The Weight of One Stone
“Ugh, my shoulders.”
My arms and legs gripping the steering wheel, my entire body ached.
It was the result of pouring almost all my time into exercise over the past few weeks.
Fortunately, a private professional gym was nearby.
It was run by the owner who had earned both a life-sports coaching certificate and qualifications as a rehabilitation therapist.
The price was steep, but it hadn’t felt like a waste.
The very first sensation when I drew the bow.
That short resonance, the feeling of piercing the silence and flying forward.
Feeling it again stirred a deep thirst in me.
I wanted to master this talent, this sensation, as quickly as possible.
A burning motivation rose from the depths of my chest.
“…Fortunately, they said my exercise response was good.”
In professional jargon, a High Responder.
Perhaps this too was the influence of my talent.
Even though my training volume was ridiculously low compared to what was expected.
Balance.
Flexibility.
Endurance.
It wasn’t just muscle growth; I could feel the strengthening of my core.
One movement, one posture, felt firmly anchored inside my body.
Exactly like the body I was building for compound archery.
“The delivery arrived on time too.”
Fortunately, the bow and equipment I had ordered yesterday arrived at my house.
After unpacking the box, a fire of desire to rush to the range and shoot burned in me.
But I held it back.
I checked that the bow and gear were genuine, made only basic adjustments, and put them away.
The core of a compound bow was precise setting.
Not even a one-millimeter error was allowed.
In the end, setting it now would have no meaning.
It was right to watch the changes in my body and tune gradually.
“But… it says anyone can apply for the national team first selection.”
I was searching the announcements when I was startled.
There was no restriction on participants for the compound discipline.
Anyone could register with the association and compete.
There was even no limit on the number of entrants.
The only catch was whether they had committed school violence.
“I’m not in that category.”
The fact that it wasn’t an official Olympic sport was the biggest difference.
Of course, it would be adopted as an official event in the next Olympics.
But the evaluation criteria were different from recurve, which looked at ranking points and tournament performance.
“I’m even better at it.”
It was still in the transitional phase.
It was still an unpopular sport.
Actually, it was an opportunity.
The world was already moving, but domestically it hadn’t even started properly.
“This is the time to climb.”
***
I arrived at the place I had driven to.
The Go cafe “Terra” located in Seocho-gu.
Along with the Go cafe “Magnolia,” it was said to be the most famous in the country.
When I parked in the paid lot nearby and stepped out, the branch manager was waiting.
He waved from a distance.
“Mr. Kim Sabeom, here!”
The branch manager I hadn’t seen in weeks greeted me with a warm smile.
“Hello. How have you been?”
“Of course. No trouble coming?”
“No.”
The branch manager smiled.
“Ah, right. About the simultaneous match I asked for, is it really okay if I don’t charge you? I feel terrible.”
Simultaneous match.
A way for one person to compete against multiple opponents at once.
An event where a pro Go player rotated the board and played one move at a time.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m doing it to repay the favor.”
“…Thank you.”
We entered the building and stood in front of the elevator.
The branch manager quietly whispered.
“They’re all fine people. They have social status. There might be one or two rude friends. Please understand generously, Mr. Kim Sabeom.”
“Yes.”
I smiled briefly.
Even if rude, compared to the troublemakers I had dealt with at the bank.
I walked down from the seventh floor along the corridor.
I turned the corner, opened the door marked “Terra,” and stepped inside.
A faint cedar scent.
The interior was clean, with Go boards lined up neatly.
If “Magnolia” felt like a cafe, “Terra” evoked a stylish tea house.
“Whoa, who is this? It’s really Mr. Kim In-ha Sabeom.”
“This guy, really bringing him here.”
“Whoa, his face is bright. His body is good too.”
The middle-aged men playing Go greeted me warmly.
It felt like seeing comfortable neighborhood uncles from just looking at their faces.
However, most of them were highly educated, socially successful, and wealthy.
“Welcome. I’m Jang Jun-man, chairman of the Kiwoohoe.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Kim In-ha.”
I greeted politely.
“Our branch manager brought a difficult guest.”
The branch manager introduced me.
“Chairman Jang runs the Bareumteunteun Orthopedics franchise hospital.”
“This guy too, already introducing from the first meeting?”
Chairman Jang took a business card from his wallet.
I quietly received it.
The back listed the hospitals he operated nationwide.
“Nice to meet you. That game where you caught the cheater was really satisfying.”
Second business card.
Lee Won-tae, CPA.
“If you’re earning at Mr. Kim Sabeom’s level, you should start worrying about taxes. Don’t hesitate to contact me.”
Next.
“Branch Manager Kwak praised you so much, I’m glad to meet you.”
Third business card.
Kang Gil-soo, Professor.
A statistics professor at an Seoul university I had wanted to attend in school.
Next.
“…From the staff, ice cream tteokbokki? They say you developed it.”
“Yes?”
“If you have franchise ideas, contact me. We don’t have to collaborate. We should help each other since we like Go.”
Jang Joo-young, representative of a franchise company based on the restaurant industry.
A corporate owner who owned many well-known brand restaurants.
Others included lawyers, investment company representatives, oriental medicine doctors, and high-level public officials.
People I had never met or even exchanged words with in my life.
Business cards were introductions.
Business cards were greetings.
The scent of money, fame, and success was deeply embedded in one card.
“Come on, sit down.”
Chairman Jang clapped his hands to lead the atmosphere.
It was the first time meeting, but the atmosphere wasn’t bad.
Everyone liked Go and were sincere about it.
That passion was genuine.
“Branch Manager Kwak, our Mr. Kim Sabeom has prepared an event?”
“Yes. The final game two review and simultaneous match are scheduled.”
The branch manager gestured.
The cafe owner brought out a large Go board as if waiting.
Analog feel.
I stood up from my chair and stood in front of the board.
I held a 100-won coin-sized black stone and calmly began the review.
Daesa Baekbyeon.
Shaking in the early and middle game.
From my perspective, the reason I played each move.
A series of intuitive moves better than AI.
And the reason I allowed the center penetration to Black from a subtle shape judgment.
“I think Go is a change of thought.”
I looked straight ahead.
The branch manager and meeting members were listening intently.
“AI calculates. Even if the center is penetrated, the overall shape isn’t bad. However, humans think that if they don’t block here, it’s a big problem. Because you can’t lose in momentum, as they say.”
I had been the same.
Although based on accurate shape judgment.
Allowing the center penetration was possible because there was a completely different approach.
“So creativity. Humans need a change of thought in Go. The result is the same as AI, but the process is different.”
I paused for a moment, then continued.
“Human approach. This Go was played from that perspective.”
Swoosh.
At that moment, someone raised their hand.
A protruding belly on a slightly shaved head.
It was Min CEO, who operated an agency.
“But wasn’t the one who penetrated the center and won too result-oriented? Lu Quanyi didn’t respond well.”
Cunningly mixed informal speech.
Since he was twenty years older than me, I overlooked it once.
I calmly explained.
“It’s not wrong. But here, the reason Lu Quanyi couldn’t jump into my forces was due to the risk.”
“So, that means… Lu Quanyi played a wrong move because he couldn’t read the moves?”
He immediately countered.
“Human approach, change of thought… isn’t it a bit… isn’t it? In a way, it’s also a mistake.”
Arms crossed, slanted posture.
Many complaints, doesn’t recognize others well.
Seemed like a type with strong pride.
Jang Jun-man Chairman, who had been quietly watching, intervened.
“Min CEO, tone it down.”
“Just saying what I mean. What do you think, Professor Kang?”
“…Mr. Kim Sabeom’s Go itself has a style of shaking with unconventional moves and intuition. It’s hard to call it pure, but he has dug into Lu Quanyi’s psychology that much.”
Not pure.
Meaning it’s not the Blue Spot recommended by AI.
It seemed like he was nodding along appropriately, but the evaluation wasn’t good.
“Right. Mr. Kim Sabeom’s Go has human warmth, they say.”
When Professor Kang sided with him, Min CEO’s mood improved and he smiled happily.
“Human warmth.”
A subtle feeling of cutting me down.
“Hey, Mr. Min…”
The branch manager, whose mood had soured, seemed about to say something.
The rude person in the meeting who had given the first hint.
Probably these two.
I quietly smiled and summarized.
“Both of you are right. My Go is far from the perfect Go that AI pursues.”
Pure acknowledgment.
With that, the two’s momentum grew.
“That was amazing from Oh Soo 9-dan. Why would it be Shin-san? It was human artificial intelligence.”
“Mr. Kim Eun-woo too. Here, Mr. Kim Sabeom’s style is the opposite, so it would be interesting to play.”
“Haha. Who should I cheer for then?”
Min CEO and Professor Kang laughed at each other alternately.
I watched this and smiled quietly.
“Shall we end the review here?”
I put the large Go stone I was holding into the container.
I turned my head and said to Chairman Jang Jun-man.
“Time has passed quite a bit, so I want to start the simultaneous match right away.”
Chairman Jang Jun-man nodded at my suggestion.
“Come, let’s have the Go players who agreed to receive instruction sit over there.”
The Go seats lined up on one side were a total of five seats.
The total number of meeting members was 12.
The remaining 7 were said to be having internal matches among themselves or watching.
“Professor, sit down too.”
“Me?”
Professor Kang shook his head.
“Unfortunately, this is not my turn…”
“It’s okay.”
I smiled and slowly scanned the surroundings. My gaze brushed the faces of the meeting members.
“You can all sit.”
“What?”
“All twelve of you.”
A moment of silence.
Soon, a murmur spread.
“Hoho. Mr. Kim Sabeom, aren’t you being too arrogant? Our Samguk Baduk standard is 7-dan level.”
Min CEO arrogantly countered.
I knew.
The average strength of the members of this club was probably around 7-dan.
Among them, Professor Park was said to be Samguk Baduk 9-dan.
People who could withstand 5 points or even 3 points handicap.
“It’s fine. Since I came, I want to play with many people.”
When I said it politely, Chairman Jang Jun-man didn’t refuse anymore.
“Then, please.”
I turned the lined-up desks into a circle with 12 Go boards.
Min CEO smiled confidently.
“…Let me see, when I received instruction from Kim Eun-woo 9-dan and Jeong Si-hoo 9-dan, I won 5 points?”
I took out 4 black stones from the container and placed them on the Go board.
“It’s also a simultaneous match, so isn’t it okay to put down 4 points?”
“Do as you like.”
The other people sat down cautiously and placed the appropriate handicap.
Twelve people.
Twelve Go boards.
And me, one person.
“Shall we start?”
I held a handful of white stones from the container and placed them on the first Go board.
Tack.
And the next Go board.
Tack.
Tack.
Every time I placed a stone on the board and moved, the air changed.
The loose gazes became serious one by one.
Of course, there were still relaxed faces, but.
“…I have to tell them.”
The word “simultaneous match” was erased from my mind.
Why pros are pros.
Why 9-dans are 9-dans.
And why my Go, Mr. Kim In-ha’s Go, made opponents surrender.
“Exactly one stone.”
The minimal difference in score that decides the winner in a handicap-free Go.
I wanted to tell them the weight of that.
The weight of one stone.
To all twelve people here.
Equally.