Y O U C A N ‘ T K I L L M E

CHAPTER 04 - once you go in, there's no turning back (hwang in ho x reader)

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"You have one last chance to decide. Do you want to live like a piece of trash, running from creditors?" The masked manager said. "Or will you seize the last opportunity we are offering?" Then, the manager clicked on the remote, pointing at the piggy bank you saw earlier. It slowly went down for everyone to see, the lights dimming. "What you see now is the piggy bank where your valuable prize money will be stored. After each of the six games you will play, the prize money will accumulate in this piggy bank."

"How much is the prize money?" You heard a player ask through the crowd, your eyes still focused on the piggy bank.

"The prize money for the games is 45.6 billion won in total."

Murmurs spread across the room with gasps. You observe the faces of each player, seeing as some of them counted on their fingers, probably listing their debts to pay one by one. 45.6 billion won was no joke - anyone could live and have the worlds on their hands, if possible. Honestly, you really didn't need the money. If you wanted to be out in this place, you could and it wouldn't be a problem to you at all. You have a good life waiting for you outside, the billions wouldn't affect you whether you stayed or not.

"45.6 billion won? And one of us will get it?" The same player asked, his voice starting to get excited. You sensed that he was in it for the money, the glow in his eyes evident.

"We will give you the details about the distribution of the prize money after the first game," the masked manager said. "For these games, you will be given a special new advantage."

New? That meant the games have been going on for a while, you thought. You were curious how the system of this place worked, trying to come up with theories on the possible advantages. Will the games be easier? Will there be new games introduced? If so, what kind? Do kids play different games nowadays?

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

You furrowed your eyebrows as you stared at the masked men, trying to absorb their words. The games must've been played by the past players where they wouldn't be allowed to quit at all, having to finish all the games. If so, what happened to the players who refused to play? Or was there such a thing where players can just quit and go? You try to understand the system, as you intently listen more to the guards.

You snapped away from your thoughts as you heard a man call out, looking at his way as he moved up front. "Are you saying we'll still receive the money, even if we leave after the first game?"

You squinted your eyes, trying to study the man who just spoke. His face was familiar as if you met him before. He seemed like he was in his 40s, his eyes dark and kept his eyebrows furrowed. He glared at the guards, the tension rising.

You realized he was the man who approached you in the club, who seemed to mistake you for someone else. If he's in here, then he must've been in debt. Or he could be in the same situation as you. Yet if he was in the same situation as you, then he would've had a lighter mood. You knew how money can change people, observing the everyday lives of people on the street back in California.

The masked manager seemed to pause before speaking, which was weird. All the questions from the other players were answered by them in just a beat, but with this player, who you noticed had the "456" number, held a tension as he spoke. "That's correct."

You studied Player 456 who seemed to be surprised with the so-called new advantage they were saying. As if he was calculating his next move. You wondered why he had that deep, dark aura around him, as if he knew this place. Your gaze stayed on him, even hearing the dispute between an elderly woman and a young man. Turns out a mother and her son were playing together.

So, they were recruited together. How come they were surprised to see each other though? It was nice to have someone familiar to you in this place, you thought. You didn't listen much to their banter, trying to observe the place more to make it through your senses more. You knew there was something more to this place. Someone was overseeing this.

"If you wish to participate in the games, please sign the player consent form," the masked manager said as the circle-masked men placed podiums in front, with papers and pen ready for anyone to sign. Sighing, you climbed down your bed, making your way to the crowd but still staying aside, trying to not draw any possible attention. "Those who do not wish to participate, please speak up now. We always give you a chance to leave the games."

You lined up with the crowd, awaiting for your turn to sign. You could hear a commotion behind you, only watching it briefly as you see the purple-haired player harass Myung-gi, who you known as the MG Coin. You remember reading an article about the scam, and it seemed like player 230 fell into the scam.

You averted your gaze when you saw 230 and 124 ganging up on Myung-gi. You focused on the line ahead of you, waiting patiently for your turn to sign the consent form.

You reached your turn, reading the consent form's terms & conditions. You read each clause carefully, mentally taking note of each condition.

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.

You signed the paper, though you gave a disgusting look at the guard in front of you, feeling his gaze behind his mask. You didn't like the unwanted attention while you signed the papers, making you conscious.

You turned away, not knowing where to go. Your instinct tells you to approach Player 456 to ask if he knew you in some way, given that he suddenly approached you in the club last time. You debated, staying still on the ground as you see him finishing to sign the form. You gathered the courage to walk up to him, only to be stopped by the guard announcing for all players to line up again, making their way through the doors.

You observed the environment around you, its colorful and vibrant walls and stairs catching your attention. Despite its vibrant colors radiating around the area, you can't help but feel the eerie-ness of the place, seeing as the guards were placed in different platforms, as if watching each of you. You notice six columns placed in the middle of the room you entered, seeing the players smile on it. There, you see a photobooth being used by the players, as if you were applying for a passport.

"The first game will begin momentarily," you held on to your chest, your body jolting in surprise with a woman's voice on the speakers. Its voice sounded jolly but something scary deep within. "After having your picture taken, follow the staff's instructions and proceed to the game site."

You reached your turn for the photobooth, only giving a small smile but your expression fierce. From what seemed like forever, you advanced to their staircase, following the flow of players to where you were heading.

Your legs start to shake as the stairs felt as if there were endless of steps ahead. There, you reached a huge gate, entering the premises as you noticed a play area with a huge doll on the other side of it, to which you recognized as Young-hee, one that you saw in your old textbooks in school. You looked up as you noticed the ceiling opening, revealing the clouds as birds start to flew over it. From the looks of it, you were in the middle of nowhere, maybe on an island.

"Welcome to the first game," the voice echoed through the room. "All players, please wait a moment in the field."

You glanced around everyone and noticed Player 222, clutching her stomach as if she was... pregnant? You wondered how a pregnant woman end up in this place, if ever, was she slapped by the salesman? That would be cruel. And if he did, that would be a clear sign how this place can be so wicked.

The doors behind you clanked loudly, jolting your body a bit as you noticed it already closed. There was no way out. For a children's game, they knew how to make it creepy.

"We're playing Red Light, Green Light," the voice announced. You remembered how you played this game with In-ho, as he always beat you to it given his longer legs. Still, you had the strength of a man, knowing how you and In-ho always used to play outside, as if he was training you to be an olympic player.

You didn't notice Player 456 near you, who seemed to be with Player 390 this time. You watched them as they interacted, only giving 456 a disgusted look as he seemed to extract his tooth right here, right now. From the looks of it, he seemed to successfully extract it out and flipped it, only for his face to drop.

You turned your attention away from him, wondering what the hell he was doing. You heard the voice again. "Cross the finish line without getting caught in five minutes. If you do, you pass."

You felt 456 run in front, shouting for everyone to hear, trying to make everyone pay attention to him. The crowd stopped chattering as he mentioned about the games not just being a game, but we could die from it. It seemed weird for you, because who would die playing children's games? But then again, a part of you knew it made sense.

The eerie feeling of the guards watching you, the passive aggressive closing of doors, the creepy voice from the speakers - this was all good to be true. Besides, why would they send you in the middle of nowhere to play children's games and earn 45.6 billion won just for the sake of it? Something was wrong, and you couldn't help but feel your stomach churned.

"If they catch you moving, they will kill you!" 456 shouted. "They will shoot you from somewhere. Stay on your toes!"

That was the point of the game, isn't it? You stop when the doll says red light, then go if it says green light. It was a simple instruction, anyone could follow it.

"If you get caught, you die! That doll's eyes are motion detectors!"

You looked at the doll, seeing its innocence on the other side. If there were really motion detectors, then they must've made this game more... interesting. This game isn't for children anymore. The players are adults, so might as well do something "adult" with it.

456 kept repeating his words, as if he was trying to save everyone. You tried to calculate your next steps, was he just trying to scare everyone so he can win the prize money? If that's the case, then maybe the killings would be true.

That meant only one person can win 45.6 billion won, each player's life valued at 100 million won each.

"Do not be alarmed or panic! No matter what happens, do not panic and start running!" 456 stayed in front as the doll whirred, facing the wall.

"Let the game begin," the voice announced. The time started ticking - only five minutes is allotted until you reach the end of the room.

You moved forward, stopping as the doll faced in front of you. You heard 456 scream, "Freeze!" As you all did so, terrified of the possible outcome there may be if one moves. For the first time in your life, you didn't want to be curious if you lost the game.

Mugunghwa kkoci

Pieot seumnida

The players were making progress, no one being eliminated yet. A relief washed over you as you realize this. Though you were still alert, in case the system tries anything to spice up the games. It's all in the point of algorithm, if everyone's successful in completing the game, then the next levels would be harder.

Just as you thought, you heard a scream from the right side of the room, a movement flickering on your peripheral vision. You felt your heart pump hard to your chest as if it was about to burst. You restrained yourself from looking.

The loud sound of a gunshot sent shivers down your spine. You restrained yourself more to look, curious if the player who screamed was dead. You remained still, looking in front of you hardly.

You were right. This wasn't just some children's game. To the hell of it all, you were fucked.

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In-ho watched intently to the screen, his gaze cold enough to bring some ice. He sat back on his chair, folding his hands together. His eyes fixed on Gi-hun, who continuously tries to guide the other players to success. He shook his head in disbelief, forming a small smirk thinking how foolish it was for Gi-hun to think as if he could stop the games.

His eyes then fixed on Player 002, who seemed familiar to him. He didn't know what came to her mind to join, and even offering such a crazy deal with the salesman. Though he would commend her for being bold to do so, but what was she thinking bringing herself into this mess? She didn't even speak when she entered the limousine - her silent intrigued him so much. Yet, she was oddly familiar to him when he saw her get inside.

He reached for the telephone, fixing his eyes on Player 002. "What's the deal with Player 002?"

"Y/N. She's the one who offered to pay 100,000 won to the salesman in the subway," the voice on the other line said. "No debts. Financially stable. She just wanted to play for the thrill."

Y/N.

In-ho only knew one person with that name. He furrowed his eyebrows, trying to remember a person from his former life. He tried to piece it together, though he felt his heart bursting as if the name rung on his memories, only suppressed with all that he had to overcome.

"Sir?" The voice asked, only for In-ho to snap away from his thoughts.

He took a deep breath and sighed. "Tell me more."

"Y/N used to live in Corona, California with her parents. She came back to Seoul and planned to stay for good. If you ask me, I have no idea how she wanted to join here."

"Where in Seoul?" In-ho asked, gripping the phone more as the memories slowly came to him.

"Chunghyeon-dong."

Bingo.

In-ho placed the phone back, ending the call. The memories of him with her start to cloud his mind. He couldn't deny that a bright feeling of happiness could be felt in his heart, but as an instinct, it continued to suppress. It has been a long time since he felt this way, feeling a pang of guilt at the thought of his wife.

But still, what was she doing here? In-ho remembered how Y/N became curious of everything, no matter the consequences. He was curious as to how she would handle the truth, on how he turned out. The thing is, does she even still remember him?

In-ho shook his head. There was no way that it could be Y/N. The thought of stopping Gi-hun has been running in his mind lately, thinking he was probably being paranoid about it, even in the slightest. In-ho was in no place to question everything at the moment, to be distracted. The games must continue, at all cost. With Gi-hun back in the games, In-ho knew that the former would be planning something to stop the games. However, this time, things have changed.

In-ho gathered his track suit, labeled with "001". Not only he was there to stop whatever Gi-hun was planning, but at least to confirm whether it was the Y/N he knew.

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A/N: Okay so, I'm really not familiar with the places in Seoul so if Chunghyeong-dong is wrong, please let me know in the comments below. I've never been out of the country so I'm sorry if there are mistakes with the places. I'm also really excited with each chapter I write since I'm so happy to be back in writing fics again! 🥰 I'll continue to try my best and upload the next chapters faster so everyone could enjoy this. 🤍 Feel free to leave out your thoughts here, and I'll gladly interact with each and everyone of you. 🫶

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