18. Sixty One
past life.
A newspaper article appeared saying that a failed genius has returned to Korea, and Yeong-mi came to see me.
fair skin.
blunt nose.
Half-moon eyes and sad eyes.
“you… You’re young… ! You are really young-mi!”
“Chae Jung-ho! and! You’ve grown so tall! When we went to America, he was smaller than me, hahaha—-!”
It’s the same as when you smile, your half-moon eyes close slightly.
Youngmi stopped laughing.
“It’s been a really long time. How much is this?”
“It’s been 10 years. Exactly 10 years and 3 months.”
“Put! Your hair is still good.”
A friendly atmosphere for a moment.
There was a lot of talk about how you’ve been doing, and it soon became an awkward atmosphere.
After a brief silence, I cautiously opened my mouth.
“By the way, maybe… Did you receive the letter I sent you?”
It was about 10 years ago when I left Korea.
Young-mi, who was in middle school, had asked her to write a letter to herself when she arrived in the United States.
When I first entered an American school, I had to be a loner for a while, but I sent long letters to Young-mi every week, but I never got a reply from her.
Youngmi shook her head at my question and said.
“no… At that time, our house moved suddenly… I did not receive the letter.”
Youngmi bit her upper lip with her lower teeth with a bitter expression as if recalling the past.
If I had to pick the perfect person I knew in my past life, I would say Kim Young-mi without hesitation.
A moderate sense of humor, a flat personality, a well-groomed appearance, and a behavior that combines confidence and humility… .
Youngmi was not lacking anywhere.
That’s why… I thought Youngmi had a very strong mentality.
What I thought was that Youngmi had a strong mentality… Maybe it’s because Youngmi never showed me how hard it was.
In this way, I was clumsy like a fool in interpersonal affairs.
Past Life After returning from America and meeting Yeong-mi for the first time, as time passed, we became closer and closer.
So, when we became very close, I heard the story of Anglo-American’s father from Anglo-American.
Shortly after I moved to the United States, I said that an unfortunate incident occurred at the company my father worked for.
Young-mi’s father was in charge of promoting overseas business as an executive of the company, and at that time, the dollar he received as a down payment for the business was embezzled.
According to bank records, Anglo-American father was arrested on the spot for embezzlement because it was the person who cashed the check.
During the trial, Yeong-mi’s father’s health deteriorated, so she applied for bail, and to pay for the bail, the young-mi’s family sold their house and moved, but the bail application was rejected because the embezzlement incident caused billions of dollars in damages.
In the end, Yeong-mi’s father died of acute pneumonia at the detention center, and it is said that Young-mi’s father was found not guilty immediately after the funeral.
In the past life, Youngmi once said something like this to me.
He said that his father’s unfair death was the most difficult thing in his life, and even after a lot of time has passed, his heart still breaks when he thinks of him.
Then I found out one thing about Yeongmi… .
It is that whenever Yeong-mi talks about her father, she has a habit of biting her upper lip with her lower teeth.
* * *
After school today, I saw Young-mi’s face on the way home with In-cheol and Yeong-mi.
Young-mi’s upper lip was clearly swollen.
I woke up suddenly.
no way… ! Has the Anglo-American father case already happened?
I shook my head.
Young-mi’s mother stopped by our house for a while today, and Yeong-mi’s mother’s expression was definitely not bad.
Then, maybe… Because I’m leaving for America?
I shook my head again.
In the past life, on the day my mother and I departed for the United States, Youngmi’s family went to see them off to Gimpo Airport.
So I was able to say goodbye to Yeong-mi for the last time, if my memory is correct… At that time, Youngmi didn’t look sad at all.
Because of Youngmi’s bright appearance that day… I can still vividly remember trying to hold back the tears.
then… What made Young-mi’s heart so hard?
Judging by the swelling of the upper lip, it is clear that this is a serious matter.
Perhaps… Has there ever been a guy who bullied Youngmi at school?
I started scouring the images related to Youngmi in my head.
And I found a conversation with Youngmi three months ago… .
That day, Youngmi smiled and said to me.
“hey! Chae Jung-ho! Are you going to America?”
“ah… . I heard… Goa… ?”
“Yeah, my mom told me yesterday. But I heard that there is no football you like at all in America… What are you going to do in gym class when you go to America? ha ha ha—!”
Youngmi smirking and laughing.
I was overcome with sadness.
These days… I was thinking about how to tell Young-mi that I was immigrating to the United States… .
I felt like crying without knowing what Youngmi said.
Whether or not you know how I feel… Yeongmi continued speaking with a smile on her face.
“By the way, Jung-ho, you’re short, so even if you play basketball, you won’t be able to show off your form… What will you do in gym class when you go to America? I’m really worried. Pu ha ha ha!”
Youngmi’s smiling upper lip was red and the flesh was torn off.
ah… !
After seeing Young-mi three months ago, I couldn’t sleep all night.
the next morning.
As soon as I sat down at the table for breakfast, my mother asked.
“Jeong-ho, why are your eyes so swollen?”
“ah… ! It’s not a big deal. I just had trouble sleeping at night.”
The mother said with a worried expression.
“Oh! My eyes are all bloodshot.”
My mother reached out and placed her hand on my forehead.
“There is no fever… Aren’t you sick?”
I shook my head slowly.
“I’m not sick.”
As I finished eating, I opened my mouth cautiously.
“Mom… .”
My mother made eye contact with me and waited for me to speak.
“… we… .”
“why? What’s going on?”
“No, nothing.”
“Why is he like this today? What are you doing?”
I said with a forced smile.
“No, really nothing.”
My mother looked at me for a long time and then opened her mouth.
“Jungho, we… Don’t go to America, do you want to continue living here?”
“Mom… … .”
* * *
one month later.
Gimpo International Airport.
Youngmi said with a smile.
“Come on in. I will be late for my flight.”
Youngmi’s smile.
As a result of analyzing hundreds of images of Yeong-mi’s face over the past month, it is now possible to determine whether Yeong-mi’s laughter is a real laugh or a fake smile… The distinction is now possible to some extent, but the smile of Yeong-mi just said goodbye is a smile of 100% pure joy.
At Yeongmi’s words, the major older sister said.
“Young-mi, aren’t you in love with me so much right now?”
Youngmi said with a smile still on her face.
“Do you like it? I’m sad for you right now.”
The major older sister said with tears in her eyes to Youngmi.
“Ugh! domination.”
The major sister hugged her parents and grandmother, then bent over and came out at eye level.
“My sister will hug Jung-ho as well.”
The older sister who embraced me whispered in my ear.
“Thank you very much, Jeongho. it’s all thanks to you I’ll be sure to repay you for this later. And I’m telling you this because you’re so ignorant… Youngmi likes you so much. Understand?”
After speaking, the older sister made a V-shape towards us and walked into the departure hall.
* * *
a month ago.
So… It was the day after my mother canceled my immigration to the United States.
That evening, the major came to our house and spoke to me with excitement.
“Jung Ho-ya, I was invited as a visiting researcher at an American university.”
“Wow! Really?”
My sister took an envelope out of her bag and handed it to me.
When I take the letter out of the envelope, the school emblem printed in Burnt Orange on the top of the stationery feels familiar.
It was an invitation letter for a visiting researcher from the Department of Mathematics at Texas State University.
“Oh oh! That’s great.”
My sister made a V-shape with both hands.
haha–! Guess who isn’t a V-lover… .
I started reading the letter.
The scholarship from the Fulbright Foundation was selected, and the scholarship was intended to cover all of my sister’s airfare and stay in the United States.
The invitation letter continued on the next page, and the second page of the invitation… After the one-year visiting research period ended, I started with the sentence that if my sister wanted to, she could be officially appointed as an assistant professor at Texas State University.
As soon as I saw this sentence, I checked the last page of the letter.
The signature of the university president, not the department head or dean, is stamped.
Also… !
Invitations for short-term visiting researchers for one year are usually signed by the department head.
If you are inviting a very great person… In some cases, the signature of the dean of the College of Science is stamped.
But the fact that it is signed by the president of the university means that it is a so-called conditional offer letter.
I went back to the second page and checked the terms and conditions.
First, you must receive a Ph.D. from a Korean University before being appointed.
Second, submit a future research statement following the Yoon-Schultz theorem.
Third, submit a teaching statement for undergraduate and graduate classes in differential phase mathematics.
The moment I read the third condition, David McLean came to mind.
David’s major was also differential topology.
And isn’t the upgraded version of the McLean theorem the Yoon-Schultz theorem of the major sister… !
David, who didn’t get a PhD from Pennsylvania State University, was, of course, not hired at Texas State University.
This means that the professorship David held in his past life has now been transferred to the major’s sister.
It’s been a while, but… I imagined the not-too-distant future where the major’s sister and Mike Schultz met as advisors and students.
At my explanation that the invitation that my sister received was actually a conditional professor appointment, she seemed to be skeptical.
“a–! Here it says ‘can be hired as an assistant professor’, doesn’t that just mean that you may or may not be hired?”
I said, pointing to the president’s signature.
“The signature of the president of the university is not included in invitations of visiting researchers who do not have a doctorate yet. That the president’s signature was taken… The decision has already been made within the Department of Mathematics, and it has already been approved not only at the College of Science, but also at the president’s level.”
My sister still looked at me with a suspicious look, and I continued.
“When my sister arrives in the United States, she will tell you about her salary and startups regarding her appointment.”
“really?”
As I nodded, my sister made a V-shape with her hands again.
However, the older sister soon changed her expression and said:
“By the way… Jungho, you… How well do you know this? It’s because I’m smart enough to be good at math, but it doesn’t make any sense to know such things, right?”
Oops… !
I overdo it because I feel so good… .
“Hmm! sister! sister! Now that doesn’t matter! I mean, my sister keeps making V-shapes with her hands.”
The older sister checked her hands and said.
“What? this?”
My sister’s V-shape is different from normal people, with the back of her hand facing outward.
“If you make a V like this in America, you can get shot.”
“what?!”
“Especially for someone with a British accent, this is a hand gesture that you should never do. What does that mean… … .”
* * *
Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.
Team leader Kim Jung-soo, who moved from the Gangseo Police Station to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, headed to the newly assigned office.
The department he applied for was the Hacker Investigation Unit, the predecessor of the Cyber Investigation Unit.
There are a mountain of cases to deal with, but there are… The hacker investigation team is a place where there are not many so-called hacker incidents.
So, the leader of the hacker investigation team is known as a single job within the National Police Agency.
The only reason why Team Leader Kim Jung-soo volunteered in such a place is that the hacker investigation team is the only police agency that has independent investigative powers from the prosecution.
early morning hours.
The office of Team 2 of the Hacker Investigation Unit was empty.
Team leader Kim Jeong-soo sat down at the desk with his nameplate and lit a cigarette.
A piece of paper on an empty desk caught his eye,
He exhaled cigarette smoke and picked up a notepad.
‘This is a message from Gangseo Police Station’s Detective Team 1. Please let me know that a student named Jeong-ho Chae has been contacted.’