Chapter 69

I had a dream for the first time in a while.

A dream of when I first met Oppa.

I hadn’t had one in a long time…

Startled, I first checked inside my head.

Could Oppa have seen my dream?

Fortunately, it seemed he hadn’t.

In a corner of my mind, Oppa was sound asleep, snoring softly.

It was a relief.

Because it seemed like Oppa didn’t remember what happened that day.

And I didn’t want to tell him right now, either.

It would be incredibly embarrassing for me to say, “Oppa! Do you remember me? It’s me, Yunseuli. I became a Pro Gamer thanks to you!”

Of course, apart from that, Oppa was someone I was extremely grateful to.

After years of clinging to the dream of becoming a pro, on the day I passed the pro team tryout.

My mom said to me.

“Yunseul. Do you remember when you were little? The first time you played UA.”

If I hadn’t thrown a tantrum back then, and if Youngin Oppa hadn’t persuaded my mom.

She said I probably would have gone down a different path.

If Oppa hadn’t been the one to teach me UA that day, I might have lived as a normal student preparing for college entrance exams.

In fact, after that day, I studied hard while also playing UA.

I was always good enough to compete for first or second place in my class.

My grades dropped a bit in middle school, but by then, my debut was already in sight, so my mom understood my focus on gaming to some extent.

Thanks to that, at seventeen, the minimum age for a pro debut, I was able to join a UA Second Division League team right away.

Super Sylph.

My Annual Salary was 150 million Won.

It was a record that ranked within the top three among 17-year-old debut players in the Second Division League.

The joy I felt at that time is hard to put into words.

My parents were also very happy.

How proud they must have been to see their young daughter forging her own path.

And there was one more reason I was happy.

‘At this level, isn’t it okay to go see Oppa?’

I had thought about it countless times.

Oppa. Thank you.

I’m preparing to be a Pro Gamer thanks to you.

Thank you for persuading my parents back then.

I must have thought thousands of times by now that if I greeted him with those words, he might recognize me.

But in the end, I couldn’t do it.

I was afraid I might fail the tryout.

Of course, I had a somewhat objective grasp of my skills and knew that if I aimed lower and went for a Third Division team, I would definitely get in.

But Oppa had been on a First Division team ever since his debut.

I didn’t want to debut on a mere Third Division League team and ask Oppa to recognize me.

That felt incredibly pathetic.

But now, it was different.

A Second Division League player, and one who joined with a record in the top three at that. I thought it would be okay to approach him and say, “I worked really hard. I did well, right?”

Of course, Oppa might have long forgotten someone like me, but I still wanted to talk to him at least once.

Han Youngin, the Ace of team Magnus.

To be honest, I wanted to be remembered as someone a little more special to him, who already led so many fans.

But in the summer of my debut Season.

It happened.

Oppa’s traffic accident, like a bolt from the blue.

My Mental was more fragile than I thought, and I completely bombed my debut Season, becoming an overhyped Prospect who wasn’t worth the money.

But what was harder to bear than the criticism and bubble theories surrounding me was the news that Oppa showed no signs of recovery.

And funnily enough, being a Pro Gamer, something I had prepared for so diligently, wasn’t much fun when I thought Oppa might die soon.

Only then did I realize.

Just how large a part Oppa had played in my life, from that day until now.

It was fine if Oppa didn’t know who I was, and if I forever remained a pure fan, one step removed.

But I couldn’t stand the thought of a player named Han Youngin disappearing from our side like this.

He still had so much to do.

After being the sole breadwinner for years, he deserved to hold a championship trophy at least once, and he needed to go to an international tournament and have a medal hung around his neck.

Every fan of team Magnus knew.

That a player named Han Youngin was not someone who would just disappear from the League like this.

He was a player who was already prepared to have it all.

This wasn’t just because I was a fan of Youngin Oppa; it was an undeniable fact.

The national team Director, who held the authority to select players, had practically earmarked Oppa as a candidate for Attacker.

But then, an accident.

This kind of empty ending was something that no one who had cheered for Oppa from the first moment they saw him could accept.

Winter came.

Oppa still showed no signs of recovery, and Hyunah Unni, who had joined the team with me, packed her bags, saying this team was doomed, and chose to Transfer after just one year.

Around this time, I couldn’t help but think seriously about my future.

I, who was once evaluated as a major Prospect who might receive a First Division team Offer at any moment.

But the reality was that I was nothing more than a washed-up player, for whom it wouldn’t be strange to announce retirement at any time.

If Oppa knew, he would surely click his tongue and say, “Tsk, tsk…”

A real fan of Oppa shouldn’t be like this! Get a grip!

One day, as I was forcing myself to pull it together, shouting at myself like that.

She appeared on the team.

A player who was the center of everyone’s attention, causing a huge sensation in the Third Division League.

It was Seo Dami.

The moment I first saw her, I felt a very familiar shadow.

The image of Youngin Oppa, whom I thought I might never see again.

Thinking about it now, it’s quite funny.

Since Oppa was in Unni’s body, it was only natural that I quickly grew fond of her.

Anyway, thanks to her, I was able to shake off my gloomy mood and recover my skills to become a player that Oppa wouldn’t be ashamed of.

In the end, it was as if Oppa had saved me once again.

And as time passed, on the day I was reunited with Oppa in a way I never expected.

My heart pounded to its limit.

To think a miracle like this would happen to me!

I felt like all of this was an opportunity sent from heaven.

Oh my god.

I get to live with Youngin Oppa?

I was so moved that I didn’t even think to ask, “Do you remember me?”

Just having Oppa by my side, not dead, was more than I could ever ask for.

But!

One day was enough to realize that this was a shallow hypocrisy.

Seo Dami.

Her existence, having spent over a year with Oppa and learning everything from him, completely shattered my composure.

You didn’t have to be sharp to figure it out.

The special person to the player Han Youngin wasn’t me, who had joined him by chance, but his first disciple whom he had taught.

Seo Dami.

I really wanted to cry so much back then.

It wasn’t like Oppa and Dami Unni were dating, but I felt like tears would just stream down my face if someone poked me.

Only then could I be a little more honest with my heart.

I still liked Han Youngin, the idol of many, but the fact that Han Youngin was a man for only one person was very hard to accept.

If someone could be by Oppa’s side, couldn’t that be me too?

I’ve liked Oppa for a long time, too.

I even knew Oppa first.

Of course, my affection was filled with respect, but my generosity didn’t extend to cheering on Dami Unni and Oppa’s future together.

But what could I do?

I was just a little girl who had briefly met Oppa first when I was young.

And Oppa didn’t even seem to remember.

So, objectively, I had no advantage over Unni right now.

‘Calm down. You have to be calm in times like these.’

It might seem completely unrelated, but my knowledge of UA helped me solve my worries.

When you’re behind on points and the enemy has the advantage, you have to avoid getting excited as much as possible and calmly search for a way to break through the situation.

First, there was still time.

Oppa said it would likely take the rest of the year for him to return, as his Energy was running low.

And when he came back, there was a possibility he would come to me again this time.

If Oppa hadn’t lied to me.

Right now, Oppa was more focused on developing players than on things like dating.

In that case, I had to be different from Unni, who was always coming to me and snooping around about Oppa’s condition.

No, we are actually different.

I respect Oppa’s wishes.

Thus, I decided to temporarily set aside my overflowing feelings for Oppa and pour all my energy into becoming the best player.

Oppa didn’t ask me to become that kind of player, but I wanted to do it.

Because in my heart, Oppa was always the best player.

My pride wouldn’t allow me, who learned from Oppa, not to become the best.

So I planned to follow him, step by step.

So that I, too, could become a special person to Oppa.

It’s not too late. Let’s follow calmly. Calmly!

The words Oppa used to say, like a mantra, to his teammates when they were cornered.

I recalled them and steeled my fighting spirit.

‘Just you wait. It’s not too late yet.’

The match was just beginning.

“Incredible! Super Sylph! They finish the Season by winning every game in the Second Half League!”

“Victory! Super Sylph wins! Super Sylph is heading straight to the First Division League!”

-Waaaaaah!

A downpour of Cheers.

The Second Division Second Half League ended with great success.

Super Sylph, who had claimed an overwhelming victory with an undefeated Second Half.

There was no way for a Second Division League team to stop the simultaneous Breakthrough of Seo Dami and Jung Yunseul.

It was a short period, so Jung Yunseul hadn’t learned everything from me, but her skills were still clearly improving.

I sat inside her head, checking how Yunseuli moved her body and pointing out parts that were wrong or could be improved.

And my experience from the international tournament with Dami was a great help here.

Yunseuli liked to use Gun Kata with her pistol, and as I explained to Yunseuli the senses Seo Dami had learned from Kato Mikane, our play gradually moved toward perfection.

-Seo Dami! Seo Dami! Seo Dami!

-Jung Yunseul! Jung Yunseul! Jung Yunseul!

It was so embarrassing how much their two names were being called.

Aram, Dain, and Jua too.

They all worked hard!

Still, it was a relief that the kids weren’t discouraged and were enjoying the team’s victory together.

You know how it is.

You worked hard too, but when you feel like you’re not needed, you can get depressed…

Our team had none of that; we all stood in the middle of the stadium with our arms around each other’s shoulders.

At the Team House, Dami and Yunseul were a bit awkward with each other, but right now, there was no sign of it.

Purely and simply, amidst the confetti raining down from the sky and the Cheers, we savored the afterglow of victory.

When you win a championship, the Team House is usually filled with a pleasant atmosphere for at least a day, but not for us.

In Jung Yunseul’s room after the team dinner.

Dami, who had practically stormed in, placed a chair opposite the bed and sat down to ask Yunseuli.

“What are you going to do about the contract, Oppa?”

“I’m tired, so could you please leave~?”

“I wasn’t talking to you.”

“Oppa said he feels a bit burdened by you clinging to him like this.”

“……?”

Dami paused for a moment, then glared, telling her not to lie.

<Why are you telling lies like that?>

‘I’m really tired.’

This was true.

As someone who could directly feel Yunseuli’s condition, I knew she was a bit tired.

She had a match and a team dinner today, and the tension from the long race had finally dissipated.

Still, this was an issue we had to address.

The contract story that Dami brought up.

Pro Gamers usually have short careers.

Because you never know when your career might end, the association recommends a contract period of two years on average when teams and players sign.

Dami had signed a one-year contract last time to raise her value.

And Yunseuli’s two-year contract had just ended.

Now that the League was over, the Transfer Market would open.

The two of them were in a position to pick a good Offer and move to any team.

The problem was that both Dami and Yunseul wanted to continue their team life with me.

“Unni, you got a good Offer from Cheonhwa, too. How about going to China?”

“If you want to go, Yunseul, I can put in a good word with Chen Sui.”

“I like Super Sylph better. I’m going to stay here.”

“Really? Then should I go to Artemis with Oppa…?”

When Dami mentioned she might Transfer to another team with me, Yunseuli became extremely anxious.

She seemed worried that if Dami went to another team, she wouldn’t be able to see me.

Yunseuli, who had been pressing her lips together, tossed out a remark a moment later.

“Oppa said he’s going to be with me next year, too.”

“Are you going to keep lying?”

“It’s true. Unni can take care of herself now. I still have a lot to learn. From Oppa’s perspective, wouldn’t it be more fun to be with me, who has a lot to be taught, than with a grown-up Unni?”

I had never said such a thing.

But at a glance, the logic had some merit and sounded quite plausible.

Dami’s eyes trembled as if she was a little shocked.

Then she shot up, grabbed Jung Yunseul’s shoulders, and started looking for me.

“Oppa. Did you really say that? Do you like being with Yunseul more than me?”

“Ah, that hurts!”

My shoulder, no, Yunseuli’s shoulder is going to be torn off…

I may have taught her, but Seo Dami’s strength was close to that of a beast.

Even Shin Aram was about to be overpowered by Dami’s Stamina; Yunseul couldn’t possibly handle that kind of brute force.

In the end, it was only after I yelled at them to stop fighting several times that I was able to calm the two of them down.

<Jung Yunseul. You stop with the Provocation toward Dami, too.>

‘Yes…’

<Ask Dami. Whether you’ll move to a team together. Or stay with Super Sylph.>

Seo Dami and Jung Yunseul, who shared my secret.

Separating these two onto different teams was simply out of the question.

Both of them wanted to continue their player careers with me.

In that case, they had no choice but to move to a team together or continue playing for Super Sylph, and fortunately, there was no disagreement on this point.

Both Dami and Yunseul wanted to stay with Super Sylph and challenge for the First Division League championship.

<So you both agree to stay on the same team, right?>

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

<And if you two fight again, I’m really not coming back.>

“N-No, you can’t!”

“…What’s wrong? What did Oppa say?”

When a somewhat deflated Yunseuli relayed my words, Dami got off the bed, knelt on the floor, and begged that she would listen to Oppa.

<If you understand, both of you pack your bags.>

“Pack our bags?”

“……?”

<We need to start negotiating.>

Now that the Season was over, the Transfer Market was as good as open.

My plan was to leave the Team House with the kids for now.

First, make the Front Office sweat and get good terms.

This was the basic negotiating spirit that a team’s Ace should have.