CHAPTER SEVEN ━━━━ THE PREY

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

HA-EUN KNEW ALL TOO WELL SHE WOULD NOT REST THAT NIGHT. As the players began to disperse into their respective bunk beds, Ha-eun apprehended what awaited her as soon as the lights would dim. As soon as it had been exhibited that the death of a player outside of the games still computed as an elimination ── therefore raising the prize money ── no one was safe. Well, some more than others. Ha-eun had the word " target " imprinted on her forehead, and she was painfully aware of it. 101 would come for her throat, and his muppets would shadow his initiative.

Ha-eun could not die that night. She wouldn't allow herself. She hadn't returned to the games to be slaughtered outside of the six rounds. Ha-eun had to defend for herself, just like she had been for the last ten years. No matter the threat, she'd surely come up with a way to surpass it. No matter how deadly or imposing the threat was.

The assembled team huddled around her, attempting to forge a plan to survive the night. As the atmosphere weighed heavy, everyone was dreading lights out. "We can't fall asleep tonight. Those thugs are up to no good, no one is safe." Sang-woo claimed, eyes darting from the players to Ha-eun. "We have to stay up and fight. I suggest for everyone to come to our side."

Ha-eun clutched the shard of a glass in her hand, aware that that was the only weapon she possessed. "I'll be their first target after what just happened. I'll have to join your side after I deal with them." Ha-eun sighed, picking the dead skin off her nail.

"Ha-eun, you need to be careful," Sang-woo voiced his concern. "Try your best to come here immediately."

"I'll do my best." Ha-eun nodded, shoving the glass inside her pocket. "See you guys soon ... I hope." She said at an attempt of lightness. The truth was, she preferred hiding her fear with comments, finding it easier to cope. Ha-eun was dreading the horde of gang members that'd jump at the chance of eliminating her. She was strong, she knew that, but would she able to feed off an army of criminals at once?

"Ha-eun!" Sang-woo exclaimed as she began to walk away. To her surprise, he caught her hand. "Come back here as soon as lights go out. No more risking your life." He advised.

"Stop or I'll actually think you care." Ha-eun teased, trying to shrug off the lump that slid in her throat.

"Ha-eun. I'm being serious," the man claimed. "Just promise me you'll be safe."

"I promise," Ha-eun tried to sound as convincing as possible, mouth quirking into a small smile. She didn't know how far the chaos could escalate in the midst of a massacre. Before he could notice the faltering in her expression, the guards announced the approaching of lights out.

As the players headed to their distinct bunk beds, Do-yun and Ha-eun trudged to their own designated covers. Ha-eun was actually relieved she was next to the boy, considering he knew a thing or two about knocking someone out.

"Remember what I always told you, Ha-eun." He described as they both sat on their beds. "Take them by surprise. Watch them lose momentum. Then, make the final move." Do-yun commented.

"Noted." Ha-eun spoke, hoisting herself against her bedrest. There was no way she'd lay down, determined to stay ready for anything that might come her way. Anyone that might lunge at her throat. "I'll kick their ass." She told Do-yun, shooting him a tight-lipped smile.

"I know you will."

The lights went out. Ha-eun held her breath. Almost immediately after, a shriek rung through the room. It was it. Time to pounce to action.

Ha-eun leapt from her bed, eyes narrowing at the flash of lights startling the room. Before she could rush to the rest of her group, her body was jerked to the ground, a man's hand pressing down on her shoulders. One of the thugs.

Take them by surprise. As he glued her down to the ground, Ha-eun retrieved the glass shard stuffed in her pocket. In one quick, swift movement, she slashed the sharp object to his cheek, cutting his skin open. 

Watch them lose their momentum. Blood splattered out of the cut, spraying the girl and causing for the man to loose his grip, clawing his cheek as he yelled.

Make the final move. Ha-eun leapt to her feet in an instant. As he attempted to regain his composure, Ha-eun aimed for his face. With all the strength she could muster, she connected her foot with his nose. He fell back to the ground in a thud as his head banged against the cold floor.

Do-yun caught her arm, guiding her out of the altercation. Though, before they could go any further, three men interposed, blocking their path. Two of them grabbed Do-yun, leaving Ha-eun face-to-face with 101.

"That desperate to see me again?" Ha-eun tried to stall, a smirk gracing her lips.

"Desperate to see you die." He sneered, lunging for the girl. He punched Ha-eun forcefully across the face. As she toppled back, he took this as an opportunity to thrust her against the wall, his hands latched around her throat. Ha-eun scratched his face, attempting to throw him off of her. She was a good fighter, but her strength was nowhere near the male player in front of her.

She jabbed the glass into his cheek, repeating her earlier move. This time, she dug it deeper until he withdrew his hold on her, screaming in pain. Though, as her gaze roamed around, she realised she was stuck. No escape was at her reach.

101 was ready to resume his attack. Eyes filled with anger, he was seconds away from assaulting the woman once again. Until he suddenly collapsed to the ground. Ha-eun gasped. Her gaze switched from his still body to Sang-woo branding a large metal pole over his head.

"Let's go, quick." He said, gripping her hand. "Before he wakes up."

Clinging onto each other, they rushed to the other side of the room where the rest of them stood. Ha-eun tried to blank out the chilling shrieks, the murderous stabs and the blood spreading on the ground. It was a true slaughter. The games had brought to light the human's survival instinct, encapsulated by the ongoing carnage.

A shaky sigh slithered past her lips as they both joined the rest of the group. She did a mental scan, and the absence of the old man dawned on her. "Hey, where's the old guy?" Ha-eun asked, catching her breath. She tried to brush off the banging inside her head, wiping the blood pouring from her nose with the back of her hand.

"No idea where he went," Gi-hun replied. "Are you okay?" He asked as he noticed the sprinkles of crimson blood inked on her cheeks and seeping from her nostrils.

As she opened her mouth to reply, Sang-woo swept her behind him as he kept his metal weapon in the air. "Stay behind me. You'll be safer." He whispered, and she no choice but to surrender. Her surroundings consisted of a blur as her head continued to pang from the numerous brawls she confronted.

The annihilation stopped though, as the old man suddenly appeared from the top of the beds. He was standing shakily on his feet, screaming with all his might. "Please stop! I'm scared!" 001 screamed. "At this rate, we'll all die! Everyone is going to die! Please, I'm so scared. Stop this madness!"

On queue, guards came bursting in the room. They aimed their rifles to the ceilings, shooting until everyone backed away. Ha-eun let the shard of glass slip from her hand, revealing cuts of blood that it had caused in her palm.

"Turn around and drop your weapon." They ordered as they patted each player. Bodies were strewed on the ground, blood staining the floor. Ha-eun held her throbbing head as one of the guards controlled her.

"Excuse me miss," he whispered. "Is there a man called Huang In-ho in here?" The guard asked, causing for Ha-eun's eyebrows to scrunch in confusion.

"Uh, we don't go by names here," she described. "So I wouldn't know. Sorry."

The guard left at the given answer, and Ha-eun glimpsed at the cuts dancing across her palms. "I have to go the bathroom," she told her teammates. Ha-eun felt like she was an instant away from passing out. Not waiting for any answers, she sped off.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

THE FIGHT HAD TOKEN A LARGER TOLL THAN SHE WOULD HAVE EXPECTED. Splashing cold water over her face, Ha-eun progressively sensed her headache thin out. She planted her hands against the sink's borders, inhaling and exhaling numerous times. Ha-eun tilted her head up, staring at her own reflection. Dried-up blood (that wasn't necessarily her's) blotched parts of her skin, and her eyes glistened with the horror of the scene she had endured. Her theory had been confirmed though. She had been their first target.

Ha-eun grabbed rolls of toilet paper, eager to shrug off the remains of the massacre. As she scrubbed her skin with force, the door creaked slightly. Ha-eun swivelled around, wondering if the men that were after had followed her inside. She cursed under her breath, realising she had no protection at her disposal.

"Ha-eun?" Sang-woo approached the woman cautiously, having caught on the fear scribbled on her face.

"Oh, it's you," she sighed in relief. "I thought one of the thugs had come back."

"No, it's over. You don't have to worry anymore." He said softly. He cupped her cheeks without warning, examining her injuries. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, it doesn't hurt anymore," Ha-eun croaked. "It's ── it's the blood. I can't take it off, and it's not mine."

"Hey, it's okay." Sang-woo reassured her. Wordlessly, he shrugged off his shirt and Ha-eun's breath hitched in her throat, trying to keep her gaze trained on anything else than his chest. He dipped the hem into the water, then patting the fabric onto her cheek.

Their bodies grazed each other's as he applied the wet fabric on her skin, and Ha-eun didn't even dare to breathe at their proximity. As her eyes were trained on him, he kept all his focus dedicated to wiping the blood away. The tension that hung in the air could be cut with a knife

"Hey, you're injured too." Ha-eun remarked, referring to a cut on his cheek.

"It's nothing." Sang-woo shrugged away. "And you're now clean."

Ha-eun pursed her lips, catching his wrist. "Let me return the favour, I'll clean you up," she spoke. "It's not like I'm giving you a choice." He complied, letting Ha-eun dampen his shirt once more. She dabbed it softly along his injury, unconsciously leaning into his touch. His hands now rested on her elbows, and her hand was supporting the back of his head. "Thank you, by the way. For saving me out there."

"I knew you'd be his first target." Sang-woo murmured, catching Ha-eun's eyes. "I had to be there."

"Yeah, well, consider this my apology for the way I spoke to you earlier," she spoke softly. "I didn't mean it."

"I deserved it, though." Sang-woo broke into a small smile. "Though I hope you know that your safety always mattered the most to me."

Ha-eun stilled at his words, and she squeezed the shirt in her hands. Now that they were on the subject, Ha-eun also had something she wanted to get off her chest. "I hope you know I never meant to break your heart. I did take the easy out. It didn't mean I ever stopped loving you." She confessed, breaking from their touch.

"Ever?" Sang-woo echoed, each step bridging the gap between them. He leaned towards her, his hand skimming past her's as he retrieved his shirt.

"Mhm."

A beat of silence ensued. They both slightly leaned towards each other, and slowly, almost hesitantly, Sang-woo raised his hand to brush a strand of hair from Ha-eun's face. The previous words hung between them, heavy with meaning. Silence stretched between the pair, but it wasn't awkward ── it was full of everything they never said.

Before any of them could help it, their lips crashed against each other's. Ha-eun immediately melted into the touch, and the kiss turned into something raw and desperate. The tempo of their hearts merged together, Sang-woo hoisted her against the sink as she wrapped her legs around his waist. 

The kiss, that started soft and delicate, was escalating into the need to be with each other. To make up for the years of longing, pain, and love they thought they'd lost.

Until someone interrupted, that was.