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“I can’t believe we won that contest! I thought no one else in the class was contributing to the competition other than me,” Jisu huffed, rolling her eyes. “I mean seriously- you guys didn’t seem to give a shit.”
“Well, yeah. What were the odds? We didn’t stand a chance. You know class B-3 always wins everything,” Dongwoo responded, shaking his head.
“Well, clearly the odds are high if we won,” Jisu grunted. “It seemed like I was the only one who cared about getting a free field trip.”
“What does it matter now? We won,” Yeseul smiled. Jisu was always the one who liked to complain about the rest of the class. Some of the other kids disliked her for it. Yeseul seemed to be the only one who, oddly enough, enjoyed Jisu’s pestering and nagging.
Jisu crossed her arms, looking back over her seat at Yeseul. Damn buses. It was hard to communicate with people in different rows from you without getting up and out of your seat- which Jisu most certainly did not want to do, considering it was a safety hazard. “Well, here’s the thing- Ara from class B-3 told me that they sold 110 of those gift bag things alone. I only sold 10- and last I heard, I was the only one in our class who was actually contributing.”
“Your point is?” Dongwoo deadpanned, quirking a brow.
Jisu glared at him, irritated already that he wasn’t getting her point. “So… who sold more than 100? I’ve known you guys for years at least- everyone in this class, as a matter of fact, since you’re all annoying as shit in my book. But I know for sure that never before have any of you tried to do a damn thing in your life… much less regarding competitions or school.”
“Maybe it’s…” Yeseul didn’t want to say. Everyone got it regardless. All of their heads turned to the back of the bus, past the jostling students and rows of seats to the very last one. The subject they were staring at was sitting in the window seat next to Song Eunha, who had her earphones in and drool dribbling down her cheek.
“No way,” Dongwoo muttered, staring at you. You didn’t appear to be aware of their spying. But it wouldn’t be the first time you were the topic of an interesting conversation. You had perplexed everyone since you arrived. “She’s only been in our school for about a year. She doesn’t even seem to be close to anyone here. Why would she want to contribute to something for the class?”
“Who else would you suggest?” Jisu shrugged. “I mean- maybe she just really wanted to go on this field trip.”
“Dongwoo pointed out before how she isn’t close to anyone. We just don’t know her. Maybe she’s nicer than we thought,” Yeseul suggested.
“No way. She’s cold and standoffish. Aloof,” Jisu insisted. “Her eyes scare me.”
“I like her eyes,” Dongwoo mentions. “She’s hot.”
“You think everyone’s hot. You’ve dated every girl in this class! That’s 20 girls, Dongwoo,” Jisu reminded him, her gaze sharp.
Dongwoo grinned, wiggling his brows. “Two timed you and Yeseul in 5th grade.”
“Don’t remind me that I used to like you,” Jisu groaned, slumping down.
Dongwoo stretched his arms above his head, wrapping one around Jisu shoulder to pull her closer. “Who could blame you? I’m irresistible.”
Jisu only responded by shrugging it off and spitting on his shoes, muttering, “Gross.” Typical.
“Back to the topic at hand,” Yeseul coughed, interrupting Dongwoo’s flirtatious moves. “Maybe she’s just shy.”
“I think you’re just trying too hard to see the good in people,” Jisu says. “I mean, the girl doesn’t want anything to do with anyone. She’s intimidating and quiet and just pure scary… I dunno, she’s not normal.”
“You just say that because of her eyes,” Yeseul insists. “Though I agree with Dongwoo- I think they’re pretty. They’re unique. You don’t see them often.” At that, she peers over to you, who was still turned to the window, your elbow propped up against the window pane as you stared at the trees that passed by. Your dark hair framed your face, and the trim of how it fell just above your shoulders was jagged. Despite your strange haircut and eyes, you were undeniably pretty. Like the unique faces you’d see on magazines pretty. Not a cardboard cutout or what would first pop into your head when you hear ‘beautiful’- but pretty, all the same.
“Guys! Look!” Everyone turned to Jo Wangsoo, who was pointing out the window. Outside- to everyone’s shock and surprise, were military men. A camo uniform that clung to their skin, and guns in their hands. Their identities were concealed by the sunglasses they wore, accompanied by the helmets. That wasn’t what shocked the students, however. What shocked them were the tanks that they stood in front of.
“What’s going on?” Yeseul whispered, already feeling anxious. Her eyes were wide, and she was frozen stiff, as though paralyzed by fear, despite the fact nothing had happened yet. Her eyes darted around the room, flying to and from each familiar face around her. The only one who didn’t seem to be affected was the girl in the back, who wasn’t even reacting to Eunha- who had woken up from her nap and was panicking along with the rest of the paranoid class.
“I have no clue,” Dongwoo uttered, staring out at the soldiers. “Is this our field trip?”
“Is it to encourage us to join the military or something? Are we going to some sort of base?” Yeseul questioned.
Jisu got up from her seat, stepping into the aisle. “I’ll go ask Mr. Lee.”
She maneuvered herself around the people who were up and about already on the bus, all buzzing about what they interpreted was going on. She made her way to Mr. Lee, who was sitting at the very front of the bus. Tapping her shoulder, she prompted her question, “Mr. Lee?”
To her surprise, his eyes were welling with tears behind his small specs as he stared at her. Pressing her lips together in confusion, she cautiously asked, “Mr. Lee… are you alright? Is everything alright?”
“A-Ah, yes, I’ve just got allergies, that’s all,” Mr. Lee uttered, pulling off his specs to rub them clean with the fabric of his shirt. “Now, what can I d-do for you Miss Jo?”
Jisu couldn’t recall the last time- if ever- Mr. Lee stuttered.
“I was just wondering where our surprise field trip is going,” she mumbled. “I mean… Are we supposed to be around all of these soldiers?”
“Oh, yes,” Mr. Lee sighed. “Yes, this is the right place. You’ve got nothing to worry about- so don’t fret.”
“Alright,” Jisu smiled, feeling relieved. As she began to walk away, she felt Mr. Lee grab her wrist. She looked back, stammering. “Mr. Lee? Do you… need something?” Her teacher had never laid a hand on her before- what was going on?
“You’re a bright girl, Jisu,” Mr. Lee said. Jisu was surprised he wasn’t calling her by her surname, as he usually addressed his students. An uneasy feeling settled in her stomach, and as she was about to try and scream for help, Mr. Lee lets go of her hand. “Good luck.”
Stunned, Jisu watched as the man turned back forward, staring blankly to the front of the bus. She staggered back to her friends, sitting back down.
“What’d he say?” Yeseul asked her, curious.
“We’re in the right place,” Jisu said, still feeling uneasy. She didn’t want to mention the rest of the story, however, unsure how the people around her would react.
“Well, then I guess we are going to learn about some military base!” Dongwoo grins, stretching back into his seat. “That’ll be cool actually- I was planning to enter the military after I graduate anyway.
"Mhm,” Jisu mumbled.
“What’s Mr. Lee putting on?” Yeseul pondered aloud. “And why’s the bus driver wearing one too?”
They turned their heads to the front, seeing both of the middle-aged adults wearing funny black masks. Dongwoo was wondering how the bus driver could drive while wearing that, as well as putting it on while driving. Yeseul wondered exactly what they were, and Jisu was thinking about how her heart was dropping down to her stomach.
“Gas masks,” she whispered, face paling.

Jisu’s throat felt tight. Well, not uncomfortably tight. Closer to the feeling of when you wear a choker. Snug was a more appropriate adjective. Her back hurt too. Oh, and she and her classmates were all sprawled across a tarp in an empty room. But she wanted to focus on one thing at a time.
“Wake up, sleeping beauties!”
Jisu blinked, staring up at the man who stood at the front of the room. He wasn’t dressed the same as the other soldiers- who lined the front of the room alongside him, as well as block the only door out. Instead, he wore a white button-down shirt and slacks- very classy. Still, he had the same authoritarian voice and posture of a soldier.
The students each sat up, some of them standing up and looking around. Each had a necklace clasped tightly around their neck- though it looked closer to some sort of house arrest bracelet. Jisu looked around the room, searching for Dongwoo and Yeseul. They were standing to the left side of the room, Yeseul shaking in Dongwoo’s arms. Jisu rushed over to them, though she avoided clasping onto anyone. She wasn’t like Yeseul in that regard.
“Now, you very lucky students get to participates in something that contributes to the economy! Aren’t you happy about that?” His grin was toothy. Very toothy. He must’ve had a good brand of toothpaste because his teeth were gleaming. “I won’t go into details on exactly how it does, however, because frankly, neither of us care. Isn’t that right?”
One of the students, Woo Heejin, raised her hand. “What’s going on?” she blurted, not bothering to be called on.
“Good question,” the man laughed. “I’m Min Ki. However, you all can just call me Ki. I’ll allow it because of the circumstances. Now, does everyone feel the bombs they have around their necks? Yes, bombs. Do not do anything naughty- we will find out, and we will not hesitate to blow you up. Do not try to remove them- we will not hesitate to blow you up. And lastly do not be in danger zones- which I will announce at 12 and 6 AM and PM- four times a day. You will get a map that will let you know which areas of this evacuated island are which, don’t worry. But you better get out of the area quickly if it’s listed. Otherwise, we will not hesitate to blow you up.”
Chaos soon erupted around the room- people were scrambling around the room, screaming and trying to run past the soldiers, who soon shot into the ceiling and floor until the students had huddled to the back of the class, afraid to take another step near the men. There were three dead bodies on the floor.
Song Soojung and Song Laon. They weren’t related but shared the common last name. The third was Min Jungwook.
People soon departed from the right corner of the room, where Sun Woo was profusely throwing up.
Ki grimaced, his face scrunching up. “You won’t last long, will you buddy?” He sighed, continuing with his speech. “Now, if everyone’s calmed down, I’ll continue. You want to conserve your energy- you’ll need it. Don’t worry- you’ll get plenty of chances to get rid of all that negative energy. And why is that? Oh, yes! Because only one of you will come out alive- unless there’s more than one survivor by 72 hours, in which case we will blow up everyone. No biggie I’m sure. So, what should you do? If you want to go home, I suggest you kill as many of your classmates as possible until you’re the last one standing. You will get to pick up a bag from the front of the room and a soldier will hand you a bag as you make your way out of the building. Inside the bags are food, water, a map, and a randomized weapon. You may only leave the room once your name is called. Any questions?”
Everyone was silent for a few minutes, stunned. Slowly, a hand was raised.
Ki pointed to the student. “Yes, you. Fat kid. What’s your question?”
The boy in question- Lee Junho- flushed profusely at the name he was called. “Why us?”
Ki shrugged. “You were chosen randomly. A random class is picked each year for this program- Battle Royale. Don’t take it personally.”
Hard to, considering they’d be forced to kill each other.
Yeseul raised her hand up timidly.
Ki pointed at her. “Yes, you, ugly girl.”
Yeseul looked as though she were on the verge of tears, her face crumpled up, though no tears were falling yet. “What if we don’t want to kill anyone?” Her voice cracked at that, and everyone felt the familiar lump in their own throats as well.
Ki laughed, “Well, consider yourself already dead. Any more questions?”
No one raised their hand anymore. Jisu was half surprised none of the class clowns hadn’t taken the opportunity to ask the man a stupid question as they would substitutes, asking something like 'what brand of toothpaste do you use’ or 'who’s your dentist?’ Perhaps the death scenario they were being pulled into took the humor out of them.
Ki clapped his hands together. “Brilliant! Now, there’s three dead out of 40- bringing us down to 37.” He did an overexaggerated frown, pouting his lower lip. “Shucks.”
He laughed at his own joke, looking around the room. Disappointed that none of the others thought his joke was funny. “Huh. You guys are as depressing as the last group,” he rolled his eyes. “Well. As I said, that brings us down to 37. There are now 18 boys and 19 girls. Girl power! Guess you guys can escape bullets easier. These guys aren’t stormtroopers I suppose. Now, I’ll alert you each time I’m on the intercom on how many are dead. Now, shall we begin?”
One of the soldiers handed Ki a list, and he stared at it with a smile. “Ah, yes. Now, boy #1, Song Laon!”
Everyone stared down at the corpse at the ground, next to the other dead Song. Ki clicked his tongue. “The ones who lose before they even start are always the most pathetic, hm? Alright, then, girl #1- Y/N.”
Everyone parted ways, and the mysterious girl who had arrived just a year before all of this swooped down, picking up a bag. Your face was stony and calm, and one of the soldiers tossed you a bag.
Before you got to the doorway, however, you turned back. “Aren’t you going to wish me luck?”
The soldier who tossed you the bag couldn’t help but break out a smile. “I’m supposed to be unbiased.”
“Caught you breaking character,” you smirked, the sly movement the closest thing to a smile that any of your classmates had seen. “Is this at least a good bag?”
“You’ll have to see for yourself,” the soldier shrugged.
“Y/N, don’t hold up everyone. You and he can talk later, he’s got to get into character,” Ki scolded.
“Will you get me one of your famous cookies if I win?” you asked, staring Ki in the eye.
“I didn’t want them to know I bake!” Ki sneered, his eyes light and playful. “Now, out out out! We’re wasting minutes.”
You swiftly left the room, disappearing into the hall. The other students stared after you in shock, wondering what the mystery girl had done before she got to their class.
Ki turned back to the students, a smile on his face. They only looked at him in confusion and shock, to which he shook his head in mock disappointment. He cocked his head to one of the soldiers, “You know, I always rooted for her. One of my favorites, really.”
And with that, Battle Royale had begun.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Intro
Have you ever disliked someone for the sole reason that they didn’t appear to have flaws? Because in every sense of the word, they were perfect? No matter what they did, they did it better than you. And everyone seemed to like them except you. And because of all this, you convinced yourself that deep down, they weren’t a good person. They were fooling everyone into thinking they were better than they are. And why? Because if you can’t see anything wrong with this person- then perhaps there’s something far worse they’re hiding.Some days you wonder if they were just born perfect. Were they just perfect little toddlers who were already potty trained and never accidentally copied a cuss word from their parent? Or were they just normal like you, and suddenly woke up annoyingly perfect, and thought to themselves ‘this is going to bug the ever-loving shit out of so-and-so’. And whenever you do think about it that often, you have a burning sensation of jealousy and irritation bubbling in the back of your mind, eating you away piece by piece?That’s exactly what Taehyung felt about you.It wasn’t a recent thing. It wasn’t something that lasted a few months until he actually got to know you. Hell, he didn’t want to get to know you. Perhaps it was because if he did, his illusion of you being sinister would be shattered. Scratch that, it was definitely because of that.And it wasn’t like he was some bitter, unpopular kid either. No, it was exactly the opposite in a sense. He was popular, and so were you. The only problem is that somehow you were more popular. You were always one step ahead of him. You had won most attractive kid in class back in 4th grade. You were always beating his scores on tests and getting the number one spot. If you were only notched down a point or two that would be Taehyung’s spot- but no. You just had to make it more aggravating for him.It wasn’t like he deliberately wanted to feel like some petty teenage girl around you. In fact, he acted pleasantly to you. And you acted nothing but pleasant back! But it was the insecurity that he had buried deep inside that had him comparing himself to you over and over again.Perhaps the worst part was that so many of your classmates seemed hellbent on setting the two of you up. The hottest girl with the hottest guy- the two most popular people- the top students- what could go wrong?Everyone was convinced that if Taehyung spent so much as ten minutes alone with you, he’d be head over heels like so many others were. It seemed ridiculous that he hadn’t- after all, he’s known you almost all his life. All of the classmates knew each other better than they knew themselves, to be frank. So why was it that he seemed to barely know you in a personal manner?He avoided you, to put it simply. Well, he avoided getting close to you. While the two of you still had the occasional conversation, it was nothing other than idle chatter. He knew all he needed to about you. He knew your birthday and the fact you hated wearing your blazer with your school uniform, and that more often than not you wore low pigtails.He would’ve never anticipated knowing more.
The Average Day
“Taehyung, did you do the math assignment last night?” Jungkook asked, walking over to the elder’s desk. Taehyung was currently reading a book on engineering- just for fun. Ok, partly for fun. He always had to try his best to do something right, while you could do it with ease it seemed.It was a free period, with their teacher Mrs. Yang out, for the time being, letting the children lounge around the class. The class president, Choi Hansol, still kept things in order, however. It would’ve been you or Taehyung- but neither of you ran. Taehyung because he didn’t want to get beaten by you at something once again, and you for unknown reasons.“Yeah, I always do. Why?” Taehyung asked, looking up quizzically.Jungkook groaned. “No, that’s not what I want to hear!”Taehyung stared blankly at the younger boy in bewilderment. “I’m sorry- what?”“I was hoping you’d say no so that I’d get an excuse to talk to Y/N about it,” Jungkook mumbled. “I was planning to say that I had already asked you about it but you didn’t have it yet, so I’d have to ask her for help or answers.”Taehyung blinked, trying his best not to roll his eyes. “Why didn’t you just tell her that without having to include the 'me’ bit?”“I dunno. I guess because she would’ve figured I’d ask you instead since you’re my friend?” Jungkook’s cheeks were burning red. “I dunno, I just read it online.”“You’re an idiot,” Taehyung muttered, shaking his head and returning his eyes to the book.“Whatever. Easy for you to say. You’re the only dude who doesn’t seem to have the hots for her,” Jungkook muttered bitterly.“I’m too busy focusing on school,” Taehyung shrugged. “And I hardly know her.”“Bullshit. You had sex with Byun Areum just last month. And also we’ve known each other for years- so it’s not like you don’t know Y/N,” Jungkook pointed out.Taehyung rolled his eyes. “Areum is hot and it was only a one-time thing. And when I say I hardly know Y/N, I mean personally. When have you seen me and her hang out alone? We hardly know anything about each other really.”“Y/N’s hot too, she’s the hottest girl in our class,” Jungkook says, looking back at you.You were reading as well at the moment, with two of your friends, Um Hajin and Ra Haru gossiping beside you. You had your headphones on- the silver ones you wore around your neck every day, and your blazer was tied tightly around your waste. Instead of the usual pigtails, you wore two long braids on either side of your face- which in Taehyung’s opinion was basically the same thing.Taehyung shrugged. “Whatever. I’m just not interested in her. She’s not my type.”“Y/N’s everyone’s type,” Jungkook insisted. “Did something happen between the two of you or something?”“What? No,” Taehyung grunted. “Look, I’m just not close to her, alright? She hasn’t tried to get close to me either.”“No, she definitely has, you just ignored her,” Jungkook laughed, a small smirk appearing on his lips. “Don’t you remember that rumor back in 6th grade? About how she wanted you to be her first kiss?”Taehyung’s brows furrowed. “No?”“Well, that’s the rumor. People thought she liked you. It would make sense- I think that’s why so many of our classmates are still trying to set the two of you up. Because they all know they themselves don’t really stand a chance,” Jungkook ponders.“I think you’re just pulling shit out of your ass,” Taehyung grumbles, rolling his eyes. “I don’t ignore her.”“You totally do! You kind of treat her how a primary schooler treats a girl when he has a crush,” Jungkook says. “But we know that you don’t since you’re a grown ass dude by now. Are you scared of her? Is that it?”“Jungkook, why don’t you go annoy her already instead of me?” the man deadpanned. “I’m serious. I’ve got to finish this book by tomorrow.”“I bet Y/N could finish the entire thing by tonight,” Jungkook teased.Taehyung glared at him, his gaze fiery. “You know, if you’re going to act like such a shithead, maybe I can go over to Y/N and convince her you’re some sort of pervert or something.”Jungkook merely shrugged, unintimidated. “What guy isn’t?”“I’m done with this conversation.”Jungkook finally stalked away, actually having a firm grip on his own ballsack to apparently talk to you. Taehyung couldn’t help but side glance every now and then. You had one side of the headphone behind your ear, looking up at Jungkook. You had a bright smile.At this moment, Taehyung couldn’t see why people thought of you as hot. If anything, you were cute.But he did not want to think about that. Especially concerning his rival and competition.Jungkook was clearly flirting with you, with how he leaned in as close as he could, a cocky smirk pulled to one side. Taehyung wondered what you were thinking. Did you like him? Tae hoped you didn’t. Not because he was attracted to you or anything, simply because it would mean he’d have to spend more time with you because you’d be his best friend’s girlfriend.The thought made his stomach sick, and he had to force himself to stop watching you flirt up a storm with Jungkook and return to his book.Besides, he wasn’t that worried. You had boyfriends before, sure. But none of them seemed to last long- you’d always break up with them.Free period passed by soon enough. Then lunch. And then there was class. The teacher was currently rambling on about history- things everyone knew, of course. Anyone with half a brain, in Taehyung’s opinion.“Now, can anyone tell me between what years Korea was under Japanese rule?” Mrs. Yang asked, turning back to her class.Taehyung’s hand was up in the air already- and so was yours. No one else. Taehyung had a habit of subconsciously holding his breath whenever it was like this. It was as though everything had to be a competition between the two of you- one that you weren’t even aware was happening.“Y/N,” Mrs. Yang called.Oh, fuck you.“1910 to 1945,” you answered cooly.Fuck you too.Taehyung couldn’t help but glare at the back of your head when he dropped his hand. Surprisingly, though, you turned around to face him, your eyes locking. Taehyung felt embarrassed at the fact you caught him staring- no, glaring- and couldn’t help but feel his cheeks burn. You turned away, as though you hadn’t noticed him staring daggers at you.There was a sense of anxiety for Taehyung for the rest of the day. He wondered if you were going to mention it or confront him. Or would he simply have to live with the guilt until it wore off?He swore he was a good person. You just happened to be the person who invoked his worst emotion- jealousy. Why was it he felt obsessed with you? It wasn’t like he had a crush on you. You just happened to consume his every thought it seemed. Why was that? Was he really that competitive and envious? That petty?Taehyung started to think maybe he was the bad person in the situation. You hadn’t done anything- and yet he kept trying to justify his envy of you, and place the blame on your unknowing shoulders.He wasn’t in the mood for self-reflection.The moment he dreaded finally came at the end of the day, when all of the classes were over and Taehyung was walking back to his house. You said goodbye to your friends and strolled up to Taehyung, who was quickly walking away in order to avoid your confrontation. “Hey, Tae, can I walk with you?” Taehyung was surprised you called him that. Lots of people called him that, true. Mainly girls. But he didn’t really remember you saying it. “Er- sure.”The two of you walked side by side on the sidewalk, silent. Taehyung wondered if you’d blather on about something or nothing- he didn’t know. He just wanted it over with.Almost as though you read his mind, you blurt it out. “Why do you hate me?”“I don’t hate you,” Taehyung said bluntly.“You were glaring at me when I answered that question,” you mention. “I saw you.”“No you didn’t,” he insisted. Perhaps in any other situation, his denial would’ve been funny. Maybe you’d even laugh. You didn’t, however. If anything, your frown deepened.“This isn’t the first time you know. Everyone’s pretty close in this class. Everyone talks to each other- except for us. I’ve tried to talk to you, but you seem to ignore me,” you say. “So I want to know what your deal is.”“My deal?” Taehyung questioned, stopping in his tracks.“Yeah. Did I offend you or something? If I did, I’m sorry. I really do want us to be friends,” you say, stopping to stare up at him.Taehyung felt uncomfortable. “I… I dunno.”“You don’t know? Or you don’t want to tell me?”Taehyung pressed his lips together, hating how you could read him like a  book. “Both?”“I’ll take that as a statement rather than an answer,” you hum. “Well, if it helps, I definitely don’t hate you.”Taehyung scratched the back of his neck. “Oh. Well, thanks?”“I don’t think that’s the appropriate response,” you deadpan. “But it works, I suppose.”“I’m sorry, I’m just not very good at this,” Taehyung admitted. “I don’t hate you- well, I don’t think so. I just have some reasons to feel… standoffish, towards you, I suppose.”“Those reasons are?” You quirked a brow up at him, cocking your head.“Um…”“You know, for such a brainiac, your vocabulary doesn’t seem the most… eloquent, today,” you mention. “I don’t know how to fix whatever’s going on between us if you can’t tell me what’s going on, Tae.”“I’ll tell you another day, alright?” Taehyung sighed. “Frankly, I need to figure it out myself.”You hummed. “You promise you’ll tell once you figure it out then?”“Sure, promise,” Taehyung nodded.You held out your pinky, a small smile on your face. “You know what to do.”Taehyung’s brows jumped up. “What?”You rolled your eyes. “Sometimes, when people swear on a promise, they link their-”“I’m not a dumbass, I know what a pinky promise is,” Taehyung interrupted. It seemed almost as though you were an equally cynical person. A rare feat. Well, it was rare to see someone who showed it comfortably. Taehyung couldn’t recall you acting so bluntly and sarcastic to others- but maybe you just knew how to appeal to him at this moment. Perhaps you really could read him like a book.“What’re you waiting for, then?” you asked. “Unless you’re a liar.”“I’m no liar,” Taehyung said, quickly linking your pinkies together and pressing thumbs. He wasn’t going to let you hurt his pride like this- directly.You wore a smug grin, beginning to walk again. “Alright- great. Now, would you like to chat about some random bullshit and have a normal conversation? Talk about the weather or something unimportant? Since we got all of that serious stuff out of the way?”“You’re weird,” Taehyung stated bluntly.“You seem to warm up to me quickly when I am,” you shrugged. “Are you going to deny it?”“I already told you I wasn’t a liar,” Taehyung grunted. “Fine, I’ll play along. How many of those little gift bag things have you sold already?”“20,” you say. “Sold most to my folks in the States. I’m looking forward to the surprise field trip if we win. You?”“19.” Of fucking course.“Impressive,” you nodded. “Where do you think they plan to take us anyway?”“No clue. Probably somewhere educational, like a planetarium or history museum.”“I’d think some sort of art exhibit.”“Why?”“I don’t know, I guess I’m just trying to be optimistic. It’s probably what you said,” you shrug. You stop in front of a house. “This is my stop.”Taehyung looks to the house. It’s a cookie cutter, that’s for sure. Looks exactly the same as his house for that matter- except it’s got a greener lawn that’s been freshly trimmed, and it’s windows don’t seem to have smudges. It was exactly what he’d expect from you. “I didn’t know you lived just a block away from me,” Taehyung comments.“You’re not very observant,” you counter. The two of you exchange glances, and you give him a small smirk. “I’m really glad we talked today, Tae. I’ve been meaning to for a while.”“Yeah… me too,” Taehyung admits. Somehow it seemed to humanize you- although you didn’t seem any less annoyingly perfect. Taehyung wasn’t sure if he was supposed to dislike you more or less because of it.“Mhm,” you hum in a sarcastic manner. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow at school. Hopefully, we win the field trip.”With that, Taehyung watched you walk back to your house before continuing on to his own. Little did he know that would be the closest to a normal conversation he would get with you.
The Game
One minute you think you’re going to some field trip after winning a contest against your other classmates, and the next you’re stuck in a room filled with your classmates, and four dead bodies at your feet. Oh, and you’ve got chokers on. As though you’re some emo on fashionable house arrest.Fun!Taehyung kept his cynical thoughts to himself, however, because after being gassed and learning you have to kill or be killed whilst wearing a bomb, you really don’t want to piss the people off any further.Ki wore a toothy grin- his smile yellow. Taehyung grimaced when he first saw it. It wasn’t that he couldn’t handle none-white teeth- it was just the fact the guy’s teeth looked like butter and he was the spokesman for their deaths.“Now, let’s start reading the list, shall we? We’ve already got four dead- this is why you shouldn’t act bad, kids,” Ki snickered, shaking the list in front of him to read better. “Now, can people please tell me who the dead bodies are so that I can cross them off the list? Oh, and good sir, please hand me a pen or something, would you? That would be very helpful.”It was Jungkook who spoke up. “Ra Haru, Kim Seokjin, Pang Jin, and Na Eunseo.”Ra Haru was one of your closest friends, and of course, Na Eunseo was one of the more recent girls Taehyung had slept with. Pang Jin was actually one of the guys you briefly dated, and Kim Seokjin was a guy who was known to court you, though oddly enough you never gave him a chance.“Thank you, bunny teeth,” Ki said, crossing off the list. “That helps very much. In fact, because you’ve been so helpful, I’ll let you go first. No one cares about the order anyway, as long as 39 are dead. So just 35 more to go!”Jungkook was stunned for a moment but quickly comprehended that he needed to leave. He picked up a random bag, and before going to the soldiers, he looked to Taehyung. He dropped the bag, wrapping his arms around him in a tight hug and patting his back. Taehyung wondered if he’d say anything. Sorry for the fights we’ve had? I won’t kill you?“Good luck.” That was it. Taehyung nodded back, and soon Jungkook was tossed a bag, and running out. He’d be fine. Taehyung was sure of it. Jungkook was smarter than he looked and was easily the strongest in their class. He just hoped he wouldn’t be the cause of his own downfall.Anxiety was drumming in Taehyung’s chest as his classmates were called one by one. Friends and loved ones, each departing with a sad or nervous look in their eye. He had known these people since he started going to school. And either he was going to kill them, or they were going to kill him.Taehyung couldn’t help but feel his ears perk up at the sound of your name. You were cool and collected, as usual, slowly picking up the bag and catching the other one that was tossed to you. You walked out, not even looking back.Taehyung wondered if he’d ever see you alive again.Finally, Taehyung’s name was called. He was quick and precise, trying not to stumble. Wouldn’t want a perception of him as a pussy. The bag was tossed to him by force, and soon enough, he was running out into the heart of the island.He didn’t know how long he was running. He didn’t know if he ran by anyone, or who they were. All he knew was that he needed a place to crash- and fast.It wasn’t until he finally got to a clearing that he had to stop and rest. There was no one else in sight, and though it would be a good place to set up camp, it wasn’t the wisest place to hide. He’d need to be away from people for the time being- but maybe he could rest for a bit. He staggered to a nearby rock, rummaging through one of the bags for water. Taking gulps of it, he kept in mind that he’d have to save most of it throughout the journey- AKA the next 3 days.If he even lasts that long.He looked through the other bag, searching for the weapon. A taser. That’d definitely be useful. Taehyung was about to let out a sigh of relief when he heard rustling.Kim Namjoon. He was one of the other bright kids in class- one of the more philosophical types. Taehyung remembered sleepovers at Namjoon’s place and thinking it was fancy. In reality, he just had a lot of technological gadgets there- since that happened to be his thing.Taehyung staggered up, staring his friend- well, is he really a friend in this situation?- in the eye.“Namjoon,” he spoke.“Taehyung.” Namjoon’s eyes lingered on the taser in Taehyung’s hand. “Seems like you picked a good one.”“Not really a choice if you don’t know what’s in the bag,” Taehyung says, his voice icy and robotic. Both of them were mid stance, as though deciding whether or not they should run or attack. “What’d you get?”Namjoon pulled out what he was holding behind his back. A hatchet. Taehyung tried not to gulp in fear or intimidation. That was definitely good- but if they were to fight, Namjoon would find it easier because of simple proximity. “Nice,” was the only word Taehyung managed to say.“Thanks,” Namjoon said. He was always considered one of the nicer ones in the class. You had a lot of snotty or stuck up kids, true. Namjoon was one of the more humble ones. Maybe it was because he was smart and logical.But that was a threat to Taehyung.“Don’t take this personally,” Namjoon said, knowing full and well that he didn’t have to explain what he was about to do. “You’d do the same if you were me, I’m sure. My mom has cancer, and it’s hard enough as it is. I need to take care of her. I need to do this.”“I can’t help but take it personally,” Taehyung said, reaching for the strap of his bag in an attempt to run. “You know, killing me and all.”Namjoon sighed. “I’m really sorry, anyways. Though that doesn’t mean much.” With that, he lunged at Taehyung. Taehyung swung his bag at the man, the blade of the hatchet burying into the bag. Namjoon ignored it, throwing himself at Taehyung until they were tumbling. Soon Namjoon had pinned down Taehyung, his meaty hands clasped around Taehyung’s throat. The younger boy had never been all that into choking or these kinds of kinks- and based on this experience, he guessed he wouldn’t be in the future either.The taser had fallen from his grasp earlier, falling about five feet away from his reach. The hatchet was still buried in his bag, leaving Taehyung completely defenseless to Namjoon.Namjoon was blinking away tears. His first kill. But he had to do this. For his mom- she couldn’t make it on her own, with three little kids to care for herself, and her eldest dead. And what would happen to his siblings? The only option was to win Battle Royale. Even if it meant killing-“I think the fuck not!”Suddenly Namjoon collapsed on top of Taehyung, his hands limp as he fell onto the younger boy. Taehyung tried to suck in greedy gasps, filling his lungs as the purple faded from his face. Only thirty minutes into the game and he already sucks.A knife was buried in the back of Namjoon’s head, stemming out from it. Taehyung rolled the body off of him, heaving and sputtering. He looked up, trying to find Namjoon’s assailant. Thinking quickly, he crawled towards his bag, only to find the hatchet missing. Well, not exactly missing. What he found was a pair of boots, and as his gaze lifted, he saw you standing over him, a hatchet in your hand.“I wouldn’t run if I were you,” you say. “I also have your taser with me.”Taehyung slowly got to his knees, raising his hands in the air. “I don’t want to kill you, Y/N.”“I don’t want you to, either,” you say calmly. “And I don’t want to kill you. I won’t.”Taehyung’s eyes widened. “Why’d you kill Namjoon?”“Because he was trying to kill you. Duh.” You shrugged at that part, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.“I mean why did you save me.”“I guess since we could die any minute I’ll tell you now. The faster I talk the sooner we can get out and find a proper shelter,” you mutter. You drop your weapons, making Taehyung jump in fright. Swooping down, you grab him by the collar, yanking up for him to sit upright, smashing his lips against yours. Your eyes are screwed shut, and his are blown wide open, shocked. Never, in all of the years he had known you, would he have imagined this happening. You drop him, resulting in him landing back on his ass. “I’ve been in love with you for years, Kim Taehyung. So I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure you win this death competition. Got it?”He was stunned. “What?”“Yes. Now, get up you trick ass bitch. We’ve got a death competition to win. If you refuse I’ll hold you hostage and drag you along with me- you don’t have a choice if you want to survive,” you said bluntly. “And you also can’t trust anyone other than me, frankly. Though I’m sure you don’t even trust me at this point- I won’t take it personally. Now, get your bag and Namjoon’s, and let’s move. While you were here fucking around with Namjoon I found a house we could stow away in- and a shortcut. But we’ve got to get there now if we want to get there before everyone else.”Taehyung had no choice but to follow, with you stalking behind him, the flat of the blade you pulled from Namjoon’s skull pressed against the back of his neck.Man, way to express your apparent love.
Revenge
Kim Mir’s legs were sore, and he had no more breath. He had witnessed his best friend, Byun Jewoo, get killed by none other than the class president. Damn Hansol. Mir only hoping that Hansol wouldn’t get killed before he had a chance to get to him.He wanted to wring his hands around the president’s scrawny little neck. And to think he used to respect him.Mir had been hiding up in one of the trees. His weapon was stupid- just some boomerang. He didn’t even know how to use it, which made it practically worthless. Mir hadn’t even anticipated playing the game until Hansol killed Jewoo.It wasn’t until he saw Jewoo below, calling out his name, that he swooped down to greet him, holding him tightly in his embrace.“Oh dear God, I’m glad I found you!” Jewoo exclaimed, unafraid to express his worries. “I was shouting your name since I left the building.”“Are you an idiot?” Mir scolded. “You’ll get killed!”“I’m not afraid,” Jewoo confirmed, letting out a gummy grin. He couldn’t help it. He had Mir now, and with Mir, he had no worries. Now he wasn’t alone. He dropped his bag to pull out the machine gun stowed inside. “I’ve got this.”Mir’s eyes widened. “Woah. You definitely got lucky. All I got was a boomerang.”“Guess I’m always compensating for what you lack, huh?” Jewoo commented, wiggling his brows.Mir threw a hard punch into the other boy’s shoulder, but couldn’t help but laugh at the innuendo. “You’re not planning to kill anyone with that, are you?”“I mean… I’m not even sure if I want to play the game,” Jewoo confessed. “I want us to survive- but I’ve known these guys since we were practically in diapers- I’d never dream of hurting them.”“What about that time you threw a punch at Siwon?” Mir laughed at the memory. Min Siwon was the class bully- notorious for tormenting any of the other boys who he could easily overpower. He wasn’t afraid to throw girls into the mix either, mainly teasing on Kim Gaeun. The only ones he never bothered to bully or at least get in trouble in front of were the ones who had power- typically the ones who had a higher reputation. Most suspected it was because he was too intimidated or wanted to impress them- mainly the girls.Jewoo gave a wary smile. “It was only because he had the nerve to bring up your mom- you know that. Besides, he punched me back, and I was knocked out cold. I don’t even think I left a bruise on him.”Mir wore a warm grin as he thought back to it. “That’s not what mattered, though. You stood up for me- that’s what I appreciated. Not the bruise on his jaw.”The two of them shared a smile at that, and right when Mir was going to bring up another memory he remembered, Jewoo kicked him in the stomach, knocking him to the ground. Mir stared in horror at his best friend, whose body jerked as three- no, four bullets entered his chest.Mir could hardly comprehend it, gaping at the corpse that was once his friend. Looking up, he saw none other than their class president, Choi Hansol, carrying a handgun, still aimed at the dead body.Mir didn’t even think- soon he was reaching for the machine gun, screaming at the top of his lungs. “How could you? How fucking could you? You’ll pay!”Hansol didn’t bother answering, the look of horror on his face as the weapon entered Mir’s hands. Quickly, he bolted, running the other way as Mir sent bullets flying after him. But he wasn’t concentrated, and his vision was blurry with tears. Hansol got away.Mir never hated himself more than that moment.And now he was on a mission to hunt down Hansol.And he’d kill anyone who got in his way.
Secrets Unveiled
Taehyung’s hands were tied, and he sat across from you on the kitchen floor. Both of you were leaning against the cabinets, staring at one another. You had tied him up to prevent him from running away, and Taehyung stayed compliant because he had just witnessed you murder one of your classmates.“I’ll untie you trust me,” you mention casually. “And on occasion that you have to use the lavatory or something. Other than that I can feed you and keep watch.”“Trust you?” Taehyung questioned. “My bad- I wasn’t aware that we were in the middle of a death competition right now.”“The ones who refuse to trust anyone typically die first,” you shrug. “Though staying alone and having allies is about 50/50.”“How would you know?”“My dad works for these people,” you say, shrugging. It was almost as though you were saying something as simple as 'my dad’s a doctor’. Not 'my dad is responsible for us being in a fight to the death’.Taehyung’s eyes widened. “What? You’re fucking joking.”“Nope,” you shake your head. “In fact, on special occasions, he’d take me here about once a year to watch with the soldiers. He even had me trained in things like combat and survival skills in the off chance that I’d end up selected. Sure enough, I was.”“Why wouldn’t he drag you out then? Once he knew you were selected?”“I think he secretly wanted me to be put in the game. Probably to honor him and myself, to prove this wasn’t all for nothing. I guess so that I could prove myself,” you say. “My parents were like that. Believing they were above anyone else simply because they were them- therefore I should be too since I’m their daughter. A single mistake and I wasn’t trying hard enough or doing good enough- whatever. So anything less than perfect and either my future was ruined because someone was already who I was trying to be, or I was dead. Neither parent was really the optimist.”“That explains a lot,” Taehyung admitted. He thought back to the inner rivalry he had with you. Little did you know you were sort of that kind of person for him- the one who he was trying to be.“Well, now that I spilled my guts, I do believe it’s your turn,” you say, smiling.“I still want to know about this whole 'I’m in love with you’ thing,” Taehyung said, changing the subject.“No no no no no, you don’t get to do that. You promised, remember? Last normal conversation in our lives. You pinky swore, and if you break it, I have every right by law to cut your pinky off,” you insist jokingly. “Now, why is it you hated me all these years?”“I never said I hated you,” Taehyung huffed. “Though you make it pretty easy to with my hands tied.”“Well then, disliked. However you want to undermine it,” you say, waving your hand. “Cut to the bullshit already- I only have two more days to live at the most.”“Fine. But it’s stupider each time I think about it- especially since we’re in a far more important situation right now,” Taehyung insisted.“No one’s around but us. And I’d hear and kill them if they come close,” you say. “Now, I’m intrigued. C'mon, tell me what awful things I must’ve done to you.”Taehyung frowned. “It’s not that I was just… It’s stupid of me to admit it, but I was just jealous. I thought of you as my competition, a nemesis, a rival- whatever. You were always one step ahead and beat me at everything, and you seemed to be more perfect than some people even thought I was. It felt unfair. You seemed to do everything with ease and I was beating my ass to even catch up. It became an obsession really, to beat you one day. I guess I let it consume me, something that I just perceived in my head.”You were silent for a few moments, letting his words sink in. “I don’t think it’s stupid at all,” you say finally, your words quiet.“You don’t?” Taehyung would’ve suspected you’d think less of him.“No. It’s only human, after all. Everyone gets jealous from time to time.” You smirk, “And it’s nice to know you always had your mind on me.”“Don’t get so conceited,” Taehyung rolled his eyes. “You’re in love with me, remember?”“Now who’s the conceited one!” you exclaim.“Now, why don’t you tell me exactly when this crush thing began anywho?” Taehyung asked. “May explain your motives for keeping me alive so far and such.”“If it gets you to trust me, that’s fine,” you shrug. “Honestly, because my entire life I was basically groomed to kill my classmates in some delusion my father perceived from work, I had to learn about everyone. Weaknesses, how to get close to them. More specifically, how to get them bonded to me without getting emotionally attached to them. Quite honestly, the solution is simple. You just act like that person around them. Mirror their personality. A lot of people like hanging around people like them for a reason. Narcissism? Maybe. But soon enough I was faking so many personalities I didn’t even know what my real one was- if I had one. I thought of myself as a sociopath.”“So that’s why you act so cynical around me?” Taehyung questioned.“Partly,” you guess. “It got you to warm up to me- which I wanted of course. Not to take advantage of you like the others I guess, more like because I wanted to get to know you better. And you were always more closed off. The other part is because it’s funny- and humor’s rather bleak in my life.”“So, where’s the part where I come into your sociopathic tendencies?”“Patient, I’m getting to it,” you say, pressing a finger to his lips to get him to shut up. “Truthfully, I think it was precisely because you didn’t like me. I was used to being adored and swooned over- it felt good, but it felt boring. But the way you looked at me felt as though you actually knew me- you knew I was hiding behind different versions of myself. So I guess soon enough I thought that if you really could see past me, you could know the real me, which I wanted to know myself.”“That’s deep,” he commented. “Way deeper than my side of things.”“It’s all about perspective,” you supposed.“One more question,” Taehyung requested, licking his lips. “How are you sure it’s love? I mean, I don’t feel the same, because it’s only now that I see you differently, and even then it’s been only such a short time.”“You mean infatuation?” you questioned. “I mean, I don’t think infatuation would last over 5 years, truthfully. But also because if it were infatuation, then what I’d want with you would be only me me me. But I’m putting you in front of myself- I’m going to have you win the game.”“Excuse me?” Taehyung sputtered.You nodded grimly. “Yes. I want you to survive more than me. There can only be one winner, and I want it to be you. With what I know of the game and the skills I can provide, I’ll help you until it’s only us. Then you can kill me yourself or I’ll do it. Either way, you’ll be the last one standing.”Taehyung was silent. “Y/N… I don’t know what to say.”“Thank you would be appreciated,” you chuckled. “Actually… though you’re probably wondering whether or not you can trust me still… and I don’t want any secrets between us…” Your fingers went to your eye, and Taehyung wanted to gag when your fingertip went to your pupil. Soon enough, you had popped out the contact lens.Taehyung was shocked to see that your left eye was a brilliant blue- contrasting your tan skin and the warm brown of the other eye. All these years, you had the ordinary brown eyes of so many of the other girls, but this was completely unexpected.You twisted strands from one of your pigtails. “I’ve never shown anyone the eye before. Except for maybe my parents. I know it makes me look weird but-”“You’re beautiful,” Taehyung interrupted. Catching himself, he quickly corrected his phrase. “I mean, it’s beautiful.”“Thanks,” you say. “I was born with it, but because my mom insisted it wasn’t the image our family wanted, I was forced to wear contacts since I started school. Even at such a young age. One time I even scratched my eye with a lense.”“That day you wore an eyepatch to school?” Taehyung recalled. “You said it was just pinkeye.”“That’s the lie you’re concerned with?” you deadpan. “But yeah, this is it. My own little secret. I wanted you to be the first person I really showed it to.”Taehyung felt honored somewhat, even if it wasn’t supposed to be something of significance. “Well, we’ve got the two more days left to live. I don’t think you have to live behind lies anymore.”You smiled at that. “And you’ll finally be able to beat me at something.”Ok, not exactly the kind of heartwarming inspiration he was looking for.“I’m going to go scout the area for a bit. If anyone comes, open the cabinets behind you and crawl inside. They should be big enough, and you’d get in there easily even with your hands tied,” you say, getting up. “And whatever you do, don’t make a sound until I give you the all clear. I meant it when I said I planned on keeping you alive until the end.”“Sure, sure,” Taehyung muttered.You got up, leaving the room, and Taehyung could really do nothing other than wait patiently for you to return.Or die trying.
Honor
Lee Iyeong and Soo Chiwon were walking along the rocky edge of one of the cliffs, towards the southeast side of the island. Iyeong was out of breath, her face red, sweat bleeding through her shirt. She had even unbuttoned it, revealing her bra to any of the classmates that would happen to cross paths with them. She didn’t care about that, though. Her boyfriend, Chiwon, had obviously seen much more than just her bra, and who cares about slight nudity when you have the chance of dying?She collapsed, her bags slipping off her arms. It took Chiwon a few moments to notice that she had fallen since he was walking in front of her. Once he did, though, he rushed to her side, rolling her onto her back and trying to get her to stand up.“Iyeong, we can’t be resting. We’ve got to find shelter. We don’t have time to be wasting?”“Who cares? We’re going to die anyway,” Iyeong insisted.“Don’t say that. We can survive,” Chiwon scolded, pulling on her arms. “C'mon, stop messing around. We’ve got to get moving. Anyone could see us and kill us.”“Let them come,” Iyeong sighed. “I don’t want to play the game.”“What do you mean you don’t want to play the game?” Chiwon questioned. “We don’t have a choice.”“Yes we do,” Iyeong said, sitting up. “We can play the game, killing people. And I’m not going to live with the sin of murder hanging over my head. We could also hide from everyone, but that would mean we’d let sin take place knowingly, which is also a sin in itself. There’s only one last option.”Back in primary school, Iyeong was voted as goody two shoes. The position was something everyone else would be crying or throwing a fuss over, upset with the title. Not Iyeong, though. She was one of the more religious ones, at least morally. The most sinful thing she did was sleep with her boyfriend of five years- who she had already planned to marry.Chiwon was a patient guy, but none of the other girls in the class liked him. Some suspected that’s why he settled for Iyeong and didn’t choose anyone else. Because he knew that she was his only option, and breaking up with her would leave him alone until he graduated.Chiwon’s eyes widened at his girlfriend’s words. “What are you talking about? You don’t mean killing ourselves.”“I do,” she said. “It’s the only option. It’s the best one.”“Suicide is a sin as well. It’s considered one of the worst,” Chiwon protested.“It can also be considered as acting as a martyr,” Iyeong countered. “If done morally. I’m not doing it because I want to take away God’s gift- it’s to stop anymore sin on my part.”“I don’t want you to die,” Chiwon insisted. “I can’t live without you.”“Then do it with me,” Iyeong said. She looked over the cliff’s edge, the peaceful waves crashing against the rocky shore. It’d be a sure death. “If you really can’t live without me, you wouldn’t hesitate.”Chiwon gulped, realizing the situation. He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath. “Ok.”Iyeong’s eyes watered. “Really?”Chiwon dropped his bags, admitting his internal defeat. “Yes.”Iyeong grabbed his hand, pulling herself up and walking to the edge with him until their toes hung over the edge. Chiwon was stiff, arms tense. He stared out at the sea. Iyeong stared at him. “I love you,” she reminded him. He didn’t say anything, staying silent.“Together,” she breathed. He only nodded. Closing her eyes, she slowly tipped, leaning forward as she fell. Chiwon’s fingers slipped from hers, and she only realized his betrayal seconds before she hit the ground.Chiwon’s breath was shaky, and he staggered backward, realizing what he had done. But still, he wasn’t going to kill himself.“You’re a fucking coward.”Chiwon turned around, staring at the person who stood behind him, a scythe in her hand.Mi Choa. She was actually his crush, but she had rejected him when he confessed, which forced him to turn to Iyeong. He never truly got over her, though. Only fitting for her to bear witness to his atrocious act.“I’m not going to kill myself,” Chiwon defended himself, a lump in his throat. “Suicide isn’t the answer.”“It’s not,” Choa admitted, swinging her scythe to the side to reveal the clean blade. Her hands were clean so far. Even her uniform didn’t have blood. “But betrayal is another thing. She trusted you, and you used it against her. Where’s your honor?”“You hated her,” Chiwon said, quickly diving to one of the bags, pulling out a weapon. It was only an ice pick, but it’d do.  He got into a defensive stance. He never killed anyone before, but then again, neither had she. In that case, his chances of defeating her in case they dueled were higher than previously. “The day I asked her out you screamed at me for twenty minutes.”“You had confessed to me the day before. It seemed like a rather fuckboy move,” Choa said, stepping closer to him. He couldn’t step any farther- he was already too close to the edge- to Iyeong’s corpse waiting for him below. “I liked you back, but there was one thing. I knew you were a coward, Chiwon. It’s obvious. This just proves it. And I could never love a coward.”Chiwon’s eyes narrowed. “I’d never be good enough for you, huh? Is that it?”“You’ll never be good enough for yourself,” Choa stated, pointing the scythe at him. “And you’re going to fight with me- so you can die with honor.”“I don’t want to kill a girl,” Chiwon hissed.“Well, if you get killed by one, that’d make you even more pathetic in your own eyes, hm?” Choa raised her scythe, preparing to swing. “Let’s dance, lover boy.”She swung at him, the hooked blade hitting the ice pick. Chiwon quickly stepped forward, diving beside her and slashing her thigh with the ice pick. Internally, he thanked those fencing classes that he took in middle school.And then he remembered the only reason he took them was because Choa attended as well.She growled, swinging again, this time sweeping it beneath his feet to knock him on his back. She was about to strike down, but he held up the ice pick, blocking it. The two of them pushed against each other, the point of the scythe getting so close it was cutting into his cheek, piercing it and drawing blood. He pushed harder, making her fall on her back as he scrambled up, colliding the bottom of his shoe with her face to knock her back to the ground.She got up quickly, however, and soon enough she had knocked the ice pick out of his hand, letting it skid off the edge of the cliff. The two of them watched for the briefest second, and soon enough Choa was pointing the blade at him, only two inches from his face.“Any last words?” Choa questioned, quirking a brow.Chiwon’s eyes were crossed as he looked at the blade. He remained silent, afraid to even move his head in fear that the blade would cut him.“I’ll let you die with Iyeong,” Choa decided, nodding over to the cliff’s edge. “It’s what she would’ve wanted.”Chiwon closed his eyes, a lump in his throat as he began to cry. This was it. This was his death- and it’d be as bitter and as sad as everyone else’s, he was sure.“Get up,” Choa commanded, raising the blade a bit further so that he could get up. Still, she kept it close, as a reminder he would be unable to escape. Chiwon walked to the edge, his legs feeling like jelly with each step. He held his hands up above his head. He thought of what it was like to walk off a plank- the way they did in movies and such. This reminded him of it, eerily enough.He felt the blade press against the back of his head.“Jump.”He wouldn’t do it alone, though.He grabbed behind him, his hands wrapping around the blade, cutting deep into the flesh. He screamed out a battle cry, swinging it out of Choa’s grip to hit her with the stick. The two of them stumbled down the edge, screaming at the top of their lungs as they plunged down to their deaths, their blood and flesh splattering over the rocks below to join Iyeong.
Deep-Throat
You had only the knife in your hand. You didn’t carry Namjoon’s hatchet or Taehyung’s taser. The hatchet was too big to carry around stealthily, and the taser made too much noise. The knife, however, still stained with Namjoon’s blood, was perfect. It fits in your hand, and you could throw it at a far range. Though you were always better with swords, since they were better when it came to actual dueling and for close up fighting.“Y/N?” You whipped around, hearing your name.It was Park Minhwa. You remembered him. He had a crush on you back in middle school. But he never had the balls to confess to you. Not that you would’ve accepted. He was nice enough, and you never acted impolitely to him. After all, the Y/N everyone else knew was nothing but a sweetheart, who didn’t need to provoke violence to earn respect. Only kindness.Although, once or twice- scratch that, multiple occasions, you had caught him staring at your rack. And once, when he was pretending to tie his shoe, he attempted to look up your skirt. So, as nice as he may act, he was absolutely creepy, and a total perv.You tucked your blade into the hem of your skirt, turning to him. “Minhwa! God, I can’t believe it’s you. I’m so glad you’re ok!”“Yeah!” he beamed, glad to be noticed by you. He had a baseball bat in hand and raised his hands up to a hug. “I promise I won’t kill you- but I’m so glad nothing happened to you. Oh wow, what’s up with your eye?”You reluctantly force yourself to hug him, ignoring his question, noticing how tightly he hugged you. It was probably less of a friendly gesture and more of an excuse to feel your boobs on his chest. You feel his hand creep up your thigh, gripping one of your asscheeks, and you pry yourself from his grip, startled.Well, you appeared startled. In reality, you were absolutely livid. “What do you think you’re doing?”Minhwa licked his lips, eyes running over your body. “Y/N, are you a virgin? It’d be hard to believe with a body like yours… but then again you’re just so sweet…”“Excuse me?” you exclaimed. You realize from the look in his eye, and the fact he just sexually assaulted you without any hesitation, that he wouldn’t hesitate to pounce and rape you. You took timid steps back, hand hovering over your hip. But you couldn’t reveal the fact you had a weapon yet.“We’re allowed to murder here without any consequence,” Minhwa stated, stepping closer to corner you. “Why would this be any worse?”“Minhwa, you can’t be serious. This is ridiculous-” you began.“Shut up!” he screamed, swinging his bat. You quickly duck down, the bat whooshing over your head. “I could fucking beat you into a pulp, you know!”“Minhwa, calm down,” you say, trying to keep him calm. “Just put down the bat.”Minhwa’s eyes glimmered with something sinister. “What’re you willing to do?”“Anything.”“Get on your knees,” Minhwa commanded, tossing his bat to the side. You obeyed, sitting humbly in front of him as he began to undo his pants. “God, I’ve been jacking off to the thought of this since forever- you have no clue.”You waited patiently, looking at how he licked his thick lips. “Show your tits.”You grimaced, reluctantly unbuttoning your uniform shirt and yanking the bra beneath your breasts to reveal them to him. He looked so excited, you thought he’d have a heart attack.You wanted to gag when you saw his dick. Sure, you saw one before. Unknown to others, you weren’t a virgin. But dear God, sometimes it reminded you of a very angry worm. Minhwa’s in comparison looked far more like the alien monster that popped out of the guy’s chest in that one movie.“What do you want me to do?” you asked naively as he began to stroke it.“Anything,” Minhwa grinned. “I’m as new to this as you are.”“Well, if 'anything’ is the case,” you shrug. Quickly, you yank out the blade from the hem of your skirt and bury it into the base of his cock, dragging it down and swiping it to the tip. He screamed, and you yanked out the blade to thrust it upwards, repeatedly stabbing him in the testicles. Once you finally yanked it out, you grabbed for the baseball bat, swinging it as it cracked against his skull.Once he fell onto his back, you mounted him, grinning as you swiped the bloody blade along his sweaty neck. “You really are such a pervert,” you hummed. “You want me to deepthroat you, huh?”You raised your blade, his wide and petrified eyes staring at the point, and he opened his mouth in an attempt to beg for mercy. Before he could, however, you buried the blade hilt-deep into his throat. You smirked, seeing how he coughed up blood as it dribbled out.“Now, that’s what I call deepthroating.”With that, you yanked out the blade, the blood squirting out and over your shirt. You let it, slowly climbing off the corpse. You’re practically soaked in blood, fat red splotches dotting your white blouse. You hated the uniform anyway, so it didn’t matter.You decided you were done scouting the perimeter for now.
Jungkook’s Fate
Taehyung held his breath, squeezing his eyes shut. His hands were tightly bound behind his back, but as soon as he heard the door to the house opening, he leaned forward, pressing his cheek to the cold floor to angle himself, letting his hands grasp onto the tiny knob of the cabinet door. He wiggled inside, closing the door with his foot and much difficulty, right when the person entered the house.He heard the sound of opening cupboards and drawers, the person clearly in the kitchen. Taehyung’s heart was pounding out of his chest when he heard the footsteps get closer to his cabinet, opening the drawer above it.“Dammit. No knives,” they muttered.Taehyung recognized the voice. It was Jungkook.He must’ve been looking for a weapon.Tae considered for a second opening the cabinet, asking Jungkook to untie him so that they could become allies. But if Jungkook was searching for knives, that must mean he was meaning to kill. And Taehyung knew not to trust anybody. There was a reason he hid in this cabinet.And no, it wasn’t just because you told him to.He let out a sigh of relief, releasing the breath he was holding from his tight chest as Jungkook walked away. Taehyung had to wait for you to return. But then what? There was no question you’d kill Jungkook. That or Jungkook would kill you.Taehyung felt like a coward, but he knew this would be the smarter thing to do. Wait until either Jungkook left or you arrived. Then he’d come out.He heard a few more footsteps ad the rustling of items. A few doors opening and closing. A grunt or two, and then a noise of something dropping. A few strangled sounds came out, and Taehyung’s heart stopped.Someone was dying.Had you come?Taehyung didn’t move, feeling paralyzed.He almost had a heart attack when, about five minutes later, you opened the cabinet door. Taehyung’s eyes widened at the sight of you covered in blood. Quickly, he kicked you in the face, causing you to stumble back, holding your face in your hands. Your nose was dribbling with blood.Taehyung scrambled out, wiggling from the cramped space to stand on his two feet. He pressed himself against the countertop, knowing he couldn’t fight you with his hands tied. “Did you kill Jungkook?” It was more of a demand than a question, with the way he barked it.“Tae, calm down, it’s not what it-”“And to think I would’ve trusted you!” Taehyung shouted. “You killed my best friend, how am I supposed to-”“I didn’t kill Jungkook,” you interrupt. “I think you need to look in the room. I just saw it myself.”“What do you mean, you just saw it yourself?” Taehyung paused. “Untie me.”“Tae, I can’t, you’ll just run-”“How am I supposed to trust you when you’re keeping me hostage! How am I supposed to defend myself from people who walk in here or run away from attackers or do anything when I’m tied up?” Taehyung questioned. “You’ll have to trust me if you want me to trust you.”You narrowed your eyes, huffing. “Fine. But if you attempt to run away, attack me, or betray me in any sense, I’ll tie you up by your feet and hands, lock you in that cabinet except to feed you, and only let you free once everyone else on this island is dead but you and me. Are we clear?”“Crystal,” Taehyung spat.“Turn around,” you ordered. Taehyung did so, and soon enough he felt you rubbing the blade into the ropes until soon they were undone. His wrists felt sore, and he massaged them tenderly. He did a brief once-over of your appearance. You had a lot of blood on you. Your shirt was also partly undone, revealing a lot of your bra.“What happened to you?” he questioned quietly.“Minhwa tried to rape me. So I killed him,” you shrugged.“Oh.” Taehyung didn’t know what to respond to that. “He deserved it. He always gave me the creeps.”“Yeah, me too,” you sigh. “I think you need to see Jungkook now.”Taehyung’s heart dropped at your words, and soon enough he was marching into the next room, you trailing closely behind. What he saw was a bucket on the ground, and his best friend dangling from the ceiling, the rope tied tightly to the ceiling fan.Taehyung’s eyes were wide, and his face paled. He felt like he was about to faint. “Did he…”“I can only assume,” you say. “He was like this when I got here.”Jungkook’s eyes were still wide, and his face was purple. He was completely limp.“I would’ve thought of him as a fighter. As someone who’d… I don’t know. He would’ve played the game. I thought he would. I thought he’d be a threat,” Taehyung whispered. “I guess he wasn’t as hardened as I thought.”“That’s the thing about this game,” you say softly. “It changes people. It pushes you to the very edge- let it be insanity, savage, or giving up. No one comes back the same.”Taehyung dropped to his knees, staring up at his best friend. “If only I came out and talked to him… If only I said something.” He began to cry, tears slipping down his face, fat and hot as they splattered down to the hardwood floor.You rubbed his back, giving him a hug from the side. As awkward as it may be, and the blood that stained your uniform getting on his own, Taehyung felt comforted. He turned, hugging you tightly, burying his face in the crook of your neck, wetting your shoulder. You let him, holding him close as you petted his hair. When he finally let go, you wiped his tears with your thumbs, cradling his face in your hands. Your own eyes were starting to water. You hated seeing Taehyung so upset.“C'mon. Let’s take him down. We can’t leave him up there. It’s… He deserves better.”Taehyung was too choked up to say anything, only wiping his eyes as more tears flooded down his cheeks and nodding. The two of you worked on getting his body up from the ceiling, laying him down on the couch. You closed his eyes, making it look as though he were sleeping.You and Taehyung sat on the floor, Taehyung squeezing your hand tightly.He took a deep breath. “I trust you,” he stated. “You… you’re a good person. You’re putting me above yourself and protecting me, and though you don’t care about the other people in our class, you were still sincere enough to… to…”“You don’t have to say anything else, Taehyung,” you said softly. “It was the least I could do.”“It is a big deal,” Taehyung breathed heavily. “My best friend died. At the hands of himself. And I’m fucking wrecked by it. He didn’t want to kill anyone, and if I had only stepped out he’d be alright. If he were murdered, I would’ve killed anyone in my way and get to his killer. But… now I’m so lost… I need something to keep me strong and stable. I’m going insane here.”You squeezed his hand. “I understand.”“From now on, I’m not going to doubt you,” Taehyung stated. “You’re all I’ve got left for now.”Tears started to roll down your face finally, and you released Taehyung’s hand, bringing your knees up to your chest and burying your face in your knees. Taehyung scooted you closer, wrapping his hand around your shoulders, burying his face in your hair as you sobbed.“Why’re you crying?” Taehyung mumbled softly.“I only have three days left to live. I’ve murdered two people already, witnessed a strung up corpse, and was almost raped,” you sobbed. “I’m overwhelmed, and yet- and yet I have hope. I don’t think I ever had as much hope in all my years of living as those single seconds where you- and after all these years of having feelings and bottling everything up- the pretending, the lying, the training, I-”“Hey,” Taehyung said softly. “Shh, it’s alright. I’m here. You don’t have to cry.”“I can’t stop it,” you mumbled. “I’m… God, Tae. I’m sorry I can’t be perfect. I’m sorry I can’t promise you I’ll take care of everything because even though I’ve been training all my life for this moment, I don’t know what can happen. I just want you to be safe, and if I really was as perfect as you believed, maybe you would be. But you can’t. Because I’m not perfect enough, and there’s no such thing as safety here. I’m so, so sorry Tae-”Taehyung didn’t say anything, simply lifting your head from your knees and smashing his lips against yours. Both of you were crying, and the kiss tasted like salt. But in a deliberate attempt to get both of you to shut up about your worries and the future- to just forget, for even five seconds- he’d kiss you as though you were the only person he’d ever love.You started kissing him back, your movements soft in comparison to his passion.Suddenly, there was a loud beep, and both you and Taehyung split, looking up and about to wonder where it came from. Ki’s voice boomed over the intercom. “It’s time for your 6 PM announcements! As long as the deaths of your classmates in order. You kids are doing great so far, so keep it going! Who knows? Maybe the winner will get to go home early.”“I hate that guy,” Taehyung muttered. “His teeth are the color of corn.”“I wonder if he’s ever heard of Crest,” you comment.
“Now, we already had the deaths of the following before the game started. Girl #12, Ra Haru. Girl #4, Na Eunsoo. Boy #11, Kim Seokjin. Boy #2, Pang Jin. Now, for the students who died between 12-6 PM. Boy #9, Kim Namjoon. Boy #18, Byun Jewoo. Girl #17, Lee Iyeong. Boy #19, Soo Chiwon. Girl #2, Mi Choa. Boy #7, Park Minhwa. Boy #13, Jeon Jungkook. Whoo, that’s a lot of guys! Only 29 more to go. Now get out your maps, kids. The areas that will be kill-zones are A-3 at 1 PM, and G-2 at 5 PM.”
You guys were in B-4. “Only four girls are dead, and about seven guys are dead,” you add up. “Guess that can help narrow down the targets.”“Targets?” Taehyung questioned.“I’ve made it clear you won’t be able to escape the island unless everyone was dead. We’ve got to play the game, Taehyung. That’s really the only way to win,” you confirmed. “Now, I’m going to go wash this blood off and try to wash the blood off my clothes. I suggest you get some rest. I’ll keep first watch.”
Gaeun’s Revenge
As long as she could remember, Kim Gaeun was bullied by Min Siwon. When he’d lock her in the lockers, or tease her weight. She tried telling her parents and teachers, but they all insisted he was just having a boyish crush. Each time he found out about her being a tattletale, he gave her severe punishments. The worst time wasn’t even when he made bruises appear on her skin- it was when he chopped off her ponytail.Her parents were simply convinced she did it herself. After all, what boy would be petty? That was what girls did. She cried for weeks over it.There was only one time Siwon got a portion of what was coming to him. It involved you, actually. She was crying on the steps in front of the school, skipping class. She wasn’t sure how much she could take. It was agony.You had your backpack on, about to leave. You were probably sick or something, or had a doctor’s appointment you had to go to. You stopped when you saw her crying.“Is everything ok Gaeun? You ran out of class pretty abruptly,” you said, giving her a questioning look.Gaeun sniffed, shaking her head. She looked up at you. You were easily the prettiest girl in class. The most well-liked, as well. You were nice, unlike a lot of the other pretty girls in class. Like  Song Chaeha, who she knew would snicker behind her back and also call her 'fat girl’.“Y/N, do you think I’m fat?” Gaeun questioned.“Who cares? I think you’re pretty just as you are,” you shrugged. “Why do you ask?”“Do you really not know what they say?” Gaeun asked you.“I don’t care about gossip. I tend to zone out,” you answered honestly.Gaeun’s head dropped. “Siwon tried to push me into a locker today. He laughed because I didn’t fit anymore. He said a pig was prettier than me.”Your eyes narrowed. “Did he?”“He hates me,” Gaeun sobbed, wiping away her tears. “I don’t know what to do- the adults don’t believe me, and the kids don’t care. I can’t beat him.”You pursed your lips. “Class will be over in an hour, and everyone will leave. I want you to wait for me here once class ends- I should be back by then. Do you get that?”Gaeun nodded eagerly, already down for whatever you were about to suggest.“And whatever happens- you can’t tell. I know he won’t- he’s prideful.”“Got it,” Gaeun confirmed.Gaeun followed your instructions, and as soon as you showed up to the front of the school, she rushed to you. “Wait over by the school, behind the cherry blossom. I’ll tell you what to do next.”What Gaeun wasn’t expecting was to have Siwon trailing after you soon enough, surprised to see Gaeun waiting as well. “What’s she doing here?” he exclaimed, narrowing his eyes. “I didn’t agree to some threeway, much less with someone like her.”“Get over yourself,” you spat. What you did next was something that shocked Gaeun.You punched Siwon so hard that a tooth fell out.Gaeun still remembered how much blood left his mouth, and how much he cried. It was her happiest memory, as sadistic as it sounded. You simply glowered at him as he kneeled at your feet, your arms crossed. Here you were, the most popular girl in their class, who knocked the teeth out of the biggest bully’s mouth.It was beyond awesome. Gaeun had no clue how you learned to do it. It was unlike you.You gripped Siwon by the hair, tilting his head up to lock eyes with him. “Keep in mind, if our paths ever cross in a way you should pray never occur, there’s plenty more where that came from.” You let go of him, stepping back. “And keep in mind- no one will believe you. So I wouldn’t bother trying.” You turned to Gaeun, holding out your arm for her. “C'mon, I’ll walk you home.”That stopped Siwon for a few weeks. A full month, actually. He had to say that his tooth got knocked out because of some fight, though 'you should see the other guy’. Only Gaeun and you knew the truth, but neither of you spoke about the incident.Slowly but surely, though, Siwon returned to bullying Siwon, now more malicious. But it was a slow process, as though it were beginning all over again. And soon enough Gaeun knew she couldn’t go to you each time it happened to knock out his teeth. You’d see her as pathetic, she was sure.Fat girl. That was the name he always used for her. It made her insecure, and she was sure the other students were snickering it behind her back as well. She hated it. She hated him. She hated herself.Gaeun used to fantasize about dark things because of it. Going to class, and the next time he threw something at her or whispered 'fat girl’ when he passed by, she’d pull out her dad’s gun from her backpack, and shoot him right between the eyes.But she wouldn’t do that. She knew the consequences.But now there were none.It was only fitting that the weapon in her hand happened to be a rifle. And she sure as hell wasn’t going to die without getting her revenge. The thought made her eyes wide and her smile big. She could just imagine it- the bullet buried in his skull, the blood covering his face.She needed to kill Siwon.Gaeun was stalking through the woods, passing stealthily. Her gun was in her hand, the cold steel pressing against her clammy palm. She came across a small worn down house, and in front of the doorway, you stood.Gaeun aimed her gun at you, and you remained calm, leaning against the door. “Y/N,” Gaeun greeted. She couldn’t quite see the expression on your face. It was dark, and the sun had already set.“Gaeun,” you replied.“Is Siwon in there?” Gaeun questioned.“No. But if you want to get inside, you’ll have to pass through me,” you said, taking a stance. Gaeun had only seen you look so dangerous one night before- the day you defended her. Gaeun wondered to herself how little the student body really knew about you.“I’ve got a gun. You just have a knife.” Gaeun’s eyes trailed to the blade you held, which glinted in the moonlight.“Go ahead and try,” you challenged. “I promise you, no gun would be able to stop me.”“I don’t want to kill you,” Gaeun confirmed. “I just want to get Siwon.”You wore a small smile. “Finally sticking up for yourself, I see.”Gaeun grinned despite herself. “Can’t have you sticking up for me anymore, it seems.”“It’s good you’re fighting your own battles,” you say. “The bastard deserves whatever comes to him.”“I’m glad you agree,” Gaeun sighed. “Who is in there?”“Taehyung. And I’m not letting anyone get near him,” you promised. “You’re not the first one to come by tonight.”“Who else?” Gaeun questioned.“Mir,” you said, jutting out your jaw. “Looking for the class president, it seems.”“Hansol? What could he want with him?” Gaeun furrowed her brows.“Something about Jewoo,” you shrugged. “I suspect Hansol was the one who killed him.”“I’m sorry to hear that. Jewoo was a nice guy. He gave me his lunch when he wasn’t hungry,” Gaeun hummed, reminiscing the days they didn’t have to imagine becoming killers. “I’ll leave you and Taehyung be as long as you don’t kill Siwon. I want him to be mine.”“Funny,” you smiled. “That’s practically the same thing Mir said about Hansol.”Gaeun gave you a respectful nod, to which you returned. She left, leaving you be.She walked through a bit more, searching endlessly. No sign of Siwon. The bastard was better at hiding than she expected. She huffed, slumping down against one of the trees. She needed to rest. She couldn’t kill Siwon if she was sleepy, could she?At that, she heard a sharp squeal. She got up quickly, aiming her gun at whoever made the noise. A figure was hiding beneath the roots of the tree, where they had made a small shelter.“Step out or I’ll shoot,” Gaeun threatened.The figure slowly crawled out, her hands in the air, trembling. Gaeun squinted, but couldn’t see her in the dark. She nodded her head to the direction of a patch of moonlight that seeped between the branches of the trees. “In the light. Where I can see you.”The figure obeyed, the luminous light revealing her to be none other than Song Chaeha. The one who also participated in Gaeun’s torment, calling her names and snickering behind her back to other girls. Gaeun couldn’t help but recall all the dirty looks and snickering at how big her uniform was.“Chaeha,” Gaeun whispered.“Gaeun?” Chaeha whispered.“Look who’s got the short end of the stick now,” she commented, snickering to herself. “What weapon do you have?”Chaeha slowly reached into her pocket, revealing a small paper fan. Gaeun burst out laughing, throwing her head back. “Wow, you’ve got the worst luck.”“It’s lame, isn’t it?” Chaeha nervously chuckled.  A silent pause filled the air, the two still standing before each other. Chaeha gulped. “Gaeun… we were friends, in primary-”“We were never friends,” Gaeun said coldly. “Now, I’m going to give you three seconds to tell me where Siwon is. I won’t have any problem killing you, Chaeha. What, with how you made fun of me and body shamed me- I’m done. I’m not 'fat girl’ anymore. Now, I’m the one in power. How does it feel? To be so. Completely. Helpless?”Chaeha whimpered, to which Gaeun cocked her gun. “I asked you a question bitch, I expect you to answer,” she growled.“It doesn’t feel good!” Chaeha cried, tears slipping down her cheeks. “Is that what you wanted to hear? It’s awful!”“You bet your ass it is,” Gaeun whispered. “Now, imagine feeling just like this every minute of your miserable life.”Chaeha only sobbed, her hands shaking as she kept them above her head.“I’ll give you three seconds, like I said, to tell me Siwon’s whereabouts. If you don’t answer or can’t,” Gaeun clicked her tongue. “Well, I guess you’re even more helpless, aren’t you?”“I don’t know where he is!” Chaeha insisted, choking on her own words.“Three.”“Please, I’m so sorry for what I said and did back then-”“Two.”“Gaeun, have mercy, I’m just a-”“One.”With that, the final kill of the day was made.
END OF DAY 1

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Areum’s Getaway

Areum’s legs were beginning to give out under her, and despite the fact her assailants were probably far behind her or not even chasing after her anymore, she didn’t stop running. She couldn’t even see where she was going, simply trying not to cry too loudly or scream as she ran through the woods, swatting branches out of the way as they scratched her arms and face.
She stopped, breathing heavily. She lost all of her items, they were taken from her. The only thing left she had was her weapon: a samurai sword. It was what prevented her from dying- otherwise, she’d have been a goner.
Byun Areum regretted the fact she was the biggest whore in class. At least that’s what everyone else thought of her, despite the fact she herself knew she was more than just that. But of course, she would’ve never gained the reputation if she knew it’d come to bite her in the ass like this. Serves her right for always undoing the top buttons one too much, or hiking her uniform skirt too high. She might’ve had the toolset she needed, but now she regretted using them to build up her reputation.
She stopped, collapsing to the ground. She wasn’t sure how much longer she’d be able to run. It was still the dead of night. The 12 AM announcements were done with forever again, and the sun wasn’t even close to being up yet. So it was most likely before 5 AM.
Looking up, she saw a small, worn down house. “Oh, thank God!” she whispered to herself, finding the strength to run inside. Maybe she’d find food or water- it didn’t matter. She needed something- anything.
She was walking into what appeared to be the living room. There was someone on the couch. Was someone already occupying this space? She could only hope she’d be able to rationale with the person. She walked closer, shaking him by the shoulder. It was definitely a man from his build.
She could barely see his face, especially since he was mainly turned towards the back of the couch. Squinting her eyes, Areum rolled him over, seeing none other than Jungkook’s corpse. It was only then that she saw the rope necklace, still tight around his throat.
And then she saw you.
You leaped over the couch, knocking her over, causing the two of you to crash into the glass coffee table. Glass shattered beneath the two of you, and Areum had to try to swing at you with her sword. However, you sliced through her hand with the small blade, pushing her arm down to where the sword slipped from her grip, skidding across the floor to the other side of the room. Areum still retaliated, grabbing a shard of glass and swinging at you with it as you leaned back, only managing to graze your cheek. She hurdled over you, rolling on top of you where this time your back was pressing into the shards of glass, and you winced from the pain.
Areum was about to grab the blade from your grip when you elbowed her in the face, yanking her down by the collar to collide skulls. Both of you let out agonizing grunts, and you attempted to slice her throat. She caught your hand, however, pushing back and forth, letting it be a competition of mere strength.
“Fuck it,” you growled, letting it go. You reeled back your other hand, punching her in the nose. She let out a sharp hiss, scratching your cheek in return as the two of you wrestled in the glass. Finally, it ended with you on top, pressing her cheek into the glass remains as she laid on her stomach, one arm and one leg pinned behind her, and a shard of glass pointed at her eye.
“Who told you our whereabouts? Which one are you after? Was it Gaeun or Mir?” you questioned, your voice eery and urgent.
“No one told me- I just found this place and went to crash. I had no idea someone was murdered here,” Areum hissed back. “How could you kill Jungkook of all people?”
“I didn’t kill Jungkook.”
“That’s shit, he’s choked out on the couch and you’re about to kill me- why should I believe you?”
You press the shard of glass deeper against her neck, drawing blood. “Don’t get sassy with me. You’re lucky I’m giving you three more minutes to live. Jungkook killed himself- minutes before I came.”
“What’s going on?” Taehyung entered the room, groggy, tired, and panicked. “Y/N? Are you ok?”
“I’m fine, Tae,” you spat. “Byun Areum’s here.”
“Areum?” Taehyung said, words full of shock. “Why’re you attacking her? Let her go, Y/N.”
“What?” you squeak, shocked. “Are you insane? Sorry to inform you, but-”
“Y/N,” Taehyung said calmly. “Let her go. If she tries anything funny you can kill her.”
Reluctantly, you climb off of her, grabbing her katana and swinging it by your side. “I hope you know, you’re not getting this back,” you hiss, glaring at her.
She got up, shaking off the glass shards and picking them off where they pierced her skin. She smiled over at Taehyung, grateful. “Thank you, Taehyung. I wasn’t here to kill- I just needed a place to hide.”
“No problem. I know you’re one of the good ones,” Taehyung grinned back. “What happened?”
“A lot of the girls from class banded together as some sort of pack. Um Hajin, Kim Chanmi, Um Bada, and Jeon Ayeon. When I came across them, I wanted to join them. Little did I know all of them had a grudge they held against me- for sleeping with someone or stealing some boyfriend or something like that, I don’t know. Called me a whore and tried to attack me- stole everything but my weapon, too. Barely made it out alive,” Areum explained.
“Oh God, that’s horrifying,” Taehyung said, shocked. “Wait… Hajin?” He turns to you, perplexed. “Isn’t she one of your best friends?”
“Friendship doesn’t exist in this game,” you counter, arms crossed, still defensive.
“Please. I just need a place to sleep for a few hours or something and I’ll be out of your hair. I don’t want to hurt anyone- I just want to stay alive,” Areum insisted. “I know what they say about me, and what I’ve done in the past. I know how they all think I’m a whore and such- but does that mean I’m deserving of death?”
Taehyung looked at you with eyes that pleaded more than Areum’s. “Y/N… Can’t we let her stay with us for a bit? Even for a day?”
You pursed your lips, sighing. Slowly, you walked to Jungkook’s corpse, undoing the rope around his neck. You went to Areum, your eyes deadly. “I’m going to tie your hands up, just to make sure you don’t do any funny business. He and I will discuss this alone. Then we’ll reach our verdict. But just so we’re clear- I’d find it much more comforting if you were dead.”
“Bite my ass,” Areum hissed, though she let you tie her hands away.
Soon enough, you and Taehyung were walking into a separate room- the bedroom that he had been sleeping in earlier.
“You know, I thought I was supposed to be on watch for this half. You need your rest too,” Taehyung said softly, putting his hand on your arm.
“Cut the crap,” you say, yanking your arm from his touch. “Why should we let her join us? She’ll bring us down. We’re dead set on having you come out alive- there’s no way we could have her. We’d kill her soon enough.”
“I’ve got a soft spot for her,” Taehyung admitted.
“Why? Because you had sex with her a month ago? Yeah, I know. Everyone knows. She kisses and tells, you know. It’s because she brags that people are annoyed that she’s a whore- not because she lost her v-card,” you hiss.
“Jealous?” Taehyung quirked a brow.
“I admitted to being in love with you less than 24 hours ago. What the fuck am I supposed to be?” you growl.
“Look- lots of our classmates probably had sex. It’s no big deal,” Taehyung sighed.
“That’s not my point! I know the others have sex- I fucking lost my virginity to that exchange student who was here for a semester.”
“Wait, what? That Mike guy?” Tae’s eyes were wide at that.
“Yes, Michael. But he was sweet and only here for two more weeks- and you clearly seemed to hate me, so who cared?” you huff. “That’s not my point and you know it. You’re just trying to change the subject. Why the hell are you wanting her to accompany us? Is it really just because the two of you slept together? You didn’t bat an eye when Na Eunseo was killed before the game even started- so why Areum?”
“I dunno… She gets such a rough time with the other girls in class. Maybe not you because you were above that or whatever- but she never really fit in. The guys just saw her as a piece of meat and the girls shunned her. She was always alone, and I guess I sort of pity her,” Taehyung shrugged. “Shouldn’t her last moments not be… alone?”
You pursed your lips, then pressed them together and closed your eyes. You were contemplating.
“Fine. She can stay. But I’m not protecting her, my priority is you. And if it comes down to it- I will kill her without hesitation. She’s still competition- and I’m not making some exception for her,” you glare.
Taehyung smiled, leaning in to press his lips to yours. Your eyes fluttered shut of their own accord, and you kiss him back. Your third kiss together. This one was soft, something you could melt into. You only wished you had more time.
Taehyung soon pulled away, moving a strand of your hair back. “You’re a good person, you know?”
“I’m a killer, Taehyung.”
“Yeah, but you don’t do it for no reason. You do it when you have to or when provoked. But you do care and sympathize with people and put their needs above yours. I used to think you were fake or nonauthentic but… Now I see differently. You’re a good person. I think you just try to mask how much you’re willing to go for those you love with a soft demeanor.”
“You hardly know me, Taehyung. We’ve only started to really know each other for a day,” you remind him.
“That doesn’t matter,” Taehyung insists. “This island doesn’t bring out the worst in people. Maybe it just brings out the truth.”
“Hmm, maybe,” you hum softly, pressing your forehead against his chest.
“What’re you thinking about? Right now,” Taehyung questioned, combing his fingers through your pigtails.
“Areum. Surviving. The island. You. Kissing you. Everything,” you admitted.
“Me too,” he said softly, rubbing your back as he pressed a chaste kiss on the top of your head.

The Golden Trio

A lot of people thought it was weird that Song Heesun was friends with two girls. Well, more correctly, just friends with them. Afterall, neither Min Bomi nor Park Aeja was unattractive. And Heesun certainly wasn’t gay- and the girls weren’t either, from what was known. So why didn’t he date one of them?
Well, the truth was, he never felt that way about either of them. He was best friends with them, and they were best friends with him. He never felt romantically attracted to them. Maybe it was because he knew them too well, and they knew him too well in return. They were too close to be in love.
Not that he didn’t love them. He very much loved them, in fact. They were his best friends. His family. He spent his entire life with them. In fact, he was the one who Bomi called when she slipped in the shower and dislocated her shoulder. Even though he saw her naked, it wasn’t like he started popping boners. No, he was worried about her, got her dressed, and rushed her to the hospital. He wasn’t distracted in the slightest- her safety came first.
Same thing for Aeja. He was always the one who she’d cry on, sobbing into his shoulder over the latest guy to break her heart. He didn’t feel jealousy over the fact she dated other guys- he just thought none of them were good enough for her. She always had the worst taste in guys. They’d cheat or treat her like crap, or at the very best not have time for her. And he’d always console her.
They felt the same way he did. They were the ones who he could cry around, who he even admitted his depression and encouraged him to get antidepressants with help from his doctor. They were there for each other- and you don’t have to be romantically involved with someone or have sex with them to have a connection.
So it was no surprise when he found them waiting for him close by, and the three of them ran together for safety. They all agreed they’d go down together. Heesun had the role of protection- he had a crossbow. Aeja and Bomi both had horrible weapons. Bomi got stuck with a pot lid, and Aeja just got binoculars. Neither would be particularly useful in terms of killing someone.
Aeja and Bomi were in charge of lookout. But now they were in a rather sticky situation. Aeja was supposed to wake them up at 4:30 to start getting out of the area, F-3, which was to become a restricted area at 5 AM.
But she fell asleep crying… and they were now twenty minutes behind. They barely had any time to gather their things and start running to the border- to the next area.
4:55 AM.
“Hurry, hurry!” Cheesun urged, his feet flying behind him. He was holding the other girl’s bags, holding four in total, and the other two only held one each. Aeja was profusely apologizing the entire time, her vision blurry with tears. Bomi was struggling to hold a map in front of her, seeing how close they were to the border.
“Saying ‘hurry’ won’t make us go any faster!” Aeja panted. She was the least athletic of the three. At least Bomi was in basketball, and Cheesun did track. Aeja, however, was an artist, doing mainly charcoal drawings. Not like that’d help her now, though.
“We won’t make it!” Bomi shouted, her hand tight around Aeja’s wrist as she struggled to drag her along, doing her best to help Aeja keep up. “It’s too far!”
“No, it’s not!” Cheesun insisted. “We’re close, how close?”
“We’ve only got two minutes left!” Bomi cried out.
“We can’t die like this,” Cheesun urged. “C'mon, Aeja, pick up your feet!”
“I’m trying!” Aeja sobbed, stumbling a bit. She hated the fact she was the one dragging the two of them down. If only she hadn’t fallen asleep. If only she were faster. If only she wasn’t so fucking out of shape. “You two should just leave me- save yourselves.”
“Quit with that shit, we’ll make it,” Cheesun scolded, out of breath. “C'mon, the border’s right there!”
Soon, the little light on their collars was lighting up red, and a beep sound emitted from it. They had seconds left. This was their only warning. Cheesun was close, about two feet in front of his girls. Soon, one foot out, and finally the beeping stopped.
He turned, smiling. “C'mon, girls, you can still-”
And then the bomb went off.
Cheesun didn’t want to remember it. But he did. It had just happened, and yet he was already wanting to forget. Bits of brains and flesh and blood had splattered onto him. The two heads of his best friends were now obliterated. The corpses stood for a second, their hands still clasped together until they collapsed to the floor. Blood pooled around them, soaking into the grass. There wasn’t anything of their faces left, except for the pieces that got caught in his face and hair.
His eyes welled up with tears, and he dropped the bags, collapsing to his knees as he stared at his dead best friends. His heart had already stopped. He no longer wanted it to beep anymore. The bodies were just a foot from the border. If they had even a second more, they’d be alive.
Cheesun didn’t have to think about what to do next.
He stood up, taking a deep breath and a few steps back. Slowly, he took steady steps forward, until he, too, crossed the border.

Jealousy

You weren’t so sure how much more you could handle. You were tired, but you didn’t want to go to sleep. You hadn’t even gotten much of a wink last night, despite Tae’s insistence that he could handle it. You still had a nagging feeling that he’d abandon you. But why? You trusted him.
It was because of Areum. You started fearing that in your sleep, in hushed whispers, she’d convince him to betray you. Yes, it was her you didn’t trust. And you didn’t know Taehyung well enough to trust his abilities on resistance. You might be considered the prettiest, but Areum was certainly the sexiest in your opinion.
As the morning rays finally brushed along the surface of the island, seeping through the windows of the shabby house. You got the contact back from the small case you always carried with you, placing it in to cover up the blue eye. If Areum saw it, she’d question it. You felt self-conscious- the only person who you really wanted to show that to was Taehyung. Besides, people who saw it might deem it as you hiding more than just an eye color- and you’d have to weigh the odds in your favor as much as you could.
You returned to the main room, seeing Areum fast asleep still, curled up with Taehyung on the couch. Her arms were wrapped tightly around his bicep, and her head leaned on his shoulder. He simply stayed still, trying not to wake her. Upon seeing you enter the room, he smiled. “Do you want to rest? I can keep watch.”
“I’m good,” you insisted.
“Are you sure? You hardly slept any last night,” Taehyung said with a worried look. Areum groaned softly, nuzzling her face deeper into his shoulder. At that your insides seemed to crush themselves, burning inside and out.
“I don’t see why you care. You hate me, remember?” you glare, eyes shooting to his former lover. You had no right to be jealous, even you knew that. You and Taehyung weren’t even a thing- you just happened to kiss a few times.
Taehyung frowned. “Things have changed, Y/N.”
“Have they? I didn’t notice. Taehyung, the only reason you even tolerate me is to survive- how am I supposed to believe you’re not just pretending and manipulating me to betray me in the end?”
“I don’t know where this is coming from. I think you need to remember the fact that you didn’t give me a choice but to ally with you,” Taehyung reminded.
“You know what? I need to go outside. I’ll take the katana- but I feel like if I’m here for even a few more minutes I’ll say something that I frankly shouldn’t,” you say, marching towards the sword and snatching it.
“Alright, fine,” Taehyung said, shaking his head in disbelief.
“Fine!” you exclaim stubbornly, scooping up one of your bags.
“Stay safe!” Taehyung called out as you started storming out the door.
“I will!” you shouted aggressively, slamming the door behind you.
The thud was so loud that Areum awoke suddenly. “What happened? What was that? Are we dead?” she mumbled groggily.
“No, no, it’s fine, just go back to sleep,” Taehyung said.
“Where’s Y/N?” Areum questioned.
“She’s just outside… checking the perimeter,” Taehyung lied, still unsure about what had happened just seconds ago. “She’ll be back soon.”
“Oh… you know, I think she likes you,” Areum mumbled, closing her eyes as she attempted to rest again.
“Oh? Wait… oh.” Taehyung couldn’t respond.
“Mhm,” Areum hummed. “The way she looks at you… Though I can’t tell about you.”
“You can’t?”
“No. You’re good at hiding your feelings.”
“Didn’t know you were the observant type,” Taehyung commented.
Areum giggled. “Well, I think out of all the guys I dated or slept with, you were the only one I genuinely liked. Not because of the sex, just because…” She nuzzled closer, entrapped in his body heat. “of moments like this.”
Taehyung tensed up. This is why you were so riled up before- how had he not realized? He really should’ve forced you to take a nap or something. “Oh.”
“Yeah…” Areum slowly readjusted the two of them, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as she nuzzled into his chest, arms wrapped around his waist. “Did you miss me too?”
“Haven’t had time to think of those things, with the game and all.”
“Ah, I see,” Areum said with a disappointed frown.
“Don’t get me wrong, Areum. It has nothing to do with you. I guess it’s hard looking at yourself when you’re busy trying to observe the others. Life or death I suppose.”
“I suppose,” she sighs. “But you know, I have a bit of a confession. I know my reputations bad, and I know the others hate me. I regret sleeping with every guy I ever did because of it. Except for you. Not because you’re handsome, or you’re smart… just because you’re you. And that’s why I’m so glad you were the one who found me.”
Taehyung was about to ask her what she meant, but soon enough it seemed as though she had fallen asleep again, and his questioning would have to continue another time.

Girls Club

You had been walking for… Well, time was funny here. You never knew how long it really was. Sometimes five minutes felt like half an hour, and an entire hour just two minutes. Probably because you weren’t sitting at a desk all day, like usual.
Despite what felt like an hour of walking, you still had plenty of steam to blow off. You felt energized by your anger and jealousy.
“Y/N? Y/N!”
You recognized that voice. Well, duh. This was an island of your classmates, you’d recognize any. You turned around, shocked to see your close friend, Hajin. Her bright smile lit up, dark hair somehow flawless as always. You could barely see the freckles that spotted her face. They weren’t freckles, is what she always claimed. She called them 'sunspots’.
“Y/N, I’m so glad I haven’t heard your name yet!” she shouted, running to you. You had to spread your arms, avoiding stabbing her as she ran into your arms, giving you a big bear hug. “God, when Haru died earlier- I cried all night, any of the girls will tell you. I’m so glad you’re ok though!”
“I’m glad you’re alright, too,” you told Hajin, faking a breathy smile. “Where are we?”
“Not far from the lighthouse,” Hajin commented.
“I walked that far?” So it really was a while.
“Dunno,” Hajin shrugged. Her eyes flew down to the sword in your hand. “Wait- where’d you get that?”
“Someone left it behind. I picked it up on my way here,” you lie. You silently thanked that Areum hadn’t killed anyone- otherwise the bloody sword would’ve made you seem more suspicious.
“Oh, I see,” she nodded. “You know- I’ve pulled together a small group. An alliance of sorts. Would you like to join?”
“Are you kidding?” You grit your teeth. “I’d love to!”
“Great! I’ll take you there. It was my shift for lookout, and I saw you and couldn’t believe my eyes,” Hajin exclaimed, grabbing your hand as the two of you walked to the lighthouse where she supposedly formed a group. She stopped by a tree, pulling out an ax. “This is my weapon- though you should totally see Bada’s. Hers will definitely be the most useful in the long run.”
The two of you arrived at the lighthouse. Hajin knocked on the door thrice, then a  pause. Then twice, pause, and once more. The door swung open, revealing Jeon Ayeon. Ayeon’s eyes scanned you briefly through her thick spectacles. They were round,and you always thought she looked something like an owl. “Why does Y/N have blood on her?”
“I can explain, Ayeon,” you say with a comforting smile, turning your charm on as best as you could. “But I didn’t murder anyone if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“Don’t be silly- of course she didn’t think that! You wouldn’t hurt a fly,” Hajin exclaimed, pinching your cheek playfully. “You’re too sweet and soft to do that.”
You laughed, “You know me too well, Hajin.”
“Alright, you can come in,” Ayeon sighed, stepping aside. The two of you entered, Ayeon locking the door behind you.
Kijm Chanmi came running in, stopping in her tracks as she saw you. Her ponytail was bouncing behind her, swinging side to side like some sort of grandfather clock. Her hair was slicked back like always, but now probably by oils from no shower. “Y/N? You’re still alive?”
You quirked a brow. “Is that a good thing to you?”
“Of course it is!” Chanmi squealed, coming up to you to wrap her arms around yours. “You’re the sweetest girl in our class, Y/N. I just thought you were too soft to survive such a brutal fate like this. I would’ve thought you’d go down the path of Iyeong, Choa, and Chiwon.”
“What do you mean?” you questioned.
“During Ayeon’s round, she found the three of them at the bottom of a cliff,” Chanmi shrugged. “My best guess is a suicide pact.”
“Pity,” you comment.
“C'mon, we should take you upstairs to Bada. You’re part of our team now, so we should all catch up. We’ll tell you what we know, and you can tell us what you know,” Hajin smiled.
“And get to explaining the blood on your shirt,” Ayeon said.
“And why Areum’s sword’s in your hand,” Chanmi pointed out.
“This is Areum’s?” you feigned, acting shocked. “I just found it on my way here.”
Hajin shrugged, “We can all catch up. You won’t want to know what happened to her- trust us, though, it wasn’t pretty.”
“Yeah,” Chanmi frowned, her eyes dark, despite the usual glimmer they held. “You know, we’re lucky you’re one of the good ones. She isn’t.”
“No joke,” Ayeon scoffed. “C'mon. Bada’ll come down and wonder what the ruckus is all about.”
The four of you walked upstairs to a small bedroom. There, Um Bada sat, her back to all of you, staring out at the window. Beside her was a small pile of grenades. She turned around, shocked.
You did jazz hands, smiling at her as you dropped your items. “Suprise!”
“Y/N! It’s nice to see you well!” she grinned, coming up to give you a comforting hug. “How have you survived all this time?”
“Mainly hid,” you say, wrapping your arms around her. “You know I can’t stand to play this game.”
“So. Tell us everything,” Hajin said, plopping herself down on the bed.
“Well, mainly I was by myself. Hid behind a few trees and bushes and such, so that’s how I’ve survived so far,” you shrugged. “Didn’t really meet any potential allies.”
“What about the blood on your shirt? You must’ve encountered someone,” Ayeon said.
You pursed your lips, hating her persistence. “Well, there was one person. You know Minhwa, of course.”
Chanmi grimaced. “Ew, isn’t he a pervert? He 'accidentally’ walked into the girls’ locker room once.”
“Yeah, well, I pitied him. I thought he was lonely. He had been stabbed, so I held him in my arms through his last dying breath. I couldn’t just leave him there, but there wasn’t any way to save him,” you lied. You also chopped his penis in half and stabbed him in the balls numerous times. Details, details. You even sprung tears in your eyes, trying to make your performance believable.
“Oh, baby girl, don’t cry,” Hajin said, wiping away your tear with the sleeve of her blazer. “We’re so sorry you had to go through that. Minhwa might not have been the best person- but no one deserves to be killed. And he had his good sides and bad sides… he was human. You didn’t have to see your classmate die.”
“Thank you, Hajin,” you said, nodding your head as you sniffed. “It’s just difficult, you know? Everyone here… I think of them as my friends. I care for everyone, but now we’re killing each other left and right, and I don’t know what to do. You guys are family.”
“Oh, Y/N!” Bada wrapped her arms around you, and the others joined in, giving you a group hug. She was one of the few girls in class who had a bob, and a lot of it got in your face when the two of you hugged. You tried to resist the urge to scratch your nose.
You sniffed, pushing them off of you as you wiped away the rest of your fake tears, though your eyes were still glassy. “So, what about you guys? What’ve you done since we’ve been here?”
“Well, I joined up with Bada, and when we ran across the girls alone, we recruited them one by one,” Hajin explained. “So this is our little group. I’m keeping the peace, and everyone does rounds. You see those grenades by the window? Those are in case any guys come along. We refuse to have them here. They pounce on violence, you know? They’re wild. So if they come, Bada will drop one of her grenades from the window and-”
“POOF!” Chanmi exclaimed, giggling.
“It might seem discriminatory, but luckily no guys have come by yet,” Ayeon said.
“The only one who’s come by is Areum,” Chanmi scowled. “She had the audacity to ask us for help! After everything she’s done, and-”
“What’d she do?” you ask. “Sorry, I never kept up with class drama, so I’m clueless.”
“Oh, only steal Chanmi’s boyfriend,” Bada rolled her eyes. “She’s whisked all of our crushes off of their feet and left us in the dust.”
“Slut,” Ayeon coughed, adjusting her glasses.
Hajin did her typical warm smile. “Don’t worry, we took care of her. Told her to leave. She even left her bags in the corner there- see?”
You weren’t thinking about the fact that Areum was an apparent whore. You were just thinking about how you never realized how many idiots in your class there were. Dear God, was this their justification for assault? Because they were jealous that some guy who wasn’t theirs being whisked away by someone interested? When they didn’t express the fact they were even interested in him?
At least for you and Taehyung, you were nothing but upfront.
Still, you pulled up a disapproving frown, shaking your head. “Oh, God. That’s awful.”
“We know you can’t think badly of anyone, Y/N. But this girl… she’s nothing but a disease spreading whore,” Hajin sighed.
More like you’re just jealous that she’s got bigger tits than you, you thought to yourself. “I believe you,” you say. Probably the only reason you were tolerating this sort of smack talk at the moment was because you were mad at Areum- jealous that she could more easily get to Tae, who seemed to already be fond of her. And yet your heart was aching the minute he said he hated you. At least your reasoning was the tiniestbit more logical.
Though probably not. But you’d ignore that for now.
“Y/N, do you know who killed Minhwa?” Ayeon asked.
You shook your head. “No clue, to be honest.” Me.
“I have an idea,” Bada said, her tone making it unquestionable. “Siwon.”
The others nodded in agreement.
“Why do you think it’s him?” Chanmi asked, perplexed. “I mean… I know that he-”
“Just because you had a crush on him, Chanmi, doesn’t mean the rest of us are so blind,” Hajin snapped, narrowing her eyes. “Of course it was him! He’s a bastard. Haven’t you seen him push those other guys around? And how he keeps calling Gaeun fat girl? Are you that clueless?”
Chanmi cowered slightly as the others shook their heads at her. Your own eyes widened. So this is what Hajin got like when she was power hungry. And it had only been one day.
“Speaking of Gaeun,” you say, wanting to divert the attention from Chanmi for the time being. “She’s after Siwon.”
“She is?” Chanmi asked with wide eyes.
“Makes sense,” Ayeon shrugged, believing it. “I always knew fat-girl was somewhat psychotic.”
“Look, as long as we stay out of her way, we should be fine,” Bada suggested. “We won’t even help any guys- so we shouldn’t have any problem there.”
“Well, she may be upset if we kill him ourselves with a grenade,” Hajin reasoned. “I mean, she’d probably want to kill him herself.”
“Probably,” Bada nodded along. “Well, if we have to, we can throw another on her. Only if we already killed him.”
“One thing’s for sure- don’t let her in the group. She’s probably a lone wolf anyway, but we don’t want someone like her with our kind,” Hajin said.
You were surprised to see this side of Hajin. Taehyung was right. It wasn’t the worst in people that was brought out- it was the truth.
And the truth was, this lighthouse was full of hoes.
You step away from mega-bitch Hajin, walking to the window. The view was pretty. You could see the tops of the trees and the ocean crashing along the waves. If you squinted your eyes, you even saw the familiar uniform that clung to corpses near one of the cliffs. You supposed that were the three who were involved in the rumored suicide pact. Though, you didn’t really doubt the rumor.
“So, anything else you hear?” Ayeon asked.
You turn to them, leaning down to pick up a grenade and roll it in your hand as you leaned against the window. It’d be fine as long as the pin didn’t come out. “Not much. Oh, there’s one thing. I ran into Mir briefly- apparently, our class president killed Jewoo.”
The others wore saddened or shocked expressions. Jewoo was one of the genuinely sweet and innocent guys- the one who didn’t have to put up a front to get into a girl’s pants. He was just a genuinely sweet guy.
“That’s horrible,” Chanmi said solemnly.
Ayeon nodded. “I had a crush on Jewoo back in middle school. I hope the class president gets what he deserves.”
“He’s no longer our class president. He was always cowardly- that’s probably why he targeted Jewoo,” Bada said. “Hansol’s better off dead with Mir after him, though. Mir can be scary, sometimes.”
“No, he’s not!” Ayeon scoffed.
“Well, just remember- still no guys allowed. Of course, we’ll drop a grenade on Hansol. Mir… Well, he won’t be allowed inside,” Hajin reminded.
“So, anything you guys heard?” you asked. “About the other deaths?”
“Not a thing,” Bada confirmed. “Though, I’m sure we’ll find out about any more deaths when it’s 6.”
“Do you really think there will be more by then?” Chanmi questioned.
“Who knows? There was only one death between 6 and 12, so they added more danger zones. I’m just relieved they didn’t make this one. So someone is probably trying to get rid of a few more to prevent further punishment,” Bada assumed.
“So, what’re your weapons?” you asked. “I only found this sword, though my weapon before was just a little knife. I know Bada’s got the grenades, and Hajin’s got the ax. So what’s the rest?”
“I’ve got a magnifying glass, which doesn’t really help for much,” Ayeon said. “Chanmi got a grappling hook, which we keep here. It was a real drag to place up here since it’s super heavy, but the downstairs was crowded enough as it is, and we wouldn’t be able to take that with us if we had to leave quickly. So we put it up here to not waste space.”
“Oh? Here?” you questioned, looking at where she had nodded. You walked towards the bag, unzipping it, finding your suspicions true. You picked it up, giving an exasperated look to them. “Wow, it’s heavier than I thought.”
“I know, right?” Chanmi exclaimed. “They wouldn’t believe me. 'Didn’t look heavy in the movies, Chanm-’”
“Chanmi, I swear to God, if you don’t shut up for five seconds I’m kicking you out of the lighthouse like Areum,” Hajin hissed. Chanmi shut up quickly, her eyes wide and lips pressed tightly together.
Hajin really was a mega-bitch.
You picked up the grappling hook, letting it anchor on the ledge of the window. You leaned forward, yanking on the rope. “Would this even hold?” you wonder aloud.
“Not sure. Good thing we’ll never have to use it,” Bada laughed.
You shrug, picking back up your bag and sword, stuffing the sword into the bag, and with your other hand reaching deep into your pocket. “I dunno, I think it could be useful for one thing,” you say, shrugging the sling of the bag over your other shoulder.
“Like what?” Ayeon asked, scoffing.
You grabbed onto the rope, looking back to the girls. “Escaping.” Within a flash, you yanked the grenade out of your pocket, yanking on the pin with your teeth and throwing it into the room. The last thing they saw was you jumping out of the window.

Catfight

“Where could she be?” Taehyung wondered aloud, nervous. He held his taser close, pressing himself against the side of the door, waiting for any footsteps or for you to pop up. “It’s almost 6.”
“I dunno,” Areum said softly. “Taehyung… put down the taser. You’ll hurt yourself. And what if she walks in and you shock her in fright?”
“Yeah… you’re right,” Tae sighed, turning it off to stuff it in his back pocket. “I’m just… I’m just worried.”
“I know you are.” Areum snuck behind him, wrapping her arms around him in a back hug. “She’s your friend. Of course you are.”
“Actually, she and I were never friends,” Taehyung clarified. “Not really.”
“Oh? You seemed close. When I got here, that is.”
“No. Well, I mean, sort of. It’s complicated. But the truth is we were never friends before we got to the island. I kind of despised her, honestly,” Taehyung laughed, thinking back to the memory. It seemed so far away.
“And now?”
“What do you mean, now?” Taehyung questioned.
“What’s changed? You certainly don’t hate her now. But if you’re not friends… but close…” She trailed off. “Have you slept together?”
“What? No.”
“Well, if that’s the case…” One of her hands snuck down his stomach, slipping into the waistband of his boxers, fingers entangled in his pubes. “Would you like me to help you to relax?”
Taehyung didn’t respond. He didn’t really know what to think at the moment.
Areum pressed small kisses on his back, moving her hand a bit lower to his flaccid dick, gently caressing the soft skin. “I dunno. I know I confessed to you earlier, and I know she likes you too. But since you two haven’t slept together… wouldn’t you like to do it one more time before we die?”
“I guess I would,” Taehyung said. Well, if he died. You still promised that you’d protect him and he’d be the last one standing. Areum didn’t need to know about that bit, though. But if he were to die in this game… well, there were a lot of things he’d still want to try or do again. He supposed sex could be one of them.
Suddenly, the beep of the intercom came, and Taehyung pulled Areum’s hand out of his pants, listening intently.
“Alright, alright, this is more like it!” Ki’s voice boomed. “Someone’s been busy, hm? You know who you are. Starting with the deaths: Girl #8, Park Aeja. Girl #11, Min Bomi. Boy # 16, Song Heesun. Girl #3, Kim Chanmi. Girl #5, Um Bada. Girl #6, Jeon Ayeon. And lastly, Girl #1, Um Hajin. Congrats on the current survivors!”
Taehyung let out a sigh of relief, glad that he didn’t hear your name. Areum, on the other hand, lets out a gasp of shock. “Oh my God, all the girls who attacked me- how’d they die? What happened?”
“The following will be the new danger zones. A-2, at 7 AM. B-4, at 8 AM. C-3 at 10 AM. And lastly D-5 at 11 AM.” With that, Ki signed off.
“I wonder what could’ve happened,” Areum fretted. “I never wanted them dead- despite what they did. Oh, what if I had something to do with it? I mean-”
“Areum,” Taehyung interrupted a smile on his face. “She’s alive.”
Areum’s face crinkled up. “Seven more of our classmates are dead! I can’t believe you’re so cheerful.”
“You should be, too,” Taehyung reminded. “You’re winning as well.”
Areum grew frustrated. “You know, I wish you were as affected by this as much as I am. All you care about is Y/N- I thought you said you despised her.”
“Used to,” Taehyung reminded. “I told you things changed.”
“Well maybe they can change again,” Areum said, a low growl being emitted from her lips. She yanked on Taehyung’s face, pulling him down to her level as she kissed him. He was stunned, unable to move as she forcefully kissed him. Seeing as he wasn’t responding, she let go of him. “You know, she’s changed you. You used to… You liked me. You did. You said so actually. You may not remember, but I did. It was after sex and we were so tired and you admitted it, and here I am, having been hung up on you ever since- but now you seem as heartless as me.”
“I’m not changing because of her,” Taehyung said truthfully. “Have you considered everyone’s changing? We’re in a life or death situation. We’ve got to adapt to survive. Of course we’d change.”
“So you’re changing for her? Using her to survive? What is that? You’re using her to win?” Areum questioned. “No. I’m not going to change. I’m still Areum- but you… The more you spend time with her, the less youyou become.”
“Well, what do you expect me to do?” Taehyung questioned.
“Be yourself. You know what the old Taehyung would do? He wouldn’t stay with a girl who fucking tried to murder me. Who killed two- and possibly more on that list.”
“Are you forgetting that I’m the one who convinced her to let you stay with us?” Taehyung questioned.
“I don’t think you’d do the same now,” Areum said quietly.
“Areum- I do like you, really. I’m fond of you. But I don’t really see any other options that would work better than the situation we’re in now,” Taehyung said.
“You could come with me,” Areum whispered. “We could leave. She’s a murder, Taehyung. People like you and me- who don’t want to hurt or be hurt- we aren’t like people like her. She’s single-minded and won’t stop at anything to get what she wants. And the reason she’s killing… and keeping you safe and here and guarded, like you’ve got Stockholm Syndrome or something… Taehyung, what she’s after is you.”
“I’m free to leave whenever I want,” Taehyung defended.
“Are you?” Areum questioned. “Or are you afraid she’ll track you down and kill you if you disobey?”
“You’re just being ridiculous,” Taehyung rolled his eyes, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
“No, I’m not!” Areum insisted. “That’s the only reason I can come up with for why you’re here with her. Who you hated, and turned out to be some psychotic killer- either you’re being kept mentally captive or you’re just insane.”
“Listen, we won’t tell Y/N about this conversation, ever. Do you understand me?” Taehyung questioned, grabbing her by the shoulders and holding her at arm’s length.
“Why?” Areum hissed. “Because she’s so hot-tempered she’ll kill me once she sees me as a threat?”
She already sees you as a threat, Taehyung thought to himself. “Areum- do everyone a favor and just shut up.”
Areum glared at him, her face scrunched up as though she ate something sour. She swatted his hands away, storming off while wiping the tears from her cheeks. She turned her back, looking back to him. “If you ever change your mind- my offer still stands. But I’m not letting you stay alone with her while I’m still here. Got it?”
Taehyung didn’t respond, and she whisked away and marched to another room.
At that minute, the door swung open, revealing you. You had rubble and dust in your hair and clothes, plus a scrape or two. But other than that, you were fine. You looked stony-faced.
“What happened to you?” Taehyung asked, reaching out a hand.
You slapped it away, dropping the bag and putting down the katana. “Where’s Areum?”
“She marched off to the living room I think- wait, aren’t you going to tell me what happened?”
“Just cooled down, that’s all,” you say, waving your hand to dismiss him. He didn’t leave, however, trailing after you still. “Areum!” you called.
“What?” she snapped, seeing you storm into the room. Her eyes widened at your appearance, and she quickly rubbed away the leftover tear stains. “Woah- what happened to you-?”
“Those girls. Hajin, Bada, Ayeon, Chanmi-” you say. “They’re dead.”
“What?!” Areum exclaimed. “You’re the one who killed them?”
“Bombed the lighthouse,” you said. “You’re welcome.”
“I never asked you to fucking murder anyone for me!” Areum fumed, standing up.
“That’s some thanks,” you shake your head. “You really should learn your manners.”
“You’re a fucking murderer-”
“So, now that no one’s specifically tailing you or targetting you, maybe you can go the fuck away?” You cut to the chase, holding your ground. “I mean, that’s why you’re staying with us, right?”
“What? Uh-uh, no way, I’m staying right here,” Areum insisted, pointing down at her feet.
You smiled. “Fine by me. Tae and I will be leaving anyway. Not sure if you were paying attention to the announcement earlier, but this place is becoming a danger zone in less than two hours. So, at 8 AM. But if you really want to stay right here, well, by all means, I encourage it!”
Areum fumed. “Sorry, I was too busy wondering why the group of girls was pronounced dead today!”
“Well, sometimes, when bomb goes boom boom, lives go bye-bye!” you exclaim in a babyish voice, mocking her.
“Listen here-”
“STOP IT!” Taehyung shouted. “Jesus Christ- I know most guys would kill to see a catfight, but you two are acting extremely immature. I’m sick and tired of it, alright? Right now we should be focusing on finding a new shelter before 8 AM. Now, stop bickering so we can get started.”

Unleashed

Min Siwon carried his cousin, Yoongi, on his back. Yes, correct. The two of them were cousins. Though one wouldn’t think so. Siwon was taller than Yoongi and far angrier and ruthless. Yoongi was the calm sort of intimidating. The ice to Siwon’s fire.
But Yoongi was probably the only person in the entire class who didn’t hate him. Siwon wasn’t a good person- he admitted that. Was he a bad person? Most definitely. But he didn’t want to have his mistakes during their school days affect his cousin. Yoongi didn’t deserve that.
Yoongi was they type who hid in the shadows. As previously mentioned, they were both opposites, only sharing intimidation and certain features they got from their fathers. They did look eerily similar- save for the fact Yoongi usually wore his bangs and Siwon had the habit of spiking them up. Yoongi was shy and mainly doodled in his notebook. Whenever the teacher was close to calling on Yoongi, or even lingered on him for more than a second, Siwon would cause a ruckus, making fun of someone or using a spit wad against them, using it as an opportunity to distract everyone.
Yoongi always appreciated it. He hated the spotlight. He hated being called on by the teacher. Why would they call on him when he didn’t have his hand up? After all, it was a clear sign that the person didn’t know the answer. So he’d always rely on his cousin to have his back and shield him from prying eyes.
There was only one more Min in the class. Min Bomi. But they really had nothing to do with her- just a coincidence of sharing the same surname.
When the game started, Siwon knew he needed to leave as soon as possible. Who knew who’d be targetting him. What victims he had bullied? Yoongi was the first one to get out, so he needed to find him. Siwon found him in a tree, quiet.
The two of them hid up in the trees for the rest of the day, hidden by the branches. There were more people than expected who passed through- including Gaeun, who had a gun. She was targetting him.
It was at the sound of a gunshot in the middle of the night that startled Yoongi so much that he fell down the tree. Luckily, there was no one else around and there were a lot of branches below to break his fall. That didn’t stop Yoongi from breaking his leg.
Siwon didn’t know how to treat a broken leg. So for the rest of the day he was on the run, carrying Yoongi on his back as they looked for a place to hide. Yoongi had his bags strapped to his back- they ditched Siwon’s. Siwon carried both of their weapons, which were really just a fork and rusty dagger. Great.
“Siwon, we can rest. No one’s around,” Yoongi grunted. “You’re getting tired.”
“Are you kidding? Compared to your short ass, I’m as strong as the Hulk,” Siwon scoffed. “I’m fine.”
Yoongi tugged on Siwon’s ear, pinching it harshly. “Mhm, sure you are. With arms like spaghetti? You look like those things that wave their arms at car sales.”
Another trait the Min cousins shared- they were both fucking assholes.
Siwon grunted. “Well, who’s carrying who now?”
“Shut up and rest, punk,” Yoongi grumbled.
Siwon obeyed. Yoongi was older by a month or two- not that he’d let anyone else know that. But Yoongi liked to rub it in his face whenever Siwon disobeyed him- and Siwon wasn’t in the mood for the elder’s pestering.
“I’ve gotta take a piss,” Siwon grunted, rolling his neck.
“TMI. You make me want to break my other leg,” Yoongi hissed, rubbing his hand over the excruciatingly painful area. The best they could do was tear of one of the straps of the bags and wrap it around his leg along with two sticks.
“That was only because you were a fucking idiot,” Siwon snickered, a small smirk creeping onto his face.
Yoongi glared at him. “Go fucking take your Whiz Khalifa already, dickhead.”
“I hate that you call piss that,” Siwon laughed, walking away. It was when he was in the middle of letting that golden stream flow that he heard it.
A gunshot.
Next thing he knew, he was running back to Yoongi, whose body had flopped over, a gunshot in the back of his head. It was a quick death, from what Siwon could make of it. It didn’t make him feel any better, though. He couldn’t let out a scream, however. He couldn’t let anyone else know he was here- especially when they had a gun and he was utterly defenseless. The killer was nowhere to be found.
The only person who saw the somewhat decent part of him was now dead. The only person he ever cared about was now dead. And now that decent shred of humanity that he had left was dead. What was it… 7 AM? Yoongi had survived for but a day.
Siwon’s fists curled, and his vision was practically turning red. He had the rusty blade in his hand… and he was running. He didn’t know where he was running. He wanted blood. He wanted vengeance. He didn’t want to kill before, only hoping to save Yoongi. But now he wanted all of them to pay, and he finally took the step to becoming a blood-lusting killer.
Then he heard it.
“Someone! Everyone! Please, come over here. We can work things out! Form an alliance. Let’s not be primitive. We can band together and stop Battle Royale!”
Someone was shouting through a megaphone or something… and they were close.
Another voice soon followed.
“Please! We’ve known each other for years. Do you really want to kill? We can work things out!”
The first voice was a boy. This one was a girl.
They were very close. Siwon was running in the direction, as fast as he could. They kept shouting, insisting that they wanted nothing more than an alliance. That they could fix this and refuse to play the game.
What fucking idiots.
When he finally got there, he saw the two of them. Jung Hoseok and Boram. They were twins. And of course, they were very anti-violence. They attended plenty of rallies, and their dad was a pastor or something of the sort. While they weren’t crazy religious, they were one of those hippy types, insisting on world peace. As if something like that could ever happen.
Their backs were currently turned away from Siwon, and slowly and carefully, he crawled up the hill, like a mountain lion stalking its prey. He was determined not to kill during this game- he only wanted to protect Yoongi. And he also knew that these two bumbling idiots weren’t capable of killing his cousin.
But the only words in Siwon’s mind now were kill kill kill. He had lost all restraint. The menace he only showed a sliver of at school had been unleashed. And what he wanted was for the glorious red color of his first victims to paint the blank canvas that was their skin.
“We can get through this together, you guys! We just need to-”
Siwon clasped his hand over Boram’s mouth, causing the megaphone to drop to the ground. Hoseok staggered back, gawking at the crazed Siwon, pointing the knife at Boram’s temple as he held her in a chokehold.
“Hey, Hoseok,” Siwon greeted, a wide smile stretching across his face. He wondered what Hoseok’s expression would be when he saw his sister covered in blood. The dude was already quite the pussy- rather scared of everything. Siwon remembered when the kid curled up in the corner of the room when he saw a spider.
This would be delightful.
“P-please, don’t hurt-”
“No can do, buddy,” Siwon laughed. “No can do.”
“What do you want?” Hoseok sputtered, already bursting into tears.
“To kill,” Siwon answered simply. Boram’s face was growing steadily red, blooming into a deep shade of purple the tighter he squeezed his bicep around her neck. She was choking, her eyes rolling back and her tongue hanging out as she struggled to breathe. Perverse thoughts ran across Siwon’s mind, thinking about how it looked so similar to someone when they were completely blissed out. Boram would never experience that. No one would. Not on his watch.
“Why’re you doing this?” Hoseok was shaking, sobbing.
“Why?” Siwon cocked his head. “Because I’m not a very nice person. Duh.”
With that he let go of Boram, letting her collapse on her knees, gasping for air. Siwon didn’t give her long, though, yanking back on her hair and quickly dragging his rusty knife across her throat, letting the gash spew blood and onto her brother, who was staring her in the eye as he got covered practically from head to toe in blood. Hoseok couldn’t move. He was absolutely frozen- paralyzed, even. He didn’t have the strength or energy to even ask any more stupid questions.
Siwon dropped her carelessly, kicking her to the side as he stalked towards his next prey. He scooped up the megaphone, standing in front of the paralyzed Hoseok.
“Whoever killed Min Yoongi- you know who you are,” Siwon said, his voice booming through. “And I know you can hear me, too. I know you’re close by. I know which weapon you have. I’d just like to let you know, that when- not if, I find you… It’ll be exactly like this.”
Hoseok let out a scream as Siwon stabbed him in the top of his head. The scream was high pitched and agonizing, and Siwon was sure that even if he didn’t have a megaphone, it would’ve been heard throughout the entire island.
He watched as he slumped over at his feet, and Siwon raised the megaphone to his lips again. “I hope you guys weren’t too close to the Jung Siblings. Hope my message is received. Come and get me; I’ll be waiting.”

Treehouse

“Woah.” That was all Areum could say, staring up at the structure. “I would’ve never guessed this island had a tree house.”
“Yeah, I don’t remember it being here,” you mention, putting down your bag. “I guess it’s new or something. Still looks pretty run down, regardless.”
“Are you sure it’s stable?” Taehyung asked.
“No clue,” you shrug. “Areum, go up there. If you die, we’ll know.”
Areum glared at you, rolling her eyes. “Very funny.”
“Who said I was joking?”
“I’ll just go up there,” Taehyung said, dropping his stuff to walk to the trunk. Floorboards were nailed to the bark, and he began climbing up. It was steep, but luckily the nearby branches were also available to grab onto for support. Soon enough he was in the treehouse. “It seems stable enough- but I think only two people would be able to fit in here at a time comfortably.” It was still rather spacious for a treehouse, he had to admit.
“That’s fine. The third can guard while we make rounds and switch,” Areum suggested.
“Sounds good,” you shrugged. “I also suggest we take a break to eat. I’m starving frankly.”
“No kidding,” Taehyung said,  rubbing his tummy. “Mine’s been growling all morning.”
“I’ll bring the food up there,” you say. “Though I think the rest of our bread is already stale. Should be fine though. Areum, you can keep watch.”
“What? Why?”
“Because we’re sharing our food with you. We aren’t the ones who lost our shit,” you point out.
“You fucking stole my katana and kept it!” she counters.
“At least I’m putting it to use. And you’re not getting this back, bitch,” you say, pointing it at her, waving it in her face.
“That’s not a good thing,” she hisses. “You’re a murderer.”
“And you’re a pussy.”
“Guys! I don’t want to do this again,” Taehyung said. “Let’s just eat. Y/N, bring the food up here, and Areum just keep watch. You can use my taser.”
“Fine,” Areum grunted, reaching into his bag for the taser. You reached inside, pulling out two water bottles and a loaf of bread, climbing up.
You handed him a water bottle and ripped the bread in half, sitting inside, stretching your arms. It was definitely a downgrade to your previous shelter, but it was better than nothing. You laid down, your legs dangling out of the entryway of the tree house as you munched on the stale bread.
“Tae, what do you think it’ll be like when you go home after this?” you ask.
“Dunno. I mean, what usually happens?” Taehyung asked, unscrewing the cap of his water bottle.
“No clue. The kids usually have PTSD or something from what I know- probably hard for them to go back home to a normal life. Strange we don’t really hear about them or their stories or something,” you say. “I hope you don’t have to go through that.”
“Well, I haven’t killed anyone like they have. At least not yet. You’ve been getting rid of most of the competition recently.”
You smile at that. “Well, I guess you’ve just gotta do what you’ve gotta do. It’s a pity about those who died before the game even started. I wonder how they would’ve done.”
“Dunno,” Taehyung shrugs. “I don’t think I pictured any of them as killers- well, I wouldn’t have pictured anyone as a killer here. But I guess you can always be surprised in this scenario. I know one thing- Eunseo would’ve died in five minutes.”
“Ah, Eunseo,” you hum. “You know- I had sex with Seokjin. Knowing him, he would’ve lasted about a day I think. Haru would’ve gone with Hajin, so she would’ve lasted two days as well I think.”
“Wait wait wait- Seokjin?” Taehyung exclaimed. “I thought you never gave him the time of day?”
“Well, we had sex once, but he was gentlemanly enough where he didn’t kiss and tell. The bad news is that he didn’t leave me alone after it,” you shrugged. “It was a mistake really. The day after news came out about you fucking Areum for the first time. I was so angry and pissed off I just threw myself at the first guy I saw- which I guess worked out. But I let him on, and I regretted it.”
“Ah, I see,” Taehyung nodded. “I lost my virginity to an older girl actually. She was two grades ahead of us, and I had a crush on her. I think she was using me to get back at her boyfriend at the time- which sucked.”
“That explains a lot,” you say.
Taehyung’s mind started wandering since the topic switched to sex, and he couldn’t help but let his eyes wander across your body. You were very physically attractive- and the more he got to know you, the more attracted he admittedly became. He started wondering what it would be like to fuck you. The two of you had already kissed on multiple occasions- unknown to Areum. Too bad he’d never find out since you were in a death competition and Areum was third wheeling.
“Guys- someone just ran by,” Areum shouted. “They passed by already- I don’t think they saw me. But they’re nearby.”
“Kill them then,” you shouted below.
“Absolutely not!”
“Then why are you bothering telling us?” you spat.
“You two really need to work on your teamwork skills,” Taehyung grumbled. “I can’t stand the fact that you two are always bickering.”
“She’s competition,” you shrug, taking a bite of the stale bread.
“Everyone is. We’re in a death game,” he deadpanned.
“Not that kind of competition,” you mumble.

Reflection

She didn’t mean to kill him. Gaeun thought he was Siwon- how could she help it? She thought that his usually gelled hair would’ve gone down. Siwon looked scarily similar to Yoongi, and besides, he was sitting.
And she just had to shoot him in the back of the head before taking a good look at him. She felt guilty about it. Sure, Yoongi liked his cousin, but he wasn’t a bad guy. He never did wrong. He was just timid and quiet.
And she killed an innocent person.
Not to mention she now knew that Siwon was after her. After his little 'announcement’, she felt as helpless as she did whenever he tormented her. Why would she, though? She was after him as well. She had a gun. She wanted to kill him.
Maybe she wasn’t as ruthless as she wanted to be.
She hated herself at this moment. What time was it already? A bit past 11, if she had to guess. Announcements should be made soon.
Right as she thought about that, the intercom beeped.

“Boo! Bad kiddos. I can’t believe that there were only three deaths so far. You’re disappointing, you know that? We’re adding a lot more danger zones! Now, on with the deaths. Boy #1, Min Yoongi. Girl #10, Jung Boram. Boy #6, Jung Hoseok. Danger zones will be all of the C areas since a lot of you fuckers are over there. One for each hour until 6 PM. Get to it!”

Gaeun reached into her bag, unfolding the map. She was in the F area. She’s fine.
She took in a deep breath, shaking her head and holding the gun tightly.
She had to go through this. It wasn’t just about revenge anymore- it was a game of survival as well.
And she’d at least fucking beat Siwon at this game.

Confrontation

Hansol was holding on tightly to his leg, which had been shot at multiple times. Mir stood over him, his gaze dark, machine gun pointed directly at him. Mir’s eyes crackled as he saw the class president in pain.
“That’s for Jewoo,” Mir sneered. “I had to track you down for a day, you son of a bitch. You were supposed to be the leader of our class, right? Keep order? You’re pathetic. What order do we have now?”
“Boo fucking hoo!” Hansol hissed. “Mir- every man is out for himself. It’s human nature-”
“No. What makes us human is the ties we make and the emotions we share, not survival instincts. That’s what makes us animals,” Mir interrupts. He points the gun at Hansol’s other leg, pulling the trigger.
Hansol cried out in agony, the pain unbearable.
“That one’s for me,”  Mir grunted. He raised the barrel to the class president’s forehead, pressing the hot tip against the sweaty skin. “And this one is for everyone you let down.”
Hansol squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting to look a single second more.
“Open your fucking eyes and look at me!” Mir growled.
Hansol did so. The last thing he saw was the satisfied smirk as Mir plunged twenty bullets into his skull.

The Warning

Park Jimin was surprised he was able to survive this long into the game. But because he was residing in Area C, he had to find a new place to go. He walked through, out of breath and panting. The hair clung to his sweaty forehead, and somehow he had run out of his water supply. Damn him for not rationing. He was already so dehydrated.
He trudged on, wiping his brow, seeing a figure in the distance. A girl, with a small item in her hand.
Areum.
“Areum?” Jimin called, blurting out the word despite himself. Stupid Jimin! She could kill you!
Areum turned, eyes wide. “Jimin?” she called.
Jimin held on tightly to the strap of his bag. “Are you going to kill me?”
Areum shook her head, smiling as she approached me. “Dear God, no Jimin! I’m not playing this game. I’m not going to kill anyone, trust me.”
“How can I make sure?” Jimin questioned, taking a step back.
“This is my weapon for now,” Areum said, holding up the taser. She dropped it to the floor. “You can check me for guns or knives if you want. I had a katana, but it was taken from me.”
“It’s ok, I believe you,” Jimin said, sensing her genuine response.
“Listen, though. You need to leave this area,” Areum warned.
“Why? This isn’t Area C, I just left there,” Jimin asked, a surprised expression on his face.
“The people I allied with… well, one of them is responsible for several deaths of our classmates,” Areum said quietly. “She killed two before I joined her, and also the lighthouse full of girls. Hajin, Ayeon, Bada, and Chanmi. She won’t hesitate to kill you, too, I’m sure.”
“How come she’s allied with you, then?” Jimin asked in bewilderment.
“The third is the one she’s protecting- and I’m only alive because he pitied me,” Areum said honestly. “But I doubt you’ll have the same kind of luck. That’s why you need to leave. Her shift’s probably coming up soon, and if she finds you… I don’t know, you’re nice, you didn’t judge me from what I know. I don’t want anyone to die, of course, but I at least want you to have a chance to survive.”
“Thanks for the warning,” Jimin smiled. “I wish you luck.”
“You too,” Areum said, patting his shoulder. She scooped back up the taser, walking back to the area she previously was in and disappeared into the trees.
Jimin continued to trudge on, making sure to avoid the mystery murderer Areum vaguely warned him of.

Stalker

Um Jiduri was the type who didn’t know he was being creepy. He wasn’t creepy in the pervy sense that Minhwa was- but creepy nonetheless. The problem was that he didn’t know how to express himself or interact with others.
So when he fell for Kang Area, things didn’t exactly go well. She was the girl who died her hair light brown and ended up getting suspended until she died it back to its natural color. That’s when he fell for her. He followed her when she walked home to make sure she got home safe. He bought a Polaroid camera, taking photos of her through her bedroom window. He just thought she was so pretty, and her beauty should be captured on camera.
Aera didn’t exactly agree.
When Jiduri finally confessed his love, he slipped a letter with his favorite pictures of her inside the envelope, as well as a note that said how he loved her smile and the small habits she had, like how she’d poke her tongue from the corner of her mouth when she concentrated, well, she didn’t take it too well.
She reported it to the teacher, who ended up making the announcement. Mrs. Yang cleared her throat, causing the classroom to quiet down after a few seconds. She held up the photos. “Who deposited this into Aera’s locker this morning?”
The class buzzed, looking at the photos, taking them for themselves to examine. Jiduri didn’t know what the big deal was but timidly raised his hand.
“Jiduri? Did you take these photos of Aera without her permission?” Mrs. Yang questioned.
“Yes?” Jiduri blinked, Aera’s eyes piercing through his skull. “I just thought she looked so pretty…”
“Jiduri- that’s stalking. That’s unacceptable and inappropriate,” Mrs. Yang scolded.
“Woah, Jiduri, I didn’t know you were a stalker,” Ayeon remarked, staring at a polaroid. “Did you watch her sleep too or something?”
“Jiduri, do you know how creepy that is? Are you sick in the head or something?” Hajin asked him, snickering with Haru.
“That’s so creepy! I knew someone was following me, but to think- Jiduri, you’re a pervert!” Aera exclaimed, narrowing her eyes. “Stay away from me, alright? I want nothing to do with you.”
Jiduri shrunk into himself, his cheeks growing red. What did he do wrong? Most people took photos of things they liked. Why was everyone yelling? What did he do? What did he do? Could someone tell him? What did he do?
“Don’t listen to her, Jiduri!” Chanmi giggled. “You can be my admirer!”
That made him feel worse.
“Jiduri, I’m going to call your parents. In the meantime, please escort yourself to the principal’s office and explain to him exactly why you’re there.” Mrs. Kang shook her head as she collected the rest of the photos, handing them to Aera.
As Jiduri was leaving the classroom, looking back to Aera. She looked him in the eye and threw away his most prized possessions.
Needless to say, ever since that incident, Aera hated his guts.
Jiduri, however, never let himself give up hope.
It was just his luck to run into her during the game. She was walking along the border of the C area. The logic that came to her was that, since everyone would be avoiding it, she’d be safe simply by hugging the border without actually crossing over.
“Aera! Aera!” Jiduri shouted excitedly, smiling.
She whipped her head around, eyes wide. Within a moment, he had stopped in his tracks as he was running to her, the barrel of the gun pointing directly at his forehead. The tip was pressed firmly against his sweaty forehead, and he didn’t understand what was going on. Why was she pointing a gun at him?
“Aera- what’s wrong?” he asked timidly.
“What’s wrong? Are you a fucking idiot or something?” she cursed at him, gritting her teeth. “We’re in a death game, you fucking moron.”
“I know. But I won’t hurt you,” Jiduri promised.
“That’s not the point. I want nothing to do with you. Why don’t you stay away from me, psycho!” Aera hissed. “I want nothing to do with a stalker like you.”
“I wasn’t stalking,” Jiduri frowned. “I think you misremember things.”
“I remember things clearly! You took photos of me and followed me around without my knowledge. What do you call that?” She pressed the gun harder against his head. “Forget it. Sometimes you act so stupidly I’m positive you aren’t faking it.”
“Aera, why do you hate me so much? I love you- why don’t you feel the same?”
“You’re so stupid,” she muttered, cocking the gun with her thumb. “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t kill you right now.”
“Because I love you,” Jiduri said immediately.
“That’s not a reason- that’s just a delusion,” Aera spat. “Anything else?”
“Because you’re a good person who wouldn’t hurt someone,” Jiduri blurted.
“How would you know?”  she sneered.
“Because I saw you help a lady cross the street even when she cursed at you. And you finally died your hair back when you saw how much your mom was crying over your suspension. And you offered to help that hardworking mother by babysitting for free because she couldn’t afford it.”
Aera paused, silent. “Just when I thought you couldn’t get any creepier- you had to pull that shit.”
Jiduri heard footsteps. His eyes blew open, realizing someone was nearby. “Aera-”
“Shut up or I’ll blow your brains!” Aera snapped.
“No, you don’t understand-”
Jiduri’s head spun around, revealing Siwon. Quickly, he pushed Aera to the ground, causing her to drop the gun as it skid across the border and into the danger zone. Siwon lunged at Jiduri.
Aera couldn’t get her senses in place yet, but once they came together, what she saw was Siwon repeatedly plunging his knife into Jiduri, blood gushing. Even when Jiduri was already dead, Siwon kept going.
Aera looked back. The gun was in the danger zone. She tried to slide into it, preventing her head from crossing, while she was at least mid-torso in. She tried to reach it with her feet, the gun only inches from her shoe.
She looked back. Siwon had finished the brutal crime. He turned to her, covered in blood. He looked like a blood-crazed menace. Aera jumped up, unsure what to do. She had no weapon on her- fucking Jiduri.
“How sweet,” Siwon chuckled, stalking towards her slowly. She felt paralyzed. He had trapped her. There was nowhere to run- and even if she could, he’d be able to catch up with her. His bloody hand came up to her chin, the blade of the rusty knife cutting into her cheek. “He risked his life to save yours. And you wasted it.”
Aera gritted her teeth, swallowing hard as she stared him in the eye. Her cheek stung from the cut. “Fuck you,” she hissed.
“No thanks,” Siwon chuckled. He took a step back, and Aera felt herself getting launched back as he kicked her square in the chest. She crossed over the border, her head exploding the moment the necklace crossed the line.
Siwon held up his hand, avoiding the bits of brain and flesh that splattered onto him. Once it was finished, he slowly laid down, kicking away the corpse and rolling it over. He hooked the gun underneath his foot, dragging it back along with chunks of brain.
“Thank you very much,” he said, finally getting it across the border. He held the gun in his hand, feeling the weight of it. He tucked the knife away, looking at his new weapon.
This would be far more useful.

Friendship

“Did you kids not get the message? Only three deaths in the past six hours! I guess I’ll have to make any sections bordering the edges of the island restricted as well, hm? Should bunch you kids in together. Honestly, don’t any of you want to go home? Disappointing,” Ki tsked. “Boy # 3, Choi Hansol. Boy # 12, Um Jiduri. Girl #7, Kang Aera.”
Jimin sighed to himself, grateful that he hadn’t decided to walk over to the beach, which was the area he was heading towards. But he was feeling parched and was afraid he’d pass out any minute. He was so dehydrated.
“Don’t move.”
His hands shot up, and he saw Gaeun emerge from behind a tree, pointing a gun at him.
“Gaeun?” he questioned. “What’re you doing here?”
“Stopped to listen to the 6 PM announcements, same as you. But then you stumbled in five minutes later,” Gaeun explained.
“I don’t have any weapon on me, I swear,” Jimin mumbled. “The only thing I had was a can opener.”
“The makers of this game are very cruel,” Gaeun clicked her tongue.
“Can we call a truce or something? Maybe just not kill each other? Even allies?” Jimin suggested. “I really don’t want to die.”
“Why should I trust you?” Gaeun asked, skeptical.
“I really can’t offer up an explanation,” Jimin answered honestly. “If you want, you can check my supplies. I tell the truth about the can opener. And from what I remember, while we weren’t close, at least we were pleasant to each other in class. But other than that, I can’t come up with a reason you should trust me in this game. I guess this is just one of those instances you’ll have to trust your gut and see what it says.”
Gaeun was quiet, jutting out her jaw as though to fake confidence. Finally, she decocked her gun, tucking it away in the hem of her skirt. “I suppose you’re pretty harmless- but you’re strong. We can be allies.”
Jimin smiled, relieved as he put down his arms. “Really?”
“Yes, really,” Gaeun answered. “Sit down I suppose.”
“If it’s too much to ask, could I have a water bottle? Not even the entire thing, just a little. I’m so dehydrated,” Jimin pleaded.
Gaeun gave him a questioning look, but sighed, reaching into her bag and tossing him a water bottle as the two of them sat down on the grass.
“Thank you so much!” Jimin said, unscrewing the cap. “God, my piss was the color of a highlighter.”
Gaeun grimaced. “TMI. I didn’t need to know that.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I’m sorry,” Jimin said, apologizing as he scratched the nape of his neck. “So… how many are left? I counted fifteen left.”
“Sounds about right,” Gaeun shrugged. “You heard about our class president dying on the announcements, right? I guess that means Mir got to him.”
“What do you mean?” Jimin questioned, furrowing his brow.
“Hansol killed Jewoo, so Mir’s after him,” Gaeun explained. “My best guess is that he got to the bastard.”
“Ah, I see,” Jimin nodded, gulping more water.
“I should warn you, though. You probably don’t want to be allied with me,” Gaeun sighed.
“How come? You’ve been kind to me so far.”
“Siwon’s after me,” Gaeun grumbled. “Well, I’m also after him. But you might get involved in the crossfire.”
“Is he after you because you were always the main victim of his bullying?” Jimin asked. “He used to always bully me for my height and cheeks.”
“No, not because of that. That’s why I’m after him,” she clarified. “He’s after me because I killed Yoongi. I also killed Chaeha- but that one was also as a form of revenge. But yeah, Yoongi’s death is the main concern at the moment.”
Jimin’s eyes widened. “You killed Yoongi?”
“It was an accident, I swear!” Gaeun insisted. “I mean, sort of. I thought it was him- and without thinking I shot.”
“That explains the warning Siwon called out,” Jimin nodded.
“Are you sure that you still want to be allied with me?” Gaeun asked.
“You’re better than nothing- I’ve barely been able to survive out here by myself,” Jimin admitted. “Besides, while I don’t have the killing experience you already have, I have a feeling you’ll need help with your revenge involving Siwon.”
Gaeun smiled at that, and she placed her hand over Jimin’s, feeling warm. “Jimin,” she said quietly. “Thank you for being my first friend.”
Jimin was surprised but offered a smile in return. “It’s my honor.”

Rude Awakening

The sun had set long ago, and Taehyung had just finished his shift. He had woken Areum up, who was on the opposite side of the cramped space from you, and now it was her turn to stand guard. Now, Taehyung had just climbed into the treehouse, seeing you curled up to one side, sleeping soundly.
Taehyung laid down on the hardwood, doing his best to conserve space and ignore the fact his back would be sore by morning. He was just beginning to blink his eyes shut when he heard the strangest noise.
A small moan being emitted from your lips. He froze, not sure whether or not he heard correctly. But soon enough, you were writhing around a bit, shifting your hips and rolling over on your back, another small mewl slipping out. You rubbed your thighs together, as though you wanted friction.
Taehyung sat up, staring at you in the darkness. You were having a wet dream, that was clear.
The rational part of his brain told him to wake you up so that you wouldn’t be heard and alert enemies. The other part of his brain also told him to wake you up- but for completely different reasons.
Nevertheless, both sides were going to win. He shook you awake, clasping his large hand over your mouth as you were about to hum softly again. Your eyes shot open, and Taehyung softly assured you there was no danger.
“Shh, it’s me,” he whispered his deep voice a melody throughout the cramped space.
You pushed his hand down, very much irritated. “Why’d you wake me up?” you groggily asked, frustrated.
“You… were making noises,” Taehyung said. His hand wandered down to travel to your stomach, and you felt it coil beneath his touch. “Y/N… what were you dreaming of?”
You froze, your blood running cold. “I-I don’t know… I forgot already.”
“I don’t think you did,” Taehyung said, his fingertips traveling down to slip into the hem of your skirt and into the waistband of your panties. “I thought we agreed to tell the truth to each other, Y/N.”
You feel his cold digits press against the very top of your slit, and you tense up at the feeling. Taehyung looks you in the eye, his pupils dilated from both the darkness and arousal. “Why don’t you tell me the truth?”
“You,” you whisper. “I was dreaming of you.”
“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” His fingertips swept over your clit, which was already throbbing with need and arousal from your dream. “What were you dreaming about me doing?”
“I…” You slap your hand over your mouth as he pets your folds, and you feel how wet you are against his digits, the slender fingers sliding easily through your labia folds. “You touching me.”
“Like this?” he questioned, fingers teasing the entrance before slipping in.
You arched your back involuntarily as he crooked his fingers up, curling them in until he found that rough patch. “God, Tae, don’t stop please,” you plead quietly.
“Shh,” he hushed, sweeping his thumb across your throbbing bud. “You’re going to have to be quiet.” He didn’t know why he did this- but he had a suspicion. You were always the one in charge, at least whenever the two of you were here. You had more control and power than he did, and now he had it over you.
And he relished it.
You bite down on your hand as he slips in a second digit, and you gasp out at the feeling. Soon, you’re tugging his hand away. “Tae- what if Areum hears? I don’t want to hear us fucking. Not with her so close by.”
“I’m not going to fuck you yet,” Taehyung said lowly. He pulled his hand away, and you closed your legs, feeling vulnerable. He brought the digits to his mouth, wrapping his lips around them. “But you taste so good… we can do something else.”
You gulped, surprised by the hungry look in his eyes. It was something you had only fantasized about. You had a sneaking suspicion in the back of your mind that the only reason he even kissed you was to keep you close in order to survive- to manipulate you (which you’d be more than happy to let him do). But this? This was different.
This was generous.
“Lay down and spread your legs,” he ordered. You obeyed, meek like prey to his predatory stare. It was an odd scenario- you were the killer, and he was the one who usually tagged along. But perhaps this was a bit of the reason why you were so attracted to him- because although you had a dominant personality, you loved to be dominated. And Kim Taehyung was the only one who could do that with ease, it seemed.
Your breath hitched as he lifted your skirt, hands tugging down your underwear. The cold air on your warm pussy made you hold your breath, and you watched as he curled up in front of you, finally able to bury his head between your legs.
You had to bite down on your hand to stifle a moan, eyes practically rolling back already at the feeling of his tongue swiping across your heat, flicking at the small nub and sweeping through your folds in a tantalizing manner.
You remembered times you eavesdropped on girls conversations. Girls like Eunseo and Areum, who’d kiss and tell. They talked about how good he was in bed, and you touched yourself to the very thought of him doing the same to you. And now it was actually happening, and it was far better than your wildest fantasies.
His large hand came up, tugging down some of the buttons of your shirt to cup at your breast, soon yanking it down to reveal one. He pinched at your nipples, hardening them along with the crisp air as he fondled it gingerly. He sucked at your clit, and his other hand was beginning to curl the digits into that same spot.
“Oh, God,” you whispered, biting down so hard on your hand that you drew blood. “Oh God, oh God.”
He hummed against you, sending vibrations riveting throughout your body. His hands pulled back as he continued to hastily lap at your folds, and he hooked his arms under your legs, yanking you up by the thighs until your rear was in the air. You were leaning on your upper back and arms now, trying to keep balance. Taehyung was straight, on his knees, as he ate you out properly, eating as though he were starving.
You panted, struggling to look up at his mouth attached to your cunt, thighs hooked over his shoulders as he kept you up in the air. The sight was arousing- especially when he locked eyes with you.
You tilted your head back, biting down on your lip. “T-Tae, I’m close already.”
“Cum for me baby,” he murmured, sucking harder.
Baby…
You were right on the edge when-
“Y/N! It’s your shift!” Areum called.
Taehyung quickly dropped you down, and you buttoned your shirt, combing your hair. Taehyung wiped your juices off his chin, and you wanted to scream out of frustration. You couldn’t even look at him at the moment- you felt so embarrassed. He just went down on you, and you two were close to getting caught. Areum just had to interrupt- right when you were about to cum.
You felt like you were about to explode. You grab your underwear, quickly yanking it up and climbing down the ladder, grabbing your katana. You glared at Areum, eyes blazing.
You were beyond pissed.
You slapped her. Hard. Her head swung to the side, eyes wide as she crumbled down. “What the hell?” she sputtered, holding onto her cheek as she glared at you. “What the fuck was that for?”
“Fuck you,” you spat, storming off. You supposed you’d have to take care of this shift now.
Fuck Byun Areum.

Faked

It was Areum’s second shift of the night. She felt drowsy but had to keep on walking around the treehouse, making sure there were no threats nearby. Her cheek stopped stinging from your slap earlier- but you did it so hard, she wouldn’t be surprised if a bruise popped up on her cheekbone later on.
She heard a sound behind her, and she quickly turned around, turning on the taser. Her eyes were wide open, but she didn’t see anyone.
Was it an animal? Wind?
She turned around again, only to meet bloodshot eyes. She attempted to scream, but soon enough you had shoved your fist into her mouth, knocking her head against a tree. You held the katana to her throat, and from the blow of her head against the wood, she dropped the taser.
“Listen here, Areum-” you hissed. “I know about you trying to get Tae to leave with you- I heard everything. I had to wait until he was asleep to finally get to you, and I’m sick of your shit. Do you hear me? I’m done! Maybe I would’ve spared you if you left earlier, but you had to stick around, huh? My goal is to get Tae to survive- not to tolerate your hoe ass trying to screw up all of my hard work.”
Areum wasn’t able to respond. This was it. You were going to kill her.
You removed your fist from her mouth, glaring at her as though you dared her to scream. She wouldn’t. She had already lost. You’d manipulate Taehyung and convince him of something else, even if he did witness you killing her. Besides, she lost Taehyung to you long ago, and now he was twisted around your finger. You might be the one smitten with him and insecure about losing him- but Areum could tell from a mile away his loyalties were to you.
“He’ll know you’re the one who killed me,” Areum said quietly, accepting defeat.
“No he won’t,” you responded. “I’m not dumb enough to do it with my own blade. You did it to yourself.”
Before Areum could question it further you punched her in the throat, resulting in her falling to her knees, clutching it. You swooped down, getting the taser, and shoving it into her mouth. You held her in place by the throat as you shoved it down further, watching her body writhe and convulse until soon you smelt the burning flesh.
“You’re finally dead,” you huffed, satisfied. “Guess this means I can finally spout my evil monologue, huh?” You dropped down next to her, sitting next to the corpse, despite the fact it smelled terrible. “You know- I don’t care you slept with a lot of guys. I don’t care about the other girls hating you for petty reasons- like stealing boyfriends who weren’t even theirs, who they didn’t even get close to. But when you try to make Tae think badly of me and steal him from me- when with you he’d die- that’s why I hated you. I mean, I just want to clarify that. You might think it’s because I’m jealous he had a soft spot for you, or because you slept with him- no, just no. You do you in that aspect. I killed you because you’re a threat. Not to my love life- to his life. And I’m not letting anyone hurt him… You won’t be able to do that now.”
You looked down at the body. Of course, it didn’t respond. “Well, I just wanted to clear things up. But doing it right before you kill someone instead of just getting to it- it’s cliche. And it just makes it where the person will have time to get out. You have plenty of time to monologue about your intentions afterward, anyway. Once the person’s dead. Dead or alive- it doesn’t make a difference.”
You get up, picking up your katana, walking back to the treehouse.
The last death of the night was Byun Areum’s.

END OF DAY 2

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Confirmation
Taehyung stared at Areum’s dead body, the taser he once owned protruding from her gaping mouth. Suddenly he didn’t want it back. She could keep it. Her rotting body smelled as though it had been thoroughly cooked. Her eyes were still open, practically popping out as though they were just glass eyes. They certainly looked like that. Or maybe Taehyung had become so desensitized to death that he was no longer affected.You stared down at the corpse, leaning on the butt of your sword, eyes glazing over her dead body. You, of course, hadn’t reacted in the slightest. And so far, you and Taehyung hadn’t said a word since he ate you out in the treehouse.Areum was the only death last night. Well, between 6 PM and 12 AM. You should know because you stayed awake to hear the announcements. Luckily your area hadn’t become a danger zone, and at the moment it was a little past 5.“Did you kill her?” Taehyung asked, glancing up at you.“No,” you denied easily, no shift in your bored tone. “You told me not to hurt her.”“I told you she’d spend a day with us. And you wanted to kill her since the beginning- for the game and for me,” Taehyung continued in a clipped tone. “You might not want to win the game, but maybe you wanted to win something else.”Your expression didn’t change, and you simply shrugged your shoulders. “Maybe someone came into the night and killed her, but didn’t know we were in the treehouse. Or maybe, because she was so adamant about not wanting to kill, she committed suicide. There are more possibilities that don’t involve me murdering her.”Taehyung didn’t say anything, but he didn’t believe you. You were a natural liar after all. He shook his head staring down at the corpse.“Are you upset?” you asked quietly.Taehyung shrugged his shoulders, his expression blank. “I don’t know. I mean, I liked her, sure. But I’ve gotten so used to the idea of everyone dying I don’t feel anything towards it anymore.”You wore a small smirk. “Look who’s becoming a little sociopath.”He bore a grin. “Learned from the best.”“Fuck yeah, you did,” you mumble. “Now, we’ve got one more day left, and since you’re becoming so comfortable with witnessing and confronting the idea of murder, I say we hunt the rest down.”“You’re the boss,” Taehyung said. “So who’s left?”“Mir, Siwon, and Gaeun definitely. Also Jimin, Namjun, Hanbit, Jaehee, Sado, Chaeyeon, Hai, Chanu, and Hyuk,” you answer. “I’ve been counting it down gradual from our class.”“So, twelve,” Taehyung counted.“Thirteen,” you corrected, pointing to yourself. “You’re forgetting I’ll be the last to die.”“I guess I forget,” Taehyung said quietly. Guilt bubbled at the pit of his stomach- a feeling he was starting to learn to ignore.“You really should start getting used to the idea, Tae. It’s happening in less than 24 hours after all.” A small smile creeps up to your lips. “Don’t tell me you’ve suddenly gotten attached.”“Well- I can’t deny it… somewhat,” he muttered bashfully.Your smile drops. “Taehyung, you can’t. You know I love you… and I hate to say this, but I don’t want you to feel the same. Ever.”Taehyung’s eyes widened. “What? That makes no sense. Why?”“I don’t want you to put me above yourself. I shouldn’t be your priority- it’ll just clash with my own,” you clarified. “Maybe I would’ve wanted you to… if we weren’t in this game. If we had talked or gotten to know each other years before this happened- but you can’t risk getting attached to anyone in this game, Tae. You have to drop whatever emotions you had towards anyone if you want to survive- otherwise, they’ll just be your weakness. And I don’t want to be your weakness, Tae. I want to be your strength.”“You can’t control feelings,” Taehyung countered.“Well, you’re going to have to learn- because soon enough you’ll be the survivor, and 39 others who you’ve known for your entire life will be dead,” you said seriously. “If you have to… you can just think of me the same way you did before. When you hated me. When you couldn’t even stand me. I’d rather you do that than endanger yourself over some quick-witted infatuation.”“Now you’re just being melodramatic,” Taehyung said.“Tae, I don’t want you to love me the way I love you. I’ve watched plenty of games where they try to protect one another but only get in each other’s way- they never survive,” you said somberly. “You’ve trusted me so far- so trust me until the end.”Taehyung was silent for a bit, mulling over your words. “Even after last night?” he asked quietly.You bit down on your lip. “If that’s going to be a problem- whenever we kiss, or… whatever else happens between us until the end of the game- if that’s going to directly collide with our mission then we should sto-”“No,” Taehyung growled, taking a step closer to you. “I’ll be fine. No feelings- no nothing. Just you, me, and the game. It won’t interfere.”You looked up at him, his face so close to yours. You could feel his breath fan over your face. “Tae, I don’t think you ca-”He smashes his lips to yours, cupping your face in both hands as he aggressively nips on your lower lip. His kiss is hard and passionate, as though he were trying to prove a point. Despite yourself, you melt into it, moving along to the same pace until his tongue slips into your mouth. Once he pulls away, a string of saliva breaks between both of your mouths.“You want me to trust you? Then trust me on this,” Taehyung said.Your heart ached, but you knew it had to be done. Though your heart yearned for him to feel the same for you, your brain told you exactly why that was such a bad idea. And now any real hope you had of his feelings being mutual had to be shattered. Years of pent-up frustration and so much more- bein crushed under the cruel boot of circumstance.You glanced down, moving away and stepping across Areum’s body. “Get your stuff. We’ve got to get started.”
A Series of Unfortunate Events
Park Hanbit hadn’t slept in two days. This would be her third. Quite honestly, she was surprised she even lasted this long. But the moment she heard a sound she’d run as fast as she could. Unluckily for her, she had lost her weapon of all things. So maybe she wasn’t that lucky. Then again, who here was?She crept slowly through the area. She was in the center of the island if she guessed correctly. The 12 AM announcements added the second row that surrounded the edges to be danger zones, having the kids group together to be forced to confront one another.Hanbit was never the type to stay cool under pressure. She was fidgety and paranoid- and this only increased it. She had been diagnosed with PTSD at a young age, due to when she was raped. She was only twelve at the time, walking with an older friend who her parents had in charge of her. They’d walk together every day, but on the day that he shoved her into an alley, choked her into silence, and rammed into her… He wasn’t a friend anymore. While she never told anyone about the experience, out of guilt, shame, and the sheer fact that he was her friend (or so she thought), she was still scared. And with the lack of sleep and environment, her stability was deteriorating.She heard a rustle in the bushes nearby, and out came Kang Namjun.They had never been close. They’ve talked- but they were just acquaintances.And now they were enemies.Namjun quickly pulled out his knife, eyes wide and frenzied as he lunged at Hanbit. Hanbit screamed, dropping everything and running as fast as she could. Unluckily for her, Namjun was on the track team in 6th grade, so it was likely he learned a thing or two that could help him.Adrenaline pumped through Hanbit’s veins. Her vision was shaky, the corners fading into black. Everything was blurry, and her heart was beating wildly. She didn’t know where to go- this place seemed like an endless maze.Namjun jumped, grabbing onto her legs. She screamed, kicking hard and wildly to free herself from his grip. The knife sunk into her leg, and she kicked him in the nose, no doubt breaking it. Namjun cursed and yelled as she tried to scramble away, not able to feel the injury due to the pure shock.She glances down at it, and she feels more anxious than ever. Looking back, she sees that Namjun is getting up, stalking towards her, blood covering the lower half of his face. Hanbit sobbed, snot running down her nose as she looked at the leg that had the handle still protruding from it. She hurriedly yanked it out, despite the fact that she’d bleed out more if she did so- but she had no other choice. She swiped in mid-air, walking towards him as he stumbled back. Her arm was trembling like a leaf, and vision was so blurry with tears. She couldn’t even see her own hand, probably.Namjun leaped at her again, grabbing onto her wrists and pinning her to the ground. The knife fell from her weak grip, sliding across the ground out of either of their reach. Namjun didn’t waste time, knowing that if she could grab onto the knife again, she’d kill him. He wrapped his meaty hands around her throat, strangling her.Her arm flailed at her side as she tried to reach for the blade. It was useless, however. The knife was about a foot away from her outstretched fingertips. She instead clawed at Namjun’s wrists, sinking her nails into the flesh as Namjun screamed in anguish. Spit and coughs came from Hanbit’s mouth as she hacked thoroughly, her face turning into a blossoming red.Her legs kicked beneath her, although her thighs were firmly pinned to the ground under Namjun’s crushing weight. Her eyes seemed to bulge out of her eye sockets with each passing second, and veins seemed to pop out from along her temples and neck. Her face was turning into a deepening shade of purple, but Namjun only tightened his grip.It wasn’t personal- Hanbit was always nice, from what he knew. But the fact was that in this game if two people locked eyes, only one of them was going to survive. And sure as hell, it was going to be him. His thoughts were only confirmed when she finally stopped flailing, her eyes glazed over and mouth agape. Dead.Namjun didn’t want to take any chances, though. He pulled her up by her neck, squeezing the scrawny thing as he shook it, her limp head flopping about as he did so. He let go of her, breathless- well, not as breathless as she was, clearly. He stood up, brushing his sweaty palms along his pants. He walked to the blade, picking it up and twisting it in his hand. Unused for the purpose it was placed in the game for- and yet he was still a murderer.He sighed to himself, knowing that what was done had to be done, and turned around.The moment he did so, about ten bullets entered his torso, head, and arms. His body seemed to flop around upright like a fish, arms swinging side to side with each bullet that passed, until he finally collapsed on the floor, motionless.Mir held his machine gun in hand, turning it upright to blow away the fumes from the tip. He walked closer to the corpses, seeing the two.He felt something cold against his neck, and pain shoots out from the base of his throat. The cut of a rusty knife barely pressed into the skin, and unwavering lips hovered next to his ear.“Drop the gun,” Siwon commanded.
Caught in the Act
You and Taehyung were walking along, hoping to run into someone soon enough. The two of you had been silent for the bit- perhaps waiting for the next announcement.“What do you think they do with the bodies? They have to be cleared for next year, and we haven’t seen any skeletons,” you wondered aloud.“I’d figure you’d know that,” Taehyung said, recalling what your father’s profession was.“I never thought about it before,” you shrugged. “So where do you think?”“Maybe they dump us in the ocean,” Taehyung suggested.“Wouldn’t we float back to shore? Or somewhere else?”“Nah. I mean, it’s unlikely. We’d probably be eaten by a shark, or maybe they tie weights around our ankles and let us sink to the bottom of the ocean,” Taehyung guessed.“Maybe,” you nodded. “I doubt they’d cremate or bury us, honestly. They probably don’t believe we deserve that.”“Ah yes- but we’re worthy enough for this game. For this great honor!” Taehyung joked.“Wait-” you said, holding out your arm to stop him. You hold your finger up, and both of you hear it. The trickling of water.Well, no. Not exactly water.You drew out your katana, slowly creeping forward. Taehyung followed closely, his breathing still as the two of you scouted for the sound.It was none other than Park Jimin taking a piss on a tree.Taehyung pitied that the guy would be killed during a moment of indecency.You were slow and precise with your footsteps, right behind him as he finished his business. It was right when he zipped up his pants that you plunged the katana into his back, nailing him to the tree.“It’s too bad you couldn’t wash your hands,” you muttered, withdrawing the katana. Blood pooled out of Jimin, his shirt soaked with blood. You turned him around, staring at the wound as you let him slide down the trunk of the tree. Taehyung stepped behind you, staring at the guy.You bent down, looking Jimin in the eye for his final breaths. You said nothing for a bit until blood started to splatter onto his plump lips. He was starting to cough it up.“Why do you think when people begin to die, they start coughing up blood?” you asked Taehyung, wiping away a droplet of blood from Jimin’s cheek with your thumb.“I don’t know,” Taehyung said. “You see it in books and movies all the time, though.”“True,” you mumbled, watching closely as the light started to fade from the young man’s eyes. You expected it to be like a candle slowly dimming- but it was quicker than you thought. It was more like when people close their fingertips around the wick, taking out the flame. Park Jimin was no more, and only the body he once resided in remained.The intercom sounded, and the two of you looked away from the dead body, paying attention. Alert.“It’s time for your 6 AM announcement, kiddos!” Ki sounded. “Last one you’ll hear, aren’t you nostalgic already? Well, there have been four deaths so far between 12 to 6 AM. A bit better; could be worse. In order, we have Girl #20, Park Hanbit. Boy #5, Kang Namjun. Boy #4, Kim Mir. And last but not least, the very recent death of Boy #20, Park Jimin. The third row will now be danger areas! Get to killing, folks!”“C'mon, let’s continue searching,” you say, leaving the corpse and walking away, taking Taehyung along with you.
Extra Weight
Gaeun ran as fast as she could to the area that Jimin had left to go to. He said he had to go the restroom- well, take a piss probably since there wasn’t indoor plumbing in the woods. Gaeun didn’t think too much about the fact he was taking so long- but now…Now his name was called.She ran as fast as she could. Was she even in the right direction? Dread filled her mind as she kept running. She almost ran past it until she looked back, and caught the glimpse of the very familiar school uniform.She stopped in her tracks, heartbeat stopping. Slowly, she turned to the figure slumped against the tree trunk. She quivered, taking shaky steps towards him. His eyes were blank, and blood dribbled from his plump, parted lips, and down his chin to splatter onto his uniform. The kill had to be rather recent. There was a wound that cut so deeply into his torso, that Gaeun thought that if she spread it apart, she’d be able to see through him and at the tree trunk.She struggled to contain the bile that bubbled up in her throat. Why was she so torn up about this? He was going to die eventually- there was no way he’d survive this game. Even she knew that. She and he weren’t even allies for that long. And yet she felt absolutely sick from simply looking at his corpse- despite the fact she was responsible for other deaths. This wasn’t her first time seeing a dead body.Jimin didn’t deserve this. A wound that went from his torso to his back in one fatal stab had killed him. A sword, most likely.Gaeun gulped but shook her head. Siwon was her priority. And then whoever else got in her way.She leaned down, pressing a chaste kiss on Jimin’s cheek. She closed his eyes and pulled him by his feet, having him lay down. Petting his hair as she looked at her new found friend one last time, she bid her farewell.Now she’d have to enact his revenge as well.
Development
You and Taehyung were resting at the moment. You didn’t even know how it happened. You simply laid down on the grass, legs feeling sore from all of the walking already. Taehyung sat next to you and lifted your head, letting you use his lap as a pillow. The two of you laid down, silent.His hands were entangled with one of your pigtails, twirling the strands of hair around his long digits. You watched it, mind wandering to last night.“I want to know more about you,” Taehyung said out of the blue. “Before the game ends.”“Well, what do you want to know?”“Memories,” Taehyung murmured, collecting more hair as he started to weave small braids. “What was your favorite birthday? First boyfriend? How’d you lose your virginity? First kiss? Stupidest thing you’ve ever done?”“Hmm,” you hummed, closing your eyes, letting your lashes kiss the apples of your cheeks. “Well, I guess I’ll say favorite birthday first. I was never a big fan of parties- but there was one. Remember when we had to bring cupcakes back in the day for our birthdays? My mom got the frosting I hated- but insisted that it was popular for a reason.”“Was it that bright pink one?” Taehyung questioned.You smiled at the memory. “Yeah. Do you remember how half of your face was stained pink and you didn’t even realize until someone pointed it out at the end of the day?”Taehyung laughed at the memory. “I was so embarrassed that day- I think I blamed you for it.”You chuckled. “Well, I think that was my happiest birthday. Seeing you with a pink face and pink teeth. You looked like an idiot.”“Alright, moving on,” he rolled his eyes.“First boyfriend?” You thought for a minute. “It doesn’t really count, but back in 3rd grade, Siwon and I went to this summer camp.”Taehyung’s eyes widened. “Siwon was your first boyfriend?”You slapped his thigh. “Look, I was little! And I think it was before I was madly in love with you or whatever bullshit it is. Anyways, he confessed to me when we were on the swings, and our moms accompanied us when we went roller skating together. We broke up the next day because some girl gave him goldfish.”Taehyung smiled at that. “I can’t believe you got dumped!”“Who said I was dumped?” you scoffed. “Please, I’m the famous Y/N! I dumped him because he accepted the goldfish. No boyfriend of mine was going to be with some elementary school skank.”Taehyung laughed hard at that, so hard that he thought he’d miraculously get abs. “Oh my god, I’m actually going to cry.”You laughed as well, pressing your hand over your mouth to stifle your giggles. “I was like, 8! Ok?”“That’s the most 3rd-grade story I’ve ever heard.”“Whatever, next one,” you murmured. “Ok, what was it? Virginity?”“Ah yes, Mike?”“Michael,” you corrected. “He was sweet.”“Should I be jealous?” Taehyung questioned, raising a brow.You swatted his thigh, rolling your eyes. “Well, he’s in the States now, for one. And also, he was a little too sweet. He had this whole thing fixed up after our date. It was a few days before the end of the semester, so he’d be leaving soon. He had gathered the courage to finally confess to me, and I figured ‘Why not? The guy I like just slept with someone else. Why can’t I?’ And Michael was going to leave anyway. So I told him I’d make our first, last, and only date really special. He caught on, of course. Apparently, sex happens a lot more frequently for American kids there, because he bragged about how he wasn’t a virgin anymore but he’d be gentle with me- yada yada yada. I didn’t care.”“Wouldn’t have pegged him as that, honestly,” Taehyung admitted.“Well, anyways, after the date was over we got to his place. His parents were still at work, and it was still daytime. But here’s the kicker- in the room he lit up about a dozen Yankee candles. It was a major fire hazard. But the entire time we were having sex the place was overwhelming- it was like a million girls were spraying perfume in my face in the locker room- that bad!”“Oh, God!” Tears actually fell from Taehyung’s face now.“I’m glad I’m able to laugh about it now. One of them was like pink dunes? I think? Something like that. It was the one that smelled the most because it was right next to the bed. I had to bury my face in a pillow to clog up my nostrils. It burned, I’m serious!”“Ok, enough about the Yankee candle fiasco,” Taehyung grinned. “First kiss?”“Oh no,” you groaned.“Another horror story?”“Unfortunately,” you groaned. “Ok, so I was chewing gum at the time, right? And I think- it was either Jewoo or Namjun- who had braces in 4th grade?”“Uh… Namjun,” Taehyung recalled.You snapped your fingers. “Yes, him. Anyways, I was chewing gum, and Namjun was apparently dared during a game to kiss me. But he was wearing braces at the time, and I was blowing a bubble when he spun me around and planted one. Needless to say, things got messy.”“Your early love life doesn’t seem exactly like the most romantic,” Taehyung laughed, cringing at your memory.“Well, I had to pull scissors from my backpack and attempt to cut the string apart. It was horrible! I think it only got more stuck. Anyways, when we finally got free, we both agreed to never tell anyone about it,” you snickered. “To this day I haven’t been able to chew on Extra watermelon gum."Ok, the last one,” Taehyung said, clapping his hands together. “Stupidest thing you’ve ever done?”You thought about it for a moment. “It’s hard. You know, I think about those things constantly, but the minute someone asks about it my mind is blank.”“I get that,” he nodded. “Well, just name one stupid thing.”“Well, between gum kiss or Yankee fuck? Uh… Ok, well… Oh my god, I can’t say it.” You covered your face with your hands, but Taehyung could see your face blooming red.“What is it? Look, it stays between you and me,” he chuckled, moving one of your hands to uncover your face.You smiled in embarrassment. “It’s cheesy.”Taehyung grinned. “Now I’ve got to hear it.”“Fine,” you huffed, getting up to sit upright, avoiding staring at him. You hug your knees to your chest and stare out. “Alright, it’ll sound corny and fake- but it’s more of my deepest regret. But I still think it’s pretty stupid.”“Well? What is it?”“Never telling you before how I felt.”The two of you were silent for a few seconds. He looked at you, and you looked away. Finally, you got the guts to turn to him, grimacing. “Lame, huh? I told you it was pretty corny-”Taehyung silenced you with a kiss, pressing your lips against his own and sliding his tongue in without hesitation. His hand pressed against the back of your head, and you didn’t waste any time to return the kiss.You pull back slightly, however, eyes filled with worry. “But-”“Shut up,” he growled, not wanting to hear your concerns about him growing attachment towards you. Honestly, if you were really concerned, you wouldn’t have bothered being so damn amazing, in his opinion. He rolled over, his body settling between both of your legs as you leaned back and to the ground. His hand snaked up under your uniform blouse, his crotch pressing against your own as your skirt hiked further up your thighs. He was about to reach your breast when you suddenly stopped, shoving him off of you, eyes wide.“Someone’s nearby,” you whisper.Fucking cockblock.
Boredom
Siwon held on tightly to his newest prize. Bloodstained fingertips grazed across the cool metal. Siwon never saw a machine gun up close before. It was rather beautiful. He wouldn’t have been able to appreciate the art of the weapon if it weren’t for the game.He should be grateful.He shifted his crossed legs, twitching one of his feet that was propped up on Mir’s corpse. The body seemed completely drained of blood by now. What, from the slit throat and the many bullets that impaled the young man’s body. Siwon should thank Mir for the gift. It was awfully generous of him.The corpse wasn’t nearly as good of a footstool as Siwon would’ve hoped, so he simply sighed to himself and aggressively kicked the corpse to the side.Man, he was bored.He sighed to himself, getting up. The only thing he took with him was the gun. He wouldn’t need much else- after all, he wasn’t staying on the island for much longer.
Intruder Alert
Nam Hai sighed to herself, finishing her shift as she stepped to the small medical house. She was staying here with Kim Jaehee and Lee Chaeyeon, and the three had formed an alliance. Were they friends? Not really. Well, Chayeon and Hai were…Not.The two were in a secret relationship. But Jaehee was homophobic, so it wasn’t as though they could spend their last moments as the couple they really were. But they all wanted to survive and figured that’d be easier with others. So here they were.Besides that, Jaehee had a tracker that signaled whenever someone was close. So that definitely helped a lot.She knocked on the door, three times, then a pause, and then once. The door swung open, and Jaehee grabbed onto her arm, yanking her inside. Hai was about to question the girl’s aggressive behavior. Jaehee had grabbed onto Hai’s wrist so hard that she was sure that bruises would appear. Jaehee slapped her hand on the other girl’s mouth, though, to silence her before she could say anything.Jaehee raised the tracker to Hai’s face, revealing five dots. The three huddled together were her, Jaehee, and Chaeyeon. But there were two other dots close by.“Someone followed you,” Jaehee whispered. “How did you let that happen? Are you stupid or something?”“What? I had no idea. Maybe they just stumbled across the place,” Hai defended.“Bullshit,” Jaehee narrowed her eyes, scolding the girl. “Tell me the truth- did you rat us out? Betray us?”“Are you kidding me? I’m not stupid, why the fuck would I do that?” Hai questioned, shoving Jaehee off of her. “I’ve had to cake my face in mud to hide from people, same as you and Chaeyeon. I’ve had to hide in bushes and run shifts- clearly, I’m as devoted to this as you are. Well, more actually! You haven’t done shit because you’re the one with the tracker.”“Watch it,” Jaehee warned. “One more word and I’ll throw you out to the intruders and-”“Guys!” Chaeyeon ran towards the two, splitting them apart. Hai immediately softened at her girlfriend’s grip. Chaeyeon hated seeing violence. “We can’t split up amongst ourselves, alright? We’re letting paranoia get the best of us. So please, think rationally!”“You’re right,” Hai immediately agreed. She looked to Jaehee. “Jaehee I’m sorry if I acted harshly. I promise you I just want the best for us.”“Fucking whatever, whore,” Jaehee rolled her eyes. “You’re just agreeing with her because she’s your best friend or whatever.”Hai really wanted to punch her ally in the face. However, she knew better.Suddenly there was a knock on the door.The three girls slowly turned towards the source of the sound, eyes wide and movements slow. They didn’t have any weapons- Chaeyeon and Hai getting rather sucky items, another reason why they were staying with the major bitch that was Jaehee.The doorknob was beginning to turn. If the intruder had a weapon, they were screwed. Especially if it was one of the guys. But perhaps, if all three of the girls lunged at the person, they’d be able to overpower the trespasser.The door swung open, and Chaeyeon clung to Hai’s shirt, burying her face in her blazer. Hai hugged on tightly to her girlfriend and stared at the person, praying that she’d be able to protect Chaeyeon.All three girls were surprised to see Taehyung at the door.He raised his hands in the air. “I don’t have any weapons- I’m simply looking for a place to stay and rest for the time being.”Hai wanted to tell Taehyung to fuck off while he still could, but it seemed as thought Jaehee had other plans.“Of course! God, I’m so glad you’re alright, I was worried sick,” she gushed, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him inside. She pressed her hand to his face, touching the tan skin. “Are you alright? Were you hurt?”“I’m fine,” he insisted, pushing down her hand with a smile. “It’s very generous of you- to let me stay here. I don’t have anything on me, so I’m no threat.”“You’re always a threat. This is a death competition,” Hai reminded him, narrowing her eyes.“Hai!” Jaehee scolded, narrowing her eyes to her. “Don’t be so rude?”“Are you fucking forgetting about the tracker? Weren’t you so pissed when you thought I was being followed?” Hai grunted. “Why are you suddenly going googly eyes over this dude?”Jaehee’s cheeks burned red. “Excuse you!”“Guys!” Chaeyeon spoke up. “Can we talk about this in private? Please?”“Lets,” Hai growled, glaring to both Jaehee and Taehyung. The three girls walked into a separate room, leaving Taehyung at the front door.“What’s up with you, Jaehee? Why’re you making him an exception? You said we’d scare off anyone who came close,” Chaeyeon reminded.“Hush up. This is Kim Taehyung- are you two idiots?” Jaehee whispered. “I’m surprised you aren’t acting the same. What are you, gay?”Chaeyeon froze up at the word. Hai simply glared. “Look, some of us are a bit preoccupied. After all, there’s a high likelihood we could die. Or you know, get killed. This isn’t the time for romance.”“Well, I don’t want to die a virgin,” Jaehee insisted. “Besides, Taehyung doesn’t have anything on him. He even admitted it. No weapons, no threat.”“He’s still stronger than us,” Chaeyeon reminded.“Physically,” Jaehee winked. “But maybe he’s weak in other areas.”“Like popping boners?” Hai deadpanned.Jaehee rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I’ve got the tracker, I’m in charge. And I say he’s our new ally.” She stormed off to Taehyung before there could be further discussion.“Did she forget there were two intruders?” Hai whispered.Chaeyeon simply shrugged.
The Idiot and the Tape Recorder
“It’s somewhere between 10 and 11 AM. It’s hard to keep track of time between announcements. I’m pretty sure the mud I smeared on my face is actually animal shit. I’m questioning my sanity. I’ve run into a few people here and there- agreed truce and continued on our ways. Mainly because neither of us has weapons. A few of those people are even dead by now.”Muk Sado sighed to himself as he talked into the tape recorder. “Lucky me- getting this as my weapon. I think the creators of the game were being simply sadistic. What if this is some sort of experiment? Like the Belko Experiment. God, that was a good movie. I think I saw it with Chiwon. The only time the two of us really hung out.”He tapped his foot, looking at the inside of the bush he was hiding in. For a death game, he was extremely bored. “I miss my parents. I never thought I would honestly. They usually scream at me or each other- but even that’s better than this. I think I’m technically winning, though. Who knows? Maybe I’ll last.”Sado’s cocky grin began to stretch on his face. “Muk Sado- the most average kid in class. No one paid attention to him- no one noticed him… It’d be a great event of irony if I came out on top.”His stomach growled, and he instantly slapped his hands on it. He ran out of food a long time ago. He would’ve thought he lost his appetite already since he was constantly smelling shit- but no, even with animal poop smeared over your face for camouflage, he still needed to eat.He brought the tape recorder to his lips again. “I’ve gotta eat. I’m starving. Maybe if I run into someone who’s kind enough, they’ll let me have some of their food. The others have been nice enough.”Making up his mind, he turns the device off, making his way to wherever he could. It wouldn’t be hard. After all, there really wasn’t that big of an area left since they were all being narrowed down to the center.It was time to find someone who’d help.
Bye Bye, Baby
“Taehyung, you know, we weren’t ever that close in class,” Jaehee smiled. The two were alone in one of the rooms in the small clinic, both sitting on one of the patient’s beds that was covered in paper.  "But there were those moments… Like when you and I cleaned up in the gym, or when we were partners in Biology and had to dissect those frogs.“"Yeah, I remember,” Taehyung nodded.Jaehee giggled flirtatiously, her voice high pitched. “God, I squirmed and squealed, didn’t I? It was so icky!”“I remember,” Taehyung repeated. Well, barely.“My point is,” she spoke slowly, fingers itching up his uniform shirt to toy with the buttons. “I… I felt something between us. Not love- no no, I’m not stupid. Duh! But… mutual attraction.” She bit her lip to stare up at him. “I’ve been meaning to confront this… tension between us. Never had the right opportunity. Sure, we’re in a death competition and all… but better late than never, right?”Taehyung’s brows shot up in surprise. “I suppose so.”“Yeah,” she laughed again. “It took me forever to convince Hai and Chaeyeon to leave me alone with you. Aren’t you glad I finally did?”“Mhm,” he hummed in response. Jaehee was slow and precise in her movements, slowly climbing onto his lap and pressing her lips to his. He kissed her back, hands gripping her hips as he fell back, laying down on the bed with her on top of him.She took one of his hands and raised it to her breast, flattening it over her chest. “Feel my heartbeat? I’m so excited.”“Mhm,” Taehyung hummed again, attaching her lips to his.In the pocket of her blazer, the tracker began beeping. Taehyung quirked a brow, and Jaehee huffed, rolling her eyes and taking it out. “It’s probably one of the girls back from their pee break. Cockblock.” She tossed the device carelessly aside, pressing herself against Taehyung.Her hands slid cooly over his chest, hooking into the loop of his pants. Taehyung lifted his hips to help her slide them off more easily.Jaehee grinned. “Taehyung… I want you to be my first…”It was at that the door swung open, and you had a frenzied look on your face. Your eyes scanned over the sight of Jaehee on top of Taehyung, and you didn’t waste time. You marched over to Jaehee, yanking her by the hair off Taehyung to fall to the ground. As she tried to rise up again, you kicked her in the face, and repeatedly did so, smashing her nose with the underside of your boot. The entire time you screamed profanities. Soon enough, Jaehee’s face was so indistinguishable, beaten to a pulp, that she looked unrecognizable. Finally, you stepped firmly on her forehead, to the left of her, and swung your katana down, severing her head from her body.You were fuming, nostrils flaring as you glared at Taehyung. “Did you seriously have to make out with that skank?”“You told me to distract anyone who came by!” Taehyung insisted.“That didn’t mean fuck them!”“She has a tracker- if she looked at it once she would’ve known instantly. I had to make sure she’d ignore it,” Taehyung rolled his eyes.“Tracker?” you repeated, crossing your arms.Taehyung got up, wiping as much of the blood that splattered on him off as he could, and going to where Jaehee threw the tracker. He held it up, showing it to you and passing it on. You studied it, and a grin spread across your face.“This’ll make things easier,” you noted. “And there are two others nearby?”“One’s the girl who stumbled across our hiding spot, and the other is her friend,” Taehyung said. “But I really do think we should spare them, honestly. They-”“No,” you immediately said, denying his suggestion. “They’re dying. End of story.”Taehyung narrowed his eyes. “But-”You ignored him, looking down at the tracker and marching towards the other two dots that were on screen. Taehyung had no other choice but to follow after you, and soon enough you stumbled across the two girls who were packing their things.Chaeyeon let out a small squeak, but Hai slapped her hand over the girl’s mouth. Both were sheet white as they stared at the two of you in fear.“We won’t tell anyone you killed Jaehee,” Hai said quietly. “Just let us go.”“You won’t be telling anyone anything,” you said coldly, stepping towards them. You angled your katana to have the blade face them.“We were about to go,” Chaeyeon said quietly. “Please… let us go.”Hai grasped onto the other girl’s hand, gulping on her own saliva as she saw you come closer.“No.” You were about to charge at the two when Taehyung grabbed at your arm, swinging you back into his chest. You looked at him in alarm and anger and tried to break free.“Y/N, stop, not right-”“Fuck off!” you growled, stomping on his foot to pry yourself from his grasp. He hissed to himself, crouching down to grab onto his foot. He looked up in horror to see your blade buried in Hai, with Chaeyeon nearby, horrified.You yanked it out, watching coldly as blood dribbled out of Hai’s mouth, and she collapsed to the floor. Chaeyeon screamed, dropping to her knees to shake Hai’s body. Blood covered her hands, and tears were rolling down her face. You slowly reached to your eye, taking out the contact to drop it to the floor.“I’m done hiding who I am,” you quietly whispered, taking the sword in both hands to drop it down in one fatal swoop, burying it in Chaeyeon’s skull.Taehyung was frozen, falling down to a sitting position as the blood that pooled around the corpses slowly reached to him. You showed no reaction, slowly pulling out the bloody katana to attempt and clean it with your bloody blouse. You quirked a brow to Taehyung, cocking your head. “Not so emotionless to death after all, hm? Don’t tell me- you had more 'soft spots’ for these two.”“Oh, are you suggesting that I fucked these two as well?” Taehyung spat.You glared at him. “I don’t know what to think- one minute you tell me you have feelings for me, and the next you’ve got some chick on your lap. I’m starting to think you’re deliberately toying with my feelings now.”“No,” Taehyung spat. “Besides, I thought you didn’t want me to have feelings for you?”You pressed your lips together, closing your eyes and taking a deep breath. “Taehyung… what I want is for you to come out of this game alive. Do you understand?”“I do,” he growled, getting up to meet your eye level. “But I think I’m getting tired of being yanked along with you everywhere.”“Oh, boo hoo,” you mocked. “Someone’s got Stockholm Syndrome? Is that the case? You’re suddenly realizing what piece of shit is protecting you because you can’t?”“I don’t want to get into this,” he huffed, turning away from you. Guilt burned at the pit of his stomach, and he felt ashamed.“Why’re you suddenly so concerned about these two? If you don’t answer I’ll just assume they’re more loops to your belts,” you stated calmly.“They’re not. Hell, they’re dating,” Taehyung grunted.You were silent for a moment. “You mean-”“Yes. They’re lesbians. I could tell from the moment I saw them here. I never paid attention in class- but I figured I could seduce one of the girls here, and those two weren’t attracted to me. Not to say that’s the reason I assume they’re gay- why I assume is because I caught them kissing the moment Jaehee and I left the room. They didn’t know I had stuck behind. Besides, even if I didn’t see that, I saw how they looked at each other.”“What does that have to do with you not wanting them to be killed?” you questioned.Taehyung softened, staring down at the two. “I guess I knew that watching your lover get killed before your own eyes would be more painful than just death itself.”You were silent for a few seconds, but slowly put down your blade, reaching behind him to wrap your arms around his waist. As you back hugged him, you pressed your cheek against his shoulder. “I’m sorry I acted so impulsively. I was just pissed seeing you with her- and I knew not to let it out on you, so I took it out on them.”“It’s ok,” he sighed. “I’m sorry I almost screwed things up for the both of us.”Your arms slipped from his sides, and he turned to face you. He very badly wanted to kiss you at this moment, even after the fight. Your eyes were so much prettier like this- when he could see the one blue eye gazing at him.You seemed to recognize the look in his eye, and looked down, coughing as you picked up your sword. You held up the tracker, offering a weak smile. “Well, let’s go get the others.”
Goodbye to Your Tape
“Siwon!” Sado eagerly called, seeing the young man resting in the shade beneath the tree. It was odd, seeing someone so relaxed and calm at a time like this. As though there weren’t a death competition happening at the moment. But oddly enough, Sado wasn’t surprised to see Siwon in that state. Sure, he knew that Sado had a mean streak, but he had never bothered Sado.Siwon looked up in surprise as Sado jogged over, though Sado’s expression furrowed once he saw the blood stained on Siwon’s clothes. “Say, what’s with all the blood? Were you injured?”“Someone died in my arms,” Siwon says.“Oh… God, I’m so sorry to hear that,” Sado said sympathetically, walking closer. “Who was it?”“Uhh…” Siwon rubbed his chin, trying to remember. His fingers finally trailed to the nape of his neck when he uttered, “Mir.”“Oh. God, that’s horrible. Mir was a good guy,” was all Sado could say. He pointed to the ground in front of Siwon. “Could I sit?”Siwon quirked a brow and made a gesture to welcome him. Sado eagerly sat down, stretching out his limbs. “Thanks! Have any food on you by any chance?” he asked.Siwon shook his head. “Can’t say I do. Don’t have much on me.”“Oh, that’s ok,” Sado said, though he was rather disappointed. His stomach seemed to cave into itself.“So, what’s your weapon?” Siwon’s eyes seemed to light up at the last word.Sado laughed. “Weapon? I just got this.” He fished out his tape recorder, clicking the record button. “Welcome welcome, it’s your host Muk Sado, and we have our first guest speaker. Care to introduce yourself, Siwon?”“Not when you already have,” Siwon smirked.“Well, do you have anything to say to potential listeners, Siwon?” Sado grinned.“One thing,” Siwon nodded, reaching around the tree he was leaning on. Sado’s eyes widened as he saw the machine gun peek from around the tree and soon was pulled over and into Siwon’s grip. He lifted it with both hands to point at Sado’s forehead, the other boy paralyzed in place. Sweat dribbled down his forehead, and his blood ran cold. “That you’re an idiot.”Bullets embedded themselves into Sado’s skull as he fell to the ground, eyes rolled back and tape recorder by his side. Siwon reached over, noticing that it was still recording, and chuckled to himself.“That’s all for tonight, folks. Hope you liked this podcast- it’ll be the last one.”
Hello Again, Gaeun
“You know, the place is actually pretty. Without all the death and stuff,” Taehyung noted, staring at the way the sunlight seeped through the branches and the leaves of the trees that hung overhead. It was quite an enchanting place, despite the fact many corpses were sprawled across its floor.“Mhm,” you hummed. “Any dots on the tracker so far?”“Not yet,” Taehyung said, looking down at it. There was a smudge of blood he had been struggling to get off since Jaehee’s murder. Though he supposed it wasn’t that big of a deal.“Remaining ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please?”Ki’s voice sounded over the intercom. “Time to announce the deaths between 6 AM and 12 PM. First up, Girl #19, Kim Jaehee. Girl #18, Nam Hai. Girl #14, Lee Chaeyeon. Boy #10, Muk Sado. Now, the areas are to be narrowed to the last, center three zones. You’ve only got 12 hours left, kiddos!”“Wow, Muk Sado? We weren’t responsible for that one,” you commented.“You mean you weren’t responsible for that one,” Taehyung corrected.You shrugged it off, and soon the tracker started beeping. Taehyung looked down at it in alarm. “Someone’s nearby- keep walking forward.” The two of you began to rush forward now, running in the direction of the dot.Gaeun stood in front of you, gun in hand, pointed to you.“Don’t move,” she said slowly, cocking the gun.“Hey, Gaeun,” you waved in a friendly manner, a smile on your face. “What’s up?”She narrowed her eyes. “I’m in no mood for truces now.”“Then why haven’t you shot yet?” you questioned.“Because I’ve got a question,” she spoke. “Did you kill Park Jimin?”Taehyung stepped behind you, his hand on your shoulder as though to provide strength. You quirked a brow. “Yes, what of it? Don’t tell me you were lovers.”“No. We were friends. And the killer of my friend is now my enemy.” She shot the gun, and you angled your katana in such a way, shoving Taehyung to the side as you dodged. The bullet hit the blade, being split in half as it flew past.Taehyung and Gaeun’s eyes widened at the sight. Gaeun’s jaw dropped. “Did you really-”You smirked, “An old trick. Go ahead and try again.”“Fuck this,” she said, sneering. “Drop the sword and face me. Don’t be a fucking pussy.”You quirked a brow, your smile growing. “Is that a challenge I hear?”“On three, I drop the gun, and you drop the sword. Your little boyfriend Taehyung can stay out of it. Just you and me,” Gaeun said.“Alright,” you shrugged, pushing Taehyung back a few more steps to keep him out of the step. “One.”“Two.” Gaeun narrowed her eyes.“Three.” The two of you dropped your weapons and lunged at each other.Taehyung didn’t know what to say or do other than gawk at the two of you. It wasn’t just hair pulling and nail scratching- the two of you were throwing punches at each other, bruising one another severely as you rolled around in the dirt.You climbed on top of her, pressing her onto her stomach as you yanked on her hair, bashing her head into the ground repeatedly. “Sad I have to punch you how I punched Siwon, huh? Haven’t even gotten your revenge. And you never will.”“Fucking psychopath.” Gaeun gritted her teeth, rolling over to crush you as she landed a good punch on the side of your face. She hit another blow to your chest, knocking the breath out of you as she threw more punches. You caught one of her fists in your hand and sat up to collide your skull with hers, resulting in both of you muttering curses.The two of you tousled, and at some point, you managed to scramble up to kick her in the face. You had the advantage of being quick, fast, and skilled. Gaeun, however, was stronger and weighed more than you, which made things difficult.Taehyung’s heart leaped out of his chest when he saw Gaeun finally top you, her legs pinning down your own as she sat on your chest, slowly crushing the air out of your lungs. Her meaty hands were soon wrapped around your throat, and your own nails dug into her wrists.Taehyung didn’t know what to do. Your face was turning from red to purple, and veins started to throb along your temples and neck.It had happened so fast, and soon enough Taehyung was grabbing your katana. Holding onto the foreign object with both hands, he swung down, the blade piercing through Gaeun. You took a minute to process it, your vision taking a while to clear as you finally felt your breath fill your lungs once again. Gaeun’s hands loosened, and soon enough she rolled off of you. You sucked in greedy breaths, staring at the corpse beside you, the blade protruding from her belly.You stared up at Taehyung, who was also breathless. You blinked in confusion, breath parted.Taehyung stared down, equally shocked by his own actions. “I killed her,” Taehyung whispered to himself. “I’m… a murderer.”“Welcome to the club,” you muttered, eyes rolling back as you fainted.
Paranoia
Ra Hyuk didn’t know exactly how he had made it this far. According to his calculations, there were five people left, including him. He felt rather proud of himself, in fact. His weapon was TNT. The only problem was that every time he attempted to light a fire he failed miserably. So in that case, the TNT was practically worthless.That is until he killed Lee Chanu for his matches.The two had run into each other- and in the blink of an eye, they were tousling. It wasn’t until Hyuk undid his belt, looped it tightly around Chanu’s neck, and dragged him up a tree to hang him, that he finally killed him.And in his pocket? The matches.Hyuk waited patiently in the area for anyone to come nearby. He’d rock back and forth, paranoid and anxious for the next foe he’d encounter. He stood by Chanu’s side, however, the body swinging at the same pace as he. Maybe it was because he felt guilty for killing him. Maybe it was because he felt afraid of being alone.Whatever the case, he couldn’t help but stare up at Chanu’s corpse. Chanu- from what he could remember- was cheerful. One of the guys in the class who was happy and liked to show it. It was funny thinking of it that way. It felt like days ago, but in reality, it was merely a few days ago. Friends and become desensitized to strangers, it seemed.He had a lot of time to think about what he did, though. For example, because of this, was he a bad person? He did it to survive. The look on his face was equally as terrified as Chanu’s. Maybe it was the bad side of him that had taken over.It was funny. Everyone knew they had a bad side and a good side. Trouble was, most people pictured it 50-50. In reality, for some, it’s 60-40 or more drastic variations. Some are more good than bad and vice versa than others. And the percentage you’re more of effects how people see you. Except for perhaps sociopaths. They were self-aware of how they could perceive themselves to the public eye. Probably an advantage.
Wake Up Sleeping Beauty
You woke up, staring at the greenery that surrounded you. Your vision slowly cleared as Taehyung pressed his sleeve against your forehead, your head resting in his lap.“You were right,” you mumble quietly. “This place really is pretty.”“It is, isn’t it?” Taehyung says, staring up at the beauty of nature. “Bet this place makes money as a tourist spot when it’s not housing a death match.”“I could’ve pictured our honeymoon somewhere like this,” you say dully, focusing on the way his finger combed through your pigtails and massaged your scalp. “Soft breeze, sun shining. It’s perfect.”“It would’ve been nice,” he agrees quietly.Your head throbbed, and you wince. “How long have I been out?”“Dunno. An hour? Maybe more? The sun’s still high, and the 6 PM announcements haven’t come on yet.”“We should get going soon. Has anyone popped up on the tracker?” you question.“No one so far. But the area left is pretty small, so we’ll run into someone soon. There’s like three left, right?”“I’m too weak to do math at the moment,” you grunt.“Don’t be like that,” Tae smirked. “You’re better than me at math.”“You hated me because I was better than you at everything.”“Don’t remind me,” he chuckled softly, giving you a playful tap on your nose.You smiled softly, wanting this to be the last thing you thought of before you sacrificed yourself for Taehyung.
Bboom Bboom
Mid-thought, Hyuk heard a pair of footsteps. He quickly shot up, fumbling with the matchbox to get a match out, holding it out along with a stick of TNT.You and Taehyung stepped out, a katana in your hand, and both of you covered in blood. The two of you stared at the trembling boy, with his bloodshot eyes and TNT.You grab Taehyung’s hand, looking him in the eye. “Run.”You both dash back, and Hyuk’s fingers fiddle with the match as he tries to swipe it along the side of the box. His vision is blurry with tears and does his best not to break down. You and Taehyung are running as fast as you can until your hair gets caught in a nearby branch.“So, B-Bonnie and Clyde?” Hyuk stammered, struggling to keep calm.Your heart thunders, and you yank on it, feeling it tug on your scalp. It’s really caught in there. Your eyes dart to meet Taehyung’s. “Tae, go. Now.”“No,” he says firmly. He doesn’t bother arguing further, taking your katana and sections of your hair, hacking it away until you were left with choppy, chin-length hair.You two are running again, and you don’t even bother to mourn the loss of your hair. Soon you’re jumping onto Taehyung, pushing him to the ground and lying on top of him as you hear the explosion in the distance. You could feel the heat wafting off to where you were and cautiously look back.There was no doubt in your mind that Ra Hyuk was dead.Taehyung looks up, coughing through the smoke and the smell of the burning wood. They’d have to get to a clearing soon. The two of you scramble up, squinting to see the effects of the aftermath.Taehyung looks to your hair, fingering the now short strands. “I’m sorry about your hair,” he notes.“I’m sorry you’re probably going to have PTSD once the game is over. But we shouldn’t be sorry over things that are already said and done and irreversible, now should we?” you respond coolly.“You’re right,” he mutters.“Tae?”“What?”“There’s only one more left.”Taehyung thought for a moment, and for some odd reason, a lump formed in his throat.“Siwon.”
The Last Battle
Taehyung’s heart pounded in his chest when he saw the dot appear on the screen. There was only one person that could be. He knew the two of you were responsible for perhaps… 10 deaths? It was hard to keep track. But that still left another 27 who died of other causes, and it was likely Siwon was responsible for some. He had lasted this long, after all.So needless to say, neither of you was very surprised to see him pointing a machine gun at the two of you.While you were calm and collected, Taehyung was the exact opposite.Siwon wore a satisfied grin, and Taehyung didn’t think it was possible, but he was covered in more blood than even you. You approached him slowly, katana dragging behind you, your new cut bouncing with every step. There seemed to be a knowing look in your eye, and you got so close that the two of you were face to face. Taehyung wondered why the two of you hadn’t killed each other yet.He then realized. There was a special bond the two of you shared despite this being your first encounter on the island. It was sociopath versus sociopath. The two of you had already reached the brink of madness, and both of you were anticipating the fight that would determine which one was pushed more over the edge.“If it isn’t my ex,” you cocked your head, referencing back to childhood.“Seems like I’ve been replaced,” Siwon spoke, oddly collected.“You have been for quite a while,” you note playfully. “I trust you won’t take this personally, will you?”“Not at all,” Siwon chuckled. “About as personally as the time you punched me in the face.”“Those were the good old days, weren’t they?”“Simpler times,” he agreed. He raised the gun quickly as you swung your sword, the two of them colliding. Steel against steel. Taehyung dodged behind a tree as Siwon shot, and you dodged, ducking down and giving him a severe cut to the leg.He shot at you again as you rolled over, giving him a nasty gash at the elbow before you lept to your feet. Siwon was quick, though, sweeping his feet under you until you fell to the ground. You raised your katana, the end sticking to his neck, drawing blood. The barrel of the gun was pointed at your forehead, the tip pressing against the skin.So this was the end.Taehyung leaped in the way, grabbing onto the machine gun by the barrel despite the fact it burned his hand. Because of how shocked Siwon was and his unsteadiness by the adrenaline pumping through his veins, Taehyung easily caught it. He didn’t even think before he pointed it at Siwon, firing the bullets until it was only firing blanks.The two of you breathed heavily, shocked by how quick the encounter was. That was the first time you had ever been defeated, and to think Taehyung of all people saved you. You stared at Siwon’s blank and lifeless eyes and the blood that he was bathed in. It was about time his own was added to the mix.He looked at you, breathing heavily. “Guess this officially makes us even… huh?”“I…” you gulped, nodding. “I guess so.”Taehyung collapsed to the ground, laying down, a smile on his face. “We did it. We’re the last two. We survived!” The smile dropped from his face, and he looked at you, seeing the same expression. You both had the same thought, and it caused both of you to be silent.You were next.
Training
“Never, and I repeat never, tuck your thumb inside your fist. You always want it under the knuckles. If it’s inside you’ll break bones,” you say, fixing the position of Taehyung’s fist. “Another good technique is to use the part where your palm meets your wrist. It can hurt a lot.”“Remind me again why you’re teaching me self-defense techniques? There’s no one else on the island trying to kill me,” Taehyung sighed.“I’m just teaching you some of the things my dad taught me. Besides, I’m not going to be around to protect you anymore. You don’t know when you’ll need it. So I’ll teach you a thing or two in the meantime,” you said. You held out your palm to him. “Now, try punching me again. Put all of your weight on it. From the heel forward, throw yourself into the punch.”Taehyung’s tongue poked out of the corner of his mouth, and he threw a punch to your awaiting palm, a good slap being met. You gave him a satisfied grin.“Not bad. Could use work, but not bad. When you punch, I wouldn’t recommend the first ones being to the face. Rather, go for the throat. Knock the breath out of them, it’ll give you an advantage. Also, adrenaline isn’t your friend in a fight. Fights are quick and require you to be in the present, and adrenaline just amplifies your survival instincts, which won’t do too well.”“Good to know,” he noted, shaking his hand.“Another.” You hold out your hand, and he punches your hand. This time your wrist shakes slightly, buckling by the blow. You wince, biting your lip and nodding. “Much better.”“Oh, God. Y/N, are you ok?” Taehyung took your wrist in your hand, massaging your hand and knuckles.“I’ve been punched and beaten already in this game, Tae. Don’t worry about me,” you laugh.“I dunno, I don’t want to hurt you,” he says softly, pressing a soft kiss to your inner wrist. He feels you tense under the soft punch, and a sense of tension fills the space between the two of you. He looks up, staring into your brown and blue eyes.You gulp, your cheeks turning red. “Tae… I know any time we started to get physical we’d get interrupted. We’ve only got a few hours left together at best before I go. And, if you’d like… I’d like…”“I’d like that very much,” he says softly.
Sex
There was a sense of intimacy you admittedly weren’t admitting. From every time the two of you so much as kissed to the time he ate you out in the treehouse, it was hot and heavy. It was going through the motions, and it was the hottest thing ever.But now, it was completely different. It was passionate. It was intense. And not in just the sexy way that had jolts of electricity traveling down to your core. Instead, it was the kind that had your heart beating out of your chest, realizing exactly how much you cared about the person. And knowing how, despite your warnings and precautions, they felt the same. The emotional bond that made his chest pressed against yours, feeling each other’s heartbeat, so much more than just fucking.Was this what they called making love? Becoming one? You had never experienced an emotional connection admittedly. Not like this. Every time you slept with someone, it was just plain old fucking. Kinks to make it less boring and exciting.But you didn’t need rough hair pulling or biting or ropes to make this feel blissful or intense. The way his sultry eyes stared into your own as he gripped on tightly to your sweaty thighs, pushing himself into you. Both of you completely naked, feeling each other’s warmth, your figures pressed against the sheets of a worn down house you wandered in, at the center of the island.Instead of just a clash of teeth and the familiar swirling of tongues, his kiss was precise and warm, flushed against yours. It was as though each time he kissed you, it was the last. It was the one he wanted both of you to remember.You didn’t want to look away. From the way, he looked at you when he pushed himself up, hands on either side of your head as he thrust into you. The golden tan skin that glistened with sweat, or the rosy cheeks. He looked like a god. It reminded you of all the reasons you loved him. You knew that you’d die a happy woman.Your hands pressed into the back of his neck, and one went to his cheek, holding on and brushing your thumb along the soft skin. He closed his eyes, the long lashes kissing the apples of his cheeks. His brows furrowed, and you felt his thumb quicken the pace on your clit.“Are you close?” he asks, his hot breath fanning over your face.You bite your lip, closing your eyes and tilting your head back. “I’m right there.”He kept going, thrusting upwards to the g-spot. You felt your high approaching, and it wasn’t because of the roughness or kink that made the orgasm so intense. Rather, the connection that held the intimacy, that was what made everything so intense. That’s the word you’d use for the experience.You moaned, your high crashing around you in glorious waves, and soon enough he was pulling out of you, pumping himself along until he came on your stomach.The two of you were breathless, staring at each other.This was what you wanted to remember when you died. Making love for the first and last time to the boy of your dreams. Closing your eyes, you knew that all of the pain and suffering you endured, as well as the effort, was all worth it.He was worth everything.
The Final Death

“All danger zones have been cleared. It’s currently 6 PM. We suggest the two of you get to killing each other, but since we’re aware of your… arrangement, we’ll let it slide. However, if one of you isn’t dead by 12 AM, we’ll make the entire island a danger zone. Deaths are Girl #16, Kim Gaeun. Boy #15, Lee Chanu. Boy #14, Ra Hyuk. Boy #8, Min Siwon.”
The two of you sat on the edge of a cliff now, your legs dangling over the edge. It was about a mile south of the other cliff, where three people died. Iyeoung, Choa, and Chiwon. It was a calm day, you tilt your head back and closing your eyes. You listened calmly to the sounds of the waves crashing against the rocks below, and the salty sea air fills your lungs. Taehyung’s slender fingers were intertwined with your own, and you didn’t need to talk to fill the silence.But this wouldn’t last.“Tae?” you spoke quietly. “It’s time.”He looked to you, his expression blank. “We’ve got 6 hours left.”“You need to get home already. At this point, we’re just stalling.” You squeezed his hand softly, doing your best to comfort him as you looked into his eyes. “Let’s get it over with.”Taehyung didn’t say anything as you slowly stood up, pulling him up to stand with you. The exchange was wordless as he held you in his embrace, holding you tightly in his arms as he buried his face in your hair.“I wish things went differently,” he mumbled.“Then you’d still hate me for being a pain in your ass,” you remind him lightly, trying to get a chuckle out of him. It was to no avail.“Y/N… you’re going to hate me for this.”“I could never hate you, Tae. I love you.”Taehyung held you tighter against his chest, and you felt tears fall onto your shoulder. He was sobbing now. Your face was dry. You had come to terms with this- after all, it was your decision.“You deserve this. You killed a lot of people, and I only killed two. If anyone deserves this fate, it’s you.”Your heart stung at his words, but you knew it was true. You were by far a worse person than he was. If anyone were to die, it should be you. You supposed he was saying this to get rid of the guilt. You didn’t mind. “I know, Tae. You’re completely right. I do deserve this. I knew what I was doing and I did it. A lot of people are dead because of me, and I don’t even regret it.”His fingers clutched on tightly to your shirt, clinging onto you for dear life. “I guess this makes this easier, then.”“I hope so,” you whisper.He leans down, pressing a firm kiss to your lips. You taste the salt of his tears and eagerly kissed him for the last time. The last kiss of your life.You knew he’d have a beautiful family. A pretty wife and pretty kids. You’d be nothing more than a memory from his dark past that eventually dulls the brighter his life gets. You were content with that. You even smiled at the thought.“Goodbye, Y/N,” he murmured against your lips.“Goodbye,” you whisper, pulling back. Your own eyes brimmed with tears now, staring into his as you embraced for the last time.He slipped from your grip, and you felt your heart stop when he turned around.And he jumped.You couldn’t even process it, eyes widening and jaw dropping. Soon you were running to the ledge, staring at his body as he began descending.Kim Taehyung was dead.You were in shock. You were paralyzed. Why would he do that? What kind of fucking idiot would do that? The shock melted into a mix of pure fury and sadness.Fat tears fell from your cheeks and tumbled down to where his corpse laid. You pounded on the ground, pressing your forehead to the dirt as you screamed. You screamed so loudly that soon your throat was becoming raw, accompanied by the lump that followed your sobbing. You repeatedly slammed your head against the ground, screaming to yourself. It was incoherent, it was chaos.You finally lost it.Soon you felt arms hook under your own, dragging you back. Yous creamed, kicking and shaking your head and reaching your arms. You wanted to be with Tae. You wanted to die. You didn’t deserve to live.Before long you were strung up tightly, arms bound behind you, and tape over your mouth. You were thrown into a helicopter, being flown to hell knows where.You felt dehydrated, and soon enough, you passed out.
Post Game
Cold water splashed onto your face, and you woke up with a gasp. Your wrists were bound by metal to a wooden chair. A camera was pointed at your face, and the man who stood in front of you was none other than Ki.“Wakey wakey,” Ki spoke. “If it isn’t our winner?”“Fuck off, corn teeth,” you spat. “Jesus Christ, ever heard of Crest? Or toothpaste? Every time you speak I’m positive you’ll spit out butter. That’s how yellow your teeth are, buddy.”He raised his hand to his face, ears burning in embarrassment. He shook off the thought and turned back to you. “Y/N. This is our interview.”“What the fuck’s with the camera?” you spit.“We make a film of every Battle Royale. Surely your father told you that they’re used to threaten, frighten, and squash any rebellion against the government? Keep people quiet, and anyone who dares to challenge us to live in fear.”“Excuse me, did I say I gave a shit?” you hissed. “Where’s my father?”“He wasn’t allowed to work on this one. We didn’t want any bias,” Ki said. “Although, we’re considering an exception.”“What kind of exception?” you say, twisting your wrists in their confinements.“We can have you participate in one more game. Kill the majority of the students in the next game, and you’ll win freedom.”“Shouldn’t I get freedom anyway? I won the game.”“Why do you think no one ever talks on the news about their experience?” Ki questioned, the yellow grin stretching across his face. “They’re kept here. Deranged, broken, insane. None of them can function properly.”“Congrats! PTSD does wonders I’m sure. Great for the skin I heard,” you say sarcastically.“Surprisingly enough, you’re the one that has the best response to all of that. Despite the fact you’re a sociopath or something of the sort, we’ll have psychoanalysis for that later… You seem to be more put together and sane.”“This is sane to you guys?” you say with widened eyes.Ki smiled wider. “Actually, we believe this is the peak of humanity. The cold-blooded, calculated killer that emerges in adolescence. The human nature we so wrongly oppressed. You’re exactly what we’ve been looking for.”“I was just groomed for this,” you note. “You should know.”“And we plan to raise many more like you now that we see how successful the process is,” Ki says. He gets out a clipboard, positioning himself. “Now, tell me, how do you feel at the moment? For our editing and documentary-”“I’m pissed and I need to piss,” you say.“Alright,” Ki nods, looking at the next question. “How did you feel when-”“Cut the crap and tell me what I need to do in order to get out of this hell hole,” you deadpan.Ki’s lips press tightly together, a straight line forming. He sighs and mutters to himself. “Fine. We’ll keep up your cold-killer stance until the next school year- we’ll let you enroll in another school year at another school. We will keep a close eye on you, though. Know that. If you win that one, killing more than half of the students there, say 20+. Then you’re free to do whatever you wish. However, you obviously must meet our demands and follow suit. Who knows? Maybe you’ll graduate from puppet to puppeteer.”“Done,” you hiss.
END OF DAY 3

Next School Year
“Class! We have a new student joining us today,” the teacher smiled, gesturing to you. “Would you please introduce yourself, Miss Y/N?”You looked at her, your gaze piercing. You were fully aware of the eyes scanning you, from your clear blue eye to your choppy hair. You didn’t care, to be frank. “No,” you spoke simply, taking your seat at the first empty desk you saw.The teacher was very much flustered, and the secret guard, who was supposed to keep tabs on you, couldn’t help but attempt to conceal the small smile that appeared on his face. You snickered back, crossing your arms towards the man.You had spent months in that hell hole.This was step one to your path to freedom.You looked around to your new classmates. Or rather, your next victims.

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Jisu clung to the bags, holding them tight against her chest as she ran past the row of soldiers and outside of the building. Her heart stopped the minute that her name was called. Both Yeseul and Dongwoo were called before her. Dongwoo she was confident in. He at least could manage to get serious when certain matters were at hand. This was one of them. Yeseul, however, she knew wouldn’t make it. Yeseul had a weak heart, both figuratively and literally.Instead of running straight into the woods, she clung to the sides of the building, running along the walls. Logically, most of the other kids would get into the woods. Not many would think of going around the other side. Besides, it might buy her some time to see what she was working with in her bag.Once she felt as though she were in a decent place far enough from her competition, she swung the bags down, rolling back her aching shoulders as she dropped to her knees. Unzipping it, she shuffled through the supplies of food and water, finally coming to what she assumed would be her weapon. A taser.One good zap to someone with a heart condition and it might do. However, as a weapon, it would be what her peers called ‘lame’. She wondered which ones got the good stuff.“Jisu? Jisu!”Jisu turned around, eyes wide as she pointed the taser in the direction of the voice. Dongwoo soon emerged, a relieved smile on his face.Jisu stared at him blankly. “How’d you know I’d be here?”“Knowing you, you’d think rationally and logically, and want to be away from as many people as possible. I’ve known you for years, Jisu. There’s no way in hell you’d run into the woods with our newly formed maniacs,” Dongwoo grinned.“You’re not going to kill me, are you?” Jisu asked quietly, the blood draining from her face even as she said it.Dongwoo’s eyes widened. “What? No!”She sighed in relief. “Good.”“Did you see what they did with Y/N? How does she know them?” Dongwoo asked, sitting down.“No clue. I mean, trust me, I knew she was off- not from just her one blue eye since no one can control that. I mean everyone knew she was different- I just don’t think anyone knew how different,” Jisu confesses.“You said it,” Dongwoo sighed. A look of sadness crosses his face. “I ran into Jiwoo at the entrance. He had a crossbow and was shooting down a lot of the people who entered. Let me pass because we’re friends. I guess he ran out of arrows or ran away or died- no clue- by the time you came out. But he told me that Yeseul… He let her go, you know because no one would hurt Yeseul- but she died from a heart attack before she really even got to start. I don’t know if it’s true but… I think it is.”Jisu froze, her body stiff. “Oh… Oh God,” she said. She felt something rise up in her throat, a bitter taste that she hadn’t tasted in quite a while. Bile. She gets on all fours as she coughs it up, vomiting on the patch of grass in front of her. Dongwoo grimaced but rubbed her back, trying to comfort her as she let it all out. It wasn’t until her arms stopped trembling and stomach lurching that she sat back down again.“All done?” Dongwoo asked, recoiling his touch from her.She wiped the leftover spit and puke from her chin with the back of her hand. “Yeah, I am- I-I’ve just been holding that back since we woke up.”“I know what you mean,” he confessed, frowning.“I don’t know how you’re so calm. I’m shaking,” she said.“I guess I’m still in disbelief or shock. It hasn’t entered my system yet. I don’t want it to, quite honestly,” he guessed.“Lucky you. Yeseul is dead and we probably are too,” Jisu said pessimistically.“Hey, don’t say that! Look, I’m sure we’ll find a way. I’m positive of it! You’ve got a- what is this?”“A taser, dumbass,” Jisu rolled her eyes.“There’s Jisu,” Dongwoo grinned. “But yeah, that would be able to work I’m sure. If you could sneak up behind the person and get a good jab at their neck.”“I don’t want to think about that,” she grimaced. “What do you have anyway?”“Dunno, haven’t checked. I’ve been looking for you.” As he says it, he turns over to his bag, unzipping it and looking through. An elated smile spreads across his face as he picks up a gun. “Sweet! Now, this is useful?”Jisu wasn’t so keen. “I dunno… Dongwoo, you realize you’d have to use that to kill one of our classmates, right?”His smile drops immediately. “I… yeah. I know. But there’s nothing we can do though. It’s either kill or be killed. And I don’t want to be killed.”Jisu was silent.“C'mon, Jisu. You don’t want to be killed, do you?” Dongwoo asked. “I’ve gotta hear you say it so that I know you’re with me on this.”“I don’t want to be killed,” Jisu parroted.“That’s my girl.”Jisu locked eyes with him, her face solemn. “But I’m not too keen on killing, either.”“I know. Neither am I. But we don’t have a choice,” Dongwoo reasons. “Think of Yeseul. She wouldn’t want us to die, would she?”“You’re forgetting there can be only one survivor,” she reminds him.“I know that. Look, if we’re alive by the last ten or five, we split so that we don’t have to kill each other.”“That’s morbid,” Jisu cringed. “And if we’re the last two?”Dongwoo looked her in the eye, unsure of what to say. “Let’s just hope that doesn’t happen.”Jisu pressed her lips together, knowing it’d be a good idea not to press on the matter further. Eventually, the two of them hauled their bags over their shoulders, trudging along to find a suitable place to keep shelter.A muffled scream awoke Jisu during the night. She rolled over on the grass, shooting up to see a shadowy figure over Dongwoo, a katana sticking out of him. The intruder yanked the blade out, taking a few steps back.Before they can attack, however, Jisu grabs for the gun she had stashed under the bag, cocking it and pointing it at the intruder. “Who are you? Say it or I’ll shoot?”“Do you really have to ask?” Your voice was clear as crystal, and it was calm.Jisu’s blood drained from her face. “Y/N… How could you?”“It’s part of Battle Royale. How could I not?” you said simply.Jisu stumbled to her feet, squinting her eyes to adjust to the darkness. God, she should’ve known Dongwoo would fall asleep on his shift. “You did this before, haven’t you?”“What makes you think that?” Jisu could hear the smile in your voice.“You’re too calm about the situation. Like you’ve done it before. Not to mention how Ki said he was rooting for you, and how friendly you seemed with one of the soldiers.”“My my my, I’ve got a stalker it seems.”“So it’s true?”“I guess,” you shrugged your shoulders.“Then why are you here? Shouldn’t you have left? Why would you play this game again?” Jisu asked, hands shaking.“You act as though it’s my choice,” you said. “They forced me into it. If I win this one, I’ll be free. People of your type never really win- they may survive, but they break eventually. No one really gets to go home.”“What?” Jisu’s face paled. “But they said they’d let us go! We’d be free!”“You think a government that has kids kill each other would have a problem with lying?” You laugh at that last part. “And from what I was told, you were supposed to be smart.”“I am smart!” Jisu defended, blood rushing to her cheeks.“Then why don’t you notice the blade that’s about to gut you?” Jisu looked down quickly, noticing your katana a mere inch from her belly. She had been so focused on keeping her gun aimed at you that she didn’t even notice.You were quick to swipe at her, kicking the gun out of her hand as you lunged forward. The blade pierced through the skin, weaving between flesh and organs to settle in her abdomen. Jisu stilled, and soon she could taste the blood as it rushed from the back of her throat to her parted lips.You yanked the blade from her, watching as she fell to her knees before you. It was almost as though she were bowing to a ruler, begging for forgiveness. Or more accurately, someone praying at an altar. Whatever it was, it surely felt as though it were cementing you as her superior.You raised your foot, pressing the sole of your shoe against the top of her head and quickly kicking it down, letting her face plant into the dirt as you kept her in place, your foot firm at the back of her head.“You know… That boy had feelings for you. I noticed. He wouldn’t have killed you,” you said quietly. “I don’t know if you liked him back… But I suspect you did deep down. You looked at him the same way I used to look at someone. The same way he looked at me.”You trail the tip of the blade along her back, settling between her shoulder blades. “But I suppose all things must come to an end.”Those were the last words Jisu heard before you plunged it once again through her body, and soon she finally died out.You huffed, sighing to yourself as you sat down, wiping the sweat off your forehead. You had… what, ten more to go? They gave you an assignment, and these two weren’t your first kills of the day. Too bad that the kids in this class were much quicker to dying than yours were. Whatever, you were sure you’d manage.You rummaged through their bags, looking to see if they had anything worthwhile. Soon enough, you pulled out a small taser.Your thoughts were instantly drawn to him, and you stare at it, wondering if it were the same thing. Tears begin to well up in your eyes, prickling at the corners of your eyes as they turned glassy. You press it to your lips, offering a chaste peck to the metal.There wasn’t a day that you didn’t think about Taehyung. You were convinced thoroughly that he was the only man who could ever truly love you. He knew exactly what you were and accepted it.And now you’d never get that again.You hear footsteps in the distance, and wipe away the tears you didn’t even know were running down your face. Taking a deep breath and standing up, you ready yourself for your next kill.Now wasn’t the time for crying over the events from a year ago. You needed to get over what had happened and move on- otherwise, you’d be mentally stuck on this island for all of eternity. Even you knew that. This time there wasn’t so much of a rush to get anyone home other than yourself. You would only hope the easy kills weren’t all taken up so that you’d finally reach your end goal that Ki and the rest had set out for you. Then you’d finally go home- and by God, if they held you back again, they’d be the next on your list.You had suffered so many heartaches and alterations mentally that you were just a shell of what could’ve been. But did that matter? No. In fact, if anything it was closer to being an advantage. At least in this game. You had to remember despite all of that, however, you had only become stronger. When it came down to it, you’d still live.And the only way to truly live is to move on.

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Character list for those who wish to keep up or keep track of what’s going on. I know there’s a lot so this may help!BOYS1. Min Yoongi- Cousin of Siwon. Ultimate cause for why Siwon completely broke down and became a deranged killer. One of the few who wasn’t perturbed by Siwon. Yoongi was the only person Siwon ever cared for and injured himself in the game by falling out of a tree, once startled by the sound of a gunshot, and breaking his leg. His weapon was a fork. He had no kills and was killed by Gaeun.2. Pang Jin - Not much is said about him other than the fact he was one of the first killed in the room.3. Choi Hansol - The class president of the class in Battle Royale, and has one of the first kills in the game, killing Jewoo. Because of this, Jewoo’s best friend, Mir, avenges him and tracks down Hansol, ultimately killing him. During his last moments, he is bitter and unsympathetic, further outraging his killer. His weapon is a handgun.4. Kim Mir - Mir was the best friend of Jewoo who was set out to kill the president after Jewoo’s death. Originally his weapon is a boomerang, but he gets Jewoo’s previous weapon of a machine gun, using it to kill the class president once he is finally tracked down. Soon after, Mir has his second kill of Namjun. Immediately following, though, he is killed by Siwon, who takes his weapon.5. Kang Namjun- The OC’s first kiss, who was involved in an embarrassing incident involving gum and braces. His weapon is a knife. He kills Hanbit by strangling her but is soon killed by Mir.6. Jung Hoseok- Twin brother to Boram. The two of them were the most peaceful people in the entire game, attempting to rally people together to avoid fighting. He and his sister use a megaphone. However, it backfires, as it attracts the blood lustful Siwon to murder them shortly after and make a show of their deaths. Siwon notes that the boy was known for being cowardly. His weapon wasn’t mentioned.7. Park Minhwa - Noted to be a pervert who would look up girl’s shirts and attempt to cup a feel. He and the OC run into each other, and he attempts to rape and assault her. However, instead of getting the forced blowjob he was expecting, his genitals get severely mutilated by none other than the OC. He has no kills, and his weapon was a baseball bat.8. Min Siwon - Siwon was known for being rude and bullying many of the other kids in his class. He fat shamed Gaeun and assaulted her multiple times and was known for teasing and picking on the weaker kids in class. Mir was one of the few who actually stood up to him, though it backfired. The only one to successfully stand up to Siwon was none other than the OC, who defended Gaeun. He is noted to be her first boyfriend, and when the two finally meet in the game, they share similarities they’re aware of. It is intended that the OC is one of the few people in the class Siwon was actually fond of, despite her assault. The other person he had a soft spot for was his cousin, Yoongi, who he protected and even carried on his back when he was injured. However, when Yoongi died, Siwon lost every last shred of humanity left and went on a killing spree, beginning with his rusty dagger. His first kills were the Jung twins, first slitting Boram’s throat and then killing Hoseok. He makes sure their shouts are heard through the megaphone, depicting his sadistic nature. His next kill is Jiduri, who was trying to protect his crush, Aera. He stabs Jiduri multiple times and soon pushes Aera into a danger zone, causing her head to explode. Afterward, he retrieves a gun. His next kill is that of Mir, killing him by slitting his throat. He uses the corpse for means to simply lounge around until eventually he is approached by Sado. He plays with Sado beforehand, cooly lying to him and getting the boy comfortable before shooting him multiple times with Mir’s machine gun. Sado is his last kill. Afterward, he engages in a fight with the OC, the two of them sharing a similar connection in their psychopathic tendencies and personas before battling it out. He defeats the OC but is killed by Taehyung. He has the second highest number of kills, killing six total. His weapon is a rusty dagger and his killer is Taehyung.9. Kim Namjoon - Namjoon wants to survive in order to care for his mother, who has cancer. He tries to kill Taehyung, eventually choking the boy before getting killed by the OC. His weapon was a hatchet and he had no kills.10. Muk Sado- Shown to be one of the dumbest kids in class. Though his weapon is simply a tape recorder, he makes good use of it through his three days on the island, noting what was going on around him and such. However, he eventually runs across Siwon, believing the boy’s lies and getting comfortable with him. He is eventually shot down by the man. He has no kills.11. Kim Seokjin - One of the first to die in the room. It is noted that he was very fond of the OC, flirting with her and continuously trying to get into her pants. He is also the one who the OC gave her virginity to, but he neither of them told anyone about it. Besides that, not much is known about him.12. Um Jiduri- Jiduri is hinted to have some mental issues, unable to process what was so wrong about stalking someone and taking photos without their permission. He takes photos of his crush, Aera, through her window, and eventually sends them to her with a confession. Once he tells that he was, in fact, the admirer, he gets in trouble, resulting in Aera despising him. He spends a majority of the game looking for her, and once Siwon comes, he pushes her out of the way, momentarily saving her life. He is killed by Siwon.13. Jeon Jungkook - Jungkook is Taehyung’s best friend. He somewhat has feelings for the OC, mainly being attracted to her. Taehyung notes that he thinks the younger man would do well in the game since he is physically strong. However, he commits suicide near Taehyung’s hiding place.14. Ra Hyuk- Not much is said about Hyuk. His weapon was TNT, and he kills Chanu. He hangs Chanu with his belt and steals the matches that were in his pocket. Out of paranoia, he waits for the right time to set off the bombs. Once Taehyung and the OC approach, he sets off the explosion, killing himself. He has one kill.15. Lee Chanu- Not much is known about Chanu other than he was killed by Hyuk and his weapon was matches. He is hung up on a tree by a belt.16. Song Heesun - A track student. Heesun was best friends with Bomi and Aeja. He loved them like sisters and they were never attracted to each other despite what other people speculated. He is very caring for his friends and puts them above all else. It is noted that he is depressed, being convinced by his friends to take antidepressants. His weapon is a crossbow. When the three of them try to escape the danger zone, Heesun is successful, but the other two die. Distraught, he kills himself by walking across the border, exploding.17. Kim Taehyung - Taehyung was the male lead who was the love interest to the OC. He is liked by many of the girls, including the OC, Areum, Jaehee, and Eunseo. He made a rivalry with the OC, hating her for besting him at nearly everything. It is noted that he has slept with several of his classmates, but despite this maintains a good reputation and good grades. When he is confronted by the OC once she realizes he dislikes her, he tries to avoid it. It isn’t until after she saves him from the clutches of Namjoon that he starts to spend time with her. He is bound by her and is made to hide in the house while she is gone. This results in him overhearing his best friend, Jungkook’s, death. Shortly after he realizes this, he throws a tantrum, having the OC unbind him, though he still has to stay with her. The next day he stops a fight between the intruder and former lover, Areum. He shares a soft spot for her and convinces the OC she could be an ally, despite the fact the two very clearly hate each other. Several times he has to interrupt fights between the two. At some point, while the OC is gone, Areum attempts to seduce Taehyung and convince him to go with her because of how dangerous the OC is. However, he refuses, beginning the roots of his loyalty to the OC. When Areum dies he shows no emotion, further emphasizing his loyalty and feelings for the OC, as it appears the soft spot he once had for Areum has dissappeared. Part of this is from the sexual activity the two briefly shared, although it was quickly interrupted by none other than Areum. He realizes his feelings for the OC but is frustrated when she essentially rejects him. The two of them are about to once again begin sexual activity but are once again interrupted. They follow the intruder to her hiding spot with two other women, where Taehyung seduces the leader, Jaehee, distracting her until the OC kills everybody else in the house. He tries to get the OC to spare the other two girls in the house out of a brief moment of sympathy, but she refuses, killing them both.The two of them share a brief argument that is resolved, and afterward, they share memories and secrets, further tightening their bond. When the OC and Gaeun have a battle and Gaeun almost wins, he quickly kills her, resulting in his first kill. This follows suit when he also kills Siwon after he and the OC battle. The two of them are finally alone together and have sex. At this point, Taehyung is fully invested in the OC and thinks she deserves to live more than he does. He tells her goodbye and eventually jumps off a cliff, killing himself. His weapon is a taser and he had two kills18. Byun Jewoo - Jewoo was one of the kindest guys in the class, noted to be one of the more innocent and nice ones. His best friend was Mir. It is noted that when he was being bullied by Siwon, Mir punched him in the face. The two of them briefly reunite until Jewoo is killed by the class president, Hansol. His weapon was a machine gun.19. Soo Chiwon- Chiwon had a crush on Choa and even took fencing classes because of her. Because she didn’t reciprocate his feelings, however, he jumped to the next girl, Iyeong. The two of them have a long relationship, despite the fact he never really felt the same for her as she did for him. The two of them have a suicide pact, planning to jump off a cliff. However, when Iyeoung jumps, Chiwon lets go of her hand, showing how much of a coward he is. Choa witnesses this and challenges him to a duel. She defeats him, trying to get him to jump, but he takes her with him, resulting in both of their deaths. His weapon was an icepick.20. Park Jimin- Jimin is overall one of the nicer students, befriending Gaeun during his time of need. He is killed by none other than the OC, resulting in Gaeun’s need to avenge him as well.GIRLS1. Um Hajin - Hajin is one of the close friends of the OC who has an extreme dislike for Areum. She is shown to be a bully towards even her own allies and acts as the leader. Her weapon is an ax. She and the other girls assault and chase Areum away, stealing her things and chastising her. She is eventually betrayed by the OC who blows up their shelter, the lighthouse.2. Mi Choa - Choa was a fencer who’s weapon was a sickle. She rejected Chiwon and was very disappointed to see him jump to the next girl despite the fact he had feelings for her. She is enraged when she sees him betray his girlfriend, chastising the boy and challenging him to a duel. She eventually defeats him, but he takes her down with him as he jumps off the cliff.3. Kim Chanmi- Chanmi is one who had a crush on Siwon, and was very judgemental of Areum, hating her promiscuous ways. She is often the one who is beaten down upon by Hajin. Her weapon was the grappling hook, and she was eventually killed in the explosion caused by the OC.4. Na Eunseo - One of the girls noted to have slept with Taehyung, as well as one of the first to die in the room.5. Um Bada- Her weapons are a few grenades and she partook in the casting out of Areum. It is mentioned that she is one of the few girls with a bob. Dies in the explosion set by OC.6. Jeon Ayeon- One of the quieter yet more judgemental members of Hajin’s pack. She is one of the few who is actually suspicious of the OC but lets her guard down. She mentions that she had a crush on Jewoo. Her weapon is a magnifying glass.7. Kang Aera- She is stalked continuously by Jiduri, having photos taken of her and being followed. When she finds out about his creepy behavior she despises and avoids him. It is noted that she, at some point, dyed her hair and was suspended for it. However, because of how upset her mother was, she dyed it back. When she and Jiduri cross paths she holds him at gunpoint. However, when Siwon approaches, Jiduri pushes her out of the way. She witnesses his murder and eventually drops her gun, only to be pushed into the danger zone by Siwon.8. Park Aeja- Known for having a bad taste in guys and is the artist of her group, as well as the least athletic. She is best friends with Bomi and Heesun. She forgets to wake the group up during her shift when they were supposed to move out of the danger zone, which leads to their demise. She dies with Bomi because she was unable to escape the danger zone. Her weapon was binoculars.9. Byun Areum - The second female lead to the OC. Her weapon is a katana. She is known for being promiscuous and sleeping with a lot of the classmates, including Taehyung. Because of this, she has a bad reputation and many of her female peers hate her. She is cast away after seeking help from Hajin’s gang, and her things are stolen. In the night, she runs into the shelter where the OC and Taehyung were staying, only to be attacked by the OC. The fight is eventually broken up and the three become allies, despite the fact that Areum and the OC hate each other. Areum tries to convince Taehyung to run away with her from the OC, convinced the girl is crazy. Her seduction doesn’t work, however, and the conversation is interrupted. She shows repeatedly that she is very against the game and murdering, being upset when the OC reveals she murdered Hajin’s gang and even letting Jimin go. Eventually, she is killed by the OC, having the taser she was using at the time shoved down her throat.10. Jung Boram- Twin sister to Hoseok who’s weapon was a megaphone. She is Siwon’s first kill, her shouts through the megaphone attracting him to sneak behind the two, making Hoseok watch as he slit her throat.11. Min Bomi - An athlete who did basketball and even slipped in the bathtub and dislocate her shoulder. She is best friends with Heesun and Aeja, but because they woke up late, they are behind schedule. This leads to their deaths as Bomi and Aeja die in the danger zone, causing Heesun to follow shortly after. Her weapon is a pot lid.12. Ra Haru - The second close friend to the OC as well as to Hajin. Not much is known about her as she is one of the first to die in the room.13. Song Chaeha - One of the more unkind girls in the class. She’d talk badly about Gaeun behind her back, making fun of her weight. She is eventually caught by the girl in the game and shot despite her pleads. Her weapon was a paper fan.14. Lee Chaeyeon- Girlfriend to Hai who was not as hot-tempered as Hai. She hid with Hai and Jaehee, but the two had to keep their relationship a secret from the homophobic girl. She is eventually killed by the OC.15. The OC is the protagonist. A sociopath whose only form of stability was Taehyung, she developed feelings for him, believing he was the only one who could truly see past the facade the others adored her for. She was bred for the game by her father, who worked for the government behind Battle Royale. Her mother, on the other hand, bred her to be perfect, resulting in how she’s capable of having everyone believe she’s something she’s not. She’s shown to be straightforward when she wants to be, mainly in the game. The only time before that is noted is when she confronted Taehyung about his dislike of her. She the top of the class and is one of the most popular students. She also had a single blue eye that she has been made to hide her entire life. The only other time where she reveals a bit of her true self is when she punches Siwon in the face, proving she isn’t afraid to get violent, as well as showing that she is willing to stand up for someone else. Despite how perfect she seems, she still has many embarrassing moments, such as her first kiss and when she lost her virginity. Upon entering the game she is already calm and collected, immediately finding and saving Taehyung. She kills Namjoon with her weapon, a throwing knife, and immediately confesses her love for Taehyung. She kidnaps him, binding him and forcing him to stay hidden as she does checks to make sure no one is nearby. While she does this, she comes across Minhwa, a pervert who attempts to rape her. She plays helpless until she brutally mutilates his penis and lets her fury out on him. When she comes back she is ambushed by Taehyung, and she agrees to untie him. She feigns sympathy for his loss of Jungkook, even helping him get the body down. Taehyung begins to form feelings for her, going as far as kissing her, and the day begins to end. While she is on watch, she runs into both Mir and Gaeun, letting both of them go for their desire for revenge. This proves how she doesn’t kill when she doesn’t have to, as well as how she supports revenge. She stays awake the entire shift, and when Areum comes in she attacks the girl. The two have their fight broken up by Taehyung, who convinces the OC to let her stay with them without hurting Areum. Areum and the OC continuously fight, and the OC steals Areum’s katana, and soon the OC is driven away out of anger, where she runs into her best friend, Hajin. She keeps up her persona as Hajin leads her to the rest, and she learns of their ugly behavior, which she secretly disapproves of, further cementing the fact that she does, in fact, have morals. She judges the girls and eventually uses their weapons against them to blow up the lighthouse they resided in as well as escape. She tells Areum what she did, resulting in another fight. Taehyung and she eventually engage in sexual activity in their new shelter but are interrupted by Areum. The OC eventually kills Areum out of anger and fear of her taking Taehyung away from her. The morning after, she shows Taehyung the body, and the two have a conversation. Upon realizing that Taehyung was forming feelings for her, she bans it for his own good, despite his frustration and anger. They run across Jimin when he is taking a piss, and she kills him shortly after. The two are about to finally hook up once again when they are interrupted when Hai walks close by. They follow her to the shelter where she and two other girls are hiding, and develop a plan for Taehyung to distract them while the OC sneaks in and kills them. She walks in on Jaehee and Taehyung making out during this event, and overcome with jealousy, slaughters Jaehee. She then goes for Chaeyeon and Hai, and despite Taehyung’s protests, kills the two of them. The next battle they enter in is against Gaeun, where the OC admits to killing Jimin. Gaeun fires at her, but the OC is able to both evade and cut the bullet, resulting in hand to hand combat. She is crushed by Gaeun’s weight and is about to be defeated when Taehyung kills Gaeun for her. They then encounter Siwon, and another fight takes place where the two share a glimmer of a connection before attacking. Siwon is about to defeat the OC when Taehyung once again jumps in and kills her opponent. The two finally have sex, being the only two left, and as the OC is about to die for Taehyung, he goes against her wishes and instead kills himself. She is then sent to the headquarters and told that if she really does wish to have freedom, she must comply with their wishes in the next Battle Royale. The OC obliges, and is sent on a killing spree for the next group of students, a year after the events of the last slaughter.16. Kim Gaeun - Gaeun is one of the most fleshed out characters in the story. She was called fat girl continuously by Siwon who assaulted her constantly and even laughed at by some of the others, including Chaeha. The only time someone stood up for her is when the OC found her outside of school and punched her bully in the face. Because of this, she holds a certain soft spot for the OC. However, her hatred for Siwon is finally enacted upon as she vows revenge, using her gun as she attempts to track him down. Her first kill is Chaeha, a small form of revenge because of the girl’s rudeness towards her. She then kills Yoongi by mistake because of how similar he looked to his cousin, something she deeply regretted. She runs into Jimin eventually and the two form a friendship. When she learns of his death, she grieves and vows to get revenge on his killer. Upon finding out the OC is the one who did it, the two duel, and she defeats the OC, only to be killed by Taehyung. She had two kills.17. Lee Iyeong - Religious girlfriend of Chiwon who commits suicide. She tries to pressure her boyfriend into a suicide pact and loved him very much. She even gave her virginity to him despite her strong morals. She is betrayed, however, and jumps alone.18. Nam Hai- Girlfriend of Chaeyeon who was less lenient to Jaehee’s ill-mannered ways. She interrupted Taehyung and the OC when they were together, resulting in unknowingly leading them to her hiding place with the other two girls. She is eventually killed by the OC.19. Kim Jaehee- The leader of the small group of Hai and Chaeyeon who is also known for being homophobic. She is very stuck up but the reason she is tolerated in the game is that her weapon is the tracker. However, she is seduced and distracted by Taehyung who she very much liked, and is eventually killed brutally by the OC.20. Park Hanbit - It is noted that she was strangled and raped by her friend, resulting in her suffering from PTSD. She is ironically strangled to death by Namjun.NEXT YEAR’S BATTLE ROYALEJisu- The main character of the prologue and epilogue, whose point of view the sections are told. She is one of the more upright as well as smart students in the class, and her friends are Dongwoo and Yeseul. She is soon killed by the OC. Her weapon is a taser.Dongwoo- The easy-going friend of Jisu who has a crush on her. He finds her and forms an alliance, but is soon killed by the OC. His weapon was a gun.Yeseul- The softer friend in the small group who was called ‘ugly’ by Ki when they were asking questions. She dies of a heart attack upon entering Battle Royale.Mr. Lee- Teacher to the new class and knows about them participating in Battle Royale. He is distraught over the idea and even cries on the bus. However, he does not attempt to save the students.Song Eunha- Drooling girl sitting on the bus beside the OC.Song Soonjung, Song Laon, Min Jungwook- People to die first in the roomJiwoo- Told Dongwoo of Yeseul’s death and killed people by the entranceLee Junho- Boy who Ki called out as fatWoo Heejin- First kid to ask Ki a questionEXTRAMin Ki- Man who is in charge of running Battle Royale. He has an eccentric personality and isn’t very concerned with the well being of the students. During the OC’s first Battle Royale he had very yellow teeth, but because of her comment, it is noted in the next that his teeth were extremely white. He often scolds the players for not killing enough and penalizes them by narrowing them into the center of the island.Soldier in Prologue- Who gives a fuck?