𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐈𝐈. the facility

Hae-un stood at the edge of the dark alley, clutching the strap of her worn-out bag. Her breath fogged in the cold night air, and the only light came from a flickering street lamp at the alley's entrance. Her heart pounded in her chest as she glanced around nervously. She checked her watch—10:58 p.m.

The card in her pocket felt like it was burning against her skin. She pulled it out for the hundredth time, running her thumb over the strange shapes printed on it. Circle, triangle, square. What was she doing here? Was this really going to help her?

A low rumble pulled her out of her thoughts. The faint sound of an engine grew louder, and moments later, a black van turned the corner, its headlights cutting through the shadows. Hae-un froze as it came to a stop in front of her.

The passenger window rolled down slowly, revealing a man wearing a perfectly smooth, featureless black mask. His eyes were hidden behind darkened lenses, and his presence sent a shiver down her spine.

"Shin Hae-un?"

Hae-un nodded. "Uh yes! That's me."

"Password," the driver said, his voice flat like it had been processed through a machine.

Hae-un's throat went dry. She took a shaky step forward, clutching the strap of her bag even tighter. Red light, green light, she thought. That was what the voice on the phone had told her.

"Red light, green light," she said quietly, barely audible.

The masked man didn't respond at first, simply staring at her through the tinted lenses. Her palms began to sweat as the silence stretched on. Then, with a small nod, he unlocked the side door of the van.

"Get in," he said, his tone unchanging.

Hae-un hesitated for the briefest moment, her instincts screaming at her to run. But she thought of Ga-young, of the crumpled hospital bills stuffed in her bag, of the overwhelming feeling of hopelessness that had followed her for months.

She climbed into the van, the door sliding shut behind her with a heavy thud.

Inside, the air was cold and unnervingly quiet. The dim overhead light flickered slightly, casting eerie shadows over the passengers. Hae-un's eyes widened as she took in the scene: rows of people slumped in their seats, their heads resting against the windows or tilted back as if they were asleep.

What is this? she thought, her stomach twisting. The passengers weren't moving, their breaths faint but steady. She instinctively clutched her bag closer to her chest and slid into an empty seat near the door, her back pressing against the cold metal wall.

The van started moving, the hum of the engine vibrating through the floor. Hae-un kept her gaze fixed on her lap, her mind racing.

Why are they asleep? she wondered, stealing a glance at the person across from her—a young woman with her head lolled to the side, her expression peaceful. Were they drugged? Did they know what they were signing up for?

Her thoughts spiraled as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Should I have asked more questions? What if this isn't what I think it is? What if this is something... dangerous?

But then, her mind shifted back to Ga-young, and her resolve hardened. I have to do this. Whatever it takes. For her.

The van hit a bump, jolting her slightly. That's when she noticed the faint hissing sound. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but it was there—a soft release of air coming from the vents near the floor.

What is that? she thought, leaning down slightly to inspect it. A thin, almost invisible fog was starting to seep into the van.

Her pulse quickened as the fog swirled around her ankles, climbing higher with each passing second. She instinctively covered her nose and mouth with her sleeve, her breaths shallow.

What's happening to me?

The fog had a strange, sweet scent to it, like overripe fruit mixed with chemicals. Her head started to feel heavy, her eyelids drooping.

No... she thought, trying to fight it. She shook her head, trying to keep herself awake, but the fog was overwhelming. Her vision blurred, and her body felt like it was sinking into the seat.

I can't... fall asleep...

Her last coherent thought was of Ga-young's face, smiling at her from a hospital bed.

And then, everything went dark.

Hae-un's eyelids fluttered open as soon as she heard the sound of jazz music play in the background. Ugh, she hated jazz music. Hae-un rolled her eyes, but then realized she wasn't in her house.

Where am I? She thought to herself. It was a place with a bunch of other people, all in the same outfit. A sea green tracksuit with numbers on them.

Ooh, what's my number? Hae-un looked down at her jacket. The number 143 was stitched onto the front of her jacket. "Oh, that's great." Hae-un muttered to herself "143 is probably one of my favorite numbers" she said in a sarcastic tone.

She swung her legs over the edge of the metal bunk, her bare feet touching the cold floor. Around her, other people were stirring, some groaning, others looking just as confused as she felt. All of them were dressed in the same tracksuit, each with a different number printed on their chest.

She ran a hand through her hair, taking a deep breath. Stay calm, Hae-un, she told herself. You can't lose it now.

As she walked between the bunks, trying to make sense of the madness, she felt someone step up beside her. Startled, she turned her head to see a man standing next to her, his expression friendly despite the tension in the air.

He looked to be in his late twenties, maybe early thirties, with his dark hair tied back into a half-ponytail. His tracksuit bore the number 388, and he had a really cute smile.

"Hey," he said, flashing her a lopsided smile. His voice was light, almost playful, but there was an edge of tension beneath it. "You look as confused as I feel."

Hae-un didn't respond immediately, her eyes narrowing as she studied him. He didn't seem threatening, but in a place like this, she wasn't sure she could trust anyone.

"You okay?" he pressed, tilting his head slightly.

She nodded curtly, not trusting her voice yet.

The man chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "Let me guess... you woke up to that god-awful jazz music and thought, 'Where the hell am I?'"

Despite herself, Hae-un let out a small, bitter laugh. "Something like that."

He extended a hand toward her, his grin widening. "Kang Dae-ho. Player 388, I guess. But you can just call me Dae-ho."

She hesitated, eyeing his outstretched hand, before shaking it briefly. "Shin Hae-un. 143."

Dae-ho leaned slightly closer, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "So... were you kidnapped too?"

Hae-un nodded, her lips pressed into a thin line.

"I knew it," he said, leaning back and crossing his arms. "I thought I was the only one at first, but then I saw all these people in the same outfit, and I was like, 'Okay, this is either a really messed-up summer camp or... something worse.'" He paused, his smile faltering slightly. "I'm guessing it's the second one."

Hae-un didn't reply, but her silence seemed to speak volumes.

Dae-ho sighed, running a hand down his face. "Man, this is wild. One minute I'm walking home after a night out, and the next thing I know, I wake up here. They must've drugged us or something, right?"

Hae-un thought back to the fog in the van, the sweet, chemical scent filling her lungs. She nodded again.

"Yeah, figured as much," Dae-ho said. He glanced around the room, his eyes scanning the other players. "So... what's your story? Why do you think you're here?"

Hae-un stiffened, her mind flashing back to Ga-young in the hospital, to the endless bills and her manager firing her just hours ago. "I don't know," she lied, her voice clipped.

Dae-ho raised an eyebrow but didn't press her. "Fair enough. Me? I guess it's karma or something. I used to be a marine, but I... let's just say I made some bad choices after I left the service. Got myself into a mountain of debt."

Hae-un glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. His cheerful demeanor seemed almost forced, like he was trying to distract himself from the reality of the situation.

"Anyway," Dae-ho said, clapping his hands together, "looks like we're stuck here for now. Might as well make the best of it, right?"

Before Hae-un could respond, a loud, piercing buzzer echoed through the room, making everyone jump.

"What the—?" Dae-ho said, spinning around.

The sound of heavy machinery followed, and the metal doors at the far end of the room slid open with a slow, ominous groan.

Everyone turned to look as a line of figures marched in, their footsteps eerily synchronized. They were dressed in bright pink jumpsuits, their faces obscured by black masks with simple shapes on them—circles, triangles, squares.

The sight of them sent a chill down Hae-un's spine. "Who are these people?" One person asked behind her.

Then, the man with the square mask stepped forward. "I would like to extend a heartly welcome to all of you."

"Everyone here will participate in six different games over the course of six days. Those who win all six games will receive a handsome cash prize."

Suddenly, a loud voice cut through the crowd. "Excuse me!"

Hae-un turned around to see the woman, player 120, step forward. "You said I'd be playing games, but you practically kidnapped me. So how can I believe that?"

The rest of the players nodded in unison, agreeing with 120. Even Hae-un agreed. All 456 people in this room were kidnapped to play games for money.

The square masked guard continued. "I apologize. Please understand that it was necessary to maintain the game's security."

"What's with the mask then?" A woman yelled from the crowd. "Is your face a secret too?"

"Yeah!" Another person added on. "Is this some kind of illegal gambling house?"

The rest of the players also agreed with this and murmured to other players.

"To ensure fair gameplay and confidentiality, it is our policy not to reveal the faces and identities of staff." The guard replied again. Their voices sounded almost like they were robots, mechanical and flat.

Suddenly, another voice emerged from the crowd. It was a woman holding her jacket up. "Did you take off my clothes and put these on me?"

"What's with these shoes?" Another man asked, and Hae-un immediately recognized his voice. It was Thanos, a famous rapper. Ga-young was a big fan of his songs.

"My shoes are limited edition!" Thanos groaned. "They are hard to find! Are you going to replace them if they get ruined?!" He yelled.

Wow, Hae-un didn't know that Thanos was that greedy. Hae-un never liked Thanos, but Ga-young was a big fan, so she pretended to like Thanos to make her cheerful and happy.

"These don't fit, and the color sucks." The woman, player 196, complained. "Can I just have what you're wearing instead? I love pink!"

"I'm sorry," The guard replied, "But that is not possible. You must be in your green uniform for the games."

"What about my phone?" Another man asked. "Why did you take my phone and wallet? Give them back please."

"We're keeping your belongings safe, and we will return them once the games are over."

"Atleast give me my phone!" The man fought back, A.K.A player 333 . "I need to check the crypto market. If I lose money, will you compensate me?"

The guard said nothing for a moment—and then they responded . "Player 333, Lee Myung-gi.". The guard turned on a screen which showed player 333 playing ddakji and getting slapped.

"Age 30, used to run a YouTube channel called MG Coin. After convincing subscribers to invest in a new crypto coin called Dalmatian causing losses of approximately 15.2 billion won, you shut down and disappeared."

"You're wanted for fraud, and for violating telecom and financial investment laws." The guard continued. "Current debt levels, 1.8 billion"

Lee Myung-gi lowered his head down in shame. Hae-un looked back at the TV, and other people were also playing ddakji and getting slapped. So other people also got recruited in the same way I did? Have-un thought to herself.

Suddenly, she heard her name. "Player 143, Shin Hae-un."

Hae-un gasped, realizing all eyes were on her this time, including Dae-ho's. "Age 27, dropped out of graduate school after father died, has a sick 12 year old sister. You work three jobs a day, and recently got fired from your job at Emart. Current debt levels, 200 million."

This time, it was her head lowered down in shame. Not only did she just get exposed, she lied to Dae-ho about not knowing why she was here. "You're here because you have a sick sister?" Dae-ho asked her curiously.

Hae-un nodded, a little embarrassed after what happened. "Yes, her name is Ga-young. She has lung cancer, and I had to drop out of graduate school to take care of her."

Hae-un took a deep breath. "My dream is to become a teacher. I've always wanted to teach kids, especially little ones."

Dae-ho nodded empathetically. "I understand, Hae-un. It's fine that you lied, I understand that you have a sick sister. I'm really sorry though."

Just as Hae-un was about to respond she was interrupted by the guards. "All of you in this room have crippling debts, and are now on a cliff-edge. When we first came to you, you did not trust us either. But as you know, we played a game, and gave you the money as promised."

"And so you trusted us, and volunteered to participate according to your own free will." The guard continued. "You have one last chance to decide. Do you want to live like a piece of trash running from creditors? Or will you seize the last opportunity we are offering?"

Hae-un thought about it for a moment, and then the lights dimmed. A large piggy bank slowly descended from the ceiling and stopped. Electronic music started playing in the background.

"As you can see here, this is the piggy bank we're your valuable prize money will be stored." The guard started. "After each of the six games you play, the prize money will accumulate in this piggy bank."

Hae-un looked up at the piggy bank in shock. That was a really big piggy bank, and it could fit a lot of money. "How much is the prize money?" Another player asked, curiously.

"The prize money for the games is 45.6 billion won in total." The guard answered. Gasps filled the room, 45.6 billion won was a LOT. Hae-un could pay for Ga-young's medical bills and even get back into graduate school. She could even buy a house with that money, and Ga-young can go to school too.

The thought of getting that money made Hae-un more determined to get it. She would do anything to get her hands on the 45.6 billion won, even if it was anything hazardous.

"And one of us will get it?" The same player asked, A.K.A player 007. "We will give you the details about the distribution of the prize money after the first game." The guard replied. "For these games, you will be given a special new advantage."

"And what is it?" Player 100 asked, the person in the room with the largest debt so far, 10 billion won.

"After each game, you will be given a chance to vote on whether to continue the games or not. If the majority stops to vote on the games, you can leave with the prize money accumulated to that point."

"Good heavens! Excuse me!" An old grandma yelled, A.K.A player 149. "What's a grandma doing here?" Dae-ho asked and then looked at Hae-un, who shrugged.

"You idiot!" player 149 yelled to player 007, and slapped him. "Mom! What...What are you doing here!?" 007 asked in shock.

"That's what I wanted to ask you! What are you doing here?" Player 149 yelled back. Player 007 tried shushing his mom, "Mom! You're embarrassing me!"

"If you knew what was embarrassing, you wouldn't be here!" Player 149 shouted loud enough for everyone to hear. The bickering continued, most of the players just looked at the both of them confused.

Dae-ho chuckled. "Well, her son has to be stuck with her for the rest of the games." and Hae-un laughed with him.

"Why would you bring a naive old woman here!?" Player 007 demanded the guards. "Will you take responsibility if my mother collapses?"

"Yong-sik, stay and I'll do this." 149 replied to calm him down. "You go home."

"Stop it!" Yong-sik yelled. "I'm already here, I can't leave ma!" . The guards just stared at them in their black obscure masks, unsure of what to do, and everyone else was still watching them argue, straight expressions on their faces.

"If you wish to participate in the games, please sign the player consent form." the square guard said. "Those who do not wish to participate, please speak up now."

All of the players were forming a line to sign the consent forms. Hae-un and Dae-ho were in different lines, so they lost each other. When it was Hae-un's turn to sign, she first read over the clause.

A PLAYER IS NOT ALLOWED TO VOLUNTARILY QUIT

A PLAYER WHO REFUSES TO PLAY, WILL BE ELIMINATED

THE GAMES MAY BE TERMINATED UPON A MAJORITY VOTE (IN CASE OF A TIE, PLAYERS WILL VOTE AGAIN)

IF THE GAMES ARE TERMINATED, PLAYERS WILL DIVIDE THE PRIZE EQUALLY

Hae-un read over these clauses, Pft, there nothing. I won't leave anyways until I get my hands on that cash prize. Hae-un then proceeded to sign the consent form, and hand it to the guard, and then walked away casually.

She wasn't going to lose these games, and she was going to get that prize money.

TIA SPEAKS !

Hey guys!

tbh i wanted hae-un to meet dae-ho now bc i just felt like it (even though dae-ho wasn't shown in the first game)

also i republished it mb!

I WROTE A LOT FOR THIS CHAPTER!

how was it? i think this one is good ngl

byeee!

WORD COUNT

3030!? 😦