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THREE | DESPERATE TIMES, DESPERATE MEASURES

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THE GAME HALL fell into a pandemonium.

Many of the players panicked and jostled against each other, frantically attempting to escape the bloodbath. Bullets came out from nowhere, piercing each moving player, causing a gaping hole in its wake that quickly filled with blood and gushed out.

Violent fountains of red came from their wounds as they were all murdered in front of her. Those who were behind her clamored at the doors and they were all shot dead as well. Soo-Jin screwed her eyes in fear as their shouts one by one died out. She could only imagine the pile of bodies stacked near the doors, their blood splattered like painting on a canvas.

Corpses, she had to remind herself. There were corpses surrounding her. Fuck. What had she gotten herself into?

The woman's ears rang from all the gunshots she heard and sweat slid down the sides of her face even in her eyes, burning them. Her body was itching to wipe it away, but stronly ignored it to survive.

The scent of death was everywhere. It permeated everything. It was impossible to describe, but it was a mix of rot, blood, excretion and a sickly-sweet horror that triggered her gag reflex until it was so stuck in her nostrils and pores that she realized it will now always be forever committed to her memory.

Soo-Jin had been involved in underground fights before, but this, this was different. This was no longer just a game or a tournament, it was a death game.

Elimination equates to death.

Fear and adrenaline ruled over her body and suddenly, it was like she hit the reset button and her brain came back online with her senses kicking on one at a time. She saw, heard, smelt everything around her, but she couldn't feel anything yet.

"I will now repeat the rules." declared the announcer, jerking Soo-Jin back to reality -- the game, to be exact. "You are allowed to move forward when "it" shouts out, "Green Light". Stop when "it" shouts, "Red Light." If your movement is detected afterward, you will be eliminated. I will repeat the rules again..."

Soo-Jin took a deep breath, the gears in her brain whirring again as it formulated a plan of her survival. She had been observing everything since earlier and as always, she was going to use that to her advantage. Why?

Because she was smart, talented, and determined.

"With that, let the game resume."

The young brunette didn't move even when the doll already said green light. She continued to stay still in her place, not because she was afraid, but because she was observing.

"Mugunghwa flower has blossomed." The robot doll sang and Soo-Jin noticed 001, the old man, confidently moving forward. When he took several steps forward again without getting shot, the woman realized that it wasn't just about speed, it was about how much ground one can cover with enough stability to freeze at any given moment.

So, when the doll turned away again, Soo-Jin stuck her thumb out and closed her right eye, quickly switching to her left eye to see her thumb move.

"What are you doing?"

The woman didn't even need to flicker her gaze to know it was Sang-Woo beside her. "I'm gauging the distance so I'll know how fast I'll walk to reach the finish line." she easily answered. Soo-Jin didn't know why, but she was feeling a surge of thrill in her veins. All of her senses had come alive, and her knowledge and skills that had been long dormant were awakened again. It was when she became cognizant that she missed being in school and being ahead of everyone else. She sighed. She will always be an achiever, no matter what situation she will be in.

"How big is the field?"

"At least a hundred meters." she uttered, calmly taking several steps forward. The man following beside her. "That means, we cannot waste a single second or we'll be... eliminated."

"We should get behind someone. I think that doll has a motion detector."

Soo-Jin furrowed her eyebrows, moving forward again. "I don't think it's safe for us to hide behind someone. Bullets can travel through two or three bodies. If they get shot, the bullet may pass through their flesh and we're dead."

"No, I think the guns are computer-controlled. The targets were accurately hit earlier. Those who stayed still -- us, were spared."

The woman let out a breath, trusting his words. "Alright," she voiced out, swallowing. "Let's get behind someone then. Walk with your feet flat on the ground and a wide stance so your center of gravity stays low and stable. We need to be able to cover as much distance as possible."

"Okay."

Setting their plan in motion, the two exes moved and noticed Gi-Hun still lying on the ground, frozen in shock.

As guns continue to fire from several directions, Sang-Woo began to advise their childhood friend. "Gi-hun, don't look back. Just listen." he breathed out. "You can't stay there much longer. I think that doll senses when you move around. You won't get caught if you're behind somebody else."

To set an example for him, the two of them advanced onwards and hid behind someone else. Sang-Woo and Soo-Jin stood behind tall men and slightly crouched down to conceal themselves from the doll's view. They both flinched when two gunshots rang in the air, taking down two players.

"That timer." pointed Sang-Woo to the clock, reminding him that when it strikes zero, all the remaining players on the field will be eliminated.

"Gi-Hun!" the woman hissed, looking back at him. He was still on the same spot he was stuck in, frustrating her. "Get your ass up and move when that fucking doll sings!"

Not wasting anymore second, Soo-Jin proceeded to go forward with survival etched in her mind. It wasn't too long before she was already on the middle of the wide field and she took a peek at the timer.

Two minutes and ten seconds.

"I still have time." She muttered before taking another set of steps. She continued to advance through the field, checking on Sang-Woo and Gi-Hun occasionally. They were both still alive. She wet her parched lips as pressure began to build inside her chest. She cannot die, not at this time. Not while her sister was waiting outisde of this facility.

The robotic doll started to sing her tune faster and faster in an attempt to cut their time short. Soo-Jin focused solely on the places where she must put her feet at, listening intently on the tune. Soon, she and her human shield neared the finish, but he made the fatal mistake of moving which cost him his life and his blood to be splattered across Soo-Jin's face and tracksuit.

The brunette grimaced as the crimson liquid coursed down her face. She could almost taste the blood of the person she used as her shield in her tongue and felt like throwing up. As soon as the disturbing doll declared green light, Soo-Jin finally took her last steps and reached the other side of the red line.

I am safe, I am safe. I am alive. She chanted inside her brain, trembling like a leaf.

Her hands shook badly and Soo-Jin collapsed on the ground, in shock, fear, and relief. She could smell the stench of blood in her tracksuit and she spat on the grainy sand to avoid heaving. She clenched her fist and finally, took ahold of herself. The woman glanced at the massacre meters away from her. Their blood stood in contrast with the vivid colors of the game hall.

There was still many people on the field, one of them was Gi-Hun, striving to make it across the finish line. Tilting her head to her right, she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Sang-Woo, alive and safe.

"Sang-Woo..." she choked, making her way toward him, but her knees knocked together and she tripped. Soo-Jin expected the hard ground to collide, but instead her shoulders were caught by her ex and he lifted her up.

"Soo-Jin, talk to me. Are you hurt?"

"It's not my blood..." she muttered, shaking. "It's not mine."

"It's okay. Just breathe."

Inhaling deeply, they both turned their heads to see Gi-Hun tripping over a dead body, but then he was saved by a foreigner who held him tightly. Her heart seemed to have jumprd in her throat when she saw the clock counting its last seconds. Her childhood bestfriend was still on the field and he might die if he doesn't move faster.

"Gi-Hun! Damn it! Get over here!" She screamed. Her heart raced and she could feel her cheeks getting red. She gripped onto Sang-Woo's arm, squeezing it so tight she thought she had crushed it. Glancing back at the clock, she momentarily left her companion's side and drew close to the red line. "Jump now, Gi-Hun!"

Gi-Hun and his savior leaped from their place as the doll's head spun around. Just as it fully rotated to see who were left, her bestfriend landed atop of her, and both of them crashed to the ground.

Soo-Jin pushed Gi-Hun off of her and he rolled to the side, catching his breath. "You okay?" she asked, breathily.

"Yes."

We're alive, we're alive. We're all alive. She then chanted in her head. Thank fucking god.

But, for how long?

SOO-JIN'S HANDS WERE stained with blood.

But, it wasn't hers. It was from the man she used as a human shield earlier. Sniffing, she wiped it off using her jacket and screwed her eyes shut. She tried so hard to erase from her memory how the other players were brutally shot to death, but she could still see it clearly.

The masked guards had already led them back the large room and the woman leant her head against the bedpost, sitting between Sang-Woo and Gi-Hun.

"Sang-Woo, Soo-Jin..." her childhood bestfriend softly mumbled. "You both helped me. Thank you."

Soo-Jin lifted her head and nodded, smiling softly. "Of course. What are friends for?"

Gi-Hun inclined his head to the foreigner who saved him from his fall. "And you did too. You saved my life out there."

"You're alive. That is what matters."

Just as he said that, the alarms blared, alerting them all. The doors slid open and in came, the masked guards again. Infuriated by what they had gone through, Soo-Jin abruptly stood up and glared at them. "These motherfuckers..." she muttered, inflamed.

The man wearing a red tracksuit and square mask stood ahead of the guards. "You have all made it through the first game. Congratulations. You're moving on."

Soo-Jin tsked, shaking her head. How could they all have the gall to say that? She thought.

"I will now announce the results of the first game."

The female lifted her gaze to the screen before them as it displayed the number of players that were taken out from the first game. From 456 to 251. Soo-Jin felt light-headed as she realized how many people died from the bloodbath.

"Out of 456 players, 255 were eliminated, and 201 players successfully completed the first game." announced the leader, as if proud of the achievement. Gasps and murmurs occurred among them. Should they be happy with that?

An older woman with the number 212 on her back knelt in the open space, begging. "Mister, please." She sobbed. "Listen. I'm so sorry. I swear I will pay what I owe. I'll do it, I'll pay it all! Please, sir. I have a child!"

"Oh! So young! I need to register, and I still need to name my child, sir!" pleaded 212 in desperation. Another one knelt and plead for mercy, to be spared, and soon the others followed suit, promising to find a way to pay off their debts.

"I can't keep going. Sir, please, I can't go on."

"There seems to be a misunderstanding." the leader vocalized, a tone of indifference clear in his voice. "We are not trying to hurt you or collect your debts. Let me remind you that we're here to give you a chance."

"A chance?" Another player cried. "We play some kids games and you shoot us. You want me to choose that? That's some chance."

"We may be in debt, sir, but that doesn't justify killing us all."

"This is just a game."

Soo-Jin's jaw clenched at his answer and she sat down at the edge of the bed. This wasn't what she signed up for. She expected none of this. What if she had died out there? What if she wasn't able to think quickly? Her sister would be alone in the hospital, afraid and waiting for her to come back. Hana would not receive a kidney transplant since it wasn't paid. Sure, there was almost no one other than her adopted sibling who would miss her, but Soo-Jin has no plans of dying... no, not yet.

"Killing everyone out there was a game to you, huh?"

"They were simply eliminated for breaking the rules of the game. If you just follow the rules, you can leave this place safely with the prize money we promised."

"Just keep your damn money. I don't care! Let me just go home. That's all I want."

"Let us leave. Let us go."

A clamor soon followed in the large room. The remaining players were demanding that they were sent home, but the masked guards were having none of it.

"Consent form clause 1: A player is not allowed to stop playing." reminded the square masked man who Soo-Jin now thinks is the superior of the guards around.

"Come on! You think you'll get away with this, huh? The police will come. They'll bust in here any minute now. They'll be here since we all disappeared."

"Yeah, and I bet they have everybody's phones tracked here already. Look at all your hostages. You're doomed if you don't let us go!"

"We're all dead!"

Another deafening crack sliced through the air and without even realizing it, Soo-Jin ducked and held her head in her hands. She steadied her racing heart for a moment and stood up from her place, not anymore terrified, but enraged. The guards aimed their rifles at them all as the leader once again declared, "Consent form clause 2: A player who refuses to play will be eliminated."

At this, Soo-Jin advanced forward, not noticing Sang-Woo had done the same. "Consent form clause 3!" They simultaneously expressed and then glanced at each other before the woman gave way and nodded for him to continue. They both had the same thing in mind: use the last consent form clause against the guards.

"If all the players agreed to stop playing, the games are allowed to end, or am I wrong?"

"You are correct."

There was a hint of hesitance in the masked guard's voice, but Soo-Jin took it as an opportunity to put an end on the death game.

"So, let's vote on ending this." audaciously enunciated Soo-Jin. "If the majority wishes to leave this place, then everyone gets to go home, right?"

Tense silence and it was clear the leader doesn't want to let them go, but he relented. "All right, as you wish. We will take a vote to decide on the termination of the game."

Sighs of relief and hopeful murmurs began to rise from the crowd, but then again, as Soo-Jin said earlier, the managers knew how to entice their players. "Before we vote, let me announce the prize money for the game as previously promised."

Another beep and the transparent piggy bank with a golden light shining above it was filled with loads of money. Soo-Jin would be lying if she said she wasn't slightly amazed by the amount of cash that flowed inside it. It was what she needed after all. "A total of 255 players were eliminated during the first game. A hundred million won is at stake per player. Therefore, 25.5 billion won of prize money has been accumulated so far. If you wish to give up on playing, the 25.5 billion won will be sent to the bereaved families of the late players, 100 million won each. However, you will all return home empty-handed."

The brunette cursed under her breath. Her life actually cost a hundred million won? She tsked. Who would've thought? So, if we give it up now, the bereaved families will be the ones who will benefit even though we are the ones who survived? She thought to herself. This is a shit game.

"Uh, sir..." A man queried, swallowing. "So then, if we can complete all six games, how much do we get?"

"Since there were 456 players, the total prize money is 45.6 billion won."

The group erupted in another set of gasps, shocked and amazed just as Soo-Jin's eyes widened. 45.6 billion won? That was more than enough money to pay for her sister's hospital bills, but was she physically and mentally prepared to endure the next death games?

"And with that, we will now begin the voting."

A podium was set in front of the raised platform with two buttons, green and red, glowing at its center. "As you can see, there are two buttons in front of you. If you wish to continue playing, press the green button with an O. If you wish to stop playing, then please press the red button with the X instead." expounded the masked manager. "After you finish voting, move to the other side of the white line and wait. Voting will be done in reverse order of the numbers on your chests. Player 456, please cast your vote."

Gi-Hun looked down at his number, 456, and steadily made his way to the front. Without hesitation, he pressed the red button, showing his choice to stop the game. Others sighed in relief, but Soo-Jin only stared down at the floor. She was badly in need of cash for her sister's life was on the line. If she goes back in the outside world, she will have nothing to pay for her sister's kidney transplant. Sure, the black market option was still present, but it would only be enough, not more.

Soon, she was called to come forward and make her choice. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she drew closer to the podium, looking back at the money inside the piggy bank. Her hand hovered between the two buttons that seemed to ominously symbolize life and death.

She remembered the people that were brutally killed in the first game earlier. She could become one of them if the game progresses on, but then... she was smart, talented, and determined. She has a chance to win. Was she going to waste that?

Black market or death game? She pondered. Money or morals? Which one weighs heavier?

Flashes of her younger sister dying because she can't provide what she needed filled her mind and almost instantly, Soo-Jin came to a decision.

"Desperate times, desperate measures."

She punched the green button.

For you, Hana.