TS Squid Game – CH 12

[The third game is a team match]

[Please divide into teams of 10]

[Remaining time: 5 minutes]

My hunch was right…

As expected, it was a team match. And with 10 people…

With 10 people, the chances of it being Yut Nori were slim.

It felt a bit presumptuous to think this, but…

Considering the number of participants and the number of people per team, there was a high probability it was ‘Tug-of-War’.

More than anything, the time was too short.

“Then, as planned, shall we confirm me, Mr. Jiyoon, and Ms. Yujin as the three?”

“Let’s do that. Then, should we find the remaining 7 mainly among the men?”

“Then let’s find them quickly.”

Certainly, if it’s a team match, there was a high probability it would be a game of strength.

Relatively, it was more advantageous to stick together with men.

“Everyone!!!”

At that moment, a man far away shouted loudly, and everyone’s attention turned to him.

“Everyone!! If it’s a team match, there’s a high probability it’s a game of strength!”

“Men must stick together to increase our chances of survival!”

“Everyone!! Let’s unite!!”

“That’s right! We men must stick together!”

Seeing people agreeing, it seemed like there were quite a few teams.

“Well… just a moment…! Can we join you…? Please…”

“We were men until a week ago!”

The female participants, realizing the meaning, began to protest.

“Seongho… shouldn’t we go over there too…?”

“The number of remaining male participants is 72. If Ms. Yujin is there, the chances are low.”

He was right.

Excluding me and Seongho, there were 70 people. A perfect number.

‘Wait a minute… 70 people…?’

Thinking the other way around, excluding me and Seongho, the entire team could be filled with women.

Suddenly, anxiety washed over my entire body.

…I had to avoid that at all costs.

“…”

“Senior…? What’s wrong…?”

Seongho and I had no choice but to remain silent.

In order for us to join the male team, we had to abandon Yujin.

[Step… Step…]

“Alright, alright! Men, gather around! Let’s divide into 7 teams!”

One… two… as the men walked away, I started to feel increasingly anxious.

At this rate, the two of us left could be left out.

“W…we should at least gather a team if possible…!”

“There might be men who couldn’t go to the male team because their friends or family are women…”

There was no chance of that.

Now we had to make a choice.

“Seongho… what should we do…”

“W…well, no matter what, we should include Ms. Yujin in the team…”

“Then we…”

I stopped myself from speaking when I realized Yujin was next to me.

My head was a mess.

“We… what…? Senior Jiyoon… surely… no…?”

“But there might be games that women are good at…”

[Thud-]

“Seongho…! Snap out of it…”

With 450 people, there would be 45 teams. There was a chance that female teams would face each other.

But if… if we were to face a male team… that would mean defeat.

I didn’t want to leave any risk factors behind.

More than anything, if I formed a team in this game and became friends with other men, my chances of success in future games would increase.

But… was it really the right choice to abandon Yujin here?

In a way, Yujin was just an individual I had met less than a week ago.

Even if a game for women came out later, it was uncertain whether a person who had changed from male to female would actually be good at the game.

Besides, I hadn’t built up much of a bond with Yujin.

In terms of efficiency… it was right to abandon Yujin here.

[02:34]

[02:33]

Turning my head towards the timer, almost half the time had passed.

“Seongho…”

He was silent, with his head bowed.

He was usually so kind as to help others, so it must be a difficult choice for him.

“Remember why you came here. You have circumstances that make it hard to live, right…?”

“…We need to earn money…”

He quietly nodded his head.

“Seniors…? Surely… no…?”

“Please… tell me it’s not true…”

Before I knew it, tears were welling up in her eyes.

“Ms. Yujin… I’m really… sorry…”

[Step… Step…]

Seongho started walking towards the direction where the men were gathered.

There was no time. I followed Seongho in silence.

[Whoosh-]

As I walked, I turned back for a moment, feeling guilty…

“Senior… idiot…”

…

“Hello. My name is Han Seongho.”

“Ah… hello… my name is Sung Jiyoon.”

“Alright, alright, there’s no time, let’s talk about the rest when we get there.”

Thanks to my previous voting record and physique, the team was formed smoothly.

10 men… we can win with this…

[Ding-]

[00:00]

[Time is up]

[Participants, please line up in front of the door, one line per team]

…

[Thump-]

[Bang!]

When the huge door in the center opened, the sight was quite peculiar.

It was a building much larger than the auditorium.

The walls were covered with numerous circle markings.

More than anything, there were dozens of huge circular tents made of white cloth around.

“What is this…”

[Welcome to the third game]

[First, please enter different tents for each team]

[Step… Step…]

[Whoosh-]

When I entered the tent, it seemed to be at least 30 pyeong in size.

More than anything, there were small circular white lights embedded in the floor.

It seemed that the ceiling of the tent was open to maintain brightness.

In the center of the floor, there was a circular timer about 1 meter in size.

[Participants, please stand in a circle around the timer]

Something felt suspicious, but I and the other men stood in a circle of appropriate width.

After some time, the announcement started playing again.

[The third game is ‘Ganggangsullae’]

[It consists of a total of 7 rounds, and only one person can leave the tent each time the timer appears]

[The one person who leaves will be considered to have survived, and if more than two people leave the tent, all the participants who left will be eliminated]

[Participants remaining in the tent until the last round will also be eliminated]

“Seongho… I don’t quite understand…”

“You know the ‘Number Game’, right? It’s similar to that.”

“Leaving the tent is the number…”

I never imagined that a team match would mean competition within the team…

[Then let’s start the game]

[Thump-]

At that moment, the floor suddenly started rotating slowly clockwise.

And a familiar song started playing from somewhere in the building.

[♩ Gang~gang~sullae, Gang~gang~sullae ♩]

As the song started playing, Seongho began to speak.

“Everyone…! First, let’s call out our numbers and think about who will go out first…!”

“How do we decide the criteria for leaving?”

[♩The sun shines on Yeollakseosan♩]

After thinking for a moment, Seongho continued to speak.

“First of all, is there anyone who wants to go out in the first round?”

“I’ll go out…”

“Ah… no…! I’ll go out…”

“Ah… I…”

[♩The moon is bright on an autumn night♩]

Too many people wanted to go.

Seongho was flustered and continued to speak.

“E… everyone, calm down first…!”

“Let’s vote for someone other than ourselves…!”

“Each of you, point with your finger when I say one, two, three…!”

[♩I can’t help but think of you♩]

[Thump!]

“Huh…?”

Suddenly the floor stopped and the lights turned red.

At that moment, a red number started appearing on the timer.

[00:10]

[00:09]

“10… 10 seconds…?”

“Decide quickly!”

“But who will go!?”

“I… I’ll go!”

“Who are you to say you’ll go first!?”

“N… no… just a moment… calm down…!”

Seongho tried to calm them down, but they were still in a state of chaos due to the timer.

[00:05]

“Seongho!! There are only 5 seconds left!”

[00:04]

[00:03]

“I… I’ll go…! Uh…? Why are you coming closer…”

[Thud-]

[Bang!]

When number 64 said he would go, number 301 pushed him over.

“Sorry, but I’ll go…”

[00:02]

[Step… Step…]

[Thud]

[Bang!]

“Ah…! Please!”

[Step…! Step…!]

When number 301 tried to go, number 82 next to him knocked him down and started running.

[00:01]

“J… just a moment…! It’s my turn this time…!”

[Whoosh-]

[00:00]

“I made it~!!”

Number 82’s shadow could be seen outside the tent. But next to him…

“Huh…? Number 6, why are you…”

“What!? Why are you here…?”

[Step… Step…]

At that moment, a silhouette was seen approaching number 6 and number 82.

It seemed to be the ‘Masks’.

“J… just a moment…! Please…”

[Bang!, Bang!]

Two more people were eliminated before my eyes.

[Announcing the eliminated participants]

[Number 82, Number 6, Number 188, Number 266, Number 449, Number 401…]

As the broadcast echoed, the two were dragged away by the Masks.

A structure where the rest had to sacrifice for one person…

And a structure where that one person had to trample on the rest to get out…

It was literally a ‘Number Game’.

Not enough time for teamwork…

Stamina depleted over time due to frequent physical fights…

It was tight both externally and internally.

“Haa… haa… Seongho… what should we do…”

“Well… everyone… teamwork is important…”

“F… first… like I said before… let’s vote for someone other than ourselves…”

[Thump-]

While Seongho was speaking, the floor started rotating clockwise once again.

[Then let’s start round 2]