NINE          All I Need
YOU'RE ALL I NEED

MINSEO WASN'T ENTIRELY SURE how long she had been locked inside the bathroom stall.

Her back rested against the cold tiles uncomfortably, her knees hugged closely to the thin fabric of her wetted shirt. Forgotten tears stained the white cloth, dripping from the edge of her trembling jaw as her fingers fiddled messily with the hem of her jacket sleeve. Perhaps it had been an hour, maybe two, or perhaps a few minutes, either way, Minseo had completely lost track of all time, space and gravity upon being locked in the small, enclosed space.

The walls caved in on her, the fractures in the tiles seeping with a serum that seemed to make her drowsy, drunk even, every regret, most bitter and painful, on replay in her mind, showcasing the scene on the walls like a movie projector. Every incident that impacted her life, from good to bad, all of which lead her to that exact position ━ huddled up on the cold floor of a bathroom stall, child-like and afraid, even in the body of a twenty two year old woman.

Her eyes snapped from their focused stare to the door handle as it rattled noisily. From beneath the crack of the door, a gentle voice slipped into the stall. "Minseo, come out. The air in there isn't good for your breathing."

The young, pink haired woman stalled. Her breathing quietened, though was still as ragged and unsteady as before. "It's me, Geum-ja. 149. You remember me, don't you?"

Her knees weak and quads trembling, Minseo stumbled up, her shoes scuffing the floor. She took a deep breath, inhaling and exhaling repeatedly in poor attempts to regain some control and stability in her demeanour. Wiping her sweaty palms on her sweatpants, Minseo tucked her long strand of pink hair behind her ears, messed with her fringe, and finally opened the door.

"Lights will be out soon ━" Geum-ja was saying as the door opened. Minseo was revealed, and the elderly woman's eyes widened at the sight of the girl. Her eyes were bloodshot and swollen, her cheeks flushed. Despite the clear distress on the young woman's face, she looked beautiful nonetheless. "Ah, there we are. Finally, we get to see that beautiful face!"

Geum-ja took Minseo by the hand without second thought. "Come, come," she hurried, tugging the young woman towards the sink. The cold water ran between Geum-ja's frail hands, the droplets collecting on the tip of her delicate fingers as they reached to dampen Minseo's face. "Let's freshen you up. That way, hopefully, you'll get a better night sleep."

Geum-ja soon finished fussing with Minseo's face and hair. Her touch was tender and soft, and despite the wrinkles weighing down the subtle creases of her forehead and eyebrows, her movements were fluid and natural, a certain instinct that only a mother could carry so easily.

"Perfect," the grey haired woman beamed from below. "Just as beautiful as before. See?"

She fixed Minseo to face the blurred mirror before her. Her face was less red and regaining its natural ivory tint, and despite the droopiness in her eyelids, each blink luring her to sleep, they were less puffy and red than before. Sure, Minseo thought, in some ways she did look beautiful.

"I always wanted a daughter," said Geum-ja from beside her. She gazed longingly at Minseo through the mirror, even with the fingerprints and muck making the vision difficult, the gentle smile on her aging face was noticeable. "I do love my son, of course, but I'm guessing it's most women's desire to have a daughter. To dress them, do their hair, their makeup, talk about boys and dances."

Minseo swallowed, her gaze never leaving Geum-ja's as she spoke softly. "I always wanted a mother," the words didn't pass her mind as they slipped from her tongue mindlessly. "I guess we can work out some sort of deal, can't we?"

Beaming as bright as the sun, Geum-ja wrapped her arm around Minseo's, holding her close. Her shorter height made her look up to the taller woman ━ as Minseo was taller than most ━ and she grinned as she said, "Well, let's leave this stuffy, dirty place. Then we can discuss our mother-daughter deal."

The main room was oddly quiet as night fell upon the players. It was eerily calm, a disturbing feeling that Minseo didn't quite like. She had sat with Geum-ja and her team, which consisted of her son ━ Yong-sik, a curly haired, slight air headed young man who's humour amused Minseo ━, Cho Hyun-ju ━ a woman with a smile which hid secrets Minseo wasn't quite sure she'd ever understand ━, and Kim Young-Mi, who's timid and bunny-like nature made her innocence seem almost pitiful, but she was sweet nonetheless and proved to be very welcoming to Minseo.

They sat upon the beds and conversed occasionally between them. Yong-sik was busy observing the room, his glassed eyes analysing the players intently, whereas Hyun-ju and Young-mi attempted to learn a childhood handshake Minseo had long forgotten.

Minseo herself sat at the edge of the bed, her feet dangling from the second bunk as Geum-ha sat crossed legged behind her. She was braiding her hair beautifully, each shade of pink tied in with one another to create a complicated fishtail pattern.

"One rule of our deal," Minseo hummed to Geum-ja's words, silently encouraging her to continue. The elderly woman smiled teasingly, "You must tell me about all the boy's you've stolen the hearts of."

Minseo snorted. "The story ends as soon as it starts."

She felt Geum-ja's touch fall from her scalp, the satisfaction suddenly gone from the feel. "Hey," the young woman whined. "Keep playing with my hair. Please."

Still facing away, Minseo smiled as Geum-ja's tender touch returned to her scalp, continuing the pattern within her hair.

"I struggle to believe you," Geum-ja laughed shortly. "You've never had a boyfriend?"

"Nope," huffed Minseo. "I'm only twenty two. Growing up, my brother never would've allowed me to have a male companion, let alone a boyfriend."

Geum-ja hummed. "Protective. So, not even crushes? Silly, school girl crushes?"

"Plenty. Too many, almost." Minseo giggled at her own words. Unconsciously, her eyes drifted to a certain dark haired man across the room, who was busy shuffling mattress from bunk to bunk. "But as you said, they're nothing but silly, school girl crushes."

"In that why you're staring at Mr. 388 from across the room?" Laughed the older woman playfully, poking Minseo's side. As the younger girl whipped her head round in utter surprise, Geum-ja's laughter only grew. "Don't act surprised. I have a son, I watched him go through all the phases. And I'm a woman, I know exactly how it feels."

Minseo gave her an incredulous look. "So you've fallen from a man whose attitude confuses you, tests your patience and drives you crazy when locked in a game where you play children's games to survive?"

"Well, when you put it like that..."

Her pink hair, now braided, fell over her shoulder as she sighed. She shuffled back around to face Dae-ho's figure, and upon turning back, she found him looking back.

He stood, stoic and still, his shoulders rising as his breathing grew heavy from the constant movement. His grip tightened around the edge of the mattress Gi-hun had requested he moved, and despite his mind telling him to follow on, his eyes simply couldn't leave Minseo. She sat idly on the edge of a bunk, her legs swinging as she spoke to some newfound friends so freely.

How could she just sit there and speak to them as if her family weren't across the room? The thought made him angry, bitter even, as he stared at the laughter that spilled from her lips, the noise echoing to his quiet corner of the room and bouncing from the metal bars of the beds that enclosed him in. How could he let her sit there ━ in fact, how could he let her slip away again and find protection within another player's partnership?

Dae-ho soon realised it was not Minseo he was angry with, though more so himself. He had broken his promise, again, and let her slip from the safety of his determined mind. "I promise, Minseo, we'll keep each other safe," the words relayed in his head, as if an agonising chant of realisation that he had let her go ━ again.

Dae-ho could only watch as Minseo turned back around and faced him. Their eyes met, and even as elderly player 149 whispered something playfully to Minseo, and a small smile grew on her youthful face, her eyes never left his.

"Go and get your silly, school girl crush," is exactly what Geum-ja had whispered jokingly to young, besotted Minseo.

Minseo turned to face her, eyes wide and curious. "Don't be silly," it was humorous almost, young Minseo scolding the elder Geum-ja, whose girlish grin had still not left her face. "We're in a situation where any one of us could die at any instant."

Geum-ja merely shrugged. "Exactly," Minseo swallowed, and noticing her shifting demeanour, Geum-ja continued, "What are you to lose if you do? You said it yourself, Minseo, there's nothing outside these walls for you. However, you could leave with everything and more from in here."

"Everything and more?" Minseo echoed. "Money and what? A man?"

Geum-ja grinned. "Sounds ideal to me."

The pink haired woman laughed loudly, her face aching from the constant pull of her cheeks. She was nudged by Geum-ja, her eyes now focusing on the finger pointed in her face. "Go," said Geum-ja sternly, but the smile on her face betrayed the seriousness of her tone. "Go and mend any broken bonds. Apologise, forgive, and move on. We aren't in a position to be angry with the people we love."

Geum-ja's words seemed to have dawned something upon Minseo, her face washing a brighter hue of realisation, her eyes widened and head nodding with great urgency. "You're right," she mumbled in response. She scurried to her feet, her movements anything but agile and elegant as she stumbled foolishly. "I'll come back later. Thank you! See you, mom!"

Geum-ja's laughter followed Minseo and her heavy steps, her words echoing from behind. "Anytime, daughter."

Her feet worked faster than her thoughts and before time could tell, Minseo was stood feet before Dae-ho. He had his back turned and was yet to notice her unexpected arrival, and it was Young-Il who acknowledged her return.

"Minseo," voiced Young-Il in his usual gentle manner. A smile graced his sharp face, eyes softening significantly at the sight of the girl. "You came back."

Minseo coughed awkwardly as all eyes turned to her. "Of course I did."

Gi-hun, who stood behind crouching Young-Il and beside a nervous Jung-bae, seemed to visibly relax due to her reappearance. His shoulders dropped, hands falling from his pockets as that same old smile tugged on his pursed lips. He took note of her awkward shifting, the slight bounce in her feet, and quickly sought a solution. "You want to help us prepare for the night?"

Minseo frowned slightly. "Prepare for the night?" She echoed in confusion, peering over towards Dae-ho, who stood beside Jun-hee looking ever so vexatious. "What do you mean?"

Young-Il stood from his crouched position, stepping before her as a hand rested softly on her upper arm. "Your uncle is worried the opposing team will try to attack us tonight."

A lump formed in Minseo's throat, bobbing up and down as the words struggled to digest in her stomach. Attack? The word looped around her head, her fists unconsciously clenching in worry as ideas of possible scenarios began to flow from her head.

"But don't worry," cut in her uncle Gi-hun, clearly noticing Minseo's extreme anxiety. "We'll be safe if we follow my plan. Help Dae-ho and bring down the mattresses from up top."

Wordlessly, Minseo nodded and directed her gaze towards Dae-ho. She stumbled slightly upon catching sight of his agonising beauty, the bitter resentment in her heart fleeting for a mere moment as he smiled softly, the faint rose blooming on his flushed cheeks as she reciprocated that same, childish and timid smile.

He nodded his head as an indication to follow his lead, and Minseo did just that. Leaving the remaining members of their team behind, Dae-ho and Minseo parted in silence up the stairs towards the remaining mattresses.

Other than distant chatter from surrounding players and the overhead pipes which creaked occasionally under pressure, there was no other noise shared in their little bubble. The black haired man sighed as his large hands ran through his longer hair, his shoulders clearly tense with a mixture of exhaustion and anticipation from the prior games and the night which was to follow.

Minseo watched him, her eyes narrowing as she took note of his tense stature. "Dae-ho," he turned immediately at the call of his name. He nodded mutely, eyes wide as she continued. "Are you okay?"

Her voice, so soft and tender, almost made him crumble. Almost. Instead, he nodded bravely and braced his courageous nature. Like a tiger, as his name implies, courageous and strong. That's what he had to not only survive, but to keep her safe.

Upon his uncertain, wordless answer, Minseo took a cautious step closer. As if a machine controlled by her hearts desire, her hand unconsciously brushed his shoulder, the muscles beneath flexing before ultimately relaxing, giving in to her delicate fingertips.

"Just worried for tonight," he confessed eventually. Her touch seemed to have cast a spell on him, forcing words to fall from his lips without second thought. "Worried for our team. For you."

Minseo's eyes snapped up, craning her neck to be able to meet his own. Taking her silence as an advantage, Dae-ho continued speaking. "You worried me earlier ━ running off without another word. It scared me. There's bad people in here, Mimi, wherever you go, they could be right behind you."

"I can protect myself," the pink haired woman responded softly.

Dae-ho sighed, his head shaking slightly as he spoke. "But that's supposed to be my job. That was my promise."

A second of silence slipped between the two. Busy roaming through the wave of emotions surging their dazzling eyes, encapsulated by the electric feel which soared through their bodies, from fingertips to toes, even with the most gentle grazes of skin. Minseo's hand fell from his shoulder, and throughout its travel down, it caught itself entangled in Dae-ho's. Her smaller palm was swallowed by his own, and his fingers laced themselves within hers.

"I'm sorry for acting out," the older man said earnestly. His eyes wavered with the weight of his words, the honesty shining through as he spoke rawly. "I shouldn't be risking anything, especially not you, in a place like this. So, I'm sorry for putting our━our friendship on the line for something so minor."

"That's okay," replied Minseo, her voice nothing but a soothing whisper. "I apologise, as well. For snapping and getting held up in my emotions, for being irrational and speaking without thinking. I don't mean to."

"I know you don't," he grinned, his eyes never leaving her flushed face as her lips curled playfully. "Let's get moving these mattresses. I know you're forgiving, but I'm not too sure about your uncle. I hate leaving bad impressions."

Their fingers remained interlocked for a moment, savouring the sweet moment before they returned to their labour. As they moved to and from the floor to the higher bunks, each stair showing a glimpse of their rekindling relationship, Minseo's heart rate increased tenfold. Despite her youthful naivety, she knew it wasn't the sudden exercise which provoked this, but the presence of Kang Dae-ho and his cursed beauty, both inside and out, which lulled Minseo into a love-infused state of daze.

But as they worked side by side, an unspoken tension lingered, like the fragile line between devotion and doubt. Minseo could feel her heart quicken with every step, but she tried to push the feeling down, ignoring the subtle weight that pressed against her chest. She focused on the task at hand, their hands still brushing occasionally, the warmth of his touch a reminder of their bond. Yet, beneath the surface, something else stirred ━ something darker and more insidious, like a storm gathering on the horizon. It wasn't just the dangers outside that loomed over them; it was the tests of loyalty yet to come, the kind that no mortal could predict.

Minseo knew the Devil himself would soon come to test them, their resolve to be loyal to one another, to their team, to their shared promise. She couldn't help but feel as though they were both caught in a divine paradox, as if they were trapped between heaven and hell ━ her, an angel of light, sent to guide, to protect, to offer solace in a world on the brink of collapse; him, a man who would soon find that not even the strength of his vows could protect them from what was to come. In this place, even God might turn a blind eye.

Her gaze flickered up to Dae-ho, meeting his eyes with a quiet intensity. The loyalty between them would be tested, and their connection, as fragile as the thread of fate that tied them together, might be the only thing left to keep them from falling into the darkness. Their hands, still clasped tightly, felt like the last thread of light in a world gone mad. Minseo knew, deep down, that soon they would be asked to choose between what was easy and what was right, between love and survival. The next chapter, she realized with a heavy heart, would demand a sacrifice━one neither of them could escape.

━author's note!

im alive i swear!!!! sorry for such a
late update, i was learning how to
walk again—but surprise, i can walk
now! i also had three exams and
history coursework which nearly
killed me off.

next chapter highkey may be my
fav so watch out for that! but anyways,
i hope you enjoyed this rushed, unedited
and non proof read horror story of a
chapter <3

[ ALSO ! i have a jungkook fic coming out
this weekend, if interested give me a follow
or check my profile as i expect it to be up
around saturday mid-day (UK time) ]