Blackout

So there really were reporters with that kind of spirit. I thought it as I watched the screen. Trash whipped through the streets on the wind while Kim Daegi kept earnestly warning everyone that it was dangerous outside. Standing signs were sailing around like birds, and one look at them told me just how hard the wind was blowing.

"Agh—aaagh!"

But even the reporter couldn't hold out against the typhoon. A flying leaflet struck him, and he went down injured. The reporter was one thing; I had no idea how the cameraman was still filming any of it. The moment he was hurt, the feed cut hastily back to the news desk, where a professor was laying out the danger of this typhoon.

The old professor spoke as though he were coughing up blood to force the warning out. Beside me, Bora munched on snacks and said,

"A typhoon's gone in half a day. They're making way too much fuss. Right, Hana?"

She wasn't wrong. No matter how fierce a typhoon was, no matter how enormous, half a day was usually enough for it to move on somewhere else. Even so, I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling. Somehow, I didn't think this was going to end so simply.

"Wanna watch a movie, Hana?"

Bora was lounging in my room in the most comfortable clothes imaginable. I was used to seeing her neat and put-together, so this sloppy version of her felt strangely new. Bora, Haru, and Maru each felt different to me. Bora had a dad-like air, Haru was like a mom, and Maru felt like a close older sister. Well—I had a girl's body now, so maybe I ought to call her unnie instead. But that word wouldn't stick in my mouth, and I didn't want to use it.

"No! Bora, I wanna watch the news!"

"R-really? Okay, then. Let's watch the news."

Bora sounded surprised. I did want variety shows and movies, but I wanted the news more. The typhoon had only just made landfall, and the broadcast kept hammering home how dangerous it was.

I sneakily stole a bite of the snacks Bora was eating. She didn't seem to mind much—she was fiddling with her phone. The fun gone out of it, I turned my eyes back to the television. The live reports sank into me, sharp and clear.

Watching nothing but the news, though, left me with an empty feeling. So I tucked myself right into Bora's arms. Something soft and yielding took me in. I rested my head there and watched TV in perfect comfort—so comfortable that sleep came creeping over me.

At first, the words work from home had put Maru in a good mood. For a new hire, working from home beat commuting, no question. Getting paid to work at home—what could be better than that?

That feeling swung a full one-eighty.

Crash!

A huge noise from outside sent Maru scrambling to the window to look out.

"Whoa..."

A sign bolted to the building had torn free in the gale and come down on top of a car. Tough luck for the owner, but at least no one had been ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hurt. Maru had a growing sense that something was seriously wrong. This was only the leading edge of the typhoon, and the wind was already this strong. The rain, coming down in sheets, only sharpened her unease.

And the bad news didn't stop at one thing. Misfortune came tangled together like vines, and most of it arrived as messages on her phone.

"Agh!"

One look at the message and Maru could only stare in horror. The typhoon had cut the gas. Worse, it said that because of the storm, technicians couldn't even go out to make emergency repairs.

Unbelievable! If she'd known it would come to this, she would have ripped out the gas range and put in an induction cooktop!

Fortunately, she had already planned for a disaster, and she still had the portable gas burner she'd bought last time. At least she could boil ramen. She turned her attention back to her work and put a YouTube news stream up on the other screen.

On YouTube, the people at the desk were loudly billing this as the worst typhoon since the founding of the nation. They also said it was advancing so slowly that no one knew when it would end. Hearing that only made Maru more anxious.

It was already this hard. It was going to get worse?

Thankfully, nothing else happened before the workday ended. By then, though, the wind was blowing so hard that going outside was impossible.

Out there, street trees had been ripped up and toppled. Cars were so battered by falling signs that they might as well have gone straight to the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠scrapyard. Maru offered their owners a brief moment of silence. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Did insurance even cover a disaster like this? Not owning a car, she had no idea.

A loud growl rose from her stomach, complaining that she was hungry. She set about boiling ramen with practiced ease, abandoning the gas range that wouldn't light and setting a pot on the portable burner. She lit it and started the noodles.

Something feels wrong...

Just listening to the wind outside, she had the sense this wasn't going to end here. Sure enough, a bad feeling never missed. All at once, the fluorescent light in the room went out. Half-hoping she ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was wrong, Maru hurriedly flicked the switch off and on. Nothing happened.

She yanked out her phone, turned on the flashlight, and went to the window. Outside was nothing but black. Even the usual glow of the advertisements was gone. Pitch darkness greeted her.

"This can't be happening..."

She had no choice but to admit that a truly enormous typhoon had arrived. Storms strong enough to knock out the power didn't come along often. She tried to place a call, but communications were dead too.

Only her laptop and smartphone—their internet connections already cut—were still working in the blackout.

"Oh! Bora, I don't have school tomorrow!"

I whooped as I said it. The text said the typhoon had gotten so bad that school was closed tomorrow.

Bora saw the message and laughed.

"Then you can sleep in tomorrow, huh?"

"Yeah!"

I made up my mind to marathon movies all night. Still, looking outside, the view was something else. We were on the tenth floor, and from up here all I could see were trees thrashing every which way.

There wasn't a trace of people out there. If Bora hadn't been with me, I think I would have been terrified. I would have been the only one on this whole wide floor of the building.

"Bora, I'm hungry!"

"Yeah, yeah."

At that, she went out to make me something to eat. What would we have today? I hoped it was meat.

But she came right back, looking ready to cry.

"Hana, the gas is out. I don't think I can make a real meal..."

"No!!!"

All I could do was cry on the inside. Delicious food was the joy of my life, and not getting to eat any was unbearably sad.

Then Bora, carrying the portable gas burner, spoke up.

"Let's at least have ramen and some instant rice!"

Not a bad compromise. I wouldn't get meat, but ramen and rice were something. If we hadn't prepared at all, we would have gone hungry.

The ramen bubbled away in the pot, cooking up nicely. I swallowed, mouth watering, and picked up my chopsticks. Then there was a strange sound, the lights died, and the world went pitch-black.

"Hey, the lights went out!"

I said it in a bright, innocent voice. It looked like a blackout. This typhoon was, without a doubt, ferocious enough to kill the power.