Flaming Glow (Sang Woo x Fem!OC)

Chapter 7

It was the middle of the night and Y/N still laid awake, lulled by the rhythm of Sang-Woo's breathing on her other side. Neither of them had moved after their conversation and at some point, exhaustion must have taken over for Sang-Woo. Y/N continued turning the card over in her hand, alternating between symbols and numbers. She'd thought of calling Gi-Hun, seeing if he'd gotten the card, what he planned to do, but she wanted to stay in this liminal space, stuck between a wall and Sang-Woo.

She shifted and there was a groan from low in Sang-Woo's throat. Warmth snaked through her veins at the sound. He turned onto his side, hand moving to lay at her waist, and she froze, prey spotting the hunter. She stayed still for so long that eventually she must have fallen asleep as well because the next morning, she found that she'd curled into his arm. Sang-Woo moved and she kept her eyes pressed shut, desperately hoping he wouldn't realize she was awake.

But if he did notice, he didn't care. He just moved his arm and got up.

They both had to prepare for returning to the games, Y/N moreso. She called her mother, claiming she'd moved on to the next level of the job interview. Then she tried getting in touch with Gi-Hun, though he didn't answer. She wanted to hope he wouldn't go back in but Gi-Hun was too much like her for her to doubt him. Lastly, she wanted to go in prepared. Sang-Woo had scoffed when she suggested it, claiming they'd never get anything through. But she hadn't been talking about anything as banal as a weapon. She was more concerned about getting a sports bra.

When she left his apartment, she noticed that Sang-Woo's glasses were still on his dresser, where he'd placed them the night before. He apparently had no intention of putting them back on.

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"Oh, my head," Y/N muttered, sitting up in the bunk. A blanket fell from her shoulders, revealing a familiar green tracksuit with the number "217" on the chest. Am I mad? she thought. Am I actually insane for agreeing to do this again?

The bunk above her shifted as Sang-Woo leapt down. He looked different without his glasses. Not better, not worse, just different, as if his whole bearing had changed by leaving them behind.

"You don't need your glasses?" she asked. She recalled getting into the van the night before and Sang-Woo was already inside, slouched against the back window, head thrown back. It was the most vulnerable she thought he'd ever been.

He shook his head tersely. "People might think I'm weak."

"I doubt that," she murmured, finally getting out of the bed.

She scanned the room, hoping beyond all that Gi-Hun had proved her wrong and that he was home with his mother. But she should have known. He stood at a bunk not too far away, talking to player 001, an old man who had miraculously made it through the first game. Gi-Hun had mentioned how nice he was.

She sighed and Sang-Woo gave her a look. "Every day," she said, "I hope that man will wake up with sense but alas, he's just like me."

"Not just like you," Sang-Woo replied.

Gi-Hun noticed them and waved a hand in the air. Y/N grinned and waved back. It might be a survival game but she and Gi-Hun had played the odds together many times. With Sang-Woo, they might actually be a balanced team. Gi-Hun was impulsive, Y/N was lucky, and Sang-Woo was clever. One of those things seemed far more important than the others.

"So you didn't answer my calls because you knew I'd try to talk you out of this?" she asked when they reached Gi-Hun and 001. Sang-Woo fell back, the far point of the triangle.

Gi-Hun laughed before turning to 001. "Sir, this is my best friend. She's the luckiest girl I know."

"Not too lucky," she said, "or I wouldn't be here. Nice to meet you, sir." 001 smiled at her.

"Sang-Woo," said Gi-Hun.

"I didn't think you'd come back," said Sang-Woo as he came closer.

"Me either."

Someone came up, calling to Gi-Hun and Sang-Woo in particular. Y/N saw Ali, 199, approaching them and her stomach sank. Of all the people to return, why him? Maybe she was preemptively judging him but he seemed kind in a way the rest of the players didn't.

He bowed and greeted them with the most open smile. It was ridiculously charming and Y/N found herself smiling back.

"You're here! It's my angel!" exclaimed Gi-Hun.

"It is great to see you all again," said Ali. Gi-Hun asked him about Ansan, Sang-Woo paying for the bus ride home, and everything else that Y/N had told him. Sang-Woo gave her a look and she shrugged. Why should he be ashamed that he helped Ali? She wished she'd been able to.

"It's like we're all comrades from boot camp," said Gi-Hun but Ali didn't seem to pick up the reference. "Like a team? Hey, why don't we form a team? All of us?"

She started to automatically agree but realized she'd never mentioned Gi-Hun to Sang-Woo. What if he wanted it to stay a pair? She rolled her shoulders. Well, who cared if he wanted that. Gi-Hun had been there for her from the start and she wasn't going to let him do this alone. But a callous part of her started dividing the prize between the five of them, including Ali and the old man.

"You're right," said Sang-Woo. "If we form a group, we can be prepared for anything."

Y/N didn't realize she'd been holding her breath.

Gi-Hun arched a brow at her and Y/N couldn't hold back a grin. "If you ever thought I'd let you do this alone, you're even crazier than I thought."

"Hey, you should join up with us," Gi-Hun said to Ali. "I mean, we already know he's crazy strong. He lifted me up with one hand like it was nothing."

"You mean that?" Ali asked. "I can join you?"

"Yes!" said Gi-Hun. "So then you'll be the new recruit." He gestured to Sang-Woo. "He's the skilled corporal so that makes me sergeant. Y/N is the..."

"Quit while you're ahead," she said when he trailed off.

"If you don't mind," said 001, "can I join up with you?"

"Of course!" said Gi-Hun. "What a great team we've got!"