Backbiting
Sweat-drenched kids finally finished showering and made it back to the stands. In the meantime, our third-graders had fought valiantly to snag a win, but the fourth- and fifth-graders got crushed, tying the score at 2-2 again. To spare Professor Cheon's throat, I'd decided to handle the commentary solo for a bit. While he chatted with the other parents, Yuna and Haru plopped down next to me.
"Just what the hell gave our Haru the guts to say that crap in the interview? Huh?"
Haru lunged at my waist, hugging tight and begging forgiveness. "Waaah, spare me! I won't mess up again!"
"Fine. Sit properly."
"Haru, you've been hanging around Nami a lot lately, huh? C'mere, Nami!"
"Seo Yuna, don't you dare sneak in a hug either."
"Tch!" Yuna crossed her arms and whipped her head away. I ignored the obvious ploy and fired up the broadcast for the sixth-grade match.
"Eh, pretty much. Elementary division has restrictions on spell types anyway. Pick the efficient ones, and there aren't that many."
"So what are the rules when you compete?"
Yoon Si-hu shoved his face into frame from right behind me. Didn't he care about getting doxxed on stream?
"Unlimited up to 2nd Circle. Just one 3rd Circle spell."
"3rd Circle... But you can use 4th Circle too, right?"
"I've done 8th Circle."
"Liar. There's only one 8th Circle spell in the world."
"Think what you want."
The crowd had been in a frenzy after the second- and third-graders' wins, but two straight losses deflated everything. Seferon's cheers dwindled as Alteer's roars took over. Se Maru and Seo No-eul tried pumping up the sulky second-graders, but without a win, it fell flat.
Then Namgung Jin and Seong Eun-byeol stepped onto the platform for sixth grade, and a massive roar hit my eardrums.
The viewers showered them with fiery welcomes on stream.
"Those seniors are that famous?"
"The Cheoncheon Namgung clan leader's your senior's great-grandpa. You really didn't know?"
Kim Hangeol, grandson of the Raon clan leader, poked his face in.
"Isn't Namgung Sega a Chinese sect?"
"Not Namgung Sega—Cheoncheon Namgung. It's a Korean clan."
"Why name it that?"
"Grandpa said the founder was a wuxia fan."
"What a clown. Is your grandpa buddies with him or something?"
"Uh... probably?"
Hangeol just nodded at my throwaway question. Makes sense—this world's all about connections, like classical music circles. Everyone knows everyone two degrees out. Made me realize anew how precious Yuna and Ji-hye were amid these chaebol kids.
"Nope. Haru, switch seats with Ji-hye."
"Why?!"
"Gonna hang with the commoners."
Not my place to say, former imperial princess and all. Anyway.
The sixth-grade match was a no-commentary-needed stomp. They swapped zero times, wiped all five opponents in 23 minutes flat, and we headed to lunch in high spirits.
* * *
"This is why elementary's a problem. They buy their way in, so they always get wrecked by Seferon nobodies."
"We always clean up their shit. Just scrap the useless elementary division already."
"Our middle school can sweep 'em. Then the high school seniors'll throw us one win if they're smart."
For the first time in years, Seferon led 3-2 at halftime. Reporters skipped lunch, churning out speculation about Gangnam vs. Gangbuk flipping. To calm worried parents, Alteer's elementary principal stepped up.
But the middle schoolers griped that the backlash hit them too.
"They haven't won in seven years—how dare they mock us by sending elementary kids? To a middle-third match?"
A girl peeling off gel nails snapped irritably. Aura-sharpened clips rained down with each pass.
"Perfect chance to show off. We're geniuses, right? I spoke five languages and had IQ 150 at four—kept quiet, studied my ass off, no broadcasts."
A boy with hands in his uniform pants chewed gum sloppily, face sour.
"Yeah, yeah—the show-offs. Streaming since kids, and what, LoL...? World of Arceria? Why play that weeb crap?"
"Parents letting it slide is weird too."
A girl spat strawberry candy from red-tinted lips, machine-gunning words; the chubby boy nearby nodded.
"Elementary must ace tests playing hooky. Hey, otaku trash—you graduated Seferon elementary. That's normal there?"
Third-graders' eyes locked on O Deok-jae. Amid the Seferon-bashing, he hedged.
"Uh... not all, but some worked hard...?"
"So mostly slackers? That's why you ditched for Alteer."
"Yeah... sure."
"Our school's 50th beats their 10th—feels unfair."
Unhappy teens, but kind to O Deok-jae. In grade-obsessed academy life, his top ranks gave security. Piss them off, and smooth sailing ended.
"Anyway, hope the matches wrap quick—MCT bros' closing show! High school hogs seats otherwise."
"Minyoung-ah, duplicate poka for me if you get it."
"No way! Gave you tons last time!"
"Oh yeah, why'd Hwang Joo-young bail last minute?"
Hwang Joo-young—the Seferon kid who lagged in rehearsal.
"Toy you're talking about? Ate ice cream, got tummy ache or some shit."
"Skipping on this day? I went hard in rehearsal."
"Hah, that? Lmao, you gonna use it for real? You'll get disciplined!"
"Passed ops committee—it's fine, right?"
"Or troll NoName with it. Heh."
The girl blew on her nails, flicked them dry.
"How?"
"...Tickle till she cries? She'd be cute."
"Hahaha, psycho? Bet netizens bury you—I stake my arm."
"Don't like it? Don't."
"Why? Try it. Looks fun."
Heads snapped below at the voice.
"...!"
Speak of the devil. O Deok-jae's face froze first at the twintailed girl whipping her hair every which way.
"Uh... NoName...?"
"Whoa, what? How'd she know we were talking and show up?"
"Heard fun chat blocking the cafeteria door."
"Oops, we blocked it. Sorry, sis! Go through!"
"You should be sorry—it's a walkway. Kids, head out first."
Five kids trailed me out the cafeteria. Middle schoolers stared, thinking the same: 'She's tiny. Can she even fight?'
Yi Jae-hwan and Park Jun-yong towered at early- and late-170s cm. Nail-fixer Jo Su-yeon hit 170; hobbit-teased Lee Min-young scraped 150. My height barely reached their chests—now it sank in. Fielding this was pure insult to Alteer.
"Our match soon, right? But your seniors seem too wiii eak to protect you—scared?"
Jo Su-yeon bent to my eye level.
"Locked in a capsule seven years—what's scary?"
"Damn, tough... She's no joke!"
"Whoa, yeah..."
"Anyway, apologize for calling our academy senior a toy."
Middle schoolers shrugged at the rival underclassman's demand.
"Why us?"
"Gossip among yourselves is fine—but I heard it, so apologize."
"Weird logic, kid. 'Toy' was nice—we're the aggrieved ones."
"Really? Then don't."
"Huh?"
TV NoName seemed clingy, but she backed off easy—Alteer kids blinked, confused. 'Scared?'
I pulled a gadget from my skirt pocket, mashed the button.
> Yeah, yeah—the show-offs. Streaming since kids, and what, LoL...? World of Arceria? Why play that weeb crap?
> Parents letting it slide is weird too.
Their whispers replayed verbatim. Did we say that? But the voices confirmed it.
NoName—who else? Korea's queen of loyal fans. Leak this online, and doxxing plus parental wrath incoming.
Terror-struck teens lunged for the recorder.
"Hey! Gimme that!"
"Here."
"Uh? Thanks?"
I beamed, turned for the door.
"The file just saved to my cloud. Win against me this tournament, I'll delete it. No apology vibe, so here's my kind offer. IQ 150—you get it, Alteer seniors?"