NO TIME TO DIE. Squid Game
╰┈➤ Turning Point ( Chapter Ten )

IT MIGHT have been the headache that caused Nari to wake, or the perhaps it was the feeling of an unfamiliar mattress below her. It seemed thinner than normal, the girl feeling the floor below her as she stirred in her slumber. Feeling the ground beneath her as she turned, and soon realizing she was tangled in blankets that didn't belong to her, she sat up.

Her eyes scans the room in a sweaty panic. Where ever she was, it was small and warm, yellow lighting illuminating the area and making the room feel cozier than it actually was. The area was tight and cramped, clutter scatted about, Nari's eyes widening. This wasn't hers home nor did she know exactly who's home it was. Her heart pounded in her chest, as she stood, but her breathing remained steady as she realized she was unharmed. Nervously, she began to process her surroundings more, her eyes soon landing on a pile of clothes and a piece of paper that waited patiently beside her.

Instinctively, she reached over and wrapped her fingers around the paper, running a thumb gently along it as she read the handwriting written in pen.

I would've like to have been there when you woke up... I'm sure it wasn't pleasant waking up somewhere and not having a clue where that somewhere is.. but my mom isn't doing to well and i had to check on her.

You blacked out last night and I couldn't just leave you there, so I took you home. There's a pile of clothes, feel free to use them if you'd like. There's also bananas on the counter and there should be painkillers by the fridge ( I heard they're good for hangovers ) This is my thanks for helping me during red light green light.

From, Gi-Hun

Nari's lips tugged at the corners, curling ever so slightly into a smile as her eyes scanned and processed each word. Her head pounded as she read, but the gesture was sweet, regardless of how startled she'd been when she had woke. she squeezed her fist, the note forming a ball in her clutch as she stood and found herself grabbing the clothes waiting beside her on the floor. It was a light blue shirt and jeans, undoubtably too large for her, yet she still didn't hesitate to change into the clothing. Within Gi-Hun's bathroom, she slid into the shirt and pants, access fabric making for a rather comfortable outfit.

The woman then made her way to search for the banana's spoken about in the note, begging that the man was right and they'd stop the pounding in her head. It wasn't until she found the fruit and slid it out of the peel, taking a bite that she realized how nauseous she truly was. She gagged at the texture, the mush behind her lips making her stomach flip. She snarled her lips in disgust, searching for the trashcan and allowing the bite to slide from her mouth and into the waste. She blinked a couple times at the bite, then dropped her peel on top of it, rubbing her temples. The light began to make her eyes hurt and head pound, her stomach giving her the sudden urge to throw up the contents of her stomach.

It was odd, waking up in the home of a stranger and adjusting so quickly, and mentally, Nari kicked herself for doing so, but at the same time Gi-Hun didn't feel as though he was a stranger. It had only been a day or so, yet Nari felt like she'd known the man more so much longer. She wasn't sure if it was the the soft smile that was always on his lips or that she'd already risked her life for him once anyway, but she found the gesture more kind than odd. If anything, It relieved her that he'd taken her here rather than leaving her to rest outside of a convenience store.

Still in the kitchen, attempting not to over stay her welcome, Nari quickly searched for a the painkillers, hoping to silence the loud pound of her skull and the sick stomach that accompanied it. She searched around the refrigerator to find nothing, putting a frown on the girls lips. She signed, her shoulders slumping as she decided to turn to the faucet beside her. She turned on the water, leaning down and placing her mouth in the flow of the liquid, her back aching as she bent over the counter and her dry throat flooding with relief as she swallowed. After a moment, she stood and cupped the cold liquid in her hands, splashing it against her face and shocking her skin.

She let out a huff and turned off the water just in time for her ears to tune in to the sound of the door handle twisting. Nari turned toward the door as it swung open, the hinges squeaking and causing the girl to wonder how she hadn't heard it when he'd left. She stood frozen as Gi-Hun pushed through the door way, watching as he stopped abruptly when he noticed her. His eyes widen and his lips part as he meets her eyes.

Slowly he continued into the home, closing the door and allowing his hand to fall from the handle and return to his side. "You're still here?" He said it softly, yet the words caused her head to pound, making her squint as she met his gaze and rubbed her temple.

"Yup," She said through a cringe, blinking a few times to try and settle the sudden sensations that pulsated through her head. "Just woke up actually."

Gi-Hun smiled softly, "I'm sorry if this is like, really weird," He said awkwardly, rocking on his heels as he spoke. "I just wasn't sure what else to do."

"No, It's okay." Nari said, leaning her back against the counter and crossing her arms as she watched the man walk further into the room. "I appreciate it, really." She said softly. She sighed and dropped her gaze, running a hand through her hair, the strands damp from the sweat she'd broke. "I guess fifteen years of progress just went down the drain."

Gi-Hun's gaze fell for a moment, unsure what to say as Nari closed her eyes and let things set in. She hadn't thought much of it when she'd spent the last bit of money she had scavenged on the alcohol, blinded by the idea of leaving her past behind and forgetting the games and every other terrible thing with it, and was trying her hardest not to think about it now. She had spent ages clawing her way out of the reputation she'd earned herself, not even being successful before falling right back into the pit she'd dug herself long ago.

"Thank you." She finally said, watching as his eyes lifted and met hers. His lips curl into a gentle smile in response, nodding slightly. "I may have been a bit... frightened waking up somewhere unfamiliar, but I would've been worse off if I was still out there." Nari's eyes scanned Gi-Hun's damp hair, concluding that it was likely still raining outside. The girl sighed and as she spoke, she made sure to avoid calling Gi-Hun a stranger. As she had decided earlier, he was far from it.

The man before her still awkwardly rocked on his heals, running a hand through his loose, damp curls. "Look, Nari, I'm glad I could help, really, but I think you should go."

Nari's heart sank, her face falling and she was unsure why. She wasn't even originally sure why she was here, and was certain she'd likely already overstayed her welcome, but couldn't help but feel disappointed by his words. Her eyes flicker to his right hand which fidgets with a golden card. A golden card she was all too familiar with. She quickly jumped her gaze back to his eyes, hoping she hadn't made it too obvious that she had noticed, then nodded slowly, pressing her lips into a thin, disappointed line.

"It's nothing against you, really." He assured, tucking the card away to be hidden in his sleeve, and then waving his hands to dismiss the idea. "It's just that with my mom being sick..." He trailed off and sighed, dropping his head. "I'm sorry, really, I just think it may be best if you're not here when she returns."

Nari nods and forces a smile, crossing the small room to place her hand gently upon the man's shoulder. She offers him a reassuring nod and then shrugs "I should get going anyway." she said softly, then allowed her hand to drop to her side as she left through the door Gi-Hun had entered in without further goodbye.

The instant she found her way outside, she's chilled. Even in the clothes she'd borrowed, her arms were bare and the skin was exposed, making her skin stand and crawl. Her head still ached despite the cold cooling her sweat, her pants thin and face exposed, allowing the night air to nip at her. She walked with her head down, each step reminding her that her body ached from the games.

The girl made her way toward the nearest station, then took a trip to the station that'd leave her closest to the place of her own. As she traveled, left alone with her own thoughts, she recalls the disasters that had stuck within the last few days. She was cut from her sister's payments, broke her sober streak and had woken up within the house of a stranger's. And Nari couldn't forget about the games. The bloodshed, the death, the murder by the hundreds, lives of so many taken before her. She shivered as she recalled the blood that had once splattered across the skin of her face, the damp, sticky crimson leaving a ghostly feeling where it had been.

Instinctively, she wiped a hand across her skin as she reached her front door. Within moments of reaching her destination, her eyes land on a golden card tucked within her door frame, waiting patiently for her arrival. She wrapped her fingers around it as she pulled it out, pinching it in her grasp as she brought it closer and examined it. The gold caught the light, a bitter sweet feeling bubbling in her chest. She couldn't quite put a finger on as to why, but she almost felt relieved to see it in her hands. It was almost relieving to be given a second chance. She had no clue as to why, but the thought of returning to the games gave her hope.

Even after everything she had seen unravel before her, it gave her hope that even after throwing away fifteen years of progress last night, she just might be able to win. She just might be able to win the money since she could no longer rely on her sister and just might be able to turn her life around.

She tried not to let herself think about the fact she seemed so selfish- trying to ignore the fact she was justifying the lives lost just so one person, her, who didn't even deserve it could become the person she wanted to be.

For years she had told herself it was a choice, that changing her life around was in her hands. And to an extent that was true. For fifteen years she had been able to avoid alcohol and drugs, but for fifteen years she was still associated with her past.

She told herself as she looked at the card she clutched to that she was given a chance to reclaw her way out of the hole she'd fallen back into last night, earning money to buy herself a better life and maybe- just maybe- then people would look past the mess she had been at the age of eighteen.

Even as Nari stood on the side of the road where she had been not too long ago, knowing very well hell lied ahead, she told herself this would be her turning point. She told herself her life would change, justifying the bloodshed and the screams.

As she recalled the games and slid into the familiar back seat, it send a shiver down her spine. As she had filled the vehicle and she fell into slumber, she tried to not to let fear take over her.

But quite honestly she was terrified of returning...

Terrified of the thought of her losing her life, but she told herself the money was worth it.

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