Kai stepped out of the hospital room, glancing down both sides of the corridor.
"I didn't expect them to actually keep their word. Not a single Guard in sight," he muttered, impressed but still wary.
A Square-masked doctor in a white coat passed by, and Kai stopped him.
"Excuse me, Doctor. How do I get to the Intensive Care Unit?"
The doctor pointed toward the room at the end of the corridor.
"Thanks."
Kai walked over, stopping before the window at the end.
Through the glass, he saw Kang Sae-byeok—Player 067—lying motionless on the hospital bed.
Her body was covered in tubes, a ventilator attached to her mouth. The rhythmic hiss of the machine was the only sign she was still alive.
Seeing her like this, Kai felt a wave of guilt wash over him.
He clenched his fists. "Damn it… why give me a sharp mind but such a weak body? If I could fight, she wouldn't be lying there like that."
Back in his old world, Kai had been bullied all through childhood because of his frail build.
But instead of breaking, he learned to stay calm—to think fast and find the best way out of any situation.
That quick-thinking instinct was the only reason he hadn't died during the Dalgona round.
The door behind the glass opened, and a nurse wearing a Square mask stepped out.
"Nurse," Kai called, "how's her condition?"
The nurse studied him—another patient in a hospital gown—but didn't hold anything back.
The Black Masked Captain had already told the staff not to hide the truth from him.
"You mean Number 67? Her condition isn't good. She may very well end up in a vegetative state."
Kai froze. "Vegetative state? But that guy in the black mask said she wasn't in life-threatening danger!"
Then it hit him.
Right. Not life-threatening meant she wouldn't die—but it didn't mean she'd ever wake up again.
He gritted his teeth. "Damn it. Usually I'm the one playing word games with people. Now he's doing it to me."
Suddenly, a memory surfaced—Kang Sae-byeok's voice before the final round.
"Kai."
"What is it?"
"I have a younger brother. His name's Ah Zhe. He's at Sunshine Welfare Institute."
"So?"
"Nothing. I just wanted to tell you."
"Weird."
Back then, he thought she was just being sentimental. Now he understood.
"She was entrusting him to me…" Kai whispered. "But why me? I'm not a saint either."
A soft voice answered from behind him. "Because she had no other choice."
He turned. Ji-yeong stood there, wearing the same hospital gown, her eyes calm but weary.
Seeing his puzzled look, she explained, "You were the one most likely to survive till the end. Besides you, she had no one else."
Kai exhaled slowly. "Alright… for the sake of her risking her life for me in that last round, I'll help her. I've got over fifteen billion won now—how hard could it be to take care of a kid?"
Ji-yeong shook her head gently. "Not fifteen billion. Over thirty."
Kai blinked. "What do you mean?"
"The Black Masked Captain told me that even if Kang Sae-byeok becomes a vegetable, since she survived all six games, her prize money still goes to her next of kin.
Her brother is her only family. And since he's a minor, the money can only go to his legal guardian."
"And that guardian… would be you."
Kai swallowed hard. "So… double the prize money just drops into my lap? There's no way it's that easy."
Still, he didn't comment further. Instead, he changed the subject.
"What about you? You've got 15.2 billion too. No debts, no strings. What do you plan to do with it?"
Ji-yeong looked away, her voice faint. "I don't know. I have no family, no friends. I didn't even think I'd make it this far. Honestly… I'm not sure what the point of surviving even is."
Kai frowned. "You've got the money now. Forget the past. You can start over, live how you want.
Don't let your childhood trauma define the rest of your life. Things can get better, Ji-yeong."
She smiled weakly. "You said something during the game… that you'd take me back to your home. Does that still count?"
Kai blinked. "It counts. But why—"
Then he realized what she meant.
"Are you sure? I'm not a good person."
Ji-yeong tilted her head slightly, eyes meeting his. "Does it matter? I'm not a good person either."
He hesitated, then smiled faintly. "As long as you won't regret it later… then yeah, of course."
Ji-yeong extended her hand toward him. "Then, please guide me for the rest of our lives, Number 250."
Kai clasped her hand firmly. "And please bear with me for the rest of our lives, Number 240."
Meanwhile, in the VIP lounge, a tall man in a tailored suit wearing a golden owl mask entered the room.
The Black Masked Captain bowed slightly. "Sir."
The Owl spoke in a low, composed voice. "So, Number 250 still refuses to join us?"
"Yes," the Captain replied.
"His refusal was stronger than I expected. Perhaps you should meet him personally. A talent like him is exactly what we need right now."
The Owl nodded slowly. "Then we'll wait ten days. I'll meet him myself. My time is almost up, and when I step down, you'll take my place. Which means your current position will also need a replacement."
The Captain nodded. "I just hope Number 250 won't be too shocked when he sees you."
The Owl chuckled softly. "Whether he's surprised or not doesn't matter. All that matters is that he agrees to join us."
He removed his golden mask and set it gently on the coffee table.
Turning toward the full-length mirror across the room, he stared at the reflection staring back—
An old, familiar face.