the streets of ssangmun-dong as bustling with afternoon traffic. the weather beginning to get colder, she felt the chilly breeze through her worn black coat. moving past the people who was quickly trying to get back to work after their lunch breaks.

turning the corner, she walked into the local convenience store, going straight to the selection of on-the-go foods. standing in the fluorescent-lit store, she pressed her lips together, looking at the variety, but more specifically the prices. she couldn't afford to be picky. grabbing one of the instant ramyeon cups from the shelf.

she approached the cashier, who barely glanced at her as he scanned the item, his voice monotone, "₩1,700."

opening her wallet, seeing a few crumpled bills and loose change inside. she sighed, feeling the familiar sting of frustration and embarrassment. pulling out the cash, she handed it over to the cashier, she forced herself to bow in thanks before taking her food.

finding a seat at the small counter, she prepared her meal with a small frown on her lips. the hot water from the dispenser steaming and filling the cup. as she stirred her noodles, her mind drifted off. it had been nine months since she left her family in the united states. nine months of hardship and utter loneliness in south korea, somewhere that was completely foreign to her from the beginning.

each day felt like an internal struggle. her heart heavy with the weight of separation from her grandmother and her nephew. over the past several months, their voices over the phone were a small comfort, yet they served as a reminder of everything she was missing.

cecelia tamura had illegally immigrated to south korea with hopes of a fresh start. or more specifically, to get away from what she was involved in in the united states. reality tended to always be harsh on cecelia, like it was karma for wrongdoings, even though she only did those things to support her and her family.

nearly all the money she had brought with her to south korea was gone. the jobs she had tried didn't last long, each one ending with her quitting out of sheer frustration or getting fired due to disrespect. the constant misogyny in the male dominated fields she tended to want to work in wore her down. making it nearly impossible to hold onto any stability.

she hated that in america she was doing much better. even though she was gaining her income through working alongside blue-collar criminals in helping them extort money out of the rich, she was able to provide for herself and her family. she had time to go out and have a social life. but now, she isolated herself. avoiding friendships, and men were especially were kept at a distance.

her entire world narrowed in the pursuit of surviving financially. yet, despite her efforts, she barely managed to cover her basic expenses. each month was a balancing act, prioritizing food and her phone bill, but rent was never enough.

as she ate her meager meal, the remembrance of her eviction loomed in her mind. she knew the thirty days were almost up, she had been so preoccupied trying to get the money together.

finishing the last of her ramyeon, cecelia discarded the empty cup and left the convenience store. the chill of the afternoon air greeting her as she stepped outside. the walk back to her apartment complex was a familiar one, her footsteps mechanical as she walked through the streets of ssangmun-dong.

swinging the apartment complex doors open, her phone buzzed with a message from her grandmother, a small smile stretched on her lips as she read her check in. distracted as she typed back a response, she didn't even notice her building manager, yun-hee, until she was almost at her door.

han yun-hee took over as building manager after her mother retired. she was still so young. only in her early twenties, still in school trying to get her business degree but stuck dealing with complaining renters.

yun-hee stood in front of cecelia's apartment door, a new lock in hand, looking through the keys. looking up from her phone at the sound of keys jangling, her heart sank. did she mentally call yun-hee's bluff when she gave her the thirty day eviction notice? maybe.

"w-w-wait, wait! yun-hee, please." she ran in between her building manager and her apartment door, blocking her from changing the locks.

yun-hee stopped with wide eyes. cecelia saw the visible tension in her shoulders, barley being able to contain her annoyance.

"your thirty days are up, celia. you know i have to do this—"

"give me two more days, okay?" cecelia asked, catching her breath. the words tumbling out. "i-i'll find the money, i promise. j-just give me two days."

she felt the weight of her desperation pulling at her. she hated this. her ego was too big. never allowing herself to beg, show desperation, or ask for help majority of the time. but she was forced to swallow her pride. it was either beg her building manager that she had known for eleven months or sleep on the streets.

she could see the hesitation in yun-hee's eyes. the subtle flicker of pity that she tried to contain. she always had leniency towards most of the tenants. but she sympathized for cecelia. giving her extensions even with her being late by seven months.

yun-hee felt awful giving her the thirty-day eviction. but now, she forced to do her job.

yun-hee pursed her lips, a frustrated sigh escaping her as she rubbed her forehead. her wide, brown eyes locked onto cecelia's, for a moment, there was silence of anticipation. finally, she held up two fingers, her voice firm.

"how you irritate me—two days, celia. that's all you get. then i have to lock your door. do you heard me, i have to. no more extensions."

cecelia's shoulders slumped in relief. she couldn't help but to let out a soft chuckle. she felt the heaviness in her chest lift. she bowed, "yes, thank you, so much."

she straightened, the smile never faltering as she started to walk away. instead of going inside of her apartment, she turned back down the hallway where she came from. walking backwards, she pointed at yun-hee. "i'll get the money!"

yun-hee pointed back at her, her voice stern, "i'm serious, celia! two days!"

cecelia spun her on heel, turning the corner, "two days!" she called back.

          maybe she didn't think it through. she panicked, not wanting yun-hee to leave her homeless so soon, so she spit out a lie. the truth was, she didn't know where in the hell she was going to come up with the past due amount of rent she owed. she didn't even have money to cover one months rent.

walking into the train station, she sat down on an available bench, thinking about her options. she had to search for a job, one that would hire her immediately and pay under the table. a freelance job wasn't exactly easy to find here. everything just seemed to be overly complicated.

letting out a frustrated sigh, she ran her hands down her face before crossing her arms over her chest, sitting in her few seconds of silence before being interrupted.

a man settled down beside of her on the bench, a small distance between them. she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, seeing he was dressed sharply in a business suit, a black briefcase resting on his lap. she shifted in her seat, crossing one leg over the other. looking off in the opposite direction to not draw his attention to her.

after a moment, he turned in her direction, gazing at her. "hello, miss. may i have a moment of your time?"

she didn't meet his eyes, shifting her body away from him. "not interested." she said, dismissively.

the man softly chuckled. he was persistent to say the least. "miss, would you—"

cecelia's hand shot out of her pocket, flicking open the blade of her knife with a quick motioned. the cold steel pressed against his throat, the tip pressing gently into his skin, not enough to leave a mark.

the salesman stiffened, his eyes wide. instinctively raising his hands above his head. cecelia's expression remained still.

"i said," she repeated, her voice low, "i'm not interested in whatever you're selling."

they held each other's gaze for a moment. finally, cecelia slowly took the knife away from his neck, sliding the knife back into her pocket. the man lowered his hands, clearing his throat nervously. "no, ma'am," he said, his voice steady, but with a faint edge to it.

"i'm offering you an opportunity...would you like to play a game
with me?"

her eyebrows knit together, confusion written on her face. "a game?" she repeated, skeptical.

the man nodded, a smile growing on his face. he sat his briefcase down on the empty spot between them, clicking it open, cecelia's eyes fell curiously.

inside was two folded squares. one blue, one red. sat right next to it was money. stacks of ₩50,000 and ₩10,000. the sight of it made her hardened expression falter. she glanced from the money to the salesman, her guarded demeanor slipping.

he pulled the squares out of the briefcase, holding them up for her to see. "have you ever played ddakji?"

she shook her head.

the man stood up from his seat, his eyes fixed on hers. with his opposite hand, her offered it to her, a small smile on his lips. hesitating for a second, she slowly took it, allowing him to help her to her feet. he was meaning to be alluring with his steady eye contact. she pulled her hand away, taking a step back.

"we will take turns hitting each others ddakji," he explained, "if i flip yours, i win. if you flip mine, you win." he handed her her ddakji.

she eyed the red square in her hand, her fingers curling around it.

"if you win," the man said, a grin stretching, "i'll pay you ₩100,000 won. if i win, you pay me."

cecelia scoffed, rolling her eyes. "this is a fucking scam." she said, her tone unconvinced.

"you can even go first." he took a step back, dropping his blue square on the ground, gesturing for her to take her turn.

she let out a slow, calculated sigh, her gaze fixed on him as she stepped closer to the blue square on the ground. after a moment, she slammed her square down on top of his, both cards spinning up in the air. the salesman's blue square flipping over on its opposite side.

a big smile appearing on her lips. she couldn't help but chuckle happily, excited over her small victory. her eyes flicked over to the man, who clapped slowly for her. reaching into his briefcase, he pulled out ₩100,000, handing the money over.

she raised a brow, taking the money, her fingers brushing over the crisp bills. "no way," she muttered, a grin stretching her lips as she counted the money. ₩100,000. just like that. she scoffed lightly.

"would you like to play again?" he asked.

her eyes lit up, already folding the money up and sliding it into her inner coat pocket. "hell yeah."

this time, it was his turn. he picked up his blue square off of the ground. cecelia backed up, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched him. with a quick, well-practiced flick of his wrist, he threw his square down. the impact louder than hers, making her flinch. her red square flipping.

shit. she cursed herself. should've stopped while i was ahead.

the man waited, his expression unreadable. cecelia's frown deepened as she let out a defeated sigh, "come on..i just got this," she muttered.

the salesman tilted his head, his eyes flickering from her eyes to her pouted lips. a smirk forming on his.

"how about you use your body to pay?"

cecelia's eyebrows knit together, her eyes widening in disgust, "excuse me?"

"instead of cash, i'll take a grand off per slap." he said, nonchalantly.

before she could even process what he said, the sting of his hand hit across her cheek. the force whipping her head to the side. what the fuck just happened.

slowly, she turned back to him, her vision blurred for a slight second from the tears that involuntarily brimmed in her eyes. eyes wide in shock. the salesman's eyebrows raised, so obviously amused by her.

cecelia's lips curled, a humorless chuckle leaving her. it took everything in her not to absolutely beat the shit out of him. but, the money. she was desperate.

her hand shot down to pick up her square. the sting from his hand against her face only fueling her resolve. "another round," she said through clenched teeth.

the slaps came quickly. smack. smack. then a win. cecelia forgetting the sting from across her face briefly when she gains another ₩100,000. another round. smack. smack.

the salesman slapped her again. his hand seared her skin, her cheek burning red. cecelia sighed, pressing her tongue into the side of her cheek as she fought against her rising anger. his eyes looked to the side of her face, seeing the faint bruise that was already forming.

she leaned down quietly, picking up her red square. the padding of her index finger and thumb holding the sharp edges of the card.

"i hope you know," he said, his voice soft with sincerity, "i don't enjoy hitting you."

cecelia glanced up at him through her lashes, her expression blank. she took a step back, positioning her ddakji in her hand. taking in a deep breath, then slowing exhaling. she threw her square down on top of his, the two shapes flying up in the air. his flipping over with such a satisfying click against the floor.

"YES!" cecelia shouted in excitement, her eyes lit up, a wide smile on her face. "YOU SEE THAT, MOTHERFUCKER!"

the salesman chuckled softly at her enthusiasm, a smile grew on his face. he walked over to her, taking her hand in his and slipping another ₩100,000 in her her palm.

she smiled up at him, her fingers curling around the money. he didn't immediately let go, his hand resting gently over hers, and for a moment, they hold eye contact. it felt intimate. clearing her throat, she broke their eye contact.

"you're welcome, miss," he smiled, finally taking his hand away.

cecelia scoffed lightly, walking back to the bench. she sat down, pulling the money she's received from him previously out of her pocket, counting it. ₩300,000 won. she sighed happily, tucking the bills into her wallet.

the salesman came over to her, closing his briefcase, his shadow falling over her. his hands held in front of him. "you know, there are other games like this where you can make even more." he said casually.

cecelia shoved her wallet back into her jean pocket, the grin never leaving her lips. "what, with you?" she teased, her tone had lightened up with him.

the salesman chuckled softly, "no. unfortunately not."

his smile fell, hesitating with his next words.

"your name is cecelia tamura," he began, cecelia's smile faltering.  "you illegally immigrated to south korea after fleeing gang involvement in the states, where you assisted in extorting wealthy businessmen. you are $94,821 USD in debt, accumulated from loans, credit cards, and medical bills for your grandmother. you—"

before he could finish, cecelia slammed her hand onto the collar of his suit, yanking him close. the salesman's eyes locked onto hers, a small, infuriating grin stretched across his face.

"who the fuck are you?" she spoke with a low growl in her voice, her grip tightening.

he didn't flinch and the grin never wavered. slowly, he placed his hand over hers, easing them off of his collar. his touch far too calm, and it made her nervous.

"i'm a friend," he said, his tone smooth. "i'm here to help you, cecelia." he smiled.

her breath caught in her throat. she felt so exposed. he knew things that he shouldn't know. god, what else did he know.

his fingers gently wrapped around her wrists, removing her hands off from his collar. she tried to pull away, but he held firm.

"i know you've just been evicted," he continued, "several months behind on rent. you also struggle to keep a job here, which means no money is coming in. but..." he leaned in, "i can offer you a solution."

finally, he slowly let go of her wrists. pulling out a small brown card, holding it in between his fingers. for a moment, he hesitated, unsure if he should do this. a part of himself was about to say never mind. but this was his job. so he did anyways. extending his hand out to her.

her jaw tightened, staring at the card for a moment. ultimately taking it from him, her fingers brushing against his for a brief, tense second.

"think about it," he said, his voice low.

cecelia looked down at the card, studying the front. shapes stamped messily on the front in black ink. circle, triangle, square.

her brows furrowed, confusion spread across her face. she flipped the card over, revealing a phone number. she snapped her head up, about to ask him a question — but he was gone.

her eyes darted around, searching for him. then, she saw him. standing on the train, looking at her as the subway doors slid closed.

he mouth something to her, and though he was silent, she read his lips perfectly.

"good luck."

after wandering around the streets for what seemed like hours, cecelia walked into a random dimly lit bar, her hands shoved deep in her coat pockets, scanning the room. neon signs buzzed on the walls, faint music played over the speakers, and a television overhead played a soccer game. the place was small. mostly men seated around small round tables, a couple at the bar, and only a few women. she counted three: one behind the bar, one patron, and herself.

she kept her head straight, avoiding any mistaken eye contact with any of the men here as she walked over to the bar, sitting two stools down from a young man, probably around her age.

the waitress approached her quickly, a practiced smile on her face. "what can i get you?"

"uhh, just water, please," she said, lowly. running a hand through her messy hair, tucking a few strands behind her ear as she let out a sigh. the waitress nodded, in the matter of seconds she placed a small glass of water in front of her.

cecelia politely bowed her head to the woman before taking a sip. the ice cold liquid hydrated her dry throat. she set the glass back down on the smooth marble bar. taking her other hand out of her pocket, her gaze drifted down to the card the salesman had given her.

her thoughts were heavy. thinking about his offer constantly since he handed her the opportunity.

circle, triangle, square. the stamped shapes staring back at her. she had won the game with the salesman. easy money. a few more games couldn't hurt. but the question loomed: could she trust this? it just seemed like a scam. and was there more too it than just games? but the promise of money was tempting. if she won, she would hopefully have enough to pay her bills. hell, maybe she would get enough to be able to send some back home to her grandma and jacob.

oblivious to this, the man sat next to her, seated only two spots down, caught a glimpse of her absent-minded expression. he only briefly glanced at her before doing a double-take. he noticed how she rested her chin in the palm of her hand, her lips in a slight pout. he swirled his drink, lost in his own thoughts.

jun-ho, off-duty, and tired. no responses, but still waiting for his brother to respond to his multiple attempted reaches.

he didn't mean to stare. but she was...beautiful. her wavy brown hair with blonde highlights that fell just past her shoulders, her features soft yet so expressive. her style edgy compared to how many other women dressed in korea. from her side profile, he could already tell she was intense. something about her drew him in, and it took everything in him to force himself to look away before she noticed him staring.

jun-ho hesitated, debating on whether or not to say something to her. he wasn't one to exactly put himself out there. never bothered much with relationships. his work as a detective kept him too busy for a personal life. so why was this random woman at this bar, intriguing him.

before he could do anything, a drunk man stumbled into cecelia, knocking himself into her, her body pressed against the bar.

startling him, his eyes widened, immediately turning his body in her direction.

cecelia froze for a second, a scoff sounding from her parted lips. she lifted herself up, irritation bubbling inside.

"oh! oh! shit! that's, that's my—" the man, probably in his late forties and clearly drunk off his rocker, slurred. but trailed off when cecelia turned around to face him. the man's lips curled into a disgusting, crooked smile. his breath reeking of hard liquor.

"well aren't you a pretty thing," he muttered, his words slow and taunting as he took a step closer. "w-where have you been all my life?"

cecelia's lip curled in disgust as she stared him down. flipping her hair out of her face, she narrowed her eyes at him.

the man leaned in. which was a little too close for jun-ho. preparing to step in, but he didn't even get the chance to get to his feet. before anyone could react, cecelia's fist swung out fast and hard. connecting with the man's face with a crack. he went down quickly, crashing to the ground.

cecelia hissed, shaking out her hand, her knuckles stinging from the great impact. her breathing was steady, and her eyes were cold, continuing to stare down at the man. around her, the bar erupted with noise. angry shouts from the owner and talking from patrons watching. but she ignored them all.

jun-ho, surprised by her action, quickly stood up and walked over to her. she didn't even notice him walk over to her until the side of his body was so close it brushed up against hers. leaning his head down slightly, he whispered in her ear, "get out of here, i'll take care of it."

cecelia glanced up at him, meeting his eyes briefly. if her mind wasn't already reeling from everything, she would have questioned him on what he meant by that. or noticed how incredibly handsome he was and how strikingly intense his gaze on her was. or even remember his face for the future. but all she did was nod, quickly walking out of the bar.

jun-ho watched her leave, the door swinging shut behind her. he let out a slow sigh, his jaw tightening. he knew this was probably the last time he would ever see her. this, his beautiful mystery girl.

turning back to the fallen man, jun-ho pulled his badge and a pair of cuffs out of his pocket. flashing the badge to the owner to shut him up. he shook his head, looking down at the knocked-out man. he couldn't help but smile to himself at the thought of her.

cecelia found herself walking aimlessly once again, ending up at a popular nearby park. there wasn't anywhere for her to really be. she hated going back to her lonely apartment. it was so quiet, leaving her to be alone with her running, loud thoughts.

finally she decided to give her feet a break. sitting down on a park bench in the dark, the bright light of her cellphone she slipped from her pocket beaming onto her face. her thumb scrolling through her text messages with jacob, him sending her a photo of his report card. showing off his four A's and one B in math.

jacob always made her and her grandmother proud. at such a young age, he was so wise and thoughtful. unlike other boys his age, he managed to stick to honor roll each month and spend his free time taking care of and being a companion to his grandma.

     'so proud of you!'. she sent him.

getting off of her nephews messages, she sighed, hesitantly pressing on the phone icon. pulling the card out of her pocket, looking down at the phone number. fuck it. she quickly dialed the number, pressing her phone up to her ear.

     "hello. who's calling?"

cecelia swallowed, "you, um, gave me your card earlier today."

     "do you wish to participate in the game? if you wish to
      participate, please state your name and birthdate."

"cecelia tamura. july 20, 1994."

standing on this random, empty sidewalk, she waited. the streetlights beamed down on her in an orange tint. there was no one. not a car, not a person, not even a sound. this was the location that the man over the phone had given her. she was right on time, just waiting on the vehicle that was supposed to take her away. inhaling sharply, she held her arms over her chest, exhaling, puffs of smoke escaping her lips from the cold air.

a bright yellow headlight suddenly came out of no where, shining straight on her as they pulled up in front of her. her head followed the van until it came to a full stop.

the passenger side window rolled down, giving her a somewhat better look at the driver. he wore a reddish-pink hooded jumpsuit, but that was all she could make out.

"ms cecelia tamura?" the man asked. cecelia hesitantly nodded, tilting her head, trying to see his face, but the hood and something dark, like a mask covered his face. "password?"

"it's uh, red light, green light..."

the sound of the door lock clicked, her eyes darted to the van door sliding open.

it was weird. her head turned from left and right, looking around the dark streets. there was not one soul nearby. she was a woman about to get into the strange vehicle with an unknown man. and there was absolutely no witnesses. a visible distressing look on her face as she played with the flick knife hidden in her pocket.

slowly stepping forward, but before stepping into the vehicle, cecelia peaked her head in, seeing that there were three people already in the backseat and a woman sat in the driver's side seat beside of her.

she blinked. taking her hands out of her pockets, getting into the car. the awkward, uneasy feeling never left her as she sat down in the only available seat. turning her head, she looked around to see that these random people were all asleep. her lips turned down. it was strange. they were all slumped in their seats, totally knocked out.

"how long is the ride..."

cecelia's words trailed off as smoke began to come out of the vents. the car quickly fogging up, her eyes widened. turning her body towards the already closed van door, she reached her hand out towards the handle. her fingertips only grazing it, before her the back of her head hit the headrest. sleep taking over.

                    cecelia's eyes slowly fluttered open as she gained consciousness. the sound of music playing over a speaker, filling her ears. her blurry vision adjusted, seeing black metal bars above her body. as her eyes widened, sitting up, she realized she was in a bunk bed. glancing to her sides, she saw a younger male on one side of her and an older female on the other, both stirring from their sleep.

turning her head, she took in the sight before her. hundreds of people in stacked bunked beds, all waking from their sleep.

where the fuck am i?

she cautiously slipped out of her bed, noticing she was dressed in a green tracksuit. her feet clad in not the shoes she was wearing before, but white slide-ons. confusion clouded her mind as she struggled to remember anything after entering the van. 

patting her pockets, she didn't feel her phone, her wallet, or her flick knife. more panic spreading over her. without her personal belongings, without her phone to call help, without her knife to protect herself, she was just vulnerable to hundreds of strangers.

following the others, she stepped into the spacious center of the large dormitory. her eyes scanning the room, taking in the sea of people, all dressed in identical green tracksuits. the only distinguishing feature was the different numbers printed in white on each person's chest.

tugging on her jacket, she looked down to see her number. 333. her brows furrowed. what the hell does this mean?

in the distance, a large screen displayed the number 456 — the total number of players in the room.

     "you fucking bitch!"

a rugged man's voice shouted from the center of the room, drawing everyone's attention. cecelia pushed her way through the crowd to see a young girl, possibly her age, with the number 067, standing up from the ground, her mouth bloody. opposite her stood an older man with greasy black hair. large bags under his eyes, and a sinister smile. the number 101 was printed on his chest and back, and a snake tattoo slithered on the side of his face and down his neck.

"wow. it really is a small world. look at this bitch's eyes. you're still the same. huh? then again...nobody's broke you in. you know how to take a punch. i took you in. i fed you, taught you when you had no one else. this is what i get?" player 101's voice was deep and menacing.

"you already took more from me than what i owe." 067 said.

a small grimace appearing on cecelia's face. her eyes fell to the ground briefly. the scene reminded her so much of herself and vanni. the gangbanger who took her in. the similarities were sickening.

101's gross laugh snapped her out of her thoughts, looking back up at the scene just in time, just as he swung at the girl. missing as she backed up. which just infuriated him more. grabbing her by the throat, he kicked her leg, sending her body to hit the hard flooring.

mind your business. mind your business. mind your business.

her face scrunched up, fighting the urge to intervene. this wasn't her fight. she didn't know these people. this is none of her business.

but then the man grabbed her by her hair with one hand, and with the other the back of her jacket, throwing her roughly to the ground once again. clenching her jaw, she watched as he kicked her just before leaning down to her level, grabbing a fist full of her short hair.

ah, fuck me.

cecelia's feet moved on their own. without a warning to him, she kicked him harshly in the back, causing him to fall forward beside 067. the girl took the chance to scoot away.

cecelia stood over 101 as he groaned, trying to get back up. before he could, she swung her leg out, kicking him in the side. she seethed as she stomped on the same side. he let out an aggravated groan, clutching his side. 

she took a few steps back as he began to rise. a deadly look in his dark eyes as he bared his teeth like a wild animal. her lip curled as she stared down at him, waiting for him to come at her.

was he bigger and much more stronger than he was? most definitely. was she probably going to get her ass kicked and probably killed? yeah. but she was still going to give him living hell.

he took one step towards her, but both of their attentions were diverted by a random man coming inside the circle. running straight to 067, grabbing her by her tracksuit, shouting in her face.

101 grunted, glancing back at cecelia. "i'll deal with you later."

"i look forward to it." cecelia shot back.

101 never felt this much anger towards an absolute stranger in a minute. this random ass woman, coming out of the blue and thinking she can kick him around? he chuckled to himself as he turned back to 067. he was going to kill 333 later.

cecelia watched warily as 101 pulled the random, angry player off of the girl. his number printed 456. him being the very last player. he was roughly around twenty years or so older than her. a crazed look in his dark brown eyes.

"who are you?" player 101 asked. "what do you think you're doing?"

cecelia slowly stepped back, eyeing the new encounter. a small frown on her lips.

"me? oh, um. the name's seong gi-hun. i live in ssangmun-dong." player 456 introduced himself.

ugh. he lives in the same neighborhood she's in.

it didn't take long for the crazed look in gi-hun's eyes to come back. his voice raising with each sentence he spoke to 101.

"yeah, i'll bet that, that you're a thug who preys on girls that takes advantage of them. did you tell her to rob me like that?"

"son of a bitch!" 101 grumbled, swinging his fist at gi-hun, but only to miss when gi-hun backed away. walking backwards, he started shouting like a mad man to the other players.

"hey, he wants to hit me. this thug is trying to hit me, huh! hey, somebody get over here! we need help! oh, oh, there they are!"

the sound of a buzzer drew everyone's attention to the steel double doors. gi-hun's loud mouth starting to trail off as the opening of the doors revealing people in pinkish-red suits with black gloves. masks covering their faces. eight of them had a white circle on their masks, while the one in the middle had a square.

cecelia's lips parted, watching them intently as they walked out onto the floor.

the one in the square mask stepped forward. "i would like to extend a heartfelt welcome to you all." it was a man's voice. a bit distorted and muffled, almost like it was purposely to not be recognizable.

"everyone here will participate in six different games over six days. those who win all six games will receive a handsome cash prize,"

"and why should we believe that." a man shouted out. all eyes turned to him. "y-you took all our stuff and put us to sleep coming here, and then you brought us to this strange warehouse. now you're saying you'll pay us if we go and play a few games? you really expect us to believe that?"

the man had a point.

the masked guard spoke, "we reluctantly took all of those measures to maintain confidentiality as we brought you here. we'll return everything once the games are over."

random people would shout out, asking questions that the pink suited man would answer right away.

"well, i don't believe you one bit. you got that? you tricked us. we were kidnapped. you can make as many excuses as you want to make sure nobody knows you broke the law in here. if you're going to make up for that, then we're going to need something more."

another older male player shouted. his words made others around nod their heads in agreement.

"player 218. cho sang-woo." the guard announced as the lights clicked. a video playing above them. showing the man being slapped repeatedly while playing a game of ddakji. "age, forty-six years. former team leader of team two of joy investments. siphoned money off from his clients' balances, then invested it in derivatives and futures options and failed. current loss, 650 million won."

the masked guard did not hesitate to put cho sang-woo on blast. along with many of the other players.

cecelia's eyes widened as she watched the screen. hundreds, all of these people playing the ddakji game, being secretly recorded and being slapped. each one of these people were just like her. in debt. desperate for money.

"every person standing here in this room is living on the brink of financial ruin. you all have debts that you can't pay off. when we first went to see each of you, not a single one of you trusted us. but as you all know, we played a game, and as we promised, gave you money when you won. and suddenly, everyone here trusted us. you called and volunteered to participate in this game of your own free will. so this is it. i'll give you one last chance to choose. will you go back to living your old and depressing lives getting chased by your creditors? or will you act and seize this last opportunity we're offering here?"

the masked guard's words hung in the air. the blunt truth at the end made everyone in the crowd murmur. he was right. the game with the salesman wasn't so bad. and she was compensated for it. this was too easy. if what they're saying is true, she could finally live comfortably. she could finally not have to worry about not having enough money to take care of her family.

after the masked guard announced that the games that were going to be played could not be disclosed ahead of time, gi-hun's loud mouth actually asked the most important question.

"one question. if we win, just how much do we get?"

the guard raised a small remote that was in his hand at the ceiling. her and everyone else's eyes following as the ceiling top door opened. a large spherical transparent piggy bank lowering the reveal itself to be empty.

"your prize money will be accumulated in there after every game. we will disclose the amount to everyone after the first game is over. if you do not wish to participate, then please let us know at this time."

silence. utter silence as everyone looked around at each other. everyone here, including cecelia, was easily seduced by the idea of money.

standing in line for what seemed like forever, it was finally her turn. grabbing the pen, she read over the printed sheet in front of her.

PLAYER CONSENT FORM.
clause one: a player is not allowed to stop playing.
clause two: a player who refuses to play will be eliminated.
clause three: games may be terminated if the majority agrees.
SIGNATURE:

sounds easy enough. cecelia briefly glanced up at the circle-masked guard through her lashes. with a sigh, she wrote her signature. cecelia tamura.

in the very, very long line, the guards lead the way through the building. cecelia's eyes lit up walking into a brightly colored room. it was almost like a maze. pastel colors everywhere. stairs that seemed to go on forever.

" attention, all players. the first game is about to begin.
please follow the staff's instructions. please make your way
towards the game hall. "

leading each one of them to a pastel pink photo booth. standing there, a screen with an animated smiley face in front of her. a woman's voice on the PA system.

     please look into the camera. smile.

instead there was a small frown on her lips as she stared into the camera. the sound of a small shutter as it took her picture. she left the booth, walking along with the line on the flight of stairs.

once the large gates opened, she and the other players walked out onto the vast field, all herding towards the white line. squinting her eyes briefly from the bright sunlight. a light breeze hit her face, blowing strands of her hair out of her face.

once her eyes adjusted, they went straight to the far end of the field, where a giant, mechanical doll stood, staring out at the players. on both sides of the doll were masked guards.

a loudspeaker crackled to life, the voice of a female announcer booming. "here is the first game. you will be playing red light, green light," the doll's head whirred, turning to look away from the players. it's hand was propped up on the tree, in a hide and seek like pose.

" 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. "

" those players who cross the finish line without being
eliminated within the five minute playtime will pass this
round. with that, let the game begin. green light!"

her eyes on the doll, cecelia ran forward along with the other players. stopping just a second before the doll's head whipped around.

" red light!"

everyone stopped. the very first round, someone was eliminated. one of the annoying young men with fried yellow hair, who was in the lead, attempted to stop abruptly. his body swaying back and forth, trying not to lose his balance.

" player 324, eliminated. "

the sound of a loud bang echoed throughout the field. the sound startling everybody. her body reacting to the sound, she jumped, watching as the guy who was just eliminated fell to the ground along with the bang.

" green light! "

continuing her steps, she thought nothing of it.

" red light! "

the doll's head whirred around. scanning the still crowd. suddenly, the friend of the yellow-haired guy took off running in the opposite direction, heading back to the gates in panic. cecelia's eyes followed him. then another loud bang came. this time it was clear. a gunshot. a bullet hitting the guy straight in the of the head. his body falling to the ground. his blood spraying onto a woman's face.

cecelia gasped. her mouth hung open in shock. the woman's blood curling scream sent everyone into sheer panic.

her heart pounded in her chest as she watched the chaos around her. hundreds of people's flight response kicked in, running towards the closed exit. her fists by her side clenched, not knowing what to do as she watched in shock and horror as bodies dropped violently to the ground. blood decorating the sandy ground. fear paralyzed her from moving.

"DON'T...move." cecelia said through gritted teeth at the brown-skinned man a few inches away from her side, seeing out of her peripherals that he was about to run along with everyone else. the man hearing her words, he remained still.

the sound of mixed screams and gunshots filled the air. it was rapid. people running past her, her body tensed, her feet heavy to the ground, wanting to anchor herself there.

she flinched at the sudden feeling of blood splattering across her face as a bullet went straight through a woman who ran in front of her. the woman's body falling right at her feet.

she tried to contain her body for moving even the slightest bit. she felt her body shaking in fear, her breathing heavily through her nose.

     " i will now repeat the rules . . . you are allowed to move
   forward when it shouts out green light. stop when it shouts red
   light. if your movements are detected afterward, you will be
   eliminated. with that, let the game resume.  green light! "

hesitantly, cecelia slowly, uncomfortably, stepped over the woman's corpse that was blocking her path before immediately stopping. afraid to move further even though the doll's head was still turned. the oldest man though, player 001, continued to happily move.

     " red light! "

her body still. the doll quickly turned its head back to the players. it's eyes scanning the field for movement.

     " green light! "

this time, she and everyone else slowly started to move forward. the chaos had seized. everyone who had taken off was shot dead. the remaining players scattered in various places on the field. some moving faster than others.

every time the doll would call out red light! another round of gunfire would go off. killing one person after the other. cecelia focused on the distance where the finish line was. anything to keep her from looking at the carnage around her. she swallowed hard, trying to shake the terror.

her eyes darted at the large timer as she continued forward. her footsteps becoming quicker the closer she got to the finish line. she was almost there, the red line in sight, her eyes locked on it.

     " red light! "

cecelia froze just in time, her feet inches from the finish line. she held her breath, waiting for the doll to scan over the field. it felt like forever. the doll's head finally whirring around.

     " green light! "

with a final burst of energy, cecelia took a big step over the red line. turning around, she fell to the ground. sitting down on that ground, her green jumpsuit and white slip-ons where covered in yellow sand. she let out a big sigh of relief, her hearing racing in her chest.

looking forward at the remaining players, she finally saw just how many people tragically died on this field. seeing the bodies stacked up at the exit was horrific. there was less than twenty seconds on the clock. some players not even close to the finish line.

watching with anxiety coursing through her body, her eyes fell on the man from earlier. gi-hun. him standing several feet ahead of her. as he ran, he slipped. poorly timed, right when the doll shouted red light!. her body tensing as she watched his fall to his death.

her lips parted in shock. her and player 218, cho sang-woo watched intensely as the brown-skinned man, player 199, she was beside once before, caught gi-hun with one hand. holding him up steadily by the back collar of his tracksuit. two rounds of gunfire going off around them.

when the doll shouted green light! player 199 and gi-hun ran towards the red finish line. them both dramatically jumping over the red line just as the timer hit zero. their bodies falling to the ground in front of her.

the doll suddenly turned around, facing the players that still remained on the field. rapid gunshots fired, cecelia jerking as she watched them be killed. the game was over. she let out a breath. relief and exhaustion washing over her. she was alive. she survived the first game.

A/N:  
     i have FINALLY released a fan fic from my drafts. i'm releasing this the day of the season two release! i'm so excited to watch my husbands return. small moment between cecelia and jun-ho. next chapter will have more of them <3
this is half-way proof read and edited. i've been working so much cus sadly i'm in retail and it's the holidays :|
please don't be a silent reader!

with love,
chayla.