These Violent Delights Have Violent Ends

Chapter 11: Cherry

The two of you quickly fell into a routine now that you were back at your jobs. Things were generally the same working under the same host as last year, but you could tell he was acting more arrogant than usual. The power must really be going to his head now.

While the host kept you and In-ho separated as much as possible, you still found alone time within your main residence. No matter how stressful the job became, how upset you were with the whole situation, you were thankful to have In-ho by your side even a little bit of the time. And thankful Il-nam seemed to help you out as much as he could.

Il-nam didn't spend much time on the island since he was receiving treatments, but when he did you would see him interact with the new host frequently. With the host changing so many things, Il-nam was frequently at odds with him, but in the end the host got what he wanted. It was a grim reminder that even though Il-nam was kind to you and In-ho, he was quite ruthless as well, and always put the games before anything else.

So, you moved forward as best as you could, cherishing the small moments and few nights you spent with In-ho. Always in the back of both your minds was the desire to live freely, completely away from the Squid Game organization forever, but this would have to do for now.

One evening you arrived at your residence late at night, after having a heated argument with the host. You were just beginning to go over potential players, and the host had completely different ideas in mind for who should be propositioned or not. It seemed at every turn the host was there to make your life worse.

You walked down the hallway and to your pleasant surprise, In-ho was in his room, reading in bed. He looked at you with surprise and excitement as well. You hadn't seen him in several days, the longest you'd been without each other since returning. You immediately took off your shoes and coat and jumped into bed with him, knocking the book out of his hands and hugging him tightly.

"In-ho, I missed you so much." You nestled your head into his neck.

He hugged you tightly, kissing the top of your head and breathing in the scent of your hair. It immediately calmed him. He sighed, "Darling, I'm so happy to see you."

"I thought I was going to die if I didn't see you soon."

He chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm here now. I'm sorry."

You looked up at him. "Don't apologize. It's not your fault."

He kissed you on the lips, savoring the feeling. "I know."

He held your face as he kissed you harder, wanting to have as much of you as he could since he didn't know when he'd see you again. You held his face as well, and he melted into your touch. It was as if your touch and your voice melted any worry and tension he held in his body.

He moved his hands down to your waist and held you tightly as you kissed each other feverishly, reveling in the taste of one another. He turned you over to your back and hovered above you. You chuckled and looked up at him.

"I missed this."

He looked at you intensely. "I missed you."

You smiled and went to kiss him again but he lightly pushed you down.

"Are you okay? Have you been doing okay? Has anything happened to you?" He looked concerned, touching your hair and face as he questioned you.

He was worried about how the host treated you, and it pained him to not be able to protect you from everything here. He constantly worried about you.

You stroked his face. "Yes, I'm okay. Nothing's happened to me. I just miss you every second I'm not with you."

He kissed you softly, too overwhelmed to say anything. You could tell he was worried. You pulled at his shirt, pulling it over his head and tossing it to the side, kissing all over his face playfully.