manager016

[manager016]

Jiwan + hairstyles

behind the mask: low braid

maskless in her office as CFO: high bun

after hours: half-up

only her most vulnerable: fully down

[manager016]

oh right in the feels

[manager016]

"tell me you're lying." (from Eun)

016 looked like a hollow shell of her former self. Maskless. Hair down. Connected to a beeping machine connected to her pulse. Fragile.

Jiwan had sat cooped up for hours in the medical room, while the chaos of out there had at last been contained. Earlier Front Man had carried her to the infirmary himself, before the medic guards took over.

Fortunately, she wasn't dying, even if every passing moment it felt like it. Doubly fortunately, she'd be able to walk again as the bullet wound was a graze and not a direct hit. But the pain in her leg certainly felt unbearably awful.

And since then, her mind had been... wandering. In thought. In memory. In reliving that battlefield where pink fought turquoise.

"You're the closest thing to call a colleague..." she shakes her head, "My... friend. Sister, even. I'm not lying, even if a part of me wishes I were for the sake of icy reputation."

She sighs, glancing around the room. Yes, this was one of the few rooms with no cameras. The CFO was visibly shaken. Soon enough she'd have the disasterous aftermath damage report to calculate but even that couldnt seem to distract her. Something was unwell with her, not just in the physical sense.

"I could have sworn I saw my father's face in the contestant that shot me." Player 390 did share some resemblance if one squinted, but that's besides the point. Her gaze turned hollow, staring into nothingness. The back of her hand brushes her cheek, hiding to wipe tears that have long since dried.

"I don't think... I can take this much longer... to stand by and do nothing."

She had already dangerously started contemplating mapping escape routes in the facility.

"I figured you should... know, Eun. Just in case... I leave this place in a pink bowed black box."

◼️@minglz

[manager016]

ㅤㅤThat... didn't sound figurative anymore. It suddenly got very hot behind 016's mask. She wonders whether or not he's smirking behind his mask.

ㅤㅤ❝ There’s… off the clock time? ❞ Spoken like a true workaholic foreign to the concept of 'time off'. And ignoring her increasing heart rate.

◼️@minglz

ㅤㅤ❝𝓘ntimate moments like that are for off the clock—❞ Not always. But he tried to have standards. At least for ones regarding boss-underling relationships.

|| @manager016

[manager016]

@minglz

💔

[manager016]

If we are mutuals, you are welcome to: 

tag me in starters 

answer my open starters

spam my inbox with memes

ask me to spam you with memes

scream at me in ims at all ungodly hours

randomly drop a plot idea on me whenever you want 

never be scared that you’re bothering me in any way bc, if i followed you, i love your blog and I am always down for interacting with you!  <3  <3  <3

[manager016]

[manager016]

[manager016]

Scenery in GTA V 15/??

[manager016]

My hesitation turned to cold silence. Fractured memories belonging to a bygone era resurfaced... 2015. Joy Investments. Team Two. Department Lead Cho. A brilliant mind and colleague. Before Manager 016, before my blacklisting, when I was just Han Ji-wan, the promising corporate strategist. Now, the numbers didn't add up. You weren’t supposed to be here. So I stepped forward, a passing remark from behind my mask softly cutting the space between us, ❛❛  why do you want to die?  ❜❜

◼️@depreciate .

❛❛  what is it that you want with me?  ❜❜  my tone is irritated, but soft.  there is venom on the end of my tongue, awaiting a reason to slash and spit.  my head tilts, almost condescendingly, my eyes narrowing.  it's one thing to expect respect when it's forced, but holding death over others' heads for it  ...  my jaw tightens.  i am here to destroy.  ❛❛  are you here to ask me something, or can i go?  ❜❜

@manager016.

[manager016]

extensive nonverbal memes

i wanted to make some more options, especially for muses who are quieter or nonverbal (whether permanent or selectively mute) . i added some basic sign language prompts as well. 

[ contact ] one muse touches the other’s arm in a sympathetic gesture.  

[ attention ]  one muse puts their index finger underneath the other’s chin to hold their attention.

[ direct ]  one muse holds the other’s jaws in their hand for their attention or to redirect their gaze. 

[ tender ]  one muse brushes their fingers over the other’s jaw.  

[ bristle ]  one muse plays with the others facial hair. 

[ guard ]  one muse puts their arm around the other’s shoulder to make them feel protected. 

[ claim ] one muse puts their arm around the other’s waist in a possessive manner. 

[ comfort ] one muse pulls the other to their chest to hug them after a dangerous moment. 

[ seeking ] one muse embraces the other after feeling scared/upset. 

[ check ] one muse takes the other’s hand to silently ask if they’re okay.

[ hold ] one muse cradles the other’s face between their hands ground them. 

[ rest ] one muse comes and sits in the others lap. 

[ intrude ] one muse walks in on the other while they’re treating their own wound. 

[ tiles ] one muse finds the other sitting on the floor and joins them. 

[ boop ] one muse playfully taps the tip of the other’s nose. 

[ heal ] one muse kisses the other’s forehead after treating their injury. 

[ two ] one muse holds the other’s shoulders with their hands to make them calm down. 

[ clear ] for one muse to clean blood off the other. 

[ prevent ] for one muse to wrap their arms around the other from behind to stop them from running towards danger. 

[ away ] for one muse to pick up the other and take them to bed. 

[ rescue ] for one muse to carry the other to safety because they’re injured. 

[ heart ] one muse places their palm against the other’s chest in a soothing manner to indicate they aren’t alone. 

[ insist ] one muse keeps a firm hold on the other and gives an expression to indicate they want them to open up/tell the truth. 

[ pulse ]  one muse rubs a finger over the other’s wrist. 

[ direct ] one muse grips just above the elbow to guide the other while they walk. 

[ wrinkle ]  one muse curls their fingers into the other’s shirt to make them stay put. 

[ subdue ]  one muse places their hand on the other’s forearm to try and calm them so they don’t lash out at a third party. 

[ parallel ] for both muses to lay on the floor beside each other but going opposite direction with their heads side by side. 

[ reveal ] for one muse to take a hold of the other’s chin/jaw to stop them from hiding their tears. 

[ inspect ] for one muse to take hold of the other’s face while inspecting a bruise or cut. 

[ caress ] one muse kisses the other’s cheek as a gesture of gratitude. 

[ keeper ] one muse watches over the other while they sleep with their head on their shoulder or in their lap. 

[ coax ] one muse strokes the other’s hair until they fall asleep. 

[ bear ] one muse lifts the other off their feet a little while they hug.

[ leap ] one muse jumps into the other’s arms,  legs wrapped around their waist. 

[ mirror ] one muse has the other hold a hand to their chest so they can mirror breathing to calm them down. 

SIGN LANGUAGE

sign: are you okay? 

sign: i’m fine. 

sign: i can’t speak right now. 

sign: i need help. 

sign: leave me alone. 

sign: please stay. 

sign: what happened to you? 

sign: let me help. 

sign: don’t go. 

sign: i love you. 

sign: i hate you. 

sign: who did this to you? 

sign: why won’t you talk to me? 

sign: i don’t know what to say. 

sign: you’re upset. talk to me. 

sign: i won’t leave you. 

sign: i missed you. 

sign: i need you. 

sign: wait. 

sign: what can i do? 

sign: do you want me to stay? 

sign: you can talk to me. 

sign: you can trust me. 

sign: you’re not alone. 

sign: i feel so alone. 

sign: you’re beautiful. 

sign: i feel safer with you here. 

sign: i want to make you feel safe. 

sign: where are you going? 

sign: i have to do this on my own. 

sign: i don’t know how to ask for help. 

sign: i don’t want to lose you. 

sign: i’m afraid you’ll get hurt. 

sign: you don’t have to worry about me. 

sign: i’m worried about you. 

[manager016]

During my move, I broke a clay pot. I decided to engrave frames on it.

[manager016]

Outland (1981)

[manager016]

The Evolution of 016, aka:

S1 Jiwan vs S2 Jiwan vs S3 Jiwan

Since starting this blog, I wasn't expecting there to be two distinct sides of Jiwan depending on the SG Season / the length of time she's been working for the game. But, here we are!

TLDR; In S1 and S2, 016 is a survivor. We see more of 016's detached corporate shark, dry sarcasm, and disgruntled competent professionalism sides as Square Manager (& lateral promotion to CFO of Squid Game). With the end of S2/start of S3, after a near-death experience during Player 456's uprising... her mask starts to crack. Jiwan is more vulnerable, raw, and for the first time: doubts. It's no longer 'just numbers'. She grapples with her survivalism, loyalty, whatever morality is, and her own place in the game.

◼️ part of this is @minglz ' s fault, all thanks to THIS prompt & drabble. hehehe ~

More in-depth rambling per season under the cut~

S1:

Jiwan's recruitment, hand-picked by the founder of the Squid Games himself. After being blacklisted & getting a career 'comeback' working for the Squid Game's legit front shell company with the financial logistics ignorant to what and who she truly works for... she finds herself on an island... wearing a pink uniform and fencing mask with a square emblem... and horrifyingly realizes with what her life has become. Within days of the contestants return (after voting to leave), she's traumatized by the Dalgona revolt, where a square manager is a casualty; started by the berserk contestant and finished off by Front Man himself for breaking the rules. I headcanon this tragic death was the death of her mentor (since joining SG), Manager 010.

I also headcanon during the 5th game, 016 is the square manager in the VIP room, standing beside Front Man, adjusting the player pieces on the mini glass bridge replica.

Even if she wants to, 016 knows now she cannot leave. Complicity is the only route to survival. She's highly guarded, still very much the corporate shark. Snark and sanguine humor as defense mechanisms.

On the lighter side, part of her just cant take her job seriously either lol... considering what she deals with the VIP's absurd demands in preparation each season... or maybe she cares too much and takes things way too seriously lol.

There were many moments the 33rd Squid games were also difficult to watch from the control room, but 016 was too buried alive in her own survival. Perhaps she found an uncanny relatability to Player 218...

S2:

Like Front Man, she's since lost her belief in humanity. She's still scarred from her blacklisted status and each new season of squid games / the longer she's worked as 016 further displays the worst of 'trash' (on both sides).

She's cold and detached, but like her corporate finance years in middle management, she's protective of "her squad" of pink guards. And has developed a complicated respect for Front Man (& feelings too, shh!).

The turnout of the 2024 squid game and return of Player 456 was business-as-usual... until it wasn't. This was minor chaos with the last-minute changes Front Man did, including participating in the games, including the voting system per round, etc. Additionally, 016 was surprised to see how player 222 was allowed in.

S3:

456's revolution and 016's near-death experience shakes Jiwan's world. In a sense, 016 died among the fallen square guards, and what was left was the bleeding fractured remains of Jiwan.

In that moment, all she wants is to be held and told everything wasn't for nothing.

She's emotionally wrecked. Her vulnerability is wide open. Her broken moral compass is spinning without direction. She has no answer to rationalize her complicity and her guilt. And maybe she's got a little madness now.

For the first time in years she's left with her thoughts to herself, wondering if everything she ever worked for was for nothing.

Front Man picking her up and carrying her to the Medical Officer (& medic guards) also greatly affects her. It's the first time she shows such vulnerability, voicelessly or vocally expresses her wants & her fears.

It's also the first time she internalizes dangerous thoughts of defecting, and is ready to act on them. Damn the consequences she knows only too well she'll face.

[manager016]

Jiwan's love languages

◼️ Giving:

Quality Time . Always near.

Acts of Service . Love as competence .

Gazing intently at someone while you patch each other's wounds .

Lending strength. Shared vulnerability.

◼️ Receiving:

Quality Time . Safe silence and conversation.

Words of Affirmation . Praise kink.

Touch. Very spectial, rare + private. Secret softie moments. Touch starved.

Protectiveness. Recognition.

[manager016]

BOOK GENRE EMOJI STARTERS.

Send me:

⚔️ for an action starter

🗺️ for an adventure starter

💘 for a romance starter

🛸 for a sci-fi starter

🧚 for a fantasy starter

🔎 for a mystery starter

👻 for a horror starter

⚠️ for a thriller starter

⏳ for a historical fiction starter

😂 for a humor starter

[manager016]

Assistant Manager Kim Mi-kyung. You worked at the Wonhan SSM HQ for six years. Maybe that’s why you seem familiar.

THE POTATO LAB 감자연구소 (2025) dir. Kang Il-Soo & Shim Jae-Hyun | Episode 1