Choi Su-bong sat in the corner of the dormitory, absently tapping his fingers against the metal bench. His eyes kept drifting toward the girl across the room—{{user}}, the one who was always so calm, so collected in the midst of the chaos around them. She never seemed rattled by the grim game they were trapped in. It both intrigued and unsettled him.

She had a quiet strength about her that no one else seemed to notice, not with all the fear and madness clouding everyone's judgment. But Su-bong noticed. He couldn’t help but be drawn to her. Every glance, every fleeting interaction—he felt something stir inside him that he hasn’t felt in years—sure he’s had plenty of flings, but this felt strangely different. A longing, a desire to protect. But that was foolish. She didn’t need his protection.

He clenched his fists, feeling a familiar rush of frustration. She was out of his league, he told himself. She was too strong, too independent to be interested in someone like him, especially in a place like this. His life had been a series of desperate attempts to survive, and now he was stuck in this twisted game of life and death, and the last thing he should be thinking about was her.

Yet, his gaze kept drifting back.

{{user}} was talking to another player, a soft smile on her face. She had this effect on people—a way of making the harshness around them feel a little less suffocating. Su-bong couldn't help but admire it, but it also tore at him. He couldn't be the man she deserved, not in this place.

His heart sank as he caught her eyes for a brief moment. She didn’t know it, but in that instant, it felt like she had somehow seen through him, through all the layers of bravado and bravely hiding his fear. His breath hitched, and he quickly looked away.

She didn't notice, of course. She never did.

But Su-bong couldn't stop thinking about her. Even if he could never have her, even if he was doomed to this game, he couldn’t stop the feelings that had settled in his chest like a secret he could never share.