“Wait, what did you just say?”
“I won’t make the contract.”
Park Kyung-tae looked at me with a blank expression as if he thought he misheard, then his face turned puzzled as he struggled to understand.
“Why? Don’t you like the terms? It would be hard to find better conditions than this.”
What I don’t like is you, not the contract terms.
I clearly came to a gaming team, so why do I feel like I’ve come to an entertainment company?
“Okay, I give up. It’s the first time I’ve gone this far with a rookie. I think Ji-eun would be worth it. Let’s raise the signing bonus from 6,000 to 8,000.”
“I’m not rejecting the contract terms.”
“Then what is it? I’m a busy person too. Let’s stop playing hard to get.”
Park Kyung-tae pulled at his tie in frustration. At the same time, Director Kim Kwang-chul, who had bowed his head, looked at me with eyes gleaming.
“I’m here purely because I want to game with Titan Underlock. I don’t want to become a celebrity.”
“Oh, I get it. Pro gamer. Our team is actually a good team for turning pro.”
His tone suggested that once I debuted as a pro, that would be the end of it.
After that, whatever happens to my career doesn’t seem to matter much to him.
“No, sir, you don’t understand anything. You don’t know what I’m saying or why I’m refusing the contract. Nothing.”
I took a moment to catch my breath before continuing.
“I’m a gamer, not a celebrity. I don’t want to do ad shoots or video shoots. Even if I have to, it wouldn’t be done like this.”
I imagined it for a moment.
Living my life as Park Kyung-tae described.
Bright lights shining on me, the sound of camera shutters clicking constantly.
I would have to wear makeup I don’t want and clothes I don’t want, forced to smile awkwardly in that state.
Sure, I might experience a celebrity’s life once, but I don’t see that as my life.
Everyone has their own way of living, and I plan to be the master of my life.
“…So, you really don’t want to do anything but game as a pro, with no external activities at all?”
“To put it simply, yes. That’s right.”
I could concede to that demand once or twice. But in my opinion, someone like this is best ignored entirely.
This time, Park Kyung-tae seemed to genuinely understand my words, and his face twisted in a frown.
“Hah, no. With that face mask, a decent actress would get eaten up on-screen! Aren’t you wasting it?”
Well, it’s not even my real face, so I don’t care. I don’t find it precious at all.
It was something I got for free, so I didn’t put much meaning into it.
I just thought it would be easy to gain others’ goodwill.
And why is he using such informal language with me? The dislike for him is already piling up inside me in real time.
“Let’s handle this nicely. If you carry on like this, you won’t be able to join any other teams. All the men from the second division know me, and I’m not saying you should join the first division men’s league or not head to the women’s league. If that’s the case, you might not become a pro at all, Ji-eun.”
If he’s trying to coerce me, I wish he’d either sweet talk me or just threaten me outright.
Of course, I’m not going to fold to that.
In fact, the more he persisted, the more my rebellious spirit sparked, making me want to agree to his demands even less.
“Let’s not go pro, then.”
Honestly, I could care less. It’s not like I would d*e if I didn’t do that.
He seemed surprised by my declaration and grimaced.
“If it weren’t for your face in the first place, I wouldn’t have picked you. I wouldn’t be so desperate either, you know?”
Would you really have not picked me? Hah, you’re talking nonsense.
I just came back from sweeping your team in scrims, you fool.
If it were any other day, I wouldn’t even bother with someone like him, but today it felt particularly grating.
“The owner of the team might want to sharpen their eye for gaming talent a bit more.”
“What are you talking about?”
“As an owner of a gaming team, if you can’t even assess the skills of the players you’re trying to recruit… how could the team ever succeed?”
Director Kim Kwang-chul looked at me with a refreshed expression as if he found relief.
It’s obvious what kind of lives the players usually lead.
He probably viewed the players not as players but merely as expendable tools to make money.
That’s the type of person this man in front of me is.
“Let’s treat the contract as if it never happened. Then.”
Leaving the flustered team owner behind, I stood up and walked out of the office.
Director Kim Kwang-chul glanced at me as if he couldn’t bring himself to stop me, and only Park Kyung-tae was pointing a finger at me.
“Hey, hey! Don’t you stand there! Hey!”
With the owner’s shouts behind me, I left the building.
“What kind of… what kind of girl is that?”
Kim Kwang-chul looked at Park Kyung-tae beside him.
Drinking water repeatedly to cool his anger, he was still huffing and puffing.
“I told you she wouldn’t work out. Ji-eun really wants to live as a player. You didn’t listen to my warning… what is this, exactly?”
“Shut up. You’re making my head throb.”
Honestly, the way he talks is infuriating.
After kicking out an S-rank player who came looking for him, he has such an attitude.
Under normal circumstances, I’d want to punch him, but I wasn’t even angry now.
‘Titan Underlock has no future.’
Director Kim Kwang-chul’s heart, which had been gradually weakening, was already fraught with despair.
He thought he might be able to revive the team with the recruitment of Mollu, but it ended in failure.
He was already past his contract period.
He was only hanging on out of affection for the team.
‘I need to find another team.’
Many teams will likely accept a coach and director with significant experience like Kim Kwang-chul.
He planned to bring a few players who would follow him and transfer as a group.
Meanwhile, Park Kyung-tae, unaware of Kim Kwang-chul’s feelings, still couldn’t stand Mollu’s existence.
‘How dare she look down on me like this?’
After succeeding as a businessman with numerous ventures, no one had dared to disrespect him, especially not a mere internet broadcaster.
Instead, she had even kicked him while he had acted with generosity.
‘I can’t let this go. I won’t be able to sleep tonight if I don’t avenge myself.’
How to get back at her…
After contemplating for a moment, Park Kyung-tae had an idea.
‘Now that I think about it, she mentioned that she didn’t reveal her face before.’
It’s an incomprehensible decision, but she had indeed said that.
During the earlier situation, Mollu appeared to be reluctant to show her face.
What if I forced her to reveal it?
Wouldn’t that be the perfect revenge?
Having finished his thought, Park Kyung-tae called the front office.
The call was directed to the marketing team in charge of the team’s promotion.
“Hey, it’s me. Get ready to release an article.”
Park Kyung-tae continued with a sly smile.
“This time, we’ve got a monstrous rookie joining Titan Underlock. And…”
I need to spread the word.
<Is this the gallery owner?>
(A beautiful woman talking to someone inside the Titan Underlock building jpg.)
This photo was uploaded on the gallery owner’s rest day, but doesn’t it look like the gallery owner?
ㅇㅇ: Can’t you see she’s just a scam?
ㅇㅇ: Yuksu is at it again.
ㅇㅇ: The side profile is blurry, but she’s really pretty.
ㅇㅇ: What evidence is there that it’s Mollu? LOL Just because it was uploaded on the same day as the rest day? The evidence is too weak.
<What the heck is this?>
-Titan Underlock is on the verge of recruiting its first female pro gamer. On the 8th, Titan Underlock held a recruitment test and hinted that they might have good news. If they succeed in the recruitment, it would be the first case in the world where a woman is picked as a player in a men’s league… (excerpt). The female player slated for recruitment is said to be a beautiful internet broadcaster and amateur.
Is it confirmed that Mollu will go pro?
ㅇㅇ: Are you really going to go pro? What about broadcasting?
ㅇㅇ: So is that picture actually the gallery owner?
ㄴ ㅇㅇ: You’re being lured again, LOL Is it a surprise that the marketing team is making a fuss to promote their team?
ㅇㅇ: ‘Beautiful’… this could become a massive thing.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ: For real, everyone who saw her at the company dinner or the Switch party said she was celebrity-level pretty.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ: So who does she resemble, Yuksu? LOL It’s just a courtesy question, but you’re reading too much into it. Stop squeezing Mollu.
ㅇㅇ: I’m involved with Titan Underlock and that’s Mollu in that picture. ㅇㅇ
ㄴ ㅇㅇ: What if there’s no proof?
<Stop rolling out dumb clickbait LOL>
I know the gallery owner sometimes checks the gallery, and how ridiculous must that be for her.
I don’t think she seems to like revealing her personal information either.
Whether that picture belongs to the gallery owner or not, she’ll handle it as she sees fit.
ㅇㅇ: For real LOL These guys are being so extra.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ: I’m just curious; everyone around says the gallery owner is pretty, so isn’t it weird not to be curious?
ㄴ ㅇㅇ: No, I’m not curious~ It would be a hassle if I showed it like you.
<Looks like the café has also blown up>
They’ve just refined their speech and words, but the content remains the same LOL
ㅇㅇ: I was enjoying her broadcasts lately, and now it looks like she’ll go on another break.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ: Just looking at it makes me dizzy.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ: How many times is this girl going to need to make excuses?
ㄴ ㅇㅇ: The funny thing is, all her excuses are about her face LOL
ㄴ ㅇㅇ: At this point, it’s time to show it, even if it’s just to avoid annoyance!
*
“What kind of nonsense is this…”
I muttered, looking at the burning café.
