Chapter 243
Chapter 243
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 243
Chapter Title: Victory Totem Delivery!
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After that, our team kept crushing scrim after scrim with our improved teamwork.
Of course, we couldn't flip 180 degrees overnight, so we still lost sometimes.
But every time that happened, we'd give each other blunt feedback—mostly Nyanta unnie and Bandit-kun—"You totally sucked there!"—and little by little, we ironed out the kinks.
Once we'd finished all our prep and gathered in Discord to psych ourselves up...
The finals were finally upon us the next day...
"Ugh, I'm so nervous, unnies."
The next day, to manage my condition, I'd gone off-stream for the day.
I let out a pathetic whine in front of Ra-hee unnie and Chae-yoon unnie, who had come over to my place for the first time in ages.
"Why are you so nervous? You looked amazing in scrims."
"Yeah, even the Garlic Squad's all saying your team's gonna win!"
Chae-yoon unnie and Ra-hee unnie tried to cheer me up.
But my nerves wouldn't settle that easily.
I was shaking so bad my spoon trembled when I lifted it to eat.
"Ugh, that's exactly why I'm more nervous. What if we don't win? I'd feel so bad for the team and the Pista..."
"Eh, no need to think like that. Just go have fun."
"Yeah, runner-up's no small feat."
"True, but still..."
Ra-hee unnie was right—runner-up would still be great.
But since we're doing this, I want the win. That's my goal.
Especially since Nyanta unnie's only gotten runner-up so far, and she's sharpening her blades like, "This time, we're taking first!"
If we didn't win, I'd feel especially sorry to her.
As the mid laner, I felt the pressure to carry at least somewhat.
"Come to think of it, Maknae, weren't you way less nervous the day before the Hyper War finals?"
"Yeah, you're right."
"So why are you extra tense this time?"
"I dunno... Why, I wonder...?"
I couldn't answer Chae-yoon unnie's question right away.
And honestly? I'd racked my brain trying to figure it out myself, but nothing clicked.
What was so different this time that had me shaking like this?
Just an obsession with winning?
No, that didn't feel right.
If anything, I'd been more obsessed back in Hyper War.
Our Blues from that world had bombed out of the same tourney, so I really wanted to win it for them.
"Maybe it's 'cause we're not there?"
"Huh? Us?"
"The members?"
As Chae-yoon unnie and I puzzled it out...
Ra-hee unnie suddenly pointed at herself with a wild theory.
Chae-yoon unnie and I both tilted our heads in sync.
What the heck did that mean?
"Da-jeong loves us so much, right? Maybe she's nervous without her members around."
"Eek? Even for our maknae, that seems like a stretch."
Ra-hee unnie explained, but Chae-yoon unnie shot it down as ridiculous.
Logically, yeah, Chae-yoon unnie had a point.
I do love the members tons, but it's not like I'd suddenly get butterflies just 'cause they weren't here...
"Gasp, that might actually be it!"
"It is?!"
But me, Jeong Da-jeong.
The girl who always defies common sense!
I mulled over unnie's words, eyes lighting up at the plausible guess.
Chae-yoon unnie, who'd been quietly listening, was the one who freaked out instead.
Ra-hee unnie, who'd nailed it, just grinned smugly like she'd known all along.
Yeah, hearing it out loud... it made sense.
Back in Hyper War finals, even on the day itself...
Hearing the members' voices on Discord had filled me with confidence that we could do it.
Not that my current teammates were unreliable or anything negative like that.
The members just had that big a presence for me.
"But even knowing that, what can I do about it...?"
The problem was, knowing why didn't give me a fix.
I couldn't chat with the members during the matches on tournament day.
And I couldn't exactly park my broadcasting members next to me like totems.
Ugh, what now?
"Chae-yoon, unnie had a great idea. Wanna hear it?"
"Oh, I just thought of a good one too. Probably the same as yours?"
"Really? Then..."
"D-don't talk just between you two, include me toooo..."
While I fretted over how to shake these nerves...
The two unnies whispered among themselves.
Feeling left out and sad, I'd creep closer cautiously, only for them to pull away and keep scheming.
What the heck are you guys plotting...!
Anyway, the day dawned, and the finals were here at last.
Still stuffed full of unshakeable nerves...
I hopped into the Discord room and greeted the team.
"Hi, everyone...!"
『Welcome, Lulu.』
『Hey, Lulu.』
『Carry us today, please.』
『Hey, Jeong Jin-nam! Why don't you ask me to carry?!』
『Duh, of course I trust you too, Kombbang.』
The Discord room was lively as ever.
Maybe after the drunken debate and all those scrims...
Our bonds had gotten even tighter, so we could banter like this, making it even noisier.
『But Lulu, why does your voice sound so weak today? You feeling off?』
"Oh, no, it's just... I'm really nervous..."
Nyanta unnie picked up on my voice right away and asked worriedly.
I mumbled back, my mouse-grip hand still shaking hard.
Ugh...
At this rate, I won't even be able to move the mouse, let alone play.
『Lulu, they say if you're nervous, draw three 'endure' characters on your palm and swallow 'em!』
『Kombbang, isn't that for avoiding murder charges?』
『Oh, right?』
『Kombbang, just stay quiet like me. Half the battle won.』
『Ugh, you bragging?!』
Kombbang tried offering a fix, but Jeong Jin-nam called it a bogus folk remedy.
Bandit-kun piled on, sparking another round of bickering.
Yeah, sometimes getting too close might be a problem to consider.
They fight at every chance now.
Like one Cherry said, I was starting to suspect our team was all roosters.
"I-it'll be fine! Once the game's on, the nerves might ease up."
『Your voice is already shaking, so doubt it.』
"Ugh..."
The Cherries cheered my drooping head after Nyanta unnie's jab, but...
My shaky hands wouldn't hide.
Ugh, sorry, Cherries.
You guys must be worried too.
And here I am showing such a weak side.
"W-well, about that... I think it's 'cause the members aren't here."
Right then, perfect timing—a Cherry tossed a dono question.
I answered honestly, embarrassed as I was.
Everyone burst out laughing.
Some Cherries nodded in understanding.
"Ugh, this won't do. Everyone, hold on! Be right back."
I couldn't take the tension anymore and took drastic measures.
I dashed to the display case next to the streaming room and grabbed the goodies inside.
Blue LUV merch, straight up.
Thud- thud-
I lined them up on the desk like trophies.
I even hauled over the members' body pillows from their recent release, stacking them left and right.
Couldn't hug these huge things during the game, sadly.
Best I could do: plop Ji-ah unnie's pillow on my lap and exhale deeply.
"Sorry, everyone. Just grabbed some member merch. Thought seeing them might help calm me..."
Hey! No laughing!
This was my earnest countermeasure!
Real thing's best, sure, but I can't get that now!
Ugh, but even with these, no real effect.
Grabbing at straws, I squeezed Ellin's fave pillow tight.
Still not enough to melt the tension fully.
Guess I'd have to finals like this? I thought...
Rattle-
"Maknae! We're heeeere!"
"Totem delivery!"
"Kyaaaa?!"
The door flew open without warning.
Chae-yoon unnie and Yuna's yells made me shriek.
Before I could calm my pounding heart, Ji-ah unnie and Ra-hee unnie followed.
"Our little maknae hugging unnie pillows to soothe her nerves?"
"Aww, so cute. Lulu, photo real quick?"
"Unnies too...? How'd you get here?"
????????????
The full member assembly left me blinking in shock.
Cherries were just as stunned, chat flooded with question marks.
My clueless teammates freaked at my scream: "Lulu! What?! What's wrong?!" over headset.
But I had no time to reply.
Holding back sorry-and-thankful feelings for these members who'd rushed here for me took all I had.
"Aww, maknae said she was tense without members, so I checked schedules and dragged 'em. Unnie's the best, right?"
"Unnie, watch your words! Luke unnie did the rounding up!"
"Yeah, hogging credit sneaky-like is too much."
"You gotta fight even here...?"
The members, oblivious to my感動, bantered loudly, filling the room with sound in seconds.
Seeing it all, my heart eased; a smile crept on my face unbidden.
Screw the broadcast worries or "you didn't have to come" pleasantries.
I just soaked in the moment fully.
"Thank you, everyone...!"
I'd joined this tourney to prove myself without member help.
Yet here I was, leaning on them for the final.
No shame, no regrets.
'Cause I'm Blue LUV's Lulu.