A Stinging Glare and a Warm Classroom

“Then if you lose even a single game, you have to play against me, no matter what!”

“Okay! But if I keep winning, I don't have to follow my bedtime, right?”

Hyeong-man should not ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠have agreed to the deal back then.

But at the time, he had no idea.

“Deal!”

He never imagined that the matches starting at three in the afternoon would stretch into a winning streak lasting until one in the morning.

Hyeong-man rubbed his bloodshot eyes and blinked blankly.

This Baduk platform, AlphaGem, had an incredibly high AI detection rate and was exceptionally good at catching cheaters.

Because of this, most high-level Baduk players only used this platform. While there might be a slight discrepancy with official ranks, it was practically identical to real-world skill.

In other words, Chul-jun's level was Amateur 6-dan, which was absolutely mind-blowing.

It was a level that could easily sweep the local Baduk parlors where regional masters gathered.

An Amateur 6-dan was skilled enough to play a two-stone handicap game against a professional.

No, actually, calling him a mere 6-dan didn't even do him justice.

Hyeong-man had watched in real-time as Chul-jun defeated two Amateur 6-dans back-to-back in his promotion matches.

He completely dominated the first opponent from the opening, forcing a mid-game resignation. The second opponent managed to hold out until the counting phase, but ultimately lost by a massive margin of territory.

Though the system had only just promoted him to 6-dan, Chul-jun's actual skill was clearly far beyond that.

'Wow...'

If he reached 7-dan, he would be at a level where he could play black without komi against a professional...

'Is this really a level someone can reach after just a single day of playing?'

When he first started playing, his matches during his promotion to 4-dan hadn't been this overwhelmingly dominant.

Still, he had won every single game. After securing the necessary wins, he immediately challenged the 5-dan promotion matches. Even then, though not completely dominant, he had somehow managed to pull off the victories.

After that, Chul-jun had briefly examined the game records of the top players on the platform.

But it was really just a cursory glance.

Maybe for an hour?

Honestly, Hyeong-man had doubted whether studying them for such a short time would make any real difference.

Yet, he had utterly crushed the five 5-dan opponents he needed to defeat to qualify for the 6-dan promotion matches.

In one game, he played with ferocious aggression, launching relentless attacks that drove his opponent out of their mind.

In another, he showed immense patience, defending steadily to build an impregnable fortress and wrap up the game smoothly.

He employed such a diverse array of tactics that it was impossible to believe they were all played by the same person.

And yet, every single one of them worked.

Against 5-dans, no less.

It was a sight he had to see to believe.

If anyone else had told him this, he would have scoffed and told them to stop lying.

But it was actually happening.

The kid had just promoted to 6-dan right before his eyes.

Now, every match he played attracted at least twenty spectators.

They probably assumed some professional player was having fun on an alt account.

Hyeong-man's shoulders swelled with unearned pride.

“Uncle!”

“...Huh?”

“I'm a bit hungry.”

“Ah! Right!”

Hyeong-man quickly ran to the living room and brought back the hamburger and cola he had ordered earlier.

He set them up on the camping table unfolded next to Chul-jun's desk.

He pushed aside the empty pizza box they had eaten for dinner.

Chul-jun munched on his hamburger while reviewing the game he had just finished.

'Heh...'

Since they had made a promise, he couldn't force him to turn off the computer, but honestly, Hyeong-man was having too much fun watching anyway.

Seeing those tiny, delicate fingers sink opponents who were far too strong for Hyeong-man to ever face was incredibly cool.

Moreover, watching ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his skills shoot up in real-time provided an immense rush of dopamine.

Honestly, at some point, he had started wanting to watch Chul-jun's matches indefinitely.

So he had willingly taken on the role of support.

“Here, here. Have some cola too! So, are we going all the way to 7-dan?”

Chul-jun closed the review window and nodded with a determined face.

“Heh, aren't you sleepy?”

“A little.”

“Well, staying up all night is...”

“Just until I hit 7-dan.”

“...”

Hyeong-man silently massaged Chul-jun's small shoulders.

He also loosened up his neck muscles.

Honestly, he had been waiting for those exact words.

Would this kid's skills hold up even at 7-dan, which was considered on par with professionals?

Chul-jun, clicking the 'Quick Match' button, clasped his tiny fingers and stretched them.

Watching those little hands wiggle made Hyeong-man's heart swell with pride.

He knew he should put the kid to bed, but this was just too exciting.

“Alright, let's close the chat window first.”

“Okay!”

Because opponents who lost to this kid usually spewed out harsh words.

Chul-jun's tiny fingers began to tap away, and Hyeong-man swallowed hard as he sat back down in his camping chair.

*

Three in the morning.

Eventually, after crushing the 6-dans one after another, he reached the 7-dan promotion match.

His first match against a 7-dan to secure his promotion.

Chul-jun, who had been leading the game well, was deep in thought for the first time.

Hyeong-man tilted his head.

'Shouldn't he just place it there?'

Unlike before, he was taking too long to make a move.

Over an obvious move that even Hyeong-man could see?

He looked at Chul-jun in confusion, only to find the boy's eyes closed, his head nodding up and down.

He looked exactly like a sleeping chick.

Hyeong-man shook his head.

'Haha...'

Well, he was a kid who usually went to sleep before ten. Staying up until three was a miracle...

Hyeong-man stared at the monitor.

'Let's see...'

He gently slipped the mouse out of Chul-jun's hand.

The boy flinched slightly but remained fast asleep.

'Even I can win from this position.'

Watching Chul-jun play all day made Hyeong-man feel like his own Baduk skills had leveled up.

From what he could see, it was a guaranteed win.

'If I just defend this safely...'

Click. Click. Click...

A few minutes later.

'...Huh?'

Hyeong-man swallowed hard, gently lifted Chul-jun's hand, and placed it back on the mouse.

Then, he shook Chul-jun awake.

“Hey, kiddo. Let's call it a night and just sleep. For today!”

Chul-jun woke up with a start.

Then, he looked at the monitor.

“...Huh?”

Chul-jun furrowed his brows and tilted his head in confusion, while Hyeong-man quickly began packing up the camping table and chair.

For some reason, his back felt incredibly itchy under a stinging glare.

***

Go Chang-ho scratched his head and glanced at the clock.

It was already well past three in the morning.

On his desk, his precious hair—already in short supply—lay scattered in clumps.

'Sigh...'

His head spun.

What possessed him to spout such reckless nonsense?

But he knew himself all too well.

When backed into a corner like this, he always found a way.

Using this “surrounded on all sides” tactic, he had managed to earn a PhD from Harvard despite not having a particularly brilliant mind.

'Well, the die is cast. Go Chang-ho! Get a grip.'

Fortunately, during his conversation with the father, he had stepped back a bit and changed “one month” to “one week.”

He had realized the tournament schedule was tighter than he thought.

In truth, as the conversation progressed, he had slowly regained his senses and started to feel the pressure.

Chang-ho knew exactly how crucial that one week was to the child.

Therefore, this endeavor absolutely had to yield positive results.

Both for the child's emotional well-being and his improvement in Baduk.

Actually, he hadn't lied completely out of thin air.

While he hadn't conducted a tracking study specifically on gifted Baduk children, there were plenty of actual research papers on the subject.

And very solid ones at that.

Of course, the packaging of a “Chinese Gifted Baduk Children Tracking Study” was a bluff, but the core argument itself was fully backed by real research.

Carol Dweck's mindset research was the most direct.

It had been proven over decades that gifted children are more likely to view their abilities as fixed, which leads them to avoid failure and ultimately fail to reach their full potential.

There was also Sian Beilock's study on “choking under pressure.”

In child psychology, it referred to the phenomenon of failing to perform at one's best in crucial moments.

It was a highly trusted theory in arts and physical education pedagogy, stating that a strong consciousness of not making mistakes actually degrades performance in highly skilled tasks.

There was also Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan).

The core of this theory was that when extrinsic motivation undermines intrinsic motivation, both creativity and performance quality drop simultaneously.

So, his bluff had plenty of theoretical backing.

'Will the kids in my class accept this well?'

The key was the environment.

For Si-woo to change, the help of the other children was absolutely necessary.

If that was possible, Chang-ho was confident he could improve Si-woo's condition.

Chang-ho had thought of other ways.

The thought of slowly persuading the parents still lingered in his mind.

But Chang-ho knew the psychology of parents all too well.

Even if he had calmly explained it using research papers on the spot, would the father have truly recognized Si-woo's condition?

A professional player who had lived only for Baduk was raising his child to inherit that dream.

Chang-ho could easily guess how such a father would react if told about Si-woo's school life in detail.

He would have undoubtedly chosen to focus entirely on Baduk rather than school.

Parents cannot view their children objectively; Chang-ho knew this well.

Parents never understand that extreme love can ruin a child.

That was the most basic lesson in pedagogy.

Honestly, Chang-ho didn't have the confidence to persuade Si-woo's father by explaining all of this.

So, he just went for it.

And pushed himself to the edge of the cliff.

He just had to find a solution somehow.

He must never let his mere passion leave a negative scar on a child's life.

Chang-ho knew the weight of that responsibility all too well.

'Let's see...'

It had to be an appealing proposal for the kids in the class too.

First, the child with the loudest voice and the most influence in the class right now was Min-jun.

And what Min-jun liked most was...

A vague outline began to form.

Go Chang-ho swept away the fallen hair on his desk and began typing on his laptop to draft a plan.

By the time five in the morning rolled around,

Chang-ho, who had set scheduled text messages to be sent to the children right at their school arrival time, collapsed in front of his laptop with bloodshot eyes.

*

Morning.

Si-woo, who had been dragged to the counseling room on his way to school, was furrowing his brows and fidgeting with his fingers.

The teacher spoke with a warm smile.

For some reason, his eyes were bloodshot.

“You heard from your father, right?”

“......Yes.”

“Since it's the beginning of the semester, the goal is to get closer to your classmates. Especially after what happened yesterday.”

The teacher slid a printed sheet of paper in front of Si-woo.

Various rules were written on it.

The teacher began pointing them out one by one as he explained.

“Alright, first, no headphones at school. No looking at Baduk game records alone during school hours. Ah, looking at them together while talking to someone is allowed. Also, no sitting alone during free time or recess. Even if you're not doing anything, pick anyone and stay near them. Once morning classes are over, you can only leave early after eating lunch and when lunchtime is completely over. On Wednesdays and Fridays, you have mandatory free time until four in the afternoon. I've already talked to your father about you not going to the Baduk academy during those times. You can do whatever you want ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠then, but you can't play alone. You have to come to school the next day and tell me what you did with which friend. I promised to let your father know every time.”

Si-woo furrowed his brows in disapproval, but his dad had repeatedly urged him.

To absolutely follow the teacher's words.

He said he had visited the academy yesterday, but what on earth did they talk about?

At such an important time like this...

“You understand, right?”

“......Yes.”

“Great!”

Chang-ho smiled brightly and placed a hand on Si-woo's shoulder.

“Now, shall we head to our classroom where all your friends are?”

“......”

Pushed by the shoulder, Si-woo let out a quiet sigh.

*

Walking from the counseling room to the classroom, Si-woo sighed repeatedly.

Yesterday, his emotions had exploded, he had swung his fists, and he had rolled pathetically on the classroom floor.

His self-control had completely shattered.

Because Si-woo had a strong perfectionist streak, the whole thing was incredibly humiliating.

Moreover, he hadn't even apologized properly in the counseling room.

Even though Chul-jun, who was a head shorter and looked much younger, had handled it so maturely, he had remained petty to the very end.

He was so ashamed of that.

'......'

Honestly, he really hadn't wanted to come to school.

So he had tried to use the excuse of not feeling well, but his dad, with an incredibly excited face, had delivered a bolt from the blue and pushed him out the door, forcing him to come.

'What do I do?'

How was he supposed to endure the stinging stares of the other kids?

Furthermore, his headphones—which had blocked others from approaching by their mere presence—had been confiscated.

The headphones were the most important thing to Si-woo.

They were the boundary of his own world.

Now, he couldn't even pretend not to hear.

That made him incredibly anxious.

It meant anyone could talk to him now.

No, thinking about it now, maybe he was more afraid of the situation where he didn't have headphones and yet no one talked to him.

As the classroom drew closer, his heart pounded furiously.

No game records, no headphones.

He didn't have the confidence to blend in with the kids without anything to show that he was special and different from them.

Si-woo bit his lower lip.

If it weren't for his dad, he would have run away right then and there.

Screeech—

It felt as if the gates of hell were opening.

His head spun.

His feet wouldn't move, but the teacher gently stroked his back.

As if he understood his state, he didn't push, but just gently stroked.

He squeezed his eyes shut, opened them, and looked inside the classroom.

The children's eyes gathered on him.

The world spun.

“Hi, Si-woo!”

“......”

Chul-jun, sitting in the very front row, waved his hand vigorously with a bright smile.

Come to think of it, he had greeted him and waved like that yesterday too.

It was Si-woo who had passed by, pretending not to see or hear.

But today, their eyes met, and there were no headphones blocking his ears.

'What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do...'

Should he just faint?

Just then, No Min-jun, sitting in the very back, raised his hand high.

“Teacher! Is the first period really free study?”

“Yep, that's right!”

“And we can use our phones?”

“Yes. Just for today.”

“Sweet!”

“Awesome!”

The children instantly became rowdy.

“Wow, thanks, Si-woo!”

“Sweet! We're totally benefiting thanks to Si-woo!”

“Hey! Hurry up and come over! Let's play!”

Actually, some of them were just staring blankly at Si-woo.

But Min-jun and Ha-rang shouted loudly.

Si-woo widened his eyes and looked at the teacher.

The teacher grinned and tapped Si-woo's shoulder.

Then he whispered in his ear.

“You know the rule, right? No being alone. Actually, you won't even be able to be alone. I told them if they don't include you, the free study is canceled and phones are banned.”

Si-woo swallowed hard.

Min-jun, whom he had never properly talked to before, was waving him over.

Chul-jun was still waving his hand energetically.

He wondered what made that kid so happy to keep smiling so brightly...

But thinking about it, it was the first time since he entered this school.

That the kids called his name so loudly.

“Alright, go on in. Oh, and greet Chul-jun back. His arm is about to fall off.”

Si-woo raised his hand awkwardly.

“......Hi.”

Only then did Chul-jun lower his hand.

Even though he had shown such an ugly side of himself yesterday...

None of the kids looked at him strangely.

No, actually, a few did seem to look at him weirdly, but in Si-woo's eyes, only Chul-jun, Min-jun, and Ha-rang were visible.

Si-woo took a step into the classroom.

It was strange.

Just a moment ago, it felt like he was entering hell, but once he actually stepped inside, it wasn't that scary.

“Hurry up! Let's play Rival!”

“No Min-jun! I can hear everything. If you're going to do it, at least pretend to hide it! I didn't openly give permission for ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠games!”

“Ah...!”

“Oh, seriously! Shut up, No Min-jun!”

At the sound of the children laughing, the incredibly heavy worries piled up in Si-woo's chest began to melt away.

*

“Whoa! Holy crap! We actually won by doing what Si-woo said?”

“What's this! Chul-juuun! Are you flustered?”

“Was Rival always such a tactical game?”

“With my mechanics and Si-woo's brain, we're invincible!”

Si-woo, who had his head buried in his phone, felt his ears turning bright red.

And Go Chang-ho, who was quietly observing the children, clenched his fist under his desk.

Because things were flowing much more smoothly than he had anticipated.

Children are indeed not to be judged prematurely through the eyes of adults.

With just a tiny spark, doors open, they mingle, and grudges melt away.

He had only set up a small stage, but they mingled so easily in a way that adults would find completely incomprehensible.

Holding onto grudges, calculating, and demanding explanations are standards adults learn as they grow; they are not the inherent nature of children.

Children are naturally light, and because of that, they are childish yet flexible.

Chang-ho once again recalled the words of countless educators: that one can never fully peer into the world of children solely through an adult's perspective.

Even he hadn't expected it to go this well.

Since it was a somewhat forced situation, he had expected the awkward and cringey atmosphere to last a while, but it dissolved in an instant.

If they were middle schoolers, it wouldn't have been this easy.

'...Hmm?'

Go Chang-ho's eyebrow twitched.

He was observing the children with a pleased smile, but Chul-jun's state was a bit strange.

He was fidgeting like a puppy that needed to go to the bathroom, casting furtive glances at Si-woo.

Chang-ho smiled faintly and rested his chin on his hand.