Translator: Wan ED/PR: Personal Ghost
26. Chess Player (3)
Day before the chess tournament.
1st year class 0’s classroom.
At the class president Kim Yuri’s request, the 1st year class students came to school 1 hour earlier than usual.
Except for the vice class president, Jo Uisin.
“If so, then we will start the preparation meeting for cheering during the Stalemate Cup chess tournament Uisin is going to attend tomorrow!”
Kim Yuri, standing in front of the electric board, wrote the meeting topic with round handwriting.
“Vice president is going to a chess tournament?”
“He didn’t say anything so I had completely no idea!”
It looked like Maeng Hyodon and Sawol Seeum who lived on the same dormitory floor as Jo Uisin weren’t able to hear the news about Jo Uisin going to the competition.
“Jiho, you didn’t hear about it?”
“I didn’t.”
At Lee Lena’s question, Hwang Jiho replied with sparkling eyes.
Looking at his face, Lee Lena thought ‘Somehow I think Jiho knew’, but decided to keep quiet about it.
“Did you hear it in person?”
After Han Yi asked, Kim Yuri shook her head.
“No. I got to know it by myself. When Uisin and I participated in the 1/4 quarter student representative meeting, um… Anyhow, I saw him scrolling through the chess tournament schedule. I thought he may be joining it, so I checked the open participant list on the Stalemate web page and Uisin’s name was there!”
“And thinking about it, he also set-up his filter at the beginning as a chess piece.”
Min Geurin opened a hologram.
“It seems he was a famous chess Player.”
“Uh? Whoa, that’s for real!”
Kim Yuri, who checked the hologram opened by Min Geurin, projected the screen onto the electric board.
On the hologram, Jo Uisin’s records full of domestic and international chess tournaments victories came up.
“Wow… He won all those trophies before becoming a highschool student?”
“Amazing. Why didn’t he participate in the competitions after becoming a highschooler?”
“Probably because he became an official Player. Official Players are banned from participating in sport competitions.”
“Chess is also a sport?”
“I heard that chess and bridge were recognized as sports by the IOC. And that chess, go and janggi are Asian Games’ official disciplines.”
“All sorts of things are a sport! Then are there also videos of the competitions?”
“Yes! I hope we can find a video with Uisin.”
Sawol Seeum unfolded a hologram and showed it to Maeng Hyodon as he began to talk about IMSA and checkers while chirping.
After the two people suddenly started to talk about sports, Lee Lena cut their words to change the topic.
“Should we prepare support slogans?”
“The Stalemate’s advisor will separate the audience seats and the match ground with the Space Art. The sound will be blocked.”
“Space Art? Ah, teacher Yong Jegeon-nim is the advisor of Chess Small Group, huh? Thinking about it, loud sounds would be more of a distraction when playing chess.”
At Hwang Jiho’s reply, Lee Lena made a disappointed face.
They came up with various ideas about cheering, but the final idea was ‘Let’s go secretly and quietly cheer, and then give Jo Uisin a surprise’.
“Then we should decide the place and time where to gather and support phrases to put on holograms.”
“I can’t do it with so many people… I also have an appointment in the afternoon. Sorry. I’ll paint a painting in substitute.”
“If so, should we put Geurin’s painting on the hologram used for support phrases? What are you going to paint?”
“I was thinking of painting chess pieces and his portrait.”
“Then we will unfold the hologram in the size of a banner and put Geurin’s painting on the left.”
Kim Yuri launched a rough plan on the electric board.
Soon each 1st year class 0’s student presented a proposition for a cheering phrase, and then they all voted to decide the phrase content, font, size and color.
By the time the meeting ended, the time drew close to the time Jo Uisin usually came to school.
“Right, I forgot about the most important thing! Jiho!”
“Don’t tell Uisin!”
“Hahahaha, sure.”
Kim Yuri and Lee Lena gave a warning to the most uncertain factor of this plan, the biggest mischief-maker of the current 1st year class 0, Hwang Jiho.
However, during lunch hour break, Han Yi witnessed the scene of Hwang Jiho bantering ‘I’m not going to tell you, but aren’t you curious?’ while following Jo Uisin.
“Hwang Jiho.”
After Jo Uisin went to class first, Han Yi stared at Hwang Jiho with a disgusted expression.
“I didn’t tell him. I planned to make him curious about it and then keep my mouth shut, but… That guy isn’t curious at all?”
“You had such bad thoughts?”
“That’s harsh, hahaha!”
Looking at Hwang Jiho who was laughing about something good again, Han Yi’s expression turned even more disgusted.
***
And on the day of the chess tournament.
Time when the club activities ended.
Hwang Jiho, who appeared in front of the 1st year class 0’s children, was making a very upset face.
“He said he wasn’t curious until the end.”
“I guess that bastard tried his mouth until the end.”
“We’re lucky Uisin put up an iron wall.”
Maeng Hyodon and Sawol Seeum scolded him with disgusted expressions.
Kim Yuri took the lead with a relieved face.
“Then let’s move!”
General Club Council Building, gym no. 3.
After Yong Jegeon’s opening show ended, the first round of chess matches started.
The 1st year class 0 children took up one box seat, sat down together and unfolded a hologram.
“All other tables started, why isn’t Uisin playing?”
“Senior Ma Jinseung didn’t press the chess clock’s button, so they are starting a bit late, but… Why are you not playing?” [1]
Jo Uisin, who was slow to move for a moment, moved a pawn forward.
“Ooo, they’re playing.”
After playing a few moves, Jo Uisin smiled for the first time.
Seeing that smile, the 1st year class children spoke with worried voices.
“That smile isn’t particularly suspicious.”
“It doesn’t look good somehow.”
“Right. Isn’t his condition particular?”
“Hahaha, hahahaha!”
While Hwang Jiho burst into laughter alone, Jo Uisin and Ma Jinseung, the two people, stood up and shook hands.
“Uh, it ended? They’re shaking hands?”
“Uisin won! Wasn’t it barely four moves? How did he do that?”
“Ah, the Stalemate side put on a commentary! They said it was the Scholar’s mate.” [2]
On the Stalemate’s web page, the match results were coming out in real time.
Even though Jo Uisin took quite some time to make the first move, as he checkmated within 4 moves, he was the first among participants to put in the victorious last move.
Amidst others’ admiration, Lee Lena commented on an important point.
“Ah, Uisin won’t be able to see us until the end like this, right?”
“Looking at it, you’re right.”
“I wanted to see Uisin’s surprised expression!”
In the effort to make the cheering phrase more attention grabbing, the 1st year class 0 children increased the hologram size and made it a bit brighter.
Then the second round started.
Jo Uisin vs Yeon Garam.
Jo Uisin was quicker than during the first game.
However, after each two moves, his hand, which was moving the chess pieces, was starting to slow down, and soon it didn’t move.
“Why isn’t he playing?”
“Maybe he is thinking about the next move?”
“It seems he is thinking too long.” [3]
At the hologram for the audience.
The number beside Jo Uisin’s name was gradually decreasing.
“If the number reaches 0, it will be treated as a timeout defeat.”
At Han Yi’s words, some children stood up to start cheering.
“Stay strong, Uisin!”
“Uisin, go! Fight!”
“What are you doing, vice president! Move, quickly!”
However, the sound from the audience couldn’t reach Jo Uisin, blocked from him by Yong Jegeon’s Space Art.
Then.
“…!”
Hwang Jiho suddenly stood up, staring straight ahead.
“Hwang Jiho…?”
Han Yi, who sat beside Hwang Jiho, tried to call out to him, but he didn’t react.
While that was happening, Kim Yuri shouted with a bright voice.
“Uisin looked here!”
“Wowwoow! He looks surprised!”[4]
“Uisin, there is not much time remaining! Move quickly!”
“He won’t hear our voices, so let’s wave our hands!”
“Vice president, what are you doing not moving quickly!”
***
Kim Yuri, waving her hand wide with a smile.
Lee Lena and Maeng Hyodon who were diligently shouting something.
Sawol Seeum who was making hand gestures as he half-floated as if he activated the Flight skill.
Han Yi, who seemed to slightly wave her hand.
Hwang Jiho, who stood up to look here, met my eyes and was smiling meaningfully.
Then I saw a very sparkling hologram and phrases filling the box seat with the 1st year class 0 children.
[It’s fine, even suspicious!]
[Cheers for the 1st year class 0’s suspicious vice president Jo Uisin ^▽^♡]
At the side of the hologram was Min Geurin’s painting projecting chess pieces and my portrait.
‘Was this what Hwang Jiho was talking about?’
Thinking about it, yesterday and today all of our class’ kids came to school earlier than me.
I guess they were secretly preparing to cheer for me.
‘It’s fine, even suspicious? I guess I really look suspicious.’
When thinking like this.
I realized that the colors returned to the reality that turned black and white.
The cheering phrase on the hologram was changing color with each second and sparkling.
I turned my gaze again and looked back at the chess board, I clearly saw 64 squares and chess pieces.
At last I came up with the next move.
Beep.
I passed my turn and pressed the chess clock’s button.
The remaining time was over 1 minute.
In other words, the chess version of overtime, the Fischer’s Rule[5], would be applied.
The headache was terrible as before, but I didn’t have a feeling like I would be losing.
“Check.”
I declared checkmate 8 moves after the Power of Fate activated.
Yeon Garam’s expression crumbled a bit for the first time, then, after she personally knocked down the black king, she shook hands with me.
The second round also ended with my victory.
***
“I was really nervous!”
“Right!”
“Did you do that intentionally? You finished the first match early to finish the second match slowly?”
“You didn’t smile suspiciously, so I was worried!” [6]
“You worked hard, Uisin!”
“Yeah! That was really a lot of trouble, Uisin!”
After I finished the match, I went to find our class guys.
Half of what they said were expressions of worry and half were compliments for the skill and hard work.
As I listened to the children talking, the headache gradually disappeared, and the warmth again returned to my hands which turned cold.
“Thank you.”
The children stayed quite late to support me.
I was both thankful and sorry.
“Let’s go eat dinner, I’ll be paying.”
They refused, saying ‘There is no need for it’, I insisted until the end when we decided to eat dinner together in front of school.
I wanted to go to a barbecue restaurant, but Kim Yuri objected to it.
“Let’s go to a barbecue restaurant when Uisin wins!”
“Right. If you win, buy us a meal at a barbecue restaurant with the reward money.”
“Alright, we’re going to eat in a different place today!”
With a majority of votes, the place we decided on was a fast food restaurant in the Eungwang District.
Most expressed they want to eat a season limited menu set.
The children smiled and clamored as they ate the shared outback aussie cheese fries, which were included in each menu set, and which we piled up together and put in the middle of the table.
I made a resolution to win by all means, even if it’s just to feed our class children beef.
***
We chatted until the fast food restaurant was closing and then parted.
Before I could head out with the dormitory members towards the school.
Hwang Jiho grabbed me and asked.
“Jo Uisin, during the match, when you looked towards the audience seats, you weren’t able to feel something?”
When I looked towards the 1st year class 0’s children you say…
It was when the Power of Fate activated.
‘No way, did Hwang Jiho feel something?’
The Power of Fate activated three times in front of Hwang Jiho.
The first time was during the interpretation of the ancient book discovered in the Central Library basement stack room, in which traces of higher beings were left.
The second time was when we were treating Jeok-ho with Yu Sang-hui’s Gwangrim, borrowing the authority of Acea.
And today.
In the two previous cases, a strong power acted simultaneously, but today there was nothing.
He may have sensed something.
“I don’t know.”
It wasn’t a lie.
Because I still didn’t know much about the Power of Fate.
Even though Hwang Jiho made a doubtful expression, he didn’t dig deeper.
“Okay. You worked a lot today. Rest.”
The records of Jo Uisin in this world, perhaps thanks to information manipulation by Transcendent Universe, were set up similarly to my actual records.
If it was Hwang Jiho who investigated me, he may have guessed my trauma related to chess.
“You came to support me, so thank you. Hwang Jiho.”
At my words, Hwang Jiho made a subtle[7] expression, then he quickly turned around to leave.
This time, he was heading towards Hwang Myeong-ho’s mansion, not in the wrong direction.
***
General Club Council Building on-site gym no. 3.
Between space blocks shaped like chess pieces.
Yong Jegeon stood alone on the 1st floor.
‘In this direction?’
Yong Jegeon looked up towards the box seat where the 1st year class 0 students were.
‘What were those traces?’
Mixed with this space full of Yong Jegeon’s power were traces of a different nature.
It was very dim, but Yong Jegeon’s eyes saw the flash of light.
‘It seemed that the version of chairman Hwangho-ssi also sensed it.’
Yong Jegeon stared at the empty chess table.
‘And Unknown Supernova too.’
*~*~*
[1] “Senior Ma Jinseung didn’t press the chess clock’s button, so they are starting a bit late, but… Why are you not playing?” – this sentence was spoken by Sawol Seeum. The one who asked would be Lee Lena or Kim Yuri.
[2] “Ah, the Stalemate side put on a commentary! They said it was the Scholar’s mate.” – Another Sawol Seeum’s sentence.
[3] “It seems he is thinking too long.” – Sawol Seeum’s sentence.
[4] “Stay strong, Uisin!”, “Wowwoow! He looks surprised!” – Sawol Seeum’s sentences…
[5] Fischer’s Rule – refers to the timing system used in chess. The rule is that every time before (or after) the move, a set amount of time is added to the basic time limit if the player didn’t run out of time. For example:
Basic time: 5 minutes, increase: 30 seconds.
1st move: 5 min of the time left – time used: 1 min
2nd move: 4:30 min of the time left – time used: 1:20 min
3rd move: 3:50 min of the time left – time used: 1:50 min
…
[6] “You didn’t smile suspiciously, so I was worried!” – Sawol Seeum.
[7] subtle – let this translator share just how complicated the meaning of this ‘subtle’ is. The word used in Korean is 미묘하다 which has three meanings:
1. Describing something not clear, mysterious, ambiguous.
2. Something very small, slight.
3. Describing something very pretty.
Now let’s think which of those Jo Uisin could mean (if not all).
Translator’s note: Sawol Seeum knows surprisingly a lot about chess for someone who didn’t see the outside world until he went to highschool.
Did you see a mistake? 🐞
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