“Hello! LCK Spring Finals, caster Kim Dongjin!”
“Analyst Yoo Seunghwan, greetings!”
“Finally, this day has arrived. The LCK championship, where we crown the league’s champion.”
“Indeed, after everything, it’s ARK versus YK again in this final showdown.”
[A big thing is coming alright.]
[It’ll probably be small, though. Just as expected.]
[Whoever wins, just give us a close match.]
[Seriously, play that song.]
[YK has been awakening since the loser bracket.]
—
[Spring Round 1: ARK (2) vs YK (1)]
[Spring Round 2: ARK (2) vs YK (0)]
[Playoff Round 3: ARK (3) vs YK (0)]
—
“Truly, a lot of matches have been played, but here we are again with the two teams facing off at the top.”
“That’s right. Looking at the head-to-head statistics, ARK seems to have the advantage, but who are YK? They’re LCK veterans.”
“When it matters most, once is enough, isn’t it?”
“Also, discussions with insiders and overseas media indicate that both teams are respected for their skill even in other leagues.”
“The team that wins here will advance to the MSI, where they’ll need to prove once again that LCK is the strongest!”
—
[It’s crayfish season~]
[MSI belongs to YK traditionally.]
[What about getting crushed horribly after advancing?]
[Oh, hush.]
[You go then. Haha.]
—
“Then, let’s take a look at predictions from the experts.”
“Most are picking ARK, but wait? Analyst Yoo Seunghwan has chosen YK?”
“Isn’t that because I am ‘Reverse-Pick Yoo Seunghwan’?”
“That’s true. How about we also check out fan predictions?”
—
[Oh.]
[More people are betting on YK than expected.]
[If you’ve followed LCK this season, pick YK for the finals.]
[Seriously, last season YK flipped a reverse-pick and pulled off a four-title streak.]
—
“The audience vote stands at 60-40, with more people favoring YK’s championship this time.”
“It would be great if YK could meet fans’ expectations.”
“Then, let’s meet the coaches and hear what both teams are thinking.”
—
“Let’s interview both teams’ coaches.”
—
[Big wisdom.]
[Is wisdom shining today?]
[If we’re this impressed, I’d give her half a Para.]
[Guys, calm down and watch the interview already.]
—
“Hello, I’m ARK coach Kim Hanseong.”
“Hello, I’m YK coach Han Youngcheol.”
—
[ARK coach is wearing his uniform again. Haha.]
[Why no suit?]
[He’ll wear it forcibly during international events anyway.]
[This fits ARK’s coach style.]
[Man, he’s handsome.]
—
“As we all know, YK won yesterday’s match, and now they’re up against ARK in the finals. First impressions, Coach Kim Hanseong?”
“Yesterday, I watched the match with my players. I could see why YK is a veteran powerhouse.”
“What about you, Coach Han Youngcheol?”
“After losing to ARK in round three and falling into the loser bracket, I’m happy we get another chance.”
—
[ARK’s pick and ban strategy is solid.]
[Huh?]
[Oh, they had that QG match fiasco where ARK’s bans imploded, leading to a lucky punch loss.]
[Ah… That was legendary.]
[Give Lnyami to them, while we keep Top ^Ugong^!]
[No need to trash Top Ugong; he’s gold in Bronze.]
—
“Coach Han Youngcheol, I’d like to ask: how do your players feel after yesterday’s match leading into the finals?”
“Yesterday’s five-set battle was exhausting for everyone, but our veteran players are used to marathons like these, so I don’t expect fitness to be an issue.”
“On the other hand, ARK hasn’t played since Round 3, eight days ago. How did you maintain game sense?”
“While an eight-day break is long, we kept sharp through Solo Ranked and scrims.”
—
[LCK Special: Teams that climb early and win tend to lose their momentum eventually.]
[True, even at Worlds and MSI.]
[Yeah, ARK won even in upper brackets during promotion matches and playoffs.]
—
“So, what do you think will be the key line in today’s finals? Coach Han Youngcheol?”
“Every line is important, but the mid-lane will likely be decisive.”
“What does ARK think?”
“I agree; every player matters, but mid-lane will be critical.”
—
[Pumpkin just needs to outlane Para, and the rest of the team follows.]
[The bot duo got crushed in Round 3.]
[Haha, it’s twice as bad because of duo kills; Para’s roaming just caught them.]
[True; Para’s mindset in the mid lane is unmatched.]
[ARK’s mid-jungle synergy is unmatched.]
[The way they’re vibing, they might be dating.]
[Lesser has a girlfriend, check his SNS.]
—
“You met once in the winners bracket, where ARK swept YK 3-0. What score do you expect? Let’s start with ARK.”
“Score doesn’t matter; we focus on the win. I predict a 3-1 result.”
“And YK?”
“While I’d like a 3-0, given our previous records, let’s make it interesting for the fans. I predict 3-2.”
—
[Why 3-2? Let’s just wrap this up quickly.]
[End quickly and show us Para crying.]
[Why would he cry?]
[Isn’t it tradition for rookies to cry if they win their debut LCK title?]
[Para’s mentality from the VLL days is top-tier; even if he wins, I don’t think he’ll cry.]
—
“Let’s hear your final thoughts before this final. Coach Kim Hanseong?”
“Our team has been on a roll since CK. We’d like to finish strong this season. Thank you.”
“Coach Han Youngcheol?”
“After all the hard work, we want to win and repay our fans with a great match.”
“With that, we thank both coaches, Coach Kim Hanseong and Coach Han Youngcheol, for their thoughts. May both teams do their best and deliver an incredible finals!”
—
[Let’s go!]
[It’s finally starting?]
[Interview’s over, now let’s begin!]
[Big thing coming, big thing coming!]
[LCK pride is united this year. This year will be different! YK Gaming!]
As the teams awaited their entrance, the analysts detailed YK’s arrival to thunderous applause.
There’s a noticeable difference when entering an arena built for concerts—the sound resonating feels like a deep vibration.
“Wow…this place is just different.”
“It was surprising the first time at the LoL Park when the commentator’s voice boomed, but here it’s vibrating through you.”
“Winning here would feel great, wouldn’t it?”
“Can’t disagree.”
Team members carried a mix of anticipation and nervousness. Even against a team they’d beaten three times consecutively, series matches are unpredictable. After all, yesterday’s winners can easily lose today; complacency isn’t an option.
After waiting a while…
“ARK is preparing to enter!”
The staff announced, and the team prepared. The equipment was already set, so the only real prep was Park Jinhwan holding the team logo flag.
“It’s heavy.”
“So that’s why we gave it to our top laner?”
“Why top?”
“Because top laners often hit the gym.”
“What’s your logic?”
“Isn’t it obvious? Top laners enjoy solitude, so many work out.”
“Is that true?”
—
“Let’s go!”
As soon as the staff announced, the entrance was illuminated.
—
[Who could have guessed this team would reach the LCK Finals? Yet, here they are—ARK, a relentless storm.]
The team walked toward the center of the arena, following the commentator’s introduction.
[Regular season differential 33, and an undefeated Round 1 record! Let’s see how far ARK’s fighting spirit, from CK to LCK, will take them!]
Arriving at the five desktops facing our opponent.
[Now, let’s introduce the ARK roster!]
The commentator began introductions one by one.
[The gatekeeper from CK who is now eyeing the top spot in LCK—our caster!]
[A physical powerhouse and cerebral genius of the jungle, Lesser!]
[Hyper-carry defined: Plea!]
[The God of Supports, continuing his stellar ratings since CK—Kai!]
Something felt off.
My name wasn’t introduced when the commentary reached mid-lane but skipped straight to the support. Did they forget?
Before I could dwell too much…
[And here’s a player too remarkable to call a rookie!]
The spotlight suddenly illuminated me.
