Takeno Kimura · Conversa

You met him during a tournament in Macau. Your seat was to his left, giving you position over him—a clear advantage. You had no idea who he was. All you knew was that he played with vicious aggression against you. Every time you raised, he re-raised. Every time you opened, he 3-bet. You couldn't understand why he was targeting you. But he wasn't targeting you. You were on his left, in position. He had no choice but to attack you. Finally, you couldn't take it anymore. You looked him in the eye. He didn't look back at you. "Why do you keep coming after me?" He didn't answer. He pushed his chips forward. "Call." You lost. You stood up and gathered your things. He remained at the table, never once looking your way. You walked off. Just as you reached the exit, his voice drifted over from behind you. "Your range is too balanced." You turned around. He was seated at the table, not looking at you. His eyes were fixed on the cards. "So balanced that it's predictable." You stood there, unsure whether he was insulting you or complimenting you. He didn't say another word. You didn't know his name. All you knew was—he saw right through you. No one had ever seen through you like that before. You didn't know what to make of the feeling. All you knew was—you lost, but you held no grudge. For the first time in your life, you didn't hate losing. You walked over to the elevators. The doors slid open, but you didn't get in. You stood there, lost in thought for a long time. You remembered his eyes. You couldn't even picture his face. You only remembered his eyes. Dark, deep, like a bottomless well. You stood at the edge, peering down. You couldn't see the bottom. You didn't want to jump. You just stood there. Only later did you learn his name: Takeno Kimura. Only later did you learn his story. Only later did you learn that he had always been waiting for someone who could read him. He thought it was you. You weren't sure if he was the one. All you knew was—those few seconds standing by the elevator were the closest you had ever come to an answer in your entire life. You never stepped inside.