“Fox.”
The champion that Arin was playing wasn’t a fox.
Yet her play captivated audiences and made supporters out of everyone who watched, a true display of stardom.
Kim Hanseong judged Para and Yoon Seohwa in this manner.
“Since they won with that roster, it’s already the end.”
In the previous Spring season, the ark team led by Kim Hanseong had suffered defeats in scrims against ‘Even If We Retire, We’re Good at LoL,’ a team so skilled that even in retirement, they maintained their professional capabilities. It was on that level.
Despite this, this team had won against gathered Grandmaster streamers.
Their skill was as good as verified.
“If I can just lead them to promotion.”
By the next season, ark had, except for the mid-lane position, already restructured the team following Kim Hanseong’s ideal vision.
And if he could promote with a star player, a female at that?
There was no doubt the team’s popularity would be as good as guaranteed.
“Guess I’m doing overtime again.”
Kim Hanseong had spent the time before the season doing various underground works and burning the midnight oil. For this reason, he had aimed to get home before 11 PM at the very least this weekend.
However, the fan meeting had wrapped up at well past midnight.
Despite the waiting time, he seized an opportunity to approach Yoon Seohwa and start a conversation.
“What do you need?”
It was a voice as sharp as her gaze.
“I’ll get straight to the point.”
As he handed over his business card and moved closer, in that moment—
“He’s lost his mind.”
Her face still carried its youthful fullness but it wasn’t hard to imagine that, in a few years, she’d leave mediocre celebrities in the dust in terms of looks.
And yet, here was a middle schooler aiming for pro status, sitting poised and still before the director of a second division team, exuding dignity.
Kim Hanseong swiftly erased the conditions he was about to propose to Yoon Seohwa, realizing they weren’t enough.
“Top conditions. We need top conditions.”
Kim Hanseong had worked with countless students from his professional days to the present. Thanks to this experience, he could immediately sense that Yoon Seohwa wasn’t like the ordinary students of her age.
“I hope you can join our team as a mid-laner. The conditions can meet the top-tier for a second division team, perhaps even that of a low-tier first division team.”
From his experience, he believed that, for people like her, it was better to lay your cards on the table earnestly, rather than haggle.
And thus the terms Kim Hanseong proposed could be considered outrageous—even ridiculous enough for others to mock if seen.
“Um… Since I’m a minor…”
“In that case, let’s discuss while…”
“My parents and I will talk, and I will get back to you.”
With this indirect refusal, Kim Hanseong could only watch the elevator doors close before him.
“Quiet, huh?”
Inside the car, as we headed home, for some reason, the atmosphere was quieter than usual, and even I kept silent.
Usually, mom would have come up to me exclaiming, “Our daughter was so cool today!” and hugged me enthusiastically, but the quiet atmosphere persisted even after we got home.
“Are you going straight to bed, Daughter?”
“I have something to do, so I’ll be up a bit later tonight.”
“Oh, then your mom and I will go to bed first.”
Only after watching my parents retreat into their room did I enter mine.
I changed into my pajamas, did a quick cleanse, and turned on the computer.
Then, I opened the broadcasting platform and wrote the stream title.
[ON-AIR]-para(vll Championship Winner Celebration)
Just chatting.
[?????]
[This late? A raid?]
[Seo Ha~]
[The great one has arrived ㄷㄷ]
[ Challenger, vll carry machine, junior high school champion, wow…]
“Turning on a stream just because I won a small event? That’s something I wouldn’t have done in my past life.”
Was it from enjoying the joint broadcast with Hanbyeori, or was it the attachment grown from doing streams? The reason wasn’t exactly important.
“To celebrate the victory, I’ve turned on the stream today. You all must’ve watched it live, right?”
[Yesssss]
[Who doesn’t watch vll on a Saturday evening? (I’m serious)]
[Umm…Yeah, the guy who went to the venue even got a pic with you.]
[That’s so enviable man.]
[If you don’t show any proof, we might not believe you.]
[Do you plan on any celebratory fan meetings? Sob…]
[What are your thoughts on winning?]
In response to my question, the viewers spammed the chat as though they had been waiting.
Seeing this, it felt kind of fun and also strange, and I kept silent for a moment.
{oO has donated 10,000 won.}
Why are you just standing there, room leader? Do you plan on pulling a knife dance or something?
“Knife dance?”
[Exceeding the line means I’ll ban everyone.]
[But today’s water is good.]
[It’s true, there aren’t many who cross the line like before.]
[Seems like your mom’s presence has done the trick.]
“Even if my team later decides to sue for crossing the line, there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Though even if the team later decides to sue, it’s not like I’m planning on banning people or doing anything here in my personal stream.
Unless someone really crosses a huge line, I consider it a blessing that people take the time to come here for chaos or anything.
In the middle of chatting, a noticeable donation popped up.
{OO has donated 3,000 won.}
So, is the room leader really planning on debuting professionally?
[Yeah, really.]
[Why not?]
[You can seriously break the current top 5 mid-lane dynamics.]
[Damn, some of them have been eating off it for years.]
[Fact is, even flying and genius talents end up hitting a wall in the LCK and stay at the bottom ten.]
“Professionally? Of course, I plan on it. I’ve already received offers.”
[Oh.]
[Did you get an offer?]
[From where?]
[The nk team seems promising.]
[tb also has an open spot for mid.]
“Which team isn’t something I can divulge yet. But, I think I’ll start in the second division.”
[?]
[Second division?]
[Honestly, what’s the significance? They said that the team that won today beat a second division team.]
[What’s a scrim? They won a Worlds exhibition match before too.]
Mentioning that I planned to join a second division team led many viewers to express doubt.
Feels good knowing everyone values me highly.
“But you know my age, right.”
[Ah.]
[Hence, first division is open only for high schoolers and above.]
[Second division has no age limit, right?]
[Seems like she’s 15.]
[Isn’t your birthday in May?]
[Then you should be able to play from the Summer on.]
After chatting more, we wrapped up in about an hour.
“In that case, this will conclude today’s stream.”
[?????]
[Only an hour?]
[It’s already past 3. If you don’t sleep now, you won’t grow.]
[Don’t you follow a sleep pattern?]
[Seo Ho~]
[Good night.]
[One hour of broadcasting, but it was jam-packed.]
After ending the stream, I lay in bed and pulled out the business card I’d received earlier.
I thought there’d be no opportunities in this life, but now it seemed like there might be.
I decided to share this with my parents tomorrow morning and drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, even though my mother generally would visit the office on Sundays, today she was home.
“Is everything alright… Did you not sleep well last night?”
I sensed fatigue from my mother as she prepared our meal.
Feeling uneasy, while having a late breakfast/lunch, I awaited the right moment to talk.
After my parents finished their meal, just as I was about to speak:
“Mom.”
“Daughter.”
The serious tone in mom’s voice cut me off.
She said I should go ahead, but I suggested she speak first.
“Don’t you like studying?”
“Huh?”
“You want to be a pro-gamer, right? I saw it in your pre-match interview yesterday.”
Yes, I vaguely remember being asked to shoot one and sending it off.
Did seeing that video dampen the mood from yesterday?
I contemplated what to say but ultimately decided on a direct approach here.
“I don’t dislike studying. However, I want to be a pro-gamer.”
I said it while looking up at my mother.
Though in her late 30s, her beauty hasn’t dimmed. Same black hair as me, with red undertones in our eyes.
And she has the career everyone envies.
Any way you look at it, she’s extraordinary.
“Then do it.”
“Really?”
“I had you study because you’ve been doing well from a young age, but if there’s something you want, you should pursue it.”
“Really…?”
“You should explore what you want. You looked so happy yesterday, whether you were winning or losing.”
While saying that, mom pinched my cheek.
“Whose child are you? Your face makes it seem like I married the wrong person who’s so into games.”
At that, dad awkwardly scratched his head and laughed.
I must admit, my love for games seems hereditary.
“…A team has contacted me.”
With the atmosphere loosened, I brought out the business card I’d received yesterday.
“Ark? This is the first I’ve heard of them.”
“A second division team.”
“Second division? Isn’t that a bit…”
“I can’t play anywhere else this year due to age restrictions.”
With that said, mom added, “I’m confident you’ll do well. Let’s figure out a good time to meet.”
Kim Hanseong showed great enthusiasm, visiting right outside our house later that day upon hearing from my family.
…
…
…
“The Korean national team… is where you’re from?”
It’s likely that Kim Hanseong, despite pretending to be accommodating, was trying to negotiate a contract with terms that wouldn’t harm his team too much.
However, “We have our minimum conditions first.”
“C-can you really demand this…? Regardless, there are our circumstances too.”
“You’re not interested?”
“No… but…”
“Then, I think we should look into these conditions.”
“Uhm? What about these contents?”
“Didn’t I convey them? They’re our minimum conditions.”
There was no way an elite lawyer, accustomed to corporate negotiations, was going to stay silent seeing that.
*
