Fun and Games

456

When she wakes up she hears an upbeat classical song playing. When she looks around she sees hundreds of other people in what looks like bunk beds and when she looks down at herself she is wearing a teal and white track suit with the numbers 238 writing on it. Realizing that means someone she doesn't know undressed her while she was sleeping, she takes a deep breath before looking under her clothes. Breathing a sigh of relief when she notices that she is still in the same underwear she had been earlier.

The other players begin to wake up as well and one by one everyone begins to get up out of their bunk beds. Unsure of what's happening they all start to explore what they can of the odd room they're in. She looks up to the screen at the far end of the room and notices a number, 456. As everyone gathers on the center floor of the room a man punches a woman to the ground, "you little shit!" Of course this draws a crowd as everyone gathers to watch and Opal shoves her way to the front. The small woman, with the number 067, had been punched by a man with a snake tattoo up his neck and on his jaw, with the number 101. 067 begins to get up, despite 101 pacing around her, "hey! Wow. It really is a small world, huh! Look at those eyes. You still have that temper, huh. Then again... nobody broke your spirit, you could always take a hit. I took care of you, I fed you, I taught you when you had nowhere else. This is what I get?"

"You took more from me than whatever I might possibly owe."

"If all that's true, how come you ran then?"

"Well, I didn't. I went independent."

101 cackles, "independent?" He sighs before taking another swing at 067, but she must have seen it coming, because she moves back and out of the way everyone gasps as 101 grabs 067 and throws her to the ground again. 067 tries to get up but 101 knocks her down again before kicking her. "Independent, huh? Are you some kind of activist? Come on then, go wave a flag. Oh that's Right you're from North Korea, huh? Then wave theirs."

Opal could never stand bullies, especially when one is so much bigger than the other, "hey!" She shouts as she steps out of the crowd, "enough!"

101 turns to Opal, "what business is this of yours?"

"It's not, but you may want to consider the 454 witnesses to you beating her," Opal crosses her arms.

"Witnesses never bothered me before."

"Then you're a shittier criminal than I thought."

Before 101 can step toward Opal another man, 456, shoves him out of the way, "hey, you come here. Hold still." He moves 067's head to one side, "oh, that scar on your neck. You're the damn pickpocket! My money, give it back. Where is it? You took it. I need it." Then 101 kicks 456 out of the way. 456 rolls from the kick but when stands up and tries to square up against 101, "what the hell!"

456 stops when he realizes just how big 101 is, "who are you? What do you think you're doing?"

"Me? Uh, well... look. The names Seong Gi-Hun. I live in Ssangmun-dong."

"Hey, Ssangmun-dong, shit."

"Yeah?"

"This little bitch and I weren't don't talking."

"Yeah, I understand that. It's just there's something that me and this... woman should talk about urgently and it looked like you were busy with, uh, 238 over there, so."

"You bastard. What scheme you two running?"

456 laughs, "you're asking me? What's your problem with this girl, 101? Yeah, I'll bet that, that you're a thug who preys on girls, that takes advantage of them."

Opal begins to slowly clap, "someone get him a trophy."

As she does this 101 turns and lunges at her, but unlike those behind her Opal doesn't flinch. Something that unsettles 101, he isn't used to people standing their ground against him. As the two stare each other down 456 begins to shout, "hey, somebody get over here! We need help!" Then an alarm buzzes, "oh! Oh, there they are! Over here. She'll pick all our pockets, sir. Him too. They'll pick, they pick..."