The ball was still trembling at the edge of the glass, suspended, would it fall or go in, fall or go in.
A murmur rippled through the room.
Puss, plug.
She fell.
On the floor.
[ ROUND NUL. ]
A sigh of relief ran through the Korean ranks.
But not at my place.
My watch was still vibrating, burning hot against my skin.
Be mindful of what you owe me.
I raised my head.
I went a bit too far.
The man in black was watching us.
(Seo Hwan)
Silence is worth more than words.
Ki-Moon….. I should be wary of him, what is so dangerous about him, he exaggerates a bit too much, he is just a neutral point a bit like Kang, he does not represent any danger to us, he evolves but not too much they will probably die soon, and Kim Young… Kim Young may be slightly mysterious, but not dangerous at least for the moment, she seems rather preoccupied with something else.
I can tell by the way she stares at the ball, as if she wants to twist it with her eyes.
Is it this ball you're after, or some higher-up ball you want to attack?
It could be useful to me.
She knows we are being watched.
Me too.
What if the game wasn't Beer Pong... but something else?
The buyers? The money? The show? What is he trying to do to us?
(Kim Young)
Water… poison… the remedy.
Three liquids, three riddles.
I see them. The clues, I need to go back there quickly.
It's a lure, everything is a lure.
WHY CAN'T I FIND IT, HAAA
She's playing with my nerves, calm down, breathe, the game hasn't completely changed, you can find them.
I see the logic: the glasses with water in them are for acclimatization, no, it's the remedy that is acclimatization, normally it's the remedy, I'm sure that for the fish it remains the same, it will never touch it.
I can read this game.
I can control it.
I have to go back quickly before they get crazy and take everything from me, they won't understand that I'm done with them.
(A-09)
SHIT
It was a close call.
Why are they looking at me?
They think they still have a chance.
Ridicule.
I've read everything, I just have to watch out: the Korean with black hair (Seo Hwan) isn't afraid, that's dangerous.
The one with glasses (Ki-Moon), on the other hand, is a burden.
But a burden… can be useful.
If he falls, the others fall behind him.
A weak point for the team, hmmm
[NEXT ROUND. LAUNCH: KOREA.]
"I'm going to throw it!" Kim Young yelled.
The ball was passed from hand to hand, hesitantly. Before handing it to Kim Young
(Brother)
They think I'm slow, that I'm too slow.
That's not good.
As long as they believe it, I can act in the shadows.
Every move counts.
Even though I feel a little hypocritical towards Ki-moon.
She launched it.
The ball bounced off one edge, described a curve… and fell into the furthest cup.
A discreet, almost restrained cry shook the audience.
The man in black gave a thumbs-up and brought the cup to A-09
Kim Young stepped back, silent, while the man in black advanced towards the American team.
[VOTING HAS BEGUN.]
(KIM YOUNG)
Why is a thumbs-up the cure, and if it's water... No...
He has to applaud… He respects nothing…
Is it the water or the remedy? SHIT, FUCKING SHIT, THINK, THINK
A-09 did not move, he stared at the cup, he did not understand either.
(A-09)
Hein?
Why a thumb?
It's either the fish or the cure, why change the clues now? And if it's the poison? Will I have to miss my cast to hope that Korea lands on the right one?
Why does he have to complicate everything?
He took the glass, looked up, and said slowly:
- It doesn't matter what's in it... I'm already finished.
He drank.
Long silence.
A wisp of white smoke came out of his nostrils.
He put down the glass, stepped back, and sat down.
-..... Remedy? .
[MONTROND THE VOTES]
[RUSSIA: REMEDY]
[BELGIUM: REMEDY]
[KIM YOUNG: REMEDY]
[ LIBERIA : REMEDIES]
[KI-MOON: WATER]
[KANG: REMEDY]
[SEO HWAN :REMEDIE]
along with everyone else who had also chosen the remedy.
Silence
Everyone was watching me, wondering if I was crazy, ignorant, or just arrogant; I'm sure at least one of these questions crossed their minds.
(seo hwan)
That's what you consider dangerous, hahaha ridiculous
[THE ANSWER IS....
Silence
[.... WATER]
[THE ACCOUNT RUNS BACK ON KI-MOON]
[NEXT ROUND: AMERICA.]
score : K 07 - A 06
A-09 launches.
Pure anger
The ball flew by, pure, fast, sharp.
She hit the cup, which tipped over, rolled, and fell, splashing the table and the floor.
-Sorry, I aimed badly
[NOW IT'S KOREA'S TURN.]
A shiver ran through our group.
Kim Young took a step, but Seo held her back with his arm.
- Leave alone.
His tone was slightly hoarse.
He took the ball.
An almost forced smile.
- I've gone soft.
He launches.
The liquid made a dull thud, allowing the ball to settle.
Nothing.
No trembling.
No joy.
Only his gaze, which slowly rose towards me, and that forced smile.
Dilated pupils, a strange glow.
- "Riddle: Who am I?"
Then he took out his watch
This time, the black man simply pointed at the cup, without moving, without applauding, without giving a thumbs-up.
[THE VOTES]
A-09 didn't seem very pleased, but he stepped forward and drank it in one gulp.
-disgusting
[THE VOTES:
[RUSSIA: Water]
[LIBERIA : POISON]
[BELGIUM: REMEDY]
[SEO HWAN : REMEDY]
[ KI-MOON : POISON]
[THE CORRECT ANSWER IS: REMEDY]
[POINT FOR BELGIUM AND SEO HWAN.]
score : K 08 - A 06
(Ki-Moon)
How will I survive if I get killed before I can grow up?
Joy, disgust, and indifference. That was it; no matter how he showed it, the emotions didn't change.
Joy for water, disgust for the remedy, and total indifference for the poison.
The watch vibrated again.
Why did you fail again?
No.
Not now.
I need to survive.
You can find as many games as you want if you want.
It's too risky to deal with you
[NEXT ROUND: ALL FOR AMERICA.]
A-09 seemed a little troubled.
The entire room fell silent.
Even the screens had frozen.
A-09 took the ball. He looked at the table.
Then me.
"Little Korean," he murmured.
He launched it.
The bullet sliced through the air, fast, precise…
Kim Young leaps up.
His hand hit the table, made the ball bounce, and instead of falling into the void, it came back, rolled, and… fell into one of the cups.
Silence.
The man in black remained frozen.
Then he raised his hand.
[THE VOTES.]
A-09 gave a slight smile and murmured:
- THANKS …
(Kim Young)
One step more, one step less, to arrive when.
This doll
The buyers.
The revolutionaries.
And the one… who is already watching us.
The whole group glared at Kim Young except for me; we all knew she must be drinking it.
She stepped forward and grabbed the cup and tasted it, then took a sip, waiting for I don't know what, and swallowed the rest.
(Ki-Moon)
I won.
The symbol on my watch has stopped flashing.
A little peace.
[THE VOTES.]
[KI-MOON : REMEDY]
[SEO HWAN :REMEDIE]
[RUSSIA: REMEDY]
[BELGIUM: REMEDY]
[KI-MOON: POISON]
[LIBERIA : REMEDIES]
[THE ANSWER IS:..]