Jo stood in the middle of the Shibuya intersection, staring at the phone screen that now displayed the words:
"Waiting for the first game instructions…"
The night wind brought a chill that crept into the bones. Then, the same voice, full of echoes and without a source, was heard again:
"To all players who have registered, please head to the game area that has been provided."
Jo immediately looked up, looking around. "Game area…? Where?!"
There were no instructions on the screen. The streets remained empty. But suddenly, rows of televisions along the sidewalk, shops, and bus stops lit up simultaneously. Each screen displayed an arrow symbol, slowly moving in one direction, as if guiding a path.
Jo took a breath and began to follow the direction of the arrow. As he walked, his mind spun quickly.
"Wait. The voice said… all players? So it's not just me? That means… there are other people here too. Maybe… my friends. Ren, Mina, Taka…"
A spark of enthusiasm lit up in Jo's chest that had been extinguished. "I have to find them. And… find out what really happened."
The digital arrow led him to a place he didn't expect, the Shibuya police station. The building that was usually heavily guarded, now looked deserted and dark. But the door was open… and in front of the building, a neon screen read:
"Game Area, Enter"
Jo stood for a moment, looking around. "Why the police building…?" he muttered. He still didn't see a single human. But a voice in his heart kept telling him:
"Move forward. Find them. Survive."
Slowly, he stepped into the building. The floor creaked lightly, and the lights automatically turned on one by one, as he walked.
The digital arrow continued to appear on a small screen attached to the wall, leading him down the hallway, past the interrogation room, the archives room… until it finally stopped in front of a large iron door.
It was clearly written on the door:
"Waiting Room, Before the Game Begins"
Suddenly, the voice came back, louder and more authoritative:
"To all players, please be prepared. The game will begin in 2 minutes."
Jo's heart was beating fast. He stood frozen in front of the door.
Two minutes.
Two minutes before everything changed.
Jo stood stiffly in front of the iron door that read "Waiting Room - Before the Game Begins".
Above the door, a red digital clock was brightly lit, counting down:
00:01:00
00:00:59
00:00:58...
Sweat began to drip from his temples. Cold sweat soaked his neck and back. Every second felt like a hammer hitting his heart.
00:00:01
CLANK!
The automatic door opened with a heavy mechanical sound. Blinding white light poured out from inside. Jo stepped inside.
Inside the room, Jo immediately saw 9 other people had gathered. They stood scattered, some leaning against the wall, some sitting on the floor, all with tense and confused expressions.
The voice came from the ceiling again, loud and echoing:
"Game name: Win or Lose."
"Level: 2 Wajid."
"Game rules:
There will be 5 levels of rooms to complete.
Each room has a different time.
There are 2 doors: one marked WIN, the other marked LOSE.
Players can only choose one door in each room.
Room 1 will start with a time of: 5 minutes."
"All players… get ready. The game… BEGINS."
A short siren accompanied the sound. A large timer on the wall began to count down: 05:00… 04:59…
Jo turned his head around, scanning the people in the room one by one:
5 women: 3 high school students, 1 elegant career woman in a white coat and high heels, and 1 middle-aged woman in simple clothes.
4 men: 1 high school student, 2 muscular men with looks like former soldiers or athletes, and 1 man with a chubby body, a friendly face, and a waving voice when he spoke.
Jo took a deep breath. She stepped forward a little and dared to speak.
"Hey… does anyone know what this game is?"
The atmosphere was silent for a moment. Then, the career woman stepped forward. Her face was calm, but her eyes were anxious.
"The game… is called Win or Lose, as we heard earlier."
Jo frowned.
"Yeah, I know that. I mean, what happens if we choose the wrong door?"
The woman looked down for a moment. Her eyes moved quickly to the two unopened doors at the end of the room.
"…I don't know," she answered quietly.
"All I know is, you have to choose. Go in. That's it."
Jo stared at her sharply. "If you make a mistake… we could die?"
The woman was silent. Her lips parted slightly, then closed again. Her hands clenched into fists.
"I don't know."
Jo turned to the timer. 03:15
"And one more thing… it was mentioned that this was level two wajid. What does that mean?" she asked quickly, starting to panic.
The woman just shook her head.
"I've never heard of that term before… maybe it has something to do with the difficulty level."
Jo bit her lower lip. Time was ticking. The choice was right in front of her, but the answer wasn't necessarily there.
The room was now filled with tension. Every player stood up and looked at each other, considering…
the "WIN" door or the "LOSE" door?
And time waits for no one.
02:00…
The timer continued to tick, and the pressure in the room became increasingly suffocating. Everyone began to get nervous, staring at the two large doors that were still closed:
WINNING DOOR on the left,
LOSE DOOR on the right.
Suddenly, the career woman who had spoken earlier stepped forward. With quick steps and a loud voice, she said:
"Listen! This is a Win or Lose game. That means the choice is clear! Enter the WINNING DOOR! That's the answer. Don't hesitate!"
A few people began to move. But Jo looked at her sharply, then asked:
"If you're so sure, why don't you go in first?"
All eyes were immediately on the woman. There was a moment of silence. Her expression turned a little nervous.
"That… that's just my analysis! Don't waste time! Quickly open the door!"
The timer now read: 00:58
Suddenly—CREAK!
The ceiling of the room slowly opened, and from there, dozens of arrows emerged from between the mechanics, hanging like sharp spears just waiting for the order to shoot.
The atmosphere immediately turned panicky.
One of the high school students screamed loudly, losing control. "AAAHH!! I don't want to die!!"
She ran at full speed towards the WINNING DOOR.
CRASH!
The door opened automatically as she approached. She entered without hesitation.
A SECOND LATER—
TZZZZT!!
From inside the room came the sound of mechanics... then "THUK THUK THUK!"
Jo and the others turned their heads...
Blood splashed from the gap in the door.
The student was shot by dozens of arrows. Died instantly.
Everyone froze. Jo swallowed, his eyes wide.
00:20
Without waiting any longer, the career woman immediately ran towards the LOSING DOOR, and... entered.
There was no sound. Nothing.
Silence. Safe.
Seeing that, two burly men immediately followed.
Then the fat man.
Then the other high school students.
Then one by one the remaining ones—except Jo and the last two female students who were still standing frozen in fear.
From behind the door, the career woman's voice was heard:
"COME ON! QUICKLY GO IN! YOU'LL DIE FROM AN ARROW IF YOU STAY THERE!!"
00:10
Jo looked up—the arrow was now starting to move slowly, preparing to shoot down.
Without thinking, Jo ran, grabbing the hands of the two female students.
"FOLLOW ME!! NOW!!"
The three of them shot towards the KALAH DOOR, feet stomping the floor quickly.
00:03… 00:02… 00:01…
They made it inside…
CLANK!
The door closed automatically.
BRAAAAAKK!!
At that very moment, hundreds of arrows shot down indiscriminately, piercing the floor where they had been standing. A sharp, crushing sound thundered outside the room.
Jo sat on the floor, breathing heavily. The two girls beside him were sobbing. The rest of the players were still silent, shocked by what had just happened.
One player had fallen.
And the game had only just begun.