Ch.195190 – Weirdo

After finishing lunch, we sat on the entrance stairs of the school’s first floor, idly watching the rain until fifth period.

The damp, fresh scent of soil allowed us to experience a countryside atmosphere even in the middle of the city.

I didn’t bother explaining that the smell came from geosmin, an organic compound produced by actinomycetes bacteria in the soil, and aerosols created when rain falls.

[Please just quietly appreciate it with me, sister.]

Adella’s advice was valid.

The children seemed perfectly happy just noticing how raindrops sounded different hitting the garden versus the asphalt.

Through the rhythmic natural sounds, an artificial engine noise cut through.

It was a sports car, noticeably flatter compared to other vehicles.

Everything from the aggressive-looking hood and bumper that preserved the beauty of ovals and curves, to the seductive black paint, caught the children’s attention. They had long forgotten about appreciating the rain sounds.

The driver parked the car in a corner of the school grounds and stepped out, planting dress shoes on the ground.

The snow-white hair contrasting with the black paint job was quite striking.

The owner of the “Bugatti Hamilton,” of which only 30 exist in Korea, was someone I had briefly met this morning.

“Hello, Principal!”

I nodded along with my friends’ enthusiastic greeting.

“Hello, did you all enjoy lunch?”

“Yes, it was delicious today!”

“We had pork neck pilaf for lunch!”

Despite what appeared to be a fifty-year age gap, the woman who respectfully addressed the children was none other than Principal Gu On-yu of Cephiron Academy.

She must have gone out for lunch. I didn’t particularly like the pork neck pilaf.

Despite the pouring rain, she didn’t bother taking out an umbrella.

“Isn’t the sound of rain lovely?”

“Yes!”

“Be careful not to play in the rain and catch a cold, no matter how excited you get. Understand?”

“Yes, Principal!”

When she reached the entrance, not a single drop of water had formed on her abundant hair.

Instead, I could detect an extremely thin hydrophobic aura membrane surrounding her entire body.

After our brief greeting with the principal and making sure the clicking sound of her heels had faded away, Lee Ha-ru spoke first.

“Don’t you think the principal is really unusual?”

She’s probably the most unusual person in the country.

An elementary school principal driving a sports car to school?

I can confidently say that would be hard to find anywhere else in Korea.

“Yeah, kind of eccentric…? Don’t you think?”

Ji-hye quietly offered her opinion. The other children nodded in agreement.

“I heard there are manga books in the principal’s office? Like Naruto… One Piece…”

“Manga books? Han Seo-ri, how do you even know about that?”

“I just heard rumors. Hey NoName, you went to the principal’s office during first period! Is it true that her bookshelves are full of manga?”

Han Seo-ri and the other friends turned their attention to me.

“Well… there were some.”

“Wow, that’s so cool!”

“What was the principal like? What did you talk about?”

“Is she really eccentric like the rumors say? Does she make you do weird things?”

A small hearing was held by the children, and I folded my arms to think carefully.

“What was the principal like? Hmm…”

During the first period assessment, Director Kim Yong-seong came to find me, quietly calling me through the window, saying the principal wanted to see me.

Somehow I seemed to run into him more often in the elementary school building than in the foundation administration where he should be, but that wasn’t my concern.

Anyway, in my assessment, Principal Gu On-yu was like this.

“Less eccentric and more… fake. That’s exactly how she felt.”

* * *

The organizational structure of Cephiron Academy is complex. To properly understand it, we need to examine the nature of the foundation.

Think tanks that lead a nation’s politics and media, and one step beyond that concept is the FOUNDATION.

In typical Western fashion of loving to assign meaning, there was a grand acronym starting with “Functional Organization under,” but it truly embodied the character of a “foundation.”

The foundation secured funding through sponsorships from global corporations and wealthy individuals, maintained a largely bipartisan character, and exerted influence for policy-making and technology monopolization worldwide.

Their largest expenditures were undoubtedly research and education costs, with the former flowing to research institutes and the latter to academies.

The method of operating academies differs by country, but in places like Korea where government influence is strong, the academy’s autonomy was generally guaranteed.

Instead, an audit committee was established in the Korean branch as a minimal oversight body, and Planning Coordination Director Kim Yong-seong was also an auditor appointed by the foundation headquarters.

The principal, like at other schools, is appointed by the metropolitan/provincial superintendent of education with presidential authorization.

However, this was merely for show, and since it wasn’t actually subject to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, it could be considered an entirely separate system.

As long as they didn’t mess up badly, the foundation would usually turn a blind eye, and the education office wouldn’t interfere much either. The position of “Academy Principal” was essentially a sword that could wield absolute power within this property.

“So that’s why you decorated the principal’s office like this? Bringing everything from your home?”

“Even principals don’t want to work sometimes. Isn’t it most fun to read secretly during work hours? If there’s any manga you like, feel free to borrow it.”

“I’m not really interested in these things.”

I sipped the Earl Grey tea the principal had personally served me and observed cautiously.

That smiling expression with eye-smiles wasn’t entirely welcome.

I couldn’t read what thoughts lay beyond that face.

“I thought NoName would surely like animation or sports cars, but I guess the principal was mistaken.”

Principal Gu On-yu’s display case was elegantly filled with anime figurines and sports car toys.

“Why did you think that?”

“Because geniuses are often eccentric, aren’t they?”

“You must think of yourself as a genius.”

“No, no! I just like these as hobbies! Especially cars – anyone would find them cool. Anyway, it’s really nice to meet you!”

The principal offered me a handshake again.

Looking just at her face, I hadn’t noticed, but her hands definitely had numerous wrinkles and calluses.

It was a brief moment, but I could clearly feel the external manifestation of aura.

I realized that not just anyone could become an academy principal.

Time dragged on painfully as she continued with meaningless questions about whether I was enjoying the academy and if I was making friends.

Ring-ring-ring-

Click!

The way she naturally silenced the loudly ringing phone showed this wasn’t her first time doing so.

“Do you know that thanks to you, the principal has become extremely popular?”

“Yes, that seems obvious.”

“I might be the person receiving the most phone calls in the world today. I’ve been blocking them as they come in, and I’m even thinking about changing my number completely.”

“Principal, if I may, let’s get to the point.”

“Oh right, what am I thinking! Here’s an official document from the foundation… would you like to look at it with me?”

From the Cephiron Foundation?

The ordinary stack of papers that came out of the brown envelope didn’t look special at first glance.

“The foundation seems eager to see NoName. It’s an invitation asking you to come to the United States. If there are any words you don’t understand, I can explain them.”

I slowly read through the seven-page document.

The purpose of the invitation stated that they wanted me to come verify the proofs I had made.

There were also detailed plans for residence support, transportation, and passport issues in case I decided to go, but I handed the paper back to her.

“I don’t really think—”

“I knew you’d say that!”

“…?”

Before I could finish speaking, she took the documents and tore them in half.

Not satisfied with just tearing them in half, she shredded them completely and dumped everything in the trash.

“If they want to see you, they should come to Korea themselves. Don’t you think?”

“Ah, yes. That’s right.”

“Anyway, they’re strange people. Oh, and finally, was there anything uncomfortable about coming to school today, or anything you’d like from the academy, NoName?”

“There are quite a few reporters at the academy. I know that the academy property extends about 100 meters beyond the main gate.”

“Yes, yes, anything else?”

“I don’t think I have any particular requests. You all seem to be doing enough already.”

In fact, for the past week, Cephiron Academy had been thoroughly concealing my personal information.

I expressed my gratitude for that. If anything, this level of accommodation was almost burdensome.

“But why is only Class A separated within the same grade?”

“That’s the foundation’s policy, NoName.”

“It’s not something you can decide autonomously?”

“Unfortunately not.”

There wasn’t much else after that.

Principal Gu On-yu had called me to deliver an official document that had actually arrived from Cephiron Foundation headquarters.

She promised to take sufficient measures against those who disturbed the academic atmosphere.

“But do you really like these things as a hobby?”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing. The tea was delicious. I’ll head back to my classroom now.”

As I left the principal’s office, I scanned the display case once more with my eyes.

Just as I thought. The manga she claimed to have collected for decades looked too pristine.

There was dust accumulated, but not a single trace of human handling.

Not just one book, but the entire collection.

She hadn’t read even a single one of the books here.

* * *

“Maybe they’re just for collecting?”

Ha-ru interjected.

“For collecting?”

“Yeah. When my sister buys cat merchandise, she buys several at once. One to use, one as a spare, and one for display.”

“Now that you mention it, that makes sense.”

Rich people really do think differently.

I agreed with Lee Ha-ru’s opinion.

“NoName, when are you going to invite us to your birthday party?”

Han Seo-ri, who had been poking a pill bug with a twig, asked me.

“Birthday party?”

“I think she means your birthday celebration…!”

“Oh.”

“Don’t tell me we’re not even friends? Wow, if that’s true, I’m so disappointed in you, NoName!”

Seo-ri stood up dramatically with her hands on her hips.

“NoName, your birthday is coming up…?”

“What? Seo Yu-na, you didn’t know? This won’t do. Since it’s come to this, let’s exclude Yu-na!”

“Nooo! I’m NoName’s closest friend! Why didn’t you invite me? NoName? Huh?”

Just when I had calmed things down, Han Seo-ri was triggering Yu-na’s tear ducts again.

“Do I have to have a birthday party?”

“Huh?”

“A birthday is just a birthday. I think verbal congratulations are enough for me.”

“But it’s on Sunday when we don’t come to the academy!”

How does she know my birthday so precisely?

There must be a spy in our class.

For now, I’ll suspect Teacher Jacqueline.

“Fine, come over whenever you want. But don’t bring gifts. If you bring gifts, I won’t let you in.”

“Why! It’s your birthday, of course we should give you gifts!”

Ha-ru shouted loudly, but this time I wasn’t willing to compromise.

“If you don’t like that, don’t come.”

“Fine, I understand…”

“Hey Lee Ha-ru, look at this and cheer up.”

Seo-ri poked Ha-ru’s shoulder from behind.

“Hm? What is it… AAAAAAHHHHH!”

“Pill bug, hehe.”

“Get that away, Han Seo-ri! Ah, I’m scared, don’t do that…!”

“Hehehe.”

Ugh, it’s so chaotic.

* * *

If Principal Gu On-yu was mistaken about something, it was that there was one more person being bombarded with phone calls.

“AAAAAAHHHHH! I’m going to get neurosis! Why! Why why why! Why on earth? WHY!”

The man was on the verge of accelerating his hair loss tenfold due to calls coming from all directions.

Delete, the chief manager of Ddagapde and Mollakjeon, and a founding member of Letterbox.

“Why can’t anything pass by quietly without incidents?!”

He was still in his 30s and valued his hair. He had entered the stage of resignation.

“This won’t do. Just release the video…”

“What?”

“Release yesterday’s interview video on VTube. Sigh… if that’s what they want so badly, we have to give it to them.”

“But the editing isn’t finished yet.”

“Please, Jieun!”

Delete’s complexion had gone beyond pale to ashen.

“You can just cut that part and upload it! Why are you so inefficient!”

“Ah! The part with NoName…”

“Yes! Ah, I feel like crying every time you do this, seriously…!”

The female employee handed a tissue to the man who had collapsed into his office chair while rubbing his temples.

“There, there, don’t cry.”

Delete’s expression as he looked at the employee with disbelief was even more priceless.

“Yes!”

“So should I really upload it? Upload? Upload?”

“Stop talking and upload it quickly!”

“Eek!”

[(Letterbox) Total MVP Interview: NoName | 2051 Season 1 Ddagapde & Mollakjeon]