Minjin was the last to rise from her seat as her classmates exited the room. They strolled in groups down the quiet corridors while she lagged behind, clutching her school supplies and peering through the small gaps between the students in front of her. She spotted Minjun, who chatted casually with other classmates, including Bang Eun-Kyung beside him
With a sigh, she turned her head toward the window. The English class had already worn her out, and the stress in Section One was draining. She questioned whether she could endure a semester in this section, particularly sitting beside Minjun.
She returned her gaze to Minjun, a smile blossoming on her face as she realized that he was finally able to socialize with others without her by his side. She felt that leaving him for America had been the right decision; he had adapted well and allowed people to get close to him. Sighing, she turned her attention back to the window. Perhaps it was for the best that she didn't rekindle their friendship. She wanted this moment of solitude for herself.
Everyone arrived and took their seats with their friends. Minjin was the last to enter the room. She scanned the space, looking for a lab table to share, until she noticed Mun Sara standing up from her seat and calling her. "Minjin-ah!"
She awkwardly smiled as she walked toward their table. She sat beside Mun Sara, across from Minjun. She glared at him slightly, and he smirked back at her.
Everyone turned their heads to the front as their teacher began the lesson. The teacher discussed Korean scientific terms using transliterations of English words. Minjin quickly frowned. She then opened the chemistry book placed above the lab table. Her eyes widened as she read the text. Trying to make sense of it, she traced each word with her finger. While she recognized some English words written in Konglish, she struggled to identify the English equivalents of the Korean scientific terms being transliterated.
She also noticed that the material was primarily focused on formulas, emphasizing complex equations and step-by-step problem-solving for exam preparation. As she scanned the pages, she searched for more concept-based learning prior to the deep calculations, as well as for more lab experiments, project-based learning, and opportunities for critical thinking and analysis, but found none. Then she glanced at Mun Sara's open book to see what page they were discussing. When she turned to the same page in her own book, she frowned again upon seeing the bold topic written in Korean., "Yangja yeokhakjeok wonja mohyeong"
"I am ruined," she muttered to herself in English.
Mun Sara turned to look at her. "Did you say something, Minjin-ah?"
Minjin awkwardly smiled and shook her head. "Aniya," she said. Turning her gaze away, she noticed Minjun grinning at her, which made her roll her eyes in response.
As she tried to listen, Minjin felt increasingly lost. Frustration caused her to sigh, her lips parted in exasperation. She hadn't anticipated needing to adjust her language skills to keep up with the Korean curriculum in the sciences. Now, she regretted leaving America, where she had been more comfortable with academic topics in science. She also realized that after years of living in America, she might not feel Korean anymore.
During the discussion, the teacher scanned the room, searching for someone.
"Park Minjin," Mr. Song called her.
Minjin's eyes widened at the sudden call of her name. "Yes, saem?"
Mr. Song suddenly asked, "I heard you are good at Mullihak (Physics). "
"Mu-mullihak?" She hesitated with her Korean. She panicked internally, wondering, What the fck is "mullihak" again?
"Yes, can you explain why Yangja Yeokhak (quantum mechanics) is the model-based of Yangja yeokhakjeok wonja mohyeong (Quantum Model) relating to Wonja (atom)?" He asked her.
Upon hearing his question in fluent Korean, she immediately felt nauseous. She sighed and slumped her shoulders. "Saem, joesonghaeyo, I have been in America for too long; I… I don't understand the scientific Korean terms." She attempted to smile awkwardly.
Some of her classmates chuckled at her response as they looked at her.
Bang Eun-Kyung stifled a laugh while Minjun suppressed a chuckle. Mun Sara looked at her with understanding.
Mr. Song chuckled warmly and nodded. "I understand. You can come to me after this; I'll help you adapt to our Korean science terms."
Minjin forced a smile and bowed her head. "Gahamsanida, saem," she said before taking a seat.
Mun Sara turned to her and tapped her shoulder. "It's okay, Minjin-ah. You will understand our terms in Korean."
Minjin tried to smile. "I hope so."
Minjun smirked across at her, and she quickly glared back. "That's your fault for leaving," he said with a grin.
"Do you think I had a choice?" Minjin quietly replied, frowning.
They stared at each other for a moment, a silent acknowledgment of their shared past, until Minjin was the first to look away, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. Minjun couldn't help but grin slightly, realizing that Minjin still remembered.
After their chemistry class, Minjin followed Mr. Song to the teacher's room. When Mr. Song entered the room, Minjin paused at the doorway to bow her head before stepping inside toward his desk. Mr. Song sat down in his chair, grabbed a pen, and scribbled something on a piece of paper. He then searched his desk drawer, took out a notebook, and copied something from it. After a while, he turned to Minjin and handed her the paper.
"You should consider purchasing these books; they could be beneficial for you. The chemistry textbooks used in Korean high schools differ from those used in English-speaking countries in several respects. While the fundamental principles of chemistry are the same worldwide, the presentation of content, teaching methods, and curriculum structure vary," Mr. Song said with a smile.
Minjin respectfully accepted the paper with a bow. "Gahamsamnida, saem," she said.
Mr. Song smiled and replied, "I believe you will be able to adopt soon since you have a passion for science. I expect that you will not fail my class. Can I get a yes, Minjin-ah?"
Minjin attempted to smile and bowed her head again. "Ne, saem."
###
After their classes, it was time for the self-study session. Minjin let out a deep sigh as she packed her books and notes into her backpack. For the first time in ages, she felt exhausted after a long day at school. She slung her bag over her shoulder and stood up from her seat when Minjun quickly reached out and grabbed her backpack from behind.
"Where are you going?" Minjun asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I have taekwondo training," Minjin replied, clearly annoyed.
Minjun smirked. "I know your training sessions are only on Mondays and Thursdays," he said, refusing to let go of her bag.
Minjin quickly frowned at him as she tried to pull herself free, but Minjun held on firmly with a grin. Bang Eun-kyung observed the scene unfold from his desk and shook his head with a smile.
Minjin sighed deeply and let her backpack fall into Minjun's hands. He calmly placed it back on her seat, but as she sat down, Minjin shot him a glare and aggressively grabbed her bag to stack her books back on the desk.
For a couple of minutes, Minjin tried to focus on her reading, but her eyes grew heavy. Her reading did not last long, and she soon fell asleep with her head leaning on the desk toward the side of Minjun.
Minjun noticed that she had dozed off again. He shook his head, but his eyes remained fixed on her face, and a soft smile formed at the corner of his lips.