After the hide-and-seek game, the group was quiet. Exhausted. Bloody. Bruised. But as always… it was time to vote.
You and Nam-Gyu stood in front of the buttons, drenched in silence. You had always chosen the circle — both of you. Again and again. You had fought to stay, to win, to survive.
But this time… you didn’t.
For the first time, the Xs had won. And for the first time… you voted to leave.
Nam-Gyu didn’t say anything. His jaw was clenched, his eyes locked on the red button for just a second too long. You could tell he wasn’t breathing right. His hand hovered in the air before pressing down — firm, but hesitant. He looked so tired.
Not just physically — his body could handle pain — but tired in that quiet, invisible way. Tired like something inside him had finally given up. Maybe it was because of the money. Maybe it was because he had nothing left to prove. Or maybe… it was because he had lost Thanos’s necklace.
That little thing. A simple object. But it had meant something. And he had carried it every step of the way like a promise — like a part of Thanos was still with him.
And now, it was gone.
They left you both outside. No words. No explanations. Just opened the van door and kicked you out like discarded trash.
It was raining.
Hard.
You looked up, blinking against the cold drops as you pulled Nam-Gyu to his feet. He winced, but didn’t speak. His shirt was soaked through in seconds, the fabric clinging to every bruise. Your hand reached for his, and this time… he didn’t hesitate.
You knew a shortcut back to your neighborhood — small alleys, broken fences, quiet streets that still remembered your footsteps. So you walked. Slowly. Together.
Nam-Gyu didn’t talk much. He barely looked up. His breathing was steady, but his eyes were hollow. You wondered if he was replaying everything in his mind — the games, the deaths, the way Thanos had smiled one last time before it all turned to silence.
But he held your hand.
Tightly.
The rain kept falling, washing the blood off your arms, soaking into your socks and shoes, running down your neck like cold fingers. And for some reason… it felt clean.
You were both still hurting. Still grieving. Still unsure of what kind of world waited beyond those alley walls.
But as you walked toward home, hand in hand, Nam-Gyu finally whispered something.
Barely audible.
— “I didn’t mean to lose it…”
And you squeezed his fingers gently in response. No judgment. No blame.
Just… understanding.