8 | free will, please use it

"Attention players, the game you will now be playing is Six-Legged Pentathlon, You'll start with your legs tied to your other team members, each team member will take turns playing a mini-game at each 10 meter mark. Once passed, you may move forward, here are the games.

one, Ddakji

two, Flying stone

three, Gong-gi

four, Spinning Top

five, Jegi.

"The goal is to finish each game within the 5 minute time limit, currently, you have five minutes to assign one game to each team member, the time starts now."

—

I just wanted to know if Seun-jin found a team or not, the timer was up and if he didn't find one he would be eliminated, but I never heard his number so I hope he's safe, I couldn't go anywhere else now. At least I wasn't completely doomed with this team, though I trusted no one.

As for Myung-gi, I don't care about that asshole, he could die for all that I care, and I wouldn't even shed a tear even if he died right before my very eyes, it's not like he would shed a tear if I did, so no. If I could go back in time, or if I even had a time traveler tell me about him I wouldn't even be in this place, I wish I had known sooner.

"Well, it's good that we have a girl on our team! You know how to play Gong-gi right?" 390 looked at me in hopes of joy that I knew how to play, I shook my head no. I've never tried it, and I don't plan on it either. Unless I do end up in a situation like this again then maybe? But I don't see the possibility of that happening for a 3rd time, at most this was like a 1% possibility.

"Don't girls play girl games anymore? Goodness." I scoffed at his assumption, not every girl you meet will know Gong-gi, there's a reason women specialize in it more than men do, don't be mad that you can't do it yourself.

"That's alright, I can take Gong-gi." 388 spoke up, but his voice sounded uncertain as to if he really felt confident if he could play or not, I had no comment since I didn't know how to play the game, but at least he's self-taught. "You? An Ex-marine who knows how to play Gong-gi?"

"Well, I grew up around 4 older sisters who played almost all the time, I'm sure I can do it." Maybe not self-taught, but thank goodness for him though, it's better to know something than nothing. Then maybe we all would've been dead, I don't think Seun-jin knew Gong-gi really well either. "Well then that's settled," 390 said, cracking his knuckles. "So then what games does everyone else feel confident in playing?"

"I can do Ddakji, I won more times than the guy at the train station." I leaned forward, looking at 390, "Okay then miss 222, we'll leave you to do Ddakji." He smiled brightly, may you never lose your spark, I've lost mine long ago once i started preforming, got it back once then it left again. I just wanted to go home.

"I'll do flying stone, I was a pitcher for my baseball team so I'm good at throwing things."

"Then that leaves Jegi and Spinning Top for us." 456 says, which leaves him and 001 to choose. "Which one are you good at?" He turned to 001, who was already looking up at him. "Whatever you pick for me Gi-Hun I'll play."

Gi-Hun, so that was his name, apparently he had one the previous games 3 years ago which mould be back in 2021, do they kidnap 456 people every 3 years to play? "How do you know my name?" He looked at 001 with suspicion and confusion, "Oh, I heard your friend here call you that, so I just thought that I'd try it out." He pointed over to 390, but if he did wouldn't I have known Gi-Hun's name sooner?

"So then Gi-Hun, what are you good at?" 001 avoided his last question, which was so weird. At least to me it was, Gi-Hun didn't seem to find it a little suspicious after he cleared it. "I guess I'm good at Jegi then." He nodded.

"Then I'll do Spinning Top, it's decided."

—

"Are you even good at anything?"

Unfortunately, I've been going back and forth with Myung-gi for the past 3 minutes for no reason, over Jun-hee, over the girl we've both dated in the past, for the time we've been going back and forth that's how long he could've took the time to talk and make things up with Jun-hee at least, but he loves a show. "I'm good at being present, what about you?"

"I'm good in bed, it says a lot." I don't know how she had put up this guy. Today, this guy is insufferable. "What? That you got a small dick? Listen dude. That's too much information I didn't wanna hear all of that, just choose a game you're really irking me, unless you want to die that's fine with me. I'd be happier than I ever was in my 20 almost 21 years of living life."

"You jealous?" He smiled in pride thinking that he had me pissed the boy off, nowhere near close at all. "No, just choose a game dude are you gonna do Jegi or Spinning top? We literally have 30 seconds, you know what, I'll decide for you if it didn't process to your brain yet, I'm doing spinning top and you're doing Jegi, that's done."

"I didn't even get to answer."

"Because you took too long what do you think? You're being annoying, it's not like I stole her from you or something, well, I kind of did but besides that we're both here now aren't we?You literally have free will, use it to your advantage, no one's stopping you from doing so penis brain, which brings me a question. Is your brain as small as your penis?"

"You're right actually."

"Right that you have both a tiny brain and penis or free will?" He didn't answer before he was completely focused on the other teams, thank goodness he stopped talking to me, one more word and he would've end up like the guy I killed in the same alleyway for trying to follow Jun-hee home like a stalker."

I'm not gonna argue with him over someone he knows well more than I do, someone that she dated way before me at that. I spotted Jun-hee across the other side laughing with her group, at least she made it. At the cost of me being on a team with this absolute asshole with some tiny dick and a brain, I'll just say this, life is so unfair. Because in the end it really is, get me off this team as fast as I came on it, please do.

The first team went up placed with another one crossed on the other side. Both were doing good until Gong-gi, none of them knew how to play which took up so much time, with only a 5minute time limit at that. Now I was starting to doubt our own team, it seemed ass, because it was totally very ass, but something is better Than nothing right? Right...?

It's mostly a girls game and our team was filled with men, someone had to attempt something.

But none of them made it in the end, both teams died. While the gunshots rang I glanced at Jun-hee who was covering her ears from the shots. She didn't like loud noises much as it would disturb her or make her distracted, completely focused on something else, which the gunshots probably made her nervous of getting whatever game she chose to get right on the first try without delaying her team, but she'd do well.

"Team 10 & Team 5."

It was our turn, all I could do is hope we don't get fucked up. This has got to be the worst team I've been on, but it's whatever. At least I can just get it over with instead of going last. I'd rather go first on a presentation than last so everyone can forget about me and that I went first. And Jun-hee has stage fright, so if she's last, it'd be nice for her.

It was my turn for spinning top, I wrapped the string around it and prepared to throw it until Myung-gi said something out of that stupid mouth of his, "Don't fuck it up, homewrecker." He couldn't be serious, "Don't forget it's your turn after mine dumbass, and no one home wrecked your relationship, you wrecked it on your own by scamming her and ghosting her and using her too, and it's not my fault I was more attractive, sorry not sorry.

I threw it forward and thank goodness it spinned on the first try, I looked at him and gave him a middle finger with a smile, "You wished dumbass, I'm better than you."

"Pass."

The guard handed him the Jegi, he took a deep sigh before kicking it, "Let's see what other special skills you have instead of scamming, or is that the only thing you're good at?" He gritted his teeth as his expression angered, I loved making people angry, sometimes. Which didn't work, in result of my mom leaving me but oh well, the past is the past.

One, two, three, four...."five!" The Jegi dropped on the ground. "Fail." Myung-gi turned to the guard in confusion, then me, I looked at him almost innocently, "What are you looking at me for? I didn't do anything. At least not yet. So. well? Continue, you're already holding us up."

"Pass."

We finally made it to the finish line, and at the last few seconds. Myung-gi had got too comfortable and started jumping on me in excitement of winning, "Calm yourself down buddy, I'm not going anywhere." I patted his shoulder, he looked back at me noticing what he was doing and backed off.

"It was an accident, I was too excited that I didn't almost die. I wouldn't dare, don't get too excited." He quickly got off of me, almost shoving me at that, rubbing off his tracksuit, thank goodness. I'm free from hell, at least part one. I thought this day would never come.

Before leaving I looked at Jun-hee who was looking at me already, I gave her a thumbs up to tell her I was okay, but she frowned. Turns out he was staring too, thinking it was for him he looked at me. "Don't look at her, I never said you could." I raised a brow confusedly.

"And if I did?" Who did he think he was? He couldn't be any more annoying, was he still back in 5 years ago that she was still his girlfriend not focusing on the present. "What would you do if I stared at your ex like that?"

Seun-jin shrugged not really having a proper answer to his question.

"I wouldn't care, that's my ex so I have no reason to be mad. You can have her actually, but if she got with an ugly asshole like you after me hell yeah I would be mad, that's a whole downgrade, mine was pretty and knew her type, she was also picky, so I wonder how she would react if she saw, that...you know."

"Whatever dude, goodbye." Thank goodness.

—

I watched as Seun-jin left with Myung-gi right next to him, he had an irritated look on his face that went away quickly when he looked back at me and shot me a thumbs up, but it quickly came back when Myung-gi had said something to him. What's going on with those two? Every time I look back they're always bickering about something.

But I was still nervous, It was always embarrassing when Seun-jin always had done pda could use it or one right now, if he was here I wouldn't be nervous as much as I am now, I was good at Ddakji, just not under intense pressure where you could die.

It was our groups turn, "A little sad that we don't have an audience is it?" I shrugged at his complaint, "It's fine, I can focus better when no one is really watching. But not under pressure. I also have immense stage fright, well not immense." 390 looked at me, "Isn't that for idols who usually perform?"

"Doesn't it cross your mind that I was one?"

390 yelled across the other side, "Okay team! See you on the other side! Victory at all costs!"

"Yeah, see you on the other side!" The guard held the gun upwards the air and shot it up as a sign to go, we were all stuck and tied together. The first 10 meter mark ended at the Ddakji station, it was my turn even with no one it was still weird.

I nervously picked it up, I tried to think about something nice, but the only thought that came to mind was hardly anything, I took a deep breath and eventually I flipped over the Ddakji my first try as expected of course when you do well. I was still nervous, but less. "Pass."

Another 10 meters it was 390's turn he picked up the rock and aimed directly for the middle then threw it, maybe it's not so bad after all, we still have so much time left.

As we reached the Gong-gi station, 388 sat down and took a deep breath before starting, I've never seen a man play Gong-gi, since it was mostly women playing it, but he was pretty good.

He flipped it over and catched it then opened his palm, "Pass." I clapped, maybe I should actually learn one day too, maybe he could teach me. Then it was spinning top. Seun-jin got it on his first try, could 001 do it too? The question had yet to be answered.

"At this rate we'd get it all on the first try!" 388 exclaimed with excitement, his word's must've been a curse, or he just lost on purpose.

No.

"Fail." "Fail." "Fail."

Then out of nowhere he started slapping himself, "What the hell is wrong with me?" I noticed he was only using one hand on his right. And we only had 1 minute left, with still one more game remaining. "Switch hands then, we don't have much time left or we'll lose."

This time he used his left hand, and it spinned perfectly, was he left handed? Then why was he using his right this whole time? Another mystery to be solved, this guy was extremely weird.

"Pass."

Lastly it was Gi-Huns turn, 30 seconds left on the timer he kicked it up and down, on the last one it slipped and almost dropped, until 001 caught it with his foot, thank goodness.

"Pass."

Once we made it to the finish line at the last second, I sighed deeply. "Good job team!" The celebration ended quickly as gunshots rang out, the other team didn't make it to the other side.

But, It didn't feel much like a victory.