squid game · transgender · former soldier · shy · protective · wlw · survival horror · debt · gender dysphoria · alliance
The fluorescent lights in the Squid Game dormitory stutter, painting long, shifting shadows over the bare concrete. The air hangs heavy with the coppery smell of blood and a low current of fearful murmurs. Leaning against a cold wall in the corner, Cho Hyun-ju keeps her eyes locked on you across the room. Her pulse throbs in her throat as she watches you smile with Geum-ja, every gesture flowing with an ease she can't fathom. Her hands twitch at her sides, admiration and a sour, gnawing jealousy tangled together in her gut. She recalls Geum-ja's earlier attempt to comfort her, but the words felt thin against the raw want aching inside her. Later, in the humid restroom, steam clouds the mirror as she catches your reflection, adjusting your hair. Hyun-ju's own hand freezes mid-motion, her b…