Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: First Snow and Winter School
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One December Saturday at dawn, Yoo Seo-ha woke up earlier than usual.
The world outside the window was strangely bright. The light seeping through the curtains was different from normal.
“Huh?”
He opened the window, and the whole world had turned white.
It was the first snow of the season—and a hefty one at that.
The persimmon tree in the yard, the flower bed by the front gate, and even the rooftops were all blanketed in fluffy white snow, like they’d been tucked under a thick comforter.
“Wow!”
A shriek came from the next room. Soon, the patter of rushing footsteps followed.
“Oppa! It’s snow! Snow!”
Seo-eun burst into Seo-ha’s room in her pajamas. Her cheeks were flushed pink like rouge, and her sparkling eyes bubbled with endless exclamations. She was clearly thrilled.
“It barely snowed until yesterday, but it must’ve dumped all night.”
“Let’s go play outside!”
Seo-eun looked up at Seo-ha with eager anticipation.
He loved this expression on his little sister—the absolute faith that her big brother would give her everything she wanted.
“Let’s eat breakfast first, then head out!”
“Really?”
Seo-eun bounced around in delight. Mi-young approached with a warm smile, watching the siblings fondly.
“Do you like snow that much, Seo-eun?”
Mi-young had been worrying about shoveling snow since last night, but seeing her daughter so happy melted those concerns away.
“Yeah! I love it! Come play with us, Mom!”
“Mom’ll roast some sweet potatoes and wait. You two have fun.”
After breakfast, the siblings bundled up in their winter gear. Seo-eun was fully armed in her baby-pink puffer jacket, fuzzy hat, and mittens.
“Ready?”
“Yep!”
Stepping into the yard, the chilly air brushed their cheeks. But the snow-covered landscape was so beautiful that they forgot all about the cold.
“Woooow!”
Seo-eun looked around in wonder, then waddled off into a run.
“You look like a penguin.”
With layers of thick clothes puffing her out, Seo-eun flapped her arms happily. Seo-ha had only planned to play with his sister at first, but soon he was just as caught up, running around and building a snowman together.
After a while, both siblings were covered in snow.
“Achoo!”
Seo-eun’s nose was red as she sniffled.
“Let’s head inside.”
Seo-ha brushed the snow off her and scooped her up lightly. She clung to him tightly.
Inside the house, the savory aroma of roasted sweet potatoes tickled their noses.
“Had fun? Hurry and change, then come eat.”
Seo-eun changed into cozy dry clothes and chattered excitedly to her mom about playing outside with oppa. Sipping warm cocoa and savoring the sweet potatoes, she beamed with happiness.
Seo-ha took it all in, etching the joyful scene deep into his memory.
‘Will Seo-eun forget this day when she grows up?’
As he got older, Seo-ha realized he was different from ordinary people.
He had exceptional memory and hadn’t experienced infantile amnesia, which typically erases memories before age four. He could grasp even concepts that stumped adults after seeing them once.
Now, he had a sense of what people expected from him.
But right now, Seo-ha was simply happy in the moment. Even if Seo-eun forgot someday, he vowed to remind her over and over.
“Oppa! Don’t gooo!”
The new year brought January, and Seo-ha received his KMO second-round acceptance notice, along with a letter inviting him to winter school.
“Mooom! I wanna go too! I’m going with oppaaa!”
Seo-eun grabbed his clothes and wouldn’t let go, wailing as if she’d never see him again. Her parents exchanged awkward glances.
“Seo-eun, oppa will be back in two weeks. Just sleep fourteen nights, okay?”
Mi-young tried soothing her gently.
“Nooo! I wanna go with oppaaa!”
Seo-eun’s cries filled the house. Her tear- and snot-streaked face clutching Seo-ha’s shirt was heartbreaking.
“Seo-eun...”
Seo-ha’s chest tightened. They’d never been apart for long since she was born.
“Hold on a sec.”
He pulled a small box from his bag—a little duck plush he’d bought at a souvenir shop recently. Its yellow fur and orange beak looked adorable.
‘Good thing I prepared for this.’
“I bought this for you...”
Seo-ha knelt to meet her eyes and handed her the duck. Her sobs stopped. She blinked watery eyes at him.
“Duckie?”
“Yeah! Play with it, and I’ll be back before you know it. Promise.”
Seo-eun held back her tears and stuck out her tiny pinky.
The KMO winter school, like the second round, was held at KAIST. A rare gathering of the nation’s top math prodigies.
Vrooom—
A sleek German luxury sedan pulled up smoothly in front of the dorms. The area was already packed with high-end cars.
Click.
A girl in a neatly pressed uniform stepped out of the heavy door. Glossy black hair, a refined yet stubborn face.
Whoosh.
Im Soo-jung took a deep breath. The dorms buzzed with students and parents.
Most were familiar faces. These connections from elementary school are so persistent, she thought.
After dropping her bags in her dorm room, guardians began leaving one by one. Soo-jung waved goodbye to her father, then headed to the assembly hall lecture room.
Creak.
Inside was a massive blackboard setup—four huge panels joined seamlessly. Rails on top and bottom made it usable without a ladder, thankfully.
Glance.
Soo-jung scanned the room, then walked straight to one side.
“You’re here.”
Without waiting for a reply, she pulled a chair and sat next to him. The fresh scent of shampoo wafted from her recently washed hair.
“Hi.”
A pleasant voice. No sign of the tension or excitement most would feel meeting Seo-ha for the first time. He just casually looked around the lecture hall, intrigued.
Soo-jung felt a twinge of annoyance at his relaxed demeanor.
As time came, students trickled in. Soo-jung tossed out a casual remark.
“Go Chang-seok, high school senior. Top in all of Jeju.”
Seo-ha looked puzzled, so she nodded toward one side.
A short, skinny student sat quietly. Textbook neat haircut, thick horn-rimmed glasses. Notebook and pen already at the ready—total model student vibe.
“That’s Seo Ji-ye unnie, Busan’s top. Physics is her specialty, but looks like she’s gunning for IMO this year.”
Soo-jung grumbled about more competition. They were all on her secret list of the top 20 math whizzes.
While briefing Seo-ha on key players, Soo-jung spotted someone and scowled, quickly turning away. But he’d clearly seen her.
“Hey! Im Soo-jung! Long time no see.”
He strode over confidently.
Tall, pale skin, gentle eyes, solid build. Handsome guy, Seo-ha thought.
“I know, so buzz off!”
Soo-jung waved him away in disgust, but he grinned slyly and brushed it off.
“Oho! This must be the kid. Yoo Seo-ha, right?”
Seo-ha stood, bowed politely, and greeted him.
“Hello.”
“Heard about you from the guys. Said you made them eat dirt. Nice to meet ya! I’m Sung Ji-hoon.”
“I’m Yoo Seo-ha.”
The room was full of strangers. Seo-ha was grateful Soo-jung was there.
“He’s from the same gifted academy as me. Probably took first in the Gyeonggi tournament this time.”
High schoolers’ Olympiad scores had been lackluster in recent years, but Soo-jung’s generation was stacked with talent as a backlash. Ji-hoon was one of them.
“That all? He’s my rival, duh.”
Both had been famous prodigies among peers for years.
“I don’t eat with nerds who can’t even make IMO.”
Ji-hoon chuckled sheepishly at Soo-jung’s jab.
“Yeah, that was rough. Got shocked and studied for the first time without anyone telling me to. Boom, first place. See? That’s me.”
“Sure, sure. I only do nationals, so local champs don’t count.”
Despite her words, Soo-jung was wary of Ji-hoon. He tsked at her coldness and plopped down at the next desk.
The lecture hall quieted soon after. Tension filled the air as students settled in, faces set with determination to make the final six for the IMO national team.
Creak.
A middle-aged man entered. Gray hair, kind face, calm demeanor—a professor.
“Hello. I’m Park Cheol-min, professor of mathematical sciences.”
Park stood before the board, surveying the students.
“You’re all math prodigies from across the country, so no need for long intros. I’ll be with you for the next two weeks.”
He wrote the date small in the top corner of the board.
“This winter school isn’t just about solving problems. The goal is understanding math’s essence and the beauty of proofs. Your skills will improve naturally. Of course, we’ll select six of you at the end for the IMO team.”
A murmur rippled through the students.
‘National team.’
What a thrilling ring it had. An irresistible temptation.
“Alright, let’s dive in.”
Professor Park filled the first board with intricate equations.
[Number Theory - Existence of Solutions to Diophantine Equations]
Scribble scribble.
Only chalk on board and pens on paper broke the silence. Every student scribbled notes furiously, straining to follow.
Ji-hoon, unusually tense, kept pace. Then he glanced aside.
‘Huh?’
Yoo Seo-ha stared at the board blankly. His notebook lay open—blank. Empty hands.
‘Even if he’s good, he’s still elementary. Can’t keep up with advanced stuff yet, huh.’
Ji-hoon dismissed Seo-ha and refocused. The proof was too tough for distractions.
But Seo-ha was thinking differently.
‘Why’s the professor using that approach?’
A far simpler, more elegant proof was already forming in his mind. It just used logic too advanced for the students.
‘Elliptic functions would prove it so cleanly.’
Unable to resist, Seo-ha mentally verified his own proof while listening.
Professor Park finished his long explanation and turned to the class.
“That’s the classical approach. Any questions?”
Silence hung heavy. Then his gaze lingered on Seo-ha—the only one not taking notes.
“Yoo Seo-ha?”
Caught off guard, Seo-ha straightened abruptly.
“Yes?”
“Not taking notes. Is something wrong?”
Most there had only heard the name Yoo Seo-ha before today. Eyes turned to him, mixed with curiosity and more.
Seo-ha stammered, unsure what to say.
Soo-jung looked exasperated, sighing and rubbing her forehead.