Squid Game x Reader

Five

The doors open. Behind them are nine people in pink suits and black masks. They come marching in formation, four to the left, four to the right, and one in the middle. The person in the middle has a square shape on the centre of their mask, perhaps a symbol of authority, as the others all have a circle.

"I knew it," I whisper to myself. "This is a cult."

218 overhears this and raises an eyebrow.

Everyone watches, transfixed, as the strange group walk to the front of the podium. Talk about dramatic entrances. The following events feel like they pass in a blur. The one with the square on their mask is welcoming us, explains we will participate in six games over the next six days, that those who win will receive a big cash prize. Then there's people in the crowd speaking up, demanding how we're supposed to trust them when we've quite literally been drugged and taken to this strange place.

But the cult leader, or at least that's what I'll be calling him, maintains a calm front, answering the numerous questions shot at him with confidence, almost as though he's heard all the same questions before...

He talks of confidentiality, privacy, and the maintenance of 'fairness' within the games, and says this is why we can't know where we are, and why none of the staff will reveal their identities to participants. Which, in my humble opinion, makes no fucking sense. How would seeing their faces affect equity?

Just sounds like a lot of crap to me, and 218 appears to read my mind because he's the next person to speak up, "I don't trust one word you've said," he challenges, his eyes narrowing into slits behind those glasses. "We were lured, kidnapped, and locked up. And after these illegal actions, you make up reasons to keep your identities hidden. Give us one good reason why we should trust you."

The cult leader remains undeterred; raises his hand that now grasps a remote - where did that come from? - he presses a button and then the lighting in the room dims and the TV up above changes to a video; a video featuring 218 himself. A familiar scenario plays out on the screen - one where 218 is playing ddakji like I did just a few days ago and being slapped each time he loses.

"Player 218," the cult leader in his pink suit says, "Cho Sang-woo." So that's his name. The leader explains Sang-woo is in debt for embezzling money, then trying to invest it into derivatives, which ultimately failed.

650 million won, he owes. Damn. That makes the measly five million my brother and I need to pay off look like nothing.

I glance at Sang-woo. His eyes widen a bit as he watches the video of himself. After it finishes playing, he looks down, lips pressed in a thin line. But pink cult leader man doesn't just show the video of Sang-Woo, he begins showing many videos of the different people here and why they're in debt. I'm thankful nothing about me pops up. Having people watch me get slapped in the face doesn't sound like the most dignifying experience.

Square mask guy explains how everyone in this room are in debt. He says, "When we first went to you, you did not trust us then either. But as you know, we played a game, and gave you the money as promised." I guess that's true...

"Do you want to go back and live out your pathetic lives running from creditors? Or will you seize this opportunity we are offering?"

It is certainly quite the spiel. A new energy washes over the crowd, one of wonder and curiosity. Only a few of us still remain skeptical. Someone asks what games we'll be playing, to which the masked man says he cannot disclose that information, then the fellow I know as Gi-Hun asks: "Just how much is the prize money?"

Once again, the masked man raises his remote and this time the lights do not dim, instead a compartment in the ceiling opens and a giant, transparent piggy bank descends a few metres, hanging far above our heads. We all stare at it with widened eyes. It has glowing, golden lights illuminating its empty insides.

A massive, glowing piggy bank? You can't make this shit up.

"The prize money will accumulate in that piggy bank after each game."

This is when the curiosity begins to take over my own skepticism; that piggy bank is ginormous... the only reason it'd be so big is to fit cash in it. And you'd need a fuck ton of money to fill that bad boy up.

"The amount will be revealed to everyone after the first game. Those who do not wish to participate, please speak up now."

And though I can't shake off my suspicions that something isn't quite right, I find myself joining everyone as they begin filing into lines to sign up for the games. Hell, I've already been kidnapped, what else could they have in store for us? I doubt they'll have the balls to try anything else as illegal as that.

Right...?

I follow behind Sang-woo in line. "So, are you going through with this?" I ask him.

He glances at me. "What do you think?"

I sigh. Why am I even still talking to this guy when he's so flippant? The superficial part of me might suggest it's because the angular features of his face are sort of pleasing to look at. But really I think I'm just nervous and need someone to talk to so I don't stress about this strange fucking situation I'm in. "Well, you were suspicious as hell of them just a few moments ago," I point out.

"I asked for a reason to trust them, and they gave me one."

"So you buy it? You trust these weirdos?"

He hesitates. "I don't specifically trust... Them. But I do trust they'll give us money if we win."

I think I know what he means. "So you think there's something they're not telling us?"

He shrugs. "I guess we'll find out. You're signing up, I presume?"

I exhale softly, images of my brother flashing in my head, his bruises, his torn lip, his sad eyes. It's my fault he got involved with that gang and stole that money. He felt he had to. I wasn't providing the security he needed, so he felt like he had to step in. I should've been more attentive, should've known he was feeling pushed into a corner by our circumstances.

"Yes, I'm signing up," I say.

-

a/n: would anyone think it's interesting if i give sang-woo a slightly different character arc than cannon? :)) also thanks for 3000 reads!! this fanfic was honestly just a bit of fun, i seriously didn't think more than 5 people would read it, so i'm so happy that people are enjoying it! <3 please leave a vote if you enjoyed the chapter!