The Ones Who Desire Him (2)

"Caitlyn! Caitlyn!"

"Just once! Please, give us this one thing!"

"Jax is going down."

"Yes, but P1 does not know the meaning of the word give."

While their own damage dealers melted, Jax's dream of at least dragging the enemy ADC Caitlyn down with him never came true.

"Let's take another look."

The teamfight in front of the Herald replayed on the broadcast. The highlight was Vladimir's dive.

"Vladimir stabbed right into Bonsim's soft side."

"Once Viego changes skins, the chase is a formality."

Then the camera cut to P1's top laner Jimin's personal POV.

"I'll look at Varus right away."

"I'm not dying."

"Nice."

"Do I need to help on Jax? Ah, got him. I'll take top lane."

"Wow."

"'I'm not dying' — he kills his matchup and lives himself. Teamfights look easy when you play like that."

A crushing win on the Herald fight. P1 returned to lane to open the gap even wider.

"Vladimir's items… from Jax's perspective, there's no conversation to be had."

"A two-level gap in top. The side lane balance has completely collapsed, and Jax is incredibly vulnerable in this kind of setup."

"And Ahri and Viego have both scaled well, so if those two move together, anyone they run into just vanishes."

"The only thing Bonsim can even try to touch is that Caitlyn mid, but Leona has tried her ultimate several times and they simply refuse to give the angle."

"Rapid is a player who can rein in that aggression with judgment."

"Can we take Taliyah and free the Herald right after?"

"Wukong's topside, so it should be possible."

"Free Herald and pressure mid?"

"Mid's going to shove itself anyway."

"Jimin, if you see Viego, Wukong can go top immediately."

"Got it."

Bot lane, Ahri and Taliyah facing off. Viego was creeping in on Taliyah.

"Careful, careful!"

"Charm!"

"It hit!"

Taliyah frantically threw up her rock wall ultimate, but she had already been charmed. In that instant Viego came flying in like lightning. Against a well-fed mid-jungle gank, Taliyah had no chance of surviving.

"They got her!"

"P1!"

"If they free the Herald here, second tower falls in no time."

"When Luca lands Ahri's charm the accuracy is just absurd."

"P1 fans have no choice but to start chanting Halle-Luca again."

Overwhelming side-lane power. Riding the collapsed top and mid differentials, P1 was snowballing at full speed.

"That said, Wukong heading top right now is…"

"No, no, don't."

Wukong had wanted to avenge the bot-lane loss. But the moment he hit tab, any will to fight evaporated.

"You need two people just to take that Vladimir. You need three."

"Three isn't enough either, hahaha."

"Wow… from Bonsim's perspective, how are they even supposed to solve this…"

Outside of an international match, it was only natural for casters to discuss solutions for the losing team. But confidently offering a rational answer here would have been closer to deceiving the fans.

"Bonsim's vision is completely drowned in darkness."

"They have to force a fight somehow, right? But as you can see, P1 has far too many slippery players."

An unbridgeable growth gap. Objectives falling one after another. The teamfight for the third dragon — the one that would lead to four — was approaching.

"There it is — Leona ult and Wukong!"

"Seismic Shove!"

While the enemy Caitlyn was laying traps, Bonsim's champions charged in. Caitlyn tried to weave and shake them off, but the structural limits of her champion left her no choice but to take it.

"He's coming!"

Of course Ahri and Viego were already nearby, and both top laners slammed teleport. P1's champions were so far ahead they didn't even need to dive onto the damage dealers. Leona melted the moment she ate Ahri's charm. Then Vladimir, landing from teleport, locked eyes on the enemy Varus.

"Ah, shit."

"Root landed."

"That's Wukong's clone."

"They're about to take Taliyah."

"I'll look at Varus."

Vladimir's ultimate into a full skill combo.

"Aaaaaaaaah!"

"Varus is gone."

As if avenging Caitlyn, P1's champions butchered the enemy one by one. Viego seized bodies and ran wild across the battlefield.

"And Jax goes down too!"

"Ace!"

"Perfect from P1!"

P1 claimed the dragon. Vladimir's growth only accelerated further.

"When Vladimir lands Hemoplague, an entire champion just disappears."

"The Caitlyn-Lux composition locked down tempo this game and finished its job simply by not dying in lane. But beyond even that, Vladimir in top has been doing too much on his own."

A top laner's influence that didn't just enable the composition's concept — it transcended it.

"Baron! Baron!"

Vladimir pushed all the way to the bot inhibitor tower and left Jax to deal with it while Bonsim tried a surprise Baron.

"Viego has ultimate and flash!"

"Aaaaaaaaah!"

"Oz!"

Viego vaulted the wall with his ultimate and smited Baron, then casually flashed back over the wall and strolled away.

"Wait — Vladimir!"

In that critical moment the observer cut not to the Baron pit but to Bonsim's bot inhibitor. Hemoplague was already on Jax, and Vladimir was standing in the pool of blood.

"It detonated!"

"Solo kill!"

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

After Oz's Baron steal, the hands of the P1 fans gathered in Jongno had no time to rest.

"I don't have teleport."

"You don't need it. Keep pushing."

"As long as Wukong doesn't stick to me I can kill all of them."

"Taliyah!"

Ahri's charm landed on Taliyah. Instant focus — a hole punched through Taliyah's head by Caitlyn's headshot.

"Nowhere to run!"

"Bot is still getting shoved. Ahri takes the teleport!"

Ignoring the main fight entirely, Vladimir kept pushing on the strength of the Baron buff. He had already crossed the bot inhibitor; the twin turrets were exposed.

"The nexus is going down!"

"GG!"

Vladimir and Ahri had no trouble finishing the nexus.

"P1! Destructive form that makes you forget set one even happened!"

"Jimin… just how far does this player's potential go?!"

"Ah, that was boring."

"What the hell are you even saying."

Kang Jun, who had been reduced to bait and tower-demolition duty this game, grumbled, and Park Sangjin burst out laughing.

"Almost no mistakes. Everyone played well."

P1's head coach Jang Yaohwan welcomed the victorious members. Coach Song Hochang clapped the sturdy shoulder of Jimin, who had been the backbone of the game.

"And the set-two POG is—!"

"Huh?"

Jimin lifted his head toward the broadcast screen.

"Ah! Ah—! Ahhhh!"

"Aaaaaaaaah!"

P1 fans gasped — then immediately broke into applause.

"He barely lived!"

"Jimin really…"

K'Sante slipped the last of Gnar's boomerangs and escaped the solo kill.

This was the first time P1 had played a third set since Jimin and Kang Jun had been called up. People wondered who would appear, but the top laner who walked out for P1 was none other than the set-two POG — Jimin.

In Challengers he had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠taken POG like it was a daily meal. This was his first since debuting on the main roster.

On blue side, Bonsim Magic Force locked in K'Sante–Trundle–Azir–Jinx–Nautilus. On red side, P1 locked in Gnar–Poppy–Ryze–Abelius–Renata.

But after dying once to Poppy's signature flash wall-slam gank, K'Sante spent the rest of the lane getting beaten up by Gnar.

"Wow, if he'd taken that from Poppy just now…"

"Ah, but Jinx can't even farm CS!"

The bot lane had gone poorly. Jinx escaped Poppy's bot gank, but surviving wasn't the same as living. Meanwhile Abelius — one of the best ADCs in the game at mining turret gold — ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was putting his power on full display.

"Trundle plants the pillar…"

Trundle's top gank. K'Sante and Trundle came charging in with ugly expressions, hunting Gnar.

"The rage gauge is filling!"

But Gnar slipped them with exquisite movement, stacking rage the whole time.

"Mega Gnar!"

"Wooooooooooah!"

In a game already flowing in their favor, that play left P1 fans no choice but to roar. Gnar ulted K'Sante into the wall, hurled a boulder, and smashed down with a giant hand.

"Jimin! Is this guy insane?!"

"He's shattering the top-lane balance in set three as well."

K'Sante died instead. Trundle fled. The broadcast camera caught Bonsim's top laner Marrow letting out a long, heavy sigh.

Gnar and Ryze pressing the enemy from the side lanes. It was practically a déjà vu of set two.

Then came the fourth-dragon teamfight.

"My rage will fill soon."

"If we blow up Trundle we burst immediately — they can't get here."

"Watch Azir's toss!"

"Ah! I used my ult!"

"Azir! Azir!"

The enemy's terrifying damage dealer Azir burned flash and flew in to scoop Abelius. But Abelius, ready for it, flashed away cleanly. What appeared next was Renata's ultimate diving into the enemy formation.

"Azir! Azir!"

"Ah, K'Sante's gone."

Azir melted. And instead of Azir, Abelius fired his ultimate — Moonlight Vigil — into the enemy main force. Allies covered in perfect coordination around their ADC's movement.

"Whoa."

In the middle of this critical fight, Jimin found himself simply watching the destructive power of a three-item-plus auto-attack ADC. After the ultimate, Abelius walked forward swinging his moon weapons; properly protected, it looked like he could kill all five by himself.

In moments like this, he finally understood why Kang Jun parroted "protect me" every single day.

"Abel! Abel! Abelius is dealing!"

"Abelius doesn't die. Teamfight over."

"P1!"

Once Azir's playmaking failed, it was a one-sided P1 massacre. They took Baron easily and marched forward. Another failed Azir toss. Another clean Abelius ultimate, and it was over.

"That was hot."

"Minhyeok opening bot so well early was huge."

"No but Jimin, what was that dribble into killing K'Sante in top."

"Haha."

"Ah, we won."

"Our team is really good."

He had said it who knew how many times in scrims, and he meant it just as sincerely now.

"Set one looks more and more like a fluke!"

"GG!"

Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!

Sets two and three had both been advantageous from the early game all the way to the end. The fans applauded the crisp, refreshing form.

"Ah, that game was really good."

Hochang grinned with pure delight.

"Good work."

Yaohwan patted every shoulder in turn. Changmin, who had been subbed out after set one, clapped quietly.

"And the set-three POG is…?"

"Huh?"

"Eh?"

The P1 members' reactions split at the result.

"Yes, joining us is today's sole POG, the player who delivered that thrilling reverse sweep — Jimin!"

"Hello, I'm P1's top laner, Jimin."

P1 fans roared. Cheer signs with his name filled the camera frame.

"……"

I'm nervous.

The Jongno P1 crowd was a warm one. And now that he was trying to give a real interview as a true P1 player, Jimin could feel the tension.

(It wasn't me?)

(Apparently ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠not.)

(Jimin was just that good.)

Jimin had taken POG in both set two and set three. Kang Jun, who had poured out massive damage on Abelius and still missed the award, looked faintly stunned.

"So many fans are going wild over Jimin's aggressive play. Do you have that much confidence in your own mechanics?"

"Uh… I always try to play with a reason behind it, and so far it seems to be working."

"Thank you for the answer."

Nerve-wracking, but the questions were mostly softballs meant to lift him up. Jimin was getting through it.

"You've been rotating in and out with Blur. From a player's perspective, how does that kind of shared playing time feel?"

"Hmm…"

Of course, not every question was easy. This one was hard to answer without thinking. Even the announcer's awkward smile made it obvious she was cursing the script.

Jimin paused a beat, then opened his mouth.

"Whether I play or not isn't something I get to choose, so I just try to work hard on my own end. And hyung Changmin is a really good player too, I'm learning a lot from him, and uh, yeah, the other hyungs are all so good… uh, yeah. Yeah."

He failed to finish a proper sentence in his head. But he could hardly call a pause in the middle of an interview — something he had never requested once since going pro.

"I'm just really happy to be playing games as a member of P1. Ah! I'm happy I made it to the first team faster than I expected… yeah. Haha. Yeah."

"Hahaha, well said. I think the fans are going to love that."

Whew.

His brain had briefly blue-screened, but luckily the announcer took the answer as complete and cut it cleanly.

"That was P1's Jimin. This has been Song Hyuna!"

Jimin bowed to the female announcer.

Idiot.

He had only meant to say he was content just to have made the first team sooner than expected, and even that had come out as a rambling mess. How the team decided who played was an absolute internal secret — nothing that should leak even by implication. He had thought interviews were fine after Challengers, but after a long break, and in a completely different venue, it felt entirely different.

"Over here!"

"Ah!"

A girl waved her hand. Even with a mask on, in a place that was hardly familiar, he found her at once.

"Have you been well?"

"Mm."

The moment Jimin's mother, Kim Eunhye, saw Yu Dahye she broke into a smile. If loveliness could be personified into a young woman, that person would be Dahye.

"There are more people than I expected."

"Well…"

Dahye started to say something, then just laughed. Plenty of people had already told her how big a team P1 was, how popular they were.

"They win every time, right?"

"Yes, Jimin's team is really good."

"If they lose today, I shouldn't come again."

"Come on, what are you talking about."

"……"

Setting game knowledge aside entirely, even in this superstitious territory she didn't want to become a burden to her son. Dahye, who had watched that thick mother-son affection from the side for so long, was never going to miss it.

"They're definitely going to win today."

"Yeah. I hope they do."

No way.

She had decided this woman should never have to watch her son's team lose, which was why Dahye had stressed to Jimin that he should invite his mother for the KRX match. Of course she hadn't said the part about calling her only when they played the last-place team so his pride wouldn't get hurt, or because mid- and upper-table games could go either way.

"But are you not feeling well? It's hot — why the mask?"

"Ah, hahaha."

Dahye laughed awkwardly. She usually wore a mask when she went out, but today especially she had no choice. SCK broadcast cameras, desperate not to miss a super play, also worked overtime to catch beautiful spectators in the crowd. Dahye was not unaware of the value she carried as a woman. And the homebody image that let her get away with frequent days off… she did not want people calling her a freeloading streamer who skipped broadcasts to go out just because she went to one SCK match.

"They have to win this one."

"Jimin usually doesn't start the first game. I saw an article earlier — he's not playing game one this time either."

"They have to win so he can come out comfortable."

"Ah…"

The two of them took their seats. Dahye thought, no matter how well Jimin played, to his mother he was still a son to worry over.

"Yes, hello game fans! This is caster Yoo Jongwon!"

Dahye swallowed. The moment the cameras rolled and the music started, the nerves hit.

Hm?

Kim Eunhye kept glancing to the side. Dahye followed her gaze.

"……"

Cheer signs for Jimin. Their share of the crowd was growing by the day.

Dahye huffed a quiet laugh. Someday she wanted to formally introduce herself as family and invite his mother herself.

"Yes, and the next team is P1!"

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Cheers and applause poured down.

"……"

Jimin entered Dahye's field of view. Regardless of set one, he would come out for set two.

Fight hard.

Should she scold him if they lost today?

She decided that was the wrong impulse, and laughed to herself.