HOMEGIRL | Squid Game

II

"Hey, it was...pretty crazy out there," Jin-ae says, walking quietly up behind 067. Everyone in the room is silent, sitting curled up in a ball, but Jin-ae can't stand staying still.

067 looks up and breathes in as if she's about to respond, but is cut off by the loud warehouse doors buzzing and opening.

A man with a pink worker's jumpsuit and a square plastered on his mask says, "You have all made it through the first game. Congratulations. You are now moving on. I will now announce the results of the first game."

255 dead. 201 alive.

Fear and tension runs through the crowd as it truly sinks in what's happening here. Women start crying and begging, men too. They throw themselves on the floor screaming, and we have to watch it all.

People start arguing "The police will come!" "They'll be here any minute!" And the man with the square on his mask fires a pistol into the air. The previously yelling people hunch over and scream. 067 flinches and almost moves closer to Jin-ae; she can feel a slight warmth radiating off of the short-haired girl.

A man with round glasses recites clause 3 of a form everyone signed, calling for a majority vote to end the game. But before the players can vote, the man in the mask shows the prize money. People slowly start to stand up, marveling at the generous sum of money falling into the plastic piggy-bank above them. The money falling from the chute stops.

25.5 billion won.

Jin-ae could really use that, and it looks like 067 could use it, too.

———

When Jin-ae wakes up, the last thing she remembers is pressing a red button. Her hands and feet are bound together and there's cloth covering her eyes. Jin-ae can feel cool asphalt on her oddly bare back, and light drops of rain grazing her cheeks. She can hear someone next to her struggling like they're bound together as well. She reaches up to her face and pushes the cloth over her head with her fists.

"Help me, will you?"

The crickets echo in the background as Jin-ae looks up and sees the short-haired girl sitting on the street next to her. She replies "Yeah, what d'you need?"

"Can you break apart my hands?"

Jin-ae nods before realizing the girl still has her blindfold on and mutters a "Yeah." She brings her mouth up to the girl's wrists and unties the uncomplicated knot. After the girl untangles her hands and takes off her blindfold Jin-ae asks "Can you do mine?"

Jin-ae watches as the short-haired girl carefully reaches for Jin-ae's hands. The girl's delicate fingers slip the knot away easily. Her dark eyelashes curl down as she unwinds the remainder of the rope wrapped around Jin-ae's hands. After the girl moves away to untie her own feet, Jin-ae breathes, "Thanks."

"Of course," she mutters in response. Jin-ae stands up and they both put on their old clothes in silence. Jin-ae sees the silver backpack with her name ironed on tossed to the side of the road and checks to see that all her belongings are inside.

"Jin-ae, that's a nice name" the girl behind her walks silently to Jin-ae's side.

"Oh thanks, it means Truth. What's your name, since you know mine." Jin-ae wonders, realizing she never knew anyone's names in there.

"It's nothing important," the girl mutters, "Where do you think we are?"

"Near Seoul i'd assume," Jin-ae replies, still wondering the girl's name. The mystery girl turns around and starts walking away, flipping a switchblade in her right hand. "Wait! Where are you going?"

"Home," she mutters.

"And where is that?" Jin-ae asks.

The girl doesn't respond so Jin-ae follows her.

"Are you following me?"

"Yeah, believe it or not but I have nothing better to do," she responds dryly. They walk up the hill, Jin-ae trailing the short-haired girl's feet. "So, you have any family?"

The girl stops, turns around, and walks up to Jin-ae. She stops inches away and Jin-ae feels a cold metal blade lightly press into her shirt. "Will you please shut up?"

Jin-ae shows her most annoying smile, and, in a cheery voice, says: "No, are you hungry? 'Cause I sure am."

The girl groans and starts storming down the road. They start walking down the hill and into the city, smells of fresh seafood and steaming rice fumes from restaurants lining the street. "I'll buy."

———

Jin-ae watches the girl spoon the kimchi-jjigae into her mouth. "You're from North Korea?"

The girl looks up at her, surprised.

"It's not like you're trying to hide it, right?"

"Kinda," she admits.

"It's cool, my aunt and her kids are in North Korea, she married a man there and he died a few years later, so now they're kinda stranded there."

"You have a thing for oversharing, don't you?"

"Only a little bit," Jin-ae says with a giggle.

The girl starts slowly, "I'm here with my brother...he's at a foster home. My mom is in North Korea, I need the money to get her out and for a house."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"Well, do you have a place to stay?"

The girl finishes her stew and slowly shakes her head.

"Well, my room has a floor?"

"I'd like that," the girl says, and Jin-ae thinks she almost saw her smile.

______________
AUTHOR'S NOTE:

How do people feel about smut?

-Lydia<3