Rematch Victory and a Secret Confession
‘Rematch, huh.’
The corners of his lips lifted slightly.
This was the time he had just acquired his talent.
Back then, he had no confidence in his abilities and was unsure of himself.
But now, it was different.
It was a good opportunity to check how much things had changed between then and now.
‘Let me go to the bathroom.’
He left the preliminary venue and went to the men's restroom to take care of his business.
At the end of the corridor,
Two amateur participants who had been eliminated from the selection were having a conversation.
“Hey, that was Yuzuha Pro, right?”
“Yeah. Wow, she was really pretty. She looked like a walking doll.”
At those words, he stopped walking for a moment.
Yuzuha?
Was that the name of the woman he saw earlier?
“But, why are you here?”
“I don’t know.”
“I think they were watching a match…”
“Don’t worry about it. Since we lost anyway, let’s be satisfied with seeing Yuzuha in person and go home.”
The two chatting guys put on their coats and went down the stairs.
Japanese.
And a professional Go player.
Only now did he understand why they could freely enter and exit the preliminary venue.
He had come for the tournament.
For replenishment, he made a free instant coffee.
‘I miss Branch Manager.’
When the tournament ends, he always brought nutrient drinks or drinks, but since there were none, it made him think more.
Back at the preliminary venue.
The inside was quieter than before.
Because half the participants, 36 of them, had packed their bags and left.
When he returned to his seat, Kim Tae-hyun was already sitting there.
Arms crossed, he glanced at him once, then fixed his gaze back on the board.
“Hello.”
He greeted while taking a sip of coffee.
A bow.
Kim Tae-hyun responded with a nod and looked back at the board.
His lips tightly pursed, his face looked a bit tormented.
‘…He's on guard.’
He took another sip of coffee and slowly sat down.
After gathering his breath and waiting a bit.
Lim Dong-won climbed onto the stage and started the selection match.
“Everyone, please take your seats. We will begin the second game of the Ciel Bank Cup World Masters Amateur Selection.”
Clack.
They opened their stone containers and revealed the stones.
Black.
Upon thinking about it.
‘Even then, I was black.’
When he first created his account, as an amateur 2 Dan.
His opponent PePe was an amateur 3 Dan.
Due to the rank difference, it was a seeded match, but now time has passed, it's an open match.
Excluding the komi, the starting position was exactly the same as back then.
Tap.
He slowly placed his first move.
Right side star point.
Kim Tae-hyun also played on the opposite star point.
‘This flow is the same too.’
Memories of that day.
His fingertips naturally probed.
Even in the opening, a heavy move.
Not yielding a noticeable large space, a firm restraint.
Unwavering firmness.
“……!”
Startled, Kim Tae-hyun looked up at him.
His eyes seemed to recall the match from that day.
No certainty, but the familiar sensation made him hesitate.
‘He remembers?’
He fixed his gaze on the board.
So far, the opening was the same as that day.
But.
From now on, it was a completely different story.
Tap!
In the first match,
At this point, he had split the variation to induce a fight.
But this time, no.
He chose to solidify his play.
More about material than influence.
That day, he deliberately chose to fight.
His temperament itself enjoyed the battle.
He had a strong desire to confirm his skills.
But now,
He was using Go that maintains the flow, squeezes, and slowly tightens.
Kim Tae-hyun's gaze was slightly shaken.
He seemed to expect an aggressive variation.
Even in PePe days.
A combative temperament.
But now his moves were not rushed.
One move at a time, slowly bringing the flow to his side.
Soft but firm.
Eventually, unable to bear it, Kim Tae-hyun bit his lip and tried a variation.
Like he did in the first match.
This time, white played first and split the variation.
‘Too late.’
That fight was already a prepared board.
He naturally wrapped white.
At a speed that was neither hasty nor loose.
Pulling the flow little by little, clearly to his side.
When entering the middle game.
Kim Tae-hyun's fingertips slowed.
Long thinking.
The hand placing the stone became heavy.
He kept wiping his dry mouth, as if the board wasn't loosening.
That day.
The first game against PePe.
Under the premise that it was not a seeded match but an open match.
When calculating including the komi.
‘Just barely won by 3.5 points.’
But now.
Based on the situation judgment.
‘Leading by 6.5 points including the komi.’
The gap was much wider than that day.
A difference of 3 points is not just a number.
‘It's thrilling.’
More than the fact that he won,
It was more fulfilling to confirm how much his Go had grown.
“…….”
Kim Tae-hyun's breathing became rough enough to be felt beyond the board.
The fingertips placing the stones trembled.
The last move.
He placed the stone.
Tap.
Kim Tae-hyun's shoulder twitched slightly.
Looking down at the board, he bit his lip.
“……I lost.”
He bowed his head in greeting.
“Good game.”
“Uncle, perhaps……”
Kim Tae-hyun opened his mouth hesitantly.
Looking at him with a bowed head, he glanced at him.
He wanted to ask but his eyes couldn't confirm yet.
Then finally,
“Ah, no.”
He muttered to himself and shook his head.
Picked up his bag and left the venue as if running.
‘Was it too harsh?’
No.
If his ankle was caught in that day's match, it was skill.
The world of competition is inherently cold.
Then.
‘Eh, eh?’
A slender woman with ponytail hair following behind Kim Tae-hyun appeared.
Yuzuha.
It was clear.
He had noticed late because he was focused on the match, but until just now,
‘She was standing behind me.’
That meant.
Not someone else,
She was watching his Go.
Why?
A professional Go player, not even an amateur.
Why was she watching his match.
‘There will be a chance to ask later.’
He stood up from his seat and informed the referee of the match result.
At the top of the tournament bracket on the wall.
His name was at the top.
‘One game.’
Until advancing to the integrated preliminaries, only one game left.
‘Soon I can compete with top-class players.’
The integrated preliminaries is no longer an amateur stage.
A stage where all professional Go players in the world who didn't receive main tournament seeds participate.
In such a place,
Not only will he put his name up,
But he will get a chance to prove it.
‘Whether I have the qualification to become a pro.’
He felt his chest warm as he left the corridor and took a breather.
One deep breath.
He stretched by yawning and stretching.
“Good.”
After relaxing enough,
He turned his body again and entered the venue.
The opponent was already sitting.
Straight posture.
Neat gaze.
A boyish appearance like a high school student with messy hair.
‘Park Sang-mo.’
It was obvious he was a research student.
“Nice to meet you.”
He lightly bowed his head.
“Nice to meet you too.”
The opponent nodded shortly.
Clack.
Revealed the stones.
Black.
The AI evaluates black as worse than white because of the komi value.
‘I'm not like that.’
He likes black more.
Based on the player, reading moves, shaking.
The Go he pursues fits his temperament better.
Star points, wooden blocks.
Early on, nothing special.
‘Typical research student style.’
Opening based on AI.
Until recently, he had been at a disadvantage in joseki variations, but now not.
He had studied AI openings with DeepStone too.
The early opening developed evenly,
But the middle game rapidly tilted to his side.
White built influence and aimed for central fight,
But in the gap between those influences,
He ruthlessly erased it.
White, starting to lose at home,
Rushed to capture his big group.
‘Would that work?’
A momentary opening.
He clung to the white stones tenaciously and harassed them.
Not only couldn't he capture his big group, it seemed even settling was difficult.
Crunch crunch.
Park Sang-mo bit his lip hard.
He entered long thinking late,
But it was already too late to reverse the situation.
Then.
‘……Again.’
A gaze was felt.
Not beyond the board, but behind his back.
‘Concentrate.’
Now is during the match.
Accepting even such gazes without shaking is also skill.
He picked up the stone again.
By blocking the escape route, the suffocated white stones wandered without a place.
The last move.
Tap.
White's big group was wrapped by black.
The opponent's head bowed deeply.
“……I lost.”
He bowed his head in greeting.
“Good game.”
After breaking through the amateur selection,
The moment he confirmed advancement to the Ciel Bank Cup World Masters integrated preliminaries.
- Beep!
The system notification sound rang.
Talent: Baduk (A)
Career:
- Won the 7th Jungbuk-gu Association President's Cup Baduk Tournament (1 time)
- Won the 17th National Amateur Baduk Tournament 'Gyeonggi Province Strongest Division' (1 time)
- Acquired professional rank 'Amateur 5 Dan'
- Won the 9th Chunhyang Cup 'Chunhyang Division' (1 time)
- Won the 11th Presidential Cup National Baduk Tournament 'Strongest Division' (1 time)
- Acquired professional rank 'Amateur 7 Dan'
- Qualified for the 30th Ciel Bank Cup World Masters Integrated Preliminaries
After the match, Park Sang-mo said, "This move... was a mistake."
He looked at the board.
“You should have played more calmly here, but you played it and got wrapped.”
Park Sang-mo continued the review diligently.
Picking up each stone, pointing out the flow.
He nodded while watching, but it didn't enter his head.
“…….”
His gaze naturally turned to the side.
At the entrance outside the venue.
The presence that had been behind him until a moment ago.
There, Yuzuha was quietly leaving.
His body reacted first without him noticing.
“Hey, sorry, but wait a second.”
Park Sang-mo was a bit surprised but nodded.
He quietly pushed the chair and stood up.
Since some matches were still ongoing, he carefully left the venue without making noise.
‘I have to ask.’
He walked the corridor, looking around.
No one.
Faint footsteps below the stairs.
He moved towards it, and saw Yuzuha circling the stairwell landing below.
“Hey!”
Startled by his call, she stopped quietly.
She slowly turned around, looking a bit flustered.
He descended the stairs.
As he got closer,
Surprise spread in Yuzuha's doe-like eyes.
“S, sorry. No, sorry. Sorry.”
Japanese came out, then she hurriedly bowed her head.
It did so several times, folding like a folder.
“I tried not to disturb as much as possible... I'm really sorry. Sorry. Sorry.”
The more he apologized repeatedly, the more flustered he felt.
Seeing her up close, she looked even more childlike and fragile.
He felt like he was the one bothering her.
“Hey, first calm down. You are Yuzuha Pro, right?”
She nodded quietly.
He took a breath, then couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.
“I just followed because I was curious. Why did you watch my match all the way…”
Three consecutive games.
And a professional Go player watching an amateur match.
Yuzuha seemed flustered, lightly clasping her hands and taking a breath.
“T, that... I'm not a real strange person. You can't misunderstand…”
A bit hesitant.
Her small lips trembled as she continued.
“I wanted to see you.”
“Eh?”
“And... I fell in love.”
He stared blankly at her.
Something felt off about the words.
The subject was missing.
But those words stirred his imagination unnecessarily.
Yuzuha glanced at his reaction, then added more seriously.
“In-ha... In-ha-ssi, no, In-ha oppa's Go!”
He couldn't follow for a moment.
The title 'oppa' too.
The fact that he fell in love with my amateur Go.
Nothing was normal.
Yuzuha, after saying it, turned red.
But.
No shaking in the eyes looking at him.
As if sincere.
‘H, how should I accept this?’
In the midst of being too bewildered.
Yuzuha, who had been hesitating while her lips trembled, squeezed out words with courage.
“So, then... Can you tell me the ID of the DM to send?”
“……!”
His mind went blank.
Am I being hunted right now?