Just Remember Oui and Non
That evening.
We held a family meeting for the first time in a long while.
The four of us sat around the dining table.
I spoke up first.
“The award ceremony is being held in Paris.”
Dad asked, “Paris? Paris, France?”
“Yup. The ceremony is in the auditorium at Sorbonne University.”
Dad tilted his head in confusion. “But why France, of all places? A-yeon is the one who proved the Riemann Hypothesis. Plus, she’s only six years old. Couldn’t they show a little consideration? Can’t they just hold it in Seoul?”
“Well, that’s just how Westerners are.”
I gave a little shrug.
Yoo A-yeon’s Secret Technique: The Shrug.
“Europe traditionally has a strong foundation in pure mathematics and basic sciences, so it’s easier for the academic community to gather there. That’s why most natural science events are held in Europe. Even though the Clay Mathematics Institute is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was founded by Harvard alumni, all their major events have historically been held in Europe.”
I took a sip of my hot cocoa and continued.
“Honestly, it was already incredibly generous of the Western mathematicians to fly all the way here for the lecture Professor Park Mu-yeol arranged in South Korea. It’s an exhausting twelve-hour flight from Europe and another twelve hours from the US.”
It was the exact same way in my past life, I recalled briefly.
Back when I studied abroad for my doctorate and later served as a professor, I attended countless international conferences. Events related to pure mathematics were almost exclusively hosted in North America or Europe. It was rare for one to take place in Asia.
That was simply the reality of the field.
Dad let out a soft sigh. “I guess there’s no helping that part. Still, traveling all the way to Paris won't be easy...”
Mom chimed in. “First, the most important question. Do all four of us really need to go to Paris?”
Nod, nod.
I nodded vigorously.
“It’s just my personal wish, but... I really want Mom, Dad, and A-rin to all go to Paris together...”
Fidget, fidget.
I tapped my index fingers together and spoke timidly. “Going on a trip together as a whole family would be super fun...”
Dad placed his hand firmly on top of my head.
Ruffle, ruffle!
He playfully messed up my silky black hair.
“Hehe!”
“Well, if A-yeon wants it that much, we have no choice. All four of us are going to Paris.”
“Really? Yay!”
“Ooh! Pawis! The Eiffel Towew! I wanna see it too!”
I threw both arms into the air in celebration.
A-rin’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she patted the table with her tiny hands. Tap, tap!
“Alright, let's break down the issues we need to solve. First, my job.” Dad held up one finger.
“Looking at the schedule, the event spans two days, right? Considering travel time to and from Paris, we need at least a full week. Since I’ll be taking several days of paid leave all at once, I’ll have to clear it with my boss.”
Judging by his tone, taking a chunk of vacation days all at once wasn't impossible. As expected of our reliable Dad.
“Second is the expense.” Mom raised her hand. “Round-trip plane tickets for four people plus accommodation... It’s going to cost a fortune. Paris isn't exactly cheap, either.”
I chimed in. “Since the Clay Institute is inviting me, they’ll probably cover our travel and lodging expenses.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Come on! Other guests aside, I’m the main star! The Clay Mathematics Institute isn't some stingy foundation that would cheap out on that. They’ll probably hook us up with business class tickets for all four of us and a five-star hotel!”
Dad chuckled. “Look at you, full of confidence.”
“Hmph! Yes, indeed! I am Yoo A-yeon, the VIP invited by the Clay Institute!”
Puffing out my chest proudly, I flashed a confident double peace sign.
“Still, we need to make sure, so I’ll contact the Clay Institute directly and ask what they’re covering.”
“Okay. Then third is the flight.” Dad looked back and forth between A-rin and me. “A direct flight to Paris takes well over twelve hours. Neither of my daughters has ever been on a plane before. Flying can be pretty scary, you know?”
A-rin raised her hand high. “I’m not scawed!”
“You won't know that until you actually get on one.”
“Muuu—” A-rin puffed out her cheeks like a little balloon.
I actually agreed with Dad’s concerns.
Generally, when a plane ascends above the clouds, atmospheric pressure changes cause your ears to pop. Normally, the Eustachian tubes connecting the ears and nose quickly equalize the pressure, making it manageable.
However, young children have much shorter Eustachian tubes than adults, and the muscles that open and close them are less developed, making pressure regulation extremely difficult. That’s why kids often experience agonizing ear pain on flights, feeling as if their eardrums might burst.
On top of that, children have sensitive auditory cells, making the loud engine noise incredibly stressful, and their sensitive vestibular systems in the inner ear make them prone to motion sickness.
For a young child, a plane is essentially a nightmare chamber delivering a triple-whammy combo of earaches, deafening noise, and motion sickness. Not that I’ve experienced it personally in this body yet—that’s just what the parenting books said.
Dad, having studied parenting extensively, was naturally worried about these exact issues.
“So Mom and I will stay right beside you two to help as much as we can. We’ll need to pack plenty of earplugs, neck pillows, and snacks.”
I raised my hand. “We’re going to be stuck on a plane for twelve hours, so we need fun stuff too.”
“Are you going to bring your academic journals, A-yeon?”
Shake, shake.
I shook my head.
“It’s already going to be hard to concentrate and give us headaches, so I don't want to bring difficult books that make my brain overheat. I just want to bring brainless, super fun stuff!”
Beside me, A-rin asked, “Sis, can I bring my puzzle book?”
“You can bring it, but your head might hurt too much on the plane to solve puzzles.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Instead, let’s bring some board games that don't require too much thinking. We have plenty of board games we bought before. Light card games should be perfect.”
“Ooh! That sounds fun!” A-rin beamed brightly.
“Then let's move past the flight issue... Fourth, safety.” Mom held up her index finger and lowered her voice.
“Paris is a major tourist destination, so there are a lot of pickpockets. Even more dangerous things could happen. Children especially need to be extra careful. When we’re walking outside, you two must never let go of Mom and Dad’s hands. Never, no matter what happens. Got it?”
Mom emphasized it repeatedly, giving us a stern warning.
“Okay, we got it...”
“Yeees...”
A-rin and I nodded obediently, taking Mom’s warning to heart.
Mom turned to Dad. “We should buy clothes with zippered pockets so our wallets and phones don't get stolen by pickpockets.”
“Yeah, good idea.” Dad jotted it down in his notes.
“So to summarize: work schedule, expenses, flight adjustment, safety... Ah, right. There’s also the prize money issue.”
“The prize money?”
“A-yeon, how much did you say the prize money was?”
“Tee-hee! One million dollaws!”
I stretched my arms out wide to emphasize just how huge of a sum it was.
“Right. One million dollars. At the current exchange rate as of May 8th, that’s roughly 1.47 billion won.”
“Whoa... That’s super mega huge...” A-rin’s jaw dropped in shock.
“It doesn't make sense for Mom or me to collect this money on your behalf. Even if we tried to gift it to you later, the gift tax would rip away nearly 400 million won. Even through inheritance, the government would take over 300 million won minimum.”
“W-W-What?! That much?!”
Even in my past life, I had never handled that kind of money, so I had no idea the government would rip away such a massive chunk in taxes.
“So from the very beginning, it’s best to receive it directly under A-yeon’s name.”
“I see... But can I even open a bank account?”
“Yep. It’s possible. Even for a six-year-old child, an account can be opened with the consent of your legal guardians—us. And since you’re receiving it in US dollars, we’ll need to open a foreign currency account.”
Mom loaded up a compliment and fired it straight at Dad. “Ooh, as expected of someone working in finance! You really know your stuff when it comes to money.”
“Hehehe.” Dad chuckled, clearly pleased.
...So it wasn't just Mom; Dad was a total sucker for praise too.
Man, the reason A-rin and I were such praise-seeking monsters was entirely genetic!
Taking advantage of the moment, I decided to shower Dad with even more praise.
Pat, pat.
I climbed onto my chair with a heavy heave-ho and placed my tiny hand on top of Dad’s head.
“Dad, I didn't even think of that! You caught something super important. Dad, you’re seriously the best. As expected of my daddy!”
“Hehe, of course! Taking care of stuff like this is a dad’s job. Let’s make sure to open your foreign currency account before we head to Paris.”
Dad jotted it down in his notebook with a goofy grin. “...Are there any other immediate issues we need to address?”
“Me!”
Raise!
I shot my hand straight up into the air.
“Yes, little Yoo A-yeon. Go ahead.”
“It’s the language barrier! I know how to speak French, but Mom, Dad, and A-rin don't know any French!”
“Ah, French.”
“I believe our family needs to learn basic French before going to Paris!”
“Very well said. Here is your praise sticker.”
“Ehehehe.”
Mom handed me a praise sticker. Only four left until my sticker chart is completely full! Heheh.
“There are only two weeks left until the ceremony. Can we really learn French in that time?”
“It’s okay, it’s okay! Paris is a tourist city, so as long as you know basic words and use enthusiastic body language, everyone will understand you.”
I held up my index finger.
Yoo A-yeon’s Secret Technique: One-Second French Lesson.
“For French, for now, you just need to remember oui and non.”
“Oui?”
“Non?”