The Amateur Who Shook the Go World
Monday morning.
A week's worth of commuting.
The bus I always took, the scenery outside the window that I always saw — yet it felt strangely unfamiliar.
'……I thought the way to the Korea Baduk Association would feel more familiar.'
What a strange feeling.
Compared to the two-and-a-half years of commuting back and forth.
Just a few weeks.
The path I had traversed while participating in the amateur selection tournament and integrated preliminaries felt clearer.
The scenery rushing past the window.
It no longer felt like a place I belonged.
Ding.
A vibration cut through my thoughts like a knife.
I took out my smartphone and checked it.
[Yeon-hui: Sunbae. On your way to work?]
[In-ha: Yeah.]
[Yeon-hui: I found an article... You really look like a movie star.]
[In-ha: Movie?]
A moment later, a link from Yeon-hui arrived.
A news article from a media outlet.
In the preview, a large photo of me looking down at the Go board was displayed.
[Amateur Who Caught a Pro: A Story About Kim In-ha.]
'……What is this?'
If you're a Go player.
The title was provocative enough to make you want to click without reading.
But even more shocking was the fact that the protagonist of the article was me.
I reached out my finger and tapped the link.
Under the bold headline.
The first line continued with the reporter's name, Goo Sung-mo.
-What has led Korean Go for decades is the elite path.
From dojang to research student to pro debut. No player had ever deviated from this path.
However, three months ago, a working professional appeared in the regional amateur tournament.
As I read the article down, I was startled.
The Jungbuk District Association Cup.
A photo taken from a distance of me.
-This working amateur player, like breaking a dojang, swept all the titles: Sun-dae-bae, Chun-hyang-bae, and the most authoritative President-bae.
In just two months, he swept all the championships.
'This is a bit...'
My face felt hot.
The fact that someone saw me like that.
It was written as if I had accomplished something great.
But in reality, I had just participated to check my talent and receive prize money as a side job.
Yet.
In the article, I was depicted like the protagonist in a movie.
-The amateur who reached the top of amateurs challenged in the Ciel Bank Cup World Masters.
Passed the amateur selection, entered the integrated preliminaries.
Defeated Kim Dong-gyu 8-dan, Lin Sui 8-dan, Lu Yuan 6-dan, and advanced to the finals.
And faced Byun Woo-bin 5-dan in the final game.
'No, what is this photo...'
The scene in front of the elevator on the first floor of the Korea Baduk Association, sharply confronting Byun Woo-bin and engaging in psychological warfare.
The framing that would suit a movie thumbnail.
I felt heat rising to my face.
-The result was surprisingly the amateur Kim In-ha's victory.
The day before, Lu Yuan 6-dan, who had lost to Kim In-ha the previous day, said, 'I don't understand why he's still an amateur.'
And that day, the supervisor Heo Gyu 9-dan, who was supervising, evaluated, 'He has the ability to compete with top players, as if seeing the Go of the retired Oh Soo 9-dan.'
My nape was hot.
I was reading the article with my eyes, but my head felt numb like it had stopped.
The evaluations of active professionals.
It made me feel hot, excited, and at the same time embarrassed.
-In the meantime, the author learned of another surprising news.
The recent slump of the genius female pro, Saeki Yuzuha.
The fact that she was actually receiving instruction games from amateur Kim In-ha.
I got goosebumps all over.
No, where did this story come from?
It wasn't mentioned in the interview.
It felt like the article had completely exposed me.
The existence of the reporter felt a little scary for the first time.
-Korean Go has never had such an amateur.
29 years old.
Not a research student, a normal working professional.
An amateur who catches pros.
An amateur who teaches pros.
If this is the case, shouldn't we call them 'ecosystem disruptors' or 'heretics'?
'Oh.'
As I looked at the honorifics attached to me.
My face felt hot again.
I couldn't muster the courage to look at the next line.
At that moment.
Ding. Ding.
The smartphone rang again.
This time, the caller was changed.
Jang Yu-na 2-dan.
[Jang Yu-na: Mumyeong-nim!]
[In-ha: Huh?]
[Jang Yu-na: Did you see the article!?]
[In-ha: Ah, I just saw it...]
[Jang Yu-na: It said it was in chaos in China!]
[In-ha: Huh? In China... ?]
[Jang Yu-na: Yes! Uuu. I wanted to introduce it first... I'll send the link, turn on auto-translate and read it!]
No, what article is this in China?
I tapped the link and went to the media site.
When I pressed the translation button at the top of the screen, a large title in Korean came into view.
[The Anonymous 'Mumyeong' Crushed the Chinese Go World.]
[An amateur from a small country challenges the Go world.]
'Wow.'
In Korea or China.
I counted the title from the beginning.
It was provocative enough to make you want to click without reading.
-'Mumyeong's identity has finally been revealed.
Introduced through a Korean streamer.
To Chinese Go fans, he is more familiar as 'hermit expert Mumyeong'.
Based on his playing style, nickname, and translation-like chat.
The speculation that he is a Chinese person living in Korea has circulated.
Some even spread rumors that he is the disciple of Dang Chao 9-dan and from Guangdong Province.
'……Am I Chinese?'
I let out a light laugh.
My parents are Korean, and I completed my mandatory discharge from the Republic of Korea Army.
I don't even know where Gwangdong is.
-However, he was Korean, and an amateur at that.
It was surprising. 'Mumyeong', who consecutively defeated Chinese pros and became a hot topic.
He was the amateur Kim In-ha who defeated Lin Sui 8-dan, Lu Yuan 6-dan in order.
The feeling was strange.
In China, where language and culture are different.
The fact that the name Kim In-ha was rising and falling in real time.
It was a bit dazed, but honestly, it felt refreshing.
-Korea has always been holding us back by the ankles.
The mainstream of world Go is China, but we have not been able to take the world ranking 1st place for 7 years.
Why are we, a great country, always second like first.
Now, even amateurs were trampling on young players who would shoulder the future.
'Is the expression quite strong... Is this okay?'
The reporter who wrote this is Chinese.
Chinese people have strong pride.
I heard that they are not very good at objective self-criticism.
But there was a reversal at the end.
-However, this year is different.
We have Zhou Xiwan 9-dan.
The AI matching rate he recorded in the Phoenix Cup finals was 73%. An astonishing figure.
If this momentum continues, not only the Ciel Bank Cup championship, but also the world ranking 1st place could be aimed for.
We must prove our great country's status.
Whether the opponent is Jeong Si-hoo or Mumyeong.
The article ended there.
It circled around, but eventually it was about China winning.
But what was important was not that.
'……The AI matching rate is 71%?'
I couldn't believe it.
If it was only the opening limit, maybe, but if it assumed the endgame, it was a figure that no human could produce.
The realm of the impossible.
A light vigilance slowly turned into a threat.
'So monsters like this will appear in the main tournament?'
The number of players who received main tournament seeds without going through the preliminaries is a total of 14.
The real world top players.
If it's bad luck, it's good luck.
It meant that my talent had evolved to A+.
Data.
Intuition.
My unique sense created by the harmony of these two.
But.
'Will this work even against world top players?'
It won't be easy.
Intuition, internal energy, and experience that can't be calculated simply.
A subtle move at the critical moment.
There are more than 100 top players in Korea, China, and Japan combined.
But the world tournament championship titles are few, always the domain of top players.
-The next stop is Samil Market. Passengers, please get off at...
I pressed the bell and stood up from my seat.
The main tournament is in three weeks.
'There is time.'
I will prepare with the resolve to win, even if not enough.
AI analysis.
Research group.
I'll use everything I can.
I made my resolve.
* * *
Ciel Bank.
As always, the atmosphere in the branch remained the same.
Formal greetings.
Demeaning expressions.
Eyes that showed no interest.
Even if I took a whole week off and came back, nothing had changed.
Once, I hated this.
Being ignored.
Being excluded.
Feeling discriminated against.
But now it's not.
'Rather, it's comfortable.'
That sense of distance was good.
The sense of alienation in the same space but not mixing.
For people who don't want to mix words unnecessarily.
It didn't get stirred up unnecessarily, and I didn't have to explain.
Perhaps, after work, my changed appearance.
Maybe it made me have more leisure in dealing with my surroundings.
"Congratulations, Kim Jwim! I knew you could do it. World tournament main tournament entry... K! I was so excited I couldn't sleep well last night."
Of course.
Not everyone maintains that distance.
There were exceptions.
My solid supporter, the branch manager.
"Thank you."
"Thank you? I should be the one thanking you. Thanks to Kim Jwim, I got a signature from Master Kim Min-ho and took a photo."
I smiled silently.
"More than that, I should change the title. If you win one more game, you'll be a pro?"
"Too early. Please call me when I officially join."
"Then, Kim Pro. Or should I call you Kim Sabeom? Haha."
The branch manager smiled happily.
It was surprising.
Until a moment ago.
The moment I came to work, I was checking the atmosphere and cleaning the branch manager's office.
Now, I was sitting across from the branch manager drinking coffee like this.
Kim In-ha, who was once just a bank security guard.
"Talking to Kim Jwim, time flies. Well, let's go out and do the morning check."
I followed the branch manager out to the lobby.
There, the deputy branch manager and employees were waiting for the morning check.
'My face will be pierced.'
People were staring at me fixedly.
Indifference.
Envy.
Jealousy.
All those emotions intertwined.
Not for someone else.
The branch manager who came forward spoke calmly.
"Well, before starting the morning check..."
The branch manager paused for a beat and looked at me.
"Today, I'll start with some special news. Kim Jwim, come out here."
'Me?'
A sudden pointing.
I stepped forward in confusion.
"Our Kim Jwim passed the preliminary rounds of the world tournament we hosted at our bank. It's the main tournament where only 32 people from around the world can go."
The branch manager's voice echoed throughout the lobby.
"This is no ordinary thing. Only geniuses among geniuses can go there. And Kim Jwim is about to officially join."
The branch manager's face was full of pride as he continued.
"But the party concerned, me, my face was hot.
Shame and embarrassment came at the same time.
"Our branch has such talent. Well, let's give Kim Jwim a round of applause!"
The branch manager first clapped vigorously.
Then.
Claps followed one by one from the surroundings.
Perfunctory claps.
Awkward claps.
And reluctant claps.
'Please, please, branch manager.'
My face, not only my face but my ears were red.
I understood the branch manager's heart.
He had sincere gratitude.
But no matter how much I thought, it was embarrassing to stand in front of the employees and receive claps.
It was a bit of a strange feeling, mixed with embarrassment, shyness, and a subtle itch.
Yeon-hui, who was watching me from afar, covered her mouth and laughed.
'……Please pretend you don't know.'
The morning check ended with formal talk.
The branch manager went into his office, and employees scattered to their seats.
I was about to go back to the desk when.
"Congratulations, In-ha."
Someone whispered from the side.
It was Ha Section Chief.
"I didn't think it was true, but it's amazing. That joining thing, they say it's harder than entering a Korean university?"
Section Chief Park also chimed in with a good-natured laugh.
"Well, thank you."
I accepted it appropriately.
Then, Ha Section Chief caught the end with a laugh.
"But In-ha, if that's the case, isn't it better to wrap up the bank work? The pro world is fierce."
"Section Chief Park has a point. Even for In-ha's future, you should focus on the pro."
"Once you've caught the opportunity, it's a shame to miss it?"
The two smiling faces in front of me.
At first glance, it sounds like advice, but in reality, it felt like an extension of words and subtle pressure.
'What are they trying to do?'
I alternated my gaze between the two faces.
I already had the story from Yeon-hui.
The unfair work outside the bank security guard duty that the branch manager prohibited.
He had thrown all the substitute duties to the dispatch workers instead of me.
How much did the agency leader Gwak have to call me and complain?
Why are you doing this to your employees?
I slowly took a breath.
"Thank you for the advice. However."
After briefly lowering my head.
I continued with small talk.
"I'll handle my own work."
"......!"
At that moment, the expressions slowly left the faces of the two.
A decisive line drawn.
Ha Section Chief firmly closed his lips.
Section Chief Park gave an awkward smile.
"In-ha, that's too much."
Ha Section Chief let out a sound as if he was unfairly wronged.
"We said it to make you well, but if you take it like that, it's disappointing..."
At that moment.
Knock.
The door to the branch manager's office opened loudly.
The branch manager came out with a stern face.
With that appearance.
Ha Section Chief and Park Section Chief tensed up.
However, the branch manager's gaze was fixed on me.
"Kim Jwim, there's a call from headquarters right now."
The lobby atmosphere became quiet for a moment.
"Kim Jwim, they called to confirm if you're working at our branch."
"......Me?"
I asked without meaning to, surprised by the unexpected words.
Headquarters about me?
That question.
For a moment.
Ding.
The smartphone in my pocket vibrated.
The branch manager gave a quiet nod.
"Answer it."
I slowly took out the smartphone.
Unknown number.
I calmed my breath and pressed the call button.
"Hello."
- Kim In-ha, is this the correct number?
"Yes, it is. Excuse me, who is this?"
- Hello. This is the Ciel Bank headquarters brand strategy team. I called regarding the Ciel Bank Cup main tournament entry, and is it possible to talk for a moment now?
For a moment, my mind went blank.
Headquarters.
Brand strategy team.
Places I thought I would never be connected to for life.
Short but many words went back and forth over the smartphone.
I hung up the phone as if hit, and slowly put the smartphone down.
"What did they say?"
The branch manager asked as if waiting.
The employees, though outwardly expressionless, seemed to be waiting for my answer.
"The headquarters brand strategy team. They said they want to discuss something related to corporate promotion..."
I added while correcting my hazy words.
"They are coming to visit our branch?"