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They made it with 22 seconds to spare, when they were led back to the large room where they woke up that's when Mari noticed she couldn't stop shivering. She understood that it was adrenaline, she watched loads of strangers die, but she didn't. Since finding her Ji-yeong has stuck close to her and Mari didn't mind knowing that it was easier seeing that her best friend made it. "Are you okay?" Ji-yeong whispered brushing her shoulder against Mari's. "Do I look fucking okay?" Mari angrily said keeping her voice down, she sighed and rubbed a hand across her face when Ji-yeong gave her a look.
"I'm sorry, I just. I just never wanted this to happen, the reason I came here was for the money. For us, you don't know it but that night I spent all of our money, well my part. I gambled Ji-yeong, I gambled it all away and I didn't get anything back. So I was defeated literally and I remembered I had the number in my pocket. I have nothing else to live for so I thought, why not? I'll get more money but I didn't want people to die." Mari explains moving her knees closer to her chest as she looks at Ji-yeong. "You have me, you've always had me." Ji-yeong lays her hand on Mari's knee but she doesn't move it. "But I know what you mean, I just wanted to make more money and I wasn't expecting to get kidnapped. I don't want you to think for a second you don't have anyone though, you have me. I've had your back for five years, I'm not going to stop now just because you lost our money, I could care less." Instead of responding Mari sighed happily and leaned her head against Ji-yeong's shoulder who adjusted the two of them so Ji-yeong had her arm around Mari.
The two fo jumped and separated quickly when a buzzard echoed throughout the room. Mari looked towards the door to see it starting to open and the guards in pink suits started to walk into the room. Mari looked at Ji-yeong nervously and started to stand up holding her hand out for Ji-yeong when Mari noticed she was still sitting. Ji-yeong sighed and took her hand using it to help her stand up, Mari expected her to let go as soon as she got on her feet but she didn't, she kept holding onto it as the two of them walked with the rest of the contestants to see what the guards wanted. "Congratulations for making it through the first game. Here are the results of the first game." The guard said, Mari felt Ji-yeong her hand as their attention was dragged towards the electronic board that was above the door.
Mari held in a gasp as the number dropped quickly and dramatically, it went from 456 to 201, over half the players were killed in the first game. "Out of 456 players, 255 have been eliminated. 201 players have completed the first game." Mari felt sad for the eliminated players but she was grateful to have made it out of game one alive. "Sir!" She heard a woman's voice shout, she looked towards the middle where number 212 was looking at the guard. "Forgive me." The woman started to rub her hands together. "I'll pay off my debts no matter what. I'll pay back at all costs." She dropped to her knees so quickly that Mari winced knowing that it hurt. "Please, sir. I have a child. I haven't even named my baby yet, so I couldn't register the baby's birth. Please let me leave." Mari felt a tear slip down her face but she didn't wipe it away.
"Sir, please forgive me." Another woman started to beg as she made her way into the middle. "Please spare my life. I'll find a way to pay my debts off." Mari watched as another woman crawled into the middle begging for them to spare her life as well. Ji-yeong's hand tightened against hers as others started to follow and a few of them started to beg. "There seems to be a misunderstanding. We are not here to harm you or collect your debts. Let me remind you, we are presenting you with an opportunity." The guard said.
"An opportunity? You call this an opportunity? You make us play a children's game and then kill us. How is this an opportunity?" A man said, Mari watched as another man spoke up. "We may be in debt, but that doesn't mean we deserve to die." Mari looked over Ji-yeong who was staring at the floor, Mari squeezed their still clasped hands but didn't get a response. "This is just a game." The guard responded, Mari noticed that he sounded like a robot, he was emotionless and that is what scared Mari most of all. She didn't know how a person can do all this but not feel a thing. "You killed all those people. And yet you call this a game?"
"They were simply eliminated for breaking the rules of the game. As long as you follow the rules, you will safely exit this place with the promised prize money." The guard said. "Prize money, or no prize money, I don't care. Just please let me out." Mari listened as everyone started to murmur in agreement with the man but Mari and Ji-yeong stayed silent, they didn't know what would happen if they spoke up like the rest of them. "Clause one of the consent form: A player is not allowed to voluntarily quit the games." The guard said. "You really think you can get away with all of this? The police will barge in any minute, looking for the people reported missing."
"He's right. If you don't let us go, they'll locate us by tracking our phones and come find us! Then that will be it for you!" The guard raised his gun and before the shot rang off Mari pulled Ji-yeong down to the ground. "Clause two of the consent form: A player who refuses to play will be eliminated."
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