Wicked | Kang Sae Byeok | Squid Games

| Chapter Three |

| Wicked |

| My Little Stalker |

These people wasted no time.
After everyone had signed the consent form, they lined everyone up to go to the first game.

Hana was eager to get the games started and to see what the obnoxious gut feeling she had was about.

She came to a photo booth where she flashed a sarcastic smile before rolling her eyes and walking through the green doors.
Her eyes widened as she looked around a room with walls painted to look like they were outdoors. A room with no ceiling, dirt on the floor, and a giant doll on the far side.
'These people really know how to creep out an assassin.' Hana thought.

"Attention all players. After you enter the game hall, please stand behind the white line drawn on the field and await further instructions."

The green doors the players entered the room through closed harshly behind them.
Hana had a feeling they had locked too.
She looked around the room and noticed that there were small squares on the walls. Something no one would notice unless you were looking for it and Hana's stomach started turning.

"Here is the first game. You will be playing red light, green light. You are allowed to move forward when 'it' shouts 'green light.' Stop when 'it' says 'red light.' If your movement is detected afterward, you will be eliminated."
There was that word again.

Eliminated.

Hana's body became rigid as she spread her feet apart, getting ready to play. Her eyes darted to the left to see 067 watching her and she looked away quickly as she got caught, again.

"Players who cross the line without being eliminated within the five minute play time, will pass this round. With that, let the game begin."

The doll's head disgustingly turned around to face the tree and she started singing.
"Green light."

Hana instantly started fast walking forward. If she ran, she was worried she wouldn't be able to stop in time.
"Red light."

A blonde boy at the very front got caught and a loud bang echoed throughout the room and he fell to the ground.

'I love my gut.' Hana thought.

"Green light."
Hana continued, trying to get away from people as fast as possible. They didn't understand it yet, so they were calm.

"Red light."
Another boy in the front started walking backwards as his friend on the ground spit up blood. He turned around to run but was immediately shot down.

Hana held her breathe as the woman screamed and chaos ensued.

Endless shots were fired as people ran towards the doors, begging to be let out, but were only shot down.
Then there was silence.

"Green light."

Hana let out her breathe and started moving forward again. For a second she thought she was the only one moving until she saw an old man moving forward as well. She held in a smile as she saw him smiling.

She noticed she was about to pass 067. "Play the game." She whispered and nudged the girl's shoulder as she passed her.
"Red light."

"Green light."

"Red light."
What Hana hadn't noticed, was 218 watching her every move...

"Green light."

"Red light."

Hana held her breathe as she stopped inches away from the red line.
"Green light."

She sighed and hopped over the red line with a victorious smile on her face.
"Player 008 successfully passed."
Breathing heavily, she watched as 067 took her advice and she was now getting closer and closer.
"Red light."

Sae Byeok could clearly see the finish line was steps away. She stood still as she looked up to see Hana already there and staring at her.
"Green light."

Sae immediately started running instead of fast walking like she had been and with one final leap, she was on the other side of the finish line, leaning on her knees to catch her breathe.
"Impressive." She looked up to see Hana, who wore an empty expression as she looked at the dead players piled at the doors.

She broke her stare to look at Sae with a smirk. "You just needed a little push."

This angered Sae. She stood and stepped forward, grabbing Hanna by her collar. "What the hell was that? Were you trying to kill me?" She asked.

"Relax." Hana grabbed Sae Byeok's wrists and pulled them off of her collar. "I knew you'd be fine."
Sae wasn't surprised by her strength, but by her words.

"...what does that mean?" Sae asked.  Hana let go of her wrists and started walking away. "Hey-" Sae was cut off by a large mechanical noise and she looked up to see the ceiling closing over them. Sae Byeok looked back for Hana but she had disappeared from her for the second time.

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After the game had ended and all the players were brought back to the main room, everyone found a spot to sit and kept quiet, thinking about what had just happened.

Hana was used to death. So being sad about a bunch of people she didn't know being 'eliminated' wasn't something she'd be doing.
The battle inside of her was more about the girl with the number 067.

During the games, she realized where she knew her from.
Hana was hired to assassinate 067.
Kang Sae Byeok.

But it was in the first day of watching her, she knew she wouldn't be able to do that. Hana had watched Sae Byeok visit her little brother at an orphanage and pickpocket multiple people. She even saw her get beat to a pulp by a man who had caught her trying to take his money.

She spent a week gathering information on the girl and ended up knowing her whole life's story and Sae Byeok had no clue who she was...or at least that's what she thought.

It wasn't hard for Hana to come up with a plan to save the girl's life. Kill the man who wanted Sae Byeok dead. She got a bigger reward for killing him anyway...all that to deny the truth that she wanted to see this girl's life come together.
She wanted so much better for her.

Hana shook her head at the thoughts. She hasn't even had a real conversation with her, but she felt like she'd known her for ages.
Hana looked over to see that the girl plaguing her mind was only two bunks away and staring straight at her.

It came at no surprise that she immediately looked away when she got caught. Hana huffed and stood up. She made her way to the girl with short hair and sat in front of her.

Sae Byeok didn't look up from her hands. "What do you want to know?" Hana asked her.
"What do you mean?" She asked, not looking up.

"I mean it's obvious you want to talk to me." Hana smirked and Sae Byeok tried to keep from blushing as she only glanced at the girl sat in front of her.
"...How do you know Deoksu?" The short haired girl asked, looking up and anywhere but Hana's eyes.

"Easy. I've been asked to kill him by multiple people." Hana shrugged. "Next."

"You're an assassin..."
"That's more of a statement but, yes."
"You've helped me twice...why?" Sae finally made eye contact.

Hana knew she had to be careful about her answer, not wanting to give everything away too early.
"I just thought it would be sad to see such a pretty face go to waste." She smirked.

Sae Byeok couldn't stop the heat from rising in her cheeks and she didn't look away. She cursed herself for letting the girl get under her skin so easily. To anyone else, she'd be cold and calculated but she couldn't seem to pull herself together around Hana.

"You get to know my name...what's yours?" Hana asked, poking sae's knee.
"..." Sae Byeok only looked at her and Hana knew she didn't want to tell her yet, which she was fine, considering she couldn't forget it.
"That's okay. You'll warm up. I'll just call you my little stalker." She winked and chuckled as Sae gave her a wide eyed look.

Then the double doors opened yet again.

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