Hye-Jin sat with her legs crossed on the subway seat, her eyes fixed on her phone. Soft music played through her headphones as she scrolled through an article about her restaurant, which unfortunately had to close.

When Hye-Jin turned 20, she wanted to follow her dreams of opening a restaurant. She found a small building for sale, bought it, and changed it into a cozy spot where people could enjoy a meal. At first, no one came, as it was a new place, but after she advertised it online and on the streets, people began to visit it. Everyday a new customer came inside, ordered a meal and gave her tips.

One day, an older man with gray hair walked into her restaurant. He informed Hye-Jin that her restaurant had to shut down because she was three months behind on rent. She was unable to pay, she had a family that she needed to take care of first. To make things worse, a new cafe opened nearby, taking all of her customers, losing income. With that, her dreams were crushed.

The woman let out a deep sigh as she readjusted herself in the seat. Her long coat shuffled, the quiet sounds of small 'clinks' echoing as she moved. She came back from stealing canned goods from a store, slipping out unnoticed. She didn't want to steal, but she had parents and a little sister she needed to take care of. 

The subway's door slid open, and a man with a briefcase entered inside. The faint sounds of his footsteps grew louder as he approached the woman, stopping right in front of her. She glanced up for a short moment before scooting over, assuming he wanted to sit down.

The man bent down, his gaze locking on her. Hye-Jin looked up with a confused expression, wondering why he was staring at her. He motioned to his ears, then moved his hands away, signaling her to take off her headphones. She hesitated for a moment before taking them off, "Hi?"

The man's lips turned upwards into a smile. "Hello." He replied. The woman glanced around in the empty subway before her eyes locked with his dark brown ones. "Uh, is there something you want?" She asked him curiosity. The man was dressed in a black tuxedo, his hair neatly styled and a briefcase in his hand. He looked like a busy man.

"Yes. Would you like to play a game?" The man's voice asked with a calm tone. Hye-Jin raised an eyebrow, unsure who the man was and what he wanted. Why would a man in a formal outfit want to play a game with some random woman? "well...?" The man's voice grabbed her attention again. "What game is it?" She asked him.

The man opened the briefcase and pulled out two folded papers- one blue, the other red. Hye-Jin looked at the two papers, a wave of nostalgia washing over her. She remembered playing ddakji with her sister when they were younger. Back then, the loser would give the winner a piece of chocolate candy.

"Is that....ddakji?"Hye-Jin asked, her voice full of surprise. The man nodded, still holding the two papers in his hand. He then reached into the briefcase and pulled out a thick stack of money. "If you win, this is your reward." 

Hye-Jin's eyes widened with a sparkle in her iris, her gaze fixed on the money that dangled in front of her. She needed the money, not to reopen her restaurant, but to help her family with the bills that still needed to get paid.

"Really?" The woman asked, her mouth slightly agape. "I'm not a man of lies." He replied to her, his voice serious. Hye-Jin glanced down at the two papers, her fingers hovering over a moment before she grabbed for the red one. The firm texture of the paper brought back old memories- sitting in the living room with her sister, playing the game with laughter.

Hye-Jin stood up from the seat, brushing off her coat with her palms. The man placed the blue paper on the floor, waiting for her to make a move. She raised her hand, the red paper gripped tightly in her hand. She took a deep breath before throwing the folded paper, but it completely missed the blue one. 

"My turn." The man picked up the blue paper, standing up straight, and threw the blue paper on the red one. The blue paper successfully flipped the red one over, him winning round 1. Hye-Jin stared at the floor, feeling upset. "Have you played this game before?" She asked in curiosity. How was he so good? 

"I play it a lot. I know you played it as a kid too." 

The woman's heart sank at his words. How did he know? Maybe it was because everyone played the game as children. She shrugged off the feeling before playing the game again.

After two more rounds, the strange man won the game. Hye-Jin looked down at her hands, a heavy sigh escaping her lips. She lifted her, looking at the neat man. "Good game!" She told the man, a hint of annoyance in her voice. She really needed the money he offered her. 

The salesman looked back at her before pulling something out of his pockets- an brown card. He walked over to her, extending his hand out with the card. "Take it." Hye-Jin hesitated for a moment before she took it out of his hand.

The card was strange. It had three shapes drawn on it: a circle, a triangle, and a square. Her mind started to race, who was this man? Why did he want to play ddakji? And what was the card about?

She flipped the brown card over, revealing a phone number written in the back. She looked up from the card, trying to find the man, but he was nowhere to be seen. She looked down at the card once more before pulling out her phone, entering the phone number.

A/N

First chapter!! LMK if there's any spelling mistakes!!