[TS] Obsessed Gamer: The Ultimate Return – Chapter 198

We easily won the game.

That’s because we practically blew up the game from the bottom without needing to even touch the top.

“…….”

I see the TBW players on the opposite side gathering their gear with defeated expressions.

“…I knew this would happen.”


“Ugh…”


“Good job, everyone.”


“…Next time, next time there’ll be another chance. We just had bad luck today.”


“Seriously, why is the bracket like this… Ugh…”

The QS Ulsan players, who lost to us in the first match, were already dragging their feet as the result became a foregone conclusion.

Since we had already secured 2 wins, meaning we were the first place in Group A, the match between QS Ulsan and TBW was meaningless.

“OLZ is in first place in the group.”

Soon, we advanced easily to first place in the group with a 2 wins and 0 losses record, and then we would face the first place team from Group 2 in a best of five; if we won, we’d move on to the playoffs.

Having already crossed the most worrying hurdle of the single round-robin format group stage, I could at least breathe a sigh of relief.

Of course, the real issue we were facing wasn’t that.

‘…….’

If you asked me if I was angry, I wouldn’t say that I was. Rather, it would be more accurate to say I was worried about Seo Yeon-woo’s sudden change.

Right now, we were at an important crossroads.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that our future as professionals depended on today’s results.

Therefore…….

What we needed right now wasn’t in-game feedback or anything like that.

We needed a conversation.

Step by step—

I headed towards the upper floor of this building’s staircase.

Thanks to finishing the group stage with a 2 wins and 0 losses record, we found we had quite a bit of time to spare.

So, we certainly had enough time to chat.

Of course, going outside felt a bit off, so we climbed a little up the stairs of the PC bang building and settled down.

“…….”

Silence flowed.

Since neither Seo Yeon-woo nor I were the type to initiate a conversation, this was inevitable.

Ugh, I’m really bad at this…….

“Yeon-woo.”

Finally pushing myself to say something, I locked eyes with Seo Yeon-woo.

Her trembling eyes.


Her anxious expression.


Her restless gestures.

Everything indicated that Seo Yeon-woo was currently in a state of anxiety.

“……Yes.”


“I haven’t paid attention to you lately, right? I’m sorry. I guess I’ve had a lot on my mind. Please understand.”

“Ah, no! I’m sorry for suddenly yelling. That wasn’t what I intended….”

Seo Yeon-woo’s voice, which had been crawling, faded to the sound of an ant.

It seemed like she had something else to say.

“Seo Yeon-woo.”


“Yes, yes?”


“Do you want to tell me something?”


“…….”

For some reason, it felt like that was the case.

“……I have something.”


“What is it?”

Let’s try to have a slow conversation.


Then I can find out why Seo Yeon-woo was acting like that today.

“……You haven’t come to the top at all.”


“Uh… I’m sorry.”

I didn’t expect to hear such a top fanatic answer……

To be honest, I was a bit taken aback.

“I’ll pay more attention next time. It just happened that way today. I didn’t intentionally leave the top out. You know that, right?”


“……Yes.”

Somehow, it felt like the conversation was going even better than I expected.


I’m not too bad at this, right?

“Anything else? Is everything okay? Was it just because you were nervous today?”


“…I’m sorry. I was just really angry….”


“Angry? About what?”


“Um, that…”

Seo Yeon-woo hesitated.

“It’s okay. Just say it.”


“I….”


“It’s okay, really.”

Slowly, Seo Yeon-woo’s lips started to twitch.

“…I just don’t want you to go anywhere without saying anything.”


“Huh?”

“What do you mean? Where would I go? I have nowhere to go.”


“You went… to the bottom. …A while back.”


“Ah, are you talking about when I went to the bottom? Hmm, okay. Next time, I’ll say it before I go.”


“No, not that. Back then… you just left without saying anything. Not even a word.”

What is this?


I feel like the conversation is getting strangely off track.

“…What are you talking about?”


“I know.”

Seo Yeon-woo’s lips were twitching.


It felt like time was flowing slowly.

“I know who you are.”

*

“Uh? By the way, where did sister go? I’ve been looking for her, but I can’t see Yeon-woo either.”

Kim Jae-min, who had been buried in the crowd, looked around belatedly.

“…She had a moment, so she went to get some drinks.”

“Eh? I’ve never heard that before. Then I’ll take a strawberry smoothie—”

Baek Seong-an hurriedly stopped Kim Jae-min, who was reaching for his smartphone.

“I’ll order! I’ll order!”


“Yeah? Oh, I can do it myself.”


“That’s what! If we all send it at once, they won’t get confused.”


“Hmm, that makes sense. I’ll have the strawberry smoothie too.”


“Got it.”

Kim Jae-min seemed to understand, putting down his smartphone and shifting his focus to the replay.

“Wow, it was really awesome here, right?”


“……Yeah, good job.”


As Baek Seong-an was pretending to send a message on his smartphone, Kim Ji-hoon approached.

Could he have noticed something?


Even if he appears blunt, Kim Ji-hoon could very well quietly observe everything happening within the team.

Baek Seong-an gulped his saliva unconsciously out of nervousness.

It wasn’t that he was hiding the fact that Yujin and Seo Yeon-woo were going out separately for no reason.


He was worried that if the team atmosphere deteriorated, it might negatively impact the upcoming match.

If Kim Ji-hoon started to harbor suspicions here…….

‘Not good.’

I need to shake it off as much as possible.

“I’ll take an iced Americano, please.”


“……Uh, uh? Ah, okay.”


…He didn’t catch on.

Baek Seong-an silently sighed in relief.


Thankfully, it didn’t seem the situation he was worried about was going to happen.

How long had we waited?

“Ah, they’re back. Huh?”


Yujin and Seo Yeon-woo returned.


Of course, they came back empty-handed.

“What about my strawberry smoothie?”


Kim Jae-min trotted over to greet Yujin and Seo Yeon-woo, but their reactions were strange.

“…….”

An awkward silence.


In that moment, Kim Jae-min scanned their hands again.

“Nothing?”


“…….”


“Ugh… You said you were bringing it back. You liars.”

What’s going on?


“Wait a minute.”

Only then did Baek Seong-an feel something strange and interjected.

“What happened?”


Only then did Yujin slowly shift her dazed gaze.


Something felt off.


I couldn’t express it in words, but I felt there was an odd atmosphere.

“…No. It’s nothing.”


“Then why are you like this?”


“Um… it really is nothing. Let’s just get ready for the next match.”

Yujin said that and quickly took her seat.


Although there was still a little time before the match to decide the teams for Group A, unfortunately, Yujin didn’t seem willing to speak up.

‘Then…….’

Baek Seong-an turned his gaze to Seo Yeon-woo.


If there was anyone who might guess why Yujin was acting that way, it would be Seo Yeon-woo, who had been with Yujin.

“Seo Yeon-woo.”


“Yes?”


Surprisingly, unlike earlier, Seo Yeon-woo had a bright smile on her face.


She looked completely opposite to Yujin, whose expression was stiff.

“Did something happen with Yujin? Why is she like that?”


“Oh, no. Nothing special happened. We just talked casually.”


“What about?”


“Just… things that were disappointing, things we hope for in the future, stuff like that.”

“Is that so?”


“Oh, and I’m sorry for raising my voice a little earlier….”


“Hmm? No, don’t worry about it. It’s just how Legends of League is. There’s no such thing as a trash game.”

Was there really nothing happening?


‘…No way, that can’t be right.’

Something must have happened.


But unfortunately, neither Yujin nor Seo Yeon-woo seemed ready to talk about it.

Moreover, Baek Seong-an didn’t have the time to pry further into it.


Just as if waiting for the moment, a staff member approached.

“Are you ready, OLZ?”


“Ah, yes. Is everyone ready?”


The team members nodded silently.


Baek Seong-an had no choice but to convey to the staff that they were ready according to their unspoken agreement.

“Yes. We are ready.”


“Then we’ll start right away, so please wait a moment.”

Amidst the strange team atmosphere, the playoffs were nearing their final stretch.

*

I felt a strange sense of déjà vu.


It wasn’t a coincidence.


This had definitely happened before.

“Ah, that’s the guy.”


“Whenever people look at him like that, they all seem to think the same.”


“Ah, I see.”


“By the way, it’s nice to finally meet you.”


“Prisoner.”

During my first meeting with Seo Yeon-woo, she called me Prisoner.

“What do you mean? I’m the Prisoner?”


“Ah, I’m sorry. What did I just say?”


“You just called me Prisoner….”


“Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to say that. I often thought of you as Prisoner when I saw Outlaw. So I must’ve let it slip.”

Of course, she corrected herself right away, but to be honest, it was still a bit puzzling.


And right today, Seo Yeon-woo said as if she had come to a long-awaited conclusion that she knows who I am.

“Let’s talk about it next time.”


Although she fled the scene instead of answering, I was sure of one thing.

I’d been found out.


This time, I’d really been found out.