"I just want to go up to them," I say, after I've finished eating. "Steal their things right under their nose."

"I would do the same," Jungkook says. "But not even the best thief could do it now without notice." He gestures to Mr. Fame and his bodyguards. "I'd probably be shot on the spot."

Mr. Fame addresses us once the six idols leave in a flurry. You'd think they own the whole place with the way they cause a ruckus.

"Remember that the truce ends at midnight," Mr. Fame says. "Anything goes after that. Your safety is temporary. In the end, there can only be six winners."

We sober up after Mr. Fame reminds us that this week isn't the worst of it. There will be more blood, more deaths. Our numbers will continue to dwindle. We'll grow more reckless, more desperate. We don't only have to worry about making it to the next week. We have to somehow make our way to the past winners and steal one of the coveted spots. That's if we can succeed in finding and interpreting the clues.

I must look a bit sick, because Jungkook is studying me again. "Cosma?"

I shake my head. "Just thinking," I say. "I've been doing a lot of that lately."

Jungkook nods. Even though he can prod, he doesn't. And I appreciate that. "Let's get an early start," he says. "Midnight will come sooner than we know."

Somehow, Jungkook and I land up in the elevator next to Mr. Fame and his two bodyguards. He's getting off on the second floor, while Jungkook and I press the button for the lobby. Mr. Fame isn't particularly tall or big, but he still has the intimidating factor I noticed when I first met him. A man that you'd probably regret to challenge.

I take a breath. "Mr. Fame, do you have any clues for us?"

He meets my eyes, and the bodyguards regard me like a potential threat. Mr. Fame raises a brow, then he laughs. It's a foreign sound from him. "Because you were brave enough to ask, I'll give you a hint. Don't stray too far today. The next clue will be in Gangnam, just be prepared for the bloodbath." The elevator stops at the second floor, and Mr. Fame exits with his bodyguards. He raises one hand without turning back. "You can thank me later. That's if you survive."

"What should we do?" Jungkook says.

I head out to the lobby with new resolve. "You heard him," I say. "We're staying in this district."

*

Jungkook and I hide behind the League of Fame headquarters. Jungkook keeps checking his watch, and I pick at my fingernails to pass the time. I hope Mr. Fame wasn't just playing with us. But something tells me he wouldn't lie—as if there is some integrity in the man who conducts a killing game for his own entertainment. If he is truly the game master, he would know exactly where the next clue begins.

At midnight, a firework fires not too far from where we're hiding. The golden L hangs in the sky for a second. Jungkook and I get on the move.

The site is a courtyard of a hotel. Strangers are running in the opposite direction, scared of being caught in the crossfire. I spot the golden box on the ground.

"I'll go!" I yell at Jungkook. "You stay here and shoot."

Without waiting for his reply, I dash into the courtyard. A bullet whizzes past me, but I ignore it and head for the clue. "Faster, Cosma!" Jungkook yells at me.

I have tunnel vision for the box. Everything else is blurry and insignificant. I register that there are others rushing in, but I ignore them. I reach the box first, grabbing it by the golden ribbon. I turn back and barely make out Jungkook. He's shooting at targets around me. Behind me, a body crashes against the cobblestone. I don't turn to look. I keep running.

Another bullet comes so close that I feel the air being pierced past my ear. Yelling erupts from behind me. I know I'm being chased. But all I care about is the box in my hands.

A bullet pierces my jacket and brushes my forearm. Pain lances through me. I swear but keep going. Jungkook takes off and gestures for me to follow. Box in hand, I weave through a cropping of trees and exit onto one of the main streets. I probably look like a lunatic holding onto this box like my life depends on it. All I know is that I have to get away. This box can hold the secret to winning. To getting back to my family in one piece and materializing the money for Zion's treatment.

Jungkook takes out his lock pick and swerves next to a restaurant that's closed for the day. He takes five seconds to unlock the door. We head inside and shut the door behind us. Seconds later, some of the alliances who were also chasing the clue rushes past—heading in the direction we would've followed if Jungkook didn't detour us.

"You're hurt," Jungkook says.

I look at my jacket and shirt, soaking up the blood. "It's not bad," I say.

Jungkook heads into the kitchen. I lay on the ground near the door, keeping my eyes on the box beside me. This is our key.

Jungkook manages to find a first aid kit. He helps me sit up, taking off my jacket. When he rolls up my shirt, I curse and hiss through my teeth. "It just brushed my skin," I say.

"You still need to bandage it," Jungkook says. "And apply antiseptic."

He unscrews a tube of medicine and begins to touch the wound gently. I lean back, head spinning from the sting of pain. Just when I think I might pass out, Jungkook begins with the bandaging. He must've done this before. His lithe hands move as if well-practiced.

"You must've bandaged yourself before," I say.

Jungkook grunts in reply. "I was shot once when I thought a house was empty but it wasn't. It brushed my skin, like this one. You're lucky the boy didn't have better aim."

"You saw them?" I ask.

"I shot them," Jungkook says. "Two of them. I would've shot more if we didn't have to run."

I feel sick, knowing we're responsible for another two lives lost. But that's just the nature of League of Fame. We are too caught up with surviving, winning, that we don't register becoming monsters.

"Let's open the box," I say, when Jungkook is finished bandaging me.

"You're the one who grabbed it," Jungkook says. "You can do the honors."

I rip off the golden wrapping paper and stare at the cardboard for a second before unfolding the top. A single note is inside. I take it out and stare at the writing.

You want a lock of my hair? Meet me at the abandoned Gangnam station, exit 11. — Jimin.

A/N: Thank you for reading! Please feel free to vote and leave a comment!