Chapter 83: MSI Semifinals (4)

“…”

Back at the hotel after watching VXG’s match, nobody spoke.

Their performance was that shocking.

Even if VXG was favored, PG was a strong team.

Both teams had the same rosters as last year, and PG had defeated VXG and won MSI with that roster.

So, analysts and fans alike expected PG to put up a good fight.

At least a 3-1, or even a full five-game series, was the general prediction. But…

‘They got 3-0’d?’

The final score was 3-0.

The first two games were dominant victories for VXG. In the third game, PG took an early lead, but VXG weathered the storm with tenacious macro play and ended the game with a single decisive teamfight.

‘They even hid their picks.’

PG was known for their unconventional drafts, even among top-tier teams. The way to counter them was to draft equally unorthodox picks, and VXG was clearly capable of playing those picks.

Yet, VXG’s draft was completely standard, picking high-tier meta champions and securing a dominant victory.

“I’ll be going now.”

The atmosphere was stifling, so I headed to the adjacent room I shared with the manager.

‘She’s still not back.’

She had gone with the coach to meet some officials after the match and hadn’t returned yet.

I threw myself onto the bed, but while my body relaxed, my mind raced.

‘Can we win? What if we lose because of me?’

Or, what if we lose because of my teammates? Could I accept that outcome?

Despite our previous victory against them, seeing VXG’s performance today filled me with anxiety.

To shake off those thoughts, I decided to…

[?]

[Seo-ha~]

[What is this?]

[Isn’t the finals tomorrow? Why is she streaming?]

…start a stream.

Not a full stream, but a simple live broadcast on SNS through my phone.

“Hello. I haven’t streamed since the finals, and… I’m bored.”

[The Great Seo-ha!]

[What did you eat today?]

[Wow, her pajamas are so cute!]

[Seriously, uniform Para vs. pajamas Para, which skin is cuter? I vote for uniform.]

[Good luck in the finals!]

“This? Just some pajamas I bought here. Aren’t they cute?”

I was wearing animal pajamas I’d bought from a nearby store.

In my past life, I would just wear a hotel robe or a t-shirt, but maybe because I’m a girl now, the manager suggested matching pajamas for the whole team.

“Should I stand up?”

I stood up and twirled around.

[She’s so cute…]

[My wife.]

[Cute!!!]

[Can you say hello in Spanish?]

[What are your chances of winning tomorrow?]

[Do you have any promises if you win MSI?]

My mood, which had been down earlier, lifted as I read the supportive comments.

As I interacted with the viewers, the most frequent question was…

“Can we win tomorrow?”

[Stop asking insensitive questions!]

[Seriously, she’s clearly trying to relax before the finals, and they keep asking that.]

[Can you beat Hoon in mid?]

[Can you play Yone tomorrow?]

[If you’re that curious, go read the analysis posts on the forums lol]

“Hmm…”

[VXG looks too strong.]

[They’re a different team compared to when we beat them before.]

[Seriously, how did they get so good so quickly?]

I folded my arms and looked at the camera.

“We’ll win.”

[?]

[Declaration of victory!]

[Uh oh, that’s not allowed…]

[ARK, thrown into the fray after PG’s devastating loss.]

“What do you think? My teammates do this all the time, so I tried it. Do I sound like them?”

[I don’t know about that, but you’re cute.]

[She is cute.]

[Since Para says they’ll win, I believe they will.]

“And we have to win. We’ve come this far. We’re not a bad team.”

[True.]

[ARK has always been the underdog, but they’ve proven themselves by winning.]

[Losing to TXG on the first day was rough.]

“But wait…”

I put on a deliberately sullen expression and glared at the camera.

“You guys aren’t saying that because you think we’ll lose, right? My fans thinking we’ll lose?”

[No, that’s not it!]

[I never said that!]

[If you’re Korean, let’s cheer for ARK!]

[Honestly, if not Para, who else in the LCK can win an international tournament…]

The frantic backpedaling made me laugh.

“I was just joking. Why are you all so surprised?”

---

LOL Gallery

Title: VXG’s insane stats in the semifinals today

They literally doubled PG’s stats. Is this real?

In Game 2, the CS difference between mid and ADC was almost 400. lol

[Why did they suddenly get so good?]

[Seriously, they lost to ARK recently; why are they so strong?]

[That’s what strong teams do.]

[They’re insane.]

LOL Gallery

Title: Para’s real-time victory declaration

(GIF of Para from her SNS live stream)

[(Victory declaration emoticon)]

[ARK has a lot of otaku fans; she’s being influenced.]

[Time for a Para OST tournament.]

[We’ll win.]

LOL Gallery

Title: Para vs. Hoon Semifinals Stats Comparison

[Para vs. HUN]

KDA 7.1 vs. 6.8
DPM 790 vs. 680
Kill Participation 78% vs. 68.6%
CS Difference at 14 minutes +7.6 vs. +8.1
Gold Difference at 14 minutes +530 vs. +470

[Both are legends lol]

[Their stats are insane.]

[But both matches ended 3-0, so do the stats even matter?]

[It shows that Para is on par with Hoon.]

[Is it even fair to compare their opponents? TXG and PG are different levels.]

[Yeah, they lost once, didn’t they?]

[Seriously lol, keep your mouth shut after losing.]

LOL Gallery

Title: Legendary Para (must watch)

(Para glaring at the camera and asking if they thought she would lose)

Wow, I almost got PTSD…

[Para’s eyes are so beautifully sharp.]

[I want to adopt a baby kitten.]

[◣ω◢]

[Her eyes are like that even without makeup?]

[My wife.]

[Get out.]

LOL Gallery

Title: Legendary promise!

Para officially announced: If they win the finals, she’ll cosplay Ahri and give out bungeoppang in front of the ARK team house.

Ha… we have to win, right?

[I’m an ARK fan from now on.]

[How can we resist Ahri cosplay?]

[If you don’t cheer for them, you’re a traitor.]

[We must win.]

---

“Over here!”

While the rest of the team went for dinner…

…I met Choi Eun-seo at a park, a five-minute walk from the hotel.

“Congratulations on making it to the finals.”

“Uh… congratulations to you too?”

Seino was unexpectedly there with her as well.

“Where were you two going?”

“We went to a cafe after watching the match today and were about to head back when we thought of you.”

“You should have told me you were at the arena.”

“You came with the team; how could I just approach you?”

“Aren’t you close with the coach and everyone?”

“That old man, for some reason, seems scared of me, so I try not to bother him unless it’s important.”

I was speechless. She was implying that if she met him, their draft might get messed up.

But then again, it wasn’t entirely impossible, so I couldn’t argue.

Mental fortitude is crucial.

“Where are the other players?”

“They went to dinner.”

“Aren’t you eating?”

“I don’t eat dinner the night before important matches.”

It wasn’t a big deal if I ate, but it was a mental thing.

I didn’t want to make excuses if we lost.

Honestly, after becoming a woman, I didn’t have the same appetite as before.

“Really? You’re similar to Seino.”

“I am?”

“You know she’s performing before the match tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah, the singer who does the theme song always performs.”

“So, Seino is only drinking water. She said coffee or other drinks bother her throat.”

Hearing that, I looked at Seino, who shyly explained in broken Korean,

“W-Well… it’s my first time performing at such a big event. Usually, I only drink water the day before recording. For this song, I had to record suddenly, so I ate and everything, but…”

“That’s professional.”

“Eh? N-No! I’m not that good…”

“Having that mindset and public recognition, isn’t that what being a professional is about?”

After chatting for a while, it was time to head back to the hotel.

Seino had her performance tomorrow, and Choi Eun-seo said she’d be watching the match, so we were about to part ways when…

“You can win tomorrow, right?”

Choi Eun-seo asked me.

It was phrased as a question, but it felt like she wouldn’t accept any other answer.

‘Honestly…’

A best-of-five series against a strong team in top form.

I couldn’t give her a definitive answer.

But Choi Eun-seo was my fan before she was my friend.

And a player’s duty to their fans…

“Of course.”

“You have to win.”

I bumped her fist and turned to leave.