you've changed - cho sang-woo x reader

chapter six

Within the first few minutes of attempting to carefully stab the pin into the cookie, you came to the conclusion that Sang-woo definitely knew about the game everyone was going to be playing even before obtaining the container with the cookie in it. You figured it must have come to him after seeing the shapes on the wall, but surely he needed more than that, right? Or was he just that smart to piece it together with the shapes only? You almost didn't want to believe that Sang-woo would keep something that important from everyone, and you even wanted to ignore it because it was so confusing. However, you couldn't. You wanted answers. Why would he lead Gi-hun, Player 001, and Player 199 to their possible death?

You examine the room, noticing how everyone is crouched over their cookie, and suddenly felt as if you had an unfair advantage. If Sang-woo knew about the game, which he definitely did, he led you to the safest option, which is not fair to everyone else who had to choose based on pure luck. If you didn't have Sang-woo's help, you would've chosen the star, simply because those were your favorite thing to doodle on your notebooks at school when you were little. The star is significantly harder to cut out than the triangle or circle, and picking the umbrella is basically a death wish in disguise. Your heart clenched every time you remembered Gi-hun chose that shape. You hoped and prayed he was taking his time.

"Ah, fuck." You muttered after dropping the pin onto the ground. Your hands were so cold and clammy that you could barely hold the tiny pin in your hand. Sang-woo's ears perked up as he heard you speak. He was sitting so close to you that his knee was pushed up against yours, and he could also hear every noise you made. Clearing his throat, he shifted his eyes to observe how far along you were.

"You know, this is probably the easiest shape," He said matter-of-factly, but you knew him well enough to know he was teasing, and just rolled your eyes in response. "You should almost be done like I am." Sang-woo's eyes dropped back down to his cookie, focusing intently as he kept poking further into it. He didn't want to admit it, but he was purposely taking longer to cut the cookie out than he normally would in order to watch over you, making sure you successfully complete this game. In case you asked him about it or used it to tease him back, he would play it off as being scared of fucking up and cracking the cookie.

If he was being honest, he wasn't sure why he was being this soft and caring so much about if you pass the game or not, but he hated it. Normally he was so cold and calculating, but when it came to you, something switched in his brain. He assumed it was because he's known you for so long. However, using that logic, he would have to act the same way towards Gi-hun, and he doesn't. He never has, and he's known Gi-hun just as long as he's known you, maybe even longer. He decided to brush it off by telling himself he's simply trying to build a strong bond with you again, so you will get comfortable and reminisce on the childhood you spent with him, making you emotional, trusting, and vulnerable. Therefore, later on, he would be able to manipulate you, and you would prove yourself useful and be an advantage to keep around. Deep down, he knew none of this was true, and he would never do any of that to you. He was just digging himself a deeper hole with these lies.

Sang-woo let his mind wander off even further, daydreaming about the times he used to spend with you and Gi-hun. He remembered how you guys would play guessing games, rock paper scissors, and how competitive you always were. It was something he always admired about you, and part of what made you such a fun person to be around. As he was recalling these memories, they all seemed to revolve around you, what you did, the joke you made, or tiny details you told him about yourself that he never forgot about. It was as if a spotlight shone on you within his memories. He assumed it was because he always stared at you, more than he would like to admit, finding everything you did a comfort. This silent adoration continued until the end of high school, when Sang-woo finally came to the realization that he had feelings for you, after being oblivious for years. At the same time that he was pushing these feelings for you away, he was also pushing you away. This was done by ignoring you and refusing to be alone with you in the same room if Gi-hun had to go do something while you three were hanging out. This caused your friendship with him to slowly fizzle out, as you gave up trying to mend things between you two when you didn't even know what caused the dramatic shift to begin with.

A slight frown formed on his face as he recalled all of the times he saw you cry, either because you scraped your knee, lost a game, or dropped your ice cream - which led to Gi-hun or Sang-woo sharing theirs with you, of course. He will never forget the time you told him and Gi-hun about your first kiss in the eighth grade. While Gi-hun was so happy for you, Sang-woo had a completely opposite reaction. That night, he became furious and uncomfortable and had to leave the room, followed by worried looks from you and Gi-hun. You couldn't help but wonder if you did something wrong, and came to the conclusion that he was probably just jealous because you got your first kiss before he did. That night, he pondered on why he got so upset. When he finally saw you again, he decided to apologize to you for acting so unreasonable. Of course, you accepted his apology, but not before ruffling his hair and messing it up, much to his dismay.

A smile eventually replaced his frown as he got lost in the memories of you hugging him, either because he put a band-aid on your scraped knee, shared his ice cream with you, or simply just because you asked him for one. He missed those hugs so much. He began to notice that no matter what memories replayed in his mind, you were always at the forefront.

"Um, hello? Sang-woo?" You snapped your fingers in front of his face, eyebrows furrowed and eyes full of worry. He was abruptly brought out of his thoughts, that rare smile disappearing. You felt a bit sad as you always thought he looked so attractive while smiling. Of course, you would never tell him this because you would never hear the end of it. "You zoned out for a couple of minutes. We don't have forever to complete this challenge, y'know?" He nodded and took notice that you already cut your cookie out.

"Shit, I definitely am behind. Even you beat me," Sang-woo smirked, missing this feeling of teasing you. He always loved your reactions, and nothing beats the banter you two always shared. "You should show the guard your cookie, don't wait for me."

"Are you sure?" You asked, ignoring his jab at you, not feeling up to teasing back right now due to the seriousness of the situation. He nodded, beckoning you to go. Even though he teased you, you surprisingly finished very quickly. He felt a sense of relief since he didn't want you to be there for the elimination of players. He knew you were previously exposed to it during red light, green light, but he didn't know you were even there. Otherwise, he would have definitely attempted to comfort you, or even shield you from it. He knew you must have been shocked because he was, too.

You stand up and show the guard your cookie, grinning from ear to ear.

"Player 222, pass." The announcer spoke up, and you popped the cookie into your mouth, then began to look around the room. You checked on Player 199 first, then Player 001, and finally, Gi-hun. He was already looking at you since he heard your number. You smiled softly at him, giving him a thumbs up. He smiled back nervously, and you felt a nudge on your arm. Looking up, a guard was standing right next to you, and you both began walking to the exit. You knew Gi-hun was smart and had faith in him succeeding, but you couldn't help but worry. After all, he picked the hardest shape.

Your mind began to wander back to Sang-woo, and how this wouldn't have happened if he had told everyone else to go to circle or triangle. Why did he have to tell everyone to split up? As you were led back to the room with all of the beds in it, you heard the sound of gunshots, and nearly jumped out of your skin. No matter how long you were here, you would never get used to them. You nearly ran back into the room and jumped into your bed, curling into the covers.

All you can do now is wait.

-

the order that i'm posting this fanfic in is making me cringe, but i'll have it all put together soon! i'm also going to eventually add more to the story, but i hope you guys enjoy what i have so far. thanks for being patient with me :) chapter one will be out soon so everything will make sense.