Jung-Hyuk hopped forward on one foot, square by square. When he reached square 9, he lost his balance and nearly fell.
VIP 5 exclaimed, "Oh my god!"
He steadied himself with his other foot, grabbed the edge with both hands, and slowly stood upright again.
Then he hopped to square 4, bent down to pick up the beanbag, and hopped back.
"Player 357, cleared."
In the VIP room, VIP 2 asked: "Why are you so excited?"
VIP 5 replied: "I bet a lot of money on him, just because he was the previous winner."
The Host looked at Jung-Hyuk.
Time was up, and the broadcast announced: "The game is over."
Exhausted, Jung-Hyuk gasped for breath. He looked down below, at the pile of corpses. It reminded him of the fifth game played here three years ago—"Bingo."
Back then, Il-Hoon had fallen right before his eyes and died.
VIP 4 said: "It's so exciting, I can't wait to watch tomorrow's game."
The scene shifted—Jung-Hyuk, Soo-Mi, Zhen-Yan, and Player 81 had changed into suits.
The four of them sat at the four sides of a square table.
The screen displayed "4 players remaining," and the prize money had risen to "45.2 billion."
Then, a masked man said: "Tonight's banquet is prepared as a gift, to thank all of you—the final participants—for your sacrifices and efforts during this time, and in the hope that you will give an even more spectacular performance in the final game. Please, have no reservations, and enjoy yourselves."
Zhen-Yan and Player 81 devoured the food like starving men.
Meanwhile, Soo-Mi and Jung-Hyuk ate carefully, cherishing the rare meal.
That night, as Jung-Hyuk was watching the sleeping Zhen-Yan, a masked man approached him and said:
"Player 357, he wants to see you."
Jung-Hyuk's eyes widened.
The scene shifted again—Jung-Hyuk was riding the elevator up to the Host's office.
When the elevator doors opened, he saw the Host sitting in a chair, watching him.
Jung-Hyuk slowly walked up and sat down in a chair.
The Host removed his mask.
It was Oh Il-Nam.
(Il-Nam was Player 001 in Netflix's "Squid Game," and the mastermind of the game.)
Il-Nam said: "I have a suggestion for you, one that concerns your future."
Jung-Hyuk replied: "Do I… even have a future?"
Il-Nam placed a knife on the table and said: "Take this knife back to the dormitory, and kill all those scums."
Jung-Hyuk looked at Il-Nam.
Il-Nam continued: "They're stuffed full and already dead asleep. Even if you slit their throats one by one, no one will notice."
Jung-Hyuk picked up the knife and aimed it at Il-Nam.
Il-Nam asked: "Do you want to kill me? Go ahead, do it. It's just the two of us here. But even if you kill me, nothing will change. Someone else will replace me, and tomorrow's game will go on as usual."
Jung-Hyuk froze, his hand trembling.
Il-Nam then asked: "I'm curious—why are you so obsessed with ending the game? You've already won money that you could never spend in your lifetime."
Jung-Hyuk shouted in anger: "Do you know why? Because you've never participated in these games yourself! You don't understand what it feels like to watch your best friends and loved ones die in front of you! You'll never understand!"
He turned to leave, but Il-Nam said: "Zi-Kai is dead, Ming-Yu is dead, all your teammates are gone. Player 357, do you still believe in humanity?"
Hearing those words, Jung-Hyuk resolutely stepped into the elevator.
Back in the dormitory, Jung-Hyuk looked at the sleeping Zhen-Yan. He raised the knife to his throat. His hands trembled uncontrollably, but in the end, he couldn't do it.
Jung-Hyuk returned to his own bed, staring at the knife in his hand.
Memories came flooding back—
(Yun-Ho said to him: "Hello.")
(At the last second, Il-Hoon hit the bullseye. Their hearts, suspended in midair, finally settled.)
(Yun-Ho smiled and said: "When you get out, don't forget—your first time, you gave it to me.")
(Il-Hoon looked at Jung-Hyuk, forcing a smile as he told him: "Thank you, Lee Jung-Hyuk.")
(Yong-Jun said to Jung-Hyuk: "Everyone must do their best. No matter the game, we'll work together.")
(Yong-Jun asked Jung-Hyuk: "Are you okay?")
Jeong-hyeok smiled through his tears, then looked up at the surveillance monitors and said:
"My life...is for me to decide."
After saying that, he raised the knife in his hand and plunged it into his own neck.
Il-Nam at headquarters watched the whole thing, his eyes welling with tears.