Squid Game (Jikook)

╔ 5 ╝

The timer had started going down at thirty minutes. Thirty minutes before the players were supposed to go to bed.

Thirty minutes until it goes dark.

"How many people do you think will try and attack?" Jimin wonders aloud, as the clock hits five minutes.

"I'd like to hope barely anyone," 097 shivers a bit, Jimin can feel the vibrations.

"It's not people's natural instinct to kill, not in this society at least," Jimin agrees. "But...then again...in desperation..."

"We'll be fine," 097's voice is firm. "We're in this together. We won't die." He extends his hand.

In fear, Jimin didn't question, he just takes it, shaking it briefly before letting go. "We sure as hell won't."

Together they watch as the seconds go down. At two minutes, 097 speaks up. "I'll take the first shift. You should sleep."

"No," Jimin finds himself saying. "You...you had a scare today. You're probably exhausted from that."

"I'm fine," 097 waves a hand. "You wasted more energy worrying about me I'm sure."

"Shut the fuck up or I'll push you off this bed."

"Alright, alright, feelings are hard, I know," 097 can't help but chuckle softly, despite the tension. "But let me take the first shift. I won't be able to sleep anyways."

"Me neither," He whispers.

"Okay, well then we'll just both stay up..." 097 says. "And wait."

"For the inevitable," Jimin's breath hitches.

"Don't say that 136," He scolds. "We don't know."

"Some of these people are itching to kill," Jimin states the obvious. "You know how they feel knowing they can without being reprimanded."

097 didn't speak.

"10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1."

It was as if the creators of the game were entertaining the violence, the female announcer counting down. The lights shut off. The room was now so dark, Jimin could barely see his hand a foot from his face.

He held his breath as silence took hold of the room. His ears strained to listen, willing himself to hear anything. 097 was tense next to him. They were so close...he wondered if the taller could feel his speeding heartbeat.

Less than a minute went by before they heart the first scream.

"Grab your bottle," 097 instructed, as chaos broke out in the darkness. Jimin does as told, taking it from under the pillow.

He smashes it against the wall right as the lights start flickering on and off. "What the fuck is happening!?" He yells.

Multiple people are screaming at this point as others run around, chasing, killing, fighting. Jimin feels nauseous with the flashing lights, straining his eyes as he watches.

"We have to stay together 136," 097 tells him. "I need to know you're alive."

"Of course we'll stay together," Jimin snaps. "You've already almost gotten yourself killed once today. I need to protect you."

Near the front of the room, one of the beds gets knocked over. A woman tumbles out and falls on her head, her neck snapping. The floor is already bloody, people are strangling each other.

Their own bunk moves. "Jump!"

Jimin does so, shattered bottle in hand. He lands on the steps below, his knees buckling with impact. It hurts only a little, he stands up quickly. 097 is by his side right away. The bunk fell away from them, crushing a man. But they were safe.