Lines We Cross ||Front Man x Reader||

The evening was quieter than I expected. Gi-hun had warned us about what could happen at night, but the air still felt heavy with unease. Most of the players were sprawled out, trying to rest, though I doubted anyone could sleep soundly under these circumstances.

"Build a fortress," Gi-hun had said, his tone grim. "You don't know what happened last time. This place makes people into monsters. That's its purpose."

Young-il had scoffed at that. "Monsters? Sounds dramatic. Why would they even bother?"

"You'll see," Gi-hun had replied, his voice sharper than usual. "Don't say I didn't warn you when someone comes at you with a broken bedpost."

Despite his usual cocky demeanor, I could tell Gi-hun wasn't joking. He'd seen something, something none of us wanted to experience firsthand.

We'd even gained a new addition to our little group, some guy named Dae-ho. He and Jung-bae hit it off immediately, bonding over their shared history as marines. It made sense to have him on board; the more people watching our backs, the better.

When the time came to decide who would stay awake, I volunteered without hesitation. "I'll patrol," I said, leaning back against one of the bunks. "Barely sleep anyway, so might as well make myself useful."

They didn't argue much, though Jun-hee shot me a concerned look before turning in for the night.

Hours passed, and the room was cloaked in shadows. Most of the players had settled down, the occasional sound of rustling or coughing breaking the silence. I stayed at my post, perched on the edge of the mattress, my eyes scanning the dimly lit room. My mind wandered, restless as always.

Suddenly, someone sat down next to me, their movement so quiet I didn't hear it until they were right there.

"Shit!" I hissed, my hand flying to slap their arm before I even looked. "What the hell, Young-il?!"

He chuckled softly, clearly amused by my reaction. "Didn't mean to scare you," he said, leaning back casually.

"Yeah, well, mission fucking accomplished," I muttered, my heart still racing.

He didn't leave, though, just stayed there like he belonged, his eyes glinting in the faint light.

"You always this jumpy?" he teased, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Only when people sneak up on me like goddamn ghosts," I shot back, giving him a playful shove.

For a while, we just sat there in comfortable silence, the tension of the night fading a little with his presence.

"You're not patrolling, are you?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Maybe I just wanted some company," he replied smoothly, his tone light but his gaze steady.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, sure. That's exactly what we need in a death trap, emotional bonding."

"Better than sitting in silence all night."

He wasn't wrong, but I wasn't about to admit that. Instead, I turned the conversation around. "So, Young-il," I said, leaning forward slightly, "how old are you anyway? You don't look that old, but I feel like you're super old. Not that it's a bad thing."

He raised an eyebrow at that. "Should I be offended?"

"Depends," I shot back. "How old are you?"

"Forty-seven," he said after a beat, his expression unreadable.

I blinked, surprised. "Huh. You don't look it."