"I've reviewed your application and recommendations for the research project. I must say that I am impressed with the amount of work you have put in to build your mathematical foundations. However, there are still a few more classes you must take and a few more topics to familiarize yourself in before you can truly begin working with us."
Any pride Songmin had from the professor's compliments about her "mathematical foundations" deflated at his last sentence. She shifted on her weight from her right foot to her left, bag feeling heavier on her shoulder than usual.
"That doesn't mean you will never get to work with me. I will send you a list of the few classes you need and some materials you can read to help you understand a bit more about what exactly our topic is about. I see potential in you and I look forward to getting to work with you in the future if you choose to make choices that will allow for you to join my research team."
Yes! Feeling elated at not having been completely rejected, Songmin's smile widened and, sensing that he'd said all he had to say, she bowed, thanked him for his time and consideration, and left the lecture room, a small skip in her step.
Now, should I go to the library or go home?
Songmin had begun going to the university library about a week ago, finding some of the big whiteboards in library study rooms useful for some of her math assignments. However, she didn't have any math assignments for a few days and the only work she truly had to focus on now was an essay for her Korean class, one that she'd tried to put off for as long as possible but couldn't avoid anymore since it was due in two days.
She didn't need a giant whiteboard for writing an essay and her bed was looking real comfortable right about now, but that was the precise reason why she shouldn't work at home if she wanted to get anything done.
School exhaustion was already catching up with her and she'd drifted off into sleep multiple times in the past week while trying to study, mostly at her apartment and once during her shift at the Koi Record Store, where Mrs. Ki had woken her up with concern on her face and a hot cup of caffeinated tea to help Songmin stay awake for the last bit of her shift.
Deciding to just go to the library, where the hard wooden chairs would keep her awake, she was halfway down the hall from the lecture room when her phone buzzed in her pocket. Taking it out and unlocking it, there was a text notification from a number she didn't recognize.
[ unknown number ]
hey songmin! it's me, jisung :)
Songmin took a second to save the number before she could forget.
[ Park Jisung🐣 ]
Hello. What's up?
im taking a math class this semester and need help with my homework T-T
Do you want me to call you or should I come to help you in person?
could you come to the dance building? im in room d-127
Yeah, I'll be there, give me a few minutes.
thx, ur the best :DDD
Turning her phone off, Songmin reviewed the map of the campus in her mind, which she'd forced herself to memorize at the start of the school year in case she'd need to go anywhere she didn't usually traverse to, like the dance building.
Past the Visual Arts building and the Literature and Philosophy building, near the end of the lawn. Yeah, that should be correct.
Taking a right at the end of the hallway, Songmin made her way down two flights of stairs and out of the STEM building into spring sun.
A cold breeze greeted her as she pulled the STEM building door shut. It pierced through her clothing while she walked down the big steps that ran along the front of the building, raising goosebumps on her skin and causing her to draw her thin coat tighter around her body. A few white, fluffy clouds floated in the sky, the sun shining down from between them, bright but not powerful enough to compete with the chill wind.
The campus was neither busier nor less busy than usual. Groups of students walked around and hung out on the big grass lawn that was surrounded by many of the campus buildings, including the STEM building. The sound of dogs barking mixed with the chirping of the birds that lived in the lush green trees lining the wide path Songmin was walking down. The air was crisp and clean, filling Songmin's lungs and clearing her mind of any cluttering, unnecessary thoughts.
She enjoyed watching the people she passed. It blew her mind that every person she was a living, breathing human just like her, that each one of them lived their own lives and had problems that she would never have to worry about in her life as well as problems that she also struggled with.
She laughed quietly to herself, remembering how, when she was little, she had insisted to anyone who would listen that she was the only living human and that every other person was a robot. At a certain age, she just accepted that she was not in fact the only living, breathing human, though that never ceased to blow her mind.
Observing people as she walked, she made up little stories for each person she noticed to entertain herself while she walked.
Two students on bicycles rode past her on the bike path between the lawn and the pedestrian path, one speeding forward and the other struggling to keep up, laughing and gasping for the other cyclist to slow down. The faster one enjoys frequently riding in marathons, while the slower one rides simply to join in on the faster one's hobby.
A girl sat alone below a tree on the grass lawn, bundled up in a warm sweater and typing away on her computer. White headphones blocked out the noise of the world. She's working on a groundbreaking philosophical essay, one involving ideas that will shake the foundations of Korean society.
A couple lounged together on a picnic blanket, talking amongst each other in what looked to be a semi-serious conversation. A toddler wobbled happily to them, waving a big green leaf in his hand. The woman is taking a break from her chemistry PhD research to be with her husband and child. The child is a prodigious singer who will find success in a boy group but then discover that he has a deep passion for social service.
A group of what looked to be undergraduates exited the Literature and Philosophy building ahead of her, all of them surrounding one guy with a giddy smile on his face. They shoved and teased him, some patting him on the back and the shoulders, others rubbing his hair. Before she could make up a story for them, a voice from behind her interrupted her thoughts. "Songmin!"
The person jogged up to her and slowed to a walk, keeping in pace with her steps. She gave him a friendly smile, briefly noting the camera he held in his hands. "What's up, Renjun?"
He shrugged, moving a piece of hair aside from in front of his eyes. Songmin noticed the distinct lack of the usual paint on his clothing and skin that often caught her eye whenever she saw him in the university hallways. "Nothing much, just noticed we were walking in the same direction. Where are you going?"
Songmin gestured at the big, modern building the two of them were headed towards. "The dance building. Jisung asked me to help him with his homework."
Renjun chuckled. "Of course. He never liked math, always complaining about having to do any work that required serious thinking. He's a good kid, he just really does not enjoy academics."
"He did leave that impression," Songmin remarked, taking a step closer to Renjun for a brief moment as someone walked past on her other side, then stepping back to leave a foot of space between him and her. "Where are you headed to?"
"Also the dance building. I'm going to help Donghyuck plan a few pictures for his website." He gestured to his camera. Although Songmin knew little to nothing about cameras, she could tell it was a nice one, rather expensive. Something she'd never trust herself with.
"Website?" she asked, not exactly curious but not feeling comfortable enough with him to just walk in silence. He nodded. "Donghyuck's creating a website for himself as a professional dancer so that others can come and see his achievements and style. He needs some pictures for the home page, so we're planning them today."
Reaching the dance building, Songmin walked in and held the door open as Renjun entered. "Which room are you going to?"
He slipped his phone from his pocket and unlocked it, opening it to his messaging app and opening his conversation with Donghyuck to check. "Room d-127."
"Huh, I'm going to the same room."
"Not surprised, Jisung and Donghyuck have been working together more closely lately for their major..."
Songmin hummed, barely listening as her eyes tracked the plaques on the doors they passed. D-90, d-91, d-92...
Renjun noticed the girl's distracted state and stopped talking. Taking a quick glance at her, he smiled seeing her silently mouthing the plaque numbers.
Even without knowing her very well, to Renjun she already felt almost like a female Jisung. A younger sister, someone to protect. However, there were noticeable differences between her and Jisung. Although introverted, Jisung could talk quite frequently and was open, playful. Songmin, while also introverted, talked less and was less inclined to share details about herself. Renjun had noticed the way she'd talked about cosmology with Chenle and Jisung yet deflected questions during the group discussion and was growing curious as to why she had done so.
A few minutes of talk-less walking later, the two arrived at room d-127. When Renjun tried to just open the door and walk in, Songmin stuck an arm in front of him to stop him, shaking her head. In her book, manners came first. Raising a fist, she gently rapped the door three times with her knuckles.
A few seconds passed with no response. Renjun, growing slightly impatient, said, "We could just go in, I don't think they would mind." But Songmin gave him an unyielding look and he backed down. Finally, after a few more seconds passed and right as Songmin raised her hand again, ready to knock a second time, the door opened inwards to reveal Jisung.
He smiled at Songmin, relief visible in his eyes. "Thank goodness you're finally here, this problem is killing me." He looked up and frowned when he noticed the boy standing behind her. "Renjun hyung, what are you doing here?"
"He's here for me!" a sing-song voice piped up from inside the room. Songmin suppressed a snicker as Renjun groaned and grumbled, "Jisung, let us in so I can get this over with."
Fully opening the door, Songmin entered and followed Jisung to the small pile of belongings in the corner of the spacious room, scanning the room as she walked. She'd never been in a dance studio before. The floor was scuffed with scratches, no doubt from the hundreds of dancers who must've used the room, and a big mirror on the wall opposite the door reflected her image back at her. I don't look half terrible today.
Donghyuck was standing near the center of the room and waved quickly at Songmin before running to give Renjun a hug with a cheesy grin. At least, attempted to. Renjun put his arms out and kept Donghyuck at arm's distance, keeping him away until he eventually gave up sulkily.
Kneeling down to look at Jisung's notebook on the floor, Songmin nearly gasped aloud at how terrible his handwriting was and how many eraser marks were on the paper. "How did this happen?"
Jisung tugged at his earlobe, sheepishness visible in his features as he took a seat on the floor next to the notebook. "Well, I was in sort of a goofy mood while signing up for classes and decided that instead of taking the easiest math class, I decided to sign up for beginner calculus even though I've never liked math. Now I've landed here and I was hoping you could help since none of my hyungs are as good at math as you are."
Heaving a sigh, Songmin fully sat down on the floor and brushed some eraser shavings off of the notebook to attempt to decipher the problem Jisung had written down at the top of the page. Slowly but surely, she was able to deduce what was written.
Using the limit definition of a derivative and assuming that d/dx(sinx)=cosx and d/dx(cosx)=-sin(x), prove that d/dx(tanx)=sec^2(x).
Easy.
"So have you tried plugging tangent into the limit definition of a derivative yet?" Songmin asked, looking from the paper to Jisung. He stared blankly back at her, then shook his head. There is nothing going on behind those eyes right now. "Do you know the limit definition?" she tried, searching for something that he knew, a starting point.
He shook his head again.
Songmin didn't want to ask the question at the tip of her tongue, fearing that it might sound offensive if she did ask it. If the answer is yes, he might think I'm mocking his intelligence.
But if the answer is no, then I have a place to start teaching him. I have to ask.
"Jisung, do you know what a derivative is?"
He shook his head.
Great, a starting place. Stretching her hands out in front of her and tilting her neck side to side, Songmin flipped to an empty page in his notebook and picked up his pencil, knowing exactly what she needed to do. Jisung noticed the girl's sudden change of attitude from hesitant to resolute and gulped nervously.
"Alright Jisung, ready for a quick calc lesson?"
Songmin getting down to business>>>