Chapter 7: Lunar New Year Learning: An Impromptu Math Lesson

It seemed like a month had passed quickly, perhaps because I was busy.
It was the first day of the Lunar New Year holiday, the last event before school started.
Of course, I was working…

“I’ll confirm your order. Pepperoni pizza with extra bacon and cheese. And a cola, is that correct?”
“Yes. Ah, are refills available for the cola?”
“Yes. You can refill up to two times. Is there anything else you’d like to add?”
“Is there a carrier discount?”
“Yes. The discount rate varies depending on your membership, but all levels are eligible for a discount. Any other questions?”
“No. Nothing else.”
“Okay. I’ll get it ready for you.”

I hurried to the POS system and entered the order.
I thought there wouldn’t be many people eating pizza because it was Lunar New Year, but it was busier than I expected.

“Jihoon, pizza and pasta for table 4 are ready~”
“Okay.”

I put the large pizza and hot pasta on the cart and served them to the customer’s table.

“Here’s your order. The pasta plate is hot, so please be careful. Enjoy your meal.”
“Thank you~”
“You’re welcome.”

I was about to go to my next task, but I had a short break.
As I was resting in front of the kitchen, the manager came to talk to me.

“How is it working at the hall for a month?”
“At first, it was nice because it was warm… but now it’s a bit hot.”
“It can’t be helped since you’re constantly carrying hot food. It’s nice that you have tomorrow off, right?”
“It’s Lunar New Year, but… I don’t feel much. It’s hard to believe that school is starting soon.”
“Later, when you become an adult, you’ll think that being a high school student was the best time.”
“Is that so.”
“It is.”

The manager smiled contentedly.

“Take a ham set home when you leave today.”
“Yes? Do you give it to part-timers too?”
“Of course, I have to.”
“I’ll work hard.”
“Okay~ Go work~”

As soon as my conversation with the manager ended, the bell rang.

“Okay~ Coming.”

I was heading home with the gift ham set in my hand.
As soon as I stepped onto the stairs, Ji-eun flung open the door.

“Jihoon Oppa?!”
“Do you have your ear to the door waiting for me to come?”
“Hehe. I keep my ears perked up for when Oppa comes!”
“So proud of you… Is Grandpa inside?”
“Yes! Grandpa~ Jihoon Oppa is here~”

I followed Ji-eun, who dashed inside.
It was early evening, so he hadn’t left for work yet.

“Oh, you’re here.”
“Yes. Haven’t you eaten yet?”
“Huh? I was about to eat.”
“I received a ham set from work. Let’s grill it and eat.”
“Oh-! Ham-!”

Ji-eun’s eyes started to sparkle.

“Oh my- Isn’t ham expensive? Keep it at home and eat it alone.”
“No. I feel guilty for getting free breakfast every day. Let’s eat together.”
“What’s the big deal about setting one more place at the breakfast table? Okay. Let’s eat together.”

The grandfather also smiled happily.

“Hey, Ji-eun. Set the table.”
“Okay! I’ll set it right away!”

Ji-eun smiled brightly.
She set the table with a bright smile.

“Are you that happy?”
“Yes! Ham is delicious!”
“Didn’t you eat Vienna sausages often?”
“Vienna sausages and ham are a little different~”
“Such a picky eater for a little kid.”
“I’m not~ Oppa, I grew a little taller? Come here!”

Ji-eun pointed to the line drawn on the wallpaper next to the door.

“I grew 2cm!”
“Oh… you really did.”

Indeed, she was growing quickly because she was a child.

“Are you going to be taller than Oppa at this rate?”
“Mmm- Well, I guess it’s better than being a kid.”
“It’s not ‘kid,’ it’s Ji-eun!”
“Just kidding. Let’s go get the side dishes.”
“Okay!”

It had become a routine now.
Every morning, Ji-eun would come to wake me up, and I naturally blended into this house.
We scooped rice from the rice cooker and took side dishes out of the refrigerator.
Soon, the grandfather grilled the ham and brought it on a plate.

“The ham smells so good!”
“Eat slowly, it’s hot. Don’t burn your tongue.”
“Am I a kid?”
“Then you are a kid. Are you an adult?”
“Hahaha. Come on, eat up.”

But the grandfather put the rice from his bowl back into the rice cooker.

“Grandpa, aren’t you going to eat?”
“Egg soup is enough for me. Maybe because I’m old, I can’t eat much rice in the evening.”
“Ah… still, eat a little. You have to go to work. Are you feeling unwell?”
“Huh? No. I’m not sick.”

Even though he said that, there was always a medicine bag next to the TV.
It wasn’t something to bring up during a meal, but I carefully asked.

“I asked because there’s always a medicine bag there.”
“Ah~ That? That’s just diabetes medicine. I have diabetes.”
“Oh really? Then you definitely should eat less rice.”
“Right. Thank you for your concern. Now eat up. Ji-eun is going to eat all the ham.”
“Yes. I’ll eat well.”

I didn’t show it outwardly, but I was relieved and ate.

After the meal, the grandfather got ready to go to work.
He put on his coat, took his diabetes medicine, and left the house.

“Goodbye.”
“Okay. Ji-eun, don’t bother Oppa too much, okay? He has to study too.”
“Huh? But I’ve never seen Jihoon Oppa study-”

I covered Ji-eun’s mouth because it seemed like she was about to say something unnecessary.

“Goodbye.”
“You don’t have to indulge Ji-eun too much. If you’re tired, go home, rest, and spend some time alone.”
“No. All I do at home is watch TV, so it’s fine.”
“Thank you.”

The grandfather thanked me and left the house.
Then I took my hand off Ji-eun’s mouth.

“You were going to say something unnecessary, weren’t you?”
“But Oppa doesn’t study. I’ve never seen Oppa study?”
“Ugh… You don’t study either.”
“It doesn’t matter because I haven’t started school yet, right?”
“I don’t think so. I heard they learn quite a bit before starting school these days.”
“Then let’s study together today! Teach me!”

Ji-eun, full of excitement, insisted that I teach her.

“Teach me math!”
“I don’t know what first graders learn… Do they learn addition and subtraction?”
“Ah-! Grandpa gave me something before!”

Ji-eun immediately brought a book from the room.
It was a slightly worn textbook, but it was for first graders.
Flipping through the pages, I learned that they first learn about the order of numbers and comparing sizes.

“Did I learn this in elementary school…? You know how to count, right?”
“Of course! I’m smart!”

I really didn’t know where to start.
I decided to teach her step by step according to the textbook.

“Do you have paper and a pencil?”
“Yes!”
“Bring them.”

At my words, Ji-eun brought a piece of paper and a pencil from the drawer.
I drew five people in a row on the paper and handed it to Ji-eun.
If it’s about the order of numbers, it must be about ordinal numbers, so… I’m teaching this correctly, right?
I wasn’t sure, but I taught her.

“Okay, the person in the very front is the first.”
“Why?”

Damn. This is where I’m stuck.

“Uh, so… there are cardinal numbers, which are used to express the quantity of objects, and ordinal numbers, which are used to express order…”

Ji-eun stared blankly at me.
It seemed like she didn’t understand at all.

“Cardinal…? Ordinal…? What are those? I’ve never heard of them.”
“Mmm. Okay. Wait a minute.”

I looked around the room and brought a container of Go stones.

“Are we playing Go?”
“We’ll do that later. Watch carefully.”
“Okay!”

I placed five Go stones on the floor.

“How many Go stones are there?”
“Five.”
“Right. What did I just ask you?”
“How many Go stones are there!”
“Right. Now watch carefully as I teach you something else, okay?”
“Okay!”

Ji-eun nodded vigorously.
I placed the Go stones in a row and said to Ji-eun,

“Okay, what position is the Go stone at the very front?”
“Huh?”

Okay. Got it.

“Listen carefully. I just asked you how many there were, right?”
“Yes. You did.”
“But now I’m asking what place the Go stone I’m pointing at is. Watch carefully, okay? The one in the very front is first, then second, then third, then fourth, and then fifth. What’s the one in the front?”

When I asked, Ji-eun replied brightly and confidently,

“First!”
“Good job. Then what about this one?”

I pointed to the third Go stone.

“Third!”
“And the next one?”
“Fourth!”
“And the next one?”
“Fifth!”

Ji-eun replied with a bright smile and confidently.

“You’re doing well.”
“If there’s anything I don’t know while studying, can I ask you?”
“Mmm- Well, I guess it’ll be okay until you start school.”
“Then I should study hard starting tomorrow-!”
“Yeah. But don’t overdo it.”
“Let’s study together, Oppa! I’ll teach you what I can!”

I burst out laughing at the bold declaration.

“Do you know calculus?”
“What’s that? I’ve never heard of it.”
“…Actually, I don’t really know either.”
“Then let’s work hard together-!”

Ji-eun said with a bright smile.

“Yeah~ Study hard and go to Korea University.”
“Oppa too? Are you going there too? Then we can go to school together?!”

It was a question I could answer for sure.

“You might, but I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Don’t ask. It hurts…”
“Why does it hurt?”
“Because you hit a nerve.”
“Huh? That’s not fair! I never hit your nerve!”