7MoH 3.4

17. Love Equation

Wouldn’t it be okay to sneak into my room and pretend to wake up? With this futile hope, Jeong-in opened the front door as quietly as possible. But as soon as he stepped into the living room, he encountered Suzy, who was standing in the kitchen preparing for work. Saturday was a workday for her, her only day off was Sunday.

Upon seeing Jeong-in, she put on a deliberately cold expression.

“Oh my? Who might this be? The party animal?”

“I’m sorry…”

“I said a little deviation was okay, but I didn’t expect you to be this bold. Do you know how surprised I was when I saw you weren’t in your room this morning?”

Jeong-in had nothing to say and hung his head.

“Your mom doesn’t want the neighbors saying she’s raising her child’s child instead of her own.”

That was an episode from a reality show Jeong-in and Suzy had watched together recently. It was the very program that Jeong-in had used as a basis for his decision to protect Chase.

“Nothing like what you’re worried about happened, Mom. We were looking at the night view and fell asleep…”

Suzy touched her forehead as if she had a headache. But soon she sighed with relief that Jeong-in had returned safely.

“You’re grounded for a week.”

Being grounded was the punishment most feared by foreign children. However, there was no particular disturbance in Jeong-in’s expression as he stared blankly at Suzy. In truth, being grounded couldn’t really impact Jeong-in. There was little point in grounding a nerd who always stayed home studying.

Seeming to realize this, Suzy thought for a moment before promptly adding another punishment.

“Plus, no Netflix for a week.”

“Ah… Mom, that’s a bit…”

Jeong-in’s few pleasures included watching Korean programs on Netflix.

Watching dramas or reality shows on Netflix while eating homemade Korean-style chicken once every week or two had become something of a tradition for Suzy and Jeong-in. Occasionally the batter would become too hard, or they’d accidentally burn the sauce a little, but it still tasted fairly similar when eaten.

Making half fried and half seasoned chicken with pickled radish on the side was standard. Everyone ends up doing this much when living in America.

“Whose clothes are these this time?”

At Suzy’s casually thrown question, Jeong-in unconsciously looked down at himself.

“Huh? Ah…”

Only then did he realize he was still wearing Chase’s suit jacket, having forgotten to take it off. The gray jacket with creases here and there covered Jeong-in down to his thighs.

“It’s Chase’s clothes again.”

“So after all that deliberation, you decided to be friends again?”

Instead of answering, Jeong-in gave an ambiguous smile. Suzy calmly spoke as she took fruit and yogurt from the refrigerator.

“That’s good. Making diverse friends is a good thing.”

“…”

He could no longer call Chase a ‘friend.’ No, he didn’t think he had ever considered him just a friend to begin with.

Jeong-in turned his head slightly, avoiding Suzy’s gaze. For the first time, he had a secret too big to share even with his mother.

Perhaps because of the subtle guilt of deceiving Suzy, Jeong-in found himself following her around. He handed her a spoon before she even looked for one and cleaned up after she ate.

Suzy stared at Jeong-in for a moment before letting out a small laugh.

“Do you think that will make me lift the Netflix ban?”

“That’s not why I’m doing it.”

Jeong-in saw Suzy off to work, walking her all the way to the front door.

“Have a good day.”

Suzy, who was about to leave, paused slightly and turned back to say,

“Congratulations on winning the math competition, Mr. Party Animal.”

Though her words were teasing, her expression was infused with warmth.

Suzy casually gave Jeong-in a side-eye before approaching him and naturally giving him a hug. Only then did Jeong-in relax, dropping his shoulders with relief.

After waving at the receding red car, Jeong-in returned home and went upstairs. As soon as he came out of the shower, his phone, which he had placed on the bed, rang.

Chase Prescott: [Did you get in a lot of trouble?]

He seemed worried that Jeong-in might have been scolded. Thinking about it, Jeong-in realized he hadn’t properly thanked Chase in his haste and anxiety, neither for coming to the competition to cheer him on, nor for the private after-party.

To Chase Prescott: [I’m fine, thank you so much for yesterday]

That’s what a boyfriend does

Did I really get a boyfriend? At this sudden thought, a smile spread across Jeong-in’s face. His grinning reflection showed on the gradually darkening screen. However, that smile gradually subsided as he thought about the reality he would face going forward.

Jeong-in touched the screen again to wake it up and sent a message.

To Chase Prescott: [I’d like to keep our relationship a secret from people]

There was no reply from Chase for a while.

Chase was always someone who expressed his emotions honestly. He never showed the slightest hesitation or reluctance in expressing his affection for Jeong-in.

It made sense. He had probably never experienced prejudiced looks in his life.

White, male, part of the American power elite.

Chase Prescott was truly a major among majors, never discriminated against for his race, gender, or wealth.

But Jeong-in was already sufficiently in the minority position without doing anything. Adding same-sex romance to that would make him a minority among minorities. It was obvious that all discriminatory and prejudiced gazes would be directed at him.

Instead of a text reply, Chase called.

― What are you doing?

“I just got out of the shower and was planning to sleep more. I even found grass pieces behind my ears and in my armpits while washing.”

― Oh my. How can you suddenly read me such an erotic story without mental preparation?

“…I’m hanging up.”

― Sorry. I’ll stop joking.

After a brief laugh, Chase spoke in a low voice.

― Let’s just clarify one thing first. We are dating now, right? We don’t need to make an official relationship declaration?

After a moment of silent contemplation, Jeong-in carefully opened his mouth.

“Here’s a problem. There are two constants, C and J. Despite J acting like a jerk, C came to cheer for J at his math competition. They confessed to each other and kissed. Given these premises, what is the relationship between C and J?”

― Wincrest! Constants C and J are in a romantic relationship.

Chase shouted, imitating exactly what Jeong-in had done at yesterday’s competition. Jeong-in let out a small laugh and replied.

“…That is correct.”

Their hearts had been in agreement for some time, but this was the first time they had reached the same conclusion about being together.

― To be honest… I want to make it public. This feeling is a first for me. Wanting to introduce someone as mine to the whole world.

As Jeong-in had expected. Chase Prescott was a quarterback. A position that always led the game, looking forward and making decisions. A person who moves forward without looking back or hesitating. And this tendency applied to his relationships as well.

― Actually, my friends already know that I like you.

“Really? How?”

― Because I told them. And they say you can’t hide love and sneezes.

Lying on the bed, Jeong-in hugged Snowball and played with its fur. The sound of Chase’s affectionate voice flowing through the speaker gave him a ticklish feeling around his solar plexus.

― I want to do so many things with you. I want to go to prom with you, I wish you would come cheer at all my games. I want to put your picture in my locker, and I want to sit you on my lap on the bench in front of school where people pass by and feed you chocolate vanilla pudding.

“…That last one is quite specific.”

― I saw Brian doing that with Ava Winslow.

“That all sounds good, but why am I playing Ava Winslow’s role?”

Jeong-in’s voice took on a sharp edge.

― Okay. Then you be Brian. I’ll sit on your lap.”

“…”

Whenever he talked to Chase, he always felt that way. Chase always seemed to be tolerant and willing to accept anything, but he was the only one who was narrow-minded, calculating, and wary. Could this be what it meant to be romantically inept? Jeong-in suddenly felt uneasy.

“I’m… not ready yet, Chase.”

Was softly calling his name some kind of magic spell? Chase maintained silence for a moment before answering with a sigh.

― Okay, I understand. We’ll just be unusually close friends. Is that alright?

“…Thank you.”

Chase let out another concerned sigh.

― This is a problem. When you talk in that voice, I feel like I could accept a murder contract.

Jeong-in burst into laughter and immediately retorted.

“I’d do that myself. Knowing you, you’d panic and carelessly leave some evidence at the scene.”

― Ah, that’s right. You’re more meticulous. Then I’ll just help with the physical labor. Like digging the grave or moving the body.

After the somewhat creepy joke and ensuing laughter passed, Chase spoke in a serious voice.

― Since we’re dating now, I should tell you. I’m meeting Vivian this afternoon.

“…Why?”

― I think we need closure.

“…”

Naturally, it wasn’t a pleasant feeling. Even if there was nothing between them anymore, it couldn’t be enjoyable to hear that he was going to meet someone publicly known as his ex-girlfriend.

― If you don’t like it, I’ll cancel.

But it was an issue they would have to address sooner or later. Otherwise, the same thing as before might happen again. After a moment’s deliberation, Jeong-in answered.

“No, it’s fine. Have a good meeting.”

― Sleep well, Jeong-in. Message me when you wake up.

“Yeah. Hang up.”

― You hang up first.

“No, you hang up first.”

― I don’t want to. You hang up first.

Jeong-in couldn’t help but laugh.

“If I saw a scene like this on TV, I’d curse and change the channel.”

― Hang up for me, Jeong-in. I’m hopeless.

“Alright. I’ll hang up first today.”

Chase left his final words in a low, affectionate voice.

“Sleep well, darling.”

Even after ending the call, his heart was pounding like crazy.

Her heart was beating so fast that she couldn’t possibly fall asleep. Jeong-in rolled halfway over onto her stomach. Then she went to Chase’s social media account that she used to secretly check.

[@chase.a.prescott]

There was a photo that had been uploaded just a few minutes ago. A photo of the night view of Bellacove, along with the words he had written, caught his eye.

[The best night of my life]

Jeong-in stared at the moon, star, and heart-shaped emoticons next to it and pondered for a long time before pressing ‘like’. And with that momentum, he even pressed the follow button. Now, Chase Prescott was not the unrequited love he had been secretly watching, but his boyfriend.

The screen, which had been gradually dimming before going completely black, suddenly lit up.

chase.a.prescott: Sorry if I’m wrong, but is this Jeong-in?

Jeong-in’s eyes grew round. It was a DM from Chase. He must have guessed from her ID, which used lim, J, and function.

: Yeah, it’s me

chase.a.prescott: Since there’s no photo on your account, it’s hard to confirm, and I’m worried it might be a scam

chase.a.prescott: Can I ask you a verification question?

: What is it?

chase.a.prescott: We have a child together. What’s their name?

: Snowball

chase.a.prescott: That’s right

Without realizing it, a smile had spread across Jeong-in’s face. Soon, a new notification appeared in the middle of the screen.

[chase.a.prescott has started following you.]

Chase Prescott was added to Jeong-in’s empty account that had 0 followers and 0 following.

chase.a.prescott: I think your ID is a bit off, can I fix it for you? lim_fx_J.

It was an ID that anyone who knew math could immediately recognize.

‘Lim’ was Jeong-in’s surname, but it was also the symbol for limit. It wasn’t an ID created with any particular meaning, but if one were to interpret it, it would mean something like “as x approaches a certain value, the limit of that function converges to J.”

Soon Chase’s suggested ID came. When he saw it, Jeong-in’s heart seemed to drop.

chase.a.prescott: lim_cp_fx_love

lim_cp_fx_love.

As x approaches Chase Prescott (cp), the limit (lim) of that function converges to love.

* * *

Monday morning dawned.

The end of prom meant that the SAT exam, held annually during the first week of June, was right around the corner. After that would come the final exams, and when those ended, summer vacation would arrive. And when summer vacation ended, they would finally become seniors, fourth-year students.

Jeong-in took out a Pop-Tart as usual and put it in his mouth without even heating it up. As he chewed the strawberry-flavored carbohydrate lump, he mentally organized his to-do list: assignments that needed to be submitted, subjects that required review, and the final exam schedule.

Having learned about relationships through books, Jeong-in had once read a phrase: a good relationship is one where both people grow together while not neglecting their individual growth. His determination to prevent his relationship with Chase from becoming an obstacle in her life was unwavering.

As soon as he opened the front door with his bag on his shoulder, he saw Chase waving from across the street.

“Jeong-in!”

Chase’s golden hair swayed gently in the morning breeze. For a moment, he had the illusion of seeing a bushy tail wagging behind him. Just like a retriever waiting for its owner. The thought made him smile without realizing it.

But Jeong-in quickly returned to reality. While he was happy to see Chase apparently coming to pick him up, he was also perplexed.

“Chase.”

He gave him a look of disbelief. After agreeing to keep their relationship secret, he shows up at his house the very next day to pick him up?

“We agreed to keep this a secret.”

“But what can we do? Your bicycle is broken.”

Jeong-in’s eyes widened.

“What? My bicycle?”

“Yeah. It’s broken, isn’t it?”

“No way! I just paid $30 to have the chain fixed not long ago!”

This was the first he’d heard about his bicycle being broken. Jeong-in hurriedly headed toward the shed next to his house where he kept his bike. But there it was, standing perfectly fine.

“What? It’s completely fine.”

Before Jeong-in could finish speaking, Chase stretched out his long leg and gently pushed the bicycle with his toe. The bicycle slowly tipped sideways and then leaned against the wall with a thud. Even so, there was no way it could actually be broken.

“See? It’s broken. Oh dear… it can’t even stand properly.”

Jeong-in burst into laughter at Chase’s nonchalant expression and brazen statement. Was it okay for this big man to look so cute? He must have fallen hard for him.

Jeong-in nodded with a serious expression, playing along.

“You’re right. It seems too badly broken to ride.”

As soon as he heard those words, Chase smiled brightly, like sunshine. It felt as if even the air became lighter.

As soon as Jeong-in got into the passenger seat, Chase leaned in close and held out his phone.

“Let’s take a picture.”

“A picture?”

“I want to set our photo as my phone background.”

Jeong-in chuckled at the unexpected request.

“Why? Did you see Brian Cole doing that and get jealous again?”

Chase hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. It seemed he too had his own romantic ideals about dating. Jeong-in couldn’t help but smile. It felt like they had found an unexpected point of connection.

“Okay, look here, Jeong-in.”

As Chase naturally stretched out his arm to adjust the screen, Jeong-in quickly took off his glasses.

Soon, the screen captured the two of them side by side: Jeong-in with a slightly stiff expression and wide eyes, and Chase with a blissful, beaming smile.

That photo soon became the background on both of their phones.

“Let me off here.”

Jeong-in pointed to the last corner before reaching school. It was the kind of behavior typical of teenagers who don’t want their friends to see them with their parents.

Chase, still holding the steering wheel, put on an exaggeratedly hurt expression.

“Son, are you embarrassed by your daddy?”

Jeong-in laughed and gave Chase’s shoulder a light punch.

“Stop joking around. Just let me out quickly.”

The car stopped, and Jeong-in quickly opened the door and got out. But right then, Chase’s mischievousness kicked in again. Chase shouted at Jeong-in’s back as he walked away, clutching his bag strap,

“Our son! Remember to raise your hand when crossing the street! Did you pack your Lunchable?”

Lunchables were a kind of pre-packaged lunch popular among elementary school kids. It seemed like he was determined to embarrass him.

Jeong-in turned around with a shocked face and whispered loudly,

“Chase!”

Chase calmly maintained a relaxed smile and added one more thing,

“I’ll miss you, baby.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than the silver Porsche sped past Jeong-in as if escaping.

Jeong-in shook his head as if thinking “how pathetic,” yet a soft smile had found its way onto his lips.

Just as he started walking slowly toward school, a silver Volvo stopped beside him. The door opened and a familiar face emerged.

“Jay!”

Justin approached Jeong-in, tilting his head curiously. He seemed puzzled to see him walking to school without his bicycle.

“Where’s your boyfriend? Why are you walking?”

“I asked him to drop me off just now. Justin, you need to watch what you say too.”

Jeong-in cautioned him, holding his index finger to his lips. Justin playfully gave an OK sign, then hunched over and looked around, pretending to be a spy.

The school after prom had a somewhat unsettled atmosphere.

People who weren’t couples were walking around like they were together, and many people’s attitudes toward each other had become awkward, as if something had happened over the weekend. Perhaps some unrequited loves had been fulfilled, or some people had been rejected.

As they watched students gathering in groups on the lawn, chatting, Justin suddenly asked Jeong-in,

“By the way, did you see the Wincrest Wire?”

The Wincrest Wire was an anonymously operated Tumblr where school gossip circulated. Come to think of it, he hadn’t checked it in a while.

“No, why?”

“Turns out Vivian Sinclair became the Princess after all.”

Justin held up his phone to show him the screen.

#FlyingSolo.

There was Vivian, who had appeared alone without a partner, proudly wearing a tiara. Brian Cole had taken the Prince position.

They had said they would select a King and Queen from the juniors too, but in the end, they created separate Princess and Prince titles to form prom royalty.

Perhaps, no, certainly, Vivian must have been quite taken aback by the fact that Chase didn’t show up. But in the photo, there was no trace of such feelings on her face.

She was perfect as always. An expression without even a flicker of an eyebrow, a confident smile as if it had always been this way.

Being able to maintain your composure and not lose yourself even in the most difficult moments seemed, in some ways, quite remarkable.

“She’s also launched a TikTok and YouTube channel. She uploaded a video of her prom makeup on TikTok and gained over 50,000 followers over the weekend. And she’s amassed nearly 20,000 subscribers on YouTube.”

She had said she was going to become an influencer, and it seemed she was now starting in earnest. Setting aside what she had done to Jeong-in and past incidents, her proactive approach to forging her own path was admirable.

Just as he was thinking this and entering the hallway, speak of the devil, he caught sight of Vivian and Madison walking side by side.

Madison waved cheerfully toward Jeong-in, and as if drawn by that movement, Vivian’s gaze turned in their direction.

Jeong-in tried to act confident. After all, he hadn’t done anything wrong.

But when their eyes actually met, it was Vivian who looked away first. It might have been a momentary illusion. But clearly, there was something different about her energy. She seemed somehow deflated.

“What’s this? Why does she look like a house cat today instead of a leopard?”

Justin seemed to have noticed the same thing.

At that moment, Chase entered the hallway from who knows where he had been spending his time.

The eyes of almost every student in the corridor converged on them, more precisely, on Chase and Vivian. Since everyone thought they were an official couple, yet only one of them had shown up alone at prom, it was naturally a matter of curiosity.

And then something happened that further stimulated the interest of the onlookers.

Vivian, upon seeing Chase, completely pretended not to see him. It wasn’t just averting her gaze, she completely turned her body and changed direction toward the lockers.

A strange silence fell over the hallway. Jeong-in was just as surprised.

“I’ll make sure that name never comes out of your mouth again.”

He recalled what Chase had said after the math competition. And his words about meeting her on Saturday to bring closure. What kind of closure had he achieved that made them worse than strangers?

Chase approached Jeong-in directly, as if nothing else was visible to him. Despite having agreed to keep their relationship secret, his blue eyes were smiling with huge floating hearts in them.

“Hello.”

“Press!”

Justin offered Chase a fist bump. In truth, he had always wanted to try it himself after observing Chase and his group greeting each other with fist bumps.

Chase naturally raised his fist and bumped it against Justin’s. Then he nodded slightly in greeting.

“Hey, Jus.”

Justin whispered to Jeong-in in a voice that sounded like he was being strangled.

“Chase Prescott shortened my name!”

“Calm down, you’re going to have a heart attack.”

Chase looked down at the two nerds making a fuss as if he found them cute. Just then, Vivian Sinclair approached.

“We need to talk.”

As Vivian approached, Justin gradually backed away until he vanished.

Had the closure not gone well? As Jeong-in was quietly stepping back to give them space, Vivian strode forward.

“I mean you, Jay. Lim.”

The person Vivian was looking at wasn’t Chase, but Jeong-in.

Chase’s brow furrowed sharply. He seemed ready to interject with “if you have something to say, say it to me.” But Jeong-in’s pride wouldn’t allow it. He could stand on his own. He didn’t need a knight to fight his battles.

“You go to class. Your first class is in the humanities building, right?”

At Jeong-in’s firm words, Chase stood there, looking confused and unable to move. Jeong-in pushed against his chest. The gentle touch made the 6’5″ giant take a step back.

Jeong-in turned his gaze toward Vivian.

“Let’s go somewhere quiet.”

Vivian quietly nodded in agreement.

And so the two began walking down the corridor in an atmosphere charged with tension.

All eyes around them are fixed on them. Students whispered among themselves as they watched the situation, and some even seemed to be secretly filming with their phones.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see a headline like “Prescott’s Ex-Girlfriend vs. Current Boyfriend: The Prelude to Battle” on the Wincrest Wire.

The two stood under a large sequoia tree a little distance from the school building. Breaking the tense atmosphere, Vivian spoke first.

“Chase came to see me. Even though he stood up his prom partner, he was the one full of anger.”

Jeong-in quietly waited for what would come next from Vivian’s lips.

“I was wondering what I had done wrong, when Madison mentioned something. That you might have misunderstood me.”

“…Misunderstood?”

“As if I was going to your mother to out you or something.”

Vivian spoke calmly, as if such an intention had never crossed her mind even slightly.

“Well? Wasn’t that it?”

At Jeong-in’s question, Vivian snorted as if it was absurd.

“What? How can you view people like that? Outing? Do you think I would do such a thing? The industry I want to work in has all kinds of sexualities. If anything, heterosexuals are the rarer ones.”

Jeong-in found Vivian’s attitude absurd, as she was still only thinking about her own position. Jeong-in gave a hollow laugh.

“Don’t you have something else you should say first?”

At Jeong-in’s pointed remark, Vivian’s lips trembled and her eyes gradually reddened. She seemed like the type who would rather die than apologize. It was pretty predictable.

“I’ve already been punished enough. I had to go to prom pathetically alone without a partner, and Chase seems determined to not even treat me like a human being. He said that from now on, there would be nothing between us, no friendship, nothing—just air!”

Her fuming expression, filled with loss, anger, and resentment, seemed strangely familiar. She resembled the spoiled only daughter of a noble family from a period drama who grew up pampered and routinely mistreated her maids.

“I won’t bother you or get in your way anymore,” Vivian continued with a trembling voice.

“…Just don’t speak too badly of me to Chase.”

A heaviness settled in one side of Jeong-in’s chest. The Vivian before her looked defeated, but strangely, it didn’t make Jeong-in feel better.

She had probably always thought it was natural to be with Chase. They had been having playdates together since they were babies, after all. She likely never once considered the possibility that Chase could disappear from her life.

In fact, wasn’t Chase somewhat responsible for Vivian’s arrogance and pushiness?

Chase tended to be excessively indifferent and cynical about everything except what interested him. He knew Vivian was being mean to people around her, yet he let it happen.

He even openly said that her nasty personality made his life easier. As much as Jeong-in liked Chase, he couldn’t help but find that aspect of him pathetic.

But setting that issue aside, reflecting on everything Vivian had said so far, there was no mention of Jeong-in at all. From beginning to end, it was all just self-pity.

“You’re still only talking about yourself. You need to learn how to apologize first.”

Vivian’s face hardened at the sharp critique. She looked like someone receiving this kind of criticism for the first time in her life.

Jeong-in shook her head as if further conversation would be meaningless.

“If you have nothing more to say, I’ll go.”

Just as Jeong-in had turned around and taken his first step, Vivian’s voice came from behind.

“…I’m sorry!”

Jeong-in’s footsteps hesitated.

“There! I said it! Happy now? Acting so calm and gentle in front of others! You two-faced nerd!”

Vivian fumed as if she felt wronged.

If Jeong-in’s defense mechanism was avoidance, Vivian’s seemed to be attack. She was the type to raise her voice when cornered.

“That’s better than before. I accept your apology.”

“Don’t act so smug!”

Watching her quiver with her shoulders rising, strangely, Jeong-in was no longer afraid of her. Rather, this was truly a funny thing to say, he even found her somewhat cute.

As he entered the building, he saw Chase pacing the corridor with a worried face. He seemed to have been waiting for him. Jeong-in ran to his side with a bright smile.

Chase’s tense expression gradually softened as he turned to look at Jeong-in, and a smile of relief appeared on his face.

His affectionate blue eyes sparkled brilliantly with light.