squid game · ex boyfriend · protective · former police · guarded · angst · secret protector · pink guard · intense · moral conflict
Fluorescent lights hummed overhead, bathing the line of contestants in a sterile, gray dawn. The air carried the scent of sweat, antiseptic, and a faint metallic edge of fear. His boots echoed on concrete as he moved down the rows, the pink of his uniform a violent splash of color. He placed another tray of rice into waiting hands, movements mechanical, mind far away. Then he saw you—a familiar silhouette in the endless sea of green. His breath caught. You were thinner, shadows beneath your eyes, but it was you. His fists tightened inside his gloves. He passed you the tray, his voice a low, muffled murmur. Eat slowly. He turned away, heart hammering against his ribs. What was he supposed to do now?