Hikaru No Go Fan Fiction ❯ Outplayed ❯ Selection Process ( Chapter 7 )

As you probably know, I don't own Hikaru no Go and appreciate the owners letting me play in their universe.

The next few chapters will be linked together leading up to the next Hokuto Cup. There will be a chapter or two which don't precisely discuss the cup, but everyone in Hikaru's universe is getting ready for the next cup.

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Hong Su-Yeung was excited as he walked into the meeting room. Reliable rumor had it they were going to announce the Korean representatives for the 2nd annual Hokuto cup. When he saw the President of the Association himself, Hyun Dong-Soo, in the front of the room he knew the rumors had to be right. While he was confidant of a place on the team, Su-Yeung had been working really hard and desperately wanted to be named second board. That way he would have a chance of possibly playing against Hikaru. He had been paying attention to Hikaru's movements in the Japanese Go Association and knew that Hikaru would definitely win a spot. It was just a question of whether he would be first board or second board. He had talked to Hikaru a bit during their match after the first Hokuto cup and also had written to him a few times during the year, so he knew a little more than most of the other Koreans on why Kurata had so unexpectedly given Hikaru the top spot against the Korean team. Su-Yeung was still annoyed with Yeung-Ha about that. As Su-Yeung grew up a bit this year he realized just how childish and arrogant Yeung-Ha really was and some of the hero worship was definitely gone.

All that aside, he also knew how powerful Yeung-Ha was as a player. While there were fantasies about being named first board, Su-Yeung realized that second board was the best he could realistically hope to be placed. He thought it might be enough. He had worked really, really hard in order to get named second board. It was neck and neck between him and Im Irfhan, but Su-Yeung thought he had a decent chance. He also thought Akira would be named first board for Japan since he still seemed ahead of Hikaru by a bit in the win category and league membership. This year there would be no drama about Shuuzaku to cause the team manager to un-expectantly move Hikaru into the first board position.

So if Akira stayed first board where he probably belonged then Hikaru would be second board and Su-Yeung could play him in a tournament game. He really wanted to show the Japanese go prodigy how much he had improved and wanted the opportunity to defeat him in a battle. It would be even better if he could beat Hikaru in a battle with a lot of international media attention. He had studied Shuusaku's kifu as well the games the internet player Sai played against his better opponents. He knew that Hikaru used them in his studies and so Su-Yeung used them to get a better handle on the ways Hikaru would play. He had of course studied what public kifu there were for Hikaru, but those were few and far between. The Shinshodan match seemed odd and out of place and he ignored it entirely after a brief look. Su-Yeung didn't know what went on in that game but it certainly didn't seem like the Hikaru with whom he had become familiar.

The Koreans were not taking the Japanese contingent lightly this year. With the exception of Yeung-Ha, who seemed to be developing a blind arrogance Su-Yeung found personally unpleasant, the other Koreans knew how tough the matches had been. Im Irfhan lost to Akira on the second board. While Su-Yeung beat Yashiro convincingly on third board, the battle had been tougher than expected especially considering Yashiro was a new professional at the time. As for the match between Yeung-Ha and Hikaru, all the Korean students studied the kifu of that match. It was an amazingly complicated battle that Hikaru had lost by only moku. The Koreans had expected to wipe the floor with the Japanese, and Yeung-Ha was the only one who did not admit they had failed to do so.

Su-Yeung had also talked to Zhao Shi and Yang Hai after the tournament. The Chinese had also expected the Japanese representatives to be an easy win and were treating them almost as a warm up for the Koreans they fought later in the day. Instead it had taken all their effort to pull out the 2-1 win. Yang Hai said bluntly if Hikaru hadn't been so unnerved by the media cameras and publicity he didn't bring his `A' game out until the second half of the match, then Wang Shi-Chin would probably have lost badly.

So it was with high hopes that Su-Yeung went into the meeting to announce the representatives of the Hokuto cup. He really hoped he would get to face Hikaru as the second board. Everyone was sitting there with expectant looks on their faces. The few who knew they had a chance to be named to the panel were taking turns eyeing each other with hope and anxiety. Ko Yeung-Ha was the only one who didn't show any nerves at all. He sat in his chair, leaning it against the wall on its two back legs. He was the picture of calm complacency but it was a carefully and deliberately crafted picture. He knew where he would be placed. So did everyone else. They were fighting for second and third board. The head of the Korean Go Association stood up to address the players.

“As you all know, the Hokuto Cup is being held again this year and we will be sending a 3 person team to Japan to play against China and Japan. You have all worked hard and it was a difficult decision as to who to place on the team.”

Yeung-Ha sniffed. He didn't think it had been difficult to decide who would be first board. It was obvious. He smirked at the others in the room. He could tell from the resigned looks they gave him they didn't think the choice was difficult either. Even though Yeung-Ha was the best of the young players in the Korean Go Association, he was definitely not one of the most popular.

“The First Board is Im Irfhan.” Startled low murmurings accompanied this and people glanced over at Yeung-Ha. Even Irfhan looked startled and then looked over at Yeung-Ha. Yeung-Ha was eyeing the President with a narrow gaze. `Surely he is not making me second board. What an insult.' He frowned.

The President ignored the murmurings and continued. “Second Board is Hong Su-Yeung.” Everyone gasped and the murmurings got much louder.

“What are you saying?” Yeung-Ha interrupted, but the President gave him a warning look.

“Quiet. The Third Board is Lee Yeung-Pyo. Reserve is Ko Yeung-Ha.” A crash and a squawk accompanied this announcement and all eyes turned to see Yeung-Ha had fallen on the ground under his collapsed chair.

“What the F----?” He said as he got to his feet. “You can't possibly be making me reserve. I'm the best.”

“You forget yourself. I am the President of this Association and what I say goes.” A stern glare accompanied this as Mr. Hyun looked down his nose at Yeung-Ha.

“At least tell me why. This is ridiculous. It makes no sense.”

“You do not want to have this conversation in public,” Yeung-Ha was told severely.

“I don't care where I have it. I'm the best and I should be made First Board.” Yeung-Ha was shocked and angry and wasn't thinking clearly about whom he was addressing or who was listening to the conversation.

“Enough! You are an arrogant child who created problems and embarrassment for Korea last year. You weren't even apologetic about it later. We intend to win this cup for Korea again, but the players represent our country and our honor. Your behavior last year made it clear you are not mature enough to represent Korea yet. We do not need a child who gratuitously insults the host country. Instead of correcting the misunderstanding over the bad translation, you threw flames on it. You insulted your opponent as well. Despite your much greater experience, you only won by a moku, which is hardly a decisive victory. Yet you publically crowed over it as though he had been crushed. That only proves your insecurity and fear.

“It was shameful and you dishonored our country with your behavior. I have seen nothing this year to show me you would not do the same thing again and your display today only assures me I made the right decision. Convince me otherwise and I may rearrange these players, but right now you are nothing but the reserve player. . Yeung-Pyo, Su-Yeung & Irfhan are all excellent players who have worked hard to deserve a spot on the team. We can be proud of them. They have earned the right to represent Korea.” With that final comment, the Head of the Association swept out of the room. Everyone looked at each other in silent shock, but no one met eyes with Yeung-Ha.