𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄

❜ ─ 𝑷𝑨𝑹𝑻 𝑭𝑶𝑼𝑹𝑻𝑬𝑬𝑵

ＣＨＡＮＣＥ

❛ ━━━━━━━━･ ❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━━━━━━━ ❜

𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒄𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒃𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒐𝒃𝒗𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒏

    AS (Y/N) WAITED RATHER PATIENTLY for the rest of the players to wake up, that same classical music that she had heard the first time she had awoken in that room playing, she recalled the events of the last few hours.

First, she was taken to the bridge by Triangle 001 to meet Square 002 before he in turn led her to a rather nice room for a boat that was comfortably furnished and contained a plate of delicious food. When she had first taken the blindfold off, she was thoroughly weirded out by the favoritism that she was being shown, looking behind her to give one last glance back at Square 002 before he closed the door and locked it behind him. Second, after the boat had docked, she was blindfolded again and driven up to a building where she was given the chance to change by herself with no one else observing her.

She obviously took it since she still had her pocket knife.

Now, here she was, sitting in her assigned bed after watching many of the circle-masked workers—including Circle 001 whom she waved at cheerfully—change people and take their belongings before placing them back into their beds.

They also removed some beds, too.

When she became bored of just waiting, she searched her bed and was disturbed upon finding three separate cameras, two more than just the one from last time. Crushing them upon their discovery, she hoped she hadn't missed any, wondering just what the person who was watching her from behind the other side of the screen was getting off by doing that. When hearing someone approach her after doing this, she glanced up to spot Square 001, giving him a bright smile that didn't match the hostility brewing within her.

This Front Man...

Who the hell is he?

"Hello, again, Player 457," he greeted stoically and formally, his hands curled into fists by his side. "We are glad to see that you have decided to participate again."

"And who is this 'we?'" She questioned with a tilt of her head.

"I have been informed to ask you to keep your position within the games quiet from the other players," he continued, completely ignoring her question as if she hadn't spoken at all. "Since this foundation is built on fairness... the favorability that has been shown to you by our superior is quite damaging to the whole game's reputation."

"They why do it at all, Square 001?" (Y/n) used his nickname with a smile, watching as his head shifted downward ever so subtly. "What does your superior... no, the Front Man, gain from this?"

"...such information is classified."

"Is it, though?"

"Player 457, we have been very lenient to you due to our superior's wishes, however even he knows that there are such boundaries where you cannot cross," Square 001 informed her emotionlessly. "So, do not step out of line."

"I think I like Square 002 better than you," she scoffed. "At least he answered my questions and gave me a a warm meal."

Square 001 merely let out a small exhale of breath at her comment before giving her a low bow of his head and walking away, the metallic double doors at the front of the room shutting automatically behind him. (Y/n) stood up upon his departure and started to scope out the people who had returned, already noticing that the scoreboard above the doors displayed the high entrance rate of 188 players out of the original 202 who had survived the first game. She noticed that 067 and 101–the man and woman who had fought—were back, along with Sang-woo and his friends, 456 and 199. She also noticed that 212 was back, the woman's plead that she hadn't named her child having stuck in her mind, wondering if the deed still wasn't done.

She was thankful when others started to wake.

The only sounds had been the classical music, and it had been playing on loop for so long, she didn't know if she'd ever be able to get it out of her head.

Leaning against Sang-woo's bedpost to wait for him to wake up, she couldn't help but think about the way that he had brought up clause three only to vote against the ending of the games and choose to come back. She found it almost ironic, and she so badly wanted to point it out to him and see the expression on his face when she did.

She also wanted to convey to him that she had been right.

"Well..." (Y/n) began when Sang-woo sat up and rubbed the bridge of his nose, surprising him and making him stare at her as if she were crazy. "...I'm not surprised you came back, 218. I'm sure you're not surprised to see me here, either."

"What the hell do you want?" He sighed, obviously not too keen of her presence.

"I just want to inform you of something."

"Inform me of what?" He scowled as he stood, slipping his glasses into his jacket's pockets before standing above her with his arms crossed over his chest, his gaze lingering on her patched eye before meeting her uncovered one. "What exactly do you need to inform me of since, as far as I know, we have no business with each other."

"We don't," she smirked, placing one hand on his arm before cupping her mouth with her other hand to whisper. "All I wanted to tell you was this: people came back for their greed, just like you and I, so I was right."

When she leaned back, she absolutely adored his shocked expression.