Close Interview with Yoo A-yeon (2²)
Vroom-. We all piled into Mom's car and drove over to the chess club together.
Ding-a-ling-.
"Hello-!" "Oh, the superstar's here."
"A-yeon, you were all over the internet the other day, weren't you?"
"You're a total celebrity now! A-yeon, give me an autograph before you get even more famous!"
As expected, everyone had seen what I'd been up to a few days ago and started chatting with me.
"Huheheh~"
Scribble-scribble-. I wrote my makeshift signature on a piece of paper for the older girl who asked. It was the chemical symbol for Zinc, written in cursive. It felt kind of hip, so I weirdly liked it.
"A-yeon, but what exactly is the Riemann Hypothesis? What happens if you prove it?"
Most of them were middle or high school students, so they didn't really grasp how incredible proving the Riemann Hypothesis actually was.
"Explaining it would be super complicated though..."
"That's fine. I got over ninety on my last math test, you know?"
"Got it. First, you extend the zeta function from the real numbers to the complex plane, then use the functional equation to establish symmetry..."
"Never mind, I suddenly lost interest."
"Right? My head hurts. Let's just play chess!"
Ding-a-ling-.
The reporters followed us in as well. The intermediate and advanced students glanced over at the camera the man was holding.
"Ah, we're here to interview A-yeon."
"Really? A-yeon must be famous enough to be on TV..."
The reporters first asked the director for permission to film.
"We'll be on TV? We're more than happy to help! Please, go ahead! And if possible, make sure the signboard shows up clearly!"
The director agreed right away.
"Whoa! Director! Are these TV people?"
"Whoa! I want to be on TV too!"
"Me too, me too!"
Then the other students on the second floor started raising their hands and begging the reporters to put them on TV!
According to the contract, the likeness rights of everyone except Yoo A-yeon and Han Seol-ae were guaranteed. But likeness rights are just that—a right. It's also their freedom not to exercise it. Mom had no grounds to stop these older kids from appearing on the broadcast.
Lee Dong-hyun bowed politely and spoke kindly.
"If you kids want to be on TV, you'll need to call your parents and get their permission. And since this is A-yeon's interview, only parts related to her will actually air."
"Ehh-! That's so stingy!"
"Just film us anyway!"
"I can't. Your likeness rights belong to your parents. In this day and age, airing kids on TV without parental consent can cause big problems."
When the man spoke firmly, the students started making calls.
Ring ring-.
"Mom, can I be on TV?"
—What? No way!
"Aww, whyyy!"
When they asked out of the blue, about half the parents said yes and half said no. Looking glum, I turned to the students who had gotten permission.
"Big brothers and sisters, if your parents said it's okay, come play with me. A-rin can play with the other big brothers and sisters."
"Okay!"
Lee Dong-hyun interviewed the director while Michael filmed me playing chess.
Through the wall, I could faintly hear the interview.
"How long has A-yeon been coming here?"
"About two months now."
"What's her current level?"
"She's in the intermediate class, which is roughly the top twenty percent. Most of the students there are middle and high schoolers."
"That's impressive. For a five-year-old to reach that level..."
The director chuckled. "I was shocked when I tested her on her first visit. She showed skills you wouldn't believe from a five-year-old, so I moved her straight to the intermediate class. When I asked how long she'd been playing chess, she said three weeks. I still can't believe it."
The director on the other side of the wall showered me with praise.
Principal, stop it. It's too sweet! My teeth are going to rot at this rate!
Once this interview aired, it would show the world once again just how brilliant I was. One more reason for people to applaud me!
"Uheheh~"
My lips curled upward without me noticing, and drool started to drip.
Tick-tock-. "A-yeon, it's your turn."
"Heh, sorry!"
I swallowed the drool and quickly moved my piece.
...
I won. I barely pulled off a victory with only five seconds left on my clock.
"Phew... Yes! I barely won!"
"Ah, so close! I could've made A-yeon run out of time!"
I wiped the sweat from my forehead with my sleeve, completely forgetting the camera was on me.
"Ah!"
Right! The camera's watching!
I hurriedly pulled out the handkerchief from my pouch and elegantly dabbed my forehead.
"Ahem, ahem. That was a splendid match. Good game."
I extended my hand for a handshake. The older girl tilted her head in confusion.
"...? A-yeon, why are you acting so weird all of a sudden? Are you putting on airs because of the camera?"
"Ugh! If you know, just cooperate!"
"Kek, no thanks?"
I want to be the graceful young lady Yoo A-yeon in front of the camera, not the wild child Yoo A-yeon!
"Haha, already got it all on camera."
Michael chuckled.
"Hmph, no fair! You'll edit it later anyway!"
After that, it was the same old routine. Reading books, going out to play, reading books, going out to play. The reporters seemed to think they had enough footage and wrapped up filming.
"Good work."
"Thank you for your efforts."
"Thanks for everything."
The men started packing up their cameras.
"Reporter uncles! You'll edit me to look cute, right?"
"We'll show you the edited footage before it airs. If you spot anything that reveals sensitive personal information, just tell us."
"Okay-!"
A few days later, the edited version arrived. It was a documentary-style video that started with me standing on the lecture stage proving the Riemann Hypothesis, then showed what daily life was like for Yoo A-yeon.
Mom and Dad watched it several times, checking every detail.
"They really are professionals. They edited out all the moving shots and made sure the windows didn't show anything that could identify our location. A-rin and Dad only appeared from behind or below the collarbone, very naturally."
Mom and Dad seemed satisfied. But...
Puff puff~. I puffed out my cheeks in clear displeasure.
"I don't like this!"
"Why? You look adorable."
"I just don't like it, that's all!"
I pointed out the parts I hated.
Specifically: the scene where I unconsciously swung my feet while reading. The scenes where I paced around the room restlessly or hopped in place when I was deep in thought. The scenes where I suddenly walked on tiptoe or scraped the floor with the tips of my shoes. The scenes where I suddenly threw one-two punches or side kicks into the air...
"Hmph... It's so embarrassing!"
I couldn't believe I'd done all those things. So many of my unconscious, shameful habits had been caught on camera.
"A-yeon, no matter how smart you are, it's natural for a five-year-old to have trouble controlling physical habits. Your impulse control and nervous system are still developing. That won't fully mature until you're an adult, so there's nothing you can do about it."
In short, my brain was sharper than most adults, but my body was still that of an ordinary five-year-old.
"Hyperactivity in young children is a natural response. There's no need to be embarrassed. Besides, if we edited all of it out, we'd have to cut the parts that show your genius too."
"Ugh... That's not fair..."
As much as it pained me, I couldn't argue with Mom. If everything embarrassing was removed, it would ruin my "make everyone applaud Yoo A-yeon" plan. I had no choice but to show my shameful side as well.
"...Fine, I'll endorse it..."
Yoo A-yeon documentary footage. Approved.
The public had given Yoo A-yeon the sensational title of "the prodigy who received a standing ovation from mathematicians around the world." Naturally, countless people were curious about her.
A multi-day close-coverage video was exactly the kind of powerful material everyone wanted to see. The president of the media company Lee Dong-hyun worked for decided the footage was too valuable to release only on their own YouTube channel. So he struck a deal with a major terrestrial broadcaster for a hefty licensing fee.
The deal was finalized quickly. The broadcaster took the edited footage and scheduled it as a special documentary.
"Hahaha! Lee Dong-hyun! You did an excellent job! Here, I'll give you a generous bonus! Take a good rest after all that hard work, and come back whenever you feel like it!" "Th-thank you, sir!"
Reporters Lee Dong-hyun and Michael received enormous bonuses for successfully completing the close coverage of Yoo A-yeon over several days.
The moment the broadcast notice for [Yoo A-yeon Special Documentary] went out, Yoo A-yeon's name shot straight to the top of the portal's real-time search rankings. The public's interest in her was that intense.
CCN's global desk also decided to add English subtitles to Michael's footage and air it worldwide.
The title was brutally sensational even though it only stated the facts. Viewers who hadn't been able to watch the live stream on the YouTube channel that day began to take interest as well.
And then, the broadcast was released.