CHAPTER 19 - Once You Go In, There's No Turning Back (hwang In Ho X Reader)

Modern Warfare 2 - The Gulag

thank you for feeding my delusions

⋆˙⟡ #SecretHusband

lee byung-hun x wife reader, social media!au

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yourusername me n who?

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August 12, 2023

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fangirlforever 5h

YOU N WHO???

softdramalover 1h

is that a MAN???

kdramaaddict 3h

soft launch??? bestie drop the @.

hoooooyeony 6h • Liked by creator

🤍🤍🤍

yourusername

yourusername he takes me out in resto’s like these. who else is winning?

Liked by byunghun0712 and others

August 20, 2023

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eunoiary 7h

who’s that soft giant..

lbhpix 6h

BYUNG-HUN LIKED??

leebyungiee 7h

i swear his hands look like lbh’s…🫠

from_jjlee 7h • Liked by creator

Enjoy!! 그것들은 정말 사랑스러워 보인다~~ (They look so lovely~~)

yourusername

yourusername you look so handsome, 자기이. @/byunghun0712 🤍

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August 28, 2023

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byunghun0712 12h • Liked by creator

love you more, 자기이. you take absolutely nice photos of me.

detectivekpop 11h

IMAGINE GETTING MARRIED TO THE LEE BYUNG-HUN

kdramaspoilerz 12h

GIRL MARRIED THE DAMN FRONTMAN FROM SQUID GAME??

iluvoldermen 6h

…im jealous.

boxabum 12h • Liked by creator

💝💝💝

hoooooyeony 11h • Liked by creator

love you both 💞

“Where the fuck you been for thirty years?”

A Familiar Stranger (What if...?)

Summary: After the Red Light, Green Light game, the players vote to continue or leave the games with their own shares. In-ho votes for X this time, and the players are all sent home. Gi-hun goes back to the outside world and finds In-ho in a convenience store, but he knows him as Young-il.

REQUEST HERE

The warehouse reeked of stale sweat and blood as the players crowded into the middle, awaiting their turn to vote to continue or leave the games. The voting box was placed at the center of the room, ready for everyone to decide their life.

The red and blue buttons blinked softly on its surface like a heartbeat, waiting. For some, it was hope. For others, it was a cruel tease of a chance to escape. 

Gi-hun’s hands trembled as the last player, 001, took their turn. The vote had been close — shockingly so. The players were divided to Xs and Os, who had been nearly neck-and-neck after the Red Light, Green Light game bled the truth into their bones.

91 people died in less than five minutes into the game. There was no sugar-coating on such a bloody and violent scene. The gunshots still echoed behind their eyes.

Player 001 seemed to think first before pressing one of the buttons, adding to the tension. Gi-hun whispered under his breath as if he cheered for 001 to vote for X, so all of them could go home, and everyone could still have a chance to be saved. 

Or was it?

Was it really because he wanted everyone to be saved, or just to prove to the system that there is still something good in humanity?

Then, a click.

The computer above showed the score of votes, seeing a close call. 

X - 183, O - 182

A crowd of cheer erupted inside the warehouse, only to be interrupted by the lights being shut off, then a hiss of air followed. Gi-hun’s vision blurred, his heart pounded as he struggled to stay upright, but the weight of exhaustion and chloroform dragged him into darkness. 

——

Gi-hun awoke to the sting of cold pavement scraping his cheek.

Rain drizzled softly on the city street as Gi-hun groaned and pushed himself onto his hands and knees. The van’s taillights disappeared into the night, and the alley it had dumped him into was as empty as it was unfamiliar. He was back in Seoul, just like last time.

He wiped his nose with the back of his hand and froze, only to find a small, rectangular shape sitting in his palm, wrapped in plastic. It was a cassette tape, seemingly new, with three shapes on it - triangle, circle, and square. His pulse kicked into high gear as he looked around, but no one was in sight. Just the eerie hum of a city that truly never slept.

Gi-hun pulled the tape closer and saw a faint marking on the side, written in black ink.

“456.”

Gi-hun’s breath clouded in the cool air as he stood outside the nondescript apartment door, knuckles poised mid-air. The city buzzed below like it always had. But in his chest, something old had awakened. The tape sat like lead in his jacket pocket.

The door creaked open before he could knock, seeing Jun-ho staring back at him, who seemed scruffy, leaner, and shadows carved beneath his eyes.

“Gi-hun,” Jun-ho said, his eyes with a hint of question as he looked at him. “You’re back. How?”

Gi-hun stepped in without asking, pulling the cassette from his jacket and showing it to Jun-ho. He immediately closed the door as Gi-hun placed the cassette on the kitchen table like a loaded gun.

Jun-ho narrowed his eyes. “What is that?”

“A message from the inside,” Gi-hun’s voice was low and hoarse. “There’s something else. They took out the tracker.”

Jun-ho blinked. “What?”

“In my tooth. It’s gone. Someone knew it was there. They knew it from the from start,” Gi-hun’s hands trembled as he rubbed at his jaw.

A long silence followed, broken only by the soft click of Jun-ho inserting the cassette into an old player and hitting play. The tape hissed before starting, then came a voice.

“I must admit, watching you squirm has been… entertaining.”

A soft static crackles.

“Gi-hun, you should’ve taken your prize and disappeared. But I suppose you’ve never known when to walk away to try and be a hero.”

A pause came, then a faint sound that seemed like footsteps or breathing. 

“You thought you were clever. Hiding a tracker in a tooth? Cute. But I’ve been watching longer than you’ve been planning.”

The voice lowers, almost a whisper now. A sharp breath caught in Gi-hun’s throat.

“You should’ve stayed gone, Seong Gi-hun. You want to expose us? Tear everything down? Fine. But know this: while you waste time chasing shadows, we’ve already found her.”

Jun-ho’s head snapped toward Gi-hun.

“She looks so much like her mother.”

Gi-hun surged forward and slammed a fist on the table. “You son of a—“

The player stopped as Gi-hun was shaking now, clenching his teeth, curling his fists until they turned white. “He knows about Ga-yeong. He’s threatening my daughter.”

Jun-ho’s mouth opened, then shut. Something passed behind his eyes, something along the lines of guilt, recognition, or restraint. The cassette whirred softly behind them, tape still spooling, like a ticking clock counting down to something neither of them could stop.

The day when the line between brother and monster would no longer be a line, but a fog — bleeding through every breath he took, every step he retraced. But knowing that the voice belonged to his brother, crackling through the cassette player, was like being buried alive in guilt all over again. 

He hadn’t slept much since returning from searching around the islands. Sleep came in bursts, always haunted by the rhythmic thud of bodies hitting the ground, the clicking of guns disguised as toys. 

And his brother’s face. Always, his brother’s face.

But Gi-hun’s reaction had shaken something loose in him. That rage and fear. It wasn’t just about revenge anymore. Now, it was personal for him too. They crossed a line.

Jun-ho watched Gi-hun pace the room like a cornered animal. He knew that look. He had seen it in the mirror for years.

What if Jun-ho had pulled the trigger first? What if he didn’t hesitate back then, on the cliff…?

Jun-ho swallowed hard, his voice hollow as he broke the silence. “There’s a chance it’s a bluff.”

Gi-hun rounded on him. “Would you bet your daughter’s life on that?”

Jun-ho didn’t answer. In fact, he couldn’t. Because deep down, he knew In-ho never bluffed.

Jun-ho walked into the bathroom, shut the door behind him, and leaned heavily on the sink. In the mirror, his reflection stared back with eyes that didn’t belong to the cop who once believed in justice. They were the eyes of someone who knew too much — who lived too long in the underworld without dying. 

He couldn’t tell Gi-hun the truth — how he knew it was his brother who’s been running the games along and was a player. Because he knew that if he did, Gi-hun would run into hell blind.

——

The rain pattered against the glass as Gi-hun sat at the tiny plastic table near the window, slurping instant ramen like it was the first meal he had in days. In truth, it probably was. He stared into the broth as if it could answer the questions clawing at his brain.

The bell above the door jingled softly. Gi-hun barely glanced up, until he heard a voice.

“Mind if I sit?”

Gi-hun looked up, almost startled. A man stood across from him, casual in posture but sharp in the eyes. He wore a weathered jacket, sleeves slightly too long, and a disarming smile on his face.

“I saw you from the inside,” the man added. “Thought you looked familiar.”

Gi-hun blinked. “Have we met?”

The man nodded. “Briefly, I think. In the games.”

Gi-hun studied his face, but nothing rang a bell. Still, something about the man was unsettlingly calm. 

“You played?” Gi-hun asked.

The man took the seat across from him, folding his hands. “First game was Red Light, Green Light. It was total chaos. I tapped out early.” He took the seat across from Gi-hun. “Oh, and I’m Young-il, by the way.”

Gi-hun nodded. “Gi-hun.”

Young-il’s eyes lit up with interest. “So, It’s true then. You’re the winner from the last game.”

Gi-hun didn’t answer right away, but the man’s gaze was unwavering, so he shrugged. “Yeah, if you could call it that. I spent months trying to figure out how to stop it. Now I’m working with someone… trying to take it down.”

Young-il’s lips curled slightly. “Is that so?”

Gi-hun frowned, which seemed to make Young-il chuckle, much to his surprise. He leaned back in his seat, lifting both hands in mock surrender.

“Sorry, I’m not here to cause trouble. Just… I guess I needed someone to talk to. My wife’s in the hospital.”

Gi-hun's suspicion softened slightly. “Oh?”

Young-il nodded, eyes lowering. “She’s seven months pregnant. Liver cirrhosis. Doctors say she might not survive the birth,” Young-il paused, then continued. “We needed the money. That’s why I signed up. But I didn’t make it past the first night. Coward, right?”

Gi-hun shook his head. “No one who left that place is a coward.”

Young-il’s smile returned, faint and thoughtful. “Thanks.”

The silence that followed felt heavier than before. Then, Young-il pulled something from his pocket, which seemed to be a small, crisp invitation card, just like the ones given before the games.

“There’s a new date, and I got two cards. I don’t know why they gave me two.”

He slid one across the table to Gi-hun, who looked down at it, his heart thudding. 

“I think they want us back,” Young-il said, his voice quieter now. “Maybe it’s a second chance. Or maybe something else.”

Gi-hun pocketed the card slowly. “Why give me yours?”

Young-il shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe you might want to think about it? I’m not really sure. But given what you’ve told me, maybe this could be your way in to… tear everything down.”

Gi-hun’s hand hovered in the air for a moment before he took the card and looked it over. It had the same symbols and format, like déjà vu written in ink. 

The date was five days from now. 

Young-il smiled faintly, rain dripping from his lashes. “The games might be full of traps, but after seeing my wife again, I definitely need the money.”

Young-il turned, ready to walk away when Gi-hun called after him. “Wait! What are you planning to do? Are you going back in again?”

Young-il glanced over his shoulder, the words leaving his mouth left Gi-hun in pure shock.

“Some of us never left.”

----

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‘Even if I have to sacrifice everything’.

CHAPTER 17 - once you go in, there's no turning back (hwang in ho x reader)

>> MASTERLIST

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——

You walked with purpose back to the control room, your steps echoing in the sterile hallways. The adrenaline hadn’t left your system yet. The sickening scene still burned in your memory — the way that guard had defiled a corpse, how he didn’t even have the time to beg before you put a bullet through his skull. You dismissed everyone, seeing it was dinner time for the players.

But your mind wasn’t on him anymore. It was on the larger truth — the rot that had festered in this system long before you arrived. 

You returned to the suite where In-ho was already waiting, his mask removed as he sat on the edge of the bed, one hand pinching the bridge of his nose. He looked up the moment you walked in, concern flashing his dark eyes.

“What happened?” His voice was quiet but firm.

You hesitated only for a moment before stepping closer. “In the organ harvesting room,” you started, voice level, though the memory of what you saw still made your stomach coil. “One of the guards was defiling a corpse.”

In-ho stiffened, his jaw tightening. “What?”

“I killed him,” you met his gaze without flinching. “I didn’t hesitate.”

His expression darkened, his hand clenching into a fist against his thigh. “The organ trade itself is something I’ve had to tolerate,” he admitted, exhaling sharply through his nose. “It keeps some of the higher-ups pleased, funds the games even further. But this,” his fingers ran through his hair, the weight of the revelation pressing down on him. “This is unacceptable. It’s… disgusting.”

You nodded, stepping closer, placing a hand gently over his clenched fist. He looked at you, his expression softer, but filled with something deeper — an unspoken anger, a silent promise that he would handle it. His free hand reached up, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, his touch lingering against your cheek. “Are you okay?” He asked, his voice quiet now, laced with something tender now.

You hesitated. Your body had been feeling different lately — tired, restless, an occasional nausea curling in your stomach. The signs were there, but you weren’t ready to say them out loud. You weren’t ready to confirm what you already feared.

“I’m fine,” you lied, forcing a small smile.

His eyes lingered on yours, as if he could see past the mask you wore. But then, just as quickly, his thoughts drifted elsewhere. His grip on your hand tightened. “I need to make an example out of them,” he muttered, his mind already turning toward the next steps. “The guards think they can do whatever they want. That ends now.”

You watched him, the way his mind worked, the way he was already planning the next move to keep everything under control. For a moment, you thought about telling him the truth. About the possibility growing inside you, the uncertainty that gnawed at you.

But instead, you just leaned into his touch, letting the warmth of his palm against your cheek ground you in the present. “You’ll handle it,” you murmured.

His gaze flickered to yours, something soft breaking through his usual hard exterior. “Of course,” he whispered, his thumb tracing lightly along your jawline before he pulled you into a slow, lingering kiss — one that tasted of quiet promises and unspoken truths.

——

Sleep came to you in fragments, restless and fleeting. The weight of the day sat heavy in your bones, but exhaustion was no match for the thoughts clawing at the edges of your mind. Somewhere beside you, In-ho’s steady breathing filled the quiet room, his presence a familiar warmth. He slept deeply, unaware of the turmoil unfurling beside you.

Then, a sharp wave of nausea twisted in your stomach, dragging you from the fragile grasp of sleep. Your eyes snapped open. The room was dark, save for the faint glow of the moon filtering through the heavy curtains. You swallowed hard, willing the discomfort to pass, but it only worsened. The sickening churn in your gut grew unbearable, forcing you to move. 

Carefully, you peeled back the silk sheets, mindful not to wake In-ho. Every small shift of the mattress felt like a risk, but he didn’t stir. His face was soft in the dim light, his mask stripped away in the safety of sleep. For a fleeting moment, you lingered, watching him who looked so peaceful and unguarded.

Then, another wave of nausea struck, violent and unrelenting. You pushed yourself off the bed, your bare feet barely making a sound against the cool floor as you rushed toward the bathroom. The moment you stepped inside, you slammed the door shut with the softest click possible, locking it before stumbling towards the sink.

The nausea tore through you mercilessly. You barely had time to turn the faucet on, letting the rush of water mask the sound as you collapsed in front of the toilet, retching violently. The bitter taste of bile burned your throat, your entire body shuddering as you gripped the porcelain edges for stability.

You squeezed your eyes shut, trying to breathe through the dizziness. Your heart was racing, hammering against your ribs like it knew the truth before your mind was ready to accept it. 

This had been happening for days. The fatigue, the strange unease in your stomach, the shifts in your appetite.

You wiped your mouth with the back of your trembling hand, staring blankly at the water swirling down the sink drain. You wanted to deny it, but the thought had already taken root, curling around your mind like a vice. It explained too much.

Your fingers fumbled to turn off the faucet, your breathing unsteady. For a moment, you just stood there, gripping the counter with white-knuckled hands, trying to center yourself. 

Then, you left the bathroom. Your steps were slow and calculated as you pushed open the door and stepped back into the bedroom. In-ho hadn’t moved. He lay still in the moonlight, his dark hair tousled, his chest rising and falling in an even rhythm.

You hesitated, watching him.

You weren’t ready to tell him. Not yet, anyway.

Quietly, you slipped out of the room, the soft hum of the facility filling your ears as you padded through the halls. The guards stationed outside immediately straightened at the sight of you. Their red masks reflected the dim hallway lights, their bodies rigid with attention.

You exhaled, trying to steady yourself. “I need you to do something for me.”

The two guards exchanged a glance before one of them nodded. “Anything, Overseer.”

You swallowed, forcing your voice to remain firm. “Get me a pregnancy test,” you paused for a moment. Then, with a sharp edge to your words, you added, “And do not let In-ho know.”

The guards hesitated for just a second too long, as if processing your request, but they knew better than to question you. “Yes, ma’am.”

You turned on your heel before you could see their reaction, your pulse thrumming violently beneath your skin as you strode back toward the bedroom. Every second felt like an eternity. You climbed back into bed, lying stiffly beside In-ho, your back turned to him as you stared blankly at the darkness.

You barely noticed when the guard returned. A soft knock at your door. A small package slipped into your hands, no words exchanged. Then, you went to the bathroom again. 

You tore open the box with shaky hands, your breath coming in uneven bursts. The instructions blurred before your eyes, your mind already lost in the storm of possibilities. 

Minutes passed.

An eternity.

And then, there it was.

Two lines.

Positive.

Your stomach lurched, but this time, it was nausea. It was fear. 

Your grip tightened around the small plastic test, your knuckles going white. The world felt too small, too suffocating. The air in the bathroom suddenly too thick.

You were pregnant.

With In-ho’s child.

You let out a shaky exhale, staring at the result, unable to look away. For a long time, you stayed there, your reflection in the mirror staring back at you, eyes wide and unblinking. You should feel something — relief, dread, hope, or even terror. But all you felt was the weight of the unknown, pressing down on you like the walls were closing in.

And for the first time in a long while, you had no idea what to do.

The walls of the bathroom felt too tight — the fluorescent light suddenly too harsh against your skin. You grabbed the pregnancy test with an unsteady grip, shoving it into the pocket of your robe before stepping out of the bathroom, heart pounding like a war drum against your ribs.

In-ho was still asleep. His dark hair spilled across the pillow, his breathing deep and undisturbed. The weight of him, the sheer presence of him, made something heavy settle in your chest. Carefully, you slipped past him, reaching for the heavy balcony doors and pushing them open. The cool night air hit you like a wave, crisp and briny from the sea surrounding the island. The sky stretched infinitely above you, speckled with stars that seemed far too serene for the storm raging inside you.

You gripped the balcony railing, your knuckles turning white.

You’re pregnant with In-ho’s child.

A child that would be born into this — this hellish, blood-soaked world.

Your stomach twisted as you stared out at the dark waves beyond the facility, the gentle crash of the tide doing little to soothe the panic bubbling beneath your skin.

Would this child be raised in the shadows of this place? Would they ever see the real world, or would they only know the cold walls of the Overseer’s domain?

Then, there was the other thought — the one that coiled around your chest like a vice.

In-ho lost his wife. He lost his unborn child.

You never asked him about it in detail, never pressed when you saw the way his gaze darkened at the mention of his past. But you knew it haunted him. And now, here you were, carrying his child. The thought alone made your stomach lurch.

Would he be happy? Would he be terrified? Would he see this as a cruel twist of fate, a ghost of his past resurrected in your womb?

Or worse — would this child be doomed from the start?

You exhaled sharply, running a hand down your face, overwhelmed.

“You should be more careful.”

The voice startled you. It was low, calm, and familiar. Your head snapped to the right, eyes locking into the figure standing a few feet away.

Gi-hun leaned against the railing, dressed in his usual black suit, a cup of tea held loosely in his hands. His posture was relaxed, but his sharp eyes were already studying you. You didn’t even notice him there. How long had he been standing in the shadows?

A heavy silence settled between the two of you, the only sound being the distant crash of the waves. You swallowed, trying to mask your unease. “What are you talking about?”

Gi-hun let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head. “Noticed you haven’t been yourself lately.” You froze as his gaze flickered down your stomach. “I’m not the only one who noticed.”

Your fingers curled into the fabric of your robe, gripping it tightly, as if you could shield yourself from his knowing stare. You wanted to deny it, to brush past the topic, but the look in his eyes told you he wouldn’t buy it. Gi-hun took a slow sip of his tea and then exhaled. “Does In-ho know?”

Your throat went dry. You didn’t answer him, and your silence was enough of an answer for him.

Gi-hun hummed, setting his cup of tea down on the railing, his fingers tapping against the porcelain. His eyes flickered toward the horizon, but you could feel his attention still on you. “You haven’t told him,” he murmured, almost to himself. His tone wasn’t accusatory — just an observation, spoken with quiet certainty. 

“It’s none of your business.”

Gi-hun let out a breathy chuckle. “Maybe not,” he turned slightly, his gaze finding yours again. “But you’re standing here, looking like the weight of the world is crushing you. And I think we both know that it is.”

You clenched your jaw, feeling your chest tighten.

“You’re scared,” you flinched, but his voice remained steady and measured. “Scared of what this means. Scared of what it will do to In-ho. Scared that you’ll lose this child the same way he lost his first one.”

A lump formed in your throat. He wasn’t mocking you nor was he prying. He was just stating the truth that you had been trying to outrun since you first saw the result of the test. 

Gi-hun leaned against the railing, his expression unreadable. “You know, for all the blood on your hands… you still hold onto things that make you human,” his gaze flickered downward, just briefly. “And this? This is the most human thing that could ever happen to you.”

You exhaled shakily, your mind spinning.

“Have you thought about what you’re going to do?” He asked after a moment, his voice quieter now.

The question slammed into you harder than any bullet ever could. You had spent months surviving, fighting, killing — but this? This wasn’t something you could fight your way out of. 

This was life.

You swallowed, forcing yourself to meet his gaze. “No.”

Gi-hun nodded, as if he expected that answer. He didn’t press. Instead, he straightened himself, adjusting the cuffs of his suit. “You should tell him soon,” he murmured. “Secrets have a way of eating people alive. And something tells me that this isn’t one you can keep forever.”

You watched as he turned, picked up his tea, and walked away, disappearing from the balcony as he went back to his room. The wind blew through your hair, the cold air biting against your skin.

You placed a hand over your stomach, your fingers trembling.

Tell him.

The thought alone made your pulse race. Because once you told him, there would be no going back.

——

The morning sun cast a pale glow through the tinted windows of the conference room, stretching long shadows across the polished table. The air inside was thick with unspoken weight, each of you seated in your designated places. In-ho was at the head of the table with you at his right, while Gi-hun was across from you. The three of you, the orchestrators of the games, gathered for another day of calculated cruelty.

A digital screen hummed to life at the far end of the room, displaying live footage of the contestants inside the dormitory. The uneasy silence stretched as you and In-ho studied the screen, watching the slow build of tension amongst the players. The numbers were dwindling, but something was different this season. There was more desperation and paranoia present.

In-ho tapped his fingers against the armrest of his chair, his mask placed beside him. “We need a contingency,” he said. “The moment they turn on each other, we set the special game in motion. A purge, disguised as an opportunity.”

Gi-hun leaned back in his chair, a smirk playing at his lips. “Encouraging savagery before they even step onto the field. Smart.” He reached for a tray beside him, grabbing one of the drinks set out for the meeting. But instead of taking a sip, he slid it across the table — right in front of you.

Your brows furrowed as you glanced down at the cup. It was different from the others. A light, warm shade. You could smell the faint scent of ginger and honey.

You blinked.

This wasn’t coffee. It wasn’t alcohol. It wasn’t even tea.

It was a pregnancy-safe herbal drink.

Slowly, you lifted your gaze, meeting Gi-hun’s eyes. The smirk on his face wasn’t cruel, but it held something else. 

In-ho must have noticed your hesitation because his eyes flickered between you and the cup before settling on Gi-hun. His voice was calm, but his words carried sharp edges. “What is this?”

Gi-hun tilted his head slightly, feigning innocence. “Something nutritious. For someone who should be careful with what they drink.:

The room fell silent. Your throat tightened as you felt In-ho’s gaze shift to you. You could feel his heavy and piercing eyes on you. Your fingers curled against your lap, pressing into the fabric of your pants.

In-ho didn’t look away from you. His voice was quieter this time, but no less intense. “Are you?”

Your breath hitched in your throat. For a moment, you thought about lying. You thought about deflecting, about pretending this wasn’t happening.

But there was no running from this. Not anymore.

“Yes.”

Silence.

You could feel Gi-hun watching, his expression unreadable. But your focus was on In-ho.

His lips parted slightly as if he wanted to say something, but no words came out. His fingers twitched against the table, tightening into a fist before relaxing again. He wasn’t angry. He wasn’t relieved.

He was stunned.

His breath was slow and controlled. But his eyes held something fragile… and raw.

“Out,” In-ho said, his voice calm but final.

Gi-hun sighed, standing up from his chair with an exaggerated stretch. “Well, I’d say that’s enough emotion for one morning,” he downed the last of his drink, tapping the rim of the cup against the table. “Congratulations, by the way.”

You shot him a glare, but he only smirked. Then, with a final knowing glance at In-ho, he turned and strolled out of the conference room, leaving you both.

The door clicked shut behind him.

In-ho turned to face you further as the look in his eyes silenced you. There was no fury nor accusation. 

Just something fragile.

Something like fear.

——

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I’m aiming to finish this by the next five chapters, After that, I’ll be focusing on doing oneshots and maybe a new series soon. I’m curious about what you guys are expecting at the ending of this series, so please feel free to leave out your thoughts here, and I'll gladly interact with each and everyone of you. 🫶

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“We try to honor their deeds, even as their faces fade from our memory.”

CHAPTER 09 - once you go in, there's no turning back (hwang in ho x reader)

>> MASTERLIST

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----

You cupped your hands under the cold stream, letting the water pool on your palms as you brought it up to your face. The coolness sipped into your skin, a brief moment of relief as the tension in your temples eased. Droplets ran down your cheeks as it traced on to your jawline. You looked at yourself in the mirror as you dried yourself up, seeing Jun-hee behind, much to your surprise.

"Jesus, you scared me," your breath hitched as you rubbed the water away from your face using your shirt.

Jun-hee chuckled as you motioned to the side, awaiting her turn as she bowed to you. She moved forward to the sink to check herself in the mirror, then splashed some water on her face. Your skin felt refreshed, though you wished you had your skincare products with you to make you even feel better.

You went behind Jun-hee as both of you walked out of the bathroom, making your way towards the labyrinth of stairs down to the dormitory. You noticed Gi-hun, Jung-bae, Dae-ho, and In-ho already packing the beds, but the mattresses were being placed beneath the bedframes.

"Lights out in ten minutes," the voice said on the speakers. "Please prepare for bedtime."

"Pass it to me," you heard Gi-hun say as you walked near them, seeing them arranging the mattresses like a fort. The mattresses seemed clean, but its dust plumed into the air much to your sneeze as Jung-bae swatted his hand away from the dust.

"Bless you," Jung-bae said to you as you wiped your nose/ You sniffed, feeling the dust still lurking somewhere in your nostrils, only for you to sneeze again.

"God," you complained, turning away from the mattresses. "Please, excuse me."

"Excused," In-ho muttered. His voice was almost low but still audible for you, yeet you chose to ignore it.

"Is this really necessary? I don't like sleeping under there," Jung-bae complained, looking at the mattress being put under the bed with disgust.

"Once the lights go out, somebody might attack us," Gi-hun explained, his eyes fixed on the mattress he was arranging.

"What? Who?" Dae-ho asked, placing a mattress in front as a blockage, while Jun-hee held out the blankets.

"The prize money still goes up if we kill each other," Gi-hun said, his voice dark. "It's part of the game they designed."

"Seems like it," you said, nodding to Gi-hun in agreement. "This wasn't about the games anymore. They clearly want to see us fight up there. Some sort of a test for humanity, something like that."

In-ho scoffed from behind. "I think you're overreacting here. Even if that were true, people wouldn't do that."

As you were about to retort, Gi-hun turned away and faced In-ho, his expression dark but fearful. "In the previous games, dozens of people killed each other at night," Gi-hun pointed to the ground, his words pronounced every detail. "Right here." He sighed deeply as he continued. "You have no idea how people can change in this place."

In-ho looked away, sighing in defeat as he gave a small nod. "All right. I guess I didn't know what I was talking about. I'm sorry."

You raised an eyebrow, sensing his words with no hint of sincerity, as if it was perfectly memorized. Like it was an automatic response. You went back to your senses and listened more to Gi-hun, whose back was turned on In-ho. "Once it's lights out, we need to take turns keeping watch. I'll take the first watch. You should decide the order for the rest."

"I'll take after Gi-hun," Jung-bae raised his hand, then he looked at you and Jun-hee. "Both of you should get a good night's sleep for the rest of the night. It would also be better if you sleep at the bottom for your safety."

"I can handle myself," you assured, waving your hand as if to dismiss the idea. You turned to Jun-hee and gave her a small smile. "You can sleep for the rest of the night, Jun-hee."

Jun-hee nodded as she made her way to the mattress, seemingly wanting to sleep. She needed a lot of rest for her to get ready for the next games, hopefully to make it out in the end.

"I'll take watch after brother Jung-bae," Dae-ho said, giving a salute to Jung-bae, to which he returned. The two marines exchanged handshakes.

"That leaves me then," In-ho said, then he looked at you. "You can take watch after me."

You nodded and proceeded to get your blanket and pillow along with Jun-hee's, deciding to sleep beside her at night to accommodate her needs. You weren't knowledgeable on how to care for a pregnant woman, but you should at least try. You felt a sense of protectiveness for her, tucking her in.

You positioned yourself on the bed, placing a blanket over you. The lights dimmed as the piggy bank's light illuminated around the area. You could feel your eyelids drooping, growing heavier with every passing second. The world around you blurred, the edges of reality softening as your body sank deeper into the mattress. You could feel every muscle in your body ached with fatigue. No matter how hard you tried to stay alert, your body had already decided - there was no fighting it anymore.

----

Sleep had barely settled into your bones before something stirred you awake. Your eyes cracked open sluggishly, your mind swimming through the heavy fog of exhaustion. The world around was still wrapped in darkness, the dim lighting from the piggy bank overhead casting eerie shadows along the bunk beds. Your limbs felt weighted and slow to respond, and cold air stung against your exposed skin, making you shiver.

You slid out of the mattress, careful not to wake Jun-hee up. You rubbed your eyes as you blinked, sluggishly adjusting to reality.

And then, you saw In-ho.

He sat a few feet away, his back straight, his gaze fixed somewhere beyond the sleeping bodies. He barely moved, barely even blinked, his silhouette rigid against the dim glow of the room. The sharp angles of his face were softened by darkness, but there was something unnerving about how still he was.

You moved slowly and quietly as you approached him, only for him not to react much. He didn't even flinch, didn't turn his head, but you knew he was aware of you.

You hesitated before lowering yourself onto the floor beside him, mirroring his posture - leaning back against the bunk, legs stretched out, knees barely grazing. The silence between you was thick, but not suffocating. Not yet, anyway.

"You can sleep," you spoke up as his eyes flicked towards you. "It's my turn to watch."

"The lights will open in a few hours. It's no use to sleep now," In-ho replied as he returned his eyes to the shadows ahead.

You nodded, letting the quiet settle again. You closed your eyes a bit as you could still feel a bit of sense of grogginess, but fixed yourself up when you felt dozing off again.

The room was steeped in silence, save for the occasional rustle of bodies shifting in sleep. The longer you sat there, the more the exhaustion sank into your bones, making your mind wander to places it shouldn't. Your fingers absently traced the fabric of your pants as your thoughts had already slipped somewhere else. Before you could stop it, the memory surfaced - your father.

The same silence. The same kind that used to stretch between you and him, late at night, when you'd wake up and find him sitting alone in the living room, a bottle of beer long gone cold in front of him. He would watch a movie while drinking, enjoying the rest of his night with a cigarette on hand.

You would watch the same movie to help you go back to sleep as he would gesture toward the chair across from him. And you'd sit, just like this, neither of you speaking, both of you staring at the TV in front of you. It was something unspoken, but shared.

You weren't sure why you thought of him now. Maybe it was the stillness. The weight of unspoken things hanging in the air. Or maybe it was In-ho himself - the way he sat there, unreadable, distant in a way that felt too familiar.

The thought made your chest tighten, your throat constricting around something you weren't ready to name.

"Appa used to sit like this," you murmured before you could stop yourself.

You felt In-ho shift beside you - just barely, just enough that you knew he had heard. He didn't turn to face you, didn't press for more, but he was listening.

Your fingers curled slightly against your knee as you exhaled. You didn't mead to say it, but now the words were out, lingering between you both, impossible to take back.

"He'd just sit there at night while watching a movie, thinking about things he never talked about."

In-ho didn't speak, but his breathing was steady, his presence solid beside you. The moment stretched, heavy with something neither of you had the energy to unpack.

"He passed away recently," you swallowed, feeling an ache on your chest. In-ho's faze flickered toward you, seeing his eyes with shock and... worry. "Hemorrhagic stroke. I was getting ready for work when eomma called me and said that they rushed him to the hospital. He suddenly felt dizzy and passed out in the ambulance. The doctors said he was in critical condition," you felt tears forming in your eyes as your voice cracked. "I rushed to the emergency room that day. The doctors said they couldn't do a surgery on him anymore. There was no brain activity anymore and his body was only relying to the machine. We went home and waited for more news. It took a while for us to decide but then..."

Your voice cracked, and before you knew it, the tears came - hot, unstoppable, burning their way down your cheeks. You bit down on your lip as if that would keep the sob from escaping, but it only made your shoulders shake harder, your breath coming in sharp, uneven gasps.

"When we were on the way back to the hospital, the doctors tried to revive him twice. As if he was waiting for us. When we arrived, we decided to take the medicines off and let him pass naturally. And just like that, in just a few hours, he was gone."

It wasn't just the fact that he was gone. The fact that life had ripped him away from you, without warning, without time to prepare. That there had been so many things left unsaid, so many moments you thought you'd have, but never would.

You pressed the heels of your palms against your eyes, trying to smother the sobs, trying to control yourself, but it was useless. You weren't just crying - you were breaking, unraveling right in front of him.

In-ho was still silent. But he hadn't left.

His fingers twitched slightly against his knee, like he had considered doing something - but in the end, he stayed still.

You sucked in a breath, swallowing back another sob. "I don't even know why I'm telling you this," you whispered, your voice raw, shaking.

For a moment, you thought he wouldn't respond. But then, softly, he said, "Because he mattered."

You blinked, fresh tears slipping down your cheeks.

In-ho exhaled, tilting his head slightly, his gaze fixed on the floor. "People like that... they don't really leave us. They just... stop being where we can reach them."

Something about the way he said it made your breath catch. It sounded too familiar, too knowing, like he was speaking from experience.

You wiped your tears away with your sleeve, trying to steady yourself, but the weight in your chest didn't disappear. It wouldn't, not for a long time.

In-ho didn't offer anything else. No empty reassurances. No forced words of sympathy.

But he stayed. And somehow, that was enough.

You could feel his gaze on you, heavy and assessing, but he didn't speak. You turned your face away as if hiding it would somehow take away the humiliation of breaking in front of him.

In-ho's fingers ghosted over your wrist before retreating, hesitant, like even the smallest act of comfort was something foreign to him.

You sniffled, forcing a shaky breath. "You don't have to pretend to care."

In-ho exhaled through his nose, something like amusement, something like frustration. "I'm not pretending."

You turned to him, expecting coldness, indifference. But instead, you found something else. His gaze was unreadable, but there was something softer, something hesitant in the way his lips parted like he wanted to say more but wouldn't.

And then, you felt his lips against yours. It was brief, deliberate. Not desperate, not hurried - but real.

His lips were warm against yours, and for the first time in what felt like forever, you didn't feel cold. His grip on you tightened as he pulled you closer, surrendering to the moment.

But then, the light came on. The bright, harsh, unforgiving light illuminating the room.

You barely had time to register the words before In-ho pulled away, the warmth between you vanishing as quickly as it had come. His expression was unreadable again, as if the moment had never happened.

"The third game will begin momentarily. All players, please get out of bed and get ready."

----

The moment the heavy doors slid open, a stark sterile brightness spilled into the corridor, making you squint against the sudden change. The space beyond was massive, eerily open, the kind of emptiness that felt designed to make you feel small.

In the center of the room stood a series of platforms and narrow walkways, forming an intricate maze-like pattern, interconnected in ways that felt delibrate, calculated. At first glance, there seemed to be no immediate danger - no spikes, no pits, no obvious traps.

"Welcome to your third game. The game you will be playing is Mingle."

You looked around as you saw the doors around the place, each with different colors. If this was Mingle, then you would be grouping yourselves, pairing up, and choosing sides. This game could be to form alliances, or something worse - something to force you into connections you wouldn't want.

"All players, please step onto the center platform. When the game starts, the platform will begin to rotate and you will hear a number. You must form groups of that size, go into the rooms, and close the door within 30 seconds."

"Oh, this game? We used to play something similar on school trips," Jung-bae spoke up. "We formed groups by hugging."

"Yeah, instead of hugging, we go into those rooms," Dae-ho pointed at the doors.

In-ho, Y/N, Gi-hun, Jung-bae, Dae-ho, Jun-hee.

"If the number is six, we can stay together," you said, earning a nod from each of your group. "We can be divided by three and two. So that wouldn't be a problem."

"If it's two, you and me pair up," In-ho stated with no hesitation. Before you could react, he leaned in and wrapped his hand around yours steadily and certain.

Your breath hitched, but you didn't pull away. The words sent a sharp jolt through your chest - not from fear, not from surprise, but from the way he didn't phrase it as a question. He wasn't asking. He was deciding.

His grip was firm, not forceful, but final. Like he had already made the choice for you - like he wouldn't let you end up with anyone else.

Your eyes flicked up just in time to catch the others watching. Gi-hun, Jung-bae, Dae-ho, even Jun-hee noticed. The way In-ho held your hand. The way he had spoken so casualy, so sure as if it was obvious. The way you didn't pull away.

Gi-hun's expression tightened, his brows furrowing just slightly, as if he was trying to understand what he had just seen. You could feel the weight of their silent questions. But In-ho didn't look at them, as if he didn't care. He didn't acknowledge their glances. He just kept his grip on your hand, his thumb resting lightly against your skin.

Gi-hun seemed to shake away his thoughts, focusing on the game ahead instead. "If the number is bigger than six, we'll get the additional people we need."

"Yeah, we have Geum-ja, Hyun-ju, Yong-sik, and Young-mi. These rooms look like it could only fit up to ten people," you replied, earning a nod from Gi-hun.

"No matter what happens, don't panic. Let's stay calm," In-ho said, his hand still not pulling away from yours. "We'll all make it out together here."

One by one, your hands with the others pressed against each other, stacking in a firm, unspoken pact. The weight of each palm settled atop the next, fingers brushing, gripping, grounding. The warmth of skin against skin was a quiet promise - whatever happened next, you were all in this together.

"Victory at all costs!"

"Let the game begin."

The first bell-like chime rang out. The platform moved with the players on it. The gasps echoed from the room as you heard the song, "Round and Round" play on the background.

Dunggeulge dunggeulge Dunggeulge dunggeulge Binggeulbinggeul doragamyeo chumeul chupsida

Beside you, In-ho stood perfectly still, his gaze fixed ahead, his posture unreadable. You glanced down to find his hand was still holding yours, fingers curled loosely but solidly around yours. You hadn't let go, neither of you had.

Sonppyeogeul chimyeonseo Noraereul bureumyeo La-la-la-la, jeulgeoupge chumchuja

You tightened your grip to In-ho as you could feel your insides shaking, terrified of what was next. You could already anticipate the chaos it would entail once the music stops, trying to force your way into those doors.

Ring-a-ring-a, ring-a, ring-a-ring-a, ring Ring-a-ring-a, ring-a, ring-a-ring-a, ring Sone soneul japgo modu da hamkke Jeulgeoupge ttwieo bopsida

Your stomach tightened upon hearing the music stop. Then, the numbers flashed across the screen. The platform clunked, almost sending you to the ground but failed, thanks to In-ho's grip on you.

"Ten."

You barely had time to think as you watched the players around you scramble, hands reaching out to others as they searched for a sense of safety in numbers. Your heart raced. You knew you had to act fast. In this game, alliances would form and be broken in a split second. There was no in between.

In-ho was beside you, his grip on your hand stayed. The pressure was mounting with each passing second. You could see the other players eyeing each other, trying to gauge who would be an asset and who might be a liability.

Without hesitation, you grabbed Jun-hee, Gi-hun, Jung-bae, and Dae-ho as you grouped yourselves together with In-ho. Gi-hun approached Hyun-ju, seeing they were four which was perfect for a group of ten.

"There's no time, Gi-hun," In-ho said as he gripped your hand tighter and ran to a door, the group following you. The green door opened and revealed the green walls around you, panting as you entered.

The timer beeped as the latch clicked, indicating the door has been locked. You peeked through the hole and saw that there were still players outside, sparing for their lives as the guards aimed their guns at them, gunshots echoing through the room.

You froze, seeing the bodies drop to the ground. You felt someone grab you from the side, burying your head over their chest. You sensed it was In-ho as his breath was shallow against your ear as he whispered something you couldn't quite make out, something low and protective.

There was only the sound of bodies hitting the floor, and the quiet safety of being pressed into him, as if you were tucked away from the madness. And in the midst of the chaos, his chest was the only thing you could hold onto, the only thing that could remind you that there was still something human, something warm, in a world that was falling apart.

"The following players have been eliminated: Players 013, 043, 049, 054, 060..."

As the doors unlocked, only the blood remained around the floor. The bodies were no longer there, enough for you to think whether seeing the lives taken away were just a dream. In the span of moments, the tension in the air shifted from uncertainty to something else entirely - a realization that the number didn't just matter for the game; they mattered for your survival.

----

At this point, you weren't sure anymore how you were able to survive the next rounds. It's as if you were just breathing and passing the time, only this time, your life was at stake. At first, it had been difficult to watch. The gunshots, the screams - it had shaken something deep inside you. But now, it was just another sound in the background of this twisted game. A signal that the rules had already been set - only the storng survive.

You had long stopped reacting, long stopped feeling the sting of it. It was as if you had slipped into a place where you could no longer be touched, where nothing mattered but survival.

"There are 126 people left and there are 50 rooms. So there won't be enough rooms for everyone, only for 100 people," you told your group as you scanned the room. "The rest will be killed."

Gi-hun seemed to look at you in horror, as if shocked to hear about your casualty on talking about killing. You kept your gaze in front of you much to his horror. But In-ho, he was more amused.

The platform rumbled, indicating that it was time to pair up.

"Two."

In-ho instinctively grabbed your hand as both of you ran to find empty rooms. The others around were still floundering, unsure of their next move. Your senses were full now, numbed by the constant violence, as if something deep inside you had already switched off. You had seen too much, felt too much, and the pain and fear had begun to fade away, replaced by something darker, colder.

This wasn't about survival anymore. This was about the true unraveling of human nature, something you were finally starting to understand.

As the players slowly paired up, you saw another playing trying to make his way toward a room, a look of uncertainty in his eyes. He was too close to that room that should've belonged to you and In-ho.

In-ho didn't hesitate. Without a warning, he stepped forward and grabbed the man by the collar, dragging him out of the room as he tried to make his way inside.

"What the hell? Let go of me!" Player 285 screamed as In-ho held him back.

"Get in!" In-ho ordered you and rushed inside, only to see another player already inside.

In-ho followed after he threw Player 285 out of the way, seeing Player 343 there.

"Get out," In-ho commanded, his voice deep and low.

"We were here first," Player 343 retorted.

You stepped forward as your hands came into a fist. Player 343's eyes widened in confusion. You didn't give him the chance to fight.

Player 343 was looking at you, their gaze cautious. It wasn't a look of fear - not yet. But it would be soon. He shifted in front of you nervously, eyes daring between you and In-ho, but he didn't know.

He didn't know what you were becoming.

In-ho was just there, just a few steps behind you. It wasn't like he was holding you back, but there was an unspoken understanding between you. He sensed it, didn't he? The change. The shift that was slowly creeping over you, turning your survival instincts into something much darker.

You were no longer just fighting to survive - you were becoming the predator. And Player 343? He was nothing but a prey now.

You didn't hesitate. His neck snapped easily under your fingers, the crack of bones loud in the stillness, his body crumpling at your feet. His body dropped to the ground, lifeless, in a heap of twisted limbs. The silence between you and In-ho felt deafening.

As you turned to look at In-ho, you felt his eyes on you - steady and unblinkingg. He wasn't surprised. He wasn't even acknowledging you. But you could feel the quiet recognition he had of what you were becoming.

"I never taught you how to kill someone for a game," In-ho said, his voice low, his gaze briefly flickering to the body at your feet before he stepped closer.

You blinked, the words settling into the space between you, but you didn't answer. Instead, you felt his fingers gently press against your skin, just above your pulse. His touch was strangely familiar, like it had always been there, like you hadn't notiveed how much you craved it until now.

In-ho cupped your face, his thumb tracing your jawline as if committing the feeling of you to memory. And in that moment, everything else - the game, the players, the chaos - faded away. There was only the quiet intensity between you.

He leaned in, his lips just a whisper away from yours, and for the first time in what felt like forever, you felt something real.

"Do you still have my ring?" He asked, his breath warm against your lips.

His words stung as you stood there with him, realizing that he had remembered it all along. You knew that you were no longer afraid of who you had become.

Without thinking, you closed the space between you, your lips crashing into his with a force that sent shockwaves through your body. It was intense, desperate - a kiss that was as much about claiming as it was about understanding.

His body was pushed against the wall as his hands were on your back now, pulling you closer, his touch burning through the fabric of your clothes as if he was marking you as his own. His lips were demanding, like he couldn't get enough, as if he had been waiting for this moment just as much as you had.

The kiss deepened, a quiet growl of frustration escaping him as you matched his urgency, your hands threading through his hair, pulling him closer still.

In-ho pulled back just enough to breathe, his forehead resting against yours. He was panting, just like you, as if the kiss had taken all the air from both of you. "You're learning fast from all the game."

The moment between you lingered, a ting of happiness on your chest yet the realization of who you had become felt heavy. The realization of the game not just killing the players, but how it could change them. And for the first time, you understood. The brutality, the death, the constant tension - they weren't just part of the game. They were a mirror, reflecting the truth about human nature.

When pushed far enough, we all become what we fear the most.

You had become the villain as the game progressed. It wasn't about power, it was because you had finally accepted the truth. In a world like this, the ones who survive aren't the ones who cling to their humanity - they're the ones who shed it and embrace the darkness inside.

You were already too far gone to turn back.

"Let's finish this together," you whispered, your words a promise, and you knew deep down, that you were both already lost in the game. "No more lies?"

In-ho nodded, cupping your face with his hand, and gave you the softest smile you haven't seen for years. "No more lies."

----

A/N: And so, we're back! The past few days have been hectic. I added a little update of my dad's condition to this chapter as a way of updating you guys on what happened. But yeah, I hope y'all enjoy the rest of the chapter as we progress Y/N and In-ho's relationship in the fic. Feel free to leave out your thoughts here, and I'll gladly interact with each and everyone of you. 🫶

Don't forget to leave a comment in this post to be tagged on the next chapter! ✨

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