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"you will not be placing bets yet," he continues. "the first game is for observation. study the players. understand their weaknesses. only after this will you be allowed to start placing wagers."

his tone leaves no room for argument.

so this is the man everyone fears. the one who controls life and death inside the game. he may think he's untouchable but he hasn't met me yet.

a massive screen in front of me flickers to life, stretching across the wall like a cinema screen. i lean back in my seat, crossing my legs.

hundreds of people, all dressed in green tracksuits, stand in an open field. the sky above them is painfully blue.

in the distance, a giant mechanical doll towers over them, its face frozen in an smile.

red light, green light. easy.

when the voice announces green light, the players start moving forward, cautious but eager. for a second, it's almost funny. grown adults trying to tiptoe across a field, stopping awkwardly every time the doll's head turns back.

"don't move!" a voice rings out from the crowd.

the camera shifts to a man-player 456. his face is panicked, wild almost, as he tries to warn the others. "i've played these games before! don't move, no matter what! just trust me!"

his desperation makes some players hesitate, but most of them scoff, ignoring him.

"crazy bastard," a player mutters.

for a moment, nothing happens. but then-

BANG.

a body drops. then another. and another.

blood splatters across the sand. my fingers twitch against the armrest, but i don't move.
flinching, showing even the slightest reaction, would be a mistake.

the vip's around me are unfazed, watching with amusement, some even chuckling at the stupidity of those who ran.

if they can sit here and act like this is just another show, so can i. but deep down, something inside me shifts. i knew this was real. i knew people were going to die.

but watching it happen? that's a different story.

"classic," the vip with the deer mask says. "they always run. as if that's going to help."

"natural selection at its finest," another one mutters, his golden owl mask tilting slightly. "you'd think they'd have some common sense."

"i say we place bets on who pisses themselves first," the bear-masked vip snickers, leaning forward.

the others laugh, amused, entertained, as if they're watching nothing more than a reality show.

i don't feel like laughing. i'd just seen people die.

but if my father were here, he wouldn't allow me to sit in silence. he would tell me to play along, to blend in, to make them accept me as one of their own.

so that's exactly what i do.

"my money's on the one with the purple hair," i say smoothly, gesturing toward the screen. "he already looks like he's about to cry."

the vips turn to me, their expressions hidden behind their masks, but their reactions clear enough. some nod in approval, others grin.

but there's one gaze that lingers longer than the rest.

the front man - he's watching me, his body still, unreadable. i can't see his face behind that dark mask, but i feel his stare. he doesn't react. doesn't laugh. doesn't nod in amusement like the others. he just watches.

i hold his gaze through my mask, refusing to look away first. i don't know what he's thinking, but something tells me he sees right through me. he knows i don't find this funny. but he also knows - i'm playing the game just like everyone else in this room.

as the game ends and the last few players cross the finish line - the screen fades to black.

the first game is over.

the vips start talking again, already eager for the next game to begin.

"finally, next round we get to place bets," the wolf-masked vip says, stretching his arms.

"this is interesting," the owl-masked one muses. "a few strong ones. should make things entertaining."

i nod along, my voice smooth and composed. "looking forward to it."

they accept my words easily, pleased that i'm playing along.

one by one, they start leaving, disappearing into the elevator. i wait a moment before following, giving myself space to breathe, to reset.

but just as i take a step toward the door, a deep voice cuts through the air.

"you're representing mr. lee, i see."

i freeze.

then, slowly, i turn around.

the front man stands near the darkened screen, his black mask unreadable. his presence alone is enough to shift the energy of the room. controlled, calculated, dangerous.

i keep my posture relaxed, controlled. "yes," i reply smoothly.

he takes a step closer, his head tilting slightly as he studies me. "and what personal reasons does he have that prevent him from attending?"

his tone is casual, but the weight behind his words is anything but.

i meet his gaze through my mask. "that's personal," i say simply. "as you just said."

shit.

maybe i shouldn't have said that. minsoo specifically told me to be respectful to the front man. but he doesn't move. doesn't react right away.

then, after a pause, he lets out a quiet hum.

"well," he says, his voice as unreadable as his mask. "fair enough."

i exhale internally, masking it with a slight nod before finally turning toward the door.

i don't look back, but i feel him watching me as i leave.

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ouuu the first interaction between them has happened and i already love them.

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