There were 201 of us left.
From 456.
It didn’t feel real until the screen blinked that number across the wall in big red letters.
201 survivors remain.
The air inside the bunk room was heavier than ever before. No more talking. No more joking. Even Thanos sat with his back against the wall, unusually quiet.
We were all thinking the same thing:
What the hell comes next?
Guards in pink suits had handed us dinner—cold rice and half a boiled egg. It felt like a reward we didn’t earn. Like a twisted congratulations for not dying.
I sat on the edge of my bunk, staring at the bread from earlier. The one Red had snuck me.
But my mind wasn’t on that.
It was on the boy who saved my life.
Jaemin Cho.
I scanned the room until I spotted him. He sat alone, away from most groups, on the top bunk of a far wall, staring down at the floor like he wasn’t really here.
Expressionless.
Like always.
I stood up.
“Why did you help me?”
My voice didn’t shake, but inside, I felt nervous. Not scared—just… unsure.
Jaemin looked up. No surprise in his face. Like he’d expected this conversation to happen.
He didn’t answer.
I crossed my arms. “You pulled me back. You saved me. You didn’t have to. So… why?”
A long pause.
Then finally, he spoke. Quiet. Low.
“You looked like someone who deserved to live.”
His voice didn’t carry emotion, but there was something in his eyes. A flicker. Pain?
“Don’t think too much of it,” he added.
I stepped closer. “You don’t talk to anyone. You stay alone. But you chose to help me. That means something.”
He looked away. “We all die here. Doesn’t matter who helps who.”
“Then why are you still breathing?” I challenged softly.
He didn’t answer.
I didn’t expect him to.
Later that night, the lights flickered again—and a metal shutter opened at the top of the room, revealing a robotic voice overhead:
“You will now have time to form teams of five players for the upcoming game. You have ten minutes.”
Chaos.
People scrambled. Groups formed fast.
I stood frozen. Who the hell would team up with someone like me?
I wasn’t strong. I wasn’t smart. I wasn’t part of any clique. And I didn’t know what was coming.
Then a voice came from behind me.
“You with anyone?”
I turned. Gi-hun.
He offered a small, tired smile. “You should come with us.”
Behind him stood Jung-Bae, Kim Jun-Hee, and a quiet older man I hadn’t seen much of.
I blinked. “You sure?”
Gi-hun nodded. “You kept calm during the game. That’s more than most.”
I was about to speak when someone else interrupted.
“Yo, boss girl!”
Thanos. Again.
He walked toward me, arms spread dramatically. “Forget them! You need a real team! Me, Nam-Gyu, Min-Su—we’re unbreakable!”
Nam-Gyu gave a double thumbs-up from behind him, grinning.
Min-Su, as usual, stood awkwardly and anxious, glancing between me and the guards.
“You’re not leaving me, are you?” Thanos said with a fake pout. “C’mon, you got the vibes.”
I almost smiled—but then looked back at Gi-hun.
Kind. Steady. Familiar.
“I’m sorry,” I said to Thanos. “But I already made my choice.”
“Damn,” he muttered. “You’ll miss the freestyle team anthem.”
I joined Gi-hun’s group.
And we waited.
Ten minutes later, we were herded down a long hallway, single file.
Bright lights. No talking.
I felt my heartbeat rising again.
Then we stopped… in front of a large door.
And a camera blinked at our faces—clicking once. Then again. And again.
It was scanning us.
Gi-hun tensed. He muttered under his breath:
“This again…”
I glanced at him. “You’ve done this before, haven’t you?”
He didn’t deny it.
Didn’t confirm it either.
Before I could ask more, the door slid open with a loud clang.
ns216.73.216.77da2The next game was about to begin.
→ Request update
and then Add to home screen.