The metal doors creaked open.
A cold breeze of artificial air hit my face as we were herded out of the bunk room and into a long, white hallway.
I couldn’t speak. No one could. Everyone was too nervous to even breathe loud. The only sound was the clinking of shoes on polished concrete and the echoing buzz that followed every step we took.
And then... the cameras.
Click.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxbVtP0CXjR
Click.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQRwPQQWLw
Click.
One by one, players were stopped. Told to face a bright white screen, where their faces were snapped and recorded like mugshots. When it was my turn, I hesitated. The guard gave no instruction — just a slight tilt of the head.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and stood in front of the camera. Flash.
That was it. My official entry. No way back now.
The door ahead led us into a huge arena painted like a giant, twisted children’s playground. The sky wasn’t real — just a dome made to feel like sunlight. But the moment you looked up too long, you knew it was fake. That sun didn’t burn.
At the end of the playground stood a giant animatronic girl, facing a tree.
I didn’t know what we were about to play... but my skin crawled.
I looked around.
People were whispering again. Laughing, even.
“Probably some weird obstacle course,” someone muttered.
A few players tried to look brave. Thanos was doing push-ups in the corner like this was a warm-up.
Nam-Gyu stuck close behind him, bouncing on his toes. Min-Su stood nearby, chewing his lip, clearly terrified.
That’s when I noticed something — a tray of food sliding toward me on the ground.
Confused, I looked down. There was an extra energy bar tucked inside. More than what the others were holding.
I looked up sharply. A guard stood just a few steps away — the red-suited kind. Masked.
But he gave a very slight nod.
I furrowed my brows. Was that on purpose?
Before I could say or do anything, a voice rang out — but not from the loudspeakers.
It was Seong Gi-hun.
He stepped forward, hands raised to get everyone’s attention.
“Listen up!” he yelled, voice firm and steady. “I’ve played this game before. Here’s what you do — when you hear ‘Green Light,’ you move fast, but when it’s ‘Red Light,’ you stop dead. No moving at all. If you don’t stop, they kill you.”
A hush fell over the crowd.
People looked at him, uncertain. Some scoffed, some whispered to each other.
“I’m not joking,” Gi-hun continued. “Take it seriously if you want to live.”
The mechanical girl at the end of the field suddenly twisted her head around.
The game was starting.
“Green Light.”
For a split second, no one moved. The silence was louder than a scream.
Then—6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡte4CLd8Z7d
Footsteps.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoT9I1UPml1
Dozens. Hundreds.
People began running across the field.
“Red Light.”
BANG.
The gunshot cracked through the air like lightning. Someone fell with a thud. Another scream.
I froze. My heartbeat thundered in my ears, but I didn’t dare flinch. Not even a blink.
“Green Light.”
We moved again.
“Red Light.”
Another bang. Another body.
The air grew thick with terror. Panic set in fast. People didn’t believe it until they saw it—blood on the sand, dead bodies left behind, unmoving.
To my left, someone tripped and took a step forward as the doll turned around—
BANG.
They were gone.
I stood perfectly still, barely breathing. My limbs were locked, muscles screaming to run, to hide—but there was nowhere to go.
“Green Light.”
I took two careful steps forward, knees stiff.
Suddenly—6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjaZARwsUS
Someone fell directly in front of me, their blood splashing across the ground. I flinched without thinking, my foot slipping—
BANG—
But the shot didn’t hit me.
Because someone yanked me back at the very last second.
A hand. Strong. Steady.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1TlBrJJHvT
He pulled me upright, just enough to regain my balance.
My body froze—heart hammering in my chest—too afraid to even look.
When I did, I met his eyes.
Jaemin Cho.
His face was unreadable, expression blank, almost cold. His stare felt too deep for someone who hadn’t said a word yet.
He let go as soon as I steadied myself.
His voice came low, calm, and emotionless:6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0e8aGPJQjO
“Don’t die yet.”
Then he walked off. Like it didn’t matter. Like I didn’t matter.
But he had saved me.
“Red Light.”
I didn’t move. Not a single muscle.
“Green Light.”
I kept going. Slower. Sharper.
Further back, chaos unfolded.
Thanos was dancing—literally moving in slow motion, arms swaying as if this were some kind of twisted party. Nam-Gyu walked behind him, muttering, “Bro, chill,” while trying not to laugh.
Min-Su stood stiff as a statue, visibly trembling.
“You got this, little bro,” Thanos whispered to him. “Almost there.”
“Red Light.”
BANG.
A guy next to Thanos dropped dead.
Thanos didn’t flinch.
Min-Su swallowed a scream and kept still.
“Green Light.”
We moved again. The line was getting closer.
Somewhere to my right, I heard Gi-hun yell:
“Don’t panic! Keep your center of gravity! Move small, don’t rush!”
It was like he’d done this before.
Because he had.
That voice—calm, controlled—cut through the chaos like a blade. I followed it. So did others.
“Red Light.”
I froze mid-step again. My feet hurt from locking so many times.
I looked around. The fear in everyone’s eyes was real now. We knew. This wasn’t a game.
It was death.
“Green Light.”
I took my final steps and—
Crossed the line.
I collapsed to my knees, gasping.
So did others. Some cried. Some screamed. Some simply stared at the field.
A field littered with corpses.
Back in the bunk room, it was pure silence.
No one dared to speak at first.
Then the room filled with quiet crying, coughing, and shallow breaths.
Jun-Hee sat on her bunk, gently rubbing her stomach. Still alive. For now.
I walked over and sat next to her without saying anything.
“You okay?” I finally asked.
She nodded faintly. “Still breathing. That’s enough.”
But of course, Thanos had to ruin the moment.
“Yo, mama number 222!” he said with a smirk. “You’re kinda fine for someone carryin’ a baby. Damn.”
He winked, then added a sing-songy rap:
“She made it through the light, belly out, lookin’ tight—6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNADXWhFZD
I got mad respect, but I still might—"
“That’s enough,” I snapped.
He blinked, amused. “Ooh, boss girl’s back! You spittin’ bars now too?”
Nam-Gyu laughed and started beatboxing out of nowhere.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdzjOc1LQ5Y
“Yeah, get her Thanos. Drop the verse, bro!”
Thanos jumped into a ridiculous freestyle, dancing in slow circles like the lights were still flashing.
Min-Su just stood there, confused, awkwardly smiling like he wasn’t sure whether to laugh or hide.
Despite myself, I let out a tiny laugh.
It felt... wrong to smile.
But I couldn’t help it.
Later that night, when the lights dimmed and sleep never came, I rolled over in my bunk and felt something under my pillow.
I reached for it.
An extra bread roll.
I stared at it. No one had seen. No one said a word.
But I knew exactly who gave it to me.
Red.
Somehow, he was watching me.
And he had chosen me.
ns216.73.216.150da2
and then Add to home screen.