The Crazy Gumiho
The Crazy Gumiho
Growing up without parents is never easy.
Especially in this godforsaken hellhole of a country.
Even in the online world, asking about someone's parents is considered a virtue here. The fact that you don't have any puts you at a massive disadvantage in this society.
The younger you are, the more painfully you feel it. If you lost your parents in elementary school, congratulations—you've been forcibly enrolled in life's hard mode. It's no coincidence that so many orphaned kids end up as criminals among magicians.
It's not that they don't know they'll spend their lives being hunted by the Management Bureau. And it's not that they're lashing out at the world for forcing them into this brutal difficulty setting.
No, they break the law simply because they hate a society that shuns them for being orphans. They learn magic just to snap the fingers of those who point at them and whisper, Orphan.
The fact that crime pays well? That's just a tiny, insignificant bonus.
But Yu-jeong's circumstances were a little different.
She, too, had lost both parents. The news came on her first day of high school. After confirming it was true, she cried her eyes out like anyone else, spent three days at the funeral home keeping vigil, and never forgot them even as time passed.
But she was a high schooler. Still young, yes, but mentally far more mature than an elementary school kid. She wasn't resilient enough to shake off the pain and move forward, but she wasn't so consumed by grief that she lost herself either.
She was just an ordinary high schooler, carrying the ache in her chest like countless others. (Well, not technically a high schooler anymore, since she'd dropped out to become a trainee idol, but still.)
In a way, she had it better than most. She was past the age where people would point and whisper Orphan behind her back. If anything, her striking looks meant she never lacked attention.
Money wasn't an issue either. Hell Joseon is the best place in the world to make a living off your face. Even if her idol career flopped, there were countless legal ways to earn a fortune.
So objectively, she'd had an easier time than most orphans. An indisputable fact. If she ever complained about how hard it was, actual struggling orphans would probably riot.
Which meant her current breakdown had nothing to do with losing her parents. Not that it didn't affect her at all—but that pain was just a tiny spark. A fragile little matchstick flame.
Do you have any idea how much stress an idol trainee goes through before debut?
Fourteen hours of grueling daily training. And even after that, no real rest—because back at the dorm, you're subjected to the hysterics of older trainees terrified of being cut.
But even if you get used to the brutal training and the seniors get kicked out, freeing you from their meltdowns, things don't improve. You're stuck waiting indefinitely, clinging to empty promises of debut.
The pressure and stress were unbearable for an eighteen-year-old orphan like Yu-jeong. Despair and anxiety slowly ate away at her.
Then, one day, she found family.
A baby gumiho.
She named her Mi-ho.
Their first meeting was in a dark alley. Yu-jeong found Mi-ho wounded and collapsed, smuggled her back to the dorm, and nursed her to health. There were clashes with the hunters chasing Mi-ho, and Yu-jeong even learned magic in the process, but she managed to drive them off somehow.
Living with Mi-ho filled her heart in ways she hadn't known were empty.
Watching Mi-ho yawn with that blank expression made her laugh—a real smile, not the fake one she wore during dance practice. When Mi-ho threw a tantrum and flipped her food bowl, Yu-jeong didn't get mad. She fretted over what Mi-ho might like instead, even running to a convenience store at dawn to buy expensive dog food. (Which Mi-ho also flipped, but Yu-jeong just cleaned it up, still smiling.)
Every moment with Mi-ho was precious.
Mi-ho gave her a reason to live.
Mi-ho was her family.
"Please give Mi-ho back! I'll do anything—anything you want!"
And now, she wanted that family back.
"...I didn't do anything."
"Then why is she acting like this?!"
Yu-jeong sniffled, pointing at Mi-ho, who was completely ignoring their reunion—too busy drooling and glaring at Si-woo.
"No idea."
"Stop looking at her like she's a nuisance and just—please! Turn her back to normal!"
She clung to Si-woo desperately. If any other guy had a pretty girl like Yu-jeong this close, they'd hand over their liver, gallbladder, stock portfolio, and crypto wallet without a second thought. But Si-woo was no ordinary man—he was a genius mage light-years beyond normalcy. Thankfully, his bank account remained untouched.
"Just take her."
Si-woo reached into the cage, grabbed Mi-ho by the scruff, and pulled her out.
"Here—"
But the moment Mi-ho was free, something was off.
"Grrrk—krrrk—!"
The little fox's eyes rolled back, tongue lolling, drool dripping as she let out an unnatural whine.
Twitch! Twitch!
Her fluffy tail spasmed intermittently.
"Mi-ho!"
The cause was obvious. How could it not be? The second Si-woo touched her, she turned into this.
Feeling the erratic twitching through his grip, Si-woo hastily let go. Mi-ho tumbled into Yu-jeong's arms, sinking into her soft chest with a pitiful whimper.
"Kyuuuu—"
"No, Mi-ho! Stay still! I'll grill your favorite duck meat, okay? Please!"
"Kyaaaak!"
Mi-ho snarled at her owner, then leaped out of her arms.
Hop!
"Kyung! Kyung!"
Then, with a haughty flick of her head, she started rubbing against Si-woo's leg like a newlywed bride coyly nuzzling her groom.
"Mi-ho..."
Yu-jeong reached out slowly, voice trembling.
"Hack!"
Rejected again.
"This can't be happening..."
She was completely shattered.
"Car's ready. Let's go?"
Se-chan called out to Si-woo, who glanced at Yu-jeong sidelong.
"Yeah."
Yu-jeong watched as Si-woo walked away—or rather, as Mi-ho refused to leave his side. No matter how much he tried to shake her off, the little fox clung stubbornly. Was this really the same aloof, indifferent Mi-ho she knew?
'Do I just... let her go?'
She stared at Mi-ho, who kept wagging her tail happily despite being rejected.
Maybe Mi-ho never actually liked living with her.
Maybe all those happy moments were one-sided. No matter how many walks they took or how much good food she gave, Mi-ho had never once smiled.
But with him, maybe Mi-ho could be happy.
Unlike when she was with Yu-jeong.
'No. I can't accept that.'
Before Si-woo arrived, she'd been scrolling through the Mage Gallery to kill time—or rather, to distract herself from the growing dread. Human imagination is boundless, and when it spirals into negativity, it spreads faster than anything.
That's how she learned more about Si-woo.
The community was a mix of reliable intel and wild rumors. Piecing it all together, one conclusion stood out:
Supernova.
Si-woo was a rookie. Not just any rookie—one who'd skyrocketed to fame overnight.
Some rumors even claimed he was a high-rank mage. If true, he was anything but sane. Begging for mercy wouldn't work. Neither would batting her eyelashes.
But she refused to give up.
Because she was Mi-ho's mother.
And that's why she didn't hesitate to do something crazy.
"I'm coming too."
Yu-jeong wiped her damp eyes with her sleeve and marched toward the Gu family's car.
Without hesitation, she opened the door and slid into the backseat. Si-woo, sitting beside her, turned his head slowly.
"Problem?"
She met his gaze defiantly. The driver scowled.
"Of course there's a problem! Bringing a magician into the family is—"
"Doesn't matter."
Si-woo cut him off. The driver flinched, too intimidated to argue further, even though letting a magician into the family was strictly forbidden.
"It's fine, right?"
Si-woo looked to Se-chan for confirmation.
"Eh, sure. Might be fun. Haha!"
Se-chan grinned, plopping into the passenger seat.
"Alright, let's go! Hey, why're you frozen? Si-woo scare you?"
"Did I scare you?"
"N-no! We're leaving now!"
And with that, they set off for the Gu family estate.
"Oh, right—you wanted to know how to awaken your magic, yeah?"
Se-chan suddenly brought it up as the car sped along.
"Yeah."
"I know a good method."
"What is it?"
Si-woo eyed Se-chan through the rearview mirror. The guy was grinning like a troublemaker.
"Know why you still haven't awakened your magic?"
"No."
"Because you don't act like a mage. Probably."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Basically, you're not mage-pilled enough."
Se-chan flashed a peace sign and wiggled it.
"More nonsense."
"Nah, this time it's legit. Trust me. I'll have you awakened within a week."
"How?"
"I'll teach you how to act like a proper mage."
Se-chan's grin widened.
"Get ready. We're gonna have so much fun at the family estate."