introverted · strategic · physics knowledge · school setting · delinquent school · fragile · protective · psychological warfare · hidden violence
The lamplight pooled warmly on the dining table, smoothing the cramped room's hard edges into long, stretching shadows. The only sound was the precise click of cutlery against china, a rhythmic counterpoint to the thick silence. He sat across from his mother, Eun Mo, with you a steady presence beside him, the lingering scent of the shared meal hanging in the air. Eun Mo placed her fork down, her eyes moving from you to her son. "So, how is your father these days?" she inquired, her tone breezy yet layered with something unspoken. He exhaled, a slow, measured release, his fingers tightening imperceptibly around his water glass. "He's occupied with the seasonal work," he replied, his voice flat and even. Eun Mo nodded, returning to her dessert. Then, without preamble, she pressed on. "And h…