𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗜, 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗶𝘁.
❛ SEOUL . . . SOUTH KOREA ❜
𝐀𝐂𝐓 𝐎𝐍𝐄. ╱ I Just Died In Your Arms.

▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇

𝙊𝙉𝙀 𝙒𝙀𝙀𝙆 𝙇𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙍 . . .

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M FIRED?" Those were the first six words Go Taeri exclaimed once her boss at the local convenience store shoved a sheet of paper in her face. The brown-haired girl read intently nearly all the words written on the page; she then looked up and opened her mouth to explain, but quickly shut it. What would she even say? That she'd spent the past week nursing a stab wound caused by men who wanted her dead?

Yeah . . . definitely not. Sounds like the plot of a Quentin Tarantino movie.

"You've got some nerve showing up after a whole week with no word," Hyojin stated, flashing her the most infuriated glare Taeri had ever seen since she had known the woman. "You're lucky I didn't replace you already. I should have."

Sighing deeply, Taeri shook her head. "I . . . I'm sorry. I wasn't feeling well," she mumbled, fist unconsciously curling around the thin piece of paper.

"Not feeling well?" The chief repeated, scoffing in disbelief. "A heads-up would have been nice. Do you think this place can run itself? Huh?"

Taeri bit the inside of her right cheek and looked away from Hyojin's standing figure, aware that she clearly had a point and all the rights to kick her out of there. She was fired again, as if her life wasn't already crumbling fast enough. A terminal illness would have been the cherry on top of her list of disasters—really. Working at a convenience store in those five months hadn't been thrilling at all . . . but at least she could cover her rent, bills and food. Now, however, all that she could do was walk out of that place jobless and ( more ) desperate.

"Hyojin, come on. You know I really need this job," Taeri pleaded, passing a hand through her chestnut locks and bouncing her foot up and down repeatedly.

Without hesitation, Hyojin pointed at the exit. "Get out of here."

"But I—"

"I don't care. Out!"

Taeri clenched her jaw tightly and pressed her lips into a straight line. Huffing under her breath, she ultimately hoisted her bag onto one shoulder and made her way out of there, banging the door shut behind her.

When she was far enough, she raised her hand and flipped the middle finger in the direction of the store with a scowl. "What a prick." She jeered, pivoting on her heel and continuing to walk away.

At this point, Go Taeri truly didn't know what to do. Sure, she had been fired from previous jobs for stupid reasons and not before, but she didn't have a massive debt to pay off yet. All those other times she wasn't dealing with a near-death injury on her flank that brought insufferable pain every day either. Now that she was living her life at her worst ( most likely ), everything felt much more suffocating and overwhelming. And anyway—there was no comfort there on earth.

There is pretending, there are words, but there is no peace. Nothing is good here, doesn't matter if you're born so rich it's obscene or so poor it's humiliating. Nothing. Every place you go on earth, there is just more nonsense.

Upon entering the large Namsan park, the brunette searched for an empty bench and slumped down on it with a grunt. It was near a small pond glistening under the mild morning light, its limpid surface rippling gently as a subtle breeze brushed across it, framed by reeds and the occasional flutter of birds close by. Taeri found herself crouching by the border of the pond a while after, her hand dipping into the cool water as she wiggled her fingers in a ( silly ) attempt to attract the tiny fishes darting beneath. A small, brief smile tugged at her lips as they faltered, then cautiously swam closer.

Taeri had spent a week avoiding everyone around her. She only left the apartment to take out the trash and buy groceries, and she hated it. Was she an antisocial person? Absolutely not. Could she have asked for help? Well . . . technically yes.

Little things like interacting with the fishes made her happy today, though.

"Excuse me, Miss?" A male voice coming from the back suddenly pulled her focus apart from the water.

When she turned around, her neck flexed as she glanced upward to the towering man standing just a few feet away. He was impeccably dressed, a dark suit hugging his compact frame, sharp lines and clean-cut edges giving him an air of authority. A little mischievous smirk was stamped on his face while in his hand held a briefcase—its sleek, black surface reminding her of a lawyer. Even though he was, admittedly, kind of handsome, Taeri rose alertly from the ground, her eyebrows forming a jagged line.

"Can I help you?" She asked, flicking her hand at her side to shake off the water.

"I'd like to make you an offer," he replied; that very single sentence made her ear perk in skepticism. Setting the case on the wooden bench to open it. "It's a great opportunity to—"

Taeri promptly cut him off. "Sorry, but I'm not interested in joining a satanic cult, Sir," she shook her head and waved one hand to decline politely. Just when she was about to walk off from that creep, he called once again.

"It's nothing religious like that." The guy pressed, a tight-lipped smile easing over his mature features. He took a seat on the park bench and looked her straight in the eyes. "Would you like to play a game with me?"

A game? It looks more like the biggest scam to me.

"What? Look, I don't know who you are and why you're asking me this—but I'm not in the right mood to play weird games with you."

Totally ignoring what Taeri had just told him, he proceeded to click open the smooth ebony briefcase, a faint metallic sound cut through the calm ambient noises of the park. Gazing back over at him, the brunette couldn't help but stop and sneak an intrigued glance. Inside, the contents made her eyebrows quirk dramatically higher and her eyes widen in an almost comical way: two ddakji cards, one a striking blue and the other a deep red, sat neatly on the right side. Opposite them, three stacks of money perfectly aligned rested on a dark velvet lining—the bills so fresh they seemed printed that same morning.

She couldn't lie . . . those money enraptured her attention instantly. It was a reflexive human reaction.

"I'm sure you've played ddakji before, is that correct?" The salesman said, lifting the cards in front of him.

"Well, yes. When I was a kid."

"Perfect. Play a few rounds with me," he proposed and gestured for her to sit beside him. "And each time you win, I'll pay you a 100.000 won."

Taeri's jaw dropped and she gaped a him in surprise. Is he being for real? Although it wasn't much, with each round, if things went well, she could have built up a decent amount. "Wait—and if you flip my ddakji?"

"You will give me the exact same amount of money."

Huffing a chuckle, the girl slightly rolled her eyes. "You don't look like someone who needs them."

"And you don't look like a person who uses their head much."

"Hey!" Taeri snapped, forehead scrunching. "Did you just call me stupid?!"

"I didn't."

With a heavy exhale, the brown-haired woman got a hold of herself and ran her tongue over her lips. "Listen, I was fired just over an hour ago. I swear, if this turns out to be a scam, you'll regret it."

"If you can't pay with money, then you can pay with your body," he mentioned; Taeri's expression contorted in disgust. There was no way in hell that she was going to accept such a revolting request. She wasn't a prostitute.

"You're insane, old man."

"You misunderstood. Not that way," the man smiled. "If you lose, I'm going to slap you."

Still insane, Taeri thought. It took her about fifteen seconds to decide it sounded way better than the first option. She still didn't trust him at all and kept asking herself why would she accept to play ddakji with a stranger—until her eyes landed on the three stacks of cash again. That was the reason.

"Shall we begin?"

Taeri nodded, but her eyes were filled with more uncertainty. She curled her finger around the blue card and slipped it from his grip. At this point, she could only count on her own luck.

▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇

TAERI WAS HOLDING HER CHEEK AND giving the man a murderous glare. His smug smirk only fueled the fire of humiliation and annoyance burning in her chest, and she could feel the curious stares of the few passersby in the park, but she didn't care. All she could focus on was the red ddakji card lying flat on the ground, taunting her. Taeri could have swore that she was the best player in the whole world . . . when she was eleven. However, now she found herself frowning at someone who had outdone her and was openly ridiculing her. She was mad, irritated and committed on winning those money.

"Ready for another try?" The man asked, studying her facial features. In front of him, Taeri clenched her jaw and leaned in so carefully, refusing to lose once again. She stared at the tile in her hand as if it could save her from a catastrophe.

Exhaling slowly, she raised her arm and bit her lower lip hard, focusing. This time, she wouldn't just strike-she would obliterate. With a sharp flick of her wrist, Taeri then slammed her ddakji onto the ground, the impact cracking through the peaceful setting of the park. The blue tile shot up like a runaway balloon in a strong gust, spinning wildly before landing with a decisive flip onto its back. The sound startled the brunette from her thoughts, realizing she'd been holding her breath, her teeth sinking deeper in her bottom lip the longer she stared at his red card.

A silence fell between them.

Then, clarity struck.

Taeri's chocolate-brown eyes widened before an ear-piercing, triumphant scream tore from her throat. "YES!" she punched the air and grinned, giddy, her entire body buzzing with adrenaline. Driven by pure instinct, her hand quickly went up to return the favor-to slap that conceited expression right off his face.

But before she had the chance to make contact, the man's long fingers closed around her wrist, stopping her mid-swing. His grip was firm, face unreadable, although she saw a flicker of something in those pools of stillness—a gleaming of quiet amusement with a thin layer of anomaly. The gesture combined with his intense gaze fixed on hers made Taeri pull her arm away coldly, a weird sense of unease creeping up her spine.

What was that?

"Nice try." He said, keeping his tone light as he lowered his hand. Then, with an almost lazy motion, he reached into his pocket and yanked out a stack of bills. "Here. Your reward, as promised."

Taeri snatched the money without hesitation, flipping through the notes with increasing disbelief. "This much . . . for one win?" she looked up, her mind already whirring. Those were easy money, and if she had to stay there standing until midnight to score more wins, then so be it. "Can we play again?"

The salesman chuckled, shaking his head. "No more ddakji. That's all for now."

Her previous excitement dimmed, lips curving in a slight pout. As she was about to press further, he slipped a sandy brown card from his jacket pocket and held it out to her. Taeri raised an eyebrow.

"Here. If you're looking to win a lot more money, there's a bigger game you can join."

The brown-haired girl accepted the card hesitantly, her fingertips brushing over its rough surface. Embossed in black were three simple shapes: a circle, a triangle and a square. She narrowed her eyes puzzled, flipping it over, finding only a phone number printed on the back that showed 8650 4006.

"What's this?"

He took a step back, a knowing smirk curving his mouth. "Call the number if you're interested. But be warned—those games are not as simple as ddakji."

Taeri tilted her head, studying the forms. A strange feeling settled in her chest—an odd mixture of intrigue and discomfort. She turned the card between her fingers, mind already racing with possibilities. It didn't take a genius to know what scams looked like nowadays, but she really couldn't determine whether that was something legitimate or not.

"What kind of games?" she asked.

He didn't answer. Instead, he closed the sleek black briefcase and tugged at his dark blazer, merely tipping his head in an almost imperceptible nod before turning on his heel. The morning breeze tousled his neat hairstyle as he walked away, disappearing among other people without so much as a backward glance. Taeri blinked in his direction before looking down at the piece of cardstock again; he seemed to expect her to welcome that offer right away, for her to be as desperate as a drowning man already. But she's done her best to hide everything: the tiredness, the worn-out clothes, the shame she feels at her situation.

Taeri knew she was desperate.

She let out a sharp breath, tucking the card into her bag. "A bigger game, huh?"

Shrugging her shoulders, she spun around and started walking back to her apartment. Reaching the tall building some minutes later, Taeri pulled out her phone and swiftly typed out a message to her friend. Her only friend. From the moment Yang Dahee spoke to her at a club and then held her hair back as she violently threw up into the toilet, two years ago, Taeri liked her.

It wasn't a friendship built on sentimentality or shared childhoods-no, it was something raw, transactional at first. Dahee had laughed uncontrollably when the brunette, face pressed against the cool porcelain, had slurred out a promise to 'owe her one'. And yet, the next morning, that same girl had texted her ( even though Taeri still doesn't remember when she gave her her number ) asking if she'd gotten home safe. That was all it took. A single act of girlhood wrapped in nonchalance.

TAERI: i think i just sold my soul to the devil . . . isn't this exciting??

Dahee's reply came after a minute.

DAHEE: LMAO WHAT??? girl you should really pay more attention to the job offers you accept . . .

TAERI: you literally agreed to be a "professional guinea pig" for someone's science experiment one time. shut up.

DAHEE: IT WAS A ONE TIME THING COME ONNN >:( you swore you had forgotten about it!!

A devilish grin voluntarily spread on her cheeks as she typed a reply.

TAERI: well, i lied. LOL

DAHEE: YOU LITTLE BITCH I WILL BEAT YOUR ASS WHEN I SEE YOU

Just as Taeri turned the corner near her complex, she accidentally collided with someone, the impact sending her stumbling backwards. Her head shot up from her phone and a startled gasp escaped her when she realized she had bumped into an elderly woman. The woman's grocery bag had slipped from her hands, its contents scattering across the sidewalk—apples rolling toward the curb, a bag of rice tilting dangerously, a carton of eggs teetering but miraculously unbroken.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry! Here—let me help you." The brown-haired girl crouched down at once, scooping up the apples and carefully placing them back in the bag. The old lady let out a small sigh, brushing back a few stray wisps of silver hair and pushing up her glasses as she gave Taeri a grateful, weary smile.

"Thank you, dear. These old bones aren't as quick as they used to be." She joked, her voice soft. "I've had to do all of this alone ever since my son . . . disappeared."

Taeri paused, hands freezing mid-motion. She lifted her gaze to meet the stranger's, something about the way she said it making her stomach twist. Blinking, she gathered herself and let out a breathy, nervous huff.

"Disappeared?"

After a long moment, she replied—sadness creeping onto her aged features. "He left one morning, talking about some . . . opportunity. A chance to turn his life around, he said. My Jihoon was so sure of it. But then . . . he never came back home." She shook her head, clutching her bag a little tighter. "People whisper that he got involved in games. Dangerous ones. But no one knows for sure."

Taeri's brows furrowed as if trying to recall a distant memory. Her heartbeat was suddenly louder in her ears, mind racing back to the weird offer that man had made her just twenty minutes before. He had talked about a bigger game. She knew that something wasn't right ever since he approached her, but once more her suspicions hit a blind alley: he actually gave her real money, didn't try to sell her anything shady and even proposed her a way to win more.

"Be careful what you say yes to, dear."

The girl forced a small, uncertain smile. "Yeah . . . i'll keep that in mind."

Nodding, the old lady gently patted her hand with an almost knowing touch before continuing to make her way down the street, her frail silhouette lost amidst the towering buildings and streaming morning light. Taeri stood there and watched her go, air thick with distress.

And for a fraction of seconds, the weight of the beige card in her purse suddenly felt heavier than before.

𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗥'𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘𝗦. ╱ © tsu

❛ and i'm counting the steps to the door of your heart. ❜

╭──────────── ✴︎ ────────────╮

AHHH CHAPTER TWO IS FINALLY OUT!!!

i love how taeri has been warned three times about these games and she still won't gaf LMAO. she's the final chill guy boss 😭

but anyways! what are your thoughts so far on this story? any theories about certain people disappearing into thin air?

also i'm sorry for the 3k words on this chapter lol . . . i love making long chapters ✋🏻😞

just like for the previous one, i will add down below a fact about taeri so you slowly get to know her more!

❛ TAERI FUN FACT: when she's at home alone hanging out or-sometimes-with her friend dahee, taeri usually wears a unicorn pajama during winter and thee adventure time marceline's shirt during summer! she's a big big fan of that cartoon honestly, and the first thing she did after getting her salary was literally buy THAT shirt. taeri loves marceline. ❜

please don't forget to vote and leave a few comments, it means a lot to me and motivates me to continue writing! ♡

╰────────────────────────╯

DON'T DREAM IT'S OVER.
© lecorpse, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀