As soon as the guards left Joo Yeon went back to her bed, pulled the covers over her head, shutting out the world. The room was filled with an eerie silence, punctuated only by the occasional whisper or muffled sob. Beneath the thin fabric, she exhaled deeply, trying to steady her nerves.

She could still hear players who pressed the red X button protest, their voices rising in desperate protest. Some begged to leave, while others argued among themselves. Joo Yeon rolled her eyes.

Ignoring the noise, exhaustion finally caught up with her. Her body ached, her mind heavy with everything she had witnessed. Eventually, sleep took over, pulling her into restless darkness.

But it didn't last long.

A loud metallic clang echoed through the room, jolting her awake. The doors creaked open, and heavy footsteps filled the space.

Joo Yeon blinked, her mind still foggy from sleep. The guards were back, carrying large trays. A familiar voice crackled through the PA system.

"Attention. Your mealtime begins now. All players, please form a line in the center of the room."

Soft classical music drifted through the speakers, an unsettling contrast to their brutal reality.

Joo Yeon groaned and sat up, rubbing her face. Now they are feeding us? Obviously they would. Make us fat and beat us to dead. Joo Yeon looked around and saw Ji-yeong. Their eyes met and both of them made their way to the center of the room, blending into the slow-moving line of players. The air was thick with unspoken tension—nobody dared to speak too loudly, as if afraid that drawing attention to themselves would somehow mark them for elimination.

Joo Yeon stepped forward when it was her turn, taking the tray handed to her by a guard. A simple meal—a small bottle of water, a slice of bread, and a container of something that looked like rice porridge. She frowned. Of course, they wouldn't give us anything decent.

Ji-yeong grabbed her tray next, her expression unreadable. The two of them walked back toward their bunks, sitting side by side in silence.

Joo Yeon hesitated before picking up the spoon. Her stomach twisted. She wasn't sure if it was from hunger or the weight of everything that had happened.

Ji-yeong let out a small scoff, stirring her porridge absentmindedly. "What do you think happens next?" she asked, her voice quiet but laced with something Joo Yeon couldn't quite place.

Joo Yeon swallowed a bite of the bland food before responding. "Nothing good."

"Yeah feels that way," Ji-yeong said before digging into her food. Joo Yeon took a bite and it wasn't even warm but it did taste good. She continued to eat and as she slowly munched the food, her eyes fell on a particular group. The group of the genius, 456, 001, and the man who saved 456. They were speaking in hushed voices, occasionally glancing around as if making sure no one else was listening. Joo Yeon narrowed her eyes. Are they forming an alliance already?

Ji-yeong followed her gaze and sighed. "Looks like some people are already playing smart," she muttered, taking another bite of her food. "Guess we should, too."

Joo Yeon hummed in agreement but said nothing. Forming alliances could be useful, but it also meant trusting people—something she wasn't sure she could afford to do in a place like this.

Across the room, someone coughed loudly, breaking the uneasy silence that had settled over the players. The sound of metal spoons scraping against plastic trays filled the space, accompanied by the occasional whisper. No one was comfortable.

Joo Yeon looked down at her half-finished meal and sighed. She looked around and saw the thug who had assaulted 067 also talking to some bulky men.

Her grip tightened around the spoon. Great. So even the worst ones are forming groups too. Joo Yeon knew that in a place like this, strength in numbers mattered. But aligning with the wrong people could be just as dangerous as being alone.

Ji-yeong must have noticed her staring because she nudged her elbow. "Don't even bother thinking about them," she muttered. "Guys like that? They'll tear each other apart before this whole thing is over."

Joo Yeon let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "Still, I don't like it," she admitted, forcing down another bite of porridge.

Ji-yeong gave her a small, knowing smirk. "Yeah, well, it's not like we have much of a choice."

The room buzzed with quiet tension, everyone caught between exhaustion and paranoia. It was clear that survival had already begun—not just in the games, but in every moment they spent here. Joo Yeon clenched her jaw.

She wasn't sure what was coming next, but she had a feeling things were only going to get worse.

After eating they both went to the center to give their trays to the guards.

"So what do you think the next game will be?" Ji-yeong asked as she gave her tray to the guard.

"Well it would probably be some children's game. Ddakji, Dabanggu, Gonggi and well actually there are many possibilities," Joo Yeon said and she bumped into the person behind her only for someone to put the hand around her waist.

She tensed immediately, a jolt of alarm shooting through her. Instinctively, she grabbed the wrist of the person touching her and twisted away, her pulse hammering in her ears.

"Relax," a voice murmured calmly.

Joo Yeon turned sharply and found herself staring into the eyes of the genuis AKA 218. That's when she noticed his sharp jawline, a confident stance, and an expression that bordered on smug. His grip had already loosened, but the ghost of his touch lingered.

"Watch where you're going again," he added, as she gave his tray to the guard.

Ji-yeong stepped forward, her eyes narrowing. "And maybe keep your hands to yourself."

The man chuckled, tilting his head slightly as he studied them. "Noted." His gaze lingered on Joo Yeon for a second longer before he turned away, stepping back to go back to his group.

Joo Yeon exhaled slowly, forcing herself to unclench her fists. She hated how easily she had let her guard down.

"What was that about?" Ji-yeong muttered, watching the man disappear.

Joo Yeon shook her head. "I don't know. Well actually its not the first time he saved me from falling"

Ji-yeong said raising an eyebrow. "Oh is that so. Well better watch out"

As they walked back to their bunks, Joo Yeon couldn't shake the feeling. The feeling she felt when his arm was around her waist. It sort of felt .... foreign but warm. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

𝗛𝗼𝘄'𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗼 𝗳𝗮𝗿 𝗴𝘂𝘆𝘀? 𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘁. 𝗜 𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘁.