HAPPY EVER AFTER (ji yeong x sae byeok)

jeju island [2]

The survivors of the fourth game entered the main room and each took to their own bunk beds, reuniting with their acquaintances, if they were lucky enough to be one of the few survivors.

Only half the players who had survived the third game now lived, and the amount of people definitely showed for it.

Sae-Byeok couldn't help but notice how very few people were left, and although she felt sad for how many had died, she also felt hopeful given her increased chance of victory.

Walking towards the tall tower of bunks, Sae-Byeok met eyes with Gi-Hun, who was crawled up into a ball sitting on the lowest bunk, which had previously been the Old Man's.

Once he saw her, he frowned, realizing that her being alive meant that Sang-Woo had died.

"I'm sorry." She consoled him, noticing that he had connected the dots. "The Old Man?" She continued, knowing he must have had the same fate.

"I had to-" Gi-Hun whispered, holding back tears.

Sae-Byeok turned away from him, worried that his open expression of negative emotion might spark her own.

"Ali, Ji Yeong?" Sae-Byeok turned back around to ask him.

He shook his head "no" and began to scan the room, suddenly stricken by the curiosity of their whereabouts.

"They were still playing when I left," Gi-Hun recalled, "but the timer should be up by now."

Sae-Byeok felt her heart drop at this information. Had they not finished playing? Had they both died because they couldn't determine a winner?

Just as she was about to give up hope, the main doors flew open and Ji Yeong was pushed through the doorway by two pink men.

They slammed the doors behind her, and she began to walk towards her bunk with her head hung.

Sae-Byeok watched her intently as she climbed up the stairs all the way up to the highest bunk and was sitting the same way she had been sitting when she first noticed her before the third game, head down and fiddling with her fingers.

The female voice announced that lights out would be nearing, and Sae-Byeok decided it would be best to wait until a little while longer to approach her.

After recounting the fourth game's events, the few survivors left of the tug-of-war team decided that the possibility of another fight tonight was high.

According to Gi-Hun's suggestion, they all got together and began to build a fortress using the empty beds of those who had died.

Before the lights went out, Sae-Byeok wiggled her way out of an opening in the fortress and began to make her way towards where Ji Yeong was sitting silently.

She walked by Deok-Su and the other men who scowled at her.

Ji Yeong noticed that Sae-Byeok was approaching her and pretended like she didn't see her, despite the eagerness rising in her chest.

"We are making a fortress over there for protection at night." Sae-Byeok said in her monotone expression, pointing towards Gi-Hun and the others who were stacking together bunks to form the third wall. "You should come join us. It will be safer in there."

Ji Yeong seemed taken aback by this offer, and wore a surprised look on her face.

"What? You would rather hide under the beds all night?" Sae-Byeok snapped, embarrassed that she had revealed that she worried for Ji Yeong.

"No, I'm just surprised you asked." Ji Yeong giggled, her smile beaming.

"Are you coming or not?" Sae-Byeok tried to rush the conversation.