Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

“𝑊𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡 ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑠. 𝑊𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒. 𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒..”

Before the crack of bone to concrete could disturb the eerily quiet of the arena platform, the alarm went off. The scream of a warning button which alerted Gi-hun.. Jun-ho had found the island.

And now it was about to self-destruct. Fear shot through the man's body, realizing what was happening. He ran towards the baby, the timer of the game had been reset. It rang through the walls, “Player 222 and Player 456, Pass.”

How? No one had died.. No one had..

Did Young-il.. No, the Frontman really just leave them to die? Gi-hun cradled the baby, the severity of the situation holding as close to Gi-hun's chest as he held the baby to his white dress shirt.

His eyes shot around.. If he killed himself right now, what would they do with the baby.. His eyes glance down at the small infant.. He couldn't bare to imagine. He yelled out, cursing all of the people who had done this. He felt helpless.. Unable to help the person he had sworn to protect. Multiple times. Hundreds of times..

This was all his fault.

He sunk to his knees, baby in hand.. Would it be.. More merciful to kill it right here? An explosion could leave her in terrible pain.. There was no way they could get out alive. He had to save her.

“Gi-hun.”

The tone felt so.. Familiar. Close. His head snapped around to see the face of someone he trusted.. Someone he hoped would be his ally but only turned out to be a fraud.

“Young-il.”

Gi-hun turned to him. His voice was broken.. The opposite man was standing tall, while Gi-hun was there.. On his knees. Holding the little baby in a tight kangaroo clutch.

“Please.. Please, take the baby. Don't do this to her. Don't kill.." He was begging a man, someone who had betrayed him so many times.. His voice broken and defeated. “You won. I couldn't save them. It's all my fault."

They both kept eye contact.. In-ho's mask was still on. It showed a bridge of distrust.. Gi-hun breathed heavily, eyes fading into anger instead of desperation.

“Dammit, you bastard I said YOU WIN!"

He screamed, hands shaking around the baby. Gi-hun's desperation only fuelled In-ho's sick pleasure. The pleasure of seeing him so sad.. So unbelievably hopeless. He needed it. Wished he could have it poured into a liquor bottle and take shots of it every hour of the day.

His words came out slow. Calculated.

“..Get up, Player 456.”

Gi-hun's gaze drifted up to In-ho's face.. In-ho was holding the mask, slowly molding back the bridge of trust.

The slow pull of a hand to the wrist made Gi-hun get dizzy.. The baby was in In-ho's arms. His eyes drift up to Gi-hun's.

“I'm sorry, Gi-hun.”

He said, his voice gentle.. Gi-hun almost forgave him with that look in his eyes. With the safety of the child promised.. Suddenly, every inch of fight in him seemed to fade away and finally..

His body relaxed all around him.

..He relaxed directly into the concrete platform below him.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

𝑨 𝒇𝒆𝒘 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓..

Gi-hun woke up in a clean bed.. His clothes changed from bloody ones to a white silk pajama set. His brows furrow slightly as he sits up.

The threat of the baby's safety was like an alarm going through his body and he tried to stand. He felt bandages wrapping around his upper thigh.

“Ah.."

His hands have a few smaller bandages wrapped around them. He was so confused.. This wasn't his apartment. This wasn't his bed.. These weren't his pajamas!

Where on earth was–

Suddenly, a knock at the door was heard. Gi-hun was now looking around frantically for anything to help him.. Had he been sold? Maybe one of those VIPs had managed to get their hands on him? Rich people love having expensive winning horses, which is what they'd probably view him as..

His eyes snap up to the door.. The visual of In-ho cradling the baby and walking into Gi-hun's room makes his heart stop.

“You're awake.” In-ho nods, walking next to Gi-hun's bed. Gi-hun goes to attack him, or just.. Do anything. But his arm ached with a sort of pain he didn't remember having.

Not only was his arm cuffed to the bed, there was a new mark..A long carving of a name.. “Hwang In-ho”. The tattoo was still bleeding.. He was confused, eyes searching Young-il's.

"What the hell is this?" He yelled, gesturing to his bloodied arm. "Hwang In-ho? Who is that? Are you insane?"

‘Young-il’ stared down at him. He smiled.

“It's me, Gi-hun. You didn't think that I'd use my real name.." He looked over at the baby. “Did you?”

Gi-hun scoffed, looking at the tattoo and then his surroundings.

“When did.. You do this?”

“Transport you here?” In-ho asked, “A few days ago. You slept for so long.. I was beginning to get worried.”

“..Everything. Why am.. Why did you save us? You're.. Not," Gi-hun seemed to be incredibly hesitant. Even though he hated The Front Man with all his heart.. It was hard to insult In-ho.

“..I'll let you rest up. Player 222 will do the same."

“Player 222?” Gi-hun looked up, begging that he wasn't being teased. "..Did you-?"

"She's sleeping, Gi-hun. Don't get hysterical.." He pulled at his suit, fixing what shouldn't have been fixed, “Now.. As for you.”

Gi-hun looked up.

“You should've let me die. I would have killed myself if you weren't about to blow up the island..”

“I can't let that happen, Gi-hun. You fascinate me. Plus, the VIPs will want to see the prized two time winner.” He smiled, as if this was fair. As if the life of a prized pooch was something Gi-hun wanted. Before Gi-hun could even start to formulate a plan of escape, In-ho added. “Gi-hun, if you even attempt an escape that child will be going to any orphanage that will take her.”

Gi-hun just.. Stared. How on earth was this the man he had trusted with a gun around him?! Trusted around Jung-bae.. Trusted with his life!

“..You wouldn't.”

“Would I?”

..𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒆?