𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 | 𝐒𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐝 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞

***

Time was running out, panic was growing. The friends hurried toward the exit, supporting each other. — I... can’t... — Jun-Hee whispered faintly, barely dragging her feet. Her body barely responded: weakness after childbirth and pain in her ankle made every step feel like it was shackling her to the spot. At times, Jun-Hee felt like she would lose consciousness right there. Gi-Hun and In-Ho were practically dragging her forward, each holding her by the arm, bearing almost all her weight. She hung limply between them, and only the occasional step confirmed that she was still holding on by sheer willpower. Mrs. Jang was walking ahead of them, clutching the baby tightly to her chest. It felt like the game itself was repeating — a six-legged pentathlon with no shackles on the legs and no timer, but with far more severe punishment for even the slightest delay. Hyun-Ju was walking behind them, keeping control of the team. She couldn’t afford to let anyone fall behind or get lost in such a tense moment. Turning left, they reached a narrow corridor. At the end, a heavy door with three lock slots was visible. — Faster! — Hyun-Ju shouted, urging them on. — It’s a triple lock! Mrs. Jang, still tightly clutching the baby to her chest, looked back while running. — So... we need all three pieces? — she asked. — I’ve got the triangle key, — Gi-Hun quickly pulled it from his pocket. — I have the square, — Hyun-Ju replied, showing hers. — And I have a square, too! — the elderly woman cried, her voice tinged with panic. — We’re missing the circle! — T-take mine... — Jun-Hee managed to breathe out, trembling as she extended her shaking hand with the final key. They all exhaled in relief. Salvation was just within reach, but the tension was still palpable. — Quick, give them here! — Hyun-Ju resolutely collected all the keys. One by one, the locks clicked — first the triangle, then the circle. Only the final slot remained when a scream rang out from the adjacent corridor — a few seconds later, a red player appeared at the end of the hall. The knife glinted in the dim light, and he was heading straight for them. Mrs. Jang pressed herself against the wall, staring in terror at the approaching enemy. Gi-Hun only squeezed Jun-Hee’s hand tighter. — Don’t worry, it’ll be okay, — he whispered, trying to reassure her. Hyun-Ju threw open the door, breathing heavily. — Hurry, get in! — she shouted, nervously glancing over her shoulder. — Get inside! The elderly woman was the first to rush in, clutching the baby desperately to her chest. Her task was to protect the newborn at all costs, and she ran as fast as her age would allow. Following her, Gi-Hun and In-Ho hauled the exhausted Jun-Hee inside, holding her firmly under the arms. The killer was almost upon them; his footsteps echoed in the corridor. Hyun-Ju ran in last, gripping the door handle and pulling it with all her strength, slamming the door just in time to block the red player. — Hurry, get them out of here! — she shouted, her voice filled with desperation. — I’ll hold him off, I’ll catch up with you later, don’t worry! The player outside jerked the handle. The metal trembled, and the sound of the impact rang in her ears. She held on to the cold steel, bracing her heels against the smooth floor. The door jerked like a living thing. Every movement of the enemy resonated in her shoulders. Her strength was fading, her arms were trembling, and her breath came in ragged gasps. She pushed harder, but her foot slipped on the floor, and suddenly it slid forward like ice. — Hyun-Ju... — Jun-Hee turned, holding back tears. — Please, come with us... The next tug was decisive. The door jerked toward her, pulling her forward. Hyun-Ju lost her footing, and the door panel swung open, pushing her forward. The Black Square sat at the monitor, his eyes never leaving the screen. A sharp scream, a fall, and the bloodstained knife in the hands of the killer — another small, amusing show for the wealthy viewers in golden masks. To them, it was just a game. — "Player number 120 has been eliminated". Jun-Hee screamed in horror, her body trembling with the surge of emotions, and tears poured from her eyes. Gi-Hun gritted his teeth, his heart clenching in pain. He kept moving forward, refusing to stop despite the anger and sorrow eating at him. Soon, they entered a spacious room. Upon seeing the large machine with balls nearby, the friends realized — they had returned to the starting position, to the place that once seemed simple and safe. Now, it felt dark and alien. — “Time for the game has ended!” — a woman’s voice echoed through the room, like a final judgment, followed by a series of loud gunshots. Under the watchful eyes of soldiers, the remaining players returned from the maze. Now, both the red and blue teams stood together: sweaty, exhausted, their clothes stained with blood. Fear was clearly visible on their faces. Mrs. Jang scanned the group of red players, her eyes searching for someone among them, as if she was expecting to see one particular face. — Are you looking for someone? — In-Ho asked, looking in the same direction. — Yes, I am looking for my son! — the elderly woman nodded, her face contorted with worry, as she examined each player, seemingly hoping to see him among them. —Oh, where is he… — Your son… — In-Ho paused. — Why hasn’t he been with us all this time? — The thing is, we swapped our vests, like you did! — the elderly woman smiled faintly. — You know, I went through the Korean War, I can take care of myself! But my son… he’s very kind, he wouldn’t hurt a fly! — So, you swapped vests with him to protect him from the fate of the blue players? — In-Ho asked, trying to spot Mrs. Jang’s son among the red players. — Yes, that’s right! — she sighed, a shadow of concern passing over her face. — But I’m really worried… did he have to kill anyone? I made him promise that we’d meet after the game… At that moment, the loudspeaker echoed again, announcing the numbers of the most recent casualties: — "Eliminated players: Player number 007… Player number 028, Player number 048…” Player 007… The voice from the loudspeaker continued calling out the fallen, but for Mrs. Jang, it seemed like time had stopped. She couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. A cold sweat ran down her body. Yong-Sik... You… didn’t kill anyone… right? Her eyes filled with tears. Gi-Hun swallowed hard, turning his gaze away, unable to bear her pain. There had been too many deaths today, and every time someone lost a loved one, it felt unbearable. His soul tore at the realization that they would never see these people alive again. The players returned to the common room in deep silence. Each of them was exhausted not just physically but mentally as well. The sound of footsteps echoed down the corridor, heavy in their ears. When the soldiers announced it was time for lunch, the players silently took their meager portions and sat in small groups, as usual, lost in their own thoughts. Gi-Hun and the others sat next to their beds, not daring to start a conversation. The rest of the day passed in this oppressive silence. Only when lights out was announced did two players not hurry to sleep. Gi-Hun sat, lost in his thoughts, his arms wrapped around his knees as he leaned against the wall. His heart felt heavy and hollow, as though everything they had gone through wasn’t real but some ominous nightmare they couldn’t escape. And all he felt in that moment was despair, emptiness, and fear. In-Ho sat silently next to him, staring at the electronic display of the prize fund. Occasionally, his gaze lingered on Gi-Hun a little longer than necessary, but In-Ho couldn’t find the right words. — I'm sorry… — he whispered faintly, almost inaudible. — This is my fault… if I hadn’t suggested splitting up… Gi-Hun didn’t respond. He kept looking at the floor, avoiding In-Ho’s gaze. His shoulders were slumped, and his face showed exhaustion and helplessness. The Frontman sighed nervously, trying to gather his thoughts. He could feel everything inside him tightening, how unbearably difficult it was to sit next to this person. In-Ho now seemed to feel the years of pain that Player 456 had been carrying all this time. — Gi-Hun… — In-Ho began, but the words got stuck in his throat. Finally, Gi-Hun broke the silence, his voice quiet and full of disappointment. — Why is all this happening to us? — he whispered tiredly. — The man in the mask… he’s human too… why… These words echoed loudly in In-Ho’s head. He swallowed hard, feeling the air in his chest tightening. — Probably… — he answered, feeling his voice tremble. — He had his reasons to behave like that... — But… is torturing people like this… a worthy reason? In-Ho couldn’t answer. Something inside him finally cracked. He closed his eyes, trying to hold back the emotions that were ready to break through his usual mask of calm. The Frontman breathed heavily, his heart pounding so hard that it felt like it might break free from his chest. — I... I don’t know... — his lips trembled. Gi-Hun didn’t wait for an answer. His head slowly leaned onto In-Ho’s shoulder, and soon he fell asleep, unaware, consumed by exhaustion and pain. Gi-Hun... In-Ho continued to stare at the electronic display, unable to hold back the tears that slowly slid down his cheeks. Once again, silently whispering, “I don’t know,” he nervously swallowed, feeling the salty taste on his lips. Gi-Hun... I... I don’t know... •••TO BE CONTINUED•••