The school bus stopped neatly in front of the apartment complex.
The doors opened. Afternoon air rushed in with children's voices.
Han Seo-jun got off.
His winter uniform was tidy.
His backpack was too big for his small body.
He bowed to the driver.
"Thank you."
He was holding two bags.
One transparent. One stamped with the name of an expensive bakery.
He entered the elevator.
Pressed the button for the eighth floor.
Set his backpack down by his feet.
The elevator was silent.
He opened the bag slightly, checked inside.
A small card was there.
For Seo-jun. Don't forget to eat. – Min-woo (010-4587-XXXX)
Neat handwriting.
Not overly sweet.
Strategic.
***
Inside the Apartment
Shoes off. Lined up neatly.
Bag placed on the chair.
Hands washed.
Warm water poured by himself.
He took out his phone.
Seo-jun placed the bags on the wooden table.
The smell of expensive butter from the bread immediately filled the cold living room, clashing with the cheap detergent scent from laundry that still hadn't dried.
He pulled out the contents and took a photo.
Blue phone light lit his face.
📸
Milk bread. Onigiri. A carton of chocolate milk. Premium apple juice. Organic yogurt.
He sent it.
Dad, you don't need to buy dinner. We already have food.
A few seconds passed.
Three dots appeared.
Han Joon-seok read the message while signing a monthly elevator inspection document.
A red stamp dried slowly on the paper.
He paused for one second.
Stared at the photo longer than necessary.
From who?
A quick reply arrived.
From Min-woo's mom.
And Ji-ho's mom.
And one more—he forgot the name, but she included her number too.
They said it was "just a little."
A second photo came in.
A milk carton with a pink post-it stuck to it:
Seo-jun, this is high-calcium milk. If it suits you, tell me 💕 – 010-9921-XXXX
Han Joon-seok massaged his temple.
"A little," he murmured.
***
Across the City
A notification chimed.
[New Group Chat Created]
Group name:
💙 SEO-JUN SUPPORTERS UNION 💙
(비공식/ Invitation Only)
Profile photo:
Han Joon-seok, mid-gesture, opening his jacket at the classroom door.
Members:
12
Admins:
Min-woo / Ji-ho / Hana
Description:
Nutrition Committee & Social Observation.
Focus:
Analysis of environmental response to the new male guardian entity inside a closed social system.
Sub-focus:
- Coordinated welfare including nutrition distribution.
- Communication ethics with a male guardian.
- Do not lose momentum.
Min-woo:
Day one was a success.
Ji-ho:
That kid looks thinner.
Hana:
Tomorrow I'll bring a small seaweed soup.
Admin pinned a message.
📌 GROUP RULES (MUST READ)
1️⃣ Do not send food in suspicious quantities.
2️⃣ Do not DM the father more than once every 48 hours.
3️⃣ Be polite. No excessive emojis.
4️⃣ Any photo obtained MUST be sent here & must not be shared elsewhere.
5️⃣ Hiding a photo = first warning.
6️⃣ If any other mom shows excessive interest, report for monitoring.
7️⃣ Do not use real names in the group.
Hana:
Rule 8: Don't use the word "Oppa."
Min-woo:
Agreed. We must protect integrity. He isn't an object—he is 중력의 중심 ("the center of gravity").
A new member joined.
Yun-chae:
Hi everyone. I'm Yun-chae's mom. I saw him a few days ago at a clearance sale.
Min-woo:
Verified.
Ji-ho:
Send a photo if you have one.
Yun-chae sent a photo.
In a supermarket.
Han Joon-seok standing sideways.
Head lowered, both hands holding several items.
Min-woo:
Good angle.
Hana:
Crop tighter next time.
A screenshot appeared.
Private chat.
Han Joon-seok:
Thank you for your concern.
No need to trouble yourself further.
Ji-ho circled the phrase "no need to trouble yourself."
Min-woo:
He's shy. So polite.
Hana:
Means continue slowly.
Yun-chae:
Do we need a schedule?
Min-woo:
Not yet. Still adaptation phase.
Emojis appeared:
👍 and 💬.
Organized.
Another member typed:
The other day I saw a mom from class 3-1 staring at 중력의 중심 for quite a while.
Silence for a few seconds.
Min-woo:
Name?
Reply:
Mom Se-rin. From class 3-1.
Ji-ho:
Add to the observation list.
Hana:
If confirmed, we invite her. Better inside than outside.
***
Artist Management Office – Lunch Break
Han Joon-seok sat alone in the cafeteria.
He opened Min-woo's private chat.
Typed:
Thank you so much. Seo-jun ate well.
Deleted.
Typed again:
I truly appreciate your attention, ma'am.
Deleted again.
Typed:
Please don't trouble yourself too much.
He stopped.
Stared at the sentence.
Deleted the word don't.
Finally, he sent:
Thank you. Seo-jun has been greatly helped.
A quick reply:
I'm so glad 😊
Boys need extra attention.
A few seconds later—
In 💙 SEO-JUN SUPPORTERS UNION 💙
Min-woo posted the screenshot.
Ji-ho:
He used the phrase "greatly helped."
Hana:
That's a green light.
Min-woo:
Still low-profile even though 중력의 중심 works at a famous company.
***
Evening – The Apartment
The door opened with the careful click of a key.
Han Joon-seok entered.
His jacket carried a faint smell of evening air.
The living room light was on.
Seo-jun sat at the small table.
Book open. Pencils aligned.
Two glasses sat on the table.
One empty.
One still half-filled with milk.
The apartment guard appeared behind him from the hallway.
"Ah, Mr. Han."
Han Joon-seok turned quickly, slightly startled.
"Seo-jun came downstairs alone earlier," the guard said.
"He said there was extra milk, so he shared."
The guard chuckled.
"Your child is more polite than many adults."
Han Joon-seok bowed briefly.
"Thank you for watching him."
The guard waved a hand.
"He doesn't cause trouble."
The door closed.
A small silence.
Han Joon-seok took off his coat.
Folded it neatly.
"Have you eaten?"
Seo-jun shake his head.
"Not yet. I was waiting for you."
"You don't have to accept more if they give you things."
Seo-jun thought for a moment.
"They said it's only a little."
Han Joon-seok looked at his son.
One second longer than usual.
He sat down across from him.
"Tomorrow I'll come home later."
Seo-jun didn't ask right away.
He closed his book first.
Smoothed the page flat.
Han Joon-seok continued.
"An interview. After work."
Seo-jun stood.
Took a small plate. Carried it to the kitchen.
"Dad, don't worry. I can watch the house," Seo-jun said while smoothing the slightly crumpled page again.
His tone was flat.
He didn't say that he was actually afraid every time he heard footsteps in the corridor.
To him, his father's peace of mind was the highest priority.
Han Joon-seok stood.
Straightened the chair.
"You don't need to watch anything. Just lock the door. And don't open it for anyone."
Seo-jun nodded.
He looked small.
But not fragile.
Han Joon-seok's phone vibrated again.
💙 SEO-JUN SUPPORTERS UNION 💙
Min-woo:
Night update.
She sent a photo of Seo-jun.
A small table in the apartment.
Several foods in front of him.
And in the corner of the photo—
Han Joon-seok standing behind.
Looking straight at the child's phone camera.
A direct gaze. Accidental. Yet exactly into the lens.
A few seconds passed.
Notifications exploded.
Ji-ho:
Is he eating by himself?
Hana:
Look at his hands. He holds the bread so neatly.
Min-woo:
Seo-jun told me earlier: "Thank you for sharing with us. Please tell the other moms too. The food is really good."
Two seconds of silence.
Member 1:
That kid is so sweet.
Member 2:
If only my child were like that.
Member 3:
I'm showing this to my kid so he learns to be more independent.
Then—
Someone posted a cropped version—zoomed slightly closer on Han Joon-seok.
Member 5:
He's looking here.
Member 2:
Like he's staring right at us.
Min-woo:
That's just a reflection.
Three dots appeared almost at the same time.
Small notifications:
Ji-ho downloaded a photo.
Hana downloaded a photo.
Yun-chae downloaded a photo.
…
One by one.
Twelve members.
Download complete.
Ji-ho:
For observation archives.
Hana:
For expression evaluation.
Yun-chae:
For… reference.
Min-woo:
Don't share outside the group.
Hana:
Rule 4 still applies.
Mom Ara:
My husband comes home at 11 PM every day. He never sees us during dinner.
A small silence.
Ji-ho:
Boys need a stable figure.
A 👍 emoji appeared.
***
The night grew quieter.
Seo-jun brushed his teeth.
Chose a storybook by himself.
Han Joon-seok sat on the edge of the bed.
Read one chapter.
Not too long.
Because tomorrow was school.
The bedroom light dimmed.
"Remember—tomorrow, don't play with electricity or fire," he said softly.
Seo-jun nodded.
His eyes were half-closed.
"Mhm."
A few seconds.
"Dad will make it."
Han Joon-seok didn't answer right away.
He adjusted the blanket.
"Good night."
The light went out.
The living room was bright again.
Laptop open.
The office spreadsheet still wasn't finished.
Vendor audit.
Inspection schedule.
An email from Legal that still hadn't been answered.
He typed slowly.
The clock passed ten.
He stopped.
Opened a new tab.
Email subject:
"Interview Confirmation – 20:00."
He reread the part-time job description.
A bar in Gangnam. Position: "Security & Protocol Staff—Men Only, Height Above 185 cm."
Night shift.
Three-month probation contract.
No benefits.
He opened the small closet.
Took out a spare shirt.
Ironed quickly.
Hung it neatly.
On the desk, a thin folder for tomorrow was already prepared.
Resume.
Copy of diploma.
Photocopy of ID.
Everything aligned.
Because in his life, there was only one thing that was not allowed to tilt:
his child's future.
—To be Continued—