The Joy of the Fight

Si-woo furrowed his brow deeply.

The door to his opponent's territory was wide open, practically daring him to enter.

If it had been his usual self, he would have immediately looked away and searched for another path.

He knew all too well that the moment he stepped through that door, the number of moves he could read ahead would plummet.

But today was different.

He desperately wanted to dive into that space, tangle with Cheol-jun's stones, and engage in a messy, chaotic dogfight.

He felt like he would get crushed again.

And yet, it was incredibly fun.

He had never realized that fighting with everything he had and losing could feel this refreshing and exhilarating.

Even if it ended in defeat, the fierce struggle etched across the Baduk board remained as a beautiful, striking testament.

'It's just because I'm not used to it yet.'

Si-woo could feel it clearly now.

Before he knew it, he was beginning to respond properly to Cheol-jun's relentless attacks.

In their very first even game, he had been utterly demolished without a plan.

He had never encountered someone who played with such aggressive, head-on intensity.

That was why he had been so terrified of taking a single step through that wide-open door.

But Cheol-jun had refused to let him retreat.

Even at the cost of his own advantage, Cheol-jun had pursued him relentlessly.

Why? Are you scared?

If you run, you won't win.

I'm telling you to fight me here.

Not coming?

If you won't come, I'm coming to you.

Cheol-jun had chased him down with dogged persistence, ultimately forcing him into a situation where combat was the only option.

This kid didn't know where to draw the line.

He didn't care about securing profit; he simply charged forward like a fighting cock.

He had forced Si-woo into a game where merely backing away meant certain defeat.

As a result, Si-woo had found himself growing excited without even realizing it.

Equanimity.

The moment that most crucial mindset in Baduk vanished, the very landscape of the board transformed completely.

It was no longer a calculated battlefield of building fortresses and trading measured blows, but an open plain where reckless, chaotic hand-to-hand combat ran rampant.

And yet, it was so incredibly fun.

In a chaotic warzone where he could barely read a few moves ahead, his opponent was running wild, making any further deep reading utterly meaningless.

So, Si-woo ran wild too.

If he couldn't see many moves ahead, he just had to make sure his opponent saw even fewer.

He struggled desperately.

In a live-blade duel where backing out even slightly meant instant decapitation, Si-woo lost seven times in a row.

And then...

—Clack!

"...Huh?"

Cheol-jun tilted his head, tracing back the stones he had just fought Si-woo with using his small, baby-like hands.

Then, wrinkling his nose deeply, he fell into deep thought.

The corner of Si-woo's mouth twitched.

Normally, if he were playing against a research student at the academy, he would never have allowed himself to show such a expression.

"You can't block it."

It was a phrase the old Si-woo would never have uttered at a Baduk board. But he couldn't help himself.

"I told you, you can't block it."

Cheol-jun's brow furrowed even deeper, and the corner of Si-woo's mouth curled up even higher in response.

Cheol-jun parted his lips slightly.

"Ah... I missed that spot."

Scratching the corner of his eye with his index finger, Cheol-jun picked up a white stone and tapped it onto the table.

Then, he bowed his head slightly.

"I lost."

A victory finally secured on their eighth game.

Normally, he would have obsessed over the games he had lost, but...

"...I won," Si-woo muttered, clenching his fist tightly.

Then, before he could stop himself, another exclamation slipped out.

"Yes! Score!"

His heart was pounding furiously. He had won countless league matches at the main branch, but he had never felt this incredibly thrilled, as if he were flying through the air.

He had fought to his heart's content and won through pure, unadulterated combat.

Until now, his games had been about avoiding risks, conceding appropriately, securing guaranteed profits, and winning or losing safely.

Even during reviews, the AI had mostly recommended those safe, calculated moves because they yielded a much higher win rate.

By researching only the moves that guaranteed victory, he had forgotten the intrinsic joy of Baduk that he had felt when he first picked up a stone.

How long had it been since he felt that sheer ecstasy—the thrill of clinging to older, much bigger boys when he was younger and barely scraping a win ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠through sheer grit?

Cheol-jun met Si-woo's eyes and smiled brightly.

Though no words were spoken, Si-woo, having just conversed with him through Baduk, could clearly read what Cheol-jun was thinking.

'See? I told you so.'

Si-woo smiled broadly in return.

'Yeah, you're right!'

At 7:00 PM, the long conversation between the two young Baduk players finally came to an end.

"Whoa..."

Hyeong-man, who had sent Cheol-jun up first after they arrived at the apartment parking lot, shook his head in disbelief as he listened to Go Chang-ho.

He had received a text earlier saying Cheol-jun would be a bit late because he was playing Baduk with a friend, but to think that friend was the son of the "fighting cock" Park Jin-gyeom 8-dan?

Having once been a fan, Hyeong-man knew the name well. Park Jin-gyeom was famous for his aggressive, head-on style, playing to win or go down in flames.

"You should have called me. I could have picked him up..."

"No, it's fine. I was on my way home anyway..."

"So, you're saying it was seven wins and one loss?"

"Yes. I don't know much about Baduk, so I can't say for sure, but Cheol-jun's skills are remarkable. Si-woo is exceptionally good for his age, and yet..."

"Wow..."

"I thought I should let you know. I don't know how long Cheol-jun has studied Baduk, but his skills are almost at a professional level."

Hyeong-man recalled Cheol-jun playing Baduk yesterday. From three in the afternoon until three in the morning, completely absorbed, losing track of time.

Is Baduk really that fun?

Should he have him pursue it seriously?

While Hyeong-man was lost in thought, Go Chang-ho spoke ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠again.

"But when Si-woo asked Cheol-jun to go to the academy with him, Cheol-jun refused."

"...Pardon?"

"He said Baduk is too hard..."

Hyeong-man's eyebrow twitched. After beating an aspiring pro research student seven to one?

"Cheol-jun told Si-woo that it would be hard for him to keep winning like this. He said he couldn't catch up to the intuition accumulated through experience."

"Hmm... But if he starts building experience now..."

"I said the same thing. But he said there are too many fun things in the world to only do one thing."

"Haha..."

Go Chang-ho narrowed his eyes slightly.

"There is a term called 'intrinsic motivation.' It refers to the psychology of doing something because you want to and enjoy it. On the other hand, 'extrinsic motivation' means prioritizing showing off your skills and being recognized by others."

"..."

"Cheol-jun played Baduk out of pure intrinsic motivation. Si-woo, however, had his extrinsic motivation grow much larger than his intrinsic motivation. But while playing with Cheol-jun, those two motivations flipped."

"So, what you're saying is..."

Go Chang-ho hesitated before speaking.

"Has Cheol-jun ever bragged or shown off when he did something well? Ah, for the record, I've never sensed anything like that at school."

Hyeong-man's brow furrowed slightly.

"Come to think of it, never."

"Ah... as I thought."

"Is that... a negative sign?"

Go Chang-ho quickly shook his head.

"No! Not at all. You can view it very positively. It means he is facing the world entirely on his own terms, without any stress. There was a paper on this. Children in a group led by a child with strong intrinsic motivation mostly changed to become like that child..."

Hyeong-man scratched his head sheepishly.

"I'm, uh, not very good with academic papers and things like that..."

Go Chang-ho waved his hands.

"No, it's my fault for not explaining it clearly. Simply put, I wanted to say that Cheol-jun can have a very positive influence ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on the children around him. In the US, there are cases where many members of a rural intellectual community grew up to become highly influential figures in American society. The leader of that community at the time was Abraham Lincoln of the New Salem community."

"Whoa... Lincoln?"

Chang-ho smiled and nodded.

"I once read an educational psychology paper titled 'The Genius Who Makes Geniuses.'"

"..."

"It might be a stretch. But seeing Si-woo change because of Cheol-jun today, that paper's title came to mind."

"My goodness... to that extent..."

"Intrinsic motivation is known to be contagious. Research shows it permeates even more naturally in pre-adolescent children."

"Ah..."

"I've only observed him for a few days, but I am certain Cheol-jun will bring incredibly positive energy to the children around him. This ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠isn't an exaggeration. Since his brilliant giftedness hasn't been focused on any single area yet, I'm even more excited for his future. I can't wait to see what kind of amazing adult he will grow into as he experiences various things with different children."

"..."

"To make that happen, the guardian's role is absolutely crucial, and I really love your current approach. Letting such a brilliant child run free to do whatever he wants is not an easy decision for a guardian. Honestly, even I feel a strong urge to influence Cheol-jun somehow. I wonder how you manage to hold back..."

Go Chang-ho bowed deeply.

"I look forward to working with you in the future."

Hyeong-man quickly bowed back.

"No, I should be the one saying that."

In truth, Hyeong-man felt a sudden pang of guilt. Just a moment ago, he had been scheming on how to coax the boy into pursuing Baduk.

"Well, I'll be going now."

"Yes! Yes! Get home safely, Teacher!"

Watching Chang-ho's car drive away, Hyeong-man scratched his head.

'I'm glad he met a good teacher.'

Well, it was all praise, so he felt highly satisfied. Praise for Cheol-jun, and praise for himself. His shoulders squared with pride.

'Let's see, he played Baduk for just one day and now he's quitting?'

'The experts were right about this too.'

Hyeong-man chuckled and pressed the elevator button.

Cheol-jun lay in bed, grinning to himself.

The massive question mark he had felt when he first saw Si-woo's game record had been completely erased.

Actually, now that it was gone, he realized it wasn't a question mark. It wasn't fully organized in his mind, but the regret of wishing the black stones in that record could enjoy themselves more had weighed on him like a suffocating question mark.

Or perhaps it was an obsession to confirm if his intuition was correct.

Either way, seeing Si-woo smile so brightly made the question mark vanish, leaving him feeling completely refreshed.

'Hehe.'

Conversing through Baduk was truly wonderful. It was much more honest than talking with words. He loved that.

Si-woo, who barely spoke normally, expressed so much through Baduk.

'I'm glad he enjoyed it.'

To be honest, Cheol-jun had been scared too. If he couldn't convince him through Baduk, or if he was wrong, he had no idea what to do next.

But as they played more games, he grew certain.

Just as he suspected, Si-woo had forgotten how to enjoy the game. Today's match was to show him that.

It was a problem that couldn't be proven with math or words. He had to play Baduk to show him.

And he had found the answer in his own way.

'I was right.'

He felt an inexplicable sense of pride. He loved the broad smile Si-woo gave him at the end.

'Of course you do better when you're having fun.'

It felt great to know he had become someone Si-woo truly needed.

He could clearly feel a strong bond, like a sturdy rope, forming between him and Si-woo after their conversation through Baduk.

He felt like he understood a little. What his dad meant by making someone "truly your person."

His dad must have become someone needed by others first, just like this.

Suddenly, he grew curious about the people connected to his dad by these sturdy ropes.

'I've seen Uncle Hyeong-man, the lawyer uncle, and the NIS uncle...'

What kind of people were the others? He looked forward to meeting them.

His eyes grew heavy. He hadn't slept well yesterday, and using his brain so much had left him exhausted.

Cheol-jun fell asleep with a grin on his face.

And he dreamed.

He dreamed of rolling and throwing fluffy Baduk stones, running around happily on a bouncy Baduk board.

From far away, Si-woo came running excitedly.

Then, Si-woo rolled a Baduk stone toward him.

Cheol-jun caught it and threw it back.

The two played for a long time, tossing the fluffy stones back and forth.

It was, indeed, incredibly fun.

"Kid, aren't you hun... gry? Oh? Sleeping? Without washing? Haha. You should've at least changed out of your uniform..."

Hyeong-man chuckled and pulled up the blanket that had slipped off the bed.

The boy kept grinning, lost in whatever dream he was having.

Hyeong-man had seen him sob or tremble in his sleep many times, but this was the first time he had seen him smile like this while sleeping.

When Hyeong-man gently stroked his hair, the boy giggled.

Gazing warmly at the child, Hyeong-man turned off the light and stepped into the living room.

'He must have had a really good time today.'

Honestly, Hyeong-man had been on edge every single day. Monday and Tuesday seemed to pass without incident, but he had worried whether a child raised in such a different environment—and one who had suffered such a massive trauma—could adjust properly among school friends.

Moreover, having read about the negative emotional tendencies of gifted children, his worries had only multiplied.

But after talking with the teacher today, he felt relieved knowing the boy was doing well.

Still, he couldn't let his guard down. No one could truly know what was going on inside the child's heart.

Hyeong-man let out a sigh and walked toward the refrigerator.

"Alright, Cheol-jun fell asleep early, so maybe a glass of soju..."

The phone on the sofa vibrated.

He checked the caller ID.

Hyeong-man raised an eyebrow and answered the call.

"Hey. What's up? What brings a woman who's too busy to blink calling me?"

Hyeong-man's eyebrow twitched.

"What? Is the European tour over?"

"Hey."

Hyeong-man hung up, found the photo he took when Cheol-jun first tried on his school uniform, and sent it via chat.

'Sheesh, what a pain...'

Yet, picturing her face—she who would want to see Cheol-jun more than anyone else—Hyeong-man shook his head with a warm smile.

The next day.

The fifth-floor hallway of Hanyoung Private Elementary School.

"Whoa! No way! Cheol-jun hit a girl!"

At the sudden shout from Ha-rang, the children rushed out into the hallway.

A girl was crying, covering her face, and in front of her, Cheol-jun stood with a flustered expression, swallowing hard.