Lines We Cross ||Front Man x Reader||

Chapter 20

My stomach dropped. "Shit," I muttered under my breath, my eyes darting between Gi-hun and the barrel of the gun.

The man continued. "Now, witness the consequences of your little game."

It felt like time slowed. I swore he was about to pull the trigger, to end Gi-hun right then and there. But then he turned the gun.

And aimed it at Jung-bae.

Jung-bae turned to us slowly, his eyes filled with fear before the sound of the shot rang through the air.

The bullet hit him dead-on, his body jerking back as he crumpled to the floor. Blood pooled beneath him, staining the purple corridor. His eyes locked on Gi-hun as he struggled to breathe, his life slipping away with every second.

Gi-hun's scream tore through the air, raw and broken. "No! No, no, no! Jung-bae!"

He scrambled to his friend's side, grabbing him and shaking him as if that would somehow bring him back. His wails echoed around us, piercing and gut-wrenching. I could barely look at the scene.

I felt sick to my stomach, the bile rising in my throat as I stared at Jung-bae's lifeless body. Fuck. This wasn't just a loss. It was a goddamn massacre.

The Front man turned to me, and for a second, I thought I was next. My chest tightened, my breathing shallow as he stepped closer. I stayed frozen, still on my knees, not daring to move a muscle.

Then, out of nowhere, he reached out and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up at him. His touch was firm but not rough, and it sent a shiver down my spine. I didn't know what to do. Run? Fight back? Beg? No. I stayed still, staring into the cold, black void of his mask, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might break my ribs.

Gi-hun, however, wasn't staying still.

With a furious roar, he lunged at the man in black, but the guards were on him instantly, tackling him to the ground. He struggled, kicking and thrashing, his screams breaking whatever strength I had left to hold myself together.

"Let me go! You bastard! I'll fucking kill you!" Gi-hun's voice cracked as he fought, tears streaming down his face.

I felt a tear slip down my cheek, but I clenched my jaw and refused to let myself break. I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

But then the bastard did something that made my head spin.

He wiped the tear from my face with his thumb.

I froze, my mind racing in disbelief. What the hell was he doing? Was this supposed to be some sick form of pity? 

Meanwhile, Gi-hun's cries continued to echo in the background, his pain palpable and raw. The sound of it was almost worse than what had just happened.

"Player 390, eliminated," came the faint announcement over the speakers.

The words hit me like a punch to the gut.

This wasn't just a failure. This was the end.

In-ho didn't expect this. Not the way her tears hit him like a slap to the face.

He looked down at Y/N, wiping the rolling tear from her cheek with his gloved hand. Her face was stained with grief, her eyes glistening. Fuck, she was beautiful even now, especially now. There was something about the way she looked when she cried that made it impossible for him to tear his eyes away.

Why the fuck was he doing this?

He tried to remind himself that he didn't care about her, that she was just another player, another pawn in this sick game. But that wasn't true, was it? Somewhere along the way, she stopped being just another player. She became something else entirely.

He hated himself for it.

His hand lingered for a second longer than it should have before he stepped back. He looked down at her, still on her knees, and felt something twist in his chest.

Pity.

In-ho didn't pity people. He didn't allow himself to. Not anymore. But here he was, looking at Y/N and Gi-hun, and feeling a pang of guilt he hadn't felt in years.

He didn't want Y/N back in these games. She didn't belong here, didn't deserve this. She wasn't like the others. She wasn't supposed to be here, not really. He had put her here against her will, hoping she'd get herself killed early on as a punishment for getting on this island, hoping he'd never have to deal with her again. And yet, she'd survived. Over and over again, she'd survived.

And now he didn't want her dead.

He couldn't admit why, not even to himself. Maybe it was because of the way she looked at him. Maybe it was the way she challenged him without even knowing it. Maybe it was something else entirely. All he knew was that if he could save one of them, just one. It would be her.

His gaze flickered to Gi-hun, still screaming and thrashing against the guards holding him down. He pitied him too, in a way. Gi-hun was a fool, but he was a good man at heart. The kind of man In-ho had stopped believing could exist a long time ago. But this wasn't about fairness or morality or whatever bullshit Gi-hun believed in. This was about making a choice.

And In-ho had already made his.

He turned his head slightly, his masked face giving nothing away, and locked eyes with one of the guards. The unspoken command was clear.

The guard nodded, and two of them moved into action, stepping behind Y/N.

She barely had time to react before one of them clamped a cloth over her nose and mouth. The damp fabric reeked of chloroform, and she immediately started fighting back, her muffled screams breaking the silence.

In-ho stood perfectly still, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. He told himself not to care, not to react. But it was fucking hard.

Y/N fought like hell, her hands clawing at the guard's arm, her body twisting and jerking in a desperate attempt to break free. Her wide, terrified eyes locked on his for a split second, and something about the way she looked at him, like she hated him.

Gi-hun roared in rage, throwing himself at the guards holding him down. "Let her go! You bastards! LET HER GO!"

But it was too late.

Y/N's movements slowed, her strength fading as the chloroform took effect. Her eyes fluttered closed, and her body went limp in the guards' grip.

"Y/N!" Gi-hun's voice cracked, raw with desperation.

The guards didn't even glance at him. They dragged her unconscious body away, her head falling to the side, her hair brushing against the ground.

In-ho stood there, watching her disappear down the corridor. He didn't move, didn't speak.

For a moment, he let himself feel it. The guilt, the shame, the fucking weight of it all.

Then he pushed it all down, buried it deep, and turned away. There was no room for regret here.

A/N~ I'll be paying for your guy's therapy <3