Ju-Hyeok was worried.
'How can a guy who hasn't even played a ranked game participate in a tournament?'
He believed in Almond, but he wasn't delusional. He considered the facts when weighing the options. Almond was still a beginner when it came to
?LIL
. If he entered the tournament in this state, he wouldn't be able to perform to his fullest.
'It'll affect his image.'
What would happen if Almond, who was famous for being good, came back completely defeated in the tournament? The aftermath would be unpredictable.
There were many streamers in the past who appeared to be good in their streams, but faced miserable failures during tournaments. After the tournament, they transitioned from skilled-based gameplay to being gimmick streamers. If the tournament result was good, it would help their image. However, it was usually the opposite. These skilled streamers were often unsuccessful at being gimmick streamers. That was the reason Manager Oh told him it was bad news.
"How much time is left until the tournament?"
"We have some time. Three weeks."
Three weeks. Considering Almond reached Diamond in a week, Ju-Hyeok could see hope. But...
'It's a different situation from Battle Large.'
Battle Large?
was easy to understand for a beginner. There weren't any particular strategies to learn. It was simple and straightforward. However,
LIL
's siege mode was different. To properly play the game, the player had to learn to play as a team and adapt to the various rules and situations.
"... Why does it have to be Almond?" Ju-Hyeok asked somewhat defensively because he thought it would be better for Almond not to participate.
Hmm...
This streamer tournament has rules for the ranks of participants to be fair. Only one player from each tier is allowed. Bubblegum is Silver, Miho is Platinum, StrawberryShooter is Master, and Takoyaki is Diamond."
Ah...
So will Almond fill in as the Bronze player?"
"Yes. Anyone who's Bronze or lower is allowed. To enter the tournament, the streamer needs to be somewhat famous too. From my point of view, Almond is perfect for it. And the viewers have high expectations for him as well."
Manager Oh wasn't wrong.
'Of course, they have high expectations.'
Among Bronze players, Almond probably had the best mechanics. It was no surprise that people would have high expectations for him. For expectations to pay off, the results needed to satisfy those expectations. If the result was unsatisfactory, it'd have the opposite effect.
"... I'll discuss it with him."
"Thank you."
Manager Oh bowed and thanked him despite Ju-Hyeok telling him they would only consider it. The team seemed desperate to find a person.
'Why is Manager Oh finding players for them?'
There were countless
LIL
streamers, and many of them were Bronze or lower. Why were they looking for a player who was under Manager Oh? What was the relationship between Bubblegum's company and Manager Oh? It wasn't a question to be asked here. Businesses required privacy.
"Is that all you wanted to ask for?"
"No, there's one more."
"... More?"
"This isn't a favor. It's an offer..." Manager Oh continued talking.
It was a long and serious talk. It made Ju-Hyeok think that this was the main reason for their meeting. He wanted to go to Sang-Hyeon, but he sent Ji-Ah instead. The distance was also an issue, but what he was facing now was an important moment in his life.
"... You want me to be their manager?" Ju-Hyeok's eyes widened after hearing him out.
"When we talked before, you mentioned that you wanted to work with more streamers other than Sang-Hyeon. That's why I'm offering this to you first."
This was an opportunity. As with every big opportunity, big risks followed as well. However...
'It's eventually going to happen.'
For Ju-Hyeok's long-term goals, this was bound to happen. The income he gained from Sang-Hyeon's earnings wasn't enough to satisfy him. Ju-Hyeok entered this scene in the first place to have more streamers under his umbrella. He had passion just like Sang-Hyeon had a dream.
"I'll give it some deep thought."
"Yes, thank you, Ju-Hyeok."
Their talk was over. After Ju-Hyeok bid farewell to Manager Oh, he quickly made a phone call.
“Hey, Mr. Ju-Hyeok.”
"Hey, Ji-Ah. How's Sang-Hyeon?"
“Almond is in the car right now heading home. His body just seems out of energy.”
Ah...
Alright. I'll be there soon."
“Okie.”
Almond seemed to be in a better state than Ju-Hyeok thought. Ju-Hyeok grabbed a taxi and headed toward Hoogye, which was now his home.
Hoogye's downtown area was comprised of a large central urban region and several underdeveloped areas. These underdeveloped areas mainly consisted of standalone houses built along the steep mountain slopes. At first glance, it could have become an affluent neighborhood. However, due to the fine line between success and failure, this place became commonly known as a run-down neighborhood.
It was a common habit for mothers living in downtown apartments to warn their children not to play with the kids who lived there. Sang-Hyeon, who used to be one of those kids they shouldn’t play with, now understood them. He bitterly understood...
The scenery outside came to a halt along with the sound of the engine.
"We're here."
Sang-Hyeon snapped out of his thoughts as he heard Yeon-Joo's voice. He was reminiscing about the past after seeing his neighborhood during the car ride.
"You're still dizzy, right?"
He could see Yeon-Joo smiling through the side mirrors. Her entire face smiled with her mouth. He didn't know what she was like as a close friend, but he could tell that she was polite by second nature and had excellent social skills.
"I'm still a little dizzy, but I think I'll be okay. I think I've rested enough."
"Still, just to be safe. Ji-Ah, do you want to take him home?"
"Yeah."
Yeon-Joo left to park her car behind Ji-Ah's house because she couldn't park behind Sang-Hyeon's. The two got off the car to walk. Ji-Ah didn't have to help him up. He was slow, but could climb the stairs.
After they arrived at his house, Sang-Hyeon grabbed Ji-Ah by the shoulders and told her, "Ji-Ah, tell your friend I'm very thankful."
"Alright."
"You too. Thank you."
"... Alright."
Sang-Hyeon went inside his home after that and fell asleep right away. After a while, he woke up to a savory smell.
'Ah...'
He immediately went to Treevy, remembering that he had to put up an announcement. There was already one. The notice told his viewers that he was taking a break today because he wasn't feeling well from the hospital visit. Ju-Hyeok probably wrote it. Sang-Hyeon made his bed and went out to the living room. Ju-Hyeok was making dinner.
"Oh, you wake up when it's time to eat? Sorry about yesterday. It was iffy for me to go."
Sang-Hyeon sat down while nodding.
"That's alright. You called Ji-Ah for me. Anyways, what was the conversation with Manager Oh about?"
Ah
, they're planning to host a tournament and one of their players flaked. You know, those tournaments with streamers for fun. Like an in-house one."
Ah
, yeah."
Sang-Hyeon knew what it was because Bubblegum often participated in those.
"They want you to play." "...?"
It seemed like he'd be participating as well.
"Is Punk hosting the tournament?"
"No, Treevy will be hosting it..."
"But why is Manager Oh reaching out to us?"
"I'm not really sure. I think he has some kind of special relationship with Bubblegum's company. He seemed desperate."
"Hmm."
Whatever the case was, it wasn't a bad offer. If Sang-Hyeon participated, he'd attract lots of attention.
"But what's the tournament?
Battle Large?
"No, it's
LIL?
siege mode." "...?"
Sang-Hyeon couldn't hide his surprise.
"I've only played one game."
Because he had only played one round.
"That's the problem. Think about what to do. The decision is ultimately up to you. You know that if you do badly on stage, your image is done for, right?"
Ju-Hyeok brought the food over, giggling as if it wasn't his problem. Sang-Hyeon looked inside the pot to see the source of the savory smell. It was soft tofu stew.
Gulp.
He realized he was hungry.
"Why don't you have some almond flakes?"
Ju-Hyeok noticed and tried to cut him off, but Sang-Hyeon gave a simple reply and already brought out rice for himself. The stew was enough for more than one person, so he ate without feeling guilty.
Slurp.
The red oil from the soup covered his mouth, stinging his mouth with spiciness. The broth with runny yellow yolk cleansed his palette, plus the texture of the soft tofu complimented the rice.
"Hey, when do the results get back?" Ju-Hyeok asked him while eating the soup.
Hmm.?
She said to come back next week. Oh yeah, something strange happened at the hospital today."
"Something strange?"
Sang-Hyeon told Ju-Hyeok about the girl he met today.
Hmm...
I don't know about strange. More like a thankful situation."
"I guess..."
It was weird though. Sang-Hyeon scratched his head as he put the spoon in his mouth. The red soup and white tofu warmed him.
'It's good.'
The food was delicious.
"Anyway, you're getting really good at cooking."
"It's the power of YouTube. I'm watching other cooking channels these days too."
Phew...
I shee..." Sang-Hyeon replied while trying to cool his mouth.
Gulp.
After swallowing everything, Sang-Hyeon told him as if it wasn't a big deal.
"I'll enter the tournament." "...?
Kugh
!" Ju-Hyeok suddenly choked. "W-Why don't you give it some more thought?"
"What's there to think about?"
"I'm not kidding. If you do bad there, you'll lose your image."
Sang-Hyeon laughed upon hearing that.
"That won't happen."
Ju-Hyeok looked baffled, but nodded.
'Right, he's always like this.'
Sang-Hyeon never got scared. When everyone was calculating the dangers, he only saw the opportunity and ran for it. And he always did it.
'What about me...'
Ju-Hyeok reflected on himself. He told himself that he was smart for looking into the future and considering the dangers instead of the opportunities. Even if he were to fail, it wouldn't last forever. He was always still scared though.
"Anyways, let's go with it for now. I want to try it."
Whereas Sang-Hyeon was the opposite. Instead of being afraid, these situations made his blood boil. These were the type of people who succeeded.
"Alright. What's the big deal? Let's do it!"
After they finished their meal, Ju-Hyeok told Sang-Hyeon about the basics of the tournament. He also told Manager Oh about their decision.
“Really? This quickly?
Kya
, you guys are cool as always. Thank you so much.”
Manager Oh repeatedly thanked him. Ju-Hyeok and Sang-Hyeon started to study specific strategies and rules for the tournament.
Then, the next day arrived.
It was a tiring morning.
Sang-Hyeon could see his phone buzzing as the sunlight shone through the curtains.
Was it a phone call? He picked it up, but they were all messages.
‘Why am I getting so many messages?’
The answer was at the top of his screen.
[Bubblegum has invited you into a group chat.]
"... A group chat?"
All the message notifications were from the group chat and the members on his tournament team. Other than Bubblegum, three other team members were in the group chat.
[Bubblegum: Wow! Everyone, Almond said he's participating!]
[Miho: Wowww]
[Tako: Good.]
[StrawberryShooter: Hihihi!]
They were talking about random topics, etc. They woke up early despite being streamers. It was late, but Almond greeted them.
[Almond: Hello! It's nice to meet you all! (_ _)]
[Miho: Wow! Almond! Hello>~<!]
Miho was the first to answer back. According to Ju-Hyeok, Miho was Platinum.
[Tako: Yes! Almond! It's nice to meet you! ^^7]
Next was Takoyaki.
He was currently Diamond, but he used to be a pro. He would probably be the team's coach and player. The last player was the team's ace and the best player on the team.
[StrawberryShooter: Hi there. It's nice to meet you^~^]
It was StrawberryShooter, the Master tier player. Ju-Hyeok repeatedly told him that StrawberryShooter was a very built man who was 185 cm tall and 100 kg heavy. They also talked about his position.
[StrawberryShooter: But I'm also ADC. What should we do? Doesn’t Almond only have Raina as a champ?]
His position was ADC. There was a conflict of interest because Raina's position was mostly used in the ADC position. Usually, master players could play a variety of roles.
[StrawberryShooter: Let's work around it! I'm an ADC one trick as well >_<]
Unfortunately, he could only play ADC. He raised his rank by only playing one role.
Almond would likely have to compete for the role against the highest-ranked player, who was Master ranked.

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