Eye of the Typhoon
A cool breeze blew in for early June. Just two days ago, it had topped 30 degrees Celsius, but now it was a mere 16. Was this global warming's doing too? Global warming was a truly magical phrase. Whenever some freak weather hit, you could just pin it on that, and you'd never be entirely wrong.
Anyway, the real reason for the drop in temperature wasn't global warming—it was the typhoon brushing past Jeju Island and Japan. Showers were dumping across all of Seoul, and I unfurled my drab black umbrella as I headed out for school. There were plenty of ways to get to Seferon Academy. It was close enough to walk, but if you went out the back gate and caught a bus, you could hop off right at the front gate after just three stops. On a blustery day like today, though, even an umbrella couldn't stop the rain from riding the wind sideways and soaking your clothes unpleasantly. The shortest walking route was the smart play. Plus, it'd let me meet up with Yuna a bit earlier.
Yuna's eldest brother—and my current VTube editor—Seo Maru. After the tournament and collab stream wrapped, dozens of messages had poured in from him, but I'd been too wiped out to reply. Mostly stuff congratulating me on the win, and him tearing up over learning I was a survivor of that terrorist attack. Scrolling to the latest one, something odd popped up.
We? Who? The question answered itself soon enough. A long articulated bus pulled into the stop on the opposite corner of the intersection, so packed it looked like a subway running right through downtown. Plenty of seats, but rush hour meant lots of standees. I pushed politely through the crowd, and that's when I spotted a guy whose head stuck out a full head taller than everyone else.
"Seo Noeul?"
The guy with combatant vibes—or rather, 190cm tall with a total thug face—Yuna's second brother. Right next to where he stood, Yuna and her eldest brother Seo Maru were chatting away in their seats, oblivious to me so far. With Noeul's scary mug, anyone glancing over would think he was harassing the poor innocent siblings. As the bus honked and lurched forward again, Noeul was the first to notice me. Sharp eyes.
"Hey, NoNami! It's been forever!"
He slapped a hand on my shoulder. With an 80cm height gap, looking up at him was no joke. Feeling a sudden rush of fondness, I couldn't resist a prank.
"What do you think you're touching?"
"Huh?"
I'd just meant to tease him about looking like a creep, but suddenly every passenger on the bus whipped their heads toward us.
"Uh...?"
The instant spotlight had both Noeul and me frozen in shock.
"N-no, I didn't mean... I'm not that kinda guy...!"
Noeul threw his hands up high. I'd never heard his voice shake like that. A guy half out of his seat, an old man slyly raising his cane, a high schooler reaching for their umbrella—everyone's glares at Noeul were downright murderous. Who knew? No way they'd all overheard in this racket. My brain raced to defuse things before Noeul's skull got split in half by freedom-loving, justice-driven Korean citizens. I had five seconds to come up with an excuse.
The day Nami shook Korea with that interview. While Yuna slept soundly beside them, oblivious to the world and snoring away, brothers Maru and Noeul lay awake all night.
Thinking back on Nami's feats from the past week, it felt like nothing but lies. They'd always vaguely known she was impressive for her age, but the extent of her talent? No clue. Magic especially was the domain of elite scholars, so they'd been even more in the dark. She was an irregular, an outlier even among all humanity. How else could every morning news channel be plastered wall-to-wall with Nami topics? And hearing she'd spent seven years trapped in a capsule? It left them too somber to even speak.
"Bzzz... Oppa, you two are up early... Huh? Whoa, a text from Nami!"
Yuna, rubbing sleep from her eyes as she checked her phone, bolted upright and scampered to her brothers, bragging.
"Nami's coming to the academy with me today!"
The brothers barely calmed the screaming, jumping Yuna.
"Hold up—today? And the bus...?"
Did she have no idea how much attention she drew? Strolling fearlessly down the street like that? They kept mistaking her for an adult from her stream persona, but NoNami was still a 7-year-old kid. No wonder they worried.
"Yuna, wanna go with your oppas today?"
"Huh? Why...?"
"Just... Nami's famous now. Probably needs bodyguards, right?"
"Yeah, she's super huge right now!"
The all-nighter brothers hurriedly changed and prepped to head out. They gave a wry smile at the redheaded girl whose grin wouldn't fade. That into Nami, huh? Yuna didn't know Nami's past yet. It was only a matter of time. Some kids at the academy would've caught the morning news too. Boarding the bus with heavy hearts, the brothers huddled.
"Act normal, like always."
"You sure?"
"Nami'd prefer that. She's super mature."
They could praise her privately later. They'd come along to protect her everyday life, right? Let her live like a normal elementary kid with Yuna. Stay low-key, warm, and bright like usual. They promised each other.
But that resolve crumbled fast...
"What do you think you're touching?"
NoNami framing him as a molester. Seo Noeul facing the crisis of a lifetime. His heart plummeted like it hadn't in ages.
"You should've petted my head too, at least."
Phew. Perfect save. Noeul's massive palm ruffled my hair vigorously before settling back.
"Dude...! Man, I thought my heart was gonna drop out! What the hell were you thinking?!"
"No idea it'd blow up like that. Hey, Yuna. Long time no see."
"NoNamiNoNamiNoNamiNoNami! You have no idea how much I missed you... Sniff..."
Yuna welcomed me with a teary wail, even dabbing at actual tears. I pinched her squishy cheek, then greeted Maru and Noeul again.
"You guys good?"
"Yeah, thanks to you!"
"Glad to hear it. But seriously, Yuna—you feeding her properly? She looks a bit thinner."
I stretched her cheek long again. The texture felt subtly different.
"Eeeek...!"
"Dunno about the rest, but I get her top-grade beef every time, yeah?"
"Hmmm... Fine, let it slide this once."
Yuna was tall but always too skinny. Her legs especially had zero padding—constant worry.
"Um, excuse me..."
A timid voice from behind. I turned slowly.
"Yes?"
"That NoName... right? From the news...?"
The middle- or high-schooler eyed me cautiously, scanning my face before their gaze hardened with certainty.
"Yep."
"No way, for real...? What are the odds—same bus...? Sorry, just too crazy!"
"Sit tight. Standing's dangerous."
"Got it! Whoa, you even talk just like in the vids...! Insane."
The kid sat, whipped out their phone, and started tapping furiously. Come to think of it, I was feeling multiple prickly stares.
"Told you the bus was a bad call. Was about to say it."
Maru murmured. Yeah, comparing to just internet fame, broadcast TV's reach hit different. Maybe ask Professor Cheon to drive me for a while. As more whispers and phone-glances targeted me—some jaws dropping—
"Way smaller than on video?"
"Shh! She'll hear...!"
"She's just a baby, but same as NoName?"
"Kids, you see the morning news? That Walpurgis survivor from 8 years ago...!"
"That's her."
"Huh?"
"The kid sitting right there."
"Wha...?"
I'd overlooked it. I'd been safe in Professor Cheon's eye-of-the-storm house. One step out, and bam—this many recognitions. Hunker down at the academy till dismissal, then call Professor Cheon or hitch with Haru.
This stop is Seferon Academy front gate. Next stop: Seferon Foundation entrance.
Bus was packed, so I waited for others to exit first. As we neared last, I grabbed Yuna's hand and headed aft. Then the people ahead poured out.
"What? Thought everyone was off?"
Thinking back, I'd only used the front gate for entrance ceremony. Back gate was easier—no need to loop half the massive campus. I'd assumed the crowd was normal. Big mistake.
"Those folks are all in raincoats?"
Not umbrellas—raincoats? Following Noeul's gesture, I turned. One locked eyes with me, and like a horror flick, the rest's heads snapped toward us in unison.
"Dammit, reporters everywhere!"
Noeul popped his umbrella to shield Yuna and me, but we'd already aggro'd hard.
"Nami, Yuna—where's the front gate from here?"
Maru asked urgently.
"Uh... pretty far. Like, a hundred meters?"
"Got it—we'll hustle you there! Piggyback? Hold the umbrella?"
"Hop on quick!"
"What...?"
"No time!"
Yuna hopped onto Noeul first. I reluctantly set hands on Maru's shoulders.
"Whoa...!"
Instantly mounted on Ride 1 (Maru) and Ride 2 (Noeul), we shot up to new heights.
"This way, yeah? Hey, NoNami! NoNami!"
"Block the path ahead! Hurry, anyone!"
"NoNami, wait up!"
Way more than ten reporters—cameramen swarmed from overpasses, crosswalks, subway entrances, bus stops, everywhere, lugging pricey gear. They're gonna trip.
"Hold tight—running!"
"Kyaaaa! Run run! Clear out!"
Seo Yuna, age 8. Right in prime piggyback age, she shrieked like it was the best ride ever.
"We ended up sneaking in the back after all!"
Manager Kim Yong-seong huffed, pounding the principal's door.
"Teacher Gu! Gu On-yu! I know you're in there, Principal!"
Clunk! The door swung open on its own. Old news by now. Past the partition, only a silver-haired elder woman sipped tea silently. Her curly white locks hinted at a life rich with experience.
"Cheon Kyujin—no, Cheon Byeong-ho... No way Teacher Gu didn't know. What if 'parachute' slipped out?"
Kim's neck veins bulged. The principal set her cup down, fingers steepled, eyes piercing.
"Parachute? That's underselling NoName student, no?"
"I know she's brilliant, but that's not the point—"
"Hmm... 'Parachute' has bad vibes. Let's say 'airborne troops' instead."
Gu On-yu chuckled dryly, gaze drifting back to the chaos at the front gate.