Autumn Calculus

Ch.24.

The first snow of the year blanketed the campus, turning the scenery into a dazzling winter wonderland. Eun-ji woke up to Min-jun banging on her door, his muffled voice shouting, “Snow day! Come on, Eun-ji, it’s perfect outside!”

Reluctantly, she shuffled out of bed, wrapped herself in her thickest scarf, and stepped outside to find a group of students gathered for an impromptu snowball fight on the quad. Min-jun had already recruited Ji-hoon and was busy building a snow fort.

---

Amid the chaos, a voice unfamiliar to Eun-ji cut through the laughter.

“Hey, is this where the snowball tournament is happening?”

The group turned to see a young woman with curly hair peeking out from under a knit beanie, her cheeks pink from the cold. She carried a thermos in one hand and wore a broad, inviting smile.

Min-jun, ever the extrovert, waved her over. “You’re just in time! Join our team!”

The woman laughed. “I’m Hye-jin. Transfer student. I didn’t realize there’d be such... intense snowball battles here.”

“Welcome to the chaos,” Ji-hoon said, tossing her a pair of gloves.

Eun-ji gave her a polite smile, but curiosity bubbled beneath the surface. “Transfer student? Where from?”

“Jeju,” Hye-jin replied, slipping on her gloves. “I just started last week. It’s a little overwhelming, but everyone’s been kind so far.”

“You’re in good hands now,” Min-jun declared. “We’re basically the welcoming committee.”

---

The snowball fight erupted in full force, with Min-jun and Ji-hoon diving behind their hastily built snow fort. Eun-ji and Hye-jin formed a quick alliance, strategizing to take down the self-proclaimed “Snow Kings.”

“You distract them,” Eun-ji whispered. “I’ll flank them from the side.”

“Got it.” Hye-jin crouched low, scooping up snowballs with surprising precision.

The plan worked flawlessly—Eun-ji lobbed a perfectly aimed snowball at Min-jun, who yelped as it hit his shoulder.

“Traitors!” he shouted, laughing as he scrambled to rebuild his defenses.

Ji-hoon, meanwhile, surrendered with a grin. “Alright, alright, you win this round.”

---

After the battle, the group trudged to the nearest café, their hands and noses numb from the cold. Over steaming cups of hot chocolate, Hye-jin shared more about herself.

“I transferred to study environmental science,” she said. “I’ve always been fascinated by sustainable architecture, so this seemed like the perfect place to dive deeper.”

Eun-ji found herself impressed by Hye-jin’s passion. She wasn’t just friendly—she was determined and self-assured, qualities Eun-ji admired.

Min-jun leaned back in his chair, sipping his drink. “Well, Hye-jin, welcome to our little circle. Consider yourself officially adopted.”

Hye-jin laughed. “Thanks. I was worried it’d take ages to find friends, but you guys are amazing.”

---

Later that evening, Eun-ji walked back to the dorms with Ji-hoon, the snow crunching softly under their boots. The night was calm, the air crisp and filled with the faint scent of pine.

“Do you think she’ll fit in?” Ji-hoon asked, glancing at her.

“I think so,” Eun-ji replied. “She’s nice. And ambitious. Min-jun’s already smitten.”

Ji-hoon chuckled. “Yeah, he hasn’t stopped talking about her since we left the café.”

They walked in companionable silence for a moment before Ji-hoon said, “It’s nice, though. Seeing the group grow. It feels... warm.”

Eun-ji nodded, the faintest smile on her lips. “Yeah. It really does.”

As they reached the dorms, Ji-hoon lingered for a moment. “Hey, Eun-ji?”

“Hmm?”

“Thanks. For letting me be a part of all this.”

She blinked, caught off guard by the sudden sincerity. “You’re the one who made it all better, Ji-hoon. So, thank you.”

The soft glow of the dorm lights reflected in his eyes as he gave her a small, genuine smile. “Goodnight, Eun-ji.”

“Goodnight,” she replied, feeling the warmth of his words long after he’d walked away.