Ch. 10 — 10
“Wow, it really is a small world.”
Yoo Min-seok shook his head in disbelief.
Go Chang-ho was staring blankly at his iced americano.
“So, exactly how smart is he that you’re this spaced out? He did seem quite mature for his age, though.”
“Trigonometric functions.”
“Huh? Advanced learning all the way to there? Did he do that in China? That’s not something you can cover with one month of tutoring.”
Go Chang-ho slowly shook his head from side to side.
“Really? Just one month of tutoring? Wow, that tutor is incredible.”
Go Chang-ho shook his head even more vigorously.
Yoo Min-seok tilted his head.
“Then what is it?”
“The kid just got there all on his own.”
“…Pardon?”
“I spoke with the tutor on the phone too. Right in front of the guardian.”
“……”
“She said he was at a 2nd-grade level at first. But in just one hour on the very first day, he finished math up to the 5th grade.”
“Ay, no way…”
“And in the remaining hour, he finished up to the 3rd year of middle school.”
Yoo Min-seok blinked blankly.
“By the first week, he finished The Art of Mathematics.”
“…Pardon?”
This senior of his might have a bit of a crazy streak, but he was absolutely not someone who would lie.
And he wasn’t the type to speak so rashly about something he wasn’t certain of, either.
“W-Who on earth is this tutor?”
Go Chang-ho let out a hollow laugh.
Because he had thought the exact same thing at first.
No matter how smart the child was, the person teaching him had to be just as special to produce such an unbelievable result.
However, upon speaking with her directly, the reality was entirely different.
“That tutor said she didn’t do anything.”
“…Pardon?”
“Look. For a tutor to achieve that kind of result, it’s normal for them to brag about it and put it on their resume. But she vehemently denied it. She said all she did was open the book, and the kid just did it all on his own. She said by the second week, she couldn’t even follow the questions the kid was asking, so she was actually terrified of going to the tutoring sessions. She even ended up going to the hospital. Because she got stress-induced alopecia areata.”
“Wow…”
Go Chang-ho sipped his iced americano, admiring Yoo Min-seok’s dumbfounded face.
His mouth was going completely dry even as he was telling the story.
Because he was just as utterly astounded right now.
“Did you test the kid to confirm it?”
“Of course I did.”
“And?”
“Hmm… I talked with him while slowly raising the level. The kid is truly special. When you throw a question mark at him, he connects several other question marks to it. But that logical structure is incredibly solid. Ultimately, he loops right back to the very first question mark and finds the answer.”
“So it’s not the usual pattern-memorization type?”
“Yeah, it’s pure inductive reasoning. And the level is completely nonsensical. He combines high school-level formulas to reach theorems at the level of a university major. Of course, the language he uses is the language of a child. There were quite a few slightly abstract expressions. But while his proofs were a bit clumsy, he ultimately found a way to reach the answer no matter what.”
Yoo Min-seok narrowed his brow.
In a modern educational environment, it’s not easy to distinguish between pure reasoning ability and mathematical intuition.
Or rather, there honestly aren’t many opportunities to use that reasoning ability.
Because the average level of the education system has risen so much, the method of arriving at an answer has become incredibly efficient.
Children who have only ever been taught how to find the answer quickly since a very young age—and because the results themselves were much better—chose to follow the advanced methods of the education system rather than use inefficient reasoning skills.
If there’s a wide-open highway leading straight to the answer, there’s no need to take a detour on a bumpy dirt road.
In fact, it was easier for teachers to teach that way as well.
Because the teachers themselves had studied that way, too.
If he’s in 5th grade, he’s 11 years old.
If he were an ordinary kid who had gone through the Korean curriculum from the start, he would have long since forgotten the concept of reasoning.
Yet, for this senior—who was incredibly strict when it came to education—to acknowledge him to this extent…
Then this kid had to be the real deal.
“Wow, is it thanks to his environment? From what I heard, he essentially studied alone outside the education system, right?”
“The kid himself being special plays the biggest part. The environment merely didn’t negatively interfere with that genius.”
“I guess that could be true. So, what are you going to do now?”
Go Chang-ho let out a deep sigh.
“That’s the dilemma. What I should do with him.”
Tapping his temple, Yoo Min-seok spoke up.
“If he’s a prodigy to the point that it surprised you, Senior, the course is pretty set in stone. First, should I look into our university’s gifted education center for him? First, until 6th grade, he can make a name for himself in the KMC (Korean Mathematical Competition) or HME (Haenbee Mathematics Exam). Then in middle school, participate in the KMO (Korean Mathematical Olympiad) middle school division a few times, and if his scores look good, aim for early admission to a science high school for the gifted…”
Go Chang-ho shook his head again.
“That’s not it.”
“Hm? The guardian doesn’t want that? Ah, Jeju international schools are super trendy among Gangnam parents right now, right? Wow, maybe they’re thinking of studying abroad? In a way, that might be smarter… Eh? It’s not that either?”
Go Chang-ho scrunched his nose.
“The guardian asked me to just watch over him for now.”
“…Pardon?”
“Said he wants him to have diverse experiences.”
“Wow, what the heck. No way. Are they a stepmother or stepfather? Their own kid is a prodigy…”
“Well, they aren’t a step-parent, but it’s not because they lack interest, either. He just said he doesn’t want the kid to get hyper-fixated on one thing too hastily. Until he finds what’s truly fun and enjoyable on his own.”
“……”
Yoo Min-seok made the most shocked face he had shown yet.
In South Korea, there was actually a guardian who purely thought like that?
Wait, didn’t he say the kid is an incredible prodigy?
There was no way his senior failed to see through the guardian’s true intentions, so he had to believe it, but it was still incredibly hard to swallow.
“W-Wow…”
To the point where he was at a loss for words.
Quietly observing Min-seok’s blank face, Chang-ho grinned.
“It’s a relief, right?”
“…Pardon? What is?”
“The modern Korean education system is designed to kill curiosity, no matter which path you take. But thankfully, the guardian gave me permission. So I’m just going to let the kid do whatever he wants and quietly watch over him.”
“Wow, but with that level of genius, he’s bound to stand out, right? Will the school just leave him alone? If they utilize him well, it’s a massive achievement for the school, too.”
“If he were in another class, maybe, but they put him in my class. They can’t touch him without my permission.”
Chang-ho shrugged, and Yoo Min-seok nodded blankly.
True, this senior was someone who could say things like that.
He held the highest credentials among all elementary school teachers in South Korea.
An academic powerhouse who, despite receiving countless complaints over two years, couldn’t be touched even by the foundation’s chairman.
When he first returned to Korea and decided to turn down professorships at prestigious universities to work at a private elementary school, word went around the educational community that the principal could be fired, but this senior would never be fired.
Go Chang-ho grinned.
“I grit my teeth and got my Ph.D. specifically so I could teach kids my own way without walking on eggshells around anyone.”
Yoo Min-seok shook his head in sheer disbelief.
The more he thought about it, the more exciting it sounded.
An encounter between an unprecedented prodigy outside the education system, and a stubborn, Harvard-educated educator with immense dissatisfaction toward that very system.
Go Chang-ho spoke up again.
“Why are all geniuses in the STEM fields?”
“Well, because that can be clearly measured?”
“That’s the problem. Any kid who’s somewhat smart all gets funneled into STEM. Because that’s the only way they can prove themselves the fastest!”
“U-Um, you’re stating the obvious…”
“Which is exactly why they can’t turn their eyes to other fields. Not when these smart kids are young and their brains are still pliable!”
“Woah, Senior. You’re starting to ramble again. Calm down a bit.”
“Hey. King Sejong the Great, who you respect so much, was he a STEM major?”
“…Well, I guess he was half STEM?”
“And the other half?”
“Uh…”
“The preface to the Hunminjeongeum Haerye is literature! He directly and systematically organized the music of his time, reformed rituals, and compiled history books! Is that STEM?”
“Well, back in those days…”
Go Chang-ho clenched his fist tightly.
“Polymath!”
“U-Um, I don’t think that’s the right word to use here.”
“Hah, isn’t there an appropriate Korean word? A multifaceted genius? You know, like Leonardo da Vinci! Anyway! Think about it. What if a genius that versatile were to emerge in our generation right here in South Korea?”
“Ay. You’ve gone too far. And besides, da Vinci was called the genius of incomplete works, remember? There are very few things he actually properly finished.”
At Yoo Min-seok’s words, Go Chang-ho chuckled and nodded.
Even he thought it was a bit of a leap.
“Yeah. I did go too far. I’ll admit that. But looking at that child, I just imagined it for a moment.”
Yoo Min-seok shook his head slowly.
“But still, just how amazing is he for you to say all this? Now I’m really curious.”
“I have to watch him more. To see just how much more incredible he becomes.”
“Hah…”
Honestly, hearing his senior talk like this made Min-seok feel full of anticipation, too.
“Wow, my mouth is completely dry.”
The two of them simultaneously sipped their iced americanos.
*
*
*
“He’s still at the age where he’s growing fast, so a slightly larger size like this would be better. Oh, how pretty. Wearing a uniform really brings out his features. You must be happy. Getting to go to such a good school.”
Cheol-jun stared intently at his reflection in the mirror.
The fact that he, too, could now go to school finally felt real.
He remembered the elementary school kids he used to see in China.
Kids wearing red triangular scarves called Honglingjin walking around in lines.
Cheol-jun smiled widely.
Compared to the uniform he was wearing now, that looked incredibly tacky.
Though he had admired those kids so much back then.
Hyung-man shoved his face into the mirror, which had only reflected Cheol-jun until now.
“Do you like it?”
“Yes!”
“Haha. Then please give us two sets in this size. And two sets of the gym uniform as well.”
“Yes, sir.”
Just then, Cheol-jun looked at Hyung-man in the mirror.
“What is it?”
“Can I wear this as we go?”
“Huh? We’re going to eat, you know?”
“Yes!”
“Haha. Well, alright. Um, please bag up the clothes he was wearing. Here’s my card.”
“Yes, sir!”
Cheol-jun quickly bowed to Hyung-man.
“Thank you, Uncle!”
Hyung-man roughly ruffled Cheol-jun’s hair.
*
*
*
The Hanyoung Private Elementary School staff room was incredibly chaotic despite it being a holiday.
Because tomorrow was the very first day of the new semester.
Class assignments had already been finalized, but due to requests from a few parents, some kids’ classes were changed, meaning new attendance sheets had to be printed.
In a public school, it would be unimaginable, but in private schools, this happened all the time.
After all, private schools operated on the parents’ money.
One of the teachers looking over the names of the children assigned to her class sneaked a glance at the teacher next to her.
“Teacher Kim. Have you checked the attendance sheet for the Special Creativity Class?”
“Oh, hold on. I set it aside separately…”
The hottest issue among the upper-grade teachers this year.
Just what kind of kids ended up in the class that received the most parent complaints last year?
Rumors had already spread in the parents’ group chats, so several of the kids originally assigned to that class had already been reassigned to other classes after their parents called the school.
Because of that, there probably wouldn’t be many kids left.
Honestly, a situation like this was hard to imagine.
If regular teachers like them had received that many complaints, they would have been fired ten times over by now.
However, the homeroom teacher of that class was an academic powerhouse.
The fellow teachers simply couldn’t understand why someone with such incredible credentials was working as a mere elementary school teacher.
Anyway, for those reasons, the most unusual class in the history of Hanyoung Private Elementary School was born.
“Let’s see… There are still quite a few left. Nine kids in total.”
“Really? Is Si-woo in there too?”
“Yeah.”
Si-woo had been famous since 2nd grade.
He had been selected as a research student at the Korea Baduk Association headquarters and was currently aiming to become a professional Go player.
He wasn’t going to attend middle school anyway, and he only came to school about three days a week.
“Who else?”
“Ji-ah…?”
Both teachers let out a simultaneous sigh of relief.
“Are you sure she’s confirmed?”
“I think so?”
The kid with the terrifyingly difficult parents who had sent her 3rd and 4th-grade homeroom teachers to psychiatric counseling consecutively.
That’s why all the 5th-grade homeroom teachers had been incredibly nervous, fearing they might get stuck with her.
But for her to be in the Special Creativity Class.
“Didn’t the parents call the school?”
“Yeah. They apparently checked the homeroom teacher’s credentials and said it was perfect without even asking anything else.”
She had heard they were ostracized from the parents’ group chats, so it seemed their information was slow.
Regardless, it was a huge relief for them.
“Min-jun is there, and A-rin too.”
Min-jun was preparing to transfer to a Jeju international school, and A-rin was a kid who had recently become an idol trainee.
Most of the other kids were similar.
Kids who, for various special reasons, didn’t obsess over advanced learning or studying.
A literal special class had been created.
“Huh? There’s a transfer student too?”
“A transfer?”
“Yeah. But, he’s an informal learner?”
“Wow, does that even happen? In a private elementary school?”
“Well, I’m sure the higher-ups have their reasons.”
The teacher fluttering the attendance sheet chuckled.
“Anyway, we don’t have to worry about ranking last in the grade average this year either.”
“But still, it’s a bit pitiful. It’s nothing but kids who are hard to handle.”
“The Vice Principal might have intentionally gathered all the headache-inducing kids in that class. One of the parents mentioned it before, apparently the Vice Principal said he just needed to make him leave on his own two feet. Teacher Go already looks somewhat exhausted; he won’t last long. Well, it’s much better for him to go to a good university and become a professor anyway.”
The other teacher tilted her head in confusion.
“But, I saw Teacher Go earlier today? He was beaming the whole time, like something incredibly good happened?”
“Really? Did he just completely lose his mind?”
The two teachers looked at the empty desk with pitying eyes.
If they had been forced to take all those kids into their own class, they would have thrown their resignation letters right then and there.
Both let out a sigh simultaneously.
Half pity, half relief.
*
*
*
“You’re going to take the shuttle, right? It takes over 20 minutes to walk. Or should I drive you?”
Cheol-jun, wearing a large backpack, smiled radiantly.
“I’ll just walk!”
Did I buy the uniform too big?
It looked a bit awkward on him.
“Haha. My goodness… Then let me walk with you just up to the front.”
Cheol-jun firmly shook his head.
All the 5th graders he saw walked by themselves.
He had already walked to the school a few times.
Aside from the crosswalk at the intersection and two narrow back roads, there were no dangerous spots.
“I’ll be going now!”
“Ah, yeah. Alright. Listen well to your teacher! Get along with your friends. If some punk acts mean to you, just smash his nose… Ah, no wait. Tell your teacher right away. Got it?”
“Yes!”
Hyung-man stroked Cheol-jun’s hair with an awkward face.
“Congratulations on your first day of school.”
“Thank you!”
Hyung-man remembered something the kid had said before.
That he was so envious of those elementary school kids walking around in groups wearing red scarves.
He had said he never once got to hang out with friends his own age in China.
He couldn’t even begin to fathom the little guy’s feelings right now.
Just how excited and thrilled must he be?
“Alright. Move out!”
“Yes!”
Cheol-jun quickly opened the front door and stepped out.
‘Hah… Is he really that happy?’
Hyung-man quickly threw on his coat.
Then, he lightly tapped his knees.
-Ding.
-The doors are closing.
‘Oh, my knees…’
Hyung-man hurriedly threw open the front door.