Archive of Our Own

The car that had dropped him off drove away as soon as Gi-hun closed the door. 

With a grumpy mutter, he adjusted the heavy backpack on his shoulder and grabbed the suitcase he was carrying. Twenty-three years of his life packed into two large bags for at least four months. His eyes fell on the sign that read “Squid Games.” It sounded like the name of a children’s water park, not a rural community that, for a fee, took in delinquents to reform them. 

“Definitely a cult,” he muttered as he walked inside. 

He had been arguing with his mother for the past two weeks. He’d been arrested again due to some altercations in bars, and she couldn’t stand seeing her only son waste his youth like that anymore. Gi-hun didn’t have a steady job; he hopped from one to another, taking odd jobs wherever he could and bringing home whatever spare change he could scrape together. But apparently, whatever money he managed to earn was only enough to keep him out of bigger trouble. Malsoon couldn’t stand seeing Gi-hun act like a child anymore. 

He doesn’t know how she found out about this place; he just said he’d be going in two weeks. According to his mother, it was a rural community that lived off farming and fishing, where everyone worked in exchange for housing and communal sustenance. They believed that with the right rules, hard work, and hierarchy, they could improve people’s habits and transform them. 

A cult. 

But she didn’t listen to him. Especially since she had already signed Gi-hun up and paid the admission fee. 

And here he is. 

As he entered the premises, he saw a man with a broad, rehearsed smile, wearing clothes that were out of place in the setting. Probably a salesman for one of their products. If he could just walk past quickly enough… 

“Welcome, Gi-hun-sii! We’ve been waiting for you.” The stranger didn’t even blink as he approached and accompanied Gi-hun down the stone path. “I’m the recruiter, the one who helped with your registration. We’re glad you came. How was your trip?” 

Terrible. He wanted to say. I didn’t even want to be here. He was tired from the long trip, in a bad mood, and sweaty from the excessive humidity. And yet, he didn’t want to be rude to that worker, he was just doing his job. 

“It went okay,” he replied with a weary sigh and a somewhat forced smile. “So, what’s it like here? What’s your name?” Gi-Hun stopped in the shade of a tree; he didn’t even know where to go, and that stranger seemed to be just tagging along with him. 

“How about we show you to your cabin so you can store your things? Then I’ll show you around, explain things, and we’ll see where you fit in.” The smile seemed to widen. And so did Gi-hun’s unease. 

“Really? Hm. Okay, let’s go.” 

They walked for about 10 minutes, which gave him time to get used to the unfamiliar setting. There were many people, more than he’d imagined. Everyone was busy with something, whether planting, building, repairing, storing, or fishing, as far as he could tell from the boats. And yet, the atmosphere was different from the city, starting with the silence. There was noise, of course. There were conversations, the clatter of machinery, the sound of waves crashing, the wind rustling through the branches and in his ears; but there was none of the noise pollution he was used to. The smell of earth, salt, and food being prepared was gentle and familiar. And even the sunlight seemed stronger, illuminating everything in vivid colors. 

The calm pace eased his stress. Maybe it wasn’t so bad after all. 

He ended up in cabin number 456. He would be sharing it with Dae-ho, who would move out of his previous cabin as soon as Gi-hun got settled. 

That man left Gi-hun alone while Gi-hun got to know his new room. Two single beds, a bedside lamp, a main light fixture, two trunks, and two bookshelves for each bed. And a window, next to the bed, with a direct view of the sea. 

Gi-hun took the opportunity to claim that bed. He had never been in the ocean; the closest he’d come was on a trip that was supposed to happen in elementary school, but some students who had paid fell ill, including Sangwoo, and everything was canceled, and the money refunded. His mother used that hard-earned money to make him a delicious dinner and buy him some new clothes, since he needed them. 

There wasn’t much to organize. His bad mood had already subsided, especially with the excitement of finally fulfilling his childhood dream. Could he go for a swim? Was the ocean calm? He doesn’t know how to swim very well…

Gi-hun ran out of the cabin, ready to ask the guide if he could go for a swim later, but he bumped into something. 

Someone. 

And it wasn’t the guide. He’s too short to be. 

That person grabbed him and pulled him close before he fell, strong arms wrapped around his waist, and Gi-hun pressed against the strong, broad chest. 

A moan escaped his lips, more like a sigh. Memories of how he ended up here, his nightlife in the bars, the men like wolves after him, leading to fights where he’s always blamed. Maybe here he could have a little fun the same way…. 

He opened his eyes in startlement and turned them toward that man, his posture trembling as he felt that deep gaze upon him. 

The man was a few centimeters shorter, with high cheekbones, deep dark circles under his eyes, and signs of aging, despite his well-cared-for skin. He was definitely older. Much older. And that made Gi-hun move a little closer, as if drawn by a magnetism that pulled him toward bad choices. The hand holding him gripped him firmly and pulled him closer. That dark gaze still fixed on him as if it could strip him of all his misery. 

“Hi,” he began, his voice low and sensual. He was sure the other man could smell his minty breath from the gum he’d chewed earlier. He didn’t even try to put some distance between them. 

“Hello. You’re the new guy, aren’t you?” The man stepped back just enough so they weren’t pressed up against each other, but remained at a distance that was, to say the least, excessive. The hand on his waist felt heavier. “Are you settling in well?” 

“I’ve only been here an hour, so I don’t know anything yet.” Gi-hun smiled, his natural charm now directed at this person; he looked at his lips and then his eyes, licking his lips afterward. Now that he was at a distance, he noticed there was no ring on her fingers—even better. “Can’t you introduce me?” 

The stranger looked at him for a few seconds, then smiled slyly, with a hint of mockery. 

“Hasn’t the guide introduced you to anything yet? I thought you were looking for him.” 

“He hasn’t come back yet. I thought you might introduce me…” 

“Maybe, kid.” The stranger lowered his hand slightly, as if he were going to reach for Gi-hun’s butt, and Gi-hun held his breath. Only for that weight to be lifted abruptly. “But I’ve got things to do for now. Besides… how old are you? We usually get teenagers.” 

“Old enough, Ajushi.” He bit his lip lightly, widening his smile as he leaned in briefly. But the other man didn’t even flinch. 

“Well, if you’re here, I figure you’ve been up to no good.” 

“You have no idea how much…” His gut burned with excitement at all the possibilities. The possibility of getting kicked out for having sex with all the caretakers, of fucking in the woods, on the sand, in the ocean itself! Of spending these four months using the same charm he uses to get drinks, so he doesn’t have to work, in exchange for blowjobs and spreading his legs. He could feel his underwear damp against his skin. “Maybe we could go somewhere more… private…” 

That scent of whiskey, salt, and dew was driving him wild. 

That man with deep eyes held his gaze, and for a second, he felt himself drowning in them. Not diving in, not getting involved, but rather losing all the air from his lungs, replaced by deep waters he had never— 

“I don’t care how many men you’ve fucked, kid.” 

“What?” 

The remark was so abrupt that Gi-hun even shifted his weight, which had been leaning toward the stranger. 

“I know your type well, Gi-hun. You spread your legs and think that solves the world’s problems. But they brought you here, didn’t they?” A step toward him, and Gi-hun restrained himself from backing away 

“Listen here, you son of a—” 

“I hope your time here will make you a better person. I’m sure we can turn a little slut like you into someone… demure.” A hand beside his head. “A homemaker. A perfect wife, perhaps. What do you think?” 

“I think you should go fuck yourself!” 

It took a second for the shock to wear off. The hard shove he delivered moved the man, but he didn’t seem fazed. As if he’d let Gi-hun do it. 

“You’re only saying that because your dick can’t even get hard anymore, old man. Go watch your porn and jerk off thinking about fucking a virgin hole then, you son of a bitch.” 

Gi-hun stormed off, giving him the middle finger, furious. He didn’t look back even once, even though he could feel that same gaze on his back. Or rather, on his ass. He even wrapped his coat around his waist to block any view—that idiot doesn’t deserve anything. 

It wasn’t until much later, after he found the guide, that Gi-hun realized he had never told the stranger his name. 

“Eomma, I’m telling you. It’s a cult!” he insisted, exhausted. But at that point, he already knew it wouldn’t do any good. And he kept repeating it out of sheer stubbornness. 

“Nonsense, Gi-hun-ah! A cult wouldn’t let you talk to anyone, and as far as I know, they haven’t worshiped any god there yet.” 

How could he explain to her that cults aren’t necessarily religious groups? 

Gi-hun was talking to her from the pay phones in the common area. They were all in deep shade, but it was really hot anyway. As he listened to his mother chatter on about how things were in Ssangmun-dong, he drank the rest of the water from his bottle. He felt sweat trickling down his temples and back. 

“Mom, they took my cell phone. To talk to you, I have to use these public phones!” Gi-hun wasn’t embarrassed if anyone heard him. “How is that not controlling our contact? I’m not even following the news! Just what they tell us. We’re only allowed to use our phones once a day, at the central cabin.” 

“Gi-hun, it’s a forest! You said yourself there’s no signal except at that cabin. And you’re not there to waste time on your phone all day, you only get one hour because that’s the time you have available between activities, not because they’re forbidding it. I think that’s great, you really needed a better routine.” 

Gi-hun sighed, leaning against the phone. His mom didn’t understand. And anyway, he didn’t want to explain. The exhaustion of the last few days, his sunburned skin, and the stress of doing so much work and following such a strict, grueling routine had worn him out mentally. It wasn’t a bad place at all, but that didn’t change the fact that it was obviously a cult. He knew it the moment his mom showed him the pamphlet. 

That day, he had just been released from a one-night jail stay following a bar fight—for which, by the way, he had been falsely accused. He didn’t ask anyone to pay for his drinks; it wasn’t his fault that someone thought he was a prostitute. And his mom was already exhausted from all the emotional turmoil with her son. 

A strong breeze carried the salty scent of the sea and dried the sweat from his skin, cooling him down. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Gi-hun? Are you still there? 

“Yes, Eomma… I am.”

“I miss you, Gi-hun-ah,” she said suddenly, and Gi-hun’s demeanor changed. “I’m glad you’re doing better there, but I wish I could see you. You must have your hair in front of your eyes again, don’t you?” 

“Eomma…” he complained like a child. He heard laughter on the other end, which sounded just like hers. “I’ll come home. I promise.” 

From a distance, he heard his name being called. His break was over, it seemed. How long had he been talking to her already? 

“Eomma, I have to go back. Work. Kisses, I love you!” 

He didn’t give her time to reply before hanging up, a mischievous smile on his face as he ran back to the beach. He’d put on a shirt to protect himself from the sun, but honestly, he didn’t feel like washing yet another shirt just because it got dirty from seawater or sand. He took it off and tossed it out the window of his cabana before continuing on his way. 

“You took a while.” 

“Come on, what’s there to do?” He didn’t have the patience for Sae Byeok’s sulky mood today. Despite her question, he headed straight for the sea; his footprints in the damp sand vanished with the waves 

“Our boat’s engine broke down again. I don’t know if it’s the salt, which might be corroding the metal…” Jun-hee said sympathetically. The young woman had given birth just a few months ago, and yet she was already back at work. 

“Again? What do you girls even do?” 

It was exhausting. His training as a mechanic at technical school had landed him plenty of work here. 

“We fish. Our boat isn’t the only one that’s always having problems.” Saebyeok changed the subject, already sitting down on the sand. She knew it would take some time. 

But she was right. And apparently, it was his responsibility to fix everything that broke. It was understandable in cases like a broken water pump, faulty plumbing, and even the harvest machinery (though he didn’t even know where to start), but the boats and the dock were a serious matter. 

Every day he had to check on something new, and he’d be lucky if it was just the engine. Sometimes the damage was more extensive, and in addition to being a mechanic, he’d have to be a carpenter, a joiner, and even a welder. He learned more there than he did at technical school, out of sheer necessity. There were always problems for him to solve, his name called out from all corners, with demands for repairs to mechanisms he didn’t even know where to begin fixing. 

The water was already lapping at his buttocks when he began the work, the same initial checks as always. The girls stayed on the beach, now both sitting down. He could hear their laughter and a few names in their conversation, including his own mentioned among them. He picked up a piece of seaweed lying nearby and tossed it their way. Saebyeok gave him the middle finger, and Jun-hee laughed out loud. 

Well, if the easily accessible seaweed was a clue, he already had an idea of the problem. 

Apparently, seaweed had gotten tangled in some parts of the engine. Bingo. 

It wasn’t hard to fix. He’d be done in a few hours and a few tests, just to make sure the parts weren’t damaged. 

The sun was burning his exposed skin, which was already darker than when he’d arrived. There was still the faint imprint of his shirt on his skin, a tan from before he’d gained his current experience. Sweat glistened and trickled down, mixing with the water. The coolness of the water and the scent of the sea soothed him like his mother’s teas, a familiar, calming scent, as if he belonged there. 

It had been a few weeks since he arrived. And even though he wanted to leave, it wasn’t really a bad environment. The people were friendly and kind, the sense of community was strong, and the activities outside of work were genuinely fun. 

The leadership was… acceptable. 

He still hated In-ho. 

He has no idea who he actually is. But he knows he holds a high-ranking position. In-ho usually shows up to supervise activities, check in with members about their quality of life, and apparently handle some administrative work. 

This still made Gi-hun uncomfortable, the lack of transparency. So much farming, so much fishing, so much hard work, he was sure they could support twice this size of a community; they were probably selling the surplus to make a profit. Bunch of fucking scammers. Especially In-ho. 

In-ho, who looked at him as if he were going to devour him, but indignantly rejected all of Gi-hun’s advances. In-ho, who punished him severely when he saw him flirting with another man in leadership (his neck still ached when he remembered balancing several buckets of fish on a shoulder yoke, carrying the entire day’s catch). In-ho, who called him a whore to his face and never apologized or took back what he said. 

“Gii-hun!!” He was snapped out of his distraction by the distant shout. “Have you seen what the problem is? What time will it be ready?” 

To this day, Gi-hun doesn’t know the name of that crazy recruiter with the strange smile. From a distance, he saw him on the beach, and a chill ran through his veins as he realized just how far away he was. 

“It’s just some seaweed. I’ll be done in an hour and a half, tops!” he shouted back, after regaining his voice. 

If there was a reply, he didn’t hear it. 

The boat wasn’t tied to the dock, and it must have been carried away by the current. It isn’t that far; he’d be able to get back as soon as he finished with the motor. 

But right now, he needed to remove the seaweed tangled directly around the propeller. 

He looked at his reflection over the edge of the boat; a tired, slightly frightened face stared back at him. But he noticed a small, foamy wave pushing him and distorting his image, like a call, and a smile appeared. 

The leap felt a little strange, but he made sure to hold onto the boat’s rope so he wouldn’t lose his balance from the momentum of the jump. 

It was deeper than he’d imagined. 

Panic ran down his spine when he didn’t feel the sand beneath his feet, and he resisted the urge to open his eyes while still underwater. He swam to the surface, wiped the excess water from his face, and clung to the boat, which was only a meter away. Fortunately, his weight didn’t cause the boat to tip or list.

Still holding onto the edges, he made his way to the motor. And he returned to his work. Repetitive and monotonous, just like his days had been since he arrived. 

His mind wandered to the sound of the crashing waves. 

Every night, Gi-hun would go for a swim.

It had become part of his nightly ritual after dinner to sneak along the sandy paths to the beach. There, he would undress, feeling the sea breeze on his bare skin, his nipples hard from the cold, the wind carrying grains of sand that he felt sticking to his body, the salty taste itself on his tongue. And then, the warm embrace of the waves as his body enters the ocean. 

At first, Gi-hun didn’t know how to swim very well. It was different from a pool; the force of the waves scared him, as did the salt water that got into his nose and eyes. On that first day when he underestimated the sea, his eyes were stinging after a misjudged dive, and he didn’t see the giant wave coming. He felt only the impact, like a slap, his body falling underwater and being dragged across the sand, and then, nothing. 

When he woke up, In-ho’s lips were pressed against his. His senses kicked in before his reason could assess the situation, for his nose was stuffed up, his throat burned like fire, and his ears were ringing loudly, drowning out all other sounds, including In-ho’s own words. 

When his mind finally returned, the adrenaline made him ignore the pain for a second. 

“What are you doing?” That’s what he wanted to say, but the only thing he felt was his body being jolted. He turned just in time to vomit saltwater. His lungs ached, and he forced any remnants of salt and water out of his airways, as if that could lessen the pain. 

“What the hell were you doing swimming at this hour?” 

Gi-hun looked at him in confusion, his mind as sluggish as foam breaking apart. In-ho’s tone was sharp, just like his dark eyes, but there was a hint of concern in the edge of his voice. Gi-hun’s eyes followed the prominent, tense jawline down to his chin and then to his lips. They were pressed together into a thin line. Only then did he realize that In-ho was waiting for an answer. 

“Hmm… what?” he asked foolishly. 

“The sea gets rough at night. Why do you think we close at 6:00 p.m.? The tide rises a lot, and the waves get violent,” In-ho explained wearily, running his large hand over his face in stress. In-ho was soaked too. “Didn’t you pay attention to the guide?” 

But Gi-hun was still trying to blow his nose, and his eyes were stinging from the salt water. That same large hand moved up from his cheek, brushed the hair out of his eyes, and gently traced his face—tears and snot were streaming down. Pathetic. 

“I didn’t know. I just wanted to swim.” 

“Didn’t you ever learn about this in school?” One eyebrow arched. In-ho touch his forehead; the contact with the warm skin felt comforting. The night was cold—too cold, even, after his swim. Gi-hun was shivering from the sea breeze that had lowered his body temperature. “Apparently, you only know how to get involved with the wrong people.” 

It was meant to be a murmur, but Gi-hun heard it. 

“Ah, fuck you.” He coughed up a little more water as he pulled away. “Can’t you just have a nice moment with me?!” 

In-ho looked at him for a moment, seeming confused by the sudden movement, his hand moving as if he missed that lack of tact. But he soon recognized the issue, and a dry, humorless laugh was wrung from his throat. 

“It’s hard to think about anything else when you decide to swim naked in the early morning, the time when lifeguards need to be watching the beach.” In-ho crossed his arms, slowly looking him up and down, and fixing his gaze on him. 

And it was at that moment that Gi-hun realized he was naked. A flush spread across his cheeks, and in one swift motion, he shoved In-ho with all his might. By the time In-ho got to his feet, Gi-hun was already running toward the pile of clothes he’d left there, and hurried to pull on his pants. 

“That doesn’t give you the right to be an asshole to me. You didn’t even apologize for what you said earlier. Worse yet, you don’t even regret it!” His voice was accusatory as he finished getting dressed; anger overflowed in his tone like poison. “You think you’re superior and keep treating me like this…” 

“Am I wrong?” The son of a bitch had the audacity to smile, though it didn’t reach his eyes. He stood up slowly, brushing the sand off his body. “You came here because you think it’s enough to have a pretty face and….” In-ho fell silent, clenching his jaw. 

“Now you say it,” Gi-hun demanded, offended. “Come on, finish what you were going to say!” 

Gi-hun didn’t even realize he’d already walked up to him, ready to jab his finger into his sternum with fury. His voice sounded like the growl of an angry dog. 

“…and knowing how to suck a dick well. You think you can get out of any situation with smooth talk and by getting down on your knees with your mouth open.” Maybe that day, In-ho was expecting a slap. But he took a hard punch to the nose. The lifeguards found them in the middle of a fight in the sand; In-ho took two blows before easily subduing him, his muscles clearly visible against Gi-hun’s chest. It was a miracle that he hadn’t woken everyone up with all the screaming and cursing that poured from his mouth toward In-ho, who was talking to the lifeguards as if Gi-hun were an out-of-control animal. 

The silver lining was that some of the leaders were empathetic and took care of him after his near-drowning. He was given hot food, blankets, and the first two days off from work. 

And on the third day, stubborn as he was, he returned to the sea. 

Since then, he’s come every night, barefoot and with nothing but a towel and a pair of dry underwear. The waves are still strong, but they seem to carry him along rather than drag him under. He feels like a pearl carried by the sea, getting lost in the strong tide as it sweeps him from side to side, but always returning to the beach, always too precious to be lost. 

Water rarely gets into his eyes or nose, and even though he’s blind, he quickly manages to make his way back to the sand. None of the lifeguards stopped him, which made him think they weren’t doing their job properly, and that this must have already caused several people to drown, or that they simply didn’t care about him, which could be considered attempted murder. 

Because the sea level was rising and almost reaching the paths, the waves were strong and warm against his skin, the tide was pulling him in like a magnet—the darkness should have killed him easily. And yet, every night he returns to his hut safe, sound, and satisfied. 

“Gi-hun!!” 

A familiar voice shouted from afar, and as if to mock him, a particularly large wave crashed over the side of the boat, throwing it off balance. 

“Damn…” Gi-hun muttered as he clung on. But it wasn’t enough, for another wave crashed over him, submerging him in fast-moving water for a few seconds. 

“GI-HUN!!” 

The voice was shouting, calling out to him, but the roar of the water in his ears muffled it. The voice wasn’t urgent; it was in a hurry. It didn’t care that he was practically out in the open sea, nearly drowning. He tried to open his eyes, but they stung with salt, just like his nostrils. He tried to steady himself, but the hand bracing him against the boat now ached, and the other was rubbing his eyes and blowing his nose.

“What the hell?” he replied in a voice too weak to reach the shore, when he heard the recruiter’s irritating voice calling out once more. “Just a moment, damn it…” he muttered, annoyed by his impaired senses.

It was just as a wave crashed over the back of his neck, pushing his head underwater, that Gi-hun let go of the boat. The brief scare, along with the burning in his airways and temporary blindness, made him forget how to swim, and he emerged awkwardly, coughing violently. He forced his eyes open to see which direction he should go, and swam with all his might until he felt the sand beneath his feet again. 

He reached the shore exhausted, still not having recovered from the stress he’d just endured. His ear was still full of water, and he blew his nose for the fifth time, hoping to get rid of the salt.

He flopped down onto the sand like a dead weight and didn’t bother to look at the three silhouettes approaching with quick steps. Only two of them knelt beside him, and they didn’t even get a chance to speak before that son of a bitch spoke up.

“Gi-hun, are you done yet? You said you’d be done in an hour; I need to know if I should put the girls on another boat.” 

“...Give me a minute.” He mustered what little good manners his mother had instilled in him for that reply. 

“This is important. They didn’t catch anything today; it’ll affect the daily quota and our stock in a few days. And why did you come without the boat? Now it’s abandoned in the middle of the ocean!” she continued in that provocative tone, as if it were a game. Gi-hun’s fists clenched in fury. 

“Oh, I’ll go get it. No problem…” Jun-hee tried to defuse the situation, reassuring the recruiter. She handed Gi-hun the bottle so he could rinse his eyes. 

“Leave him alone. There’s no reason to fight over this.”

Saebyeok threw a towel at him right after defending him as well. His eyes were still burning. The stress that had been building up over the last few weeks felt like electricity coursing through his body—contained, dangerous energy that could explode if left unchecked, just like the machines he repaired. 

Unfortunately for all three of them, the recruiter didn’t care about any of that. 

“It’s his job. You’re going fishing, but you can only do that if you have the boat that he” and he pointed at Gi-hun with his hand “fixes. A boat that isn’t fixed. A boat that’s in the middle of the ocean because he abandoned his post.” The recruiter’s voice sounded mocking, though neither derisive nor sarcastic. Perhaps it was the smile, like a phrase that only made sense to him, and that amused him. 

“And now a day’s work has been lost because of one person’s incompetence. I’ll have to report this to the leader.” 

“Fuck you all!” Gi-hun jumped to his feet, fury flashing in his eyes, hot breath pouring from his nostrils like a bull, his words coming faster and faster as his thoughts raced. “We work like slaves here! Why am I the only one stuck on the boats?! Who did this before me?! Did they just throw the boats away? Did they hire someone else? Because if they did, I want my money!” He took a step toward the recruiter, but Saebyeok put his arm in the way. Gi-hun barely noticed. “I work like a pack horse day and night, without getting a penny, just because you think that makes me a better person. I work and in return I get a roof over my head and food, that’s slave labor!” he continued, ruffling his hair, furious and energetic. He was one step away from lunging at the recruiter. “This damn cult, which watches over everyone, keeps everyone in line through control, and treats you like shit if you need to get out of this system. Fuck your stock!! I almost died! Why wasn’t the boat tied up?! I could have drowned right there, and you’re worried about the handful of fish they might have caught?! And where does that stock go?! We produce way more than we consume, do you sell it to make more money? And we get nothing? Dozens of people on the plantations and out fishing, all that just so you won’t give us a single day off?!” 

“The expression is ‘workhorse,’ not ‘pack horse.’” 

It took Gi-hun a moment to process that sentence. But Saebyeok was quicker and stepped between them before Gi-hun could actually lunge at the recruiter, that mocking smile on his face. He was sick and tired of it, tired of the leaders seeing him as less, as inferior, as unworthy of everything, as trash. 

With a swift movement, Gi-hun shoved Saebyeok toward Jun-hee and landed a resounding punch on the recruiter. 

“Go fuck yourself! I’m leaving as soon as this fucking contract is up, I’m not staying another second! You’re a bunch of weirdos—this is a bizarre cult that judges people’s worth as if they were objects, and I won’t take even a speck of dust from this godforsaken place!” 

He strode out with strong, steady steps toward his tent, where he shut himself in and locked the door for many hours.

“Gi-hun….” he heard the hesitant voice call out to him. “Dinner’s almost over. You’ve been in there for quite a while.” 

Only silence. 

“We brought you food. But we’re not going to beg you to eat.” Saebyeok’s stronger voice replied. He was sure she had her hands in her pockets, as always. “Eat, or you’ll go to bed on an empty stomach.” 

“Gi-hun, you can take your time, okay? We know you don’t like it here—you don’t have to. But it’s still too early to be stirring up so much trouble.” 

“It’s not that bad here,” he heard Saebyeok say as she leaned against the door. “Work, security, a roof over your head, and food. That’s more than we’d have out there. They’re a bunch of assholes, but so what? You’ll find them everywhere.” 

And then the sound of a plate being set down on the floor. “Think it over. We like having you here. It has its flaws, but it’s not hell.” 

“Jun-hee, let’s go. I heard a guard.” 

Gi-hun heard a pair of footsteps walking away, and soon another pair passed by, slower, taking a different path. He waited a while, perhaps less time than he realized, due to his hunger, before opening the door and grabbing the pot they’d brought. 

The smell of jorim flooded his senses and brought tears to his eyes. Oh, how he missed his eomma. 

He sat there on the floor and began to eat slowly. The food was delicious, even though it had been made in an absurdly large quantity for so many people. For an all-you-can-eat serving, his portion was smaller than he’d like, perhaps Jun-hee didn’t want to risk him leaving leftovers. But it wasn’t even close to what his Eomma used to make. From bothering her while she was cooking until she hit him with a wooden spoon or made him wash the dishes, and then they’d devour everything together. 

He understood them. 

Jun-hee was sent here after she became pregnant at 17 and her boyfriend ran away from his responsibilities. Her parents waited only until she finished school before paying for her first few months’ stay, leaving her to fend for herself afterward. How could she have left, when she was so warmly welcomed and well cared for? When there was such an extensive support network for the baby and her postpartum recovery? When she had protection, a steady job, people who cared about her and her daughter, food, and a roof over her head? 

Her daughter was born at the nearest hospital and will likely only experience a different life when she’s old enough to make her own decisions. 

Saebyeok was a special case; coming from North Korea, her mother advised her to seek out this community if she couldn’t make it on her own. Saebyeok demonstrated enough stability to retain custody of her brother, thanks to her job and the community where she lived. Thanks to this place, she was able to stay by her brother’s side, he attended the nearest school while she fished all day so that, by the end of the day, they both had food, a roof over their heads, and safety, all while her mother tried once again to make her way here to find them. 

But Gi-hun had a family. He already had a home, food, and family. He hates being far from everything, hates feeling controlled and judged, hates not having his mother here, hates the excessive workload. 

But he likes the girls. He loves spending the day with them, chatting until curfew. He loves the smell of the sea and the various fish he’s tasted from his fishing trips. He loves nature, the sand, the waves, the silence far from the hustle and bustle of the city. He loves his nighttime swims, how good he’s become at diving, how connected to the sea he feels. 

And what’s more, he loves how proud his mom is of him. 

He knows she loves him, but she hates how much of a troublemaker her boy is. Gi-hun is stubborn, a troublemaker, quarrelsome, impulsive, and irresponsible; he’s 23 years old and already an expert at getting out of trouble and scaling walls to escape the police over some “misunderstanding.” She sent him away so he could become a better person, a responsible adult. 

Shit. Was it really that bad here, or was he the problem? 

Before he knew it, he’d already devoured every last bite of his meal. And he’d also been locked up for far too long. 

He stepped out of the cabin, ready to wash his bowl and maybe find the girls. He followed the stone path to the dining hall, and…. 

Empty. 

No lights, no chatter, no warmth. Nothing. It was silent, dark except for the moonlight, the tables put away, the smell of food lost in the sea breeze, and no one was in sight. 

“Gi-hun?” Or almost no one. 

“Recruiter,” he greeted. A wave of unease washed over him, but he forced himself to keep his voice neutral and his gaze averted. Their last interaction hadn’t gone well. 

“Did you just come for dinner now? We wrapped up dinner half an hour ago. Didn’t you eat?” Despite Gi-hun’s discomfort, the man didn’t seem to share the feeling. Gi-hun didn’t even know what the man was feeling, since he showed nothing beyond that salesman’s smile and tone of voice. 

“No, they… Jun-hee and Saebyeok brought me a serving. I’d come to drop off the bowl and check on them.” 

“Is that all? Here, give it to me. I’ll keep it.” 

Now without the bowl in his hands, he didn’t know what to do with them. The awkwardness grew, since that weirdo just kept staring at Gi-hun without saying a word. As if he were waiting for something. 

“So I’m going to…” 

“Are you okay, Gi-hun?” 

“Hm?”

“From earlier.” His voice was softer, quieter, like a secret. “Are you feeling better? I think I was a little harsh with you. I didn’t want to push you away from us, you know we like having you here.” 

“Oh, that. Hm…” Gi-hun looked out at the sea on the horizon and the path leading to it. How he longed to go swimming that night. “I’m sorry, too. I’m feeling better.” 

“Do you still want to leave?” The question that followed came quickly. 

Gi-hun rubbed his face, feeling tired and pensive. His heart was pounding against his tongue, urging him to say it all. Impulsiveness versus rationality. 

“I don’t know. I don’t like it here. I miss my mom, I miss the city, I miss having control over my life. Okay, I know this place has offered me a better life and I’m not in trouble, but damn it! You guys are way too mysterious; you act like it’s a state secret—zero transparency. I can’t trust you.” He paused for a second, trying to articulate himself better. “I think it’s cool; I love the atmosphere, I love my friends, I love most of the experiences I’ve had. But it feels a lot like a cult, we work like slaves and don’t even know why. They might not have a better option, but I do. I don’t feel the need to stay here!” 

In a way, he felt lighter. As if a weight had slipped from his shoulders—a stammering speech he’d never directly voiced before. He even felt breathless, invigorated. 

But a pang of guilt settled in his stomach like hot liquor. The guilt of speaking that way about his friends, the guilt of criticizing the environment that had taken him in, the guilt of perhaps just being the troubled kid his mother disapproved of. 

Gi-hun was sure he saw the recruiter’s smile widen during the silence that followed. 

“Why don’t you talk to the leader?” 

“What?” 

“The leader. You’re having second thoughts, aren’t you? Don’t you want transparency? Don’t you want to feel like you belong and know why ‘non-needy’ people”—he made air quotes with his fingers. It sounded like mockery—“stay here? I think it would do you good to talk to him.” 

“How exactly would that help me?” His tone was sharp. 

“Well, he could explain how everything works. He could change your role, explain the reason behind it, he could make arrangements to make things better for you… those are possibilities!” 

Gi-hun felt… tempted. There was still time before he actually had to leave. It wouldn’t hurt to get to know the system from the inside, especially for the sake of getting along with others. 

“Do you think he’d see me? It’s late.” 

“Oh, for you? He’d be available anytime!” 

And yet another classic cult cliché. Gi-hun fought the urge to roll his eyes. 

“And where is he?” 

The recruiter stood beside him and looked toward the horizon, before pointing further to the left. 

“Do you remember that cabin near the sea? The one that’s abandoned because the sea level has risen and it’s uninhabitable for most of the day?” 

There? 

“The leader stays there? But it’s a dreadful place. We can’t even get close.” He remembers stories he’s heard about monsters at night—visions of tentacles, shadows, and strange sounds. However, when he went there at high tide, he found only fish swimming and a dark, cluttered place, almost completely devoid of furniture. 

“He likes it there. It was the first house. Everything we have today started there, with one person building a secluded home near the sea.” The story was told as something moving—and perhaps it is, for those in the organization. “Check if the light is on. If it is, he’s there. If not, I’ll call you tomorrow so you can talk to him.” 

He disappeared before Gi-hun could say anything. 

His footsteps were muffled by the fine sand, except when he reached the water, where his footprints could be heard. The cabin seemed out of place at that hour, in the middle of the ocean, its window lit up, like a surrealist image. Everyone is advised to keep their distance, as it is old and poorly maintained, built many years ago in a spot that is now submerged by a few centimeters—about 30 during high tide. It’s a mystery that it’s still standing. 

He took a deep breath before knocking. 

“Good evening, I’m Seong Gi-hun, a newcomer,” he began, hesitantly. “I… I wanted to speak with you. Actually, the recruiter recommended it. It’s… I don’t know how you can help me, but I have a few questions. I don’t know, just to make my stay here better.” 

He waited a few minutes and heard only the waves crashing on the horizon for a long time.

“Sir?” he knocked again, still shy. If it were like the other cabins, it would have only one room, two at most, there’s no way he wouldn’t hear it. Maybe he’s asleep? “Excuse me, I’m coming in….”

But of all the things he’d expected, it wasn’t those piercing black eyes calmly staring at him from behind a desk. 

“In-ho?!” 

“Gi-hun.” He greeted him in a deep voice. His hands were propping up his chin, his mouth covered by his fingers, which sent a shiver down Gi-hun’s spine. Hatred, probably. 

“What the hell are you doing here?” Giving him the benefit of the doubt sounded less absurd than the truth. 

“Well, if I heard correctly, the recruiter said you’re having trouble with your stay, and I’m willing to help.” 

“Help me?” A bitter laugh emerged from his throat. Gi-hun slammed the door shut and walked as fast as he could—despite the water—to the table where In-ho was sitting. The other man didn’t move. “And how are you going to help me? By putting me in a chastity belt? Because in your opinion, I was sent here for spreading my legs for just anyone! As if it weren’t your type, an old, drunk, lonely man, who came after me. You don’t even want to listen to me, or understand me! You take pleasure in humiliating others, don’t you? In pointing out mistakes. Typical. I’ve met so many like you…” A hollow laugh escaped his throat. Blood boiled in his veins, and his thoughts raced even faster. “That’s what this place is all about!” 

Her scream died abruptly when he felt something brush against his foot. Something strange, long, smooth, a cold that turned warm seconds after the touch. This thing wrapped itself around his ankle and crept slowly upward, gently caressing his calf. 

When he snapped out of the paralyzing shock, he shook his leg and stepped back to see what the hell it was. But all he saw was the ripple in the water as something swam away. 

“Any problems?” In-ho’s strangely calm voice brought him back to his senses. There was something different about that voice, a hoarseness he hadn’t noticed before. “Focus. What were you saying?” 

“That this place is a fucking, shitty cult that’s drummed into everyone’s head that staying here is the solution.” It slipped from his lips like a prayer he repeated endlessly every day, and it wasn’t far from the truth. “They isolate you from real life, offer no transparency, and give people no chance to reintegrate into society. They control everything! How am I supposed to want to stay in a place like this? It’s beautiful, there are nice people here, but you guys are practically a bizarre cult, and you brainwash people so no one notices.” 

His complaints had lost their force after the scare, his gaze shifting constantly to the floor. The lamp barely cast enough light to make out anything clearly. The ghostly touch still lingered on his skin. 

“Understood,” In-ho confirmed, his voice still impassive. “I think I have a way to help you—we’ll switch your duties. You won’t need to do much; you can just stay in the room. That will improve the situation.” 

“What role?” Part of him wanted to embrace this opportunity, but a small, urgent voice was churning in his stomach—the same one that was begging him to get out of there. 

“Do you accept?” 

“I want to know what that job is.” He stepped closer, slapping his hands on the table and staring at In-ho. “Right now, I fix boats and any mechanical device that breaks down around here. I’m treated like a slave and don’t get paid a thing. What am I going to do now?” 

“Gi-hun.” His voice was lower, deeper. In-ho sighed deeply, irritated. “Do you accept the offer?” 

“See?! That’s why I don’t trust you guys! Zero transparency, and you even get upset when you’re challenged. You’re all a joke to me; this whole fucking place only still exists because you take in desperate people who can’t leave. But I’m leaving, even if I have to walk.” 

A sharp crack echoed through the cabin, and Gi-hun felt his face turn to the side before the pain hit. 

His cheek burned from the hard slap, delivered with the back of a heavy hand. Somehow, he felt even worse. 

But before he could react, the sensation in his feet returned. In both of them. He would have screamed, but those things grabbed him tightly and pulled him, causing him to fall backward into the water. He was dragged toward a passageway leading to the second room of the cabin, separated only by a wall. Water poured into his mouth and nose, saltwater, which stung and choked him. He wanted to scream, but it sounded more like a gurgle, a cry that didn’t come out in time. 

That’s why the sensation of being lifted and placed on something soft and yielding seemed surreal to him, like a dreamlike image before actually falling asleep. But rest never came; only his body struggling to rid itself of the salt that had entered his airways. His impaired senses dulled the urgency he would have felt upon sensing something clinging to his wrists like chains—something slimy, smooth, and cold. Something that was also on his feet and waist. Something that caressed his face, even wiping away the tears to soothe the salt in his eyes. 

But when he felt he could breathe again, panic seized him, and he thrashed about like a fish. His scream was muffled when that thing wrapped itself around his head and pressed his lips together; the smooth touch sent shivers down his spine and made him want to scream even more, even though he was held back. 

“Shh, don’t panic. Just relax.” He heard In-ho’s voice coming from somewhere in the dark room. But that did nothing to ease his panic. “Is it too much? Do you want to see?” 

And then, he heard the window open. 

Gi-hun was lying on some kind of suspended bed, with a soft and comfortable water mattress. In-ho was standing in front of the bed, watching him with those dark eyes. 

His hands began to unbutton his shirt. 

“Do you know how much I’ve fantasized about this? Ever since I saw you—when your mother sent me the reports and photos—I knew you’d be perfect for me.” A pang of anger throbbed in his heart, mixed with fear. “But you’re not easy, are you, Gi-hun? You had to have a big mouth, a horrible track record, bad habits like a whore, a stubbornness that borders on the unbearable, and fucking insubordination.” The last button came undone, and the shirt began to slide down. “Not even when I kindly offered you a change of role could you just be a good boy and accept it, no, you had to make a scene and piss me off even more.” 

The tanned skin extended down to her hips, where it then darkened into something black and shapeless in place of the legs. The same thing that held Gi-hun down on the bed, like tight handcuffs, the same thing that served as a makeshift gag. Tentacles. 

“But I promised your mother I’d return you to her as a good, well-behaved boy, far from trouble. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do.” 

Gi-hun was gasping for breath, his chest rising and falling so fast it made him dizzy. This isn’t real. It can’t be real. Tentacles? This is a dream. A nightmare. 

He struggled harder, his eyes wide as he stared at the exit from that room, the faint yellow light from the lamp a cruel promise of normalcy—the opposite of this darkness illuminated by the moon’s silver rays. 

But another tentacle caressed his cheek before grabbing his chin and turning his face toward In-ho. 

“Be a good boy for once in your life and relax. I’m a man, and I know how to make you feel good.” In-ho was on top of him. His arms were braced on either side of Gi-hun’s head. A maniac. That look was terrifying. Gi-hun whimpered in terror, and In-ho broke into a wide smile at the sound. “You’ll see how much better your new role is. Easier, more pleasurable, and doing what you like best.” 

Gi-hun was still writhing violently as he felt the tentacles searching for his skin beneath the shirt. But he felt the others gripping him near the top of his thigh at the hip—a tight squeeze that made him groan in pain, as if they were going to break his bones. He had no choice but to relax and wait. 

Cold sweat trickled down his forehead, and he moistened his lips. When did those tentacles let his mouth go? 

“Wearing this kind of shirt…” In-ho spoke again; the tentacles emerged from beneath it and went straight for the buttons. “A thin fabric, outlining your breasts for anyone who wants to see. And as if that weren’t enough, you leave four buttons undone.” 

Those things didn’t tear it. They undid each button slowly, unwrapping a gift for In-ho’s hungry gaze. The light brush against his skin sent shivers down Gi-hun’s spine. 

But the shock soon faded. 

“What the hell is this?!” he shouted, pulling at his wrists again, even as they tightened their grip. “What do you have to do with my clothes?! What are these things?! I knew you were hiding something—let me go! Let me go, let me go!” 

He bellowed like a horse being led to the slaughter, reckless and full of energy. In-ho was amused by the spectacle, despite the vein throbbing with irritation on his forehead. 

“Gi-hun.” His hand went straight for the boy’s neck. The grip was so firm that Gi-hun froze reflexively. “Weren’t you complaining to everyone about transparency? Making a big fuss about wanting to know everything? Well, I’m revealing it to you.” 

Gi-hun opened his mouth to protest, but In-ho was quick to shove a tentacle in. The younger boy groaned in fright, and any movement to spit it out or push it away with his tongue only made him drool more, while the thing played in his mouth, sliding down his tongue into his throat, caressing his teeth one by one, brushing against his cheeks, as if exploring a new environment.

Supple. Salty. Slippery. He rolled his eyes, arching his back, and heard a low chuckle. 

“You were right about a few things,” In-ho continued, one of the tentacles teasing Gi-hun’s navel and moving down to his slender waist. “We produce more than we consume, that’s a fact. But haven’t you ever wondered how a community can have such a high yield?”

It was hard to concentrate. Gi-hun felt it circling his waist, once, twice, as if taking measurements. The tip insisted on teasing a few extra centimeters of skin, moving up and… 

“Hey,” In-ho snapped his fingers in front of his eyes a few times. “Focus, you little slut. You asked for answers; I’m giving them to you. Be a good boy and listen to them, because I’m only holding back to grant your request.” 

In-ho paused, as if waiting for confirmation from Gi-hun. But all he got was a furious glare and two more attempts to break free. He had his attention. 

“You’re smarter than I thought. Yes, Gi-hun. It’s a cult.” He smiled, and one of the tentacles caressed his soft cheek. It tried to find its way to his already full lips, but Gi-hun turned his face away, and it retreated. “And it’s me they worship.” 

Gi-hun’s breathing was ragged, suddenly very aware of each tentacle wrapped around his body, of their texture, and of how they slid effortlessly. He looked down at In-ho’s hip, where the black mass began. Part human, part monster. 

“I wasn’t the first, but I became the heir after my master disappeared. I keep this place safe from natural disasters and promote fishing. All they need to do is keep people trapped in this system, so they work without question, and I’ll provide sustenance and protection, far more than most could have out there.” In-ho described it slowly, as if it were a trivial matter, but his eyes were fixed on Gi-hun’s hard nipples. 

The younger man struggled to escape the touch, screaming muffled cries through the tentacle in his mouth, but it was inevitable. The tentacle around his waist slid up his ribs and found that nipple. Gi-hun screamed. 

The caress was gentle, like a soft tongue, but on both at the same time. Gi-hun couldn’t hold back and thrust his hips forward; the lack of contact where he needed it most was destroying him. Drool ran down his chin to his neck, and even so, he tried to curse at In-ho as best he could, however little he could manage. 

When the first suction cup found his nipple, it was like a shock to his body. 

It wasn’t the normal kind of suction he’d experienced before; it felt as if it were stuck to him, like a vacuum. He felt it would leave a red mark even if it stayed for just a few seconds. It took him a moment to realize that the tentacle had left his mouth, and the pornographic scream that escaped was his own. 

He must have looked like a porn star. 

In-ho watched it all in ecstasy. His labored breathing betrayed just how caught up he was, even as he tried to maintain his composure. He took advantage of Gi-hun’s over-the-top reaction to finish undressing him, leaving him in nothing but those lewd red panties. He would make sure to remove them with his fiancée’s full attention, so he would understand exactly why he was here. 

Gi-hun felt fingers on his saliva-dampened cheeks—a caress that was far too intimate—and opened his eyes to meet that dark gaze. He didn’t have the strength to curse at him. 

“I hadn’t planned on having kids, despite everyone else’s insistence about my age. But I knew it wasn’t just up to me, and I’d been thinking about it for weeks when I received your file. Ah, Gi-hun….” The voice sounded so desperate, and the other’s gaze dropped. A mischievous smile emerged that terrified Gi-hun. 

Gi-hun couldn’t open his mouth. His lips were pressed tightly together, terrified at the thought of being penetrated again. A tentacle caressed his face, gently pressing against his lips like a tongue, no matter how much Gi-hun turned his face away. 

That’s why it took him so long to notice two tentacles slowly wrapping around his thighs—a gentle, even kind pressure—that began to spread his legs apart. 

But as soon as he realized it, he closed them quickly. 

“What the fuck are you— hmm!!” As expected, the moment he parted his lips, his mouth was invaded. This time, it went so deep that he choked, and a tear rolled down his cheek. 

“Come on, Gi-hun, don’t be shy. You’ve wanted this ever since you got here.” The tentacles forced his legs apart, and In-ho’s large hands guided the movements. 

Beneath the thin fabric lay a beautiful, plump, and juicy pussy. 

Gi-hun felt exposed. It was incredible to seduce older men—nothing like swaying his hips, flashing a mischievous smile, and spreading his legs to reveal the surprise. He wished he could have done the same to In-ho, to savor the sparkle in his irises, the shock on his face, to see those eyes gazing at him with lust while his tongue was deep inside him; it would be perfect. 

But reality was different. In-ho wasn’t surprised; the sparkle in his eyes wasn’t shock, it was hunger. He knew. Gi-hun didn’t know how, but he knew. 

The sea churned with Gi-hun’s loud moan as In-ho pressed his nose against her and inhaled deeply. 

Gi-hun thrashed his legs, kicking and screaming, moving his hips as if he could push him away, but he only rubbed herself harder against In-ho’s face. He hated how wet he was, hated that his clit throbbed with every friction. And he hated that In-ho knew.

“A young, fertile pussy,” In-ho said, his voice deeper. “Tough enough to take what I need, and fertile enough to give me many offspring.” A gentle kiss on Gi-hun’s clitoris made him whimper and try to kick In-ho, who smiled against the fabric and grabbed it with his teeth, tearing it off with a quick tug. 

“You were a gift from heaven, Gi-hun. My ideal fiancée. Perfect for me.” 

Exposed to the cold air of the room, he tried to close his legs with what little strength he had left. It wouldn’t do any good anyway, not with the other man’s lips just inches from his most intimate spot. Not when he could feel his hot, rapid breath on his folds. 

Gi-hun still couldn’t believe what he was going through. He still thought he’d wake up in bed, sweaty, with his heart racing and his pussy wet. A nightmare—a nightmare born of his anger, his desire to be right, and his pent-up lust. Of the absurd desire to feel a thick cock inside him, to sit on In-ho’s mischievous face and suffocate him with his pussy. 

Ironically, the tentacle triggered his gag reflex again. 

Gi-hun couldn’t relax his throat; the adrenaline coursing through his veins was pushing him to the limit. The gentle sucking motion, which spread the salty taste throughout his mouth, was meant to be comforting. Just comfort. He would keep lying to himself until he believed it. 

His breath caught when In-ho held his lips with his human hands and parted them, revealing his insides to the eager eyes of a predator. The tentacles on his thighs squeezed him as if claiming him, and caressed him gently, sliding up and down for more stimulation on his sensitive skin.

“So beautiful, Gi-hun,” the son of a bitch used his thumbs to massage his lips from top to bottom, threatening to move up to his clitoris before sliding back down. “I got lucky. I was planning to wait until next month, until your next fertile window. But you couldn’t wait, could you? You made a scene, and without realizing it, you became the perfect bait for me right at the peak of your fertility. I wonder if it was on purpose.” 

The tentacle quickly withdrew from his mouth, and Gi-hun just gasped for air, his lips swollen and crimson. 

“Look here, you son of a bitch—AH!” The moan that escaped his throat was scandalous. 

But In-ho didn’t react; he just kept licking the sensitive opening, savoring that juice. 

Gi-hun felt like he was losing his mind. So many nights without stimulation had made him so sensitive that even that tongue made him see stars. The tentacles caressed his face, no longer trying to penetrate him, but rubbing against his cheeks and lips like tongues. The tips were supple yet firm. He didn’t have enough brainpower to think about it, so he just closed his eyes, praying to wake up in his own bed.

But he opened them quickly with a scream when he felt a tentacle penetrate him mercilessly. 

The intrusion was so sudden that he bellowed like a bull, his teeth clenched. He began thrashing again, his screams preventing him from hearing In-ho’s voice, which was saying something. The tentacles were more flexible, allowing him to move, like a husband dealing with his wife’s tantrum. Some caressed the backs of his thighs, his knees, and even his feet. 

In-ho’s hands—so much warmer—caressed the inside of his thigh with his thumb. Gi-hun finally stopped screaming, his voice gone.

The tentacle inside him began to move. Slowly, hitting his cervix each time. 

“See? You don’t need all that. You like it—I know it.” In-ho kissed his knee. “You just need to learn to accept what I offer you, jagiya.” 

“Go… fuck yourself.” 

But In-ho just laughed softly. Adorable. 

He continued thrusting in and out of that slender, supple body. Gi-hun’s sweet scent, like fresh fruit, would normally be enough to arouse him and make him pounce on his prey, shoving his tentacles into any hole he could find. 

But he doesn’t want that. He wants it to be special for Gi-hun, for him to get used to the touch, the affection, and the care of his tentacles. For him to feel pleasure, to come, and to beg again for the same stimulation. For him to be a good wife, to open his long, slender legs to his husband’s pleasure, to welcome the tentacles into every hole for pleasure.

“Maybe we could go somewhere more… private…”

The memory of their first encounter burned in his throat. His mother’s stories about what led Gi-hun into so much trouble, the promiscuous behavior, the insinuations toward In-ho – which had been so hard to resist. The vein throbbed in his forehead again, furious at the memory that the pussy he was fucking was no longer a virgin. 

He had no reason to be gentle. 

And anyway, he’d chosen Gi-hun partly because of that body’s resilience. 

Gi-hun screamed loud enough for the whole ocean to hear when he felt his cervix being pounded by that tentacle. With every thrust, it seemed to want to go deeper, to break through the barrier and lodge itself deep inside Gi-hun. Desperate from the pain but unable to form a sentence, he kicked his legs and tried to free his arms, but now the other tentacles were holding him tightly, restraining him. His kicks had no effect, and his arms were pulled beyond their limits, the pain spreading to the point where he saw stars. 

“You fucking bastard… hmm… I hate you like hell, Hwang In-ho. I don’t know what you are, but when I get out of here, I’m going to fry every single one of your tentacles and eat them right in front of you!!” His voice came between gasps of pain, tears of pure rage streaming down his cheeks. 

“Uh-huh.” In-ho, on the other hand, didn’t seem interested. He kept staring at his private parts. Apparently, the lips of her pussy being stretched open by a tentacle were a more important sight. “Do whatever you want. It’ll be a surprise if you can even get up tomorrow morning….”

Gi-hun took a breath to curse again, but felt the tentacles slide over his skin, spreading across his chest. He tried to contract his abdomen, as if he could hide, but he was pulled back into a stretched-out position, and it was no use. Besides feeling it, he could see what they were going to do. 

Two of them reached his breasts and wrapped themselves around his chest, encircling and squeezing them as if they could milk him. In-ho’s gaze was fixed; his tongue darted out to moisten his lips, and Gi-hun tried to kick him again. He felt the two tentacles cling to his breasts, and soon the familiar sensation of suction returned. A shiver ran down his spine as the vacuum closed around his nipples, and he could do nothing but whimper. 

The third, however, slid down his belly and over his mons pubis, until its bold tip began to tease his still-covered clitoris. 

“Get that out of here!! Get it out, get it out, get it out! I don’t want it, get out!!” Gi-hun desperately tried to close his legs and tighten his abdomen, but the stimulation didn’t stop, and In-ho watched the movement of his hips as if it were a spectacle. 

“You seemed uncomfortable, so I stimulated your clitoris to make you feel pleasure, and this is how you react? You’re really ungrateful.” Gi-hun heard a faint laugh, but soon the tentacle inside him withdrew, and for a few seconds, he was able to rest. 

He was exhausted from struggling. He didn’t even notice the tears streaming down his cheeks; the other tentacles on his body were gentler than that repetitive pressure on his uterus, but Gi-hun was still whimpering like a baby. More tentacles appeared, caressing his cheeks and causing more tears to fall. So desperate, he rubbed himself against them and looked down at In-ho between his legs. The tentacle inside him glistened in the moonlight, wet with his own lubricant. 

His mind was a blank, filled with the shadows of the tentacles—as black as In-ho’s eyes—that caressed his skin and held him fast on that bed. Maybe it’s already over. Maybe it’s all just a hallucination and he’s floating on the high seas, unconscious, with a squid lodged inside his body. 

Poor thing, he still doesn’t understand what happened.

As he let his mind wander, Gi-hun was oblivious to his body being moved. He was lying face-down on the bed, but two tentacles gripped his hips and lifted him up, leaving him on all fours. Two others grabbed his buttocks and spread them apart, exposing his pussy and anus to In-ho. 

And that was enough for Gi-hun to regain consciousness. 

“Hey, what the fuck is this?” 

“Shhh…” In-ho remained calm as one of his tentacles was thrust into Gi-hun’s pussy, moving gently back and forth. Unlike the previous one, this one felt good—good enough to make him curl his toes and grunt. Gi-hun wasn’t going to give In-ho that satisfaction; he’d keep the sweet moans of pleasure he was feeling to himself. 

In-ho appreciated the attempt, but the swollen, throbbing clitoris was information enough. Salivating, his tongue slid over the white buttocks, tasting the salty sweat from all the effort and commotion Gi-hun had caused. The younger man shivered and gasped, still trying to contain his own pleasure. But In-ho knew when that ass was exposed to his face, when his back arched, and Gi-hun ground against his face. Who was he to refuse such a sweet gift? 

He quickly lost his composure and thrust his tongue into that exposed hole. 

“Son of a bitch!!” Gi-hun screamed, pushing him away with his hips, but the tentacles and the human hands themselves held him firmly. “Let me go, you jerk, you old man, you soft-dick, you—” 

He closed his mouth just in time to see, out of the corner of his eye, one of the tentacles preparing to invade his lips. 

One of them began, like a gentle caress. They stroked his cheeks for a few seconds, moving up and down, and then slid toward his mouth and pressed against his lips, suggesting he let them in. Another joined it, and then another. Three of them tried to persuade him, sliding past his ear, down his neck, and always rising toward his lips, forcing their way in despite Gi-hun’s resistance. He would bite anyone who tried to invade him. 

The tentacle in his pussy made him feel full. It was a different tentacle; it thrust in and out forcefully, as if the opening were too small, and its size was pushing against his walls. The pressure made his feel pregnant, swollen. He felt as if, looking down past the tentacles in his mouth, on his nipples, and playing with his mons pubis, his belly were swollen. 

He wondered if In-ho’s tongue was a tentacle, too. Gi-hun felt it go deep inside him—once, twice, three times—before pulling out and teasing the ring of muscles, circling it and provoking it to widen. Until In-ho spat into the hole and pushed with his tongue again, making the younger man arch his back and shiver.

“You…” Gi-hun began, speaking through clenched teeth. The tentacles wouldn’t go in, and as expected, they hit the barrier. He ignored how they slid past his teeth. “You’re bizarre, old man. Is that it? You’ve got tentacles to fuck me, but you’re going to cum from licking a young guy’s ass?” The sweat trickling down his temple made him feel alive; the adrenaline that had driven him through every shitty situation coursed through his veins. That’s why he liked it—the feeling of power, of seeing grown men lose themselves between his legs. A shiver ran through his womb, and the sound of the tentacle in his pussy grew wetter. “Do you want it?” 

Gi-hun wiggled his hips, and this time, the tentacles allowed the movement. In-ho finally pulled his lips away, and Gi-hun’s buttocks were still spread apart, his holes perfectly exposed to In-ho’s view, glistening with lubrication. The cold air that touched his anus sent a chill down his spine, in stark contrast to his hot pussy, still welcoming that damn tentacle that swelled as it entered. 

“I was being a gentleman, Gi-hun,” In-ho warned, licking his lips. “I don’t want you to get hurt. Not too much.” 

The tentacles rubbing against his teeth and lips were distractions during that conversation, but he forced himself to stay focused. 

“What?” 

Before he could finish speaking, a tentacle teased his relaxed sphincter and slipped inside before Gi-hun could voice his thoughts. 

Instead, a scream escaped him—a moan worthy of the seediest cabarets. For a second, he forgot about the others trying to invade his mouth, and that was all they needed. 

One of them slipped in, wedging itself between his teeth and preventing him from closing his jaw again. He tried to hold back, to expel the intruder, but the double, triple stimulation was too much. Another tentacle trying to enter kept his mouth open, and soon, on either side, his lips were held apart; he couldn’t help but stick out his tongue, a reflex from so many other times. The third took advantage of the opportunity to enter, rubbing against his tongue and heading toward his throat as if it belonged there. 

For the first time, he felt completely at their mercy. There was nothing left he could do, with those things holding his limbs and keeping him still, his holes penetrated one by one to the point where his body felt heavy. Voiceless, motionless, and thoughtless, his mind clouded by the wave of pleasure he denied himself the right to feel. 

The tentacle in his pussy suddenly picked up speed; each thrust of that thick tentacle into his entrance wrung out a muffled moan. Gi-hun tried to struggle, thrashing his legs—unfortunately, they were held far too tightly by the other tentacles—even as he fell onto the bed and was lifted up again, his hips raised, still thrashing. His hands, which had previously supported him on the bed, were now pinned behind his back, and the tentacles on his torso kept him raised. The suction on his nipples intensified, and he could do nothing but gasp. It seemed as though they were seeking milk, a hopeful insistence. By the time he got out of there, his breasts would be swollen like a nursing mother’s. 

Boldly, the other two tentacles on his lips tried to enter, but upon seeing there was no room, they remained where they were. He felt In-ho’s large hands on his back, caressing his sweaty skin, moaning softly with the wave of pleasure he, too, was feeling. He murmured something to Gi-hun, inaudible amid the obscene sounds in the room, a wet sloshing and his scandalous moans. 

Gi-hun’s mind was a milky white, as if the tentacles had fucked his brain directly. His sensitive body was stimulated to the extreme; every erogenous zone was teased by one or more tentacles—a sex doll, incapable of thought, living only to receive what was given to him. A shiver ran through Gi-hun’s body, and he gave a half-smile. 

Stars sparkled in his vision, stars of good sex, of an impending orgasm. He tried to hold back, thrusting his hips as if he could expel them all from within him, stubborn as a wild horse. 

“Shh… it’s okay, Gi-hun,” In-ho’s voice was hoarse and breathless. “I know, just let it come.” 

In a low, sudden thrust, the tentacle playing on his mons pubis pressed against his clitoris, and with a moan, Gi-hun came. 

His body tensed, convulsing wildly amid the screams, tears, and saliva streaming down his cheeks and neck. Gi-hun rolled his eyes back in sheer pleasure, writhing his hips in search of more, more. Only later would he realize he had come on In-ho’s face, because in that moment he was only able to stay on his feet because the tentacles were holding his up. 

His mind was emerging from that haze of pleasure when he felt the tentacle in his mouth swell and then something sliding down his throat. Despair gripped him; he needed air. That thing came out of his mouth, and Gi-hun coughed hard; the three of them caressed his face as he recovered. His face burned when one of them wiped away some of that that had dripped down his nose. Salty. 

Before he could think too much, he felt a similar pressure in his other orifices, and soon let out a faint moan as they were filled with something. 

It was thick, but not too much so. It filled his insides all the way to the bottom, and he felt heavier and heavier, his belly growing larger. He whimpered, between deep, pathetic gasps and tears that were still streaming down his face.

“There, my love…” Gi-hun didn’t notice his body being manipulated again. This time, In-ho had his back against the headboard and rested Gi-hun’s head and back against his chest. The tentacles had withdrawn, and Gi-hun could now see the marks they’d left, red marks from the grip, but also some distinct, circular ones, mainly on his chest. As he’d imagined, his nipples were swollen and sensitive; one of the tentacles gently caressed him, as if to apologize. 

But what caught Gi-hun’s eye was his belly. It was bigger, as if he’d eaten a lot or become pregnant. It wasn’t just his imagination—it really was swollen. 

The tentacle behind him finally withdrew, and the pressure eased as that liquid flowed out of him; his hole contracted back to nothing, and Gi-hun could do nothing but whimper and snuggle up to In-ho, who stroked his hair with warm hands, brushing the sweaty bangs from his forehead. The tentacle also brushed against his ring, but Gi-hun kicked it away, which made In-ho chuckle. 

“Get that out of me,” he demanded, his weak voice trying to sound strong. The tentacle in his pussy was lodged there, as if it belonged there. Gi-hun tried to push it out, but it wouldn’t budge. He reached out to pull it out, but In-ho held him back and laid him down again 

“We’re not done yet, Jagiya. Don’t be impatient.” 

“I don’t care. You’ve already come—take it out.”

A tentacle caressed his cheek, and even though he wanted to bite it, it felt good. He let it happen. 

“Do you remember when I told you I chose you because I’d been stressed for weeks about the idea of having offspring, and when I saw you, I’d finally chosen my fiancée?” In-ho caressed the curve of his waist, moving down to the roundness of his belly. “I need my fiancée to give me pups.” 

“What?” His voice was incredulous, but In-ho kissed him to silence him. 

“Listen.” In-ho began, still caressing him. Gi-hun’s attention turned to the tentacle; it looked strange, as if it were irregular, with some parts larger than others. “The process is different at first, but after that, it’s just like any human pregnancy.” 

Gi-hun felt something brush against his entrance. But it didn’t make sense, the tentacle was still inside him— 

“Ngh…” A groan escaped his throat as he felt it stretch his entrance, demanding passage. It traveled along his walls, all the way to his cervix. “No, no….” But it was useless; he felt himself opening up to accommodate it inside him. 

It didn’t hurt. He didn’t know how, it was discomfort due to the size, but there wasn’t the pain one might expect. 

“The more you tense up, the more it’ll hurt. Relax. This will be over soon.” In-ho guided him with his deep voice. Gi-hun obeyed involuntarily, his body too limp, and received a kiss on the top of his head. 

“What does this mean?” he asked as he felt another one pressing against his entrance.

“Can you feel it?” he whispered against Gi-hun’s lips. The large hand went straight to his belly, applying light pressure. “My eggs inside you?” 

“Your what—” but In-ho silenced him again, thrusting his tongue into Gi-hun’s mouth. He pulled away before Gi-hun could bite down. The son of a bitch moistened his lips, savoring the taste. 

“Like I said, it’s different in the early stages of pregnancy.” He adjusted Gi-hun’s position on his lap. “Your womb needs to be full of semen for the eggs to be safe. I’m sorry I ejaculated down your throat, you weren’t ready for that much.” In-ho apologized quickly; the tentacle that had been caressing his cheek slid down to his neck, and In-ho’s hand took its place. Gi-hun felt the other one entering and let out a faint moan, moving his legs.

“The eggs will enter you, but only one, hopefully two or three, will be fertilized. The best one will come into contact with your ovum and become an embryo.” Gi-hun felt the second egg settle inside him. In-ho’s hand was right on top of it. “The remaining eggs will stay there for 3 to 5 days; their nutrients will go to the fertilized one, so it can be as healthy as possible.”

“And… then…?” he asked in a whisper. Another egg touched his entrance, and Gi-hun held In-ho’s other hand. 

“You’re going to push them out.” And he received a kiss on the cheek. In-ho was very pleased with the situation, a broad smile on his face. 

“What?! No, I can’t— nhg….” He was interrupted when another one entered. 

“Stop tensing up; it makes it take longer and hurt more,” In-ho warned him, squeezing his hand in return. He was like a caring husband to his wife—loving and devoted. One of the tentacles caressed Gi-hun’s thigh, and in a way, that was enough to make him explode.

“It’s easy for you—you’re not the one getting all this stuff!!” 

In-ho looked at him for a few seconds, watching Gi-hun’s labored breathing and his body squirming in discomfort. The egg slowed down, stopping halfway inside the wide opening, and Gi-hun whimpered. 

But the whimper turned into a faint moan when In-ho’s fingers gently caressed his clitoris. 

“…Better?” the older man asked in a low voice. 

Gi-hun wanted to hit him. He covered his mouth, his cheeks red with effort, shame, and anger. It was an exhausting mix of feelings for one day. Just for today, just today… 

“Slower… I’m sensitive.” 

Obediently, In-ho slowed down, and the contact became nothing more than a gentle brush against the hood. Gi-hun took a deep breath, and as he relaxed, the egg slid back inside, nestling among the others. He could already feel the fourth one demanding entry. 

“I could feel you tensing up. Just stay like that; I’ll take care of the rest.” In-ho whispered close to his ear and kissed his earlobe. “I love you so much…” The gentle movements of his fingers didn’t stop, and the fourth egg didn’t take long to enter. It felt good. “Don’t worry about the rest of the pregnancy. After expelling the unfertilized ones, our little one will grow and be born just like any other baby. The symptoms and processes are the same.” 

“Hmm…” Gi-hun muttered, exhausted. But he allowed himself to be pampered by In-ho, who kissed his cheek and soon found his soft lips. He kept himself distracted by the kiss while the fifth and sixth eggs entered and took root. The semen kept them protected inside him for as long as they needed to stay. But his belly was bulging, as if he were three, maybe four months pregnant. He whimpered, upset. He felt sensitive, more so than usual. His eyes fluttered with sleep from hours ago—what time was it, anyway? 

Tomorrow, he could ask questions. Argue. He could throw everything in In-ho’s face and maybe even try to run away. But today it’s too late; he’s full and tired, and he just wants to sleep. 

“I hate you, Hwang In-ho.” He used his last bit of strength to give the older man a weak slap on the cheek before lying on his side, his head resting on In-ho’s chest. “I mean it. More than anything. I’m leaving tomorrow.” 

In-ho said something, but Gi-hun was already drifting off to sleep. 

The young man who had driven her there was kind and helped her with her luggage when she got out of the car. 

Oh Malsson took a deep breath, breathing in the fresh air she hadn’t felt in Seoul in a long time. “Squid Games,” the sign read. She was glad she’d worn sneakers; even though she was young, her feet weren’t what they used to be for these bumpy country roads. 

“Good morning, excuse me, I’m looking for my son, Seong Gi-hun,” she said to the man waiting at the entrance, whom she recognized immediately. 

The recruiter was just as strange as she remembered; his smile widened when he saw her. 

“Oh, Malsson, it’s a pleasure to see you again. Come, let me show you around. Gi-hun will be here to see you soon, I’m sure he has a lot to tell you,” he said, kindly taking her suitcase and giving her a chance to look around. The ocean was just a short walk away, the scent of the sea, the sound of waves, fine, pale sand scattered among the grass and rocks, the charming cabins, and the noisy silence of the woods, exactly as Gi-hun had described on the phone. 

Gi-hun, her boy. 

Part of her was overjoyed to see her son truly becoming an adult, leaving home, making his own decisions, and finding his way in life. It came as a shock when he told her on the phone, a month before his term ended, that he was staying. That he’d grown to like the lifestyle, made many friends, that the stability was nice, and he was already used to the routine. She could hardly believe it. 

But as a mother, her heart ached to see her little boy growing up so fast. It hurt that his choice was an hour and a half by car, rather than a 20-minute walk. It hurt to see that he had a life she didn’t know about—friends, a home. Was he keeping things tidy? Gi-hun had always been a slob. Or was he putting on sunscreen? 

That’s why she decided to pay a visit, to get to know the place and see her son. A week of her vacation, maybe two. Enough to set Gi-hun straight and perhaps take him away from there, if her heart spoke louder. 

“Mrs. Oh, you’ll be staying in the same cabin as Geum-ja,” the recruiter announced suddenly as they walked among the cabins. “Don’t worry, you’re about the same age, and she’s already been told, she really enjoys company.” 

“I’m not staying with Gi-hun?” She frowned, confused. She looked around, searching for cabin 456, and missed the broadest smile from the strange man beside her.  

“I think it’s best if he explains the reason to you.” 

“Eomma!!” Gi-hun shouted from a distance, his shirt soaked with saltwater, and that mischievous smile she remembered. 

“Gi-hun!!” 

The embrace was powerful, just like when he was a child and would throw himself into her lap. If he were still a little boy, she would have dared to pick him up, but now he was already many centimeters taller. Malsson didn’t even mind her wet clothes; so happy to see her son, she held him close, his familiar scent replaced by the smell of the sea. 

“How have you been, Gi-hun-ah? What’s been going on all this time?” 

“Oh, Eomma, you have no idea….” And he laughed, still in her arms. 

“You’ve put on weight.” She felt his prominent belly. “You’re eating well—that’s good! I want to try the fish you mentioned. I’m glad to know you’re eating enough. 

“Hmm… yeah, I guess so…” 

“Mrs. Oh, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Malsson looked at the older man who was greeting her. She stepped back from the embrace, studying him carefully, and remembered the interview. How could she forget that look that demanded a sense of security from the other person, almost as if it were an imposition, yet accompanied by a warm, welcoming smile? She took a moment to regain her composure, smoothed her hair, and bowed gently, just as the stranger had done. “Welcome. I’m Hwang In-ho, the leader of this place.” 

“The pleasure is mine, Mr. Hwang. I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were in charge here. Thank you for taking Gi-hun in and looking after him.” She smiled, still holding her son’s hand. 

“It’s a gift to have him with us.” In-ho looked directly at Gi-hun, who looked away. “I’m the one who’s grateful for the opportunity. I hope you enjoy your time here. Gi-hun has a lot to tell you once he’s finished with his work for the day.” 

“Mrs. Oh, why don’t you come with me to drop off your luggage?” The recruiter interjected. “That way you can see your quarters and be free to spend time with your son. That’s fine, isn’t it, In-ho?” 

“No, I suppose not.” 

“Oh, yes, of course.” She didn’t want to leave Gi-hun now, even if just for a few seconds to put away her belongings and talk to her roommate. She missed him so much, and she knew Gi-hun well enough to realize he wanted to tell her something. 

But she obeyed out of a protective instinct. 

Gi-hun waved to his mother, who was walking away with the recruiter. Her eagle-like gaze would never change, taking in everything around her. Including his belly. 

“I don’t know how to tell her…” Gi-hun said, a little sulky, as he stroked his slightly swollen belly. 

“It’s okay, Jagiya. She’ll understand.” In-ho kissed the top of his head, his large hand resting on top of Gi-hun’s. 

“I just wanted to… ah, never mind.” He finished with a sigh, nestling into his husband’s shoulder in search of comfort. In-ho caressed his waist, his fingers resting on the beginning of the bulge in his belly. “She’ll understand. It might take a while, but she’ll get excited about the idea of a grandchild to love.” 

In-ho laughed softly, affectionately, and kissed Gi-hun’s temple. The sound of the waves breaking could be heard right there, as if waiting for the two of them to return home.