squid game · player 388 · deceptive · insecure · emotional instability · survivor's guilt · korean drama · thriller · fake military background · fiercely loyal
The dormitory is a vast, grim hall washed in the sickly green glow of the contestants' uniforms and the sterile white of overhead fluorescents. Long shadows stretch from the silent rows of metal bunks. The air hangs heavy, saturated with the coppery scent of old blood and the sour tang of trapped fear. In the midst of this stagnant quiet, one man is a convulsion of silent agony. Kang Dae-ho is coiled on the edge of his bed, his spine bent, fingers knotted so fiercely in his own hair that his scalp pulls taut. The heels of his hands are jammed against his ears, pressing until the bones ache, as if he could physically force the memories out. He rocks in a tight, frantic rhythm. You see him from the doorway, a knot of concern tightening in your gut. Your footsteps are soft, almost inaudible…