Ch. 14 — 14
Go Chang-ho brutally pinched his thigh without the kids noticing to hold back the smile that kept trying to spread across his face.
Forcing himself to hold back the smile made his lips quiver uncontrollably.
To think such an exciting event would happen on just the second day of the new semester.
That ego-filled Go prodigy lost his temper to that extent.
He had received handovers regarding special remarks from the homeroom teachers who had previously been in charge of Si-woo.
Even before, his relationship with the other kids had been extremely poor, but it usually ended at ignoring them or leaving the area.
But this time, his emotions properly exploded.
To think that mature, cold-hearted kid got so angry at a child a whole head shorter than him that he swung his fists.
And, listening to Cheol-jun explain the situation point by point, the reason was absolutely astounding.
“It’s all my fault, Teacher.”
‘Hah…’
With him admitting fault so cleanly, he couldn’t even scold him further.
“I see. Cheol-jun is right. Carelessly touching or secretly looking at someone else’s belongings can be very rude. I won’t say any more about it since you clearly know you were in the wrong.”
Chang-ho turned his head to look at Si-woo, who was still huffing, his anger not entirely dissipated.
“Si-woo. It’s true that Cheol-jun made a mistake. But you could have resolved it with words. Why did you have to swing your fists? Unless you explain exactly why, the other person won’t know why you got so angry.”
“……”
Just then, Cheol-jun spoke up.
“I, um, spoke too lightly about something incredible and precious to Si-woo.”
“Huh?”
“I thought I knew Go well. So I said it to try and get close to him, but I guess to Si-woo, um, it was something that made him feel, um, incredibly awful. That’s why he got angry because of me.”
Si-woo’s brow furrowed even deeper.
He felt as if his inner thoughts, which he hadn’t even fully sorted out himself, had been completely seen through.
And so cleanly summarized, at that.
“Si-woo. Is that right?”
“……”
“Hoo… First of all, Si-woo, you have to go to the Go institute this afternoon, right?”
“……”
“You’ll be late. Get going. And, do you still have any lingering dissatisfaction with how I resolved what happened today? Even when Cheol-jun is this apologetic?”
“……”
“Cheol-jun?”
Cheol-jun, who had been stealing glances at Si-woo, quickly bowed his head.
“Si-woo. I’m sorry. I was really in the wrong.”
Chang-ho placed a hand on Si-woo’s shoulder.
“Si-woo, you should also apologize for trying to hit Cheol-jun.”
“……”
Whether he was clenching his jaw, Si-woo’s cheeks were deeply hollowed.
Cheol-jun hurriedly spoke up.
“Teacher. Si-woo doesn’t have to apologize. I’m fine. He tried to hit me, but I didn’t get hit at all. Even if he tried to hit me more, I wouldn’t have gotten hit. Si-woo just rolled on the floor, so…”
“…Huh?”
Just then, Si-woo bit his lower lip hard and violently twisted his shoulder, shaking off Chang-ho’s hand.
He glared at Cheol-jun once and then abruptly stood up from his chair.
He was about to storm out of the counseling room, but he paused for a moment, turned his body, and bowed his head once to Chang-ho.
“…I’ll be taking my leave.”
“Hah, alright. Cool off, okay?”
Chang-ho chuckled and waved his hand.
‘At least he bows before leaving.’
After Si-woo left, Chang-ho looked at Cheol-jun with an intrigued face.
“Cheol-jun.”
“Yes, Teacher.”
“What was it you said earlier after looking at Si-woo’s game record?”
“Pardon?”
“Uh, I mean, it must have had some meaning.”
“Ah…”
Cheol-jun furrowed his brow.
Then he turned his head and stared blankly at the A4 paper on the table.
“Do you need that?”
“Yes!”
“A pencil too?”
“Yes!”
When Chang-ho tilted his head in confusion and brought him the paper and pencil, Cheol-jun began to draw a grid on the paper.
Looking closely, it seemed he was trying to draw a game record.
“Uh, should I bring you a Go board?”
Cheol-jun’s eyes widened and he quickly nodded.
“Yes!”
Chang-ho stood up from his chair with a face full of anticipation.
‘Now where was that Go board…’
He remembered seeing one in the lower-grade playroom.
“I’ll be right back with it. Wait here.”
“Yes! Thank you!”
*
*
“So, right here, Black’s stones enter White’s territory. It feels incredibly aggressive. If it had kept extending like this, White would have been in a lot of trouble. And White was actually retreating, too. But here, Black suddenly hesitates. Then plays tenuki (ignores the local situation) and places a stone somewhere else. I was so curious why Black’s stones, which were advancing so well, suddenly endured it and turned away…”
Chang-ho stared blankly at the Go board.
Can someone really remember it this accurately after just sneaking a glance at a game record?
From what he knew, this was something only possible for high-level research students or professional players.
“Uh, Cheol-jun, did you learn Go too?”
“Ah, yes! From my dad!”
“Really? Your dad must have been quite highly skilled?”
Cheol-jun furrowed his brow.
Thinking back to the game record he saw earlier…
“No. I don’t think he played that well.”
“…Huh?”
Cheol-jun stared quietly at the Go board.
“I played with my dad sometimes, but I never got to play a game at this level.”
“Ah…”
Chang-ho blinked.
It wasn’t an ability naturally developed by playing dozens of games a day like research students…
‘Wait, that’s not what’s important right now.’
“So, that’s why you asked about that move Black made?”
“Yes!”
“What were you curious about?”
Cheol-jun carefully examined the movement of the black stones again.
The person who placed these stones was definitely an incredibly aggressive and combative person, at least when it came to Go.
Yet, they suddenly became passive.
As if they were forcefully suppressing their true nature.
From Cheol-jun’s perspective, if they had played according to their personality, they absolutely wouldn’t have lost.
No, they might have won by a landslide.
Because the person playing White was far more intimidated than the person playing Black.
Cheol-jun had never seen a game of Go at this level.
So it was hard to explain clearly.
But the more he thought about it, there was definitely a certain abstract feeling.
“The person holding the black stones is, um, suppressed? Oppressed? Uh, they seem incredibly terrified of something else, not the outcome of this Go match. So it felt like their true skill couldn’t come out. Normally, they could have played much, much better. How should I say this? Uh, I think they played passively because they thought they absolutely couldn’t afford to make a mistake. They backed off in a situation where they could have easily been bolder. It’s strictly my guess, but I was so curious if my thoughts were right. And the reason why, too.”
Chang-ho stared blankly at the Go board.
He could figure all that out just from looking at a game record once?
“Hmm. So Cheol-jun, you think these black stones are the stones Si-woo played? And you saw an issue preventing him from showing his true skill?”
“Yes.”
Chang-ho only knew the basics of Go, so no matter how much he stared at it, he couldn’t understand what was going on at all.
However, since Cheol-jun said all that, it definitely caught his attention.
“I see. I understand what you’re saying, Cheol-jun. From now on, make sure you’re careful not to carelessly touch or look at someone else’s belongings without permission. Got it?”
“Yes! Teacher!”
“I’ll clean this up, so you go back to the classroom first.”
“Okay!”
Cheol-jun stood up from his seat, bowed politely, and left.
And Chang-ho, staring blankly at the Go board, twitched an eyebrow.
Called a Go prodigy since he was very young, crushed by the weight of people’s expectations, Si-woo had lived solely in the cold-hearted world of competition.
‘He’s terrified of something other than the Go match unfolding right in front of him?’
Si-woo might already be in a state where performance goals (the motivation to look good to others) have completely devoured mastery goals (the motivation to improve oneself).
Children like this become terrified of failure and instead avoid risks.
As a result, they often develop incredibly passive personalities.
‘And because of that reason, his true skill isn’t coming out?’
Chang-ho’s fingers picked up a black stone.
If, as Cheol-jun said, the black stones had suspiciously halted their attack, it was a logical suspicion well worth considering.
‘He said he attends the Go institute his father runs, right?’
Putting away the Go stones, Chang-ho slowly began to ponder what he could possibly do.
‘Let’s go there first.’
If he saw the environment for himself, he might find some answers.
Chang-ho was the type of person who, once fixated on something, would just charge in headfirst.
*
*
*
–Beep-bee-bee-bee-beep!
–Tiriring!
–Clatter!
“I’m home!”
“Huh? Why? I thought you were going to a PC bang with your friends?”
Hyung-man tilted his head, looking at Cheol-jun, who had arrived earlier than expected.
“Min-jun mom-and-dad issues!”
“Mom, what?”
“Uh, he got a call from home telling him to come back early.”
“Really?”
Hyung-man grinned and looked at the Go board.
“One game?”
“Go?”
“Yeah. Your uncle is, huh? Not normally at that level, you know? It’s just because I haven’t played in a while. Let’s just play one game.”
“Uh…”
“I’ll take three handicap stones!”
“Uh, three stones probably won’t be enough…”
“Hah… I’m telling you, it was just because I played for the first time in so long yesterday!”
Cheol-jun made an incredibly troubled expression.
Honestly, no matter how many handicap stones Uncle Hyung-man took, it was obvious he couldn’t play a game of Go as amazing as that game record.
After today, he had made a personal resolution to never look down on Go again.
He felt like he absolutely wouldn’t be able to play seriously if he played with Uncle Hyung-man.
More than anything, he needed to raise his skill level quickly right now.
Even if it meant watching Go videos or whatever else.
Because only then would he be able to play an amazing match matching Si-woo’s skill level.
If he showed skill that lived up to the words he had spat out earlier, Si-woo’s anger would surely dissipate.
Anyway, he was in no state of mind to play Go with Uncle Hyung-man.
“The thing is…”
“Ay. Just one game! Huh? Your uncle, huh? Do you know what my win rate is on the internet games I was playing just now, kid? Huh? I just beat an amateur 3-dan!”
Cheol-jun blinked his round eyes.
“Internet?”
“Yeah!”
Cheol-jun’s head whipped around.
Through the open door, he saw the computer.
“Teach me that!”
“…Huh?”
“Internet Go!”
“No, I’m telling you to play with me…”
Without even listening to Hyung-man, Cheol-jun scurried into his room.
Hyung-man smacked his lips.
Having no choice, he scratched his belly and followed Cheol-jun into his room.
Cheol-jun had already taken off his bag and was sitting in front of the computer, looking up at Hyung-man with sparkling eyes.
Jeez, take your uniform off before you sit down.
What’s the huge rush.
Cheol-jun fidgeted in his seat.
“Hurry!”
Hyung-man scrunched his nose once and opened his pouting lips.
“Uh, that one right there. I installed it to play when I’m bored… To sign up… Ah, we can just use my ID. I paid for a subscription so you have unlimited matches. Uh, click that, and let’s see.”
Hyung-man tapped the keyboard to enter his ID and password.
“Alright, if you click ‘Play Match’ there, it matches you with someone of similar skill, so let’s see… First off, your uncle beat a 3-dan earlier, so I’m an amateur 3-dan, right?”
“Can’t I play with someone better?”
“Well, you have to beat the rank above you to play against higher ranks. Uh, yeah. Right there. Just click ‘Quick Match’.”
Cheol-jun furrowed his brow.
A list of top-ranked players was displayed in a window called the Hall of Fame, and they were all 7-dan.
‘Will those people be able to play as well as Si-woo?’
He needed to quickly play with someone that good.
Once he got fixated on something, he couldn’t think of anything else.
Cheol-jun moved the mouse and quickly clicked ‘Quick Match’.
[Immortal Fire Bat. Opponent found.]
[Foot Sole Boil has entered.]
[Rank: Amateur 3-dan]
[Record: 132 Wins, 103 Losses]
He clicked accept immediately.
*
*
*
“Well, as you can see, it’s fierce here.”
Go Chang-ho smiled brightly as he looked around.
Just as Si-woo’s father, professional Go player Park Jin-gyeom, had said, the very air in the space where the research students gathered was different.
Amidst a profound silence, only the clack-clack of stones being placed could be heard.
It was an entirely different atmosphere from the elementary class or hobby class he had just passed by.
There were a few elementary schoolers, and quite a few kids who looked like middle schoolers.
Over in the corner, he could see the back of Si-woo’s head.
“Si-woo, that kid was amazing. He started playing even games against older research students when he was seven, and wow, he actually held his own. That was right around the time my own tournament results were seriously declining, so from then on, I devoted myself entirely to supporting Si-woo.”
“Wow. From seven years old?”
“Yes. For someone so young, his competitive drive was immense. He just couldn’t stand losing. Even without me teaching him, he’d review games on his own. Honestly, not because he’s my kid, but as a fellow Go player, it was something I had to acknowledge. It made me greedy, too. My only real career highlight was barely hitting rank 10, so I thought, ‘Let’s raise this kid right.’ Something like that…”
The sight of Si-woo staring intently at the Go board.
The kid sitting across from him looked about high school age, but he actually seemed more nervous.
Si-woo’s bracken-like fingers moved, picking up a stone and setting it down.
Every time that clicking sound rang out, his opponent’s eyes wavered left and right.
It was a scene that was incredibly cool, yet somehow suffocating just to watch.
“Haha, well, he’s in the middle of a match, so it might take a while…”
“Ah. That’s fine. I came here to see you today, Father.”
“Then, let’s head to the office…”
“Yes.”
As they sat on the sofa in the modestly decorated office, Park Jin-gyeom handed him a highly caffeinated energy drink.
And, he shot a glance at Chang-ho.
“Um, what brings you here…?”
“It’s just an early-semester home visit. Since Si-woo is quite a special case, I dropped by while passing through.”
“Ah…”
“So, what are your plans for his progression to middle school?”
“Well, it’s compulsory education, so he has to go for now. He’ll be classified as an extra-quota student due to lack of attendance, and then he’ll take the qualification exam (GED). That’s what most research students do. In my day, we just didn’t go, but nowadays it’s quite a hassle.”
Chang-ho smiled and nodded.
It was a policy he could fully understand.
However, it was inevitably regrettable.
“There’s quite a bit to be learned from bumping shoulders with friends as well.”
“Yes. I know. That’s why I’m making sure he attends elementary school classes for at least a few hours as much as possible. Um, did he perhaps cause some kind of problem at school…?”
Chang-ho smiled brightly and shook his head.
“Not at all. He’s very mature. Quiet, and grown-up.”
“Haha. Right? He’s extraordinary. He’s been like that since he was little. I can’t help but praise him.”
Taking a sip of the energy drink, Chang-ho twitched one eyebrow.
Then, he recalled the psychology related to a gifted child’s avoidance of failure.
Outstanding prodigies, paradoxically, are more vulnerable to failure precisely because they are so smart.
A child who has always received the evaluation of ‘doing well’ from their surroundings begins to equate their own worth with their ability.
When excessive expectations from parents or conditional love centered on praise are repeated, the message ‘I can only be loved if I do well’ becomes internalized.
As a result, a failure isn’t just a simple mistake; it connects directly to self-denial, the thought that ‘I am a worthless person’.
Meeting Si-woo’s father in person, the answer was perfectly clear.
“Father.”
“Yes?”
“Could you entrust Si-woo to me for just one month?”
“Huh… What do you mean by that…?”
“No, no. It’s nothing grandiose. I just want him to finish all his morning classes, and give him the opportunity to hang out with friends in the afternoon about two days a week. Other than that, he can devote himself to Go just like he has been.”
“Hmm. If he fails this gifted induction tournament, he has to enter the headquarters and prepare for the headquarters research student induction tournament. That’s an incredibly difficult path, so right now is the time he needs to focus the most…”
Chang-ho nodded with a gentle face.
However, inside, he was already extremely agitated.
Recalling Si-woo’s admirable face as he collected himself and turned around to bow, even while his anger from Cheol-jun’s teabagging hadn’t fully dissipated.
The immense burden that young child must be carrying—a weight too crushing even for an adult—felt so suffocating to him.
And so, he blurted out words he couldn’t take responsibility for.
“I guarantee it.”
“…Pardon?”
“His Go skills will definitely improve far beyond what they are now.”
Honestly, he didn’t know.
It would absolutely be positive for the child’s emotions, but whether that would translate to his Go skills, Chang-ho had no idea whatsoever.
It was something he absolutely shouldn’t have guaranteed.
But, he had already followed his heart and committed the deed.
The heart had always been a bastard that recklessly spat out things it couldn’t handle.
His heart was pounding, but Chang-ho maintained a calm expression.
Since he had already done it, he had to take it as far as it would go.
“I’m a guy who went to Harvard and came back with a Ph.D. in Education.”
“Ah. I heard. The only one among all elementary school teachers.”
“There are exactly five of us in the country. The four besides me are all professors at prestigious universities.”
“Ah…”
“There was an unofficial study that tracked Chinese Go prodigies from childhood.”
It was a lie.
“At that time, the research results showed that the more properly a child’s emotions are formed, the better they perform to their full potential. The Chinese Go Association desperately blocked it, so it couldn’t be published as a thesis.”
It was a massive lie.
“I want to apply that research to Si-woo.”
Park Jin-gyeom’s eyes went wide.
“You are certain of Si-woo’s talent, aren’t you?”
“Yes…”
“If you just leave him to me, I’m certain that in the near future, he could become the absolute best Go player representing South Korea—no, dominating the world! One who will leave a monumental mark in history.”
Park Jin-gyeom’s eyes grew even larger.
His mouth fell open slightly.
“Trust me. Father.”
As if possessed by something, Park Jin-gyeom nodded.
When Go Chang-ho held out his hand, he quickly grabbed it tightly.
“Please take good care of him. Teacher.”
Go Chang-ho smiled subtly and nodded.
And internally, he screamed desperately.
‘Fck! I’m fcked!’
Park Jin-gyeom nodded his head profusely.
“I leave him in your capable hands!”
The corners of Go Chang-ho’s upturned mouth quivered.
‘You crazy heart!’
In that moment, a bright, innocent face popped into his mind.
—So it felt like their true skill couldn’t come out.
This all started from that little squirt’s words.
‘I just trusted you and went for it. Cheol-jun.’
Having completely shifted the blame for now, Go Chang-ho smiled brightly and firmly grasped Park Jin-gyeom’s hand, shaking it slowly.