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Yoongi's eyes widen from hearing your words. He has never seen anyone so determined to end the game.
"You do know we are still in my room, right? She can still hear everything." Yoongi mentions.
"I'm well aware. I want her to hear me, so she can be ready for when I come and steal away her crown." You playfully wink at him and stand from the bed, unbothered by your threat.
"It's late. We should probably go down and eat some dinner." You turn on your heels, but you spin too fast and nearly fall.
Luckily, Yoongi is there to catch you beforehand. His arm wraps around your waist before you fall to the ground.
"Whoa, slow down, doll. You're still weak right now. Let me—" Yoongi starts to offer you his hand, but you decline it nicely.
"Yoongi, I appreciate it, but I need to do this by myself, especially if she's watching." You whisper to him from behind. You have to show your strength, so she will know you can go through anything and still be strong enough to beat her.
He nods his head and lets you go.
"I understand. If you change your mind, let me know." He opens the door for you to leave his room.
"Thank you, Yoongi. I promise I'll help everyone." You smile and place your hand on his cheek, which catches him off guard at first, but he then takes your hand and brings it to his lips, placing a soft kiss on your skin.
"I know you will." He grins warmly.
You walk through the door and leave him be as you step down the stairs slowly and walk to the kitchen. Yoongi would probably be down to eat later.
Jin, Hoseok, and Jimin eat quietly in the kitchen.
It doesn't surprise you why it's so quiet in here. Jin didn't want you finishing the game, Hoseok and Jimin were probably mad because you both left them at the mall earlier. You can understand their frustration.
Jin glances at you and goes back to his food before sighing.
"She lost," he mumbles and glances at your body.
Your arms are reddened with marks and small bruises, legs wobbly, hair an absolute mess from the day-long experience, and your neck and collarbones are littered with hickeys. Plus, your huge bite mark shows on your shoulder, followed by smaller bite marks placed everywhere else.
"Guess it's over. We will never be free, so this is exactly why I said not to try because even you couldn't beat her—"
"Jin, you're so funny." You walk further into the room as best as you can with what little strength you have left in your exhausted body.
Maybe you were laughing because, despite how far you've come, he still doesn't believe you can do it.
You come to the booth and slide in with the rest of them. You grab an extra plate and load your dish with the delicious smelling food that sits in the middle of the round table.
"Funny? You think this is a game?" He says a little annoyed.
You smirk as you continue to load your plate with the spaghetti.
"On the contrary, it is." You grab a fork and twirl it into the noodles.
He practically lunges across the table and grabs your chin roughly.
"You know it won't be long before you're in a gamer house becoming a level yourself, right? You don't have what it takes." He narrows his eyes, a smirk now on his lips when he thinks he got you, of course, he can't be farther from the truth. He lets go of your chin, thinking he won whatever it is he's trying to settle with you.
Although you never thought to see Jin act this way, the day has finally come. He hasn't been the same since Namjoon, and it shows clearly. He lashes out whenever, and he's lost his soft side because of it.
"You know it won't be long before you're free and out on the streets, right?" You pause and raise up from your spot, getting eye level with him.
Now, you grab his chin, but you do it softly.
"Baby boy, you don't know who you're messing with. You might need this seat more than me because I'm not weak, and you might need to be sitting down when you watch me save your ass." You stand up and turn around, then you push him into your seat.
"I beat Yoongi's level, and if anyone doesn't believe me... well, you can go to some porn website where I'm sure it's already published with a few thousand views, if not more, and watch it yourselves."
Cutting you off, Jin's phone rings in his pocket, and he takes out the device before answering.
"Hello?" Jin questions, but he then places the phone on speaker.
"Congratulations! You have reached higher than any other player without backing out or losing! Y/N, you're requested to join us at the mansion of Victoria Night tomorrow evening. Please, be prepared for the bonus level. We will see you tomorrow!" The man says happily over the phone.
You grin and speak your own words.
"See you there," you say in a low, seductive voice. You can hear his voice tremble as he responds to you over the phone.
"Uh, yes. Please, be on time." Then he cuts off the call. The guy on the other line wasn't expecting your reply, but you know when Ashlynn hears how you replied that she'll know you aren't fucking around.
Victoria Night.
You mentally roll your eyes from the fake name she tells everyone.
"How can you be so calm?" Jin looks at you worriedly.
"It's like this, Jin, either you let fear eat away at you piece by piece, or you do something about it, so I did." You explain and watch how they take in your body and the marks left behind on your skin.
"Does it hurt?" Jimin asks, his eyes slowly widening as he looks down at your body.
"These?" You hold up your wrist and point with your other hand at the marks from being tied up for so long.
Jimin nods slowly, eyes on the marks wrapping around your wrist.
"It's nothing time won't heal." You smile to yourself while you look down at your body.
It doesn't hurt as much because you know you have a reason for doing all of this. To give back the freedom they lost and save Jungkook and everyone else from Ashlynn.
"Now, if that's all, I need to eat before bed." You take the plate from the table and walk over to the counter to eat the rest of your food.
You place the dish in the sink and walk out of the kitchen after you're done, but before you can fully escape, Hoseok comes running out of the kitchen and grabs your hand.
"I know you're tired, but I can't let you go to bed like this. You need a shower. Your body is sore and swollen. You need to be taken care of and a warm bath will help relieve some of the pressure." Hoseok explains and suddenly, picks you up over his shoulder and walks up the stairs with you.
"Hoseok, put me down!" You try to punch his back with your fists, but he doesn't budge and continues to walk to your room.
You're trying to prove your strength, and Hoseok is messing up your act.
"A quick shower and bed," Hoseok repeats once more, and you ultimately give in.
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Once the bath is drawn and you're inside the warm water, you sigh relaxed.
Hoseok is right. You did need this.
He sits on the floor of the bathroom. He's on his knees, washing your back with a yellow sponge.
"I don't see how you're still capable of moving around. Your body looks beaten." Hoseok trails with his fingers down parts of your arms and shoulders where bite marks are left on your skin from Yoongi.
"I know Yoongi had to do this, but he didn't have to be so rough with you." Hoseok mentions, wincing as he runs over a whip mark on your back. "You know these are going to leave scars, right? Especially his bite mark on your shoulder."
You already knew the damage would be permanent on some parts of your body.
It doesn't hurt you, but you smile to yourself when he winces himself without even having the mark on his own body.
"Hoseok, I was truthful in the kitchen. It doesn't hurt that bad. Yoongi warned me before I even walked into his room about this, so I was prepared a little for some of these." You run your hand down parts of your body where the marks are visible.
"Well, be more prepared for tomorrow. We've never seen the bonus level before, so we have no idea what to expect. Since Ashlynn is legally married to Jungkook, she probably isn't happy about getting an alert that a player has reached the highest ever in her game." Hoseok explains.
"I know, but call me weird because I feel like if Jungkook is there, then I'll be okay. I've seen him in ways none of you have before, and I know he's waiting to be rescued. I want to be the one to save him." You tell Hoseok, and he stops washing your back to look at you.
"Y/N," he says your name softly, which makes you turn and look fully at him. His face is a mix of two emotions: worry and confusion. "I'm not saying it's wrong to have some sort of feelings for him—" Hoseok starts, but you begin to protest his statement, but he firmly stops you.
"Let me finish. It's not wrong for you to hold feelings towards him, but you have to know he's been through a lot. If you do save him, and us, I don't want your hopes to fall if he decides to run as soon as he's given the chance. He's young, scared, and has a responsibility now. Just... Don't let your heart down if he doesn't want to stick around, okay?" Hoseok says calmly to get his point through to you.
"I know this, Hoseok. It's the same with all of you. If I do beat the game, then more than likely you all will get as far away from the city as you can." You explain, but Hoseok shakes his head.
"I'm staying right here. I've lived in this city all my life. If I get my freedom back, then the first place I'm going is home. To see my family and let them know I'm still alive." Hoseok explains while smiling to himself about his short daydream.
"No pressure on you if you can't take the next round, I won't be upset. You have tried more than anyone here, so for that, I'm grateful for your dedication." He quickly rinses the soap bubbles off your back. After washing your hair, he then helps you out of the bath.
He pulls the towel over your body and wipes up all the water that still runs down your skin. He places the towel on your head to towel dry your hair and grins widely when he sees you.
"I'm happy you came here. I was having to put on a huge act to be someone I'm not. I had to act like I was horny and ready to have sex with everyone at any given time... I mean, we all had to act that way." His lips thin. "Anyway, don't stress too much about tomorrow." Hoseok walks with you into your room and helps you dress for bed.
Afterward, he helps you get settled into the bed and covers you up.
"Goodnight, Y/N; try to sleep." He says quietly when he leaves your room.
You lay still in the dark and think about how sweet Hoseok has been to you tonight. You know you have a job to do tomorrow evening and so you go to sleep quickly.
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The next day went by incredibly fast. It seemed like breakfast didn't last but a few minutes itself.
Most of them have been taking care of you throughout the day. They brought you anything you wanted, handing you blankets or pillows when you took an hour to relax and watch television. Jimin and Yoongi accompanied you to watch a show.
After the show was over, both of them urge you to your room where they said they have a gift waiting for you.
You smile and follow them up the stairs.
Upon opening the door, you see the rest of them surrounded in your room.
Jin is leaning against the back wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He doesn't make eye contact with you, keeping his gaze on the floor.
Hoseok stands next to a mannequin that has a short, tight-fitting dress around its body.
"Surprise!" Hoseok and Jimin burst out happily, while Yoongi moves to sit on the edge of your bed and covers his ears from the loudness.
"Quiet, it's too loud!" Yoongi barks out. Two apologies are said from the two.
As you walk closer into your bedroom, you get a better look at the dress.
The color of the dress is gold. The top part shimmers brightly as the light hits the chest piece. The silk-like gold ribbon wraps around the waist of the fabric. The bottom is a tight-fitting style to the gold that reverts to a lighter color as the dress expands lower. It's a rich-looking tight dress.
It's short and fancy, which gives it an elegant vibe. It's made beautifully, and it's not too much or too little. It's just right.
"For the bonus level, I went out and bought it for you." Hoseok cheers and a few coughs are said around the room.
"Okay fine, we snuck out and bought it for you last night after you went to sleep, but I picked it out." Hoseok smiles warmly. "It's simple and doesn't expose a lot of skin but that's the point. She's going to be in some ridiculous outfit, while you're going to walk into her house dressed as a queen."
It surprises you how long you've been with them. Of course, the years have been on and off, but you've never truly been done with them, even when you were living with Sunwoo. They are no longer strangers. They are more than that now, they're your friends. It fills your heart up with joy to see them trying to make you happy.
"Thank you," you say kindly and rush up to Hoseok and give him a huge hug first.
Then you go around the room and hug everyone else, including Jin, who stays stiff as you hug him, but he does a low smile in the end.
Maybe he's starting to listen to what everyone is trying to tell him, and you seemed to help a lot too from what you said to him yesterday.
"Let's get you dressed," Jin says contently.
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The dress fits perfectly, but before you can take in your body, Yoongi places a necklace around your neck, which is a golden heart.
After Yoongi hooks the necklace together, he pauses and trails with his finger over your shoulder on the scabbed bite mark.
"Sorry... I should've faked it." Yoongi whispers to you, but you protest.
"It had to be done, Yoongi, and I'm fine. Besides, I bit you just as hard—"
"Because I forced you to do it. It's all my fault that you're so bruised up and everything. I did way too much. I should've—" You quickly hush him before he gets too worked up.
"I'm going to save us, Yoongi, and I feel wonderful. You did what you were told to do to survive, and so did I. You're not the one at fault here, she is, and never forget that." After hearing you say those words, Yoongi seems to lighten up a bit.
Afterward, you turn back and look at the necklace he placed around your neck.
"The necklace is so beautiful." You comment while looking in the mirror.
"Jungkook bought that for you. He said he bought it the first time he saw you walking on the streets after everything happened. When he brought you here, he gave it to me to keep until you passed my level. He had hope that you would make it, and he said he wanted you to wear it during his level." Yoongi explains, which causes your heart to beat faster.
Jungkook has that much faith in me?
You smile warmly and grab onto the necklace, but you shake your head and get back to reality.
The rest leave the room and head downstairs, getting dressed for the prize level. Yoongi and Hoseok stay with you to help with the finishing touches.
After your heart settles, you fully take in your body. You look at yourself in the body-sized mirror. You wear glittering gold high heels.
"Wow," you admire yourself fully.
Of course, all the marks and bruises from the night before are easily found given the dress is showy around your shoulders.
"We're not done yet." Hoseok muses.
"Close your eyes," he insists, and you do.
You feel something land on the top of your head but say nothing and wait like you're supposed to.
"Now, open your eyes," Hoseok whispers while stepping back.
You open your eyes and look straight at your head. A diamond-encrusted, gold crown sits there. It's not huge but small and makes you stand out more.
"A crown?" You still have your eyes on it with confusion.
"Yeah, we already believe you can do it. So we thought might as well go ahead and give you your crown. Cheesy I know, but she won't think that. Ashlynn's blood will be boiling when you walk inside her home with your head held high and your crown standing out." Hoseok admits, then tells you to come downstairs when you're ready.
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The rest of them got dressed in fancy black suits, while you were busy settling your nerves. Eventually, you head downstairs to find them. Everyone is ready to leave.
After that, everyone piles into the vehicle and leaves the city. The whole ride feels odd because not everyone is here with you on the drive to her house.
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Now, you're on Ashlynn's doorstep like you were a few years ago and are a little nervous, but you push down the gut-turning feeling and step forward.
A young butler comes to the door with a strict expression.
"Y/N, if you will follow me. You're requested to speak with Lady Victoria before the bonus level begins." The butler says, taking you away from the group of boys.
"Y/N!" Jimin tries to grab your hand back into the small circle, but you pull away from him.
"Jimin, this is something I have to do alone. Let me go, so I can help you." You speak sweetly, and he looks hurt from your strong words to continue to play the game to save everyone.
He knows he can never have that much courage. He looks up at you and nods.
"Yeah, go do what you need to." He lets you go, and the butler pulls you upstairs into the huge mansion.
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Entering the room is creepy. It's dark and candlelit from around the corners. Red candles ignite the room in a hellfire design, which you take notice of quickly when you step inside. She wants to prove her playground and now she has.
The floor is black tile and the ceiling is covered in mirrors. A fancy round bed sits in the middle of the room
"This way, please," the butler guides you into the room where Ashlynn is dressed in a red, shimmering dress. She's sitting down on the edge of the bed with a long slit cut to show off her legs while waiting for you.
Once Ashlynn sees you, she smiles darkly. "Leave us," she instructs the butler who leaves just as quickly as he came.
When he shuts the door behind him, you stand still and wait for whatever speech she has to say.
"You know... this is where Jungkook and I make love... right here on this bed every night." She laughs, but you don't so much as bat an eyelash.
"Did I ask?" You remark, but she changes the topic.
"You're quite the little player, aren't you?" Ashlynn muses, running her eyes up and down your beaten body from your previous level.
"I like your crown, Y/N; it's suitable for a dick-hungry slut like yourself." She smirks devilishly as she stands and comes closer to you.
You tighten your fist when she comes closer.
"Don't worry, dear, we're all a little slutty at times." She pauses and removes the crown from your head carefully. "But that doesn't mean we get to go around and act like royals. You have to be born in that society... and from your past, I'd say you're far from it." She spits hatefully but still keeps her relaxed tone.
"It's both ways, sweetheart. Seems like your daddy got it stuck in your head you're something special." You spit out yourself.
She isn't a fucking queen or anything near it, so she needs to stop acting like it. She nods her head up and down as if that's a good comeback.
"Maybe... but at least my daddy loves me. Can you say the same?" She cocks her head to the side, and you have to fight every nerve in your body not to lunge at her.
She has to know about your past. She must've pulled up records and knows about your family history. Yes, your parents are fucked up, but you aren't, and so you left. Your family treated you like an outcast, but at least they didn't mess with your feelings and lie about how they felt towards you. You knew they didn't care about you, but you felt the same way about them.
"No, I can't, but can you say Jungkook loves you? Has he laid down beside you in bed and hugged you tightly? Has he kissed the top of your head just because he felt like it? Has he ever shown you a bit of affection before? I can say he has me, and though my father may not love me, at least I have a group of people who do, and it's real—unlike your daddy putting up with a brat like you because your mother told him not to pull out." You can see the rage on her features, but she bites her tongue.
"We'll see how this bonus level goes. If you fail, which you will, I can't wait to watch you be tortured in every fucking way possible." She snaps and calls back for her butler. She tosses your crown on the floor where it slides to the other side of the room.
"Dress her for the bonus level. Whores don't get to look like royalty, especially where this bitch came from." Then she storms out of the room.
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