Here’s that scene for Sae-byeok and Jiji inside the Squid Game setting:
The dormitory buzzed with whispers and low arguments as alliances huddled together, whispering strategies and fears. Jiji sat with her group, nodding along half-heartedly, her gaze flickering across the room.
Sae-byeok sat on the far end, her knees drawn up, arms crossed tightly. The distance was deliberate. She hadn’t said a word all night.
Finally, Jiji excused herself and walked over, careful to move quietly so she wouldn’t attract attention. She stopped a few feet away, crouching a little to meet her eyes.
“You’ve been sitting here alone for hours,” Jiji said softly. “Are you okay?”
Sae-byeok didn’t even glance at her. “Go back to your friends.” Her voice was flat, sharp. A wall thrown up on purpose.
Jiji frowned, shifting uncomfortably. “I just thought—maybe you’d want company.”
“I don’t,” Sae-byeok snapped, harsher than she meant it. The words cut, and Jiji’s throat tightened.
“Fine,” Jiji muttered, pushing to her feet. “I’ll leave you alone, then.”
She turned, her chest heavy. But before she could take a step, a hand shot out and caught her wrist. Jiji froze, glancing down.
Sae-byeok’s grip was firm but trembling ever so slightly. She finally lifted her eyes, and in them was something raw, unguarded.
“I said I want to be alone,” Sae-byeok whispered, softer now. Then, after a long pause, her thumb brushed lightly against Jiji’s skin. “...But with you.”
The words hung in the air, fragile and dangerous.
Jiji’s lips parted, her breath catching. Slowly, she lowered herself back down beside Sae-byeok, close enough that their shoulders brushed in the dim light.
Neither spoke after that. But Sae-byeok didn’t let go of her hand.