Chapter Text
Geum-ja stepped inside the arena after Hyun-ju, Jun-hee holding her hand firmly. The young woman had entered labour last night, the contractions making it unable for Jun-hee to get any sort of rest. Geum-ja had spent the entire night by her side, caressing her head and instructing her to breathe in and out.
“She can’t play the game! She’s going to have a baby at any moment!” Hyun-ju had protested, but the guards had paid no heed. Geum-ja had looked around, hoping for a single shred of humanity among their fellow players, but no one stepped forward to stand by them.
“It’s okay, Jun-hee. We just have to stick together for thirty minutes, and then we can go through with your delivery,” Geum-ja assured her. Having served as a midwife for multiple women in her neighbourhood, Geum-ja knew that Jun-hee had completed the first stage of labour overnight, and was now entering the second stage with severe contractions, which might last anywhere between 30 minutes to several hours.
Geum-ja observed her surroundings; a low ceiling painted blue, covered with yellow stars of different sizes, akin to the design of children’s bedroom that was popular when Yong-sik was growing up. Grey brick walls held up the faux night sky, chalk drawings of flowers, trees and clouds scattered over it, which stretched over to the street lamps.
“Ready or not, here I come!” an eery voice reverberated through the speakers, sending shivers down Geum-ja’s spine.
“Let’s go,” Hyun-ju said, putting her arm under Jun-hee’s to pull her forward. Jun-hee winced but moved her legs in tandem.
“I think her contractions are getting stronger. We should find a place to hide till the time runs out,” Geum-ja said, looking over to Jun-hee.
Hyun-ju nodded, and took out her key to open the closest door.
“Hmm… that’s weird,” she said, holding up her key towards the light. “Can I borrow that?” she asked pointing towards Jun-hee’s key dangling from her neck. Jun-hee nodded in response, following which Hyun-ju took off the chain from her neck.
With a quick nudge, the door flew open and the three women hurried in. Geum-ja looked around, a giant rainbow painted over a wall, pink balloons floating around it. Paper flowers of various shapes, sizes and colours covered the walls in the tiny room. She spotted a door next to the yellow house and ushered Hyun-ju towards it.
“What is it?” Geum-ja asked when Hyun-ju looked at her expectantly.
“Each door has a keyhole in a different shape. I think there are three. Circle, triangle, and square,” Hyun-ju answered, her eyebrows knitted together in focus. “We each have one of those shapes. Mine is a circle. Jun-hee’s is a triangle, and yours is a square. Don’t we make a great team?” she beamed.
“Absolutely!” Geum-ja exclaimed. “I knew us three made a great team since we went to the bathroom together. Right?”
“Yes!” Jun-hee agreed.
“In that case, you should hold onto our keys, Hyun-ju,” Geum-ja said, taking off her chain and handing it to Hyun-ju. “That way, we’ll be able to move more efficiently.”
“Would that be okay?” Hyun-ju asked, glancing at Jun-hee.
Jun-hee nodded in agreement, a faint smile on her lips.
*
“And it’s not like we would’ve won even if we had all the extra bullets,” Dae-ho’s words ringed in his ears as Gi-hun set foot in the arena. He almost missed Dae-ho, turning just around the corner.
Gi-hun paced down the alley, his shoes grating against the gravel beneath. Gripping the knife, which felt out of place yet oddly familiar in his hand, he saw the ponytailed man move through a door. He quickened his steps, hastily pushing past the green door and grabbing the man in one sweep.
“You-it’s your fault!” Gi-hun slammed him against the wall.
“Please…please don’t kill me,” he said, covering his head with both palms.
Gi-hun stiffened, his hand on Player 197’s collar slipping. Seeing the young man cowering beneath his touch sent a wave of revulsion over Gi-hun.
Player 197 seemed a diluted version of his former teammate, his shoulders narrower, his stature shorter, his hair not the right length. The two men looked nothing alike except their hairstyle; Gi-hun wondered how could he mistake him for Dae-ho.
Player 197 bolted out of the room, leaving Gi-hun confused. His eyes darted to the door which led to bottomless pit. He spotted Dae-ho peeking through a floor below him, who shivered and closed the door upon catching Gi-hun’s cold gaze on him.
*
Geum-ja peeped through the door ajar, catching a glimpse of Yong-sik wandering around aimlessly.
“Player 235 eliminated,” a female voice announced through the speakers.
Did Yong-sik managed to kill someone? Geum-ja wondered. No, he can’t hurt someone. But he must or…
“This way,” Hyun-ju uttered just as the speaker stated the red player’s number.
Oh no, I missed it. I hope Yong-sik finds me soon, she thought, and grabbed Jun-hee’s hand.
They followed Hyun-ju’s trail around a street lamp, when a blue player breezed past them. Panic overtook Geum-ja when she saw a red player turn their way.
“This way!” Hyun-ju yelled, pointing to her left.
“Come on,” Geum-ja ushered Jun-hee.
The three women ran, Player 226 hot on their heels. Hyun-ju grabbed Jun-hee’s arm, dragging her up the stairs.
“Oww!” Jun-hee yelped, falling four steps.
“Jun-hee!” Geum-ja yelled, rushing to her side.
Hyun-ju sprinted down, blocking Player 226 from nearing Jun-hee, who lay on the ground bent in a foetal position.
“Step aside, I just need to kill that damn bitch,” Player 226 said, breathing heftily. “Or give me the old hag.”
Hyun-ju looked over to Geum-ja covering the pregnant woman with her frail hands, as if she could shield Jun-hee from mortal peril purely by way of motherly affection. After carefully tucking in the chains inside her jacket, Hyun-ju tightened her hands into fists.
Player 226 swung the knife rapidly, slicing Hyun-ju’s elbow. She seized the man and pushed him to the wall, but he regained promptly, and jumped on her. Hyun-ju slammed the red player down, twisting his arm while elbowing him in the face till the knife slipped from his hand. Player 226 reached out his hand onto her head and yanked her hair.
In a swift motion, Hyun-ju grabbed the man over her shoulder and flipped him to the ground in a loud thud. Panting, she pressed her knee on his throat and pushed the knife to his chest. Player 226 tried stopping her movement, but his attempts were futile in the face of the adrenaline-charged ex-military officer. Hyun-ju strained, thrusting the knife deeper till the man stopped breathing.
Hyun-ju extended a bloody hand to Jun-hee, quickly wiping it on her jacket before she grabbed hold of it. “Let’s go. Anyone who heard that will head this way.”
“Careful,” Geum-ja said, propelling Jun-hee up.
“I think I peed my pants,” Jun-hee mumbled, sounding embarrassed.
Geum-ja noticed the wet print on her trousers. “I think your water just broke.”
*
“Myung-gi, did you see the look in his eyes as he died? Slowly losing their gleam.” A brief silence followed, unitl Nam-gyu spoke again. “Turning into doll eyes. It was the same with that bitch Se-mi.”
“Get up, we’ve only killed half a person each.”
Min-su heard Nam-gyu chuckle across the wall. “You are so fucking sensible. Wait for me!”
Se-mi’s lifeless face flashed before his eyes, the blood draining from her neck as Min-su had stared helplessly. He nudged the door and walked into the next room, the metallic smell of blood heavy in the air, making him gag.
“Player 105, eliminated. Player 096, pass,” a female voice announced on the speakers.
A familiar necklace caught his eye, hidden under the knee of the player lying dead. Min-su picked up the cross, opening it to find two pills inside: one pink, one blue.
“Damn, you saw it? But you stayed hidden like a fucking rat and just watched?” Nam-gyu had taunted, when he saw Min-su in a red vest alike him. “You should’ve helped her. That fucking bitch liked you. So be a man this time, Min-su. Okay?”
Min-su had never been a strong kid; he had always been the kid the bullies would shove into the dirt and kick till he would get bloodied and bruised. So, he learned how to hide, to avoid confrontation, to just keep his head down and follow whatever orders he was given. Most of the bullies had left him alone once they got bored and moved onto their next plaything.
“Be a man this time, Min-su,” his former teammate’s words ringed in his ears. With a quick shove, he gulped down the blue pill.
*
“Player 411, eliminated. Player 124, Player 333, pass,” the speakers declared.
“He passed,” Jun-hee said panting, struggling to keep up with her teammates.
“Who?” Geum-ja inquired, looking around.
“My friend.”
“Your friend? The sweet potato guy?”
“Yes, he said he would come help me when he passed,” Jun-hee replied.
Hyun-ju unlocked the closest door, and grabbed Jun-hee’s arm. “Don’t count on it. It will be difficult to find us.”
Jun-hee groaned loudly, her breath erratic.
“Hang in there just a bit longer,” Geum-ja stroked her back.
“Come on,” Hyun-ju dragged Jun-hee inside the room. Painted in various shades of blue and adorned with paper fishes, octopi and weeds, the room gave the illusion of being underwater.
“Sit here for a minute,” Hyun-ju helped Jun-hee kneel to the floor, her back resting against the wall. “For now, let’s hide here and see how things go.”
Jun-hee shook her head. “Don’t do that just for me. I’ll hide in here alone. You should go and find the exit.”
“I’ll stay with her,” Geum-ja added without hesitation.
“What?” Hyun-ju asked, confused.
“You should go, Hyun-ju. We’ve already been a big enough burden on you,” Geum-ja answered.
Hyun-ju appeared confused, her eyes darting between her two teammates. She glanced over to the timer: 21 minutes 57 seconds remaining.
Jun-hee yelped, losing her composure.
“Oh my goodness!” Geum-ja exclaimed.
“What’s wrong?” Hyun-ju asked, holding up Jun-hee.
“I think her baby’s coming out.”
“What… what do we do?” Hyun-ju looked at them, baffled.
“Jun-hee, take a deep breath in and breathe out slowly. One, two, three…” Geum-ja said, taking off her jacket, and throwing it on Jun-hee’s knees. “And Hyun-ju, you hold her hand.”
Hyun-ju helped Jun-hee take off her 222 jacket, and placed it below her head.
“Ready? All right, I need you to push again. One, two, three!”
Jun-hee bit into the arm of the jacket, her face completely white, and her hair sticky with sweat.
“Come on, Jun-hee, keep pushing. I think I can see the baby’s head.”
The door swung open to reveal Player 202 standing with the knife clutched in his hand. Hyun-ju rose with determination, leaving Jun-hee’s hand empty.
Player 202 lunged at Hyun-ju, aiming the knife at her chest but she dodged it effortlessly.
“Be careful!” Geum-ja yelled as Hyun-ju pushed the man to the door.
Hyun-ju slid out the knife she had taken from Player 226’s corpse and slashed it on his shoulder, sending the red vested player to the ground. Player 202 squirmed out of the room, kicking Hyun-ju who was struggling to pierce the blade into his torso.
“Come on, Jun-hee,” Geum-ja said, peeking between her legs. “Breathe in, breathe out. You-re almost there.”
*
Dae-ho paced through the alley, his eyes constantly scanning around to steer clear of his former teammate. The look on Gi-hun’s face when he had spotted Dae-ho a floor below had dropped Dae-ho’s heart to his stomach; it was a look which he was all too familiar with, thanks to growing up with an angry father.
A woman’s high pierced scream shook his body. Jun-hee… I hope it was not Jun-hee. I need to find her and Hyun-ju ssi, he thought, checking his surroundings for any seekers, when a flash of red registered in his periphery.
Dae-ho began to ran, losing his balance and slipping over. He pushed open the nearest door which was fortunately open, and lead up to a flight of stairs. Player 359 was quick to follow, and grasped his foot, cutting open his ankle.
“Ah!” Dae-ho yelped in pain, as blood gushed out and turned his white shoes red.
Player 359 tried to pull him down, but Dae-ho managed to kick down the man, and lay there whimpering as his attacker fell down the stairs and bled to his death. Dae-ho tightened his fingers around the wound, but to no avail; the blood loss was already making his head woozy.
*
“I can see the head. All right, one more push. One, two, three!” Geum-ja directed Jun-hee. “You’re so close. Push again.”
Jun-hee strained, trying to stifle her screams. The infant’s cries filled the room as Geum-ja pulled the baby out.
“It’s a little princess!” Geum-ja said, holding up the baby for Jun-hee to see.
Jun-hee blinked as if in disbelief at the bloody bundle of skin. After setting down the baby in her lap, Geum-ja tugged at her hair and pulled out the binyeo. She took out the blade and cut off the placenta in a quick sweep, severing the last stitch between the baby and her mother.
Jun-hee tried to sit up and hold the baby close to her chest, her face colourless. Her thighs were painted red, and Geum-ja helped Jun-hee pull up her trousers to her waist.
“Are you okay?”
Jun-hee only nodded.
The door clicked open, and Geum-ja looked up to find her son shaking, the knife in his hand clean as a whistle.
Geum-ja slowly rose, her aged joints cracking in protest. “Yong-sik…”
Yong-sik crossed the doorstep and moved into the room, the knife raised towards Jun-hee sitting on the ground.
Geum-ja immediately stepped in between. “Stop!”
“Move,” Yong-sik said, his eyes fixed on the younger woman.
“No! What are you doing?”
“I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t kill anyone,” he answered, shivering like a leaf in a thunderstorm. “So, I’m going to die. I couldn’t kill anyone, Mom, so I’m going to die.”
Geum-ja sneaked a glance at the timer. “Yong-sik, we still have six minutes left. Come with me, we can find another blue player.”
“I can’t do it, Mom. I can’t kill anyone. I tried, but I can’t.”
“Give me the knife, then. I’ll find someone and-”
“What are you talking about? How can you even think that you could hurt someone at your age?” Yong-sik sounded annoyed. “And besides, it has to be me. I have to kill someone, or they will kill me.”
“Stab me,” Geum-ja uttered, her lips quivering. “I have lived long enough, just stab me with the knife. Then you, Jun-hee and her baby will all survive.”
“Why? Who is she to you? Why does she get to live-” Yong-sik broke out in a sob.
She lowered her hands, grabbing the knife in Yong-sik’s hands and pointed it at herself.
“How can I…” Yong-sik snivelled. “How can I do that to you, Mom?”
“Yong-sik, listen to me… it’s okay,” Geum-ja answered. “So please, just kill me. Yong-sik, just do it.”
Yong-sik shoved his mother to the ground and ran towards Jun-hee. “I’m sorry,” he said, raising the blade at her.
“Yong-sik ssi…” Jun-hee said weakly, clutching the baby tightly in her arms.
Geum-ja saw her world collapse as her face met the ground below. Her mind flashed back to the angry man who had once haunted her bedchamber; the man who had made her scared of her own shadow, had turned her life into a living hell, the man who had called himself Yong-sik’s father. She saw Jun-hee shuddering, holding her newborn, just as Geum-ja had been many decades ago. Geum-ja unclasped her binyeo, her heart already heavy in anticipation of what she was about to do.
Yong-sik abruptly dropped down, the knife in his hand clattering to the ground. Geum-ja stood trembling behind her son, the blade from her binyeo embedded deep in his shoulder blade.
“Mom…”
Geum-ja knelt in front of Yong-sik, cupping her face in her hands. For the first time since he had entered this room, Geum-ja noticed that his glasses were broken, akin to how they looked when little Yong-sik would return home after being beaten up by his classmates.
“Mom…I…I…”
Geum-ja patted his head, feeling his curly hair between her fingers.
“I’m sorry…”
“No, son. I’m sorry.” Geum-ja began wailing.
“Mom, I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you... I’m sorry for bringing you here, for being a failure. I’m sorry-” Yong-sik collapsed, hitting the ground with a thud.
“Player 007 eliminated.”
Korean terms used:
- ssi: an honorific suffix equivalent to “mr.,” “mrs.,” or “miss”; used to address someone respectfully, usually when you are not particularly close to them or when speaking to someone of a similar social standing.
- binyeo: a traditional Korean hairpin.