Chapter Text
Hyun-Ju limps down the hallway, her leg cut from the fight with Player 202. She heads toward the room where Geum-Ja is with Jun-Hee and her newborn baby.
She opens the door. Geum-Ja is cradling the baby, while Jun-Hee sits on the floor, pale and shaken.
“I found the exit! We can get out of here together,” Hyun-Ju says.
Suddenly, footsteps echo in the hall. Hyun-Ju turns and sees Myung-Gi running toward her. She slams the door shut and crouches beside Jun-Hee, grabbing the knife from the floor.
The door bursts open. Myung-Gi freezes when he sees the baby in Geum-Ja’s arms.
“Yo, MGcoin! What’s going on in there? Anyone inside?” Nam-Gyu calls from the hall, laughing.
A tear slides down Myung-Gi’s cheek. “Nah! No one’s here. Let’s go!” he shouts back. Then he leaves, joining Nam-Gyu as they move on to search elsewhere.
Hyun-Ju slowly opens the door and peers outside. “All clear,” she says.
Geum-Ja and Jun-Hee stand. Hyun-Ju leads them through the hallway, moving fast and silent.
They finally reach the exit room. Hyun-Ju closes the door behind them.
“You really found the way out,” Geum-Ja says, out of breath.
“Told you we make a good team,” Hyun-Ju replies, taking out her keys. She fits all three into the lock.
The door opens, flooding the room with yellow light as a song plays: “Congratulations, and celebrations…”
Geum-Ja and Jun-Hee, holding the baby, step closer to the door.
Then Geum-Ja hears footsteps. She turns—and sees Yong-Sik standing behind them.
“…Yong-Sik,” Geum-Ja says quietly, her voice shaking.
“…Mom,” he answers.
“If I don’t kill someone, they’ll shoot me.” He looks at Jun-Hee. “I have to kill her.”
Geum-Ja and Hyun-Ju freeze.
Hyun-Ju quickly steps in front of them, fists tight. “You’re not touching her—or her baby,” she says. “What’s wrong with you? There were other people you could’ve chosen before!”
“I couldn’t…” Yong-Sik glances at the timer. “I’ve only got fifty seconds left. I have to do it!”
Geum-Ja walks toward him slowly. She takes his hand and moves the knife to her own stomach.
“Then do it,” she says softly. “I’ve lived long enough.” Her voice is calm, but tears fill her eyes.
“But don’t hurt Hyun-Ju, Jun-Hee, or her baby.”
Yong-Sik’s hand shakes. A tear runs down his face. “Mom… I can’t.”
“You have to,” she says more firmly. “Because if you die without killing anyone, I’ll end my life too.”
Yong-Sik looks shocked, then suddenly pushes her away and runs at Jun-Hee.
Hyun-Ju reacts fast. She punches him in the face and blocks him again. “Stay back!” she yells.
“I HAVE to kill her!” he screams, shoving Hyun-Ju aside. He pins Jun-Hee against the door. The baby starts crying.
He raises his knife—then he freezes, he is stabbed.
Turning around, he sees Geum-Ja standing there, crying. It’s the same knife she used to cut Jun-Hee’s baby’s cord.
“Ma…” Yong-Sik whispers weakly.
“I’m sorry…” Geum-Ja sobs, hugging him as he falls to his knees.
“Ma…” he says one last time before going still.
Beep. The timer runs out.
Footsteps echo in the hall. Guards rush in with guns.
“No! Please don’t shoot! I did it—it’s my fault!” Geum-Ja screams. “He’s my son!”
They fire. Geum-Ja screams as Yong-Sik falls into a pool of blood.
His eyes meet hers one last time.
Maybe Seon-Nyeo was right—
maybe this is how they were meant to die.
Looking at each other until the end.
After the fourth game, most players are already back in the dormitory. Myung-Gi looks around, searching for Jun-Hee, but there’s no sign of her anywhere.
Gi-Hun sits chained to his bed again, quietly watching the room. A group of players wearing O symbols pass by, laughing at him.
“I’VE PLAYED THESE GAMES BEFORE!” one of them mocks.
“That’s really funny, 456,” another adds with a grin before they walk off.
Nam-Gyu enters the dorm, muttering under his breath. “Fuuuck!” he growls, looking around. Then he spots Myung-Gi.
“Myung-Gi! You seen my little chain? The one with the pills inside?”
“No, I didn’t,” Myung-Gi replies.
“Fuck!” Nam-Gyu snaps.
He storms toward the guards standing by the hallway door—the one the players use to return from the game.
“Hey! Let me through,” he pleads. “I—I dropped something, and I need to get it back!”
“The game has ended,” one guard says firmly.
“Come on, it’s important to me!” Nam-Gyu shouts.
He tries to push past them, but the guards shove him down. Their guns swing toward him.
Then—a sound is heard.
A baby’s cry.
They three freeze. The guards and Nam-Gyu turn toward the hallway.
Geum-Ja walks through the doorway, trembling, holding a newborn baby in her arms. Behind her, Jun-Hee and Hyun-Ju limp out, both exhausted and pale.
Myung-Gi stares at them. Geum-Ja is shaking, tears streaking down her face.
The dorm falls silent. Players stare in shock.
A baby—
in the middle of the games.
Guards enter. Soldiers with guns line the walls as the manager steps forward.
“(Amount of players) have been eliminated.”
Author's note:
Yeah, I’m too lazy to count how many players were eliminated 😭. What matters is that Dae-Ho, Seon-Nyeo, and Min-Su survived.
And just to explain—yeah, I didn’t kill off Dae-Ho in my fic. In Season 3, he died in such a stupid way because of Gi-Hun, and honestly, that moment completely ruined Gi-Hun’s character for me. Him killing Dae-Ho made no sense at all—it was unnecessary, out of character, and just poorly written. So, I changed it. I wanted to keep Dae-Ho alive because his death in the show felt pointless, and I wanted to give his character (and Gi-Hun’s) something better than that.
One by one, numbers are read aloud.
“As before, you will now vote—to stop or continue.”
Each player walks up to cast their vote.
Geum-Ja steps to the machine. She hesitates, then presses X with a firm hand.
As she turns, she spots another player heading to vote. Quickly, she steps in front of him, blocking his path.
“Please, sir… can we just stop this?” she pleads, her voice shaking. “This isn’t about the prize anymore—it’s about surviving.”
Her tone softens, but the desperation stays.
“You really think you can make it to the end? These games are killing people. No one walks away from this.”
Tears fill her eyes. “Please… I’m begging you.”
She takes a shaky breath.
“If this is about money—fine. I’ll give you half of mine. No, all of it. I don’t care anymore. I’ve lived long enough.”
Her voice cracks as she glances at Jun-Hee.
“Look at her! How can a mother with a newborn survive another game? It’s not right!”
The player stands still for a moment, saying nothing.
“…Please,” Geum-Ja whispers again.
“Player 192, you must vote,” the manager says.
Her eyes stay locked on him. “Please…”
Player 192 walks up to the machine, ignoring her. Without a word, he presses O.
Geum-Ja breaks down, crying quietly.
Hyun-Ju rushes over and holds her up as she trembles.
One by one, the other players vote.
Gi-Hun, still handcuffed to his bed, doesn’t vote. He just stares into space, wondering if their resistance meant anything.
But like before… the majority votes O, and once again, the game continues.
Dae-Ho, trembling, slowly walks up to Gi-Hun and sits beside him. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry,” he mutters.
“The plan—it… it wouldn’t have worked,” he stammers. “But I swear, I wanted to bring the ammo to you guys. I just… I got scared when I heard the gunshots. I panicked. I’m sorry.”
Gi-Hun stays silent, his eyes fixed on Dae-Ho. He doesn’t say a word.
“I… I’ll go instead,” Dae-Ho says quietly, standing up. He takes a shaky breath and walks away.
Back at Jun-Hee’s bed, Geum-Ja quietly sets down two bowls of food. “Here you go…” she says softly.
“…Thank you,” Hyun-Ju murmurs, taking hers.
Jun-Hee hesitates, staring down at the bowl before her. Her hands tremble slightly.
“You have to eat, Jun-Hee,” Geum-Ja says gently. “If you want your baby to survive, you have to survive too.”
Jun-Hee’s lip quivers. “…It’s my fault your son died…” she whispers, a tear sliding down her cheek.
“What? No—no, of course not!” Geum-Ja says quickly, her voice firm but kind. “Jun-Hee, I promise you, it wasn’t your fault.”
Hyun-Ju exhales shakily. “…Everyone close to us is dying…” she mutters under her breath.
“It’s so stupid…” she continues, her tone breaking. “We have to stick together—us three. We can’t die. We have to…”
Jun-Hee looks up, wiping her tears. “It’s okay. I won’t die. I’m going to get out of here with you two, and we’ll live a perfect life—the three—ah… the four of us.” She looks at her baby, forcing a small smile.
“I’m sure we will,” Hyun-Ju says softly, returning the smile, though her eyes glisten with unshed tears.