FOUR                                                         Real Men
GUESS I'M USED TO BEING DISAPPOINTED
[ LONG-ish CHAPTER ]

          BLOOD-STAINED HANDS AND STOIC BODIES hobbled back into the room, an eerie silence settling amongst the crowd as the weight of reality loomed over them, hanging from the wires of the golden piggy bank floating above them.

          Minseo had little to say, apart from checking on Jung-bae. He was clearly distressed and beyond mortified, his jaw hanging loose and unable to close like a gaping fish. He had not left Gi-hun's side since the second they were cleared of the game, bargaining his safety and settling his life within the hands of Gi-hun to protect him to his best abilities.

          Everybody seemed to back away from the main doors, settling on either the stairs, floor or remaining beds furthest away. There was a sense of community uniting the fearful players, mutual mourning shared across the room, solidifying the morbid mood.

          Sat between her uncle and Jung-bae, Minseo's heart ran at rapid speed as her eyes scanned the room eagerly. She was looking for Su-bong, trying her best to spot his purple spikes contrasting the greenish hue of the matching uniforms.

          And there, sat with his legs curled up to his chest with erratic eyes, was Su-bong, crowded with players whom seemed to be protecting him. One was a man with well defined features and black, longish hair tucked behind his ears.

          Minseo stood immediately, descending the stairs in a hurry. "Mimi!" Gi-hun called out, confusion clear in the worry of his voice.

         However, Minseo continued her journey as she approached Su-bong. As if he could tell her presence was nearing, he looked up and relief washed over his face, settling peacefully upon a soft smile.

          "Well if it isn't hero of the day," Su-bong teased boyishly, standing from the bed. His arms wrapped around her shoulders and he pulled her in. "I played Younghee like she was my bitch."

         Minseo pulled away, looking up at him sceptically. "Younghee is a child. Pre-pubescent, primary school child."

         "Way to make things weird," Su-bong grumbled. He shot her a glare, though despite his attempts to come off cool, the growing grin on his face gave him away immediately.

         "Just a gentle reminder, Su-bong," Minseo poked, raising her shoulders helplessly.

          The orange tinted lights shifted to a blinding white. As if the gates of Heaven had opened, the grand metal doors slid open slowly to reveal ten armed guards standing between them. They strode in with outstanding confidence, their hands casually resting on the grand artillery heavy in their grasp.

          Minseo sensed Gi-hun's lingering stare, his pleas for her to return telepathic as she took note of the urgency in his hurried nods. Su-bong was busy staring at the guards when Minseo spoke, "I'll be back later," and with that Minseo retreated back to the corner with her uncle and Jung-bae sat with twitching bodies.

         Players cowered under beds, hiding behind frames and holding onto one another tightly as the guards dominated the room. Minseo hurriedly rushed past, though she mistakenly tripped on an outstretched shoe.

          Regaining stability, Minseo turned to apologise. "I'm sorry, sir."

          "No worries," responded the player kindly, a gentle smile on his aging face. "It was my fault."

           Minseo carried through the crowd, soon reaching Gi-hun and grabbing hold of his hand worriedly. He squeezed Minseo's hand reassuringly, smiling down at her.

          "You have successfully made it through the first game," the square masked guard spoke. "Congratulations to you all."

          Usually, you'd expect a room to burst into cheers, heavy with applauses that ricocheted off the walls. However, there was nothing but silence swallowing the tension in the air.

        "Now," the masked guard continued. "If I may have your attention, here are the results so far."

          The same, game-like trilling ticked down the total sum of players. "Out of 456 players, 91 have been eliminated, which means 365 players have completed the first game."

          Minseo gulped, looking up at Gi-hun. Pure worry washed over her face, draining her of all colour and leaving a flush in her cheeks.

          "Once again, congratulations to all of you for making it through the first game." Minseo felt utterly sick for being congratulated, even when she had tried to save someone's life she failed, and here she was being praised as if a schoolgirl.

          Geum-ja suddenly rushed to the front, tugging a young man in hand. Her voice was raw with emotion, desperately pleading as she shook sadly. "Sir, listen to me! Let us go, please!"

         She was on her knees, bowing as sorrowful sobs escaped her trembling lips. In hysterics, the man who was revealed to be her son was too pulled down to the floor and forced to beg. This seemed to generate a trend amongst the small population, gaining more beggars by the second as they all fell to their knees and pleaded for their lives. Not only was they beseeching for their lives, but for forgiveness, and this made bile rise in Minseo's ragged throat.

        As if they were Holy figures standing upon a podium created by God himself, the guards stared down as if it was Judgment Day, testing the true nature of human loyalty and lunacy as madness controlled the crazed, crumbling brains of each and every player.

        "We are not trying to hurt you or collect your debts," the guard's voice overpowered the importunes, deafening them immediately. "We are simply providing you with an opportunity."

          Minseo wanted to scream, to cry and shout, to tell them this was not fair. The immorality and injustice of the games was clear to all, and Minseo felt helpless in the scene as she could only stare with empty eyes at the shocking sight that unfolded before her.

          She was unknowingly squeezing Gi-hun's hand with an unrecognised strength. He pulled away suddenly and rose to his feet, stepping to the floor and into viewpoint to all players. Jung-bae and Minseo shared a look, shuffling closer to one another.

          "Consent form clause three!" Announced Gi-hun promptly, his tone firm. The players quietened down and timidly turned toward Gi-hun. "If the majority of players agree to stop playing, the games will be terminated," he recited effortlessly. Jung-bae stood up, feet behind Gi-hun. "Isn't that correct?"

          Minseo remembered vividly the papers she signed little less than an hour ago, and as expected, Gi-hun was correct. That was a clause. She pushed herself up, now standing beside Jung-bae in the archway of two bed frames.

          The guard then nodded, slowly and steadily. "That is correct."

          Gi-hun briefly looked back at Minseo, as if he was confirming the words with her before speaking. She nodded in response, assuring Gi-hun of her consent. "Then we'll do that. We'll put it to a vote."

          "If that's what you'd like," Minseo breathed deeply. She looked around her, testing the faces of each player to try and figure their best bets. "During these games, we will always direct your right to freedom of choice."

         Minseo could almost laugh. In all honestly, she couldn't remember choosing to risk her life. Sure, she agreed to participate in games, not suicide missions.

          An echo of relief erupted over the room. "But before we vote," here it is. "We will reveal how much prize money has accumulated after the first game."

         Minseo could feel her hope shatter into hundreds of sharp, piercing pieces as the piggy bank glowed almost magically. This lowered their chances of leaving by a large amount, and by clocking the curious faces on each player, Minseo knew said chances were lowering by every note that piled into the piggy bank.

         The Pac-Man, digital music began to play, and Minseo knew for the better. No matter the amount in that piggy bank, she was not getting out of here. Even if the doors were wide open, the sky guiding her out, she'd fall back into another game where more money, and more lives, would be on the line.

          Like zombies to flesh, or moths to a flame, each player mindlessly ambled forwards with heads raised high as they gazed in utter awe at the money piling into the clear case. Minseo tried to hold Jung-bae back, but his will for winning may have been too strong, as he managed to cut in front and waddle towards the Heaven-like light emitting from the money pot.

         Minseo had blinked and squinted to try and gather a better view, her blindness proving to be difficult in such a place. She was so busy with bustling between bodies to catch a better picture that she had completely ignored the words of the guards, briefly overhearing the sum of 9.1 billion, equal share. And then 24,931,500 won.

        "So that would mean that if you're the only one at the end, you'd get it all?" Minseo heard one man ask loudly. The guard nodded. "That is correct."

         The pink-haired girl felt a burning sensation in her neck with the speed at which she turned her head. Looking at her uncle Gi-hun, Minseo faltered as she came to the great realisation━How could she have been so, so, so stupid? It made sense, so much sense that anybody who hadn't seen it before was nothing but a fool. There had been no reaction, no fear, no anticipation or excitement from Gi-hun because there was nothing for him to wait for━he had done this all before. But Minseo could only wonder one thing━Why had he dared to come back?

           Without trying to sound selfish, Minseo prayed it wasn't because of her. Because of that vague, cryptic phone call she had left him only seconds before stepping into the car that would carry her to doom. She would never forgive herself if she was the reason for his return to this ghastly games, and the guilt could only grow if Gi-hun was to find himself in any danger whilst participating.

            Minseo had spent long enough staring at her uncle with wavering, wild emotions and ideas that by the time she had been snapped out of her thought process, the voting procedure had begun.

           Bright blue and neon red shone down on the floor, dividing the room into two: an O and X side. A stay or leave. Was either right, or either wrong━Minseo couldn't quite decide.

           It all began with Gi-hun, his number called out as he took large, determined strides to the front. Without looking back, his face forward, Gi-hun strongly slammed down on the red X.

          "Psst!" Minseo heard someone whisper in her ear. "Team Blue, right?" Su-bong pushed between bodies to reach her side, throwing his arm around her as he questioned her excitedly. "O for the win."

          Minseo could only scoff. "You're joking, right?" Su-bong, who was taken aback by her direct tone, shrugged. "God, I hope that's your drug infused mind speaking."

           Su-bong choked, eyes bulging. "How━How'd you. . ."

          "Too high to remember our conversation from earlier?" Minseo rolled her eyes, brushing him off as she faced forward. "I told you, Su-bong, I can read people like open books. You're not an exception."

           "Just one more game," Su-bong said firmly, nodding with his words as if to assure himself. His eyes darted between Minseo and the number toll above them. "C'mon. Just one more game."

          "I'm done risking my future," Minseo snapped. "I'll earn the money ethically. I'm not paying my debts with blood money."

           Su-bong sighed at her words, knowing the determination in her voice indicated that there was no change in her opinion. He retreated without another word, returning to his awaiting companions who stared at Minseo with narrowed eyes, confusion closing their mouths.

          Time passed slowly, so slowly that Minseo had spent the time counting every second. It had been forty three minutes since the voting began, and she was now only two away from walking up and casting her vote.

         Twenty minutes in Su-bong had casted his vote. He had immediately pressed the bright blue O, but not before sparing Minseo one last look. "Team Blue," he had mouthed, winking theatrically before receiving his tag.

          As if the moment had awoken something in Gi-hun, he had taken it upon himself to try and convince the public. "These aren't just regular games we are playing," her uncle expressed dramatically, his hands gesturing in the air. "If we don't stop this, they'll kill us all."

          It was Player 100 who took himself up as opposition. He argued heatedly, fingers pointing and eyes bulging. "The game had just started and you scared us shouting about getting shot!"

          The Blue Team proudly stood with Player 100, furthering backing his points as each added their own fuel to the fire. "You're a plant out here to try and trick us," Player 100 immediately accused.

          Minseo was stood in the front row, watching the scene in utter confusion. "Are you all seriously that stupid?"

          Player 100 spun on his heel. "Quiet, girl, this doesn't concern children such as yourself."

          "At your age, with your lack of intelligence, I'd assume your brain dead," Minseo retorted hotly, stepping forward. "It does concern me, because my life is on the line."

         "Maybe you should've thought about that before getting yourself into so much debt."

          Minseo scoffed at Player 100's words. "Last time I checked, the difference between my debt and yours is around 9.9 billion. Maybe you should've thought about this before using the last of your brain cells on betting race horses."

It was Jung-bae who stepped in, cuffing Player 100 by the collar. "Hey, old man, you better watch yourself━these two are the reason you're not dead. If he hadn't told us what to do, and she didn't get everyone running, none of us would be alive."

Geum-ja soon interfered as the conversation grew aggressive, Jung-bae's overprotective qualities shining through. It was her speech which turned the Red Team into a shouting, powerful voice of reason, all protesting their right to leave. Team Blue countered quickly, coming with endless arguments and anger to support their beliefs.

Minseo and Gi-hun stared at each other from opposite sides of the room. She noticed the conflict battling in his eyes, a mix of emotions brewing as he took a deep breath, swallowing thickly as his voice defeated the crowd. "I've played these games before!"

The confession tore from his tongue like a fresh wound, one still healing and seeping blood and recounting unwanted memories. The pain scratched at his voice with a ferocity not even that of a wild beast could mimic, because no man or animal had experienced such horrors as Seong Gi-hun. No man or bear had to face the consequences of saving yourself to lose everything else.

"And every single person who was there with me. . ." Gi-hun paused, his eyes stopping as they reached Minseo unforgivingly. "They were all killed, every one of them!"

Minseo felt herself stumble back, the heaviness of Gi-hun's confession impacting her more than she realised. Guilt, sadness or anger all piled up in her stomach, seconds from spewing out as Minseo recounted every night she had spent awake wondering on the whereabouts of her uncle. She assumed he was out enjoying life to the fullest, thriving without her, whereas it had been the opposite, and he had been cowered into nothing but a shell of himself with nobody, not even the best parts of himself to keep him company.

Somebody steadied Minseo as they caught her fumbling feet. They carefully pulled her back, resting her on the edge of a bed. "Careful," the player said softly. His hands paused on her shoulders. "A lot to take in, huh?"

Minseo looked up. It was Player 001, the same man who's foot she had tripped over earlier, standing there with a comforting smile, one that made the nerves riddling her mind rest momentarily.

"Yeah," replied Minseo quietly. "Too much."

Player 001 sighed. "Let's just wait back here. We've got couple of hundred people left, and we're the last ones," He said, pointing towards the 004 engraved on her shirt.

Minseo tugged at her number. "I wish I could change it," she grumbled. Player 001 hummed in question. "004━it's the unluckiest number. But it's not a coincidence, if there was an award for being the unluckiest person in the world, I'd of won it over one hundred times."

"Couldn't you say that's some luck, then?" Player 001 countered lightly, chunking along with his words. Minseo beamed, laughing at his poor joke. "There we go, let's keep smiling. The vote isn't over yet."

For the remaining time Minseo had sat beside Player 001, who's name had been revealed to be Young-Il, and conversed quietly. They spoke of little things, such as TV shows and shoes, and even if Minseo's pink hair, something which Young-Il had first noticed and quite liked.

"It suits you," hummed Young-Il, scanning her hair as if a professional. "It makes you. . . You."

Young-Il's comforting nature had been welcoming to Minseo, and she felt accustomed in his presence. He had given her a gentle nudge when her number was called out, a subtle nod encouraging her to make her way to the front and cast her vote.

Her steps were purposefully slow, allowing herself to analyse the Blue Team as she passed them with a obvious scowl. She caught sight of a few familiar faces, brushing past Su-bong with little interest despite his soft grin and waving hands.

Her scowl softened, however, and formed into a frown of disappointment when she caught sight of Dae-ho.

His head was casted down, but his eyes occasionally flickered up. They met hers for a moment, and there seemed to be nothing but regret looking in the embers of his amber eyes. She wondered what made him choose to stay, especially after his worries of her risking her life to save another━so who was he to go and risk the life of not only himself, but 365 other people?

Minseo scoffed, snarling as she turned away from Dae-ho and approached the the podium with utmost confidence. It took Minseo milliseconds to slam her hand firmly down on the X, no time wasted in snatching her red tag and pinning it to her shirt with pride. She joined her uncle and Jung-bae, where both men hugged her in gratitude.

          As the final votes were tallied, Minseo already knew the outcome before the last call was made. In those brief, suspended moments where hope still lingered like a fragile breath, she locked eyes with Dae-ho across the room. His gaze held a new weight, a quiet sorrow that spoke volumes. In that instant, Minseo realized that if anything were to happen to her now, Dae-ho would carry the burden of blame━an unspoken conviction that his vote, his choice, had sealed a fate he couldn't undo.

━author's note

okay i lied not much interaction
BUT I PROMISE NEXT CHAPTER

pls keep your comments and votes
coming! i love seeing everyone's thoughts
and opinions <3