☀︎︎𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 TWENTY-SEVEN☀︎︎
"It would be impossible to betray you."
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  Ji-Hye looked at Sang-Woo, not sure on which option to choose. "We can be great partners and outsmart everyone, please Ji-Hye."

  "I don't know Sang-Woo, who knows what the next game is."

  "Please."

  Ji-Hye sighed, almost giving in.  She got her arm off of her Sang-Woo's hand and fully faced him.  She looked up a bit to meet with his eyes.  Ji-Hye grabbed Sang-Woo's hands and held them together, caressing them carefully.

  "I would love to be your partner."  Sang-Woo sighed in relief.  "But, I don't really trust what's happening next.  We can't be partners."  Ji-Hye bit the inside of her cheek.

  "Ji-Hye we can win together and beat other teams.  You're the most intelligent woman I know."

  "I know, I know.  What if we have to go against each other? That'll be most painful thing ever.  If we both are together, one of us have to go."

  "You're overthinking it, what if it's not like that."

  "In this situation I thought your mind would think for once, Sang-Woo.  Maybe you will need someone big and strong."

  "The games here either require strength or brains.  We can do both or you can be the brains and I'll be the strength."

-

  Sang-Woo ended up being partners with Ali after Ji-Hye rejected his offer.  He was a little hurt by the fact that Ji-Hye didn't want to be partners with him.  Ji-Hye ended up being partners with player 062 even if he didn't want too.  Time was running out and no one knew what would happen to the left out player so player 062 gave in and was Ji-Hye's partner.  Ji-Hye was glad she found a person that she barley knew because if they did have to go up against each other, it wouldn't be with someone she loves and cares about.

  "All players, follow the instructions from staff and go to your positions." The robotic voice announced.  Each group had a guard and followed them into a certain place in a small looking village.  Ji-Hye carefully followed the guard.  She took a deep broth and looked around.  Once all the players got to their spot, the robotic voice spoked up, once again.  "Please take one pouch each."  Ji-Hye grabbed her pouch.  "There are ten marbles in each pouch.  Please check how many there are."

  Once Ji-Hye opened her pouch, the memories of her and her dad playing marbles when she was kid came flooding back.  Who knew that a marble could have a special significant, Ji-Hye choked on air as she remembered all the wholesome memories.  She let those thoughts aside and began to count the marbles that were in her pouch.

  "In this game, use your ten marbles to complete with the partner next to you." Ji-Hye's face dropped in realization, her heart felt like it stopped.  Her instincts were right after all.  "The player who takes all ten marbles from their partner wins.  Let me repeat.  Use your ten marbles to complete with the partner next to you.  The player who takes all ten marbles from their partner wins.  You have 30 minutes.  Let the games begin."

  All Ji-Hye wanted to do was bawl up in a circle and cry.  She didn't know if it was the relief that she didn't partner up with Sang-Woo or that the marbles triggered her memories with her dad that she couldn't handle.  She just sighed and looked over to her partner.

  "Are you just going to stand there, looking pretty and waste time?" He scoffed "We only have 30 minutes to play."

  "Thank you? Gosh, I was hoping you weren't a dickhead.  I swear it's always the ones that are nice looking." The tears that Ji-Hye wanted to shred were held back. 

  "What's that supposed to mean?"

  "It means my long history with guys which doesn't even matter right now because I am trying to make it out alive."

  "Then what way should we play Marbles? There wasn't a specialty way to play it."

  "Let's do the basic, even or odd."

-

Ji-Hye and the rest of the players entered in the lobby. By the atmosphere, everyone was in a draining, shitty, tired mood. There's some who had to go against their loved ones and watch them die in front of her. Even if Ji-Hye didn't know her partner, she still felt bad. She didn't know his story, the reason he came to this place. Those thoughts taunted Ji-Hye, she even feels guluty that she left and he didn't.

"Hey Deok-Su. You're finally back." Mi-Nyeo smiled, Ji-Hye looked up.m

"You...how..." Deok-Su trembled a bit.

"What? Does it feel like your mother's back from the dead?" She scoffed at him. "Those masked guys said I'm the weakest link. That's what we called someone left without a partner when we were kids. You've all heard of it. The weakest length!" She laughed "Then they nicely escorted me back here. What did they say? Not abandoning the weakest kid was a beautiful rule, the kids used to keep in the day. Something like that. God, damn. Isn't that fucking cool?" She continued laughing as everyone went to their bed. On their way there, each player grabbed a baked potato.

Ji-Hye slowly walked over to her bed, sitting beside Gi-Hun. She was glad that Gi-Hun and Sang-Woo made it out alive but by the look of Gi-Hun's face, he felt guilty.  Everyone did in this situation.  Ji-Hye sat down and pushed her legs up to her chest, her chin resting on her legs.

  "Don't make a big deal out of it." Sang-Woo reassured Gi-Hun.  "He was just an old man you met here." He sighed.  "That man's partner-... was his wife." Sang-Woo directed to player 069.  Player 069 slowly got up from the steps.

  "Let's end this.  I cant do this anymore." His voice broke down and began to cry.  "We can stop if the majority just agrees.  If just nine of us agree, we can get out of here.  Doesn't anyone want to leave?  If you wish to leave with me, please stand up." Ji-Hye shifted a bit and Sang-Woo glanced at her.  Once player 069 looked around and saw that nobody stood up, he screamed.  "How could you call yourselves human? You really want to continue with this insanity? Because of that money!" He sobbed.  "You just killed the person you were closest to in this place because of that money."

  "And if you leave?" Sang-Woo got up and walked over to where player 069 was standing.

  "Sang-Woo." Ji-Hye called for him, trying to stop him but he ignored her.

  "You think your wife will come back to life? You think you'll be forgiven for killing her? If this is so painful, why did you come back alive?" He grabbed the player by the collar of his jacket.  "You should've died instead of her." Ji-Hye looked the other way, tears began to form in her eyes.  "That's..." he pointed the the piggy bank.  "Not just the cost of your wife.  It's the cost of everyone who died here."  Sang-Woo's voice faded as Ji-Hye began to cry more.

  The words that Sang-Woo were saying came into thought.  The only feeling there was, was just guilt.  All the dead players died risking to get money.  Their deaths didn't even matter in these games, everyone was just focused on about getting the money and not grieving properly.  Ji-Hye covered her mouth, not wanting anyone to hear her sobs.  Gi-Hun went over to her and hugged her from behind.  She sobbed quietly and still hearing on what Sang-Woo was saying.

After Sang-Woo yelled at everyone he want over to where Ji-Hye and Gi-Hun were.  He pulled Gi-Hun off of Ji-Hye, Gi-Hun looked at him confused and defensively.  Sang-Woo sat down beside her, trying to pull her in for a hug but she backed away from his touch.  Sang-Woo furrowed his eyebrows.  He tried again but got smacked by Ji-Hye.  He held his hand up to his stinging face, Ji-Hye just shook her head.

  "What the hell was that for?" Sang-Woo asked

  "You had no right to be insensitive to that man.   He's just upset that he lost his wife, he's allowed to grieve."

  "What did expect me to do? That we all just vote to leave? We have made it so far just to stop, I wasn't going to leave this place without the money."

  "Can you not hear yourself? Everyone in here lost the ones they were close with and loved.  Are you not upset that you had to go against the person who trusted you? Ali gave you nothing but respect." Ji-Hye sniffed.  "He at least deserves some tears from you."

  "I wasn't going to hold back for someone who I knew, I did everything to win.  Thats the who-."

  "Would you play like that if I was your partner.". Ji-Hye looked over Sang-Woo, he just cleared his throat.  "Hm? , Would you just throw me under the bus so you could just win the game?" He stayed quiet.  "Fucking answer me Sang-Woo!" Gi-Hun looked in between them.

  "No... no I wouldn't." He gulped.  "It would be impossible to betray you."

AUTHOR- AAAAHHH- this book is coming to an end soon </3
I forgot how sad the Marble game episode was, I was crying while watching and writing. Ali's death always gets to me.
Since this book is coming to an end, I wanted to ask. Is there anything you want to know more information on? Like, flashbacks. If you do just comment them.