#squidgame x reader

The student scholarships that should have been your salvation ended up becoming your condemnation. The crippling debt had pushed you to this place, to this absurd and macabre game in which, apparently, the only way to win was to survive. If you had known what they really entailed, you would never have accepted. But now it was too late.

You lifted your head when you heard a commotion. A group of players swaggered through the communal dormitory with an air of superiority, drawing everyone's attention. They were noisy, self-assured men, surrounding someone who instantly captured your gaze.

A tall man, with violet-dyed hair.

You narrowed your eyes, feeling a tingle in your memory. There was something in his posture, in the way he moved with confidence, in the manner in which his laughter dominated the others. You tried not to be too obvious when looking at him, but your curiosity was stronger. Then, when you saw him turn his face and smile at someone in his group, you knew.

Your heart skipped a beat.

Su-bong.

It couldn't be.

The cutest guy in the neighborhood. Your neighbor, your childhood friend. The one you played with in the street until night fell. The one you shared laughs, secrets, and small victories in childhood games.

Since you moved to another city at sixteen, you hadn't seen him in person again—only on television. In music videos, in interviews, at awards shows, on stages full of lights. Thanos, they called him now. A rap star.

But there he was, in the flesh. In the same hell as you.

A shiver ran down your spine. You didn't know if it was relief at seeing a familiar face or terror at realizing that, if he was there, it meant he also had a desperate enough reason to gamble his life.

When they finally called you, you advanced to the board with tense steps, feeling everyone's eyes on you. Your fingers trembled slightly when you raised your hand to cast your vote. Circle or cross. Life or death.

As you slightly turned your head, your gaze crossed with his.

The impact was immediate. But what disconcerted you was the way he also seemed to freeze upon seeing you. His eyes widened slightly, and for a second, the noise in the room seemed to fade.

For Su-bong, finding you there was like a punch to the chest.

Memories flooded him with astonishing clarity. Afternoons on his neighborhood street, childish laughter, endless games. And, above all, that game of Jegichagi where he had emerged victorious. The image of you, frowning in feigned annoyance while he teased you about your defeat, drew a fleeting smile. But the present reality immediately hit him. You were no longer the neighborhood kids. You were in a damned death competition.

He stayed where he was, without approaching, without saying anything. The tension between the players who had voted circle and those who had voted cross was already palpable, and the last thing he needed was to generate more animosity.

But he wasn't going to leave you alone.

Hours later, when most of the players were scattered, eating in small groups or simply lost in their thoughts, Su-bong found you.

You were sitting on the stairs, a tray of food in your hands, picking at it listlessly. The sight stirred something in his chest. You had always been one to eat slowly, with your gaze lost as if you were in another world. He remembered that characteristic of yours.

He approached with a confident step and leaned slightly toward you.

"Do you remember me?" he asked with a sideways smile.

You looked up, staring at him with feigned indifference.

"Should I?" you asked.

Su-bong chuckled. He knew that tone. He knew perfectly well that you remembered him.

"You should remember the King of Jegichagi," he replied confidently.

You blinked when you heard him and then let out a small laugh, lowering your head.

"I can't believe you're still bringing that up," you said, dropping the pretense.

"It's a title you don't lose."

You both laughed. It was a brief moment, but in that hell, any spark of normalcy felt like a gift.

Su-bong sat down next to you, letting the silence settle for a few seconds before asking his biggest doubt.

"What was your life like after you left?"

You sighed deeply, setting the tray aside.

"Normal. Neither great nor terrible," you paused, choosing your words. "Until I entered university without sufficient funds. I started getting into debt and… well, I ended up here."

Su-bong observed you in silence. He didn't need more details to understand the desperation that had led you to that place.

"Come with me," he suddenly said, and you looked at him, bewildered.

"To your group?" you questioned. He nodded.

"I can protect you," he promised, but you shook your head.

"I don't want to be a burden to you."

Su-bong smiled with a tenderness that sharply contrasted with the roughness he usually showed toward others.

"No, my princess. You would never be a burden," he said.

You looked at him for a long moment, unsure. But the sincerity in his eyes convinced you.

Finally, you stood up and nodded.

"Okay."

Su-bong smiled and confidently put an arm around your shoulders as he led you to his group. As soon as you arrived, the atmosphere became tense. Nam-gyu, one of the men closest to Thanos, narrowed his eyes at the sight of you two together.

"What do we have here?" he murmured with a mocking smile. "The little princess wanted out of the game, huh?"

A chill ran down your spine. Your vote for the cross, and the badge the soldiers gave you, had betrayed you.

Player 124 stepped forward, with a threatening posture, but Su-bong stopped him with a glacial look. Nam-gyu confronted him, gauging his reaction, but finally snorted and backed away.

You swallowed. The tension in the group was still palpable, and although Su-bong had defended you, you didn't feel completely welcome. You clung to the only thought that gave you some peace: if Su-bong was with you, maybe you had a chance to survive.

For the second game, the soldiers guided you to a large room illuminated by cold lights. On the floor, a large circle of bright colors stood out against the white background. A screen overhead showed a digital clock counting down.

After finishing analyzing the place, you swallowed. What did you have to do now?

A soldier stepped forward and spoke with his metallic voice through the loudspeaker on his mask.

"You must form teams of five players."

You felt a wave of relief knowing you wouldn't be separated. However, you were still missing one member.

Before the others could react, you scanned the room. That's when you saw him: a skinny, hunched boy, his hands nervously clasped together. His expression reflected his helplessness, as if he didn't know what to do.

You approached with a firm step, and he looked up suddenly, surprised.

"Hi, do you have a team yet?" you said quietly. The boy shook his head. "Then come with us."

Min-su hesitated, but noting the softness of your tone, he nodded slowly and followed you to where the group was.

As soon as you arrived, Nam-gyu scoffed with disdain, and Gyeong-su frowned. You felt a knot of discomfort, but before you could defend your choice, Su-bong stepped forward with a big smile.

"What's up, nice to meet you, my brother, welcome to the Thanos world."

He shook his hand firmly and bumped shoulders, as if Min-su were an old friend.

The boy blinked, surprised by the welcome, but a faint glimmer of relief appeared on his face, and you smiled. At least someone made him feel accepted.

When the round began, the atmosphere in the room tensed. The rest of the players watched you attentively, some shouting encouragement and others simply analyzing the competitors.

Gyeong-su was the first to play ddakji. He failed on his first attempt, but on the second, he managed to flip the tile with a crisp slap. You carefully picked up the stone, took a deep breath, and threw it accurately. You hit it on the first try.

As you moved to the next game, you glanced at Su-bong. Since the beginning of the round, he hadn't stopped moving. He shouted, danced, waved his arms as if he were on a stage.

Min-su played Gonggi and surprised everyone by doing it right the first time. Nam-gyu, on the other hand, had trouble with the diamond shape. He got frustrated after failing twice, and on the third, he turned away annoyedly. He touched Thanos's shoulder, who understood the signal to stop dancing, and he managed to succeed on his third attempt.

Finally, it was Su-bong's turn.

Jegichagi.

The game he always beat you in as kids.

You watched him carefully as he got ready, a confident smile on his lips.

The jegi went up in the air, and without any visible effort, Su-bong kicked it with his heel.

One, two, three, four…

Five kicks later, he let it drop to the floor elegantly.

He turned to the guard who gave him approval to advance toward the end of the round. As you were heading toward the exit door, Su-bong approached you.

"See that, princess? I'm still the king," he told you.

You let out a small laugh, shaking your head.

No matter how much time passed. Su-bong would always be Su-bong.

The bunk beds became a makeshift refuge after the game. The air smelled of sweat and fear, but Su-bong didn't seem to notice. With a broad smile, he sat on the step next to you, his eyes illuminated by uncontrollable euphoria.

"You saw it, my dear! Just like old times! We won, it was a piece of cake!" he exclaimed, leaning toward you with overwhelming energy.

You smiled, although your expression reflected a different unease. You knew what was happening to him; you had seen it in other people before. Su-bong wasn't just excited about the victory; the euphoria in his gaze had another source. And while he focused on the nostalgia of his childhood, you could only think about the latent danger of those games.

"Yes, just like when we were kids…" you replied, your tone barely animated.

Su-bong frowned, perceiving the lack of enthusiasm in your voice.

"Are you okay? Is someone bothering you?" he asked. You shook your head and shifted in your seat.

"It's nothing, don't worry," you said.

He tilted his head and watched you intently.

"Don't do the same thing you did when we were teenagers," he said in a more serious tone. "You always keep everything to yourself. One day you just disappeared, and I never knew what happened to you."

You looked down. You didn't want to relive the past, much less in a place like this. But he was still there, waiting for an answer.

"Seriously, nothing is wrong," you finally answered, trying to smile.

But Su-bong didn't believe you. You knew him too well to be fooled. He remained silent, but his gaze didn't leave you. The moment was broken by the arrival of the rest of the group. Nam-gyu, as usual, had it in for Min-su. The boy tried to ignore him, but the biting comments and taunts didn't stop. You were fed up, so you intervened.

"Can you leave him alone?" you asked, raising your voice.

Nam-gyu looked at you with a mocking smile.

"Well, look here! Now the idiot has two babysitters," he let out, and raised a hand, as if to make a provocative gesture, but Su-bong intervened before it could escalate.

"Enough, Nam-gyu," he said in a warning tone.

The other guy sighed heavily, rolled his eyes, and crossed his arms, yielding for the moment.

Su-bong, changing the tense atmosphere, looked at everyone with a wide, sudden smile.

"Okay, since we're all together, tell me something. How old are you guys, huh?"

The atmosphere was still tense, but you silently appreciated him trying to keep things light. Although he had his own problems, Su-bong was still the same childhood friend who tried to make you laugh when you needed it most.

That night, you couldn't stop tossing and turning in bed. Thoughts kept you awake, and the fear of dying wouldn't leave you. The soft murmur of your breathing was the only sound you heard in the darkness, until suddenly, you felt the weight of a body next to yours. In an instant, your mind went alert, but his voice reassured you.

"It's me," Su-bong whispered.

You turned until you were lying face up so you could see him, feeling your pulse racing. Hearing his familiar voice, so low and calm, you stayed there, still.

"Are you high or something?" you asked, your tone half joking, half worried.

"I don't know, I don't think so..." Su-bong replied, hesitating for an instant. "But my heart is beating so fast... And I don't think it's the pill. I think it's the adrenaline of love."

You laughed, amused and relieved at the same time, but you didn't let what he had just said pass. There was something different in his voice. Something you couldn't decipher, but which made you blush a little.

"You're definitely high," you let out, smiling as you settled onto your pillow.

Su-bong was silent for a moment, looking up. The darkness was total, but the warmth of his body next to yours was unmistakable. He slowly turned toward you, lying on his side, and his eyes shone with a determination you hadn't seen in him before.

"When we get out of here," Su-bong began, in a serious tone, almost like a promise, "you're going to be my girlfriend."

You laughed, though something in your chest fluttered at the idea. You didn't want to take him seriously. Not yet. But Su-bong didn't let the moment dissipate so easily.

"I'm going to take you to my place," he said, more confident than before. "My mom always adored you. She'll be so happy when she finds out I'm going to marry you."

Surprised by the seriousness of his words, you couldn't help but laugh again, although a bit of tenderness coursed through your body.

When you were little, you would have been so happy to hear those words, you thought.

Then, to your surprise, Su-bong kissed you on the head, a soft, audible gesture that made you feel an unexpected warmth in your face. You blushed, and when he put his arm across your abdomen, pressing closer to your body, you couldn't help but feel that something was changing between you.

"Can I ask you something?" he murmured, returning to the childish attitude that sometimes made him so irresistible.

You nodded, expectant.

"Do you like Min-su?" he asked, looking into your eyes with disconcerting sincerity. "Because... you defend him all day, and I... I'm getting jealous."

You laughed, shaking your head.

"I'll stop defending him when that idiot Nam-gyu stops bothering him," you replied with a knowing smile, understanding your words weren't just to calm the situation.

Su-bong said nothing, just shushed you, and in that silence, you both settled in again. You closed your eyes, feeling the weight of his arm around you, and didn't say anything more. The silence became comfortable, calm, and it didn't matter that everything seemed so uncertain. Your body relaxed into the warmth of the night, and you stayed there, feeling that, perhaps, what Su-bong said wasn't so unreal after all.

"Are you going to stay here all night?" you asked him, almost in a whisper.

"Yes," Su-bong replied, with that confidence he always had when something truly mattered to him.