USED TO BE ONE OF THE ROTTEN ONES,
AND I LIKED YOU FOR THAT.
???????????? .? Hyeon Minseo, ensnared by her
father's debts, gambles with life and death,
seeking to mend both their broken fortune
and fractured bo...
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ELEVEN Dim FADING FAST LIKE A FLAME
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EYES HEAVY AND VISION UNFOCUSED, Minseo awoke from her peaceful slumber, back aching from the uncomfortable mattress which rested on the cold floor. She felt somewhat refreshed, despite the tenderness of her slow moving bones, and acknowledged that she had finally gotten a decent night sleep for the first time in a long time.
The lights within the room were brightening by the moment, followed with a collected echo of groans as other exhausted players struggle to wake up. Minseo felt a finger poke into her side, causing her to jump involuntarily.
Dae-ho sat beside her, leaning back on his arms which flexed under the pressure of his body. He was smiling, a tired yet content smile plastered upon his dazed face. Wordlessly, Minseo mechanically adjusted the loose hairs which had knotted in his sleep. He instinctively leaned into her touch, eyes fluttering back closed in response to the comfort provided.
Reluctantly, she pulled her hand away, his hair now looking as pristine as before. She mimicked his smile, shuffling nervously as his gaze remained strict on her blushing face.
"You sleep okay?" He broke the silence with a genuine question. Minseo looked back up to him, that same smile still on her face. She nodded, clearing her throat before speaking. "Yeah. For the first time in a while, actually. What about you?"
Matching her movements, Dae-ho nodded. "I slept really well. I don't think I've slept properly for months."
Before either could speak, a familiar voice Minseo hadn't heard since earlier that day prior interrupted. Clear anxiety shook the timid voice of Jung-bae from behind Minseo, and even though she couldn't see his face, she could imagine the look of pure terror weighing down his form and tugging his lips into a frown.
"Uh━Mimi," said Jung-bae slowly. "Do you think━Do you think we could talk? Before the next game starts."
Minseo shifted, now facing Jung-bae. She looked calm and composed, her smile still persistent, and she nodded contently. Minseo wasted no time in rising to her feet, still half-asleep and stumbling slightly, yet nonetheless eager to speak to the man whom she saw as another uncle.
