synopsis: daeho loves you, but realizes that everyone else loves you too when you score the winning championship goal
warnings: no squid games AU! reader is a footballer (soccer player), fluff, many squid game characters mentioned in this AU.
40,000 souls sit around daeho in the stadium.
everyone's cheers and chants are weaving into a deafening sound that vibrates through his bones. including your own too as you stand on the pitch.
you're sweat-soaked and breathless, your legs heavy like lead after playing since the 45th minute.
the scoreboard glares down at you.
2-2, extra time, 120th minute.
the other team scored first in the 37th, and luckily saebyeok scored before she got subbed off in the 70th minute for noeul. this championship game is apart of the annual tournament that happens every year. think of this like a champions league title.
this match has stretched every nerve in your body to its limit.
as a left winger for the city’s biggest club, you’ve danced with the ball, darted past defenders, and delivered crosses that nearly broke the deadlock.
now, with penalties looming, the weight of the moment presses against your chest.
you’re tired, so tired, but you’re on the penalty kicker list, and you know you’ll stay on the pitch until the end... or if an injury comes.
when the whistle shrieks, signaling the end of extra time, you knew that it was time for penalties.
your heart lurches, but you force a slow breath, grounding yourself. the crowd’s noise swells, a wave of anticipation flooding through everyone's chest.
you turn instinctively, your eyes scanning the stands for the one person who keeps you calm in moments like this.
daeho. he’s there, unmistakable in your black number 7 jersey, his broad smile cutting through the chaos of the supports in the crowd.
your fiancé is throwing heart signals with his hands, his fingers forming clumsy but earnest shapes that make your lips twitch into a smile despite the exhaustion.
you raise a hand at daeho, waving back, your heart swelling at the sight of him.
daeho used to be your childhood friend who lived just down the street, who knew you when you were all scraped knees and wild dreams of soccer stardom.
now he’s here, and yours, surrounded by his friends... your friends now, too, a family forged through years of happy moments.
next to daeho stands jungbae, older, steady, a father figure to him with his funny wisdom and warm laugh. hyunju, your closest friend off the pitch, is there too, her eyes bright with pride as she cheers for you.
yong-sik and geum-ja, daeho’s longtime friend and his mother, are beside hyunju, their voices lost in the crowd but their presence a comfort.
they’re all here for you, this patchwork family that’s grown around you like ivy... aka strong.
“i’m up first to kick,” noeul says, cutting off your moment. the woman's voice is trembling as she jogs up to you.
your defensive teammate’s usually unshakable confidence is wavering, with her dark eyes wide with nerves. y
ou stop waving at daeho and turn to her, forcing a grin.
“yeah, because you’re our best penalty kicker,” you counter, your tone light but firm, trying to bolster her.
noeul’s lips quirk, but the tension doesn’t leave her shoulders. before you can say more, jiyeong and sae-byeok... your teammates who are so obviously not dating, despite the lingering looks and subtle touches everyone pretends not to notice... run up, their energy electric and exciting since they're confident in their girls.
“good luck bitches!” jiyeong calls, her voice bright, while sae-byeok claps you and noeul on the shoulders, her grip strong. the rest of the penalty kickers follow... mi-na, maxine, yeonjoo, alexia, and the others. twenty-two women stand on the pitch, eleven women between each team on the pitch.
all want to win for their team.
your teammates, noeul being captain, form a huddle, arms slung around each other, a fortress of black jerseys against the cyan blue jerseys that the other team wear.
as the team disperses to line up for penalties, you take your place among them, your back to the stands where daeho watches.
you don’t see him, but you feel his gaze like sunlight on your skin. he’s watching you, you know he is, admiring the way you stand, one arm draped around noeul, the other around mi-na.
your stance is confident, even if your body screams for rest.
daeho’s always said he loves that about you... how you carry yourself, how you face pressure head-on, even when it feels like the world is watching.
they are.
the penalties begin, and the stadium holds its breath.
noeul steps up first, her shot clean and true, the ball slamming into the net. the crowd erupts, and you squeeze mi-na’s shoulder, a silent cheer as all of your teammates scream all types of profanities ("lets fucking goooo") in excitement.
the opposing team answers, their kicker matching noeul’s precision. back and forth it goes, each kick a heartbeat, each save or goal shifting the momentum.
by the time it’s 7-7, your pulse is a drumbeat in your ears when the cnterback on the other team misses her penalty.
you’re up next.
the eighth kicker.
the one who could decide it all since the other girl on the opposite side missed.
you step forward, the ball at your feet, the world narrowing so you ignore the eyes all on you.
40,000 spectators, thousands more watching on television, their eyes burning into you.
you feel the weight of it, the expectation, the hope, the fear.
it sits on your shoulders, heavy.
daeho knows this about you... how you let the world’s weight settle there, how you carry it because you believe you can. he’s seen it since you were kids, when you’d race him down the street, your laughter trailing behind him like a shadow.
you glance up at the big screen. there’s your face, larger than life, your expression focused but soft, your eyes sharp.
daeho’s watching that same screen, his breath catching at the sight of you.
he’s always thought you were beautiful, but in this moment so sweat-streaked, determined, standing tall under the stadium lights... you’re radiant.
daeho leans forward while standing in-front of in his seat, hands clasped tightly, his heart pounding in time with yours.
the opposing goalkeeper is studying her water bottle, her eyes flicking between it and you. you know what that bottle holds... notes, maybe, on your kicking habits, your tendencies.
you’ve faced her before, studied her too in past seasons.
she’s good, quick to her right, but you’ve been coached on how she hesitates on low shots to her left.
you take a deep breath, then another, steadying yourself.
the whistle blows.
you back up, your steps measured, your eyes locked on the goal. the crowd fades to a distant hum. it’s just you, the ball, and the keeper. you run, your body moving on instinct, muscle memory honed by years of practice.
your foot connects with the ball, a clean strike, sending it soaring to the right... her left, low and precise. the goalkeeper dives right, just as you’d hoped, her fingers grazing the air where the ball isn’t.
it hits the net, the sound final.
the stadium explodes. your teammates scream, a wave of black jerseys rushing toward you. you’re running too, toward the corner flag, your arms outstretched, your heart a wildfire.
they all catch up, piling onto you, their laughter and shouts blending into a single, joyous cacophony.
you’re buried under their weight, their arms, their love, but you’re laughing, breathless, alive.
you’re champions.
as your teammates start to drift back, giving you space to breathe, you turn toward the stands since you wanted to see that one person.
daeho’s already moving, breaking away from jungbae, hyunju, yong-sik, and geum-ja. the man's eyes are locked on you, bright with pride and with love.
he’s halfway down the bleacher stairs when a security guard steps in front of him, arm outstretched.
“sorry, sir, you can’t pass—”
“no no, he’s with me!” you call out, your voice cutting through the noise.
the guard glances at you, then steps aside, and daeho vaults over the barrier with an ease that makes your heart skip.
he’s on the field in seconds, his arms wrapping around you, lifting you slightly as you laugh.
“we won!” you say, your hands clutching his shoulders.
“you won!” he replies, his grin wide, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
he presses a kiss to your temple, soft and warm, and you feel it like a spark, igniting something deep in your chest.
hand in hand, you run toward the center of the field, where your teammates are still celebrating, the crowd’s cheers washing over you like a tide.
“you were incredible, everyone loves you!” he says as you slow down the running, his voice low, meant just for you.
“you were here,” you reply, “that love is what matters to me.”
had a few dreams about you, can’t tell you what we did ノ kang daeho x fem!reader
cw: 18+. forced domestication(?). sort of toxic relationship. manipulation. implied/referenced abuse. yandere!reader if you squint.
daeho is too nice for his own good. pliable and soft in all places. you’ve liked and known that about him ever since.
it’s the cause of all your problems too.
you feel like you’ve forced him to notice you even when you were already a constant in his life. being friends with one of her sisters was a plus, yet you still felt like that wasn’t enough. but you can work with that— you’d go the extra mile just for him.
that’s why you’ve gotten closer to him throughout the years. out of genuine curiosity and not because you’ve liked him for so long that it’s left a gaping hole in your chest.
you feel like he had caught up on it. on one of the nights where you let him and two of his sisters into your house after their father had lost his shit— not unusual. your parents knew all about it, that’s why the kang sisters and their son were always welcome in your home.
you were just about to hang up a call with your mother after she asked you if they were okay. you reassured her they were. and it was jarring, really. fucked up that your friends had to deal with the brunt of a manchild who couldn’t control his anger. you wish you could do more than lending them a home when things got unbearable with their dad.
your overthinking was halted by the sound of footsteps, so distinct you felt crazy recognizing who it was without looking. so you bid goodbye to your mother and reassured you’d take care of the kangs’ in the meantime. when you ended the call, you turned to look at daeho standing barely a few feet away from you.
you waited for him to speak, but he still had that far away look in his eyes; like he was processing what happened just a few hours ago. it truly pained you seeing him like this.
you wanted (and you would) take the hurt away from him. in whatever way it was presented.
“you alright?” you broke the silence as gently as you could, the knot in your stomach tightening uncomfortably as you saw daeho flinch at the sound of your voice. his reaction made you feel ten times worse. just how bad things are in the kang household for him to react like this at the sound of someone’s voice?
“um– yeah, i’m okay,” he stammered, not even trying to look into your worried gaze. he already felt like such a burden on you and his sisters, invading your space so late at night, even when you reassured them it was more than fine. he genuinely hated how this was routine now.
you noticed his apprehension, so you quickly switched topics. “are you hungry?” you asked in hopes of keeping him away from whatever thoughts he was starting to have. you kind of knew him like the back of your hand at that point, you just had to pull him back to the present.
daeho finally found it in him to look at you, and he felt some sort of relief when there was no trace of pity in your face. he didn’t trust his voice enough to speak again, so he shook his head in response.
you pursed your lips at that. trying not to let your disappointment show at his adamancy to speak. “it’s not too late to have dinner, y’know?” you still pushed. gently, ‘cause you really worried about him and his well-being. “it’s only ten pm after all.”
daeho wanted to find your insistence annoying, but it truly wasn’t. the fact that you still received him and his sisters so late spoke volumes about you and your kindness. he wished he could do the same to you, return everything you’ve given him, but that felt almost impossible right now.
at his silence, you kept speaking. “i can order pizza for all of us,” you insisted softly. you could tell you were slowly gaining his attention back at the mention of eating dinner together with his sisters. it was a small victory, but a victory nonetheless.
you felt lighter when you watched daeho nod at your suggestion, so you squeezed your hand around his arm reassuringly. “ask your sisters which toppings they want,” sending him back to the guest room with a gentle nudge before squeezing his arm again. “you’re okay.”
your reassurance made him feel a bit better. daeho managed to whisper a quiet ’thank you’, squeezing your hand back before he walked towards the guest bedroom.
after dinner and when everyone had gone to bed, you realized that you wanted to do this more. you wanted to take care of daeho as much as you could. take every person who has wronged and hurt him out of his life. friend, family, or whoever the fuck they were, you wanted them gone. no one truly deserved him.
not even you did. but the difference was that you'll do anything to be worthy of him.
so that’s what you do. it takes you months for everything to finally work your way, for daeho to see you differently than a close family friend. you eventually manage to worm your way into his heart after so many years of trying, and it’s never felt so gratifying.
while your relationship began to blossom into something more than friends, you slowly started to convince him that your company was the only one he’d ever need. his sisters and mother a close second after you. the rest be damned. especially his dad. he could die for all you cared.
once you succeed in singling out every person who didn’t seem worthy of daeho in any shape or form, it’s when you present the idea of letting him move into your house. a very quaint apartment— a result of your hard work and love for him. different from your parents’ home, and away from any memory that could possibly haunt him.
after a few months of him moving in and finally being able to call him yours, you suggest something that’s been running through your mind ever since you started to date him.
“you should quit your job,” you said, your back turned to him as you washed the dishes, daeho sitting by the counter of your kitchen as he watched you do your thing in complete silence. “you don’t look like you’re happy in it.” you lied. he didn’t look miserable per se, but he didn’t seem like he was doing fine either.
you waited for an answer as you kept washing the dishes. it came in the form of him shuffling slightly in his seat. “i don’t know,” daeho hummed deeply in thought, tapping his fingers on the marble counter. “it’s not that bad.”
“but it’s not incredible either,” you placed another plate on the dish rack and took another one from the pile. “you could do better.”
“like what?” daeho asked with a raised eyebrow. he didn’t dare to tell you your suggestion sounded really stupid. he was doing fine. his job wasn’t the best, that he admits. but the pay wasn’t terrible. it was enough to sustain the two of you.
“stay home,” you said, the loud clinking of plates filling the brief silence that had elongated between you. “i can take care of everything.”
daeho frowned at your words. your idea was fucking terrible. and it reminded him of the bum that he used to call a father— who let his mother take the brunt of everything, from bills to scholarships to taking care of 5 children all on her own. he wasn’t going to turn into the carbon copy of the person who did nothing for him for as long as he lived. he refused to.
he didn’t want you to deal with everything yourself either.
“i know what you’re thinking,” you spoke without looking at him, your attention still focused on the task ahead. “and it’s not like that at all. i’m serious.”
“i just don’t want—”
“you’re nothing like him,” you cut off his train of thought instantly. “at all. get that through your skull, ‘kay?” you sighed before dropping the plate you were just washing in the sink, turning around to look at him. “i love you, daeho. i really do. and i’m willing to do anything for you to live comfortably.”
he stayed silent, feeling like his heart was about to burst at how easily it was for you to tell him you loved him. he still couldn’t get used to it, even after a few months of dating you.
“just think about it?” you murmured, drying your hands on your shirt before leaning over the counter to place a chaste kiss against his lips. daeho nodded his head and placed another kiss at the corner of your mouth before you pulled away.
you know daeho didn’t even consider it a few days after that. you didn’t want to insist and risk annoying him, but you still prodded as gently and innocently as you could. maybe trying to disarm him as much as you can could work. you’ve done it for years anyway.
not even a week after your suggestion, daeho started to look genuinely exhausted whenever he’d come back for work. it made your heart soar, in a way. your words worked their magic before you even did something about it. to you, it meant he listened to your worries (despite how selfish they sounded. but you didn’t care. you meant it when you said you wanted to take care of him.)
after that, everything started to fall into place. daeho, albeit a bit begrudgingly, quit his job. you took care of every single, miniscule thing around the house, yet daeho helped anyway. you’d sometimes argue with him about it— only because you wanted to reassure him that there was absolutely nothing about him that resembled his father.
you couldn’t begin to explain how happy you felt that this was your life now. the man you’ve loved for so many years was yours, sharing a space with you. spending his time with you.
nothing could possibly bother you. not even his so-called friends and old co-workers trying to get in contact with him after he’d (you) cut all ties with them. things worked in your favor in the end, and that’s all you could think about.
you came home after a long day, not expecting to see daeho waiting for you on the couch. you could tell something was bothering him, judging by the slight furrow in his brow. you dropped your purse somewhere on the floor before you sat with him on the couch. you suddenly wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him closer to you. not even waiting for him to say what was on his mind.
you shushed him softly, even when he hadn’t said a word since your arrival, pressing his face against your chest. “you’re okay.” you murmured, brushing your fingers through his hair. “don’t worry about anything anymore.”
daeho remained silent, yet he still wrapped his arms around your waist as tightly as he could.
he wouldn’t dare to admit you’ve ruined his life. but even then, you’ve given him the most comfort he’s ever received. you’re all he has now, after all.
that’s not going to change anytime soon. or at all.
i’ll do anything for you ୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ dae-ho ( 388) x fem!reader
summary: during a round of mingle, dae-ho meets someone very interesting who seems to also be very beautiful; although, looks can be very deceiving.
word count: 3.9k
warnings; mentioned of guns, shooting, blood, slight obsession but it’s never outright said.
mingle. the game that where to test loyalty, understanding, and where your true intentions lie.
looking around, dae-ho and his small team of players he liked to call friends were out on a pedestal when another player came alone. she’d been begging for help and showing her tremendous flaw.
she’d been pregnant.
what was he to say to that? if and when he gets out of here and he brings up he said no to a pregnant woman, very soon to be mom, his sisters would light him up.
spinning around the room on the plate along with everyone else who’s managed to survive in this messed up situation. they’d all grouped up with each other to make sure they knew where everyone was, and what the plan was.
jun-hee hunched over in pain, she’d been tired all day and the light before was no help, dae-ho asked how she slept and she stated she tried to sleep but couldn’t because of the pain in her legs and back.
he felt horrible for her and even more horrible that he had that cursing reminder of his choice to stay still labeled on his jacket.
‘what do we do if it’s two..’ dae-ho asked in worry. gi-hun looked at him in a hurry and turned to 001 next, he let his mouth hang a second before gi-hun picked up—
‘there’s seven of us..six of us have a group and that leaves…’
‘only one without someone’ 001 mumbled while looking at gi-hun, he looked over at each of everyone just when the spinner stopped.
‘two!’ the woman's voice yelled. everyone became rushed. worried, panicked and frightened.
dae-ho looked at his group, he had this heroic persona and knew what he had to do, he knew what he wanted to do—‘you all go! i’ll find someone!’ he yelled before running and reassuring everyone, his hand giving a tight squeeze for gi-hun and jun-hee.
‘one!’ he yelled while everyone ran past him to get a room and he started to panic. the timer seemed to go faster than before and he didn’t know what to do. his breath quickened in a fastened past, his mind was hurting beyond comprehension.
‘one?’ a voice spoke. a very soft voice if anything.
turning to the side to see a s/c woman with h/l hair, he nodded and knew it wasn’t time to study anyone or question why their here, it’s only time to find a room and survive.
grabbing her wrist and finding an open room before the timer went off he slapped it shut on someone’s face and cringed immediately.
their screams echoed on the other side of the door and he covered his ears in a quick motion. the girl in the room stayed silent, giving him time to breathe and try and erase the sound of distant shots being fired just outside the room before them.
she noticed how bad he shook and she bit her lip a bit, unsure of what to do.
‘it’s okay…’ she whispered. stepping over to him and letting her hand ghostly run down his shoulder she didn’t want to touch him but she wanted to comfort him.
she noticed how he seemed to realize this and let his hands slowly fall from his ears. looking at her with the slightest bit of warmth, she gave a small smile and nodded. the doors unlocking all in sync with the same clicking noise throughout the room, everyone opened the doors.
dae-ho opened the door for the two and looked outside, his friends all smiling and looking at him as they walked to each other to group up. before he left however, he turned to look at the new girl.
‘you have anyone?’ he wondered. she looked at him and smiled, shaking her head.
‘no..i’ve been on my own since i got here..i don’t know anyone and don’t know who to trust really…’ she spoke, he smiled and nodded his eyes and turned to his friends.
‘come on, trust me. you’ll like them. everyone is very nice and funny at times’ he says while turning his body and tilting his head in their direction.
smiling and walking with him, he grouped up and reassured everyone how this new girl basically saved his life almost right before the timer went off.
‘oh! she looks so sweet too!’ geum-ja gushed while making her way over to her with her son locked in on her arm. smiling, the girl thanked her deeply.
‘she’s right, what’s your name?’ gi-hun asked and wondered while he studied her. something about her reminded him of someone. he couldn’t place it, not well anyway, and especially not now.
‘oh, i’m l/n y/n’ she gave a smile to everyone, 001 however, had been stone cold since she’d walked over which was different from how he was just smiling with others, she seemed to return this expression.
‘a beautiful name for a beautiful girl! aw! my son would be lucky to have someone like you, huh! yong-sik?’ geum-ja shook her sons arm while he apologized to y/n who seemed to be blushing and laughing at the same time. dae-ho smiled and realized how y/n didn’t move an inch from next to him.
a weird feeling made him feel like he was someone who’d been saved and she was his hero of the day. if he were back at home he’d have his sister draw her as a badass superhero you see in action movies.
he smiled to himself as she waved her hand to brush off the son’s apology for his mothers comments as they all made their ways back to the bigger room.
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆
sitting in their beds, hours after getting back, gi-hun had mentioned his master plan to put an end to the games. the amount of people had leveled out too perfectly, 50/50 knowing almost 13 in each team died.
dae-ho had been willing—more than willing, to help the bunch. he wanted to put an end to this and knew his past marine help would further support their efforts.
the others making a plan on how to set this in motion, dae-ho walked over to hyun-ju who’d been crying silently with a still face.
‘you okay?’ he wondered. sitting down next to her while she looked over at him—‘huh? oh..no? not really’ she sadly laughed and sniffed.
‘what happened?’ immediately filled with worry, dae-ho turned to hyun-ju and tried to get more out of her to understand but failed and didn’t want to push.
looking over his shoulder to see y/n, looking at him before she turned her head to get the fact she was caught out of her mind, hoping he didn’t realize her…he did.
he was a bit startled if anything. something about her eyes were so translucent and voided, but also full and tired. he wouldn’t lie to himself, she had beautiful eyes, she was a very beautiful person and if anything in any other circumstances he’d probably get his sisters to ask her out for him.
but they weren’t here, and these weren’t the right circumstances.
‘dae-ho..come over, we need to talk about it.’ gi-hun tilts his head to the side leaving dae-ho confused.
talk about what? what was this ‘it’ that they needed to talk about and why now when the next game is not too far away.
standing up and walking over silently they all began to whisper. gi-hun started to explain and describe in detail what was about to happen and how.
he explained that everyone needed to create a fake fight, the players were limited, meaning they were very limited on game players and winners that would get money, also meaning, whoever was in charge in this sick and twisted game would stop anyone else from dying.
a lesser number of players equaled no game and a hard play winner. everyone would be near tables that were lifted, to avoid being shot down and hurt since everyone knew they’d immediately open fire. their plan was to leave at least four to three players out to fake their death from the fight.
later on, guards will be stuck looking for other players and breaking up fights at gunpoint, once they’re done with the room of dead bodies, that’s when they’d take their action.
dae-ho was on board with all of this, he was ready for whatever and knew how to hold a gun, sure he may have personal problems but his main concern was getting all of his new friends out and getting to his sisters.
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆
late night grew and the plan was in motion, dae-ho had to be a member of the fake dead along with having to fight the guards and taking their guns.
walking over to places where players might have been hiding to keep a eye on them, he saw y/n standing next to the bathroom door, did she know what was going on?
walking over to her with hesitation, making sure he didn’t startle her too much, she’d been biting her nails in an irritated manner, did someone tell her something that she didn’t like? or did she see something.
‘hey, you alright? i hope i'm not bothering you or anything i just saw you were all alone and i didn’t want you to be out on the plan’ dae-ho asked softly.
‘oh, yes, i’ve been told. i’m okay, just tired I guess…I would've never expected this to turn out like this. i should've minded my business’
at this time he didn’t think much about what she’d said, but he couldn’t shake the fact that she looked so irritated and angry, her eyes glaring forward and the translucent look in them.
‘it’s okay, we all regret it..well some of us anyway, that old man has no regrets’ he joked trying to soften her mood. y/n turned and looked at him and cracked a small smile, moving her thumbnail away from her lips that she’d been biting on previously, and crossed her arms.
‘yeah, he doesn’t understand but i think in time he will, anyway. what’s your part in this?’ she turned her body to look at him.
‘i’m supposed to fake dead, and grab the gun, i hope i can in time—‘
‘i’m sure you will. the guards don’t look too smart, only know how to aim and shoot, they truly know nothing about basic survival skills honestly’ she laughed a bit as he did too.
‘oh well y’know..not a lot of people have that especially in here at the moment’ he placed his hands under his armpits, his muscles becoming more prominent along with his tattoo. y/n noticed this and felt her breath shallow, she looked up at him and smiled.
‘but anyway..what’s your life out here like?’ he wondered. something about her was very different, he’d never met someone with the amount of energy she had around her.
‘school mostly, my dad isn’t really home, he takes his business elsewhere. i’m mainly home alone as well, i guess i went to go to college in new york but i don’t want to leave my dad here all alone’ she expressed.
‘oh okay! well, i’m mainly the same way, i already graduated however, and i was in the Marines, i have sisters—four of them, and i mainly take care of them. i don’t really do much with myself other than that i guess’ he shrugged and looked at y/n who’s eyes looked so pretty, her eyes wide and curious.
‘well, im sure when you get out of here you’ll take someone on a date or something? being in here seems like it changed your perspective on life itself’ she wondered even further. her nervously smiled and laughed a bit looking away from her—‘no no, i mean maybe? i don’t normally do that’ he stuttered a bit.
‘hm..’ she smiled and looked him up and down—‘well, then i’ll ask you. when we get out of here, how does a date sound? you seem like a loud and fun guy so probably an open arcade or bar? you drink right?’ she says with a tilted head. his heart sank, she was asking him out? like seriously? right now?
his mouth opened and clothed with pure blush all over, the tips of his ears bright red—‘i mean, yeah i do—‘
‘then a arcade with drinks it is’ she smiled while looking at his reaction further.
she was really sweet, she had a voice like honey, a little soft but scratchy. he could very honestly speak to her all day in better terms. she was really beautiful too, in a certain light. her eyes didn’t look so emotionless anymore, and scary. more sweet and flirtatious .
‘dae-ho, y/n! let’s go..’ gi-hun waved the two over before turning back around.
‘well, i guess it’s time’ he nervously walked as she noticed, her hand running along his shoulder blades and rubbing them in a comfortable manner, she spoke—‘it’ll be okay, you won’t get hurt…okay?’ walking away with her touch lingering behind him, he felt his heart jump a bit before he could shake the feeling he felt himself smile.
shaking his head to forget the feeling he ran to the group and it all began.
laying on the floor with blood on his white and green tracksuit, y/n laid next to him, her hair messily covering her face and her body looked like she’d been tossed to the ground.
the guards walk in as the players fake fought with loud screams and grunts, fake punches were being thrown and kicks too. not even a minute later, the guards were in the room and in front of every player, searching for other ones in the beds. standing in front of the ones who fought to them at gunpoint as they looked fake shocked, scared was a definite.
a small beeping noise was made not too far away from dae-ho and y/n as they laid on the floor and waited.
not to far apart, the noise was right next to him, dae-ho jumped up and punched the guard in the stomach, leaving the guard tumbling over holding his stomach, y/n jumping up and wrapping her legs around the guard to keep him in his spot.
dae-ho hurried and ran up the stairs to the bed and grabbed the glass bottle they’d hid. jumping from the small jump and smashing the glass onto the guards head as y/n felt his body go limp, she moved herself away from the unconscious body and grabbed his guns.
handing on to dae-ho who thanked her but also wondered if she could actually use the one she has. having no time to wonder anything, ever guard in the room was evacuating.
y/n running towards guards and fighting them without much effort, she moved swiftly, dodging punches and throwing her own kicks to the sides.
‘y/n!’ 001 yelled and tossed her a glass bottle. she looked and caught it with ease, smashing it above the guards head to soon use the broken piece to stab him in the side.
dae-ho had been keeping an eye on her for safety measures, but from the looks to it, she had it and in a very attractive way.
not soon later, guards started to evacuate the room in a hurry with the sound of the child like a voice yelling ‘retreat, retreat’ over and over.
the big doors started to shut slowly and not too far behind was a guard in red, he’d fallen and been stuck behind, the doors shutting immediately in his face as she banged on them to open, frantic on what he might go through with these people.
and his very existence would be their key out.
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walking out of the room with guns latched onto the players who either had experience with them or knew how to overall. using the red suited guard to lead them to the main headquarters, shots were fired.
‘duck! Lean down now!’ gi-hun yelled as he gripped his gun next to him. y/n leaned down along with dae-ho who was right next to her, their shoulders close together and practically squeezed into each other.
a small part of him was using his body as a shield to protect her from any shots that may have gotten in from the side of them, y/n was safe in the middle of him and gyeong-seok.
dae-ho slightly shook with each shot being blown into the distance.y/n looked at him, unbeknownst to him, with worry and anger.
‘i can go over there and get closer to the top with hyun-ju, she can shoot and i'll need her back up. if we can get to the top we will get a clear view of the room!’ y/n told gi-hun who looked and thought before nodding, 001 however looked as though he were telling her no with his eyes and she smiled very softly before looking at dae-ho.
he hurried and looked at her shaking his head—‘wait. what? what’s dangerous right? we can’t send them only on their own—‘
‘i’ll be fine..okay? i’ll make sure you guys get up there’ holding her gun close before dae-ho grabbed her arm and stopped her but didn’t know what to really say, she just smiled and pulled herself away.
y/n and hyun-ju crouched behind the wall as the gripped their guns tight, she gave a signal to start shootout and that’s exactly what y/n did, the both of them standing in opposite directions started to open fire on the guards who’s shot back.
quickly getting the whole view of the room she could see how many there were. groaning and rolling her eyes at the camera, shooting at it in anger.
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the group made their way up and up as y/n and hyun-ju cleared half the room, dae-ho shot in a random direction as he stayed hidden behind the wall to get away from any danger, screaming and yelling as they all shot back.
not too far away y/n and 001 had magically met up—‘hey..get over here’ he’d managed to get himself alone and with her.
‘what were you thinking—‘ grabbing onto her arm and gripping it as y/n looked at it and scoffed.
‘get the hell off of me’ snatching her arm back and gripping her gun before he grabbed onto her once more—‘what do you want!’
‘leading them up? clearing the room? i let you in here that was a far enough stretch, you doing this is way more than we agreed on—‘ he harshly whispered.
‘get over it! i told you if he were here i’d be here too and i’d play like a player, your here because of gi-hun, looks like we do have something in common huh?’ y/n smirked and walked away before a guard walked into her path.
‘move’ she ordered and they didn’t.
‘are you serious?’ turning around to her dad and rolling her eyes as his own guards stood next to him with his black clothes and mask.
rolling her eye and shoving the gun onto the guard's stomach, making him grunt in pain, she laughed a bit to herself—‘i want him in there asap!’ walking to the direction of the main headquarters without being seen, 001–her dad, rolled his eyes and rolled his neck.
‘you heard her..get dae-ho’
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he’d failed to come back with the ammo they all needed, desperately.
huddled in the corner of the room on the bed as the old woman and her son tired to give him courage to leave out again to give them the ammo they needed, two guards game in with their guns, but something sticking out of their pocket.
going straight for dae-ho, he looked up and started to move backwards on his hands, shaking and whimpering very lightly with a plea to just let him go home, a guard shoved his hand in his pocket, bringing out a glass bottle and a napkin.
‘what..what are you doing with him? hey!’ a player yelled before the other guard stepped in and placed his gun in his face. the player shook and sat down.
‘wait..please—‘
putting the napkin on his nose as he shook and fought back, he failed and passed out in a instant
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waking up, he looked around the room in a daze.
‘hey..wake up..dae-ho?’ the soft and scratchy spoke, it was y/n..
‘what is this..where am i?’ he looked around in the dark room and he could only see the small like that pointed his eyes onto y/n’s soft ones.
‘your safe…i saved you, like i said. i’d never let you die in there dae-ho’ she softly moved his hair out of his face as he stood up and looked around the room. it was decorated like a regular bedroom, small plants, posters, anime figures and a bed, along with a tv and what looked like a gaming set.
where the hell was he right now? was it all a dream? was everything that happened some sick past like memory and this is his future life with his wife y/n? even if that was true he’d never complain.
‘i know this might seem strange but we don’t have to talk about it now..just know, i know more about you than you think and id never let anything hurt you..you have to believe that’ y/n soothed him even further as she seemed to reach over to a water bucket and cloth, ringing it out and holding it to his head.
cleaning dried blood and sweat, he groans.
‘no i was to know where i am, what’s going on..’ he looked at her as she looked back at him. standing up and walking away from him in a completely new outfit, baggy sweatpants, and a sleeveless top, slippers and her hair done neatly almost like she was fresh out the shower, she turned the light on so he could see better.
looking down below him he seen the floor and it glowed light colors, his face lightly up with his number.
‘what..’ scooting away as she walked closer she leaned down on the floor, her knees into the ground and her hand on the floor.
‘don’t be afraid of me..i never would’ve let you continue thoes games…but my father wanted you to play. thats why i needed to get in there and help you, please dae-ho understand i never did anything to hurt you—‘
‘wait..wait, your dad? the creator of these games? and you let others die but..you stepped in the help me?’ He squinted his eyes and she softly smiled, crawling over to him slowly, getting up to him so that he knees were supporting her upper body, she gently placing her arms i’ve this frozen body, she wrapped her arms around his neck, her hand resting on the back of his head, her nails combing through it as he let her.
but this isn’t right? his friends? one of them being pregnant—he couldn’t just—
‘i’ll help you, with your friends too..put an end to these games..i’ll do anything you ask’ he let his arms wrap around her waist and sighed with his eyes closed.
she were to help them..and he would get out of here with her.
Everybody Loves A Winner (So Nobody Loved Me) : series masterlist
Pairing: Kang Dae-ho x reader, minor Nam-gyu x reader (kinda)
Synopsis:
Your life, like 455 others, have gone to shit. Drowning in student debt despite having graduated years ago, you didn’t quite think it through when a man clad in a suit, bearing a suitcase full of money, offered you a way to earn more. It was a blessing, until it wasn’t.
When what started as something innocent turned out to be something more sinister, you knew you had to get your hands dirty if you wanted to make it out alive with the shitload of money that was promised. You've had blood on your hands before you entered the games; there was no use pretending you were guileless. If you were going to survive, you knew there was no room for soft spots; you'd abandoned allies as soon as you'd made them, knowing that they could very well betray you in the next game.
The game ended prematurely when the votes finally tipped over to X side's favor (which was by your design). You planned to disappear and start anew somewhere far away, like what you expected the other players to do as well. What you didn't expect, however, was to be tracked down by someone who sought out who he believed to be his saving grace.
