Chapter 78
There were now only a few months left until I officially became a professor in 2027.
Our family planned to clear away the backlog one by one-.
And the first to change was Dad.
Dad brought it up while eating dinner after getting off work.
“Dad, I quit my company. I’m only going to work until next week, then I’m done.”
“Gasp. So fast.”
I widened my eyes in surprise.
Dad had worked at that company for a full six years... no, wait.
He’d been working there before I was even born.
Didn’t he say he got a job right after graduating college? Then that makes it about eight years?
Dad had very casually quit the job he’d spent a full eight years at.
Apparently he’d also gotten a nice chunk of severance pay.
“With this, Dad is free! Hahaha!”
Dad seemed to be in high spirits as he hoisted Arin and me up with both arms.
And then.
Whoosh-whoosh-.
With us hanging on either side, he started spinning us round and round-.
The so-called giant swing.
It was a thrilling roller-coaster stunt that must’ve been at least twice the force of gravity.
“Kyaa! Hehehe!”
“Uhyahah!”
To think he could hold our bodies up with one arm and spin us around like that. Just how strong were his arms?
Though these days, with all my growing, I’m already up to 19 kg.
As expected of our dad. He’s a daughter fool and a powerhouse to boot.
✒️✒️✒️
After that day, Dad started taking homemaking lessons from Mom.
Because from next year on, Dad would be the homemaker in our house.
“Honey, fishy smells are alkaline, so neutralize them with acidic vinegar or lemon. The stink from meat comes from fatty acids or ammonia, so if you add cooking wine and boil it, it’ll evaporate away.”
Nod-nod-.
“Mm... got it.”
“Don’t just nod—this is important, so write it down!”
“Eeek!”
How to cook delicious food. How to do laundry without colors bleeding. How to fold clothes neatly with crisp edges. How to roll towels up tightly. How to store things neatly. How to clean gently so dust doesn’t fly around.
And even route-planning strategies for efficient grocery shopping.
Mom passed on every bit of homemaking know-how she’d honed over the years to Dad.
Then came time to make the household ledger.
“Seol-ae, do I really have to keep this household ledger?”
Dad pouted, looking really annoyed.
Then Mom planted both hands on her hips.
“Tsk-! Of course you have to. How can someone who majored in statistics and works in finance say that? We need to know our household spending patterns if we’re going to make a proper spending plan!”
When Mom snapped at him firmly,
“Ah, okay-.”
Dad, looking dejected, filled out the household ledger one box at a time, carefully and steadily-.
A finance-sector data analyst floundering in front of a household ledger.
It was a ridiculously rare sight.
“And honey, this is really important.”
Once the homemaking lessons were more or less over, Mom put a hand on her hip and said one last thing to Dad.
“Don’t let Arin do nothing but play games. Make her read books too, make her study, make her exercise outside often, and make sure she plays with kids her own age often. And do not use your phone all the time in front of her!”
Mom stressed it over and over.
And Dad was more serious than anyone when it came to raising us.
“Of course. Our A-yeon is putting that much effort into teaching Arin, so Dad should work hard taking care of Arin too.”
Dad thumped his chest reassuringly.
“Studying with Dad sounds good to me too!”
Whoomph-. Arin spread both arms wide and happily burrowed into Dad’s embrace.
“Hehe, our daughter.”
Ruffle-ruffle-!
Dad hugged Arin and ruffled her hair over and over.
Thanks to that, Arin’s hair ended up all tousled.
✒️✒️✒️
I decided to check the pile of interview requests and lecture request emails that had built up after such a long time.
Thanks to the email auto-sorting program Dad had whipped up for me last time.
It was super convenient, since all I had to do was click the items I wanted.
Honestly, up until now I’d been ignoring them all because interviews took too long and were such a pain.
But either way, interviews would send my recognition soaring, and then I’d feel happy.
It was something I was going to have to deal with someday anyway.
Before I officially became a Seoul National University professor, I should happily get it over with.
Okay, Yoo A-yeon interview segment, Season 2 begins!
I should brag about becoming a professor too... and about the million-dollar prize I got, and the silver medal I won at the chess tournament.
Anyway, I wanted to let people know about my latest goings-on.
What? I don’t do SNS? Then I can just spread the word through a broadcast station interview!
What a ridiculously luxurious way to do it.
Anyway.
I carefully went through the emails.
First, I passed on the close-follow coverage that would trail me around for days, since that sounded way too exhausting.
One was enough.
An interview where I went there myself and chatted lightly for an hour or two seemed the most convenient.
If possible, I should pick one from a terrestrial broadcaster that lots of people watch.
[Hello, Yoo A-yeon. This is the PD from OOO Broadcasting. We contacted you after seeing that the proof of the Riemann Hypothesis has been confirmed. … We would be grateful if you could reply if you’re interested. …]
Everyone was speaking so politely, practically begging, “Please interview us, pleeease-.”
There were so many places that wanted an interview.
It was hard just deciding which one to choose.
Since I’d always gone on these public outings with Mom until now, maybe I should go this time with Dad, who’s changing jobs to become a homemaker.
A broadcast station outing just the two of us, Dad and me.
For some reason, it made my heart flutter with excitement.
✒️✒️✒️
Next, I checked the lecture request emails too.
This side was just as varied. Middle schools, high schools, welfare centers, TV programs, and even other universities had contacted me.
[We are contacting you from OO High School. Mathematician Yoo A-yeon. It is a truly remarkable achievement that you taught yourself difficult mathematics at such a young age. Would you consider giving a lecture on study methods to our OO High School students…]
“Oh wow... me, giving a lecture to high school seniors...?”
Just imagining it makes my shoulders puff up with pride.
If I stood up at a podium and gave a lecture, I’d get applause, so it would probably feel amazing, right?
But what on earth am I supposed to say to high school seniors?
— Do you know the easiest way to become a professor? Just solve the Riemann Hypothesis. Nihi-hi!
Well, I couldn’t exactly say something like that.
That’d be way too much of a mesugaki Yoo A-yeon.
That’d be no different from saying, “This is so easy, and you seniors can’t even solve this? Pathetic~”
Well, they were students preparing for the CSAT.
Maybe I should tell them about the mindset for studying math.
“Sorry, but I can’t teach problem-solving skills either...”
CSAT math isn’t my field.
Ask a top Daechi-dong star instructor about that.
Afterward.
At the family meeting, I made it clear that I wanted to do interviews and lectures, and then
I set up the interview and lecture schedules.
✒️✒️✒️
PD Park Jung-woo of EBC Broadcasting arrived a full hour earlier than the appointment time.
A room café with good soundproofing.
He was setting up the camera, all tense.
Clack-clack-.
He fixed the tripod, checked the lighting angle, and inspected the microphone.
Even though it was work he was used to, his fingertips kept trembling.
“…Phew.”
PD Park let out a deep breath.
Thinking about it, it had been such a long journey.
Ever since last year, when Yoo A-yeon gave a lecture at Seoul National University.
PD Park had sent interview request emails countless times.
But there was never a reply.
He sent them again and again, poking at them over and over, but never heard a thing.
For eight whole months.
By then, PD Park had already given up too.
He’d long since given up, thinking, “This is hopeless-.”
Then, one day, out of nowhere.
A reply email suddenly dropped in saying she’d agree to the interview.
Maybe because he’d waited so long that he’d become resigned to it.
When he finally got the okay, he felt more dazed than thrilled.
PD Park muttered to himself while staring at the empty chair.
“How should I address her? Yoo A-yeon-nim? Yoo A-yeon-ssi…?”
He fiddled with the tripod.
“Or maybe Yoo A-yeon-yang? Or else... Yoo A-yeon the mathematician?”
The person on the other side was the genius mathematician who had solved one of the world’s seven great unsolved problems.
And at the same time, only a six-year-old girl.
What kind of attitude was he supposed to have when interviewing her?
He tried to calm his nerves with awkward self-talk.
“…I don’t know. Once we meet, I’m sure it’ll work out somehow.”
At that moment.
Creak-.
The door slowly opened, and a father-daughter pair came in.
“Hellooo, I’m Yoo A-yeon!”
“Hello, I’m her dad, Yoo Jinhu.”
Bow-.
We gave a light bow.
PD Park’s gaze naturally dropped downward.
With her hand stretched far above her own shoulder height, she was tightly holding Dad’s big hand.
Pitter-patter-.
A little girl was toddling in with tiny steps.
Snow-white skin, clear eyes, and a bright, sunny smile.
She had such a cute face that just looking at her felt like my heart was being purified.
And, as always, she was wearing a black sailor-style school uniform.
Even at last year’s Seoul National University lecture, and at the French award ceremony.
Seeing how she always wore a sailor uniform for official occasions, she must really like it.
PD Park was momentarily dazed.
The genius girl he’d only seen on screen was now alive and moving right in front of him.
“Ah, hello...! I’m Park Jung-woo, PD at EBC Broadcasting.”
He hurriedly came to his senses, shot to his feet, bowed, and handed over his business card.