7MoH 2.11

Gloria Mendez was the college counselor at Wincrest High School. Jeong-in had consulted with her several times as well. She had told Jeong-in that SAT was advantageous for people strong in math or computation like him. In contrast, science, analytical thinking, and fast-paced problem-solving were abilities more demanded by the ACT.

Wondering what they should do for fun in this cramped room, Jeong-in cautiously asked. His voice was mumbling from lack of confidence.

“Do you want to… do it together?”

Chase turned around so quickly it seemed like there would be a swooshing sound.

“What? Do what?”

“I have another copy of the practice test book. My teacher gave it to me.”

“Ah…”

Chase let out a hollow laugh while touching his forehead in disbelief. Then he dragged that hand down his face.

“Studying… Right, let’s do it. Study.”

Chase sat sideways on the bed with his back against the wall, and Jeong-in handed him a practice test book from the bookshelf along with a pencil.

As Jeong-in was about to go to his desk, Chase stopped him.

“Why are you going over there? Are you going to sit at the desk?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s not how this works. Come here. You said we’d do it together.”

Chase patted the spot next to him.

Jeong-in hesitated for a moment before going over to sit beside Chase. As they sat side by side, their arms and legs naturally touched. Jeong-in was conscious of the warmth of another person against his skin, but he tried to focus on the practice book to ignore it.

“Jay, how far have you gotten?”

“Number 7.”

“Wait, I haven’t even finished number 5. That’s quite a gap in progress?”

Jeong-in paused and glanced at Chase’s practice book.

“You don’t need to solve that one completely.”

“Really?”

“You just need to know the margin of error here.”

“I see.”

“But your solution process is correct. Well done.”

Chase found Jeong-in’s praise somewhat unfamiliar yet oddly pleasing.

In Jeong-in’s small room, only the sound of pencils scratching paper and pages turning could be heard. The atmosphere was peaceful and warm.

Chase watched Jeong-in turn another page and sighed.

“We’re really just studying…”

“Huh?”

“Nothing.”

He found his situation quite absurd, reluctantly studying when that wasn’t his intention. But sitting quietly with Jeong-in like this wasn’t so bad either.

Wasn’t there a saying? That who you are with is more important than where you are.

No alcohol, loud music, or parties were necessary. For the first time, Chase realized that he can be happy with a good person without doing anything special.

However, about 30 minutes later, Chase eventually slid down and sprawled on the bed.

He rolled halfway over to hug one of Jeong-in’s legs and looked up at him with pitiful eyes.

“I can’t do this anymore.”

“Already?”

“I’m bored. And hungry…”

Chase wanted to convince Jeong-in to escape through the window with him and go to that diner they had visited before. But as always, Jeong-in defied his expectations.

“Wait. I’ll bring some food.”

“Uh, what? Instead of that, let’s—”

“It’s fine. I’ll be right back.”

Before Chase could even start convincing him, Jeong-in had already left the bed and was exiting the room.

Jeong-in went straight downstairs to the kitchen. He took out a large mixing bowl and began filling it with snacks. His hands moved busily, opening and closing drawers, cabinets, and the refrigerator.

A few Choco Pies from the Korean market, shrimp crackers, potato chips, and a can of cola from the refrigerator. The pile of snacks gathered together was quite heavy.

He opened the refrigerator again to see if there was anything else to bring, and as he closed it, Suzy, who hadn’t been there before, appeared in front of him.

“What’s all this, going on a picnic?”

〈Mom!〉

Startled, Jeong-in’s whole body flinched.

“Yes, I am your mother.”

Suzy, with a face pack on, looked at Jeong-in with her usual nonchalant expression.

“Why are you gathering so many snacks?”

“I-I suddenly got hungry…”

“Well, you do need to fuel your brain.”

Suzy nodded and opened the refrigerator. She took out a soy milk pack and added it to Jeong-in’s bowl.

“Drink soy milk instead of cola.”

Suzy disappeared, tapping the face pack on her cheeks, and Jeong-in carried the bowl filled with snacks up to her room on the second floor.

Chase quickly devoured the snacks. He downed a pack of soy milk in one go and demolished three Choco Pies in an instant. Jeong-in could almost taste the sweetness himself, smacking his lips unconsciously.

Thanks to the food, his complaints about hunger disappeared, but peace didn’t last long.

This time, unable to endure even 10 minutes, Chase flopped back onto the bed again.

“I can’t do this…”

“What is it now?”

“I need to hold something in my arms to improve my concentration.”

Chase’s intention was obvious. His tone and attitude overflowed with playfulness. Jeong-in sighed lightly as if he found it ridiculous and removed his back from the wall.

In that moment, Chase felt his heart race with anticipation. Jeong-in straightened up and reached his arm toward him. Just as he was about to open his arms to embrace him, thinking he was going to hug him, a soft stuffed animal was placed in his arms instead. It was Snowball.

Chase’s face fell with disappointment. Jeong-in looked at him and pressed his lips together as if swallowing a laugh.

“There. Satisfied? Now stop whining, Prescott.”

“Chase.”

There he went again with the name thing. Chase was persistent and seemed unwilling to give up on being called “Chase.” Jeong-in corrected himself with a tired expression.

“Fine. Stop whining, Chase.”

Satisfied, Chase finally smiled. He leaned in leisurely to look at Jeong-in and said,

“About your Korean name. How did you say it’s pronounced again?”

“Jeong, in.”

“Jeong-in.”

Hearing his Korean name in his low voice, Jeong-in felt a strange emotion. Despite it being the most familiar name to him, the sound coming from Chase’s mouth seemed completely unfamiliar.

“Jeong-in.”

“…That’s right. You’re good at it.”

“Jeong-in.”

“I said it’s right, so stop calling me that.”

“Your mother calls you a bit differently, though.”

Though his mother mostly spoke English at home, when calling him, she would use the Korean “Jeong-in-ah.”

“In Korean, when calling someone’s name, we sometimes add ‘ah’ at the end. Jeong-in-ah. Like this.”

“Jeong-in-ah.”

Chase pronounced it with a soft voice.

That quiet sound touched something deep in Jeong-in’s heart. It felt like something was tickling an unreachable place deep inside his chest. Jeong-in tried to maintain a neutral expression and slightly bowed his head. But the tips of his ears turned slightly red.

Chase asked him again.

“Then how do you say ‘I love you’ in Korean?”

“…”

Jeong-in stared at Chase with an expressionless face. Chase quickly explained, as if he could hear him telling him not to mess around.

“I’m just curious about a new language. I have an abundance of intellectual curiosity, you know.”

At his shameless comment, Jeong-in sighed briefly as if giving up. Then she said.

〈Saranghae.〉

Did he feel something from those words he’d never heard before in his life? Or was it because of the strange weight they carried? The playfulness instantly disappeared from Chase’s face. He awkwardly repeated the words.

〈Saranghae… Saranghae.〉

And he repeated it a few more times, as if rolling it around in his mouth.

“This is interesting. It sounds a bit like whispering…”

While it didn’t evoke any special feeling for Jeong-in since it was her native language, it seemed different for Chase.

“It’s also sad… and cute…”

Starting with the S sound, followed by the rolling R and the throat-resonating sound, then ending with the breathy H.

Perhaps it was because of the smoothly flowing pronunciation. Chase simultaneously felt various emotions that were difficult to describe. Even after the sound disappeared into the air, its echo lingered for a long time.

Gazing quietly at Jeong-in, Chase opened his mouth as if trying to fully confirm the feeling he’d received.

〈Jeong-in-ah. Saranghae.〉

Jeong-in looked at Chase with a face as if his soul had left his body.

“Did I say it correctly?”

Chase asked, but Jeong-in didn’t answer. From his overly serious expression, Chase sensed that something was wrong.

Although he had never told anyone he loved them before, he knew it wasn’t a phrase to be uttered carelessly. He might come across as frivolous and indecisive, and the listener might feel burdened and run away.

Aware of this, Chase quickly added,

“I was just trying to apply what I learned.”

He shrugged nonchalantly as if there was no great intention behind it.

But Jeong-in still had a dazed expression.

The confession delivered in Chase’s distinctively low and soft voice, in the language that resonated most with him, was too sweet for Jeong-in. It was like getting stuck in a chocolate-filled swamp with no way out.

Unaware of Jeong-in’s inner thoughts, Chase continued,

“I want to call you by a nickname that only you and I know. Isn’t there something like ‘sweetie’ or ‘honey’ in Korean?”

“…”

Jeong-in remained silent for a moment, imagining. Imagining him calling him “jagi-ya(honey).” If Chase called him that, his heart wouldn’t survive. In the end, he deliberately gave him incorrect information.

〈Hyung-nim.〉

“Hyung…nim. Is that right?”

Chase awkwardly repeated it, and Jeong-in nodded while trying to suppress his laughter.

“…Yes.”

“Hyung-nim!”

But actually experiencing it, being called “Hyung-nim” by the large-built quarterback wasn’t as bad as he thought. He considered teaching him “Have you eaten?” to match, but decided against it, thinking it would be too complicated.

Still not in the mood to study, Chase got up and started looking at Jeong-in’s bookshelf.

The bookshelf was packed with textbooks and reference books, as well as specialized books on biology and pharmaceuticals. Just skimming the titles, one could guess what kind of person Jeong-in was.

“What are you looking at so intently?”

When Jeong-in asked, Chase turned his head slightly and smiled playfully.

“Why? Do you have some racy books you don’t want me to see?”

“…Look all you want.”

Chase chuckled at Jeong-in’s exasperated response and then turned his attention to the desk.

On the memo board in front of the desk, a postcard with a photo of Harvard’s campus was pinned with a magnetic pin. A Harvard logo mug being used as a pencil holder was also visible.

“When did you become such a hardcore Harvard fan?”

“When I first came to America.”

When he first arrived in America, Jeong-in had to endure quite a difficult time. At least in Korea, he had never been dismissed for his mere existence. But here, he was a minority. To prove his existence, to not be ignored, he had to achieve more than others.

And the ultimate achievement, the symbolic goal Jeong-in had set, was Harvard.

“What about you? What about school? What are you going to do?”

This time Jeong-in asked Chase.

“…Huh?”

“Which medical school is famous? Early admission application? Are you going to apply?”

Chase was momentarily lost for words at Jeong-in’s series of questions. He hadn’t properly decided on his future yet.

Entering Harvard to major in business and completing an MBA seemed like the only choice laid out before him like a predetermined fate. But he had always lacked certainty.

Realizing he was stuck in vague contemplation, it became clear that Jeong-in was far ahead of him.

While he was hesitating indecisively, circling around like a dog tied to a stake, Jeong-in would never stop for a moment. He would keep moving forward on his own trajectory.

At this rate, he would lose both Jeong-in and his future.

Should he live up to people’s expectations? Or should he pursue dreams with Jeong-in? The answer was obvious.

Chase returned to the bed and opened the practice book again. His expression was much more serious than before.

Only after completing the first mock test did Chase get up from his seat.

He climbed out the window as naturally as he had come in. The cool breeze and Chase’s distinctive scent rushed in through the open window, tickling Jeong-in’s nose.

“I’m going.”

Perhaps because it was late at night, Jeong-in nodded at his languidly subdued voice. Suddenly, the fact that Chase had come here and spent time with him without anyone knowing felt surreal, like a dream. There was also a slight feeling of regret.

Just as he lowered the curtain over the closed window and turned around, he heard knocking on the window again.

Did he leave something behind? Jeong-in went back to the window with a puzzled face.

As soon as he opened the window, one of Chase’s arms reached in. His large hand gently brushed Jeong-in’s cheek and held the back of his head. Then he carefully pulled him closer to the window. His face came down over his tilted face. The sound of a kiss on his cheek echoed in his ear.

“Good night.”

Chase withdrew his hand as if that was all he needed to do.

Jeong-in watched his retreating figure with a dazed expression. The sight of him stepping from the second-floor roof onto a tree and lightly jumping down to walk to his car looked like a scene from a movie.

After completing his bedtime routine and lying in bed, Jeong-in stared at the ceiling while touching his cheek where Chase’s lips had brushed.

How dare he do such a thing after saying good night.

Jeong-in felt annoyed with him. It was obvious he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep easily now.

* * *

“Mr. Prescott, what brings you here so suddenly?”

The very next day after spending time in Jeong-in’s room, Chase went to see Gloria Mendez, the school’s college counselor, as soon as he arrived at school. Of course, his family had hired a college consultant, but if he consulted with them, the content would likely reach his father’s ears.

Around this time, many junior students organize and submit their list of desired colleges and receive initial consultations. This is to identify advantageous volunteer work or extracurricular activities, and to discuss elements to strengthen their college applications.

Mendez assumed Chase had come for similar reasons. But his words completely defied her expectations.

“I want to change my career path.”

Mendez’s eyes widened. She had taken Chase Prescott’s admission to Harvard as a given.

“Are you thinking about a different school?”

“No.”

Chase’s expression was serious, without a hint of hesitation.

“I want to go to medical school. Harvard, if possible.”

Mendez couldn’t continue for a moment. While being a doctor was certainly an honorable profession, it wasn’t the kind of career the heir to Prescott Enterprises would aspire to. They employed doctors, not become them.

She was taken aback but calmly shared what she knew.

“As you know, at Harvard, you don’t apply directly to a specific major upon admission. You choose your major after sophomore year. The process of going to medical school is similar at any university. You choose a major like biology or chemistry, complete pre-med courses, and then take the MCAT exam as early as the end of junior year or after graduation.”

Chase suddenly recalled a conversation he had with Jeong-in. On the day of the beach party, Jeong-in had clearly mentioned that his dream was to study biology and biotechnology at Harvard and then work as a researcher at a pharmaceutical company.

“Biology?”

“Yes. It’s a major that leads to various fields like pharmaceuticals, medicine, ecology, and even agriculture.”

The word “pharmaceuticals” caught his attention. This meant he could share most of his college courses with Jeong-in.

“But Mr. Prescott, so suddenly… Do your parents know about this change in career path?”

Mendez expressed concern, recalling Chase’s background. She was suggesting that it might be too hasty a decision.

However, from the moment he recalled the conversations he had with Jeong-in sitting side by side on the sandy beach, Chase’s career path was already as good as decided. No one could stop him.

“Ms. Mendez. I think I’ve made my decision about my career.”

Chase’s voice was resolute, and there was no wavering in his eyes. Finally, Mendez nodded and corrected the information in Chase’s personal file.

* * *

The school was buzzing with excitement a few days before prom. But there was a group just as busy as the students preparing for prom—the members of the Mathlete Society.

The semifinals and the finals that would immediately follow were scheduled to be held at the University of California, and the competition would be lavishly set up like a TV show. Of course, as is typical with such competitions, there would be many empty seats in the audience, mostly filled by the families and relatives of the participating students.

“Let’s do this! Let’s get varsity jackets too!” 

Rajesh, the president, raised his fist high and shouted.

The varsity jacket, emblazoned with the school’s colors and initials, was a special jacket usually awarded only to student athletes.

However, with recent rule changes, it was decided that other clubs could also receive varsity jackets if they achieved results in important competitions. This was a fact directly shared by Mr. Williams, who had participated in the faculty meeting.

That news excited all the club members. A varsity jacket wasn’t just a piece of clothing. It was a token of recognition from the school and a medal signifying that you had fought somewhere representing the school’s name.

Most of the popular kids wore varsity jackets. Everyone in the Mathlete Society wanted to experience that feeling at least once.

Like the others, Justin, immersed in expectation, suddenly leaned toward Jeong-in as if something had occurred to him.

“Oh, you know what? Our friend Chase. Seems like he’s got some wrinkles in his brain after all.”

“Huh?”

“Rajesh was consulting with Ms. Mendez, and he peeked at her desk when she stepped out for a moment. He saw Chase Prescott’s scores, and his ACT score was 32 points.”

“What?”

Jeong-in’s voice echoed loudly throughout the classroom. It was loud enough to make everyone around look at him.

The ACT has a perfect score of 36, and the average score for American high school students is known to be around 20. A score above 29 makes it possible to enter prestigious universities, and a score of around 32 is relatively secure for Ivy League university admission.

So that’s why he said his scores were sufficient. Since students only need to submit their best score. His scores were more than enough. He wondered why Chase had been studying for the SAT at his house last night.

Moreover, he was the captain of the varsity football team and a member of the ultra-wealthy Prescott family. He was like a collection of elements that would drive college admissions offices crazy.

At that moment, a message arrived from that very person.

Chase Prescott: [What are you doing? Is it still nm today?]

To Chase Prescott: [Studying in the club room]

Justin glanced at Jeong-in using his phone and asked with a meaningful look.

“Who is it? Pres?”

“Pres?”

“Close friends can call each other that much.”

It was cute how Justin shrugged his shoulders even though he probably wouldn’t dare call Chase that to his face. Just then, her phone rang again.

Chase Prescott: [Thanks to you, everything has become clear.

I’m going to Harvard to become a doctor.]

Suddenly, he remembered Chase’s comment about dressing up as a doctor every Halloween. His decision about his career path was certainly something to praise and celebrate.

To Chase Prescott: [Really? That’s great.]

However, at the same time, Jeong-in began to have different thoughts.

The Prescott family had produced Harvard graduates for generations, spanning five generations. And Harvard had a legacy admission process that gave extra points during the admissions process if the applicant’s parents, grandparents, siblings, etc. had graduated from that university. Chase would naturally benefit from this advantage.

Although Wincrest was located in a wealthy neighborhood, it was still a public school, not a private one. Would Harvard accept two students from the same public school?

A subtle emotion quietly rippled through Jeong-in’s heart.

What was welling up from deep within was competitiveness.

He didn’t want to lose. Even if the opponent was Chase Prescott. No, especially because the opponent was Chase Prescott, he didn’t want to show a losing face.

He had to maximize his value to show to Harvard.

“Study. No matter what… I must win no matter what.”

Jeong-in’s eyes blazed with determination. Even from the tip of the pen in his hand, heat seemed to radiate.

Justin looked at Jeong-in with admiring eyes.

“Jay, you… You really want that varsity jacket?”

***

“If there’s a sequence problem, I think they’ll use some variation this time instead of a geometric sequence.”

Justin said, taking a bite of his dry turkey sandwich. The cafeteria menu was terrible again today.

Next to him, Jeong-in carefully tore off the edges of his bread slice and responded.

“What kind? Like a sequence transformed by logarithms?”

“Yeah. Something that looks like a geometric sequence but actually isn’t. I think they’ll use a trick to make us waste time.”

“We should directly use a composite function for the general term, right?”

Just as their discussion was heating up, a tray suddenly landed on their table in a corner of the cafeteria. On the tray was only a bottle of water and a single banana.

“Hello?”

The two froze like gazelles exposed to an agile leopard. Sitting down in front of them was Vivian Sinclair.

She was infamous in many rumors. Some said she made a cheerleading team member dislocate a joint by forcing her to do an impossible move. Others claimed she left permanent scars on the face of a senior girl who had shown interest in Chase. There were also rumors that she had made several teachers cry through verbal harassment.

Indeed, seen up close, she radiated an incredible aura. Justin’s hands trembled, causing pieces of turkey to fall from his sandwich onto his tray.

“Mind if I join you for lunch? You’re Jay, right? Jay Lim.”

She smiled brightly, looking directly at Jeong-in. Gulp, the sound of Jeong-in swallowing dryly was audible.

“Fe-feel free to talk. I’ll, I’ll go eat over th-there.”

Justin picked up his tray and fled. It was the first time he had moved so nimbly.

“Those ugly glasses are distracting. Would you mind taking them off?”

Though they were clearly speaking for the first time, Vivian showed no intention of being polite.

Something surged inside Jeong-in, but he decided to remove his glasses as requested. He thought if he couldn’t see clearly, he might not be as frightened.

“Hmm…”

Vivian slowly examined every corner of Jeong-in’s face. Her gaze was as thorough and sharp as an inspector looking for defects.

“Well, okay. You do look a bit like Anais Rosenfeldt.”

“…Who’s that?”

“A model. Don’t you know?”

Vivian raised her eyebrows dramatically as if surprised that Jeong-in didn’t know something so obvious. Anais Rosenfeldt was a high-fashion model famous for her Swedish noble heritage.

Jeong-in shook his head, and Vivian sighed as if further explanation would be pointless.

“Just continue eating.”

Jeong-in still had one more corner of bread to cut off, but unable to do so out of self-consciousness, he started eating his sandwich. He planned to finish quickly and leave.