[+990, -45] Her powers are real! REAL I TELL YOU! Tzuyu-ssi told me a new love would arrive soon, and I met my boyfriend the next day!

[+1223, -17] Because of Chou Tzuyu, I was more mentally prepared when my mother passed away. As painful as it seemed hearing it from Tzuyu at the time, I was able to cherish my mother’s last days fondly and send her off well.

[+160, -888] What a fraud! Doesn’t Chou Tzuyu come from a rich family in Taiwan? It’s GOT to be a money trick. A team of spies HAS to be looking up info and relaying it back to her live while the client is in the booth. Psychics aren’t real. And she’s preying on people’s gullibility!

“Wow! Such extreme positions on opposite ends about one of Seoul’s hottest mysteries: Fortune Teller—no—PSYCHIC Chou Tzuyu! We’re live now at the Seoul Summer Fair to investigate for ourselves! Buckle up for this new episode of YOUNG&WILD with me, Son Chaeyoung!”

Chaeyoung threw up an OK sign to complete her trademark introduction and froze in place. She needed a clean take of this for editing.

“Chaeng, can I finally put this down now? That was three takes…” Dahyun whined, arms drooping beneath the heavy camera. She was dying in the heat, surrounded by people also stuck in line waiting for their turn to enter Tzuyu’s tent. The frozen lemonade at the stand nearby was calling Dahyun. Literally. The mascot had been body rolling in her direction with the “₩100 SPECIAL” sign for the last five minutes. 

Chaeyoung knitted her brows together. The last take still felt awkward. 

It was only at the enthusiastic urging of her hip-hop dance classmate Momo that she'd had the guts to carry through with this idea. In fact, that's why they were here today.

Momo had somehow found out that Tzuyu would be giving psychic consultations as one of the main attractions of the local fair. Having the psychic in just one one spot over the next two weeks made it much easier for Chaeyoung to film a vlog series. And regardless of how this feature turned out, Chaeyoung looked forward to seeing Momo and her roommates Sana, Mina and Jihyo—all in varying states of almost-graduating, just-graduated, and partially employed—who were working the summer fair for the next two weeks.

“I know that look,” Dahyun said. “It was fine. Pinky promise! The viewers are gonna love it!”

“I still can’t people subscribe to you being a creeper,” said Jeongyeon as she ducked under the rope funneling the line forward. She bowed apologetically to people on either side of their group before handing over two cups of lemonade to her younger friends.

“Waah, thank you, unnie!” Dahyun exclaimed, eagerly taking her drink.

 “For the last time, Jeong, INVESTIGATOR!” Chaeyoung corrected before taking a long draw from her straw.  “And people LOVE this stuff!”

“People are weird then,” Jeongyeon said. They were almost at the front of the line now. “Before you do this, I just have to ask... Don’t you feel awkward? At all? The other vlogs were about places. The sunken city near the cliffs. The ghost in the classroom on campus. But Tzuyu’s a person.”

Chaeyoung had tossed and turned over that question for the past few weeks. In fact, ever since her viewers started suggesting in comments on past videos that she investigate Chou Tzuyu, she already felt uneasy. When Chaeyoung and her own roommates had arrived earlier, she was surprised to meet a few of her viewers near the fair entrance. She'd taken photos with them, and they'd gushed about Chaeyoung's fun and thrilling past explorations. They were TWICE as excited for the upcoming feature with Tzuyu. She'd laughed it off and smiled, but truth be told, the expectations made Chaeyoung nervous. Even with 300K subs on her channel, she still wasn’t satisfied with the quality of her vlogs. Sure, at this point, she could film whatever, slap it together, and upload it online. But Chaeyoung never uploaded just whatever. The impact needed to be perfect.

“It does make me feel a little bit like I’m infringing on her privacy," Chaeyoung answered. "But I also can’t just ignore my viewers. They’ve been talking about her since I started my channel.”

“Okay. I guess you’re really gonna do it," Jeongyeon said, a slight look of concern on her face, "I just wanted to remind you that you can do what you want since it’s your vlog, Chaeng. Anyway, we’re here.”

Chaeyoung spoke to the attendant sitting at the table in front of the tent, explaining that she was a vlogger filming her experience and posting it online and if the attendant could clarify whether Tzuyu was okay with that. After all, getting Tzuyu’s consent was much more important than letting her viewers down. The attendant disappeared into the tent and emerged a few moments later, gesturing widely towards the front flap of the tent entrance. Looks like they’d been given the okay.

Is it rolling? Chaeyoung mouthed. Dahyun flashed a thumbs up. Alright! Go time!

“Chou Tzuyu! I, Son Chaeyoung, am here to investigate!” she bellowed. No one emerged from the tent. There was no sign that anyone was even inside. “Uh, hello?”

“Hello,” said a voice almost haltingly. “Are you not going to come inside?”

“I would, but this is a pivotal part of the investigation! If you’re really a psychic, then you should be able to tell me something without me showing myself to you.”

“You’re filming, right?”

“Yes!”

“Okay, I’m going to use the mic then,” Tzuyu said over the speaker. “Your name is Son Chaeyoung?”

“Yes!”

“And you want me to tell you who you are?”

“If you can!”

”Okay.” Tzuyu took a breath. “You’re a newly graduated art student without stable work. In fact, you still live in your family’s basement. I’m sensing that they’re a little unorthodox—two mothers or maybe a father and a grandmother? You growl like a tiger, but you have the stature of a kitten. Meow meow!”

“MEOW FREAKING MEOW SHE SAYS!” Jeongyeon howled. Dahyun was struggling to stop shaking from suppressed laughter as she held the camera. Chaeyoung didn’t even know what face she was wearing after hearing her life detailed with such matter-of-fact delivery. Screw the original way she planned this segment. She had to see what kind of person Chou Tzuyu was.

“Listen up,” Chaeyoung said, finally stepping into the tent. “First of all, you’re—“

Chaeyoung’s brain stopped the minute her eyes landed on the psychic. Chaeyoung had done research on where Chou Tzuyu would be next accepting clients. Hours and hours of her time, cookies in her Internet history, and comments on her vlog channel had been spent compiling and analyzing past accounts of Tzuyu’s predictions to figure out how Chaeyoung would structure her investigation. 

None of that information was readily accessible at the moment. Not when Chou Tzuyu’s tall figure sat with pin-straight posture behind a table. Not when her long waves of black hair elegantly framed the psychic’s cool, undisturbed expression. Chaeyoung gulped when she connected with dark eyes roaming over her with measured curiosity.

A hint of a smile formed on Tzuyu’s lips. (Not that Chaeyoung had been staring at her face.) She raised a brow. “I’m?”

“You… You’re, uhh…” 

You’re gorgeous. .

What was Chaeyoung supposed to be doing here again? Why was it suddenly really warm in this tent? Her eyes darted to Jeongyeon and Dahyun, who weren’t even bothering to conceal their grins.

Keep it together, Chaeyoung. IMPACT!

“You, uh, you don’t know me!” She took a breath, grateful she’d decide to listen to Miss A that morning. “Some of that may have been true—“

“All of it, you mean?” Jeongyeon snickered. 

“—But I don’t live with my family.“ 

“There you are! I finally found you guys!”  someone wheezed as they stumbled into the tent. Nayeon, bent over with exertion, panted as she struggled to open her water bottle. “This fairground is so big! My joints are stiff from walking around so much. I had to rub Tiger Balm on them even though it’s so hot!”

“Here, let me have that,” Jeongyeon said. She easily twisted the cap off and handed it back to Nayeon, who began gulping water down.

“Two moms. Or a grandmother and a father,” Tzuyu repeated directly to Chaeyoung as she gestured at Nayeon and Jeongyeon. Her eyes glimmered with playful mischief. “You were saying?”

Chaeyoung's eyes widened as she stared, dumbfounded as the meaning of Tzuyu's evaluation settled in. Both her mind and vocal cords were drawing blanks as she struggled to come up with a retort. 

“Just take the L, Chaeng,” said Dahyun. “There’s still so many people in line.”

Chaeyoung's eyes were still locked on Tzuyu, who was smiling now. Dahyun was right. At this point, it was useless to prolong a losing battle and keep so many other people waiting. Ignoring the fluttering feeling in her stomach, she shook her head and smiled back at Tzuyu. “I’ll be back. Promise.”

“Looking forward to it,” Tzuyu said, tossing up an OK sign at the camera.

“300K subscribers and none of them told me she was model gorgeous? That’s top 10 anime betrayals!” Chaeyoung fumed as they walked down the row of clothing seller booths. 

“Yeah, yeah, here ya go,” said Nayeon. She shoved a small box towards Chaeyoung. “I waited a whole hour in line in this heat for this limited edition mango mousse the three of you wanted, and I don’t even get a thank you? Thank God Mina was there to keep me company on her break or I would have melted.”

“Thanks, unnie,” Chaeyoung said. “Really.”

“Thanks, grandma—OW!” Nayeon pushed Jeongyeon’s shoulder. “What the hell! I’m a fragile young maiden!”

“Fragile, my !”

“Bold of you to assume you have one!”

Driven by the energy from their bickering, Nayeon and Jeongyeon sped away from their younger roommates.

“There they go again,” said Dahyun. “Good for Jeongyeon that we replaced that lumpy couch last week.”

“Mhm…” Chaeyoung trailed off, lost in thought. 

She’d made a fool of herself earlier. It was the first time that she hadn’t found an instant answer to a question or mystery she’d been investigating. She’d gone into that tent with a half-baked plan and wound up with egg on her face. 

Strangely, instead of the feelings of crushing humiliation she’d expected when she’d anticipated her failure, she felt excited. The places she’d explored before on YOUNG&WILD had been thrilling in different ways, but this was different. Electric. Something in Tzuyu’s eyes, sparking in amusement, had Chaeyoung itching to go back and try a different approach.

“Dubu, how did she know all that? Do you think her powers are real?”

“Maybe.”

“That’s all you have to say?”

Dahyun shrugged. “You run a public vlog, Chaeng. Who’s to say that she doesn’t watch it and just picked up all those tidbits? She even threw up the OK sign!”

“Ah, that’s true! Why didn’t you point that out earlier?”

Dahyun stopped in her tracks and out her arm. Both of them narrowly avoided colliding with a swarm of four year olds each armed with a long stick of cotton candy. “‘Cause it wouldn’t have mattered. I know all the signs and symptoms of panic gay, and you were the textbook definition. Don’t deny it! You were bright red!”

“I-it won’t happen again,” Chaeyoung said firmly, refusing to acknowledge Dahyun’s skeptical look. “Meeting someone for the first time is just like a vlog. The first view is the strongest because it’s got maximum impact. Every rewatch is just a duller echo of that first impression.”

“Suuuuure.” 

“Dahyunnie!” a familiar voice called happily. Sana almost tackled Dahyun as she she ran up to hug her. 

“S-sana-unnie! What are you doing here?” Instantly, Dahyun’s face reddened. Chaeyoung smirked. Panic Gay Island officially had a population of two.

Sana stepped back, keeping her arms wrapped loosely around Dahyun’s shoulders. “Hehe, I’m working today! Papa is trying to export our family’s products from Japan. Lotions, soaps, body sprays and perfumes, essential oils, diffusers… Whatever you need for your fragrant life, The Nose Knows!”

“You do have a nice nose. And I’m sure you know, you know…” Dahyun said lamely. Chaeyoung grimaced internally in sympathy with Dahyun, who looked like she wanted the earth to swallow her whole.

“You’re so cute when you’re nervous, Dahyunnie! Oh, do you two have a minute? Come to our table!”

Sana grabbed both of their hands and immediately wove them through the dwindling afternoon crowd. The fair was slower in the afternoon hours between the lunch and dinner waves. In no time at all, they reached The Nose Knows booth.

“Dahyun-ah! Chaeyoung-ah! It’s good to see you,” Mina greeted them from behind the counter. Last week, when Chaeyoung had been over at their apartment, Mina mentioned she'd be helping Sana out at The Nose Knows for the summer to earn some pocket money (and stay sane) as she studied for her medical school entrance exams. 

“Hi, Mina-unnie!" Chaeyoung and Dahyun replied back her in unison.

“Mina-chan, can you give me that next to you?" Sana asked, pointing to two bottles near the back of the table. "Numbers 01 and 03, please.”

Mina handed over the bottle to Sana, who then turned to Dahyun and Chaeyoung. 

“Hold out your hands, please,” Sana said, flipping the caps open in either hand. She squirted a healthy amount of the contents into Dahyun’s palm. “It’s mineral sunscreen. I’m sure you must have put some on earlier, but I figured you could use a retouch in this humid weather. Here’s some for you too, Chaeyoung.”

As she smoothed on the sunscreen, Chaeyoung listened to Mina’s explanation of the various items on display. In one section of the booth, the bath bombs and soaps had been stacked in the colors of the rainbow. Next to that, sorted by scent, were baskets of lotions, creams, and moisturizers. Finally, rows and rows of small bottles of essential oils occupied the corner of the display.

“We even have different shades of tinted lip balm!” Sana said. Mischief shimmered in her eyes. “Did you want to try some, Dahyun?”

“Ah, sure, unnie, where is it?”

“Right here!” Sana leaned toward Dahyun and pointed to her puckered lips.

Instinctively, the blushing younger girl backed away, panic freezing her features. Sana laughed and gestured towards a small tin and a container full of applicators towards the front. “While you’re busy doing that, how was filming today? Both Momo and Jihyo already texted me that they saw you all. Chaeyoung, how’d it go with you and Tzuyu?”

“I’m really confused, unnie,” said Chaeyoung. 

“About what?” Sana asked, curiosity plain on her face. Even Mina had stopped organizing the inventory to listen to what Chaeyoung was saying. Odd. 

“Whether Tzuyu’s powers are real or not! I’m not sure how to edit the vlog tonight.”

“Ah, I see. I live with her, and I don’t know either.”

“Wait, you’re roommates?!”

“Yup," Mina confirmed, chuckling softly. "Sana, Momo, Jihyo, Tzuyu and I are all roommates."

“What?! There are five of you in that apartment? Why didn’t Momo mention this during dance class when I was talking to her about investigating Tzuyu? I… I must have looked like a jerk!” 

“Don’t worry about it too much, Chaengie,” Sana assured her. “All of us in the apartment are actually big fans of YOUNG&WILD, and we’ve scrolled through the comments. None of us were surprised when Momo said you were thinking of doing it. She honestly kept laughing about it whenever she’d come home from dance class with you.”

“But are you sure that Tzuyu’s okay with it?” Chaeyoung asked. She still felt uneasy when Sana and Mina gave enthusiastic nods.

“I can see you’re not convinced, but…” Mina paused to chuckle. “But think about it. Tzuyu-yah wouldn’t have said yes earlier if she wasn’t okay with it. I think she sees it as a challenge.”

“Mmm, truthfully, we wanna know too!” Sana said, tilting her head in thought. “We try not to ask Tzuyu to predict anything for us. Enough people ask her at school and places like this, so she should be able to just relax at home.” Even though she still wore a gentle smile, something about Sana’s expression made Chaeyoung feel as if she was being probed. Sana quirked her brows. “Now, is that all that’s bothering you, Chaengie?”

“Yes?” The way they were acting confused Chaeyoung. But the question of Tzuyu’s maybe-powers was already enough for her tired, heat-fried brain to ponder. “Man, if even you all don’t know, it’s going to be so hard to plan this segment.”

Sana’s expression lit up. “Are you editing and planning tonight? You’ve gotta try this!” Sana plucked a small translucent bottle from the row of oils. “It’s our FOCUS blend. Three to five drops in a diffuser for HOURS of creativity, sharp memory, and improved concentration.”

Mina nodded, moving to the front of the table to replace the bottle of oil. “It’s a best seller for a reason. I always use it when I study or game competitively.”

“Wow, thanks, unnie! How much?” 

Chaeyoung was already beginning to reach for her wallet when Sana placed the bottle in her hand. “Consider it a gift from a fan. All of us watch in the apartment, you know!”

Chaeyoung’s jaw dropped. “You do?” 

“Of course! We’re your biggest fans,” Sana said, wrapping an arm over Chaeyoung’s shoulders. “Don’t believe Jeongyeon and Nayeon when they say they are!”

“Yes, your energy is really refreshing after a long day,” said Mina. She reached over to ruffle Chaeyoung’s hair.

“And the cameraperson is super cute too!” Sana said, throwing a wink Dahyun’s way.

The four of them talked for a while at the booth until Jeongyeon texted them that she and Nayeon were about to walk to the station. Surprisingly, World War 3 wasn’t happening after all, judging from the way Nayeon cozied into Jeongyeon’s side during the short train ride home. 

Chaeyoung smiled at the rare public display of affection. Ahh, maybe they really are my parents.

The thought reminded her of what happened today with Tzuyu. Since she’d met Momo a couple months ago, Tzuyu was the only one of her roommates (oh my god, they were roommates) whom Chaeyoung hadn’t met or hung out with on an extended basis. Whenever Chaeyoung happened to be over, Tzuyu was in class or at her internship, according to what Sana and Mina had told them earlier. Ironically, Tzuyu was the one who Chaeyoung had to investigate. 

Chaeyoung was glad that the couch would remain unoccupied. She needed that space all night. For hours of fiddling with video editing software. And even more time reigning in her thoughts about chic, mysterious, playful, possibly-psychic Tzuyu.