements, putting an end to the brief moment in which they’d been too consumed by one another to pay their surroundings any attention. For just that moment it was as if they weren’t stuck here any longer, their connection transporting them to somewhere safe, far away from this sick game.

Neither of them seemed to know what to say as Dae-ho scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. She couldn’t help but giggle a bit at him, though that probably wasn’t an appropriate reaction. Though, making out while people died on the other side of that door probably wasn’t very appropriate either. She decided not to waste too much time weighing what was and wasn’t an appropriate way to behave in their strange environment.

Dae-ho chuckled a bit as well, “I’m sorry, I just felt so relieved we’d made it through the game, and I had to do that, at least once.” He stared down at his feet.

She placed one hand gently along his jawline, using the other to brush a few strands of hair away from his face before pressing a soft kiss against his cheek, silently reassuring him that she felt the same way.

The door finally clicked open, bringing the day’s horrors to an end. They made their way out briefly reuniting with their remaining teammates as the guards herded them toward the main doors they had initially entered through. Thankfully, the girl Player 120 had cried for appeared to be the only loss of the day. Though no one seemed to be in the mood to celebrate—and understandably so—as they silently followed along the path back to the dorm.

Jin-ae reached a hand behind herself which Dae-ho latched onto as he followed closely behind her. She could hear Jung-bae, Gi-hun, and Young-il whispering among themselves slightly ahead of she and Dae-ho, but she couldn’t quite make out what they were saying.

Before long they had made it back to the wide, open dorm room, now with far too many beds for those that remained. No longer confined behind her by the narrow stairways, Dae-ho dropped her hand, stepping beside her to wrap an arm protectively around her as they approached their group’s little corner.

She took a seat between Young-il and Se-mi as Dae-ho paced, glancing over the barrier of the bunks surrounding their corner. They all waited patiently, as Jung-bae took off to count the remaining players on each side.

“Hey, Gi-hun. There are still 55 O’s here.” Jung-bae said as he returned to the group.

“Are you sure?” Gi-hun asked.

“Yeah, I counted twice.”

“What about you?” Dae-ho asked, pointing at the man’s blue patch. “Did you count yourself?”

Jung-bae looked down for a moment. “Then, there are 56.” He corrected.

“Ah, shit.” Dae-ho sighed. “56 minus 44… That’s 12 more.”

“It’s gonna be hard for us to win the vote,” Jung-bae groaned.

“That might sound like a lot,” Young-il stood to join the other men of the group. “But if just six of them change their minds, it will be 50/50. And if somehow we can get seven, we might even win.”

“Yeah, but a few of the X’s could also change their minds and vote O now.” Dae-ho pointed out.

“If they pressed X last time, I’m willing to bet they won’t change sides.” Young-il insisted.

“Why’s that?” Dae-ho asked.

“When they voted to go home they were fine with less money. Now their share of the prize money’s even higher.” He explained. “It wouldn’t make sense for them to put their lives at risk by playing another game.”

“Well, I’m definitely pressing X this time.” Jung-bae assured them. “If five other people do the same, then we have a tied vote. And if it’s six, we win!”

“Then we should try talking to the O’s on their side.” Gi-hun said. “See if we can get some of them to change their minds.”

“No, it’s too dangerous.” Young-il earned himself a sharp glare from Gi-hun, the unofficial leader of their little group. “Most of those guys want to keep going til the last game, no matter the cost. If we try something, they’re not just gonna sit back and let it happen.”

“What do you suggest we do then?” Gi-hun asked. “Just keep our mouths shut and pray everyone over there changes their vote?”

Jin-ae noticed Jung-bae rolling his eyes as he leaned his head back against one of the bedposts.

“And if we lose, what happens?” Gi-hun continued. “Then, what the hell do we do? Do we all hold hands and keep playing?”

“Look, I know how you feel.” Young-il seemed to try to diffuse the situation. “I want to get out of here, just like you, but what we need to do now is just breathe and focus.”

“Breathe and focus?” Gi-hun sounded appalled. “We’ve gone through this two times and we’re still here. If we can’t change their minds, then we need to drag them over to our side and finally finish this!”

“If we try forcing them now, it could spark a confrontation and things might get violent.” Young-il reasoned “Do you really want that to happen?”

“Gi-hun, he’s right.” Jin-ae finally spoke up. In terms of the group, she had arguably bonded with Young-il the least, but he wasn’t incorrect. “Most of us who voted X are too scared to keep doing this, and I’m sure there’s got to be people who feel that way on the other side, too.”

“Okay, here’s what I think.” Dae-ho stepped closer to the men arguing. “If all we need to win is another five or six people, then we should just vote like normal. And, I did the math, the total is over 300 million. With that much, I think we have a pretty good shot at winning the vote.”

They could not continue their debate, though as the doors opened with a buzz. The guards entered as the one with the square on his mask announced, “You have made it through yet another game in the series. Congratulations to you all.” Jin-ae stood to join the others in peering over the bunks they’d built into a bunker of sorts. “Now, if I may have your attention, I will announce the results of the third game.” The piggy bank started to fill with more cash as the number on the screen steadily increased until it reached 356 million won.

“356 million,” said Jung-bae, as they joined the crowd awaiting the vote. “Okay, that’s good. That’ll make some people change their minds, I’m sure.”

“Six more, we’ll have a tie. With seven, we win. Right?” Dae-ho asked, looking down the row at their teammates.

“We will once again conduct the vote in reverse order from highest to lowest.” The guard explained. “Player 456, please cast your vote.” As Gi-hun started down the center of the room, the guard continued, “To ensure this process remains fair and democratic, starting now, disruptive acts of any kind are strictly prohibited. We appreciate your cooperation.”

To no one’s surprise, Gi-hun pressed the X button once again before walking over to stand above the giant red X on the floor.

Jin-ae’s hand found Dae-ho’s, intertwining their fingers as they watched hopefully as the players voted one by one.

Most of the players after him voted the same way they had previously, with Jung-bae being the first of the players to change his vote, proudly trading his blue patch in for a red one.

“Player 388,” Dae-ho’s number was called immediately after Jung-bae. He squeezed Jin-ae’s hand before heading up to cast his vote, immediately pressing X and joining Gi-hun and Jung-bae.

Their new teammate, Se-mi was called next. “Player 380.” Truthfully, Jin-ae had almost forgotten she had joined them with how quiet she had been. She watched as the girl walked to the front and pressed X, exchanging her patch before joining the team on their respective side of the floor.

We just need five more.

The next several voters continued voting the same way they had in the last round until Jin-ae’s number was finally called.

“Player 321.”

She gave a small smile to Young-il before making her way up to the front of the room, pressing X without a second thought. Dae-ho extended an arm toward her as she approached her group on the X side, and she gratefully pressed herself into his side, not giving much thought to how much she really enjoyed feeling his arm wrap around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him.

They watched together as the numbers on each side increased, neither side ever getting much of an advantage. She rolled her eyes as the arrogant Thanos skipped up to the voting booth and literally kissed the O button, before turning to throw his arms up in an O shape and yell, “O-gang for the win! Let’s go!”

The pregnant girl, Jun-hee voted X once more, silently joining them.

Eventually, another O voter finally changed their mind, pressing X at the last moment, earning herself cheers from that side of the room.

“We just need four more.” Dae-ho squeezed her tighter, clearly getting excited at the potential to go home. “If we get four more, then we win.”

The older woman also voted the same way, joining their group as she glanced back at her son.

Out of the corner of her eye, Jin-ae noticed the Thanos fanboy she’d given a bloody nose following behind Player 125 who had just been called to vote. He glanced over in her direction, but seemed to be looking past her, like he was glaring at Se-mi. When her eyes shifted to Se-mi, she found the girl flipping him off which made her giggle a bit. Whatever her history with them was, she was sure Se-mi was the kind of girl she’d like to befriend.

The sound of the X button being pressed drew her attention back to the vote.

“Holy shit!” Dae-ho exclaimed. “We just need three more, that’s all.”

She rubbed his back gently, allowing herself to feel a bit of that same hope. They might really get to go home this time.

And, now she had more than plenty to pay her debts and even get a better apartment. If they did manage to win the vote, her life was about to change for the better.

Player 124, the groupie, voted next and seemed very displeased with Player 125’s change of heart as he cast his own vote and joined the O side.

Next, Player 120 was called, and she changed her vote to X as well. Dae-ho was beside himself, now almost shaking her in excitement as he said, “Two more! Just two more.”

Jin-ae offered the tall woman a soft smile as she joined them, assuring her that she had their support and that they were grateful she had changed her vote, silently apologizing that her friend wouldn’t get to return home with the rest of them.

As they slowly got down to the last few remaining players, the total votes for each side were too close for comfort. A man, Player 015, switched his vote from O to X. All those who had changed their votes so far, had been former O voters deciding to leave the game, proving Young-il’s theory.

“He changed his vote! He pressed X,” Dae-ho beamed.

“That’s the sixth person!” Said Jung-bae. “That means we’re tied.”

“We might actually get to go home,” she finally said out loud, though it was just a whisper to Dae-ho, hoping she wouldn’t jinx them.

“Just one more and we win,” he smiled down at her, pulling her in to stand in front of him as he wrapped both arms around her chest, resting his chin on her head.

The next player called voted O, but Jung-bae assured them, “It’s okay. She just voted the same way.”

The old woman’s son was called next.

“Ma’am, are you sure? Your son’s really going to vote to go?” Jung-bae asked her.

“I’m telling you, I know my son.” She insisted. “My Yong-sik’s a good person, and he’ll do the right thing.”

And, sure enough, Yong-sik pressed X, the final vote they needed to win and go home.

Cheers erupted from the X side. “He did it! He changed his vote,” Dae-ho exclaimed. “It’s finally over.” He sighed in pure relief.

“Let’s get out of here!” Yong-sik shouted, holding his new red patch up proudly.

“That was it, he was the seventh one!” Dae-ho squeezed her against his chest, as if letting go might cause the whole thing to unravel like a failed attempt at the spinning top. “We’re good now, they’re both on our side.” He assured her as he glanced over his shoulder at the two players left waiting to cast their votes.

“Hey, Gi-hun?” Jung-bae spoke quietly so that only their group could hear him. “I’m worried about Young-il.”

“Why?” Gi-hun asked.

“During the game, we were paired together, and—“ Jung-bae was cut off by the sound of a button being pressed and cheers from the opposite side of the room.

The woman, Player 006, had changed her vote from X to O, bringing their total to 50.

They all stared in disbelief as she joined the very excited O side of the floor. Jin-ae’s heart sank. She had jinxed them.

“And finally, Player 001. Please cast your vote.” The guard called out.

“Alright, Young-il,” Dae-ho, always an optimist encouraged him. “You got this!”

Then, he turned to the rest of the group. “Hey, guys. I guess it’s a 50/50 split. A tie’s better than nothing right?”

“Right,” Gi-hun nodded.

“I don’t know, but Young-il… he scares me a little.” Jung-bae said.

“Why?” Jin-ae asked.

“It’s just that he—I’m not sure how to bring this up, but during the game, when we were in a room together…” Jung-bae trailed off. “I saw him—“

The sound of the X button being pressed cut him off, letting them all know Young-il had kept true to his word and voted to leave with them.

“We did it! It’s a tie, we’re okay,” Dae-ho hugged her tightly against him, leaning over to nuzzle his face against her neck.

“The final player had made their choice, and the vote is now over.”

“Alright, fine. We wound up with a tie.” An O voter called out. “So, what the hell happens now?”

“Clause 3 of the consent form. Should the initial vote result in a tie, the players will vote again.” The guard explained.

“Hold on,” called out an X voter. “When’s the next vote? How long do we have to wait?”

“To ensure you have enough time to properly consider your options, the second vote will be conducted tomorrow. Until then, please take this opportunity to think carefully about your future.”

Dae-ho finally released Jin-ae from his grasp as she traced circles along his back comfortingly. Defeated, they followed Jung-bae back to their designated corner.

“At least we get another chance to vote,” she offered. “Maybe some people who voted early didn’t realize it would be so close and will change their vote this time so we can all go home.”

“Maybe,” Dae-ho returned a weak smile, trying to remain hopeful as ever.

Shortly after the vote, the guards announced mealtime and they filed into line to retrieve their dinner. Today, they received gimbap rolls and bottles of soda.

Dae-ho and Jin-ae sat side by side with Young-il as the X voters slowly gathered around their corner, which had become somewhat of a designated safe zone for all of them.

“Here, you want some of mine, too?”  Young-il offered the two of them.

“Thanks, we’re okay, though.” Jin-ae assured him.

“Not bad, right?” Dae-ho grinned. “They’re actually decent for once.”

Jin-ae sipped on the cola, weighing the heavy glass bottle in her hand.

“You know, Young-il. I gotta be honest with you. I thought for a second there, you’d vote like the first time.” Dae-ho told their older companion. “Ah, I got so anxious when you went up I couldn’t watch anymore. ‘Cause earlier, Jung-bae kept trying to tell us this weird story—“

Jung-bae cut him off by shoving a piece of his roll toward his mouth, “Come on, eat your food. Aren’t you hungry?” Clearly, he didn’t want Dae-ho to finish telling Young-il what he had said before. “Young-il, thank you, man. You gave us all another chance.”

“I just wanted to save my own ass. Don’t thank me,” Young-il shook his head. “And anyway, there’s enough money in there now, so I should get out.” He paused before adding ominously, “While I can.”

“But, when we vote tomorrow, do you really think we’ll win?” Player 246 asked.

“I mean, there’s no other choice. Like Gi-hun was saying earlier, we should try to convince them.” Young-il said. “See if we can get a few of them to change sides before they call the next vote.”

“Do you think we can?” Asked Yong-sik. “Look at them over there. You know they’ve gone completely crazy with greed.”

“Here’s how I see it. We have the advantage.” His mother said. “We’ve only had these gimbap rolls to eat today. Everyone will be hungry when they wake up tomorrow. And when you’re hungry, it makes you feel homesick. That means everyone will want to leave.” She popped another piece of the roll into her mouth as her son stood beside her.

“Hey, guys!” He shouted across the room. “Are you really gonna sit over there eating this dry gimbap? I just need one person to walk over here so that tomorrow morning we can get the heck out of here and all go out for Hanwoo beef. And what the hell, I’ll cover everyone’s meals!”

“And we’ll order naengmyeon, too.” His mother stood to join him. “Dessert’s on me!”

“Yeah, come on, just one of you guys!” Dae-ho called out.

“We won’t bite!” Jin-ae added with a giggle.

“Once you bastards all kick the bucket in the next game, we can leave this place with 800 million each. With that kind of money, I’ll just head to the Hanwoo ranch and offer to buy it!” Player 100 shouted back.

Many O voters laughed and started calling out to the Xs to join their side.

“800?” Dae-ho stood now. “Bullshit. You’re lying to yourselves. You guys really believe you’ll survive the next one?” He pointed at them. “If we don’t stop now, you’re all going to die!”

“Okay, so let’s stay and test that theory out.” Player 226 came down to the main floor. “See which side loses more. Stop trying to run away like a goddamn coward.”

Dae-ho chuckled lowly. “What did you say? Hey, come here,” He stepped down, heading straight toward the other player.  “Come here, asshole!”

Jung-bae chased after him as Player 226 taunted him, obviously trying to provoke Dae-ho. Jin-ae watched intently, as this was a side of Dae-ho she had yet to see.

“Come on, we don’t threaten civilians.” Jung-bae tried to pull him back towards the group, but Dae-ho shook him off, obviously agitated by Player 226’s mockery.

In one swift motion he shoved one side of his jacket off, pulling up his t-shirt sleeve to reveal his tattoo. “I was in the Marines, fucking asshole!”

The entire O side burst into laughter, Player 226 calling out, “Oh yeah? Well, if you’re a Marine, then I’m fucking special forces.”

“Hey, if you want to go home so bad, why even bother eating?” Another O voter piped up. “Just starve!”

Now several other men from the X side had joined Dae-ho as even Jung-bae was getting frustrated. Jin-ae knew someone had to stop this before a huge brawl broke out, but she wasn’t sure how to intervene without making things worse. So she just watched as Dae-ho pulled Jung-bae back, keeping him on their side of the line as O’s and X’s alike hurled insults at one another.

The majority of the men from both sides were on the edge of the red and blue lines, shouting as their allies held them back. She sat with Gi-hun watching as Jung-bae and Dae-ho took turns rushing forward and holding the other behind the line.

Gi-hun stared at the fork he’d retrieved from his gimbap roll, and he didn’t have to say a word for Jin-ae to know what he was thinking. Forks and glass bottles weren’t exactly the most practical weapons, but they could be weapons nonetheless. And if this escalated any further, one of the arguing players may decide to use them.

Without any further thought, she stood and headed toward Dae-ho who was giving Player 226 the finger as they shouted at each other. The O voter stepped slightly over the blue line toward Dae-ho, who was now putting his fists up as if welcoming a fight. She rushed toward him grabbing one of his arms and trying her hardest to pull him back away from the onset conflict.

Without so much as a glance back in her direction, he jerked his arm back sending her flying to the floor where she collapsed in a heap. She breathed heavily, clutching her sore rib from the impact as she slowly tried to stand. Someone’s arm linked under hers helping her to her feet.

“I’m sure he didn’t mean to.” Gi-hun assured her as she finally stood and met his eye. Admittedly, she was a bit disappointed it was him and not Dae-ho rushing to her aide. “He probably just thought you were Jung-bae.”

“Yeah, well he still did it, didn’t he?” She brushed him off, pulling her jacket tighter around herself as she stalked off toward the guarded door, pushing past the masked men and heading toward the women’s bathroom.

What a fool she’d been? Letting her guard down, even getting attached to these men in a day’s time. As if she even knew them, as if they weren’t strangers in this dangerous place.

With shaky hands, she retrieved another pill from her compass pendant, quickly popping it in her mouth and chasing it with a handful of tap water. She leaned down over the sink, splashing a bit of cold water over her face as she stared into her ragged reflection. The door opening behind her startled her slightly, revealing the tall woman, Player 120.

Jin-ae hastily tried to pull herself together as the woman approached her.

“Are you alright?” She asked softly.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She mumbled. “Just made the mistake of trying to stop a fight before it happened, I guess.”

“I’m sure your friend didn’t mean to push you…” The woman assured her. “Everyone’s emotions are just running high, the men were bound to start fighting eventually.”

“Not like it does them any good,” Jin-ae shrugged. “Fighting each other won’t get us out of here any quicker.” She sighed, running a hand through her head. “Anyway, I’m okay. At least, I will be once we get out of this place.”

The woman rested a hand on her shoulder comfortingly, as Jin-ae had done to her during the game.

“I’m Jin-ae,” she said. “What’s your name?”

“Hyun-ju.” The woman officially introduced herself. “Cho Hyun-ju.”

“Thank you for checking on me, Hyun-ju.” She bowed her head slightly in gratitude.

The two women walked back to the dorm together, not saying much but both surely glad to have some company.

The fight seemed to have settled down, though only about half of the men remained in the dorm, many of them likely heading to the bathroom to cool down. She saw Dae-ho nervously wringing his wrists where he sat next to Gi-hun, who stood when he saw she and Hyun-ju approaching the X’s corner.

“Jin-ae!” He called out for her. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, really.” She assured him as she joined their group, sitting beside Hyun-ju rather than taking her usual spot by Dae-ho, who was still looking over at her, guilt etched across his face.

Gi-hun must have told him what happened. Jin-ae felt a bit uneasy. It wasn’t that she wanted to freeze him out or leave him alone, beating himself up. But, she couldn’t make sense of the contrast between how he’d held her so gently, kissing her against the red door before and then hastily shoving her to the floor as he argued aimlessly with the O voters. It seemed so out of character for him that it made her second guess all of their interactions, how quickly she’d grown to trust him.

Suddenly, he was there, kneeling in front of her. “Jin-ae…” he whispered, like he needed to say something but couldn’t find the words. He grabbed her hand gently, starting to say something when an announcement rang across the intercom.

“Your attention please. The following players have been eliminated: Player 230, Player 268, Player 299, Player 331, Player 401. End of the list.“

A few stacks of cash trickled down into the piggy bank as Jin-ae stared up in confusion. “What’s going on?”

The doors burst open as several blood-soaked men came trailing back into the dorm. The one she recognized as Thanos’ personal groupie came running in shouting, “Yo! Yo, O-Gang! Hey! Listen! In the bathroom, all of a sudden the X’s started attacking us outta nowhere! We were just standing there. Those assholes went after us! They killed my friend, and a bunch of people on our side too. They're dead.”

“That's bullshit. You guys are the ones who started it.” One of the X voters, Player 047 called out. “These bastards started threatening people on our side! They started the fight so they could win tomorrow's vote!“

“Hey. Hey! You guys started killing us first. You wanted us to die. That's how you planned to win the vote, wasn't it?“ Another O voter pointed at the man accusingly.

“Oh, fuck you. We lost people too, okay?”One of the other X’s shouted back. “Were we just supposed to sit and watch as you bastards killed us off?”

“Hold on! What were the losses on each side?“ Player 100 asked.

“Okay. Everyone! Let's go around a do a full headcount.” Said Player 145, who was also on the X’s side.

“Get down here so we can count you! Come on. Everyone! All the X’s, come down! Group up so we can get a count.” Another X voter instructed those sitting around the corner, watching in shock.

“Everyone, come sit. This way!” Dae-ho joined their efforts.

Already sitting close to the front of the group, Jin-ae stayed put as the rest of the X’s gathered around. Player 047 started a headcount once they’d all settled in.

“42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48.” He finished. “Our side lost two guys.”

“The voice said there were five eliminations.” Jin-ae said. “So their side must've lost three.”

“Then, tomorrow we’ll have the advantage.” Se-mi finally spoke up for the first time in what felt like ages.

“Holy crap!” Exclaimed Jung-bae. “She's right, it's 48 to 47. As long as no one else swaps, we’ll win tomorrow by one vote!”

All the X’s around them were getting very excited over the prospect of leaving the following morning, but Jin-ae had a pit in her stomach. Recalling what Gi-hun had said the previous night about players killing each other during lights out, she realized that if there was ever a time the players would be motivated to attack each other, it would be tonight.

“Attention, all players. Lights-out will be in approximately 30 minutes. With the remaining half hour, please disperse, and prepare to return to your beds for the night.“ The woman’s voice announced like clock work.

“Nobody change your minds, okay?” Player 047 said to the group as they started to disperse. “Tomorrow morning, we'll vote and get the hell out of here. Sound good?”

A few players agreed as they made their way out of the corner back toward their own beds. Jin-ae locked eyes with Gi-hun, both exchanging knowing glances. They needed to be prepared for the inevitable attacks throughout the night. The only thing she couldn’t understand was why he hadn’t warned the rest of the X’s.

Many of the X’s remained in the corner for a while after the initial lights out announcement. Jin-ae sat in the circle with them next to Hyun-ju, whose resilience and kindness she’d quickly grown to admire since the day’s game.

Dae-ho was looking through the gaps in the bunks over at the O voters, when he turned back to the rest of the group and said, “The O’s look pretty suspicious over there. Bet they’re sitting around plotting against us.”

“Who the fu ck cares what those stupid bastards do.” Jung-bae scoffed. “They're outnumbered. No one else is gonna change sides. It's over.”

“But are we gonna be safe?” Dae-ho asked. “The guys in the bathroom said things got real ugly earlier.”

“Once the lights go out, the ones who wanna stay are gonna try come for us.” Gi-hun finally told the other players.

“They will?” Asked Yong-sik.

“Killing us would mean they win the next vote and add more to each one of their shares.” Gi-hun explained.

“So, what do we do now?” Yong-sik asked.

“We have to attack first.” Young-il answered the question weighing on all their minds. “It's our only chance. Those guys assume we're just waiting it out till the next vote. When the lights go down, we should hit them first since they won't expect it.”

“He's right. We can't just let them attack.” Player 047 agreed. “Our side's the one with a lot of women and old folks. If we wait for them, we're gonna lose. I say we ambush them first. That's the only way to win.”

“I'm good with that plan.” Player 145 said.

“No, we can't do that.” Gi-hun objected.

“But we need to get out.” Young-il insisted. “It's like you were saying, Gi-hun, there isn't any point in just sitting around.”

“That doesn't mean we should all just join in on this useless bloodbath. We'd be playing right into their hands if we did.”

“Who's "they"?” Asked Jung-bae.

“The ones who built this whole place. The ones who created the games and who watch us play.” Gi-hun explained. “If we're gonna try and fight anyone, we should be going after them instead.”

“Sure, but where are they?” Dae-ho asked.

“They're up there.” Gi-hun looked up at the ceiling, causing the rest of the group to look up as well. “At the top of the staircases. They keep everything here running from up in their central control room. There's a man in a black mask who's the head of the operation. If we can get to him, we finally can end this.“

“How are you going to fight them?” Young-il asked. After all, they’ve got guns.

“We'll need our own guns to fight back.” Gi-hun answered.

“But we don't have any guns.” Jung-bae pointed out the obvious.

“We'll just take theirs.” Gi-hun said.

Jin-ae was not overly fond of this plan, and he’d only just began explaining it.

“So, take them from the guards?” Player 246 asked.

“No. It's too risky.” Jin-ae protested.

“Even if we manage to get a few guns they'll outnumber us when we try to get out.”  Young-il reasoned.

“What are you suggesting? We fight the other group through the whole entire night, and hope against hope that we all make it? Is that it, Young-il? Do you really think that's a good plan?”

“Do we... stand a chance?” Hyun-ju asked.

“If we can manage an ambush, yes. Those bastards up there, they'll never expect our side to attack. They'll be focused on other things. This is it. This is our last chance to put an end to these games and make sure they never happen again.” Gi-hun insisted.

“So how are we supposed to get their guns?” Young-il asked.

“Here's the plan. We wait for a fight to begin. That'll give us an opening.” Gi-hun explained. “Once the lights are off, we have to get under our beds as quietly as we can. We can't afford to get caught by the other side. And we know they'll be out for blood. We don't make any moves until the fighting's over. We wait, and we keep still. We can't afford to get pulled into the fight, do you hear me?“

“But, if we do that, the rest of the X’s won’t stand a chance.” Jin-ae interrupted him. “Without us there to help them fight, they'll be outnumbered.“

“I know. But if we don't keep our heads down tonight, and if some of us get injured, or anyone ends up dead, it's gonna ruin our entire plan. If we're missing anyone when it's time to attack, we'll be setting ourselves up to lose.” Gi-hun said.

“So, what you're saying is, sacrifice a few for the good of the rest.“ Young-il raised an eyebrow at him.

“If we don't go after them now, we won't get another shot at leaving this place.” Gi-hun insisted. “And it'll be worth the sacrifice... if it means we can actually put an end to these games for good.“

“No.” Jin-ae stood. “Young-il was right. No matter how many guns you get those guards outnumber us. You’re going to get everyone here killed after you sacrifice the rest of the X’s. What ever happened to trying to save everyone, huh?” She couldn’t believe Gi-hun even suggested this plan. And to think, she actually started to look up to him.

“Jin-ae, this is our only hope of getting out of this place.”

“No, it isn’t. Our best shot of getting out of this place is sticking together, protecting our own, and making sure more X’s survive the night than O’s so we can win the vote and go home.” She insisted. “But you’d rather let them all die so you can send the rest into a fight you can’t hope to win!” She was starting to get frustrated. How could he not see that this plan was doomed before he even thought of it?

“We have to put an end to this game. So no one else dies.” He insisted.

“So, you get to play God and decide who gets to survive?” She snapped bitterly. “And really, let’s say you kill the man in charge. What then? How do you plan to get everyone out of here?”

Gi-hun stuttered but said nothing.

“Oh, so you’ve planned a revolt with no escape. And what? You assume the rest of the guards will stop shooting once their boss is dead? Doubtful.” She sighed, running a hand through her hair in exasperation. “So you’d really rather send everyone on a suicide mission than fight back against the O’s?”

“That’s exactly what they want us to do.” Gi-hun raised his voice. “Fight each other, like dogs.”

“Oh my god, who the hell cares?” She exclaimed, looking around the circle of X’s. “Seriously? Nobody else agrees with me?”

No one spoke up; they all just stared awkwardly at their feet, not wanting to get involved in the argument.

“You know what, fine.” She huffed. “Most of the people in this place can’t afford to walk away empty handed even if you could find a way out, but I don’t expect a billionaire to understand that.” The words were like venom she couldn’t stop from spewing from her lips. “If it makes you feel better to try to fight your way out knowing you’ll get everyone here killed, all so you can have the moral high ground, then do whatever you want.” She started to walk away before turning back to say. “But, I won’t let the rest of the X’s die for the sake of your ego.”

Jin-ae stormed off, glancing up at the timer, slowly ticking down to lights out. Only 15 minutes left to gather the rest of the X’s and organize some kind of plan.

She quickly made her way around the room, beckoning any X voters she passed down from their bunks. Once they were all gathered around her, staring with expectant, wide eyes, she mustered her courage and gathered her thoughts.

“The O’s are planning to attack us tonight, like they did in the bathroom earlier.” Many of the X’s gasped, whispering amongst themselves. “The other X’s, the group I was with before… that man who’s played the games before, he’s got a plan, but he didn’t include any of you in it. I don’t think that’s fair.” More concerned whispers rippled through the small crowd. “I say, we make our own plan.”

“What are we supposed to do?” One of the men among them asked.

“We’ll build a barricade around ourselves with the bunks. Everyone will have a different role. Those that know they can fight back will guard the barricade from different posts. Those that know they can’t need to hide inside.” Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a ponytail lingering along the edge of the group, just out of her view. “We’ve got to have some type of weapons, so we’ll gather all the bottles and forks we can find. I’m certain the O’s will be armed and vicious, so we have to be prepared.”

“What about the rest of us?” One small woman asked. “I really don’t think I’d survive if one of those men came after me, but I still want to help.”

“Anyone who feels more comfortable away from the fight can sit at the top of the fort and drop bottles down on the O’s heads if one of us below gets overpowered.” She explained. “But, really, if you feel like you’ll be too vulnerable, please hide. We need to make sure more of us survive than the O’s so we can win the vote tomorrow and go home.”

“Do you really think we can?” Another woman asked.

“I hope so.” She sighed. “All we can do is try. The alternative…” she trailed off.

“We’d better get started before the time runs out.” One man pointed out.

They had seven minutes to determine their fates tonight. “Alright, to make things simpler, anyone strong enough to move a bunk stay with me to work on the fort. Everyone else, go collect as many bottles and forks as you can.” She instructed the group.

Several men and a few women gathered around her, including two familiar faces: Dae-ho and Hyun-ju. “Let’s start by grabbing all the bunks nearby. Then we’ll arrange them into a barricade around this corner.” The group broke off to get started on their task, but someone lingered behind. She could feel their presence behind her as she started pulling the bunks closest to her into formation.

“Let me help you with that.” The bunk got significantly lighter as none other than Kang Dae-ho lifted the other end of it.

“What do you want, traitor?” She scowled at him. “Finally wise up and decide not to die?” She asked sarcastically.

“Not exactly.” He looked down as they moved the bunk together. “I guess, I just figured… Why should all these people unknowingly sacrifice their lives, so I can risk mine?”

“So, you’re still going along with his stupid plan then?” She dropped the bed angrily.

“Kind of?” Dae-ho scratched the back of his neck. “I want to help everyone. So, I’ll help the rest of the X’s survive through lights out, and then I’ll help Gi-hun fight our way out of here.”

“You’re better than that.” She sighed, remembering how carelessly he’d tossed her to the side earlier. “At least, I thought you were.”

“Jin-ae, I-“ Dae-ho seemed like he was getting choked up. “I’m so sorry. I swear, I thought it was Jung-bae pulling on me. I-I didn’t even realize you fell down until—“

“I didn’t fall.” She snapped. “I was pushed.”

“It was an accident, I swear.” He insisted. “Jin-ae, I would never hurt you.”

“Honestly, Dae-ho, I’m more disappointed you didn’t speak up back there with Gi-hun than anything else.” Jin-ae shook her head. “I mean, I asked if anybody else agreed, and you wouldn’t even look at me.”

“Because, I see both sides. Okay?” Dae-ho groaned. “These games should be stopped, but we shouldn’t sacrifice other people on our side to do that.”

“You know what? I don’t have time for this.” She pushed past him, heading to where Hyun-ju was single-handedly constructing one wall of the fort.

“Jin-ae!” He called out, stopping her in her tracks. “Are we still friends?” He asked, looking down at his feet as she turned to face him. 

“Were we ever?” She sighed, walking away without giving him time to respond. 

“Thanks for coming.” She said softly as she admired Hyun-ju’s work.

“Of course.” The taller woman smiled down at her. “It’s like Dae-ho said, there’s no reason we can’t help all the X’s.”

“Not you, too.” Jin-ae groaned.

“Well, you know, having military experience, we feel obligated to help with the rebellion. It would be selfish of us to stay behind.” Hyun-ju explained. “But, that doesn’t mean we can’t still help protect the rest of the X’s, too.”

“I guess you’re right, but…” Jin-ae trailed off, looking back over her shoulder at Dae-ho. “I just don’t see a way this ends without all of you dead. And then, none of us will stand a chance.”

Hyun-ju placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll look out for him, don’t worry.”

Soon, all the bunks were stacked around the corner she’d claimed for them, and the members of their group that had gone off to gather supplies had returned with heaps of empty bottles and forks.

“Alright everyone, we’ve got two minutes left to get ready. So, if you’d like to be a fighter, come grab a fork. If you’d rather man the upper level, grab a bottle. And if you don’t feel comfortable doing either, go find a safe place to hide.” She instructed the group.

Once everyone left had their respective weapons, she assigned each of them a position along the perimeter. Many of the women and a handful of men on the smaller side had opted to drop bottles, leaving only she and Hyun-ju among the men guarding the bottom. As the final seconds on the timer ran out, they each made their way to their posts.

Jin-ae gripped her fork tightly, glancing over at Dae-ho a few feet away on one side of her, then at Hyun-ju on the other. They each nodded at her just once as the three of them mentally prepared for the fight to come. Here goes nothing.

An inappropriately soothing chime echoed through the quiet dorm as the lights flickered off, leaving them in cold, terrifying, darkness.

Chapter Text

Dae-ho

Through the darkness, cloaking them in the shadows, just out of sight, Dae-ho caught a glimpse of the light catching against Jin-ae’s jewelry as he glanced over at her nervously, the red and blue glow of the giant X and O in the floor ahead of them mixing into a purple hue barely cast across her high cheekbones. He didn’t like the idea of her on the front lines of the fight with only a fork to defend herself, longing to hide her away from the violence to come. But, this was her plan after all, and he knew she’d never listen even if he tried to convince her to go inside the barricade they had built and hide. She was far too stubborn, and they weren’t exactly on the best of terms now as is.

He couldn’t believe his own stupidity. Truly, he never meant to push her, assuming the hands pulling at him belonged to Jung-bae who had been by his side, holding him back from the fight. But, accident or otherwise, he had pushed her nonetheless, and he understood why she’d been distant ever since. Not to mention, he hadn’t helped his case by staying silent when she sought support as she spoke out against Gi-hun’s plan. She wasn’t wrong; regardless of the precious winner’s goal to stop the games, they couldn’t just allow the other X voters to be slaughtered while they hid under their beds waiting for the opportune moment to strike against the guards.

There was no time to continue dwelling on the rapid snowball of events that had led him here, though, as he could see the O-gang as they called themselves creeping across the center of the room, manic grins illuminated by the dim glow of the shapes on the floor. From their expressions he could tell that Jin-ae’s strategy was working; they couldn’t see any of the X’s lined around the barricade of bunks prepared to defend themselves and each other through the O’s attack.

One of them he recognized immediately as the player who’d been taunting him during the widespread argument during meal time, Player 226. Dae-ho gripped the fork close to his chest in a defensive position as the unsettling man approached him, still yet to notice his presence as he closed the distance between them.

Player 226 started toward the barricade, leading the charge of O’s into the trap the group of X’s had set for them. His eyes widened as he came face to face with Dae-ho, who immediately drew his fist back and swung, knuckles aching dully as they sharply collided with the man’s jaw, sending him stumbling backwards as his fork clattered to the floor.

The sudden commotion alerted the other O’s that their sneak attack wasn’t working out quite as planned, setting off a full blown brawl as they rushed the edges of the barricade.

Dae-ho steadied himself as Player 226 wiped a bit of blood from his lips, practically growling in rage as he ran toward Dae-ho. Mentally preparing to fight for his life, Dae-ho raised his fork above his head, slamming it down into Player 226’s shoulder as the greedy lunatic gripped the collar of his jacket. The man let out a guttural scream as Dae-ho pulled the fork back out, turning it slightly to jam it into the side of his neck.

Blood sprayed Dae-ho’s face as he stabbed him over and over until his body finally fell limp against him. His breathing was growing ragged as he stumbled away from the man, the impact of what he’d just done hitting him like a ton of bricks. I just killed a man, in cold blood, he thought as he shakily wiped the blood off his cheek. What would his mother think if she could see him right now? What would his sisters make of their baby brother, covered in someone else’s blood. No, you did what you had to do, he assured himself. It was you or him.

A blood curdling shriek drew him out of the shock, reminding him to focus on protecting himself and the other X’s. That scream made his stomach turn, the voice painfully familiar, though he’d never heard it quite like that before. His eyes darted rapidly around the dark room, searching for the source, for confirmation that it was her.

“Dae-ho!” The next scream of his name was all the confirmation he needed as he followed the sound desperately trying to find her. “Help!”

He found her backed into a corner by one of the O’s. But it wasn’t just any O; it was that guy who always followed the purple-haired douche around, the one Jin-ae had given a bloody nose after the very first game, and he was out for revenge. From the looks of it, he’d had the upper hand until she’d managed to get a good swing in, sending him stumbling away from her.

“You’ll pay for that, you fucking cunt!” The deranged man chuckled lowly as he grabbed her by the shirt, pinning her against the wall.

“Get away from her!” Dae-ho stumbled towards them, nearly tripping over a discarded corpse.

Player 124 wasn’t paying him any attention though, as he drew his fork into the air, preparing to plunge it into Jin-ae’s chest. Reaching out toward the crazed O voter, Dae-ho threaded his fingers through the man’s long hair and yanked back as hard as he could, throwing him to the ground. As he was forced to release his grip on Jin-ae, she collapsed against the wall, sinking down to the floor and cradling her knees to her chest. She looked almost pitiful, broken in a way Dae-ho had never seen her before.

“What the fuck?” The man groaned, staggering to his feet and staring daggers at Dae-ho. Without even acknowledging him, he tilted his head to the side, looking past Dae-ho at Jin-ae with dark eyes and a twisted grin. “Hiding behind little soldier boy, here, won’t save you bitch.”

For the first time in his life, Dae-ho wanted to beat someone within an inch of their life just to leave them there suffering. He wanted to bash this stupid motherfucker’s face in without granting him the mercy of death, unwilling to put him out of his misery. “Motherfucker,” he mumbled, charging toward Player 124, who had seemingly lost his arrogance in an instant as his hands shot up to cover his face. Dae-ho snatched the collar of his shirt as he drew his fist back and punched him, splitting his lip open as his head crashed back against the bunk. The man groaned in agony as Dae-ho punched him over and over again, relentless until his features grew swollen as blood gushed over them, staining Dae-ho’s fists on impact.

Collapsing in a heap on the ground the man begged for mercy pathetically, staring up at Dae-ho through tear-filled eyes. Glancing down at his bruised and bloodied knuckles, Dae-ho felt as though he’d been possessed by the part of him that was his father, a cruel-hearted man who would stand over young Dae-ho just like this after teaching him a lesson. Rapidly taking in jagged breaths as he examined the destruction of his own creation, Dae-ho tugged at his own hair, desperately trying to get a hold of himself as he staggered away, not to prolong this maniac’s suffering, but to spare him. He couldn’t make sense of the guilt and shame spreading discomfort and heat across his chest. This guy got what he deserved, right? He had been causing conflict since the first game, and went out of his way to attack Jin-ae, to punish her for the crime of standing up to him.

Jin-ae. Panic flooding his chest, Dae-ho whipped his head around to find her curled into a ball against the wall, trembling as she took in rapid, ragged breaths. He rushed to her side, kneeling to scoop her into his arms, pulling her into his lap. She buried her face into his chest, latching onto him as he ran his fingers through her hair. “It’s okay, I’ve got you,” he assured her, rocking her gently. “You’re safe. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

They were tucked away in a corner, and Player 124 had scrambled away the moment Dae-ho turned his back, so he was sure they’d be safe here. If anyone else tried to mess with her, he’d handle that accordingly. For now, he wasn’t letting her go until he absolutely had to, strong arms wrapped protectively around her, trying to shield her from the horrors around them.

Screams echoed through the dorm but there was no way of telling whether they were coming from their allies or their enemies; it was most likely a bit of both. Dae-ho tuned the agony of his fellow players out, focusing all his attention on Jin-ae, who was still shaking in his arms in spite of his attempts to soothe her.

It wasn’t until the lights flickered on that she finally looked up at him, wiping tears away with her jacket sleeve. Dae-ho’s heart ached at the sight of her crying. He should have never let her be at the front of the fight. Well, not let her, she’d probably hate him telling her what to do, but still, he should have insisted that she at least go to the top of the bunks with the others who wanted to help without the risk of being killed. He should have known Player 124 would target her and warned her. He should have killed the motherfucker when he had the chance. Maybe his father was right. Maybe he really was just a pussy. Maybe he could never be a real man.

A million feelings of shame, guilt, and remorse tugged at his heart. But, most of all, an overwhelming need to protect Jin-ae until his dying breath consumed him.

Gunshots alerted him to the arrival of the guards. Gi-hun’s plan was about to be set into motion, and he had promised to join them, but the last thing he wanted to do was leave Jin-ae here alone with those psychos as all hell broke loose.

“Retreat. Retreat.” The woman’s voice commanded the guards, letting him know that they had managed to get at least a few guns already. As much as he longed to stay by Jin-ae’s side until the end of time, he needed to join them. He couldn’t cower in the dorm while they risked their lives fighting for a way out of here. It would be worth it when he got her somewhere safe, far away from this sick game and the people who designed it.

“Jin-ae, I have to go.” He whispered as he placed her gently beside him.

“No.” She grabbed his arm, trying with all her might to hold him in place.

“It’ll be okay.” He tilted her chin up with his finger to look her in the eyes. “As soon as we find a way out, I’ll come back for you. Just stay here and hide until then, okay?”

“What if you can’t?” Her eyes were filling with tears once more, and he was the reason. “What if they kill you?”

Dae-ho pressed his lips to her forehead. “I don’t know what’s gonna happen…” He trailed off, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I’m going to do everything I can to get us out of here. But if I don’t make it back,” he was struggling to find the words. “If the games continue, I know you can make it to the end. You’re strong Jin-ae, and I know you don’t need me to tell you that. You can win this thing.”

“Dae-ho—“ her breath hitched.

“Just promise me you’ll try. Please?” He cradled her face in his hands, searching for the answer to their impossible predicament in her eyes.

“Okay.” She sighed, looking down at the floor beneath them.

Without giving himself time to debate his next move, Dae-ho leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, savoring the way she melted into his arms, pulling him closer. He traced his fingers over her jaw as he tilted her head back gently to deepen the kiss. “I just had to do that, in case this was my last chance to.” He sighed as he finally pulled back, resting his forehead against hers.

“Don’t say that.” Her hand found his jaw, leaning in to kiss his cheek. “Is there really no way I can talk you out of it?”

“I have to help them. It wouldn’t be right for me to stay behind while they fight for our way out of here.” He insisted, grabbing her hand in his own and pressing a chaste kiss against the inside of her wrist.

“Fine,” she sighed. “Then, I guess I’ll see you soon.” As they stood together, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug. “Just do me a favor, and stay alive. Please.”

“I’ll do my best.” He squeezed her tightly against his chest, longing to never let go.

“Everyone! Don't be afraid, it's all over. It's safe now, come on down.“ He heard Gi-hun calling out to the remaining players as the shots finally settled down.

“I have to go now.” Dae-ho whispered, resting his forehead gently against hers.

“Be safe.” She clung to him as he ran his hands over her back.

Reluctantly, he started to pull away as Gi-hun began explaining the plan to the  others and asking for volunteers to join their efforts.

“Dae-ho, wait!” She grabbed his arm, pulling him back to face her as she crashed her lips against his for what may be the last time. He caressed her cheek gently, dreading the moment they parted which came all too soon. “One more for good luck.” She smiled weakly through watery eyes as she pressed one last gentle peck to his lips, leaving him longing for more as he pulled away from her.

She reached up to the back of her neck, unhooking one of her many necklaces. “Come here,” she instructed as she wrapped it around his neck and latched it. This particular piece of jewelry was embellished with a sun pendant, no doubt meant to match the moon still hanging around her neck. “This way you’ll have a piece of me with you.”

The gesture had his heart swelling, as he pulled her back in to kiss to her forehead.“I’d crawl back to you if I had to,” he whispered sincerely.

“They're gonna pay for everything they've put us through. So please, if any of you know how to use a gun and wanna help take out these fuckers, step forward right now.” He caught the tail end of Gi-hun’s speech, squeezing Jin-ae against his chest for what he knew might be the last time before running to join his other teammates. He just couldn’t bring himself to say the word goodbye.

“Listen. I get it.” Jung-bae called out to the others as their feet remained planted where they stood. “You're scared. I know, because I'm scared too. I don't wanna risk my life again. But I really don't think we're gonna get another chance to leave this place alive. And if they won't let us go, I say we fight our way out. Together.”

A few men came forward, following behind Dae-ho as he rushed toward his group of allies.

“Dae-ho, there you are!” Jung-bae called out as he picked up one of the unclaimed guns and handed it to him. “I was starting to get worried about you.”

“Jin-ae was attacked.” He said, just loud enough that only Jung-bae could hear him as the others were distracted by a few more players coming forward to join them.

“Is she okay?” Jung-bae looked even more worried now.

“She’s alright, just a bit shaken up.” He assured the older marine. “Just didn’t want to leave her side until I had to.”

“All right, everyone. Check your guns and ammo.“ Gi-hun instructed them.

Dae-ho fiddled with his gun, trying to figure out how to check the magazine. These were very different from the K2 assault rifles he’d trained with as a marine. He glanced over at Jung-bae for assistance, but he was preoccupied handing out walkie talkies. “Take a walkie-talkie so we can keep in touch. And set your channel to lucky number seven.“

Glancing down the row of players to see if anyone knew how to work these things, Dae-ho was a bit relieved to find most of the men to be just as confused as he was. He threw the strap around his neck, looking down at it hopelessly.

“Everyone, listen up.” Hyun-ju called out as she stepped forward. “This here is an MP5 submachine gun. First thing, to change magazines, you press the release and slide it out. It shouldn't take much to come out.” She explained, demonstrating effectively as Dae-ho watched intently, following along carefully and finally able to figure it out thanks to her. “And on the side, you flip the safety down for sustained fire, and put it up here for single-fire. Since we don't have a lot of extra ammo right now, we should only be using single-fire. And finally, this slides in up here, then you're gonna pull this lever all the way down. That's how you load your gun. All clear, everyone?“

All the men nodded, many of them a bit shocked by her knowledge. But she and Dae-ho had talked a bit about their respective military experiences when they had decided together to participate in both of the X’s plans. He had learned she was a sergeant in the special forces for many years before she came out and began her transition. After that she’d lost everything from her job to her family. Dae-ho knew a lot of people lacked more… progressive views and looked down on people who were… different than themselves. He figured she must be one of the bravest people he’d ever met, reminding him so much of his oldest sister, Ka-young whom he’d always looked up to for her strength and resilience.

The clicking of a small shotgun being cocked caught his attention as Gi-hun commanded the officer that got stuck in there with them to remove his mask.

“Jesus Christ!” Jung-bae exclaimed as the young man slowly removed his mask. “Your mom and dad know what you're doing in here, kid?”

“Now take us to the guy who calls the shots around here.“ Gi-hun uttered darkly before leading the young guy toward the door and smashing the window to turn the knob from the outside.

Each of the participating players followed closely behind as he led them out into the hallway.

“Attention, players. The day has ended. It's time to turn in for the night. Please make your way back to your quarters immediately. If you do not comply with these orders, then you will be eliminated. I will now repeat the instructions. Attention, players. The day has ended...“ The woman’s voice droned creepily over the intercom as he followed closely behind Jung-bae, making their way up the winding staircases.

“This fucking voice,” Jung-bae groaned. “It’ll be in our dreams when we get out.”

Dae-ho nervously nodded in agreement, fear creeping its way up his neck as they rounded another corner.

The voice was cut off as Gi-hun shot at the speaker, blowing it off the wall just before a group of pink suited guards popped up over a ledge above them. “Get down!” He shouted as Dae-ho and the others crouched against the wall. “At your one o'clock! One o'clock!“

Dae-ho trembled as the rapid fire of gunshots rang relentlessly through his ears, cowering behind the barrier and trying desperately to tune out the noise by covering his ears.

“I'm moving in. Cover me!“ Hyun-ju shouted before bounding up the steps.

“Covering fire!” Jung-bae yelled back.

Eventually, the shots slowed until Gi-hun commanded, “Cease fire!”

“Holding fire!” Hyun-ju responded.

“I think we're clear.” Gi-hun informed them as Dae-ho shakily brought his hands down. “Is, uh... Is everyone okay?“

Dae-ho nodded hastily as he pulled himself to his feet, hugging the machine gun close to his chest almost like it was a shield.

“Good. Well, we'll keep going.” Gi-hun grabbed the officer by the hood of his uniform, leading them further into the depths of hell as Hyun-ju shot down each security camera they passed.

Dae-ho’s feet dragged as he tried to keep up with Jung-bae, who stopped by the fallen guards to collect any extra ammo they had on them.

“How much further is it?” Gi-hun suddenly stopped, eyeing the young officer skeptically. “You taking us to the right place, kid?”

“Management's around that corner. And if you continue going past that, that's where the control room is.” He explained.

“Keep going.” Gi-hun ordered.

“Wait a minute.” The man murmured as he reached toward his pocket.

“What are you doing?” Gi-hun grabbed his wrist, gun still aimed at the man’s temple.

“You need to have a mask to get through security.” The young man glanced between Gi-hun and Young-il for a moment, just before his head flung back as blood painted the wall behind him.

Dae-ho clung to the wall nearest him, trembling as the rapid fire shook him to his core. Forcing his eyes open, he came face to face with a player whose name he had never learned just as a bullet struck him, spraying his blood across Dae-ho’s face. As he stared wide-eyed at the man’s lifeless form, he reached a shaky hand up to wipe the blood away, gasping in horror when he glanced down at his red stained fingers. The gunshots all around him faded into white noise as he stared at the nameless player’s soulless eyes, the unfamiliar face twisting and morphing into one he could never forget no matter how much time had passed. Seung-hyeok.

When his father had forced him to enlist in the marines, Dae-ho had been a scared boy no older than nineteen, terrified not only by the prospect of war, but of the possibility that his fellow comrades may look down on him the way his father and boys from his school had as long as he could remember. But to his surprise, he had found support, friendship, even brotherhood in his fellow marines. Seung-hyeok had been the first to welcome him with open arms, bonding over the subpar meals and forming inside jokes during their training. The pair had been inseparable, up until they’d been assigned to Gangwha island.

This is where Dae-ho found himself now, trapped in his own head as the pastel walls around him faded into the familiar barracks in which the worst day of his life had taken place. He shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut as he silently pleaded for a way out, a way to stop the visions flashing before his closed eyes. But you cannot escape your own mind.

The memory replayed on a loop in his brain as his drew in ragged, sharp inhales, struggling to get enough oxygen, feeling like he was choking around his own breath. Seung-hyeok laughing at something stupid he’d said, as if it were any other day. Their confusion as the telltale sound of gunshots came out of nowhere, the alarm blaring over the speakers posted on the corners of each building. The pure shock written across Seung-hyeok’s face as the bullet tore through his sharp features, coating Dae-ho’s face in the thick, hot blood of his best friend in the world. The torment behind his eyes as he collapsed against the wall behind them, forever staring lifelessly at Dae-ho who ducked behind a barricade, too cowardly to even attempt to shoot back at the unknown enemy who had killed his best friend.

Mindlessly, he tapped the stock of his gun against his forehead, desperately begging the images to stop flashing before his eyes as he watched the best friend he’d ever known die over and over again. “I’m so sorry, Seung-hyeok,” he murmured repeatedly under his shaky breath, the guilt of not even attempting to avenge his fallen brother overtaking him completely. “Please, forgive me.”

He had eventually learned it was one of their own men attacking them, once one of their superior officers had taken him down. But during and even after the attack, Dae-ho had remained frozen, tucked behind the barrier, eyes fixated on Seong-hyeok. Even as he watched him take his last breath, his blood dripping down Dae-ho’s cheek, he couldn’t wrap his head around the loss, just staring in a state of shock as some of his comrades tried speaking to him. When one of his superior’s had tried to pull him up to his feet, he had started screaming uncontrollably, throwing himself over Seong-hyeok as medics swarmed his body. He couldn’t quite remember what had happened immediately after that, the rest of the day a blur. The next concrete memory he had was being curled up behind his bunk, trembling and covering his ears, trying desperately to shake the image of Seung-hyeok from his mind. After that, he had never been the same.

Even Tae-euen, the girl he’d assumed he’d have been happily married to by now, had said so when he returned home, avoiding her questions as to why he was back early. After several weeks of grappling with the shame of his honorable discharge and the only time his father had ever beat him in his adult life, he had come home one night to find her bags packed. “I don’t know what happened to you out there, and I doubt that I ever will. But something in you has changed.” She had explained. “You’re just not the Dae-ho I fell in love with anymore.”

Her words echoed through his head, alongside his father, calling him every synonym for coward he could think of as his fists pounded into him relentlessly. “Come on, pull yourself together,” he whispered to himself, now slamming the stock into his temple. Blinking rapidly, the images finally faded back into reality, which was no more bearable, shots ringing all around him. Don’t just sit there, you fucking pussy. His father’s voice mocked him internally. Letting these men take bullets for you while you cry in the corner? You’re fucking pathetic.

Gripping his gun and squeezing his eyes shut, he aimed it through the gap in the wall, not daring to show his face and risk the same fate. Before long it was clicking, drawing his eyes open as he hollowly realized he was out of ammo, squealing in fear as he removed the empty magazine.

“Here!” The player beside him tossed him another. “Don't waste your shots. If you shoot blindly, you'll be empty soon.”

Dae-ho nodded hastily, the magazine shaking in his hands as he tried to reload it as quickly as possible. With a deep breath, he mustered all the courage of the mighty tiger for which he was named, carefully choosing the moments he would pop out and aim. He didn’t have much success, only managing to hit one guard with all his efforts.

“We can't do anything sitting here! Let's follow them upstairs!“ Player 047 called down the row of rebels.

“If we go up without knowing anything, we might get surrounded!” Young-il shouted back. “Let's hold this position until they radio us. So we know they made it there.“

“Everyone, how we doing on ammo?” Hyun-ju called out to them.

“I'm down to about half.“

“And I'm at less than half, shit.”

“I'm half full!”

“I have about two-thirds.”

“I'll run out soon.” They answered one by one.

“Oh, shit, I'm out!” Dae-ho whimpered, cradling his head in his hands as he tried to maintain control over his mind.

“Young-il, Dae-ho. Can you hear me?” Jung-bae’s voice crackled across the radio.

“Go ahead.” Young-il replied.

“We're almost there but we can't get inside. They got us pinned down here. Could use some backup and extra ammo.”

“We're also low on ammo here.”

“The soldiers have extra ammo in their pockets. Someone go and get the mags off the guys in our room.” Jung-bae informed them.

“Copy! You all hear that? Those guys need a hand upstairs! Three of us will head over there. Everyone else should stay.” Young-il explained. “And then we'll regroup as soon as we get ammo. Who's coming with me?”

“I'll go with you.” Two players responded.

“Let's move out!” The two men followed him up the stairs.

“I'll get the extra rounds in our quarters. I'll come back as soon as I can. Just hold this spot till then.” Hyun-ju ordered.

“Hyun-ju, wait! I got it! I'll go!” Dae-ho offered through shaky breaths, realizing there was an opportunity to step away from the action even just for a moment and eager to volunteer. “I don't... I don't have any ammo.” He held up the empty magazine towards her.

“Do you know how to get there?” Player 246 asked him.

“Yeah.” Dae-ho nodded, gasping for air.

“I shot out the cameras on the way here. So just follow them back.” Hyun-ju instructed him.

“Okay.”

“Here. Take this with you.” She tossed him an extra magazine. “Just in case. There might be guards on the way.”

“Thanks, Hyun-ju.” He responded gratefully as he loaded in the fresh ammo.

“I'll cover you, okay? Now move out!” She ordered. “Covering fire!”

Taking a deep breath and putting on his bravest face, Dae-ho braced himself for the terror of running past all the open spaces where one of the many guards who clearly had the upper hand could put a very sudden end to his life. As fast as his legs would carry him, he rushed toward the stairs, stumbling down them.

“Ammo in the pockets. Ammo in the pockets. Ammo in the pockets.“ He mumbled repeatedly under his breath, partially reminding himself but mostly trying to keep himself grounded so that he didn’t have another flashback. Suddenly, he stumbled open the area of the first shootout since they’d left the dorm, where a guard’s limp corpse hung over a ledge. Wide-eyed and open mouthed, he gaped at the gruesome display, mind starting to drift away to the place he’d certainly rather not revisit.

“Dae-ho, can you hear me?” Jung-bae’s voice yelling through the radio shook him from his trance. “Where are those magazines, soldier?”

He hesitated a moment, staring down at the radio trembling in his hand. “Yes, sir, I'm heading to get them as we speak.”

“All right, copy. I'm counting on you.”

“Got it, Jung-bae. I'll bring the ammo.” Dae-ho put forth his bravest voice, adding a “Leave it to me!” for good measure. As he glanced back up at the corpse fearfully he muttered, “Fuck,” under his breath before heading back down the stairs.

When he came to a crossroads, he found himself turning around seeking the way to go in the endless array of pink staircases going off in every direction. What had Hyun-ju said? He racked his brain, searching desperately for the answer. Finally it came to him just when he was losing his breath in the panic. The security cameras! She had shot each of them along their way. He whipped his head around frantically until his eyes landed on one in the corner just above him.

Following the trail Hyun-ju had left, Dae-ho bounded down the stairs until he finally found the shattered glass and open door leading him into the dorm. By this point, he couldn’t stop the tremble raking through his entire body relentlessly as he bolted into the room, looking around rapidly and murmuring to himself, “Okay, ammo, ammo, ammo. Ammo in the pockets, ammo in the pockets.” He tried not to look at the blood or the faces of the fallen players around the room as he emptied the pockets of each of the guards. “Ammo in the pockets, ammo in the pockets.”

“Dae-ho?” A sweet voice he never thought he’d hear again called out. “What’s going on? Are you okay?”

He whipped around to face Jin-ae, showing her the heaps of magazines tucked in his arm. “Our ammo ran out. I-it’s in their pockets.” He stammered, wild eyes seeking refuge in hers. “I-I need you to help me. Please!”

“Okay, okay.” Jin-ae placed a hand comfortingly on his free hand, stopping him from staggering away. “Just calm down.” She gently brushed some blood off his cheek on her sleeve before quickly unzipping and stripping off her jacket, laying it on the floor. “Here, lay them in my jacket, and you can use it to carry them back to the others.”

His shaky hands, gently placed the magazines atop her jacket, physically unable to verbalize his appreciation as he stumbled toward the guards he hadn’t checked yet. Once he finished collecting as many as he could find he rushed back over to the pile, finding Jin-ae had already returned with quite a few herself. No matter how hard he tried to still his hands, they continued to tremble as he placed the last of the magazines on her jacket which she swiftly scooped up, tying the sleeves in a loose knot.

“Stay alive,” she whispered as she placed the pack in his hands, leaning up to press a quick kiss against his cheek.

All he could do to respond was nod, failing to hide the fear coursing through his veins in spite of his best efforts as he turned to head back out to return to the team. His whole body shook as he stepped through the open door back into the madness.

“Attention players, the day has ended. It is time to turn in for the night.” The haunting voice sent shivers down his spine, as he stared up into the pastel abyss of this sinister facility they were trapped in, coated in bright colors meant to conceal the darkness within, like candy over a poison apple. “Please make your way back to your quarters immediately. If you do not comply with these orders, then you will be eliminated.”

A terrible, evil thought crossed Dae-ho’s mind. If he complied with the order, he’d have much better chances of surviving. He could just turn back now, return to the semi-safety of the dorm and the comfort of Jin-ae. No, they’ll never make it without the extra ammo. Jung-bae is counting on you! His thoughts waged a war in his brain, turning knots in his stomach as it grew more difficult to breathe.

Typical Dae-ho, cower in a corner and leave your fellow man to lay down his life while you hide like a pussy. His father’s voice echoed through his brain. You are a pathetic excuse for a man.

An array of images pulled from his worst memories and designed to torment him flooded his mind as the voices grew louder. Part of him longing to hide behind a bed like he had the day of the incident, another consumed by the need to help his friends while his father taunted both of them. Goosebumps formed over every inch of his skin as he watched his father, beating him until he was begging for mercy, his best friend, the life leaving his eyes, his first real love, leaving him because he had changed, the players around him, falling to the gruesome fate that awaited them all, Jin-ae, so angry she could hardly look him in the eye. Eventually his imagination ran wild, crafting visions of Hyun-ju, Jung-bae, Gi-hun, Young-il, Jun-hee, and Jin-ae, all the people he’d grown to care about in a matter of days, dying due to his failures.

“Dae-ho, do you copy? Dae-ho, where are you? Come in, Dae-ho!” Hyun-ju’s voice drew him out of the terrors of his own head only to pull him back in to their living nightmare. “Where are the extra magazines? Are you on your way? Dae-ho! Answer me!“ Slowly, his eyes fell to the radio shaking in his hand. “Dae-ho! Dae-ho, are you there? Dae-ho! Say something, come on! Dae-ho! Do you copy?“

Frozen in pure fear, his mouth ran dry, unable to form the words on his lips. His hands started trembling so hard, the radio slipped from his sweaty palms, clattering to the floor. Fueled by only the panic flooding his chest and the will to stay alive, he stumbled backwards through the door before taking off in a dead sprint to the corner he and his friends had come to call their little piece of the world for the time being.

His knees gave out beneath him as he struggled to catch his breath, feeling like he was on the verge of suffocation as his arms wrapped around his head protectively. The floor beneath him and the solid bed frame pressed against his back were the only things keeping him tethered to the Earth as he gasped for air.

Despite feeling a bit safer tucked away in their corner of the dorm, the relentless images of everyone he cared for suffering because of his weakness haunted him. The string of insults in his father’s voice taunting him was never ending as he finally broke down, sobbing into his knees.

Tears and blood smeared down his cheeks as he rocked back and forth, subconsciously trying to self soothe. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he choked out, muffled into his elbow as he lost control completely.

A hand on his shoulder startled him as he flinched away, his addled mind playing tricks on him as he pictured his father behind him, preparing to teach him the hard way that boys don’t cry. But as he blinked away the tears, the shadowy figure became clear, and it was the person he wanted to see most right now. Jin-ae.

“Oh, Dae—“ was all she managed to get out before he latched onto her, sobbing brokenly as he collapsed against her small frame.

“It’s all my fault,” he sobbed into her chest. “I’m so sorry, please forgive me.” He rambled on as the blood and tears dripping over his cheeks soaked into her thin white t-shirt.

“Shh, it’s okay.” She stroked his hair, cradling his head against her. “You’re safe now. You’re with me.”

“It’s all my fault,” he whimpered, her reassurance doing little to tune out the voices echoing through his head.

“It’s not your fault.” She spoke softly, rocking him gently. “It’ll be okay.”

Her kindness cut through him, making his heart ache. He didn’t deserve to be comforted. Everyone was going to die because he wasn’t man enough to do what it would take to win this fight. “No, no, no…” he murmured, breaking down as she struggled to pick up all his pieces. “All my fault… it’s all my fault.”

“Dae, listen to me.” She titled his chin up, forcing him to look her in the eyes. “This plan was never going to work. It is not your fault.”

“I’m so sorry,” he choked out, head falling into the crook of her neck. “I’m sorry.”

“Shh, I’ve got you.” She did her best to soothe him no matter how undeserving of her sweetness he was. “I’ll keep you safe.”

He mumbled apology after apology, unable to articulate that he was supposed to keep her safe, he was supposed to save the day, prove to himself and his teammates that he had what it takes, that he wasn’t a coward.

As she gently helped him onto the bed behind them, he clung to her neck, fearing if he let go even just for a moment she may leave him to wallow in his own self misery and never return. She whispered soft, comforting words as she pulled him to lay his head in her lap, running her fingers through his hair as he cried against her.

“Dae-ho! Dae-ho!” A voice called out in the distance, but he couldn’t determine whether it was real or a figment of his imagination. “Dae-ho, where are you?“

His borderline delirious, trauma riddled mind hoped it might be his mother, coming to bring him home.