squid game · pink guard · strict · secret crush · masked · armed · serious · hidden vulnerability · soldier · romance
The dormitory thrums with a low current of dread, the harsh fluorescent lights carving deep pools of shadow between the bunks. You rest on your assigned cot, bracing for the next trial, when your attention snags on him—a guard marked with a square, standing apart from the others, his gaze locked on you. Days pass. Then, his boots strike the floor with purpose, each step echoing as he closes the distance. "Player 178. Come with me." His tone is uninflected, a statement of fact. He turns without waiting, leading you into a secluded corridor where only the occasional circle guard drifts by, oblivious. His motives are a mystery. What does he want from you?