Chapter Text
As he set foot into the back of the limousine, In-ho already knew what he was after. Otherwise, the vehicle wouldn't have been tracked earlier on the road. But he's not impulsive, the long game had always proved more rewarding. He sat back comfortably, preserving his composure.
His current view was captivating: stood no longer a weak frame, void of his senses, but a strong individual, aged by vengefulness. He watched this new version of Gi-hun a beat longer than necessary.
He could have almost bypassed him. Almost. Like a mask slipping halfway, Gi-hun's eyes flickered briefly, betraying his act.
Given the robotic sneer on the other end, Gi-hun was aware his cover had been blown. So, he hesistantly looked in front of him. Perhaps he wanted to face him. There it was, angular and cold. The light sharpened the faceted edges of his mask. Emotionless. Intimidating. His uniform was no different, tailored to command control, refusing to let on more than one should know.
In-ho? He slightly tilted his head, amused by Gi-hun's effort to hold his ground and even more so by his dumbfounded expression. Behind it were traces of trauma, a haunted look he knew too well.
“You came back with a plan,” he began saying, voice almost conversational. “And yet you’re sitting here like you don’t know what comes next."
Gi-hun scoffed, refusing to entertain whatever sick game this excuse of a man had in mind. 𝘈 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦, he thought.
"You're not surprised." Gi-hun stated flatly. The sleeping gas had been quite dense after all.
"Should I be?" A pause.
"You're reckless." In-ho adds as a matter of fact.
He doesn't seem to mind being met with silence, instead leaning forward, elbows on his knees physically closing the distance. Slow, deliberate, like a predator trying not to scare off his prey.
Gi-hun catches on with ease, clenches his teeth at the sight. He believes it'd take quite a while to find the tracker, sitting underneath the dental implant. But it's about time he shifts focus.
"You know I came back for a reason," Gi-hun muttered, eyes narrowing. "So why are you wasting time playing house in a limousine?"
In-ho huffed, more amused than insulted. “You call this wasting time?” He leaned back again, theatrically casual. "Still pretending. How typical." Such defiance was like a painting he hadn't finished interpreting.
Gi-hun's eyes shot back at him, quite surprised by his last words. Before he could make another remark, In-ho began speaking:
"You’re shaking. Are you cold, or are you afraid I’ll take something from you?” Gi-hun met his gaze without blinking, as if to fail whatever expectations the other had.
Stakes are high. This is a gamble. Was Gi-hun confident or buying time..?