It’s not that kind of malicious broadcast

Why did I even enter the tournament?

Lying on my bed, I tried to calm my turbulent mind and think—honestly, I had no particular reason.

Really.

The Rogue Revival Movement had succeeded.

As for my recognition as a broadcaster… frankly, it was already too much. I actually wished it could be toned down a bit. At this rate, some unknown acquaintances from the past might suddenly contact me saying, “Hey, I heard you’re broadcasting these days?”

That thought alone almost made me scared.

And it wasn’t like I desired fame or glory or anything like that.

If I had to say, I wanted to repay my viewers and also prove something—to them. But when you think about it, what sort of repayment is me climbing the tournament ladder for the viewers? And if I’m proving something, what exactly am I proving and to whom?

So, in the end… why did I enter the tournament?

Moreover, from tomorrow it would be an offline competition. The last offline event had unfavorable results. It required considerable determination on my part to participate now.

After that offline event, my broadcast almost fell apart, and… I still hadn’t been able to reconnect with unnie. In the end, it led to the success of the Rogue Revival Movement, but I wasn’t sure if that was truly a good thing.

Bitter, slightly unpleasant thoughts—memories, crept up slowly. I started thinking to escape reality, but this was turning out to be counterproductive—it was clearly and unmistakably counterproductive.

Yet, facing reality…

*Sigh.*

I let out a deep sigh, shutting my sore eyes tightly. It felt better to recall clearly regretful actions rather than staying in this unknowing state of what I should regret.

Like the drinking party the night before—to be precise, since I went to the convenience store.

There was a considerable blank in my memory. It had been quite some time since I drank this much alcohol. Maybe my tolerance had decreased because I had been abstaining lately. I wanted to believe that at least.

However I saw it, the fragmented memories didn’t change. When I regained my senses, I was already home. I vividly remembered the part where I staggered through the front door, mindlessly opened another mint chocolate ice cream, and ate it before falling asleep.

Jinhee probably took me home… Judging by the ice cream, it seemed I insisted on stopping by the convenience store on the way.

I caused quite a trouble.

I was sure I had done something regretful. No, I was convinced. At this point, I must have done something regrettable.

Despite my thick skin, my face heated up. It had been so long since I blacked out from drinking; honestly—it was more than a little disconcerting.

Why had I drunk that much? This… this amount was abnormal for me. I always considered myself someone with self-control…

*Sigh.*

As I traced the fragments of my memory, I even doubted if I had accomplished the original goal of seeking advice.

Maybe Jinhee had sincerely tried to give me advice, but I couldn’t remember. That would be the worst. I was too scared to ask.

Now that I think about it… I couldn’t recall offering any proper relationship advice either. I vaguely remember talking about something between Jinhee and Revan… something… It felt like it was at the tip of my tongue but just wouldn’t come out—

Ah.

Revan.

From deep within his chest, a sudden ominous feeling surged. He quickly grabbed his phone and checked the call log.

『Outgoing – Revan (2) 1:36 AM』

“…… Ha.”

I had no memory of the call. None at all.

I double-checked to be sure, but there was no call recording.

“Damn it.”

… Surely, I hadn’t done any teabagging.

‘I told you I needed to master at least three characters, but I found out when you were just chopping wood… I guess I shouldn’t say that.’

Or something like.

‘Go, skullcanaryamon! Evo-lu-tion! Ah, failure!’ Some sort of exclamation.

‘Even if you win a set, you should show some spirit and maybe do some teabagging. You’ll get crushed in the third set anyway. Wow, your head sure went high up.’

Those kinds of…

… Words I might have said, which scared me. No, I wouldn’t have done it in my right mind. But the blank spaces in my memory invited the worst imaginings.

After contemplating for a moment while holding my phone, I decided to put it as far away as possible.

… He wouldn’t come tomorrow, would I?

Yes. He had already been eliminated. Why would he come?

… He wouldn’t come, right?

* * * *

“… Is this a good draw or a bad one?”

“Whether you win or lose, you’re gonna get flak. If you win, they’ll say you knocked out GetDevoured. If you lose, they’ll say you lost to a girl. There’s no way this is good. Poor coach…”

“Meeting her in the finals would have been worse, I guess. And hasn’t it gotten a bit old, saying you’ll get flak for losing to a girl? Even in an event tournament, she broke through the pros to get to the semifinals.”

“Considering the differences in VR games between men and women, still… there’ll be flak. Everyone who’s lost to her so far has been trashed. Man, KoK Forum has been brutal these days.”

In GP Hustler’s dormitory practice room, the players were gathered around the tournament bracket, debating instead of training.

“Stop the useless chatter and get back to practice. And quit using terms like ‘flak’… Every time you guys do interviews, I feel like I’m gonna have a heart attack.”

Orthodox, Juho, having discovered the scene, frowned and voiced his displeasure.

“Uh, coach. Whether you win or lose, you’re gonna get flak. How about winning and doing a solid celebration this time? Seeing GetDevoured’s flustered face is my dream. Seriously.”

“I’m proud of you, really. Aren’t you going to cheer for the coach in person? At least lie till the end.”

“Of course, I’ll cheer for the coach! But watching the reaction is fine, isn’t it? This is the first offline event since that protest. And we weren’t allowed to go to the protest! They even had a handshake event! That could have been a once-in-a-lifetime chance!”

“Which sane club would let you go to that, idiot?”

To players excited with the unique energy of their early twenties, it was completely ineffective.

It was understandable. Although called a coach, Orthodox had been their teammate until recently—he felt more like a comrade. He had retired too soon, and now his hyung had advanced to the semi-finals of the tournament. There was no way he wouldn’t be thrilled.

To be honest, Orthodox himself felt a slight flutter of excitement and tension. Despite having a lot of tournament experience, this was the first time he advanced this far alone.

Of course, he couldn’t show these emotions outwardly.

His main job now was being a coach. Nothing was more important than taking care of the players. Moreover, disrupting the players with his personal digression to the tournament was absolutely unthinkable.

“Well, I know everyone’s excited, but we have a lot to do. If we can’t adapt to the next season’s meta, we could slip up in an instant. Taeyoung, have you been practicing the rogue?”

“I’ve been studying with Dongha using audiovisual materials!”

“……If you two watched GetDevoured’s broadcast, you’re dead. Seriously.”

“Hehe.”

“Go practice right now—Taeyoung, you’ll stay for extra practice. I’ll hold the shield for you after the scrim.”

“Coach! The semifinals are tomorrow, where would you find the time for that! Go practice personally right now!”

“My tournament is just a private hobby. The season starts next month. Don’t you realize that? Dongha, you’re doing extra practice too.”

“Ack-!”

Watching his teammates scream, Orthodox put on a stern expression while giving a bitter smile.

As if a one-on-one tournament meant nothing to him. Just an idle diversion for a retired coach.

It wasn’t a complete lie. It was true that he had retired, and he genuinely believed that his coaching duties were more important.

But—

His passion for victory was still burning in his chest.

Having come this far, he wanted to win at all costs. Maybe he wanted this from the very beginning, deceiving himself by saying it was because he was a coach.

Without this level of competitive spirit, he wouldn’t have been able to endure such a long career as a pro gamer.

He wanted to win.

Additionally, he wanted to meet that… Pagol in the finals and show them a lesson. Revan was a good dongsaeng, and even he felt Pagol’s celebrations were excessive.

But that was only if he got past GetDevoured.

She was a giant wall. As one of the few who recognized GetDevoured’s true value so early on, he resonated completely with her nickname as a natural disaster.

Her reaction speed was beyond comprehension. Her game management was chillingly composed. The unpredictability of never knowing when she’d introduce a new build. The madness of taking high risks when necessary. And above all, an enigmatic experience no one could quite grasp where it came from.

He had no intention of underestimating her just because she wasn’t a pro or because she was a woman. She was several times more daunting than the active pros who followed typical, standardized patterns.

‘Still, there has to be a way. Even if there’s a lot of unorthodox plays… there are patterns.’

In Orthodox’s mind, strategies for facing GetDevoured kept forming and being discarded. It wasn’t easy, but he didn’t mind it at all.

For him, the moments he couldn’t see a way out were the most thrilling. A few years as a rookie after his pro debut. Several more years overshadowed by others. His mindset had carried him through those long years and ultimately to the peak.

‘There will be a way. First, the build–’

* * * *

『StarPork: Teacher Yena!』

『StarPork: Teacher!』

『StarPork: Are you going to the game tomorrow?』

『CravingWarmAmericano: 😅』

『CravingWarmAmericano: Yes』

『StarPork: Thank goodness!!!』

『StarPork: Not that I was worried or anything』

『StarPork: Shall we go together??』

『StarPork: I can pick you up from your house!! I have a fresh license 🥰』

『CravingWarmAmericano: 😅』

『StarPork: I’ll take that as a yes』

『StarPork: Tomorrow at 3 PM in front of Yena’s house!』

『StarPork: I’ll come even if you don’t answer』

『CravingWarmAmericano: Won’t it be bothersome?』

『CravingWarmAmericano: I’m not likely to miss the competition』

『CravingWarmAmericano: ……I did think about it though』

『CravingWarmAmericano: But you don’t have to worry』

『StarPork: It’s the ‘likely’ that’s the problem』

『StarPork: Why were you hesitating…』

『StarPork: Anyway!! I’m doing this because I want to! Don’t worry.』

『CravingWarmAmericano: ……Okay』

『StarPork: And when are you going to start the broadcast, teacher 😠』

『CravingWarmAmericano: 😅』

『StarPork: The announcement comments have surpassed 1000』

『StarPork: It’s a record, teacher』

『StarPork: Congratulations』

『CravingWarmAmericano: Thank you? 🤔』

(StarPork is typing a message…….)

『StarPork: Tomorrow at 3 PM』

『CravingWarmAmericano: 😭』