Birthday Party (1)

Elementary second-grader I Ha-ru woke up early in the morning, showered by herself with practiced ease, and got all dolled up.

"Hey, I Ha-ru, where are you off to this early?"

The sharp, irritated voice calling her back belonged to her older sister, I Bo-reum.

Ha-ru tried her best to ignore her, pretending she hadn't heard, but when Bo-reum started to rise from the sofa, she hurriedly spoke up.

"Uh... what's it to you, sis...?"

"Answer me."

Bo-reum was pulling rank again with her nine-year age gap. Ha-ru trailed off but had no choice but to answer straight.

"A ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠friend's... birthday party..."

"How long are you planning to stay?"

"As long as I can...! I'm leaving now, so don't bug me!"

BAM! Since when did she care about my business anyway? Squabbles between the sisters were nothing special anymore. Even Director Park, who handled security, errands, and driving for the Ha-ru and Bo-reum sisters all by himself, didn't bat an eye.

"Miss, isn't it a bit too early?"

"Gotta go early to stay longer."

"Your friend probably hasn't even woken up yet."

Director Park's concerns were utterly pointless. Because—

"The government ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠must immediately investigate the Banghwa Bridge disaster!"

"Investigate! Investigate! Investigate!"

"Yes, hello subscribers! This is Chika News, delivering only the freshest updates! We've just arrived at the intersection in front of Samseom Seoul Hospital, where NoName is admitted!"

The crowds, pushed back to the main road by the hospital's own crowd control, were making a racket. Ha-ru squinted through the irritating scene toward the parking lot.

"Nami's seriously popular..."

"Miss, do you know where we're headed?"

"Oh, it's written on the invitation!"

"Keep that safe."

Director Park's prediction hit the mark. Hulking security guards patrolled the hospital entrance everywhere. And just as they tried to enter, one approached to ask their purpose.

"We're here to visit this young lady's friend and wish her a happy birthday."

"That friend of hers."

"Nami! NoName!"

Ha-ru timely pulled out the invitation NoName had drawn herself with crayons.

"...West Entrance B-3. Sending two to the VIP hall."

"Can we go in?"

"Yes. Head to the first floor, and her guardian will meet you. Take the elevator up together."

"Got it. Thanks for your hard work."

The gorilla-like guard kindly held the door for Ha-ru.

"Wait—!"

At that moment, a man in a black suit came panting up, calling them back.

"I have business at the hospital too! Why won't you let me in?"

The gorilla guard glared at him with clear annoyance.

"I don't care if you're a congressman or a rapper or whatever. Per hospital policy, only those directly invited by VIP guests can enter. Use the general entrance if you're going elsewhere—kindly."

"How can you not know who I am? This is ridiculous! Didn't you watch Show Me the Money? And aren't you from my district? Have you ever even voted?"

The argument had clearly happened multiple times before, voices rising higher. Director Park decided to hurry the young miss inside. Who knew what this lunatic might do next.

"Miss, ignore them and let's go in."

"Yeah! Gotta see Nami quick, hehe!"

Meanwhile, as the slick-haired, sharply dressed yet insufferable man kept bickering with the gorilla guard...

"Um... I'm here to see NoName too. I have an invitation."

This time, a disheveled young man in gray tracksuit showed a printed invitation alongside his ID.

"I'll verify. Hmm... Pfft...! Yes, confirmed. Follow that group over there... there. Sorry, ahem..."

The man gawked, dumbfounded, as the bum-like youth strolled casually inside. He grabbed the guard's collar and bellowed.

"That guy's a VIP? That invitation's gotta be fake! If you do business like this, I'll—ARRRGH!"

The man's body spun through the air. The resounding splat of him landing on his back was perfectly captured by a reporter's camera filming the entrance.

The chaos sparked by NoName led the hospital to unprecedentedly seal the entrances completely. Politicians settled for leaving signatures and letters at the flower beds ordinary citizens had arranged to wish her well—like eating chicken instead of pheasant.

Professor Cheon brought three groups in total for the first visits.

"Namiii! Missed you so muchhh! Happy birthday!"

The adorable redhead Seo Yu-na burst through the door first, hugging me tight. Her guardian, Seo Maru—who managed her VTube channel diligently—followed.

"Hey Seo Yu-na, Nami's sick—don't hug her rough! Sit here now."

Not to be outdone, bob-cut-perfect I Ha-ru came toddling in fast, yanking Yu-na's collar to plop her on the sofa. The sunglasses guy waiting at the entrance looked like Director Park, whom we'd met before.

And finally, a young man with slightly long brown curly hair and round glasses shuffled in hesitantly.

"H-Hi...?"

Perfectly matched gray tracksuit top and bottom, dark circles amplifying his haggard look, tall but skinny frame. One person came instantly to mind from the image alone.

"Grad student vibes?"

"Yup, that's me, Manager1 irl! How'd you spot me right away? Voice that similar to the avatar?"

Is this guy for real? You could tell he was a Korea Institute of Magical Engineering grad student from a hundred meters away.

We'd known each other forever, but this was our first face-to-face. Feelings were new. Back when I scraped by at PC bangs, most stream donations came from Daesal's wallet—so he was basically my guardian before Professor Cheon.

"Nice to meet you. Thanks for all your manager work."

"Nah! Honor to meet you, NoName-nim! Habit—keep using super honorifics. Avatar looks just like you."

We shook hands. Daesal too.

"But your name...?"

"Uh... Can't you just call me Daesal? Or Manager."

"Nah, can't do that. I'm not that rude."

Don't you exchange names during handshakes?

Daesal took a deep breath, looking at me seriously.

"Boss won't laugh, right?"

"Who laughs at a name? Rude."

"Right? Total rudeness!"

Some of our stream viewers giggled or spammed whenever streamers with 'Eom' surnames came up. But I wasn't like that. Names shouldn't be mockery fodder.

A person's name is likely the first word called when they enter the world—and the last when they leave. If a mage's clone is their wand, a human's is their name. It defines a life, binds it, gets exploited. Some discard theirs for a new life; others quest to reclaim it.

I feel no shame if it's unique or weird. Proud, even. And if you're born, duty to kids is spreading your name far and wide.

"U... u... yeah."

"Pardon?"

His ant-crawl whisper made me ask again. Daesal slumped in resignation.

"Sigh... My name's Eun-woo."

"Eun-woo? Not weird."

"Cha Eun-woo."

"Pfft...!"

"Hey! Said you wouldn't laugh, NoName!"

This unplanned stream trigger happened. Damn, caught off guard. Total foul play?