Killer Addiction - (Squid Game)

Chapter 24 - Hell's Limo

Dae-eun and Gi-hun sat in a pristine white limo, hands bound with blindfolds on.
The Front Man sat near them.
They were being taken back to civilisation from the island.

The Front Man poured a glass of champagne, replacing the cork in the bottle.
"You both should celebrate, that was quite the game back there." He said, taking a swig from his glass. "I don't think we've ever had two winners before."
"Really?" Dae-eun asked.

"Yes, usually only one Player survives, but... it seems that an extra one managed to slip through the net." He replied.
Gi-hun was quiet, whether tired or uninterested in conversation, he wasn't talking.
"So- are you the Front Man?" Dae-eun asked.

The man in question was silent for a moment.
"Excuse me?"
"Did you catch Jun-ho?" She responded instantly.

"How do you-"
"He followed the van that brought me back. I assume you caught him because he wasn't hanging with the others when we were going to Marbles."
"225-"

"Wonder if he found his brother...Hwang In-ho? How ironic it would be if that was your real name."
The Front Man was shocked into silence.
"Wait- Hold on. In-ho? You were the Front Man the whole time?" Dae-eun asked.

In-ho didn't know what to say.
Finally, he managed to regain his composure.
"How did you manage to figure all of this out?"

"Because she knew one of your guards." Gi-hun spoke up.
"What?" In-ho asked. "What was his guard number?"
"For his safety, and ours, I won't be disclosing that information. And I doubt it's in your records that I know him." Dae-eun said smugly.

"I can forfeit your winnings for your admittance of working with a guard." In-ho stated. "It's against the rules of the games."
"How is it?" Gi-hun asked.
Dae-eun was amazed.

Is he- defending me?
"It was never stated in the contract we signed that we couldn't talk to the guards. Also, from what I've heard, he never even directly helped her. She got through all the games without his assistance." Gi-hun stated.

"Is that right?" In-ho asked.
Dae-eun nodded her head, playing along.
"I didn't even know who he was initially, I only ever talked to him a few times, and when I did, it wasn't about the games."

"So- you just- spoke with him? Do you honestly expect me to believe that?" In-ho asked.
"If there was foul play, you would have caught her before the final game." Gi-hun said. "You pride yourself on being 'fair,' right?"
In-ho was silent for a moment before sighing.

"Fine. You will both keep your winnings. And, a word of advice, think of the games as a dream. And- for you both, it wasn't a very bad one."

...

The limo ride was remarkably short before the door opened, Gi-hun was thrown out, and the door shut.
Engine revving, the limo drove away, now with only Dae-eun and In-ho in the back.
"Did you know my brother well?" He asked.

"Sorry?" She asked, unsure if what she heard was true.
"Did you know Jun-ho well?" He repeated.
Why would he want to know that?

"Why are you asking me?" She questioned.
"Because I still wonder if what I did to him was right." He confessed.
Dae-eun pondered for a moment.

"You think you killed him, don't you?" She took a shot in the dark.
"I shot him in the shoulder, and he fell off a cliff."
"Did you see his body?"

In-ho was silent for a moment.
"No."
Dae-eun sat up.

"Then personally, I think he's still alive." She said.
In-ho took another sip of his champagne.
"You played well, during your time at the games. Your play at Marbles in particular was inspired. Nim, was it?"

"Yes. I knew the trick after a con-artist tried to pull it on me a few years ago." She stated.
"It was an excellent play." He stated.
Dae-eun's brow knitted together.

"Why are you being nice to me? You threw Gi-hun out without so much as a 'well done." She questioned.
"You were a winning pick by one of the VIPs. I assume you know who they are by the way you looked at the viewing platform during the final game. He requested that you be treated well for finishing in such a... spectacular fashion." In-ho stated.

Dae-eun let out a small 'heh'.
"Something... amusing?" In-ho questioned.
"Dunno whether to feel honoured or disgraced. A rich man believed I would win. Now that's something to crow about." She laughed.

She thought she heard In-ho chuckle quietly before the brakes were pressed.
"We've arrived." In-ho said, now with the distortion of a mask.
The door opened and Dae-eun felt herself pushed to get out by gloved fingers.

A small piece of plastic was placed into her hands as she heard the door shut.
She felt engraved metal numbers on it, as well as the smoothness of a reading chip.
A Debit card?

The limo sped away, leaving nothing but dust in its wake for Dae-eun to cough.
She reached up and managed to tear her blindfold off, then used her teeth to remove the binds on her hands.
The debit card she had been given was golden yellow, like the golden ticket from Willy Wonka.

She was where she had been picked up in the mini van, only a five minute walk from home.
Grandpa...

(A/N: I'm gonna be evil and delay the last chapter lmao, gotta have a good send off :D)