Variables Beyond Mathematics
A white Rolls-Royce pulled out of Incheon International Airport.
Sitting next to Choi Yeon-mi in the back seat, Chief Tak Hyun-woo glanced at her and raised an eyebrow.
She was staring at her phone with an exceptionally joyful expression.
Curious about what she was looking at, he sneaked a peek and saw a photo of a boy in a school uniform on the screen.
“Who is that? You look so happy.”
Yeon-mi kept her eyes glued to the screen, a soft smile playing on her lips.
“My baby.”
“...Excuse me?”
“I said, my baby.”
“Wait... what?”
Tak Hyun-woo’s eyes widened. For a director who had stubbornly insisted on staying single well into her late forties, hearing such words from her mouth was nothing short of shocking.
“Didn’t you know? That I had a hidden child?”
“...You’re joking, right?”
Yeon-mi pouted slightly and let out a soft sigh.
“Not entirely a joke. Close enough.”
“...”
“Just leave it at that.”
She turned her head to look out the window, her eyes glistening slightly.
Having worked with her for ten years, this was the first time Tak Hyun-woo had ever seen this side of her, and he tilted his head in wonder.
“Are we heading straight to Daejeon?”
“Of course. I’ve been away for so long, I should greet Mom first.”
“Understood.”
Daejeon National Cemetery.
Wearing a massive long padded coat that clashed terribly with her elegant white suit, Yeon-mi walked down the quiet path, her heels clicking rhythmically.
“You’ll freeze to death trying to look pretty, you brat!”
She had borrowed Chief Tak’s coat because she suddenly remembered that beloved, nagging voice.
After passing countless white tombstones on the vast green lawn, Yeon-mi finally stopped.
There were already two flower baskets placed before the grave.
Yeon-mi placed her own basket next to them.
Then, she grinned.
As expected, mine is the biggest.
Staring blankly at the tombstone, Yeon-mi closed her eyes.
Ah, I really miss Mom’s kimchi stew.
Then, she pouted.
You said Jaegang didn’t have any other women. You said if I waited, he’d come to me!
Wrinkling her nose, she let out a deep sigh and opened her eyes.
“But instead of coming yourself, you sent a kid?”
Yeon-mi’s eyes grew moist.
“Ah, thinking about it makes me pissed off again...”
Yeon-mi knelt on one knee and brushed her hand over the tombstone.
Black dust stained her fair, delicate hand, but she didn’t care and kept wiping the stone with her bare hands.
“My life was ruined because of you, Mom, and your precious son.”
She scrubbed vigorously, as if trying to rub off a deep-seated stain.
“He told me to grit my teeth and just stay alive, and then he goes and dies first. What a joke.”
Her cherished rings and watch scraped against the stone, getting scratched, but Yeon-mi didn’t care at all.
She scrubbed as if venting her anger.
“Still, you must be happy, Mom. You got a grandson.”
Just as her hand began to sting from rubbing against the sharp edge of the tombstone, Yeon-mi stopped.
She bit her trembling lower lip.
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
She wiped her eyes with her dusty hands, smudging her carefully applied makeup with dark soot.
Then, she smiled.
“No matter how much I think about it, I hate that he’s Jaegang’s son. But since he’s your grandson, he’s my baby.”
Yeon-mi stood up and straightened her back.
There were smudges on her white suit pants.
“Rest well. I’ll come back. Next time, I’ll bring your grandson, holding his hand.”
Yeon-mi smiled brightly like a child, waved, and walked away, her heels clicking.
"No! When did we ever say for sure that we were going to take legal action? We just said it was a possibility! That's all we said! Who do you think you are, spreading rumors and blowing this out of proportion? Huh? And did we ask for the other kid's personal info? You were the one who told us first that he was an orphan living with a guardian! What kind of teacher has so little decency? Do you know that's a violation of the Personal Information Protection Act? Anyway, if you don't want to make things harder for yourself, apologize to that kid properly. Do you have any idea who his lawyer is? Ha, seriously, of all the kids to mess with..."
Lee Hyeon-ja squeezed her eyes shut as she recalled the phone conversation with Ga-young’s parents.
She had worked as a teacher at a private elementary school in the heart of Gangnam for twenty years.
Because of that, she prided herself on being exceptionally quick-witted.
The children who came to this school were either from wealthy families, successful professionals, or kids whose parents overextended themselves just for the sake of education.
Lee Hyeon-ja was incredibly good at telling them apart.
That was why, when she first saw Chul-jun, she had been certain.
He didn't look like a child who had been raised in luxury.
Of course, he was handsome, and his fair skin gave him an air of nobility.
But there was a distinct vibe.
Looking at the state of his hair, the fit of his uniform, and the condition of his nails and skin, it didn't seem like his guardian was taking meticulous care of him.
So she did a little digging and found out he was an orphan living with a guardian.
The guardian’s job was listed as some kind of consulting, but upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a private detective agency.
Once she confirmed that, she assumed he was a kid she could treat carelessly...
Sigh...
Who would have thought she would be the one facing ruin because things escalated?
Her heart was pounding the moment she stepped into work.
*
Before the first period.
Ha-rang nudged Min-jun’s side.
“Hey! Hey! Jun! Look, your girlfriend!”
“What kind of bullshit is that?”
Min-jun turned his head. Ga-young was standing hesitantly in front of the open classroom door.
Min-jun’s face scowled.
“Ha-rang, do you wanna die?”
“Yes. No.”
“But why is she here? Round two with Chul-jun?”
“Doesn't look like it.”
“This is gonna be epic!”
“Grab the popcorn!”
The two giggled and slowly lifted their butts off their chairs.
They had a feeling something fun was about to happen.
Ga-young, hesitating at the door, closed her eyes tightly and sighed.
Just then,
“Hi, Ga-young!”
Ga-young opened her eyes in surprise.
The small kid who had teased her yesterday about being fat—well, he hadn't actually said that—was waving his hand.
Ga-young bit her lower lip, gave a tiny wave, and reluctantly dragged her heavy feet forward.
Like a cow being dragged to a slaughterhouse, she forced herself to walk up to Chul-jun, swallowing hard.
Chul-jun smiled brightly, his round eyes crinkling.
Ga-young hesitated, her lips parting.
“Um...”
“I’m sorry!”
“...Huh?”
“I was wrong to tease you yesterday about having thick arms and legs and a big face. I’m sorry. I’m formally apologizing to you.”
“...”
“And I looked it up, and legally, it’s partly my fault that your face hit my head. I’m sorry for that too. Does your nose still hurt a lot?”
“Uh... no, not really...”
“That’s a relief.”
Ga-young looked at Chul-jun with a bewildered expression.
His face was completely innocent and bright.
These days, even among the younger kids, no one made expressions like that.
Looking at him up close, he was actually really cute.
She almost wanted him as a younger brother.
Ah, wait.
Her mom and dad had repeatedly warned her.
They told her she had to beg for forgiveness no matter what.
“U-Um, I’m sorry for trying to push you too. And, and... for hitting your head with my face...”
Honestly, she didn't understand this part at all, but her parents had insisted she apologize for it.
“I-I’m really sorry for that too.”
Chul-jun grinned.
“It’s okay! My head is really hard.”
“...”
“Oh, but.”
Chul-jun turned his head to look behind him.
The other kids, who had been watching with wide, curious eyes, tilted their heads.
Arin was among them.
“I’d like it if you apologized for what you said to Arin yesterday too.”
“...Huh?”
“I don’t really know what it was, but it seemed like you said something that made Arin feel bad.”
“Ah...”
Ga-young was flustered.
She had said more than one or two nasty things to Arin over time.
First, she slowly walked over to Arin.
“Um... I’m sorry for everything, Arin.”
“...Huh?”
“It’s just, Ha-eun was being such a bitch... Anyway, I’m sorry. For being mean to you.”
“Ah, uh...”
Watching them, Chul-jun smiled widely.
“Let’s get along from now on! Don't bully Arin anymore!”
Arin blinked her round eyes, and Ga-young stared at Chul-jun blankly.
How could he be so bright about everything?
But looking at him, his face had a refreshing quality that made her want to keep looking.
Ga-young’s lips parted.
“A-Arin?”
“Yeah?”
“Your boyfriend... is awesome.”
“H-He’s not my boyfriend!”
Just then, Min-jun rushed over.
“No way! She apologized for headbutting him!”
Ha-rang followed right behind him.
“Yeah. Son Ga-young’s face is basically a lethal weapon!”
Ga-young flared up.
“Hey!”
Min-jun and Ha-rang teased her even more with ridiculous gestures.
“Aww, look at you, completely helpless!”
“Got totally wrecked by Chul-jun, didn't you?”
“Guess your mommy and daddy got wrecked too?”
“This is so satisfying!”
“Look whose face is turning red!”
“Triggered?”
“L-M-A-O!”
In the end, Ga-young couldn't hold back her anger and burst into tears.
“No Min-jun! Kim Ha-rang! Get out!”
The two pests were dragged out by the teacher.
*
“So, um, because I didn't look into it properly and spoke carelessly...”
Chul-jun stared intently at Ms. Lee Hyeon-ja with a bright, innocent face.
His gaze was so transparent that Lee Hyeon-ja shrank back even more.
In fact, working at a private elementary school, she had experienced situations like this a few times.
She had plenty of experience dealing with parents who threw fits based solely on their child’s words.
But this child’s expression was different from those kids.
Children who put teachers in a tight spot using the pressure of their parents or guardians usually had much more spiteful, devilish expressions as they enjoyed the spectacle, rather than such a pure, bright face...
“I’m really sorry, Chul-jun. I was wrong.”
Chul-jun smiled.
“It’s okay.”
“...”
“Teacher.”
“Yes?”
“When we do something really wrong, we write a reflection paper, right?”
“...Huh?”
“Don't adults write them too?”
“W-Well...”
Chul-jun blinked his round eyes.
Ms. Lee Hyeon-ja swallowed hard.
How could he pressure her so intensely with such an innocent face?
“S-Should I write one?”
“Yes!”
Ms. Lee Hyeon-ja quickly grabbed a pen.
If this matter escalated, she could get fired from the school.
Moreover, she must never underestimate the innocent child sitting in front of her.
His background was one thing, but the kid himself was on a completely different level compared to his peers.
She had experienced it yesterday, and she was experiencing it again today.
Sigh... How long has it been since I last wrote a reflection paper...
She never knew a sheet of A4 paper could look so vast.
“Um, please also include the part where you promise not to discriminate against students in the future.”
“...Uh, right.”
Lee Hyeon-ja’s pen began to move with a tremble.
“I guess being a teacher doesn't mean you have perfect handwriting...” Chul-jun muttered, loud enough for her to hear.
*
Chul-jun watched Ms. Lee Hyeon-ja’s trembling pen and organized the recent events in his mind.
Knowing that this couldn't be solved with mathematics or science, he erased the numbers from his head.
First.
Chul-jun vividly remembered the two years he spent alone in Yanbian before meeting his father, Jaegang.
Back in Yanbian, whenever he faced a difficult or dangerous situation, the answer was always one of two things: run away, or hide.
But this time was different.
He couldn't run, and he couldn't hide.
It was either solve it, or bow down.
Since he hated bowing down, he had to solve it.
At first, the injustice and frustration had felt suffocating, but thinking about it more, he actually felt happy.
Because it was proof that he now had things to lose.
Back then, the only thing he had to protect was his own life.
But now, he had infinitely more things to protect.
So he couldn't just run away or hide.
Chul-jun loved that.
It made him truly feel like a member of South Korean society.
Second.
He thought he could solve everything on his own.
But in the end, even before he could make a formal request, he received help from Uncle Seok-hyun.
He was grateful.
But at the same time, he realized clearly that this wasn't his own power.
Chul-jun knew he couldn't rely on his father’s connections forever.
He needed to build his own connections.
He needed to grow his own power.
Only then would he be able to properly protect those on his side.
Third.
He understood Ga-young’s parents.
Their child had been hurt.
He also understood Ms. Lee Hyeon-ja.
She was just trying to solve the problem the way she always had.
Adults don't always know the right answers.
And the right answer each person believes in can be different.
Adults make mistakes, adults fail, and adults are just living life in their own ways.
Come to think of it, his father, Jaegang, had been quite illogical at times too.
He realized once again that humans are imperfect.
He, too, might make a mistake one day.
So, he resolved to think even more deeply.
Fourth.
The goal was to clear the injustice and get an apology.
But once it was over, he realized that wasn't all.
He saw Ga-young apologize to him and Arin.
He saw Ms. Lee Hyeon-ja’s attitude change.
It was a forced apology.
Chul-jun hadn't expected things to change instantly.
And yet, something had subtly shifted.
He realized that for an apology to become sincere, the receiving side also had to accept it gracefully.
Rather than just receiving an apology, the relationship that changed afterward seemed more important.
Fifth.
None of this could be explained by math or science.
Even when he tried to set up formulas, there were too many variables, and there wasn't just one correct answer.
That was how people were, and that was how relationships were.
Si-woo’s Baduk was like that, and this incident was like that.
The world was full of things that couldn't be proven by mathematics.
The goal was to clear the injustice and get an apology.
But once it was over, he realized that wasn't all.
He saw Ga-young apologize to Arin and their relationship shift.
He felt the change in Ms. Lee Hyeon-ja’s gaze.
None of this was calculated by Chul-jun.
To be honest, he had been a little anxious.
Even yesterday, he couldn't predict how things would turn out.
But strangely, that made it even more exciting.
He was thrilled by the fact that there would be so much more of this in the future.
There were too many interesting things in this world.
“Well, I’ve finished writing it.”
Ms. Lee Hyeon-ja handed over the reflection paper.
Chul-jun took it and read it word by word, meticulously.
“Thank you, Teacher.”
Chul-jun folded the paper, put it in his pocket, and smiled brightly.
“I look forward to working with you!”
Chul-jun stood up and bowed politely.
Ms. Lee Hyeon-ja was a bit flustered.
Looking back at what had happened, she was so embarrassed she could barely lift her head.
And this child knew all of it.
He had every right to be angry with her, yet there was no sign of it.
Children his age usually showed their feelings on their faces.
But she couldn't read any negativity from him.
He was just pure.
It was incredibly fascinating.
She had never met a child like him.
Lee Hyeon-ja stared blankly at her hand, which had just written the reflection paper.
Her face flushed red.
She felt deeply ashamed of herself for still feeling uncomfortable because her pride was wounded.
How can a child be so mature?
“I-I look forward to working with you too.”
“Yes!”
The twenty-six-year-old Lee Hyeon-ja from twenty years ago—full of passion, but worn down to almost nothing after years of dealing with monstrous children and parents—gently raised her head.
Looking into the child’s clear, bright eyes, something deep inside Lee Hyeon-ja’s heart began to change.
“I’m your mom.”
Chul-jun blinked his round eyes.
“...Excuse me?”
The beautiful woman sitting in front of him grinned.
“Just think of it that way.”
Hyeong-man, watching the two of them with amusement, shook his head.