An Unexpected Mentor
"I don't care how few friends you have, if she keeps bothering you, just block her," Tae-hyun said firmly.
Lee Da-bi looked flustered. "Oh, no. She's not bothering me. And Evangeline actually has friends now."
"Virtual friends? Imaginary friends?" Cain chimed in from the side.
"Ahem. Da-bi. People who ask to borrow money aren't actually your friends, they're..." This was 100% based on personal experience!
"No, she really has friends. I mean, she was selected as a national representative, so how could she not have friends? Besides, her class penalty is being suppressed now."
"Is that so?" Tae-hyun's tone remained deeply skeptical. "Then why does she keep contacting you?"
"Ah. She said she's coming to Korea soon and asked if we could meet up..."
"Suspicious!"
"Highly suspicious!"
"It is indeed extremely suspicious, senior!"
The rest of the group reacted in unison. Lee Da-bi thought to herself at their reaction, Just what kind of reputation does Evangeline have to deserve this...?
"I-I mean, she doesn't know anyone in Korea, so isn't it natural for her to reach out when she visits? It's not like we're strangers."
Grab. Tae-hyun took Lee Da-bi's hand.
"?!"
"Da-bi."
"Y-Yes, yes, yes???"
"Let's go out together."
"Uh, yes, well..."
"...?" Was she broken? Tae-hyun tilted his head as Lee Da-bi kept repeating herself like a malfunctioning robot.
"I said, let's go out together."
"Yes... Yes! Yes!"
"Right. It is a bit suspicious. It's not that I don't trust Evangeline, but just in case, let's go together."
"..."
Lee Da-bi began to feel incredibly sorry for Evangeline.
The Toronto Maple Bears. They were a Canadian esports organization and one of the teams in Pan-On's 2nd Division. Recently, they had been making waves as one of the rising powerhouses in the league!
At first, the organizations that failed to make it into the 1st Division reacted with outrage: "How can we, with our pride, play in the 2nd Division? Look at the rankers on our roster!" However, after witnessing the massive success of the 1st Division, they quickly changed their tune: "Ahem, well, we can just dominate the 2nd Division and get promoted..." Thus, they began participating in the lower league.
Thanks to this, the competition in the 2nd Division was just as fierce as in the 1st Division. It was only natural, considering the top teams in the 2nd Division would earn promotion to the prestigious 1st Division at the end of the season.
Still, the fans remained anxious. The Maple Bears were incredible when they were on a roll, but once they started to crumble, they hit rock bottom in the blink of an eye. They desperately needed to improve!
And Evangeline was the head coach of this very team. Just because someone was a high-ranking player didn't mean they had to play as an active competitor. Some rankers with prior coaching experience in other games took on managerial roles, while others chose to build their careers as coaches.
"Uggghhh..." Evangeline groaned, deep in thought. Managing the players was just too difficult!
As a natural loner, Evangeline possessed absolutely zero leadership skills to guide the players. Her raw gaming expertise was still top-tier, allowing her to formulate combat strategies, analyze opponent strengths, and draft excellent tactics... but comforting the players and uniting them as a team was an entirely different beast.
The other coaches seemed to share her sentiments.
"Aren't our players' personalities a bit too... extreme?"
"It's not that they lack skill, but they just ignore our tactical instructions and do whatever they want..."
"Where is the head coach? We need to prepare for the next match."
"...I heard the head coach resigned."
"!? !?"
"W-Wait, why? How? Sure, the last match was a bit shaky, but we still won! I know the players are stubborn, but resigning over that?!"
"No, it's just a health issue."
"Ah..."
"Phew, what a relief."
"Well, if it's a health issue..."
"What do you mean, 'what a relief'?!"
"Ah, right."
The coaches quickly snapped back to reality.
"What about the replacement?"
"The front office is looking for one right now, but it'll take some time... In the meantime, the head coach will have to step up as the acting manager."
"..."
Evangeline's face turned pale.
"Me?"
"Yes, you."
"But I signed on as the head coach..."
"Didn't you sign the clause stating you'd take over as acting manager in the event of the head coach's absence?"
"...Yes..."
She had never imagined things would turn out like this! Though Evangeline was in utter despair, humans always seemed to unleash hidden potential when pushed into a corner. Summoning superhuman strength, she somehow managed to drag the players through the next match and secure a victory.
But I can't keep doing this forever! Evangeline desperately searched for someone she could learn from. Then, it hit her. There was someone in the 1st Division who was leading a small, chaotic team all by himself and achieving legendary success!
Lee Da-bi stared in confusion at Evangeline, who was standing outside the airport terminal clutching a massive bundle of packages. What on earth was she holding?
"What did you bring?"
"Ah, this... a gift..." Evangeline mumbled, hesitantly holding out the bundle. It was essentially a bribe!
"What is all this?"
"These are Excel mints... they're mint candies..."
"..."
"...and some maple syrup, maple butter, ice wine, and chocolates filled with ice wine..."
It was the ultimate Canadian tourist souvenir package! Lee Da-bi accepted the gifts, thoroughly bewildered.
"Th-Thank you?"
"Oh, it's... it's nothing."
Only after handing over the gifts did Evangeline realize something. Now that I think about it, I've never actually met this person in real life to talk!
Talking online or in Pan-On had been perfectly fine, but meeting face-to-face in a one-on-one setting made her incredibly nervous! If Cain had been there, he would have nodded in deep sympathy and started a passionate conversation about the struggles of being socially awkward.
Evangeline looked around frantically. I should have brought one of the other coaches to help me...!
Watching her from a distance, the members of Team KL began to whisper among themselves.
"Why is she shaking her head like that?"
"Do you think she's trying to signal her hidden accomplices?"
"Highly suspicious indeed."
In reality, Team KL was far more suspicious. Passersby in the airport were constantly casting bizarre looks at them.
"Who are those people?"
"Shh. Don't look at them, they look scary."
"But Mom, I think that's Kim Tae-hyun..."
"Why would Kim Tae-hyun be acting like that in public? Don't talk nonsense!"
"Aw... but I'm pretty sure it really is him."
Lee Da-bi hesitated for a moment before asking Evangeline, "Um, by the way..."
"Yes? Please, tell me anything!"
"Ah, no, it's nothing like that. It's just... when I told Tae-hyun I was meeting you, he asked if he could tag along..."
"...!"
Evangeline's eyes widened in shock. Wait, it was this easy before I even brought it up?
"Of course!"
"Oh. Are you really okay with that?"
"Yes! Absolutely!"
Seeing Evangeline react with such pure joy suddenly made Lee Da-bi feel a bit miffed. Why was she feeling this way?
"Is something wrong?"
"Ah, it's nothing. I'll call him over then."
"Where is he—"
Evangeline choked on her words. The members of Team KL had suddenly poured out from behind a nearby pillar.
"...I was wondering where you were..."
"Haha! Evangeline, long time no see. It's not like we hid because we didn't trust you or anything..."
"..."
Only then did Evangeline realize the truth. Th-These jerks...! They were genuinely doubting me...!
"Huh? Isn't that Kim Tae-hyun?"
"I think it is! And that's Lee Da-bi. Who's the foreigner?"
"That's Evangeline! The Canadian ranker! I recognize her!"
"What is this? Are they doing some kind of Pan-On event?"
"Where's Cain? He's the only one missing."
"Isn't that short player over there Cain?"
"Cain has six arms, Mom!"
As the crowd began to murmur and gather, Tae-hyun quickly spoke up.
"...Let's move somewhere else first!"
"Here, have some candy."
"?"
"A gift from Canada..."
"Ah, I see."
Tae-hyun handed the candy to Cain. He wasn't particularly in the mood for sweets. Cain excitedly tore open the wrapper and tossed one into his mouth.
"#&!$^&#@!"
"What's wrong with him?"
"It must taste terrible. Let's not eat it. Cain, don't you dare spit it out. Evangeline brought that all the way from Canada."
"&^*!@!"
Leaving Cain to suffer, Tae-hyun turned to Evangeline. "So, what brings you all the way here? Ah, I've got it."
"!"
Evangeline gasped in surprise. As expected of Kim Tae-hyun...! There was a reason he was dominating the brutal 1st Division all by himself. He had figured it out instantly!
"You came to travel to Korea because of the K-Pop craze!"
"...No, I didn't! I don't even listen to it!"
While K-Pop was indeed a global phenomenon, it was a world away from a social outcast like Evangeline!
"What? You don't listen to it?"
"Tae-hyun, Evangeline is a loner. Loners don't listen to trendy stuff like that," Cain said, nodding sagely as if he knew everything.
Evangeline resisted the urge to smack him on the back of his head.
"That's not it..."
Evangeline began to explain her situation. As they listened, the members of Team KL nodded in understanding, thoroughly impressed. Oh... so that's what happened...!
"Wow. Being a manager sounds tough."
"Coaching is no joke either. Indeed, indeed."
Hearing Cain and Jeong Su-hyeok's exchange, Choi Sang-yun spoke up, utterly dumbfounded.
"Hey. There isn't a single team in Pan-On that has it as easy as you guys do. We are playing this game on absolute easy mode!"
After all, all they had to do was empty their brains and play, and Tae-hyun would practically set the table and spoon-feed them the victory!
After listening to Evangeline's explanation, Tae-hyun asked with a dubious expression, "So... you want me to be your manager?"
He was already the 1st Division team captain, the organization's owner, and an active player. Was she insane to ask him to manage another team on top of that?!
"No! I just came to get some advice. All the players on my team highly respect you."
"Re... respect?"
"Are they out of their minds?"
"No, it actually makes sense. If they've never personally dealt with you, senior, it's entirely possible they respect you," Jeong Su-hyeok chimed in.
"Ah. True..."
The other players nodded. Indeed, if they hadn't experienced his schemes firsthand, it was perfectly reasonable to respect him!
"That opinion will change the moment they get promoted to the 1st Division..."
"They need to experience being spawn-camped and killed repeatedly to snap out of it..."
"Quiet, you guys. So, what exactly do you want me to do when I meet your players?"
"Give them some heartfelt advice?"
Listening from the side, Cain let out a low groan. "Hmm. That sounds difficult."
"I didn't ask for your help, though," Evangeline replied flatly.
"..." Cain paused for a moment, then pleaded, "...Let me do it too!"
"W-Well, sure, if you really want to. It's not that they lack skill, but they're all incredibly selfish and individualistic..."
When they played, they focused entirely on themselves rather than the team! For instance, even if their healer was getting absolutely pulverized right below them, they wouldn't even think of helping. Instead, they would charge forward, determined to settle a 1v1 duel with the enemy damage dealer. Witnessing such plays was enough to give any fan a collective aneurysm.
Tae-hyun nodded as he listened. He had encountered this type of player countless times. Playing solely for oneself and playing for the team were two completely different things.
"Hmm. I understand," Tae-hyun nodded.
"Really?"
"Yeah. They want to know how they can completely ignore their backline, focus solely on dealing damage just like I do, and still carry the game to victory, right?"
"N-No! That is not what I was asking!"
Evangeline was utterly horrified. What she wanted was for the legendary Tae-hyun, whom her players deeply respected, to go and tell them, That kind of playstyle is wrong! This is how you play as a team! She absolutely did not want him to go and say, Your playstyle is correct! Keep focusing on your own damage and play even harder!
This man was about to make everything ten times worse!