Chapter 11
Chapter 11
After finishing the lunch box, I stopped by a coffee shop near the gym for a short break.
To wake myself up and get some caffeine, I bought a takeaway iced Americano.
On the way back, I was careful, worried I might run into the branch manager.
“What is this, some kind of event?”
A long line stretched all the way to the entrance of the gym.
At the front, someone was talking with fans and signing autographs.
I leaned closer and looked.
A familiar face.
My eyes widened.
“Jang Yu-na?”
It was the professional Go player Jang Yu-na 2-dan, the same one I had faced in a viewer match not long ago.
Seeing her in person, she looked even calmer and more distinct than on broadcast.
“Next, please. What name should I write?”
Maybe because I had already had some connection with her, she felt oddly familiar.
And she looked even more beautiful in real life.
A striking contrast to her aggressive playing style.
Now I understood why she was so popular.
“Oh, there’s another line?”
Next to Jang Yu-na, who was signing autographs and even taking selfies with fans, another line stretched out.
Judging by the number of people, it was even more crowded than Jang Yu-na’s line.
I glanced at the nameplate.
Professional Go player Kang Hyeok 9-dan.
I remembered hearing his name during the opening ceremony earlier.
A local legend who had won the Kisung Championship in the professional circuit.
Maybe because of his past fame, he attracted mostly middle-aged and older fans compared to Jang Yu-na.
“The first autograph session will end soon, and the problem-solving event will begin. The second autograph session will run from 2 PM to 3 PM.”
As the announcement continued, the people waiting in line began to leave one by one with regretful expressions.
Soon after, Jang Yu-na and Kang Hoon 9-dan finished signing and stepped onto the stage to host the problem-solving event.
“First question. Black to move, White dead. If you find the move to capture the White group, please raise your hand!”
It was a mid-level life-and-death problem.
Younger participants immediately raised their hands.
“You there in the front, come up!”
A student selected by Jang Yu-na ran up to the stage.
He placed magnetic stones on the large demonstration board.
That answer is wrong, I thought.
The student who failed looked disappointed as he stepped down.
The event continued in a similar way afterward.
Jang Yu-na’s hosting was smooth, while Kang Hoon 9-dan provided weight and authority.
“Now, the final problem of the day! I heard the prize is amazing. What is it?”
“A premium wooden Go board and jade Go stones.”
My eyes naturally drifted toward the prize.
At a glance, they were high-end, expensive Go equipment.
I kind of want that.
For a moment, I felt tempted.
Even if everything is online now, shouldn’t I at least have a proper Go board at home?
“I want it too, it looks really luxurious! If it’s the prize, the difficulty must be high, right?”
“That’s correct. This problem will be displayed for only three minutes to prevent cheating. And answers must be written on the entry slips.”
“Three minutes… that’s pretty tight. When will the winner be announced?”
“It will be announced right before the final match. If there are multiple correct answers, the prize will go to whoever submitted it first.”
“Understood. Then we will reveal the problem.”
Jang Yu-na lifted the cloth covering the large Go board.
At that moment, a complicated life-and-death problem appeared.
Black to move, White dead.
It’s complicated.
My eyes quickly scanned the board.
All the usual vital points were blocked. Nothing worked.
Not once, but twisted twice over.
In situations like this, you shouldn’t focus on simply killing the shape.
Instead, you have to reverse it.
You have to use the shape itself against White.
A self-atari strategy.
Force White, in its struggle to live, to choke itself and collapse.
That was the core of this problem.
I quietly walked up to a staff member and took an answer slip.
The printed sheet had the problem on it.
Scribble, scribble.
I marked the answer without hesitation and even wrote the optimal sequence of moves.
“Do I just submit this here?”
“Yes? Ah, yes.”
It took less than a minute.
When I handed in the slip, I could feel people’s eyes briefly on me.
I lowered my head and quickly stepped away.
I might get noticed by the branch manager.
I hid in a corner for a moment when the announcement echoed through the gym.
“All quarterfinal matches will begin shortly. Participants, please follow the instructions…”
I slowly steadied my breathing and headed toward the playing area.
When I sat at the board, I could see the quarterfinalists.
They clearly felt different from the earlier opponents.
Tension. Focus. And…
I can feel their seriousness.
A real will to win the tournament.
I turned my head toward my opponent.
A man in his early forties, with a warm, bear-like face.
Tuk.
After the stone draw, he took Black and played first.
Lower-left star point.
Clean and safe opening move.
His following opening emphasized stability and foundation rather than thickness.
A player with a clear style.
The early game flowed quietly.
It felt less like competition and more like exchange.
Yet he didn’t leave openings carelessly.
He’s not level 4 or 5 dan.
At minimum, above 6-dan in the Three Kingdoms Go rating system.
Maybe even stronger in practice.
I responded calmly to his moves.
At first glance, it looked like I was playing a half-step slower.
But to him, that would feel more suffocating.
Like two sharp fangs at his neck.
He started to waver.
The one being chased feels more pressure than the one chasing.
The closer the balance, the heavier the burden.
As we entered the middle game, the flow gradually shifted to my side.
The territorial gap widened like rain soaking clothes drop by drop.
“Ugh…”
A low groan escaped his mouth.
His expression tightened slightly.
His pace slowed.
He spent more time thinking, but could not find a turning point.
“I resign.”
Before scoring, he gave up.
“Thank you for the game.”
I politely bowed.
“You’re really good. Are you 6-dan?”
“No, I’m 5-dan.”
“5-dan? With this level?”
His eyes widened in surprise.
“I just don’t have many games played yet. I only play part-time after work.”
“I see. With this level, you should be in the national strongest division instead.”
He nodded toward the opposite section.
The top-tier amateur division.
Stronger players, denser fights.
“I’m planning to go there soon.”
I smiled.
It wouldn’t take long.
After today, I would have the qualification to stand on the same level as them.
“Dad!”
A cute little girl ran up and hugged the bear-faced man.
“Dad, did you win?”
“Nope. This uncle is just too good.”
He picked up his daughter, smiling brightly.
“Can you play with me now?”
“Of course. Let’s play.”
He left the venue with his wife and child, looking as if he had everything in the world.
I couldn’t take my eyes off them.
It looked good.
That was the only thought I had.
Someday, I wanted a family like that too.
To do that, I’d have to succeed.
I stood up quietly after collecting the stones.
I reported the result to the organizers, and my name appeared in the semifinal bracket.
Now just two more wins…
And I would earn the official 5-dan certificate required for the national strongest division.
And then.
The prize money was 3 million won.
For a city-level tournament, the amount was huge.
About 1.5 times my monthly salary.
Plus local rice and Go equipment.
This might be a better side job than my actual job.
I turned around.
I planned to stop by the restroom before heading back to the board.
That was the plan.
But then.
“Kim In-ha?”
A familiar voice.
And an even more familiar title.
Shit.
My body stiffened instantly.
I slowly turned my head.
Of course.
The branch manager was standing right behind me.