─── chapter eight.
❛ JUST A GAME ❜

Joo-Won and Ye-Sol had a playdate arranged by their parents. When Ye-Sol's nanny arrived, she punched in the door code, balancing Ye-Sol's bag in one hand. Joo-Won held her own bag, wanting to help by not adding to the load. As they stepped inside, both girls removed their shoes, leaving their socks on, and the nanny quietly closed the door behind them.

As soon as Joo-Won entered, she noticed Ye-Sol's mom rushing over. Crouching to her height, the woman began speaking rapidly, but Joo-Won could only catch bits of it—her hearing aids had run out of battery, and her mom had forgotten to charge them. The rushed, half-understood conversation flustered Joo-Won, but Ye-Sol quickly took her hand, brushing aside her mother's questions. "Let's go play Among Us with my friends," she said slowly, enunciating each word so Joo-Won could lip-read.

Since Ye-Sol didn't know sign language, the two often communicated through writing or, when needed, with the help of Joo-Won's nanny. The little girl nodded, following Ye-Sol to her room where they could escape into their game.

Later that night, Eun-Ji entered the building where she was set to play Go. She was supposed to speak with Yeon-Jin's husband, Do-Yeong, at Dong-Eun's request. When she spotted him, he seemed to be looking for someone. She stepped back to avoid being seen, waiting for the right moment to approach.

As Eun-Ji finally walked past him, Do-Yeong noticed her, the world seeming to slow down as he watched her slip by, her black long-sleeve shirt and jeans catching his eye. She moved with a calm, quiet grace, taking off her coat before sitting down at their usual table to play.

He joined her, taking a seat. The two began the game in silence, as always, but Do-Yeong's curiosity eventually got the best of him. "You and your friend haven't been here in a while," he commented, placing a piece on the board.

"Work," she responded, her fingers deftly setting down a black stone. "And being a single mother."

His brows furrowed in slight confusion. "What kind of work do you do?"

Eun-Ji glanced up, surprised he didn't know. "Floral arrangements. I did the flowers for your wedding, remember? I also run a restaurant."

Do-Yeong raised a brow, intrigued by the contrast. "And backstabbing naive men, ruining lives," she joked, earning a rare, soft chuckle from him. "Not a lot of money in that part, though," she added with a smirk.

Their banter continued, both growing more at ease in each other's presence as they played. Eun-Ji's poker face never faltered, a skill she honed not just from playing Go, but from her past relationship with Jae-Jun. The memory of her ex only served to sharpen her, making her more impenetrable in her expressions. It was something Jae-Jun had always despised about her—one more thing he blamed her for.

Do-Yeong placed another stone on the board, sighing. "All your answers are unexpected," he said, shaking his head. Eun-Ji gave no response, focusing instead on trapping him with her next move. A moment later, she laid down her piece. "Twenty thousand won per round, right?"

Do-Yeong blinked, realizing too late that she had won. He stared at the board for a moment longer before dropping his stone back into the bowl with a soft clink. "Final move," she added, her victory sealed.

Resigned, he pulled out his wallet, extracting the money he owed her. Their fingertips brushed as she took the cash, folding it neatly before slipping it into her jacket pocket. "That was fun," Eun-Ji remarked, standing to put on her coat.

Just as she turned to leave, Do-Yeong called after her. "Fifty thousand."

She paused, glancing back at him.

"One more game?" he asked, his voice tinged with something unspoken, hoping to prolong their time together.

By the way, Yeon-Jin.

The room was quiet again, and they held each other's gaze.

Do you want to know the real reason why I like to play Go?

"Wouldn't that be gambling?" she asked, her tone teasing. "Would it?" he shot back, a challenge lingering in his words.

When you play Go, you pursue your desire in silence.

You seduce, and you fall.

You strip each other bare.

And if your opponent does reciprocate....Well, then it's just a game of Go.

Do-Yeong wasn't quite ready to let her leave.

Eun-Ji gave him a small grin, breaking the tension. "Gambling sounds fun." With that, the mellow silence between them broke, but the intrigue remained, carried in their lingering eye contact.

© 𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗞𝗜𝗦𝗭𝗡 // 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯