C H A P T E R T E N :
"Stop being such a try-hard."
1985
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   The warm summer sun bathed the playground in golden light. Yi-Seo, Sang-Woo, Gi-Hun, and Jung-Bae sat cross-legged in a circle on the dusty ground, their laughter mingling with the scent of melting sugar drifting from a street vendor nearby. The boys' faces were flushed from their first round of squid game, their shouts and cheers still echoing in the background of their minds. Now, they'd settled down waiting for the dalgonas.

"Sang-Woo should never play squid game again," Jung-Bae declared, crossing his arms dramatically. "His team always wins! It's so unfair!"

"It's not my fault I'm awesome," Sang-Woo replied with a big grin, puffing out his chest like a superhero. "What can I say? Winning just comes naturally to me."

"Yeah, right!" Gi-Hun scoffed. "The only reason you win is because you boss everyone around. 'Do this, do that!' You're like a mini grandpa!"

Sang-Woo gasped. "Take that back! I'm not a grandpa!"

"You kinda are," Jung-Bae chimed in, smirking. "You even sound like one when you tell us to 'focus.'" He mimicked Sang-Woo's serious face, making everyone giggle.

"You're just jealous that I beat you in every game we've played. This is my 10th winning streak." Sang-Woo smirked, taking a long sip from his water bottle like a victorious athlete.

"Stop being such a try-hard," Jung-Bae muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes. He then turned to Yi-Seo with a grin. "Yoonie, you should play with us one day!"

"Hard pass," Yi-Seo replied with a shake of her head, her short pigtails swinging. "Playing with you three would be a total disaster. I would rather play with the ants."

Jung-Bae gasped, placing a hand over his heart as if she'd just insulted his entire lineage. "Yoonie! You hurt me! I thought we were friends!"

"We are friends. Which is why I'd rather not team up with you in any game."

"Savage," Gi-Hun said with a grin.

"You're underestimating her," Sang-Woo added, looking at Yi-Seo. "If you and I paired up, we'd destroy them. No contest."

Gi-Hun clutched Jung-Bae's arm dramatically. "Jung-Bae, did you hear that? They're already scheming against us!" What happened to the sacred bonds of friendship?"

"Sacred bonds?" Jung-Bae snorted. "You threw me under the bus during our last game."

"Details, details," Gi-Hun muttered, waving him off.

Yi-Seo laughed, the sound ringing out like a clear bell. "See? This is why I don't play. You're all chaos."

"And you're not?" Sang-Woo teased, raising an eyebrow. "Remember when you climbed that tree last summer and got stuck for an hour?"

Yi-Seo gasped, her cheeks flushing as the boys burst into laughter. "That was ONE time! And no one asked you to bring it up!"

"You screamed so loud the neighbors thought someone was dying," Gi-Hun said, wiping away tears of laughter.

"And then you blamed me for daring you to climb in the first place!" Jung-Bae added, laughing so hard he nearly fell over.

"Well, it was your fault!" Yi-Seo protested, crossing her arms but smiling despite herself. "Whatever!"

The four kids laughed together. Once they regained their composure, the three boys started rambling off. Yi-Seo, however, grew quiet , her attention caught by something else.

Squinting against the sunlight, she spotted her father striding purposefully with another man—a stranger. The businessman was dressed sharply in a brown retail suit, with a big golden watch glinting on his wrist. He walked with an air of importance, his presence commanding attention. Yi-Seo tilted her head, furrowing her brows. She knew most of the people her father worked with, but not this man. Something about him seemed... different. Her curiosity burned as she watched them enter a nearby building.

"Children, children! The dalgonas are ready!" the street vendor called out, his cheerful voice breaking through Yi-Seo's thoughts. Gi-Hun and Jung-Bae immediately scrambled to their feet, their excitement contagious.

"Last one there has to clean the whole street!" Gi-Hun yelled, already scrambling to his feet.

"Hey, no fair!" Jung-Bae shouted, bolting after him. "You got a head start, you cheater!"

Sang-Woo stayed seated, his sharp eyes catching Yi-Seo's lingering gaze. He followed her line of sight across the street to where her father walked alongside a well-dressed man.

"You okay, Yoonie?" Sang-Woo asked, his tone softening.

"Huh?" She blinked, pulled from her thoughts.

"You've been quiet. Something up?"

"Oh, no. Just... wondering who that man is with my dad," she admitted, motioning toward the building they had just entered.

Sang-Woo glanced briefly at the scene before shrugging. "Probably just one of his business partners. Nothing exciting. Come on, we should grab our dalgonas before those two pick out the easiest ones.

He stood and extended a hand to Yi-Seo. She hesitated for a moment, then took it.

"Don't worry, Yoonie. If there's something mysterious going on, we'll figure it out," he said with a small grin as he helped her to her feet.

"Together?" she asked, a teasing edge in her voice.

"Of course. Who else would you rely on? Jung-Bae?"

Yi-Seo laughed, shaking her head. "Definitely not Jung-Bae."

As they made their way to the vendor, Gi-Hun and Jung-Bae's voices could be heard arguing over who cheated first, while the sugar vendor chuckled at their antics.

Yi-Seo felt a strange warmth in her chest, surrounded by her friends' playful chaos. The shadow of curiosity about her father's companion lingered, but for now, she let it melt away like sugar on her tongue.