Fun and Games

Ten

The lights stay on all night, the team shares a few stories for a little bit, but eventually they all fall asleep. When they wake up they hear the classical music playing, the music that always indicates a new game is about to begin. When she wakes up Opal notices he is wrapping in a blanket and leaning against Sang-Woo's chest and his head had been resting on her's. She looks over to Gi-Hun when she hears him speak, "hey, old man? Did you stay up all night?"

001 chuckles, "I thought they would attack again or something."

"Old man, but you must be so exhausted."

"It's all right. You don't really need that much sleep when you're old. And I didn't help when they went after everyone."

"Don't be ridiculous," Opal shakes her head, "you got the guards to come in and stop them."

"Maybe, but keeping night watch was the least I could do."

Then the PA comes on, "attention players. The third game will begin momentarily. Please follow the staff's instructions and swiftly make your way toward the game hall. Let me repeat the instructions. The third game will begin momentarily. Please follow the staff's instructions and swiftly make your way toward the game hall." The players are lead to a large, all white room, as they walk down the stairs to the main level the PA explains what's going to happen, "players, welcome to the third game. For this game, you will play in teams. All players. Please divide yourselves into teams of ten people. Your time limit will be ten minutes. Ten minutes. Let me repeat the instructions."

Opal shakes her head, "I can't listen to that woman's voice anymore." The team gathers in a small circle.

"Something that has teams of ten players," Gi-Hun looks from the clock to his team, "so maybe it's Tail Tag or Why Did You Come to My House?"

"Tail Tag means running, right?"

"Yeah, or it might simply be based on luck."

Opal looks to Sang-Woo, "what are you thinking?"

Sang-Woo takes a deep breath, choosing his next words wisely, "our team already has two girls and an older guy. I'm thinking we better get more men first."

"What if they make us play Gonggi or Elastics?" Gi-Hun attempts to argue, "then, what do we do? Girls are usually the good ones at that."

"That's true, but when it really comes down to it, usually men are better."

Opal scoffs, "if that's the case maybe you should find a man to sleep with."

"I said usually, not always," Sang-Woo grabs Opal's hand as she moves to step away from him. "It's our lives we're betting on right now. And we gotta win."

"Alright, we need four more people, it shouldn't be that hard to find four more people."

"Why don't we spread out look for someone." The team starts to move out and starts to look for teammates, but Sang-Woo stops Ali, looking down to his left hand, "don't let them see. You'll seem weaker." Ali's left hand only has three fingers, since he had lost his pinkie and ring finger in a work accident. Sang-Woo looks around but doesn't see Opal and he begins to panic a bit. He looks around before spotting her looking around the crowd. He breaths a sigh of relief before jogging over to her, "what do you think you're doing?"

"Looking for someone to join our team. You said spread out."

"I meant them, not us."

"Why? Do you think I'm gonna get dragged onto someone else's team."

"No, I just don't want you to get hurt."

"Sang-Woo, I am a big girl, I'll be fine." The two continue to look for people and soon Opal sees a man alone in a corner, "what about him?"

Sang-Woo looks over to the man, player 069, "yeah, maybe." The two walk over to the man, "excuse us, sir. Got a team yet? Are you taken?"

"Huh? Uh, no," 069 shakes his head.

"Come join ours then, sir. We have a team."

"Well, the thing is, though, so I can't join unless she does, too." 069 chuckles nervously as a woman comes up to him, "would you let her?"

While Sang-Woo understand that the man cannot leave his partner behind, he also knows that he can't afford to lose. Not only would he lose his own life, but he would have killed Opal as well. "Oh, I'm sorry. Our team already has too many girls."

As they walk away a man stops them, but he only speaks to Sang-Woo, "excuse me. Still picking who to join? You should come with us."

"I already have a team, we are just looking for a few extra players."

"Alright, good luck."

As they look around they hear 101 speaking rather loudly, "sorry, maybe we can team up next time."

"Babe, wait," they turn to see 212 lunging at 101. "I don't get it. Come on, you're just joking."

"My teams full. I'm sorry. We've got ten already."

"Old man, no, please, you can't do this." 212 then drops to her knees and sobs, "I'm sorry. I'll do anything. Babe, I swear I'll do better. Uh, I'm good at everything. You know that's true."

"Just listen, okay?" 101 pulls 212 to her feet, "let's split up just for this game, all right? Then meet up with the next one, huh?"

212 continues to sob and hugs 101, "but... do we really need to, though? You said we'd do this together. Babe. Can you really do this alone? I need you, old man. Can't you see that?"

101 then throws 212 to the floor, "get off! God, this bitch is so pathetic. Get your hands off me. And stop calling me 'babe' and 'old man,' huh! Call me that one more fucking time and I'll cut your goddman throat out!"

212 calmly stands up, holding back tears, "you asshole."

"Just stop it. You were using me."

"Jang Deok-Su. Goddamn you, scumbag. You betrayed me, you're dead now. Got that?"

"Oh, I'm so scared. Ms. Han Mi-Nyeo. Well then, best of luck to you, huh?"

Opal doesn't even look up to Sang-Woo, "if you ever do that to me, I'll kill you in your sleep."

"Got it," Sang-Woo nods a bit, he can't seem to telling if Opal is joking, but something tells him she's not.

Opal walks up to Mi-Nyeo, "come on, you can join our team."

"What?" Sang-Woo protests.

"Look around you, there's no one else and we need ten people."

Then the team gathers back together, triple checking they have ten players. Sang-Woo is less than happy they someone brought another girl, "what about you?" He gesture to the girl next to Sae-Byeok, 240. "Who brought you here?"

"Her," she nods toward Sae-Byeok.

Sang-Woo sighs, clearly not happy with her or Opal, "I said to bring only men back here, didn't I?"

"This doesn't sound good. You want me to go? I'll go."

Gi-Hun stops 240 as she starts to get up, "no, wait, hold on. It's okay. Stay where you are." Sang-Woo looks over to Gi-Hun like he is as bad as the girls, "we don't even know what we're doing yet. And our time's almost over. Who did you two find anyway?"

"Uh," Opal looks up and sees Mi-Nyeo walking toward them, having taken a private moment, "her..."

"I'm playing with you all as a special deal here, okay?" Mi-Nyeo sits between 240 and Gi-Hun, "man, you guys lucked out today, good thing my girl over there has good taste," she points to Opal, who cringes a bit, already regretting her decision. Mi-Nyeo looks around the rest of the group, "yikes! I'll be way more help than either of these two wimpy little girls. Plus, I'm good at everything, expect the things I can't do." She laughs and Sang-Woo glares over to Opal a bit, she shrugs and gives him a face that says, 'what can ya do?'

When the timer goes off the PA begins, "the time for forming your teams is over. All players, please line up with your teammates at the entrance to the game hall."

"Hold on," Gi-Hun looks around. "We're not gonna stay in here, though?"