LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 55 - Interview Disaster
“I sent it…!”
I didn’t really understand why Chocoa wanted me to send all the photos, including the ones she took by mistake, but I sent all the recent ones and got a brief “Thank you” from Chocoa in response.
“Shall we go watch the match now?”
“Yes!!!”
“Then, the winner who will face Team Rat Hole, which advanced with a bye, is between Team Love Sahyang and…!”
“It’s going to be a fight with Team Lesik Crushers!!”
It seemed like the two commentators had rehearsed the intro in advance as they cleanly introduced the teams, and the viewers flocked to Jin-hoo’s stream, where the commentary was quick and uninterrupted.
It was already past 10 p.m., and the stream had over 150,000 viewers. Counting the viewers on other individual streams, this was probably the most-watched tournament of the year so far—though it was only March.
“Both teams are currently preparing for the semi-finals! Since it’s the semi-finals, let’s hear a few words from each team. First up… Team Love Sahyang! They’ve made it this far with a mix of tier levels but strong teamwork and long-lasting friendships. Let’s hear from them!”
>- Only won one game in the semi-finals
>- But it’s all rzzd
>- For real lol
>- Too lazy to list everything lol
Ding—
“Hello, this is commentator Kim Jin-hoo and Resin. Could you each give us a few words?”
“……”
For some reason, just hearing the name “Love Sahyang” felt heartwarming. They really did seem like old friends, just as the commentator had said, joking around and messing up each other’s interviews in good spirits.
Maybe they’ll get together again after this…
Since drinking was off the table, I thought about some other wholesome activity they could do together when the interview moved on to the next team.
“Next up is Lesik Crushers! I think the team name is very fitting. Let’s first hear from the team leader, Gisang!”
***
Gisang POV
Gisang was a pro gamer, one of the few who used his real name. While his name hadn’t been widely known during his career, his gameplay became popular through short clips and videos, which gave him some commercial value as a member of a Lesik pro team’s second string.
“Gisang… how long are you going to be so stubborn? Do you know how many games we lost because of your attitude?! Do you think you’re the only one good at 1v1s? You may have been on the second team, but your current opponent was also a pro! No matter how great your reaction time and aim are, that alone isn’t enough!”
“Well, I’ve also won many games thanks to my play style.”
Despite the coach’s intense reprimand, Gisang responded without blinking, with a confidence that only someone in their early twenties could display. The coach sighed and rubbed his forehead.
“…Gisang, this is why you’re still on the second team. Even without Gunkoo, you couldn’t make it to the first team. Your reaction time and aim are good, but they’re not as good as Gunkoo’s, and you don’t work with the team… If you want to advance, you need to change. Why should we keep you with only one strength? If nothing changes in the next game… well, you can handle it.”
Shortly after that tournament, Gisang retired on his own. He had told the coach it was because he wanted to change. The coach, seeing Gisang gradually adjusting his playstyle, tried to stop him, but it was too late to prevent his early retirement.
“…Diamond 2…”
Yet Gisang, now out of the restrictions and limits of pro games, quickly reached Diamond 3 rank as if to prove his choice hadn’t been wrong. This was his highest rank ever, but he wasn’t satisfied and began streaming, dedicating himself even more to Lesik, driven to surpass Gunkoo, whom he had always been compared to.
Gisang was now aiming to prove his years of effort in this tournament, which had come to him like a miracle.
***
Lee Suyeon POV
“…I know him.”
Gunkoo muttered thoughtfully, his microphone, bought just for this stream, picking up even that small whisper.
“Huh?”
Hearing me, Gunkoo hesitated for a moment before responding. It was the first time he’d spoken about his personal life, and I found myself intrigued, patting Strawberry on my lap as a substitute for popcorn.
“He… it’s been, what, over a year now…? He was a skilled friend back when I was on the pro team… He retired a few years ago, but he was a player I kept an eye on.”
“Wait, really? Gunkoo, tell us more!!”
“…I think it was when I was at my peak.”
***
Gunkoo POV
It was when Lesik was solidifying its place in the FPS market and planning tournaments.
“…What can I do for you?”
Five years ago, Gunkoo sipped his coffee quietly in a peaceful café, without noisy idol music or bustling crowds, and glanced at the person sitting across from him. Choosing such a place for a meeting was typical of his personality.
“I’m from the Legendary Six tournament management team. Have you considered going pro?”
“Huh? But didn’t the game come out less than a year ago back then?!”
“Well, yes, but I was already at Platinum 1 by then.”
“…A natural talent…”
“Roughly speaking, I went pro because there wasn’t much else to do. I met my teammates, practiced, competed, and even won.”
“…You make it sound so easy… I’m struggling to even maintain Gold right now…”
“Pfft…”
“Hey! Did you just laugh?!”
Yoon Gae bristled at Ninima’s subtle laugh but quickly calmed down.
“Anyway, about a year or two before I retired… that friend joined us. At first… there were some issues. He didn’t socialize or cooperate with others and often acted alone… even in his playstyle, he did everything solo. He had the aim to back it up, but he was missing a lot.”
“So he wasn’t a team player?”
“Not exactly. Like I said, he tended to play solo, especially in 1v1 scenarios. We sometimes did 1v1s for training, and although I usually won, he beat me more often than anyone else on the team.”
“Wow…”
“So he’d try to create situations where he could go solo, which made him stand out in a team-oriented pro setting. That’s probably why he ended up retiring and is now playing in events like this.”
***
Lee Suyeon POV
“Hmm…”
Hearing something that cool, I had a feeling that Gisang was going to make it through. We had advanced due to a bye and a ladder draw, securing at least second place. I felt the need to try harder.
“Rumble…”
I stopped petting Strawberry, who had fallen asleep with a soft purr, and gently placed her on the bed.
>Now, let’s start the game!!!
A resounding shout from Yoon Gae, different from his usual calm commentary, rang out through my headset, and I took a sip of water.
Everyone seemed focused on the match, as I couldn’t hear a single voice in the Discord channel.
Which made sense. It was the third-round map, Bank, with a score of 2 to 0. It wasn’t intense, just one-sided. The opponent seemed to have joined the tournament solely to win, and everything about their play was professional.
Three players with a penalty of only using pistols, a Platinum, a Gold, and a Diamond player. Even the two without a penalty were no amateurs.
“Sigh…”
I heard a quiet sigh from Gunkoo. Whether it was due to anxiety about facing such opponents or disappointment, I couldn’t be sure.
“Once again, Gisang is heading to the basement alone! He’s been handling every round on his own so far! He’s showing flawless aim as if demonstrating his skills!”
“No matter the skill gap, there’s a limit. I know that Gisang couldn’t make it to the first team because he relied heavily on solo play. Will he repeat that same mistake?”
As he entered the basement parking garage, a strange tension filled the screen.
There were four people, which Gisang hadn’t seen during his drone check. Team Love Sahyang had anticipated that he’d enter the basement alone again and prepared accordingly. Even though he had a shield operator and smoke grenades on his team, Gisang went in alone, only to get gunned down instantly, dropping the defuser he’d been carrying.
“The score is 3 to 0! Lesik Crushers takes the win!!”
Despite the steep tier gap, the game remained close, and Lesik Crushers won narrowly. While Team Love Sahyang didn’t show any disappointment and began chatting about where to hold their victory party, Lesik Crushers weren’t quite as upbeat.
“And now, for the final match! Lesik Crushers versus Team Rat Hole! Let’s hear some last words from both teams!”
Gisang, the captain of Lesik Crushers, awkwardly declared they would win, and the interview moved to our team.
“Hello, this is commentator Kim Jin-hoo. Today’s knife fight was particularly impressive! Can we hear from you, Baraa?”
“Yes…?”
Wait, isn’t it usually the team captain who does the interview…?
As dozens of responses and thoughts passed through my mind, the commentator continued.
“Do you practice knife fights often? How did you become so good at it?”
“Oh… well… honestly, I’m not that good at it… but today, Chocoa… cheered me on… so I did well…”
The few seconds of silence that followed my response were enough to turn my face beet red.
At this moment, I was thankful for my crappy computer that couldn’t run a webcam.