Lucky Number 067 (Kang Sae-Byeok/You (Fem) )

-Chapter 20 2.0: 강새벽-

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We decide to visit Gi-Hun's mother's grave afterwards. To pay our respects for the loss of her son and her own life. I drive us to the location of the graveyard and Sae-Byeok and I walk in, hand in hand. Her grip on my hand was tight. She had told me that sometimes, she fears that us getting out was a dream and that I actually died in the games. She was scared that she would wake up and I'd be gone. Being in a graveyard didn't help. "You okay?" I ask as we walk to the plot. Sae-Byeok doesn't answer so I rub my thumb along the back of her hand. "Hey. I'm here. I am now, and I always will be." I say. She looks me in the eye and nods, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes for a moment.

We soon arrive at Gi-Hun's mother's grave and I place the flowers we brought down next to ones that someone else placed. Probably Sang-Woo's mother. I close my eyes to pay my respect when Sae-Byeok tugs on my sleeve. "Y/N...." She says, I look at her, confused. "What?" I ask. She points at something and I look to see a card with a circle, triangle and a square on it. It was nestled in a bunch of flowers someone else had put here. Not Sang-Woo's mother.... I pick up the card and turn it over.

Go to the end of the yard.

I look at Sae-Byeok who nods at me as we trek past graves to the end of the graveyard. We didn't see anything, so Sae-Byeok turned to me, confused. "Why were we led here? There are nothing but empty spaces for new graves." She says. I nod in agreement and turn around. I look around for any clues, any symbols. That's when I see it. The five most recently dug graves. Each one had the three shapes on the stone above the writing. As if it was a symbol. I walked to the first one in the line on the left and read it out loud.

"You don't trust people because they're trustworthy. You do it because you have nothing to rely on."

A friend, A partner, a son, A father
456

Here lays 성기혼
Seong Gi-Hun

I remembered Gi-Hun saying that. 001 must have caught it on camera and written it down. I walked to the next grave in line, Sae-Byeok following. I roll my eyes at the next one.

"I'm alive, because I did my best to survive!"

A friend, A son, an ally
218

Here lays 조상우
Cho Sang-Woo

I remembered the words he screamed at Gi-Hun after the glass bridge. He claimed everything he did was so he could survive. What he did helped us. All that crap. I walk to the next one, feeling Sae-Byeok's hand tightened around mine.

"Hyung! I'm done with this side! Sang-Woo! Hyung!"

A friend, A husband, A brother, A son, A father
199

Here lays Ali Abdul

I feel tears prick into my eyes as I read it. That must have been what he said before he died. Sang-Woo betrayed him....he called Sang-Woo Hyung. He called him brother. What was worse however? He had a son. Only a year old. Two years now. He didn't deserve to lose his father like that. Ali won't be able to watch him grow up and he won't know his father. He won't know how much of a nice man he was. I continue walking, wrapping my arm around Sae-Byeok as she starts silently crying.

"You have a reason to get out of here. I don't. Thanks for playing with me."

A friend, a daughter, a lover, a teammate

240
Here lays 지영
Ji-Yeong

I knew who was next. I didn't want to see it, and it hurt like hell when I did.

"Everyone I care about dies. I can't be the reason you do too. We're Gganbu now."

A friend, a daughter, a lover, a teammate
163

Here lies 서준
Seo-Jun

I felt tears go past my cheek as I looked at the grave. Lying beneath the soil, in a coffin, was the person who died for me to live. She was lying there, dead. I turned and walked away. Silently. 001 had taken the time to bury them. To bury his old teammates. That was the least they deserved. I noticed that both Ji-Yeong and Seo-Jun had 'a Lover' beside their names. I guess they got together in the afterlife after all. At least they're happy.

I sat in the car, quiet and lost when I heard the passenger door open and see Sae-Byeok come in. "What now?" She whispers. I don't say anything for a while before turning to her. "Do you want to go to Jeju island?"

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A few months later

After booking the flights, getting a hotel for our brothers and us and arriving. Here we were. It took a few days for me to get over the surprise. But after that, I would visit their graves every other day, telling them about my day. Sae-Byeok came along too, adding details I missed. It was like catching up with an old friend.

Now, We were sitting on beach chairs near the sea. I watched as Cheol and Y/B/N were splashing each other with water in the sea and chasing each other. I smiled to myself, knowing this was something that could last. Sae-Byeok stands from her chair beside me and leans down to peck my lips quickly. "Hey, I'm gonna check on our brothers and get a drink. Want anything particular?" She asks, a gleam in her eye. I shake my head and watch as she walks down to the boys who try to pull her into the water. Instead, however, she lifts them up and dunks them both inside, earning shouts from them as she tries to run. "Y/N! Your girlfriend is being annoying!"Y/B/N shouts. "Hey! That's my sister!" Cheol shouts back at him. They start another wrestling match and start dunking each other into the water again.

Sae-Byeok walked off to the kiosk nearby to get drinks while I watched our brothers. I look up and close my eyes. Images of our teammates flash into my minds. Their smiling faces. Their laughs. I imagine them on the holiday with us. I try to push the thought away, but they don't go. Seo-Jun's bloody corpse when she died. Gi-Hun's body on the rain covered floor.
I hear someone place something beside me and look up to see Sae-Byeok returning with drinks. "Are you okay?" She asks. I nod my head

"Just...them." I say. She immediately understands and hugs my head from behind, kissing my forehead. "We'll be okay. I'm sure they're happy up there. They're probably watching us and cheering for all we know." She jokes. I chuckle and I look at the drink before raising an eyebrow. "A Mojito?" I ask. She smiles at me and nods before sitting on her chair and sighing. "She was right. These are great." She says. I chuckle a little before looking at the sky.

I sigh and smile to myself. "Seo-Jun. I did it. I'm on a holiday, I got my brother out and I went on a date with Sae-Byeok. Are you proud of me?" I ask, chuckling again. I look to Sae-Byeok who looks up as well. "I hope you're watching me, Ji-Yeong. I made it out. I made it to Jeju island and...I'm trying a mojito." She says. I raise my glass to the sky, admiring how the clouds move.

"To Ji-Yeong and Seo-Jun. The two who deserve to be here. The two who saved us." Sae-Byeok says. I do a final raise of my glass before sipping my drink.

And here we are. We made it out. We're alive at the cost of our friends....but we won't forget them. We won't forget how Gi-Hun led us through thick and thin, only to give his life for our gain. How Ali was always there to lighten the mood and support us in any situation. How Ji-Yeong would break the silence with her comments or her sarcastic tone. How Seo-Jun understood Me and was willing to give her life for me. Because now, sitting here on A Jeju island beach, drinking a mojito with my girlfriend. I knew, deep inside.

We're Gganbu.

This is the end of our story. Sae-Byeok and Y/N continue to be happy together, the burden on their friends now a motivation to continue on. Y/N will always remember the games. How painful they were, how gruesome....but she will also remember meeting...

Lucky Number 067

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A/N on next page!

Word Count: 1501