The slender, delicate fingers of Se Mi threaded through each strand of your hair. She kept caressing your head gently as you leaned against her shoulder, your exhausted body collapsing into her side.

You were still shaken by the events that had unfolded, while she tried to soothe the storm raging within you.

"If you had a choice, I swear you would never come back here," you muttered.

She turned her eyes toward your weary face, heavy with sorrow. In her gaze, there lingered a trace of emotion too complex to articulate.

"You couldn't have known things would turn out like this," Se Mi replied softly. "But if you hadn't come, what would you have done instead?"

Her words jolted you. You had to admit that if you hadn't joined this game, you might have ended up dead in some forgotten corner, trapped in a haze of unfinished dreams and late regrets. You pressed your lips together, your gaze sinking into an endless void.

"I don't know. It feels like... no matter where I go, I'd die anyway."

A sudden thought crossed your mind, and curiosity about the reasons that brought her here stirred within you. You wanted to hear her story.

"What about you? I don't know why you're here," you asked hesitantly.

"Because you're here, I'm here too," she replied.

All your worries and sorrows seemed to be carried away by the wind, swept far into the distance. What remained was a strange serenity and the stirrings of an unfamiliar warmth in the space you called your heart.

"You're the clouds; I'm the sky, forever entwined, never apart. Don't you see it that way?"

Se Mi leaned closer, her graceful face drawing near to yours, the playful glint in her eyes making your heart race.

"In what way are we entwined?"

Not one to back down, you countered her teasing with your own, catching her off guard. Her ears flushed a light shade of pink as a delighted smile broke across her lips.

"Do you prefer the literal sense, or the figurative one? Or perhaps both?"

Unable to resist the pull of the emotions stirring inside you, your gaze was drawn into the depths of her dark, shimmering eyes. Letting go of hesitation, you leaned in and pressed your lips to hers.

"Is this a dream or reality? My mind says this can't be real," you thought to yourself.

As the two of you melted into the kiss, your senses rang with warning bells. This must be an illusion, a trick of the mind that had lost its grip on reason. Yet, you couldn't help but want to drift endlessly in this fantasy, blind to any way out.

Se Mi had succeeded in planting seeds of love within you, and they were already beginning to sprout. You only hoped the two of you could nurture them together.

...

On the sleeves of both your shirts was a small patch embroidered with a circle on a green background.

A vote had been held to decide who would leave and who would stay. You had chosen to stay, and so had many others, drawn in by the enormous sum offered for each life lost.

100 million won per life—a price enticing enough for some to risk it all.

As for you, staying wasn't about the money anymore. You had nothing left to lose. And Se Mi—she stayed too. In the end, all you had left was each other.

...

At dinnertime, you sat dazed on the bed, replaying the memory of the kiss in your mind.

Se Mi, ever attentive, took it upon herself to fetch your meal, knowing your ankle was still sore from a prior fall. She treated you like royalty, setting your injured foot on her lap to examine it as she handed you the food.

"Do you want me to stretch your muscles for you?"

"You don't have to go to so much trouble for me," you said, flustered.

Though you were grateful—she had already given you part of her soul to save you from death—her unwavering care made you self-conscious.

Se Mi simply remained quiet, focused on gently massaging your foot.

Resigned, you let her do as she wished, distracting yourself by eating to hide the growing warmth of your cheeks.

"What are you so shy about? Is there any part of you I haven't seen or touched by now?" she teased, a mischievous smirk on her lips.

"Se Mi!" you protested, your face turning a shade redder than blood.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry. People might think I'm bullying you," she said with mock seriousness.

"That's exactly what you're doing! And your apology doesn't sound sincere at all," you retorted.

"Do you want compensation, then? Should I touch you more to make it even?"

"Stop it right now!"

Despite your attempt to sound annoyed, you couldn't suppress the laugh bubbling up inside you.

"Do you talk like this to everyone? You seem very... experienced," you said, raising an eyebrow.

"It's you who brings it out of me. Not everyone has the power to make me this way," she replied, her voice softening.

"Se Mi, I've had enough sweetness for one day. You're going to give me diabetes," you muttered, shaking your head.

...

Night fell, cloaking the room in darkness. Only the dim light from the outside world filtered in faintly, leaving you and Se Mi sitting together on the bed. Your eyelids drooped as sleep threatened to overtake you.

"Are you sleepy?"

"Today was too much. I'm tired," you murmured.

"Should I help you sleep?"

"I'm not a child," you said, though your voice lacked conviction.

"But you're younger than me, aren't you? Such sharp words for someone so small," she teased, a playful grin tugging at her lips.

You lay back against the pillow, turning your face toward her.

"There's something I want to say."

"Didn't you talk enough today?"

"No, I mean, I want to share something."

As night's melancholy crept into your heart, you felt an urge to open up.

"I still don't fully understand how you were deceived," Se Mi said softly.

Her words hit a tender nerve, but you decided to speak honestly, recounting the events that led to your downfall.

"My old boss took off with the company's money when it was on the brink of collapse. He used the personal information of the employees to take out loans from banks and loan sharks. By the time I found out, I was already 250 million won in debt."

Se Mi was quiet for a moment, her expression contemplative.

"Did you report it to the police?"

"If it worked, I wouldn't be here," you replied bitterly.

Your face darkened further, and sensing your distress, Se Mi reached out to gently ruffle your hair.

"That's enough, little one. Go to sleep."

"Are you going back to your bed?"

The emptiness and pain inside you clawed at your heart, and the thought of her leaving made it worse.

"I wanted to give you some space," she said softly.

"Could you... stay with me?" you asked hesitantly.

A small, triumphant smile spread across her face as she lay down beside you.

"Alright. Sleep well."

"Aren't you going to say something nice to me?"

Instead of replying, she pulled you into her arms and placed a tender kiss on your forehead.

"I'll grant you sweet dreams," she murmured.

"That's so dramatic... A humble sinner thanks the gods for bestowing their blessings upon this wretched world," you quipped.

"And who's being dramatic now?" she countered, laughing softly.

Your laughter joined hers, and soon, reality gave way to dreams as the two of you drifted off in each other's arms.

____________

"We're still short two people..."

"It's just the two of us, isn't it?"

You were tasked with forming a team of five, but after some deliberation, you and Se Mi had only managed to find one other person—Player 125.

"I'll go ask around," you offered.

"Alright," she replied.

As you dashed through the room, the gaze of Thanos—Player 230—fell upon you. He immediately abandoned whoever he had been eyeing and called out to you.

"Fair maiden, may I have a word with you?"

Meanwhile, Se Mi was still sizing up the teammate the two of you had just recruited.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Park Min Su," the person answered curtly.

"Alright then. So, what made you decide to—"

"Señorita, excuse me?"

The deep, slightly rough voice of a man interrupted her mid-sentence, drawing her attention. When she turned around, she saw you leading Thanos and another player, Number 124—Nam Gyu.

"I found them," you said brightly.

"Or rather, we found treasure," Thanos quipped with a flirtatious grin.

You sighed inwardly, unable to suppress the amused chuckle that rose in your chest at his words.

The room erupted in cheers and laughter as players celebrated their victories, their joyous cries resonating like a triumphant chorus. The lively atmosphere helped ease some of the tension in your chest, allowing you to feel a rare sense of relief.

When it was your team's turn, you faced plenty of challenges, but against all odds, you made it through. One game after another—it was a miracle your heart hadn't given out from the sheer stress of it all.

"Well done," Se Mi said, holding out her hand.

You high-fived her as the two of you left the playing area and returned to the common space. Seizing her hand, you tugged her along with you, a bright smile lighting up your face like gold shimmering under the radiant sun.

"Tonight, I'll reward you for a job well done," she teased, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

She winked at you before giving you a light slap on the backside, making you jump in surprise. Your face flushed as you shot her a mock glare.

"Cut it out, Se Mi," you huffed.

But despite your protest, you couldn't hide the small, sheepish smile tugging at the corners of your lips.

___________________