Liam picked up the call and waited.
"Hi."
That familiar voice—it hit harder than expected. He'd anticipated it, yet dreaded it.
"Liam?" she said again. Hearing his name from her lips tugged at his heart in ways he'd almost forgotten.
"You there?"
"Yeah." His voice came out quiet, flat.
"I... I heard you were arrested."
"I was."
"Which station?"
"I'm out now."
"That's good."
A pause. Awkward, heavy. Then she got to the point.
"Can we meet? I'm at your college right now."
He was stunned—and a little impressed. "How?"
"It's not far from where I live."
Really? He'd spent a month wandering the streets near campus, hoping to find her. And all this time, she'd been close?
"Do you know a coffee shop called A Drop of Happiness?" Samantha asked. "Can we meet there?"
That was the café right next to his old workplace.
"Uh… okay. Give me some time."
"I will."
—
**THUMP.**
The door slammed open.
"Yo, seriously man! You've been acting weird since morning," Jason's roommate complained.
Jason staggered in, barely managing the towering stack of books in his arms before they collapsed onto the floor. "Ah—shit."
"You woke up, stared at the ceiling like a ghost for a full hour, didn't say a word to me. Then you just bolted out, talking about 'finding Caitlyn.' You skipped class, and now you come back with a library's worth of weird books?"
Jason ignored the rant, shutting the door and kneeling to collect the scattered books. "Have you been to the suicide scene?"
"What? No. Why would I? So I can lose oxygen to a gawking crowd?"
"It was Lydia, man."
His roommate fell silent. Lydia had been a close friend of Jason's.
"Yeah… sorry if my words were off earlier."
"I tried to find Caitlyn but couldn't. Her friends say she's fine, so I'll look again later. First, I need to explain everything to you. What's happening… and what we have to do."
"Huh?"
Jason stacked the books carefully. "Okay. You remember Squid Game, right?"
"Obviously."
"Bunch of rich psychos watching people compete in deadly games."
"Yeah, for money."
"Right, that part doesn't really apply here though—"
"Wait. Here?"
"Jim. Last night, I wasn't here." Jason patted his bed. "I was out. In the Pacific Ocean. With monsters and shit."
"You were where?"
"I know how it sounds, but you have to believe me. I even saw something like the Loch Ness Monster, it looked just like the—"
"Dude. Loch Ness Monster? Do you even hear yourself?" Concern had now overtaken confusion.
"I know how it sounds. Please, just hear me out."
"Jason… I think you need to see someone. A therapist, maybe."
"Please." Jason gripped his friend's shoulders. "Just listen."
"…Alright. Fine."
—
Liam arrived late.
Samantha was already seated in a booth, a glass of matcha in front of her—and another across the table for him.
Liam's taste buds dulled over time, he no longer had a taste for sweetness. These days, it was just black coffee and water.
They stared across the room at each other, frozen in hesitation. Eventually, Liam approached and sat down. Still, the silence hung heavy.
"I… I don't drink this," he said, glancing at the matcha.
"Sorry."
The tension was unbearable. Neither wanted to lead the conversation, despite both being full of unspoken thoughts.
"What happened to your arm?" Liam asked, referring to her bandaged forearm—the result of trying to stop her father's suicide.
"It's nothing. Don't worry about it… You know you're being stalked, right?"
"I do."
They were talking about Caitlyn, standing just outside the café with her head down—disheartened by the sight of what looked like Liam on a date.
"Don't mind her."
"But she was there."
Liam's fingers tapped the table nervously. "She was."
"Right there. In the restroom."
"Yeah."
"…Why?" Samantha finally asked the obvious question.
"No one will believe the game is real unless there's proof. I was trying to expose it."
"There were hundreds of us." Samantha raised her voice. "Reports should be flooding in from everywhere. But no one's listening. I think it's safe to say the cops aren't on our side."
"Not all of them can be corrupt. I just need a few good ones. With the right evidence, we can bring the game down."
"There was no better way?"
"I couldn't think of one."
Maybe it was bias, but Samantha was beginning to understand. To accept.
"Who was she?"
"An asshole."
"...Still. You took a life, Liam."
"For a chance to save more. That game won't stop."
He thought of the empty bed in his dorm. It kept him focused. Resolute.
"You're not going to do it again, are you?"
He wanted to say 'no.'
"…Not unless absolutely necessary."
"...You've changed so much."
Liam didn't respond. He lowered his gaze. He wasn't proud of who he'd become.
"I don't like it, Liam. I don't like it at all."
"I know."
But he didn't apologize. He felt no remorse for what he'd done.
Samantha pulled out her phone and showed him today's question. She hadn't answered yet.
"What did you choose?" she asked.
"Antarctica."
She selected it.
"See you tonight, then." She grabbed her bag and left, not even touching her drink.
Liam didn't move. Back hunched, fingers trembling, stomach heavy with self-loathing.
He left after one sip of the matcha. Too sweet—just like he expected.
—
"What was that?" Caitlyn stood outside, her voice shaking.
"Judging by how she left, you can tell it wasn't a date."
"But your fingers. They never used to shake like that."
He looked down—he hadn't even noticed. His hand was trembling, tapping his thigh erratically.
"It's nothing," he said, calming himself. "We need to go somewhere tonight."
"Huh?" Caitlyn's face flushed. Despite everything, her feelings for him remained unchanged.