Looking at the large variety of fresh fish and meat being delivered daily, Kai felt as if he were dreaming.
He remembered what he ate during those few days he participated in the Game —
Bread and eggs.
Now, faced with chicken, duck, and beef dishes laid out before him, he found himself losing his appetite.
His facial muscles were still injured from Cho Sang-woo's blow, and every time he chewed, the pain shot through his face.
Seeing his grimacing expression, Ji-yeong couldn't help but chuckle.
"You should be grateful. At least you can still lie in bed and eat. The other Players don't even have that chance."
Kai sighed. "Yeah, you're right. But this can't go on forever. I'll just drink porridge."
He picked up the bowl of plain white porridge and took a few slow sips.
"It's ridiculous," he muttered. "When I was playing the Game, I wanted to eat something good but couldn't. Now that I can, I can't even enjoy it."
After a pause, Kai looked up. "By the way, Kang Sae-byeok's still in a coma, right? How does she eat now?"
Ji-yeong's tone turned somber. "They feed her through tubes. Everything's blended into a liquid and injected directly into her stomach through a gastric tube."
Kai instantly lost what little appetite he had left. "That sounds awful…"
He glanced at her. "What about you? Have you eaten?"
Ji-yeong shook her head. "I'm on my period. I don't have much of an appetite. I just ate a little."
She leaned back slightly. "By the way, something's been bothering me. Why are there no soldiers guarding the hallway anymore? When I first got here, there were at least eight of them."
"That's because I requested it," he said casually. "I didn't want to be watched by soldiers while recovering."
Ji-yeong looked surprised. "You requested that — and they actually agreed?"
Kai smirked faintly. "As the winner of the Game, is it really too much to ask?"
She gave a small laugh. "It's just strange. They monitored us every second during the Game."
Kai didn't want to tell her that the Front Man had personally invited him to join the organization, so he changed the subject.
"How are your injuries?"
"They're fine now," Ji-yeong replied softly. "Nothing serious."
"That's good," Kai said. "Help me up. I want to see Kang Sae-byeok again. Maybe she's gotten better today."
Ji-yeong helped him up, supporting his shoulder as he stood.
Once on his feet, Kai waved her off and started walking on his own.
"You sure?" she asked nervously. "You should still rest."
Kai shook his head. "I'd rather have others rely on me than the other way around."
The two walked out together.
As they turned a corner, Ji-yeong accidentally bumped into a Square doctor.
The impact knocked her backward, and the stethoscope hanging from the doctor's neck slipped and fell onto her chest.
Instinctively, the doctor reached forward to grab it —
But the moment Ji-yeong saw his hand, something in her snapped.
Her eyes widened in terror. She clutched her head and screamed.
"Don't come near me! Don't come near me!"
Kai reacted instantly.
He yanked the stethoscope away from her, handed it back to the doctor, and gestured for him to leave.
Then, without touching Ji-yeong, he leaned closer and spoke softly.
"Ji-yeong… hey, it's okay. You're safe. It's just me."
Gradually, she began to calm down. She lowered her trembling hands, eyes red.
"I'm sorry, I…" she whispered.
Kai's voice was gentle. "What's wrong?"
"I just… remembered something bad."
Her tone said enough.
Kai realized what had triggered her reaction — the doctor's gesture reminded her of that horrific memory of being violated as a child.
He sighed quietly. There was nothing he could say to erase that kind of pain. All he could do was reach out and hold her close.
"It's okay," he murmured. "It's all in the past."
Tears streamed down Ji-yeong's face. "For so many years, I pretended I didn't care about anything. In the Game, I didn't even care about dying. But now… I realize I still can't forget."
Kai's chest tightened.
"She's suffered so much," he thought.
He stroked her shoulder gently. "If you're not feeling well, go back and rest. I'll visit Kang Sae-byeok on my own."
"Thank you," Ji-yeong whispered.
"There's nothing to thank me for," Kai replied. "It's just being human."
After Ji-yeong returned to her ward, Kai went to check on Kang Sae-byeok.
Through the window, he saw her lying motionless on the bed, still hooked up to the ventilator and feeding tubes.
The knife wound on her face had already scabbed over, and the bruises were fading — but she remained in a deep coma.
Kai exhaled softly. "Looks like she's really going to stay like this…"
He turned to leave. When he passed Ji-yeong's room, he paused briefly but decided against going in.
She needed space right now — not company.
Back in his own ward, Kai picked up the Rubik's Cube the Front Man had given him days earlier.
He turned it idly in his hands, waiting — waiting for the day he would finally meet the so-called VIPs.
Meanwhile, Ji-yeong lay in her bed, still trembling.
She had noticed Kai's brief pause at her door earlier.
He wanted to check on her — but respected her silence instead. That small act of understanding warmed her heart.
She whispered to herself, "That man is dead. It's all in the past. Kai's right… I shouldn't keep punishing myself for what he did."
But the more she tried to convince herself, the clearer the memories became.
That twisted smile.
Her mother's desperate cries.
Her own terrified screams.
The images replayed over and over in her mind until she finally buried her face in the pillow, covering her ears and pulling the blanket over her head — as if that could shut the past away.
Nine days later.
Kai stood in the corridor, facing the Front Man — the Black Mask Captain — and ten armed soldiers.
"So… quite the escort," Kai remarked dryly.
"For the VIPs' safety, it's necessary," the Captain replied.
"If I didn't know you're not much of a fighter, I'd have brought twice as many."
Kai shrugged. "No need. I'm unarmed and half-healed. Even in a one-on-one fight, I doubt I could take down a VIP."
The Captain gave a faint nod. "It's protocol. I hope you understand."
"Yeah, yeah," Kai muttered.
The soldiers split into two neat rows, surrounding them as they walked toward the heavy steel door at the end of the corridor.
Kai's right hand slipped into his pocket, feeling the small piece of metal hidden there — a can tab he'd secretly kept days ago.
If there's no security during the meeting, and something goes wrong… maybe I can use this to take a hostage and escape, he thought grimly.
It wasn't much, but it was the only weapon he had.
Soon, they reached the large door.