The air in the room felt thick with unspoken tension after the second game. All the arguments about age and weak personalities had dissolved into heavy silence. But while the other participants were exhausted, Thanos and Nam Gyu, still riding the high of the magic pills, were like caged beasts—their bodies twitching with restless energy, muscles spasming involuntarily, fingers clenching and unclenching as if searching for something to grab onto.

And then... he noticed her.

That cheeky girl who had used some guy as a human shield during the first trial. Back then, he had just smirked, quietly noting her sly cunning. But now... now it was different.

He couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Slouched in his chair, one leg tucked under him, the other bouncing erratically to some nonexistent rhythm, he watched. His pupils, blown wide from the pills, hungrily tracked her every move in the dim light of the room.

Where she slept. Who she talked to. Who she avoided.

Ten minutes of observation—and he already knew her better than some knew each other after days.

She hadn’t joined a group.

A perfect opportunity.

The corner of his mouth twitched in a brief, almost imperceptible smirk. He lazily nudged Thanos in the ribs with his elbow, grabbing his attention. The older man turned, eyebrow slightly raised in question.

Nam Gyu didn’t say a word—just tilted his chin toward her in a slow, deliberate motion.

Thanos’ gaze flicked to the girl, then back to Nam Gyu. His response was a short, approving nod.

But Nam Gyu wasn’t in a hurry.

He just stretched his shoulders, leaning back even further, like a predator loosening its muscles before the pounce. His fingers tapped against his knee, the rhythm uneven, agitated.

He gave it time.

So she could feel the weight of his stare burning into her back.

So she would turn around.

So she would see him.

And then...

Then he would make his move.