[TRAINING]
"Alright, let's go another round."
"Give us a break, Michael," groaned Lee, flopping his head on the desk.
"I wish I could, but it's been four days and James hasn't improved at all," said Michael, setting up the chessboard.
"So? We already knew this was a long shot. Besides, why am I being taught with him?"
"For the same reason you play Starcraft with him. I need to have complete concentration to analyze James's weaknesses and habits. Also, it'll be better if James plays against someone closer to his level."
"Look, I hate chess and I can beat him. This is hopeless."
"Lee!"
"I'm so tired..." said James, rubbing his face against his arms.
"No kidding," said Lee wearily.
The week had followed a laborious, repetitive pattern. Every day, Andrew started by giving James a series of lectures on various chess techniques and strategies. However, in practice, these proved useless as James continued to move his pieces in fruitless, weak maneuvers. Lee and Michael finally decided that Andrew was too skillful for James at the moment. So, with a few quick games, it had been decided that Lee would be James's sparring partner. While Lee despised the game, he proved to be well-grounded in basic play, showing a knack at reading ahead.
"I think it'd be better if you used Lee as your representative instead of James," said Andrew one day.
"We've already talked about this," replied Michael.
"I know we have. And I still don't understand. Lee also plays Starcraft, doesn't he? Even if James would provide more impact to the Student Council because of his relatively new status, there's no point if James isn't able to win."
"That's not the only reason. Lee has a vital flaw that James doesn't have."
"And that is?"
"He truly hates the game. I don't want to force him to play with our club on his shoulders. It's detrimental to both of us."
"That's not enough. You're holding something back, Michael," said Andrew.
"So what? I have my own reasons, Andrew. You should trust me."
"How can I trust you when I don't understand what you want to accomplish?"
"You understand what I want Andrew. I want the club to be officially formed. What you're not understanding is how I'm going about it. And that's fine with me."
"Michael...you..."
"There's still a week and a half left, Andrew. Time hasn't given up on us yet."
That conversation had been two days ago. But even with the voice of confidence, Andrew couldn't understand. What did Michael see that he didn't? James had made no progress. In fact, Andrew was certain that James was getting worse. The lectures on strategy had long been dropped. What Andrew concentrated on now was having James spot potential attacks and dangers. The stroke of brilliance James had shown in the first match did not reappear throughout the week. James continually fell into the most conspicuous traps with ease.
Lee finished moving his knight with a sharp clack. James was about to move a piece, but then noticed Lee's relaxed expression.
"Say it," said Michael.
"Ugh. Checkmate," spat Lee, looking as if he ate something bitter. "I hate saying that. Such a cliched nerd word."
"Ah. I lost again," said James mournfully.
"Alright, let's go over your mistakes, James," said Michael, sitting down. James assented reluctantly with a sigh.
It was another scene that had become all too common. Even though Andrew was supposed to be teaching James, Michael had a better connection and overall picture of James's thought process. However, Andrew was content with being on the sidelines.
"Here we go again," muttered Lee.
"To begin with, the knight fork is a devastating tactic. You lose either your bishop or your rook, one of your most powerful pieces, and your enemy gets no loss. You can easily break the fork by moving your bishop or using a piece to defend that particular spot."
"I'm sorry. I just don't see it in time," mumbled James.
"That's ok James. As long as you see it next time," said Michael. "Next is your opening move. A lot of times, you've moved the wrong pawn up and fallen into the Fool's Checkmate. Andrew has already told you that a good opening move is the Queen's Gambit. It develops your pawns while also opening up for your bishop and queen."
"I'll try it next time."
"Next time, next time. You're not going to get anywhere if it's always next time, James,"
"Lee!"
"What? I'm just trying to help."
"Anyways, James. What you need to be most aware of is your position. With one move, your opponent can open up several different ways of attacking you. You need watch for these attacks and defend accordingly against them, or push for a dominant exchange."
Basically, reading ahead. That was what James couldn't do. Or rather, he could do it, but his second-guessing nature prevented him from making use of it. In fact, Lee could tell that James saw the danger. He would hesitate every so often, usually at a crucial point in the game. But James never followed up on it.
"I have a request I'd like to make, Michael," said Andrew suddenly.
"Oh? What is it, Andrew?"
"I think part of the reason why James isn't understanding the game is its difference from Starcraft. I'd like to see a match so I can see just how different the two games are. This way, I should be able to better plan James's education."
"That's a good idea," said Michael after a moment. "Alright. Lee, let's go."
"Are you serious?" sai d Lee, perking up.
"I made a mistake. We need to get Andrew to see the play styles James has been brought up on. Us playing a game should give him a good idea of what Starcraft's all about."
"Alright! Game time!" cheered Lee.
"Of course, James is playing too," said Michael.
"Finally. I get to own James at something good."
"Hey!"
"One question though," said Andrew. "How are you going to play? If I recall correctly, you only have one laptop available."
"Only one place," said Lee, grinning widely.
"PC Bang!" exclaimed the trio.
After stopping by Michael's house momentarily for money and supplies, the group headed towards downtown. The bus was slightly crowded, but rode swiftly for a smooth fifteen minute trip. The four came out into the city during midafternoon, when people were beginning to move through the streets. Several times, James got separated from the group and a good chunk of time was wasted tracking him down. But, eventually they arrived at their destination.
"PC Bang," said Andrew, reading the neon sign.
"Actually, it's pronounced bahng," said Michael, pulling open the glass door. "Essentially, PC Bang means PC Room in Korean."
"Is this Korean-owned then?" asked Andrew.
"Bingo. PC Bangs are quite popular in Korea actually. Before this place opened up, me and Lee usually went to a nearby internet cafes."
"They're damn expensive around here though," said Lee as they entered the building.
The interior was clean and had a modern design full of geometric shapes. The soft carpet was a deep red, giving the place a sort of glamorous tone. Muted yellow lights made the PC Bang feel more like a hotel then a LAN gaming center.
"Is this it? Where are the computers?," asked Andrew, looking around at the expansive lobby. Several people were seated around tables with drinks and small platters of food, but not a single desktop was in sight.
"The PC rooms are upstairs," said Michael. "PC Bang isn't very large. There's a total of sixteen rooms I think. The number of PCs vary in each room, but some have as much as six PCs. A lot of the rooms are for individual use, though."
"I see. The lobby doubles as a cafe too?"
"That's right. They can't make enough profit off of sixteen rooms, especially since there are larger LAN centers around here. However, the low prices and interior design make this a better place to socialize."
"Oh! Michael, Lee, James!"
A tall, lanky Asian boy came out from behind the counter, dressed casually in a white long sleeve and shorts.
"Samuel! I was wondering where you were," said Lee, running forward for a high-five.
"It's been a while since you guys last came."
"A while? It's only been a week," said James.
"That's a while to me," said Samuel with a mischievous grin.
"How are you doing, Samuel?" said Michael, shaking his hand.
"Pretty good. You guys here for the usual?"
"Actually, we're going to hold a Starcraft demonstration today," said Michael, motioning at Andrew. "Andrew, this is Samuel Kim. He's a senior at our school, so you may not have met him before."
"Nice to meet you, Samuel."
"Likewise."
"Samuel's dad owns PC Bang," said Michael. "He started the business up a couple of years ago. Lee and I found out about this center after looking through the Yellow Pages for a decent place to have a LAN Party. Most of the people we invited that day don't come here anymore, but Lee and I stayed loyal customers."
"It's the food," said Lee.
"What, not my hospitality?" said Samuel, chuckling. He looked over at James and grinned. "How are you doing, newbie? Getting better at Starcraft?"
"I could probably beat you now, Samuel," said James confidently. Lee burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"Samuel is probably the best Starcraft player here," said Michael quietly to Andrew. "If that helps you get the joke."
"I see," said Andrew, smiling now.
"So all four of you guys will be playing?"
"Yes."
"Alright. You're in luck. Business is slow today so I got a six-room available," said Samuel.
"Oh? Are you going to join us?" asked Michael.
"Well, you're doing a demonstration, right? Might as well have the best," said Samuel proudly.
"I'll kick your ass," said Lee.
"Good luck," said Samuel, winking. "Ok, let's go on up."
"Hold on, Samuel, about payment–"
"Woah woah, Michael. I'm not taking your money."
"But-"
"Shut up Michael. He said we don't have to pay," said Lee, starting for the stairs.
"Lee...we can't just be misers," said Michael as he took out his wallet.
"Goddamn you."
"No really, Michael, it's ok."
"Look, Samuel, I expect to pay for my fare, even if it means trampling your courtesy."
"...Alright, I'll take it. But if you want food..."
"Michael, I'll kill you," said Lee.
"..."
"..."
"I don't think I can win that one," said Michael after a moment.
"Good. I was cooking up a snack anyways," said Samuel. "You guys head on up. I'll be right back."
"You owe me," said Lee, dropping money onto Michael's hand.
"I think you owe me. Fifteen-cents isn't going to cut it."
The available room looked very similar to a small office. A window with blinds on the left allowed a small portion of light to enter the room. The PCs were in the middle of the room, placed on two joined tables. Wires fell in organized strips down the small space between the tables and into the outlets below. The chairs had armrests and cushioned seats, giving the user maximum comfort. The computers themselves were decent at best with 2 gigabytes of RAM, 320 gigabytes of harddrive space, and a strong Nvidia graphics card. Not that it necessarily mattered. Starcraft's popularity was partly attributed to its minimal system requirements. With just 16mb of RAM needed to play, nearly all personal computers could handle the game.
The computers momentarily hummed as they started up. It only took a minute before the computer logged in, showing a screen cluttered with game icons. PC Bang installed a wide variety of games onto its desktops, catering to many different players' tastes. There were even some visual novels from Japan on the individual computers.
"Alright. Lee and James, get Starcraft started up for everyone and then start a match. Don't play too seriously, we need gameplay slow enough to show Andrew some of the basics."
"Roger," said Lee with a clumsy salute. Lee started the game with a few practiced mouse clicks. Instantly, the screens were filled with an image of a green-skinned woman and the words Starcraft Brood War.
"Most players play Brood War as opposed to the original Starcraft," said Michael as James and Lee set up the battle. "Being an expansion pack, the races are better balanced and have new units. It requires more strategy in Brood War because of that."
"I see," said Andrew as Michael logged in for him.
"We'll be observing on your computer then," said Michael as the familiar beeping signaled the countdown.
The speakers whooshed and the game began. As usual, James and Lee were both Protoss.
"First, we have James and Lee ally and share vision with us," said Michael. The moment he said this, the fog of war cleared up in both Lee and James's bases.
"Now the game begins with each player building up their economy..."
For the next twenty minutes, James and Lee slowly built their respective bases and amassed armies. Michael explained the technical terms to Andrew, who quickly picked up the game's mechanics. Soon, Andrew was as well-versed in the jargon as James himself was, which Lee was quick to point out.
"I think we picked the wrong newbie, Michael."
"I'm not that bad, Lee," said James, a bit put-off.
"I'm just joking," said Lee tonelessly.
"I can tell sarcasm when I hear it."
"No. I'm serious," said Lee, trying to keep a straight face.
"I'm back," said Samuel a few minutes later, bringing with him several plates of fresh, hot french fries. The group took a small break after the game and gorged themselves.
"Hey, I was going for that fry, you punk!"
"Ah...sorry Lee..." said James, stuffing it into his mouth. He smirked.
"You little..."
Samuel laughed as Lee got James into a stranglehold. Michael and Andrew finished up the lecture on Starcraft basics while they polished off the unnoticed fries.
It was late afternoon when the game finally began.
[TRAINING: End]