Chapter 71: LCK Finals (9)

LOL Gallery

Title: Real-time Para throws down the gauntlet to the LPL

(Para’s Finals MVP interview clip)

Para: I will crush the LPL and reclaim the honor of the LCK (somewhat paraphrased)

[Really? Somewhat?]

[But it’s about time the LCK won an international competition.]

[The last time they won was MSI 3 years ago lol]

[And even then, the LPL and LEC self-destructed in that tournament.]

[Honestly, if we bomb out of international competition this year, aren’t we below the LCS?]

[Does the romantic, genius-filled LCS look like a joke to you?]

[Seriously lol What’s practice? Just one solo queue game and we beat the LCK lol]

LOL Gallery

Title: Today’s collection of Para’s close-ups

(Para entering the finals venue)

(Para sitting down at her seat)

(Para staring blankly at the opposing team after Game 3)

(Para doing the finals interview)

The camera keeps focusing on Para every chance it gets lol

At this point, the camera director must be a Para fan.

[But seriously, it’s entertaining just looking at her face.]

[Agreed. I kinda understand the fangirls who go to matches without even knowing about League.]

[That’s a bit much;;]

[Anyway, the fact remains that Para is beautiful today as well…]

[She put a lot of effort into her makeup for the finals. So pretty.]

[That’s her bare face… Go watch some of her usual videos.]

[Not completely barefaced, but it looks like she just has basic foundation on.]

LOL Gallery

Title: Breaking News) Finals Viewership Breaks All-Time Record official

This finals reached 2.5 million viewers, wow.

3-0 sweep + not a number possible with a rookie team.

Just memorize this if you don’t know:

Para <<< the GOAT with pure skill and Finals MVP who even boosts league viewership (most beautiful of all time)

[Isn’t it rare to surpass 2 million without a full five-game series?]

[Yeah, last year’s Worlds semi-finals YK match had higher viewership~]

[Aside from Worlds, LCK viewership is naturally lower since Chinese viewers aren’t included lol]

[But why is it this high?]

[Para’s popularity in Japan is rising, so there’s increased Japanese viewership.]

[Japan? Isn’t their league practically dying?]

[Someone keeps ripping Para’s challenge videos she posts on SNS, and I heard they blew up on Japanese SNS.]

LOL Gallery

Title: Para’s Finals Stats, Wow

---

KDA: 7.1
DPM: 890
CSM (CS per Minute): 10.3

---

Carries kills, wins lane, gets 10 CS per minute

The Great Seo-ha <<< God of League, upvote if you agree lol

[Agreed]

[You can only upvote once a day.]

[But her stats are truly dominant.]

[Seriously, don’t compare these to Pumpkin’s stats.]

[Seriously, at this rate, it seems like an international championship is possible.]

[For real, this time is different.]

[This time is different (for the 3rd year in a row)]

---

“Congratulations on the win!”

As I was leaving through the staff passage after finishing the winner’s interview with the reporters, I stopped at a familiar voice.

The owner of the voice then ran and hugged me.

Well, it was closer to a body slam.

“You were here today?”

“Of course I had to be.”

Choi Eun-seo, wearing our team uniform, beamed as always.

But this is the staff passage; the public isn’t allowed in here.

“How did you get in?”

At my question, Choi Eun-seo blinked a few times, then showed me the name tag around her neck.

The name written on it: Hansan Foods, Choi Eun-seo.

Hansan Foods is our team’s new sponsor.

“Are you an employee?”
“No.”
“Then?”
“Not yet, but it’s my company.”
“?”

What is she talking about?

After hearing the full explanation, I thought,

‘So that’s why she was so rich.’

I was surprised, but not terribly shocked. I’d had a vague sense she was wealthy, and whether it was personal or not, a sponsorship wasn’t a bad thing.

“But… you didn’t know this?”

“Know what?”

“That I’m the Hansan heiress. Even if you didn’t know about the company, rumors about me being a Hansan spread around school.”

After my transition, I made an effort to repair the friendships that had been shattered in my previous life.

But I wasn’t going to obsess over them.

I’d been living with the mindset of simply not pushing people away, so I wasn’t interested in rumors.

‘Since middle school, I’ve just been preoccupied with when I’d debut.’

Honestly, I tried not to care about things that weren’t directly related to me.

Choi Eun-seo, hearing this, said,

“So, you accepted me even without knowing?”

“Honestly, you can be a little pushy, but not to an extreme degree. And it’s fun being around you.”

“I thought so. My judgment couldn’t be wrong.”

She suddenly said something cryptic, then disappeared, saying she had to go.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure what had just happened, but seeing her humming happily as she left, I decided not to worry about it.

Continuing through the passage to the waiting room, my lounging teammates greeted me.

“Oh, Seo-ha, you’re here.”
“Why is everyone lying around?”
“We’re exhausted. One more interview with the reporters and I would’ve collapsed.”
“I had an extra interview because I was the Finals MVP.”

After the group interview, I had to stay for an additional solo interview.

They said viewership was higher with me in it, and even the foreign reporters wouldn’t let me go.

Looking at my teammates sprawled out like this… I wasn’t angry, just tired, so I collapsed onto the nearby sofa.

“Isn’t this sofa more comfortable than the ones in the LoL Park waiting room?”

Kim Do-jin, looking at his phone, spoke to me.

It was certainly comfortable and plush, probably because it was part of an expensive resort.

I don’t know how long I lay there.

Our coach, who had also been subjected to the reporters, stumbled into the waiting room.

‘He does more than just coaching.’

Our team is, to put it nicely, like a family. To put it less nicely, we’re a small startup.

The coach is the coach, the manager, the executive, and the person in charge of everything, so he held all the information the reporters were after.

Naturally, the viewership-hungry reporters wouldn’t let him go easily.

“…Ha, anyone hungry?”

The coach asked in a weary voice, and the team answered at once.

“…Meat.”

“Me too, meat.”

“Gotta have meat on a day like this.”

“Meat for me.”

So, meat was unanimously decided upon.

We chose our usual barbecue place near the team house.

“Alright, let’s get up then.”

At the coach’s words, the team slowly began to rise.

I gathered my equipment and uniform and left the arena.

As we headed towards the parking lot…

“Wow, are those people waiting for us?”

At the entrance to the parking lot, we saw fans waiting with uniforms and pens.

“What do you all want to do?”

The coach looked back and asked.

His question meant, ‘You’re all tired from the finals, and it’s not an official fan meeting, so do you want to sign autographs?’

Looking at my teammates, they all seemed hesitant.

But my answer was already decided.

“Let’s give autographs to everyone. It’s the right thing to do.”

It wasn’t an official fan meeting, but that’s precisely why we should do it.

These people weren’t here with malicious intent; they waited for us without even knowing if we’d come, and we should return the favor.

“But we’ve already done almost an hour of interviews.”

“I had an extra interview on top of that.”

“That’s true…”

“Think about it; these people probably waited here for hours after the match, just like we were doing interviews.”

Only after hearing my words did the team members start heading towards the fans.

Watching them, I approached the fan at the very front.

“Hello. Have you been waiting here long?”

“Yes! I’m a huge fan of yours!”

Calling me “unnie” must mean she’s very young.

The problem is, this girl was a head taller than me.

“Did you come alone?”

“I came with my parents! They’re waiting at the cafe on the first floor.”

“I hope you make some good memories with your parents. Should I sign here?”

“Yes!”

“Then please hold your uniform taut.”

I took the uniform, signed it, and chatted briefly.

Since this wasn’t at a designated fan meeting but an impromptu street signing, I had to sign the uniform while it was held up in the air.

It’s harder than I remember.

After the autograph and a photo, the girl jumped up and down excitedly.

“Are you that happy?”

“I… I came all the way from Changwon.”

“Changwon? Isn’t that really far?”

“So I couldn’t go to any of the regular season games, but my parents said they would bring me as a special trip before I start high school!”

I don’t think having a uniform, merchandise, or an autograph is essential for being a sports fan.

“Well, get home safe, and I hope to see you again sometime.”

“I’ll always be cheering for you!”

But if a fan gets to meet a player, receive a special memory, and have merchandise or an autograph to cherish…

As long as the player delivers results, the fan will almost certainly continue to support them.

That’s the relationship between fans and players. It’s the driving force behind professional leagues.

---

“No way, Seo-ha…”

“You don’t have a passport?”

“A legendary event has occurred.”

“We leave in two weeks…”

“Well, I… I was planning on getting one, but I’ve been so busy.”

Two weeks until MSI.