Chapter Text
They were being rounded up again, over back to the stairs. That damn classical music seemed to be taunting him as he walked, head down, a faint scent of blood tinging the air. His hands shook slightly as he climbed the same stairs he ran from yestarday , bullet holes ripped through the pastel pink.
Suddenly they came to a stop, the player next to him gasping in shock. The voice from the speaker was saying something about consequences, no, no it couldn’t be…
He looked up.
All of his dead allies were hung in the air above them, like some kind of human chandelier. And staring down at him was Jungbae.
His face turned pale, bile rising in his throat as he coughed and looked away, not able to face it.
His hands trembled harder, sweat starting to bead on his forehead as he turned back, avoiding eye contact with him, but making it with another man.
The man who blamed him for all of this. And he was out for him.
Tears stung at his already sore eyes. If there was a god out there, he was sure this was their way of punishing him for being so pathetic.
So weak.
Everyone was shuffled into another room, a machine in the center that contained blue and red balls. What game could this be?
Although the rules were explained, he wasn’t listening. Instead he was staring at Gi-hun, knowing his fate was sealed.
They were on opposite teams.
Dae-ho was to be hunted like prey.
Gi-hun was to hunt him like an apex predator.
It was funny. He had said it himself, his name meant big tiger. Yet he was neither brave nor strong. He had hoped that name would help him, help him be more of a man.
That had failed. Just one more lie.
How many more lies? Not many, he wouldn’t live to tell them.
He could barely even notice what was going on around him as they were all pushed into a maze. Stars decorated the ceiling and blue walls ran off and snaked around in all directions.
He took off running.
For the next twenty or so minutes everything was a blur of running, of staring, of being sure this was his end.
At ome point he got into a fight with another player, which ended in his ankle being sliced, blood dripping down his foot onto concrete.
As he went round a corner he locked eyes with Gi-hun.
Shit.
He bolted, his injured leg taking him as far as could before diving behind a door, and cowering.
Another funny thing, he thought. Instead of hiding from his father, he was hiding from someone he had managed to let down in three days.
The door opened again.
He had been found.
lGi-hun, I... I really tr... tried to do my best. I... wasn't a Marine, okay? I lied about that also, I never even served. I never fired a gun. My tattoo... my tattoo is fake too. I lied so I could team up with you…with you guys, and maybe... even a fucking loser like me... would have a chance to survive!”
He was rambling, he knew that. He knew it was pointless there was no reason to, he was going to die.
“-but suddenly I-I got scared-“
He felt a sharp shove and was pushed back into the concrete stairs, a knife to his throat, his hands claiming uselessly as he screamed in fear.
“It’s your fault! It’s all your fault!”
“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”
He apologised, over and over, anything, please, please he couldn’t die like this, he was scared.
As the other man suddenly faltered he took his chance, shoving his back up against the wall.
“You motherfucker! It’s my fault! My fault? What about you? It was you.”
A cold feeling ran through his veins, rage starting to take over. This wasn’t true. He knew it. He it wasn’t true but what’s one more lie?
He brandished the knife, making wild accusations.
His time was running out and he knew that. This was pointless. But some human part of him still wanted to live.
“You killed all of them! It’s your fault!”
He was lunged at, shoved against the wall, as they fought with each other, going up the stairs towards the doorway, groaning in pain and yelling as pain ran through him, the other man fast behind.
He foot swayed over the edge.
A dead end.
They started fighting again, his hands wrapping aroujd his throat as he tried to choke him, pushed back into the ground.
That familiar metallic taste started to fill his mouth, the other man’s hands wrapped around his neck.
God Dae-ho, what a fucking girl.
You really did it this time.
One too many cowardly mistakes now.
How are you gonna outrun this one?
How will you lie your way out?
He struggled and thrashed against the weight of the other man.
456 was going to kill him.
His father was going to kill him.
Gi-hun was going to kill him.
His father was going to kill him.
His father was going to kill him. His father was going to kill him. His father was going to kill him. His father was going to kill him. His father was going to kill him.
“Please-please dad! I’ll do better! I’ll try again! Plea-“
The weight lifted off his neck, air suddenly surging into his throat making him choke. He wasn’t…dead? He lay there, heart beating in his ears sweat and blood sticking to him, tears streaming down his cheeks.
“It’s all my fault..”
He struggled to lift his head, but what he saw madw him wish he was actually dead. Gi-hun had a knife to his throat, and was slitting it open.
Then his vision went dark.