Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Arrival at MIT
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“You're going to America?”
Exams were over, and winter break had begun.
Seo-ha had come home and was roasting chestnuts with his family.
He placed a peeled chestnut in his palm, and steam rose from the freshly roasted nut.
“Yeah, I got an invitation to a forum at a university in the US. It's MIT, the famous one...”
Cheol-ho would roast the soaked chestnuts in the yard, then Seo-ha and Mi-young would peel them. Seo-ha would split the well-roasted ones and pop them into Seo-eun's mouth.
Seo-eun, munching like a baby bird, blew on the hot chestnut and grinned brightly.
“Oppa, this is so good!”
Seo-ha picked another perfectly ripe one, happy to see his sister eating well.
“MIT?”
Cheol-ho, coming in from the yard with the grill, overheard and got excited. He set it down and plopped right next to Seo-ha.
“Yeah, they invited me to this forum...”
Before Seo-ha could finish, Cheol-ho declared firmly,
“Then you have to go! It's MIT!”
Mi-young looked at him in surprise.
“Honey! He can't go alone without anyone to go with him!”
Mi-young wanted to send Seo-ha too, but she couldn't go abroad herself. Between housework and little Seo-eun, it just wasn't feasible.
“Look, it says they'll cover airfare for one companion...”
Seo-ha glanced around cautiously before pulling the invitation from his bag and showing his parents.
“Alone? You can just go with him!”
“What about Seo-eun? You can't take care of her.”
Seo-eun set down her chestnut and started to whimper.
“Does that mean I'll be home alone?”
Her eyes turned red in an instant. She bit her lip to hold back tears but couldn't, and they burst out.
“Waaah!”
Seo-ha quickly hugged his sister in alarm.
“No, Seo-eun. We'd never leave you behind. Oppa won't go.”
Mi-young felt a pang of mixed emotions watching this.
“Seo-ha, we don't want to make you choose like that.”
“It's not like I have to go. It's fine.”
Seeing Seo-ha so resigned made Cheol-ho's chest tighten. As a parent, he couldn't accept his son giving up an opportunity like this.
“Then you go with Seo-eun. I have work, so I can't, but she's on break anyway... One more ticket isn't a big deal. And lodging's covered.”
Mi-young glanced at him.
“You'll be home alone, though. You okay with that?”
“It's been ages since I hung out with friends anyway. Plus, I have some year-end gatherings lined up. Perfect timing.”
Seo-eun's tears stopped, and her face lit up.
“Really? I get to go to America with Oppa?”
“Hahaha.”
The whole family laughed as Seo-eun cheered and bounced around the room.
-Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Boston Logan International Airport.
Seo-ha opened his eyes at the announcement over the plane's speakers.
After a 13-hour flight, they had finally arrived in America.
There had been quite a few hurdles getting here.
The two who needed passport photos had gone to the studio all dolled up.
“Mom, I hate this one. Can we retake it?”
“That's way better. Enough with the pink coat already. Everything from head to toe is the same color!”
The mother-daughter bickering continued through picking outfits and packing. Seo-eun wanted to bring all her favorite dolls and picture books.
“You trying to pack that gold medal too?”
Seo-eun hid it behind her back, refusing to let go.
“Yeah! It's my treasure!”
Mi-young sighed as she forced the suitcase zipper closed.
“If we go over the weight limit, we're in trouble...”
After the long flight and strict immigration, the tired family was beat.
“Let's head to the hotel and rest.”
“Yeah! Seo-eun must be exhausted too.”
Outside the airport, Ubers and taxis lined up.
Seo-ha waved with their luggage, and a black SUV Uber pulled up smoothly.
“To a hotel near Cambridge, please.”
The driver kindly loaded their bags after Seo-ha stated the destination fluently in English, then set off quietly.
Seo-eun, re-energized, pressed her face to the window.
“Mom, Oppa! This is really America! Even the signs are all in English!”
As they crossed the bridge, the driver pointed across.
“See? That's MIT.”
Beyond the river, the striking silver dome stood out amid red-brick buildings on campus.
“Our son got invited to a place like this. I must be blessed.”
Mi-young's voice choked with emotion.
Seo-ha silently squeezed her hand.
Stepping out, a biting sea wind hit them.
Inhaling sharply made their noses sting with cold.
“Eek, it's freezing!”
Seo-eun huddled up.
The temperature was like Korea's, but the coastal wind was fierce.
“Let's get inside. Don't want anyone catching a cold.”
Seo-ha paused to breathe the unfamiliar air and looked up at the sky.
It was a dazzlingly clear blue.
We've really come all this way.
He didn't know what this trip would bring, but seeing his happy family made it worth it.
Seo-ha handled all the communication.
Handing over the reservation papers, the hotel staff smiled and nodded.
“Welcome. Here is the key.”
“Thank you.”
Mi-young looked amazed as Seo-ha took the keycard.
“When did you get this good at English? Our Seo-ha's so reliable.”
Seo-eun just nodded like it was obvious.
In her world, Oppa knew everything.
The MIT-provided twin room became spacious enough for three with an extra rollaway bed.
While the family rested, Seo-ha sat quietly at the desk and opened his laptop. The calendar showed the forum schedule from MIT.
Day one: welcome and keynote. Day two: discussions with participants from various countries. Final day: campus tour and networking.
Will they ask me questions?
He didn't know much about the “Young Mathematicians' Forum,” but the schedule suggested debates with others.
They'll probably ask if they're curious.
Seo-ha took a breath, opened his email, typed a quick note to Professor Orsen saying he'd visit soon, and closed his eyes. Exhaustion hit, and sleep came swiftly. He lay down and drifted off deeply.
The Young Mathematicians' Forum was an international event co-hosted by MIT and the Clay Mathematics Institute.
Their goal: discover next-gen scholars and provide a space for exchange.
Participants were prodigies representing their countries—International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) winners, high school or undergrads with notable papers, or those personally recommended by big names in academia.
Many stars of the math world had passed through here.
Fields Medalists, Abel Prize winners, even Nobels—enough for their own conference.
Its prestige meant the researchers here were hyper-aware of each other. Amid them, Seo-ha drew the most attention.
MIT had exceptionally covered his flights and lodging because he alone met all three criteria.
The lobby buzzed with young researchers from around the world.
Some undergrads handed professors short CVs of their work while greeting them.
Others swapped business cards or pitched projects to build networks.
Then the door opened quietly, and a boy entered.
He looked much younger than the others, but no one needed his name tag to know him.
Yu Seo-ha.
At first, just glances. Then whispers spread.
“That's Korea's Yoo Seo-ha?”
“IMO first place at 12...”
“Problem 6 was brutal.”
“I read his Four Color Theorem paper. Unbelievable.”
Wherever Seo-ha walked, the area hushed oddly, then curious eyes followed.
He sat calmly, as if used to it.
“Hello.”
He greeted the students beside him quietly.
They tensed and replied hastily.
“H-Hello. I'm Yusuke from Japan. I took first at this year's IMO.”
“I'm Maria, from Poland.”
Their tones clearly said, We know who you are. After Kronen's rave reviews, Seo-ha was already a “symbol of challenge” among young mathematicians.
“The event will begin shortly. Please take your seats.”
Guided by staff, everyone settled.
Soon, the MIT Math Department chair appeared onstage.
Harold Whitman.
A Oxford alum, he'd dedicated over 40 years to research and teaching.
Pioneering work in topology and mathematical logic had earned him the Abel Prize.
His white hair belied sharp eyes like a youth's.
The hall fell silent as he approached the mic.
“Welcome, young mathematicians!”
He scanned the room, his gaze lingering a bit on Seo-ha's direction.
“As a veteran with over 40 years in math, I have one piece of advice.”
He paused for water.
“A common math mistake: don't trust your intuition too much. Math sometimes betrays it. Let me give an example.”
Hundreds of eyes fixed on him.
“Suppose aliens exist. They observe the solar system through telescopes and spot Earth. They study it—size, composition, rotation, orbit...
But when they arrive, they're shocked. Why?”
No hands went up.
Seo-ha thought he knew but didn't want the spotlight.
“So shy? Correct answer gets a voucher for a lavish dinner at the best steakhouse around.”
Huh?
That changed things. Steak was hard for even Seo-ha to resist.
Murmurs erupted. Someone giggled and poked a neighbor; others pondered seriously.
“Because humans aren't what they expected?”
“They've never seen the ocean!”
“Advanced civilization!”
Answers flew, but the professor shook his head.
Then Seo-ha raised his hand quietly.
“Yoo Seo-ha, your answer?”
All eyes turned as the famed prodigy stood.
“Because of the calendar? Ours has 365 days, but they'd see Earth rotate 366 times.”
Professor Whitman nodded slowly, smiling.
“Correct, Seo-ha. Excellent!”
Maria and Yusuke on either side looked at him enviously.
Seo-ha smiled sheepishly and sat, thinking of his mom and sister cheering. Worth speaking up.
“The aliens would calculate Earth's day by their standards. To them, it's not 24 hours.”
Oohs rippled through the students.
“23 hours 56 minutes.
While Earth rotates once, its orbit shifts the sun's position by about 1 degree.
In astronomy, it's the sidereal day. Let's not ask why such advanced aliens wouldn't know this—boring question.”
“Hahaha!”
The students laughed at the chair's quip.
“Point is, intuition can deceive. Follow it, but test rigorously with logic.”
His following words were meaty advice for any mathematician.
Some took notes; others recorded.
Anticipation built for the forums ahead.
And from day one, Seo-ha had captured everyone's attention, making his presence undeniable.