CHAPTER THREE ━━━━ CHOOSE WISELY

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HA-EUN WAS AT LOSS FOR WORDS. Her heart twisted as her gaze flickered from her trembling hands to the crimson stains that soaked through the fabric of her shirt. She shuddered, outraged that she had been blind-sighted and that her life had been in jeopardy because of someone else's elimination. The recent memory of the deceased man's weight crushing her down triggered chills to travel down her spine, wondering how she could have let herself remain at such a disadvantage. At least the missing puzzle piece had been drawn to light ── there was no elimination ── it was an execution. Play or die.

The scent of blood and sweat overwhelmed the air hanging above the contestants, and the over-lapping of shrieks and gunshots haunted the girl's memory. The survivors of the first round were lead back to the main room, a gutting silence wafting over them. Ha-eun sneakily glanced at each of them, checking who had and hadn't passed the game.

At the recognition of a familiar face, Ha-eun rushed to his side. "Sang-woo," she called out, watching the man turn slowly around. "You really saved my ass out there. Thank you," Ha-eun genuinely smiled. It was also the first time she had allowed herself to truly digest his presence. He had aged well, still exempting his usual charm.

A beat of silence settled between the two as their eyes locked, before Sang-woo's head softly bowed, fixing his glasses on the crook of his nose. "Of course. I was w ── I had to help when I saw that man trample over you, Ha-eun."

Sang-woo had never been a man that displayed his feelings or shared his preoccupations. He could at times appear more distant, shying away from the duty of expressing his true self. Ha-eun appreciated that about him ── the refined quality of keeping an aura of mystery in a world of over-sharers (her included).

"Yeah, well, I owe you one." Ha-eun grinned.

"Ah, you made it!" Gi-hun exclaimed, pulling the girl to his chest. It took her instant to reciprocate his embrace, eyebrows scrunching in surprise at the sudden proximity. She knew the man for what, an hour?

"I'm glad you're here, too," Ha-eun patted his back, catching a glimpse of Sang-woo.

"And, Sang-woo, you really helped me out there!" Gi-hun continued, clapping a hand over the man's shoulder. He swung his arms around both Ha-eun and Sang-woo as they walked over to the mountain of beds. The woman sighed in relief as she plopped down on the ground, pushing her fleeting strands of hair out of her face. "And you, you saved my life." Gi-hun voiced his gratitude, pointing to player 199 as he humbly bowed his head.

The group simultaneously lifted their head up as one of the guards spoke up, catching their attention. "Congratulations for making it through the game. Here are the results of the first round."

Ha-eun stared at the screen as the numbers descended from 456 to 251, her heart clenching at the difference.

"Out of 456 players, 255 were eliminated while 201 successfully completed the game."

None of the participants seemed to revel in this victory, instead peering down at their shoes, dotted with sprinkles of blood. What kind of twisted people controlled this hell-hole?

A woman desperately crawled to the floor, clutching her hands together. Player 212. "Listen, mister, I'm so sorry," she wailed, pleading for mercy. "I swear, I'll pay what I owe. I'll pay it all." It wasn't long till other people joined her on the ground, sobbing as they begged for a way out as well.

"There seems to be a misunderstanding. We are not trying to hurt you, or collect your debts. Let me remind that you were because we wanted to give you a chance."

"A chance?!" One of the players implored. "We play some kid's game, and you shoot us. You want me to choose that? That's some chance."

"We may be in debt, sir ── but that doesn't justify killing us all."

"Those people were simply eliminated for breaking the rules of the games. If you follow those rules, you can leave this place with the prize money we promised," the masked guard attempted to resonate.

"Keep your money, I don't care! What I want is to leave this place."

A crowd of players persevered, arguing with the guards and defending their rights to flee the horror that reigned. Numerous reasons were stated, but the guards didn't budge. "Consent form clause one ── a player is not allowed to stop playing."

"Well, I bet they have everybody's phones tracked down here. They'll find us here, and you won't get away with it," someone else argued.

"We're all dead!"

All the clamouring came to an abrupt end as the guard pierced a bullet through the air. The players shrunk into themselves as they were torn back into the haunting memories of the first game. Before she could stop herself, Ha-eun ducked, gripping on the nearest person's jacket tightly. Raising her gaze, the realisation that she was clutching Sang-woo dawned on her. She rapped her throat, slowly detaching herself from the hold.

"Sorry," she apologised quietly, squeezing her mouth into a line. "Force of habit." Though, from the corner of her eye, she swore she noticed the ghost of a smile flash on his lips.

"Consent from clause two ── a player who refuses to play will be eliminated."

Ha-eun's mind travelled back to the paper that signed away her rights, obliging her to take part in the games under the risk of being executed. Though, her mouth slightly fell open, and she cursed herself, wondering how she hadn't thought about it sooner.

She rose to her feet immediately, planting her hands on her hips. "Consent from clause three ── if all the players agree to stop playing, the games are allowed to end. Isn't that right?" She spoke, cocking her head to the side.

"You are correct."

"Then, easy. Let's vote on ending this." Ha-eun nodded, peering at the crowd. "If the majority wishes to leave, we all get to go back home."

"As you wish. We will take a vote to decide on the termination of the game. Before we vote, let me announce the prize money for the game as previously promised."

The previously empty glass pig-bank started to flood with golden bills. The entire room was entranced by the new flow of money as it captivated each and every one of their desperate souls. Ha-eun gulped at the sight, knowing all too well how beneficial that amount of cash could be in her life. From the other side of the room, she noted Do-yun, licking his lips as his eyes remained trained on the glass pig.

Ha-eun shook her head, convincing herself that no death was worth that luxury. It was blood-stained money. But it was money. Money she eminently longed for. Her gaze shifted to the guards ── they knew what they were doing.

"A total of 255 players were eliminated during the first game. A hundred won is at stake for each player. Therefore, 25.5 billion won have been accumulated so far. If you wish to stop playing, those 25.5 billion won will be sent to the bereaved families of the deceased players. 100 million won each. However, you will all return home empty-handed."

Ha-eun sighed, not as certain that she wanted the games to end as before. This meant she'd return back to a life of misery, back to point zero with no money to relieve of troubles. Could she afford to go down that path?

"Uh, sir, if we make it through the six games ── how much do we get?" Player 212 raised, her earlier tears having dried up fairly quickly.

"Since there are 456 players, the prize is 45.6 billion won." Gasps echoed through the crowd, glances exchanged in a flicker of hope. "And with that, we will begin the voting."

Ha-eun was conflicted. Part of her resented the games and the horror they had concocted, the lives they had stolen and the families they had shattered. Another part of her dreaded what awaited as soon as she stepped out of those guarded doors. She'd be thrust back into the nightmare of constant fleeing and remaining powerless at her mother's side. Ha-eun dared to picture everything she could obtain with that money. All the worries that plagued her mind could be solved.

She was smart and determined. Who said she couldn't win those six rounds? They were children's games after all ── and the woman had a winning mindset.

A podium was arranged in the front of the room. "As you can see, there are two buttons in front of you. If you wish to continue playing, press the green button with an O. If you wish to stop playing, then press the red button with an X instead. After you've finished voting, move to the other side of the white line and wait. Voting will be done in reverse order."

The voting would be start with 456 ── Gi-hun. It didn't come as a surprise when he slammed his palm against the maroon button, portraying his want to put a stop to the games. Ha-eun tapped her heel softly against the ground, still confronted to a moral dilemma. Her heart urged her to leave this place, while her mind buzzed at the idea of acquiring that money.

Votes continued to be casted, and Ha-eun was surprised that she was not the only one wishing to partake in the remaining rounds. When her turn was announced, she ignored the pleading gazes or the coercing cheers. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she made her final decision at the podium.

Holding her breath, she pressed her hand against the green button.

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HA-EUN WINCED IN SURPRISE AS SHE WAS MET WITH THE COLD SURFACE OF THE GROUND. Her hands and feet had been tied together with a calloused rope, and the apprehension that she was in her underwear came to mind as goosebumps lined her damp skin. The girl wriggled around, a mask covering her sight as she attempted to free herself ── with great fail.

"Hey, who's there?"

"Sang-woo?" Ha-eun frowned, thinking she had been alone. "Here, can you help untie me?" She asked, extending her arms until she felt someone else's skin. With her tied hands, she flicked his shoulder, hinting to where she was laying.

The man strained, having difficulty loosening up the ropes stuck to her skin. "I'm freezing, please continue taking your sweet, sweet time," she complained.

" I'd like you to try, then." He replied. His teeth then dug into the rope caging her hands and Ha-eun was grateful they were blindfolded, unable to prevent the cloud of blush that spread on her cheeks. After a few seconds of struggling, she was released and slid off the rest of her ties.

"A little help, please?" Sang-woo voiced.

Ha-eun returned the favour, exempting him from the ropes. As they both rose to their feet, they unconsciously had a similar first reaction ── their eyes flickered from the top to the end of the other person's body.

After an instant of silence, they both dug for their clothes, Ha-eun slipping them on quickly. "I don't get why they couldn't just throw us out with our clothes on," she scoffed, slightly embarrassed.

"It's nothing I haven't seen before." Sang-woo whispered to himself, but not quietly enough for Ha-eun to not pick up on the spoken words.

"Hey!" She exclaimed, throwing his pants forcefully in his direction. "Don't be gruesome."

When they were fully covered, they began wandering around their destination, attempting to recognised the place. Ha-eun had to return home, and she wasn't sure which route to take. She ran her hands over her naked arms, the breeze tingling her skin.

"Here. Take this." Sang-woo advised, placing his jacket on the woman's shoulders.

"Thanks," Ha-eun nodded, the subtle scent of the man tickling her nostrils. As her eyes flitted to him, she couldn't help but notice how calm he seemed, like they hadn't just escape a lethal game ── or that he was seeing his ex for the first time in ten years.

He was impossible to read, and that was both attractive and extremely frustrating. Ha-eun ached to find out how he felt, what seeing her again triggered. She wanted the power to creep into his mind, to read his thoughts.

"We're in the central of Seoul," Sang-woo claimed.

"Good, I'm not too far from home," Ha-eun breathed, wanting nothing but to crumple under her covers. "I'll take the bus, what about you?" She asked.

"I don't know, I'll figure it out." He shrugged.

There was so much more the two wanted to say together, words that stood at the tip of their tongue ── but nothing left their lips. A telling silence floated around the pair, neither of them having the courage to spark up a meaningful conversation. They hadn't ended exactly on good terms, memories of the past tormenting their kindred spirits.

As they arrived at the bus station, Ha-eun exhaled a puff of air. "Bye, Sang-woo," her voice wavered softly, gazing up at the man.

"It was nice seeing you." He whispered, digging his hands into his jean pockets. There was so much more he craved to share ── but he didn't. Neither did she, as she mounted the steps of the carriage.