Chapter 5: Unlikely Allies

The questions began to pour in as the group gathered around Young-il and Myung-gi, their curiosity piqued by the younger man's presence. "Who is this?" Junhee asked again, her voice tight with annoyance. "Myung-gi was hurt last night," Young-il replied calmly, his eyes never leaving Junhee's face. "He's joining our team." Junhee's expression darkened. "What happened to him? And why is he with you?" Young-il's gaze didn't waver. "He was injured during the...events of last night. I'm helping him recover." The granny, who had been watching the exchange with interest, asked, "What's his number?" Myung-gi, who had been quietly clinging to Young-il's side, looked up at him with pleading eyes. Young-il responded for him, "He's player 333." The room fell silent as the players processed this information. Junhee's anger was palpable, and she shot Myung-gi a venomous glance. "So, you're trying to weasel your way into our team?" she spat. Young-il's expression turned stern. "Myung-gi is under my protection. He's part of our team now, whether you like it or not." Junhee's face reddened, but before she could respond, Gihun intervened. "Let's focus on the task at hand. We need to figure out what's going to happen next." The conversation shifted, and the group began to speculate about the next game. Myung-gi, still leaning heavily on Young-il, listened intently, his eyes wide with fear. As the discussion continued, Young-il discreetly opened the small bag of pain pills and handed Myung-gi two of them. "Swallow these," he whispered. Myung-gi looked up at Young-il, his broken voice barely above a whisper. "What are they? These aren't drugs, right?" Young-il's eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled reassuringly. "It's pain medicine. It'll help. Trust me." Myung-gi nodded, his eyes never leaving Young-il's face, and swallowed the pills with some of his milk. He didn't question where Young-il had gotten the pills or what they were; he was too desperate for relief. Young-il ushered Myung-gi to eat, his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Let's focus on getting you better, okay?" As Myung-gi took a bite of his bun, the group continued to discuss their situation, their hypotheses ranging from optimistic to dire. Myung-gi listened intently, still clinging to Young-il's side, grateful for the older man's protection and care. The atmosphere in the room was tense, but with Young-il by his side, Myung-gi felt a sense of security he hadn't felt in a long time. He glanced up at Young-il, his eyes filled with gratitude, and Young-il's expression softened in response. For a moment, they just looked at each other, a connection forming between them that the others couldn't quite understand. As they ate and discussed their situation, Myung-gi couldn't help but wonder what the future held, and whether he could trust Young-il with his life.