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- "You saw something, didn't you? I heard you talking with that woman the last night. Tell me what you saw."
- —Cho Sang-woo to Kang Sae-byeok
SaeWoo is the friendship between Cho Sang-woo and Kang Sae-byeok from the Squid Game fandom.
Canon[]
Season 1[]
Sae-byeok and Sang-woo first met in the early games, where both were quickly placed in situations of cooperation and competition. During the Tug of War game, players had to form teams of ten. Sae-byeok and Sang-woo, along with other players, were part of the same team, although their relationship was not close. Sang-woo assumed the role of leader, suggesting a strategy to win. Sae-byeok, who didn’t easily trust anyone, followed his plan functionally, but without forming a personal connection with him.
After this game, their relationship remained distant. Sae-byeok, like everyone else, was focused on her own goals: to win and help her family. Sang-woo, on the other hand, was completely focused on his own interests, willing to do whatever was necessary to survive. Although they occasionally crossed paths in the game, they didn’t show any real loyalty to one another. However, their relationship tragically culminated when, during the Glass Bridge game, Sae-byeok was wounded.
After the game, the three finalists ate dinner and sat in their assigned beds, though Sae-byeok barely ate. Gi-hun came up to talk to her and found out that she has a deep wound that could ultimately end her. While Gi-hun tried to get help, Sang-woo, taking advantage of her vulnerability, stabbed her in the neck, ensuring that she wouldn't pose a threat to his progress in the game. This act of betrayal sealed Sae-byeok's fate and revealed Sang-woo's ruthless side, as he, despite having been a friend of Gi-hun, didn’t hesitate to kill his teammate to continue in the competition.
A year after the games have passed and Gi-hun became the ultimate winner, he decided that Kang Cheol, Sae-byeok's little brother, would be adopted by Sang-woo's mother, and hands her a suitcase full of money.
Season 2[]
Gi-hun has a nightmare about being in his pink motel and someone seemingly breaking in, which ends up being the Front Man. He shows him the heads of Sang-woo and Sae-byeok and asks, "Looking for these?". Gi-hun wakes up in horror afterwards because of his alarm clock.
Moments[]
- Both are on the same team when Sang-woo proposes the strategy that helps them win.
- After the Glass Bridge game, the three finalists share a dinner. Sae-byeok is injured and Sang-woo watches her coldly.
Fanon[]
This friendship isn't as popular as SaeHun but is still appreciated nonetheless. Most like to view their relationship as friends for the same reasons as to why most people view Gi-hun's friendship with Sae-byeok as just that, because Sang-woo seems to be way older than Sae-byeok. People enjoy the way the two interacted with each other, even if they were short, and like to imagine how they would be like outside the games. Usually, most fanwork try to imagine on how their friendship would be like had Sae-byeok trusted Sang-woo more, or had they just met in different circumstances. Sometimes they're shown to be bickering with each other, or Sae-byeok making fun of Sang-woo if the other is depicted to have a crush on Gi-hun in said fanwork.
Most people don't like the fact that Sang-woo killed Sae-byeok, though some fans argue that she wouldn't have survived even if he didn't do that. Because of this, usually the two aren't shown to be close friends or even friends at all in some fancontent. A sad connection that fans have made between the two comes from their families. Sang-woo's mother has adopted Cheol, Sae-byeok's brother, after Gi-hun has won the games and paid off his debts.
It is common to see Sae-byeok be depicted as Sangihun's adopted daughter, so usually this friendship and the friendship between Gi-hun and Sae-byeok results in Sangihun Family. Most fancontent revolves around their family dynamic outside the games where they don't exist, or where the three have all miraculously survived.
There are currently 40 works for their friendship.
Fandom[]
This section is in need of major improvement. Please help improve this article by editing it.
- FAN FICTION
- Cho Sangwoo & Kang Saebyeok tag on AO3
- Cho Sangwoo/Kang Saebyeok tag on AO3
Gallery[]
Behind the Scenes[]
[]
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| • Squid Game Ships ▴ Squid Game Characters ▪ | ||
| SHIPS | het | 555 • 07069 • DaeHee • DaeJu • Eulseok • ForkBee • GiSeon • HyuHun • HyunSales • Hyunseok • HyunSik • NyeoSu • Semigyu • Seminsu • Thanmi |
| slash | 457 • 324250 • Alihun • Aliwoo • Daeggyi • DaeHun • FrontOfficer • Frontsales • Juncruiter • JunHun • MathHun • SalesHun • Sangihun • ShyPills • Thanggi • Thangyu | |
| femslash | Hyunmi • HyunNyeo • Jibyeok • Semina | |
| poly | FrontSalesHun • Gihun's Harem • Red Flag Magnet | |
| family | Hwang Bros | |
| friendship | Gganbu • Gi-hun's Team • JeongWoo • SaeHun • SaeWoo • Thanos Team | |
| cargo | Front Man x Whiskey • Gi-hun x Umbrella • The Salesman x Gun • Young-mi x Door | |
| CHARACTERS | players | Cho Hyun-ju • Kang Dae-ho • Se-mi • Seong Gi-hun • Thanos |
| workers | Hwang In-ho • The Salesman | |