Chapter 14
Chapter 14
“Excuse me. By any chance…”
She looked straight at me.
“Are you NoName?”
“Me?”
“Yes, aren’t you NoName from Three Kingdoms Go?”
There was certainty in her calm eyes.
Like someone checking a correct answer, her expression didn’t waver.
The moment I met that gaze, the words came out instinctively.
“No, I’m not.”
Inside, I panicked, but my voice stayed perfectly composed.
For now.
I wanted to keep distance between my online and offline identities.
Regardless of my Go skill—
If it naturally connected to my real-life self, my job could become something to be judged as well.
But still—
‘How did she know?’
She must have watched my game, but could professionals really tell just from that?
“…I see, I must have been mistaken.”
Jang Yuna 2-dan hesitated for a moment.
Her eyes were filled with a strange sense of disappointment.
She looked at me quietly, then nodded.
“Ah, I guess I was wrong. You’re very good. Congratulations on your win.”
“Thank you.”
After a brief exchange, she turned away.
With a lingering expression of regret, she walked out of the gymnasium.
‘Did I make the right call?’
When she asked if I was NoName, I hesitated for a split second.
Should I admit it, or pretend not to know?
But the conclusion was simple.
‘I hate dealing with trouble.’
Even today, I had been constantly asked where I learned Go.
People naturally assumed I had been a trainee.
Han Taemin’s puzzled expression when I said I was self-taught was still vivid.
The truth was, I had simply gained talent.
In that situation, getting entangled with Jang Yuna 2-dan would only make things unnecessarily complicated.
More than that, I didn’t like the boundary between online and offline becoming blurred.
Even if it wasn’t something deeply meaningful, losing the freedom of anonymity was uncomfortable.
Anyone who has played AOS games would understand.
So my answer was simple.
‘Just avoid it.’
After Jang Yuna left, the branch manager patted my shoulder.
“Our Staff Kim, you’re amazing. Winning the top division! Congratulations.”
He looked even happier than I was.
There was a sense of pride in his expression.
“What’s this, on such an emotional moment—where did Branch Manager Do and Assistant Manager Jung go?”
Ah, are you really asking because you don’t know?
If it were me, I would’ve disappeared too.
The branch manager smacked his lips in disappointment.
“People just can’t stand seeing others do well. Here, drink this. It must’ve been exhausting winning like that!”
“Thank you.”
I took the water bottle he handed me and gulped it down.
I had been focused on the match, but also—
Jang Yuna’s probing about “NoName.”
There had been quite a few things weighing on my mind.
“Go on.”
After excusing myself, I headed toward the stage.
As people gathered, the ceremonies proceeded in order, excluding kindergarten and lower-grade divisions.
“Upper-grade division winner, Park Eunwoo. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
The student who received the plaque from Kang Hyuk 9-dan hurried down to his parents.
The parents’ bright smiles, even more delighted than the child, were nice to see.
Soon, the senior division awards followed.
“Tch, acting all happy just for making semifinals.”
The branch manager pouted, clearly dissatisfied with Branch Manager Do’s award.
From what I had overheard before, our branch manager was about two ranks higher.
But losing to him in an official tournament must’ve hurt his pride.
“Next, we will proceed with the Gyeonggi Top Division awards. Recipients, please come up to the stage.”
As soon as the announcement ended, the branch manager nudged my back.
“Go on up, Staff Kim.”
I slowly stepped onto the stage.
Perhaps because of the scale of the tournament, a large crowd had gathered below.
Dozens of eyes turned toward me, making me feel a bit embarrassed.
“Third place, Jung Suho and Oh Donggeun.”
Following the proceedings, Kang Hyuk 9-dan handed them plaques and 3-dan certificates.
“Second place, Han Taemin.”
Han Taemin stepped forward and received his plaque and 4-dan certificate.
“Good work.”
“Thank you, sir.”
After a brief word of encouragement, he stepped back.
Then—
“First place in the Gyeonggi Top Division, Kim Inha!”
As I stepped forward, Kang Hyuk 9-dan handed me the winner’s plaque and 5-dan certificate.
Applause erupted from all around.
Below the stage, the branch manager was filming me with his phone.
As the commemorative photo session ended, Kang Hyuk 9-dan extended his hand for a handshake.
“I think this is a first for me—staying until the end at an amateur tournament. It was a memorable game.”
“Ah… thank you.”
My mind went blank for a moment.
This wasn’t just anyone—it was praise from one of the legends of Korean Go.
It felt like my talent, my Go, had been recognized.
At that moment—
Ding!
A familiar notification sound rang.
[ Talent: Go (A) ]
[ Winning Records ]
As expected.
As if waiting for this moment, my winning records were updated.
And below that, another line was added.
An official certificate issued by a recognized association.
It seemed the system acknowledged it as an “achievement.”
‘Wait… something else popped up?’
[ !! ]
A notification window.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t the usual warning orange or red.
I slowly reached out and opened it.
[ Congratulations. You have partially fulfilled the conditions for maintaining your talent. ]
I smiled.
It felt like I had found the answer.
“Staff Kim, I really see you in a new light. It just goes to show—you can’t judge a person by appearances.”
Right now, I was in the branch manager’s car.
A top-of-the-line S-Class, several times more expensive than the Benz Assistant Manager Ha used to brag about.
I sat in the passenger seat as we drove along the highway toward my home.
“What did you come by, Staff Kim? The subway? You’re really frugal for your age. How were you planning to carry all that? Just ride with me. I’ll drop you off.”
It was too good an offer to refuse.
‘Who would’ve thought I’d win a sack of rice!’
A local specialty.
A full 20 kilograms of freshly harvested rice as a prize.
Along with the plaque, certificate, Go board, and stones.
Trying to carry all that on the subway would’ve been a nightmare.
So in the end, I chose mental discomfort over physical hardship.
“So, you said you learned Go on your own?”
“Yes.”
“I heard it’s been about two years. Is that right?”
“Around that.”
At my answer, the branch manager’s expression turned subtle.
It looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated.
“Staff Kim, what made you start playing Go…?”
“Yes, I got interested after your recommendation, sir.”
“I thought so. The timing matches exactly when I came to this branch. Haha.”
Of course, that was a lie.
I had gained this talent much later.
But—
‘I’ll humor him a little.’
He was giving me a comfortable ride home in a car I had never even sat in before.
This much counted as a harmless lie.
“You should’ve told me. I could’ve helped you.”
“I just… wanted to try it on my own. To see how far I could go by self-study. Entering the tournament was part of that.”
“Wow, Staff Kim, that’s a great mindset. Very determined. Different from kids these days.”
Once you lie once, the second and third come easier.
Maybe that’s how it becomes a habit.
“Incredible. Amateur 5-dan in just two years by yourself. You’ve got talent.”
“I don’t know about talent… but I do enjoy playing Go.”
“Haha, right. There’s nothing as fun as Go. If it weren’t for work, I’d play Go instead of golf all day.”
The conversation remained warm throughout.
Who would’ve thought that something like Go could bring me and the branch manager this close?
Even I found it surprising.
“Still, it’s a bit of a shame. With that level of talent, if you’d started earlier, you could’ve aimed for pro.”
“Pro?”
“Yeah. You saw it earlier—Jang Yuna 2-dan and Kang Hyuk 9-dan couldn’t take their eyes off your game.”
“That might’ve been because my opponent was Kang Hyuk’s student…”
“No. It’s because your Go is that special. Even to me, it felt unpredictable.”
“…You’re flattering me.”
Still, Kang Hyuk 9-dan had said something similar.
And Jang Yuna had suspected I was NoName and couldn’t look away either.
‘I feel like I can go further.’
It gave me confidence.
“You’ve got your amateur 5-dan now. You’ll enter the President’s Cup in two weeks, right?”
“Yes. I’m planning to apply for the top division.”
Winning this tournament had been preparation for that.
The President’s Cup top division required an official 5-dan certificate to enter.
‘And the prize money is huge. Five million won, plus an official amateur 7-dan certificate.’
Too good an opportunity to miss.
“The President’s Cup top division is full of strong players. Former trainees, top amateurs—all of them compete.”
“I’ll think of it as a good experience.”
“What are you saying? If you’re entering, you should aim to win. From what I’ve seen, you definitely have a chance.”
The branch manager spoke with even more enthusiasm than I felt.
Then, as if remembering something, he changed the topic.
“Oh right, if you win the President’s Cup, you’ll get a seed for the Biryong Tournament. Your amateur ranking points will jump significantly.”
“The Biryong Tournament?”
“It’s the largest amateur Go tournament in the country. This year, the winner’s prize alone exceeds 30 million won.”
“30… million?”
I blinked repeatedly in shock.
‘This is something I can’t miss.’
A fire ignited inside me.
My motivation surged like never before.
As we talked, we had already arrived near my home.
“You can drop me off up ahead.”
“Why? The navigation says to go further.”
“There are a lot of parked cars in the alley. It’s narrow and uphill—hard to drive.”
My home was in a hillside area packed with multi-family houses.
Driving up wouldn’t be easy.
“How are you going to carry all that? It’s fine, stay in.”
Despite my concern, the branch manager drove up the hill anyway.
The alley was so narrow it felt risky, but we arrived safely.
“…Thank you, sir.”
I meant it.
Since he arrived at the branch, this was the first time I had felt this grateful.
“You can carry the rice and board yourself, right? I can’t help with that.”
I chuckled and unloaded the luggage.
“Monday I’m on a business trip. If you’re free Tuesday lunch, let’s eat together. Do you like eel rice bowl?”
“Yes. Then please drive safely, sir.”
“Alright, get in.”
His car drove off down the alley.
I struggled as I carried the Go board and rice sack to the entrance.
My arms felt like they’d lose circulation from the weight.
But my lips curled into a smile just as heavily.
‘A side job better than my main job.’
Lately, my thoughts had been changing.
If my main job was survival—
Then my side job was possibility.
And now, that possibility was slowly becoming reality.
‘Let’s go as far as I can.’
With a smile, I reached for the door handle.
At that moment—
Bzzzz.
My phone vibrated in my pocket. A text message.
[ Lee Yeonhee: Sunbae, do you have a moment right now? ]
It was Yeonhee.