𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑒𝑟 002, 𝙨𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙙 𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙚

𝔑𝔦𝔫𝔢

"The time to select your shape has ended. I will now explain the rules of the next game." The woman spoke, Dae-Hyung standing behind Sang-woo. He was not really bothered about the game as he had Sang-woo, a genius, to help him throughout it. The doors before each line opened, revealing three masked men with piles of circular tins on a table. Dae-Hyung poked his head up to look, his face scrunching up when he saw the tins. "All players, please take one case each from the table at the front of your line." The woman repeated again, Dae-Hyung shuffling as the line moved quickly. He took one case, bowing to the masked man as the three nodded to one another. 067's face scrunched up as she was behind him, wondering why three masked men were communicating with 002.

They weren't supposed to, right?

Following Sang-woo, the two sat across from each other in the middle of the room. "Please, take a moment to open the case and check the contents." The woman spoke, Sang-woo sighing as he watched Dae-Hyung do as told innocently. Was he selfish for doing this? Betraying his friends? It was the point of the game, after all. At least he wasn't betraying all of them, he decided to bring Dae-Hyung with him, not having the heart to get the boy killed. "What do we do with this?" Dae-Hyung asked, seeing a piece of brown candy with a triangle printed into it. "The second game is sugar honeycombs. The shape you have chosen is the one you must remove from the honeycomb." The woman announced, Sang-woo watching Dae-Hyung look to Gi-hun quickly. "Sang-woo! He has to take an umbrella out of it-" "I know." Sang-woo interrupted, Dae-Hyung gulping.

He didn't want Gi-hun to die. The two were best friends- well, friends. "The time limit is ten minutes. You will pass if you trim out the shape without breaking or cracking within the time limit." The woman spoke, Dae-Hyung picking up the needle. This seems easy on his side,

"With that, let the game begin."

○△▢

"Calm down, Dae." Sang-woo spoke, the two sat next to each other instead. "You should've paired with Gi-hun." The boy spoke, Sang-woo sighing. He knew that pairing with Dae-Hyung behind his back would result in him watching all of his friends die. Except from Sang-woo, right? "Don't doubt yourself-" "He knows all of the games. I don't know anything- shit." He let out, Sang-woo looking to his needle that kept slipping out of his hands. "Come here." Sang-woo spoke, taking Dae-Hyung's sweaty hands and rubbing them off with his sleeves. The boy only took quick breaths, Sang-woo cupping his face as a masked man stood next to them. "Come on, Dae. Think, we have the easiest one. Focus on that." The man spoke, Dae-Hyung nodded shakily, the two continuing with their game as they had seven minutes left.

Dae-Hyung was taking ages to do one side as he would keep looking at Gi-hun and flinching at every gunshot there was. Sang-woo was doing somewhat swimmingly, able to snap off one full side as Dae-Hyung watched him do it. Jun-ho noticed the boy and walked over to them. Masked men looked to the officer as he was not supposed to be there. "Dae-Hyung, look how easy it is, hm?" Sang-woo asked in reassurance, Jun-ho's face paling underneath his mask. That was Dae-Hyung. Lee Dae-Hyung was here. The boy from the picture- The man was interrupted as something hit his back, a triangle man ushering him to follow. Not noticing, Dae-Hyung continued to scratch at the one side of his triangle, hearing another gunshot. The boy slowly got frustrated as he heard Sang-woo doing well on his shape, the man only having to snap off one side.

That was it, he had finished, Sang-woo had finished with two minutes left. The two looked to each other, Sang-woo only giving the boy a nod before standing up and showing his shape to the masked man. "Player 218, pass." The woman announced just as it had for multiple other players, adding onto Dae-Hyung's stress. He felt as if he had to prove himself to Sang-woo and his team, given that Sang-woo mentioned this one was the easiest. Dae-Hyung shivered as a masked man stood ahead of him, not many people left as they all had one assigned masked man to shoot them if needed. The Front Man kept his eyes on Dae-Hyung, not bothering with anyone else. The boy flinched at another gunshot before he heard licking. Looking up, almost everyone was licking their honeycombs, including Gi-hun.