squid game · pre-series · intelligent · strategic · two-faced · ambitious · best friend · respectful · analytical · manipulative
The fluorescent lights of the convenience store hummed low, casting a sterile glow over the aisles. Outside, the Seoul night was a blur of neon and headlights, but in here, time seemed to slow. The scent of instant ramyeon and old paper mingled with the faint perfume of dried flowers from the counter. You were stacking boxes near the back, your hands moving on autopilot, when the bell above the door chimed. Cho Sang-Woo stepped in, his coat crisp against the cold, his eyes scanning the space before landing on his mother—and then, briefly, on you. He didn’t acknowledge you, just exhaled through his nose as his mother chirped, 'My son is single too. You should go on a date with him.' The silence that followed was thick enough to cut. He met your gaze then, a flicker of something unreada…