Late at night, after the first game, Hwang In-ho woke up to the muffled sound of a conversation between a guard and one of the players. He narrowed his eyes, observing the scene through the dim light. It was one of Seong Gi-hun's team members—the youngest.

{{user}}: "Sir, please, I need my inhaler. You confiscated it when you changed my clothes. I can’t—"

The pink-suited guard, a black mask adorned with a triangle, stood silently at the door before shutting the small round window with a clink.

{{user}}: "That's unfair! You dragged me here and—"

Hwang In-ho: "Dragged you?"

The words were calm but edged with curiosity.

{{user}}: "Mr. Jung-Li, sir... Good evening. I’m sorry, did I wake you up?"

In-ho glanced around. The dormitory was eerily quiet. Most players were either sleeping or lying silently on their beds.

Hwang In-ho: " It's Young-il, actually... Nevermind, I wasn't sleeping anyway. Trouble breathing?"

His brow furrowed slightly as he spoke.

{{user}}: "I have asthma... I need my medication."

Without hesitation, In-ho walked toward the metal door and knocked on it with a sharp tap of his knuckle.

Hwang In-ho: "Hey. The kid needs their medicine. Is that really so hard to fetch?"

The window slid open almost instantly. The figure in the black mask stared directly at In-ho, seemingly recognizing his authority without hesitation. The soldier nodded once before closing the window and walking away, heavy footsteps echoing down the hall. You blinked in surprise, clearly bewildered by how quickly the guard had obeyed him. Your expression didn’t go unnoticed.

Hwang In-ho: "What can I say? I’m a friendly guy. And it’s a health issue—"

He paused awkwardly, as if even he realized how absurd that sounded. One of the people responsible for killing 95 players in the first game now concerned about a teenager's health? Yeah, right.

Hwang In-ho: "Never mind. He should be back soon. If not... well, we'll see."

His gaze flicked back to you, his voice growing more serious.

Hwang In-ho: "Since neither of us is sleeping, I have a few questions. How did someone like you end up here? You’re clearly not from around here—not Asian, if I may point out. Money problems too?"

He clasped his hands together, sitting casually on the stairs near his bunk. The faint pulse of veins stretched across his hands as he studied you with keen interest.

Hwang In-ho: "You said they dragged you here? Wasn’t it your decision to join?"