GAME OVER | SQUID GAME

⭐️ CHAPTER ONE ⭐️

"Sang-woo." The once goofy man-child looked down on his bleeding, bruised friend. The knife given to him was stabbed into the ground right beside his head. The rain poured down on them as a moment of silence was shared, the two men staring almost helplessly into each other's eyes.

"I just thought...how they used to call our names when...our moms had made supper for us. That won't happen again." Sang-woo said, his voice exposing how truly exhausted he was. Gi-hun smiled, looking back at the memory as well.

"Let's go. Let's go together." He said in almost a whisper. He held out his hand to the other, wanting to help him up. In that moment, the money didn't matter as much as it did before. It lost its worth.

A week ago, Gi-hun and Sang-woo stood amongst 454 other people like them; people in debt and in desperate need of money to pay for everything that was haunting them day by day. But now..what was it all for?

For a moment, Sang-woo lifted his hand to accept Gi-hun's offer. But he couldn't bring himself to end it all. Not after all the effort they put in. Gi-hun won fair and square and he couldn't let him give it all up. On top of that...Sang-woo refused to return to the hell that was his everyday life. He'd tried it once and now he was in the same position.

"Gi-hun. I'm sorry." Sang-woo's voice became strained as his throat begun to swell and tears fell from his eyes.  He couldn't go back out there.

He reached to the side of his head and pulled out the knife Gi-hun stabbed into the ground. Gi-hun could feel his heart start pounding as Sang-woo pointed it to his neck. Acting fast, Gi-hun dropped down to the ground, straddling the younger man as he grabbed his wrist and forced the knife from him. Tossing the knife to the side, Sang-woo completely broke down in tears.

"The hell do you think your doing!?" Gi-hun yelled to his old friend, looking into his eyes as they welled up with more tears.

"I can't, Gi-hun...I can't go back out there. I lost. There's nothing for me now." Sang-woo cried out softly, closing his eyes and wishing that Gi-hun would just finish the damn game.

"I...can't do this to you, Sang-woo. Don't you get it? Even after all this, you're one of the last people I wanted see dead...I've lost too many people in my life, I can't lose you too." Gi-hun replied, placing his hands on Sang-woo's shoulders. Sang-woo shook his head.

"....They'll arrest me if I go back, Gi-hun. And what about all the debt that still won't get paid?....all those lives lost...and the money will have lost its worth...." Sang-woo said in almost a whisper, too weak and tired to fully project his voice. Gi-hun shook his head, fighting his tears.

"Don't say that....don't fucking say that, Sang-woo. That money lost its worth as soon as that first guy died....from there, the more bodies that piled up the less the money mattered-" Gi-hun said before getting cut off.

"I'm down, Gi-hun.....you have to let me go...they won't let you leave otherwise...please. There's no other way out for me, you have to understand."

"....so that's why you wanted to keep playing, huh?" Gi-hun asked, earning a slightly nod from Sang-woo.

Gi-hun didn't know what to do with himself. His best friend was laying in a puddle of blood, water, and mud. He was tired, sad, numb. Gi-hun couldn't bare losing Sang-woo for more reasons than the simple fact that they'd been friends so long. They reunited after all this time and he was expected to just..let him go? Gi-hun looked to the guard that was in charge of spectating. He was waiting patiently for a winner, since he was ready to shoot Sang-woo before Gi-hun changed his mind.

There was silence between the two. There was no time limit so it felt as though they all the time in the world. They just didn't want to be there any longer than they had to be. Gi-hun thought for a moment, looking at Sang-woo for the inspiration to spark an idea. He gently caressed the younger male's bruised up cheek as Sang-woo stared up at him with half-lidded eyes.

"Gi-hun?" Sang-woo called his name ever so silently. Gi-hun just smiled slightly. He had an idea. He leaned down to Sang-woo's ear, pretending to gently hug him in the process.

"Pretend to die." He whispered. Sang-woo's eyes widened at his words. What was he doing?

"Gi-hun..." he called to him again but the said male was already pulling away from him slowly. With the same smile, he slightly nodded.

"Trust me." Were his last words before Sang-woo shut his eyes, doing as he was told. The mere thought of this being his true passing was enough to make him cry, which worked in his favor.

Player 218, eliminated.

The pink guard began to walk forward, ready to take Sang-woo when Gi-hun held his hand up for him to stop.

"Please. Let me take him with me. I can't allow him...to stay here. Do something good for once and allow me to give him the funeral he deserves....I'll have the money to pay for it, at least.." he said as the guard just stood there, awaiting further orders.

From a large window at the side of the stadium, The Front Man and the VIPs stood watching. This kind of request had never been made in all the years these games had been held. The Front Man signaled at the guard to wait as he left from the window and made his way to the host.

Upon hearing the man in black walk in, the chair turned around, revealing an old man holding his animal mask in his lap.

"Player 456 has requested to take player 218's body with him. What says our host?" He said and asked, the old man slightly furrowing his brows.

The old man had to admit that he grew a liking to player 456. He was kind, somehow remained humane through it all and even became his friend. Something like this had never happened, and therefore it wasn't necessary to make a rule like that. But then again, no one had ever thought the way Gi-hun did. With a smile creeping onto his face, he nodded his head.

"I will allow this...for my gganbu." He said with a nod. The Front Man bowed for respect and left the room, making his way back to the VIPs. He nodded towards the guard as a sign that approval was granted.

"Player 456. You have requested to bring the body of player 218 out with you....for that.....permission has been granted. You will come with us so you may take your leave. And we will prep the body for departure. Congratulations." He said, sounding almost robotic because of the mask. Gi-hun exhaled in relief, more tears falling down his face.

"You hear that..? I get to take you away from here, Sang-woo.." he said softly to his friend, who lay to rest peacefully.

- SQUID GAME: GAME OVER -

The low growl of the engine could be heard fading away as the van disappeared into the night. Sang-woo waited a few seconds before opening his eyes and taking a breath. He looked over at Gi-hun, who was laying out on the curb next to him. He crawled to him and helped him to sit up, untying his wrists as Gi-hun slowly woke up.

"Gi-hun...are you-?" He tried asking if his friend was okay when Gi-hun started to spit up something. What hit the ground was a credit card. Panting softly, Gi-hun looked up from the credit card and towards Sang-woo.

"Sang-woo.." he said tiredly with a smile. Sang-woo smiled slightly as his eyes welled up with tears.

There were a few different thoughts going through his mind. He turned his back on everyone, killed to save his own ass. Yet there he was, kneeling beside Gi-hun, the winner of the games and the man who did nothing but look out for everyone else. He saved him, still, even after Sae-byeok's and Ali's deaths. He did what he had to for himself and even though Gi-hun won fair and square...he chose to go back for him. A tear streamed down his face.

"You saved me.."

To Be Continued...🔺

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Hi :) I re-wrote this chapter because I decided to change what would happen, I wasn't sure where I was going with the other plot. I hope you enjoyed this and I hope you enjoyed the kind of alternative ending I whipped up on the spot.

Im not writing this as a fan sequel to the show but hey! If it ends up that way then oh well LOL.

Thanks for reading and this will be continued! ❤️

~KOOKIENII