Chapter Text
Somehow after the third game, most people ended up voting X and the games end... This takes place probably a few days after Squid Game ended. Gi-Hun and Jung-Bae were chilling and Jung-Bae was sitting on Gi-Hun's lap, Gi-Hun doesn't know how he allowed this but that's another story to tell...
"God, we barely dodged death back there didn't we?" Gi-Hun says, as if he's impressed by surviving a game he played before...
Silence. He is right, they barely dodged death in a place like Squid Game.
"Does it matter? At least we're together again, I mean, we went no contact for 4 years! It's not my fault, is it?"
"No, it's not. I had my own problems after winning Squid Game and it's my fault I didn't tell you earlier. Don't blame yourself ever again."
"I'm glad to know it ain't my fault."
Jung-Bae sighs in relief and grabs a lighter and a pack of cigarettes to light them cause he knows these would calm him.
"Hey, give me a cigarette." Gi-Hun says and Jung-Bae lends him one as they touch their cigarettes' tips together and Jung-Bae lights them both.
Oh god, they're bonding by giving each other lung cancer. What fun.
"I'm curious. What were you doing without me all these years?" Gi-Hun asks as he takes a puff out of his cigarette
"Oh, me? I went into a little situational depression for like a year, then I returned to gambling which felt really lonely without you though, I was borrowing money and allowing myself to get into debt. Then..." Jung-Bae also take a little puff out of his cigarette as well. "Then everything fell apart! Debts, loan sharks, arguments with my ex-wife, god, I don't wanna remember anything. That's like the darkest chapter of my life. I'm so fucking stupid!"
Damn it. He was going through a messy divorce and he lost custody of his daughter. He then slammed his head on Gi-Hun's shoulder again and again while calling himself stupid as he clutched Gi-Hun's right arm with his one hand and his cigarette on the other hand.
"No! You're not stupid at all! Okay, you didn't make the smartest decisions and neither did I. But that doesn't mean you're stupid, you can be pretty smart if you want to! And I'm sorry for reminding you of the things you wanted to forget. There, calm down..." Gi-Hun felt so guilty for reminding Jung-Bae of his years without him, he can tell that these were really dark years for him.
Gi-Hun gently strokes Jung-Bae's back in soft circles, it seems he calmed down as he's just lying his head on his shoulder and letting out a happy sound.
"H-Hey, you're enjoying this too much!" Gi-Hun yells but there's no real anger behind it, it's pretense and just lets Jung-Bae rest his head.
"I do, you damned toothpick."
"HUH?! If I'm a toothpick then you're a whale!"
"Well, I don't mind being your whale." He says as he lifts his head with a little grin and takes a puff out of his cigarette.
"Of course you don't. You have full cheeks... So squishy..." Gi-Hun grumpily mutters to himself as he puts out his cigarette on the ashtray and cups Jung-Bae's face, so squishy indeed, he squeezes those damn chubby cheeks, gosh they feel so good and warm under his touch.
"Why do you have to be so cute, Jung-Bae? Huh, why?!"
"Because I can? Hahaha!" Jung-Bae's laugh, it's so oddly beautiful and contagious, Gi-Hun can't help but let out a chuckle himself. Then, Jung-Bae puts out his own cigarette on the ashtray as well when he turns to Gi-Hun, genuinely excited. "You're finally laughing again! It was time, Gi-Hun! You finally act like the old Seong Gi-Hun I knew! Hahaha!" That laugh that came out of Jung-Bae... so wonderful. And Jung-Bae is right, Gi-Hun is finally acting like himself before he ever joined Squid Game and it hit home.
Gi-Hun felt an sense of nostalgia hearing Jung-Bae's joyous laugh, it reminded him of how they spent their time together before Squid Game. He couldn't help but smile as a bittersweet sense of nostalgia floods him.
"Yeah, I guess I feel like my old self again." He admitted, a small smile appearing at the corners of his lips. It's been a long time since he felt like this.
Jung-Bae looked at Gi-Hun and smiled, seeing the small grin on his face. It warmed his heart to see that he was back to his old self.
Jung-Bae jokingly poked at Gi-Hun's cheek, an attempt to make him laugh again.
"See? That smile suits you way more than that grumpy face of yours!" He teased, his tone playful.
Gi-Hun swatted away Jung-Bae's hand playfully, but he couldn't help but maintain his smile.
"Shut up, you big, fat oaf."
He jokingly talked back, the insult lacking any real heat behind it as it is meant to be more endearing.
Jung-Bae pretended to be hurt, placing a hand over his chest in fake pain.
"Hey! Don't call me a fat oaf, you damn toothpick." He says, poking Gi-Hun's side affectionately.
"I'll let you burn for the entire world..." Gi-Hun mutters, annoyed, but not actually annoyed.
"Hahaha! Gi-Hun, you say it wrong! It's «I'll let the world burn for you», not whatever you said!"
Gi-Hun groaned, facepalming himself.
"Damn, that sounded so much better in my head," he muttered under his breath.
He looked up at Jung-Bae with a grumpy expression. "Fine, fine... I'll let the world burn for you, you fatass. There, happy now?"
Jung-Bae laughed loudly, his head thrown back with the force of his laughter.
"Man, I missed you and that confused mouth of yours. You're still so bad with words," he teased, poking Gi-Hun's thin cheek affectionately.
Gi-Hun swatted away Jung-Bae's hand, trying to maintain a grumpy expression but failing to suppress a small smile at Jung-Bae's playful jab.
"Oh, shut up. At least I'm not the one looking like a whale all the time," he muttered, poking Jung-Bae's tummy for emphasis.
Jung-Bae chuckled, feigning hurt once again.
"Ouch, that hurts, man. You're always attacking me about my weight," he whined playfully. "Just admit it, you're jealous of my well-fed physique. All you got is your bones, like, eat more, it's unhealthy if you eat nothing!"
Gi-Hun rolled his eyes, trying to maintain his grumpy expression, but a small smile is still peeking out.
"Oh please, being skinny is way more superior than being all fat and squishy. At least I can outrun, you, you big, lazy whale," he teased back.
Jung-Bae laughed again. "Pffft, don't fool yourself, Gi-Hun. You're fast when it comes to running, sure, but you can't beat me in a fight! I got all this weight to throw at you. You're gonna fly away the moment I land one punch," he retorted, playfully flexing his arms.
He then lifts his right tshirt sleeve, showing a ROK Marine Corps tattoo. ROK Marines don't joke around you know.
"Just look at me Gi-Hun! You're never beating me. The ROKMC discipline is carved deep down myself! ROKMC ain't a joke, you know!"
Gi-Hun raised an eyebrow at the sight of the ROK Marine Corps tattoo. "Whoa, well look at you, Mr. Badass." He couldn't deny the fact that Jung-Bae looked much more formidable than him.
"Alright, alright, I get it. You're tough and all, but I bet I'm way more agile than you. I can dodge your fat ass easily," he teased jokingly.
Jung-Bae smirked, amused by Gi-Hun's playful banter. "Oh yeah? I bet I can still catch you even if you're quick as lightning. You're just skin and bones, so I'll tackle you down and sit on your ass in no time, toothpick."
Gi-Hun's eyes widened in mock-horror. "Oh god, not the sitting on me tactic! You know I'm not strong enough to resist that!" He feigned fear.
He then muttered in a sarcastic tone, "Great, I'm gonna be squished by a damn whale."
Jung-Bae snorted with laughter at Gi-Hun's exaggerated reaction. "Damn right, you're gonna be squished. You're like a stick, a single wind could knock you over, you know that?"
He playfully flicked Gi-Hun's forehead. "I could pick you up and carry you like a bag of rice. You're lightweight!"
Gi-Hun rubbed his forehead where he was flicked, pretending to be hurt. "Hey! Don't flick me, you big brute! And I'm not that light, okay? I just... I just have a high metabolism, alright? I can't help it if I'm skinny!"
He protested, trying to keep up with their playful banter.
Jung-Bae chuckled at Gi-Hun's protests. "Yeah, yeah, you keep telling yourself that, toothpick. You're as light as a feather, I could bench press with you as weights with ease."
He flexed his fat biceps jokingly, emphasizing his strength. "These babies are all muscle, can't say the same about your scrawny arms."
Gi-Hun rolled his eyes, still trying to maintain his grumpy facade. "More like they're fat."
Jung-Bae gasped, placing a hand over his chest in mock-hurt once again. "Hey! You wound me, Gi-Hun! These are the muscles of a trained marine, you know! Don't insult my well-fed physique!"
He joked, trying to look offended, but the twinkle in his eyes gave away his amusement.
Gi-Hun couldn't help but smirk at Jung-Bae's over-the-top reaction. "Oh, please! Your 'well-fed physique' is just a polite way of saying you're chubby."
He teased, poking Jung-Bae's stomach affectionately. "Your gut is bigger than my whole head!"
Jung-Bae placed a hand over his stomach defensively, feigning offense again. "Hey, don't you dare call my precious belly 'chubby', you toothpick. It's just soft and squishy, not fat! And my gut is not that big, it's just well-feed, alright?"
He protested jokingly, pretending to protect his gut from Gi-Hun's pokes.
Gi-Hun couldn't help but chuckle at Jung-Bae's dramatic defense of his stomach. "Oh really? Let me check-"
He reached out and grabbed Jung-Bae's belly, giving it a light squeeze. "Hmmm, feels like a giant pillow to me."
Jung-Bae let out a laugh as Gi-Hun squeezed his stomach. "Haha, see? It's like a big, comfy pillow. Soft and warm. You're just jealous cause you don't have this natural cushion."
He patted his own stomach, emphasizing its softness and volume. "I'd like to see you try and beat this, toothpick! You can't even compete with my well-fed physique!"
*To be continued...*