Chapter 70

“Want to come to my place?”

“Why would I go to your place, Unni?”

“Please…”

“……?”

And so, at Seo Dami’s earnest plea, we ended up staying at Dami’s house for a while.

The reason Dami asked me to go home with her was obvious.

It must have been because she wanted me nearby.

Either that, or she couldn’t stand the thought of me and Yunseul being alone together…

But contrary to my assumptions.

After introducing Yunseul to her parents, Dami went to her room and confessed how grateful she had been to me.

“My personality isn’t usually this outgoing.”

“I can pretty much guess. Oppa must have done all the victory interviews that became hot topics.”

“Yeah… But it’s not like my personality came from nowhere, right? My parents aren’t very talkative either.”

“From what I saw earlier, I didn’t get that impression at all.”

“They weren’t always like that.”

Becoming a Pro Gamer, a challenge she undertook despite her parents’ opposition.

Dami said it was all thanks to me that the once-chilly atmosphere at home, even after her debut, had become as warm as it was now.

“If it weren’t for you, Oppa, I don’t know what things would be like even now.”

The affectionate daughter of a happy family.

South Korea’s next-generation sports star.

And even being loved by her fans.

Dami said she had received so much from me that she was just endlessly grateful.

At that, Yunseul’s gaze sharpened a little.

“If you’re grateful, you should just end it at being grateful. Why did you try to monopolize Oppa?”

“……”

I didn’t think that.

I thought Dami would say, I never thought that, but instead, she just gave an awkward smile and held her tongue.

Just as I flinched for no reason, Yunseul changed the subject as if to say, whatever.

“Anyway, so how many days do we have to stay here?”

Yunseul asked.

This question wasn’t for Dami, but for me.

<We have to wait until the team presents us with good terms.>

“Good terms?”

I told her to check the news articles.

Sure enough.

The internet was already abuzz with media play, with articles claiming that good discussions regarding Seo Dami and Jung Yunseul’s contracts were underway.

The source of the articles was the Super Sylph Front Office.

It was a Smoke Screen, meant to deter other teams from targeting us as much as possible.

“Hey, is this even allowed? They haven’t said a single word to us.”

Yunseul muttered in disbelief after checking the articles.

<They must be getting antsy since we packed up and left just like that.>

Two players, both of whom were practically guaranteed an Ace position on any team, had walked out hand in hand. The Front Office must have been in a panic.

If, for the next Season.

They lost both Seo Dami and Jung Yunseul, not only would their performance plummet, but the backlash from the fans would also be unbearable.

“Then when do you think they’ll contact us?”

<Who knows? Judging by their reaction, it seems like they’ll want to wrap this up within the priority negotiation period no matter what.>

Once the one-week priority negotiation period ended, Super Sylph would have to face fierce competition from top teams around the world.

The storm Jung Yunseul had stirred up was still limited to the domestic scene, but Seo Dami was a player who was drawing attention from overseas as well.

If foreign teams with their strong financial backing came pushing in, it would be a burden for the Front Office, so they would want to get the contracts signed as quickly as possible.

“Want some fruit?”

“Sure.”

Just as Dami was about to get up to bring some fruit from the kitchen, her phone rang.

Could it be the Front Office? I looked, but it wasn’t.

-Hey! Where are you right now?

“I’m at home, why?”

-What do you mean, why! Are you with Yunseul by any chance?

“Yeah.”

-Because of the contract?

“Y-yeah…”

-Wow. You traitor… Why didn’t you take me with you!

The person who had put Dami in such a difficult position was none other than Hwang Jua.

She was also up for re-signing after this Season.

<Jua? Tell Jua to just sign the contract for whatever they offer.>

Hearing my words, Yunseul giggled and quietly relayed the message to Dami.

It wasn’t wrong, either. Seo Dami and Jung Yunseul were irreplaceable assets, but Hwang Jua wasn’t at that Level yet.

If you act tough without the skills to back it up, you’re bound to get your head chopped off. When employing negotiation tactics like this, it was important to know your own value.

After Dami placated Jua and ended the call, I spoke to her through Yunseul.

It was to set a concrete goal.

<Dami, how much do you want to get paid.>

“I’m not really that greedy about my Annual Salary…”

<What about you, Yunseuli?>

“Hmm… A hundred percent raise?”

<Then that’s 300 million. That’s too little.>

Seo Dami’s base Annual Salary this year was 350 million Won, but she was scheduled to receive a total of 700 million Won for achieving the championship option. Jung Yunseul, on the other hand, had had a poor performance last year, so her 150 million Won Annual Salary had been frozen for the year.

<Let’s see. What was Kim Seunga’s Annual Salary this year…>

An irreplaceable asset in the women’s First Division League.

Kim Seunga, considered the number one pick for the National Representative Starting Lineup, had an Annual Salary of 2.5 billion Won this Season, including options.

Considering that her Annual Salary was just over 1 billion Won only three years ago, you could see how rapidly the UA market had been growing recently.

<Kim Seunga is at 2.5 billion. It might go up even more this year. So how much should we get? We performed well in an international match, even if it was an Event Match. And we also received a 1.5 billion offer from Cheonhwa…>

It had been almost a year since Shanghai Cheonhwa, through Chen Sui, had made a 1.5 billion Won Offer to Seo Dami.

The Cheonhwa team had taken note of Dami’s potential during the Legendary Challenge at the end of the year.

But the Seo Dami of today was on another Level compared to back then.

Hadn’t she already proven herself on the international stage?

In terms of skill alone, she was a player who could hold her own on the world stage, and domestically, she was a Top Level asset following in Kim Seunga’s footsteps.

She still needed to be tested on the new stage since she was just entering the First Division League, but I thought she could easily get over 1.5 billion Won even if she stayed in the country.

<Alright. Dami gets 1.5 billion. Yunseul, you get 600 million. We’re not signing for anything less than that, okay?>

At the mention of 1.5 billion, Dami nodded obediently, but Yunseul covered her mouth in shock.

“Can we really raise it that much all at once?”

<What are you talking about? Your skills have improved so much. Not taking at least 600 million would be market disruption. Disruption!>

And so, we devised our own little strategy and headed to the negotiation table.

It was a time when fierce qualifiers were being held all over the world for a spot in the World Championship.

The negotiations were difficult from the start.

The amount wasn’t bad.

The problem was the duration.

Super Sylph offered Seo Dami an Annual Salary of 2 billion Won.

It was a truly groundbreaking amount to offer a player who had just been promoted and had no experience playing in the First Division League.

And although the staff seemed a bit surprised that Yunseul was at Dami’s house with her, they also offered her a 700 million Won contract, the same as Lee Chaewon, who had the highest Annual Salary in the Second Division League last year.

On the surface, it was an impeccable offer.

The problem was that both contracts were long-term.

The contract period Super Sylph proposed to Seo Dami was a whopping 5 years.

In the Pro Gamer industry, where a player’s career is on the shorter side, this was the maximum contract length.

And they also proposed a 3-year contract to Jung Yunseul, which was longer than average.

Seo Dami, looking conflicted, ended the first meeting by saying she would think about it, but I told her without a moment’s hesitation to refuse the contract.

“Why?”

<It’s too long!>

After playing for 5 years, Seo Dami would be twenty-five.

She wouldn’t be at retirement Level, but she would definitely be on the verge of it, making it very disadvantageous for securing a good contract.

A pro team wanting to sign a player would only offer good terms if they thought the player could reliably play for at least 2-3 more years.

<The 2 billion offer is very good, that’s true. If it were a one-year contract, that is.>

Seo Dami had endless opportunities to shine in the future.

Now that she was in the First Division League, she could even aim for the World Championship.

Her value was only going to go up, so there was no need to shackle herself with a long-term contract.

“But the staff earlier said that players prefer long-term contracts, and that they were offering me the best possible terms… Was that wrong?”

<It’s not necessarily wrong.>

You couldn’t say the Front Office was completely wrong.

There were actually quite a lot of players who preferred long-term contracts that guaranteed a high Annual Salary.

It was because of the uncertainty of the future.

Unless a player gets into an accident or gives up playing of their own will, the team must pay the full amount written in the Contract.

Even if the player falls into a Slump and their skills become a complete mess.

If the team decides they need a new player and tries to terminate the contract, they sometimes have to pay out the entire remaining Annual Salary on the contract.

That’s why players, who don’t know what their performance will be like next year, tend to pursue stability rather than continuously increasing their value with short-term contracts.

But Dami was different.

She was a player who was guaranteed to grow.

As long as she didn’t get unluckily hit by a truck like me.

In that case, her salary would be wiped out even with a long-term contract, so it was a meaningless hypothetical anyway.

<Listen carefully. Kim Seunga doesn’t have much time left as an active player either. Then who do you think will become the number one pick for the National Representative Starting Lineup? It’s you. You, Seo Dami. By then, you’ll have even overcome your current lack of Stamina and become a nearly perfect player. Do you think 2 billion will be a reasonable amount for you then?>

The domestic UA market was continuously expanding.

In a changing market, securing the number one National Representative player for 2 billion Won a few years down the line would be the most efficient contract imaginable.

Super Sylph knew this well, which was why they threw out a 5-year offer to begin with.

Yunseul, who was relaying my words to Dami, then asked, what about me?

The contract terms Yunseul received were 700 million for 3 years.

After a moment of thought, I replied that it was a condition worth considering.

It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t bad enough to be rejected outright either.

“Why…? Is it because I don’t have growth potential…?”

<Now, Yunseul. Don’t misunderstand, just listen. It’s true that you’ve shown explosive growth in a short period of time. Right?>

“Yes.”

<But you. Do you think you can keep growing this fast without me?>

“What?”

<Considering the possibility that I might disappear, it’s better for you to take a safe contract…>

“No!”

Yunseul shrieked and tore at her hair.

“I’ll die without you, Oppa! Don’t say things like that!”

As Yunseul cried out, Seo Dami, her eyes wide like a startled rabbit’s, grabbed Yunseul’s shoulders.

“What are you two talking about! Why would Oppa die!”

I calmed down the slightly panicked girls and spoke.

This was the gist of it.

Dami, whose skills had already reached a high Level, would do well on her own wherever she went, but Yunseul, who had spent less time with me, still had unrefined skills, so it wouldn’t be bad for her to accept the contract.

“Then what if you’re by my side next year too, Oppa…?”

<What kind of question is that? Then of course it’s a shitty contract.>

I didn’t know what next year would be like, but if an environment where I could continue to teach her was maintained, it was almost certain that Yunseul would also receive an Annual Salary of over 1 billion Won.

I had already taught Dami once, and Yunseul also had a good amount of Talent.

With my coaching skills, I could definitely make that happen.

Was that all?

My girls also had outstanding visuals.

This was a really important weapon in the women’s Pro Scene.

Because it was a powerful tool for attracting fans.

Moreover, it was truly rare for a National Representative-level player to possess such excellent visuals.

Therefore, the Front Office had no choice but to be pulled along as we dictated.

<Alright. Let’s set our lines in advance then.>

And so, the three of us discussed it together and decided on a reasonable point of agreement for the contracts.

The team wanted a long-term contract, but the contract period had to be within 2 years.

As for the amount, we decided to find a middle ground between the amount we first thought of and the amount the team offered.

「Super Sylph succeeds in signing both Seo Dami and Jung Yunseul, the biggest names in the Transfer Market.」

「Future UA National Representative Seo Dami finalizes contract with Super Sylph for a total of 4 billion Won over 2 years.」

「Jung Yunseul signs with Super Sylph for a guaranteed 1.5 billion Won over 2 years.」

-Whoa. How much? 4 billion?

-Crazy bastards. Do they have money to burn?

-They’re dumping 4 billion on a player who hasn’t even been tested in the First Division League yet?

-That’s some crazy spending lol;

-Jung Yunseul’s 1.5 billion is also insane, she’s just overshadowed by Seo Dami?

-It’s not your money, so who cares!

-And she’s already been fully tested.

-Your “testing” was already done by Kato Mikane and Svetlana lololol

-They caught the two strongest homegrown talents, so let’s go for a direct championship win next year too!

-Championship lololol

-Dream on~!

The articles announcing Seo Dami and Jung Yunseul’s contracts were published.

While the fans took the bait and chattered away, the two returned to the Team House.

When we got to the Team House, Hwang Jua greeted us with a sullen face.

Hwang Jua had signed for a total of 650 million Won over 2 years.

Considering her skill and the fact that the team would be playing in the First Division League next year, I thought she could have aimed for up to 800 million.

<This is why negotiation Strategy is so important.>

‘Wouldn’t it have been different if you had given me some advice, Oppa?’

<A player can’t get involved in all of their teammates’ contracts. You’ll get called a shadow ruler.>

‘But it was okay for you to be with Dami Unni?’

<It’s an exception if you have the skills.>

The market is always cold to those who don’t know their own value.

Hoping that Jua would find her value next time, we headed to the monitoring room.

Starting next year, we would also be in the First Division League.

It was time for us to dip our toes into the grand festival of UA fans, who were brimming with anticipation.

The UA World Championship.

A tournament where the winning teams from each country and the powerhouses who fought their way through the qualifiers would battle for supremacy.

The stage that every player dreams of stepping onto was just about to begin in Japan.