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TWENTY EIGHT | WHATEVER IT TAKES

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FIVE SECONDS.

That was all it took for everything to go to total shit.

One.

The woman glanced at the steak knife raised beside the pastor's head. Gi-Hun, who was still pounding the sliding doors, had no idea what was about to happen since he was too focused on getting help for Sae-Byeok.

Two.

Soo-Jin put her hand above Sae-Byeok's chest to shield her from the assault. She jad decided just then and there to put the girl's life above her own. She can't afford to lose anyone again. She didn't even know where Sang-Woo was currently. All she saw in the bathroom was blood, but no sign of his body. Just, where was he?

Three.

Reacting instantaneously to the incoming attack, she lifted her hand to her face, her palm facing her enemy. That last word then led her to think if he was responsible for Sang-Woo's disappearance... and death. His knife earlier was dripping with blood when he came in.

Four.

She only had little time to move away and the knife sank deep into the fleshy part of her palm. The blade pierced through her hand, splattering blood over her face. She didn't feel anything at first.

Five.

Then, the pain shot up her hand like fire. She screamed in anguish as it exploded in her head with a blinding whiteness. It made her dizzy. It made her reel. It sent a surge of electrons to every nerve in her brain. Her pained cry was so intense that it raddled the entire warehouse like a chaotic pinball machine relaying more than one ball.

She felt her blood drip on her face and on her lips. She could even taste it. The pastor grunted, now holding his wrist to dig the knife deeper. He wanted to it to go through her brain. Soo-Jin shut her eyes and growled, grabbing onto player 244's wrist to push him back. She exerted all her energy to shove him away and fortunately, she was able to. She then elbowed his jaw and kicked his legs, knocking him to the ground.

"Gi-Hun!"

Her bestfriend dragged the pastor away from her, but he recoiled as soon as player 244 lashed out his knife, attempting to slice Gi-Hun. She rolled to her side, clutching her injured hand. The pain was like needles that had been dipped in alcohol had been jammed through her skin, like her arm had been replaced with ice and electricity wired straight into her spine.

As her vision wobbled and her thoughts tried to collect themselves, she heard the struggle between Gi-Hun and the pastor. She pushed herself up using her unscathed hand and tackled their enemy, wrapping her arms around his neck.

She gritted her teeth as she strangled him tight. 244 fought against her grip. Gi-Hun climbed over to him and struck his face twice, but then he was overpowered as the pastor stabbed his leg. He also sliced Soo-Jin's arm and she let him go.

Gi-Hun and Soo-Jin yelled in agony, the searing pain felt across her body. She already had so much wounds. They were nothing severe, but the pain was beginning to be unbearable.

"Player 67, eliminated."

"No," Soo-Jin's eyes widened. "No, no, no! Sae-Byeok! Sae-Byeok!"

The woman instantly noticed the small slit in her throat and she turned to see player 244's knife, scarlet liquid dripping from it. He killed Sae-Byeok, a girl who was defenseless and weak.

Growling, she pulled out her knife and with a shout, she assaulted her rival, stabbing his shoulder. Her conscience and humanity were switched off. She didn't care he was human. As long as he was dead and she got her vengeance, everything was fine.

She didn't notice that the sliding doors opened and emerged behind them were guards carrying another black gift-like casket. One of them struck the end of the rifle at her back, preventing her driving her own steak knife into his neck and liver.

She had never felt such unbridled rage before. This man in front of her killed Sae-Byeok and Sang-Woo. It was like all her anger had been bottled up and now, finally exploded. She had no more control of herself. She only had one goal in mind: kill player 244.

She wouldn't rest until she had done so.

The woman collapsed to the ground and watched helplessly as Sae-Byeok's body was transferred to the casket. A cry escaped her lips, and hot tears streamed down her face and onto the cold floor.

Kang Sae-Byeok, the girl she first helped in that place, was dead.

Cho Sang-Woo, the man she loved, was presumably dead as well.

She failed to protect them. She failed to keep them safe and now, she lost them. They were taken away by this repulsive man in front of her. She understood that he was just doing whatever it takes to live and win the games, but still, he took people away from her.

The woman wasn't even able to say a proper goodbye to Sang-Woo. She wasn't even able to see him in his final moments, and there was nothing more painful than that. As the guards lifted her up and brought her outside the dorm, she shook her head. No, Sang-Woo wasn't dead. She refused to believe that. Her lover was smart. He'd always find a way to survive. But, then what if the guards picked his corpse before she entered?

Her thoughts drifted back to Sae-Byeok, the loss stabbing her heart so deep. The girl only wanted to get her brother out of the orphanage and be reunited with her mother. Why was life so unfair?

The staffers treated her wounds. Gi-Hun was sitting across from her, nonplussed by what he had just witnessed and experienced. He was also receiving some medical attention, just like her. The red-clad watchers didn't cover their wounds with bandages, and Soo-Jin shuddered at the sight of her injured palm. The wound was open and some skin was peeled off. She could see a portion of the muscle inside and she forced herself not to vomit because of it.

How long was she going to suffer?

At this time, if she was going to die, she'd prefer a quick death over a slow one.

"Soo-Jin..."

The woman lifted her head to see the defeated expression in Gi-Hun's face.

"Did you... did you see Sang-Woo?"

The mere mention of his name brought her to tears. Gut-wrenching sobs wracked through her body. "No, I... I didn't find his body."

Gi-Hun closed his eyes.

"I wasn't able to say goodbye to him, Gi-Hun. I didn't even see his body!" she cried. "I had so much to tell him! He asked me to marry him and now... he's..." Soo-Jin clenched her fist as she felt pang of pain in her chest. "This wasn't the plan, Gi-Hun! I -- I..."

Her eyes flickered to the guards, and stomped her way over to them. Grabbing one of them, she yelled, "Where is he? Tell me! Please! Tell me! Where is he?" She shook them. "Where is Sang-Woo?"

She then moved to the next. "Where is 218? Have you seen him?"

"Soo-Jin..."

"Just tell me where he is!"

"Soo-Jin..."

"No!" She bellowed, her visage morphing that of bitterness. "I refuse to believe he's dead. I never saw his body. Until I see his corpse with my own two eyes, then I'll continue to believe he's alive."

Gi-Hun didn't say anything else and instead held her arms. "I'm sorry..."

"Don't -- don't say that! Don't be sorry! He'll come back to me! I -- I know he'll come back to me!" she sobbed, slowly dropping to her knees. The last two pieces of her conscience and heart died and that meant there was nothing holding her back anymore. She flinched at her bestfriend's touch and took her arm away from his grasp. "Don't touch me."

Still full of sorrow and rage, she trudged her way to the bathroom and examined every blood trail. Where was Sang-Woo? He wouldn't just disappear without a trace, she knew. There was something she wasn't understanding in this one.

Everything felt odd. Something was off.

First, it was the guards, then Minjun, and now, Sang-Woo.

Jaw clenching in anger, she kicked every door and wall with her foot, screaming, "You liar! You promised me we'd leave together! You promised me!" She wanted everyone to know she was in pain, not only physically, but also emotionally. She could only guess that whoever created this games was entertained with her pain.

The woman slid down to the floor, her cheeks still wet with fresh tears. Just how much can she take?

If I cannot move heaven, then I will raise hell.

Gi-Hun was the only person she has left in this place and she will do everything to keep themselves safe. Whatever it takes.

THE NEXT FEW hours was absolutely hell.

Another fight between her and the pastor broke, but this time she was the one who instigated. She demanded to know what happened to Sang-Woo, but he only kept quiet and said, "Let the Lord's will be done."

Disgusted, she turned away. She didn't expect her last enemy was someone who believed in god. Actually, Soo-Jin believed in the concept of God. Her adoptive parents were devoted Buddhists, but they never forced her to be one as well. They believed that it was her choice to choose her own religion. So, she chose to have no religion. She believed that there is God, but she doesn't observe or perform any religious practices.

The three were soon placed back in the dorm with Soo-Jin glaring her eyes into the pastor's head who was praying again. She stared down at her stab wound again. She could still slightly move her hand for luckily, the knife didn't tear any tendon or ligaments that was essential, but it hurt like hell.  She was tired, so tired. She wanted to go home.

The alarms blared and the classical music played once again on the speakers. She wouldn't be able to listen to that song without remembering what she had been through in this place.

"Players, welcome to the final game. For this game, you will be given the chance to choose your partner. Your time limit is one minute. One minute."

"This is unacceptable and unfair!" yelled the pastor. "These two will team up against me for sure!"

"Shut up!" retaliated Soo-Jin, enraged. "No one asked for you opinion, you hypocrite."

Gi-Hun placed his hand over her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down, but no amount of comfort can soothe her anger. Glancing to the timer and setting aside her emotions, she concluded by the end there will be one player who will be left without a partner. What was the game going to be? She then glared once again at the pastor, her jaw clenching. That was when she noticed the black drawing above his head, causing her to blink twice.

The outline was made up of two circles in the top and bottom of the field, a square cutting through the bottom circle, and a triangle cutting through the top circle.

It looked utterly familiar.

She began to look at each of the drawings on the white wall and her breathing shallowed. All of the previous games were in them. The red light, green light, the honeycomb, the tug-of-war... The clues were staring at their faces all along, but they were too focused on murdering and surviving that they didn't see it. Many of them would've lived if they only worked together.

The woman tapped her companion's shoulder. "That game..." she whispered, jutting her chin to the drawing. "Does it look familiar to you? I think I've seen you and Sang-Woo..." she swallowed, still not believng her lover was dead.

"Yes!" He nodded rapidly. "That's Squid Game!"

"Look at the those other drawings, Gi-Hun."

Her bestfriend swept his gaze up and his shoulders slumped. "It was just here... all along."

She shook her head. "We have no time to regret things. Listen, we need to come up with a plan. That game will have an offense and defense team, right?"

"Yes."

"Then, we'll pair together and go for offense."

"Are you sure about this?

"Yes, there is no way in hell I'll partner with him."

The alarms blared and soon, they were asked to step in the center. Soo-Jin made sure the pastor felt that he was alone and she and her bestfriend would win. The woman shook hands with Gi-Hun and cocked an eyebrow. "I will kill you, 244." She then took one menacing step forward and leant closer. "I will kill you with my bare hands and your god? Your god will not be able to stop me. Mark my words."

"You will be once again given another minute to prepare yourselves."

And with that, Soo-Jin walked away, wanting to see the bathroom once again so she could feel him again. Crimson liquid still stained the walls and floors that one would think it was red paint that was splattered.

Sighing, she went over to the sink and washed her hands. She was ready. She was ready to give all hell. She and Gi-Hun had a plan. She just needed to set aside her emotions and let her instincts and logic control her.

But, of course, things will not go according to plan.

That would be too easy.

There is no victory without sacrifice.

Once she lifts her head up, the female saw a red-clad watcher standing behind her. "What are you..."

Swiftly and wordlessly, he wrapped his arm around her neck and placed a cloth above her mouth. Her nostrils were instantly filled a sweet smell she couldn't resist. She struggled to fight against their tight grasp, but she felt light-headed and then, with one step backwards, she crumpled like a puppet suddenly released of their strings.

Everything around her went dark starting from the edges of her vision inwards like a tunnel stretching out ahead of her, and what she could see lost all colour.

Sounds she heard became muffled like she'd just grown earmuffs. Her breathing slowed and she felt all of her strength leave her body.

"I'm sorry, miss..." She heard his abductor say.

"Player 321, eliminated."

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