Jun Hyuk: Here’s the ticket for the season’s first match. I really hope you come and watch!
Kayak: Are you going to get Camilla in? You have to keep your promise!
Jun Hyuk: Please come and check it out ^^
One day at lunch, I received this Discord message.
After visiting the Fusion Gaming team, I ended up being friends with the captain, Jun Hyuk.
The reason? Continuous feedback for Camilla that he received. He would often come and leave messages about Camilla when he felt it was time to forget about her. “Why is this? How does this characteristic work in this situation?”
There was something fun about checking messages with numbers. It seemed like there was never a dull moment.
Whenever it slipped my mind, a message would pop up, and true to a pro gamer, he really knew how to make me think.
I ended up receiving a ticket for the opening match that signals the start of the new season. I was already planning to go, but now with the ticket in hand, I felt this pressure that I really couldn’t bail out.
Lately, I had been feeling lazy about going out anyway. Aside from a few necessary errands, I hardly ventured outside.
It wasn’t a particular issue. The problem? The weather. I just couldn’t help but respect those brave enough to continue outside activities despite the harsh winds.
If need be, I thought about catching the broadcast and watching with the viewers or casually tuning into the broadcast channel at home.
But now, I felt I had no choice but to go to the arena. The ticket Jun Hyuk sent felt like a subtle reprimand for my laziness.
Yeah, going is the right thing to do. It has to be done.
This could be the match where Camilla shines for the first time in the league, and if I don’t see that live, what match would I even be witnessing? If I watched that historic moment from home, I might end up regretting it deeply.
Thinking about it, the idea of watching from home started to feel completely wrong. Just having that thought made me feel foolish.
Of course, there was no guarantee that Jun Hyuk or the Fusion Gaming players would even play Camilla. They made promises and even half-threatened in the name of being pros, but those were just words.
There was no reason for the players to uphold my words, which had no legal standing. We weren’t the kind of friends that uphold oaths or anything. Honestly, if they wanted to throw that back in my face and say, “Did we even make such a promise?” I really wouldn’t have any comeback for that.
And sure, it would be disappointing if they didn’t play Camilla. But, on one hand, I could understand it too. For a pro team, performance was the most important thing.
If I don’t get it, I’ll feel disappointed, but on the other hand, I understand why. The priority for a pro team is to achieve results above all else.
If they didn’t use Camilla, there must be a reason for it. For example, maybe she didn’t perform well in scrims or she just didn’t gel well with the team after trying multiple times.
Since victory is the most important in professional matches, I don’t feel resentful about not getting Camilla. Just a bit disappointed.
If she shows up, great, and if not, then whatever. I’ve already given up the hope of seeing Camilla when I decided to go watch the match.
I simply decided to go and enjoy myself. I found out that Fusion Gaming’s popularity is beyond imagination.
The seats, over 500, sell out quickly every time. I even heard that tickets for the first match of the season are more sought after than others.
Seeing the scalper prices that are four times the original made me realize how amazing this was.
And at the same time, a new dilemma arose.
Jun Hyuk: Just in case, I got two tickets. It’s rare for someone to come alone.
Who should I go with? A minor yet significant dilemma.
I could give away or sell one ticket, but once I realized how important and precious this ticket is, that option disappeared.
It’d be a waste to just toss it aside. If it went to someone who truly understood its value, it could shine. Is there anyone decent out there…
Yusia: Oh no, Boss, I really want to go too but I happen to have plans that day.
Kim Jae-jun: I’m so sorry. It’s a match I really want to see… but sadly, it’s my friend’s birthday that day.
I had a good idea and tried it but it ended up being a failure.
I always wanted to look after our editors, trying to make it feel like some kind of company welfare.
Now that my initial candidates as the “big boss” ended in failure, I found I don’t really have many people left I can invite to the opening match.
My social circle is way too narrow.
The only people I could think of are a few streamers I became friends with through broadcasting and Si Hyun, the little neighbor from my community.
I had only a few streamer friends and my little neighbor Si Hyun.
If I were to go together, who should I go with?
The unnecessary dilemma only deepened.
*
Tap tap-
“Uhmm….”
Click clack-
The sound of fingers tapping on the phone screen.
A figure rolling around on the bed was endlessly writing and deleting something while clutching the phone.
Streamer Riri, real name Dahee.
She frowned slightly as if something on the screen didn’t sit right with her.
“Is this too cliché…? This seems too boring….”
– Teacher, do you happen to be free on Saturday? Hehe… it’s nothing big, I just-
– Wanna hang out on Saturday???
Riri groaned, gripping her phone, changing the message again and again.
What’s the big deal about this message that I’m fretting over it like this?
“I don’t think I ever stressed this much even when I was dating in school….”
Riri, with her pretty appearance, had received quite a few confessions from boys since she was young. Being chased like this was a first for her, so she didn’t know how to handle it.
In a fully submissive position. Of course, Kayak wouldn’t think that way, but that’s just how human relationships work.
It feels like the one who wants something is anxious and gets pushed down lower.
In this case, since Riri wanted to get closer to Kayak, she ended up taking that submissive position.
“Teacher usually takes a break on Saturday or Tuesday….”
If I suggest hanging out… he’d probably take a break and spend some time with me, right? He said to call if I was bored last time.
Riri had even analyzed Kayak’s break patterns over the past three months, and with a confident nod, she felt assured.
Turning her happy imagination in circles. As a fan of Kayak, she had been dreaming about hanging out with him in various scenarios.
This was her first attempt at building a connection, so she carefully crafted a message expressing that she wanted to spend the weekend together.
Dahee: Are you free this weekend? How about grabbing a drink together on Saturday?
‘That’s not weird, right? Yeah, it seems fine. It doesn’t seem clingy at all….’
“It doesn’t really seem like I’m being clingy…”
After several attempts, I finally managed to spit out some decent words. It didn’t sound overly desperate, yet it carried a vibe that something was up.
Remembering to speak casually, I forced myself to use informal language, albeit awkwardly. It felt a bit more friendly, which wasn’t bad at all.
Originally, I wanted to say something like “let’s have dinner,” but instead, I switched to drinks. From what I saw last time, she seemed to enjoy alcohol quite a bit. Ironically, it was Riri who got drunk at that gathering because she couldn’t pace herself.
“This time, there won’t be any mistakes. No, there can’t be.”
As memories of the last drunken night came rushing back, Riri’s face flushed. This time, she promised to show a perfect side of herself that she couldn’t back then.
Honestly, Kayak didn’t really care whether Riri got drunk or not, but Riri only wanted to showcase a good impression to her idol.
At that moment, with her fists clenched in determination, the number 1 beside her sent message vanished.
“She read it!”
That meant Kayak had checked the message. Riri held her breath.
She anxiously waited for a reply, and it didn’t take long before an answer came back.
Kayak: “Sorry, I have something to do on Saturday.”
“Ugh…”
The excitement plummeted like a rock.
Riri pouted before tapping her fingers to reply.
Dahee: “Oh haha, you have plans? No worries! Let’s drink another time!”
“Oops, went back to formal speech…”
Maybe feeling a bit hurt, Riri accidentally replied formally without realizing it. That’s why I should’ve edited the message before sending.
Should I send another message down below, saying it’s okay informally?
Kayak: “Um, Riri-ya…”
Dahee: “Yes?”
But Kayak seemed to hesitate, as if there was something else on her mind.
Kayak: “Never mind, see you next time. I’ll treat you then.”
“What was that…?”
While Riri was curious about what Kayak almost said, she couldn’t help but feel happy about having made the next plan, joyfully kicking her blankets.
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