A Child Who Resembles Me [EN]: Chapter 165

165. Kindness to the Insignificant

Yena’s expression, previously firm with determination at the corners of her lips, tightened slightly.

Yena almost asked, ‘What’s humiliation?’ but stopped herself. She seemed to grasp the meaning vaguely, possessing at least that much understanding.

“I’ll meet you in the third round, Oppa [older brother, a term of endearment used by younger girls to address older boys],” Yena said to Hong Jaein after checking the numbers and order. If she won her first two matches, she would face Jaein in the third.

“Do you even think you can make it to me?” Jaein retorted, raising one corner of his mouth in a smirk.

Jaein had come to the tournament aiming for the championship. It was his last as a junior player. Once the year changed, he would be in the senior division, competing with older students up to the 6th grade.

If he didn’t achieve something impressive in his last junior tournament, the seniors might look down on him.

The new academy teacher had assured Jaein that he would be among the top contenders. Although the kid who won the August Go [a strategic board game] tournament was quite good, Jaein had received special tutoring to analyze that kid’s matches and identify his weaknesses, making him virtually invincible.

The gold medal was Jaein’s for the taking.

“I don’t know why they even allow seven-year-olds in the tournament. All they do is whine and cry,” Jaein chuckled to the friend in the front seat.

Watching Jaein laugh after saying something not particularly funny, Yena tilted her head.

Why laugh at someone before even knowing their true skill?

However, she didn’t particularly take Jaein’s attitude to heart. She simply resolved not to become someone like that.

.*. *. *. *. *. *.

Seoul Western District Court.

With solemnity, the judge began by methodically listing Chae Eunyeop’s criminal charges. It was a standard procedure, but Eunyeop seemed uncomfortable, making bored expressions several times. He seemed eager to be sentenced quickly and be rid of the burden.

About twenty minutes passed, and just as Chae Eunyeop, bored, flared his nostrils as if about to yawn,

“The defendant submitted over 60 letters of remorse, but he approached the trial attempting to conceal and minimize his criminal acts, along with making implausible excuses. After the prosecutor’s sentencing request, he attempted to undermine the values of the judiciary by trying to bribe the court researchers and judges due to his anxiety about the sentence.”

The judge revealed a new fact.

Chae Eunyeop frowned, and the gallery became noisy.

“He even tried to bribe the judge,” Jiheon muttered quietly, and Bae Il next to him sighed faintly, as if in disbelief.

In a way, he was truly remarkable. It was rare to see someone fight so hard for their dignity and freedom. It was also rare to find someone so convinced that everyone else was as cunning and evil as he was.

Starting with the judge bribery case, the verdict became increasingly captivating.

“The defendant repeatedly changed his statements each time evidence and testimony were added, consistently made excuses claiming diminished responsibility, and showed no genuine remorse. Therefore, this court cannot help but hold the defendant strictly accountable for all these charges.”

Amidst all this, Jiheon anxiously checked the time. He was torn between wanting to rush to Yena and Jeong-oh and feeling obligated to witness Chae Eunyeop’s end.

Since he had already committed more than enough crimes, adding one more would only lengthen the verdict.

“All evidence and testimony were consistent and verifiable, and none of the defendant’s defamatory claims were plausible. Therefore, the defendant is found guilty of all charges, including the charge of commissioning the murder of Kim Jingu, the attempted murder of Jeong Jiheon, the attempted murder of Jang Youngmi, as well as bribery and obstruction of official duties.”

Still, the end came.

“Therefore, I sentence the defendant, Chae Eunyeop, to life imprisonment, as requested by the prosecutor.”

At the judge’s order, Jiheon felt relieved and almost applauded.

Chae Eunyeop’s eyes widened as if they would pop out, and he jumped up from his seat.

“What is this…! Your Honor!” If the police next to him hadn’t restrained him, Chae Eunyeop might have lunged at the retiring judge.

Even after being restrained by the police, he struggled violently. He seemed unable to accept the result. He had judged that the court rarely followed the prosecution’s request, so at most, he would get a few years in prison and might even get parole as a model prisoner.

“Why me! Why me! I can’t accept this!” What can you do if you can’t accept it? The verdict has already been made.

“Let me go! Hey! Jeong Jiheon! You vicious bastard! You’re behind all this!” Eunyeop, making eye contact with Jiheon, lashed out at him for no reason.

Jiheon stared at Eunyeop with clouded eyes.

Sorry, but I don’t have the kind of vicious passion to influence your verdict. You occupy a very insignificant place in my life.

Jiheon watched Eunyeop being dragged away, struggling, for a moment before leaving the courtroom.

Finally, it’s over!

There was no time to relax. He had to go to Yena quickly.

.*. *. *. *. *. *.

Yena easily won her first two matches and faced her third opponent.

Her third opponent was Hong Jaein. Jaein had also easily won his first two matches and reached the third round.

“Oh. You made it this far?”

“Yeah!” Yena replied as if she felt good, despite Jaein’s sarcasm.

“Okay. That must be nice.” He was being sarcastic again, but Yena didn’t seem to notice.

‘The third match will be easy too!’ Jaein cheered inwardly. It was good that there were no obstacles on the way to winning. He didn’t want to waste his energy beforehand. He just thought he should play with the kid in front of him while thinking about the winner of the August Go tournament.

However, not long after the start, Jaein flinched. Something was different from last time.

‘Wasn’t she terrible in August?’

Jaein was flustered by Yena’s early momentum and placed his stone in the wrong spot.

“…That was a mistake.”

“Yeah,” Yena nodded as if she understood.

After that, for some reason, the game tilted even further. Yena placed her stones immediately after Jaein made a move. Her reaction was so quick, as if she was playing Go without thinking.

But she wasn’t really playing without thinking. Every move was placed in a reasonable spot.

For some reason, Jaein couldn’t keep up. He was struggling to breathe trying to follow Yena. He felt pressured. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

He couldn’t lose like this. Jaein had to use the special move he had been saving for the finals.

He spoke in a low voice, as if whispering to Yena.

“Why did you become Jeong Yena?”

Attacking the weakness to pressure the psychology. It was the best way to deal with young children.

“Did your dad disappear and then reappear, or did your dad change?”

The humiliating July. When he was forced to quit the academy and look for another one because of this kid, Jaein’s mom said this.

“Looking at how handsome her dad is, he must be someone special. He probably worked at a bar and caught her mom’s eye.”

Remembering his mom’s words, Jaein smiled triumphantly.

“Does your dad work at a bar?”

“No. Our dad is a director at an advertising company.”

“Advertising company? A bar advertising company?”

“Seryun Group’s Max Planning?”

Seryun Group? He didn’t know the name of the advertising company, but he knew the name Seryun Group. He couldn’t not know it. Most of the snacks Jaein ate were from Seryun Foods’ snack brand.

“But Oppa, you’re going to run out of time. Soo-in also lost to me because he talked about things other than Go,” Yena pointed out while Jaein’s eyes were rolling. Even in the midst of all that, time was ticking away.

In this Go tournament, players are given a time limit of 10 minutes per game. They must think about where to place their next stone within the given 10 minutes, and if they use up all this time, they must place their stone within 30 seconds.

This is called overtime, and if a player uses up their three chances to exceed the 30-second overtime, they lose.

He had been preoccupied with useless thoughts and hadn’t thought about where to place his Go stone on his turn. Before he knew it, he only had 2 minutes left. Jaein hurriedly put down a stone.

Huh.

But the hastily placed stone left another flaw.

“M, mistake!”

“Yeah,” Yena nodded as Jaein shouted in excitement.

“It’s okay to make mistakes. It’s alright.”

“…….”

“Because you can turn it into a great mistake.”

“…….”

“Just reflect and do better next time.”

…Is she on her second life? How can a kid be like an old man?

Jaein didn’t gratefully accept Yena’s advice and tolerance and shouted again.

“What do you know!”

“Hey, you can’t fight here,” the supervisor standing nearby gave a warning.

“She keeps showing off!” Jaein complained unfairly.

“Teacher, I didn’t do that,” Yena also firmly protested.

Eventually, the supervisor guarding the area sat down next to them. It became disadvantageous for Jaein. With the supervisor watching, he couldn’t provoke Yena by touching her weaknesses or use tricks.

Yena, just like at the beginning, pressured Jaein calmly and powerfully, at a pace that neither slowed down nor sped up. Jaein felt increasingly breathless. His head also hurt.

In the end, he ran out of the given 10 minutes without even deciding where to place his next stone.

Now, 30 seconds of overtime. First time.

Tears welled up in his eyes.

Jaein placed a stone anywhere.

Yena tilted her head as if she couldn’t understand why Jaein had placed the stone there, and continued the game at her own pace.

And then it was Jaein’s turn again. Jaein swallowed his tears. This time, his head felt numb.

He wished the entire stadium would catch fire and the tournament would be canceled.

Jaein hesitated, and the second 30-second overtime was counted down, and before he knew it, he reached the last overtime. He wanted to smash the stopwatch.

He had practiced so hard for today. He had to win today!

He had to be recognized by people!

But in the end, Jaein couldn’t make his next move.

“Teacher, this Oppa is crying!” Jaein shed tears like chicken droppings, feeling upset and wronged.

“Hong Jaein student. Time out,” the supervisor handed Jaein a tissue with a cold expression, as if he had seen kids like this often.

“Oppa, don’t cry. I just won today, and you just lost today. Study harder and do better next time,” Yena comforted him quite maturely. It was kindness to the insignificant.

Jaein couldn’t say anything.

“Jeong Yena student, you need to go over there,” in the meantime, the supervisor cleared the Go board between Yena and Jaein and pointed Yena to the next game seat. Yena waved her hand as she moved in the direction the supervisor pointed.

“That was fun. See you next time!”

No, they probably won’t meet.

Today was a limit and a barrier for Hong Jaein, and a beginning for Jeong Yena. Yena had only just finished her third match.

In Jeong Yena’s life, Hong Jaein could not be of any significance.

“Bye!” Yena’s clear voice swirled around one side of the stadium and gently landed.