Single Father • Namjoon + BTS!Kids

xxi.

It always made Hobi sad, seeing his hyungs leave for elementary school.

They get to go together, but I'm all alone in kindergarten.

Hobi got out of the car and waved goodbye to Namjoon, Jimin, Tae, and Kookie before going inside the school and into his classroom.

Hobi had a lots of friends in the class, but he didn't really feel close to anyone in particular. He was constantly getting in trouble for laughing during class, but the teacher never actually punished him because he had such a bright attitude.

"One plus one is two. One plus two is three. One plus three is four. One plus four is five. One plus six is seven. One plus seven is eight. One plus eight is nine. One plus nine is ten," the teacher said, and the class recited it back. Then she wrote the problems on the board.

1+1=2

1+2=3

1+3=4

1+4=5

1+5=6

1+6=7

1+7=8

1+8=9

"Hoseok, please come solve the next problem on the board," the teacher said, smiling at him, and Hobi smiled back, taking the chalk and staring at the numbers.

1+9=?

Hobi swallowed and smiled tightly, clenching the chalk.

Ohnononononono

This teacher just changed the game on me!

What the heck?!

I ran out of digits!

Why did it have to be math?!

Why me?

Why now?

"Hoseok? The answer, please?"

Hobi froze, gritting his teeth. "Um...it's..."

1+9

1

+

9

One

plus

nine

1+9=19 he wrote, circling the answer and turning to his teacher nervously. "One nine," he said, turning and holding out the chalk to her.

She took it back with a trial. "Nice job, Hobi."

Ah?! I was right?!

"-but it's incorrect."

Oh. Right.

She carefully erased his 19 and wrote 10 instead.

What. The. Frick.

1 is 1.

0 is nothing.

How do you add 1 and 9, which is bigger than 1...

And end up with 1 and nothing?

Isn't that less than 1 and 9?

Why?

Math?

I don't?

Understand?