My Favorite Has Started A Live Broadcast!

“Ugh… uh…!!”

I turned off the microphone and made a gesture as if I were going to pound the desk in frustration, right as the game loaded in. My unfiltered thoughts accidentally slipped out, which prompted an awkward response like, “Ah… well… that was… great to hear! Now then, next up…” ending the interview with the team members and Chocoa just in time.

“Hmm… which map would you like to play?”

“Gunkoo! I want Oregon! I’ve perfectly scouted a spot for spawn-kill!”

“…Then, let’s just do a diff—”

“I want to play Oregon too.”

It was Chocoa who prevented Gunkoo from dismissing Yoon Gae’s suggestion and removing it as a candidate. Since there was little time left, Gunkoo saw everyone selecting Oregon and asked, “Why specifically Oregon?” Chocoa replied.

“It just looks fun… I’ve never tried that map before.”

What exactly is a game? Is it merely a way to pass leftover time, or perhaps something to enjoy with friends? Maybe it’s a “job” for the sake of a fun broadcast.

Chocoa’s brief answer paused the ticking time on my monitor and made me ponder deeply.

Originally, it was something to enjoy. I’d first played rhythm games to pass the time whenever I could, and then, after playing Lesik with friends, that became my main game. What about now? It’s still fun, but I often play alone. Maybe that’s why, when someone asked me to play with them, even if I was tired, I rarely turned them down. I enjoyed being with people. Talking with different people was fun, and strategizing on the spot and gunfights with opponents made it all the more exciting.

So why am I in this tournament? I knew the answer. I wanted to hang out with people, impress Chocoa, and get a new computer. But if I’m not having fun with others, not enjoying games with Chocoa, what’s the point of owning an expensive computer?

“Uh… everyone?”

“Yes?”

“Could I… maybe play however I want…? I saw something fun on NewTube recently…”

“Of course! If someone of your skill goes all out, it’ll still be better than what I can do.”

“Can I join in too, Baraa?”

“Then let’s all grab shotguns or concussion grenades—”

I took off my hoodie, chose an aggressive character, and minimized the screen. Random starting points, operator selection without consulting the team—something frowned upon in tournaments—but I’m a streamer.

It’s okay because I’m a broadcaster.

Click-click.

***
Eunah POV

There’s a three-minute delay so that viewers can’t relay enemy positions or plans in real-time. I think it’s necessary.

“I could’ve seen it right next to me… too bad.”

“Then why are you even here?”

“Just because I’m curious.”

Eunah, who is Baraa’s manager, landlord, and close friend, was watching my monitor in the dark room. She was trying to change but found it harder than she expected. Still, she was doing well… well… she was trying her best at least.

“You’re going to edit all this? It’ll take at least two hours.”

She stretched her hand out on the messy desk and grabbed a snack, munching it while watching Baraa’s screen with a weary look.

“This tournament is nothing compared to others that go over eight hours.”

“Heh~”

While continuously clicking the mouse and keyboard, she checked off sections for hot clips and parts to edit.

“What…?”

As she mechanically went through the motions, the chat, which was in slow mode, suddenly started flooding. She squinted at the stream screen, where Baraa was smiling.

***
Eunah POV

I let out a sigh of relief. If my computer had died like last time, I would’ve been… well… quite sad, but thankfully, it survived this time. I closed all the websites and apps, silently praying, “Please… please… I don’t want to inconvenience Chocoa…!” I managed to turn on the camera. I appeared on the screen with only slight mouse lag, but everything else was fine. I waved at the camera, relieved, shrank the webcam view, moved it to the corner, and returned to the game.

“I’m back! Thank you!”

Grateful to my teammates for allowing this risky move, I ran as fast as I could to catch up. Thirty seconds had already passed.

“Welcome back, the site is in the basement.”

Everyone was genuinely enjoying the game. Each player chose their own operator, went to the locations they wanted, and played however they liked.

“Arghhh!! Over there! There’s an enemy on the second floor!!!”

“Get ’em!!!”

Yoon Gae and Ninima, in an assault combo, chased an enemy who was roaming far from the site, while Gunkoo was up alone, doing something right above the site. As for Chocoa…

“Shall we go now?”

“Yes… hehe… okay.”

She followed me.

With Chocoa in tow, I headed fearlessly toward the stairs where Gunkoo was facing off. Since Yoon Gae and Ninima had already dealt with a roaming pistol-wielding enemy, I guessed there were no other roamers. If this were a real tournament setup, there would likely be only one roamer. The basement is easy to defend, after all.

“I’ll circle around to the back!”

With an LMG almost as big as herself, Ninima fearlessly rushed past the hall. Without any prior coordination, Ninima started heading down the stairs, firing continuously, which was an effective distraction. I took advantage of the enemies’ attention on Ninima to give instructions.

“Yoon Gae, can you cover from here?”

“Huh…? The trapdoor is reinforced… if I go through the stairs, I’ll get killed!”

Thump!

“There, now it’s open.”

I’d chosen an operator equipped with a breach charge. I blew up the reinforced trapdoor’s surrounding floor, creating a large opening. The enemies must have been rattled. The roamer was already dead, and the footsteps echoing above would only unsettle them more. Then a few holes appeared in the ceiling.

Bang! Bang! Bang!!

Despite the sudden gap, Yoon Gae, who’s played enough to handle surprises, quickly fired rounds through it.

“Got one down!!!”

The enemies had three pistols left; we had two players. One of the enemies was already down, and Yoon Gae and Ninima’s pincer attack claimed another. This wouldn’t happen in a tournament—a fast-paced game. Even faster.

“Follow me!”

“Ugh… sorry..! I got taken out…”

“Actually, that works even better.”

All but Yoon Gae, who was holding the pressure, moved into the hall.

“Everyone, let’s finish them off.”

Boom!!!

***
Gisang POV

“What is this…”

The score was 1-2; we’d managed to scrape one win thanks to the enemy’s blunder, but otherwise, we’d lost almost perfectly.

Gisang couldn’t understand.

The enemy team’s play style was unlike anything I’d ever seen—neither strategic nor carefully thought out. It was sheer impulse, brash courage, fueled by fiery minds and hotheaded plays.

They had three people fall through an unreinforced trapdoor simultaneously, then recklessly rushed only to be caught by a trap. Their defense was even more chaotic.

“Damn, what’s going on here!!!”

“What.”

“The entire site is open!!!”

“What…?”

Upon hearing my teammate’s outburst, I picked up my phone and sent in a drone. Usually, you’d only check the site’s location and pull back, but there was no need. The site had been stripped to its bare beams holding up the ceiling. It was on the second floor, but I could see it from the first floor before the drone even got there. The entire place looked like a war zone, with explosive remnants and shotgun holes, every wall thoroughly blasted through.

No floors, no walls—something I’d never even thought about in ranked games or tournaments. Even if I had thought of it, no one would’ve dared use it in a tournament. The strategy was so extreme it practically switched offense and defense. The risks were massive. No matter how well they hid, we had drones and grenades to clear out the intact spaces. Still, if we got flustered, this wild strategy might work against us.

“…Ha…”

I let out a laugh, intrigued. Who could have come up with this strategy? Where did this level of confidence come from? Was it Gunkoo or someone else?

I gripped my mouse tightly and chose a new spawn point, away from the predetermined area. A place with no one else. For the first time in a while, the tournament felt exciting.

***
Lee Suyeon POV

“Wow… this was so close…”

The improvised strategy, scraped together on the spot, was nearly countered. The enemy team ignored our first-floor presence and quickly took positions on an unbreakable floor, flipping offense and defense once again. We won, but barely, leaving us with quite a few losses.

“But a win’s a win.”

“…Yes, it is.”

“Alright! Let’s switch to spectator mode and watch.”

– Three minutes passed, and we finally arrived.

– Where to?

– Real-time Baraa coverage!!!

“Hello… yawn…”

As the match ended, the fatigue of the day hit me, and I sipped lukewarm water to stay alert.

– So many legendary moments today, lol

– Someone upload it to NewTube!!! I just got here!!!

Aroalo: I’ll do it.

“And that’s it! All matches are finished!!!”

“The winner is…”

“”Team Baraa Gets a New Computer!!!!!!””

“Wow… there were so many iconic scenes today, right? From close quarters to moments that felt like a real official tournament! And those unheard-of, wildly unconventional strategies!!”

“I think all of this was possible thanks to ‘someone’ on the team! That player!! The ace of the winning team is!!!”

– Drum roll

“It’s Baraa!!!”

“Oh… five hundred…”

I could feel my mind racing, piecing everything together.