leia-writes

[leia-writes]

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[leia-writes]

Wild Heart

hwang in-ho | front man x reader

Chapter 2: Keeping Face

warnings: some violence, pining

THIS SERIES IS 18+ ONLY

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The next day you awoke, barely rested, ready to take on the dalgona challenge. You were lost in thought as you walked in a single file line with the other players, Player 001 following behind you.

He caught up and walked next to you. “You heard what the next game will be, right?”

You gave him a confused look - you’d been there when Gi-hun explained everything. “Of course.”

He awkwardly nodded. “Oh, good.” It seemed as if he had more to stay, but he stayed silent.

You gave him a wary look and continued silently. It seemed like he wanted to stick close to you, but you didn’t give it too much thought. You decided to focus on the upcoming challenge before being interrupted from your thoughts once again.

“I loved dalgona as a child. I was so bad at it though, I almost always cracked the shape. Even the triangles.” 

You looked at him again, curiously, eyes meeting for a brief moment before he looked down as you continued walking. The awkwardness was palpable in the moment, but strangely you didn’t feel that uncomfortable. He just seemed… odd to you.

As you continued walking, you idly started to imagine what he would’ve been like as a child, carefully carving out a shape with a determined look. It brought up your own memories of doing the same. Hot summer days playing outside with the few friends you had, and your sister who was always too reckless with carving out the shape, inevitably cracking it. Sometimes she would get so upset she wouldn’t even eat it. 

A pang of sadness wracked your body at the memory. A reminder of who you were doing this for.

Everyone looked around the room confused as you entered with Player 001, gathering in your group with Gi-hun, Jung-bae, and Dae-ho. This simple act between your little group tugged at your heart a bit, feeling vulnerable from thinking about your sister. Even in this shitty, fucked up place, people still longed for connection between each other, for trust and safety and camaraderie. 

You looked back at Player 001, his expression blank, almost making you feel guilty. He’d tried to connect with you before but you noticeably brushed him off. Even though he was strange, he didn’t do anything wrong. He glanced at you briefly and you gave him a soft smile.

Once the players were instructed to form teams, it was clear this game wouldn’t be dalgona. Amidst the confusion, Player 100 began to yell at Gi-hun, even demanding he take responsibility. Although you were afraid of what was to come since the game was now completely unknown, it wasn’t unexpected that they would change the games from what Gi-hun played. He was being completely unreasonable.

Gi-hun was being overly apologetic, but Player 001 swiftly stepped in and de-escalated the situation. His calm demeanor gave you a quiet confidence and feeling of safety, making you second guess again the uneasiness you felt before. He felt like someone you could trust, if you tried at least.

“I still trust you,” you saw Player 001 say to Gi-hun. As if he was reading your mind.

You quickly formed a team with the five of you, eagerly anticipating the game instructions as you sat down in the dirt together. The games were revealed to you: ddakji, flying stone, ggongi, spinning top, and jegi. You didn’t feel very confident in any of them, but you had a little experience with ggongi so you quickly claimed that.

After taking your roles, Dae-ho with ddakji, Jung-bae with flying stone, you with gonggi, Player 001 with the spinning top, and Gi-hun with jegi, Jung-bae initiated a huddle. Everyone gathered a hand in the middle of your group.

As you reached your hand out, you noticed Player 001 quickly set his hand on top of yours. You turned to him and briefly made eye contact, but he quickly looked away as you all yelled out together. 

Despite the tragedy of it all, you couldn’t help but feel a blush forming on your cheeks.

~~~

Gunshots rang throughout the room. You crouched down and covered your ears, squeezing your eyes shut. You’d just seen the first two teams lose. It seemed impossible to get through all the games in the given time, with little mistakes making the difference between living and dying. 

Someone on the other side of the room began screaming at everyone. You slowly uncovered your ears and looked at them.

“We’re all going to die because of those who voted to continue!”

Fear spread throughout your body and you looked down in guilt.

“What are you going to do now? You think you can survive? You killed them!”

Player 001 looked at you, concerned. “Don’t listen to him.”

You gave him an apprehensive look. Easier said than done, you thought.

He looked around on the ground in front of your group, slowly gathering small pebbles until he got five. You eyed him as he stretched his hand out towards you.

“Here. Practice with these.”

An involuntary chill went down your spine as you grabbed the pebbles, rolling them between your palm and fingers to orient yourself. You shifted to crouch on your feet and began practicing. 

Your first three attempts all failed.

“Fuck!” you spat, throwing the pebbles down and covering your face in anger. Tears filled your eyes. “I can’t fucking do this. I’m going to ruin it, and we’re all gon-”

“Stop.”

You felt two hands cover yours and slowly lower them from your face. Through teary eyes, you saw Player 001’s face. He looked a bit concerned, but also, so… calm. Almost amused at your meltdown.

He slowly let go of your hands. “You’re going to be fine. Don’t go so fast, there’s no need to rush.”

You scoffed, wiping the dust from your hands. “No need to rush? We only have five minutes to do everything.”

He slowly nodded, looking around, still strikingly calm. “If you keep rushing, you’ll waste more time. Stop overthinking it. These are just games.”

You rolled your eyes, wiping a stray tear from your eye. How was he being so nonchalant about everything?

What a strange man.

“I really don’t understand you.”

He chuckled softly, glancing at you. 

It felt like lightning.

~~~

The room erupted in cheers as Player 120 completed jegi successfully, her group rushing towards the finish line. Your entire group jumped in excitement, Player 001 next to you with his arm around Gi-hun. A pang of confusing emotions struck you when you noticed. Without thinking, you reached your hand to his shoulder.

He stopped jumping and looked at you, smiling as if he was completely happy, like a child. As if this were all just a dream. Or a memory, with the quiet nostalgia that was growing in your mind. In your complete daze looking at him, you felt his arm snake around your body under your arm and pull you close to him.

Feeling your heart in your throat, you almost stumbled in surprise, but he held you close to him. He continued cheering and jumping while softly rubbing your upper back, almost subconsciously. You had to physically force yourself to stay grounded in reality, to keep your emotions from flying out of control. There was no way you could be feeling such a rush of fear, helplessness, anticipation, attraction, all at once in this horrible place.

In the next moment, everyone quieted and started sitting down. There it was - back to reality. The whiplash of your situation was almost too much to bear. And yet, you felt Player 001’s touch lingering just a moment past normal. Being there was like constantly being on a rollercoaster, constantly feeling every little emotion with every fiber of your being as if it was the most important thing happening at that moment. 

Before you knew it, it was your group's turn to go. The final round of players. The room was eerily quiet as the guards strapped your legs together, you standing right in the middle between Jung-bae and Player 001. All of you linked arms and steadied each other before beginning the games.

Dae-ho and Jung-bae completed their tasks with ease. You were immensely grateful for this - it meant you had just a little more time to work with. The group crouched down with you as you readied yourself to start gonggi. Player 001 gently patted your shoulder.

“Don’t worry. You got this.”

You were barely paying attention to anything but the gonggi pieces, and you mindlessly shook his hand away from you. “Let me focus.”

He was slightly taken aback, but softly chuckled. A small flicker of anger flashed in your mind. How the fuck was he so relaxed right now?

On your first attempt, you made it all the way to the last stage, but were unable to flip all of the pieces to the top of your hand. You sighed in frustration, quickly gathering the pieces to start again. Player 001 tried reassuring you again.

“Don't rush. Take your time.”

You let out an agitated sigh. “Would you stop saying that? Let me focus.”

In the corner of your eye you noticed him roll his eyes and look away, no sign of laughter. It satisfied you to see him take you more seriously. Part of you wanted to prove you could do this without any coddling from someone else. 

You successfully completed your second attempt, letting out the biggest sigh of relief as the group erupted in cheers around you. Your group quickly walked to the next game and Player 001 began threading the string on the top. 

You watched him carefully with bated breath as he prepared to throw the top. He flicked his wrist forward and released the string, but the top instantly fell out of the string on the ground. Gi-hun quickly helped him pick up the pieces.

“It’s alright, just try again,” he encouraged. Player 001 seemed to quickly become agitated, shoving you and Gi-hun away and wrapping the string around the top haphazardly. You rested your hand on top of his, stopping his movements.

“Don’t rush. You got this,” you echoed from his words before, the slightest hint of a smirk showing on your face.

He scoffed quietly, looking away. You thought you caught a hint of a smile on his face, but it was quickly replaced with frustration.

He tried again, but this time the top actually went behind your group. He shouted out loudly in exasperation, becoming almost inconsolable. Everyone around you tried reining him in to focus, with you and Gi-hun resorting to grabbing his arms and forcing him backwards. You grabbed the pieces, not even noticing how the string was soaked with blood, and set them in his hands.

“Don’t overthink it. These are just games,” you echoed again.

He sighed deeply, looking away. You thought he was going to get even more angry, but instead he laughed out loud and began threading the string slowly.

“You’re insufferable, you know that?” he stated, before throwing the top. It spun perfectly on the ground in front of you.

You laughed and cheered with the rest of your group, squeezing his arm after wrapping yours around his and walking forward. He smiled proudly at you in that childlike way again, your heart becoming a rollercoaster of its own inside of you.

Gi-hun completed jegi on his first try and you all made it to the finish line just in time. You nearly collapsed to the ground in relief, steadying your hands on your knees, and couldn’t stop yourself from crying. The men around you cheered and hugged after being released. As you were trying to calm yourself down, you felt a hand on your upper back.

Player 001 crouched down to be eye level with you, softly smiling. “I was right, wasn’t I?”

You looked at him curiously, too out of breath to say anything.

He gently tugged at your arm, pulling you up to standing, his touch again lingering just a little too long.

“It’s all just a game.”

~~~

“Listen. Perhaps we should learn each other’s names.”

Dae-ho stood in front of your group as you sat next to Player 001, back in the player room. All eyes had been on your group when you returned, and the contempt the other players felt was palpable. Things were getting more serious by the minute.

“I’ll start. I’m Kang Dae-ho.”

You gave a soft smile as Dae-ho and Jung-bae began introducing themselves. After a second, you realized you had already picked up on everyone’s name but Player 001. The man who was most peculiar, who was simultaneously unfamiliar to you and also the person you’d talked to the most here.

“What’s your name?”

You were pulled from your thoughts by Player 001’s question, his inquisitive face giving you pause. The nostalgic feeling from before was creeping back into your mind.  After quickly giving your name, Player 001 finally introduced himself as Oh Young-il. A name you had never heard of. So there was no way you knew him, but you couldn’t shake the feeling that you’d seen him before. 

Young-il, you repeated in your mind. His name seemed to stick in your mouth as if you had just said it out loud.

Soon the pink guards entered the room and prompted the players to vote for the next games. So many players had complained that it still wasn’t enough money. Though you were ashamed, you felt it wasn’t going to be enough either. 

You thought about your sister and what she might be doing right now, hoping her surgeries were successful. Maybe you’d even get to her before she woke up, never knowing the hell you went through while she was dealing with her own. If you just played one more game, you’d feel so much more comfortable with the money you got. Even if it wasn’t guaranteed you’d live, you felt you had a fighting chance with your group. You had to try no matter what.

“I will help you guys out when we get out.”

You looked at your group somberly. Gi-hun seemed so optimistic that the votes would swing his way, but you weren’t so sure. People were dying, literally, for a bigger prize. It wasn’t going to be enough to convince everyone to leave. You weren’t sure if it was enough to convince you to leave. And Gi-hun promising to help you out didn’t mean much of anything to you. He could easily turn back on his word at any time, and who knows if he would actually give you the amount you needed.

“Guys, huddle up again,” Dae-ho said, nervously looking around the group. Anxiety was clear on your face. Young-il gave you a curious look, and when you reached your hand forward, he darted his hand quickly onto yours again. This time, he gently wrapped his fingers around yours, quickly looking away as if he did it unconsciously.

You blushed hard. The simple grasp of his hand, the quiet consideration he was giving you was overwhelming. Without realizing how insane it sounded, you started to imagine what it would’ve been like if you’d met outside of the games. If he would’ve been the same awkward, considerate person out there. If he would’ve shown interest in you in real life. Or, if his connection to you here was only a futile attempt at fleeting comfort. 

Suddenly, you remembered him talking about his sick wife to Gi-hun. Feeling a bit embarrassed, you wondered if he was just a very considerate person all the time. Were you reading into his gestures too much? You felt ridiculous for… wanting him. 

Wanting him? Ugh. It felt wrong to admit that to yourself. The words felt heavy in your mind, weighing on you as voting began to start.

You watched Young-il vote X. Another pang of guilt hit you inside, but this time for a different reason. As much as you were afraid of what was to come, you knew deep down you couldn’t vote to leave. You had to do anything you could to stay and earn a little more for your sister.

You weren’t alone in your thinking. So many people voted to stay, even Player 007 who knew his mother was also in the games. As you got ready to vote, it was becoming clear more people wanted to stay.

After voting O, you walked to the right side of the room, your head hanging low. You didn’t want to make eye contact with Young-il or anyone else in your group. A couple people had voted after you before Gi-hun and Young-il started shouting at everyone.

Young-il caught everyone’s attention. “You still want to keep going after watching all those people die? Who’s to say you won’t die in the next game?”

Shame spread throughout your body. Even though you knew it was ultimately wrong to choose to stay, you would do anything for your sister. But you hated seeing someone you knew be upset with you. You turned away and tried to ignore the argument that was about to explode in the group.

“You’ve got to survive first, or there won’t be a next step,” Young-il pleaded.

“What do you think we can do with a mere 70 million?” Player 100 spoke. “I don’t know how much you owe, but for most people here, that doesn’t even cover 10% of their debt. Am I right?”

The people around you began to cheer and yell in agreement, but some, including you, kept their heads down in shame. At least you could admit you were in the wrong. 

You listened to the shouting around you and tried to disengage. Player 226 spoke up to rally more players. 

“It’s not like the games are that difficult.”

You thought back to Young-il telling you, “These are just games.”

He wasn’t wrong.

The crowd around you began cheering, “One more game!” over and over. It made you sick to your stomach. You had chosen to stay, but you weren’t going to be so shameless about it. As you looked around the room, you saw Young-il observe everyone apprehensively. A conflict of shame and obligation clouded your mind.

The vote ended and it was official - you would be staying. You quickly received your meal of bread and milk and went straight to your bed. It didn’t feel right to join the group when you had voted against their interests. Still, you felt particularly lonely. You settled into your bed, sitting up with your legs under your blanket. 

After a few minutes alone, Young-il approached you and sat on the edge of your bed. He stayed silent as he opened his bread, but he didn’t look particularly happy. You sat in silence with him, awkwardly continuing to eat.

He sighed loudly and finally looked at you. “So why did you do it?”

You looked at him blankly, unsure what to say or where to start. He glanced at the blue O patch on your jacket. “You must have a good reason.”

You looked down. “I do. Don’t you?”

He stayed silent, giving you a blank look like you had done before. As if you could hear the wheels turning in his mind.

You cleared your throat. “I heard you talking to Gi-hun last night. Your… wife?”

A flash of realization showed in his eyes. “I… I guess I do.”

Your eyes narrowed. He always seemed more nonchalant than appropriate, always making you wonder what exactly he was thinking. 

He turned a little more towards you. “So why did you choose to stay?”

After a few moments, you began to explain what happened to your sister. That she had gotten hit by a car, needed extensive medical attention, permanent caregiving, and on top of all of that you were poor. This was the quickest way to get some money that didn’t involve taking out a predatory loan or doing something that could put you in prison.

Young-il listened intently as you told your story, showing genuine interest and concern. It made you feel even closer to him, which in turn made you confused. You found yourself wanting to be closer, wanting to know more about who he was, wanting to physically feel his touch like when he’d grasped your hand.

Everything was becoming too hard to fight against anymore. It was exhausting constantly feeling conflicted about how you felt about everything. No one in the world could navigate their emotions in a place like this, so why did you expect to feel okay at all? You might’ve made a bad decision, but you did it with good intentions. Young-il might be married, but who knows, both of you could die tomorrow. 

Nothing mattered anymore.

Young-il reached forward to rest his hand gently on yours. “Don’t beat yourself up too much. Even if you had voted X, we would still be here.”

The warmth of his hand was a great comfort. Instead of fighting the feeling, you turned your hand upwards, your palms touching now. It was still too hard to say anything.

He smiled and curled his fingers around your hand again. “Come back to the group. You shouldn’t be alone. And take this, I can’t drink milk anyways.” 

He handed you his carton of milk and pulled you forward, his hand lingering on yours.

~~~

As lights out was approaching, your group began to create a makeshift base within the bed frames, not quite a fort but a place you could gather and protect each other. Everyone put beds close to each other and made a plan to keep watch throughout the night. Young-il was skeptical that anyone would get violent, but you believed Gi-hun when he said players would kill each other at night. What exactly was stopping them?

Gi-hun took the first watch, and you settled into your bed underneath a metal frame. Young-il quietly laid in the bed beside you as the lights turned down. It was a comfort to know he was near you. The low lights and exhaustion from the events of the day sent you to sleep quickly. 

After a few hours, you were woken up, laying on your side, by the sound of Gi-hun and Jung-bae laughing together. Before opening your eyes, you felt cold all over, though a little warmer on your front rather than your back. The faint scent of a men’s body wash became apparent as you gained consciousness. 

You opened your eyes slightly and realized you were almost touching Young-il. 

Who was also awake.

Your eyes then shot open and you quickly backed away, but he turned to you and chuckled.

“Are you cold?”

You blushed, nodding and rubbing your face. “I’m sorry. It’s freezing though.”

He turned on his side facing you. “Here, you can take mine.” He began to put his blanket on top of you. 

“Oh, no, you don’t have to do that, I’m fine. Aren’t you cold?”

He ignored you and continued covering you before settling back on his pillow. “I’m fine. You were near shivering in your sleep.”

You sighed, welcoming the extra warmth. “Sorry. I can’t sleep well when it’s cold.”

“Don’t apologize. And let me know if you’re not warm enough.”

You smiled. “I can’t take everyone’s blankets. Just yours.”

He laughed under his breath. “Well, I’m usually pretty warm.”

You instantly thought of his hand touching yours, the comforting warmth it gave. “I can tell. Your hands are warm. Mine are always cold.” You rubbed your hands in your blanket mindlessly.

“Here. Give me your hands.” He reached towards you.

A bit dumbfounded, you slowly reached your hands out towards his, and he wrapped his hands around yours, pushing your palms together. A warmth began to spread, on your hands and within your body. This simple act had all your senses on edge. 

“Is that better?” he whispered.

You nodded, too nervous to say anything out loud. As if he could sense that, he rubbed his thumbs on your hands before separating them. He leaned his face towards your hands, your heart beating erratically. He opened his mouth slowly and breathed warm air onto your palms.

The act felt wildly intimate, almost erotic. You couldn’t help but keep eye contact as he warmed your hands with his breath. You were sure an angry blush was apparent on your cheeks.

He chuckled at you again and pressed your hands back together. “Get some rest now.” He pushed your hands towards you until they hit your chest, then brought your blankets over them. Almost like he was tucking you in.

He turned onto his back, and you couldn’t help but watch his hands. Wishing they were touching you again. Wishing they would touch more than just your hands.

So much for keeping a watchful eye on him.

[leia-writes]

sonsukku: Thanks to @esquire.korea

[leia-writes]

hello friends. just wanted to say I should have some fics out next week and sorry it’s taking so long! I’ve been so busy and the world is crazy. sending everyone love. 💗

[leia-writes]

First look at Squid Game season 3!

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lana del rey’s quiet waiter-blue forever

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💗 Navigation & Updates 💗

welcome! i'm leia - 30, she/her, USA 💗

I write reader-insert fics (female reader) for squid game and mr. sunshine!

‼️ many fics are NSFW - this blog is 18+ only ‼️

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requests are: temporarily closed!

currently in progress:

Wild Heart (series)

In-ho x reader oneshot requests!

updated: 1/24/2025

[leia-writes]

Summer strike.

[leia-writes]

alright everyone

[leia-writes]

hi! i had a dream about this recently and was wondering if it would be anything you'd be interested in writing :)

it starts off with the reader and in-ho going through a really rough break up but they still have feelings for each other. right before the s2 games started, in-ho went to a bar and saw reader there and her job is to perform live music, so she sings about in-ho and their breakup, not realizing that he was actually there

Maybe You'll Be There

hwang in-ho | front man x reader

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song inspiration: maybe you'll be there by etta jones

note: thank you so much for your request!!

warnings: angst

word count: 2,678

posted on: 1/22/2024

“Get out.”

You glared through teary eyes at In-ho, who was standing in the middle of your apartment with a bouquet of flowers. He sighed and dropped his arms in frustration, a few petals and leaves falling to the floor.

“I said I was sorry. I really am.”

“How many times have I heard that? You’re a broken record at this point.” You turned away from him and began cleaning up your kitchen. It took everything in your power not to break down crying right then, but you were just so tired of doing this with him. 

“I know. I messed up again. I’m sorry. Please.”

You sighed, dropping a glass into the sink. It clattered noisily as you turned towards In-ho. “Please what? Please forgive you for the thousandth time? Please forget how you ignore me whenever something important happens for me? Please let you play with my emotions?”

He stood there silently, trying to mask the shame spreading across his face.

“Which one, In-ho?”

He clenched his jaw, looking away from you. He still wouldn’t say anything. With every passing second he was silent you could feel your heart breaking even more.

You scoffed. “That’s what I thought. Get out.”

He gave you one last look, tears starting to form in his eyes. You’d never seen him cry, never even close to it. You wanted so badly to run to him, but you had to be strong this time.

You watched him as he set your flowers down on the table and walked to your door. He looked at you once again. For a brief moment you hoped he would say something, anything to make it right again.

Instead, he left, closing the door behind him.

~~~

You cried in bed that entire night. It was supposed to be a good day - you had just performed a full-blown concert all by yourself for the first time ever. Even though you worked for a very dark and secretive organization, you always made it a priority to pursue your passion for music. As time went on, you started gaining a reputation for being an outstanding jazz singer, and you found yourself wanting to move on from your high-stress job and live a more normal life.

After winning the squid games you participated in a couple years earlier, you soon found yourself working for the same organization alongside In-ho. Despite his cold exterior, you got along well. You had been dating almost a year before you started running into problems.

In-ho worked as the Front Man for a while before you joined him. You had only been working with him for a couple years, and you didn’t really have the same connection to that place like In-ho had. You both went through something extremely traumatic by playing and winning the games, but it seemed to bond In-ho to that place when you couldn’t care less. In-ho seemed constantly tormented by his decisions, as if he didn’t want to be there but couldn’t help himself.

As you started becoming more popular, you didn’t feel the need to work for them anymore. You wanted to leave many times, but In-ho always convinced you to stay. He promised over and over that you two could make it work, splitting time between the island and your apartment. And he promised he’d be at every one of your performances.

A promise he was never able to keep.

There were so many nights like that night, where In-ho would show up late in the evening, well after your performance, begging for forgiveness and promising to be better. You’d cry in front of him, break his heart a little, fall for his sweet words, and then make up as if nothing happened. Then you’d have another upcoming performance that always happened to conflict with work, and fight endlessly about how you navigate your relationship. Repeating the same vicious cycle over and over.

You couldn’t stand to keep breaking your heart like this. The love you felt for him was undeniable, something you felt you’d never get over, but the pain was just too much. Tonight was your final straw.

The next day, you finally quit your job and started your new life.

~~~

In-ho waited outside the lounge, the cold, night air whipping across his face. His hands were awkwardly stuck in his pockets as he scanned the people around him, looking for her. He was reluctantly waiting to meet someone on a blind date, set up for him by an acquaintance.

He didn’t want to be there at all, but figured he needed to start putting himself out there. Or at least that’s what everyone else was trying to convince him to do. After looking around for another brief moment, he spotted her approaching him.

She was beautiful. But she wasn’t you.

Ever since your painful breakup, he was tormented by thoughts of you. He couldn’t help but remember you in the little things around him, even now a year later. It was a constant reminder of his failings, how he ruined one of the only things that was good for him and made him truly happy.

He knew he was pushing you away the more you wanted to quit. He knew he was hurting you every time he missed a performance, ignored a call, prioritized anything else over you. He knew you’d be better off without him and his baggage.

In fact, it seemed true. Ever since you had finally broken up, he saw you rise to a whole new level of fame. You were constantly putting on performances and releasing new music. He tried his best to ignore any news he heard about you, but in moments of weakness couldn’t help but look you up and try to get a glimpse into your new life.

She approached him with a smile and they entered the lounge together, sitting at a small, intimate table for two. The atmosphere couldn’t have been any more romantic - warm, low lights, candles and a rose on the table, drinks and conversation flowing with ease around them. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt, as if he was doing something wrong.

A waiter approached the table and took their drink order. Upon returning, he excitedly pointed to the currently empty stage.

“Are you here to see the show?”

They looked blankly at the waiter, and she asked who was performing. In-ho felt his blood run cold when he heard the waiter say your name.

You.

You were performing at the lounge tonight. 

He gave a polite smile as he internally screamed. “Oh, we’re just staying for a drink, so we’ll probably miss it, won't we?” He glanced at his date.

She scoffed. “What? Of course not, we can’t miss this! I didn’t even know she was playing tonight.”

The waiter smiled. “It’s a special one-night performance, just for us. This is where she had one of her first solo performances!”

The waiter and In-ho’s date chatted briefly as In-ho tuned out all the noise around him. The one night he tried to get you off his mind, he found his way into the one place in the entire city you’d be. He felt his heart rate quicken and his head start to spin.

Suddenly he was pulled from his thoughts. “Are you a fan too? You seem the type,” his date asked.

He snapped out of it. “Oh, uh,” he cleared his throat and sat up straighter. “Yes, I am.”

She smiled. “Great! We can’t wait.”

The waiter smiled and left. In-ho and his date casually sipped their drinks while making small talk. His eyes would dart wildly near the stage, anticipating when you’d appear on stage, wondering if you’d be visible nearby. 

“Are you alright?”

In-ho brought his attention back to his date, who had a concerned look on her face. He smiled. “Oh. Yeah, sorry. Uh… just a bit nervous, I guess.”

She smiled and sighed, relieved. “Oh god, me too. I’ve never done anything like this before.”

He laughed softly, but couldn’t ignore the uncomfortable feeling he had inside. He looked around, noticing how busy the place was getting as your performance was about to start. 

“Want another drink before the show starts?” he asked. The waiters were incredibly busy, and he needed an excuse to step away.

“Sure. Just the same. Thanks.”

He quickly got up and walked to the bar. It was filled with people getting their last minute orders in, but he took his time getting the attention of the bartender. Anything to delay having to go back to the table and put on a facade. How was he supposed to act once you began performing?

As he was waiting for the drinks, you arrived on stage. The entire place erupted with applause. In-ho wanted it all to not be real, just a dream he could wake up from at any moment. He wanted to look away from you, to keep his focus on the drinks he was supposed to be getting, but he couldn’t stop himself from turning to you.

It was as if all the air in his chest escaped at once. You were standing at the microphone looking like an angel. The lights had dimmed in the room, with a single spotlight illuminating your face. You scanned the room with a soft smile on your face.

“Wow. Thank you all for coming. I’ve never seen this place so packed!”

A quiet laughter sounded from the audience as you continued. “As some of you may know, this is the spot where I had my very first solo performance ever, almost a year ago now. I have so many memories in this place. Some good, some bad, but… that’s life, isn’t it?” 

You paused to take a deep breath. “Tonight I’ll be singing some of your favorites, some I even performed here that first night. And I even have a new special song I’ll be performing at the end for you. I hope you enjoy.” You smiled as the band started, the crowd applauding again.

In-ho stood still, frozen at the bar as you began singing. He immediately recognized your first song, remembering so vividly even now how you practiced it and played it for him over and over. He didn’t even notice when the bartender gave him his drinks.

Instead, he stayed there almost your entire concert, completely mesmerized by you. With the songs he recognized, it was like watching his memories in a movie in front of him, as if he was experiencing those feelings again just like before. And with your new songs, it was like getting to know someone he’d never met. He saw the parts of your life he had completely missed. It created a deep sense of loneliness and longing in his heart.

Before your last song, he finally became aware of himself and brought the drinks to his table. His date looked surprised.

“Oh. I thought you ditched me.” She scowled.

In-ho gave her an apologetic look. “I’m so sorry. The drinks…”

“The drinks didn’t take that long.”

In-ho sighed. “I know. I’m sorry, I got distracted.”

She sighed, taking a long sip of her drink. “You know, it’s fine. I was warned you might be like this, anyways.”

He was taken aback for a second. “What?”

“Your friends, they all told me they basically forced you into this.”

He scoffed. He wanted to defend himself for a moment… but they were right. He stayed silent.

“I just thought you’d have better manners than this,” she said, rolling her eyes.

He wasn’t sure what to say. Before he could think of something, you spoke before your last song.

“I want to thank you all for being here tonight. It means the world to have your support. Thanks to you, I’ve been able to make my dreams a reality. I’d like to thank you by playing a brand new song, just for you all. I wrote this recently, but it’s about what some of my life has been like this past year. 

“Like I said before, some good memories, and some bad. I wrote this to reflect on some of those bad memories, and hopefully let go of the pain with them. I’m sure some of you can relate, right?”

Many in the crowd nodded. “This one is called Maybe You’ll Be There. Thank you.”

As you began your song, In-ho’s blood slowly ran cold. He knew after the first verse you were talking about him. He studied your face as you sang, watching how your eyes would subtly flutter at particularly emotional moments. It was something most people wouldn’t pick up on, but he knew you. He still knew you so well.

Your voice filled the space with ease as you reached more intense moments, gracing the ears of the audience with your rich tone. Once you reached the last verse, a tear fell down your cheek in perfect timing. In-ho’s heart strained in his chest. He wanted nothing more than to run to you on that stage and wipe the tear from your face, and do anything to make you happy again, anything to make the two of you whole again, anything to heal the wound that festered over the last year.

He almost cried listening to the final words of your song, hearing how you wished he would come back. After everything you had gone through together, and all the time you spent apart, you still missed him. His heart broke - he didn’t deserve you, and you deserved so much better than him. And you said it yourself, that you hoped you could finally move on after releasing this song.

Although it pained him greatly, and forced him to defy the longing he felt in every fiber of his being, he knew you’d be better off without him. And so, after your performance ended, he politely excused himself from the date and went home. 

~~~

You entered your apartment later that night, pleasantly exhausted. It was late, but you were still buzzing with emotion. You hadn’t expected to become so emotional while performing your new song. It had been a long time since you cried on stage, but singing that song brought back so many painful memories that you couldn’t help yourself. Despite that, you were proud of having such a vulnerable moment become something beautiful.

You collapsed on your couch with a glass of wine, too tired to get changed just yet. The silence enveloped you. You remembered a year ago, the last time you saw In-ho in your apartment. The somber look he gave you as he left. The ensuing rush of tears and pain that you couldn’t keep in that night. 

And the painful ache of longing you’ve had ever since then.

You sighed deeply, finishing your glass of wine and willing yourself to stand up. Life goes on, you told yourself. You were well-acquainted with the act of ignoring your feelings and pressing forward. No matter how much you wanted In-ho to appear in front of you, it wasn’t going to happen. He never once tried to get you back in the entire past year. Maybe now you could finally let go.

As you walked to your bedroom, you heard a light knocking at your door. 

You stopped. Were you hearing things? The following silence was filled with tension.

You were about to dismiss the noise and continue walking when you heard it again, this time louder. Your heart was beating through your chest. 

Slowly, you walked to the door. Your heart leapt, as if you knew who was behind the door. You weren’t sure whether to cry, or get excited, or get angry. A flurry of emotions filled your mind as you grasped the door handle, turned it, and pulled the door open.

You froze at the man standing in front of you. His grief stricken face. Flowers in his hands. The way he breathed a sigh of relief. 

The way your heart breathed a sigh of relief.

In-ho.

[leia-writes]

hi friends! I'm going to temporarily turn off requests - I have a lot right now and would like to catch up before receiving any more. thank you!! I should be posting a oneshot today!

[leia-writes]

Hello!!! Could I request a heavily pregnant reader x In-ho? When In-ho didn't tell reader that he would be joining the games and left while she was sleeping and she threw a tantrum about it because she misses him and his scent and the guards try to signal him about it but he failed to notice. So when she saw him again she won't let him go. I need more sfw with this man please 🙏

-thank you so much🫶

Fall To Pieces

hwang in-ho | front man x reader

ao3 link

masterlist

song inspiration: fall to pieces by avril lavigne

note: thanks for your request! hope this did your idea justice!

warnings: pregnancy, angst, fluff, mentions of violence

word count: 2,797

posted on: 1/16/2025

Your body ached as you slowly lowered yourself onto the soft leather loveseat, sitting next to your husband, Hwang In-ho. He had just arrived from the control room to your shared residence. The first game, Red Light, Green Light, was about to begin on the large screen in front of you.

You rubbed your pregnant belly as you relaxed into your seat, feeling like you could burst at any moment. After 8 months of carrying your first child together, you were ready for it to be over with. And it didn’t help that you had planned it so close to this year’s games. You wanted to have your baby right after the games ended to get the most out of your time together, but now you were completely anxious that you’d have the baby early and have to have it on the island. All you wanted to do was nest and be comfortable in your own home.

In-ho gave you a loving look. “How are you feeling, darling?” He reached his hand to yours on your stomach.

“Everything hurts. I’m tired. How long do we have to be here again?” you pouted.

“It won’t be too much longer, just a few days.” He reached his arm around your shoulder and pulled you close, kissing the top of your head.

You sighed. You wanted to lean into him and rest on his shoulder but nothing felt comfortable. “This baby is killing me, you know.”

He looked at your exhausted face, pleading for respite, before gently pushing you away to readjust. “I know, darling. Why don’t you lean against me here and I’ll try to make you feel a little better?”

He turned his body towards you, pulling you to his chest so you could lay on him as you both laid across the sofa. The warmth of his chest brought a little comfort to your aching back. You sighed as he began to knead your neck and shoulder muscles.

He rubbed your shoulders down to your arms, tightly squeezing every so often to relax your muscles and warm your skin. You melted into his touch, letting out a content sigh.

“You know what else would make me feel better?”

Your thoughts dazed in your mind as you relaxed and imagined the most delicious ice cream you could think of. You were quickly interrupted by In-ho.

“That ice cream you like?”

You smiled, eyes closed, leaning on In-ho. It was getting late and you were so exhausted these days. “Of course. I wish we had some right now.”

He lazily rubbed your hair. “I know, I’m sorry. Do you want anything else?”

You sighed, slowly sitting up. “No. I’m just going to go to bed. I can’t stay up for this.”

In-ho stood up and walked with you to your side of the bed, giving you a chaste kiss on the forehead as you laid down. 

You eyed him playfully. “What, are you going to tuck me in like a child now?” you teased.

He scoffed, looking away but laughing. “Just taking care of you, darling. Goodnight.”

You smiled, sinking further into your blanket, sleep already threatening to take over as In-ho turned out the light.

“Goodnight.”

~~~

The next morning you awoke to an empty bed. Not necessarily out of the ordinary, but you hated being apart from In-ho lately. With the baby coming, your duties had been severely limited, and you felt like you spent your days just waiting for In-ho to come back. 

You got ready for the day, but everything felt off. Normally, you’d hear In-ho and the others on the radio, especially with the games happening now. Except you didn’t hear In-ho once.

You got dressed. In-ho’s uniform was still in the closet.

You walked into the main room. In-ho’s mask was still on the side table. Along with a note.

“Go to the freezer.”

Anxiety stirred within you. Upon opening the freezer, you saw your favorite ice cream - along with another note. 

“I’m playing undercover. Staff knows. Don’t worry - be back soon.”

You were stunned, reading the note over and over as if your brain couldn’t absorb the information. You dropped the note and stormed into the main room, activating the display and selecting cameras. 

Multiple camera views appeared in front of you, and you scanned a sea of players and their numbers. After a few moments, you found Player 001.

In-ho.

Your In-ho.

Dread filled your body. You knew In-ho was keeping an eye on Gi-hun, but like this? How could he be so reckless? The guards would keep him safe, but still, you couldn’t help yourself from jumping to the worst possible outcomes. 

How could he leave you?

You collapsed onto the sofa, immediately crying. If you didn’t feel vulnerable enough before, you definitely did now. It felt like nothing was going to happen according to plan now - you’d have your baby early, and have it on the island instead of comfortably near home, and In-ho would die in the games just because he wanted to spite Gi-hun.

You hurled the remote to the screen, watching as it clattered on the floor. Frustration started to take over. In-ho had no right to abandon you at such an important time.

You snatched your radio from the table. “Officer.”

A brief moment of silence, then, “Yes, Captain.”

“Come here. Now.”

You waited a few minutes, distraught in silence. When the Officer appeared before you, you glared at him.

“Get him out now.”

“You know I can’t do that.”

“Of course you can. Now do it.”

“He said only to take him out if it’s an emergency.”

You scoffed. “Tell him it’s an emergency then.”

He shifted uneasily. “I can’t go against orders.”

Your eyes bore through the officer’s mask as you contemplated what to do. In-ho would be two steps ahead of you no matter what you tried to do. There was no getting him back.

At least through the Officer.

You sighed in frustration, looking away. “Get out.”

The Officer promptly walked away. Once the elevator doors closed, you let yourself cry again. You just couldn’t believe you were being put in this position. All you wanted was to go home with In-ho, but instead you felt abandoned by everyone at the worst possible time. You were used to working alongside In-ho and having just as much of a voice as he does, but now you felt like everyone just saw you as his pregnant wife.

You turned off the screen and walked back to bed, your back aching intensely, taking a nap and hoping In-ho would miraculously be there when you woke up.

~~~

Of course, he wasn’t.

You watched the screen throughout the day, observing how In-ho slowly infiltrated Gi-hun’s group. Jealousy wracked your body - how did they deserve to be with In-ho more than you? It was clear why In-ho stepped in but you couldn’t stop yourself from thinking irrationally. 

That night, you cried yourself to sleep, knowing he wouldn’t be there when you woke up. Even though he would sometimes go to bed after you, at least he was still with you through the night. Your only consolation was to pull up a camera view on your tablet so you could watch him as you tried to get comfortable in the cold, lonely bed.

The next day, you watched In-ho and the players go through the six-legged pentathlon. In-ho looked like he was even enjoying himself for a few moments. Obviously he needed to fit in, but did he really have to be so brazen about it, knowing you were watching?

You tried so hard to stay calm, knowing stress would be the worst for your baby right now. But occasionally you’d feel a little kick, especially when you were watching In-ho, and your maternal instincts couldn’t help but take over. You had to come up with a plan to get a message to him.

After the game was over, you wandered over to the guard’s quarters, being sure to avoid the Officer. Before the guards turned in for the night, you pulled one aside.

“You need to tell him to come back.”

The guard froze in place, clearly glancing at your stomach. None of the guards had seen you since you started showing. 

You squeezed his arm tighter. “When he goes to the bathroom, pull him aside and bring him back.”

“I- I don’t know who w-will be there when-”

“I don’t care who it is, make sure it happens.”

You quickly walked away, not wanting to draw attention to anyone nearby or looking on the cameras. 

Once you arrived back home, you sat on the couch and attempted to get comfortable. You planned on watching the cameras all night until you could see In-ho leave and the guards bring him back. You didn’t want to focus on anything else, even though your body ached with pain and sorrow.

Inevitably, after a while, you couldn’t fight your body anymore and you fell asleep. You slept for another few hours before being woken up by a commotion on the screen.

“-with me this way.” 

You saw In-ho talking to a pink guard. “Why? Isn’t the bathroom this way?”

The guard paused, clearly trying to come up with something. “No? This way. Let’s go.”

In-ho scoffed, and you saw a couple other players approach behind him. “What are you talking about?”

The guard noticed the other players joining, clearly ruining his plan now. He sighed. “My apologies. This way.”

In-ho eyed the guard as they walked the correct way towards the bathrooms now. He glanced at a camera nearby, unknowingly looking right at you. His expression was indecipherable.

Your heart ached, and you felt a kick in your stomach. In-ho looked away and proceeded as normal. Your plan had failed.

~~~

The next day you watched as In-ho played through Mingle. You wondered what he was thinking in these types of moments - did he care for the people around him, or just see them as nothing more than pawns, even though he was getting to know them personally? It felt crazy to question it, but you couldn’t stop your mind from wondering if he thought of you, or if he wondered how you were doing.

Terrible, you’d tell him. Awful without him.

After the game, you set up another attempt to contact In-ho, slipping a note into his gimbap and instructing the guards to give In-ho that specific one. You went back home to watch your plan unfold again, hopefully successfully this time. You cheered internally when they gave him the correct gimbap, and patiently waited for him to reach the note. 

Unfortunately with tensions rising amongst the players, In-ho was distracted and never even finished the gimbap enough to reach the note. You covered your face in frustration. There was never a time you’d seen In-ho not finish his food. It was as if he was deliberately foiling your plans. 

The situation was becoming worse and worse. The more time passed, the more anxiety you felt that you could give birth without In-ho there. And even more importantly, the more the players became violent towards each other. How far could the guards really go to protect In-ho? Another player could definitely harm him before any guards stood a chance at protecting him.

As you expected, a fight broke out that night. In-ho was safely tucked away under a bed, but things were escalating fast. Your heart raced. It was becoming too much too quickly, and you couldn’t help but scream orders over the radio. “Why is this still going on?! End it now!”

“Suppress,” the officer spoke over the radio. Guards immediately went into the room to stop the fighting, and luckily In-ho was unscathed. As the guards were checking the dead bodies, some of the players suddenly snatched their guns and began shooting. You watched in horror as several players began killing the guards, In-ho even joining them.

Once the guards were gone, you saw an organized effort to gather all guns and ammo and begin a drive towards the control room. In-ho was still with them. You were worried sick for him but hoped this was finally his chance to come back. Several voices spoke over each other in a frenzy on the radio as guards mobilized against the players. All you could do was watch helplessly as you saw In-ho deliberately put himself in danger. 

His recklessness was going to give you a heart attack. 

You screamed through the radio, “If anyone even gets close to hitting him, even so much as a graze, I will kill you myself.” You scanned through the surveillance cameras and watched as In-ho and the players moved towards the control room, one by one running out of ammo. In-ho strategically navigated two players into the back hallways, coming up behind Gi-hun and Jung-bae. For a moment, In-ho looked into the camera.

Your heart skipped a beat. You knew he was finally coming home.

You watched as In-ho finally turned on the group, losing the Young-il persona. It was almost as if he was enjoying it. After killing the two players with him, he grabbed his radio. “Start wrapping things up,” he ordered, before looking up at the camera again. 

“Lockdown all residences.”

Before you could even process what he said, you heard the elevator doors lock, a red light illuminating above it. Your only way in or out. He had locked you in. 

Fuming, you called out on the radio. “What are you doing?”

In-ho responded calmly. “Keeping you safe.”

“Am I that helpless to you?” you spat. You were, in fact, feeling that helpless, but you’d never let it be known.

In-ho ignored you, which made you even more mad. You shut off your radio, turned off the screen, and stormed into your bedroom. If he was going to play with your emotions like this, you had no need to rush to him anyways. He could find you when he felt like it.

You curled up in bed crying, pulling the blankets to your chin and mindlessly rubbing your belly to soothe yourself. You were exhausted but couldn’t bear to fall asleep then. In your distress, you didn’t even hear the elevator door open, or footsteps approaching from the hallway, or your bedroom door opening.

“Darling.”

You quickly turned your head towards In-ho, your face swollen from crying. As soon as you saw him, all of your anger and frustration melted away into relief.

Your lip trembled, tears flowing even more now as you slowly sat up in bed. “In-ho…”

He rushed to your side and embraced you, cradling your head in his hand and rubbing your back with the other. You clung to him desperately, sobbing into his shoulder.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’m so sorry.”

You wanted to yell at him, shove him away from you, hit him, but you couldn’t manage anything except breaking down in his arms. 

“My poor darling. Are you alright?” He pulled away to get a good look at you.

Shocked, you glared at him through blurry eyes. “Of course I’m not okay, how could you ask me that?” You finally had the wherewithal to shove his shoulder. “How could you abandon me like that? What if the baby came, hm? What if someone killed you?!”

You were becoming frantic. In-ho embraced you again, trying desperately to calm you down. “Shh, darling, it’s alright now. Everything’s okay.”

You rested your head on his shoulder, weeping. “Don’t ever do that to me ever… ever again.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

You sighed. “Don’t make a promise you can’t keep.”

He kissed the top of your head and helped you stand up. “I know. I won’t.” He wiped your face before giving you a long kiss. “I missed you, you know.”

You rolled your eyes. “Didn’t seem like it,” you said before shoving him again. “Did you make some new friends?”

He smiled at your sarcasm and wrapped his arm around your shoulder, leading you back to the main room and helping you to sit on the couch.

“One more thing.”

He ran to the kitchen before rushing back with your ice cream. “You didn’t eat any of it?”

You scoffed. “How could I? You left me inconsolable for days.”

He sat next to you with your favorite treat. “I wanted you to feel a little better,” he pouted, looking almost dejectedly at you.

You laughed and leaned on his shoulder. “This wouldn’t have helped anyways. I just wanted you.” 

In-ho kissed the top of your head before wrapping his arms around you. He’d missed you so much during his time away, no matter how necessary it was.

“I know. I love you. Let’s go home soon, okay?”

[leia-writes]

can u pls do the frontman ( forgot his name 😅 ) x player, femreader ( season 1 games tho cause I haven't finished season 2 yet ) anyways the frontman and yn used to be friends back in school and even since they were young kids so imagine frontmans surprise when he sees her with the others at the start of the games or before.

can there be some smut and kiss scenes too?

hi! thank you so much for requesting and waiting!! I used your idea combined with another one for season 2 (hopefully you've seen it now!) to make a multi-chapter story, linked here!

[leia-writes]

hiya can I request a in-ho x fem reader ( maybe when he's player 001 ) and he has a soft spot for her as he knew her since she was young ( so probably a little age gap between them ) but reader doesn't recognise him and slowly falls in love with him but she doesn't know that he feels the same.

can it be smutty too?

thank you so much for your request and for waiting so patiently! I really liked this idea (and kind of combined it with another request that was very similar) and turned it into a multi-chapter story. The first chapter is here!

[leia-writes]

Wild Heart: Chapter List

hwang in-ho | front man x reader

summary - The Front Man infiltrates the games to change Gi-hun’s mind, but after meeting you, things don’t go according to plan. (This story is based on two requests, linked here and here!)

song inspiration - wild heart by mumford and sons

warnings - violence, angst, eventual smut (will be updated)

THIS SERIES IS 18+ ONLY

read on ao3

masterlist

Chapter 1: Mortal Once Again

Chapter 2: Keeping Face

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

*this work is in progress!

[leia-writes]

Wild Heart

hwang in-ho | front man x female reader

Chapter 1: Mortal Once Again

summary - The Front Man infiltrates the games to change Gi-hun's mind, but after meeting you, things don't go according to plan.

warnings - violence, angst

THIS SERIES IS 18+ ONLY

chapter list

read on ao3

A gust of harsh, cold wind battered against your face as you exited the subway. The sun had just set, leaving a chill in the air that went straight to your bones, despite the sting of a bruise forming on your cheek and the slight glaze of sweat still on your face. Your brow furrowed as you walked home, clutching to the bundle of money in your pocket for dear life.

No one could’ve guessed what you’d just done, nor would they have believed you if you told them. After receiving life-shattering news at the hospital, you’d encountered a well-dressed man in the subway who offered to pay you just to play ddakji. You would’ve ignored him had he not shown you the briefcase of actual money… or if you hadn’t been so desperate. 

Before meeting the man in the subway, you’d just learned that your sister was struck by a vehicle earlier that day on her way to school. Although she was lucky to be alive, she’d suffered many injuries and you were unsure what the future held for her. She would need multiple, extensive surgeries, and even then it wasn’t a guarantee if she would survive or not. You had left that night to gather some things in your small, shared home to bring back to the hospital.

Your sister was your entire world - losing your parents at a young age made it so that you only had each other. You’d been raised by various family members throughout your childhood but never had a truly stable home. Once you were old enough, you rented out a small apartment for the two of you while she finished school. You did everything you could, often working multiple jobs, to even attempt to provide a life where the two of you could be happy even if you were poor.

But now with her accident, you had to worry not only about your sister’s life but also the cost associated with her care. It broke your heart to even have to think that way, but you couldn’t stop your mind from rushing to the worst possible scenarios. Would you need to take out a loan that you couldn’t even pay back? What if they refused care because you couldn’t afford it in the first place? 

You were used to handling things on your own without the guidance your parents would’ve given you, but this was too overwhelming. You felt stuck and afraid and vulnerable. And when that man offered you money for a simple little game, you couldn’t say no.

~~~

You’d barely slept in the waiting room that night, anxious for any news about your sister after being in surgery. The light brown business card given by the man in the subway seemed to burn a hole in your pocket. You considered his invitation - if slapping you was the worst that could happen, you were pretty certain you’d take him up on his offer.

The doctors finally approached you in the waiting room, interrupting your thoughts. Once they gave you the news, you thought you could physically feel your heart breaking into pieces. It took everything in you not to break down right then.

They’d told you your sister survived, but had suffered severe brain and spinal damage, and would never live the same again. It was hard to determine now whether or not she’d be able to even speak or walk. They reassured you that they would do their best in the coming days, but plans for permanent long-term care needed to be arranged.

The doctors left you to your raging thoughts. How could she live with you when your apartment required walking up 3 flights of stairs and was barely big enough to turn around in? How could she live a normal life like she wanted when she might not even be able to talk to or understand people? You could barely afford to live your normal life now… how could you afford the proper care she needed and deserved to live even somewhat well in her condition?

Your mind was finally set. You called the number on the back of the business card, and got yourself ready for pickup that night.

~~~

Hwang In-ho sat in his comfortable leather chair, leisurely scrolling on his tablet. Tonight would be the beginning of this year’s round of games, and he was watching updates on which players agreed to participate. Of course, he already knew of one: Seong Gi-hun. 

In-ho had to admit he was a bit surprised at just how far Gi-hun was willing to go to find him and end the games. But no matter what Gi-hun did, he was always two steps ahead of him. That’s something he hadn’t fully figured out yet. The tracker, the boat captain, Jun-ho… he had no clue just how far In-ho could take this.

As he studied the new players, he paused at one picture. A younger woman with a strangely familiar face. He scrolled through the corresponding information, seeing your name, address, place of work… and your family. 

His stomach sank. He knew you. 

As a child, you spent a lot of time with your grandparents, who mostly raised you before they got too old. Your family was very close with another neighboring family and everyone quickly became close family friends. Unfortunately, when your grandparents were unable to take care of you any longer, you had moved away and never spoken to them very much again.

You and your sister had become close with two boys around the same age as you two, Jun-ho and In-ho. In-ho was a little older than Jun-ho and didn’t spend a lot of time with the rest of you, but you still had fond memories with him. After moving away and growing up, you didn’t really talk to them anymore, only hearing about major events through other family members. You heard about his wife passing away and how he had basically gone missing but hadn’t thought much of it since.

Since that time, In-ho hadn’t thought much about you either until seeing your face on his screen. What could have possibly happened to you to bring you to a place like this? He curiously browsed your files, puzzling together a picture of the life you had lived since you knew him.

It was strange seeing someone he knew here, which had never happened before. But he knew many players before who had come here to pay for medical care - something he related to all too well. When those situations presented themselves, it evoked a strange feeling from the furthest corner of his heart, something he hadn’t let himself feel for a very long time.

He wasn’t allowed to play favorites, but he decided he would keep a watchful eye on you and silently hope for you to win.

~~~

You woke up to the sound of classical music, opening your eyes to a large room full of beds. Everyone was dressed in green track suits assigned with a number. Yours was 132. As you descended the stairs to the floor, you saw how many people were gathered around, looking just as disoriented as you felt. 

You felt tensions rise among the group once the strangely masked pink guards arrived and explained the premise of the games to you. It frightened you a bit to know they gassed you and changed your clothes, just to play games. But once the prize money was revealed, the mood shifted seriously. And you knew you’d do just about anything to get that money.

In-ho watched you from his leather chair, now on the big screen in front of him, as you went from the player room, to the photo booth, to the large open field to play Red Light, Green Light. He hoped you had enough sense to stay still once bullets started flying.

He was suddenly pulled from his thoughts by Gi-hun running in front of everyone and yelling at them, which initially amused him. He saw the looks on everyone’s faces, thinking he was just some crazy person. Even his own friend was doubtful. No matter how hard Gi-hun tried, the only way they would learn is seeing it happen to someone else.

Once people started getting shot, he kept his screen focused on you. He saw you uncontrollably shaking, hoping it wasn’t enough to set off the motion sensors. When it was clear you were staying still as everyone around you ran to the doors, he couldn’t deny the wave of relief he felt. 

You felt like you were holding your breath for hours before you finally willed yourself to move forward. When the weird man started yelling at everyone about how they were going to die if they lost the game, you wanted badly to not believe him. But with the circumstances you were in, and the suspicious way this was all happening, it felt like nothing was beyond the realm of possibility. As everyone around you scurried to the doors, you couldn’t help but tremble, and it took everything in your power to ignore your instincts and run away.

You made it over the finish line just in time, collapsing to the ground in sick relief as your muscles ached with dread. The roof began to close above you, and the warmth of the sun became a memory. You couldn’t help yourself from silently crying. Your tears mixed with the specks of blood on your face of people who had died right in front of you, staining your hands as you wiped them away.

In-ho felt tremendous relief the moment you crossed the finish line, but something strange tugged at his heart when he saw you cry, something like pity. This wasn’t a place for someone like you. 

He scoffed at himself. It wasn’t the first time someone in your situation had joined the games, so why bother feeling any worse for you? Just because he knew you didn’t mean you deserved to win any more than the others. 

Or so he tried to convince himself. Once he saw Gi-hun gaining the trust of more players, he saw the perfect opportunity to step in. And before he could even realize it was happening, his devotion to fairness and equality was slowly giving way to a quiet, unfamiliar feeling.

~~~

Your mind was racing as the vote began. Everyone had to decide now whether to continue the games or leave with the remaining money, which you knew would barely cover anything close to what you needed for your sister. The implications of everything overwhelmed your mind. You needed to stay alive for your sister, but you also desperately needed that money for her. What good could you be anyways if you didn’t have the means to help her?

Your mind was made once the man yelling at everyone revealed he played the games before. If he made it out, then he could help you win too. You didn’t want to confront what that meant, that other people would die for your money. But in comparison it felt like a small price to pay for your sister’s life.

When you walked to the voting station, you quickly pressed the blue circle, taking your matching patch with you and going to the back of the crowd. As you walked back, you noticed another player waiting to vote, giving you an intense look. It almost made you stop walking. You felt as if you had locked eyes for minutes, but in the next moment he looked away and continued waiting. 

A chill went down your spine as you joined the crowd. He looked so familiar to you, but you just couldn’t place it, and it made you feel unsettled. Clearly you had to have known him for his stare to affect you so much. You slowly turned back around to get another look, and noticed he was staring at you again, but this time immediately looked away as if he was caught.

That was strange. 

Player 001. You decided you’d keep a watchful eye on him going forward.

~~~

In-ho internally chastised himself for getting caught staring at you. He had finally gotten in your view after you voted, but he could immediately tell by your reaction that you had no clue who he was. Although a small part of him wished he was memorable enough, not knowing his name meant he could carry out his plans with Gi-hun.

The voting had come down to the final player. In-ho felt everyone’s eyes on him as he walked forward and pressed the blue circle. When he turned to join the group, he snuck another glance at you. Fear was etched all over your face. You were too lost in worry to notice him.

After waiting in line for your meal, you walked over to Gi-hun, who was sitting next to someone else. You quietly approached them, giving an apprehensive look. He noticed the blue patch on your jacket as you spoke up.

“Can I sit with you?”

They both looked at you with blank faces for a moment. Gi-hun was clearly distraught but attempted to be polite. “Sure.”

Gi-hun stayed silent as you sat down next to him. His friend, who you learned was named Jung-bae, tried convincing him to eat. You sat and ate quietly as they spoke, before being interrupted by Player 001.

“Help us then, sir.”

You looked up to see him standing before the three of you, a group of people forming behind him. 

“You said you’ve played these games. I pressed the O button because of you. Honestly, I was scared. I wanted to quit and leave. But you made me think I could play just one more game.”

The three of you stared in astonishment as the others behind him agreed. As Gi-hun explained what the next round would be, you watched the dynamic between all of the players unfold. People starting to form groups, take sides, operate with their own best interests in mind. You briefly wondered if you were truly cut out for the brutality this game might require of you. The thought of it disturbed you, so you quickly pushed it to the back of your mind.

The rest of the players dispersed, except for Player 001. He sat next to Jung-bae, intensely curious about what Gi-hun was thinking. You let yourself dissociate from the conversation. Although you wanted to know more about Player 001, you weren’t in the mood to strike up a conversation. As you were paying attention to your food, something Gi-hun said brought you back to reality.

“If you had pressed the X, everyone in here would’ve made it out alive.”

You looked up at Gi-hun, immediately taking offense without really understanding why. Player 001 glanced at you for a moment before responding.

“That’s right. I was the last to press the O button. But there were 182 more people who wanted to stay.”

He looked directly at you, and the blue patch on your jacket, as the other two slowly turned to you as well. Suddenly you felt exposed, too timid to say anything to stand up for yourself.

Gi-hun turned back to the other man. “And there were also 182 people who wanted to leave.”

Player 001 scoffed. “Let’s say… I pressed X and we all left. Would everyone have been happy? Do you think if they ran into me later they’d thank me for saving their lives and telling me they’re happy now?”

He looked at you and continued. “You voted to stay here too. If I had pressed the X, what would you have done?”

The three of them looked at you now as you swallowed your food. Frantically looking at each of them, you whispered, “I… I don’t know… my sister, and I, um…”

Jung-bae stepped in to break the tension. “All right, there’s no point in placing blame now.”

You sat quietly with the groups and tensions lessened, and saw your little group form right before you as Dae-ho and Jung-bae immediately bonded. Before you could get too comfortable, a fight broke out in the middle of the room - but Player 001 quickly intervened.

You watched as he effortlessly took down the two younger men going after him, almost choking one to death before letting him go. The entire display frightened you, yet you didn’t feel afraid of him - somewhere deep down you still had that familiar feeling with him. 

You tried your best to ignore it. Trusting anyone was going to be a high risk decision for your survival, so you hoped he would at least just help your group survive the upcoming games. If you could survive just one or two more, you’d be satisfied.

~~~

That night, you tossed and turned in your bed, too anxious to fall asleep. As your thoughts raced, you heard Player 001 approach Gi-hun, who was also awake.

You listened as Player 001 apologized to Gi-hun, and explained his reason for joining the games. His wife was afflicted with cancer, and needed many surgeries and treatments, and in his attempt to accept help he was accused of taking a bribe.

Something in the back of your mind stirred, curiosity building in your mind. His situation sounded so familiar to you, but you couldn’t place it. You wanted to speak up and ask him more but felt it was impolite. 

You sighed, tucking your blanket in your arms, wondering why he felt so familiar to you and why it troubled you so much. He was undoubtedly attractive to you, but you thought you’d be better than getting distracted by a handsome face in this sort of situation. It had been so long since you let yourself feel something good, let yourself focus on something other than the depressing parts of your life. 

You decided to blame your fascination with him on pent up sexual frustration and thought nothing else of it that night.

[leia-writes]

Lee Byung-hun confirming In-ho was genuinely having a good time during this scene has me crying, like yeah it’s confirmed he really was happy here. with Gi-hun. he was happy 🥺