"???'?? ??????? ? ????????? ????, ??? ?'? ??? ??? ??? ????? ??? ?????."
A cold and calculating man oversees the deadly competition as its secret mastermind: every move, every tactic, every techni...
"What did you just call me?" I ask, my calm demeanour slipping away. "Okay first of all, we don't yet fucking know if it's going to be physical or not. Like Young-il said, it could be anything. Second of all, this whole "Marine thing" is getting so old. I could bet on everything that I'd be able to take down 5 men like y'all in 3 minutes, while you bunnies would shake in some corner. And third of all, I'm not going to stay where I'm not wanted. It's your loss if you don't want to have me in your team." I say, turning around to leave, my hands shaking from anger.
"Y/n." Young-il's voice was firm but calm behind me.
I ignore him.
Before I could take another step, I feel his hand wrap around my arm—not hard, but firm enough to stop me. The touch sent a jolt through me, but I didn't let it show, still mad. I turned around, glaring at him.
"Let.Go." I say evenly, though my pulse was racing now.
"Stay." He said simply, his voice low enough that only I could hear it.
My anger wavered, the intensity of his gaze holding me in place. Before I could respond, he turned back to Player 390, his grip still light on my arm, as if to emphasize his point.
"I already told you, " Young-il said, his tone sharp and commanding now. "Y/n is on this team. If you don't like it, find another one."
"I'm just saying—" Player 390 started, but Young-il cut him off.
"She's staying. End of discussion." His voice carried a finality that left no room for argument.
Player 456 has been observing the interaction all this time quietly, and as our eyes meet, I'm surprised to see him simply nod. I glance at Young-il's hand on my arm one more time before he let go, his focus shifting fully to the others.
"If you think this team won't survive because of her, you're wrong. I'd think twice before questioning me or her again." He says.
I feel my cheeks heat up at his comment. Ugh, what the fuck is going on with me?
I stand next to him, my anger fading into curiosity now, giving him a sideways glance and my lips curling into a smirk. "Guess you're more stubborn than me." I muttered.
Young-il didn't respond instantly, but his lips twitched ever so slightly before getting closer to me and whispering: "Guess there's a lot you still don't know about me, trouble."
The gesture sent a shiver through me, quick and uninvited. And...did he call me trouble?
I instantly look at the ground, trying to hide my flushed face, but I have a feeling he still noticed.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I watch Y/n closely as the rules of the next game get explained, finding myself drawn to her stillness amidst all the loudness in the room. She is all sharp edges and determination, listening carefully to the loudspeakers explain the next game: Five players per team, each tethered to one another by their legs. We must play a series of physical, but quite simple games, the team that crosses the finish line in 5 minutes winning and getting out of this alive. The ones who don't, die.
Not like I didn't know this already though.
She seemed to already calculate every situation, always ten steps ahead. The cool confidence in her that both intrigued and unsettled me. And the way she stood up for herself back there with Player 390... I couldn't help but admire her for that. She didn't just stand there and let me speak for her. No, she was even ready to leave the team and risk being in a weak one, just because she felt disrespected by him. But besides admiration I also felt something else stir inside me at the interaction... attraction.
More attraction. This girl just gets better and better every time I hear her talk or watch her do something.
It wasn't the typical kind of attraction—this wasn't only about her looks, or the way she moves. No, it was deeper than that. It was the sheer confidence, the fire in her that burned even in the most dangerous situations.
I don't think I can hold myself back anymore. I want her to know how special she is, to hear it all from me, to let her know how she's been haunting my mind day and night ever since I saw her for the first time. I want to feel her body against mine, not just survive off some light touches here and there.
Telling and showing her how much I want her was dangerous in this place, but so was she. So I decided: after this game, I'm going to do something about it.
