The Contract That Prices My Potential
“This is the new contract that has set my value.”
I couldn’t say a word.
My gaze drifted across the pages of the contract.
“Please take a look first.”
Jung Soo-yeon team leader gestured, and Ahn Ho-jun deputy pulled out the contract, pointing out each revised clause one by one.
“First, the total model fee has been raised to thirty million won from twenty million. The additional video shooting costs have also been included.”
Turning each page, the clauses spun unrealistically through my mind.
The weight of a few sheets of paper felt entirely different from yesterday.
“From here on, it’s about incentives.”
“I’ll explain that part.”
Jung Soo-yeon team leader cut in and met my eyes.
“Kim In-ha-ssi is not yet a professional Go player, right?”
“Yes.”
“If you reach the round of sixteen and join the pro league, we’ll add an extra incentive of twenty million won.”
At those words, the sentence she had spoken earlier pierced straight through my brain.
The value of my worth.
It was more than a number.
The fact that someone had attached a real price tag to my future potential.
“From the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals, there are sequential incentives up to three thousand, five thousand, and one hundred million won respectively.”
Jung Soo-yeon team leader continued in a quiet voice.
That value.
That price tag.
The more I proved it, the more it soared.
“If you reach the semifinals, we’re planning to cast you as a Ciel Bank CF model. Of course, the duration will be about three months.”
Ahn Ho-jun deputy beside her added.
“And we’re also considering having you appear on the talk variety show we’re producing.”
I drew in a sharp breath.
My chest felt oddly restless on one side.
It was too unfamiliar, too unreal.
I still couldn’t quite believe that I was actually sitting here.
“……Why are you doing this for me so much?”
I had clearly rejected the offer yesterday.
Yet here she was the next day, offering completely different terms.
A company, and a major one at that—Ciel Bank.
I still couldn’t understand why they were making such an all-out proposal.
“Because I know your value precisely.”
The second time I heard it, the words didn’t land lightly.
Jung Soo-yeon team leader’s eyes held something beyond simple calculation—pure conviction.
“The value of possibility.”
She took a short breath.
“The value of an unfinished narrative.”
Jung Soo-yeon team leader’s tone remained calm, but it was firm.
There was no ornamentation, no exaggeration.
She simply stated facts in a steady voice.
“Kim In-ha-ssi is still a person without an ending.”
“…….”
“People want to see that ending. They want to cheer for it. They want to resemble it.”
She looked me straight in the eyes.
“The more you advance past the round of sixteen and quarterfinals, the greater the effect we can achieve. And we are investing in that possibility.”
Investment.
That single word landed heavily in my chest.
Not confining me to the frame of ‘bank security guard,’ but investing in the identity of ‘professional Go player Kim In-ha.’
Clean.
Clear. Precise.
“Um…….”
Ahn Ho-jun deputy, who had been quiet, cautiously opened his mouth.
“It may be presumptuous, but the team leader has put in a lot of effort to persuade you.”
“Deputy Ahn.”
Jung Soo-yeon team leader shot him a sharp glance.
“It’s the truth. It’s been broken too many times already…….”
At that, she glared at him fiercely.
The look said stop talking nonsense.
Only then did Ahn Ho-jun deputy close his mouth tightly.
Clearing her throat, Jung Soo-yeon team leader turned her gaze back to me.
“Kim In-ha-ssi, prove your own value. We will pay a fair price for that value.”
I quietly drew in another breath.
The heavy air filled my lungs.
“Good.”
A small smile curved at the corner of my mouth.
I picked up the pen.
There was no longer any reason to hesitate or waver.
Sss.
The scratch of the pen tip on paper was especially clear.
Proving my value.
There was no reason to refuse.
That was the one thing I could do best.
* * *
In the car.
The branch manager gripping the steering wheel spoke with an excited face.
“Whoa. Since I was invited, I should go, but honestly, is it really okay for Kim Joom to go?”
I, who had been staring out the window, turned my head.
“I’m still an amateur, Branch Manager.”
The branch manager laughed and shook his head.
“You’re basically a pro now. Going to amateur tournaments feels like cheating.”
I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
It wasn’t awkward, wasn’t embarrassing.
It was simply that I had reached the point where such words no longer felt strange.
The branch manager glanced at the navigation while traffic was heavy.
“The traffic is a bit bad. Fortunately, we won’t be late.”
Weekend morning.
The branch manager and I were heading to the Baduk Association where the Biryong Tournament was being held.
-Determining the strongest amateur Go player.
Under this clear goal, the Biryong Tournament had been established.
It was the highest-level tournament in the domestic amateur Go community.
The highest stage open to non-professional amateur players.
The tournament itself was praised for its symbolism, prize money, and operation style, comparable to professional events.
“Kim Joom won the Presidential Cup the other day…… When I see Kim Joom, it feels like life is racing at two hundred kilometers an hour with the headquarters promotion model.”
I smiled slightly instead of answering.
The words weren’t wrong.
But even at this speed, the destination I wanted to reach was still far away.
That’s why it’s fun.
Even this moment, and the path I was walking now.
I looked forward to the satisfaction I would feel when I eventually arrived.
“Right. The filming team is coming too, right?”
“Yes. Team Leader Jung said she finished coordinating with the Biryong Tournament organizers.”
“She works decisively. There’s always a reason when the headquarters pushes something.”
“Yes, I met a reliable person.”
In reality, Jung Soo-yeon team leader was the real center of this project.
From contract terms to brand image setting.
She handled and moved everything directly.
This filming was no different.
Even though it was a weekend, she said she would come to the venue to check the site herself.
And added, “Don’t expect much from YouTube views. Since it’s our own channel, it won’t have much influence.”
She didn’t intend to end it as “just filming.”
External media promotion clips.
Community viral shorts.
Delicately arranged trending keywords designed to spark voluntary mentions in the community.
She said the daily filming starting next week would also be part of that strategy.
“There’s an interview tomorrow, right?”
“Yes, they prepared it under the assumption of winning…… It feels a bit burdensome.”
“What burden. I’ll take it as modesty.”
The branch manager burst into a hearty laugh.
I simply smiled silently.
A smile of exactly that degree—not too serious, not too displeased.
It was cautious to call confidence, comfortable to call complacency.
Just……
I couldn’t think of a reason to refuse.
A tournament to determine the strongest amateur.
But right now, I felt that title even lightly.
“Almost there.”
The branch manager’s car slowed gradually.
Through the window, a banner reading “Amateur Strongest Biryong Tournament” and a sign saying “Baduk Association” came into view.
After parking, I got out and headed toward the building.
“Over here.”
Jung Soo-yeon team leader waved at me.
“Hello, Team Leader.”
“Yes. First, let me introduce them.”
She gestured to the staff.
“The director, camera director, lighting director. Think of us as absent and act naturally.”
I nodded.
But I had no self.
The camera was already making me conscious.
“We’ve finished talking with the association president. Let’s go up.”
We took the elevator to the fourth floor.
As we walked down the corridor, the camera followed us closely.
Already feeling nervous.
Pretending to be calm, I found the Go room where the Challenger Deciding Match would be held.
It didn’t reach the Baduk TV studio I had seen at Korea Baduk Association, but it had an old-fashioned screen, high-end Go boards and chairs, and a broadcast camera on the ceiling.
That was why the words “comparable to professional tournaments” had been said.
“Oh. Kim In-ha-ssi, it’s an honor to meet you directly.”
An elderly man with a wrinkled smile approached.
“I am Lee Gwang-seop, president of the association.”
“Kim In-ha. Nice to meet you.”
He smiled gently and took my hand.
“I heard you made it to the finals of the Ciel Bank Cup. It’s really impressive. Even though you’re not a research student.”
Sincere emotion seeped into Lee Gwang-seop’s wrinkled face.
“The sponsor was the happiest about that part too. Discovering talent even at a late age and pioneering it yourself. It matches exactly with the direction the Biryong Tournament pursues.”
“Thank you. I’ll do my best to live up to your expectations.”
I bowed politely and said.
Lee Gwang-seop association president smiled happily.
“Good. Good. Ah, Lee Seong-jung-ssi is here too.”
Following his gaze, I turned my head.
Early twenties, wearing jeans and a light shirt.
His sharply torn eyes and sharp features caught my attention first.
That’s him.
Currently amateur ranking third.
He had lost by two points to me and missed the challenger direct entry.
Eventually, he had to go through the qualifiers again and climbed here.
So.
In his gaze, I felt a subtle displeasure mixed with determination.
I didn’t avoid that gaze.
Without holding any emotion, I simply looked at him quietly.
Bowing slightly.
The match will be decided on the Go board.
It starts and ends on the board.
No need to be swayed by emotions.
Whip.
He reluctantly answered with a gesture and turned his head.
Lee Gwang-seop association president pointed to the inner studio Go seat and explained.
“As you know…… After the Challenger Deciding Match ends, there will be a thirty-minute rest for the winner, followed by the final against Park Jun-soo.”
I nodded.
It was already informed content.
The Challenger Deciding Match and final would all be held in one day.
To prepare for potential fatigue, I had brought bananas.
Coffee or nutritional supplements…… As always, the branch manager had prepared.
“Then, I look forward to a wonderful match.”
I walked to the Go board first and sat down.
A luxurious chair soft like a sofa,
A Go bowl that must feel different from the top-grade Go board.
And a broadcast lens quietly looking down on me from the ceiling.
It really felt like a final.
Swoosh.
Seong-jung pulled out the chair and sat opposite me.
Without giving me a single glance, he seemed to be calmly adjusting his breathing.
“Begin the match, please.”
Lee Gwang-seop association president gave the sign for the broadcast to start with his mouth shape.
Click.
We opened the Go bowls and picked up the stones at the same time.
I took black, the opponent white.
No more words needed.
What started on the board would end on the board.
* * *
Seong-jung hated Kim In-ha.
To be precise, it hadn’t been like that from the beginning.
Losing the amateur ranking second place.
That was something he could accept.
When he lost the Biryong Tournament challenger spot and had to do the qualifiers again, he could accept that too.
In the end, it was something that happened because he was ranked lower.
But.
……Filming? Who does he think he is, an entertainer?
People come, cameras follow, the judge’s face is shown.
It was ridiculous.
Even though he was still an amateur.
Arrogant attitude as if he had become a top pro who was doing well.
That was annoying.
That was why he got fired up.
He wanted to create a crack in that arrogance.
Fortunately, his momentum was not bad lately.
He had won the Namhan Mountain Fortress Cup last week, and his sense was at its peak.
It was a shame that a league wasn’t held at this time.
And most of all.
I analyzed you down to the last detail.
It was no longer a secret that Kim In-ha was ‘Mumyeong’.
It was a story that had leaked from Chinese Go media, but the information was quite specific.
So, for the past week.
He had been replaying Jang Yu-na 2-dan’s YouTube re-watches and analyzing.
Inputting moves to AI, researching the best responses.
Early game was AI-like opening.
Among them, fast-paced, quick development.
But.
After the early and middle game, the development becomes hazy.
The point where the AI’s move and the human’s sense diverge.
The heterogeneous rhythm.
That was Kim In-ha’s weakness in Go.
At that time, I’ll decide the match.
Seong-jung was confident.
He had the confidence to decide the match before crossing into the middle game.
He had captured that moment and prepared to dig relentlessly.
Today, I’ll break you.