"Players, before the second game begins choose one of the four available shapes you see on the wall. Once you've chosen your shape, please stand in front of it," the woman in PA said and Joo Yeon looked around at the walls again. What are we playing this time? She thought but her mind went blank. She looked at Ji-Yeong again their eyes locked and she shrugged her shoulders.

As Joo Yeon turned away, her gaze drifted to the other players, who were murmuring amongst themselves, already starting to strategize. Then, her eyes landed on the genius and Player 067, who were talking in hushed tones, exchanging words she couldn't quite hear. The sight of them, so closely aligned, sparked something inside Joo Yeon—a tug at her chest. What are they talking about? Are they plotting something?

"Looks like he found another one. Or are they plotting something?" Ji-yeong's voice cut through her thoughts, pulling her back to the present. Joo Yeon snapped out of her trance and turned to look at her.

"Why should I care?" she mumbled, her gaze flicking back to the shapes. It wasn't like it mattered what the genius or Player 067 were up to. She had her own game to focus on.

Ji-yeong raised an eyebrow, but before she could say more, the PA system crackled to life again.

"Looks like he found another one or are they plotting something?" Ji-yeong mumbled next to Joo Yeon her she snapped out of her trance and look at Ji-yeong.

"Why should I care," Joo Yeon mumbled and looked at the shapes again.

"What do you thin.." before Joo Yeon could finish the PA system crackled to life once more.

"Choose a shape and stand in front of it immediately," she said.

The chatter among the players grew louder, confusion spreading like wildfire. Some seemed paralyzed, unsure of which shape to choose, while others huddled in groups, already deep in discussion, trying to strategize.

Joo Yeon let out a slow breath. She had to pick one. But which one? Was there any significance to the shapes? Or was it just a matter of chance?

Her eyes flicked from shape to shape.

"Joo Yeon look. Those ones are splitting up for this game," Ji-yeong whispered pointing at the genius's group.

Joo Yeon's eyes followed Ji-yeong's gesture. Sure enough, the so-called genius and his group were splitting up. He stood in front of the triangle, while the old man chose the star. The man who had saved Player 456 went to the circle, and Player 456 hesitated before stepping in front of the umbrella.

But what caught Joo Yeon's attention the most was Player 067. Without hesitation, she followed the genius and stood beside him at the triangle.

Something in Joo Yeon's chest tightened. Why? Was it coincidence? Strategy? Or was there something between them that she wasn't seeing?

"What do we do? Should we split?" Ji-yeong mumbled, her voice uncertain.

Joo Yeon tore her gaze away from Player 067 and the genius. Her mind raced. If the game required teamwork, sticking together would be the safer option. But if it was a solo challenge, splitting up might increase their chances of survival.

She bit her lip, glancing at the remaining shapes. The crowd was thinning as more players made their choices. Time was running out.

"Joo Yeon?" Ji-yeong pressed.

Joo Yeon took a deep breath. "We stick together," she decided. "Triangle."

Ji-yeong didn't argue. With a nod, they both stepped forward and took their places in front of the shape.

The moment they did, the PA crackled again.

"The time to select your shape has ended. I will now explain the rules of the next game. All players, please take one case each from the table at the front of your line. Please take a moment to open the case and check the contents."

Joo Yeon exchanged a glance with Ji-yeong before stepping forward with the others. The tension in the room was thick as players slowly approached the long tables at the front of each shape's designated area.

She reached for one of the plain, metal cases and carefully unlatched it. As the lid lifted, her eyes widened. Inside was a round, flat piece of honeycomb candy with an imprint of the triangle shape in the center. Alongside it lay a small needle.

Joo Yeon's breath caught in her throat. No way...

Around her, murmurs spread as players examined their own cases. Some faces went blank with confusion, while others immediately stiffened with realization.

The PA crackled again. "The second game is Dalgona. The shape you have chosen is the shape you must remove from the honeycomb. The time limit is ten minutes. You will pass if you trim out the shape without it breaking or cracking within the time limit."

A few players gasped. Others whispered curses under their breath.

Joo Yeon's fingers tightened around the needle.

She looked around. Some players were already panicking. Player 456, who had chosen the umbrella, had gone pale, his hands trembling as he stared at the intricate shape. In contrast, the genius seemed completely calm, twirling his needle between his fingers as if testing its sharpness.

Ji-yeong leaned closer to Joo Yeon and whispered, "Well, at least we didn't pick the umbrella..."

Joo Yeon exhaled sharply as they sat down. "Yeah. But it still won't be easy."

The PA interrupted their thoughts once more.

"With that, let the game begin."

Joo Yeon took a deep breath as the loud buzzer signaled the start of the game. Around her, the scraping of needles against hardened sugar filled the air. Some players immediately hunched over their honeycomb, their hands shaking as they carefully traced the edges of their shapes. Others hesitated, unsure of how to begin.

She adjusted her grip on the needle and carefully pressed the tip against the thin outline of the triangle. The candy was brittle—one wrong move, and it would snap.

Beside her, Ji-yeong had already begun, her expression set in deep concentration.

Joo Yeon's heart pounded as she slowly, meticulously scraped at the edge of her triangle. Tiny flakes of honeycomb crumbled away under her touch, and she forced herself to stay steady.

A sharp crack rang through the air.

Someone gasped. Joo Yeon's head snapped up just in time to see a guard stepping toward a trembling player. The young man's honeycomb was split right through the middle. His face twisted with panic as he scrambled to piece it back together.

Bang.

A gunshot echoed across the playground.

Screams broke out. Players flinched, some accidentally jolting their needles against their candy. More cracks followed, and with them, more eliminations.

Joo Yeon clenched her jaw and forced herself to block it out. She had to focus.

She looked up briefly, scanning the players ahead. The genius, as expected, was calm. He had barely started carving, instead eyeing the candy like he was calculating something. Meanwhile, Player 067 was already making progress, expertly chipping away at her triangle.

Joo Yeon pressed her lips together. She needed a strategy.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Player 456—his forehead glistening with sweat, the umbrella shape barely scratched. He was running out of time.

But then, he did something unexpected. He hesitated, glanced around, and suddenly—he lifted the honeycomb to his lips.

Joo Yeon's eyes widened as he carefully licked the back of the candy, letting his saliva soften it.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then realization dawned on other players.

One by one, whispers spread through the crowd. Some players abandoned their needles altogether, hesitantly trying the same technique.

Ji-yeong nudged Joo Yeon. "What do you think?"

Joo Yeon glanced at her half-carved triangle. The needle was working—but it was slow, and every scrape felt like a risk.

She bit her lip, then hesitantly ran her tongue over the back of the honeycomb.

It was warm. It tasted like burnt sugar.

And—slowly, subtly—the candy started to soften.

Joo Yeon exchanged a glance with Ji-yeong.

"Worth a shot," Ji-yeong muttered, licking her own honeycomb.

The playground buzzed with quiet whispers as more players caught on. Some hesitated, unwilling to abandon their needles, but others, desperate for survival, followed Player 456's lead.

Joo Yeon focused on her own honeycomb, licking carefully along the edges of the triangle. It was a strange, almost ridiculous method—but it was working. The sugar thinned under the heat of her tongue, making it easier to peel away with her needle.

A few rows ahead, the genius was already half done with his shape.

Joo Yeon tore her gaze away and kept going.

Minutes passed.

Gunshots punctuated the air.

Another player screamed

Joo Yeon clenched her jaw. Focus.

She ran her tongue along the back again. Her hands trembled slightly, but the shape was becoming clearer. Just a little more—

Snap.

A sharp sound cut through the air.

Joo Yeon froze.

Her breath hitched as she turned toward Ji-yeong.

Ji-yeong stared down at her honeycomb, her face blank. It was done but she had a one more side. There wasn't any crack.

Joo Yeon's stomach twisted.

A shadow loomed over them.

A guard.

"Done."

The voice was calm. Firm.

Joo Yeon and Ji-yeong both turned in surprise.

The genius.

He stood a few steps away, holding up his perfectly carved triangle. His honeycomb was intact, not a single crack in sight.

The guard hesitated, lowering the gun slightly.

Ji-yeong blinked.

The moment stretched.

Then, before the guard could react, she licked the cracked edge of her honeycomb—melting it slightly—then lifted it to show her completed shape.

Joo Yeon's breath caught.

The guard examined it.

A beat of silence.

Then—he stepped back and motioned for her to go.

Ji-yeong let out a quiet breath before getting up. 

Joo Yeon's pulse hammered in her ears.

The genius met Joo Yeon's gaze for a brief second before turning away, walking back towards the door, followed by Ji-Yeong. 

Joo Yeon clenched her fists.

"Five minutes remaining," the PA system announced.

Joo Yeon snapped back to her own honeycomb.

Focus.

She worked quickly, licking the edges, scraping gently. Bit by bit, the shape became clearer.

All around her, players were still struggling. Some had resorted to licking, others panicked, hands shaking too much to be precise.

More gunshots rang out.

More bodies fell.

Joo Yeon tuned it all out.

Finally—

A tiny click.

The triangle shape slipped from the honeycomb, completely intact.

Joo Yeon exhaled sharply, lifting it up for the guards to see.

One of them nodded, then gestured for her to step aside.

The remaining players scrambled to finish. Player 456, drenched in sweat, carefully pushed out the last piece of his umbrella.

He held it up just in time—seconds before the buzzer blared.

"Time's up," the PA announced.

The guards moved in.

For some, there was relief. For others—terror.

Gunshots echoed once more.

And just like that, the second game was over.

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𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧? 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐉𝐨𝐨 𝐘𝐞𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐞?

𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐠-𝐰𝐨𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐚𝐞-𝐛𝐲𝐞𝐨𝐤 𝐨𝐫 𝐉𝐨𝐨 𝐘𝐞𝐨𝐧?