Dusk (BL Light Novel)

— "Chimchak seonsu secures the last Churo and pulls off a razor-thin comeback victory!"
— "Unfortunately, Haksal seonsu had just used a skill with a long after-delay, making it hard to react to the unexpected trap. If he'd managed to kill Chimchak right then, he could have locked down the score and won!"

— "Exactly, even in that last desperate moment where Chimchak was cornered with low HP, he lived up to his nickname and stayed calm, which turned out to be the winning move."
Haksal-nim ended up losing after being overturned at the last second. Thus, the assassin match came to a close as well.
Back on stage beside the MC, Haksal-nim shared his thoughts with a face full of regret, saying he might get kicked out of his guild. I had no idea what exactly had gone down in that guild, but still, it was clear he’d had the win in the bag before a final mistake cost him the match—it was only natural he felt disappointed.

"That must really suck. You almost had it just now."
"Of all things, the wall popped up right then, and I couldn’t see the trap being set."
"Exactly."

Sitting on the makeshift chairs set up offstage for us to relax while we waited, we casually chatted while watching the match. Thanks to the massive screen, we could still see decently well even from this angle. If not, we probably would’ve been bored out of our minds the whole time.
Gang Jaegyung, sitting beside me, had his long legs stretched out and crossed, lazily swinging his ankle up and down.
"What if Go Yeong-ssi gets all disappointed like that too?"

He was talking nonsense in that breezy way of his.
"Your delusional confidence is really something else."
I muttered in a tone of grudging admiration, and Gang Jaegyung grinned as he corrected me, saying it wasn't delusional confidence, just plain old confidence. If we fought ten times and I won six, wouldn’t it still count as delusional if he assumed he'd win without question? I clicked my tongue at him sideways.

"You’ll be so embarrassed if you lose after acting like you’re gonna win."
"I mean, I’d be disappointed, sure, but I wouldn’t be embarrassed."
"Come on, if you strut around like you’re gonna win and then lose, that's pretty embarrassing."

"It’s not like I'd be losing to some random noob. If it’s against someone like Go Yeong-ssi, it’s nothing to be ashamed of, right?"
...Well. That... was fair. His logic fit so perfectly that I couldn't come up with a counterargument, and just closed my mouth. Gang Jaegyung burst into a wide grin.
"And besides, Go Yeong-ssi secretly thinks he’s gonna win too."

"How would you know?"
"Just seems like it, from your personality."
What about my personality gave him that idea? Not that he was wrong or anything, which left me a little at a loss for how to respond.
"I’m right, aren’t I?"

"...Still, I don't go around bragging about it."
"Of course."
That kind of pissed me off.

"...By the way, how old are you, Go Yeong-ssi?"
I furrowed my brow, feeling a little dragged along by his pace and sinking into a bit of a gloomy mood, when he suddenly asked. It was a topic that usually came up when people met socially, but the timing was so random that it felt like he was just trying to change the subject.
"Why do you want to know?"

"Just... got curious all of a sudden."
"All of a sudden?"
"All of a sudden."

It didn’t seem like he was lying. Well, randomness was practically Gang Jaegyung’s defining trait anyway. If anything, he’d probably tease me more rather than feeling the need to change the subject.
Snorting sharply, I answered gruffly.
"Twenty-five."

As far as I knew, Retaking—was also twenty-five, just like me. So, hearing my answer, Gang Jaegyung...
"Ah... so we’re the same age."
"Yeah."

...closed his mouth flatly, without any follow-up.
...That's it? Normally when people find out they’re the same age, they'd say something like, 'Should we speak casually then?' or 'Let’s drop the honorifics.' But there wasn’t even a hint of that.
And we’re literally the same age.

"..."
...Well. If he doesn't want to, then fine.
Just when it felt like the second match was wrapping up and Haksal-nim would be coming down soon, a staff member approached to tell us to get ready because it would be our turn next. At that, we stirred ourselves, shaking off any lingering nerves as we stood near the steps leading up to the stage.

Made me think of school. The platform we often had to go up during student elections or school events.
"I used to climb stages like this a lot back in school."
"What for? Were you in the broadcasting club?"

"Student council."
"Was that the one with the school president and all that?"
"Yeah, that one. I was student body president."

"Really? That's unexpected. You seem more like the type who’d always be getting caught by the student council."
"I got that a lot too."
I did try to live properly, but people always treated me like some punk the moment I slipped up. Honestly, if I saw a guy dyeing his hair and wearing his uniform half-assed, I’d probably think he was a delinquent too.

— "Once again, let’s give a big round of applause to Chimchak-nim and Haksal-nim for an intense, exciting match!"
In the middle of our conversation, the MC gave his closing remarks and led the audience in applause. As our chatter broke off, I clapped along half-heartedly, while Gang Jaegyung stood there with his hands behind his back, swaying slightly.
The audience responded with thunderous cheers and applause, almost enough to blow out our eardrums. It seemed like Haksal-nim was heading down the opposite stage stairs instead of coming back this way, dashing my plan to casually ask him if he was nervous.

— "Now!"
The MC paused for a beat to grab everyone’s attention. Only after the applause completely died down and all eyes were locked on the stage did he continue.
— "Only one match remains."

A small cheer rippled through the crowd.
Realizing that it was finally our time to take the stage, a sudden wave of tension crashed over me. It wasn't like it was my first time standing in front of a crowd, but facing a match of this scale and not feeling nervous would have been «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» even weirder.
I glanced sideways at Gang Jaegyung. Smiling leisurely as he watched the stage, he didn’t look the slightest bit nervous. Definitely the type who thrives under pressure.

— "These two are practically celebrities in Dusk, right? I imagine many of you have been eagerly waiting for this match."
A staff member bustled over and handed us each a microphone.
— "Then! Let’s welcome the two guest players who will shine in the final Arena match with a big round of applause!"

That was the signal to go up. Without the slightest hint of nervousness, Gang Jaegyung moved first, and I followed after him up the stairs.
The moment we stepped onto the stage, the synchronized applause suddenly broke apart and the cheering swelled into a roar of pure excitement. The noise level was on a completely different scale compared to when Haksal-nim had come down earlier.
Even when we stood side-by-side with the MC at the center of the stage, the uproar didn't die down. I knew exactly why. I stole a glance at Gang Jaegyung, who was standing there with a sly smile, pouring oil onto an already raging fire.

Only after quite a while did the MC manage to calm the crowd enough to speak, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
— "Feels like we’re at an idol concert."
His tone was playful, but you could hear the sincerity beneath it.

— "Now then, let’s hear introductions from the two guests who’ve caused such a stir! Starting with the person on the right, please say a few words."
The MC pointed at me, standing to the left of the stage from the audience’s perspective. It made sense to introduce me before Gang Jaegyung, who had drawn more attention.
Taking a moment to collect myself for dramatic effect, I slowly opened my mouth, feeling the intense stares fixed on me.

— "...I’m Kkulppang, Commander-in-Chief of the Holy Knights on Server 3. Nice to meet you."
Ending the brief introduction with a mild smile, I was immediately met with loud applause and shrill screams that sounded like deer crying out. I worried about the audience’s vocal cords.
— "That was a great reaction! Seeing how enthusiastically the Executors are welcoming Kkulppang-nim, I have no doubt the next guest will be just as warmly received. Please introduce yourself!"

Today’s real star, Gang Jaegyung, brought the microphone up to his mouth.
Even before he spoke, small sighs of anticipation rippled from the audience. Hearing that, Gang Jaegyung let out a low chuckle that reverberated through the mic, sparking even bigger cheers and murmurs.
Finally, a rich, mellow voice flowed from the speakers.

— "I’m Retaking, Commander-in-Chief of the Medical Corps on Server 3 and a Dusk streamer. I look forward to spending the rest of the time with you."
The response was so explosive it barely needed description.