A New Star (2)
“Gotta stick to the meat.”
“Ah, yes.”
He was shorter than Jimin, but his body looked far more thoroughly trained—this hyung.
Park Jimin still found it a little overwhelming whenever Jo Minhyeok, already a teammate, leaned in close to talk to him.
“If the tournament goes as smoothly as our scrims, that’d be perfect.”
Park Sangjin said it with a smile.
The cafeteria inside the P1 building.
Five first-team players sat around the table.
Dinner after practice was, as always, pure bliss.
“······”
Jimin ate slowly.
There were plenty of things about P1 that satisfied him, and this cafeteria ranked high among them.
A hotel-trained chef prepared the meals himself, so everything came out excellent.
“But against Maehwa, it was a bit…”
“Ahem.”
Minhyeok spoke while dredging up memories from Spring. The fact that Sangjin, who had looked especially weak against Maehwa, nearly choked was just a bonus.
“Frustrating, I guess. Sigh.”
Minhyeok shook his head left and right.
On his tray, the spot meant for soup was piled high with meat side dishes instead.
“In what way?”
“Hm?”
Jimin asked.
Among the five of them, he and Kang Jun had never faced Maehwa yet.
In their first Summer match they had drawn Blur and Spoon, after all.
Personally, the two players Jimin cared about most in the entire world were Hades and Dexter—and Dexter’s team was Maehwa Life.
They were also the rivals currently fighting for first place.
“They almost never make mistakes. Of course teams make lazy decisions mid-game, but…”
“And their jungler’s… unique, I guess? From my perspective he plays in a way that drives me crazy. Just sitting in the game against him makes me feel foul.”
“Ah······”
Mid laner Junyeong and jungler Minhyeok each shared their thoughts on Maehwa.
Especially Minhyeok’s words.
To Jimin’s ears, it sounded like high praise for the opposing player.
“Their ADC is just too good. Plus they give him a lot of late-game carry champions and protect him thoroughly, so you never want the game to go long. That impatience makes you start making mistakes.”
Sangjin said.
It was something he was constantly aware of.
A sort of confession, yet still a problem of his that refused to be fixed.
“I see.”
Jimin answered simply and kept eating.
For the usually reliable hyungs to speak like that…
Maehwa really must be a formidable opponent.
But…
Jimin’s eyes found Kang Jun.
He was never the chatty type around the hyungs to begin with, but for the past few days he had grown even quieter.
Dinner ended.
Practice continued all the same.
A brutal scrim schedule.
Even after that finished, everyone would stay busy practicing the champions they wanted to work on.
“Huu······”
Jimin, who had been grinding hard, finally stood up from his seat.
The schedule was the schedule, but with the Maehwa match ahead there would be no streaming either.
Everything was being staked on the coming first-place decider.
“Huh?”
When he walked into the lounge, someone was already there.
“Oh, what.”
It was Kang Jun.
He hadn’t seen him earlier—had the guy been here a while?
“What are you doing?”
“Just.”
Jimin asked casually while taking a water bottle from the fridge.
“······”
No matter how he looked at it, Kang Jun’s condition…
“Nervous?”
“What?”
He looked tense.
It was rare to see, but to Jimin it was crystal clear.
“I’m better than you, so why are you nervous?”
“Yeah?”
Kang Jun bristled.
Being that conscious of the opponent was itself proof of nerves, of course.
Right.
But Jimin himself was conscious of Maehwa too. If you were the same role as the world’s best player, not being nervous would have been the abnormal thing.
“Huu······”
Jimin, who had arrived later, left the lounge first.
“I want to win.”
The opponents were the MSC champions.
Which meant, right now, they could be called the world champions.
Jimin absolutely wanted to beat them.
“If we just do what we’ve been doing, we can win.”
Jongno SOL Park.
P1 head coach Jang Yaohwan spoke first to the players.
The team’s momentum was soaring.
Maehwa, by contrast, had briefly stalled.
As long as the players didn’t get too hung up on the MSC champion title and the previous head-to-head record, Yaohwan believed their direction would still work.
“Let’s do this well.”
“Yes.”
“······”
In-game, Sangjin and Kang Jun filled the audio with energy.
But Jimin could feel that those two were especially tense today.
“Kids.”
While Jimin and Kang Jun were alone, manager Lee Jiwoo appeared.
“Oh, Jiwoo-nuna.”
“Hello.”
Both of them found her a little intimidating yet comfortable at the same time.
“You two are the center of our team.”
“Huh?”
“······”
Whatever she was about to say, it looked like she wanted to give them encouragement.
“Jun-ah, if Dexter is the world’s best ADC, then if we win today, that becomes you.”
“······”
“Jimin-ah, for years the SCK tops were Gunt and Hwasan. You already wiped the floor with Gunt last time, so go cause some trouble today and break that narrative.”
“Haha······”
The phrasing “wiped the floor” was a bit much, but Jimin just laughed.
Hair tied back, a small head, a refreshingly beautiful woman.
Yet she carried a warmth that sat somewhere between older sister and mother.
And she worked harder than anyone.
He’d heard she was originally a huge SOL fan. Maybe that was why she always looked so happy—she’d managed to turn her hobby into a career.
“Alright, let’s go, let’s go.”
“Uh, yes.”
“Yeah.”
Like looking after little brothers, she pushed Jimin and Kang Jun forward with both hands and patted their shoulders.
“Hello, game fans. This is caster Yu Jongwon.”
As expected, SOL Park was packed to the brim.
Fans held up their cheer sticks as if competing with one another.
“Huu······”
The trembling heart was always a familiar friend.
Jimin tried to shake it off until the very last moment.
“Today could be the day the SCK Summer first-place team changes. The long-awaited Game 1 ban-pick begins!”
The fateful ban-pick time.
Current SCK first place versus second place.
To the game fans, the ten nicknames on screen must have looked magnificent.
“Aetrox is banned.”
“Hahahaha, Jimin’s Aetrox last time really became a hot topic, didn’t it?”
“Respect for the opponent—that’s why Maehwa Life is strong.”
Maehwa Life cleanly removed Aetrox from the game.
“Yes, P1 completing their Ahri-Vi composition. And the pick they’ll give this Jimin player who’s been showing terrifying form is!”
“It’s Runble.”
“Jimin has played this before—against Naru that time as well.”
With P1 taking Runble, the top matchup became Runble versus Naru.
“And that’s the end of ban-pick! How do you see it?”
(Jimin) – Runble vs Naru – (Hwasan)
(Oz) – Vi vs Sejuani – (Kaji)
(Luca) – Ahri vs Lissandra – (Solar)
(Rapid) – Ezreal vs Cherry – (Dexter)
(Durandal) – Ren vs Lulu – (Ice)
“As expected of Maehwa Life—they gave Dexter a high-carry Cherry and attached a utility support that can amplify that carry. The late-game tank-damage balance is excellent and they have plenty of CC. They’re clearly trusting their ADC’s late-game damage.”
“P1 brought the snowball composition they’re proud of. With strong teamfight power, how much early advantage they can seize will be key.”
“Both teams made confident choices. Which one is closer to the correct answer will have to be proven in the game. Game 1 begins!”
“P1, one! Two! Three!”
“P1 fighting!”
“Maehwa Life, one! Two! Three!”
“Maehwa Life fighting!”
Both teams’ fans pushed their throats to the limit, roaring their team’s name.
“Bot lane has no intention of backing off.”
“It’s really intense.”
Both bot lanes clashed hard from the start.
Setting reputation aside, both teams trusted the bottom duos they had.
“Yes, immediately looking for Lissandra.”
P1’s Vi taking the mid gank path.
“Charm!”
Lissandra got hit by the charm.
With her skill kit she could have escaped if her HP was high enough, but…
“She’s caught!”
Vi’s fists and skill combo dropped her.
“Heh heh heh, I told you earlier that because of this gank threat, HP management against Ahri had to be solid.”
“Trading into gank follow-up—Luca is in great form again today.”
P1, confident in mid-jungle 2v2s.
They scored again with that strength.
“Harpoon lands again.”
“If the jungler is visible, no reason to back off.”
In the top lane, Runble was showing superior skill accuracy against Naru.
“From early on P1 starts opening a gold lead.”
Based on the laners’ laning strength, P1 was gradually seizing the initiative.
“If Vi goes top, even Naru feels the pressure.”
“Conversely bot lane saw Sejuani, but yes—they back off right away.”
P1 kept taking advantages.
Naru, who had been stuck under tower, had to flee, while the bot duo who had pushed the wave only needed to step back a little.
“With Runble holding Equalizer, the fight just doesn’t work.”
The grubs fight ended with Runble’s downward movement.
“They take the dragon too—this is too perfect for P1?”
P1’s flow continued.
All six grubs monopolized. The dragon also went to P1.
Tower gold was being torn one-sidedly from the red side.
“Maehwa Life is behind in overall gold. But Cherry’s CS is fine, and no major damage has occurred yet, right?”
“But the Herald fight—if P1 takes Herald, breaks mid first tower, plants Ezreal mid and manages sides, it’ll be extremely uncomfortable.”
An unavoidable teamfight time was approaching for Maehwa as well.
“That’s right—they hit first!”
“Whoa whoa whoa!”
Maehwa had started the Herald first.
P1 set up and tried to initiate.
But even though P1’s initiate agent Ren used his ultimate over the wall from outside vision, he threw it into empty air.
“Whoa Ren! Ren! Ren!”
With his escape tool gone, Ren couldn’t even trade and died.
Suddenly down to a hollow 4v5, P1 chose to retreat.
But Vi, looking for a second engage, got caught.
Sejuani’s ultimate flew clean into Vi.
“P1 is taking too much damage here.”
“Maehwa Life!”
The teamfight they had judged winnable.
Instead they gave up two and even surrendered the Herald.
“Cherry takes two kills. There’s a bounty now.”
“Dexter’s Cherry—but when he gets kills like this······”
Maehwa’s victory formula. Dexter’s rapid growth was complete.
“Completely different from earlier, right?”
Ezreal should have been throwing skills at Cherry from long range.
But Cherry, who had taken kills and bought items, was instead pressuring Ezreal.
“Sejuani and Lulu are going!”
Ahri who had pushed deep on the side.
Ahri being ahead of Lissandra in growth had been a strength, and Maehwa wanted to break that setup.
Ahri met three champions on the side.
“Waaaaah she lived!”
By slipping away nimbly, Maehwa’s champions failed to stack their CC, and she strolled out.
“Top! Top!”
Ahri survived on the bottom side.
Conversely, Runble and Vi were threatening Naru.
Equalizer dropping on Naru.
And Vi’s ultimate.
“Caught!”
“P1’s top-side strength!”
Mid pulled the opponent in while top and jungle cut them down—P1 took a big advantage.
“Game 1 is already this fierce.”
“Just like first and second place.”
“But P1’s snowball clearly dulled with that regrettable play in front of the Herald. They need to cut down that Cherry once.”
Cherry already boasting monstrous CS thanks to jungle and mid’s sacrifices.
Maehwa’s resource allocation had a solid foundation.
“They have to catch Cherry!”
The teamfight in front of the dragon.
But Maehwa tanks’ ironclad marking, plus Cherry with Ghost and Lulu buffs, looked like a monster.
“Cherry! Cherry! Cherry!”
P1’s champions backed away from that power.
But this Cherry champion was also strong in the chase.
“They get the ace!”
“Again! Again! Again! Dexter ending!”
A scene all too familiar to fans of teams facing Maehwa.
And Maehwa Life secured Baron.
“They need to catch Cherry!”
“Aaaargh!”
Vi casting ultimate on Cherry.
But it was little more than a tantrum.
Even if Ahri tried to dive in, the movements of the champions protecting Cherry and their item setups looked far too perfect.
“Ezreal goes down too!”
“Maehwa Life!”
“GG!”
“Waaaaaaaaaah!”
Game 1 went to Maehwa.
Dejected P1 fans and ecstatic Maehwa fans stood in sharp contrast.
“Haa······”
“······”
Sangjin-hyung.
Jimin looked at Sangjin.
The support who had made the decisive mistake was blaming himself.
Because he was normally so bright and volunteered as the mood maker, he looked even more crushed.
The heavy atmosphere of the P1 waiting room.
In scrims this composition had ended games in the twenty-minute range every single time.
But it hadn’t worked against Maehwa.
“I thought it was fine.”
Yaohwan said.
“······”
If they could rewind right before the Herald fight, if the mistake hadn’t happened—if someone forced him to bet money, he felt they could have won.
But SOL was a game played by people.
When a confident game plan got stopped, it was hard to point at a few mistakes and shout that they hadn’t been wrong.
More importantly, if they failed to take down Maehwa now, they would enter playoffs on a losing streak, and that would have consequences.
They had to win.
Even if they had to take a detour.
“Ha, we didn’t get as much early advantage as I thought.”
Jungler Minhyeok blamed himself too.
“The opponents are just too good. So we have to cut down on mistakes. But let’s not beat ourselves up too hard.”
Junyeong said.
“It’s just one game lost, why are you all so down.”
Coach Song Hochang tried to lift the mood, but it wasn’t going to clear that easily.
“Jun-ah, is laning against the ADC hard?”
“It’s not hard, but Cherry got kills, no—kills are fine, but even when I just sit there the CS gap keeps widening so…”
Looking thoroughly frustrated by the loss, Kang Jun’s face was flushed and he stammered a little.
But even then he had the presence of mind to redirect so he wouldn’t accidentally blame teammates.
“I don’t think we can just let them do whatever they want.”
“Hmm······”
Junyeong and Yaohwan’s conversation.
“······”
They’re strong.
Jimin felt sorry for his teammates who kept sighing, yet he was also astonished by the opponent’s strength.
They seemed to be getting overwhelmed, yet the other side never collapsed and kept looking for chances.
Then the moment their team made one mistake, they latched on endlessly.
A few mistakes from teammates could have ended as mere incidents, but Maehwa turned them into the decisive moment of defeat.
Above all, Dexter’s damage and positioning. The team movements supporting that.
It felt like facing a well-trained army.
“If we can somehow create a crack in the 5v5, I think it’ll work. I’m feeling decent today and it’s doable. Jimin played that Runble well earlier too.”
“A crack······”
Yaohwan was deep in thought with a serious expression.
Of course, the start of Game 2 wasn’t far off.
“Whoa, P1 made a bold move.”
“Whether it becomes a brilliant move remains to be seen.”
The side selection given to the defeated P1.
They chose red side.
“This choice······ requires real courage.”
In the pro scene, blue side—which got first pick—was preferred.
Especially preferred in the current meta.
But P1 chose red side, which could hide the last pick.
It was a bold choice that could get them torn apart by fans if they lost.
“P1’s pick—yes, Orianna. And Xin Zhao.”
“Luca is confident on Orianna, and Xin Zhao is one of the picks Oz likes.”
Champions being selected for both teams.
“And Maehwa’s choice is.”
“Horn!”
“Yes, we saw your raw power, we acknowledge it, Maehwa Life.”
Maehwa Life gave Horn to their top.
A solid tank whose passive could greatly help the team’s late game.
“Unlike Game 1, P1 has taken a lot of champions that can still do something late.”
“Orianna has a lot she can do against Taliyah late, and support Braum—Varus depends on the item tree, but if he goes on-hit he won’t fall off.”
“But Orianna and Varus have heavy feet. Maehwa has plenty of skills to target that, so careful play will be needed.”
“P1 whose concept seems to have changed. And coach Jang Yaohwan! The final pick is!”
“Whoa whoa whoa?”
SOL Park began to buzz.
“Fiona?”
“You expected this pick, right?”
Fiona appeared on the selection screen. Completing the pick didn’t take long.
“The concept changed a bit, but this wasn’t the expected direction.”
“Giving such an important champion to this rookie Jimin.”
“She’s not as extreme a champion as she used to be. Depending on the item tree she can be tanky enough to hold the frontline. But it doesn’t look like they’re going to give Jimin that kind of role.”
Weak teamfight presence. But a champion who could dominate the game if she met the opponent 1v1.
The broadcast screen zoomed in on Jimin’s expressionless face.
“Will Maehwa finish it, or will P1 force a Game 3! Game 2 begins!”
Fans roared their teams’ names.
No matter how you looked at it, more tension showed on the P1 players’ faces.
(Jimin) – Fiona vs Horn – (Hwasan)
(Oz) – Xin Zhao vs Lee Sin – (Kaji)
(Luca) – Orianna vs Taliyah – (Solar)
(Rapid) – Varus vs Miss Fortune – (Dexter)
(Durandal) – Braum vs Ren – (Ice)
“Maehwa’s composition—Taliyah and Lee Sin both have great mobility, and above all the Horn-Ren-Miss Fortune ultimate combo looks theoretically incredible.”
“P1’s composition feels very different because of that final Fiona pick.”
“Fiona goes without saying, and mid—can Orianna even survive and grow against Taliyah and Lee Sin?”
Orianna with no mobility.
It was a game that would heavily test the mid laner’s AP mage mastery.
“Bot is intense as well.”
“As I said in Game 1, Rapid’s laning execution was really solid. He’s pressuring again with Varus this time.”
P1’s bot duo pressing as if they wanted revenge for Game 1.
“Oh, just now Horn’s skill—”
Fiona dodging Horn’s skill.
“She got a bit of an edge there?”
“Jimin is calmly and fiercely working through the laning phase.”
Fiona poking and disengaging to exploit Horn.
A somewhat desperate-looking game for P1 continued.
“Ah, that means she dies.”
“She slipped so many times well, but with Flash down it was hard to live.”
Orianna, who had held up well in lane, finally fell once to a Lee Sin gank.
But she teleported back.
Her CS was actually higher than Taliyah’s.
“Ah, every time she returns Fiona has bled Horn so much that Lee Sin has a hard time ganking.”
Fiona shutting down ganks with raw power.
A game with few kills continued to flow.
Before long, a teamfight in front of the Herald.
“Wow Lee Sin that—”
Lee Sin absorbing skills and escaping.
“Ren!”
Flash-ultimate combo landed cleanly on the enemy carries.
Followed by Miss Fortune’s ultimate.
“Maehwa Life!”
“Teamfight victory.”
“Wow, the champions moved like perfectly trained soldiers. It was fantastic.”
Maehwa’s skill combos so terrifyingly composed.
Once again Maehwa held the teamfight edge.
“Whoa whoa whoa!”
But Fiona, who had kept growing.
Near the top second tower she cast ultimate on Horn and charged.
“Wow he almost died.”
Horn escaped behind the tower by a hair’s breadth.
Fiona couldn’t chase further, and sighs rose from the P1 fans.
“But top second tower is down.”
“Fiona has opened a solid gold lead against Horn right now.”
Fiona steadily earning gold through stubborn side pushes.
“Bwoooo!”
But crisis arrived soon enough.
Taliyah and Ren came as reinforcements, and Horn could respond with ultimate from range.
“Ah, then she’s caught.”
She marked four vitals with her ultimate on Taliyah, but with her escape route blocked Fiona had to fight back.
Horn was walking over as well.
“Whoa whoa!”
“Waaaaaaaaah!”
Of the four vitals created by the ultimate, two still remained.
Even using Flash, she detonated the vitals at an unbelievable speed, and Taliyah dropped almost instantly.
“Ren too!”
Borrowing the healing from her ultimate, Fiona took down Ren as well.
“She got them!”
“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
The frustrating game.
At last P1 fans erupted in cheers.
“What is this player! Just now Horn even ulted for support and it was a 1v3 situation!”
“In a difficult game he pulled off an absurd play.”
Horn had to hide under tower again.
With one super play, a crack had been opened in Maehwa’s operations.