Jun-Hee wakes to the blaring sound of the alarm, its echo reverberating through the hall. A new day signifies another game—and the looming threat of death. She places a hand on her stomach before swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. Making her way to Minsoo, she seeks the comfort that Minsoo inexplicably provides, though there's something enigmatic about her. The way Minsoo tensed when that man confronted the two others—like they shared a history. The intensity of their stare felt charged, perhaps emotional, though Jun-Hee couldn't quite decipher it. She wants to ask but still feels too much like a stranger. For now. Before she heads to Minsoo, she walks to Myung-Gi.
''Look at you,'' she says, looking at his bruised face with a just expression. He snaps his eyes to her with a look of surprise on his face.
''Jun-Hee-ah?''
"So, you really had no clue? I thought you were just ignoring me. Well, you've always been self-absorbed,'' she grits through her teeth.
"Why are you here?" he sounds genuinely concerned.
"Have you forgotten? You told me to buy that coin too." Myung-Gi sighs before looking at her stomach.
"You..."
"Oh, you haven't forgotten about this,'' she sighs, putting her hand to her stomach. Myung-Gi lets out a sigh and gazes at her with wide eyes.
"You didn't get rid of it? We agreed.''
"I'm keeping it,'' she confirms.
"How can you raise a baby without any money?" he questions, finding the choice reckless and somewhat dumb.
"I'm going to make money. I'm going to make money, pay off my debt, and get a place for us. This baby has no father, so its mom needs to make money,'' Jun-Hee responds confidently.
"That's why you're here? To make money? How the hell will you survive here in your condition?" His heart sinks at the idea she can just make it out of here.
"I'm not going to ask for your help, so drop the act. It doesn't suit you."
"That's what you came to say?" Myung-Gi asks, sounding offended.
"No, I came to take a look at your beat-up face. Serves you right." With that, Jun-Hee walks away to find Minsoo, but Myung-Gi says: "Let's talk about when we get out." The doors buzz open and the guards walk in.
"Attention, please. The second game will begin momentarily. Please follow the instructions from our staff,'' the woman informs over the speaker. Jun-Hee glances over her shoulder.
"I wanted to leave. I couldn't because of you,'' she sneers and walks away. She watches Minsoo descend the stairs, a smile spreading across her face.
"Hey, how are you feeling?" Minsoo asks. Jun-Hee nods but quickly notices Minsoo's attention drifting elsewhere. Following her gaze, Jun-Hee spots the man from yesterday, looking at Minsoo.
Hyunrin's heart jolts—flipping, tumbling, overwhelmed by whatever emotions a heart can experience in such a moment. It's as if her mind is playing a cruel trick on her. His gaze is distant yet unmistakably familiar and warm. The desire to be held by him intensifies, but fear pushes it away, convincing her that it's merely an illusion her mind is creating.
''Unnie,'' Jun-Hee whispers, placing a hand on her arm, pulling Hyunrin out of her thoughts.
''I'm sorry,'' she sighs. ''I was a little distracted.'' Jun-Hee casts a look in his direction before looking at Minsoo.
''If I may ask, do you know that man?'' she questions. Minsoo looks down at the young woman, hesitating what to tell her. She is conflicted about what to inform her because she finds it hard to believe it herself. She opens her mouth but the voice of the guard cuts her off.
''Let's go,'' she mutters silently. She wraps her arm around Jun-Hee and joins Geum-Ja, Yong-Sik, Young-Mi, and Hyun-Ju. Jun-Hee lifts her head to see tears in Minsoo's eyes. Whatever her relation to that man is, it is rather emotional. Perchance she has been in her situation, a pregnancy without a husband. They head to the second game in silence.

They step through the doors into a child-themed room with baby blue walls and two large circular patterns on the floor, resembling track and field markings.
"Welcome to your second game. This game will be played in teams. Please divide into teams of five in the next ten minutes. Let me repeat. This game will be played in teams. Please divide into teams of five in the next ten minutes."
"Is Dalgona a team game?" Jung-Bae questions surprised. Gi-Hun glances around, realizing they will not be playing the dalgona game.
"Aren't we playing the Dalgona game?" Jeong-Dae, player 100, questions with indigence.
"No, it doesn't look like it," Gi-Hun sighs.
"What's the game then?" he continues questioning, slowly losing his temper.
"I'm not sure."
"What? You said you'd done this before. The triangle was the easiest. Was that all bullshit?'' he yells. The men behind Jeong-Dae snorted with frustration.
"I'm sorry,'' Gi-Hun mutters, bowing his head to apologize.
"Sorry won't cut it! You talked like you knew everything. All these people believed your bullshit. What are you going to do? Will you take responsibility?" Jeong-Dae continues to tell at Gi-Hun.
"That's enough,'' In-Ho demands, stepping in between. He scoffs and walks away with his group, starting to form teams.
"Please divide into teams now." The timer flashes onto the screen and begins its countdown. As the ticking begins, In-Ho quickly scans the room, searching for his wife. He needs her on his team—it's the only way to ensure her safety. Otherwise, he'll be tormented, powerless to intervene as he's forced to watch from the sidelines. To his frustration, he fails to catch a glimpse of her.
''I'm sorry,'' Gi-Hun mutters, drawing In-Ho's attention and also reminding his purpose here. He loathes admitting it but his hands are tied and has to set his wife's safety aside.
"I still trust you. I'd like to play the game with you if that's okay?" he answers.
"All right. Let's be real men and give it a shot. It's a children's game, right? We used to play games all the time,'' Jung-Bae answers.
"That's right, sirs. I'll join you," Dae-Ho settles. "I feel like I can do anything with you."
"That's the Marine spirit. It'd be embarrassing for the brave Marines to be carving Dalgona anyway. If we're playing a game, it should be worth risking our lives for. Like Buck Buck or the Squid Game, right?" he chuckles.
"Yes! I will certainly risk my life to win, sir."
"We only need one more person then,'' Jung-Bae continues. Just as In-Ho wants to suggest he will find a player, Dae-Ho is a step ahead.
"Leave it to me, sir. I'll find someone," he promises before sniffing and moving through the crowd, searching for a fifth player. In-Ho feigns watching Dae-Ho walk away, but his focus shifts to locating his wife. He spots her with the same girl who had been sitting next to her the first time their eyes met.

"Jun-Hee-ah. Let's team up,'' Myung-Gi suggests. Jun-Hee looks him dead in the eyes and tells him no. "You have to join a team,'' he argues.
"Not with you,'' she counters.
"Stop trying to act tough. Do you think anyone would want a pregnant girl?" he questions which causes something to snap within Hyunrin. She didn't want to intervene, but this was inappropriate to say.
"Boy, didn't you hear what she said?" Hyunrin questions, stepping between the two. Myung-Gi throws her a confused look.
     "Who are you?"
     "Does that matter? She said no,'' Hyunrin argues.
     "Mind your own business,'' Myung-Gi sneers. Hyunrin arches her eyebrow and her eyes narrow. Her gaze can cut through him like a knife, sharp and unyielding. A wave of unease washed over him, and he suddenly felt like a child being scolded. He averts his eyes, unable to meet the intensity of her glare
     "Do you talk like that to your elders?" she questions. Her voice carries a sharp edge of disappointment, resembling the tone of someone chastising a misbehaving child.
     "I'm sorry,'' he mutters. He continues in a softer tone, looking at Jun-Hee. "Jun-Hee?" As she shakes her head, Myung-Gi walks away. Hyunrin scoffs and shakes her head before getting her head back into the game. She looks around and sees her husband with three more players. They need to make a team of five, meaning Jun-Hee has a chance of survival with them.
     "Go join them. They'll take you into their team," Hyunrin says, her eyes fixed on the group. Jun-Hee follows her gaze and spots that particular man—Player 001. She counts four men before glancing over at Minsoo.
     "You're not coming with me?" she questions with a tilted head. Hyunrin shakes her head before explaining why, even though Jun-Hee already knows.
     "They only need one more. I'll be fine,'' she reassures.
     "Do you know that man? Player 001?" Jun-Hee tries, yet it has no use. She feels a gentle nudge on her back, urging her toward the group.
     "Just go,'' she whispers. ''Let us meet afterward.'' With a final push, Jun-Hee heads to the group. She glances over her shoulder to see a faint smile on her lips.

Dae-Ho returns returns to the group with an ex-marine. As he introduces him, Jun-Hee joins the group.
     ''Excuse me. Can I join you? Unnie said you'd take me,'' Jun-Hee speaks softly, pointing back at Minsoo. In-Ho glances away from the girl to look for his wife. He was a master of control, of distance, but he felt the tight leash he'd held on his emotions slipping, just slightly. Whenever he looks away, his eyes inevitably end up back on her. Always back on her.
     Hyunrin stood across the room, her figure rigid, her gaze locked on Jun-Hee's retreating form. He could see the strain in the line of her shoulders, the slight tilt of her head as if she were bracing herself against the weight of her own decision. The years hadn't dulled his instinct for reading her—it was still there, sharper than ever, like a wound that refused to heal.
     Though she was still a distance away, Hyunrin could feel the pull of his presence. Her breath caught in her throat as Jun-Hee approached, the familiar figure in the center drawing her in, like gravity. She couldn't look directly at him—not yet. She could feel his gaze on her, and all it took was a slight shift of her eyes.
When their gazes met, it was brief but deeply emotional, sending a jolt through Hyunrin's entire body. But then, she reminded herself of her purpose—to ensure Jun-Hee's safety. And she had succeeded.
     The way she turned away, her movements just a fraction too stiff, told him everything. She was unraveling, just as much as he was. The weight of their shared past hung heavy in the air between them, unspoken but undeniable.
For a moment, his resolve wavered. He wanted to step forward, to cross the space between them, to say something—anything—to break the silence that had lasted far too long.
But he didn't.
He couldn't.
Not here.
Instead, he stood rooted to the spot, watching as she moved further away, her pace hurried, as if she needed to escape him.
His breath caught, the faintest tremor passing through him. The mask he wore wasn't just physical; it was a barrier, a shield, and right now, it felt more fragile than ever.
He forced himself to focus, to shut out the chaos within. He had a role to play, a game to oversee. But as Hyunrin disappeared into the crowd, he couldn't shake the thought echoing in his mind.
You shouldn't have let her go.
And yet, he had.
He should have secured her in his team. Now, he will be forced to watch with his hands tied.

ᵀᴿᵞᴵᴺᴳ 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚜𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚊𝚢 𝚞𝚙𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎