"Sir?"
"Sir!"
The old man had finally awoken to Gi-Huns calling, a sigh of relief leaving him as the old man looked to him with a large smile.
"Are you alright?" He questioned, returning the smile as the other sat up from his bed. Both of them back in the numbered jackets and shirts.
"Player 456," Player 001 greeted to which Gi-Hun nodded and replied with a quick 'yes' and then shook his head with a small laugh, "I thought you were gone for good," He told the man.
"I'm not going to die that easily." The same smile plastered upon the older mans face with every word he said.
"Of course you won't!" Gi-Hun said, "I got to leave thanks to you, then I came back thanks to you. You can't die first." It almost sounded like a joke but it was closer to the truth than anything. Without this old man, he wouldn't have left and without the visit he had gotten from him, Gi-Hun wouldn't have returned.
Well, that and his ex wife's husband of course.
With no other words, the two of them then looked around, then at the board that once again presented the number of players within the game.
*187*
That would mean that 86 players who said no, decided to come back. That was more than half, more than a quarter at that point.
"A lot of people came back." Player 001 revised Gi-Huns thoughts, and Gi-Hun agreed with him, his eyes still trained on the board in disbelief that so many people actually decided to come back.
But then again, he was also one of those people. How could he be so surprised?
Then pure shock.
A woman making eye contact with him for a spilt second before she looked away, "Thats the woman who didn't get to name her baby. She's back." He said to the older man next to him, still looking to the lady.
"I wonder if she named her child before she came back."
"Goodness," Gi-Hun replied and watched around at more people.
"Gi-Hun."
Gi-Hun turned at his name, instantly recognising the voice.
"Sang-Woo." He replied, moving back from Player 001 and closer to Sang-Woo who had been already walking towards him.
"You're here." He said once he reached Gi-Hun, his eyes meeting with his but then looked the other up and down; not in a judging way either, "I didn't think you'd come."
Gi-Hun clicked his tongue, his gaze moving off to the side, "Me neither," His lips tugged in a small smile as he turned back to look at Sang-Woo again, making eye contact, "What about you? Did you see your mom?" He then asked, considering the two hadn't talked since he had to leave to see his own mother.
Sang-Woo didn't reply, just looked to the ground. Though he wouldn't have much time to answer Gi-Hun anyways- the sound of a softer and sweeter voice piping up from in front of them.
"Good sirs!" The two turned to see Player 199 again, the same person who had helped Gi-Hun before they knew what was even going on. Someone who had saved his life. Gi-Hun couldn't help but be happy to see him.
"It's my saviour!" He smiled, pointing to the man as he nodded and agreed with Gi-Hun.
"It's great to see you again," He then looked to Sang-Woo, "Thank you very much giving me the bud fare." 199 took a bow as he thanked him.
Gi-Hun had looked to Sang-Woo again, bumping his hand into the others to grab his attention. Sang-Woos fingers retracting in reaction, almost intertwining their fingers together but just leaving them in a way were it was cold from the quick loss of warmth; even if it was only for a spilt second they could even experience it.
"You have him bus fare?" Gi-Hun then spoke and Sang-Woo shrugged in reply,
"He said he'd walk from Yeouido to Ansan."
A chuckle emerged from Gi-Hun, "Thats heartwarming, how cute of you." And after those words, Gi-Hun could've swore he saw Sang-Woo tense at the 'compliment'.
The three talked more after the greeting of Player 199, Gi-Huns saviour, and ending up coming to an agreement of a team between the three of them. Well, was three. Player 001 spoke up after hearing the news, wanting to join as well and of course there was no denial of that.
"Your mealtime begins now. All players, please form a line in the center. I will repeat. Your mealtime begins now. All players, please form a line in the center."
Classical music played as players were directed to go get food from the front where more masked men waited.
Gi-Hun, Sang-Woo and their two other allies sat and ate the food the got, a metal bento box being given to them that contained a variety of food.
"The rice is cold. Geez." Gi-Hun complained as he took his first bite, "If we had an stove in the middle we could've warmed it up." He then turned his attention once again to Sang-Woo; who was focused on his own meal, "Do you remember?"
"Gi-Hun."
He hummed in reply to Sang-Woo, having his mouth too full to actually respond.
"If you have time to reminisce, then you have time to try and figure out the next game." His words were passive aggressive, it was almost as if it was meant to come off at harsh but yet Sang-Woos small smile that rested on his lips and monotone would tell a different story.
Gi-Hun stared at his childhood best friend for a moment, taken back by the way he spoke to him, "Hey," He mumbled, "Thats not something I can figure out. We will know when the time comes."
No other words were spoken between the two, just glances between each other that sometimes caught at the same time, making Sang-Woo instantly look away and Gi-Hun looking confused.
"Hey, Open the door you jerks!!"
It had been 'bedtime', a time wheee the lights completely went off and players were advised to go to their beds to sleep, the only thing illuminating the room was the golden piggy bank that hung from the ceiling; displaying the pig in the center that was half full of money.
The yell and banging on doors was heard again from the same woman, demanding the door to be opened.
Gi-Hun sat up in his bed, making a creaking noise that was drown out by the banging and over exaggerated yells and complaints.
He watched the woman a little loner before letting his body fall against the mattress again, closing his eyes and a sigh releasing behind his lips in desperate attempt to fall asleep.
And as if his thoughts were read and taken into consideration, the yelling stopped- and yet still he still couldn't find himself to fall asleep, instead just stared at the ceiling.
Classical Music.
The same thing before, in the first games before everyone knew what would happen. Classical music played to wake them up.
"All player, please form a line in the center." The sweet woman from the speaker's instructed as the players remaining followed.
Gi-Hun did this as well, waiting in a line that moved one step after the other, finally reaching the front to meet 'face to face' with a masked man. The man had a white circle marked on the mask and held out a glass of white milk and
"Excuse me," Gi-Hun said slowly, a smile appearing over his lips, "Do you have any chocolate milk? I can't drink regular milk." When the man didn't respond he only laughed softly and explained himself, "I could never digest it even when I was a kid."
The masked man stared back, still no words spoke and Gi-Hun sighed, taking the things offered to him.
"Darn it.." He mumbled
"You must have been spanked by your father a lot when you were young." A older voice piped from behind him, Gi-Hun turning to see Player 001.
"How did you know?"
The old man hummed and continued, "My son was just like you." He smiled as he walked forward past Gi-Hun.
The two had found themselves with Player 199 and Sang-Woo again, just as they had eaten dinner the night before.
"Sir." Player 199 spoke, Gi-Hun attention spiking as he looked to Sang-Woo and the other.
"Why aren't you eating that?" The saviour asked Sang-Woo, motioning to the food he hadn't even opened or touched.
Sang-Woo grabbed the bread like food and handed it to the other, "You can have it."
"Really?" Really?
Sang-Woo nodded and Player 199 gratefully accepted, "Thank you, sir."
Gi-Hun stared in their direction for a moment, first bus money and now this; a sting of jealousy spiked in his heart, of course it was just his best friend being a kind person but was the full truth?
"The smart ones never eat much, you know." He spoke up, joining in their conversation to shift it off to be less of a nice gesture and when no one responded- Sang-Woo looking off to the side, Gi-Hun offered his milk to Player 199. He wasn't going to drink it anyways so why not a kind gesture from his own.
"Thank you, sir." He repeated to Gi-Hun this time.
Gi-Hun poured whatever crumbs he had left in his mouth, catching Sang-Woo in the corner of his eye. His friend having focused on something in the distance. Gi-Hun had followed his gaze to see not what but who he was eyeing down.
067. The thief.
"The second game will be begin shortly"
It was almost as if this place had perfect timing for interrupting things, "Please follow our staffs instructions."
The voice repeated the words a second time, the four looked among themselves.
It was time.