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SEEING DAE-HO AND JUN-HEE walk into the room with their team at the end of the second game, Nari immediately stood from where she sat with Semi and rushed over pulling Jun-hee into her arms. The two women closed their eyes and melted into the shared embrace, a sight that warmed the hearts of a few especially 001, 456, Myung-gi and Thanos. "I'm so glad you're okay, I was so worried," Nari expressed to Jun-hee as she pulled back and looked the woman over, happy with the lack of injuries.

Nari turned to the others and stepped forward, embracing Dae-ho and 390 in one hug, both accepting it without hesitation and wide beaming smiles. She pulled back and turned to 001 and 456, stepping forward and embracing 456 first, the man froze for a moment having not been hugged in a long time. He slowly embraced the kind woman, his mind trailing back to flashes of Ali Abdul and Kang Sae-byeok as he tightened the hug just a little bit more; but not enough to harm her. Nari smiled into the fatherly embrace before they pulled apart, her gaze focusing on him, "I'm glad you made it through."

456 bowed his head before moving aside so Nari could embrace 001, the man eager to hold his daughter. "My name is Oh Young-il," Young-il introduced despite wishing he could speak the truth to the young woman but knew by the person she was, she would be against everything he stands for and believes in. "Pleasure to meet you, Young-il," Nari replied as she stepped back, bowing her head politely before looking at 456 and 390 expectantly. "I'm Park Jung-bae," Jung-bae informed her before he and Dae-ho followed Jun-hee to sit down. "And you are, mister?" Nari asked, her doe eyes friendly.

"I'm Seong Gi-hun," Gi-hun answered her, bowing his head slightly as the woman beamed knowing his name now. "Well, it's an honour. I'll leave you all to relax," Nari bowed to them before she scurried back to her team in time to hear Nam-gyu's words. "Fuck, way too many people made it," Nam-gyu spoke with a scoff. "Oppa!" Nari scolded with a frown, her arms crossed as she shook her head, "Show some empathy in your tone." Nam-gyu lowered his head in shame, he knew she was right; but what was the point of endangering themselves if others wouldn't lose to give them the money?

Ignoring Nam-gyu's cruel wording, Nari moved to sit next to Thanos but was surprised when he gently grasped her wrist and pulled her down to sit between his legs, her back against his chest as he rested his arms around her waist. Nari had tensed for a moment before relaxing against him, smiling softly as Thanos rested his head on top of her own. "Hey. How many do you think are left?" Nam-gyu asked Min-su who had been silently mourning the losses from the game they had just played. "Sorry?" Min-su asked with furrowed brows, he missed Nam-gyu's question.

"How many people do you think we have left in here?" Nam-gyu asked as another voice spoke up instead. "Too many, including you," Beom-seok ─ 043 ─ spoke as he stood before the group. "Exactly, so do us a favour and just lay down in the next game, yeah?" Boek-hyeon ─ 242 ─ added with his own laugh, both of them sent a mocking smile towards Nari as Sung-Ja stepped forward with Da-eun ─ 092 ─ on his arm and Hana ─ 072 ─ on her other side. "What do you want?" Nam-gyu asked with a glare knowing exactly who Sung-Ja was. "Just admiring the use of the whore," Sung-Ja taunted as he looked at Nari.

Thanos moved to stand but Nari gripped his arms around her waist, his comfort was the one thing holding her together in this very moment. "Go bother someone else, Sung-Ja," Nari advised with a frown on her face, misty eyes as she mentally questioned what she ever saw in the man. "Oh, Nari... why would I do that when I can witness you make friends who will inevitably leave like I did," Sung-Ja said before smirking, "And that thing in your stomach, you really think you'll be a great mother?" Nari's whole body deflated as his words seeped into her mind, dulling the light in her eyes.

Nam-gyu stood from where he sat, his eyes narrowed harshly as he sneered at Sung-Ja for disrespecting Nari ─ his little sister ─ after every he had done. "I will give you one chance to walk away otherwise I won't hold back," Nam-gyu threatened as he stepped closer, "And the guards won't save you." Sung-Ja glared into Nam-gyu's eyes as someone stepped between them, her eyes narrowed in a glare. "You do realise that making enemies with not just us... but them─" Semi spoke as she pointed to Gi-hun and his group who were watching closely along with Hyun-ju and her group.

"You won't be surviving the next game, morals be damned," Semi finished off before turning her eyes over the entire group, "You can play tough all you wish but we know that you're just as terrified as the rest of us. And I will protect Nari with my life, I promise that." The silence that fell over them was tense, Nari felt her heart soar at the knowledge that she was protected. "I will kill you if you harm her," Thanos spoke breaking the silence, the deadly glare on his face unsettled Sung-Ja who didn't doubt the man simply based on his predatory look. "Whatever, I'm bored anyway," Sung-Ja remarked before leading his group away.

"How did you ever like him?" Semi asked Nari as she sat down, the tension fading as Nari closed her eyes and relaxed into Thanos' arms. He interlocked their hands and moved to rest his head into the crook of her neck as she opened her eyes to reply to Semi, "He came into my life when I had no one... I guess, I didn't want to be alone anymore." Semi smiled softly as she sat next to Min-su, "You'll never be alone again, Nari." Nari smiled and nodded slightly at Semi's words, she felt eased in the team she was in. "So does that mean one more game?" Min-su asked shyly.

"Yes. If you are all okay with it," Nari expressed quickly, fiddling with Thanos' rings as she added, "That money isn't quite enough for my debt and raising a baby so I... need one more game." The others were silent at her words, they understood her and nodded their heads. "Aren't you scared?" Min-su asked, his tone shaky as he crossed his arms to hide his shaky hands. "My aunt Nariko taught me something, Min-su.... if you can't beat the fear, do it scared. We can do this," Nari expressed to him with a soft smile on her face though the fear was clear in her eyes.

"Then one more game it is. You're right, Moon, we got this," Nam-gyu agreed with a head nod, a small smile of reassurance on his face as he looked at the others before focusing on Nari, "Then let's get out of here together. That kids gonna need a freaking awesome uncle." Nari's smile grew at her Nam-gyu's words, her chest warming over his acceptance of being in the kids life after all of this. "I'm more scared of parenthood than this game to be honest," Nari told them, her hands ─ interlocked with Thanos' ─ moved to her stomach, "But I think I can do it." Min-su smiled before saying, "Well, I think you're gonna be an amazing mother, Moon."

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The doors buzzed as the guards came into the room as they had the last few times with the Square Manager in the focused light. Nari took in a slow breath as Nam-gyu, Semi and Min-su stood from where they sat to move to the center with the rest of the players. "Are you okay?" Thanos asked as he let Nari turn to lean against his leg, she looked up at him and nodded her head as she noticed the way his mind was coming down from the pill he had taken earlier that day. "I will be," Nari assured him before she stood up and stretched, smiling at Thanos before moving towards the others with Thanos quickly following her.

"Congratulations to all of you for making it through the second game," The Manager announced to the players as they continued to crowd together, "Here are the results of the second game." The Manager presses a button on his remote and the golden glow returns to the room, money dropping into the piggy bank hanging from the ceiling. "In the second game, 110 players were eliminated. The prize money accumulated up to this point is 20.1 billion won. Since there are 255 players remaining, each person's share is 78,823,530 Million Won," The Manager announced once the numbers on screen fell and rose.

Though the money still wasn't enough for anyone in the room, Nari frowned as she crossed her arms feeling Thanos standing right behind her. He slipped his hand into her own as he too frowned in disappointment at the shared amount due to the large mass of survivors. "Wait, what?" Player 043 ─ Beom-seok ─ called out in anger from where he stood with Sung-Ja and Boek-hyeon. "Only 110 people died? Is that all? Did you count them right?" A woman from the other side called out with a frown. Nari shook her head, she couldn't understand the lack of humanity in this moment; the lack of morality for those lives taken.

"That's all? But you shot all those people!" Player 285 shouted in disbelief from the blue side. Players continued to shout out in disbelief about the amount, each person speaking up broke Nari's heart knowing that it would only get worse as the games went by. "I completely understand your disappointment. However, we always keep the door open for you to pursue new opportunities," The Manager spoke but something in Nari felt he wasn't referring to the option to leave the games by votes. "You will now take a vote to decide whether to continue the games or not," The Manager informed them before two circle guards entered the room with the voting podium.

"Whether to continue the games for a bigger prize or to stop here is entirely your choice. Please feel free to exercise your right to choose in a democratic manner," The Manager expressed to them causing Nari to glance at her team as she spoke, "We vote for one more game." The others nodded at her words, it made her let out a slow breath feeling a sense of guilt for those who were desperate to leave. Nari turned to Gi-hun and noticed his eyes on her, he sent her a look but she frowned giving him the answer he was seeking; Young-il felt sick knowing his daughter would be voting to stay carrying his grandchild in her stomach.

"This time, the vote will begin with player 001. Player 001, please cast your vote," The Manager instructed. Young-il moved forward down the path, looking at the guard before pressing down on the red X, swapping his blue patch for the red. "Player 006," A woman walked up with a fearful expression, she pushed the red button and made her way onto the red side alongside Young-il. "Player 007," Yong-sik let out a breath before making his way to the podium, his mother watching with a smile that fell as the colour blue shone over his face giving the blue side their first vote.

Nari frowned at the interaction, her eyes focused between Geum-ja and Yong-sik knowing they would've planned to leave the games. Player nine pushed the blue sticking to her side and slowly, numbers began to climb on each side; some changing to the opposite side while most stuck with their first choice. "Player 043," Beom-seok walked up, smirking towards Nari and her team before pushing the blue button without hesitation, a cocky smile on his face despite the fear in his eyes. "Player 072," Hana made her way up and took a breath before pushing the red surprising her team who glared towards her.

Young-Mi went up and pushed the red, Nari's heart went out to the terrified girl causing a pit of guilt to burn in her chest as she leaned back into Thanos. "It's gonna be okay," Thanos whispered to her, "We'll make it through.... And protect the ones who matter." His words barely managed to ease Nari's mind but she was still moved by his comfort, turning her head slightly to lean more into his embrace. Player 100 voted to stay which had been expected, his team of bullies alongside him. When it came to Hyun-ju's vote, Nari watched Young-mi as Hyun-ju pressed the blue button to continue, avoiding her teams eyes.

Nam-gyu went up, squeezing Nari's arm affectionately as he passed by her and pressed the blue button cementing Nari's decision to continue. Nari sent Min-su an encouraging nod as he passed her, her gaze was a promise that they'd look out for him in the next game if he chose to continue; though she wouldn't fault him if he truly wished to stop. After some hesitation, Min-su pushed the blue button and moved to stand next to Nam-gyu who clasped his shoulder in a friendly motion of encouragement. Gi-hun pushed through the waiting crowd ready to speak up again when someone else did.

"Are you all out of your minds?" Young-il shouted for them all to hear as he stepped into the middle of the room, "You still want to keep going after watching all those people die? Who's to say you won't die in the next game?" Young-il looked around, his eyes focused on Nari for a moment before he moved to speak with the waiting crowd of players directly, "We have to stop! We'll all die if we keep going! Come to your senses and leave with that money." Nari lowered her gaze as she spoke, "It isn't enough." Everyone was silent as Young-il turned to her when she added, "I owe over 800 million won... I carry a child... my chances in here are higher than out there."

The words felt like a punch to the heart for Young-il but he had a task to focus on, his eyes showing the sorrow he felt for her situation. "You've got to survive first, or there won't be a next step," Young-il expressed passionately. "What do you think we can do with a mere 70 million? I don't know how much you owe, but for most people here, that doesn't even cover 10% of their debt," Player 100 pointed out in a response, though he wasn't the best person to argue that point, he wasn't wrong either. Nari zoned the conversation out, the arguing and the tears from Young-mi felt like it was becoming too much.

Instead, Nari focused on the way Thanos' breathing was steady against her back, the way he held both of her hands in his own, his thumb rubbing gently against her skin. The way he rested his head on top of her own, his breath lightly pushing strands against her head as he watched the scene before him. Nari became very aware of the way this man had completely entranced her mind and bewitched her heart. She let her gaze turn to Semi who was watching her moment of realisation in amusement to block out the arguing players. Nari knew one thing for sure, Blue side would win... And her heart belonged to Choi Su-bong.

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Rosie Nova Here. . .

Oh my goodness... this chapter was ─ interesting to write. It's strange writing these boys as 'nicer' people but you know, I like it and thats what matters to me.

What did you think of this chapter?

Should Nari learn about Young-il being her real father in this season or the next?

Thoughts? Suggestions? Questions?

See you in the next chapter!

Unedited
Written via phone