Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: A Snowy Day in Cambridge
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Snow had been falling since dawn.
Snowflakes carried on the sea breeze blanketed Cambridge's brick streets in white.
Seo-eun had been buzzing with excitement since morning.
Today was the day she and her brother would explore the area together.
Mi-young fussed over the muffler wrapped around Seo-eun's neck.
"Don't go too far, okay? And don't tire your brother out."
"Okay!"
Seo-eun tugged on the beaver hat she'd bought as a souvenir and dashed out the front door.
The streets of Cambridge were still quiet.
Each step on the piled-up snow along the roadside produced a satisfying crunch.
Seo-eun clung tightly to her brother's hand, hopping lightly over the snow.
"That's a cute hat!"
A passing gentleman smiled brightly at Seo-eun. Reading the context from his expression, she waved back in thanks.
"You understand English now?"
"Nope. But smiles always mean good things."
'Oh!'
Seo-ha was quietly impressed by his clever little sister's response.
Snowflakes drifted on the wind, settling lightly atop Seo-eun's hat.
She gazed up at the sky, her nose tip reddened from the cold.
A few minutes later, the Charles River came into view.
Snow from dawn blanketed the riverbanks. Despite the chill and falling snow, various winter birds were out foraging.
Ducks!
Seo-eun bolted to the river's edge and waved enthusiastically at the ducks.
"Hi, everyone!"
A few ducks flapped their wings in response to her voice. One let out a short quack.
"Oppa, did you hear? It said hi to me!"
Seo-eun waved even more vigorously at the ducks.
Seo-ha watched the scene with warm affection.
He hoped his sister would cherish this day even in the future.
"Hold still. Let's take a picture."
Seo-ha pulled out his phone from his pocket.
"Like this?"
Seo-eun spread her arms wide and beamed happily.
The snowy Charles River, Seo-eun, and the ducks.
All things Seo-ha held dear.
Click.
The shutter sound captured the moment perfectly.
A smile spread across Seo-ha's face as he checked the photo.
"It's cold. Let's get some hot chocolate."
"Yeah!"
Seo-eun hurried over and took her brother's hand.
They turned toward Kendall Square.
The city was just stirring awake, with shop clerks stepping out to sweep snow from their doorsteps.
As they approached a shop, a customer who had entered first spotted them and held the door open for a good while.
"After you."
"Thank you."
"Thank you!"
Seo-eun bowed politely at the waist, drawing a proud smile from the customer.
They took their seats, and a server approached.
"Two hot chocolates, please."
The clerk nodded and soon returned with the drinks and some snacks.
The plate held cookies they hadn't ordered.
"A gift for the young mathematician and the little beaver."
The clerk pointed at Seo-eun's hat with a grin.
Quick on the uptake, Seo-eun's eyes widened as she thanked the clerk profusely.
"Thank you!"
Seo-ha was surprised too.
He hadn't expected anyone to recognize him so quickly, even if he had been on the news.
Seo-eun blew on her steaming hot chocolate and took a sip.
"Eww... It's too sweet."
She scrunched her face at the tongue-numbing sweetness but soon picked up the cup again.
American hot chocolate, laden with floating marshmallows, had an irresistible addictiveness.
She took another sip and broke into a blissful smile.
Everything today felt perfect for Seo-eun.
She was strolling with her favorite person in the world—her brother.
The scenery was beautiful, and every passerby smiled at her.
A sudden question popped into her mind: Why is everyone so nice?
"Oppa, why is everyone here so friendly?"
Seo-ha was momentarily at a loss for words.
But not wanting to lose face as the big brother, he replied swiftly.
"Because you're so cute, Seo-eun."
His mind was elsewhere, though.
'Truly America's top academic city.'
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say Cambridge existed because of MIT and Harvard.
The residents boasted the highest education levels in the U.S., and it was an affluent area to boot.
Most people you passed on the street were likely students or researchers.
But he didn't want to explain that to Seo-eun.
Not everyone well-educated and wealthy was kind—and the reverse held true too.
Seo-ha waited until Seo-eun finished her hot chocolate, cleared the empty cup, and took her small hand.
"Time to head back."
Seo-eun nodded contentedly and stood from her seat.
The plane flew for over ten hours before reaching Incheon airspace.
Having taken off at dawn, most passengers were asleep.
Seo-ha, who woke first, turned his head.
Seo-eun was dozing with her beaver plush hugged tight. Her chubby cheeks moved slightly, as if dreaming of tasty treats.
Seo-ha gazed at her face for a while before pulling the blanket up to her neck.
Before leaving, they had received gifts from various researchers.
They all said they looked forward to meeting again, but Seo-ha wondered.
'Will that day really come?'
Flick, flick.
The cabin lights came on.
"Our flight will be landing at Incheon International Airport shortly."
Emerging from the arrival gate, a familiar scent washed over them.
As they collected their luggage and exited, someone waved from afar.
"Over here!"
It was Cheol-ho.
He had driven his old sedan all the way to the airport and looked thinner than when they left.
"Did you eat properly?"
"Honestly, ramen was my staple."
"I figured as much... But wasn't it nice having some time to yourself for once?"
"What kind of talk is that?!"
Cheol-ho straightened up sternly.
But when Mi-young shot him a glare, he whispered in her ear.
"Just the first day. After that, I missed you and the kids terribly."
"Sorry we're late."
Mi-young had worried about her husband during their unexpectedly extended stay.
Cheol-ho hugged the kids one by one and grabbed the suitcase handles.
"Let's go!"
Seeing his children after just a few days made Cheol-ho feel full without even eating.
He cheerfully pressed the accelerator.
Back home, Mi-young stared at the five business cards on the desk.
Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Caltech, and MIT.
The people who handed them over were all different, but their purpose was the same.
To take her son to their university.
Mi-young neatly aligned the edges with her fingertips.
But her mind grew even more tangled.
She wanted to discuss it with Seo-ha, but she knew her son well.
He would surely shake his head and say,
'I'm fine as I am right now.'
One persistent thought lingered in her head.
'Would my son be like this even if we were rich?'
It felt like they had forced their children to learn sacrifice first, leaving her forever apologetic.
'If only Cheol-ho were a bit less upright...'
She knew her son's kind heart well, but it was also a source of worry for the couple.
The world doesn't reward good intentions. People would try to take advantage of Seo-ha easily.
"Let's keep this from Seo-ha for now and figure it out among ourselves."
Her face was etched with concern, but her husband shared her thoughts. Mi-young decided to consult someone she trusted.
"You sure about this? Twenty cards is a lot."
Woo-hyun stood with arms crossed in front of the table, chuckling.
Seo-eun nodded solemnly, eyes fixed on the cards.
"Fifteen is too easy now."
Whenever Seo-ha returned home, he played memory challenges with his sister.
But twenty or twenty-five cards were still tough for young Seo-eun.
During Seo-ha's absence,
Woo-hyun seized the moment when Seo-eun was focused on the cards and struck up a conversation.
'So this is what they meant by matching pictures...'
Seo-eun, usually shy like a cat, had unusually allowed Woo-hyun to play with her.
He hadn't expected it to be a memory challenge, though.
"One minute—go!"
Woo-hyun flipped all the cards on the table face down.
Seo-eun pointed at each one intently, naming the pictures.
"Carrot, penguin, squirrel, rabbit, moon, kitty, number 5, apple, eggplant..."
Woo-hyun's fingers moved swiftly, flipping them as she called.
So far, everything matched what she said.
"Last one... Duck!"
Having matched all twenty perfectly, Seo-eun cheered with arms raised high.
Woo-hyun watched with his mouth agape before letting out a defeated laugh.
'She said Seo-ha taught her... What is it with this family?'
Mi-young brought out coffee sometime in between.
"Seo-eun, have you finished your vacation homework?"
Seo-eun startled and hurriedly gathered the cards, jumping up.
Thud.
Mi-young set the cups on the table.
Steam rose gently. She hesitated a moment before speaking carefully.
"Sorry to call you over so suddenly, sir."
Woo-hyun shook his head.
"No, no. I was curious after seeing the news myself."
"Since you went to college in the U.S., I figured you'd know best."
Mi-young carefully pulled a bundle of letters from her bag.
Admission offers from various schools. Woo-hyun opened the envelopes and examined the documents closely.
Only after a long while did he speak.
"These are incredible terms.
Full tuition waiver, living stipend, even family relocation support.
Prestigious schools like MIT or Harvard don't make offers like this lightly. It shows how highly they value Seo-ha."
"Yes. We're grateful for that."
"Not surprising. There's no teenager in the world more brilliant than Seo-ha."
"I used to think you were exaggerating, sir. But after going to the U.S., I realized you were right.
MIT treated him like royalty. I barely had to spend any money."
Mi-young paused briefly.
"So, studying in America is the right path for Seo-ha, isn't it?"
Woo-hyun closed the documents and took a sip of coffee. He spoke slowly.
"It depends on the family."
"Pardon?"
"Seo-ha cherishes his family deeply. He'd prioritize their happiness over his own. If it inconveniences you all, he might not go at all."
"So, studying in Korea wouldn't make much difference?"
Woo-hyun shook his head firmly.
"Environment-wise, America is overwhelmingly superior.
The university budgets alone differ by at least tenfold. Then there's the quality of students and faculty, available projects, research equipment, lab infrastructure...
I could go on forever."
"Then America it is?"
"As I said earlier, the issue isn't Seo-ha.
He's still young, so going with family is a must. That means you'd all start completely new lives.
Language barriers, cultural differences, no one you know—loneliness is inevitable. Everything you've built in Korea your whole lives would vanish."
Woo-hyun continued quietly.
"America is a harsh country.
Finding work is tough, making friends takes huge effort. Seeing his parents struggle would fill Seo-ha with guilt."
She had expected difficulties, but Woo-hyun's words were far more stark.
"That's why I'm saying staying in Korea might be better."
Wind tapped at the window. Silence stretched between them.
Then Mi-young spoke with resolve.
"No. America is the way to go."
"Did you hear what I said?"
Mi-young bit her lip hard.
"We just have to thrive there!
For the first time as parents, we have something we can do for Seo-ha.
We'll learn the language, make friends, work hard, land decent jobs. And show him we're happy."
"Exactly right."
Woo-hyun nodded with a satisfied smile.