???????? ?? ????? , hwang in-ho

??????? ????: entering the games.

         The night was cold, the wind biting through the streets. Sae-bom was grateful for the warm clothes she'd chosen: cargo pants, a white tank top under a black jacket that had once belonged to her sister, and sturdy black boots.

        Her sister's necklace rested under her shirt, the cool metal brushing against her skin, a quiet reminder of who she was fighting for.

         She was thankful it wasn't raining like the night before; otherwise, she might've lost her resolve entirely. Rainy nights were meant for curling up in bed, not marching toward the unknown.

         She followed the location scrawled on the back of the card she'd been given, clutching the phone the salesman had left her. Though she'd kept the phone close, it had remained silent, its eerie quiet only adding to her sense of unease.

         She couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. Every shadowed alley she passed seemed alive with unseen eyes. Goosebumps prickled her skin, but she shook the thoughts away as Jun-ho's voice crackled through the earpiece he'd given her.

      "Are you there yet?" He asked softly, and she picked up the sound of other cars around him, telling her that he was currently driving.

         Sae-bom glanced up at the building she was approaching, the same apartment complex where they'd recently uncovered a connection to In-ho. She let out a dry laugh at the irony of standing here again.

       "Yeah, I'm here," She muttered tiredly. Her steps slowed as she reached the entrance.

        Jun-ho's voice cut through the silence again, "I'm on my way. I'll hang back so the vehicle picking you up doesn't notice me following."

        She nodded instinctively, though he couldn't see her, and reached into her pocket to fiddle with her sister's necklace, "I hope this isn't all for nothing," She whispered into the earpiece, "If Sae-byeok and In-ho aren't in these games..." Her voice faltered, the weight of her anxiety threatening to spill over.

        There was a pause on the other end, long enough to make her panic, but Jun-ho's calm tone eventually returned, "We've followed the trail this far. If there's even a chance they're involved, we have to see it through."

        He was right. She bit her bottom lip, nodding to herself. She'd rather risk everything than live with the regret of giving up. She found solace in his conviction. Her resolve hardened, though doubt lingered at the edges.

        The flash of headlights snapped her out of her thoughts. She squinted against the brightness, turning to see a sleek limousine approaching down the eerily quiet street. Her breath hitched in confusion. Why send something so extravagant?

        Pressing a finger to her earpiece, she muttered, "I think the vehicle's here. I'll have to drop the connection now."

       "Be careful, Sae-bom." Jun-ho said firmly, his tone leaving no rooms for arguments, something that both brothers shared when talking, "I'll find a way to you soon."

         She flashed a grin toward the shadows where she knew he was lurking, then removed the earpiece and dropped it onto the grass for him to retrieve later. The limousine pulled to the curb and came to a slow stop where she stood.

        The dark-tinted passenger window rolled down, revealing two figures in bright pink jumpsuits and masks adorned with stark white shapes. Sae-bom instinctively clutched her sister's necklace for grounding, her skin crawling under the masked gaze fixed on her.

       One of them spoke, the one closet to the window, their voice distorted, and she instantly picked up how it sounded male, "Kang Sae-bom?"