PePe Returns
I remember.
Fast but steady reading.
A sharp sense that never missed the flow.
Go that was incomparably solid compared to other 3-dans.
And...
PePe: Hey, you're the sub-account, right?
PePe: Okay, bring the main account. Drop the nickname and let's properly face each other again.
A soft chuckle escaped my lips.
The guy who had been grilling me about whether I was the sub-account was actually the sub-account himself.
“Did you lose?”
“I lost, but by half a point.”
“Half a point?”
“Yeah.”
The corner of my mouth lifted a fraction.
'Cute.'
I had lost by resignation, yet if the game had reached the endgame, it would have been more than ten points.
How many times he had nagged about a rematch still echoed clearly in my ears.
I climbed a few more steps up the stairs.
At the end of the corridor, a noisy group of research students came into view.
'That's PePe.'
The kid with his arms crossed behind his head, fidgeting restlessly.
Full of swagger.
Tenacious fighting spirit.
“Eh? Hello?”
I turned at the familiar voice.
Kim Tae-ho and Kim Tae-yul, the brothers.
The older brother, Tae-ho, bowed his head calmly.
The younger brother, Tae-yul, looked at me with mischievous eyes.
“Hello.”
“Have you come for the selection?”
Tae-ho greeted me politely.
“Yeah. Thanks for your hard work.”
I answered lightly.
The brothers passed me and approached the research student group.
“That uncle really plays well.”
...Everyone heard it.
How openly he was trying to provoke.
At that moment, Tae-yul turned his head and said as if remembering.
“By the way, Tae-hyun, same group?”
“Me?”
The kid called Tae-hyun turned slightly toward me.
Our eyes met.
With a somewhat uneasy expression, he turned away again.
“I win.”
A blunt remark.
Was it bluff, determination, or confidence?
That cautious gaze shook precariously.
'Exciting.'
Rematch.
I held a faint smile and walked toward the selection venue.
Low ceiling, wide interior.
Cold, heavy air.
The Go board set up for the matches.
This was the venue for today's games.
'Bracket.'
There were 72 amateur participants in total.
8-man 1-group tournament.
3 wins to advance to integrated preliminaries.
I was the 2nd ranked amateur, receiving distribution for upper ranks.
That was why I avoided the same group as Kim Tae-ho or Kim Tae-yul.
I checked the bracket and turned around.
At that moment.
'Park Jun-soo.'
At the end of the venue.
Park Jun-soo sat with a blank expression, and our eyes met.
I nodded lightly.
He replied with a subtle glance.
'...Not close friends.'
I turned my gaze and sat in the assigned seat.
As the selection time approached, participants entered the venue.
All with solemn expressions.
Shoulders tense.
Then.
Two more entered the venue.
One was a familiar face.
“Today, Lim Dong-won, who will be the referee, and Kang Hyuk, the observer, will be with us.”
Simple introduction.
The venue quieted.
“Please take your seats. From now on, the amateur selection for the Ciel Bank Cup World Masters begins.”
A heavy tension spread through the air.
I slowly exhaled and looked beyond the board.
The first opponent was a girl around 13-14 years old.
A research student who suited glasses well.
Her name was, I think, Kim Su-jin.
Clack.
Covered the stones.
'Black.'
We placed our stone containers and bowed heads.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
First match.
Su-jin, holding black, started with joseki.
I placed a stone on the opposite joseki as well.
Su-jin played a safe point and chose the most secure opening.
Not rashly.
A Go that protected her own flow.
I also developed the early game following that flow.
The joseki progressed roughly.
Slowly claiming big areas.
As we approached the end of the opening.
'Shall I shake a bit?'
Attachment.
And extension.
My counter, the opponent looked slightly surprised.
But soon calmly responded in a formal way.
'Caught.'
I didn't miss the gap and opened the flow toward the center.
Shaking to gradually gain the initiative.
“......”
Su-jin leaned her upper body forward and entered thought.
Whether to counter with momentum or retreat.
The decision didn't take long.
Thud.
Black cut off my stone.
Matched cut.
'I took the momentum.'
Exactly what I wanted.
I didn't defend.
Instead, I expanded it even more uncontrollably.
Thud!
Retreated one step toward the center.
Unexpected move, Su-jin's head tilted.
She just stared at the move.
Couldn't play the next move readily.
Because my stone was blocking the extension point of the black stone.
'My pace.'
No thought of losing.
Only how to win filled my mind.
At that moment.
'Uh...?'
A presence felt beside me.
Someone standing watching.
'Is it Master Kang Hyuk?'
He was the one who watched my Go at the Presidential Cup too.
I ignored it and refocused on the match.
Until I secured the clear victory.
In my dictionary, complacency had no place.
* * *
Korea Baduk Association.
Outside the prelim venue.
On the corridor side LED sign, the three letters 'Quiet' were slowly flashing.
There.
Intermittent footsteps echoed faintly.
Footsteps approaching step by step up the stairs.
After turning the stairwell, a woman slowly climbed to the third floor.
“......”
Neatly tied hair in a white shirt.
Jeans and sneakers.
Distant from embellishment, clean and neat attire.
Yet.
Anyone seeing her would have their gaze stuck to her.
Clear skin.
Exotic features.
Model-like height.
Go that didn't suit, vitality and natural smile like from a broadcaster.
“Yuzuha? What are you doing here? No match today, right?”
The Korea Baduk Association staff recognized her and greeted.
Participants were replenishing disposable coffee, tea, and beans.
“Hello. I came to watch today.”
“Watch?”
The staff showed an astonished expression.
Saeki Yuzuha 3-dan.
Learned Go under Japanese pro parents.
Acted as Korea Baduk Association research student while coming and going to Korea.
Japanese national female pro Go player.
As popular as her Go skill, idol-like appearance, popular in both Korea and Japan.
Especially in Japan, an existence that infused vitality into the stagnant Go world.
Recently, model activities, became a symbol beyond simple Go player.
Yuzuha spoke fluent Korean.
“I came to watch a match I wanted to see.”
“Amateur selection?”
“Yes.”
Smiling lightly, Yuzuha passed.
The staff widened eyes and tilted head.
“...Amateur? Was there someone like that?”
Expression of not understanding.
However.
Yuzuha's gaze toward the prelim venue was serious.
A few days ago.
Kang Hyuk 9-dan called her to the dojo and reviewed a game.
Who played what.
Who won.
Which tournament.
Without explanation, just silently placed stones.
At first, she brushed it off casually.
But as it went to middle game, she couldn't help but be shocked.
'This, what is this?'
Moves that twisted the flow and shook.
Unseen in AI.
Gaps and spaces.
Go that trusted her own sense.
Couldn't endure.
“Master, who is this person?”
AI-trained reading.
Go that trapped itself in that framework.
Sense that became hazy chasing only win rate.
My Go, but a sense of alienation from my Go.
The problem that had been pressing down on the genius Saeki Yuzuha for over half a year.
“Kim In-ha. Amateur.”
Yuzuha couldn't believe it.
Even the research student before entering pro.
Not a pro player.
Unbelievable completion for amateur Go.
“Will you go see it yourself?”
Nodded like in a trance.
Lost sense.
Hope that it could be regained.
Kim In-ha.
His Go.
Wanted to see it directly.
To do that, came to Korea Baduk Association.
Beyond the door of the prelim venue where Yuzuha stood.
The sound of stones being placed regularly.
Clack. Clack.
Calmly ringing, I held my breath and slightly opened the door.
Amateur selection was public match.
Pro player Yuzuha could freely observe or watch.
However.
To not let her presence interfere with the match.
I deliberately entered quietly after the match started.
'That's her.'
Naturally, gaze fixed on one person.
Calm eyes.
At the fingertips holding the stone, no impatience or greed.
Just reading the flow.
Maintaining her own pace.
The real person much better than the photo in the Presidential Cup winner interview.
'Kim In-ha.'
How special he was.
The place came to confirm directly with eyes.
Slightly.
Yuzuha stood quietly in the place where In-ha's Go was best seen.
Precisely, behind In-ha's back.
At the distance where the flow of stones was transmitted intact from In-ha's eye level.
Clack.
He placed a stone.
That move.
'A place I wouldn't play...'
High probability AI wouldn't recommend.
But.
The rhythm that twisted the flow and gradually tied the opponent.
Even the opponent was Kim Su-jin of Group 2 research students.
An expected top player for Group 1 soon.
No lack against opponent.
'Why this move?'
Yuzuha unconsciously held her breath.
Unintelligible ambiguity.
However.
Clearness felt inside.
A move that AI-trained reading could never produce.
Those moves.
Tying the opponent, shaking, pushing.
Yuzuha couldn't take eyes off the board even for a moment.
'Eyes seeing the flow.'
That sense.
Saeki Yuzuha's lost sense.
And.
The Go she should pursue from now on.
'Ah.'
One side of the chest filled with something warm.
I want to keep watching this Go.
She felt that way.
* * *
“...I lost.”
Thud.
Su-jin placed the black stone she was holding.
Head bowed, the fingertips on the stone container trembled slightly.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
I bowed to greet.
When I raised my head again.
Su-jin's eye rims were red.
'Again.'
Tightening lips, organizing stones, sobbing.
Due to fighting spirit?
Or because still young, emotional control not good.
Research student kids had a good cry impression.
'Ignore it.'
Afraid to give awkward comfort and make her cry more.
Quietly organized the board.
'......Eh?'
At that moment, the presence felt behind faded.
Turned head.
'Who?'
Woman in white shirt, ponytail tied, model-like long lines, unfamiliar woman.
Quietly leaving the prelim venue.
Because her presence was clear, some participants looked up and glanced at her.
Clearly.
It seemed I had watched my matches, but...
Because focused only on Go, didn't remember clearly.
'Let's go check the bracket.'
I brushed off my seat and stood up.
Two matches finished before me.
One of them would be my next opponent.
Reported the result to referee Lim Dong-won, approached the bracket on the venue wall.
Slowly scanned with eyes.
My next opponent.
'Kim Tae-hyun.'
PePe.
The guy I faced on the first day I got the talent.
'Rematch.'