C H A P T E R T W E L V E :
"It's better to be separate than dying together."
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Another night with barely any sleep. Yi-Seo couldn't focus or close her eyes due to the scene the lady who supposedly had a baby caused. She caused a dramatic scene just to use the restroom. Yi-Seo sighed and covered her ears with her pillow.

She eventually fell asleep. But it felt like a minute before the announcer spoke on the speaker.

"It is now breakfast time. All players, please line up in the center."

Yi-Seo slowly opened her eyes, annoyed that it was already time to wake up. She covered herself again, turning to the sleep and trying to sleep for one more minute. Not until she heard the old lady and player 67 talking.

"What did you see? Tell me now." The old lady demanded. "You said you'd tell me in the morning. "You said you'd tell me in the morning. I know you had time to see something."

"The guys in masks were melting something in large pots." Player 67 replied.

"Melting what?"

"I'm not sure."

"Aish. I put on that huge show to save your life, and you're not sure?" The old lady scoffed.

"I smelled something."

"What smell?"

"Sugar."

Melted sugar Yi-Seo thought to herself. That's a a piece of information she needed to guess the next game. Yi-Seo got up from her bed, acting like she was asleep the whole time and went to the center of the room to grab her breakfast.

—-

Yi-Seo sat quietly, the stale bread and carton of milk in front of her barely holding her attention. Her gaze kept drifting to player 67. There was something about the young woman's silence, her guarded demeanor, that intrigued Yi-Seo. She caught herself glancing over multiple times, wondering if the girl might speak again. Her instincts told her there was more to her than what met the eye.

"Sir?" Ali's soft, polite voice broke through her thoughts, directing her attention to the man seated across from her. "Why aren't you eating that?" he asked, looking at Sang-woo's untouched bread.

Sang-woo, who had been staring in the same direction as Yi-Seo—toward player 67—slowly turned his head. Yi-Seo's sharp eyes noticed the brief flicker of understanding between them. He knows too, she realized. What they knew about the quiet girl, she wasn't certain yet, but it was clear they were both paying close attention to her.

Sang-woo gave a faint smile and picked up his bread, extending it toward Ali. "You can have it."

Ali's face lit up in surprise. "Really? Thank you, sir."

Sang-woo nodded, his expression calm. "I don't usually eat breakfast," he said simply, brushing off the gratitude.

Ali hesitated for only a moment before taking the bread. "Thank you," he repeated.

Gi-hun, sitting nearby, chuckled lightly. "The smart ones never eat much, you know," he quipped, shooting a teasing glance at Yi-Seo. "Except Yi-Seo, of course. She needs her food to survive."

Yi-Seo shot him a sharp glare, her brow furrowing in annoyance. Gi-hun's smile faded immediately. "Ah, uh, here," he stammered, awkwardly turning to Ali and offering his milk as well. "You can have this too."

Ali accepted it gratefully, his polite demeanor never wavering. "Thank you so much."

The old man, who had been quietly observing the exchange, suddenly spoke up. "You seem to have an effect on people," he said, his gaze fixed on Yi-Seo.

She turned to him, tilting her head slightly in curiosity. "How so?" she asked.

The old man's eyes twinkled with a kind, almost nostalgic warmth. "You look like a powerful businesswoman," he said with a small smile. "A woman with courage. You remind me of an old friend of mine."

Yi-Seo felt a rare flicker of amusement at his words. She gave a slight smile in return. "I'll take that as a compliment," she said, her voice soft but steady.

Gi-hun, eager to jump back into the conversation, leaned forward. "Did you know she was an attorney?" he said, his tone carrying a hint of pride as if he were responsible for her accomplishments. "That's why she looks so powerful!"

Ali's eyes widened in genuine admiration. "An attorney? Wow, that's amazing!"

The old man nodded thoughtfully. "That explains the confidence," he said. "You've fought battles before, haven't you?"

Yi-Seo paused, the words sinking in. Battles. Yes, she had fought many, though they weren't all in courtrooms. Her smile lingered for a moment before fading, replaced by a distant look in her eyes. "Something like that," she murmured, her tone unreadable.

For a brief moment, the group fell silent, the gravity of her words settling over them like a quiet shadow. Then, Gi-hun, unable to handle the weight of the moment, cracked a small joke that made Ali laugh, and the tension eased. But Yi-Seo remained thoughtful, her mind swirling with unspoken memories and the sense that the true battles still lay ahead.

All of a sudden, classical music started playing. Meaning that the next game was about to start.

"The second game will begin shortly. Please follow the instructions from our staff." The monitor repeated itself.

—-

Once again, Yi-Seo entered the bright, mesmerizing maze. She was behind Gi-hun, following him up the stairs. But there was something in her that wanted to go up to player 67 and ask her more information of what she saw.

Yi-Seo believed that with more information, she could put a final guess on the next game and help her best friends survive— even player 67. Yi-Seo kept trying to find her but not until she spotted Sang-woo rushing towards player 67, asking her questions.

This caused Yi-Seo to shake her head, losing all hope that player 67 will tell her what she saw. She cursed under her breath and stuffed her hands in her pocket.

As they reached their destination, two big doors opened. The players stepped into a scene straight from childhood—a playground, vast and artificial. The walls stretched high, painted like a bright blue sky dotted with fluffy white clouds. A colorful fence enclosed the area, and towering structures—slides, jungle gyms, swings—stood scattered across the space like relics of a lost innocence.

"Why is this playground so big?" Asked Gi-hun. "What are they going to make us play?"

"Hopefully nothing that involves the monkey bars." Said Yi-Seo, Gi-hun nodded in agreement.

"Welcome to your second game." The robot said."

"Hey, what do you think this?" Gi-hun asked Sang-woo and Yi-Seo.

Yi-Seo's gaze swept the area until it landed on four distinct shapes displayed in front of them: a circle, triangle, star, and an umbrella. Her breath hitched.

Something about them...

The images tugged at a distant memory, something buried deep within her past. The scent of caramelized sugar filled her senses, the gritty texture of sand under her small hands, and the faint sound of her father's laughter—rich and full, before the weight of the world crushed him. Before the debt. Before everything fell apart.

"Before the second game begins," the robot said, making Yi-Seo face back into reality. "choose from one of the four shapes and stand in front of it."

"What is that?" Ali asked as he pointed to a shape.

"Circle, triangle, star, and an umbrella." Replied Yi-Seo.

"They seem very familiar." Said the old man.

Yi-Seo swallowed hard. Now she knew.

Her stomach twisted as she watched the others debate which shape to pick. One by one, players made their choices, but she could barely hear their conversations over the rush of blood in her ears.

"Then we have the star and the umbrella left." Gi-hun said, which made Yi-Seo focus more on what the group was planning.

"You can choose first." The old man said to Gi-hun.

"Should I?"

"Yes."

Gi-Hun glanced a second time at the shapes. "Then I'll take the umbrella!"

Yi-Seo's heart dropped.

"What?" she blurted out before she could stop herself.

Sang-woo visibly tensed beside her.

"Umbrella?" he repeated, his voice tight.

Gi-hun looked at them, confused by their reactions. "What? My mom used to scold me for losing my umbrella all the time," he chuckled. "In the end, she only gave me broken ones. I always wanted a decent umbrella like the other kids."

Yi-Seo felt like screaming.

Did he have any idea what he had just done?

The old man smiled at him. "You don't want the star? Would you like to switch?"

"No, the star sounds great. We rarely ever get to see stars in this day and age."

Gi-hun nodded, then turned to her. "Yi-Seo, which will you pick?"

She forced her voice to stay steady. "Circle."

She noticed Sang-woo's sharp glance, but she ignored it.

"All right, let's get moving. Once we know what we're playing. We can come up with a plan together." Gi-hun said. The old man and Ali walked towards their shape.

Yi-Seo's body acted before her mind could catch up.

"Wait."

Gi-hun stopped mid-step, turning to face her. Sang-woo stayed back too, watching her closely.

"Hyung, are you sure you want to pick the umbrella?" Yi-Seo asked, keeping her tone casual despite the storm inside her.

"Yes, totally! It reminds me of my childhood," he said, smiling.

Sang-woo gulped.

"Maybe you should take the circle, and I'll take the umbrella," Yi-Seo suggested. The words left her mouth before she could think.

Sang-woo's head snapped toward her, his entire body going rigid. His reaction only fueled her certainty.

"So you can help Ali out if he needs it," she added quickly, hoping it would convince him.

Gi-hun paused, considering. "That is true... We did tell him we'd help."

"See? You'll be able to keep an eye on him. I'll be fine on my own."

She was lying. She knew she was lying.

But if it meant keeping him safe, she'd take the risk.

Before Gi-hun could agree, Sang-woo finally spoke up.

"Gi-hun said he wanted the umbrella. Let him choose the umbrella."

Yi-Seo turned to him sharply. "But he'll—"

"She's right," Gi-hun interjected, raising a reassuring thumbs-up. "I'll stick with the umbrella. It's better to be separate than dying together."

Yi-Seo's stomach clenched as she watched him walk toward his chosen shape, completely unaware of what he had just signed up for.

Words from the author:
Yi-Seo and Sang-woo are both playing with Gi-hun's brain and he doesn't even realize. 💔