Piggy bank
The cold, mechanical sound of the piggy bank lowering from the ceiling echoed in the massive dormitory. Sooyoung stood among the hundreds of other contestants, her eyes widening as she saw the glittering pile of cash growing larger inside the transparent sphere. The number on the display above it ticked upward with each eliminated player: ₩45.6 billion.
Her heart thudded in her chest. It wasn’t just money—it was freedom. Freedom from debt, from Nam-Gyu, from everything that had crushed her spirit over the years.
The guards called, holding out the consent form.
Sooyoung hesitated for a moment, clutching the pen tightly as the weight of the decision hit her. A few moments ago, she had seen a woman—Player 044, Seon-nyeo—sign the form without a second thought. If someone like her could do it, why couldn’t she?
She exhaled and scribbled her signature, sealing her fate.
As they milled around, Sooyoung noticed Thanos leaning against the wall, his gaze fixed on a petite young woman with dark hair tied in a simple ponytail. She was Player 196, Kang Mi-Na, and something about her calm demeanor intrigued Sooyoung as well.
“Hey, Mi-Na, right?” Thanos said, sidling up to her with a confident smile. “You seem too cool to be in a place like this.”
Mi-Na barely glanced at him. “I could say the same about you.”
Thanos chuckled, seemingly unfazed by her indifference. “Fair enough. What brings you here?”
“Money,” she said bluntly, before walking off.
Sooyoung watched the exchange with a stifled laugh, then decided to approach Mi-Na herself. “Not a fan of rappers, huh?”
Mi-Na turned to her, her sharp eyes softening slightly. “Not when they try too hard.”
“I get that,” Sooyoung said with a smile. “I’m Sooyoung, Player 308. Want to stick together? Two heads are better than one in a place like this.”
Mi-Na studied her for a moment, then nodded. “Kang Mi-Na, 196. Sure. Just don’t expect me to save you if you fall behind.”
Sooyoung chuckled. “Deal. Let’s just make sure we both get out of this alive.”
As the guards began lining everyone up for what would come next, Sooyoung felt a small spark of hope. In a place where trust was a luxury, she had found an ally. And for the first time since she woke up in this nightmare, she didn’t feel entirely alone.