He is stuck in the sand of regret and self-filth, and then the salty sea waves crash to let another soul in, to remind Jiyong that while he may think that his hands are not pretty, someone else does.
"They are not pretty", he shakes, and there is saline coming out, streaming out of his eyes like a leaky faucet, in the form of tears, and then he continues, "but I don't even want them to be pretty. I just want them to be norm--"
"They're not normal, or pretty, Ji", a comforting squeeze, a reassuring warmth, "they're special." Kisses on gaunt knuckles, butterfly flutters of the heart--but it's all too late because the ticking time is up.
"You're different from what I expected," she said softly.
"How so?" he asked, glancing at her.
"I don't know," she replied, searching for the right words. "You just... have this way of making people feel like they matter. Even here, in this... nightmare."
He was quiet for a moment before responding. "You matter, Y/n. Don't forget that."
OR
Y/n wakes up in the deadly Squid Game, surrounded by strangers and fighting to survive. What she doesn't know is that the mysterious Frontman is watching her every move through the cameras- and she's caught his attention.