Petrichor - Squid Game

Needles and Dalgonas

Circle. Triangle. Star. Umbrella.

It was a skill of getting the shape out with a needle from a dalgona. In other words. Toffee or "Honeycombs". The biggest factor, not breaking your shape; breaking the shape would mean getting eliminated.

Elimination = Death.

Gi-Hun could practically feel himself sweating, he had himself propped in a way that gave him a weird angle of his shape. The Umbrella.

Their team had decided to each go with a different shape, this was Sang-Woos decision.

"Sang-Woo!" Gi-Hun had finally got his attention, "What should we do?"

"I'm not sure."

"Should we move as a team?" He then asked and Sang-Woo just looked at him, looking conflicted with his next words.

"That might be dangerous." Sang-Woo murmured then spoke more confidently, "We don't know what game it is. If we all pick the same shape, we might be in trouble."

"Is that so?" Gi-Hun looked back at the shapes, believing every syllable that slipped from Sang-Woos lips. In awe with every word he said to the point it was almost that he was always speaking the truth. Gi-Hun wouldn't think against that.

"There's this saying in investing-" Smart talk, "Don't put all your eggs in one basket."

Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
Sang-Woo couldnt of known what game they would be thrown into, so Gi-Hun couldn't feel any anger towards his friend. Only remorse in hope that they could all make it out of here.
He had the right idea after all.

Though the gunshots that rung out around them only drew more and more panic.

Gi-Hun looked up, only a minute on the clock, and then, locking eyes with the one and only SNU grad.

Sang-Woo. He had finished his shape.

"I'll take the triangle."

He had said it so confidently. And now, staring right back into the black of Gi-Huns eyes, he brushed the bangs from his eyes, almost going to push up the glasses instinctively even though he hadn't been wearing them.

Sang-Woo then broke the stare, leaving in his victory.

Gi-Hun turned his eyes back to the honeycomb, he only had the top half off, the time was going down by 5 seconds at a time.

The sweat wasn't even hypothetical anymore as the candy below him darkened in little circles, the sweat dripping down onto the shape.

Though, it didn't just darken the dalgona. It melted it.

Gi-Hun held it to the sky, the sun shining down on the shape, making it visible on the back. Then, ironically, it seemed clear as day. Gi-Hun brought the toffee flat against his tongue, licking the sweetness up as fast as he could before holding it to the light again.

His technique was then confirmed to be working, the shape was shown through more, it was melting from the back.

He continued to lick. And lick. And lick. Nearly making his tongue raw.

Then, it was hard work paid off, as those around him copied the tactic. Licking their dalgonas in a desperate attempt to survive with about 10 seconds on the clock, Gi-Hun safely pulled the umbrella from the surrounding bits and showed it to the guard before him.

As he walked back through the winding pink stairs those words Sang-Woo spoke didn't leave his mind.

"Gi-Hun."

As Gi-Hun choose the umbrella Sang-Woo called out to him, and the man turned at his decision, giving a hum in reply as Sang-Woo shook his head and smiled, "Nevermind."

What did it mean?

"Thank you."

Gi-Hun wasn't given the opportunity to think on it too hard as his attention was diverted to a voice behind him, "Sorry?"

Player 001 air licked his hand in example, "I wouldn't be alive if I hadn't copied you." He explained

It couldn't help but only make Gi-Hun happy, placing a hand on the older mans shoulder with a bright smile to show his 'youre welcome'.

When Gi-Hun made his way back into the same room they started in, more beds missing at this point, the expression on Sang-Woos face when their eyes met was certainly not forgettable.

Shock. Yet a hint of relief and confusion mixed together. Sang-Woo looked at him almost the same way he looked whenever they first locked eyes in Red-Light, Green-Light. In that sense, it was worry, this look? Pure lack of.

"Sirs!" Player 199 was the opposite of Sang-Woo, honestly just pleased to see Gi-Hun and the old man survive.

Sang-Woo took a deep breath after this and that expression completely faded into a soft smile as he walked towards Gi-Hun.

"You're alive! I was worried," 199 spoke with compassion, showing genuine worry as Gi-Hun laughed.

"Did you really think I would die that easily?"

The saviour then looked to the older man, asking for his health and well-being, expressing the concern for his life as well.

Gi-Hun looked to Sang-Woo as the other two talked, "I'm sorry." He said to Gi-Hun, "I shouldn't have said we should split up."

'Never-mind.'

What was he going to say instead of that? And now here he was apologising.

"Ah, Don't say that!" Gi-Hun let it go, it must've been a mistake, "It's not like you knew."

He paused, waiting to see a reaction but didn't get one in return before he continued, "Besides I choose the umbrella myself."

Gi-Hun placed a hand on Sang-Woos shoulder, rubbing his thumb lightly over the others jacket, "It's okay," He shook his hand a bit, moving the others shoulder in a way that made him look down almost in embarrassment.

"I'm glad everyone is fine." Sang-Woo looked up quickly with another small smile.

Gi-Hun nodded and let his hand fall, grazing it against Sang-Woos own with a touch that made his skin tingle.

"We will now announce the results of the second game." Was this voice just a convenience to chime in after a tension moment?

Everyone turned to look at the board, Gi-Hun and Sang-Woo becoming shoulder to shoulder as the lady talked more and the board moved to show the eliminated people along with the new prize number.

Gi-Huns hand bumped against Sang-Woos a few times as he moved impatiently. A couple more bumps and Sang-Woo grabbed his hand to get him to stop moving, although, this only caused Gi-Hun to wiggle and try to escape his grasp. Though, his struggle didn't last as Sang-Woo shifted their hands and intertwined their fingers together- making Gi-Hun freeze.

Sang-Woo squeezed his hand gently and Gi-Hun only returned the gesture, looking forward at the board once again, not even realising his eyes were focused on their locked hands until the voice spoke up again.

With the light dimmed to more brightly light up the board, it was hard to tell that they were even holding hands unless you were actually aware of it.

"Out of 187 players, 79 have been eliminated."

Money poured down into the pig and Gi-Hun could feel Sang-Woos grip tightened around his own hand.

"7.9 billion won had been accumulated in this round."

And with that, Sang-Woo pulled away, leaving Gi-Huns hand grabbing at the air for something else to hold as he walked forward towards the underneath of the piggy bank, looking up at it as if he were infatuated with the money inside.

Gi-Hun remained in his spot, his impatience seeming to not exist anymore as he looked from the ground, to his 'teammates' and then back at the money.

After this night it would be time for the third game. If the night goes well that is.