Autumn Calculus

Ch.15.

The chill of autumn deepened as October crept closer, painting the campus in fiery hues of red, orange, and gold. Eun-ji found herself falling into a steady rhythm of studying, laughing with her friends, and discovering pockets of joy she hadn't noticed before.

Today, she was heading to the campus café for a study session with Ji-hoon. He’d insisted they try something different: a change of scenery from the library. As she entered the cozy café, the scent of freshly brewed coffee and warm pastries greeted her.

Ji-hoon was already there, sitting at a corner table with a steaming mug of latte. “Hey, genius,” he called out, waving her over.

Eun-ji rolled her eyes but smiled as she joined him. “You’re really leaning into this ‘study buddy’ thing, huh?”

“Of course,” Ji-hoon said, grinning. “Who wouldn’t want to study with the smartest person on campus?”

Before she could reply, the café door chimed, and a new face stepped inside—a tall, slightly awkward guy with glasses and a backpack slung over one shoulder. He looked around hesitantly before spotting Ji-hoon and waving.

“Ji-hoon! You’re actually early for once.”

Eun-ji raised an eyebrow as Ji-hoon waved the newcomer over.

“Eun-ji, meet Seo-jun,” Ji-hoon said as the guy joined them. “He’s a senior in computer science and the guy who usually drags me through our coding assignments.”

Seo-jun gave her a small, polite bow. “Nice to meet you, Eun-ji. Ji-hoon’s told me a lot about you.”

“Really?” she asked, glancing at Ji-hoon, who suddenly looked a little sheepish.

“Just that you’re great at math,” Ji-hoon said quickly. “Figured you two might get along since Seo-jun’s a numbers guy too.”

Eun-ji smiled faintly. “It’s nice to meet someone who appreciates numbers as much as I do.”

Seo-jun chuckled. “You’d be surprised how often people think I’m boring because of it.”

Ji-hoon snorted. “That’s because you are boring, Seo-jun. But we love you anyway.”

“Thanks, I think,” Seo-jun replied dryly, adjusting his glasses.

---

The trio ended up studying together, though Ji-hoon contributed more jokes than actual work. Seo-jun and Eun-ji, on the other hand, fell into an easy rhythm, bouncing ideas off each other as they worked through a particularly tricky calculus problem.

“You’re really good at explaining this,” Seo-jun said after a while, glancing at Eun-ji. “Have you ever thought about tutoring?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think I’d have the patience.”

Ji-hoon laughed. “She has patience with me, and I’m basically a lost cause.”

Eun-ji smirked. “You’re not that bad.”

Seo-jun raised an eyebrow. “Wow, high praise from a math genius. You must be special, Ji-hoon.”

Ji-hoon grinned. “I know I am.”

Eun-ji rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at her lips.

---

As they packed up their things later, Seo-jun turned to Eun-ji. “There’s actually a group I’m part of—you might be interested. We’re organizing a charity event next weekend to tutor high school students in math and science. It’s pretty low-key, but it could be fun.”

Eun-ji hesitated. She wasn’t sure she wanted to take on more responsibilities, but the idea of helping students intrigued her.

“Think about it,” Seo-jun added. “No pressure.”

Ji-hoon nudged her. “You should do it. You’d be great at it.”

She glanced at him, surprised by his enthusiasm. “You really think so?”

“Absolutely,” he said, his tone uncharacteristically serious.

Eun-ji nodded slowly. “Alright, I’ll give it a try.”

---

The following week, Eun-ji found herself at the tutoring event, surrounded by eager high school students and a handful of university volunteers. Seo-jun introduced her to the rest of the group, including a bubbly girl named Soo-bin, who was in charge of organizing the event.

“Welcome, Eun-ji!” Soo-bin said brightly. “We’re so glad to have you here. Ji-hoon mentioned you were a genius, so no pressure or anything.”

Eun-ji shot a glare at Ji-hoon, who shrugged innocently.

The day flew by in a blur of equations, diagrams, and laughter. Eun-ji worked with a small group of students, guiding them through problems and answering their questions. She was surprised by how much she enjoyed it—their enthusiasm was infectious, and for the first time in a while, she felt a sense of purpose beyond her own academic goals.

By the end of the day, Soo-bin clapped her hands together. “Great job, everyone! Let’s celebrate with dinner!”

The group ended up at a bustling Korean barbecue restaurant, the air filled with the sizzle of meat and the chatter of happy voices. Eun-ji sat between Ji-hoon and Seo-jun, feeling more relaxed than she had in months.

“See?” Ji-hoon said, nudging her gently. “Told you you’d be great.”

She smiled at him, warmth blooming in her chest. “Thanks, Ji-hoon.”

As the night wore on, Eun-ji found herself laughing along with the group, her usual walls lowering bit by bit. She realized that her world was expanding in ways she hadn’t expected, and for once, she wasn’t afraid of what might come next.