195 - Birthday Party (2)
Good morning. Or maybe a good lunch.
Viewers:22,920
“Is the precious name your parents gave you something to be ashamed of? Other people might laugh, but I don’t think even you, Eun-woo oppa, should think that way.”
“That’s why you need to change that mindset. If you don’t believe in yourself first, who will understand you? Eun-woo oppa, do you have a girlfriend by any chance?”
“Anyway, when you get a girlfriend in the future, she’ll call you by your name eventually. You’re not gonna ask her to call you Dae-sal then, right?”
The five-minute sermon continued, and the manager was finally booted from the camera.
Now the phone camera was only showing my bed area, and one kid took particular interest.
“Me too! I wanna see too!”
“We’re streaming right now?”
“Then it’s no good?”
“If you come here, 20,000 people will all be watching you together.”
“Yeah, I’m fine with that?”
Yuna was a prime exhibitionist.
The VIP bed was plenty wide for two kids side by side. Seo Maru personally lifted her under the arms, and Yuna safely took her co-pilot seat next to me.
“Whoa, 20-k viewers! Have you seen Nami, Nami?”
“There’s no such unit as ‘kilo’?”
“Oh yeah? Ooooh.”
“Cute, right? She’s my friend.”
“Ughhh! Hngggg ouch!”
Co-pilot seats demand proper payment. I kept pinching Yuna’s cheeks while waiting for more friends to arrive.
“Ah, I can’t see the donation window right now, so I can’t reply. Sorry to anyone who already donated, just in case.”
“Ah, the surgery? It wasn’t that big a deal. The doctor made it painless, so I’m fine now.”
If I had to pick the most surprising thing about modern medicine, it was that you didn’t have to wait for stitches to dissolve after sewing up a sliced belly. Unlike my past life where doctors handled only medicine and mages only magic, Korean medical teams renowned worldwide were proficient in magic too, making it possible.
I chatted with the kids, sharing hospital stories on stream. Time flew, and soon the rest arrived.
“Hi...! Nami, you really okay—?”
“Hey! NoName! Wassup! You okay?”
Detective Ma Beom-il brought Ji-hye and Se-ri last. Our eyes met briefly; he quickly turned away, probably carrying some guilt about me.
He reached for a cigarette from his pocket out of habit, realized it was a hospital, and stepped out. The reflection of Section Chief Park in the semi-transparent glass vanished with him.
“Does it hurt a lot? You really okay...?”
“Yeah. Thanks for worrying, Ji-hye.”
“Good...! Oh, and happy birthday...!”
“Grattis på födelsedagen! Happy birthday NoName hehe!”
“That’s Swedish? Sounds just like runes.”
“Yeah! Totally magic, right?”
She clung to me like she’d never let go, then quickly shifted focus to the stream. With so much chat, four screens ran in parallel. The kids with sharp eyes read viewer comments effortlessly.
“Nami’s so cool! She beat sixth-graders at the playground!”
Se-ri habitually boasted about me on stream.
“Fight? When did I.”
“For real, Ji-hye you saw too? Nami went ugh roar rumble boom boom boom and the oppa’s all fell.”
“Uh... not sure but kinda yeah!”
“Hey Han Se-ri. How long you gonna say that? Nami says no.”
“It’s true! Don’t believe me then don’t hmph.”
Kariri still not here? Checking my phone, a message from her popped up right on time.
My first viewer ‘Hoyamuyaho’ being Kariri’s little brother was no coincidence. Rather, he pushed her hard, so she agreed to collab with me.
Maybe everything’s necessity disguised as chance.
“Kids, lunch is here!”
Detective Ma, Section Chief Park, and Professor Cheon arrived arms full of food. All stuff I couldn’t eat, of course.
“I’ll buy you something tasty later, Nami, so hang in there today.”
Thus, abalone porridge was served before me. Opening the lid, steam rose gently. Stirring a few times, barely one or two bits of abalone floated up.
I got why they say white porridge or abalone for patients. Barely any abalone, basically white porridge.
“Thanks for the food.”
““Thanks for the food!””
“Nami’s top of the school? Whoa. But not surprised.”
“No oppa listen again. Our academy exam’s so hard: 20 multiple choice and 5 essay in 30 minutes.”
“I know. So time’s tight but Nami finished in under 15?”
“Why only that surprised? Be more shocked quick.”
“Whoooaa sugoi Nami-chan!”
Yuna explained the academy exam’s difficulty to Eun-woo. Unsatisfied with his reaction, she looped back like a GIF.
KAIMT grad probably finds academy exams easy.
Tada! Top student right here lololol
With few chances to meet outsiders, the manager spiced up convos. Grad student with magic knowledge, chats flowed easy.
“So oppa, what’d you get on aptitude?”
“70 in elementary?”
“For real?”
“60 middle, 50 high... then bombed KGSAT, took a redo year.”
“Don’t wanna live like Eun-woo oppa.”
“Hey these kids getting cocky? Hurting my feelings?”
“Kyahahaha!”
Even quiet Ji-hye shared school life eagerly. Maybe Eun-woo’s just affable.
My abalone porridge was long gone. Bored, I hugged my knees, rocking, eavesdropping on friends. With viewers.
Slide— The door flew open, quieting the chatter.
“Nami!”
“Yun-seul unnie, come on in.”
“You said you’re not hurting but why so skinny!”
“Lemme see your face...! Ah sweat?”
She rubbed her face on mine on sight—like a beast.
“Outside was dying hot...!”
“Cool off with AC here.”
“Huh? Who’s that?”
I clearly saw the grad student jump up as Kariri entered.
“Ah Cha Eun-woo—”
“Yes hello Kariri-nim right? I’m NoName’s manager UniversityStudentSaveMe! As expected so pretty waa... so pretty yes...!”
“Ah uh yeah...! I’m kinda shy with strangers usually! Not picky just don’t misunderstand yeah...”
“Aww doesn’t seem like it at all! Want this seat?”
“No just stay...!”
While Eun-woo overreacted, another kid followed Yun-seul. Family genes strong—sharp features under baby face, charming all ages but speech surprisingly soft.
“Hi...! So nervous hng. Real NoName right? Duh of course what am I saying...! Wait honorifics or casual?”
“Hoyamuyaho, right?”
“Whoa!”
The boy cupped his mouth, eyes wide.
“Whoooaa!”
Tears would’ve been perfect, but no such talent.
“Casual’s fine. So... Taeyang oppa?”
“Wait is that right? Yeah? Calling me that’s awkward!”
First-timers reacted same: avatar matches real me, so awkward treating like VR or as kid.
Handshake with first fan done, Professor Cheon brought the cake from last night.
“Strawberry cake!”
“Too many people?”
“One bite each hahaha.”
“Only 8 candles? Makes sense viewers? Just 8 years old?”
Way too crowded. VIP room costing millions per night filled with just this. Made it feel even better.
Precious bonds I wouldn’t trade for billions all gathered, erasing the empty silence when I first arrived.
Academy friends inserted candles. Professor gave kids two each, asking pretty arrangement. Magic prodigies, no half-assing.
“Se-ri more outside! No left! Right!”
“Where’s left right on cake!”
“That’ll ruin it! Slower!”
Evenly spaced circles, full effort adorable.
“Klaus, you’re a man for swinging swords. Told you stack firewood for campfire, not smash logs? If beaver world, dismemberment plus burning.”
“Straightening marked logs at spots that hard? Eyes bad hands bad? No sense, impatient hetairas run without pay?”
“Ughhh stay still! Sylvia, Remilia you do it! Huh you will? Why backseat while I try! Master! See how crazy they drive me?”
Laughter over trivialities evoked nostalgia.
“Nami ready!”
Perched on bed lost in thoughts, kids grabbed my wrist, led to table. Others drew curtains, killed lights, lit candles.
Then it hit. Oh, birthday.
[Youngest Princess of lofty Kaizen! Happy ninth birthday Esha!]
[Happy happy birthday!]
[Never tracked my own birthday. Happy thirteenth? Sorry for being harsh.]
[Done...! How’s that master? Hero party worthy?]
[This day the Lord made, we rejoice. Happy twentieth to mentor.]
[Master mentor whatever. No eloquence but happy birthday... thanks sis. Without you...]
Klaus, Sylvia, Remilia with 30m bonfire from whole pine. Plus unremembered bonds—past life not all tragedy.
Saying this now sounds ungrateful? Life’s tragedy up close, comedy afar.
So keep sad far, joy near.
[Know thy sin.]
Too many, but one clear: staining Hiasen’s hands on my birthday.
[Estasha Latias de Kaizen’s twenty-fifth... can’t celebrate now...]
Always sorry. But I’m living well.
“Nami!”
Someone called. Flickering mind refocused. Voice too quick to ID, but didn’t matter.
Sad far, joy near.
“Nami! Happy eighth birthday!”
If NoName, live for self; if Estasha, for NoName.
Vow to unknown, I blew out the candles.