The dreadful sound of classical music filled my ears as my eyes fluttered awake. The next game would be starting soon, but all I wanted to do was keep sleeping. Despite the heaviness in my eyes, I forced myself to keep them open. I looked to my side expecting In-ho to be there, but his blanket was neatly folded on his bed and he was nowhere to be found.

I looked up through the cracks in the beds, hoping to catch a glimpse of Gi-hun and Jung-bae, but their beds were also empty. A panic started building inside my chest. Where did they go?

I crawled out from my bed. I wasn't sure what I was expecting— maybe for the three of them to be scheming about my demise somewhere, but I definitely wasn't expecting what I saw. In-ho was walking towards me with a smile plastered on his face. I blinked, trying to focus my eyes. I was confused for only a moment—why was he so happy to see me?

The memory from last night weighed down on me like a pile of bricks. In-ho suggested that we needed to act more visually affectionate. I suppose this was him trying, though it wasn't him I was worried about— it was me. In my whole 25 years of life, I had never once been in a proper relationship. Honestly, I didn't know how to act in love because I had never been in love. There had been a few situationships and failed talking stages, but I never had an official partner. The thought brought a blush to my cheeks— how embarrassing it was to have never been in a relationship!

In-ho, as if sensing my discomfort, slowed his pace and held out his hand, offering me what they served as breakfast.

I took it with a smile, but not before questioning him, "Did you not get any?" He held out his rations in his other hand and shot me a wink. I sat on the edge of my bed to eat, and In-ho next to me on his bed.

"I saw what happened yesterday." He said quietly, the words only meant for my ears.

There was no doubt about what he meant—my vendetta with the guard. I didn't realize that he'd been watching, but of course he had. Nothing gets past the Frontman.

The only thing I could get out was a small, "thanks."

The silence seemed to stretch on endlessly as we watched the other players get in line to get their food. The room was filled by the quiet murmurs of the players and the eerie classical music playing overhead.

Why did In-ho choose to play classical music? I can't believe I never thought to ask him: I made a mental note to question him later.

"So, how did you sleep?" I asked him, if only to break the uncomfortable silence between us. I unwrapped my food, which was just a piece of bread and a hard–boiled egg. So much for nourishment.

"To be honest," A sigh escaped his lips as he continued, "not that great. These beds are as hard as a rock!"

"Yeah, whoever's in charge here needs to fix that." I said with a sigh, feigning annoyance. To the outside person, it would look like a normal conversation, but the glints in our eyes meant otherwise. He said nothing but the smirk on his face and roll of his eyes said everything.

We settled into yet another silence. However, this one was cut short by Gi-hun and Jung-bae, who returned with their food.

"Good morning!" Jung-bae called out, unusually happy and energetic for someone in this kind of situation. Me and In-ho both scooted further up our beds, making room for them to sit. With the wall on one side and the beds surrounding us, we had a bit of protection and privacy from the other players, not that it mattered much now during the day.

Between bites of his food, In-ho started the conversation, "So, what game do you think it's going to be today?" Though he asked the whole group, we all knew the question was directed at Gi-hun, who had played in the games before.

"Last time I was here we played Dalgona next."

"Dalgona? You mean the game where you have to carve a shape out of honeycomb?" Jung- bae questioned and Gi-hun nodded his head in response. "What kinds of shapes were there?"

"There was a triangle, circle, star, and umbrella." He said, though his eyes had a distant look in them, like he was back playing the game.

"Well I'm sure all those unlucky bastards who picked umbrella bit the dust, right?"

I've heard that silence spoke louder than words, but I was never sure that was true until this very moment. Gi-hun glared daggers at In-ho, who seemed to get the hint.

The tension between them was thick enough to cut with a knife and I couldn't help but intervene. "Ok, so if it is Dalgona then we all know to pick the triangle." A small and, hopefully, reassuring smile shone on my face, but no one either agreed or disagreed. Not that it mattered anyways, we would not be playing Dalgona so this whole conversation was basically pointless.

Their gazes flickered to mine and they all gave me a hesitant nod, but before we could discuss anything else, the voice in the walls announced that the game would be starting soon.

I stuffed the last of my bread in my mouth before following In-ho and the others to the middle of the room. A bunch of players tended to gravitate towards Gi-hun, perhaps they felt safer with him because he knew what he was doing? Once the lines started forming, everyone split up and parted ways with Gu-hun.

As we walked to the game room I forced myself to focus on each step I took, rather than the feeling of In-hos gaze burning into my back.

Finally, we reached the room where we would all form our teams. It was a bright white room with walls impossibly high. It looked completely different actually being in it than watching from the cameras. Once all the players were in the room, the doors slammed shut with a loud bang, forcing us from our thoughts.

"You will have ten minutes to form teams of five." The clock on the wall flashed at 10:00 and started counting down.

After a brief discussion, we all decided we would team up. In-ho was able to convince Gi-hun that it wouldn't be a fighting game, as it is far too early for that. As the time ticked down on the wall, we all began searching for a fifth player. Thankfully, we didn't have to search for long. A boy my age approached us, asking if he could join. Player 388 seemed nervous as he talked to us, but any hesitation instantly vanished as Jung-bae realized that he was a marine.

Unbeknownst to me and probably In-ho too, Jung-bae was also a marine. The two instantly created an unbreakable bond, and Jung-bae was enthusiastic about him joining our group. None of us had any complaints.

I silently hoped that somehow, the new member would be able to play gonggi . Since it was a primarily feminine game, I figure that the others would expect that I knew how to play it. I did, but not well enough. If I was forced to play it I would certainly waste precious time that we didn't have.

The timer on the wall ticked down to 0 and the voice told us to enter the room where we would be playing the game. One by one, the groups entered the sand filled arena. Expressions varied as people tried to speculate what game it could possibly be. I, too, would be confused if I didn't already know. The two rainbows in a circle on the floor provided no clues.

"I... don't think this is Dalgona." Gi-hun said quietly, as if he didn't want to admit his mistake. He hung his head in shame and—perhaps— disappointment?

"I still trust you, Gi-hun." In-ho offered from besides you, trying to provide the man with some encouragement.

"Yeah, me too!" Jung-bae agreed, "We got this!"

The group shared encouraging words with each other as we waited for the game to be announced. We took the extra time to introduce ourselves to player 388, who told us his name was Kang Dae-ho. Finally, once everyone was in the room, the door shut and the voice started talking.

"Today you will be playing a Six-Legged Pentathlon. You will have five minutes to complete five games: ddakji , flying stone, gonggi , spinning top, and jegi."

Hushed whispers echoed throughout the room, some groups excited, others worried. The group with five older men looked visibly frustrated: sighing and shaking their heads in disbelief.

"Please line up in the order you will be playing."

The five of us huddled around each other, trying to devise a plan.

Jung-bae was the one who spoke first, "I'll do flying stone. I was on my school's baseball team when I was younger, so I think I will be good at that." We all nodded in agreement.

My heart sank as they all turned to look at me. "Min-ji, you know how to play gonggi right?"

"Ah— well... not really. I do know how but I was never the best at it." I winced, remembering all the times I've tried to play it but failed.

"I can play it!" Player 388 spoke from beside me, and we all looked at him, eyes full of surprise.

"Y-you can play gonggi ? An ex-marine?" Jung-bae said from beside him with a mix of confusion and awe.

Dae-ho said something about how he had older sisters who forced him to play when he was younger, and the conversation ended with that. I decided to play ddakji as I was relatively good at it. In-ho decided to play spinning top and Gi-hun ended up with jegi .

The guards lined us up in the order our groups would be playing. We were the last group to play so just in case we didn't make it, the guards wouldn't have to shoot us. Everyone sat down, legs crossed, in the sand as we waited for our turn. The weight of what was to come pressed down on our shoulders and I felt myself getting somewhat anxious, even though the game had no real consequences for me.

In-ho, as if sensing my anxiety, pulled me in by my waist so that we were basically sitting right on top of each other. I stiffened at the sudden closeness, but In-ho didn't seem to care.

He turned his head slightly so he was speaking right into my ear. "Relax." His breath on my ear sent shivers down my spine and I did everything but relax . How could I when he was sitting so close to me?

I tried to focus while the teams were playing—I really did— but it was impossible with In-ho rubbing circles on my back. It was impossible to tune out his steady breaths and side glances at me. He was right, though. I had to look comfortable or else people would start asking questions. Surprisingly, it wasn't as difficult as I thought to lean into him. Maybe it was the exhaustion I felt or the anxiety coursing through my body, but I found that he was rather comforting.

The warmth of his touch and the rhythm of his breathing grounded me in a way I hadn't expected. I let myself lean into him just enough to look natural, so that if anyone was to look at us they would see a couple finding solace together amidst the chaos.

He turned his head again and whispered into my ear. It was quiet, but loud enough to make my stomach flip, "You're doing well."

I swallowed and looked at the ground, doing everything I could to avoid his gaze as a blush spread on my face.

As the minutes dragged on, more and more groups went: cheers erupting throughout the room with every surviving group. At first, only a few teams survived, but once people were able to watch and learn from their mistakes, nearly every team survived. Well— all those with competent players. The group with the five men were among the last to go, but they failed at gonggi .

Gunshots rang throughout the room at every fail: but I couldn't bring myself to flinch. Each shot just sounded like background noise to me: I was used to it after my years as a triangle guard.

Before I knew it, it was time for our group to go. We all walked up to the rainbow track which was now covered in blood. The sight made me nauseous but I made myself ignore it. It wasn't anything new—after all. Seeing blood was nothing compared to seeing freshly deceased corpses.

The guards locked our legs together—my left leg attached to Jung-baes' right. A heavy silence spread across the room as we waited for the game to start. No cheers, no words of encouragement, just the quiet tension of people awaiting their fate.

I looked across at the group and everyone seemed nervous. Gi-hun stared straight ahead, Jung-baes' breaths came in quick gasps, and Dae-hos hands were shaking—not good. Out of everyone, Dae-ho was the one who needed steady hands: Gonggi was not an easy game to play. Jung-bae seemed to notice his apprehension too.

"Dae-ho, are you nervous?"

"N-No sir! The silence is a good thing so that we can focus!" He said a bit too loudly, which didn't seem to bother anyone.

Player 390 agreed with him and talked to the other team across the room. Enthusiasm spread between us as we all were hopeful we would survive.

A loud gunshot rang throughout the arena and we all took off.

"One! Two! One! Two! One! Two!"

We all chanted, keeping our feet in sync with each other. Within seconds, we were at the first game, ddakji . I wiped sweat off my hands before I took the red paper in my hand and tossed the blue one to the floor.

I had to get this right the first time. If I messed it up we would waste too much time retrieving it. Although I knew there were no real consequences, I was still anxious. I didn't want to mess it up for those who had a real chance of dying.

I took a deep breath in to calm my nerves as I felt everyone's gaze locked on me.

"It's okay, just relax!" Jung-bae said from beside me, and tried to take his advice, though it was easier said than done.

I grasped the red paper in my hand, holding it between my pointer finger and thumb. Time seemed to slow as I held my hand up above my shoulder and swung it down forcefully. A sharp snap of paper meeting paper echoed throughout the room, followed by a tense silence. I squeezed my eyes shut, not daring to look at my fate.

The group erupted into cheers as I quickly opened my eyes. It flipped!

"Yes!" I hollered, a smile spreading on my face. I wasn't able to revel in my victory long as we started walking—or more like hobbling—towards the next game.

I let out a sigh of relief when we made it to Jung-Baes game: flying stone. I felt much better now that the attention was off me and on someone else. My hands stopped trembling and my breaths returned to normal, though my heart was still hammering in my chest.

4:35 left, we were in good shape.

Jung-Bae stepped forward as well as he could, being bound to two other people. He grabbed the stone from the guard and rolled his shoulders back, trying to prepare himself for his throw. He seemed to understand just as well as I did that a mess up would be costly. Having to retrieve the stone and walk backwards would easily eat up alot of time.

Without warning, he leaned forward and quickly threw the stone. It landed perfectly on the other stone that was standing still, falling with a quiet thud. Again, we all erupted into cheers that didn't last long.

"One! Two! One! Two!"

We reached the third game: gonggi . The guard handed Dae-ho the pieces for the game and we all squatted as the plate was set on the floor. My knees ached, but that was among the least of my worries.

Thankfully, Dae-ho looked like he had collected himself from earlier. He took a deep breath and cracked his knuckles before shaking the pieces in his hand and throwing them on the plate.

We all watched as his hands blurred, quickly picking up and throwing the pieces with practiced precision. I didn't even have time to gawk as he did the final move: caught all five pieces on the back of his hand, threw them up, and caught them again. He looked at the guard with a sheepish grin and opened his hand, revealing the five pieces.

The guard threw his hands up forming an O, and we all stared at him in shock before erupting into cheers.

In-ho seemed to be getting a little too into this game. He clapped Dae-ho on the back with a big smile on his face. I had never seen him so excited, the sight brought a faint blush onto my cheeks.

We made our way to the fourth game with three minutes left on the clock. Now it was In-hos time to shine. I did have to admit that I was curious to see how he would do. In my years of knowing him he had never been too... good with his hands. Twisting a thread on a top didn't seem like his forte, but who knows, maybe he would surprise me.

He stepped up to the line and grabbed the top and thread from the guard, who looked at him for a moment longer than normal.

It must have been amusing for them to watch their supervisor and boss participate in the game. Thankfully, I was able to do mine first try so I didn't embarrass myself in front of them. Unfortunately for In-ho, he couldn't say the same. After winding the thread he threw the top with his right hand and it clattered to the ground, motionless.

The five of us moved as one as we went to retrieve the top. It wasn't too far away, so we were able to be back in position with 2:15 left. It was still plenty of time, as long as they both didn't mess up too terribly.

As if hearing my thoughts, In-ho went to throw the top again with his right hand and it somehow managed to go backwards, landing about where gonggi was played. The silence between us would have been comedic if we all weren't worried about our lives.

"It's okay, we still have plenty of time left. Let's just go and get it." Gi-hun, the voice of reason, said from his end of the group.

Gripping on to each other, we started walking backwards towards the top.

"How did you even manage to do that anyways? That takes some serious talent." Jung-bae exclaimed, but he was met with silence. We all knew that now wasn't the time to joke. He let out an embarrassed chuckle and stayed silent after that. The only sounds were our pants and the scraping of our shoes as we finished the trek to the top.

In-ho bent down to grab it, but instead of getting up he just... stayed down there. We shared glances of confusion before Dae-ho—clearly anxious— shouted at him, "What are you doing down there, taking a break?"

Upon hearing the desperation in his voice, In-ho decided to come up from whatever trance he was in.

1:30 left.

Instead of following us back to where he needed to throw the top, In-ho just stood there with an empty look in his eyes. Before we could question him, he started hitting himself and a sharp scream echoed throughout the room.

"Ah! I'm so stupid!" He hit himself again, "I can never do anything!"

I could only look at him in shock. He had never acted like this before. Ever. Was he acting or was he actually this upset?

Thankfully Gi-hun took control of the situation. He helped calm In-ho down the best he could, handing him the top and thread and helping him wind it up. I could tell In-ho was struggling though, his hands shook and his breaths were rapid.

"Try it with your left hand." I told him and he instantly switched the top from his right hand to his left, like it was the missing piece to a puzzle he had long been trying to solve.

We all watched in silence as he finished winding the thread and threw the top. Not a sound was heard in the arena as the top flew through the air. After what felt like hours, the top finally hit the ground and —thankfully— it was spinning. The guard on the side put his arms in an O shape and we started moving.

We all knew that we had no time to celebrate, the clock had only 45 seconds left on it. Each step we took had a renewed sense of hope and confidence as the finish line came into view. We reached the fifth and final game: jegi . I prayed that Gi-hun was good at this, for his sake. He only had time for one mess up before they were all shot.

The guard handed him the jegi and went to explain the rules of the game, but he just pushed them out of the way.

"I know how to play." He mumbled under his breath and I couldn't help but laugh. The guard no doubt was either fuming or laughing under their mask, depending on who it was. The others probably thought I was crazy for laughing in a time like this, but I would just blame it on the stress and anxiety if they were to ask.

Gi-hun tossed the jegi into the air and kicked it flawlessly the first four times. The fifth time, however, went flying down the track almost out of reach. Almost. Right as Gi-hun was about to give up and accept his demise, In-ho kicked his leg out to catch the jegi , bringing Gi-huns leg with him.

The jegi hit his leg right as the clock hit ten seconds left. Time seemed to stop as we waited for the guard to signal that he passed. Their arms went up enthusiastically to form an O and we all took off.

Adrenaline surged through my body as we sprinted towards the finish line. Our footsteps pounded on the floor in unison. Right as the time was about to run out, we all leaned forward and crossed the line arms first. We crashed on the floor but the pain was the least of my worries.

Euphoria spread throughout me, but moments later dread and guilt took over as loud gunshots rang in the arena. I didn't flinch, didn't move, just watched as their lifeless bodies fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

Uneasiness filled my stomach— that was about to be Gi-hun, Jung-bae, and Dae-ho. This is what all the players had to go through. I have seen the horrors of the game as a guard, but I never expected to feel so... empathetic towards the players.

The tension was frightening. I didn't know if I wanted to scream, laugh, or cry —maybe a mix of all three.

Winning didn't feel like winning at all. The guilt was almost too much to celebrate my own survival. As the guards unbound our feet, the others were talking but I couldn't bring myself to listen.

Grains of sand slipped between my fingers as I got distracted with my thoughts. The logical part of my brain told me that this is what they had signed up for. They knew they had the possibility of dying, but they chose to stay anyway. Some part of me thought they got what they deserved. I thought that I shouldn't feel guilty: they were all too overtaken by greed to value their own lives.

But the more humane side of my brain thought differently. There were people in there who had wanted to leave, wanted to get home to their families, but were forced to stay. They were the ones who I mourned.

"Min-ji." I heard someone call out to me but I couldn't bring myself to care. I was so wrapped up in the spiral of regret and remorse. I just wanted everyone to leave me alone with the ghosts who haunted my thoughts.

The sand was the only thing grounding me, despite the blood that was mixed into it.

The voice called out to me again, but my gaze was looking forward at the bodies. That was until someone stood right in front of me, blocking my view.

A shadow loomed over me and I heard who it was before I saw him.

"Yeobo."

He held a hand out to me and I hesitantly took it. His grasp was warm and steady, pulling me up with ease. I ran my thumb over his rough knuckles, tracing the lines of his hand as if they were my lifeline because at this moment in time they were. His skin was calloused and worn, probably due to experiences that I couldn't dare to think about.

Without thinking, I found myself leaning into him, allured by the quiet reassurance of his touch. I couldn't bring myself to look at him. I could only imagine what he was thinking.

As the others followed the guard back to the main hall, we lingered for a moment. I figured he could probably tell how much I needed his touch by the way I clinged onto him.

"Are you okay?" He asked, quietly enough for only me to hear.

I gave him a subtle nod as assurance, but I was sure he could see right through my ploy.

I was not okay.

How could anyone be okay after witnessing people get shot after being so full of hope? How could anyone go about their day knowing that it was about to be them who was shot? The thought gnawed at me, absorbing all my thoughts.

Each player carried a flicker of optimism, a desperate belief that they would make it out of here alive. But their hope was crushed in an instant as they were met with their cruel fate: death.

As if reading my mind, In-ho whispered, "They chose this."

It felt as if he had punched me. He was right, after all. They had chosen this. They had all chosen to stay in the beginning, despite what they had voted for. This was ultimately their decision to be here. They had sealed their fates, and all I had to do was watch.