Death Wish

Act III - Allies

As Jin Suk slowly sank into the depths of the cold dark waters, he was unable to breathe and something was flashing before his eyes. He heard a voice and he can feel that someone was pushing him, “Ahjussi?” someone was calling into him, a voice of a young boy. “Ahjussi, wake up”, he heard the voice again.

He opened his eyes and saw a boy, it was Yoo Chan. He was having a dream, a very realistic dream. He got up as he rubs at the sides of his forehead, “Ahjussi? Are you okay?”, Yoo Chan asked. Jin Suk nods his head. “You were sweating a lot and it seems that you were having a bad dream”, Yoo Chan said. Jin Suk gulps and stood up.

“Boss! You’re finally awake”, Hee Chul came. “What happened boss? You look shabby”, Hee Chul entered his room and looks at Jin Suk with concern. “Weren’t you resting? But, how come you look tired?”, Hee Chul asked. Jin Suk didn’t respond and went out of his room and the two followed him to check out the current situation.

“Anything new?”, Jin Suk asked as he looks up to the screen. “Nothing happened yet”, Yoo Chan replied. “Yeah, the game has been paused for too long”, Hee Chul said. “Weird right? The delay is longer than we thought”, Yoon Ho butts in out of nowhere with a deadpan voice and a deadpan face as his hands wrap together. Hee Chul was surprised with his appearance, “What the hell dude! You scared me”, Hee Chul reacted.

Jin Suk looks around and notices that the wishers are gathering in groups. It’s a common thing for people to divide and group themselves to gain a certain advantage. A human and a human must connect together to overcome another human, that’s how it works. Jin Suk finds some wishers who were alone. There are two reasons, they want to go independent and alone or no one wants them. The weak people are getting left out while the others who have certain capabilities have found their own group. The elderly, the sick, and those who are not confident in themselves have found themselves alone.

“Isn’t this the first time that a second round took so long?”, Hee Chul asked. “Why?”, Yoon Ho speaks again, “Do you want to start another round where people lose their lives?”, Yoon Ho stated a fact. He glances at Yoon Ho with his cold eyes. Hee Chul’s titters and was stuttering to answer back, “O-of course not”, he sniggered and gulps.

“Just look at those people”, Yoon Ho said as he focus on the wishers, “Just look at their faces, is that a face of a person who wants to start another game?”, Yoon Ho stated an undeniable fact again.

They saw and realize that some wishers where are agitated and restless. The fear in their eyes and their actions shows that they are terrified. They witness the first round of death and are unable to think clearly, some wanted to leave but they can’t, they have already chosen their destinies and they can never go back. “Even you”, Yoon Ho looks at Hee Chul with his impassive eyes. “We are all frantic in the inside and we are trying to hide it”, Yoon Ho look at the above the center, “Every human identifies fear and all humans identify bravery but the willingness is hard to be seen”, Jin Suk knew that Yoon Ho said an indisputable truth. “We fear it but we do it anyway, that’s how stupidity works”, Jin Suk gave his own statement. “And that stupidity describes all of us here”, Yoon Ho added.

Hee Chul and Yoo Chan couldn’t say anything as what they said is the reality of their fate now. They know that the game is dangerous and will cost them their lives but still decided to ignore the consequences because of the overpowering desire and suffering.

Ree Na stands beside Hee Chul and avoided her. He was embarrassed about the incident. Ree Na didn’t bother and stood beside Yoon Ho instead.

“Why don’t we discuss and think about the next game”, Yoon Ho suggested and looks at them. “That’s a great idea”, Ree Na raised her hand with her smiling face, “Yeah, let’s give all we all know about anything related to the game”, Yoo Chan also agrees. Hee Chul approached Jin Suk and asked, “Is that alright with you boss?”. Jin Suk turns around, “Fine by me”, Jin Suk also agrees. He thinks that sticking to a group will be much better than trying to survive on his own. He can use them as a path for him to win.

Jin Suk and Yoon Ho lock eyes together for a moment as if they both know what their intention is. “So, who’s room are we using for the meeting?”, Hee Chul asked as he look at every one. “We can do that in my room”, Yoon Ho stated and leaves. He enters his room and the rest follows.

Yoon Ho was standing in the middle, Jin Suk leaning at the side of the room where he can see them. Yoo Chan was sitting on the floor, Ree Na standing at the corner of the room and Hee Chul sitting at the opposite side with his knee up. Yoon Ho went into the left corner of the room closed at the outside and press a button. The open entrance of the room suddenly closes making the room a full box again. The wishers outside doesn’t know about this so they were wondering how Yoon Ho and his subordinates did it. Some wishers went back to their room and tries to find how it work.

“Hyung, you know so much about the room, that’s impressive”, Yoo Chan gave a thumbs-up to Yoon Ho wearing his proud smile. “Just like I said, being observant is a skill that we can acquire”, Yoon Ho went back in the center and insert his hands in his pocket. He looks at everyone and started the discussion. “As of now, we all know that we've been a group for some reason and it just happened unknowingly”, Yoon Ho said.

“Group? We are in a group?”, Yoo Chan asked and looks at Ree Na then Ree Na gave a sign that she doesn’t know either. “What do you expect kid? Everyone is forming their own groups”, Hee Chul said ah he grins and one eyebrow up. “Forming a group is a rule in terms of survival”, Yoon Ho said.

“Yes, it’s like you are stranded on a remote island with strangers and doesn’t have a choice but to stick together so you will be safer”, Ree Na gave an example where they can relate their own situations now. Yoo Chan chuckled as he scratched the back of his head, “Ah, I see”, he said.

“So any objections about us forming a group?”, Yoon Ho wanted to confirm. No one objected so he went on to the other one, “If you don’t want to stick with us then you can leave now”, Yoon Ho gave a reminder very seriously. No one answered and all of them wanted to be with their current group, “Okay, that’s settled”, Yoon Ho confirmed and the group was formed, They have found themselves allies that will increase their survivability.

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[End of Act III - Allies]

[Next Act - Discussion]