I Became a Scoundrel of a Chaebol Family-Chapter 514

“Uh... let the go be, kid. You came a long way; you must be tired. Why don’t you turn in and rest?”

“Grandfather, riding an AV is resting. I was lying down the whole time in there.”

“Even so, kid. Flying in the sky wears the body out. Don’t bother with needless things—go get some proper sleep.”

“Haha, Grandfather. You don’t have to worry about me. You won’t find anyone as spry as I am.”

Grandfather hates go? No way.

So this must be that thing people talk about.

Saying no with his mouth and acting like he doesn’t need it, but once you actually do it for him, he’s pleased.

He’s a man who was dead serious about go—enough to play as a pro while serving as Koryo Group Chair—so there’s no way he dislikes playing go with his grandson.

This is when I should take the lead.

“Besides, I want to sit and really talk with you for the first time in a while. I’m truly fine, so please teach me a game.”

Before he could say anything else, I pulled over a chair and sat.

“Ha... told you to go rest, but you stubborn brat... sheesh...”

Shaking that uncannily young face side to side, Grandfather sat opposite, still a bit dazed. I naturally took Black and laid out nine handicap stones.

Roughly put, I dropped stones on every thick point on the board.

“....”

Grandfather stared at that and looked dumbfounded.

“You... said you learned go?”

“Come on, Grandfather, even if I learned, it’s not much. You took runner-up in the Korean league.”

“You little punk! Even a complete beginner wouldn’t play like this. Where’d you learn and how? Tsk, tsk.”

Clicking his tongue... he coolly picked up two stones from the upper and lower sides.

In the end we played with seven stones down. Which is still a lot.

By taking all the corners—the most important areas in go—and starting with two of the four sides as well, you gain such an overwhelming influence bonus that it’s hard to lose. Strategy almost stops mattering.

Of course... in go, the gap between a true master and a scrub is brutal, so even with a handicap like this you can get shattered to pieces.

“If you want to get good at go, you should avoid nonsense handicaps like this. You know that, right?”

“Of course, Grandfather. Think of it as paying respect to the Korean league runner-up.”

“Talk, talk.”

Looking thoroughly displeased, Grandfather clicked his tongue and set down a white stone.

As always, we began on an open side.

I answered, placing stones at a reasonable pace.

As we played, Grandfather got serious.

As expected of a man deeply in love with go.

‘But where did Master Han Guk-young go?’

The ghost of Master Han Guk-young used to show himself to me—now he doesn’t.

If it were something simple, I’d think he’s just resting, but Grandfather’s strength is exactly what he showed in the pro league.

Starting from a seven-stone handicap where I had ridiculous influence, he smashed Black to bits and nibbled territory away. Sure, maybe I’m just awful, but this is unmistakably professional-level play.

‘Don’t tell me it wasn’t “Ghost Go” with Master Han Guk-young all this time... and this is Grandfather’s own strength? That makes no sense.’

Could... that be?

Not just becoming a go pro on pure strength—he even took runner-up in the pro league...?

‘No way.’

Even for Grandfather, that’s impossible.

[encoded junk omitted]

Humans have their inherent limits; unless you borrow the power of implants and the like, surpassing them is nearly impossible.

And our owner family doesn’t allow those impurities in our bodies at all. Grandfather included, of course.

‘Maybe I’m the only one who can’t see him now?’

That’s possible.

Master Han Guk-young simply isn’t showing himself to me anymore.

He’s a ghost anyway. Even if he has that kind of ability, it’s not surprising.

It’s not like Grandfather absorbed Master Han Guk-young’s soul or something. He’s not a god; no matter how high-tech, how would you handle a soul?

Tok.

“As expected, Grandfather. You’re truly strong. It’s like watching Master Han Guk-young in his prime.”

“Flattery won’t win you a single point.”

“It’s not flattery. I mean it.”

The game ended in a blink.

Grandfather’s victory—he smashed all my territory and influence.

The board was a complete war zone.

“You need to change go teachers. How is there no improvement?”

“Ss— even so, I’m not this bad.”

“The hell you aren’t, kid. Don’t make excuses. Nothing’s more useless in life than excuses.”

“Anyway, let’s go again. That wasn’t it.”

The game ended too fast; I didn’t even get to ask what I originally came to ask.

Can’t have that.

“What’s the point? You’re getting crushed even with seven stones.”

“That’s why we should put down nine.”

“Nine stones isn’t go, kid. What’s the point of starting with all the corners and sides already claimed? Frankly, it’s no different from using a cheat code in a game. Don’t cling; get up now. Go rest.”

He made to stand, as if there was nothing more to say.

As a last resort—

“Is it the board affecting this?”

“Wh-what...? What’re you even talking about, out of nowhere?”

Time to use the grandson privilege: bulldoze through.

Parents can’t beat their kids—why would a grandfather be any different?

Wearing an intrigued look, I stroked the board.

“I told you when I walked in—this board is uncanny. My eyes just stick to it for no reason. If I think about it, that’s what threw me off. Me.”

“Y-you... don’t touch it like that. It’s strange.”

“Huh? What’s... strange about it?”

“Just— hey! It feels weird, so stop petting it like that. Hands off.”

“?”

What was that about?

What’s so weird about stroking a board?

“Sigh... I’ve got work soon, so get up now. And stop touching that thing.”

“Tch... so it’s very precious to you.”

Weird Mr. Go Youngman...

I’m going to tell Min-young about this.

“Fine. I’ll go rest for now, then. See you later, Grandfather.”

“Right, right. Go get some real rest. Mm.”

In the end, I had to head up to my room without bringing up marriage at all.

Not that I got nothing out of this. Just talking with Grandfather and playing go—building rapport itself is a bigger investment than anything.

“But seriously, what happened to Master Han Guk-young’s ghost? There’s no way that was Grandfather’s raw strength.”

+++++

“Starting in the «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» new year, I’m living in Incheon too.”

“...?”

It was a sudden declaration.

Inside the AV, where even the engine note was barely audible, the voice came out of nowhere—enough to pull Go Seon-a’s eyes off her book.

“Go Minji, that barbarian, already got posted to the Incheon branch a long time ago, and Go Hayan—she’s not in Incheon, but she’s in Seoul. Both of them are literally within falling distance, and I’m the only one stuck in the south.”

“....”

Go Seonyul is usually quiet, the kind of person who would text on her phone even to someone right in front of her—full-blown social-phobic. But when the moment calls for it, she talks just fine.

Like right now.

Even digging through every such instance in memory, Seon-a had never seen eyes this firm.

At least as far as Go Seon-a knew.

“...It’s not for the reason I’m thinking, is it?”

Without even closing her book, she asked, and Go Seonyul nodded immediately.

“You’re probably right. I need to be at Muyeol’s side. As much as possible.”

“You’re moving house for that alone?”

“What do you mean ‘alone’? That’s the most important thing— even for the family as a whole!”

“Well... for the family, it is important. But...”

Trailing off, Seon-a finally closed the book and met her daughter’s eyes.

“Even if it’s the same reason, can’t you say it more elegantly? The way you put it makes you sound like some cheap, brainless girl who’s lost her mind over a man and is ditching everything to go all-in. My daughter isn’t that kind of woman, is she?”

“Ha... Mom, we are not in a position to be leisurely about this, okay? Go Minji, that savage, is holed up in Incheon, and that woman Go Hayan is in Seoul. I’m the only one in the south. Do you really not get what that means?”

“Muyeol is twenty-one now... no, twenty-two. What’s the rush?”

“He may be twenty-two, but Minji is twenty-seven. Frankly, even if marriage talk came up, it wouldn’t be strange at all...!”

“Minji’s the eldest granddaughter, she’ll inherit the most, and she has a mountain to learn. There’s no way she’s already thinking about marriage. You sleep with someone once and lose your senses.”

“Ha...”

Seonyul shook her head in exasperation, but Seon-a’s resolve didn’t budge.

“With men and women both, the first taste makes you lose your head. That’s where you are. Don’t think with feelings—perceive with thought. Don’t get swept up by trivialities; always keep a cool, objective eye if you want accurate judgment.”

Seonyul hesitated over whether to say it, then finally blurted it out.

“To have a cool, objective eye, you need accurate information and knowledge, right?”

“Of course. That’s what I’ve always taugh—”

“But you’re a virgin.”

“...What?”

“How does a virgin think objectively about men and women? Do you think that makes sense? Well??”

“....”

For the first time, Seon-a’s gaze wavered.