Simultaneously as the Blue Team’s Nexus collapsed, the competition venue shook violently.
No matter how skilled Para was as a player, this was ultimately an amateur versus a former professional who had retired but still showcased excellent skills.
Therefore, most people here anticipated a significant skill gap in all lanes, including the mid-lane.
However, against everyone’s expectations, the winner of the first set was the Arts and Sports Specialty Team, with the mid-lane carry being an added bonus.
Still, among those watching the game, there were individuals who believed in the Arts and Sports Specialty Team’s strong performance and Para’s victory.
“Nice!”
Clenching her fists in excitement, Choi Eunseo was one of them.
“Miss, did the team you are cheering for win?”
“The game isn’t over yet; we’ve just won one set. If you compare it to soccer, it’s like scoring a goal, and my friend scored it!”
“Indeed, that’s quite an incredible feat.”
“Yep, they’re really amazing.”
Despite being someone who regularly followed both the LCK and other leagues, the finals were Choi Eunseo’s first live League of Legends match.
This golden holiday, obtained after pleading with her parents who usually did not allow private outings, was precious.
“By the way, Miss, until when does this competition go on?”
“Probably until 9 or 10 PM if it ends early, or around 1 AM if it drags on.”
“Sorry?”
“Finals are best-of-five, so it ends late.”
“Hmm, but… didn’t you tell Chairman that you’d be back by 8 PM?”
“I don’t know. I’m entitled to have one irregular day, right?”
Kim Minseo, the bodyguard, showed visible signs of dismay upon hearing Eunseo’s response.
While she was technically Eunseo’s bodyguard, her real employer was Choi Eunseo’s parents.
Confused and unsure how to respond, Kim Minseo looked toward Choi Eunseo, who boldly replied:
“My brother said I should go out and explore a bit, so don’t worry too much.”
“Ah, if the president himself said so, then I can relax a bit, but…”
“Let’s stop talking and just go buy some more popcorn.”
“Alright. What flavor…?”
“Of course caramel!”
Finally managing to get rid of her bothersome bodyguard, Choi Eunseo let out a sigh.
Due to a pre-existing illness and a naturally frail constitution, her body was under significant strain from the rare outing.
‘Still, it’s worth it to have been specially invited.’
Initially, she had planned to watch the finals from home.
However, it felt wrong to reject such a selfless act of kindness from someone for the first time in her life.
“Excuse me…”
While trying to catch her breath with some deep breathing, Eunseo felt someone tap her shoulder. Turning around, she saw a familiar face.
“Yoon… Seoha?”
Though it was unmistakably a familiar face, it also carried an unfamiliar vibe.
For a moment, Eunseo thought it might be Yoon Seoha from the future, having somehow come back through a time machine.
“Student, are you feeling unwell somewhere? By the way, do you know Yoon Seoha?”
From this brief comment, Eunseo deduced the woman’s identity.
“…Mother of Seoha?”
“Yes, but… are you friends with Seoha?”
“Yes, we’re classmates.”
Eunseo immediately regained her usual energy and responded with a smile.
“Ah, I didn’t expect to meet one of Seoha’s friends here. Anyway, are you feeling alright?”
“Ah, yes! I just overdid it while cheering!”
‘Surely not…’
Having been overly scrutinized since early childhood, Eunseo was not fond of meeting the parents of her friends.
Most parents desperately wanted their children to associate with her, and for her, that was a source of trauma.
Warily prepared for similar incidents, she was surprised to find that Yoon Seoha’s parents didn’t seem particularly interested in her, but were genuinely curious about Seoha’s school life.
“…So how is Seoha doing at school?”
That attitude was enough to ease Eunseo’s guard.
“Wow, he’s strong, even after retirement! Truly doing justice to the name of the Sports Specialty Team and proving what it means to be skilled!”
“Not so easy, Sports Specialty Team. Even though some say LoL is a game centered around mid-lane carry, everyone is important.”
“Immediately after their spectacular win in the first set, they lost the second set, and now they seem to be falling behind in the third set, which is truly disappointing.”
[The top lane is such a mess.]
[Zenis’ Jason is a god… Zenis’ Jason is a god… Zenis’ Jason is a god…]
[How many times has Jason’s ‘eq’ reduced Para’s health by half and instantly turned the team fight into a disaster?]
[This commentator is so biased. How on earth can you avoid ‘eq’ spam with full gear while others are still on their third core item?]
[Zenis has completely taken over. After dismantling the top lane, he went bottom and scored a triple kill along with the Baron!]
[Oh come on, that guy is an MSI-winning top laner. A mere amateur isn’t going to stand a chance.]
“Para, who carried the first set and showed great resilience in the second set, seems overwhelmed by the team’s dynamics in this third set.”
“On the flip side, Zenis has pulled out his most played champion and completely destroyed the top lane.”
[In the first place, the bottom lane was already broken since Orianna was chosen to suppress it.]
[Mid laner’s two-vs-one trick is useless when the rest of the team collapses.]
[Carry champions avoiding fights lead to defeats.]
[Pressure… did he win Worlds or something?]
[He won during the Rocket period…so what’s the big deal?]
[The jungler getting trashed and collapsing three games in a row is genuinely chilling.]
“Now that the game’s gone to 40 minutes, thanks to our choice of giving four dragons, it’s really time to finish this properly.”
“Jason’s poke is painful, but look at Malphite. His defense is at 670, 670. You’ve got to just push forward while taking the hits!”
“He struggled in the lane phase, but what is Malphite after all? We can pay back the early struggles with some smart decisions. Hit that ult right, and this is the perfect time for a life-changing comeback!”
[If Malphite can land Orianna’s combo with the ultimate, it will be catastrophic.]
[Is Flash a decorative feature?]
[Even after popping the ultimate, you can still evade Orianna’s ultimate.]
[The fights seem actually viable with Orianna’s good positioning.]
“Sports Specialty Team now starts to collapse like old timber, with the top inhibitor breaking, and the situation is becoming urgent!”
“A quick decision is necessary! Fight or secure objectives!”
[With this much damage on the house, how can you not protect it?]
[Even if you trade towers, their Baron and Elder dragon make it impossible to stop them.]
[Fact: The game was already over 20 minutes ago.]
[Agreed.]
“Ah, they did manage to take out the main AD Carry, but Jason is just too strong.”
“This is a show of skill even after retirement! At this rate, the winner of the third set will be decided soon.”
“Sports Specialty Team seems too tense after the second set. They need to calm down. No matter how strong the opponent is, once you reach the finals, they’re just fellow competitors.”
“Thus, as the Nexus collapses, the game ends…”
[Look how quiet the Para fans have become.]
[Alright, mid lane was a win.]
[But did it help you win the game?]
[Set four is going to be brutal, with the mid-lane disparity growing, and they’ll probably lose.]
[What about pro women players? They can’t even beat former pros.]
[Stop laughing! She’s not playing her usual Udyr and Akali in the finals.]
“…”
After the third set ended, the waiting room was filled with an eerie silence.
Until the conclusion of the first set, jokes about going straight to a post-victory dinner celebration with a 3-0 sweep were abundant.
The consecutive losses of the second set hit the team members hard.
‘I personally feel winning one set makes this fine.’
Back in my prime, I experienced several comebacks from a “Loss-Loss-Win-Win-Win” pattern.
In fact, winning just the fourth set would secure a victory, making the situation much easier.
In an effort to lighten the mood, I said something.
“Let’s take one set.”
Upon hearing my words, the team members, who had been keeping their heads low, looked toward me.
“If we can make it to the fifth set, I will definitely carry it. So, let’s just focus on doing well in the fourth set.”
“Of course, Miss Seoha is excellent, but the opposing top laner and bottom duo are far beyond our expectations.”
Shin, still lacking confidence, spoke.
I understood the frustration as he had been dominated by the opposing top from the preliminary stages and was completely dismantled in the finals.
Nevertheless, the fourth set was where Shin had to step up.
“Then, if they don’t ban Shin, can you beat the opposing top?”
“Maybe…”
“That kind of attitude won’t work. Can you beat the other champ’s pick no matter what?”
Pressure and the bot duo nearby chimed in.
“Are you really the worlds best at Shin if you’re hesitant on this one?”
“Who’s the one who always boasts about being pro-level with Shin?”
“Miss Seoha has already carried some games; you need to step up like a man and take responsibility.”
Hearing this, Shin seemed to make a resolution, gripping his fist and standing up.
“If I get Shin, I’ll show you. But they keep banning it, so…”
“I can guarantee it will be free in this set.”
Judging from the opponent’s tendencies and ban/pick patterns, they would likely attempt their best ban strategy to avoid carelessness.
‘But that’s their poison.’
Their probable ban strategy will focus on mid-lane, banning all the champs that I could potentially carry with. Given Shin’s abysmal performance in the previous three sets, they’ll likely unban Shin for one round.
.
.
.
[An exemplary judgment indeed.]
As expected, Shin was available, and our Blue Team secured it with the first pick.
“Didn’t I say so?”
“…Carrying this match is redemption.”
The story goes that when Shin picks Shin, he plays at a level close to professionals.
I love this story.
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