In-ho knew that Robert had seen him and recognised him. He knew that he should try and remain as passive as possible, but he couldn't stop the smirk from forming on his face when he caught his eye. He looked positively annoyed and In-ho knew that he was going to have fun taunting him, knowing that Elizabeth was watching on and had been the one behind the plot. He'd kept his distance from everyone so far, food being delivered to them after a short while. He'd grabbed one of the lunch boxes and bottles of water and looked around the dormitory. It felt strange to be back, but it was a completely different scenario to before. This time he was the one in control.
He ate his dinner and knew that he had to make a move sooner or later. Gi-hun had been sat on the stairs, not touching his food. Another man was next to him and In-ho suspected that was his friend. He'd been following him during 'red light, green light' and the two seemed cosy. In-ho lingered as Gi-hun spoke after his friend talked about being able to make it through the next game. That was what they all said, not realising the danger they were putting themselves in.
"Jung-bae," Gi-hun spoke, voice soft but firm. "When I was first in here three years ago, I heard a player say something just like that."
Jung-bae paused then, fork hovering in mid-air as he observed his friend intently and he continued to tell his story. "By the end, they were dead just like everybody else."
In-ho knew that he had to strike then. He'd been biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment to step in. A part of him wondered if Gi-hun would even question him as player 001. The last player 001 had been a traitor. Clearly, there was a pattern. It had almost amused In-ho to think of it like that, but he did his best not to let it show on his face. For now, he had to be someone else. He had to be Young-il. He knew that he could do it. Thankfully, Robert also had no idea what his real name was. He had still been Young-il when Elizabeth had introduced the pair of them.
"Then why don't you help us, sir?" In-ho wondered, taking a step up towards Gi-hun, the other man's face turned into one of slight anger at the sight of In-ho. He had been the one who had kept them there after all. He'd been the one who had ruined so much. A small crowd had gathered then, clearly a lot of people longing to talk to a previous champion and find out his secrets and how he'd survived the games. "You said that you'd been here before."
Gi-hun looked down to the ground, setting his tray down as In-ho just kept on watching him.
"You're the reason I voted to stay," he confessed and Gi-hun looked at him in surprise. "It's true. After the first game, I thought I was going to quit. And then I saw you. And I thought to myself 'one more and then I can go.'"
There was a chorus of agreement from behind In-ho and in his head he was turning around and sneering at them, seeing them for what they were. But he kept his mind focused and crouched down slightly, forcing Gi-hun to look him in the eye. "Sir, you know what's next, don't you?"
Everyone looked intrigued then, the crowd behind shuffling closer and waiting for Gi-hun to answer like he was some kind of prophet. In-ho waited too, his mind going back to Elizabeth and the discussion that they'd had about the second game.
"It can't be dalgona," Elizabeth said, perching on his lap and looking down over the designs for the second game. "If it's dalgona then there's an advantage and you don't want him to have an advantage. You want people to think that he has the advantage…they'll go to him like he's a messiah and then when they find out that it's not dalgona, well, they might turn on him."
"And if he doesn't tell them he knows the second game or that he's been in it before?" In-ho wondered from her and he felt her wrap an arm around his shoulders.
He kept his around her waist, stopping her from slipping from his lap. She'd walked in and found him working, firmly planting herself on top of him and kissing him hello. He'd let her pick up the paper work in front of them on the table, looking over it intently, her eyes flickering from page to page as he told her what he was working on. He lifted a hand to toy with the edge of the belt buckle that she wore around her black skirt with a green high neck jumper.
Raking her fingers through her hair, Elizabeth shrugged and tossed her locks behind her shoulders, falling freely down her back. "He'll tell people," Elizabeth said. "If his aim is to stop the games then he'll tell people what happens in the hope that they'll listen to him. They'll be some who don't believe him during the first game, but they'll soon see he's telling the truth when people begin dropping like flies. After that, they'll go to him for advice on the second game."
"And no matter what he tells them the second game is, they'll still keep playing. They'll keep going despite the consequences because all they think is 'one more game'…you survive game after game, you start thinking your invincible."
"Is that what happened to you?" Elizabeth dared to ask him and she felt him tense up under her arm, shoulders hunching and fingers still on her belt. She never really asked him about what happened in his games. He'd told her small things, but not the whole story. She rarely asked because she didn't want him to relive it. She knew it was a time in his life he preferred not to think about.
"Yes," In-ho admitted that much to her because it was true. That was exactly what he'd thought at the time. He bit down on his tongue and Elizabeth ran her hand along his shoulder. "At the same time, I knew that if I didn't make it out alive with the money then my wife would die…and if she died then I'd have no purpose…no reason to go back…in the end, it didn't matter anyway. I went through all of that just to lose her."
"I'm sorry," Elizabeth whispered.
"You don't need to apologise," he told her and she just shook her head.
"Still, I can't even imagine how hard it must've been for you."
"I've learned how to cope," he said. "I've learned how to handle it. It's a time in my life that I don't like thinking back on. I can't. What use is dwelling on it when there is so much more that I have to do?"
Elizabeth figured that he was bottling things up. She doubted that he had actually ever come to terms with what had happened to his wife. She wouldn't blame him if he hadn't. The pain and the horror of losing her must have been unbearable. Elizabeth just kissed him on the cheek and left it at that. She wasn't going to keep probing him. He felt her head go to rest on his shoulder and she didn't ask him anything else. He relaxed then, grateful that she knew how to let him be. She gave him his own space and he appreciated that more than anything because he knew that was what he needed the most. He needed to process things on his own.
"When we were kids, we used to have sport's days," Elizabeth said, changing tack completely. "You know, it would be things like egg and spoon races…sprinting…jumping in a sack."
"Egg and spoon race?"
"You used to have a hard-boiled egg, balance it on a spoon and race other people," Elizabeth told him. "And you lost if you dropped your egg."
"Seems like a waste of a perfectly good egg."
"I guess any oval shaped object that could fit on a teaspoon would've done," Elizabeth said. "Anyway, that's not the point. The point is that you used to have do all these mini games…maybe that's what can come next…not just one game, but several games in one. No one will be prepared for that."
In-ho considered what she was saying and he toyed with the idea of what that might look like. Perhaps it didn't need to be an individual game either. Perhaps it could be a team game. Elizabeth picked her head up and looked at him with wide eyes, waiting for him to say something back to her. Raising the back of his hand to her cheek, he brushed it down to her jaw and searched her questioning green eyes. His lips snaked upwards into a smirk.
"You're devious, do you know that?" he whispered to her and Elizabeth just shrugged.
"It's been said," she told him and he chuckled but still bent down to kiss her.
"Dalgona," Gi-hun finally told them what the second game was. In-ho nodded thoughtfully as someone laid on a bunk above Gi-hun crawled forwards and checked that it was the game he thought it was, the one where they cut shapes out of honeycomb.
"That's right," Gi-hun confirmed. "We had to pick one out of the four shapes they showed us."
"Okay then," Jung-bae said, trying to be encouraging. "So, of those, which was the easiest one to do?" he asked.
"The triangle," Gi-hun said.
"And which was the hardest one?" Jung-bae pushed.
"Umbrella."
In-ho couldn't resist chiming in. "Umbrella," he scoffed, a laugh of disbelief escaping his lips. "What…so players actually picked umbrella? They had no idea what the game was so I bet they were totally screwed, right?" He couldn't help but enjoy the look on Gi-hun's face, like he was actually back in that game after picking umbrella. He was taunting him and he didn't even know it.
"Wait." The guy on the bunk above said, picking at his food. "Wait. That means we all just need to pick the triangle. Everyone should be able to get through that one, right?"
Another man pushed through the crowd as there were murmurs of exclamation, people actually beginning to look excited. "Wait, wait, wait," he said, a voice of authority coming from him. "If all 365 of us survive, that means the prize money stays the same."
And, of course, that wasn't what they wanted to happen. In-ho looked over the man, wondering if he remembered him from the recruitment list.
"That means we'll have risked our lives to play another game for nothing."
Everyone started to agree as the man, Player 100, told everyone that they had to keep quiet and not tell everyone about what they'd found out. But Gi-hun wasn't letting that stand. Despite the man's brash attitude and, from what In-ho could see, he was a bully, Gi-hun still stood up to him.
"We can't keep quiet. The only reason I am telling you this is because I want to save everybody. When I'm positive that dalgona is the next thing we're playing, then I'll tell every single player here what I just told you people."
The crowd dispersed in annoyance, muttering and complaining about Gi-hun's behaviour. In-ho remained stood where he was though. What he hadn't anticipated was Robert finally making his move. He wasn't finished with talking to Gi-hun, but he guessed that he had to deal with Elizabeth's deranged ex firstly.
"We need to talk," Robert snapped and he looked a far cry from the well-groomed and well-dressed American diplomat that he was only a few months ago. In-ho knew that Robert was attracting attention with his bold demand and the way he held himself, an air of arrogance surrounding him like it always did.
"I have nothing to say to you," In-ho said, voice cold and low.
"I have plenty to say to you," Robert hissed back.
"Is there a problem here?" Jung-bae was the one to ask. Gi-hun remained quiet, observing the scene in front of him. He didn't need to get dragged into anyone's fights. He had his own agenda and that didn't involve fighting people's battles.
Player 388 from the bunk above slipped off of it and stood to the side, clearly ready to intervene if something happened. In-ho, however, wasn't worried about anything happening. He knew how to handle Robert Jacobs.
"This man ruined my life," Robert snarled.
In-ho's lips arched at that. Even now, he wasn't blaming himself for his current predicament. He finally turned to face Robert head on, eyes set on him and face stoic. He wasn't going to let him get under his skin, no matter what he said. Then again, In-ho suspected all he had to do was say the wrong thing and it might be enough to make him change his mind. He knew that he could be rational and controlled, but there were things that pushed his buttons.
"You ruined your own life by getting into debt. Don't blame me."
"You stole my wife," Robert hissed.
"Wait a minute," Player 388 spoke up. "Aren't you that American who was in the news a while ago? The guy people accused of killing his wife?"
"I never laid a finger on her," Robert seethed, pointing at 388 and shaking his head firmly. He looked back to In-ho and a smile of disbelief formed on his face, a huff of breath escaping him. Moving his hands to his hips, he shifted from one foot to another. "But if you're here then what? Things ended between the two of you? She forced you in here because you couldn't afford her lavish lifestyle?"
"I'm here for my own personal reasons," In-ho told him. "Me being here has nothing to do with Elizabeth. She's safe and back in the United States. She left because she had nothing but bad memories…nothing but pain…she's gone to start a new life and I let her go. I let her go because I wanted that for her."
Robert blinked profusely, shaking his head. "She told me that you two were still together."
"We are, but she needs some space," In-ho told him. "Now, while it would give me nothing but great pleasure to wipe the floor with you, I have nothing else to say to you."
"Well, I have plenty to say to you," Robert promised him. "You think that I'm going to let you get away with what you've done? You took her from me. You took my wife…and now I have nothing. I have nothing and I'm in these stupid games because of you."
In-ho shook his head once. "You're in these games because you gambled everything that you had. And I didn't take your wife from you. Your wife willingly left you."
"I'm not surprised," Jung-bae scoffed and Robert's head snapped around, his glare focusing on the man who had just spoken. He took a step towards him and Gi-hun laid a hand on his friend's arm, trying to keep him from getting into trouble.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Robert demanded from him.
"We all watch the news," Jung-bae continued. "We all know what you did."
"She was lying," Robert said, but there was a desperate edge to his voice. "She wanted to ruin me and make herself look like a victim all so she could run off with him," he pointed at In-ho. "And they ruined my life."
"And we all know that's a lie," In-ho said. "And you, more than anyone, know the truth. You're just in denial because that's the kind of man you are…someone who gets his kicks out of hurting those who can't fight back."
"You think you know her?" Robert questioned. "You don't know her. You don't know anything about her."
"I know her better than you think," In-ho assured him. "So just walk away before I do something I might not regret, but you will."
Robert seemed to hesitate then and In-ho wondered if, for a moment, he was going to lash out and try to fight him. He didn't, however, he just sneered in his face. "This isn't over," he warned him and In-ho watched him walk away, his hand going to his chest and his eyes flickering to the camera in the corner of the room for a moment.
He knew it wasn't over. In fact, it was just getting started.
…
Elizabeth had gone back to the apartment after In-ho had walked her to the car. He had handed her the keys and held the door open for her, his hand brushing her arm as she climbed in. She had glanced to him, but the mask was still covering his face and she wanted to rip it off of him just to see him one final time. She didn't. She just let her fingers twitch before she started the ignition and drove back to the apartment. Typing in the passcode, Elizabeth locked the door behind her and kicked her heels from her feet and hid the gun he had given her. Untying the mask, she dropped it onto the sideboard and headed into the living room. Turning the television on, she found the live stream of the dormitory.
The vote had just finished and she could see that there had been one vote in it. The games were still going ahead. Elizabeth had rolled her eyes. She saw that In-ho had just pressed the button and he'd had the deciding vote. It had been tight and he'd had the deciding vote. Elizabeth chuckled and moved to the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of water.
"Sneaky, In-ho, very sneaky," she muttered and walked to the sofa. She curled her legs underneath her and sat down, placing her glass on the coffee table. Leaning back, she unbuttoned the suit jacket she wore and got comfortable. For a short while, In-ho seemed just to wander around aimlessly and she wondered what he was thinking about.
After a few minutes, however, he moved towards Player 456. They spoke animatedly about something and Elizabeth drummed her fingers on her thigh. A crowd had formed behind In-ho, but it soon disappeared after something Gi-hun had said. They left, but In-ho remained where he was. It was then when Elizabeth saw Robert head towards him.
"Couldn't resist, could you?" Elizabeth murmured as she saw the 'o' on his chest. Of course he had continued. "What do you want from him?"
She could tell that things were getting heated between them as Robert stepped closer to In-ho, but he didn't back down. He remained still like a statue. Someone else must've said something because Robert's gaze snapped over to them for a moment before it went back to In-ho.
"Don't sink to his level," Elizabeth urged from In-ho, wondering what he was thinking. "Don't let him get under your skin…think of the plan…come on, In-ho."
Just as the two men came face-to-face with each other, Robert abruptly turned and walked away. Elizabeth let out a breath she didn't realise she'd been holding in and sank further into the cushions behind her. She pulled her hair from its ponytail, pushing the band around her wrist before she saw In-ho moved a hand to his chest and briefly let his head flicker towards a camera. Elizabeth's lips picked up as she took in the gesture. She grabbed her glass of water and raised it towards the screen.
"I love you too."
…
"What was that about?" Gi-hun was the one to as In-ho once Robert had left them alone. In-ho shook his head as Jung-bae watched Robert's retreating figure, guessing that guy was going to be trouble for them. He figured they had enough trouble and didn't need anymore, but it looked like that was what they were going to be getting.
"A long story," In-ho confessed.
"But that was the American, right?" 388 asked and he pushed a stray piece of hair behind his ear, tightening his jacket that was hanging around his waist. "The guy whose wife went missing and then came back…claimed he abused her."
"That's him," In-ho assured them and he watched as they all exchanged nervous glances between each other. "Don't worry, his bark is worse than his bite."
There was a nervous round of chuckles then and In-ho joined in before sitting down on the step by Gi-hun. "But I'm not here for him. I'm here because you won these games. Do you mind if I ask you a question?" Gi-hun didn't object. "Why are you here? Why did you come back again? You said you won the game, made it out. And that would mean you won 45.6 billion won. Did you spend all of it already?"
Jung-bae looked concerned towards Gi-hun. "Did you start betting again?" he asked, a slightly aggrieved tone coming with the question.
"That money doesn't belong to me," Gi-hun answered. "The ones who died in this place, that's their blood money. And the same goes for everything in there," he pointed to the transparent piggy bank above their heads, a constant reminder of what they could have if they won the games.
"What point is there in thinking about it like that?" In-ho questioned. "It's not like you killed anyone yourself. And that way of thinking won't bring any of them back to life."
"If you'd pressed 'x' liked I asked you to, we could've all left here alive," Gi-hun said, an agitation to his tone. In-ho suspected that he'd be angry with him. He had been the one with the casting vote after all. "You could've saved everybody."
"True, I was the last player to press 'o', but there's 182 other people who wanted to stay here," he said, motioning around the room.
"Yeah, and 182 more of them who wanted to get the hell out of this place."
He was angry. In-ho knew he had to be careful with what he said next.
"If I hadn't pressed 'o', if I'd hit 'x' and we'd all gone home, do you think they'd appreciate what I'd done? If one of these people ran into me, years from now, do you think they'd say they were happy I'd voted to go? That they'd ended up with a great life after all?" In-ho questioned. There was a reason why people were here and Gi-hun was too blinded by longing to shut the games down that he couldn't see it. He'd become blinkered, but he'd see in time that there really was no hope.
The two men kept on staring at each other, almost like neither one of them wanted to back down from the argument. It took Jung-bae to step in an act as peacemaker.
"Alright, there's no point in pointing fingers at each other," he said. "We're all in the same boat. Everybody's got issues here. We just need to focus on winning the game tomorrow and if we just work as a team then we have nothing to worry about."
388 spoke up then. "I agree, my friends," he said and In-ho moved his arms over his lap and looked down. He wasn't here to make friends. He was here because he had a job to do. "If we all work as a team then I'm with you all the way."
"And who are you?" Jung-bae wondered.
"Excuse me," 388 said. "Dae-ho. Kang Dae-ho. That's me."
He offered his hand to Jung-bae, but he didn't take it and he sat back slightly, looking slightly worried and wondering if they could trust this guy. In-ho kept silent, letting the others take the lead on this one.
"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Jung-bae wondered.
"Ah, no," Dae-ho said. "Earlier, when Mr. 456 went 'Hold still!'" he mimicked Gi-hun again and made it uncomfortable. "It was awesome. I'd like to get to know you, if possible."
Jung-bae stood up and In-ho wasn't entirely sure what happened then, but the two of them clearly had a comradery as it was revealed that they had both been in the marines. They started laughing and joking as Gi-hun let a weary smile form on his lips and In-ho sat closer to him then.
"Amazing that they can laugh in a place like this," In-ho commented.
"Well, you need to try. Otherwise you end up losing all sense of humanity," Gi-hun said.
"Is that what happened?"
Gi-hun looked to him with an apprehensive expression.
"In your games?" In-ho pushed.
Gi-hun just nodded his head once and looked away, spotting the American on the other side of the room. He was glaring over towards them again, but he soon looked away when he noticed Gi-hun looking at him, pretending to join in with another group's conversation. "It seems like you've got more than just the games that'll cause you a problem," he replied, motioning with his chin across the room. In-ho didn't need to look to know what he was talking about, but he did and a dark chuckle escaped his lips.
"Yeah," he agreed. "He doesn't worry me."
"Is it true? What he said?" Gi-hun wondered.
"Depends on how you view things," In-ho simply replied. "Things are never black and white, are they?"
"Everyone in here knows who he is," Gi-hun said. "Well, everyone who follows the news, anyway. His wife…is it true?"
"That I stole his wife?" In-ho wondered, knowing that he had to gain his trust. Gi-hun nodded and In-ho sat back slightly, arms still wrapped around his legs. "Again, it depends on how you view things. Have I been seeing her despite knowing that she is married? Yes. But it's not that simple…things with Elizabeth never are…"
He didn't get a chance to be probed any further as loud grunts echoed round the room and everyone fell silent. Looking to the centre of the room, In-ho noted a fight breaking out and he sighed. He thought that they might make it to the second game before violence spilled into the dormitory. There were two men attacking another man, pushing him to the floor and kicking at him. In-ho couldn't make out their numbers, but one of them had distinct purple hair and the other looked more like his lackey.
"Someone should break it up," he heard Dae-ho say and he moved to his feet, knowing that he didn't have to do this, but he wanted to. He moved towards the centre of the room, knowing that people were looking at him.
"Hey, kids. What makes you think you can behave like that?" In-ho wondered. "Especially while people are eating and in front of your elders too. It's bad manners, not to mention its two against one."
He kept on walking towards them, face stoic. "Shame on you guys."
The one with the purple hair, 230, looked at him, cockily moving closer to him with his arms shrugging by his side. He had an arrogant look on his face and a smarmy smirk that In-ho wanted to wipe off. Player 124, the guy working with him, followed his lead, but kept quiet, just shadowing 230.
"You're in here just like everyone else. So cut the lecture…grandad," he said. "How about instead of yip-yapping at me," he motioned with his hand, "you go back home to your bitch girlfriend and kids and you yell at them?"
In-ho tried to keep his face neutral, but he was on the edge. Something inside of him flipped, a heat rising in his stomach and an anger taking hold of him. He had to control it though. He couldn't let it boil over to a point where he did exactly what he wanted to do to this punk kid in front of him.
"The American told us everything…how Player 001 stole his girlfriend…shacked up with her…old enough to be her father. Is that your thing, huh? Like playing daddy to dirty girls?"
And then In-ho lashed out. He couldn't stop himself. He reached for 230, grabbing him round the throat and holding him tightly. A loud gasp from everyone in the room broke out then as 230 tried to get In-ho off of him. He wasn't strong enough, however, and he felt himself gasping for breath. 124 tried to intervene, but In-ho didn't even look at him as he kicked him in the shin and he grunted in pain before he kicked him again and pushed him to the floor. 230 was bending in In-ho's grip, trying to get away from him. He pushed him and he stumbled back, advancing towards him with his hand pulled back into a fist.
In-ho was quicker though, punching him twice in the stomach as he ducked down and 230 grunted in pain once more, but he still tried to keep coming. In-ho reached for his wrist and twisted it, sending him to the floor with a loud grunt. He kicked him twice before kneeling down, a hand going back to his throat to keep him pinned there and his other hand ready to punch him in the face and knock him out once and for all.
There was an anger on his face that 230 hadn't anticipated. He thought that he would be able to handle a man like In-ho, but he'd been sorely mistaken. And In-ho wanted to hurt him. He wanted to make the kid suffer for what he'd just said to him. He thought about his wife and their unborn child. He thought about Elizabeth and everything she had been through, everything she had publicly said to try and clear her name, yet she was still subject to being called names.
"I'm sorry, sir…the American…he said it…not me…"
In-ho heard a ringing in his ears as 230 tried to get him to remove his hand from around his neck. For a moment, In-ho didn't think he was going to. He didn't want to, not really. But he did. He let him and go and slowly rose to his feet, a round of applause ringing around the room. He glanced at the people clapping for him and scratched the back of his neck as 230 continued coughing for breath. In-ho just inclined his head before his eyes found Robert and he stalked towards him. Robert took a step back and In-ho liked how scared he was of him.
"You don't talk about her while we're in here. Is that understood?" he demanded from Robert.
"Or what?" Robert snapped back at him and In-ho looked back to 230 and 124. Robert followed his gaze and realised what he was saying. He'd end up on the floor just like them. "You know that's all you are to her, right?" he kept on pushing. "Why do you think she went for you? You're older than she is…and she always had daddy issues," Robert said and he lowered his voice, whispering to him. "Has she asked you yet?" he pushed him. "Asked you to fuck her like a whore? She used to ask me at the start…fuck her like she was worthless…like she was beneath me…the things that came out of that mouth…she's fucked up. You think a guy like you can handle her?"
In-ho wondered if that was true or if Robert was trying to get under his skin. He knew that the two of them had been more adventurous than he ever had been with anyone else. He knew that she liked him taking control. He knew that she liked that, but he had always been apprehensive, not wanting to hurt her or say the wrong thing.
"I think no one can handle her," In-ho settled on saying to him. "She doesn't need to be handled and whatever you say about her, it makes me realise one thing."
"What's that?"
"That what you said to her on the phone was bullshit. You're never going to change. You're incapable of changing."
A flicker of fear crossed Robert's face then and In-ho knew that he'd touched a nerve. He saw the way Robert gulped and he moved quickly, not wanting to attract attention but needing to get a message across. He moved his hands to Robert's shoulders and brought his knee up, letting it make contact with his stomach. Robert grunted in pain, but In-ho kept him stood up, not letting him slump to the ground and make a scene. Leaning into him, he whispered into his ear.
"And if you ever speak about her like that again, it won't be the games that kill you," he warned him and then let him go. Robert bent over slightly, hands clutching his stomach as In-ho shot him a final glare and walked away, a smirk rising on his lips.
…
Elizabeth had gone to bed when the lights in the dormitory turned off, but she hardly slept. The bed was large with the softest quilt and pillows, but it was empty. She kept on looking to In-ho's side of the bed, a hand sitting on his pillow before reaching for it and cradling it against her. She hoped that he'd be alright. She'd seen him get into the middle of a fight before subtly talking to Robert and kneeing him in the stomach. She wondered just what her husband had said to get under his skin.
The next day, Elizabeth had dressed and driven back to the control centre. She'd been ill, figuring that she was nervous as she hunched over the toilet. The guard with the square mask asked her if she needed anything, but she just said that she'd be fine. She'd gone to In-ho's private office, the guard watching the door lock behind her. Whoever she was, she clearly had money judging by the expensive tailored pantsuits she wore and the red soles of her heels that clicked on the floor, echoing loudly. She also held her head up high and spoke with an air of confidence, like she was above everyone else. Hardly any of the VIP's ever came for the full duration of the games, but if she was looking to invest big then she probably wanted the full experience. Why the VIPs even bothered to invest was a question no one asked.
No one knew what went on in the minds of the rich and powerful. Either way, it was their money that kept the games going and so they had to be kept happy. That was the most important thing.
The square guard left her in the Front Man's office, telling her to call if she needed anything. He'd gone back to the control room and prepared for the second game. He'd looked around as the pink guards pressed buttons on the computers, but he didn't spot how one of them had snuck away from their desk, claiming they needed a bathroom break. But the truth was something else. The truth was that he recognised that woman who had been in the room with the Front Man the day before.
He knew that he was supposed to focus on his screen and nothing else, but his gaze had wandered. He'd thought nothing of it to begin with. She was just another rich VIP who invested in the games. They got whatever they wanted whenever they wanted it. He couldn't see her face, but there was something about the way she moved that seemed familiar. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he'd laid awake that night and tried to remember.
He'd seen her go into the Front Man's office unaccompanied, her hair in a high ponytail and falling down her back. He'd gone to the bathroom, convinced that he did know her. And he was going to do everything he could to find out how he did.