03.
Suddenly, I became a superstar.
Not an idol or anything—but still, everywhere I went, I was the center of attention.
After I proved I could actually stop the rain, people swarmed.
Girls I barely knew handed me letters, saying they’d liked me for a long time.
Boys I’d never spoken to said they’d always thought I was cool.
Even teachers I wasn’t close with asked,
“So… can you really stop the rain?”
“Uh… yes. It’s true.”
At first, I was excited to answer.
But it didn’t take long before I got completely sick of that life.
I couldn’t even sleep properly.
I wondered—did heroes also go through this kind of attention in the beginning?
Well, they probably had it worse.
I mean, how could stopping rain compare to telekinesis or super strength?
All I did was stop rain. That’s it.
Eventually, I started to think,
"Maybe this really isn’t that big a deal."
The more people talked about me,
the more I felt like I wasn’t much at all.
It was ironic.
Guys… I only stop rain. That’s all.
I can’t control it or use it for anything else. I just… stop it…
The words echoed silently inside me, but there was no point saying them out loud.
Everyone was already busy making up stories about me—whether praise or gossip, I couldn’t tell.
At the same time, people started picking fights with me more often.
Some thought it was cool, sure.
But others? They poked and sneered at me like I was a freak.
Especially that one guy who’d started the first fight.
He kept bothering me, always looking for something to nitpick.
“Wow, look at Mr. Special Power. Got anything else? Or is that all you’ve got?”
At first, I’d get annoyed.
But eventually, even that got boring.
Now I just gave him the middle finger and moved on.
“Eat shit. You can’t even do this much, huh?”
I’d grin as I said it, and he would get mad instead.
It was funny.
Why start a fight you know you can’t win?
But that… was my mistake.
I underestimated the danger.
What started as one annoying guy turned into a whole group.
They came at me in packs.
If I ignored them and tried to sleep, they’d yank me down by the shoulders.
“Come on, say that crap like you did yesterday. With a smile.”
I was half-asleep and pissed when I hit the ground.
“Ah… damn. My tailbone…”
I rubbed my sore eyes and muttered,
“Go away. I’m tired enough without you.”
I got up and laid back down.
And that’s when I felt it—a heavy pain thudding into the back of my head.
“...Ah.”
He punched me.
That’s when I fully snapped awake.
Did he just… hit me?
For a second, my brain froze.
Then it raced.
Okay. How do I destroy this bastard?
For the first time in a while, I could feel the blood surging in my veins.
They kept poking me, and I was done.
Might as well end it here and now.
As soon as I decided, I swung.
My fists hit harder than you'd expect from a guy my size.
He fell, groaning, hands gripping his jaw.
His crew rushed me all at once.
As many punches as I threw, I got hit back.
Cowards. Ganging up on me like that.
But I didn’t stop.
I was furious.
Then—everything changed.
The moment I lost control, lightning cracked across the sky.
It wasn’t supposed to rain that day.
A thunderstorm out of nowhere.
It was the very definition of a bolt from the blue.
I didn’t notice it.
I was too focused on beating the hell out of them.
But above us, the sky opened up.
Thunder roared, and a torrential downpour slammed the earth.
People rushed to shut the windows, but it didn’t help.
The storm was too strong.
The windows rattled and shattered.
Sharp shards of glass scattered across the floor.
That means…
I created a storm.
From the moment I lost control.
Behind me, the wind howled like a monster.
The guys who had jumped me all flinched at the sudden storm.
“W-what the hell is that?!”
I didn’t even notice.
Even if I had, I probably wouldn’t have been surprised.
After all, it was me, wasn’t it?
They stood frozen.
And in that gap, I punched again.
That was my final fight.
I didn’t lose.
It was a clear victory.
But the look in everyone’s eyes afterward…
They were afraid of me.
Rain poured while I fought.
So much that later, someone said it almost caused a flood.
That’s how bad it was.
And the thunder?
Apparently, it sounded like the sky was collapsing.
Once the fight ended, the weather cleared—just like that.
I stood there, catching my breath, looking around.
Everyone was pale, terrified.
Why are they looking at me like that?
It’s not like this was my first fight.
Their expressions annoyed me.
“What?”
“...”
“First time seeing someone fight?”
As soon as I spoke, everyone’s eyes scattered.
No one replied.
All those eyes that once clung to me with curiosity or adoration—gone.
A chill ran down my spine.
I messed up.
I could feel it.
Not because of the fight.
No—this was something else.
I slowly looked up at the sky.
The shattered windows.
The rain droplets scattered across the floor.
And the sun… was shining like nothing had happened.
Rain… it rained again.
My brain, usually slow in moments like this, suddenly spun into motion.
04.
My life turned into a third-rate drama.
The hero became the villain in an instant.
The same hands that once praised me, lifted me high—
now gathered to wrap around my neck.
"He's a monster."
"He made it rain because he was angry."
"We almost died, you know. It was practically a flood."
"Freak."
I couldn’t believe it myself.
If I had known my powers worked like that, I would’ve kept quiet.
Who could’ve guessed my emotions could control the weather?
I wanted to shout “That’s not true!”
I wanted to explain that I really didn’t know.
But no one gave me the chance.
Every time I tried to speak, they turned away.
The same people who couldn’t stop talking about me before—
now called me a monster.
Now, of all times.
My chest ached from the emptiness. My eyes stung.
Soon, my parents were called to school.
Everything about my ability came out.
"Our son… Bumgyu would never…"
They looked at me like they didn’t recognize me.
Like they were staring at something inhuman.
Mom. Dad. I’m really not that special.
Just… a little different. Just a little.
After the meeting with the teacher, I clung to them.
“I didn’t know. I really didn’t know I had this kind of power…”
They said nothing.
They just shook off my hand.
I couldn’t meet their eyes.
I already knew what kind of look they had.
I was suspended from school.
Officially, it was for fighting.
But even I wasn’t dumb enough to not see the real reason.
They were scared.
Scared of a kid with powers they didn’t understand.
Didn’t want trouble in the building.
Didn’t want me around.
I wanted to ask, “Why should I be the one to leave?”
But my parents blocked the words before they left my mouth.
Even without saying it, I could feel it—
Please… just stay quiet.
Reporters came to our apartment.
The whole building buzzed.
Sometimes even researchers showed up.
My parents turned everyone away.
“You’ve got the wrong person,” they said.
I locked myself in my room.
Didn’t say a word.
Whenever I tried to talk, they looked away.
They couldn’t even face me.
I’m not a monster…
The tears came before I realized it.
It felt like the whole world had turned against me.
But I was just a middle schooler.
Way too young to be treated like a threat.
I never went back to that school.
My parents said they’d transfer me somewhere else.
By the time they told me, my bags were already packed.
All I had to do was leave.
To some faraway place.
Alone.
“Your uncle will visit from time to time.
We’ll send you money too…”
“It’s a good school. So do your best.”
“But whatever you do, don’t tell anyone about your powers.”
“…Okay, Bumgyu?”
Live quietly.
Like a mouse.
Make sure no one knows.
Don’t bring trouble to anyone.
I let out a hollow laugh.
Trouble? What trouble?
Who did I hurt?
Did anyone get injured because of me?
Did anyone die?
Maybe someone got scared.
Maybe someone fell over in shock.
But hurt?
Come on.
Anyone could see—
I was the one who got hurt the most.
My teeth clenched tight.
“This is bullshit.”
“...What?”
“I said, this is all bullshit. Every last one of you.”
Their eyes went wide.
That look—they were scared now.
“What the hell are you even saying—”
“Trouble? What kind of trouble did I cause?”
“...”
“If I disgust you, then just say it.”
“...Bumgyu…”
“Everyone’s saying it, you know. That I’m a monster.”
“...”
“You think so too, don’t you? Mom. Dad.”
Fine.
I’ll do what you want.
I’ll keep my mouth shut.
I’ll live like I don’t exist.
You don’t even have to tell anyone I’m your son.
That’s what you want, isn’t it?
Just don’t want to deal with the hassle.
They hurriedly grabbed my hand.
“Bumgyu, wait—it’s not like that—”
I coldly pulled away.
The whole thing made me sick.
“If you were so afraid of being judged…”
“...”
“You should’ve just abandoned me outright.”
“...”
“This halfway shit hurts more.”
They were all overreacting.
All I ever did was stop a bit of rain.
And yet, tears kept rolling down my face.
I wiped them away angrily.
I grabbed my already-packed bag and walked out the door.
I wasn’t planning on coming back.
Mom and Dad had abandoned me.
I had been abandoned.
“Shit…”
The curse fell out of my mouth.
As if waiting for my mood to sink, the rain began to fall.
Of course. Figures.
But it wasn’t a storm this time.
It was slow.
Steady.
The sky was crying for me—because I couldn’t anymore.