---
It began—like all disasters do—with an innocent phone call.
"Kim Ji-Hoon's mom, this is the PTA secretary. We need to speak to you urgently… about your son's special ability."
My mom paused mid-dishwashing. "Special ability? What, folding laundry with his toes?"
> "Wait. Are they talking about the time he predicted the lunch menu? Or when the dog barked and he barked back in sync?"
Nope.
It was worse than any of that.
The Parents' Association thought I was psychic.
Why?
Because some students had gone home and told their moms things like:
> "Ji-Hoon sunbae looked at me, and five minutes later I found 1,000 won on the street."
"He knew I had a stomachache before I told anyone. He's either psychic or my future husband."
---
Scene: Mom's Rage Conference
I came home that evening to find Mom pacing the living room, still holding a soapy sponge.
"Psychic, huh? Since when?"
"I can explain."
> "LIE! PANIC! FLEE!"
– My thoughts, 100% valid.
Mom squinted. "Don't tell me this is because of that weird phone you found in the dirt. I knew nothing good ever came from the backyard."
"I'm not psychic! It's just... people think I'm lucky."
> "And by lucky, I mean cursed with the ability to hear everyone's mental drama."
She crossed her arms.
"Tomorrow, you're explaining this at the PTA meeting."
"WHAT?!"
> "I'd rather present a science fair project on why teenagers fart so much."
---
The Next Day: PTA Mayhem
I entered the school auditorium like a man being sacrificed to public education.
Moms. So many moms. Wearing visors. Holding notebooks. Some of them already had fan pages open on their phones.
Mrs. Park (PTA Head): "So, Ji-Hoon-ssi. Do you use your ability for good?"
I gulped.
"I… mostly use it to avoid pop quizzes and detect bad kimchi."
Laughter.
But also suspicious nods.
> "He's funny. AND psychic. My daughter's marrying him."
Oh God.
Then someone's dad raised his hand.
"My son said Ji-Hoon knew he liked strawberry milk before he said it out loud. Can you read my mind right now?"
I paused.
> "Please don't say what you're ACTUALLY thinking. Please."
I looked at him and said, "You're thinking about how you wish you didn't wear those brown socks with sandals."
He gasped.
Whispers spread like wildfire.
> "He really is magical."
"I must protect him."
"Does he take tutoring students?"
It was official.
I was now School-Wide Prophet Level 1.
---
Fan Mail Madness Begins
After the meeting, it got worse.
Way worse.
By lunchtime, I had:
6 handwritten fan letters.
2 emails from mothers wanting me to "bless" their children's exams.
1 gift basket filled with dried anchovies and a Post-it: "For brain power!"
Jun-Pyo was wheezing with laughter.
"Dude. You're famous. You're like BTS—but for moms."
Even Minji stopped by and dropped off a note.
> "You scare me, but in a weirdly hot way."
I collapsed onto the desk.
> "I just wanted to pass high school quietly. Now I'm getting anchovies as bribes."
---
Back at Home: Bora the Chaos Generator
I entered the house and found Bora at the dining table with her phone, laptop, and a sketchpad.
"What are you doing?" I asked, cautiously.
She looked up with wild eyes.
"I've started a fan page."
"...For who?"
She turned her laptop toward me.
At the top:
[PsychicOppa.kr – Your Daily Dose of Mind-Reading Magic 💫]
With a cartoon drawing of me holding a glowing phone like a k-drama wizard.
There were already 128 followers.
"What. Have. You. Done?"
She beamed.
"I'm your manager now. I've scheduled Q&A sessions, uploaded five 'mysterious quotes' from you, and started a voting poll for your fan nickname."
> "So far, 'Mind-Yeobo' is winning."
I wanted to cry.
I wanted to scream.
Instead, I lay face down on the floor.
> "This is how idols feel before they debut. But with more trauma."
---
Phone's Final Buzz of the Day
> Daily Summary:
— PTA now believes you're a gifted child.
— You've accidentally started a cult.
— Your sister is monetizing your face.
— One fan requested a lock of your hair.
— Recommended action: Fake a cold. Move to Busan. Change name to 'Brian.'
"Can I throw you back in the backyard where I found you?"
> "You can try. But the anchovies will haunt you."
---