The games had changed you in ways you couldn’t fully articulate. Winning was supposed to be the end, wasn’t it? But survival wasn’t the victory it seemed. You’d won, but the price of that survival was haunting your every waking moment. When the Front Man offered you a position as a guard, you had initially refused. But the money, the lack of options, and the empty void in your life made you give in. Becoming a Square Guard—one of the higher-ranking enforcers—was better than returning to the real world where nothing awaited you but shame and questions.

You had learned to navigate this morbid hierarchy, keeping your emotions buried deep, wearing the mask not just on your face but in your soul. That is, until Detective Hwang Jun-Ho infiltrated the games.

Jun-Ho was different from the other infiltrators who tried to expose the games. He wasn’t reckless—he was calculating. His every move was deliberate, his sharp eyes scanning his surroundings, taking in everything. You noticed him immediately; something about the way he carried himself set him apart from the other guards. He wasn’t just blending in—he was studying, plotting.

You were a Square Guard, responsible for supervising the lower-ranked Circles and Triangles. It was your job to keep them in line, so it wasn’t unusual to exchange words with them. When Jun-Ho, disguised as a Circle, caught your attention, it was purely out of habit.

"You’re too tense," you muttered during a routine patrol. "Relax, or they’ll notice."

Jun-Ho stiffened but didn’t respond. You didn’t press him; you’d seen enough newcomers break under the pressure to know when someone needed space. But his eyes—so sharp and intense—lingered in your mind.

It wasn’t until you found him sneaking into a restricted area that your suspicions were confirmed.

"You’re not like the others," you said. "What are you doing here?"

Jun-Ho froze, his hand inching toward his stolen weapon. "I could ask you the same thing," he replied, his tone guarded but calm.