Chapter 22

All that was left was to sign the contract with Super Sylph.

Figuring I wouldn’t have any personal time once I officially started my activities, I decided to use the afternoon to take care of some remaining business.

“I’d like to see you today, if you have the time.”

After sending the message, I headed straight for the Universe Cat team house.

Strictly speaking, what was about to happen wasn’t for my own sake.

‘My problem is that I’m just too nice.’

<······?>

When I arrived at the team house, Director Hong and Section Chief Kim Minsung were waiting for me.

I had asked them to make sure my movement path didn’t overlap with the players, just in case I ran into them, and I was able to get to the director’s office without seeing a single Universe Cat player.

“Have you been resting well?”

Director Hong greeted me warmly with a slightly unnatural smile.

He had probably misunderstood the purpose of my visit.

I didn’t have the slightest intention of re-signing with Universe Cat.

I felt bad for giving him false hope, but I had come here because there was something else I needed to do.

“I’ve rested well.”

“Mm. You must have had plenty of time to think, then! About the contract.”

“That’s actually what I came to talk to you about today.”

I said with a faint smile.

“I’ve decided to play in the 2nd division next season.”

“Uh…?”

As if they hadn’t expected this, Director Hong and Section Chief Kim looked at each other.

“You… came all the way here just to say that?”

Director Hong asked back, looking displeased.

It wasn’t something one needed to say in person.

Not unless they intended to rub salt in the wound.

Of course, I thought so too.

The main point of today’s meeting was something else entirely.

“I received a lot while I was on this team. I wanted to give you a gift.”

“What gift?”

“Here you go.”

When I held out the keyholder-type data file, they all had a “what is this?” look on their faces.

“Open it.”

With a face that said, “I have a bad feeling about this,” Director Hong checked the data, and his expression immediately hardened.

“Besides Song Yuri, the other players on our team still have time left on their contracts, right?”

The players up for re-signing at Universe Cat this year were me and Song Yuri.

Just the two of us.

Kim Yujeong and Lee Seyeon still had time left on theirs.

If they were aiming to recruit a top-tier player, they would pay out the annual salary for the remaining contract period, release the players, and bring in new ones, but it was doubtful Universe Cat would make such a bold decision.

This was especially true considering that with me already making moves to go to another team, the probability of their performance plummeting to the lower bracket again next season had increased.

If the team was expected to decline anyway, the parent company would want to cut expenses as much as possible.

So I figured.

Universe Cat would, in all likelihood, stick with the trio of trash as long as nothing major happened.

‘I can’t stand for that.’

There were two reasons.

First, it was for Kim Harim, who might be left alone on this team to be bullied.

And second, thinking about what those scumbags did to Dami, I couldn’t just stand by and watch them remain in the League.

Come to think of it, those trash bags hadn’t paid any price yet.

If what happened to Dami had been made public, it was an issue that could have not only shattered their careers as players but also caused the team to disband.

‘It’s not like I didn’t know that and kept quiet until now.’

I had held my tongue because if I had blown this up during the season, it might have harmed Seo Dami.

Since I could safely leave the team as long as I performed well this season, there was no need to take a risk and punish them.

But now that everything was settled, I had come here today to wrap things up with them cleanly.

“These are videos of what I experienced during training.”

The data I handed to Director Hong contained blatant footage of violence disguised as training.

It was something I had backed up by accessing the Access Device data not long after I met Dami.

“It’s a bit much to call it training, don’t you think, Coach? I don’t think there was any need to train by literally punching someone.”

In UA, a situation where you fight in close-quarters combat with only your bare hands and feet, without a Lightsaber, might happen once in a few hundred matches.

Yet, insisting on assuming that situation to inflict physical pain on a player could only be seen as bullying by anyone’s standards.

“Wh-what is this, Coach?”

Section Chief Kim Minsung’s cheek trembled as if he genuinely didn’t know.

At Section Chief Kim’s reaction, Director Hong became mute as a fish, unable to say a word.

He couldn’t make the excuse that he didn’t know either.

He was the director of this team.

Moreover, Kim Yujeong’s gang bullying Seo Dami wasn’t something that had happened for just a day or two.

If they had picked a day and bullied her, he could have at least made the excuse that he didn’t know.

The video data I handed over was sorted by date, serving as clear evidence that the director had intentionally ignored the bullying within the team.

“Answer me, Coach.”

While Section Chief Kim was cornering Director Hong, I smoothly interjected to finish what I had to say.

“Alright, I’ll make this short. I’d rather not see the friends in these videos on Universe Cat next season. I originally thought about blowing this up when the season started… but I’m telling you in advance out of old affection. So you can prepare.”

Only then did Section Chief Kim, realizing my purpose for being here, fall silent, at a loss for words.

This was a warning.

A warning that I didn’t care if they ignored my warning and kept the team members, but if they did, they would see exactly what would happen to the team mid-season.

Section Chief Kim’s body trembled, whether in anger or something else.

I couldn’t tell if he was angry because I was threatening him, or if he was angry at Director Hong for letting things get to this point.

“I don’t see Kim Harim in the videos… Should I take this to mean I should handle that part as I see fit?”

“Harim did nothing wrong. What happens with Harim is a matter for the team and the player to decide.”

I made it clear that what I wanted was limited to getting rid of the trio led by Kim Yujeong.

Even if Universe Cat decided to get rid of Kim Harim as well, I didn’t care.

Realistically, Kim Harim wasn’t skilled enough for the 2nd division, but in the 3rd division, she was a player who could pull her weight on any team.

If I casually stirred up some aggro on some message board, saying something like, “I’m so surprised a player like Harim is a Free Agent~,” it wouldn’t be hard for her to find a new job.

Sighing, Section Chief Kim replayed the videos one more time.

Among them was a scene where Dami was crying because she was being hit so hard.

What Seo Dami had endured was violence that could literally shatter a person’s life, something that should never have happened.

Therefore, it was only natural for those bastards to become jobless losers and get kicked off the team.

And furthermore, for them to be unable to set foot in the League ever again.

With a deeply troubled expression, Section Chief Kim managed to speak.

“If we fire a whole bunch of players who have time left on their contracts, other teams are going to ask what happened.”

“Then wouldn’t it be best to tell those teams what happened? We can’t let trash like that ruin the League in the future. Right, Section Chief?”

“I understand what you mean…”

If word got out that they were players cut for in-team violence and group bullying, a permanent ban from the industry was a certainty.

I didn’t spare any advice for the completely knocked-out Section Chief Kim.

I told him that in this case, since the fault lies with the players, they wouldn’t have to pay the annual salary for the remaining period, and that he should consult an expert for details.

‘Once all the trash is cleaned out, Kim Harim will be able to play in peace.’

Just when I thought my business was done.

With a thud, Director Hong suddenly dropped to his knees.

“I’m sorry, Dami! I’ve made a terrible mistake!”

<······.>

A director on his knees, begging for forgiveness with his hands clasped together.

It seemed even Dami was at a loss for words at his transparent intentions.

‘If you were truly sorry, you would have asked for forgiveness long ago.’

Director Hong had never properly apologized for what Seo Dami had gone through at Universe Cat.

I think he might have pretended to console her, saying he knew she had a hard time.

But that wasn’t an apology.

It was an evasion of responsibility.

Director Hong was by no means free from blame in this incident.

Managing the team and its players was also the director’s job.

That’s why he was putting on this transparent show, kneeling like this now.

To at least look good to Section Chief Kim, who was right next to him.

That way, he’d have a slightly better chance of extending his coaching position, which was now hanging by a thread.

‘His gaze is murderous.’

Section Chief Kim’s stare at the back of the kneeling director’s head was incredibly fierce.

It was a look that said, “What the hell have you been doing to let things get this bad?”

Hmm. I wonder.

It’s meaningless to think about “what ifs,” but I did wonder if, maybe, I would have stayed on the team if Universe Cat had been full of decent people.

If there had been more good players, we might have had a real shot at clearing the Promotion-Relegation Match.

“Well, I think I’ve said everything I needed to, so I’ll be going now.”

“Da-Dami! Please! Forgive me!”

As I was about to leave, Director Hong suddenly grabbed onto me.

What the hell is this guy doing, suddenly grabbing my leg?

I was glad I had worn pants.

If I had worn a skirt, I would have felt extremely unpleasant.

“Let go of me, Coach. While I’m still being nice.”

As I spoke with a chilling air, Director Hong’s body collapsed.

Looking at Director Hong, who was now practically glued to the floor, sobbing, Section Chief Kim asked.

“What would you like me to do?”

It was easy to tell he was asking about the director’s fate.

“Please handle it as you see fit. I don’t want to concern myself with this issue any longer.”

I didn’t care whether the director got fired or not.

It was definitely wrong of him to have neglected the situation until it got this bad, but I took into consideration the fact that he had tried to find a way out for Seo Dami through a Trade.

If he got swept away with them in this incident, it couldn’t be helped, and if the Front Office gave him one more chance, that would be purely his ‘luck’.

Having finished my business, I gave a short farewell, saying that although many things had happened on this team, it was alright in the end.

It seemed I would have no more business here ever again.

‘How was that? Feel a little better?’

As I left the team house, I asked the pensive Seo Dami.

If you do something bad, you get punished.

I liked that natural principle, and I had put it into practice today.

And Dami seemed quite satisfied with what had just happened.

The once-shy Dami said thank you.

‘Well, since I did a good deed, let me ask for a favor too.’

<What is it?>

‘From now on, let me open my eyes when I wash up…’

<Aack! No way!>

It had been half a year since I started living with Dami.

I still showered with my eyes closed.

I wasn’t blind or anything…

When I used body wash, I couldn’t even use my bare hands; I had to use a round shower loofah.

Well, I understood.

It might be a little weird if I touched my body here and there with my bare hands.

The problem was that Dami and I were sharing all our senses completely.

But it’s so inconvenient!

It’s about time we started being a little more understanding of each other.

As I pleaded with all my heart, a blushing Dami muttered.

<My marriage prospects are ruined anyway…>

‘What are you talking about? I’ll take our secret to my grave.’

<I don’t need that. You’ve already seen everything…>

Anyone hearing that would get the wrong idea.

Seen what!

I swear to God, I had never even squinted in the bathroom except when washing my face.

If I had, my mind would have been laid to waste by Seo Dami’s screams long ago.

<Th-then if Oppa… gives it to me… it might be okay.>

‘What was that? I couldn’t hear you, you were too quiet.’

<······.>

No matter how many times I asked what she said, the girl wouldn’t answer.

It seemed like she wouldn’t give me an answer today no matter how much I asked, so I decided to give her some time.

It looked like showering with my eyes open was a lost cause for today as well.

Around the time Han Youngin was finishing his business with Universe Cat and heading home.

On the global streaming platform N-Cast, a considerable number of people had gathered, waiting for someone’s broadcast.

It all started with an SNS post by a certain pro gamer.

-I’m thinking of starting a live broadcast today. Not a broadcast managed by the team, but a real, legit! My own broadcast!

It wasn’t particularly special for a pro gamer to use a platform for internet broadcasting, but a broadcast by a popular player was different.

-Park Chaerin’s broadcast announcement is up!

-Ah, she wasn’t the type to retire like this.

-Such a shame, really.

-There are tons of scrubs in the League who are worse at the game than Chaerin, so why did she quit?

-I think she mentioned it before? That she’s accomplished everything except winning a championship, so she has no regrets.

-Winning a Gaia championship in Korea is hard, though.

-In your next life, be born as a Refresh player, Chaerin…

-How many players couldn’t win a championship because of those bastards?

-Dozens of truckloads worth;;

Park Chaerin’s personal fans.

And just as the Gaia viewers who knew of Park Chaerin were waiting, her broadcast finally went live.

Sitting comfortably in a chair in casual clothes, Park Chaerin waved and greeted her fans.

Having streamed from time to time even during her active career, she didn’t show the slightest sign of nervousness.

“How have you all been? It feels like it’s been a while. But hey, why is everyone crying? Did someone die?”

As tearful emoticons flooded the chat, expressing sadness over her retirement, Park Chaerin laughed and told them to stop.

“Ah, why are you bringing down the mood! I’m twenty-seven this year. I have to get married too, you know! Making me play more is abuse. Elder abuse.”

-Haaah. It’s because we’re sad.

-So are you going to be a streamer from today?

-Considering Chaerin’s personality, she’d do well even if she streamed.

-She’s a good talker.

-Lots of people are already coming in!

[Live 4,422 Viewers]

As she was a player known for her good provocations and outstanding performance, her broadcast filled up with people in an instant.

Among them were fans who held a grudge after being provoked by Park Chaerin during her active days, so the chat window was briefly chaotic.

-Ugh! Serves you right, you washed-up bitch!

-I’m so relieved I don’t have to see this bitch in the League anymore.

Seeing the people trying to scratch at the streamer’s mental from the very beginning, Park Chaerin cast “Yeah~ fuck you! If you’ve got a problem, let’s fight,” and went on a banning spray fire.

No matter how much they attacked, she showed no signs of breaking down, so the trolls quickly disappeared, and the atmosphere calmed down.

“It’s my first stream, so I haven’t prepared anything, but I quickly turned on the stream to tell you an interesting story.”

-An interesting story?

-Un-retiring?

-I’m getting nervous…

-It’s not something like pregnancy, right?

-This scene is truly amazing, a place where no one knows what will happen.

Some absurd chats also popped up, but Park Chaerin said it was nothing like that and got straight to the point.

“I left Windforce at the end of this season, right? I’ve retired as a Gaia pro. But as I was thinking at home, I wondered what it would be like to play a different game. You all probably know it well. It’s called Universe Arena.”

The moment the name UA came from Park Chaerin’s lips, the atmosphere among the fans heated up in an instant.

The skill gap between Gaia and UA players had long been one of the great debates.

This was because Gaia’s Artillery Master class, which deals with guns, had many overlapping aspects with UA.

Buoyed by the popularity of being the world’s biggest sport, many Gaia fans said that a player who could properly handle an Artillery Master would have no trouble adapting to UA.

It was a logic derived partly from fan loyalty.

-Wow, Park Chaerin playing Universe Arena?

-Seriously, with Chaerin’s talent, she could smoke the pros.

-So what’s your tier?

-What’s your tier, scrub?

-This is already getting interesting.

-Keep talking.

“To be honest, I was curious what it would be like since I’ve never played it, and since I had nothing else to do, I decided to really dig into it. And what do you know, I hit Grandmaster in a fortnight? That’s a pretty high rank, you know?”

Hitting Grandmaster in a fortnight.

At this point, users who knew how difficult this was gathered and started to spin the topic on their own.

No matter how similar the common theme of “guns” was, hitting Grandmaster in a fortnight was impossible.

No, with Park Chaerin’s skills, it’s possible.

I’ve played UA, and if that’s true, her talent is insane, etc.

The speed at which the chat was scrolling began to accelerate.

“So, I was thinking maybe I’m pretty good, so I contacted a pro team. I said I’m a bit old, but I’d like to get a skill test. Like that?”

-You applied for a test with a UA pro team?

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-A 1st division team?

-If it’s really a 1st division team, the state of UA ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-She’s old and retired, but if she gets a starter position in the 1st division of the game next door, there’s a problem with the game…

-It’s not impossible. If it were Chaerin, if she had just been born in the right era, she’d be the starter sniper for the national team.

-So which team is it?

-Hurry up and tell us which team.

-Rangers are looking for a new Free Agent right now, aren’t they? Is it Rangers?

-I don’t think it’s the Titans.

-It’s Supernova! Definitely Supernova!

As the names of nearly all the First Division teams in the UA League were being thrown around, Park Chaerin spoke.

Sorry, but it’s a Second Division team.

-The… where did you say?

-Star Prism?

-What the fuck kind of no-name team is that.

-They say it’s the 3rd place team in the Second Division?

-She should just try out for the First Division.

-With Chaerin’s skills, she’d be an instant starter in the First Division for a game like UA;;

The majority of the fans who came to watch Park Chaerin’s stream were Gaia fans, so naturally, they didn’t know much about the teams in UA.

It was an even more natural reaction, seeing as it was a Second Division team.

“Wait! Stop badmouthing other games! First, just listen to the rest of the story. I sent them a Replay first. To let them gauge my skills beforehand? But after watching it, they said there was no need for a test. They wanted to sign me right away.”

-Whoa!

-Now that’s a team that knows how to spot talent.

-Wow. So does that mean you’ll be playing as a Universe Arena pro starting next year?

-Please! Do it!!!

The fans still wanted to see Park Chaerin play as a pro.

Her skills were too good to let her go just like this.

“I was pretty tempted, you know? It felt like taking on a new challenge would be more fun than retiring like this, right?”

The fans spammed positive messages in unison, agreeing with her.

But unfortunately, Park Chaerin had to deliver some sad news to her fans.

“But in the end, we decided to call the whole thing off.”

-What, why!

-What the fuck are you talking about!

-Called… it off?

-It seemed like a done deal!

-What did they say?

-Did they say you’re too old?

-This is so frustrating, just tell us already!

“I met a player when I went there, and I had a lot of realizations today.”

The chat window filled with question marks.

They couldn’t understand what Park Chaerin was talking about.

And toward those fans, Park Chaerin fumbled for a piece of A4 paper and unfolded something.

-What is…

-What’s that?

-I don’t know shit about the game…

-I’m sorry for acting like I knew everything?

-??????????

Seeing Park Chaerin’s handwritten apology, the fans’ minds grew even more chaotic, and a final wedge of confusion was driven in.

Park Chaerin slammed her forehead on her monitor, bowed her head, and shouted.

“First! I’d like to take this opportunity! To apologize to player Seo Dami! For my presumptuous behavior today!”

-Weren’t we talking about Star Prism or whatever?

-Who’s Seo Dami now?

-Don’t cry, just talk to us.

-Does anyone understand what’s going on right now?

-Chaerin. We need an explanation…

“Ah, so, about who Seo Dami is. She’s this incredible player who just came up from the Universe Arena Third Division League…”

Park Chaerin began to tell her story.

And with the Viewers spreading the situation across the Community in real time…

Through their combined efforts, the embers of Seo Dami’s fame, which had been quiet on the internet for a while, began to burn again.