(A/N: To clear up a little confusion, and for anyone who doesn't read the story description, I'm updating this every Friday. Please don't comment halfway through the week asking where the new chapter is. It's on its way, just be patient, ty :3)
220 players remaining.
So that's 35 people eliminated on the first round.
Mathematically, only 5 people were guaranteed to be eliminated... but an extra 30 died - likely because of the panic.
Dae-eun didn't want to have to admit it, but Young-il had been right about staying calm.
With barely half a minute to get the right number of players and get to a room, it's not a test of skill, but of time management.
She went over the numbers in her head while the platform groaned during its rotation, the sing-song music blaring around them.
Finally, they came to a stop.
"Four players." The PA called.
Again, the lights scattered, blooming into violets and reds and plunging the room into madness.
And then she realised.
There's five of us.
After two seconds of nervous glances, everyone likely too afraid to volunteer to be left behind, Gi-hun spoke up.
"It's okay! You four go!"
"No. I'll leave." Young-il cut through Gi-hun's offer like a cleaver, shoving the rest of them off the platform, "I'll be okay, you guys go. Hurry!"
Dae-eun turned, prepared to call him back, only for the older man to vanish into the crowd.
Son of a-!
"Dae-eun! Come on!" Dae-ho grabbed her wrist, pulling her after him as the four of them bolted.
The white-haired girl looked back, searching the crowd for Young-il fruitlessly.
As they flooded into a purple room, Gi-hun hesitated to shut the door, turning back to scan the players that remained floundering in the chaos.
His eyes darted and flicked across the crowd, teeth gritted.
Dae-eun turned to look at the counter in the room: 13 seconds.
"Young-il's gonna be okay, right?" Dae-ho asked worriedly, looking between his three teammates.
Dae-eun bit her tongue, following Gi-hun's gaze into the chaos they'd just escaped.
Of course he'll be fine. He's a game master.
5, 4, 3, 2-
"Gi-hun, get inside!" With a yank, Dae-eun pulled Gi-hun inside the room and kicked the door shut as the lock engaged.
The group fell into silence, Gi-hun and Dae-eun locking eyes.
He didn't have to speak, but his eyes screamed for him.
Panic, stress, raw and uncut like rock salt.
And equally, it started to make the secret in her chest sting like an open wound.
The tension between them simmered until the explosion of gunfire just beyond the door brought the four of them back to reality.
I could've died during my hesitation.
She paused.
You're doing it again.
Stop thinking about dying.
It's like you're teasing fate.
She shook her head, trying to clear the existential fog lurking.
I've been off my meds too long... the withdrawal's messing with my head.
When the doors finally unlocked, Dae-eun looked up towards the display screen.
168 players left.
That's another 52 players gone, and it's even more than the first round...
As the other players tentatively stepped out, she notice the obvious fear and revulsion in their faces at the pools of blood littering the floor.
She stopped at one, seeing her reflection peering back at her from the deep, viscous liquid.
Dae-eun wondered if, at some point, the pale porcelain would be so thick with viscera that its original colour would be indiscernible...
The fog in her brain was thickening.
"Dae-eun?"
Dae-ho's voice roused her from her thoughts, gesturing for her to keep moving with him.
"Mr. Young-il!" The group began to call, "Young-il!"
YOU ARE READING
Killer Addiction - (Squid Game)
Fanfiction(CURRENTLY ON HIATUS, WILL POST A LOT WHEN I COME BACK) "Would you like to play a game with me?" "What kind of game?" Song Dae-eun is in debt to the total of 210 million won, and, feeling guilty about mooching off her grandfather's hard-earned cash...
