PAWNS [squid game]

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As Jiah, Aheum, and Junho walk into the police station, they're greeted with screams.

"You!" "I know you!"

Jiah looks at Britney up and down, disgust on her features. Britney was wrapped in a blanket, eyes puffy and red from crying so much.

456 was also there and he looked just as panicked.

"You know each other too?" the officer behind the desk questions.

Jiah didn't have time for this.

"No," she lies, walking up to the desk. "I'm here for the red light girls you picked up last night."

"Ah, I'm sorry. Two of the girls resisted being held and assaulted an officer. They've all been formally arrested until further notice."

Jiah was going to assault an officer by punching Junho in the throat.

She takes a deep breath to keep her emotions in check. "How much is their bail?"

"For all four women?"

"Four?" Jiah repeats.

Of the red-light girls, there were only four. Jiah was one and she wasn't behind bars so there should only be three.

"We detained a.." the officer pauses, scrolling on his computer. "Kim Harin, Jung Jihyun, Bae Yuri, and Kim Youngji."

Jiah places both hands on the counter, shaking in anger.

They arrested all the red light girls and Boss' wife.

"Yes. All four."

The officer sucks a breath between his teeth. "You're looking at about.. twenty-eight million won?"

"Twenty-" Jiah nearly explodes.

She turns her back, knocking her fist against her forehead. She takes a few steps, biting down on the inside of her lip.

She didn't even have two hundred thousand to her name.

Boss was locked up. Now, the other girls were locked up. Boss' wife was locked up and she wasn't even a part of it all, she had to have been visiting. Jiah was alone with none of her family to be there. For once, she wished she was the one that got arrested.

But, that couldn't happen. Jiah was the last one standing. If she got herself in trouble, no one would be there to get all of them out.

"Fuck," she curses, anger building more and more by the second. She bursts out of the doors, storming outside before her mouth gets her behind bars.

Aheum, Britney, and 456 all follow her outside.

"Yah, why did you lie?" 456 demands. "They think I'm crazy because of what I said!"

"I don't give a shit what you think or what happens to you!" she hisses. "If they know about the games, they'll shut it down!"

"Exactly!"

"No! You're not getting the games shut down!"

"Why the hell not?"

Jiqh stomps to him, poking his temple. "Think! I need those games to get my family out of those cells, asshole!"

456 freezes. "You're going back?"

"What of twenty-eight million won wasn't clear to you? I have to go back."

"You could die."

"Or I could win and get the money to free my family. God, why do you even fucking care?"

456 starts to say something until Britney steps forward.

"You spoke English back there.. are you fluent?"

Jiah wanted to make a smart comment but she was still outside the police station. "Yes. I speak English. The fuck do you want?"

"I- I want to go home."

"Okay?"

Britney's eyes well up with tears again. "I have no money to go home. I can't afford a bowl of ramen at the conceive store let alone a plane ticket."

Jiah had no patience for this blubbering white woman. "Then, just call your family back home."

"They cut my phone off because I couldn't pay the bill. Even if I had a phone, I don't know the number to call."

"Fucks sake," Jiah tosses her head back.

"Please, please help me," Britney sobs.

456 grumbles to himself before walking away. Jiah sighs in relief as she could freely discuss the games without his opinion.

"How about you fucking help yourself?"

"How?"

Jiah points to herself. "Do what I'm doing. Go back to the games."

"The-" Britney gasps. "No! No! Those games were-"

Junho walks outside and Jiah stomps on Britney's bare toes. "Quiet."

"Yah, Min Jiah," Junho calls. "You can't leave like that. They'll think something is going on."

"Something is going on Junho," she scoffs. "If you aren't here to help me, how about you do me a favor and fuck off?"

She throws a look at Aheum and the pair begin to walk away. Junho snatches Jiah's wrist before she can get far.

"Yah," he calls, pulling her closer and dropping to a whisper. "Where were you yesterday? It's not like you to be away from the rest."

"Why? Were you coming to the district to fuck me?" she snaps, pulling her wrist away.

"Min Jiah," he warns.

Jiah gives a sickeningly sweet smile. "I was with a customer then the spa. Happy?"

Junho opens his mouth to retort but Jiah flings herself around, hair slapping his face before she and Aheum walk away.

It was like gravity tugged a majority of the players back to the sidewalks that they were picked up on later that night.

Jiah, Britney, and Dohyun were in separate places. But, they all had the same destination.

𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓇 𝓇𝒶𝓂𝒷𝓁𝑒𝓈--

obligatory mention of how much I love jiah: