(POV In-ho/Young-il/Frontman)

So much for my intention to only talk to Gi-hun. I had planned a conversation, explanations and stuff, but what was happening here was far beyond my control. Feelings overwhelmed me, I was drawn to him physically and emotionally and the second our lips touched my whole body burst into flames. I put all my intentions aside and gave in to the desire that had been consuming me since we spoke for the first time. I couldn't let go of him, my feelings completely overpowered me as I realized that I was his. All those years I had shut off any emotions just that now they all came to the surface – he was everything I wanted, I needed, I couldn't be without – and with a look into his eyes I could see that he felt it as much as I did.

We ended up on the bed, more and more eating each other up passionately. I felt the firm grip of his hand on my back as he smoothly took off my shirt and I inhaled deeply. I tugged on his shirt and tried to take it off but failed pathetically. He got stuck and we had to stop making out. For a moment I could think straight and I knew that what I did was wrong. However much we both wanted this, I couldn't do it and keep lying to him at the same time. It wouldn't be fair, to both of us. On the other hand I was aware that as soon as we'd continue to make out, there was nothing that could stop me anymore. I needed to act fast.

"Young-il...",Gi-hun said in a hoarse voice and I knew it was time.

"In-ho", I whispered, staring at the bed sheets. Even without looking at him, I could feel his confusion. "What...?" I took a deep breath and looked from my naked upper body to his halfway undressed shirt.

"Not Young-il. It's In-ho." The spinning conclusions in Gi-hun's head were so obvious, I could almost hear them make a sound. None of us said a word while the puzzle pieces in his head slowly came together. 'He's not angry at me, right? It's only a name, he won't know who I really am. I can explain him everything just at my pace...' My thoughts were interrupted by Gi-hun's voice breaking the silence.

"Hwang In-ho."

'Oh crap. Oh sh!t. Oh for fcks sake. He knows.'



(POV Gi-hun)

"Not Young-il. It's In-ho." His words echoed in my head and suddenly my mind began to spin. In-ho. I was sure that I heard that name before, but where? Why would he lie by introducing himself as Young-il? And then the memory came back. I stood in the dormitory back in 2020 with the other players, my hands behind my head, a gun pointed at me, when a guard came up to me, murmuring: "Player 456,is there someone named Hwang In-ho among you?"

I kept staring at the half-naked man in front of me, as another memory appeared on my mind. Jun-ho, the policeman who became my accomplice, was tied to my bathtub as I was interrogating him. "You remember the guard asking you for someone called Hwang In-ho. That was me. Hwang In-ho is my brother."

"Hwang In-ho." I saw how his eyes widened and I knew I had hit the bull's eye. "You are Hwang In-ho. Hwang Jun-ho is your brother." I could tell that he didn't expect me to recognize him, he was speechless.But I didn't give him time to speak, as more memories flooded my head. "Jun-ho's brother went missing nine years ago, after his wife had died... in 2015 when your wife died during childbirth."I stared at him unsure if I wanted to find out what he had been hiding, when I suddenly put 2 plus 2 together.

"You were here. You played these games back then and you won." My breathing got heavier. "You won the 45,6 billion and returned to your wife but you were too late, just like me. You and I share the exact same fate... and after her death you simply returned to the games."

In-ho was frozen, he didn't move an inch, withstanding my stares. My voice was trembling and tears came into my eyes. "Who are you?", I whispered although I already knew. The robotic voice echoed in my head: "I was a player not even 10 years ago. A player participating to save someone I loved, just like you. Just like you I won, but when I returned with 45,6 billion won, it was too late. She was dead."

I flinched back from him, staring at him in shock. I searched for loopholes, something I might have gotten wrong but the expression on his face said it all. It was the reason why he was here with me, alive: he was him.

"You", I gasped, "it's you. It has been you all the way. You are him. Frontman."