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luxerians · 17 days ago

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The Last Mask (07)

Hwang In-ho/Oh Young-il/Player 001 x Reader

Chapter 07 - Oh Young-il

Story Masterlist

NEXT : Chapter 08

PREV : Chapter 06

All six of you were led back to the dormitory. As you stepped inside, a low murmur of chatter echoed among the surviving players. But the moment your group entered, the room fell silent. You felt the weight of every gaze, the burn of eyes boring into your team as if your survival was a personal affront.

“They don’t seem so happy to see us,” player 001 remarked, his tone light but tinged with awareness.

With player 001 leading the way, your team moved toward the familiar corner where you often gathered. The quiet tension lingered, following you like eyes.

You glanced back at player 222, who trailed at the far end of your group. Slowing your pace, you allowed her to catch up before wrapping a gentle arm around her shoulders.

“Hey, have you made any friends here yet?” you asked softly.

She shook her head silently, her expression fragile. Offering her a small, reassuring smile, you said, “Then stay with us. We usually hang out in that corner.”

You nodded toward the area your group was heading for. Player 222 hesitated, her eyes flicking to the others as if gauging whether she’d be welcomed. Noticing her uncertainty, you gave her shoulder a comforting pat, keeping your arm around her as you gently guided her forward.

As you walked, Jung-bae’s enthusiastic wave caught your attention. You followed his line of sight and saw the mother (149) and her son (007). The mother’s face lit up with pure relief and joy at seeing your group alive. She and her son waved at you and player 222 with genuine warmth.

“That sweet old lady,” Jung-bae commented wistfully. “I miss my mom.”

You returned the wave with a smile while player 222 bowed politely to them. After the brief exchange, you continued toward the corner with player 222 at your side.

Once there, your group settled in. Gi-hun took his usual spot at the far end, and player 222 sat on the lower staircases just in front of him. Player 001 sat beside Gi-hun, with you taking the lower step in front of him, next to player 222. Dae-ho and Jung-bae sat nearby, completing the circle. For the first time since returning, the corner felt like a small haven amidst the uneasy silence of the dormitory.

“I’m sorry about earlier, everyone,” player 001 spoke up, drawing the group’s attention. He was clearly referring to his struggles during the Spinning Top event.

“It’s okay,” you said first, offering him a reassuring smile. “Everyone has moments like that, but you didn’t give up, and that’s what mattered.”

Player 001 glanced at you, his eyes softening. He smiled appreciatively. Jung-bae patted his knee with a comforting smile, while Dae-ho shook his head as if dismissing the need for an apology.

“Don’t be,” Gi-hun added. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have made the last kick.”

Player 001 turned his attention to player 222, his tone gentle. “Player 222, are you feeling alright?”

“Yes,” she replied quietly, nodding with a small smile. “Thank you all for letting me be on your team.”

You smiled warmly at her. “From now on, just stay with us.”

Player 222’s gazed at you in surprise before she bowed her head respectfully. “Okay. Thank you, big sis.”

Jung-bae chimed in, his tone light. “She smashed that Ddakji and flipped it on her first try. That was impressive.”

Player 222’s smile grew, but she lowered her head slightly, her expression bashful. You smiled wider at her reaction.

“She did great, even while carrying a baby. We were lucky she joined our team,” Jung-bae added.

“What about your Flying Stone play? You hit it with one shot,” Dae-ho said. He got up from the staircase and mimicked Jung-bae’s underhand throw. “Bam! You were like Kim Byung-hyun.”

Laughter rippled through the group, you and player 001 joining in. Jung-bae shook his head, chuckling. “And you? Was Gonggi the only game you ever played?”

Jung-bae then mimicked Dae-ho’s swift movements during Gonggi, adding exaggerated sound effects as if reenacting a battle. “I could barely see your hands. It was like watching a martial arts movie.”

Dae-ho laughed before he shared, “I’m the only son for two generations. My mom only let me play at home with my sisters.”

“And yet they let their precious son join the Marines?” asked Jung-bae, raising his eyebrows.

Dae-ho’s face froze for a moment. He stared at Jung-bae, his grin faltering slightly, then replied, “My father’s idea. He wanted me to be more of a man. He fought in the Vietnam War, you see.”

“Oh,” you said softly, the others nodding as they listened.

“He sounds like a great man,” said Jung-bae. “Was he a Marine too?”

“Yeah, well…” Dae-ho muttered, then suddenly shifted his attention to you. His tone brightened as he said in awe, “But how could we forget about Miss? The way you threw those arrows was awesome!”

He mimicked the way the arrows arched in the air and landed perfectly in the vase. “You must’ve done that a lot!”

Jung-bae turned to you as well, nodding in agreement. “That’s right. You passed on the first try and still had arrows left. Did you play sports like that?”

You chuckled, feeling a bit shy under their praise. “Not really. My school had games like Tuho during festivals. I joined for fun and found out I was good at it.”

“Ah,” the others murmured, nodding in understanding.

Jung-bae grinned at you. “We were lucky to have you. Oh, does your family know about your Tuho skills?”

You blinked and nodded. “Yeah, they do.”

Jung-bae leaned forward, his tone teasing. “Then they have nothing to be afraid of. If any bad guys show up, you’ll just grab something and throw it right into their eyes.”

Gi-hun, player 001, and Dae-ho let out brief, subtle laughs, and you couldn’t help but grin along. But as Jung-bae’s teasing lingered in the air, your mind wandered. You thought of your parents at the hospital and Ji-yoo. They must be wondering where you are right now, you realized.

Your smile gradually faded, and though you didn’t notice, player 001 and player 222 did. Their gazes lingered on you, a quiet concern settling between them. Jung-bae, however, remained oblivious.

“Oh, wait,” Jung-bae asked again, his tone light. “Do your parents know you’re here?”

You put on a small smile. “Oh, no, they don’t. They’re in the hospital right now, so I’m sure they have no idea where I am.”

The shift in the group’s mood was immediate. Their laughter faded, replaced by concern. Jung-bae tilted his head, his tone curious but cautious. “The hospital? Why? Are they sick?”

You forced a small smile, trying to sound casual. “Not exactly. They had a run-in with some loan sharks. My dad borrowed money, couldn’t pay it back, and… well, things got out of hand.”

The group went quiet, their gazes fixed on you. The weight of their attention felt heavy, and you glanced around, catching their curious and concerned expressions. You forced a smile, trying to lighten the mood. “Don’t worry. My parents are doing fine in the hospital now.”

“Miss…” Dae-ho’s voice broke the silence, hesitant. He pulled his jacket’s collar up to his nose as if it could shield him from the gravity of his own question. “What did the loan sharks do?”

At first, you hesitated, unsure if you should tell them. Their concerned faces made it harder to avoid, so you took a breath and put on a fake smile, trying to mask the unease growing inside you.

“They roughed up my parents. Dropped them off on the porch. They’re in the hospital now, but they’re tough. They’ll bounce back,” you pause, glancing at the floor briefly, then looked up with that same forced smile. “I'm taking care of their debt now. But it's tough because the loan sharks recently tripled the amount.”

Player 001 leaned forward slightly, his calm voice cutting through the tension. “How much?”

You informed, “It’s not just the loan anymore. The hospital bills for my parents… the interest… everything together. It’s 350 million won.”

“Wah,” Jung-bae said, staggered by the amount. “Unless you hit a jackpot or something, that’s impossible to pay off by yourself. Those loan sharks are scum.”

Dae-ho spoke up, “Miss, I didn’t realize you were carrying so much. You always seemed cheerful, and I thought it was just money issues bringing you here. But you’ve really been through a lot.”

“Did those loan sharks ever hurt you?” player 001 asked, his gaze steady and piercing.

This was when your fake smile dropped. You dropped your gaze and said, “No. But they sent me a note. It said they’d… resort to drastic measures if I didn’t pay. They threatened to hurt my little sister. That’s why I’m here. I need the money for my family.”

You glanced at player 001, catching the way he stared at you deeply, his expression unreadable but intense. Gi-hun also stared at you, quiet and contemplative. It struck you that he might be thinking you’d consider staying in the game longer to accumulate more prize money.

Quickly, you spoke up, “Not that I plan to stay here any longer, though. No matter how much I earn, I want to go home.”

Gi-hun nodded in understanding, the tension in his face easing. Turning to Jung-bae, you bowed your head slightly. “Sorry for bringing up such a heavy topic.”

The group shook their heads, brushing off your apology. Jung-bae was the first to respond. “No, it’s fine! Honestly, I’ve been curious about why you’re here anyway. You look so out of place.”

Dae-ho nodded energetically. “I’ve been wondering the same thing too. You and Miss 222… you don’t seem like you belong here.”

You blinked at him. “Is it because we’re girls?”

Dae-ho grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. “Well, yeah. But Miss 222 is pregnant, and you… you’re really pretty. Honestly, you should be filming a commercial, not stuck here.”

The unexpected compliment made you smile sincerely this time. Heat rose to your cheeks as you glanced away shyly. Before you could respond, player 222 spoke softly, “Yes, you’re very beautiful, big sis.”

Jung-bae and Gi-hun smiled in agreement, their expressions earnest. Player 001 chimed in, “I agree. Many players here keep glancing at you.”

You lowered your head bashfully.

Suddenly, Dae-ho pushed himself up from his seat and stepped confidently into the center of your group, his usual energy lighting up the moment.

“Listen. Perhaps we should learn each other’s names. I still don’t know your names, gentlemen. Or yours, Miss,” he said, glancing at player 222 before turning back to you with a grin. “Though I already know yours. Still, let’s do this properly as a group.”

He straightened up. “I’ll start. I’m Kang Dae-ho. ‘Dae’ means big, and ‘ho’ means tiger.”

Jung-bae chuckled lightly. “Oh, ‘big tiger.’ Cool name. My name is Park Jung-bae. ‘Righteous’ and ‘twice.’ My parents wanted me to be twice as righteous.”

Player 222 hesitated briefly before introducing herself. “My name is Kim Jun-hee. I don’t know what it means, though.”

The group smiled at her warmly. Player 001’s voice softened as he spoke to her, “Jun-hee, when you get out of here, go see a doctor right away. You’ve been under a lot of stress. You need to get yourself checked out.”

You noticed how gentle his tone was, and it melted your heart. He was genuinely considerate of her condition, and it showed in every word.

“Okay,” Jun-hee replied, her voice small but grateful.

Player 001 shifted his gaze to you, and you noticed the others following suit. Their expectant looks made it clear they were waiting for your introduction.

“My name is [Your Full Name],” you said next, offering a small smile. “I’ve never checked what it means.”

The others nodded in acceptance, their smiles encouraging. Player 001 also commented with a soft smile, “It sounds perfect for you. Beautiful, even.”

You hung your head bashfully.

Finally, player 001 spoke. “I’m Oh Young-il.”

You stared at him. Finally, you got his name.

“Young-il?” Jung-bae repeated in bewilderment.

“Yes,” Young-il said, pointing at his player number. “Young-il sounds like ‘zero one,’ and that’s my number. Easy to remember.”

Dae-ho’s eyes lit up as he pointed to the number on Young-il’s uniform. “Oh, that’s true! Your name is your number!”

“What a coincidence,” you remarked, smiling. “Maybe the game makers noticed the connection and assigned you as 001 on purpose.”

Young-il chuckled at your comment, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Who knows? It does feel a little too perfect.”

Jung-bae nodded in agreement. “Yeah, it’s almost like fate.”

Young-il turned to the man beside him with a curious expression. “Oh, Gi-hun. What’s your last name?”

“My name is Seong Gi-hun,” he said, finally introducing himself as his gaze flicked to you and the rest of the group.

You and the others nodded, murmuring sounds of acknowledgment. Young-il, however, tilted his head thoughtfully before remarking, “Oh. But ‘Seong’ literally means ‘last name.��”

He broke into a laugh at his own comment, his amusement evident. The rest of the group stared at him as if not quite catching on. You stared at him for a moment, then it clicked – he was probably making a dad joke. Unable to hold back, you chuckled softly, the lighthearted moment easing the mood a little.

A blaring beeping noise echoed through the dormitory. As usual, the main double doors opened, and the pink-clad guards marched in. At the front, the familiar square-masked guard stood.

You and the rest of the players turned to watch. Many began rising from their seats or stepping away from their hangout spots, awaiting the the announcement.

“Congratulations to all of you for making it through the second game. Here are the results of the second game,” the square-masked guard announced, holding up a remote control.

With a click, the dormitory lights dimmed, leaving the room bathed in the eerie glow of the piggy bank suspended near the ceiling. The familiar sound of money dropping filled the air as stacks of bills cascaded into the transparent bank. Almost every player stood, their eyes fixed on the mesmerizing sight.

You found yourself staring too, unable to shake the grim realization that each stack represented the lives of players who didn’t make it.

When the flow of money stopped, the guard spoke again. “In the second game, 114 players were eliminated. The prize money accumulated up to this point is 19.8 billion won. Since there are 258 players remaining, each person’s share is 76,744,186 won.”

Hearing the amount, you hung your head low. The number was far from what you needed to cover your debt. Disappointment gnawed at you. Unbeknownst to you, Young-il, standing just beside you, stared at you.

“Wait, what?” a player exclaimed, his tone sharp with dissatisfaction. “It’s still under 100 million? It’s not even 80 million.”

A woman with an ‘O’ patch on her chest asked bluntly, “Only 114 people died? Is that all? Did you count them right?”

Another voice from the O zone yelled out, “That’s all? But you shot all those people!”

Player 100 joined in, his voice rising above the others. “Count them again!”

The dissatisfaction rippled through the crowd as more players voiced their anger.

The square-masked guard's voice cut through the noise. “I completely understand your disappointment. However, we always keep the door open for you to pursue new opportunities. You will now take a vote to decide whether to continue the games or not.”

The circle-masked guards moved efficiently, setting up the voting equipment. The square guard continued, “Whether to continue the games for a bigger prize or to stop here is entirely your choice. Please feel free to exercise your right to choose in a democratic manner.”

All of you were given a short break as the circle guards set up everything for the voting. You stood there, your head still hung low, disappointment lingering at the thought of 70 million won being nowhere near enough to solve your problems.

“[Your name],” Gi-hun called, breaking through your thoughts.

You blinked and turned to him. Gi-hun stepped down onto the same staircase where you stood, positioning himself on your left since Young-il was already standing to your right. His stare was steady.

“If the vote goes our way and we leave this game,” Gi-hun began, “memorize my phone number. Contact me. I want to help you and your situation.”

You gaped at him, stunned by his sudden offer. From the corner of your eye, you noticed Jun-hee observing the two of you, her curiosity clear. Behind you, the subtle sound of shifting made you aware that Young-il had fully turned his attention to your conversation.

Gi-hun continued, “I still have billions of won left. More than enough to help your family. If you’re more comfortable, we can arrange to meet somewhere. Maybe at a park or a subway station.”

His words caught you off guard, but they brought a warm smile to your face. You nodded gratefully. “Thank you. That would mean a lot.”

Gi-hun returned your smile. Before you could say more, Young-il’s voice interrupted gently.

“I’d like to help as well,” Young-il said calmly.

You turned to him, your eyes wide in surprise. His gaze met yours, steady and kind.

“Whether it’s protection or financial support, I’ll do whatever I can. If we leave this place, let’s set up a meeting as well,” Young-il offered.

A soft warmth spread across your cheeks as his words sank in. You bowed your head respectfully, your voice filled with gratitude. “Thank you so much, you two.”

Young-il’s smile widened, but it quickly faltered when he noticed Gi-hun staring at the O patch on his chest. Young-il reassured him, “Don’t worry. I want to stop here too.”

Gi-hun’s shoulders relaxed, his posture softening as he nodded. “Ah, right. You have a wife waiting for you at the hospital.”

The words landed like a thunderclap. Your body froze, a chill running through you as your eyes darted to Young-il. You had suspected he might be married. His maturity and demeanor hinted at it. But hearing it confirmed struck you harder than you expected. It was in that instant you realized you had developed a crush on him, and the realization made your heart sink.

Your gaze stayed locked on Young-il, searching his face for confirmation. But instead of a smile, his expression tightened. He froze, his features tense, and the cheerful warmth he’d carried moments ago vanished. His silence stretched on until Gi-hun frowned and asked, “What? What’s wrong?”

Young-il’s eyes flicked to you briefly before he averted his gaze, his discomfort clear. You couldn’t help but gawk at him, your emotions tangled between disappointment and confusion. Young-il ruffled his hair awkwardly, exhaling deeply as if bracing himself.

“Well, about that…” he began, his tone hesitant, but you had heard enough.

Your gaze shifted away from him, and that’s when you noticed the other players gathering at the far back of the dormitory. The guards appeared to have finished setting up for the voting process.

Without another word, you stood and left the circle, making your way toward the crowd. The noise of the group and the hum of activity around you dulled the turmoil in your mind, but the questions lingering about Young-il remained unanswered.

You couldn’t understand why you felt so angry. It wasn’t his fault. Deep down, you’d always suspected he might be married. Still, you’d let yourself get swept up in the little moments, the kind words and gestures that made your heart skip a beat. You’d let your feelings blind you to reality.

You never saw this coming – you having a crush on an older adult male. The teenage version of you would be terrified, but you couldn’t help it. This Young-il guy was so charming, so caring, so considerate towards you.

But he’s married already. He has a wife waiting for him. At the hospital.

You facepalmed. Gosh, you’re such a whore.

You heard shuffling behind you, followed by the low muttering of familiar voices. You didn’t need to look to know that Jung-bae and Dae-ho were there. It seemed the rest of your group had followed you into the crowd, though you weren’t sure about Young-il or Gi-hun.

“Are you okay?” Gi-hun’s voice reached you from behind, but it didn’t seem directed at you.

There was a moment of silence before Young-il replied, “Yeah…”

His voice was calm but carried a faint edge.

You didn’t turn to look, keeping your focus ahead. That’s when you felt a presence beside you. A quick glance out of the corner of your eye revealed the adorable Jun-hee standing there. You looped your arm gently through hers. She turned her head to you and smiled.

The square-masked guard’s voice cut through the murmurs. “This time, the vote will begin with player 001. Player 001, please cast your vote.”

You stayed focused on the front, though the sound of movement behind you did not go unnoticed. A presence brushed past you. You glanced sideways and saw Young-il. He was already looking at you, his expression unreadable. He gave you a slight nod before continuing toward the voting counter.

You weren’t sure what his nod meant, but you feigned indifference and turned your attention back to the process. At the counter, Young-il pressed the X button, the deep ping echoing in the room. The tally on the TV screen updated immediately. He removed his O patch, replacing it with the red X patch, then walked to the X zone. His eyes immediately found yours.

Caught off guard, you quickly looked away and focused on the ongoing voting. Player 006 was next, voting for X as well. Then came player 007’s turn – the son from the mother-and-son duo. He was just about to step forward when his mother stopped him.

“Yong-sik, don’t get any foolish ideas,” she said. “If we put our money together, it’d be over 150 million. We’ll pay off your debt with it and use the rest to open a produce store or something. Okay?”

So his name is Yong-sik, you mused.

Yong-sik nodded wordlessly and made his way to the counter. His eyes lingered on the buttons, his expression contemplative. He glanced at the TV screen displaying the tally before finally pressing the O button.

You blinked in surprise. If you were shocked, you couldn’t imagine how his mother felt.

The voting continued, the process moving along steadily. As the numbers shifted on the screen, you began to notice the absurdity of the tie forming. Despite witnessing so much death, so many players were still willing to risk their lives for money.

Player 100 stepped up and, predictably, pressed the O button. Then it was player 120’s turn. She hesitated for a moment, her hand hovering over the buttons, before choosing O as well.

Several more players followed, each selecting O. The tally climbed to [X: 33 | O: 36] when Gi-hun suddenly pushed his way through the crowd. You watched him with wide eyes, wondering if he was about to disrupt the voting process again.

He emerged from the throng and turned to face you and the other unvoters. His voice was loud and urgent. “Everyone!”

“Are you all out of your minds?!”

Another voice cut through the room, sharp and commanding. You jolted at the sound and turned to see Young-il stepping forward from the X zone. He moved to stand in the middle of the X and O areas, his gaze sweeping over the players.

“You still want to keep going after watching all those people die?” Young-il shouted. “Who’s to say you won’t die in the next game? We have to stop. We’ll all die if we keep going! Come to your senses, and leave with that money. You’ve got to survive first, or there won’t be a next step.”

“What do you think we can do with a mere 70 million?” player 100 demanded, stepping forward from the crowd of O voters. His voice was loud, cutting through the tense silence. “I don’t know how much you owe, but for most people here, that doesn’t even cover 10% of their debt.”

You rolled your eyes, unable to stop yourself. Yeah, especially you with your 10 billion won debt.

“There’s no next step for us!” player 100 continued, his voice rising with each word. “That money won’t change anything!”

“Yes, he’s right!” another O voter chimed in. “With that amount of money, I won’t last long!”

Player 100 turned his attention toward the unvoters. “It was 25 million after the first game, and now it’s 76 million! After just one more game, the prize will be at least 240 million! That’s the kind of money that can actually change lives!”

A petite woman (player 095) suddenly spoke up, her voice trembling. “But I can’t do this anymore.”

All gazes were cast onto her. Tears streamed down her face. You recognized her from the Seven Legs Hexathlon, where she’d been on the same team as the mother and son duo and player 120.

Her body shook as sobs racked her frame. “Please. Please let me out of here. I really want to go home. I don’t want to die.”

Your heart clenched at her words, her fear echoing your own. You wanted to go home too, as did many others. But with the majority voting O, it felt like there was no escape.

A heavy silence followed her cries, broken only by her quiet sobbing. Then another O voter spoke up, guilt etched into his face, though his resolve to stay was clear. “Young lady, you’re young, so you’d probably have another chance.”

He looked like he was holding back tears as well. “But I don’t.”

“Please,” player 095 begged, clasping her hands together in a desperate gesture. Her cries were gut-wrenching, and you felt your own eyes begin to sting with unshed tears.

“My family and I have no future,” the O voter continued, his voice breaking. “My business failed, and now I owe over 500 million. I’ve got to make at least half of that here if I want a real shot at a fresh start.”

“What if you die?” Young-il’s voice cut through the silence. “If you die here, your family won’t even get your body. Then it’d be the end for you and your family!”

The O voter stared at him, his expression shifting as the weight of his words began to sink in. He cast their gaze downward, silent, as Young-il pressed further. “Don’t you see?”

“Don’t get fucking scared!”

The sudden outburst turned every head. Player 226 – another greedy player akin to player 100 – stepped forward. He continued, “Ddakji, Red Light, Green Light, Spinning Top! It’s not like the games are that difficult.”

He pointed at the TV screen. “Look. There are still 258 players. Way more than half of us survived! We’ve made it this far, so let’s do this one more time!”

Player 100 joined in. “You make such a good point, young man. That’s right! We’ve all played the games well and are still standing! Now, let’s play one more game! Just one more, and that’s it! Let’s play just one more game!”

“Yeah, let’s play one more game!” Player 226 shouted.

“One more game!” Player 100 began to chant.

The phrase spread quickly, the dormitory booming with voices as a majority of players picked up the chant. The sheer volume of it made your chest tighten. You hung your head low, the reality of the situation hitting you hard. This voting session was going to end with O as the majority. The thought frustrated you.

Unbeknownst to you, Young-il glanced in your direction, his expression unreadable.

Ten minutes had passed, and the voting process was still ongoing. You had tuned out the numbers being called, lost in your thoughts, when a slight shuffling nearby snapped you out of your trance. A presence settled beside you, and you turned your head to see a man who looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties. The number on his chest read 299. Behind him stood two other male players, and it was clear from their demeanor that the three of them were close.

What caught you off guard was that player 299 was already staring at you. As your eyes met, he smiled and spoke up, “Hi there. I’m Lee Min-jae.”

Blinking in perplexity, you hesitated before introducing yourself. His grin widened. “I want to say nice to meet you, but this isn’t exactly the perfect place for it, is it?”

You nodded blankly, unsure of what to say. He continued without missing a beat. “Anyway, I’ve been meaning to ask if you’d be okay hanging out with me later. After this vote.”

Your eyes widened in surprise. “Hang out?”

“Yeah, with me and my friends,” he gestured briefly to the two men behind him. “I noticed you always hang out with the previous winner and his group. But if you don’t mind, I was hoping you could leave them for this evening and spend some time with us instead.”

You averted your gaze, feeling a little uncomfortable with the sudden invitation.

“Umm, I’m not sure yet,” you replied cautiously.

Min-jae didn’t seem deterred. “Come on. It’ll be fun. We’ll take care of you, promise.”

His friends chimed in as well. One of them, a tall man with number 277, added, “Yeah, it’ll be good to relax a little. Everyone’s so tense here.”

The other, player 304, nodded in agreement. “Exactly. We’ve got to find small ways to keep ourselves sane in this place.”

You noticed from the corner of your eye that Jun-hee was subtly observing the interaction, her gaze shifting between you and the trio. Her quiet presence gave you a strange sense of reassurance.

Feeling cornered but not wanting to be rude, you deflected with a polite smile. “I’ll see if I have time later. Things are a bit hectic right now.”

That response seemed to satisfy Min-jae, who nodded with an easygoing grin. “Fair enough. Just let me know if you’re up for it.”

With that, he stepped back, rejoining his friends. The three of them exchanged a few words among themselves before turning their attention back to the voting process. You let out a small sigh of relief, grateful that the conversation had ended for now.

Thirty minutes passed, and the final vote from Gi-hun echoed through the room with a deep ping. The TV screen updated with the final tally: [X: 117 | O: 141].

It was a complete defeat for your side.

The square-masked guard’s voice broke through the noise. “The results are 141 for O and 117 for X. Based on the majority vote, we will proceed to the third game tomorrow. Thank you.”

The players began to disperse. In the X zone, you stood beside Jun-hee, with Dae-ho on her other side. In front of you was Young-il, his posture tense. Gi-hun remained by the voting counter, frozen in place, his disheartened expression making it clear he hadn’t expected such a defeat.

Your frustration simmered beneath the surface. The vote itself had been crushing, but what stung even more was Jung-bae’s unexpected decision to vote for O. You’d thought everyone in your group had agreed to leave this time, yet there he was, standing in the O zone. It felt like a betrayal.

Letting out a weary sigh, you turned and walked away, heading for your bed. The dormitory felt suffocating, and all you wanted was a moment to collect yourself.

NEXT : Chapter 08

PREV : Chapter 06

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