#but at least one voice = one vote

[tenrose]

So you're telling me in the US they put their ballot votes in a box in the streets????

Learnt that because apparently they are being sent on fire which is exactly what I'd expect with that kind of system...

[majorshatterandhare]

[Answer options in order are:

1. Yes, guitar, mandolin

2. Yes, piano/keyboard

3. Yes, violin, viola, cello, bass (inc. electric bass)

4. Yes, percussion

5. Yes, a woodwind

6. Yes, a brass instrument

7. Yes, multiple

8. Yes, something not mentioned here

9. No, I do not currently play an instrument but I sing

10. No, I do not currently play an instrument and I do not sing.

End Options]

Please specify in the comments or tags!

I’m sorry there aren’t more options, I only had 10 spaces or I would’ve included more. I tried to go with the most common and obviously with groups!

What counts for singing is up to you. I think most people sing some amount, but you can decide if yours counts or not. The reason for this is because you can teach yourself an instrument, so not requiring lessons or anything for either instruments or singing.

If you want to learn an instrument, especially if you don’t currently play any, I would love to know if you shared!

Please reblog! I wanna know how many of us play instuments ourselves and what that distribution is.

If you don’t listen to the Mechanisms don’t respond to this poll! I’m sure your answer is very interesting, but it will skew the results!

[clumsyclifford]

thanks for tagging me @4thbrighteststar

rules: shuffle your On Repeat and let people pick their favorite from the first five songs!

here goes fingers crossed y'all get normal songs

lemme tag @igarbagecannoteven @allsassnoclass @kaleidoscopeminds @burstingsunrise anddd @daydadahlias

(commentary on each song under the cut)

wish you were sober: i had a moment with this song several years after everyone else did

chemicals: had a moment with this ALBUM.

stuttering: god okay i don't know WHY this is still on my on repeat except for, i assume, that every time it plays when i listen to my on repeat it self-reinforces its position. i WAS listening to it, and them, a lot, back when i saw them live earlier this year, no shame, but its time is frankly up

kissinginacarcrash: surprised to find this on here! i'm studying for a telltale concert im going to with my friend. this is one of their better songs imo

bet on it: ...i was afraid this would happen. my sister and i jammed out to all three hsm soundtracks on a long drive earlier this week. there is nothing like belting out bet on it and scream in a car with your sister. so then i kept listening to those two songs. scream is also in fact on this playlist right now.

[beepbeepmfkr]

"I can't get everything I want from this politician so obviously the solution is to throw a tantrum and not participate! That'll show them!" - person who is very likely not at personal risk of being murdered or hate crimed by an institution getting pushed further right than it already is.

[linagram]

[ 𝚋𝚎𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚒𝚗 𝚟𝚘𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚍𝚛𝚊𝚖𝚊𝚜: 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝟸 ]

part 2 is hereeeee and this time it's what happened to eiko, asahi, yurika, riku and reina a few days before their crimes happened.

since these vds is the last thing i've planned for the period between trial 2 and trial 3, nothing too important to the plot will be posted until season 3 starts (again, not sure when it will happen). pls share your thoughts and theories if you have any <3

(Warnings: relationship dynamic between satsuki and asahi is. very messed up, topics of self-harm and suicide come up in riku's vd, mentions of toxic family dynamics in multiple vds, but honestly all of them could count)

[ Eiko's Confession ]

(typing sounds) 

Eiko: Takeru, where are you.. 

Eiko: What's going on.. 

Eiko: He wouldn't just leave me like this, right? 

Eiko: He's the type of guy who's obsessed with social media, the only reason why he could disappear like this is-

Eiko: ... 

Eiko: No. No, I don't want to think about it. 

Eiko: But.. 

Eiko: What if she found out about him? 

Eiko: ... 

Eiko: Oh, wait a second.. 

Eiko: One of his friends replied. 

Eiko: Maybe he knows something? 

Eiko: ... 

Eiko: He just.. started flirting with me. 

Eiko: *sighs* Fine, I can work with this. 

(more typing sounds) 

Eiko: Okay, I'll just play along. 

Eiko: He seems like a loser who just uses Takeru for money and attention. 

Eiko: Oh, a reply. 

Eiko: I think I can ask him about Takeru now. 

(typing sounds) 

Eiko: Come to think of it.. 

Eiko: If I had more information to work with, I would've found Takeru a long time ago. 

Eiko: But all I have is.. 

Eiko: His first name, age, list of friends, occupation, interests.. 

Eiko: I don't even know his last name.. 

Eiko: I don't even know what he looks like.. 

Eiko: And I know his occupation, but I don't know where exactly he works-

Eiko: Another reply. 

Eiko: ... 

Eiko: *sighs*

Eiko: He's so annoying.. 

Eiko: Maybe I can just try to text that other guy again. 

Eiko: Oh, he has him in his friend list too-

Eiko: ... 

(a sound of notification) 

Eiko: .. This icon looks familiar.. 

(another notification sound) 

Eiko: I swear I've seen this frog before-

Eiko: ! 

Eiko: Hold on.. 

(a clicking sound) 

Eiko: .. It's-

Eiko: It's Takeru's private account?! 

Eiko: O-okay, I'll just send this to that guy. 

(typing sounds) 

Eiko: Let's see what he has to say about this.. 

Eiko: Hm? 

Eiko: Okay, it really is his private account. 

Eiko: I wonder if he'll agree to give me the password to it.. 

Eiko: ? 

Eiko: .. Fine, sure, whatever, promise him a date or send him a pic or two. 

Eiko: ... 

Eiko: What does he mean by "Takeru wouldn't mind if I went on a date with you"? 

Eiko: ... 

Eiko: Haha.. No. No, he's just lying to me. 

Eiko: He just wants me to agree to this. He wants me to believe that Takeru doesn't love me anymore. 

Eiko: .. Still, I should ask him about it. 

(typing sounds) 

Eiko: ... 

Eiko: Are you kidding me?.. 

Eiko: "Well, uh, about that".. 

Eiko: "I doubt Takeru will ever be able to go on a date with you".. 

Eiko: .. What is wrong with him? 

(typing gets faster) 

Eiko: Don't tell me.. 

Eiko: ... 

Eiko: ... 

Eiko: .. *starts sobbing*

Eiko: No. No, this can't be true. 

Eiko: He's alive. I know he's alive. 

Eiko: How could he-

Eiko: ... 

Eiko: It wasn't her, right?.. 

Eiko: I've never told Mother about him, but.. 

Eiko: .. I had my suspicions, but.. 

Eiko: He's.. dead.. 

Eiko: Takeru is.. dead.. 

(notification sound) 

Eiko: Huh?.. 

Eiko: Another friend of his replied. 

Eiko: ... 

Eiko: "Hello, this is his private account"..

Eiko: "Here's the password. You'll find all the answers there".. 

Eiko: "I am so sorry".. 

(very fast typing sounds) 

(click) 

Eiko: ... 

Eiko: ... 

Eiko: Hey.. 

Eiko: If Takeru is dead.. 

Eiko: His last post being made fifteen minutes ago doesn't make any sense.. 

Eiko: What if I scroll down.. 

Eiko: ... 

Eiko: Haha.. 

Eiko: "I am finally free"? 

Eiko: When was this post made?

Eiko: .. That's when he stopped showing up.

Eiko: ... 

Eiko: Stupid. So stupid.. 

Eiko: I really can't trust anyone in this world, huh?

-------------------------------------------------------

[ Asahi's Confession ]

(the door opens)

Satsuki: Ah, here you are!

Asahi: ...

Satsuki: Look what I got you! This plushie is so cute, isn't it?

Asahi: ...

Satsuki: D-do you not like it?..

Satsuki: It's okay, I can get you another one-

Asahi: .. I thought we'll go to see a movie today.

Asahi: You know, the one I've told you about before.

Satsuki: .. Oh.

Satsuki: S-sorry, sweetie, I'm not feeling so good today-

Asahi: But you still went and bought me this.

Satsuki: W-well, it's not a big deal for me-

Asahi: So going to the cinema is hard, huh? Maybe you don't want to spend time with me? Maybe you hate me?

Satsuki: No, no, that's not what I meant-

Satsuki: !

(sound of a plushie being thrown on the floor)

Asahi: I don't need it.

Satsuki: So you really don't like it?..

Asahi: ...

Asahi: Fine! Yes, I hate it! It's weird, it's ugly, it looks cheap, I deserve more!

Asahi: If you can't fulfill your promise, at least buy me something that is just as good as what you've originally promised!

Satsuki: Sorry..

Asahi: I hate it. I hate this thing.

Asahi: I hate you too.

Asahi: How can you call yourself my mother when you can't even give me the love that I want and deserve?!

Satsuki: I just.. don't know what you want from me..

Asahi: .. I just want something that will leave me satisfied, I guess.

Satsuki: Like what?..

Asahi: ...

Asahi: LIKE GOING TO SEE A MOVIE!

Asahi: WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS?! I'M LITERALLY ELEVEN AND EVEN I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU CAN'T BE A MOTHER!

Asahi: NO WONDER YOU COULD NEVER HAVE A CHILD OF YOUR OWN!

Satsuki: ...

Asahi: JUST LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE! YOU SHOULD BE HAPPY THAT YOU DON'T HAVE KIDS BECAUSE IF YOU DID THEY WOULD SUFFER EVEN MORE THAN I DO!

Satsuki: Please, stop-

Asahi: WHAT, ARE YOU GOING TO STAND UP FOR YOURSELF? ARE YOU FINALLY GOING TO SAY SOMETHING?

Asahi: ARE YOU GOING TO ADMIT THAT YOU'RE THE WORST MOTHER ANY CHILD COULD HAVE?!

Satsuki: SHUT UP ALREADY!

Asahi: ...

Satsuki: I.. I wanted a child. I really did.

Satsuki: When I first saw you, I hoped that..

Satsuki: .. You would fill the void I feel inside of me.

Satsuki: But it's hard.

Satsuki: It's too hard being a mother for me.

Asahi: .. Hey. Why are you telling me this-

Satsuki: You're right. I really am the worst mother any child could have.

Satsuki: Haha.. I really don't deserve to be a mother.

Satsuki: I can't give you the love you deserve. I'm sorry.

Satsuki: .. I will think about it. Maybe Masato really was right.

Asahi: But.. that guy didn't want me to live here..

Asahi: Hey! Hey, don't leave!

Asahi: Where the hell do you think you're going?!

Asahi: What is that supposed to mean?!

Asahi: .. Are you going to send me to an orphanage or something? After you had basically kidnapped me?!

Asahi: Answer me already!

(the door closes)

Asahi: ...

Asahi: W-what is wrong with her..

Asahi: .. What if she's just going to-

Asahi: .. No.

Asahi: No, no, no, no, no-

Asahi: She can't just.. throw me out.

Asahi: I don't wanna-

Asahi: .. *starts sobbing*

Asahi: .. I should go eat something..

-------------------------------------------------

[ Yurika's Confession ]

Yurika: "Finally, the classes are over."

Yurika: "Ugh, I hate this place so much.. Why should I go to university anyway?"

Yurika: "With a family like mine, I don't need education-"

Yurika: ...

Yurika: "Hey, just a reminder, now you have to work in a maid cafe and serve creeps that are ogling you all day exactly because of saying stuff like this."

Yurika: "I wish I could just quit that job, my second one is good enough-"

Yurika: "W-wait, no, no, I can't do that!"

Yurika: "I have to stay strong for Takame-san!"

Yurika: "Also.."

Yurika: "She lets me do anything I want to them, so.."

Yurika: Hehe..

???: Yurika!

Yurika: *screams*

Yurika: A-ah, it's you.. W-what do you want?

???: Oh, I was just wondering, do you want to.. you know, hang out together, maybe?

???: You've been looking not so good lately. I'm kinda worried about you.

Yurika: Oh, I see..

Yurika: "God, she's a terrible liar."

Yurika: "Someone like her can't be worried about me. She's the popular girl. She does well in class, she's hot, she has so many friends, someone like her would totally obliterate me in high school!"

Yurika: "And I say that as someone who was popular in high school!"

Yurika: "Her brother is also.. uh, okay, I guess. I mean, girls like him. Have no idea what they see in him though."

Yurika: A-anyway, sorry, I'm a bit busy. I have work, so..

???: By the way, you keep mentioning your job, but like..

???: Where do you even work?

Yurika: ".. I have to run."

Yurika: Uh.. Y-you know.. A-at a cafe..

???: Really? That makes sense actually..

???: You know, you're cute, so I imagine you being very popular with the customers.

Yurika: "Shut up."

Yurika: "Wait, did she just call me cute?"

???: So like.. Can I visit you someday-

Yurika: NO!

Yurika: Um.. I'm just.. very shy, haha..

Yurika: Like, I don't want you to see me, haha..

???: But I'm sure you look adorable in your uniform! Come on! 

Yurika: "She doesn't know the kind of uniform I have to wear.."

???: Also.. Um..

???: I've actually been looking for a job lately and I thought that being a waitress could fit me, so..

Yurika: "Oh, don't you even try."

Yurika: "Wait a minute, if someone like her starts working with us, maybe those guys will pay more attention to her than me?"

Yurika: "That would be nice.."

Yurika: "Wait, what if Takame-san starts liking her more too?!"

Yurika: "No, no, she's too loyal, she loves me too much-"

Yurika: ...

Yurika: "Who am I kidding, she would leave me right after she sees her."

Yurika: "Wait.."

Yurika: "What if she finds out.."

Yurika: O-oh, sorry, I am so sorry, I am actually so late! Gotta go!

(sounds of Yurika running away)

???: Yurika! Yurika, wait!

???: She's already gone..

???: *sighs* Well, at least now I know that she works at a cafe..

???: I just have to find out which one-

???: .. Considering her hobbies and interests and everything..

???: And how embarrassed she looked..

???: .. Yep. It has to be a maid cafe.

???: Don't we have a very popular one not so far away from here?

(sounds of Yurika running and stopping to take a breath)

Yurika: *breathing heavily* I'm so.. tired..

Yurika: I bet she's just trying to find out more about me for her blog or whatever.

Yurika: But I'm not suspicious at all! I'm just a cute little girl on the way to working a totally normal job! 

Yurika: .. Now why am I saying this out loud?

Yurika: Whatever. I am doing this for Takame-san.

Yurika: .. I owe her after all.

(sounds of Yurika opening the door)

Takame: Ah, Yuri-chan! I'm so glad you're here!

Takame: Let's work hard today, okay?

Takame: .. Same goes for tonight too~

---------------------------------------------------

[ Riku's Confession ]

(sounds of Riku playing the guitar that get more and more quiet)

Riku: Okay, we're done for today, everybody! Good job today~

???: Finally, I was getting hungry..

???: Hey, Riku, is it just me or does your voice sound kinda weird?

Riku: Huh?

???: Like.. It's more quiet than usual?

Riku: Hm.. Well, my throat doesn't hurt or anything.

Riku: Eh, maybe it's the acoustics.

???: Okay.. Take care of yourself. You gotta. 

???: We still have that one concert to prepare for too..

Riku: Haha, don't worry about me. I'm not going to let us down.

???: Fine, fine. I'll get going then.

Riku: Bye! I'll stay here to finish working on.. uh, something.

(sounds of everyone leaving)

Riku: ...

Riku: *starts coughing*

Riku: "Maybe drinking so much cold water before our practice was a bad idea.."

Riku: "It's fine. I'm sure it's nothing serious."

(sounds of Riku playing the guitar again)

Riku: ".. I don't want to leave yet for some reason."

Riku: "Not now."

(Riku continues to play)

(sounds of someone's footsteps)

(the door opens)

Yue: Riku-kun!~

(Riku stops playing)

Riku: A-ah.. It's you.

Yue: Ehehe~ Did today's practice go well?

Riku: .. Y-yeah.

Yue: Your voice sounds weird. Did you catch a cold?

Riku: "Again?.."

(sounds of Yue sitting down next to Riku)

Yue: Can you play something for me? Please?

Riku: .. Sure. 

(Riku starts playing the guitar again)

Yue: Nope. That's not the one.

Riku: What do you mean?

Yue: This isn't the kind of songs you like. This is not.. "you", you know?

Yue: This is just the "you" that you came up with to make others like you.

Yue: This is the song that a popular guy who's loved by everyone in the school would play.

Yue: This isn't the song that my only friend would play.

Riku: .. Fine.

Riku: .. I-I'll play it for you when we get home. I don't want to do it here.

Yue: Hm. Meanie.

Riku: I don't want others to ask me about it. Also, the practice is over anyway. I have to go home.

Yue: Let's go together then~

Riku: Fine.

Riku: Ah-

Riku: P-put this thing away! Are you insane?

Yue: Ah.. Right. We can't do this here, right?

Riku: Obviously. 

Riku: W-what are you-

Yue: .. Did you do it again this morning?

Yue: There's still some blood too.. 

Yue: Can't you at least take care of them properly?

Riku: .. I didn't have the time.

Yue: Hey, if you're going to die, you can't do it without me.

Yue: Here, I'll help.

Riku: Wh-

Riku: That's even worse!

Yue: Oh, I forgot to bring my stuff with me, so..

Riku: That doesn't mean you have to lick the blood off!

Riku: L-let's just go home already.

(sounds of Riku pulling down his sleeve)

Yue: Okay~ 

Yue: Hey, Riku-kun..

Yue: But like.. If you were to die..

Yue: How would you like to leave this world?

Riku: You ask this question every single time.

Yue: And you always give me a different answer.

Riku: ...

Riku: .. I guess I'd want it to be painful, but quick.

Yue: Oh, that's a new one!

Yue Well, let's see..

Yue: Maybe I could hit you on the head with a rock?

Yue: I'm stronger than I look! I'll make it as quick and as painful as you desire!

Riku: ...

Riku: Haha..

Riku: You're so weird..

Yue: But you still hang out with me like this.

Yue: .. When was the last time we've talked about something else and not like.. death and all that stuff?

Riku: .. Can't remember.

Riku: Like.. Didn't we talk about it even back when we were kids too?

Yue: Right, right! Remember you got really sad after your mom told you that you have to stop being selfish and that you're too jealous of Hinode?

Riku: ...

Yue: And then I was like "Hey, what do you want to do?" and you were like "I don't know, dying sounds nice"!

Yue: And this happened when you were like.. eleven? Or twelve?

Yue: Like, you were a messed up kid, if you think about it!

Yue: Or more like.. a very broken one.

Riku: .. So..

Riku: If you could kill me..

Riku: How would you do it?

Yue: Simple.

Yue: I'd do it in a way that would let us both die at the same time.

Riku: .. So if you wanted to die..

Yue: Yep. I would never die without you.

Yue: That's why I'm still here. As long as you're alive, I'll stay alive too. 

Yue: And I won't let you do anything to yourself either. We have to leave together. It's a promise.

Yue: So..

Yue: Do you want to try again?

Riku: ...

Riku: N-no, thanks. Not feeling like it today.

Yue: Oh, really? Not even doing the "death practice"?

Riku: .. What if somebody sees?

Yue: Come on, children won't come here at this time. 

Yue: And if somebody asks, we can just use the "we tripped and fell" excuse. 

Riku: Together? Like we fell at the same time?

Yue: They believe us every single time.

Riku: Sometimes I wonder if they really do believe us.

Yue: Maybe they just don't want to accept the truth. Who knows.

Riku: ".. So he's not going to die until I agree to die too.."

Riku: "This is going to be harder than I thought.."

Yue: So, are you ready?

Riku: .. Fine. You go first.

Yue: Of course. I always do. 

----------------------------------------------------

[ Reina's Confession ]

(sounds of someone being beaten up)

???: Ugh, she's showing no reaction at all! So boring..

???: We can kill you, you know! Don't you want to live?

???: Maybe she's already dead?

Reina: (her voice is noticeably deeper than usual) Enough. Let her go.

Reina: I thought this would be more fun.. What a disappointment.

Reina: (to the girl) Hey. Do you even want to live? Are you really okay with this?

Girl: ...

Girl: Don't know.

Reina: *sighs* Fine. 

Reina: (to her friends) Why are you still standing here like a bunch of losers? I thought I've told you to let her go.

Her friends: On it, boss!

???: At least we've got the money..

???: But seriously, her eyes were so empty. 

???: They looked kinda.. like yours, actually.

Reina: Wow, thanks for the compliment.

???: So, do you want to do anything else? Or are we done here?

Reina: .. I don't want to go home.

???: Because of your parents, right?

Reina: ...

???: Listen, I know we're supposed to be the bad guys and all, but like..

???: Neiro is worried about you.

???: Your parents suck, but that guy cares about you. Can you at least try coming home early for him?

???: Imagine if he finds out about what we do. He's not gonna like it.

Reina: !

(sounds of Reina punching the guy and him falling on the ground)

Reina: Don't even joke about it.

???: Okay, fine.. Seriously, sometimes I forget how strong you are.

???: But what if he does find out about it? What are you going to do?

Reina: ...

Reina: .. I'll run away.

Reina: How do you feel about living together?

???: What, like a couple? 

Reina: You're not a cute girl, so I'll pass.

???: Damn, okay.. But like. My apartment is a mess.

Reina: My room's a mess too. We're matching.

???: Haha, fine~ I'll think about it.

Reina: Yay..

???: So, are you gonna go home now?

Reina: .. Can we just..

Reina: Sit like this for ten more minutes? Maybe fifteen.

???: .. You know, from what you've told me, I doubt that your parents really hate you.

???: It's like, they came up with this perfect version of you in their heads and they don't like the real you, but they don't hate you.

???: They're worried about you too-

Reina: Respectfully, shut up.

???: You know that it's true. That's why you're trying to shut me up.

Reina: God, you're so annoying.

Reina: If I ever meet someone like you or even worse, I'm going to..

???: Become best friends with them.

Reina: What-

???: You won't kill them. You won't even hurt them. You'll protect them with your life if you have to.

???: I know you too well.

Reina: ...

Reina: *laughs* You're right. You're right.

Reina: .. Fine. I'll get going.

???: Do you want me to walk you home?

Reina: They'll have questions. No, thank you.

Reina: Don't want them to think you're my boyfriend or anything. Dad will kill you and Mom will kill me.

???: Okay.

???: Good job today. 

Reina: .. You too.

[bmpmp3]

and since im in a musicposting mood you should listen to jellyfish right NOW

[jackredfieldwasmyjacob]

btw i'm aware today is the first semifinal of benidorm fest and also that i have not been talking about it lol, I think it's cause in my mind OT and benifest / ESC occupy the same space and i cannot obsess over both of them. Also I have a concert this Saturday which means I won't be able to watch the final so I'm less hyped, I will watch the two semis tho.

Also also, this year I will do everything in my power to boycott ESC if Israel still competes, so I'm not really in the mood of watching preselections

[when-did-this-become-difficult]

(wearily) the weed hour...

[darabeatha]

/ BUT THEN I REMEMBERED...!! of how much I wanted a tezca-

[senseiwu]

Thank god I managed to update my address on the electoral commission website before the referendum happened

I was starting to worry that I'd missed it

[optimisticrunawaygalaxy]

your tag should be beloved and age old tumblr sexyman vs sans. cecil is the og tumblr sexyman my guy.

My bad i literally didnt know about nightvale before last year (ish) and even then my grasp on its existance was like, vague at best

[glauxcabinetofcuriosities]

Living in a democracy requires participation. If you can't be arsed to participate, then don't dare complain about what follows either.

Voting takes a little effort, but it is one of the most direct ways to have your needs and views represented. So the least you can do is go use your vote.

(This of course aimed at those who won't participate, not those who can't)

Stop posting about the European Elections. It is so annoying no one cares

if you are european and of voting age, please please please go out (or online if your country offers it!) and vote this weekend! it is ESSENTIAL that we all use our right to vote, and we should make it our duty to do so!

queer rights, women's rights, and immigrants' rights are SEVERELY threatened if a right-wing alliance would be formed within the EU parliament. we cannot and should not stand for this!

if you are of voting age, please go out and vote! bring your mum, your dad, your brother, your sister, your friends, your neighbour! carpool together, get a little treat afterwards!! do it scared, do it angry, do it sad, do it nervous. but by god PLEASE do it!

we are stronger together!

✨ VOTE VOTE VOTE ✨

[charmedimsure]

A Welcome Distraction

pairing: Kang Dae-ho x reader

summary: Dae-ho helps you learn to play Gong-gi

word count: 1.5k

warnings: squid game stuff, but other than than just fluff

A/N: I got the rules of the game from watching the show, so they could be wrong. I think it's gender neutral but lmk if it's not so I can fix it

It looks like you're going to spend at least another day here. You're going to have to play at least one more game. Despite voting to leave, the majority of people disagreed with you, and now you're stuck here. You may be drowning in student loan debt, but at least your alive, and, if you've learned anything positive from this experience, it is that life is full of opportunities.

You take your food from the masked men and find a small space in between the beds where you can be alone. You don't think you can eat right now, so you put those to the side and sit on your knees, pulling five small stones out of your pocket. When you need is a distraction, and this game could do it.

Across the room, Dae-ho winces as Jung-bae hits him in the shoulder, almost making him drop his milk.

"What?" Dae-ho says, annoyed.

"You're staring," Jung-bae says. Dae-ho gives him a confused look, to which he nods his head in your direction.

Dae-ho looks down at his feet as he feels heat rise in his face. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Jung-bae scoffs a laugh, looking at the former Marine. "Please. You cheered so loud when her team crossed the finish line I thought you're life was on the line, too." Jung-bae laughs at his own joke, Young-il laughing along.

Dae-ho rolls his eyes, finishing his milk and putting the carton down next to him. Sure he thinks you're cute, but this is no place for any of this stuff.

"You should talk to them," a quiet voice says. Dae-ho looks up to see Jun-hee looking at him.

Young-il nods. "She's right. We don't know how much longer we will be alive, you should speak now before you lose the chance."

Dae-ho looks back over at you. You're hunched over on the floor between beds, your back facing him. With a small surge of confidence, Dae-ho nods, standing up. He takes a few steps in your direction before second guessing himself, stopping in place. He nearly falls over as Jung-bae shoves him towards you.

As he gets closer to you, he can hear the sounds of something repeatedly hitting the hard floor, as well as soft curses coming from you.

"Are you alright?" he asks, standing by the entrance to the small alley between beds.

You gasp and look up at him, being too invested in what you were doing to notice someone coming up to you. Acting on instinct, you back yourself closer to the wall away from him.

Dae-ho puts his hands up. "I don't want to hurt you, just wanted to see what you were doing."

You take a look at his face and number. You remember seeing him yelling yesterday with his friend, as if he was a soldier. It had actually made you laugh, which was much needed in a place like this. You also thought he was kinda cute. Getting out of your defensive position, you shyly show him the small stones in your hand.

He furrows his brows and gets closer so he can have a better look, kneeling on the floor in front of you. He recognizes the rocks from the ground of the last game, but has no idea why you have them.

You see his confused look and sigh. "I was trying to play Gong-gi. I've never played before and it looked interesting." You let out a little laugh. "I'm not very good at it, though. I don't even know if I'm doing it right."

Dae-ho gives you a small smile. "I can show you, if you want."

You look up at him with wide eyes. "You know how to play?"

He grows a bit embarrassed and looks everywhere except for your face. "I have older sisters, we used to play when I was little."

Expecting you to laugh at him, he is surprised when you hold out the stones. He smiles and holds out his palm for you to place the rocks in, then moves back to make room between the two of you.

"You have to throw one of the pieces in the air as you grab the others, and you need to grab more as you go. You start with one each, then two, then three and one, then all four. After that, flip them onto the backside of your hand and catch them without flipping your hand over." He takes a deep breath as he rolls of the stones onto the floor. As nervous as he feels with you watching him, he knows he can do it. After all, he did just do it perfectly with guns pointed at him.

He quickly goes through the game, not dropping a single stone. When he makes the final catch and opens his palm for you to see, he finds your mouth open as you stare at his hand in awe.

"That was amazing," you say to him with a smile.

Dae-ho smiles and feels the heat rising to his face again. "You should see my sisters do it, they move so fast you can't even see what's happening," he chuckles, making you laugh. "Besides, I saw you do spinning top before. You wrapped it in seconds and got it to spin on the first try! I was always so bad at spinning top as a kid."

You smile shyly, feeling heat in your face. "It was my favorite game as a kid. I didn't have many toys, so I would play it for hours. I'd try to teach you, but I don't have a top."

Dae-ho smiles. "That's okay." He holds out his hand for you to take the stones. "You're turn to try."

You take the stones from him, scattering them onto the ground between you. You smile as you manage to get each singular one, but when you try to get two at once, you don't catch the stone in time. You let out a frustrated sigh, sitting back on your knees.

"You're doing good," Dae-ho reassures. "Try going for the ones that are closer together, and throw the stone a little higher to give you more time."

You nod at the advice and pick up the stones again. You get the first two, but lose it again as you try to get the second two. Though you get frustrated with yourself, Dae-ho never does, patiently watching you and giving you tips.

It takes more tries than you would like to admit, but you are finally able to make the final catch. You yell out in victory with a big smile on your face, and the man across from you does the same. You get a little shy as you see that your yells have got attention from the people around you, particularly that one judgmental old man who really has no right to judge anyone considering he has more debt than most people here combined.

When everyone looks away, you smile up at the man again as he hold him hand up for you to high-five.

"I feel so accomplished," you laugh, making him chuckle. "Thank you for helping me. It was nice to play a game and not have to worry for my life."

He smiles sadly. "I'm happy I could help. My name is Dae-ho."

You smile back at him and give him your name. "If we both get out of here, Dae-ho, I'll teach you how to get the top to spin every time."

"When," he says. You give him a confused look. "You said if we get out of here, but when we get out of here, I would like that very much."

You smile at him. "I'm looking forward to it."

Dae-ho spots your food sitting on the bed next to you and frowns. "You didn't eat?"

You look at it. "I wasn't hungry so I was saving it. I got so wrapped up in this game I forgot about it."

The man moves to get up. "I'll leave you to eat, then."

"You don't have to leave," you say quickly, making him stop and look at you. "I mean, I don't mind if you want to stay."

Dae-ho smiles and nods, sitting down again, this time next to you. As you eat, you both talk about yourselves, how you ended up here, your lives back home, anything that comes to mind.

"What are you going to do when you get out of here?" Dae-ho asks you when your food is long gone.

You sigh and shrug. "I'll pay off whatever debt that I can, but besides that, I really don't know." You look at him. "What about you?"

"I'll pay off my debts, too," he says. He takes a deep breath before looking at you, feeling his nerves rising. "I also think that I'd like to take you to dinner."

His nerves calm as he watches a smile slowly take over your face. "I'd like that."

Dae-ho smiles. "Then it's a date."

When it is time to go to sleep, Dae-ho can only think about how he is going to do everything he can to make sure the two of you get out of here alive.

[murderofravens]

DUSK TILL DAWN

pairing: hwang inho/young-il/frontman x fem reader.

warnings: age gap (reader is 20, inho is in his late 40s) slowburn. oral fixation. thigh riding. plot with porn. yearning. sexual tension. canon compliant. slight infantilization. no y/n used.

summary: he promised that you will make it out alive. he will make sure of it, no matter what it takes.

word count: 6.5k

BABY I'M RIGHT HERE & FLY ME TO THE MOON POSTED!

SERIES MASTERLIST | MASTERLIST

please ignore any mistakes.

as you wipe the blood from your face, the reality of your situation sets in. you never thought you'd get used to the smell of blood— much less the sight of it. or the texture. and now you're covered in it. the white of your uniform splattered with crimson, the metallic smell of it almost overwhelming. in a situation like the one you're in, you can only laugh. the mere sight of blood used to make you feel faint; make you want to throw up because you're squeamish. now you're covered in it from head to toe.

it's not yours. it's of the people they shot dead during the second game.

you barely remember how you made it out alive. the second one was all thanks to your team— thanos and nam-gyu were the closest to your age, and teaming up with them worked in your favour. your age and gender was a liability to the others, but they were kind enough to take you in. or perhaps they were thinking with their dicks. would it really matter either way?

but with the way they act, you're not sure if you want to continue being in a team with them. especially since thanos keeps trying to woo you with his poor rapping skills. they're way too loud and reckless for you, and you're scared they might get you killed. they're not willing to give up the game anytime soon, either.

then there's the first game— you're alive, because of 456. that crazy man who supposedly had played the games before. if it wasn't for him pulling you behind his back, you would've left the premises in a cardboard box. especially because you fucking sneezed as soon as the doll turned back.

since then, you've decided you don't want to play this game anymore. 456 has been desperately trying to change the other's mind— but they're greedy and insistent. you pressed the cross for his sake, and for the others, and for yourself. hell, you can live in debt, but what use is that money if you die trying? you're not that much of a hard worker. you value your life above anything else.

you walk over to their team— 456, and his two loud team members. another man is sitting there— player 001. the one who ruined your chance of going home on the first vote. he seems ordinary, but you know of him because you saw him beat the shit out of thanos. that was another reason you decided to abandon that team— you could not be seen with a bully, or a loser. as you approach him, you give him a slight nod of acknowledgement, which he returns. you turn your attention to 456, and thank him profusely for what he did for you. he's kind, you'll give him that. you like kind people.

"if you don't mind me asking—" a voice interrupts, and you look over your shoulder. it's player 001. he looks at you curiously. "how old are you?"

"old enough." you retort cheekily. he doesn't look amused as he cocks his head to the side.

"i'm curious as to why a little kid like you would compromise herself for money."

that shuts you up. you're offended, to say the least. who is he to call you a little kid? the entire team also looks on, seemingly baffled. the question makes sense. you're sure you're the youngest out of all players. and people can tell because you look it too. you don't really know how to respond, so you just look on with a frown, mouth opening and closing like a fish.

"forgive me—" he lets out an awkward chuckle, "i didn't mean it the wrong way. i'm just worried."

you give him an uneasy smile, rubbing the back of your neck. the others go back to their conversations, and you shrug. he shoots a glance towards gi-hun before sitting back down and shifting slightly, as if making room for you. you take a seat beside him. there's silence before he glances at the symbol on your jacket— the cross.

"i'm sorry." he says with a small smile, looking straight ahead, "you wanted to go home but you had to continue because of me. i put a kid in danger."

"i'm not a kid," you huff softly, straightening up, "i'm twenty. but yeah, you should be sorry."

you give him a small smile to ensure he knows that the last line is lighthearted. he seems to understand and returns it.

"dont worry about it," you sigh, fiddling with the zip of your jacket, "im sure you had your reasons. just like i have mine for coming here."

"and your parents?" he asks. he's so polite, it warms your heart. polite and soft spoken. and visibly tough. probably some officer, you think, judging by his skills you previously saw.

"that's what i need the money for." you sigh, leaning back against the bunker. "i need enough money to establish myself. continue my studies. bring my mom and my sister to come live with me. settle off my father's debts because he's a coward who decided to pass down his sins onto his daughter."

he raises his eyebrows, and you take a sharp breath. there's a moment of silence between you two— you think for a moment, and feel your eyes get slightly glassy. you're not going to cry in front of a stranger. you put on a brave face. "if i die here, my mother—"

he stares at you silently, before putting a comforting hand on your shoulder, interrupting your cursed sentence. "you'll make it out alive."

the doors open, and the staff comes in again. they reveal the number of players left, showcase the money that each person would get, and then the voting starts again.

this time, player 001 doesn't disappoint you. he goes first, and clicks on the cross. the hope it gives you eventually shatters as more and more players begin to vote in favour of continuing the game. you see 456 get increasingly agitated as he begins to make his way towards the front of the crowd. before he can speak, he's interrupted.

001's voice rings out loud and authoritative, and worried. he reprimands the voters in favour, calls them out on their selfishness.

"we'll all die if we keep playing!" he chastises the crowd urgently. "you have to survive first, or there won't be a next step—"

"there's no next step for us!" he's interrupted by player 100. a stout old man who had been at odds against 456 since the start— you remember him having 10 billion won in debt. it makes you snicker. he eggs on the crowd. "with that money, we won't be able to pay our debts. we need to play one more game, then the money will increase to 240 million. with that we can pay atleast a little of our debts! isn't that right!?"

"you're going to die trying!" you snap, making your way to the front of the crowd. you glare at player 100, at all his little supporters cheering at the back. "your greed is going to get you killed. how can you be so confident to say that you'll survive the next game? what if you die?"

"you shut up, young lady!" he hisses, mouth scrunching bitterly. "is that how you speak to your elders? your brain is too small to comprehend real life problems. we can't continue with our lives with that little money!"

"continue your lives?" a laugh bubbles out of your throat. "look at that greying head of yours, you barely have a life ahead of you! why don't you let us live ours?!"

that seems to have ticked him off, because he quite literally turns red as he takes a threatening step towards you.

"what did you just say?"

"i said—" you step forward, shooting him a challenging glare, "you're too old to be playing children's games. vote wisely and let us go home."

he lets out a snarl before trying to lunge at you, but you're pulled back as player 001 steps between the two of you. like a wall. he looks at the old man, eyes cold, his voice low. "that's enough."

since the incident with thanos, nobody has really tried anything with 001. it's obvious enough they're intimidated by him, and they don't want to be on the receiving end of his wrath. 100 doesn't either, with the way he collects himself and steps back, embarrassed. you look over 001's shoulder, make eye contact with the old man and shoot him a taunting smile. you know it's childish, but you've resented him from the start.

before the old man can say anything, player 001 drags you to the side where you can't argue with people anymore. and the voting continues.

"you can't talk to people like this," he says lowly, gaze focused on the crowd. staring at something that you can't figure out. "you never know what they might do."

you huff bitterly. you know what he means.

"i don't care. i fucking hate bullies."

"potty mouth." he chastises, but theres a smirk on his face. he's teasing. you chuckle.

"remember you need to get out of here alive." he repeats, looking at you with an intensity that is almost terrifying. "you can't do that if you keep this up."

"jeez, okay dad." you joke, rolling your eyes. your words make him smile lightly.

"thanks for having my back there." you tell him sincerely. he looks at you for a bit before nodding in acknowledgement.

the voting ends, and they announce that the games will continue tomorrow. it makes your heart drop.

that night, you feel uneasy when you try to sleep. your clothes stick to your skin, and the side of your face keeps itching. with an irritated grumble, you get off the bunker and walk over to your new friend's side. you squint your eyes before looking for 001— and when you find him, you gently shake him.

"are you sleeping?" you whisper.

he opens his eyes, wincing slightly before sitting up. his voice is hushed as he responds, "not anymore. what is it?"

you bite your lower lip nervously before reluctantly asking, "will you go to the restroom with me? i'm kinda scared to go alone."

he blinks at you, confused. you continue out of sheer desperation.

"those guards just stare weirdly with their weird little masks and it makes me nervous." you hope your voice doesn't shake as you speak. "last time one of them kept knocking on the door while i was in the washroom and it just— scared the shit out of me. and my face is itching and i really need to go. please?"

he listens patiently. for a moment you think he'd decline but he just sighs and nods, and you cheer just a little as he steps out and follows you to the door. you bang on it, loudly telling the guards that you need to go. one of them opens the sliding window, and then immediately opens the door. it makes you feel strange, because usually it takes a lot more effort to convince them. either way, you're grateful.

you know your better option would've been to take one of the girls with you, but the sad fact is you haven't had the chance to get friendly with any of the female players yet. and for some reason, player 001 makes you feel a sense of safety and security that is almost strange— you feel at ease around him.

"i'll be in the men's room," he tells you, and you nod. he shoots a glance to the guard standing outside the women's restroom before walking away. you quickly go inside, and the first thing you do is splash water on your face.

you quickly clean the blood off your skin, holding back the urge to cry. you scrub at your cheeks till you're sure you can scratch the itch away for good. your nails dig a little too deep, and a little blood oozes out of the scratches on the side of your face. you clean that too, and then try to scrub the splatters of blood off your t-shirt. it's white, and you have no soap— so the stains remain. a faint reminder. you take your time, and anticipate the knocking— but it never comes.

you look in the mirror, at your tired face and sunken eyes, before giving yourself a nod and stepping out. 001 is waiting for you outside, looking to the side. he gives you an odd look as you step out, before walking alongside you.

"are you alright?" he asks gently, concerned. kind as ever.

you look at him again, give him a nod. "thank you."

when you two reach the room, he returns the smile with one of his own.

as you make your way to the bunker, he grabs your shoulder, "why don't you start sleeping on our side?" he says quietly, "join the team. there's a bed near mine. you won't feel so scared that way."

you blink, trying to see his face in the darkness. the offer is enticing— and most of all, it warms your heart.

"really?" you ask hopefully.

"really." he says kindly.

you follow him to the bunker, and he covers the railing with his hand to avoid you getting hurt as you bend down to get into the bed. he looks at the slightly wet patches on your shirt— blinks before getting a bedsheet and putting it over you. "get some sleep. we got a game to play tomorrow."

you smile softly at him. as he turns to get into his own bed, you grab his hand. it's warm against yours— big and rough. you don't allow your mind to drift that way. it's not right. he looks at you, gaze questioning.

"thanks again," you say softly, "it means a lot to me."

he leans down a little to ruffle your hair before going back to his bed and laying down. you close your eyes and drift to sleep— unaware that he stays up, thinking.

breakfast is boring— bread and milk. you sit on the bed, scowling. player 456 is surprised as he sees you there, before you two share understanding smiles. you bow a little and he bows back before going along with his friend. 001 comes to sit by you then, munching on his own breakfast.

"i miss home," you mumble, "how am i supposed to survive on just this? it's not even chocolate milk."

001 laughs, "don't worry, you can have whatever you want once you get out of here."

"will i?"

he looks at you, raising his eyebrows. you take his silence as a cue to continue, "im scared i'll die in here."

he looks down, before shifting to be closer to you. "you made it this far, didn't you?"

you look at him, voice getting shaky. "and what if i dont make it till the end? what if i die here and my family thinks i abandoned them? i don't want to die. i haven't even lived my life yet."

his expression is hard to read. "you'll make it out of here alive," he tells you with conviction, "ill make sure of it."

your lips wobble as you stare at him, and he smiles before poking you in the nose. "finish your food. you need the energy for the next game. we'll make it out alive, then we'll try to get the voters on our side and go home. sound good?"

you snort, rolling your eyes before nodding. "sounds good."

he gives you his bread then, tells you to eat more. when you protest, he sends a warning glare your way— the one with a quirked eyebrow and a knowing gaze. you roll your eyes, and happily eat it.

you were hungry. perhaps he can tell things like that. you're just grateful.

today, you decided to be a little rebellious. when you first joined the games, you used to spend a long time in the bathrooms— analyzing, looking for a way out. during that time, you'd discovered that one of the screws in the ceiling vent was loose. you hadn't really bothered checking it before, but since it's daytime and you have some time before the next game, you decide to explore.

your hairclip works— the screws were not tightly fixed, so it unscrewed easily. you'd contemplated checking it out last night, but you didn't want to take any risks, especially since player 001 was with you. so now whatever you do, the responsibility will be yours.

when the bathroom gets empty and all the women leave, you pull it down and try climbing up. it's moments like these that you can pride yourself on your agility— work that usually required two people, you could do alone. with one leg on the flush and the other on the top of the cubicle, you climbed up, scratching the side of your arm slightly before finally getting in the vents. you groaned to yourself, and then started crawling inside. there were two ways to go— you chose the left one. you looked down, trying to understand the layout of the place where you were practically held hostage. you keep crawling, making sure not to make too much noise before finally seeing a place through the gaps that you hadn't seen before— you carefully remove the screws and pull it apart.

the place looks empty. the walls are all sorts of pink and green. you put your head down and look both ways, seeing a door at the end of the hallway. carefully, you climb down and lower yourself to the ground with a thump. your shoulder hurts a little. you stand up, and aim for the door. as soon as you begin walking, you hear footsteps. it's as if someone splashed cold water on you— you realize the grave mistake you just made. guards walk here with guns, and you made the impulsive decision to explore a dangerous place like this by yourself?

you look around, running towards the other end of the hallway. the footsteps get louder, and as you look over your shoulder, something grabs you. out of reflex, you go to scream, but a hand clamps down on your mouth, and your back collides with a hard chest.

"shh, it's me." the voice hisses. your wide eyes look up, scared, before realizing who it is.

player 001.

your chest heaves as you break out into a sweat, a tear rolling down your cheek. he keeps you in a tight hold, looking to the side, your breath dampening his hand. the footsteps suddenly become faint, as if walking away. your breaths sync together, and after a moment, he relaxes.

he takes his hand off your mouth before harshly twisting you to face him. his voice is hushed but angry, "what were you thinking?!"

"what are you doing here?" you whisper shakily at the same time.

"everyone was back in the room except you. i came to find you!" he chides, eyes hard. he shakes you slightly, "do you really plan to get killed like this? is this how you want to die? can you go one moment without being a reckless brat—"

his words make you want to cower in on yourself.

"i wanted to find a way out." you try to sound assertive, but your voice betrays you. your words come out panicked, "I wanted to help and— fuck— i got you in trouble too— you shouldn't have come looking for me! fuck— how are we gonna make it out of here?"

he sighs, squeezing his eyes shut before looking at you tiredly. "the game is about to start. we'll mix in with the crowd when they leave, i doubt they'll notice."

"are you sure it'll work?" you ask. you hear a faint announcement. the game is about to start.

he looks up at the speakers, alert. he grabs you tightly and drags you away with an air of confidence. "let's go."

you don't encounter any guards on the way back. it's strange, but you figure it's because they're all preparing for the next game. player 001's plan worked, because you two mixed in with the crowd, and the guards didn't notice. one of them turned back to look at you, and you panted, staring back at him. your heart raced, but you felt the presence of 001 next to you, and you felt at ease again. the guard looked away.

"i told you to stop being reckless." he says quietly, looking at 456 and 390, before looking back at you. your legs hurt from climbing so many stairs. "what would you have done if they found you?"

you swallow the lump in your throat, staring up at him intensely, eyes glassy. he saved your life. "i guess you stopped that from happening."

he clenches his jaw, his gaze flickering up and down your face before looking away. "i won't always be there to save you."

you look away, heart dropping. "thank you, 001."

"call me young-il."

you look up at him, blinking back tears, quirking an eyebrow as you two walk. "only if you allow me to add 'sir' at the end of it."

he chuckles, eyes crinkling. he has such a nice laugh. "why's that? respect?"

you nod, giving a little bow. "respect is very important in my culture as well. so thank you for saving my life, young-il sir."

he grins a little and pats your head. you thank him again, and decide you like him enough. so you tell him your name.

he tests it on his tongue, and you quite like the way he says it.

the next game had to be the most terrifying so far.

it was called mingle, and you had to run to the rooms in groups according to the number announced. things like these were where you got scared— where you had to group with people. in dangerous situations, you know people usually only look out for two types of people— themselves, and the ones dearest to them.

you were not dear to anyone here. you really should've interacted with more people.

the platform rotates, before the number is announced. six. your eyes widen and you frantically look around, but young-il is faster. he grabs you and drags you to the room with the rest of the team. you pant as the 30 seconds pass, and then look out the window in the door to see how many people were left— quite a few. your eyes widen as the red guards move forward with their guns raised.

young-il leaps forward and covers your eyes with his hand before pulling you into himself as the gunshots ring out— you flinch and shudder at every single one, breathing sharp and your entire frame trembling violently. when there is silence and the doors open, you look up. young-il gently lets go of you, looking around. he's panting too, and you look at him with the most crushed look on your face before he meets your gaze. he can tell what you want to know— why would you do that?

"you shouldn't have to see all this." he says quietly, adjusting his jacket and putting a little distance between you two. 456 pats your shoulder and makes sure people are okay before moving out. you just look at young-il for a while, but he simply looks around, seemingly lost in thought. as if fighting a war within himself. you wish you knew how to reassure him like he did with you, but you realize you barely know anything about him.

the entire floor is painted with blood. the sight makes you want to vomit. you walk carefully, but your foot slips in someone's blood and you begin to fall over. 456 catches you. "are you alright?"

instinctively, your gaze tries to find young-il but he's standing away. his head is lowered.

"yes, thank you." you give 456 a smile, before assuming your place on the platform again.

you play a few more rounds. you're lucky enough to have someone to team with each time— young-il and 456 don't let go of you even once. but then the voice runs out again, and they announce the number 3. this time, 456 is dragged along with the old woman and her son. you look around frantically, and meet young-il's panicked gaze with your own. you begin to run towards him, but two people grab you and drag you towards one of the rooms.

thanos and nam-gyu. you shriek at them, clawing at their arms and trying to run back out. what if young-il doesn't make it? what if something bad happens?

this time, you have no one to cover your eyes or ears. thanos and nam-gyu talk shit within themselves, and you look outside the little window, flinching with every gunshot ringing out, trying to pinpoint if it's young-il's body falling to the ground. you can't help the light sob erupting from your throat, and thanos chooses the wrong moment to come bother you.

"watcha looking for, señorita?" he laughs, poking your side, "is it your old man? did he finally—"

you turn to him and punch him in the face. he falls back and groans dramatically, rubbing the blood running down his nose. nam-gyu rushes to his rescue, giggling. they're both high as a kite. the doors open, and you rush out before they can bother you further.

you look around. 456 is with the rest of the team, but you can't find young-il. frantically, you look towards the dead bodies, heart pounding against your chest and head throbbing. suddenly, there's cheers from your team, and you look up to see young-il walking over with a bright grin on his face.

you don't know what compelled you to do it. you were acting on your emotions— overwhelmed by the relief you felt on the sight of his face. before you can even stop, you're dashing towards him and crashing into his body, wrapping your arms tightly around him.

he's shocked, that much is obvious by the way he tenses slightly. but then he returns the hug, wrapping his arms around you and placing one hand on your head, gently patting. "i told you we'd make it."

you choke on a soft sob, nodding, burying your head further into his chest, as if ready to climb inside him, "i thought you—"

he shushes you softly, voice gentle as he runs a hand through your hair. you can feel his heart racing against his chest too. you wonder if it's for the same reasons as you. "i'm okay."

you wish the game ended there. but there was one more round to go. as you rotated on the platform— the moment you were dreading finally happened as young-il predicted it. the number announced was two.

you were ready to die there. things seemed to happen in slow motion— 456 took his best friend 390, 149 was dragged by her son. you didn't get the chance to see who took who next, because young-il had grabbed your hand and was dragging you towards one of the rooms. there were only fifty rooms— the first one you two got to was taken. he dragged you to another with a mere ten seconds left.

you sighed in relief as you got in, before seeing another man was already there. he was shaking in fear, and you jumped at the harshness of young-il's voice when he ordered him to get out. when the other player refused, young-il lunged at him and put him in a headlock.

your eyes widened and you stepped forward, panic stricken but he looked right at you and called your name, "close your eyes!"

you flinched. you looked at the man, then at young-il, before squeezing your eyes shut. you slid to the floor, pulling your knees to your chest as soon as you heard a 'crack' before opening your eyes.

the player was dead. young-il cracked his neck.

the timer finished at that exact moment, and young-il crawled over to you before pulling you into his chest. the gunshots rang out, and you flinched, sobbing.

young-il killed someone.

"i had to do it," he whispered against your hair, holding your head against his chest, "we both have to make it out alive. i had to do it. you know that right?"

you wanted to believe him, you really did. but in that moment, you felt scared of him for the first time.

the doors opened, and the game finished.

while you wanted to revel in your victory, the incident during mingle had rattled you to your core. the others checked up on you, especially 388 and 456. young-il maintained some distance. you could feel like he thought it's what you wanted. but you could really use his comfort. you just don't know how to talk to him again without being nervous. you force yourself to relive your previous interactions with him— he's still the same young-il who has saved you and comforted you countless times.

he did what he had to do to ensure your survival. that wasn't something you could hold against him. not when both of your lives were on the line.

the voting this time was just as challenging. you made your way to the front of the crowd, praying that they'd choose wisely this time. you need to go home.

one of the players in the old man's team showed you the finger before clicking the 'o' button. the action made your eye twitch, and you grit your teeth before straightening up to attack that guy and scratch his face off, but a hand to your chest held you back.

if looks could kill, young-il's glare could've sent that guy home in a body bag. as the votes in favour of continuing the game increased, you pushed his hand off you and addressed the crowd, "have you all lost your fucking minds?!"

their chitter chatter stopped and they looked at you. you clench your jaw, "after losing so many people out there you still want to play? what the fuck is wrong with you people? are human lives that invaluable to you?"

player 100 steps forward, insufferable as always. "don't you see how much money we're getting for each person? it could settle our debt! we can't give up after how far we've come."

"you're gonna die!" you snap, pointing at him, "you could take this money and go home and be happy instead of risking your life for something that is not assured to you! why won't you listen?! i want to go home!"

the others in favour of terminating the game start chanting with you, a string of 'i want to go home' echoing across the room.

player 100 glares, urging his own team to chant against you. he looks towards young-il, yells something along the lines of, "look after your fucking kid!" before the barell of a gun presses against the back of your head. the whole room freezes, and so do you.

"disruptions against a democratic vote will not be excused." the robotic voice calls out. for a second you think this is it. you look at young-il. if you die here, you'd prefer the man who saved your life to be the last person you see. he glares at the guard, his jaw clenching. the guard lowers the gun and steps back and you let out a breath of relief.

you immediately saunter over to him, gritting your teeth. the vote is a tie— and they announce the next voting to be held tomorrow.

456 says there's about to be a fight. the rest of the team got busy setting up a barricade— and you didn't get the chance to talk to your player. you knew his concern though, when he made sure to especially hide your side of the bed with two mattresses.

you play with the hem of your shirt as you sit in your bed by your lonesome. your food sits by you, untouched. you dont feel like eating. the weight on the bed shifts, and young-il appears into view.

"you're not eating."

you swallow the lump in your throat. "i don't feel like it."

he contemplates, eyes lowered before he looks at you again. "im sorry you had to witness that. I don't want you to be scared of me."

you want to cry. "im not." you whisper, "you.. you had to do what you had to do. to save us."

he blinks, nodding.

"back there, i thought that was it. it's over." you chuckle bitterly. "but you saved me again. you acted on impulse. i could never resent you for it."

your eyes are bloodshot as you look at him again. fat tears roll down your cheeks, and he frowns. he sighs before leaning closer, brushing the tears away. "why are you crying?"

"i wouldn't have survived this far if it wasn't for you." you whisper, voice cracking. "promise me you wouldn't abandon me. promise me you won't die."

his gaze softens. he's silent for a bit, his hand coming to rest on your knee, "i promise."

you sniffle, wiping your tears away. a small smile appears on your face, "i punched thanos."

"thanos?" he frowns, confused before raising his eyebrows in recognition, "ah, the loud kid with the purple hair?"

you nod proudly. "he said something like 'did 001 finally die?' so i punched him."

he laughs heartily— face scrunching cutely, eyes crinkling. he shakes his head fondly before ruffling your hair again. "attagirl."

it makes you blush slightly and you smile, looking down at your lap. he grabs your dinner— the roll sitting next to you and unwraps it, taking out a piece before holding it out, "eat."

you snort before leaning forward and taking a bite. he looks at you for a while with that faraway look in his eyes, before wordlessly continuing to feed you the rest. the words go unsaid. 'what are we doing? why are we so comfortable with each other?'

some sauce sticks to the corner of your mouth. he raises his hand to hold your chin, his thumb gently wiping it off. your breath hitches.

neither of you protest when his thumb brushes across your bottom lip, gaze focused on it like he's hypnotized. he's thinking, mindlessly feeling the plush texture of it.

you've always been impulsive. especially in situations where you shouldn't be. it happens so naturally— how your lips part just slightly. and maybe he's impulsive too, because his thumb slips inside, and his breath hitches as soon as your lips wrap around his thumb.

his gaze raises to meet yours— and you blink almost dazedly. his thumb presses down on your tongue, and he calls out your name in the softest voice.

"i'm too old for you." he whispers, shaking his head in disapproval.

your eyes flutter, and you lean forward, grabbing hold of his wrist. he pulls his thumb out, and you almost whine in protest. to your utter delight, he replaces it with two of his fingers, and your eyes almost roll back as you crawl forward till you're situated on his lap, mouth stuffed with his index and middle finger. you suck on them enthusiastically. they're long and thick and perfect and you don't want them out of your mouth ever again. it elicits a soft moan out of him— and if you could put that sound on repeat for the rest of your life, you'd be happy.

he pulls his fingers out and grabs the back of your head, pulling you close till your foreheads press together. you try to lean forward, to capture his lips with your own. he chuckles slightly, eyes closed, playfully rubbing his nose against yours. you whine.

"so impatient." he whispers, and then his lips are colliding with yours. it would be embarrassing if someone were to catch you two like this— more so for him than for you. thankfully, the others are busy strategizing for the night, and are not looking for either of you.

you moan softly and he bites down on your bottom lip, allowing his tongue to slip into your mouth. it's desperate and reckless and so full of spit— it makes you whimper into his mouth and he pulls you further into himself, as if telling you to shut up. his experience is obvious in the way he kisses, and you follow his lead. unknowingly, your hips start gently grinding against his thigh, and he lets out a soft hiss. he pulls away slightly, strings of saliva connecting your mouths. he licks it away.

"come on, sweetheart," he whispers, one hand coming down to help your hips grind against his thigh, "make yourself feel good— that's it, that's my good girl."

you moan softly, and his free hand clamps your mouth shut. he speeds his movement, clenching and unclenching the muscle of his thigh, guiding your hips to move faster against his lap. it's been so long since you've masturbated— and this is unarguably the hottest situation you've ever been in, with the hottest man you've ever seen. so you're already close. you cry out into his hand, your voice muffled. he understands what you mean and lets you move on your own speed then, pulling your head into the crook of his neck as he whispers soft words of praise into your ear.

the moment he calls you his good girl again, you cum. he muffles the sound with his hand, squeezing his eyes shut before he looks at you intensely. you collapse against him, slightly sweaty, your hands holding onto his shoulders as you cling to him. he runs his hand through your hair, breathing sharply. it's a small moment of bliss in the hell you've found yourself in.

soon, the lights go out, and dread settles in your stomach once you feel his body tensing. player 388 pulls one of the mattresses back slightly, hisses a quick "get under the bed!"

and the next game begins.

A/N: this was incredibly fun to write. i love writing him a little soft and fatherly, so deal with it. i might write a part 2 for this, if anyone wants that. this idea has been in my head for a while. i love him so, so much. this fic is my baby and i truly hope you guys like reading it as much as i liked writing it.

tags! @carolinevoight @lovers-roq @wildtigerlili @menabuser16 @deadlyobsessivfennec @watasinekoru @hanakokunzz @cowuies

[linagram]

[ 𝚢𝚘𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚘𝚔𝚊 𝚎𝚒𝚔𝚘'𝚜 𝚝𝟸 𝚟𝚘𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚍𝚛𝚊𝚖𝚊 ] 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚊 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚝

FIVE PRISONERS LEFT TO JUDGE!! LET'S GO!!

i have a feeling like i know what eiko's verdict is gonna be this time, but still.. i'm kinda curious to see where this goes! after eiko's trial ends, i'll be able to figure out how exactly kei, shun and eiko's dynamic will look in season 3 :) it won't be good either way

Warnings for Eiko's VD: None, except some mentions of toxic relationships

Warnings for Eiko's MV: I guess there is kind of, like.. a mention of animal death? It's not detailed though.

(sounds of footsteps)

Miki: .. Eiji-san, I think you should take a break.

Eiji: I'm fine. I told you I'm fi-

Miki: Does your arm hurt a lot? Let me check-

Eiji: DON'T TOUCH IT!

Miki: ...

Eiji: .. I'm sorry.

Eiji: It's just.. How? How did this happen? No, actually, how does this keep happening?

Eiji: First it was Shun, now it's Kei..

Miki: .. It's weird how you're the only guard that the prisoners are allowed to touch. 

Miki: Hmm..

Eiji: What, do you have any ideas?

Miki: O-oh, no, no, I-I'm not smart enough for that!

Miki: But, uh.. 

Miki: I have this thought, maybe.. So if there's something that protects us from the prisoners, do you think it's possible to.. "remove" it in some way? Or maybe "turn it off"?

Miki: And if that's possible, you most likely can turn it off for a specific guard, because, uh..

Miki: Well, when I'm in one room and you're in a different one, the prisoners are still not allowed to touch us, so.. Maybe those things work separately..

Miki: I-I don't know what I'm saying, I'm sorry-

Eiji: No, I.. I actually think you might be right.

Eiji: Obviously, there are people who are more powerful than us, you know, the people who created this place.

Eiji: And.. If they can give us as much power as we want..

Eiji: M-maybe they can take it from us too..

Eiji: "But why me?"

Eiji: "What did I do wrong? I'm more loyal to Milgram than Miki is, I've never questioned anything and-"

Eiji: ".. Unless we count that one time."

Miki: Eiji-san, so are you going to take a break?

Miki: I can interrogate Yoshioka-san, if you want-

Eiji: No, it's fine, let's do it together.

Eiji: .. I don't think she will try to hurt me anyway. It's not like I'm scared of it, obviously..

(the door opens)

Eiko: Ah, you're finally here!

Eiko: Hehe, I missed you two so much~ Eiji-kun, can I give you a hug?

Eiji: No. Sit back down.

Eiko: *sighs* You're as serious as ever. 

Eiko: So, the second trial, huh?

Eiko: .. You two look like you've gone through a lot. What happened?

Miki: I-it's fine, we're just a little tired..

Eiko: I can imagine. 

Eiko: Well, I'll try my best not to cause much trouble. Seriously, ask me anything you want.

Eiko: I've said it before and I'll say it again: I can just tell you everything about my crime. I have a lot of secrets, but my murder doesn't count as one.

Eiji: Okay, first question.

Eiji: .. Why are you so calm about it?

Eiko: What do you mean?

Eiji: If I'm not wrong, you said that if I vote you innocent, that will mean that I just want you to feel like you owe me something. 

Eiji: Or that I just want to feel good because I've saved.. uh..

Eiji: "A pretty woman like you", as you would say. 

Eiji: So why did you accept being forgiven by me so easily?

Eiko: ...

Eiko: *laughs* Well, Eiji-kun.. 

Eiko: I feel like I just knew that you will forgive me.

Eiko: And like, what did you expect me to say? Did you expect me to say "No, that's not the verdict I deserve"? Did you expect me to hate you?

Eiko: I'm seriously okay with anything. Forgive me, punish me, I still won't change my mind, so why bother?

Eiko: Also, I feel like it would be boring for you to punish someone as calm as me, so..

Eiko: Yeah, you forgiving me is not that big of a surprise.

Eiko: Honestly, sometimes I feel like.. 

Eiko: It's like I just know what verdict each prisoner is going to get and not just me.

Eiko: Haha, maybe I just know you really well.

Eiji: T-then, another question.

Eiji: .. What's going on with your relationship with Kei?

Eiji: A-and Shun too, I guess.

Eiko: .. Huh, well that's interesting.

Eiko: I wouldn't be surprised to hear a question like that from Miki-chan, but.. why are you so interested in it?

Eiko: I thought you don't really care about what happens to Kei?

Miki: I-I actually wanted to ask you that question-

Eiji: I'm just reminding you that I'm the one who's in charge of punishing the prisoners. Not you and not anyone else. Not even Guard 002 is allowed to do that.

Miki: (to Eiji) *whispers* T-that's because I don't even want to punish them!..

Eiji: (to Miki) *whispers* I know.

Eiko: Hm.. So you think that what I'm doing to Kei can be considered a "punishment"?

Eiko: *laughs* Well, to be honest, you're actually kinda right.

Eiji: Wait, what?

Eiko: You see, I thought long and hard about how I can thank you for forgiving me. 

Eiko: You know, like, I didn't even ask you to forgive me or anything. I just said that I will be okay with any verdict, but I was still voted innocent.

Eiko: And I don't know why you had decided to "save" me and I'm not sure if I even want to know that, but hey, that's still a nice thing to do, right? Especially when you're this cruel and sadistic guard who is hated by almost everyone here.

Eiko: So I was like, "What would make Eiji-kun the happiest man in the world?"

Eiko: And then I realized something.

Eiko: "It would be seeing his older brother in pain".

Eiko: Hehe, so, was I right?

Eiji: .. You're doing all of this for me?

Miki: Wait, but what about Ishizu-san? Eiji-san never really said anything about hating him-

Eiji: Now I hate him more than I ever did.

Eiko: Ah, about that guy. 

Eiko: *shrugs* Listen, I'm not even doing much. It's not like I asked him to make Kei's life worse or something. 

Eiji: But you're not really trying to stop him either.

Eiko: He makes my job easier, so again, why should I bother? I'm doing all of this for you, you know.

Eiji: Oh, so now you're just using me as an excuse?

Eiko: What Shun does is none of my business. That's his real self. 

Eiko: Honestly, if you want to blame someone, you have no one to blame but yourself and Miki-chan.

Eiji: *stands up* What are you trying to say-

Eiko: I'm trying to say that you and Miki-chan have way too much power here and you don't know what to do with it.

Eiko: Honestly, sometimes I look at you and think..

Eiko: .. "What kind of person was he before all of this happened?"

Eiko: I can see that you love being a guard a lot, Eiji-kun. But do you love it because you genuinely want to help this world become a better place or just because you have nothing else to do?

Eiko: .. Ah, I see.

Eiko: It's like.. your life finally has a purpose.

Eiji: .. Y-yes, and that purpose is-

Eiko: Yeah, yeah, you want all criminals to die a painful death, whatever. Seriously, Eiji-kun, I like you, but you need to get a hobby.

Eiko: Anyway, did you learn anything from my video? Do you know how my crime went now?

Eiji: Kind of. But yeah, it did look like you've killed someone for not being as good as you thought he would be.

Eiko: Yeah, that's exactly what happened.

Eiko: So, what else do you want to know?

Miki: .. What did you mean by him not being as perfect as you thought he would be?

Miki: Was he not attractive enough? Was he not smart enough?

Miki: I'm sorry, but I still find it confusing..

Eiko: No, no, it's okay, sweetie. 

Eiko: Well, let's see.. About his appearance: I guess some people would still think he's cute, but if you ask me, his looks were completely average. 

Eiko: And I don't think he was that smart. *laughs*

Eiko: I mean, he sure was manipulative, but I think it was his friends who helped him with everything. I doubt he came up with all of that himself.

Eiko: I still hate him though.

Miki: He manipulated you.. in what way?

Eiko: You see, at first we were just online friends. Nothing more, nothing less. We had a couple of common interests, though honestly, I think he just lied about his hobbies. That guy knew nothing about fashion, that's for sure.

Eiko: We started to bond over our problems too. 

Miki: Problems?..

Eiko: *nods* Like, yes, I love my family, my father is the kindest man I know, my little brother is adorable and I respect my mother a lot, but sometimes.. 

Eiko: They were a bit-

Eiko: .. Haha.

Eiko: I think I became someone who's so obsessed with everything being perfect because of them, to be honest.

Eiko: And he had a lot of problems too. So we talked about it and we became closer and closer.

Eiko: Eventually, we started falling in love. And this is the first time I've ever fell in love with someone.

Eiko: He promised me a lot of things. He said that he wants to make me the happiest woman in the world, he said that he will do anything to make me smile and that he just wants me to forget about everything that makes me sad.

Eiko: Romantic, isn't it? Well, then he stopped replying to my messages.

Eiji: What, did you kill him because he wasn't online for like two days?

Eiko: It's been four months.

Eiji: Oh.

Miki: F-four months?.. B-but did he read your messages? Was he even online?

Eiko: No, and that's what scared me. 

Eiko: He was that guy who couldn't live without social media, you know? So if there was something that could've made him stop using it for four months..

Eiko: That would mean he's most likely already dead.

Miki: .. But he was still alive, right?

Eiko: Yeah. But when I saw him for the first time, I thought..

Eiko:"It would be so much easier if you really were dead."

Miki: I just.. I want to know what exactly he did. 

Eiko: Well, let me ask you a question.

Eiko: Let's imagine there's someone who you really don't like. Maybe you're scared of them or maybe they're just annoying. But they still want to talk to you and they still want to become closer with you and you have to see them every single day of your life.

Eiko: What would you do in that situation?

Miki: .. I-I would probably try my best to.. y-you know, avoid them..

Eiji: I would hope that they will die soon. 

Eiko: Haha, I didn't expect anything less from you, Eiji.

Eiko: Well, just keep my question in mind when you watch my video. I don't know what it will show, so I just hope that you will get all the information you need.

Eiji: Why can't you just tell us everything already? Didn't you say that you're okay with doing that?

Eiko: I sure am okay with that. But also, I really do think that you have to see everything for yourself. 

Eiko: When I say that he wasn't perfect enough, I don't mean that he wasn't as pretty as I imagined him to be, or that he wasn't as smart, or that he had problems with money, or anything like that.. 

Eiko: Though he did lie about all that.

Eiko: I mean that he ruined my dreams of perfect life without any worries. 

Eiko: It's like I've already had a plan, but he just had to, again, ruin everything.

Eiko: And also, he just..

Eiko: *takes a deep breath*

Miki: Yoshioka-san, is everything okay?..

Eiko: Sorry, it's just that what he did was so terrible, it actually makes me want to kill him again, even though I know that he's dead.

(the bell rings, machinery sounds)

Eiko: Oh, it's already time? That was a nice conversation.

Eiko: Honestly, I'm feeling a bit.. lighter? I don't know how to explain, but it's like I really needed to talk about all of this with someone.

Eiko: Ah, before you extract my video, can I ask you a question?

Miki: Y-yes, what is it, Yoshioka-san?

Eiko: Eiji-kun, what happened to your arm?

Eiko: Why are you holding it like that? Are you okay? Does it hurt?

Eiko: .. Wait a second, it was Kei before me, right?

Eiji: I'm fine. Stop asking.

Eiko: I know that we can't touch you and all, but.. 

Eiko: If that guy hurts you, you really should tell me.

Eiji: What, so that you can protect me from him?

Eiko: Yes. 

Eiji: .. Stop saying things like that. I can protect myself.

Eiji: Prisoner 006, Eiko, sing your sins!

42% ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░ 100%

Eiko's T2 MV Descrption.

Her MV would mostly have a lot of black and white and also darker shades of blue, green and teal.

Eiko's MV starts with what appears to be a flat-screen TV in a dark room. The screen is glitching and it's hard to tell what's going on until it slowly gets closer and we can clearly see Eiko's face. She appears to be crying and we can see her parents and her younger brother comforting her, though if her father and brother seem to be genuinely worried, her mother is most likely only pretending and she even leaves to answer a phone call. We get a close-up of Eiko's crying face again and then her expression suddenly becomes more emotionless and Eiko finally starts singing. 

We see Eiko sitting on a couch and watching that same TV while wearing an elegant black dress and a hat and we can also see a few young men sitting next to her. If you look closer, you can see that one of them actually looks very similar to Eiji. Also, he appears to be wearing much better clothes than all the other men and he has a calmer face expression than the other guys, who actually look terrified. 

"Huh? What's wrong? Stop feeling sorry for him

Why don't you feel sorry for me? Comfort me, calm me down, tell me he deserved it"

Eiko looks bored and she turns the TV off.  As she's about to get up, the guy who looks like Eiji suddenly grabs the remote and turns the TV on again and we can see Eiko there as well, but now it looks like something has changed. The "real" Eiko walks closer to the TV and sees that the "TV Eiko" looks more happy and the people around her are clapping their hands, praising her for something and her family looks happy for her too, though we can't see her mother's face expression this time. 

"Wait, are you telling me you've solved it?

Even though you have all the facts, you still think I was in the right?"

The real Eiko starts to realize something and she smiles brightly and turns back to those men. 

"Well, I can't just ignore it

So let me give you a reward for your kindness"

And then she presses one of the buttons on that remote and all men disappear except that Eiji lookalike. 

The chorus starts playing and we can see Eiko leaving the house and the whole video becoming brighter and more colorful. Some people stop to greet her or simply look at her as she's walking. 

"Yay, she did it, good for her! What a queen, am I right?

Haha, thank you, thank you! Serves him right, I know

You've forgiven me, darling, so let me thank you properly

Tell me what you want, I will give you everything and more"

Eiko is having fun while shopping and she actually looks happy for real. But as it's getting dark and she decides to go back home, she checks her phone and while she does that, she suddenly trips and falls.

"But I know I can't be lost in perfection forever

Time to open up my eyes, this world isn't as fun and bright as everyone wants to believe"

Her phone breaks at that exact moment and everything becomes black and white again.

Now it looks like she's home now and she's lying on the floor while her parents are talking about something. She just has the same emotionless face expression while her younger brother is poking her cheek and trying to "wake her up". 

"But is it so bad for me to wish for a better life?

Is it so bad for me to want more?

I know I'm not perfect, but don't I deserve better than this?

So come on, promise me a safer world, I'll believe your every word"

She slowly gets up and goes to what appears to be her room and locks the door. She takes her laptop and sits with it for some time until her eyes light up and her cheeks become more pink. She starts typing faster and overall she looks happier. Her room actually looks much softer and comfortable now. It doesn't have that cool and elegant aesthetic anymore, but it feels warmer, maybe a bit more messy, but it's like Eiko is finally acting like her true self.

"Maybe it's okay for me to be happy

Maybe it's okay for me to ask for more

I know you're just lying to me, but please

Let me act like a lovestruck teenager for once"

Looks like a few days have passed and we can see Eiko walking into her room and checking her laptop. Judging by her disappointed face expression, looks like she hasn't received any new messages. 

"So where are you? Are we over? Are we done?

You're not going to keep your promises, are you?

I wish there was a world where I wasn't mad at you

So that I could move on and forget all your lies"

We can also see that person's profile picture which appears to be a cute drawing of a frog. 

She keeps waiting and as she does so, she cleans her room, picks out an outfit, does her makeup.. But still no new messages. As she checks it again, her brother suddenly runs into her room and calls her and she follows him. 

Eiko walks into what is most likely a living room and sees that her parents are watching TV, this one looks more "old" compared to the more "modern" one from the beginning of the video. Eiko stops for a minute to watch it too and we can't see the screen, but we can tell from Eiko's face expression that something horrible has happened and she leaves the room immediately. 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry for blaming you

I forget about everything except myself when I'm angry

Forgive me for being so selfish

I promise I'll try to become as perfect as you"

Later we can see her crying herself to sleep and when she wakes up, the colors are warm again, but Eiko looks confused for some reason. 

"So are we over? Are we done?

Sorry for asking this, but I just want to make sure

I know you're in pain, but I just want you to keep your promises

So let me act like a lovestruck teenager for once-"

She lifts her blanket and.. she sees that there is actually a frog in her bed. 

She doesn't even panic and she grabs the remote, which was lying on the floor for some reason and we can't see all the details, but it's easy to guess that she used it to hit that frog. However, now we get a close-up of Eiko's face and she actually looks scared this time and it's hard to say what's going on, but there's much more blood on her bed than it was supposed to be and it's also starting to look like it wasn't a frog lying next to her, but a man. We can't see what he looks like because of all the blood though. 

"Yes, I knew you were a liar from the start

But this is even worse than I thought

Why would you do that? Was I not enough for you?

Or actually.. Maybe I was too much?"

Eiko slowly turns around and sees that flat-screen TV again and it turns on. She can see people applauding her and the chorus starts playing again, but now it sounds much slower and more distorted. When it gets closer to the end, Eiko smiles and we can see that she's sitting on the couch with that man who looks like Eiji again and they turn the TV off together.  

[gothicfied]

(Squid game s2) Can you write a comfort fic about an insecure reader has past trauma and has endured Highschool bullying. When she joins the games and is in the group (Gi-hun, Dae-ho, Jun-hee & others) but once they meet Jun-hee she gets pushed aside and has to join another group in the second game. Feel free to change or add anything, the pairing could be Daeho x reader but it’s up to you <33

Never alone again - Kang Dae-ho / Player 388

Pairing: Kang Dae-ho / Player 388 x Reader

Summary: After seeing you almost die, Dae-ho swore he wouldn't leave your side ever again.

Warnings: Mentions of death/dying, gunshots (typical squid game stuff), other than that it's just fluff, not proof read (english isn't my first language)

Word Count: ~ 1.2k

A/N: hii! tysm for the request and I hope I did it justice.

You believed Gi-hun from the start. You believed he was right, no sane person would just say stuff like that, right? That they kill each player who gets eliminated? He seemed too damn serious for it to be a lie. And lo and behold, he was right. People. Shot dead. Right in front of you. Red-Light-Green-Light was a traumatic experience. You wanted to quit, you wanted to go home, go home and hug your parents and just be grateful to still be alive.

It was like the universe had turned against you. How wasn't everyone scared out of their minds like you? Was money really all that mattered to them? A heated discussion broke out during the first voting, angry voices yelling at each other, accusing Gi-hun of lying. You took all the courage you had left in you to try and stand up for him, at least make it known that you sided with him. Past experiences, especially your school time, usually made it hard for you to speak up, but that shouldn't really be an issue right now — You could end up dead, that's what worried you. After the voting, that didn't go your way at all, Gi-hun showed gratitude for your courage to say something and suggested you'd stick with him from now on.

Added to your group were In-ho, the last player who actually voted 'O', Jung-bae and Dae-ho, who were both former marines. While eating the lunch provided to you by the guards, those two immediately bonded over their former occupation, which you found endearing. Even though you were currently still to shy to join in on their conversations, you were content with just having a group you could stick to — Because you were sure you absolutely wouldn't survive in here alone.

"And, what's your name?" Dae-ho asked, as hd took a seat on the stairs next to you, happily eating his food. When you told him he gasped, almost chocking in the process. "That's my sisters name!" he laughed, nudging your shoulder with his. You just replied with a little "Oh? No way." and then he began rambling about his life, about his four sisters, about how his father sent him to be a marine and so on. He closed his monologue saying "Anyway, that's a really pretty name." and then proceeded to ask you for your leftover food. He made you laugh, which was nice considering you all were stuck in this hellhole.

In Dae-ho's opinion, you two had a lot in common, even if you didn't at all. He suggested you slept in the bed right under his which was.. well, free now after the first game. At night, you couldn't help but overthink your interactions with not only him, but the other three guys, too. They were so nice and welcoming. All of them had a special attribute that will probably be useful in the coming few days.. and you? You had the feeling that you brought nothing to the table.

The next day, a vast majority of the players went into the second game with the impression that this will be Dalgona, like Gi-hun predicted. Apparently not. The female voice over the speakers ordered the players to form groups of five. "Ah, how perfect," In-ho smiled, "guess we'll be a group then." You looked between the men, nodding in agreement and just when you were about to say something-

"Excuse me, are you maybe searching for one more person-?"

"Oh, no I'm sorry, we're actually already five peo-"

"I'm pregnant."

The girl cut Jung-bae off, resting her hands on her pregnant belly. You raised your eyebrows in shock and no one really seemed to know what to do next. Oh, you felt bad for her. She must've been very desperate if she entered the games while being pregnant. You five were just looking at each other confused, until you took a deep breath: "It's okay, I'll find another group. She needs to be with people she can absolutely win with." You looked at the girl and she looked back, slowly giving you a grateful smile. "No it's okay I'll go-" Dae-ho tried to say, but you waved him off, shaking your head.

"Well.. No, you can't just.."

"Dae-ho," In-ho said in a low tone, putting a hand on his shoulder, "she's pregnant." he said, like Dae-ho needed a reminder of what was right in front of him. You weren't that important to the team anyways, and that girl needed your help. So, it was decided, and in the end you did find a team of three players who voted 'X', like you, and one who didn't. You felt fairly safe with these people and even if you didn't, you didn't have much of a choice.

The game was a six-legged pentathlon with five mini games you had to split between each team member to complete. Watching the first few teams go was an absolute adrenaline rush, given the small amount of time of five minutes, the first few players were shot on sight pretty early on. This made you nervous to the point where you could throw up. Your original group was sitting a few meters away from youd current one and you did lock eyes with Dae-ho quite a bit, him giving you reassuring glances or a thumbs up. You mustered up a smile, trying yo calm your thoughts down.

I can't do this, I can't do this, I can't do this-

Oh but you could. Your team, which came before Gi-hun's, barely made it over the finish line with three seconds to spare, making the crowd of waiting players roar and cheer and yell "Good job!". The most time you lost was at Gonggi, thankfully not your mini game. Being able to beat yours on the first try filled you with the confidence you needed, which was probably the only thing that kept you up on your feet. Speaking of which, the shackles, that bound your left leg together with the player next to you, were taken off of them and you were free to go. Well, back into the dorm area.

Anxiously, you sat on your bed and waited, for your team. Players streamed in, one after the other, just not the ones you were so desperate to see. You were biting your fingernails, your thoughts being flooded with the fear of them all just dying, being left alone to survive this shit.

Suddenly, you heard a voice call out for you. It was Dae-ho (who else?) who basically sprinted to you. Before you could even stand up to reciprocate his hug, he pulled you up into his arms, squeezing the air out if his lungs. "Do you know how scared I was?" he sounded really out of breath. You didn't reply, just hugged him back the best you could and watched Jung-bae laugh to himself, watching the two of you. "I'm so glad you're alive! I'll never let you do that again, okay? Next time, I'll be the one to find another group.. not you okay?" His word vomit just wouldn't stop.

"Let's hope there won't be a next time."

"Obviously there won't be, I won't ever let you leave again."