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Breathe in.. breathe out.
A small chant Yong-sik told himself over and over again.
Anything to get his hands to stop shaking and his heart to stop racing.
He grasp the knife tighter and used his free hand to open the door, the knob bloody and leaving a trail on his hands. Slowly he opens it to take a peek in to find a victim. He pushes it open and takes a step inside, analyzing each corner of the bright and vibrantly colored room to soon come to the conclusion it was empty.
The only thing present being the childish decorations that painted the walls, hand prints and shapes of animals.
“Shit..” He cursed to himself and held the knife tighter to his chest, tears prickling his eyes as he checked how much time he had left. His expression twisting with pure anger and self loathing.
He had less than fifteen minutes. It’s all flew by and he hasn’t killed anyone yet.
He has to do something quick if he wanted to make it out of here. If he wanted to survive and see his mom or be with Hyun-ju again.
Yong-sik pulls himself together and turns back to exit the room.
But right before he leaves the sight of a shoe behind the door catches the corner of his eye. He freezes in the middle of the doorway before slowly backing up and looking behind the door.
A man disheveled and bloody was cowering in the corner as he held his slashed shoulder, his body scrunched up and trembling as him and Yong-siks eyes met.
He looked so familiar. Yong-sik swears he’s seen him before but can’t immediately put his finger on it.
Until the man speaks.
“Sir.. please don’t hurt me.” He whimpered with tear filled eyes, his voice strained and tired.
“It was during Mingle, we were a group of three and we went into the same room.”
The images of him being ripped away from his mom all come flooding back to him. The sick memory making his stomach turn.
He’s the reason he almost lost his mother forever. He stole him away from her and for what?
Did he think she was less worthy because she was older?
He has to be punished. Yong-sik had to make this right for her.
He can’t let him get away with this.
“You were with your mother right? I have a sick mother at home right now, on her death bed fighting cancer.” He attempted to gain sympathy, but to his unfortunate display it didn’t affect Yong-sik at all.
His jaw clenches and cheek twitch as he mentally prepared to take this man life, having an internal battle back and forth on how he should proceed.
He can’t freeze up now. Not like this.
Yong-sik closes his eyes and raised his arm with the sharp, pretty knife in hand.
With a suckered breath the man in the blue vest leaps at him and tries to tackle the knife out of Yong-siks hand. He gets a strong grasps of both his wrist and does his best to make him throw it across the room, but Yong-sik is stronger than that.
He swiftly kicks the back of his leg and makes him fall backwards straight to the floor with a loud thud, towering above him with the blade to his throat.
“Please.. spare me.” The man squirmed beneath his weight.
Yong-sik could only see red.
He could’ve killed the most important person in your life. He has to pay.
A few more struggle pushes, Yong-sik goes even farther; hands trembling, vein popping, and sweat dripped down from the temples of his forehead. He still persists.
“For my mother.” He mumbled with a gargled voice.
He pressed the knife down until it pierced through the man’s throat, blood pouring from the wound and out his mouth. It oozed and painted the ground beneath him. And in one swift motion Yong-sik rips it right out, watching the light drain from the man’s eyes and limbs go slump against the floor.
He did it.. he really did it.
Yong-sik jumps back and rubs his face, smearing blood across his cheeks and forehead. He felt so nauseous. The smell of iron and death lingering in his nose and will forever be there for the rest of his life.
He storms out of the room and immediately throws up by the corner of the doorway, chest heaving as he held himself steady up by the wall.
He wipes his mouth with his wrist and takes a moment to catch his breath. Now he needed to focus on finding the others.
They were making it out of there, he was more than certain about it.
Player 172.. Eliminated.
Player 007 Pass.
It was announced on the speakers, echoing through the rooms and hallways.
Geumjas head perked up with a loud gasp and relieved sigh.
“That’s my son, he made it.” She closed her eyes for a second and cheered, never as happier as she was right now.
The brief scene of slight easiness was shortly cut as the cries of a tiny, baby girl pierced their ears.
“Oh sorry, dear.” Geumja continued with her task and helped Junhee wrap her baby in both their jackets.
While they managed Hyun-ju was occupied with checking outside the door in hopes of catching Yong-sik nearby or just to make sure there were no red team members coming for them.
She checked both sides of the hall one more time before closing the door and rushing to the two other woman.
“I’m gonna go take look around, there has to be a way out of here.” Hyun-ju warned. “I promise I’ll be right back.”
Geumja grips her arm and gently pulls her back towards her.
“Just.. wait for my Yong-sik to come back.” She quivered, taking her hand into both of hers in a pleading manner.
“H-He did it. My son passed.. he’ll be back, I know it.” Geumja said, glancing at the ticking clock on the wall beside them. “Let’s just stay together until he shows up, okay?”
Hyun-ju soaked up her words and conjured up something to say—but fell silent.
She sighed and decided to side with her plan instead of going out to find an exit.
“Okay. I’ll stay.” She smiled gently and nodded.
It relieved Geumja to hear her agree. All she could think about was seeing her son again, mentally preparing to comfort him after what he had done.
An abundance of whines and cries tears both their attention away from each other, glancing at the little bundle of joy in Junhees arms.
Hyun-ju scooted closer to get a better look, immediately in awe as she got a peek of the baby’s small face scrunched up and swaddled in the green colored jackets.
“She’s precious.” Hyunju-ju murmurs.
Junhee grins weakly at her compliment and holds her baby girl out.
“Want to hold her?”
Hyun-jus eyes widen slightly, giving her an almost hesitant and questioning look at first. Making sure she really meant that.
Eventually she nods as a smile lights up her face, ever so gently taking the small child into her embrace. Her chest feels so full of affection.
She takes her hand and delicately pokes the baby girls cheek with the tip of her finger, earning a soft coo from her.
Hyun-jus always had a soft spot for children, especially babies. And that only intensified given their very horrific circumstances right now.
“She looks just like her mama.” Geumja chimed in, looking over Hyun-jus shoulder.
“Doesn’t she?” Hyun-ju added with a light chuckle.
Junhee laughed along weakly once more, appreciating their loving comments. She couldn’t do too much because everything ached or felt sharp somewhere.
It definitely didn’t go unnoticed.
“Just rest up, okay? You did lose a lot of blood.” Geumja advised and rubbed her shoulder soothingly.
All Junhee does is nod in understanding with her eyes closing, taking the advice and relaxing. But this short moment of peace is swiftly interrupted as soon as it even began.
The nerving sound of the door knob jiggling to open echos through the room and alerts all their ears immediately.
Hyun-ju wastes no time to take the baby and give her to Geumja instead, reaching for the colorful knife she effortlessly took from a red team member. She grips the handle of it and brings it close to her chest to prepare.
As the door slowly creaks open she rises up along with it.
Another person on the red team, three hundred and thirty three written in the middle of his vest.
“Junhee?” The man croaks at the sight of the girl, pale and exhausted.
Her tired eyes advert to him, she almost couldn’t believe he was here.
“Honey, do you know this man?” Geumja asked, her tone slightly laced with fear.
She ignores the question entirely. Her brain felt too foggy to explain anything right now. She was just relieved it was him.
“Myunggi?” She responded back to him.
He turned his head, almost anxious and it didn’t go unnoticed by any of them. He then approaches them slowly and Hyun-ju raises the knife even more.
“It’s okay.. he’s.. not gonna hurt us.” Junhee defended quietly, holding onto her arm to get her to lower her guard.
Hyun-ju wasn’t convinced. She kept the knife close to her enough to where it couldn’t be seen, just incase her suspicions were correct.
Myunggi walks up close enough to be in Geumjas reach, gently coaxing her to hand over the baby. She clutched the baby even tighter, glancing back at Junhee with a horrified expression.
“I’m the father.” He announced in hopes of gaining their trust.
Both Hyun-ju and Geumja look at each other in shock, then both look at Junhee for confirmation. Which of course she nods, embarrassingly so.
Reluctantly Geumja hands over the child. She was still skeptical and afraid, but she knew she couldn’t keep a baby from their dad, even if the situation was dire.
He takes one look at the bundle of joy before it’s quickly interrupted.
“Come on, my dude. What’s taking so—“ Another man entered, also on the red team. He had black, mid length hair and dark bags under his eyes.
He was covered in blood and entirely unbothered by it.
“Is that a fucking baby?” He added with a small tilt of his head.
He’s unanimously ignored as Myunggi uses his free arm to help Junhee up and onto her feet again.
“Ohhh.. I see now.” Player one hundred and twenty four teased, gaining a dirty look from Myunggi.
“Shut up, Nam-su.”’He hissed and continued helping Junhee exit through the door.
“It’s Namgyu! Nam-gyu!” He argued and slapped his hand over his face in pure irritation. “Forget it.”
Hyun-ju and Geumja watch this exchange as they slowly follow from behind until both Junhee and Myunggi are out the door.
Everything going according to plan.
“I’m sorry.” Myunggi mumbles, gripping the door knob.
“I’m not.” A eerie smile stretched on Namgyus face before he kicks Hyun-ju straight on her chest, pushing her back onto the floor and bringing Geumja down with her.
Within half a second Myunggi slams the door behind them and takes ahold of Junhees hand to run with him.
”No, no! What are you doing?” Junhee screeched as she struggled to get her hand out of his grasp.
“He’s gonna kill them!” She cries and he only grips her hand harder.
But to Myunggi, in his mind, was killing two birds with one stone. Protecting Junhee and the baby like he promised and getting more money out of this sick game they were playing.
The more they eliminated the blue team, the more it can eliminate the red side as well. More money added to the piggy bank and all their was suffering could be over.
“I’m doing this for you! For us!” He argued, pulling on her arm until he was basically yanking it.
Junhee fought back, stumbling down onto the floor out of pure exhaustion. There’s no way she could move any longer in her condition.
But she didn’t want to. She couldn’t leave and let her friends die.
In the other room Namgyu chased both woman down, grabbing ahold of Geumja until he fully tackled her.
“Stop moving, you fucking hag!” He cursed as he aligned the knife at her chest.
Hyun-ju swings the knife she held so close straight into his back, making him scream and stumble back and off of her.
“Bitch!” He yelped and tried scrambling his hands back to get the knife out, which Hyun-ju does on her own.
She kicks him to the floor and grabs Geumja to hide behind her. Namgyu presses his hand to the wound and see the blood wash over his hand, a grin hooking to his lips with admiration.
“You’re pretty damn bold, I’ll give you that much.” He remarks and smears his own blood across his cheek.
He wobbles onto his feet and approaches them once again.
“Just give me the old lady.. and I’ll let you go.” He negotiated. “We’ll all be winning big time, you dig?”
It was very obvious he was doing an impression—a terrible one at that.
Hyun-ju raises the knife high and keeps Geumja cozied up behind her, signaling that she wasn’t backing down one bit.
“Fine, have it your way.” Namgyu sniffs and dashes right at her.
He pushes her to the wall, attempting to throw the knife from out of her hand.
Geumja runs to the door and escapes, but met with both Myunggi and Junhee fighting amongst themselves. He’s trying his damndest to get her off the ground but to no success. He soon realizes Geumja staring and decides to take matters into his own hands.
He places the baby down and runs towards Geumja to get her next.
“No, don’t!” Junhee screams but nothing was enough to change his mind.
Thankfully before he can reach her another red team member tosses him to the floor, his curly hair and geeky glasses recognizable and relieving.
“Yong-sik!” Geumja cried.
“Go, now!” He ordered quickly as he tried to over power the other man, but unfortunately his age wasn’t in match with his and he’s easily taken down.
But he at least finds this to be a good distraction to buy them all some time.
“Go ahead.. try to kill me.” Yong-sik remarked in a snarky way. “But you know it’ll only disqualify you.”
Myunggi still fought him to the ground but he knew he was right. It be so much easier to kill him and run off with Junhee and the baby while he still can, but that wasn’t allowed. It’ll only get him killed too.
He swore under his breath and got off him to run back to the baby, but he’d fallen right into Yong-siks trap.
Before he can get a far enough distance he grabs him by the ankle and stabs in the calf, causing him to lose his balance and fall and swear even more.
Yong-sik bounces back up and rushed to the room nearby while Geumja tends to Junhee and her baby in the hallway.
A scream echos from the inside and alerts him instantly, immediately knowing it was Hyun-jus.
He slams the door open to find Namgyu on top of her, piercing a knife into her shoulder with a satisfied and sickening smirk spread across his lips.
“Get off of her!” He yelled and threw him off, making him knock his head into a wall.
Now even more dizzy on top of the blood loss.
“Hyun-ju? Hyun-ju please..” Yong-sik held her face, giving it gentle pats to keep her awake.
Her eyes were still moving, weak and tired but thank god still moving.
“Oh god, don’t scare me like that.” He let out a lighthearted laugh, massaging the inner parts of her cheeks with his thumbs.
She smiled and leaned her face into his hand.
“Your mother said you’d be here.” Hyun-ju said, her voice quieter and lighter from all the fighting.
“She was right.”
“She always is.” He added along, gaining a chuckle out of them both.
Yong-sik hurriedly grabs Hyun-ju bridal style, his arm hooked under her legs as the other held the rest of her.
He damn near leaps out of the room to meet up with the others, finding his mom, Junhee and her baby present in an entirely different room than before.
It was as colorful and child like as the others, but on the other side it had another door with a large sign above that read ‘Exit.’
This was it. Their way out of this hell hole with only a few minutes left to spare.
“Hyun-ju! Is she okay?” Junhee questioned, analyzing them both as they walked in.
“I’ll be.. fine.” She answered, holding onto her wounded shoulder.
Both Geumja and Junhee let out a large sigh of relief.
“Thank god.” Geumja came over to get a better look. “Look at my son being such a gentleman.”
She’s never been so proud.
”I told you I’ll protect you.” Yong-sik reminded her of their conversation before the game had started.
“That goes for all of you.” He then looked down Hyun-ju.
Her smile grows wider as she then caressed the side of his face to give him a small, appreciative kiss on the cheek.
They all ‘awe’ simultaneously and Yong-sik blushes redder than a tomato, probably darker than the blood that decorated his face and glasses.
“Anyways..” He clears his throat. “How do we get out here?”
Junhee explains how the door only opens if they have all three keys, which granted by the heavens above Hyun-ju had all three around her neck.
Geumja takes them from her and quickly gets them into the locks, her wrinkled hands trembling hard to get them in.
But it felt too quiet to Junhees liking. Something felt off, going way too smoothly prior to their previous experience.
That’s when color drains her face as she peeks at the doorway behind Yong-sik and is met with a familiar face.
”Yong-sik, look out!” She warns.
He snaps his head back until he’s punched straight to the ground, making him drop Hyun-ju along with him.
Myunggi wasn't quite finised yet, blood dripping down his leg and soaking his clothes as he limped. With knife in hand he stumbles over to Junhee, tossing Geumja away from the exit.
He pushes her and the baby against the wall, knife aimed at her throat.
”So this is the thanks I get, huh!?” He yelled in her face, tears streaming down his cheeks to his chin.
“You choose strangers over me!? Over our family!” He went on, hands trembling as he glared at her through his teary vision.
He glances away to compose himself. He gritted his teeth and strangled the knife in his hand until his knuckles turned pale.
He held his arm up and took one more look at her.
“You were never gonna be apart of this family.” Junhee whispered, her gaze full of anger and hatred at the man standing in front of her.
It was the last straw for him, mid way of him about to end her life a sharp pain filled his chest.
Geumja, the survivor she was, used her back up plan. The tiny knife she used to cut the umbilical cord of his newborn baby was now pierced straight into Myunggis heart from behind.
It instantly stops him in his tracks and makes him fall to his knees in agony.
The timer runs out, buzzing through the speakers and announcing the game was finally over.
“Way to go, Ma.” Yong-sik gave her a thumbs up from the ground, still keeping Hyun-ju close to him.
Inevitably Myunggi falls to the ground in defeat, choking on his own blood and losing oxygen to his lungs. A slow and excruciating death.
Yong-sik picks Hyun-ju back up as Geumja gets the locks and fully twists them in, opening the exit door.
“Let’s go, let’s go!” Junhee rushes them all to the door and follows behind them shortly.
And as the music fades and the light that shines from the other side comes to a close, there was only an empty space left behind for them to forget.
Player 333.. Eliminated.