Chapter Text
“When we were kids, you and I would play like this, and our moms would call us to dinner. No one’s calling anymore.”
Player 218, Eliminated.
The sounds echoed in his head, that was the last time he’d ever hear from Sang-woo. It made his stomach turn in the wrong way every time it repeated itself. He had won, but at what cost? Gi-hun knelt down over his best friend’s corpse — could he even call him that anymore? Were they even friends, after everything this horrifying game has put them through? It was a sickening sight. The sound of him apologizing, the tears, the promises. You’d think he’d bring him back with how many times he screamed his name.
Gi-hun knew this better than anyone, Sang-woo didn’t want their efforts to be in vain. Leaving the island with no cash and trauma that would follow them until the ends of the earth? He didn’t want that. He also knew that Sang-woo wanted to be dead. And that usually, Sang-woo would get what he wanted. Even if he had to get it himself.
He sobbed for what felt like hours — days, even. It felt like he was competing with the rain, the soft, supposed to be comforting rain wasn’t helping. He yelled until he couldn’t anymore, cried even though his eyes burned and the rain caught in his nose only made the scene more pathetic. He wrapped his arm around Sangwoo, carefully lifting him up and holding him close to his chest. He rested his chin on the man’s forehead, softly whimpering as he cried. Since he was the only one left, they wouldn’t bother him. He wasn’t going to leave. Not willingly, they’d have to drag him away, and he was definitely going to struggle.
“Sangwoo-ah,” Gi-hun started, in between tears. “Why did you have to be so stubborn?” He asked, his tone wasn’t harsh, it was soft. He lifted his head up, his thumb swiped at wet hair strands that stuck to Sang-woo’s forehead to the side.. It was like he was actually having a conversation with him, even though it was clear that he wouldn’t be met with a response. “You should’ve agreed to go home. We could’ve gone home together, and even though we had no money,” He chose his words carefully. He felt selfish for winning, even though the two were in the same situation. They all were. All four hundred fifty-six of them. “You know, I would’ve loved to go out and drink with you one last time.”