“So, I hope you can take on the order. Is that possible?”
After the team practice, the director called me with a proposal.
If I said I didn’t expect this at all, it would be a lie.
In a team game, the role of a commander leading the team is essential, and it became clear that there was no one suitable for that role during the last practice.
It was only natural that the director, reviewing the in-game footage, pointed me out as the right candidate.
“In my opinion, there’s no one else in the team who can take the order besides Mollu. At first, I thought it would be difficult to handle both the main order and main dealer at the same time, but after seeing your sniper play, it turned out to be different.”
“What if the sniper gets banned?”
“I think they’ll probably get banned soon too… It would be tough for you to give orders while playing as a swordsman or another dealer, right?”
“… I guess I’ll have to try to find out.”
Order, order.
It wasn’t impossible.
There was a time when I dreamed of becoming a pro and was confident I had reached at least the amateur level.
From current pros to promising rookies making names for themselves, and trainees who gave up on the pro scene for the path of personal broadcasting.
Now they were all scattered, but it was a time when different individuals worked hard together in a team for a common goal.
I wasn’t the main order, but I had learned a lot from what I had seen.
Even if it wasn’t directly giving orders, having some basic briefing was essential if aiming for professionalism.
Still, there were two main reasons I didn’t step up during the last practice.
The first was that I wanted to observe my teammates’ skills and conditions for about one game.
The second was… I felt a bit burdened by the number of words I had to say.
It wasn’t a physical issue like a dry mouth or sore throat.
It was more a mental reluctance to speak as much as possible.
In fact, I was still not used to my own voice.
Objectively speaking, I knew it was considered a pretty voice, a pleasant tone that people often described.
But there was a slight aversion to whether it really was my voice.
Sometimes I would be surprised by hearing my own voice.
… This was another problem I had to overcome.
If I officially took on the order, I would definitely have to keep talking in-game.
I would need to lead my teammates so they could perfect their plays.
“Ha.”
I let out a small sigh to clear my mind.
It might actually be a good thing.
With this opportunity, I would overcome this chronic issue as well.
Going out is no longer a problem, so there was no way I couldn’t handle this.
“I’ll take on the order.”
The director looked visibly pleased.
The weight of infinite trust settled on my shoulders.
After all, I had to perform well to be worth the 650 points he spent to recruit me.
As I resolved to do my best, another worry crept in.
Would my teammates follow my orders properly?
Not only orders, but I also planned to fulfill my role as team leader and help elevate my teammates’ lacking skills.
A role not unlike that of a coach.
The director couldn’t take care of all five players by himself.
Suddenly, the nightmare of group projects came to mind.
Memories of growing disdain for humanity in the past.
My teammates surely wouldn’t be like those people.
I could only hope they would be cooperative.
*
“So, Mollu is now the team leader and taker of orders. Please give her a round of applause!”
Cheers erupted as everyone shouted “Wow!”
The next day, the team gathered at the director’s instruction for a practice that also served as a major announcement.
You would think it would be surprising to hear such things as soon as people gathered, but everyone accepted it without any reaction.
Was it because I was the highest tier?
“Okay, then we will start practice today. We couldn’t get a scrim, so let’s just do a team rank in place of it.”
“Yes~!”
“Let’s go, let’s go~”
Team rank game.
Unlike ranked games that have a limit of two players, this one was conducted as a team of five.
It was less structured compared to scrims, and the opponents would be at a lower level, but considering our current state, it was appropriate.
Following the director’s instructions, the team members gathered in the team rank lobby.
We had experienced a devastating defeat last time, but the mood wasn’t bad.
Team morale is an essential part.
However, such a friendly atmosphere wouldn’t last long.
I warmed up my voice and spoke with determination.
“I have something to say.”
“Oh, yes. Mollu.”
It was an important matter, so I skipped the usual question of “Is it okay?” and got right to it.
As the murmuring quieted, the atmosphere turned serious, catching everyone off guard.
I hadn’t intended to create such a solemn atmosphere, but it was too late now.
I recalled the online quip about how an outsider would seem to kill the vibe just by speaking, but I shook that thought off.
That wasn’t the important thing right now.
“Could you take a look at the Discord screen for a moment?”
I clicked my mouse to display my computer screen.
One of Discord’s features, screen sharing.
After my conversation with the director yesterday, I had hastily created some materials with the editor’s help, and they were now visible.
“… What is this?”
The director asked, taking on the role of the curious one among the murmurs of confusion.
Was it a bit sudden?
I stared at the material I had brought up.
It was a photo of the 2002 World Cup hero, renowned coach Guus Hiddink, roaring.
This was a PPT I had spent considerable time creating yesterday.
Thinking I had captured everyone’s attention, I turned to the next page.
“Teamwork?”
A voice rang out, high-pitched and inquiring.
There were large letters spelling “Teamwork.”
Hiddink was clapping his hands with a serious expression.
“We are going with the Hiddink meta.”
“The Hiddink meta?”
The strategies of Hiddink, who led the team to victory in the 2002 World Cup, included this particular approach.
He advocated using casual language regardless of age or experience among players on the field.
It was a plan he devised for quicker and more direct communication during the chaotic game.
I thought that method was quite good.
“In our game, we will use casual language for briefings. For smoother and more efficient communication.”
“Uh… Yes, I understand what you’re saying, but…”
“Ahem.”
The director trailed off, and Tex cleared his throat.
They were 34 and 29 years old, while I was 23, younger than them both.
In our Confucian society, this isn’t something that can be easily done.
But since we’re in a relatively open atmosphere of personal broadcasting, it’s probably okay.
They didn’t seem overly uncomfortable, but they were still waiting for someone to break the ice.
Excluding the director, who doesn’t communicate directly in-game, the oldest player, Cheol-woo.
He started streaming at 25 years old and is now in his 10th year, making him 35, one year older than the director.
His position as the oldest player.
With his large frame and manly appearance, he had a strong image as the big brother of the organization.
There are even memes about how if you mess with Cheol-woo, you’ll end up in a drum barrel.
Because of that, even streamers weren’t comfortable with him unless they were close friends.
But I wasn’t worried.
In the past, I had occasionally watched Cheol-woo’s streams and knew his personality.
He actually liked people who treated him comfortably.
“Um, are you checking me out right now? I’m okay. Just do it however you like.”
When Cheol-woo said that in a nonchalant tone, the other team members agreed as well.
I clapped my hands to lighten the mood.
“That’s the end of the announcements! Let’s play the game.”
“I feel like Mollu’s personality has changed a bit…”
A quiet voice from a female teammate murmured.
I could relate to that.
There were indeed some artificial parts in my current demeanor.
They say that a place makes a person; already I felt a sense of responsibility as a team leader.
I felt like I had to lead these people.
Maybe the team members sensed that, as they actively sought my advice.
“Team leader, what should I do?”
“Do what you’re confident in. Just not the same thing you did yesterday.”
“Um… Mollu, could you take a look at my screen for a moment? I’m unsure which special trait is the better choice—”
After responding sincerely, the game began.
I quickly gave orders to the teammates who were clumsily positioning themselves.
“Cheol-woo, raise your shield and if it looks like it’s going to break, say so and fall back for a bit. Ryu-a, don’t stray from Cheol-woo. Papi, care for the whole team, and Tex, stick with me to manage front and back control but turn back if you see any openings.”
“Ah, okay. No, um, yeah.”
“Okay.”
The opponent’s tier wasn’t very high.
They were one tier lower than the Panoro team we had faced in the previous scrim.
The highest tier was Master, and the lowest was Silver.
We could consider it roughly the same skill level as our team.
If I carried too much, there would be nothing left for others, so I intentionally held back a bit.
Just doing about enough for one person’s share.
The teammates displayed decent play, responding to my orders.
They exchanged attacks back and forth with the opponents, scored kills, and died in a decent manner.
And, in a decent way, we lost.
It wasn’t as devastating as last time, but the game had been closely contested until the atmosphere flipped suddenly, causing the game to turn around.
What was the cause of our defeat?
There was no need to overthink it.
It simply came down to personal skill differences.
Lacking proficiency and poor play habits.
There was room for improvement.
I quickly wrote down the issues I noticed from the teammates in the last match on a notepad, then opened my mouth.
Alright, it’s feedback time.
Let’s go one by one, taking it slowly.
Starting with the person who seemed to have the most serious issues.
“Tex.”
“Yes? Yes… Did you call me?”
His voice sounded a bit gloomy.
It was a stark contrast to his previously energetic state.
Maybe he felt that he had influenced our recent defeat.
“Just keep your eyes on me for a moment.”
Are you really that good at fighting?
Follow me to the duel grounds.
