Chapter 28
We found the official speech contest website and checked it.
The structure was to advance through city preliminaries and provincial preliminaries to the national finals.
The divisions were kindergarten, elementary school, middle and high school, and the general division.
“Ayeon will have to register in the kindergarten division.”
“Yeah.”
The kindergarten division's speaking time was 1 minute 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
Applications were submitted through the official website by turning in the application form, speech script, and speech performance video together.
“We have to submit a video too. So we need to record it beforehand and upload it.”
Mom scrolled through the topic list as she read.
“There are five topics. You have to choose one of them.”
I looked over the list.
……………………………………………
가. Our attitude toward peaceful reunification
나. Content that can widely promote the superiority of the Korean nation
다. Content that can inspire filial piety and respect for the elderly
라. Content for conserving energy and protecting the environment
마. Specific ways to love our nation and our people
……………………………………………
I read through the list carefully once from top to bottom.
“Mom.”
“Yeah?”
“The topics are all lame.”
Mom snickered.
“That's just how speech contest topics are. You're not holding a contest to talk about easy things, are you?”
“Hng... but still, but still.”
As someone science-minded to the bone, asking me to choose such a boring topic was just too much on the organizers' part.
One topic should at least have been something like, “A proof of Fermat's Last Theorem that even elementary schoolers can understand.”
Then I could have prepared hard and given a speech...
But if they handed out a topic like that, wouldn't kindergarten through middle and high school just be wiped out?
Hmph, let them all be wiped out! I'll be the only one left standing!
“Ayeon, still, you have to pick one.”
I looked back at the list.
Items 가, 나, 다, 마 were sociocultural topics, so they weren't particularly interesting.
The only vaguely science-related topic was environmental protection, I guess...
“I think 라 is probably the best option.”
“Energy conservation and environmental protection?”
“Yeah. This one can at least be tied to science and technology, so if I refer to that paper on carbon capture technology I read last time, I should be able to write the script in a more interesting way.”
Mom looked at me for a moment.
“Carbon capture technology at a kindergarten speech contest?”
“Why not?”
“...The audience might be a little flustered.”
“Let them be flustered, then. It's not like the goal is to make it to the finals anyway.”
Making it to the national finals for a contest presenting such a boring topic was something I'd rather decline.
I'd rather hop on a plane, zip over there, and give a presentation in English at an overseas academic conference.
This was only practice to get my lecture-giving sense back.
Mom thought for a bit, then snickered.
“...That does sound fun. Just imagining a kindergarten audience staring blankly because they don't understand makes me laugh.”
“Right? Right?”
We grinned mischievously.
“Then I'll start writing the script now. Mom, film me later.”
“Okay.”
“Heehee. Then tonight, when the whole family gets together, Yu Ayeon's special speech will begin!”
I stood up and stretched long.
Then I went into the study and looked through the overseas journals I had subscribed to.
Rustle-rustle.
“The paper on the carbon-capture new technology I read last year should be here somewhere... Ah, there it is!”
COF-999.
The groundbreaking carbon-capture material presented in a paper published in a top-tier overseas journal in 2024.
The author claimed that with just 200 g it could capture 20 kg of carbon per year, and it's a new material attracting attention as a game changer in current carbon-capture technology.
I would refer to this paper for my kindergarten speech.
“Hehe. They'll surely clap a lot because I'm smart, right?”
Tap-tap-tap.
I slowly wrote the script with my short fingers.
✒️✒️✒️
After finishing the script, I started the speech in front of my family in the evening.
My family decided to focus on my pronunciation, eye contact, and breathing.
“— COF is a new material called a covalent organic framework! In particular, carbon-capture COF-999 can be designed by inserting chemical structures like amines inside it so that it can selectively capture only carbon dioxide! And—”
“Ayeon, hold on.”
“Why, Dad?”
“You're talking way too fast. And you're only looking at the script.”
“Mm... really? Okay.”
Again.
“— Carbon dioxide in the air is only about 0.04 percent, but COF works even at such low concentrations! Just 1 gram can separate 100 milligrams of carbon dioxide, so—”
“Ayeon.”
“Why, Mom?”
“Your pronunciation is really muddled. During a speech, you need to speak clearly and loudly, remember?”
“Uh, okay...”
“Big sis, fighting!”
Again.
Again.
Again...
In that way, after making several speech-performance videos, I gradually regained my feel for giving lectures.
If the normal Yu Ayeon before speech practice were +0 Yu Ayeon, the current Yu Ayeon could be called +7 Yu Ayeon.
“Heheh! My confidence is overflowing!”
Confidence overflowing!
I dashed around the living room, letting my overflowing confidence burst out everywhere.
“Big sis, are you playing tag? I want to play too!”
“Eek!”
“Hehe!”
✒️✒️✒️
The day of the speech contest regional preliminaries.
The venue was the main auditorium of the city cultural center.
As soon as we arrived, I paused for a moment at the scale of it.
People from the kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school, and general divisions were all crowding together.
Including the participating students and their families, it was extremely crowded.
I gripped Mom's hand tightly.
“Ayeon, are you okay?”
“U-uh... maybe...”
We went into the waiting room.
Kids about five, six, or seven years old, my age.
Some were holding their scripts and muttering them under their breath as they memorized them.
Some were buried in their mothers' arms, sniffling and crying as they threw tantrums.
“Mom. No, I don't want to. I'm scared. I won't do it.”
“Just a little. Go and speak just a little. Only two minutes.”
“No! I said I don't want to! Waaah!”
In the end, that kid withdrew on their own.
I wonder if crying is contagious, because another child who had been memorizing their script next to them started whining and crying too.
I sat on the waiting chair and quietly watched the scene.
Arin also sat next to me and looked around the waiting room.
“Big sis. Why are they crying?”
“Because they're scared.”
“Big sis, aren't you scared?”
“...I dunno.”
I answered in a timid voice.
✒️✒️✒️
Before long, it was my turn.
The staff member called me.
“Yu Ayeon, please move backstage.”
Mom put a hand on my shoulder.
“You can do it. Our daughter, fighting.”
I nodded with a reluctant expression.
From behind the stage, I looked through the curtains into the auditorium, and the seats were packed.
Roughly 300 to 400 people.
Every one of their gazes was fixed on the podium I would be standing on.
Gulp.
I swallowed.
“Haa... haa...”
Thump-thump.
My heart was racing, and it felt like my breathing was getting short.
In my previous life, I had given lectures dozens of times.
But as if that didn't matter, Yu Ayeon's body was now treating this situation as dangerous.
'Can I... really do this?'
The moment that thought flickered through my mind.
A pair of small arms wrapped around me from behind.
Tight squeeze.
“A-Arin?”
Arin was hugging me from behind.
“Big sis. I feel safe when you hug me.”
Arin quietly said, burying her face in my back.
“I hope you feel safe too, big sis. Scary things, scary things, fly away—fly far away!”
What wrapped around me were tiny, adorable arms.
Small arms that didn't have much strength at all.
And yet, for some reason.
They steadied my heart.
'Yeah. Arin is watching me. As her big sister, I can't fall apart here.'
I slowly took deep breaths, huh-huh.
Then I turned around and looked at Arin.
“Arin, thank you.”
“Hehe. Big sis is my pride and joy! I believe in you! Go on and show them!”
The staff member called me again.
“Yu Ayeon, please enter.”
I pulled the curtain aside.
Pitter-patter.
I stepped onto the platform.
Even with more than 300 eyes on me, I was fine now.
“Hello! I'm Yu Ayeon!”
✒️✒️✒️
To cut to the chase, I was naturally eliminated from the speech contest.
I wasn't planning to make it to the finals anyway, so I wasn't especially disappointed.
Since a kindergarten child had presented the contents of a cutting-edge paper introduced in an overseas journal less than a year ago, the main reason for elimination was apparently that the content was hard to understand.
The other children were giving speeches like: Let's love our nation! Let's respect our elders! Let's cherish the Earth! and so on.
Imagine some strange kid suddenly announcing they're going to give a presentation on covalent organic frameworks.
Everyone would probably think, 'Ah, this is a bit...'
I bet 98 percent of the audience didn't understand a word.
Still, when the speech ended, the audience applauded with faces that said they didn't understand, and that alone made me happy enough.
“Hee-hee.”
As expected, there's a world of difference between imagining applause in my head and actually receiving it!
“Ayeon, you did a great job.”
“Should we have a party tonight to celebrate Ayeon's successful speech?”
That evening, Mom unleashed 120% of her hidden power and served up incredibly delicious side dishes.
“Wow!”
“Mom is the best!”
We shoveled it down in a hurry, gobble-gobble, munch-munch.
Arin and I started devouring the dishes on the table.
“Ayeon, Arin. Eat slowly. You'll get a stomachache.”
“Mmng-mmph-heh.”
“On-nyon-nyon-net.”
Mom and Dad watched the two of us with pleased smiles.
After dinner.
I went to Mom and said.
“Mom, I think I can start lecturing now.”
“Ayeon, do you think you're mentally ready now?”
“Yep! I'm completely fine! Yu Ayeon confidence, maxed out!”
I thumped my chest with my fist, showing off my confidence.
In fact, after getting applause from 300 people, my nervousness about being watched by others had dropped a lot.
My subconscious had judged that speaking in front of the public was no longer dangerous.
Experience really is important!
I sent a text to Professor Park Muyeol using Mom's phone.
Tap. Tap.
Tap.
[Hello, Professor Park Muyeol! This is Yu Ayeon! I think I can give lectures properly now! Please set a date for the lecture on the proof of the Riemann Hypothesis right away! Anytime is fine!]