OKAY FOR NOW.

Kang Dae-ho had not realize how much Eden had affected him since the games were terminated. The sole reason why he wanted to help Gi-hun end the games was for at least a small closure for Eden, that was until he saw her in the cameera that was watching her.

The camera that confirmed she was alive.

For Daeho, it felt like time had froze when he saw her. He hadn't realized how much he missed her, he hadn't realized just how much he needed to see her.

And the moment that just simply broke him was when he tried to go into her hospital room to see her but was quickly stopped and dragged away by the nurses. With tears in his eyes he begged them to let him in, not knowing how much it affected him not to see her.

"Can you give us a minute?" Jun-ho interrupted the nurses as they continued to move Daeho away.

Daeho wiped his hand over his mouth, turning away in desperation as tears flooded his eyes. The nurses walked away, leaving Jun-ho to turn to broken man. Gi-hun, on the other hand, kept his eyes lingered on the girl who somehow looked more peaceful than before. His lips parted away as he exhaled in relief, he hadn't lost her after all.

"You need to calm down—"

"—calm down? You expect me to calm down when Eden is right here—alive—and they don't even let me see her?" He raised his voice at him, making Gi-hun look away from Eden and turn to them. "I need to see her."

Gi-hun understood him. Who wouldn't?

"Daeho," Jun-ho called. "I get it. But..., someone's watching her, okay? We can't risk it and go in, they'll know we're involved." He explained.

He rolled his eyes, scoffing. "That just makes me want to see her even more!" He replied as if he was dumb. "We don't know who's out there, okay? But what I do know is that she's here, and I'm not letting her out of my sight ever again."

The two men stared at him before both sighing, Jun-ho looked away as he bit his bottom lip in frustration before nodding.

"I'll talk to them." He said, taking a step back. "Just... don't cause a scene."He told Daeho who nodded.

He walked away, leaving the two ex-players alone. Daeho exhaled as he took a seat across from Eden's room, Gi-hun following behind, sitting next to him.

"Why would they save her?" Daeho breathed out in a whisper.

Gi-hun glanced at him before shrugging, "Let's just be glad she's okay."

"I am glad," He cut him off, then shaking his head. "But why would they keep her alive?" He asked him. Gi-hun stared at the girl through the window, her breathing had became steadier, he noticed the small scars on her arm, making him look down with guilt.

All of a sudden, one of the machines inside her room began to beep loudly, making the two men jump from their seats to burst into the room. Daeho panicked as Eden started shaking, he tried to keep her in place as he shouted for help, Gi-hun stared in horror as he watched the guards and medics drag Daeho and him away from Eden.

Daeho tried to push the guards but ended up even further from the room.

$$$

Daeho's hands felt clammy, his heart pounding like war drums against his ribs as he stood outside the infirmary door. The guards had finally relented, allowing him inside, and yet his feet refused to move. His mind was still trapped in that moment—the moment he saw her body go limp, saw the blood, felt the world tilt and collapse. Eden had been dead. He had been sure of it.

But she was awake now. Alive. Somehow.

Gi-hun nudged him forward, his own face tight with restrained emotion. They entered together, the sterile scent of the infirmary making Daeho's stomach twist. And there she was, sitting up in bed, eyes half-lidded, hair a tangled mess but unmistakably hers. Alive.

His breath hitched.

"Eden," he croaked, barely able to believe his own voice.

She turned her head slowly, gaze settling on him with an unreadable expression. For a long, agonizing second, she just... stared. And then—

"Who... are you?"

The world tilted again. The ground beneath him cracked open, threatening to swallow him whole. Daeho felt himself step forward in desperation, hands reaching out before pulling back like he'd been burned. Gi-hun stiffened beside him, his jaw clenched tight.

"What?" Daeho whispered, barely able to breathe. "Eden, what are you talking about?"

She blinked at him, then turned her gaze to Gi-hun, frowning as though seeing him for the first time. "I—do I know you?"

A cold sweat broke across Daeho's skin. No. No, this wasn't happening. This wasn't—

Then, Eden's face cracked into a wide grin, and she let out a soft, amused snort. "I'm messing with you."

Silence. Deafening, heart-stopping silence.

Daeho stared at her in sheer horror. Gi-hun let out a sharp breath beside him, his hand running down his face as though to physically wipe away the panic she had just inflicted on them.

Daeho's voice, when he found it, was a whisper of betrayal. "That. Wasn't. Funny."

Eden let out a laugh—weak, hoarse, but undeniably hers. "Okay, maybe not funny to you, but like... a little funny." She shrugged jokingly.

"I nearly had a heart attack!"

"Yeah, yeah, sure you did."

Gi-hun let out a strained chuckle, shaking his head. "You're insufferable." He sat on the edge of her bed, his expression softer now. "You scared the hell out of me, Eden. Don't do that again."

Eden's grin faded slightly, replaced by something more sincere. "Sorry. Next time I'll try not to get stabbed." The old man side eyed her, making her give him a small pout. "I didn't mean to freak you guys out that bad." She glanced at him, then nudged his arm lightly. "You okay?"

Gi-hun huffed. "I'm supposed to be asking you that."

"I mean, I woke up, so like, yeah. Doing pretty solid for someone who was allegedly dead."

He let out a small laugh, then gave her a long look. "You really had us thinking we lost you."

Eden exhaled, rubbing the back of her neck. "Yeah... I kinda thought I died too."

Gi-hun nodded, then ruffled her hair before standing. "Alright, I'll give you guys some time to talk. But don't overdo it, okay? Rest."

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, Dad."

Then, just as he turned to leave, she called out, "Hey, at least now we know the afterlife has a return policy."

Gi-hun paused mid-step, giving her the most unimpressed side-eye Daeho had ever seen. "Really?"

Eden shrugged. "You think they were like, 'Oh nah, we're at full capacity. Send her back, maybe later'?"

Gi-hun let out a tired sigh, rubbing his temples. "I'm leaving before you say something worse."

She smirked. "Smart move."

With that, Gi-hun gave Daeho a knowing glance and slipped out the door, leaving the two of them alone.

Daeho turned back to Eden, still overwhelmed, still shaking from the rush of emotions he couldn't even begin to name. He let out a slow breath, raking a hand through his hair before taking cautious steps closer. His hands were trembling, and when he finally sat down at the edge of her bed, the mattress dipped slightly under his weight.

Eden's fingers twitched, and before she even realized it, they had found their way to his sleeve again, gripping the fabric lightly, as if afraid he might disappear if she let go.

"How?" he finally asked, voice raw. "Eden, how are you alive?"

Her expression sobered slightly. She stared down at her hands, flexing her fingers as if testing their reality. "I don't know," she admitted. "I was pretty sure I died. Like hundred percent sure—" She hesitated, her throat bobbing as she swallowed. "The last thing I remember is me falling on you."

Daeho felt something tighten in his chest. He leaned in slightly, eyes scanning her face as if looking for proof that she was real. The warmth of her fingers brushing against his wrist was proof enough.

"And then?" he pressed, forcing himself to focus.

"And then I woke up here," she said simply, looking around the infirmary like it still didn't quite feel real to her either. "I can't remember who brought me here, it's like I blanked out."

Daeho ran a hand through his hair, exhaling shakily. "You scared the shit out of me."

Eden smirked, though there was still something uncertain in her eyes. "I know."

He gave her a flat look. "Not funny."

"Little funny."

Daeho groaned, pressing his forehead into his palm, but when he looked at her again, his heart ached with something almost unbearable. Relief. Fear. Joy. "Eden," he murmured, voice barely above a whisper. "I thought I lost you."

She met his gaze, and for a rare moment, there was no teasing, no deflecting. Just quiet honesty. "I thought you did too."

She shifted slightly, the motion unsteady, and without thinking, Daeho's hand shot out to steady her. Their fingers brushed, and she let out a quiet breath, her body reacting before her mind caught up. She didn't pull away. Instead, she let her fingers settle there, against his skin, grounding herself in his presence.

Daeho swallowed hard. The space between them felt fragile, like the universe was giving them a second chance but could just as easily take it away. His thumb brushed against the back of her hand, an unconscious movement, a silent reassurance that she was still here, still real.

Eden let out a shaky laugh. "This is a great story to tell in two truths and a lie."

He huffed. "And you ruined the moment."

She grinned, eyes shining despite the exhaustion weighing her down. "Hey, you're the one who's here! you might be stuck with me a little longer."

Daeho squeezed her hand, exhaling softly. "Yeah," he muttered, voice barely above a whisper. "I guess I am."

"How did you two find me anyway?" She asked, resting her head back on the pillow, still holding Daeho's hand.

He chuckled, letting go of her hand as he sat closer to her, gesturing for her to look out the window. "A friend of Gi-hun's helped us, he's a police officer or something like that." He shrugged, making the girl follow where he gestured then backed down onto the bed. "What's wrong?"

"That dude gave me a ticket one time!" She whispered-yelled.

Daeho snorted and gave her a smile, her not noticing as she tucked pieces of her in front of her face to cover herself up.

Alive. She was alive.

And for now, that was enough.

Martina speaks: I'm sorry for not updating for five days :((( I started college almost a week ago and I'm trying to take it seriously bc I lowkey hate school, also I broke my nail so I have a band aid that keeps me from writing AND ALSO I usually write on my phone but wattpad is going through something and I guess it's personal bc it's not letting my write becayse it keeps glitching.

Anywho, WHAT DO WE THINK OF REUNION?

I'll try to write a lot tomorrow so I can spoil you in the weekend with many chapters. BYE BYEEE🫡😘😜