Chapter 64: LCK Finals (2)

“Hello and welcome to the LCK Spring Finals! I’m caster Kim Dong-jin!”

“And I’m commentator Yoo Seung-hwan!”

“The day has finally arrived. The finals to determine the champion of the LCK.”

“After a long journey, we have this matchup again. ARK and YK await their final showdown.”

[Something big is coming lol.]

[It’ll probably be a small thing, predicting a 3-0.]

[Just please, whoever wins, let it be a close match.]

[Seriously, play that song.]

[YK is coming back stronger from the losers’ bracket.]

---

{Spring Round 1: ARK (2) vs YK (1)}
{Spring Round 2: ARK (2) vs YK (0)}
{Playoffs Round 3: ARK (3) vs YK (0)}

---

“They’ve played many matches, but these two teams meet again at the summit.”

“That’s right. Looking at their head-to-head record, ARK has the advantage. But who is YK? The veterans of the LCK.”

“One big moment when it matters most. Isn’t that enough?!”

“Furthermore, recent discussions with officials and international press indicate that other regions are wary of both teams’ prowess.”

“The winning team will advance to MSI, where they must prove that the LCK is the strongest region!”

[Let’s go~]

[It’s tradition for YK to go to MSI lol.]

[Did you mean to say, ‘Go and get stomped?’]

[Now, now~]

[You go then lol.]

“So, shall we check the expert predictions?”

“Most are predicting an ARK victory, but wait? Commentator Yoo Seung-hwan picked YK?”

“I am Yoo Seung-hwan, the prophet of upsets, after all.”

“That’s true. Let’s see the viewer predictions.”

[Oh!]

[There’s a higher percentage for YK than I expected.]

[Anyone who’s watched the LCK would pick YK for the finals lol.]

[Seriously, last season, they started as the underdogs and then went on a four-game winning streak for the championship.]

“The viewer vote is 6 to 4, with more people predicting a YK victory than expected.”

“I hope YK lives up to the fans’ expectations.”

“Now, let’s hear what the coaches of both teams are thinking with our pre-game coach interviews.”

“We’re here with both coaches for an interview.”

[Genius Ji-hye]

[Is Ji-hye noona’s beauty for real today?]

[I’d give her a 0.5 Para rating.]

[Shut up and watch the interview.]

“Hello, I’m Kim Han-seong, the coach of ARK.”

“Hello, I’m Han Young-chul, the coach of YK.”

[ARK’s coach is wearing the uniform again lol.]

[Please wear a suit for once.]

[He’ll be forced to wear one at international events anyway.]

[But that’s just who ARK’s coach is lol…]

[ARK’s coach is really handsome lol.]

“YK secured their victory yesterday, setting up a finals match against ARK. Let’s hear your thoughts on facing each other, starting with Coach Kim Han-seong.”

“I watched yesterday’s match with my players, and I understand why YK is considered a traditional powerhouse.”

“How about you, Coach Han Young-chul?”

“We lost to ARK in Round 3 and fell to the losers’ bracket, so I’m happy to have another chance to face them.”

[ARK is better at drafting.]

[?]

[Did you forget ARK’s disaster draft against QG that got them lucky punched?]

[Ah…K’Sin, Ahri, Lu, Rengar, Yuumi…that was legendary.]

[Giving the long thing and Lucian-Nami to the enemy while we pick top Wukong.]

[Don’t diss top Wukong. He’s good in Bronze.]

“First, a question for Coach Han Young-chul. YK is playing in the finals right after yesterday’s match. How is the team’s condition?”

“Since yesterday’s match went to five games, everyone is exhausted, but they are veteran players with experience in multiple best-of series, so I don’t think there will be any issues with their condition.”

“I see. On the other hand, ARK is playing their first match in eight days since Round 3. I’m curious how ARK has maintained their competitive edge.”

“It’s their first on-stage match in eight days, but I believe they’ve kept their skills sharp by consistently playing solo queue and scrims.”

[LCK Special: The team that wins and advances early loses their momentum and gets crushed.]

[For real, looking at how they always get stomped at Worlds or MSI after advancing early…]

[ARK won every match from the upper bracket in the promotion tournament and playoffs~]

“So, for today’s finals, which lane do you think will be the most crucial? Coach Han Young-chul.”

“Of course, every lane is important, but I believe the mid lane will be the most critical.”

“What are ARK’s thoughts?”

“Similarly, I believe all five players are important, but I consider mid to be the key.”

[If Pumpkin can just shut down Para, they can win the other lanes, for real.]

[Their bot duo got crushed in Round 3~]

[They got two duo kills lol. They just got out-roamed by Para.]

[Seriously, Para picking Ahri, stomping lane, and then roaming at 9 minutes was insane.]

[ARK’s mid-jungle synergy is too good;;]

[Judging by the content they post, they might be dating.]

[Lesser has a girlfriend lol. Check his SNS.]

“Both teams met in the winners’ bracket match, where ARK won 3-0. What score are you predicting this time? Let’s start with ARK.”

“For us, winning is more important than the score, but we predict a 3-1 victory.”

“How about YK?”

“I want to say 3-0, but considering our past match results and for the enjoyment of the viewers, I’ll predict a 3-2.”

[What 3-2? Just finish it quickly.]

[Finish quickly and show us Para crying.]

[? Why would she cry?]

[It’s customary for rookies to cry after winning the LCK in their debut year, right?]

[Para’s mentality has been ironclad since her VLL days, so she probably won’t even react much even if they win.]

“Lastly, let’s hear your final thoughts on the finals. Coach Kim Han-seong, please.”

“Our team has had a smooth run since CK, and I hope we can finish strong with a good result. Thank you.”

“How about you, Coach Han Young-chul?”

“We’ve all worked hard to prepare, so I really want to win and reward our fans with good performance.”

“We hope both teams will give it their all and show us a great match. This concludes our interview with Coach Kim Han-seong and Coach Han Young-chul.”

[Let’s go~]

[Is it starting now?]

[If the coach interviews are over, it’s starting lol.]

[Something big is coming Something big is coming Something big is coming Something big is coming Something big is coming]

[The hope of the LCK has reunited this year. This year is different! YK Gaming!]

While waiting for our turn to enter, we heard the commentators’ introduction of YK and the cheers of the fans as they entered first. The sound reverberated throughout the venue, a testament to its design as a concert hall.

“Wow… a big venue is different.”

“I thought it was cool how the commentators’ voices echoed at LoL Park, but here, even the vibrations echo.”

“It would be awesome to win here.”

“Agreed.”

The team was a mix of excitement and nerves. Even though we had beaten the opponent three times in a row, best-of series were always unpredictable. There was nothing strange about losing today to the team we beat yesterday, so we couldn’t let our guard down.

After some time…

“ARK, please get ready to enter!”

At the staff’s call, we prepared to enter. We had already set up our equipment, so the only preparation was Park Jin-hwan holding the large flag with our team logo.

“This is heavy.”

“Is that why they always have the top laner hold it?”

“Why the top laner?”

“Because there are a lot of gym rats among top laners?”

“What kind of logic is that?”

“Top laners like being alone, so there are probably a lot of them who work out.”

“I guess.”

“Entrance starting!”

As the staff member spoke, the spotlight focused on the entrance where we were standing.

[Who would have thought this team would reach the LCK finals! But the storm rages on!]

Following the commentator’s voice, we walked towards the center of the arena.

[A +33 point differential in the regular season, and an undefeated record in Round 1! How far will their unstoppable momentum, carried from CK, take them?!]

We arrived at the five desktops set up side by side with the opponent’s in the center of the arena.

[Now, we’ll introduce the ARK players!]

The commentators introduced the team members one by one.

[From the gatekeeper of CK, now aiming to be the best top laner in the LCK, Caster!]

[The genius jungler, Lesser, with perfect mechanics and game sense!]

[Hyper carry ADC? That’s me! Plea!]

[The god of support! KAI, continuing the high praise he received since his CK days!]

Something felt off. Normally, they should have introduced me, the mid laner, somewhere in between, but for some reason, they hadn’t introduced me even after the support. Just as I was wondering what was going on…

[And a player who transcends the title of rookie!]

The spotlight shone on me.