"so what if it was his fault? that doesn't mean he deserves to die," you stood firmly between dae-ho and gi-hun on the stairs, gi-hun's blade raised, the fury still very present in his eyes. he had a vendetta to kill dae-ho, and if gi-hun was one thing, he was determined.

still, you found yourself defending dae-ho with your own life, even though you weren't really quite sure why. how is it that, number 388, the foppish boy with hair half-up, raised by four sisters and therefore killer at gonggi, found his way into your heart?

even when it turns out he was lying this whole time... he was never in the military, never earned that marine tattoo on his arm?

even when he joined gi-hun's rebellion, only to be tasked with retrieving more ammo, and ended up being too scared to finish his job?

maybe it was because somehow, even though he was a coward, a liar, and pathetic, you could understand why. you knew he was raised by four sisters... he'd always been empathetic and delicate. you spoke to him one night while keeping watch for the others about how his father hated him for not being manly enough, and how he was still wanted to impress him. you saw how that night, when he was hiding in the corner with his hands over his ears instead of bringing back the ammo, he flinched when hyun-ju was yelling. so maybe the whole time he was just trying to be brave, trying to be everything he wanted to be, only for the bravery to be everything he wasn't.

and little did you know, there was one more reason dae-ho didn't want to leave the dormitory with the ammo. it was that, somehow, player 133, the young girl with delicate eyes and gentle words, who laughed at his stupid jokes, and listened when he shared things he didn't share with anyone else late at night, had somehow wormed her way into his heart. and the one time your head fell asleep on his shoulder without knowing... his heart had never felt more warm.

you had sprained your ankle, badly, in the third game, mingle, which is why you didn't join dae-ho and the others in gi-hun's rebellion later that night.

it was hard enough for him to leave you in the dormitory the first time, with the thought that he might never see you again, and not be able to protect you, or ever share his unspoken feelings.

so when he came back that second time, and your worried eyes met his shaking body trying to collect the ammo...

he realized he couldn't leave you again.

so now, the next day, as you stood between gi-hun and dae-ho, the tension was palpable as you stared down gi-hun, your stance unwavering. sure, you understood his anger, he just lost so many people that believed in him, including his best friend, jung-bae. and dae-ho was the reason they ran out of ammo.

still, even if they got more ammo, there's no guarantee they would've actually been successful. no guarantee they would found the root of the evil, no guarantee they would escape the island. maybe you were blinded, but the way you saw it, it wasn't fair to blame it all on dae-ho.

but you knew gi-hun had to kill someone to survive. and he had a daughter, a mission to complete... he shouldn't die. dae-ho had his sisters to get back to, and that career in photography he told you about. you... you didn't really have anything to go back to. so maybe... you were willing to be that killed someone.

besides, your mom always said you were exhausting. your ex-best friend was said she was sick of the way you always inserted yourself into situations.

this was only fitting.

"step aside, {{user}}," gi-hun swallowed, the fury in his eyes dissipating slightly as he took in the sight of you... previously always outspoken, but now making a stand. "don't be stupid."

you turned and looked at dae-ho, seated on the stairs, his knees brought up in defense. he took a shaky breath as he looked at you, his expression unreadable. he didn't want to die but... he also really, really, didn't want you to die.

"don't do this, {{user}}," he exhaled finally.

but your gaze was already back on gi-hun.