WHILE Hyun-jung was setting up barricades with Ji-hoon, she looked over right away when 101 walks towards their way, greeting Gi-hun. "I'm getting sick of that guy..." She whispered then looked at Ji-hoon to her side who just sets up a black platform, glancing at her. "Because he's always threatening your girl?" He said and she immediately looks around.
"Shut up, Ji-hoon."
He laughs as they go gather together, the timer was nearly up, down to less than a minute by now. They're all sitting together and Gi-hun turns to them, kneeling down. "They'll shut off the lights soon. They might not all come right away. So we better swap who's gonna keep watch, just to be safe, I think." He says, gesturing. "No, two of us should watch. A pair can keep each other awake. Just one person might go leave and betray our team." Sangwoo says and let out a small sigh.
"I can... be first watch then. You don't really sleep a lot when you're old." Player 101 says and of course, 196 has something to say. "Excuse me, but are we just supposed to trust an old man like you to not sleep on the job all night?" He says and Sangwoo sighs, "let me go first." He looks at Gi-hun to his side.
"I'm not tired yet. I'll go with you." Ali says with his hand raised. "Then I'll be next. You wake me up the second you get tired." Gi-hun says. "Then why don't I join you on second watch? Assuming that's okay with you." 101 says to him and Gi-hun nods. "Yeah, that sounds good." He says and as the clock nearly reached 0, they were all in bed. Sangwoo and Ali stayed on watch just as planned as everyone sleeps.
Hyun-jung flips to lay on her side. "Sae-byeok." She whispers and the girl opens her eyes. Hyun-jung just raised her hand to put it over Sae-byeok's, moving closer to the other who just relaxed like that. She didn't say anything, she didn't do anything, she just closed her eyes. They both fall asleep like that.
During the night, Hyun-jung suddenly sat up, she had a terrible dream about something so she sat there like that, rubbing her eyes as she sniffled. "Hey... are you okay?" She looked over and saw Gi-hun sitting on the floor, near the barricade. She got up quietly and went to sit down beside him. "No... no, it was a nightmare I had." She said as she sighed softly.
"Gi-hun... why are you here? In a place like this?" She asked and he glanced at her. "For my daughter. My wife... oh, my ex-wife is planning to move away with her new husband, taking Ga-yeong with her. If I get the money, I can pay off my debts, take custody of her, pay my mom's medical bills and for her surgery..." He says and she stares off in the distance.
"That's a way better reason than mine... I'm just in debt to family and friends. No one trusts me, I even got kicked out from my family's house when I went home. That's what I had a dream about. That I had no one. And nothing." She looks at him and he merely shook his head. "That's not true, Hyun-jung. You have us..." He smiled kindly to her and she yawns, looking away. "Don't fall asleep on watch now, Gi-hun... I'm going back to sleep." She says and he chuckles. "Goodnight..." He says and she got into bed again, facing Sae-byeok.
"Hey, Hyun-jung?" Ji-hoon woken her up and she sits up, rubbing her eyes. "Hmm? What?" She yawns and he points with his thumb. "Gi-hun asked me to keep watch... Wanna sit with me?" He asked and she merely nods slowly as Gi-hun and Sae-byeok got into bed.
She sits down and Ji-hoon hands her a bottle of water he had saved from mealtime. "Thanks... You didn't have to." She says and he just sits, staring blankly ahead. "Hyun-jung... if anything ever happens to either one of us--" "don't talk like that, Kyo Ji-Hoon... It breaks my heart." She said as she looked down at the water in her hand. "But if it's me that goes... please continue on without me." He tells her.
She looks at him right away. "I wouldn't be able to... We came back here to do this together, to win together, Ji-hoon." She says and he shook his head, looking away. "If it's you that goes, I'll continue." He says coldly and she scoffs, looking away. "I'd gladly want you to... But it's not good to talk like this, Ji-hoon. We're not gonna die." She stated firmly and he sighs.
"I've seen so many people die in here... it's hard not to think about it. Or worry about it happening to you." He says and she sighs, bringing her knees up to her chest. "Ji-hoon..." She whispers. "It's merely... a what if. A hypothetical." He said as he looked down and she pursed her lips. "The problem is we've gotten this far, we've gotten so close... I wouldn't be able to just carry on without you. Same goes with Sae-byeok." She says as she looks away, letting out a deep breath. "Fine. I won't talk about it anymore... but if it happens, I want both of us to keep playing, to the end for one another..." He says.
Just then, an alarm blares and the lights turn on. Both of them immediately stood up as everyone woken to the loud noise, startled and looking around. "I wonder what's that about..." Ji-hoon said as he pulled Hyun-jung slightly by her arm. Masked men came marching into the room then, and walking to the barricades the teams are in, raising their guns.
"Attention. All players please make your way to the center of the room." Two of those men move aside the barricade and come into their space. "Hey, move it." They say and they head out of the barricade, raising their hands. In the center of the room, all of the players stood in four different lines, as the guards examined them carefully. Hyun-jung wasn't sure why but she felt super uncomfortable as they pass her, glancing back at Sae-byeok behind her.
AUTHORS NOTE
i'm not ready yet for the next chapter
+ almost forgot to update 👹
YOU ARE READING
𝟐𝟔𝟎
Fanfiction✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* kang sae-byeok chae hyun-jung had no idea what she was getting herself into when she agreed to participate in the games, but all she knew was she had debts to pay. ❝ money is the reason we exist. ❞ [ fem oc x 067 ] [ squid game ]
