“Right here, a solo kill!”
“In a game where balance across all lanes is critical, what do you think you’re doing with a solo kill like this, Para!”
“Let’s watch it again!”
[This level of solo kills might put him in first place for the regular season.]
[For real.]
[He got kills without assists in the last set too, and now this early aggression…]
[Didn’t know Para could play mid so poorly, but just dominating like this is crazy.]
[Well, first, the mid is winning so maybe they’ll end poorly. haha]
“Here, he sets up a trap along the lane, and the moment the opponent lets their guard down, there’s a clean skill combo. Really smooth.”
“This player just gets better and better the more you watch. It’s not just physical skill—it seems like his gaming intelligence is what stands out.”
“Exactly, from the opponent’s perspective, it’s all high praise. He plays the game so enjoyably.”
[King Dongjin: Para’s gameplay is terrible. (some exaggeration)]
[But Para doesn’t seem to rely on only one character physically.]
[Of course not, he’s also good-looking.]
[Good looks are also part of the package.]
[From the opponent’s perspective, they thought they were in range when they used their skills, but Para just dodged with his movement, making them powerless.]
“Following this, with the juvenile phase naturally arriving, ARK is obviously taking the lead, right?”
“How could the mid lane do well without any presence? It’s Lesser Xin Zhao hunting here.”
“Also, ARK is dominating early in the top lane in this current set.”
“Although Udyr can lead with early pushes, once the ult timing hits, you have to be careful with your E skills or Gnar will keep attacking you.”
[The lane fighting was exceptionally clean.]
[Why is ARK doing so well?]
[They came up from Division 2, yet they’re all playing well.]
“In matches like those that rise from the CK or new rookies, most of them struggle in the lane battle. But ARK is different.”
“Who could believe that this team is playing their first match in the LCK? Truly an impressive lineup.”
[But isn’t lane fighting about experience? Except for Para, all other members have been playing for two years or so, right?]
[The bot lane duo also won a Division 3 tournament before joining.]
[Yep, but the caster still considers Para the king of Division 2.]
[So why is Para so good at lane fighting? Heck, why is he so good at LoL?]
“ARK continues their lead, taking out the objectives smoothly without any trouble!”
“ARK takes their first victory in the LCK season opener with a 2-0 win against AX.”
[They won this with a clean 2-0?]
[The analysis desk is boring—just skip it.]
[Para’s last Flash was insane, wasn’t it?]
[He made the opposing mid player feel a wall with his play… Para is perfect.]
[If ARK keeps this up, they might even make it to Worlds.]
[What’s Worlds? They’re heading to MSI.]
[Only champions go to MSI, what’s this MSI thing?]
“Speaking of the interesting picks and bans during the match, there were Udyr, Gnar, and even Hwehi. What were your thoughts?”
“Both teams were at such a high level, it was a fun game to watch. On the note of picks and bans, even though Udyr was chosen in the top lane, he fell to Gnar.”
“Is Gnar generally the winning matchup?”
“That’s the reason Udyr is picked—because of early lane dominance. But the nerfed mini Gnar can still withstand his pressure while applying counter-pressure.”
[The health stats on Gnar seem bugged.]
[How could his health be below YoMi’s?]
[Yep, his growth stats are really high—this champ’s broken.]
[Man, Gnar players keep showing up all the time with these boring picks; just nerf him more.]
“But as both champions reach level 6, in the trade-off of damage, Udyr uses E and Gnar executes his jump, leading to a counter, which begins to shake the top lane momentum.”
“Yes, and for the second set, we must talk about one player in particular.”
“Is it the player I’m thinking of?”
“Exactly, Para. When it came to solo kills, he delivered; in teamfights, his damage was on point; in terms of survivability, he was also impeccable. He excelled in all aspects.”
“Among the professionals, the evaluation of Hwehi was divided as to whether it was good. But I assume those who watched this game would lean toward saying it was good.”
“I’m off to prepare for the interviews. I’ll see you shortly.”
[He’s definitely a broken champion…]
[What’s broken about him? Just another champ who walks slowly in the game.]
[Hwehi players should use Viktor instead.]
[Both are boring, though.]
“Let’s find out the Player of the Game!”
[This thing, even my neighbor’s baby knows who the POG is, right?]
[Ha ha ha.]
[Who else but Para?]
“Indeed, Para. His Hwehi dealt an unreal amount of damage.”
[Para really is a once-in-a-lifetime rookie… with a face like that and exceptional LoL skills—it’s like a glitch.]
[For real.]
[Feel bad? Then reincarnate and try again.]
“Parlaying this game, Para not only provided outstanding mid-game assistance but also delivered a daring finale with damage that ended the game. So, let’s meet up with Para for the post-match interview!”
[Interview, let’s go!]
[Great!]
[I just love the POG Heart Ball.]
[Cool beauty’s POG interview, let’s go!]
*
“Let’s meet Para from ARK, who achieved a clean sweep against AX today!”
The moment the announcer’s words ended, applause erupted from all around.
Even though I had experienced countless similar situations in my previous life, standing here again in the center of LoL Park Arena to conduct a POG interview carried a unique sense of nostalgia.
“Hello Para!”
“Hello.”
“LCK debut match! What are your thoughts about being awarded the solo POG?”
“It feels like we won because my teammates played well.”
“Such modesty must make your teammates watching proud. Now, about the second set, could you tell us why you picked Hwehi?”
Reason for picking?
I can’t just say I played this champion before.
“After trying her out in solo rank, I found the champion really suited me, so I went with her.”
“Suited you—how would you rate your current skill level with her?”
“I’d say around a 7 out of 10.”
Although in the upcoming international games, there might be players who specialize in Hwehi, and I feel I’m still slightly behind them…
“Still scored so well but only a 7? Other teams must feel a little uneasy.”
“Ah, it’s not what you think…”
“Hoho, I’m just joking. Naturally, with a champion out for less than a month, it only makes sense to assume the mastery isn’t very high yet.”
Thanks to the smooth flow of the interviewer’s questions, laughter erupted from the audience.
Even after so long since my last POG interview, it went off without a hitch.
With the match victory secured, what remains now is…
“Seo Ha arrived. Let’s prepare for the fan meeting.”
A live fan meeting held after a victory.
Following the manager, as I headed toward the fan meeting venue, I saw AX, the team we defeated, greeting us in defeat.
Thanks to a good match, there were no irate fans, but the players’ moods weren’t good.
If we had lost today, we would’ve been in their position.
The team members also seemed to share this sentiment, wearing subtle expressions.
“ARK players are ready.”
After AX finished their turn, the staff called us up.
Walking in following their cue, our fans had already filled the front.
Each player sat at their assigned tables, with team captain Kim Dojin holding the microphone.
“Thank you all for coming and cheering for us. We’ll do our best to win the next match as well.”
With that, the fan meeting began.
Our team’s format involves selecting the first 50 fans by sign-up order for a rotation meeting with all the players.
After meeting Park Jinhwan and Kim Dojin, they gradually made their way to me.
“Hi!”
“Huh?”
It had been a while since we last met, but this was someone I still remembered.
Her bleached hair, falling to her shoulders, was not easily forgettable.
“It’s been a while.”
“Wow, I never expected you’d climb to the LCK in less than a year!”
She was a fan who approached me for the first time during the vll finals.
She had told me she would come to see me if I debuted in the LCK. Meeting her on my very first match was beyond imagination.
“Look, I even bought this uniform!”
She handed me the uniform, bearing my nickname on the back, along with the autographs of Park Jinhwan and Kim Dojin written neatly below.
“Para, I left space for your autograph. Please make this one big.”
She requested an autograph, and I obliged by writing it in large strokes and adding a star.
“Ah, and one more thing, let’s take a photo together!”
Even though we took a photo, the next person, Jin Yuseong, was still occupied talking to a different fan.
Though it was important to treat each fan thoughtfully, these fan events couldn’t last forever.
Unlike the CK events, where we could have fewer participants but spend unlimited time, in the LCK, we needed to strike a balance.
Seeing this reminded me how much further we had to go in this regard.
“Still, it’s our first time.”
Just like that, after doing several more autographs, we were halfway through the fan list.
“Something feels off.”
And I found a peculiar difference compared to what I remembered.
