Amidst the Pouring Love Calls (9)

Director Choi Seunggyu asked if I could visit SUC’s new headquarters once.

I readily agreed.

I drove to near Seolleung Station where the SUC building is located. With Han Sieun.

“Wow. Unni, this place is really big.”

“It sure is.”

Han Sieun looked up at the building with excited eyes. Her gaze was fixed as if struck by Cupid’s arrow.

“Hey, you’re going to strain your neck like that.”

“Ah… yeah.”

Well, it’s worth having your eyes roll back.

The headquarters should be moderately sized!

Seeing it in person, it looks more like the headquarters of a major entertainment agency rather than a team building.

It’s their recently expanded new headquarters and it’s so enormous that it’s at the level of a landmark. I heard they recruited an Italian architect who won the Pritzker Prize, known as the Nobel Prize of architecture, to design it.

From the small windows to the overall design, it was a building that exuded the pride of being the world’s best team.

Since it’s located on prime real estate in Seoul, the property value alone must start from hundreds of billions of won.

…I’m envious.

To be honest, it would be a lie to say I wasn’t tempted.

Thinking of a place like this as my home base made me want to dance with joy.

When I looked back at Han Sieun, she was grinning as if bewitched.

I waved my hand in front of her face and asked.

“Are you okay?”

Han Sieun cleared her throat and tried to cover it up.

“Ahem, not bad.”

Just then.

“Oh my, you’ve come such a long way.”

“Hello!”

Choi Seunggyu, who came out to greet us, guided us inside the building.

I had covered myself with a hat and mask for security, but still.

I hope no strange news comes out about this?

Like “Han Yujin secretly visits SUC headquarters! Contract with SUC imminent!” or something.

With confident steps, Choi Seunggyu showed us around various parts of the building.

It was amazing from the outside, but the interior was even more impressive.

Beyond imagination. At this level, it’s no different from a mixed-use commercial building.

There’s a cafe, gym, cafeteria, merchandise shop, bathhouse, sauna.

There’s even a physical therapist so you can get professional massage therapy.

Especially the rooftop garden on the 15th floor looked like it was taken straight out of a medieval garden.

“…At this rate, you could just live in the headquarters.”

“That’s right. We have everything here.”

Choi Seunggyu called a team employee and said to me.

“Actually, there’s something else I really want to show you. Other teams have amenities like this too.”

We took the elevator back down to the first floor. We went through a passage and stood in front of a tightly closed iron door.

“What’s in here?”

“The most important thing. History.”

“History?”

Choi Seunggyu entered the password and opened the door.

Then,

A sanctuary of trophies greeted me.

It was SUC’s trophy exhibition room, which I had heard was only open a few days a year.

“Wow….”

Han Sieun next to me exclaimed with her mouth wide open.

So many trophies like stars adorning the sky.

Under the dim black light, the trophies emitted a radiance.

As I approached, they were clean enough to reflect my face.

Seeing me and Han Sieun, Choi Seunggyu smiled slightly and spoke.

“No matter how much money other teams pour in, they can’t buy the history of an emperor. Does ELF have something like this?”

“…No, they don’t.”

“That’s right. There are countless teams that have skill but no history, or have history but no skill. But we have both.”

Every word Choi Seunggyu uttered was filled with pride for his nest.

And rightfully so.

SUC T1. The world’s top prestigious team.

A club, more than a club, that no player could help but aspire to.

Entering this space filled with history made my chest burn as if I had been transported into a myth.

“This side is the legacy created by Kang Yohan in the past.”

I shifted my gaze to the left following Choi Seunggyu’s gesture. It was a brilliant past.

There were numerous trophies won by Kang Yohan and photos from when he won championships.

…This guy.

I had forgotten for a moment since he’s been hanging around me lately, but in the past he really was an emperor who commanded respect.

“And this side is the legacy that Jung Suhyuk is currently creating.”

In the center, Jung Suhyuk was smiling while holding a trophy. It was the great present.

This guy may have a terrible personality, but he does win championships like breathing.

And.

The right side was empty.

“We left this empty. For Han Yujin.”

“For me?”

“Yes. This is the team’s future.”

Choi Seunggyu took a breath and said.

“Kang Yohan left the team. Jung Suhyuk is slowly becoming part of the older generation too. So we’re preparing for a new era now.”

I swallowed hard.

“And we want to put the name Han Yujin on that era. From next year, we’ll be restructuring SUC around Han Yujin.”

Then Choi Seunggyu pointed at Han Sieun next to me.

“I heard your sister here is an incredible master too. If you want, it would be great to have both sisters together.”

“…”

It would be the icing on the cake if I could play with my sister in a place like this.

…Wow, this is really driving me crazy.

The time to decide keeps approaching and I’m burning up inside, but my heart keeps wavering like a reed, unable to settle.

This time, Choi Seunggyu spoke firmly.

“However, we can only make this offer once.”

“What do you mean?”

“Our chairman, who is very interested in the sports world, insisted we stick to one policy no matter what.”

“What kind of policy…”

Choi Seunggyu wet his lips and opened his mouth.

“Never make an offer again to a player whose recruitment we failed once. He said that’s the essence of a team’s dignity.”

That means…

If I go to another team this time, I can never transfer to SUC in this lifetime.

I stared at Choi Seunggyu with wide eyes and asked.

“But has there ever been someone who refused? I can’t imagine anyone being that foolish.”

“There was. In the past.”

Choi Seunggyu said as he closed the door to the trophy room.

“Hyun Junho.”

“Ah.”

I nodded my head readily.

That guy is quite the fool too.

Han Sieun and I said goodbye and returned to the car.

I asked.

“What are you going to do? You’re going home, right?”

“Yeah. I’m going to practice.”

“You’re working really hard.”

Han Sieun looked at me and said.

“So what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know.”

Han Sieun’s lips quivered before she spoke.

“Unni. If I become a pro gamer, I want to go to SUC.”

“…I see.”

Then what about me,

What should I do?

*

After dropping Han Sieun off at home, I headed straight to the Ingame.net broadcasting station.

I went to the dressing room and got my hair and makeup done by the stylist.

Jang Bonggyu, who was sweating profusely, entered the dressing room.

“Han Yujin-ssi. You came early.”

“Hello.”

I nodded to Jang Bonggyu reflected in the mirror.

“Han Yujin-ssi. Don’t forget to drink Pocari Sweat when you’re on standby. You’re the Pocari girl now.”

Ah, right. I did film a Pocari Sweat commercial.

“The provided water is also sponsored. Don’t cover the logo when you drink it.”

“Okay.”

Now I couldn’t even freely choose what to drink.

Everything was money,

Everything was commercial.

Even the clothes I’m wearing now, from head to toe, were all sponsored.

I finished my makeup and went to the waiting room with Jang Bonggyu.

A waiting room as spacious as a field that only I could use.

Jang Bonggyu took out contracts from his briefcase and placed them on the table.

One was SUC, one was Team Solid.

And the last one was ELF.

“Of course, we negotiated hard with ELF, but we squeezed out everything we could from the others too.”

Jang Bonggyu exhaled proudly through his nose.

When I opened and read the contracts, all the options I wanted were included.

First, a one-year contract.

No matter how I thought about it, a long-term contract felt like shackles and was burdensome.

All three teams agreed to the one-year contract I wanted.

How much is the salary?

One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred million… Crazy.

It far exceeded the salary amount I had in mind.

Moreover.

The ELF contract even had a stock option clause.

In simple terms, if I stay with ELF for 5 years, I can receive a certain share of the company.

Jang Bonggyu wiped his face with a handkerchief and said.

“The most difficult part was portrait rights. The two arrogant teams absolutely refused to budge. Fortunately, ELF agreed.”

Jang Bonggyu had previously emphasized that the portrait rights contract was the most important.

Because that’s where the most income is generated.

The ratio ELF proposed was 8:2.

It was an unprecedented special treatment that far exceeded the industry norm of 5:5.

Jang Bonggyu glanced at his wristwatch.

“We still have some time left, so read through it slowly and make your decision.”

“Yes. Thank you for your hard work.”

Just then, an Ingame.net writer came with a small pin microphone.

“Player, let’s put the mic on you first!”

“Ah, okay.”

The black microphone was attached to the collar of my white shirt.

Jang Bonggyu and the writer left the waiting room at the same time.

I sat in a chair and looked out the window.

A translucent drizzle was falling from the gloomy sky.

---

[The Decision Show]

[545,682 viewers]

[Ingame.net]

Even though there were 20 minutes left until the broadcast time, viewers were swarming like bees.

Seeing that, the CP let out an incredulous laugh.

“Haha. They’re pouring in like there’s a ghost. It was 300,000 a few minutes ago, now it’s 600,000.”

The voice of the CP, who had stepped back from the front lines and was now in charge of broadcast monitoring, was light and airy.

“I know, right? Are we really going to hit a million today?”

The sub-writer danced excitedly.

The CP grinned and said.

“Hey, the moment we hit a million, we’re having a team dinner, no questions asked. Got it?”

“Oh, then what’s the toast for today?”

“Han Yujin, of course! You’re doing it, so prepare a toast.”

“Hmm. Han Yujin, Han Yujin… How about: While we’re still young, while we can still see Yujin, let’s drink till we drop! How’s that?”

“Haha. That’s good!”

Just then.

A voice that shouldn’t have been heard was heard.

─Oh my. It’s raining? The rain is falling plip plop.

The chat that had been calm suddenly rippled like waves.

-?

-??

-?

-Huh?

-What’s that sound

-What is this

-Aegyo wtf

-What’s going on?

-Isn’t that Han Yujin’s voice? lol

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Han Yujin wtf ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-What’s happening ㅋㅋㅋ

“Hey, shit. The mic is open!”

“Ah, damn. What’s wrong with this?”

The CP and sub-writer were flustered.

If Han Yujin happened to mutter the contract details to herself, it would be a broadcast accident right there.

─Contraact, where should I, how should I, do it?

-Damn, she’s Korean alright ㅋㅋㅋ

-Talking to herself like an old man

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Schizophrenia?

-What is this, intentional or a broadcast accident ㅋㅋ

And then.

Han Yujin started singing.

─The rain is falling- The music is flowing- I’m thinking of you-

-Wow

-She’s soulful, I’ll give her that

-HaYoo’s song ㄷㄷ

-So cute ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-She sings well ㅋ

-Oh my god this is hilarious ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅠㅠ

-I clipped it!!!

-Han Yujin is so lovable

-Her vibrato is killing it

-She’ll be dancing soon too ㅋㅋ

-Ah her voice is nice too

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Suddenly, there was a loud clattering sound. It was the voice of the junior writer who rushed into the waiting room urgently.

─Aaaah, Han Yujin player!

─Yes, writer-nim!

─That… Ah, this is driving me crazy. I’ll take out the mic for a moment.

─Okay. But when do I need to be on standby?

─We’ll do it soon. But that… Ah, what should I do.

There was moisture in the junior writer’s voice. It was too big a mistake for a new employee to handle.

Han Yujin asked in a sly voice.

─…Writer-nim. Why are you crying?

─Ah, what should I do, player. Because of my mistake, your mic is being sent to the audio.

─What? My voice is going out on the broadcast? Even now?

─…Yes. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I’m so sorry. Ah, what should I do.

─…Give me the mic.

There was a rustling sound, and then Han Yujin’s voice came through loudly.

─Ah, ah. Mic test. Can everyone hear me well?

-Yep

-Yep

-Uh-huh

-Great Yujin

-Here comes Hably ㅋㅋ

-Hello hello

─Elders at the broadcasting station. Please don’t scold our writer too much. Anyone can make mistakes when they’re new. Just let it pass as a cute incident. I’m asking you a favor.

-Agreed

-Agreed

-Anyone can make mistakes

-Wow, good handling

-It’s cute so it’s fine

-Character pass

-Wow MZ eldest daughter is strong

-HaCaCola says what needs to be said

-The old farts are gonna throw a fit

-Everyone makes mistakes in their 20s

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

The CP admired that scene.

“Wow, shit. Even Han Yujin’s handling of broadcast accidents is professional.”

“More than that, her personality of shielding the writer is really amazing.”

A moment of silence.

Han Yujin asked in a careful voice.

─…Writer-nim. You didn’t hear me singing earlier, right?

Then the sobbing junior writer’s voice stopped abruptly.

─…I’m sorry, player. It was heard.

─Y-You heard it? Me singing like rain, like music? Ah, I’m so embarrassed! It’s humiliating! I’m mortified! What do I do now?

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Completely embarrassed in front of 600,000 people ㅋㅋ

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Let’s just say it’s all good

-This girl’s daily life is really a sitcom

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Not knowing the mic was on..mp4

-Han Yujin is the god of internet broadcasting