The Power of Misunderstanding
At least they were winning. If they had thrown the game after all that, her blood pressure would have doubled.
Please don't mess up, please don't mess up...
Whether Evangeline's desperate prayers were answered or not, the players managed to close out the match without any major blunders.
“We won! We actually won!”
“We did it!”
“See? You can do it if you try, you punks! Just play like this from now on! Stop abandoning us like absolute maniacs!”
“Well, technically they abandoned us this match too, but...!”
The healers and tanks hugged the damage dealers in celebration. Usually, they growled at each other, threatening, "If you pull a stunt like that one more time, I'm going to team-kill you," but all of that vanished with the sweet taste of victory. After all, winning has a way of dissolving any deep-seated grudges!
“But Scott, usually you never retreat once you start fighting, even if it kills you. Did you eat something weird today?”
“Yeah. Usually you run around like a crackhead.”
“...”
Scott reflected on his teammates' sharp words. I really did play like a dog back then!
“What I learned from Kim Tae-hyun was a huge help.”
“Oh...! Is that true? That's amazing!”
“As expected of a world-class player. He really is on another level!”
“What did Kim Tae-hyun teach you? Tell us too!”
The Toronto team's damage dealers wiped under their noses and said,
“Kim Tae-hyun taught us the most important thing.”
“W-What is it?”
“To... believe in ourselves...!”
The healers and tanks stared at them, dumbfounded.
“What? Seriously?”
“Not that you should believe in yourselves less?”
“Not that you should actually use your brains while playing?”
Unfounded self-confidence was the one thing these idiots had in absolute abundance...
“No! Don't judge Kim Tae-hyun by the standards of peasants like you!”
The damage dealers snapped. How dare they be so sacrilegious!
“Sorry, sorry. We were just so surprised.”
“Kim Tae-hyun believed in us! He believed in our potential!”
Tae-hyun hadn't said things like, 'Why are you playing like this?' or 'You guys are trash!' To the damage dealers who had braced themselves for the worst, this had been deeply moving. Of course, Tae-hyun had actually just thought, They're not Cain, so why should I bother meddling that much? and let it slide... But the damage dealers couldn't help but misunderstand.
“Was there nothing else?”
“He taught us skill combinations and how to exploit weaknesses.”
“...Isn't that the most important thing?”
That sounded like a much grander lesson than 'believe in yourself'...
But the damage dealers flared up again.
“No! It's completely different!”
“It was a much more spiritual, mental teaching!”
“H-Hey, why are you getting mad? That's amazing too!”
As soon as the match ended, reporters rushed over for the post-match interview. Even the 2nd Division was a hot league that drew massive attention! Post-match interviews were a given. On top of that, the Toronto Maple Bears were a highly talked-about team. Their coach had changed mid-season, and their team color was incredibly distinct... Since such a team had just overturned a disadvantageous matchup to win, everyone was dying to know how!
“Daniel! You overturned the odds and secured a victory against your opponents. How do you feel?”
“Thank you. I'm incredibly happy right now. Our opponents are a strong team, so I'm thrilled we could win. I believe we were able to win because our coach and all of our staff supported us.”
Evangeline's eyes welled up at his textbook response. If only they could play the game as textbook as they interview, I'd have nothing left to wish for...!
“But more than anything, we were able to win this match thanks to Kim Tae-hyun!”
“?”
“??!”
“!!!!!!”
The reporters, who had been scribbling listlessly, all snapped their heads up at once. It was as if they had rehearsed it!
“Did you just say Kim Tae-hyun?”
“Yes! Despite his busy schedule, Kim Tae-hyun took the time to come and help us! If he hadn't helped us, we wouldn't have been able to win this match like this!”
“Oh...”
“Is that for real?”
“Wait, does Kim Tae-hyun even have a personal life?”
One of the reporters muttered. Tae-hyun had to maintain his level as a Pan-On ranker, complete quests, play in league matches, manage his own gaming team as the owner, and apparently, he was even managing his players directly... And in the midst of all that, he had time to go to another team as a temporary coach? Was he even human?
“Does that matter right now? Hurry up and write it down! We need to publish this article!”
“Ah, right. Sorry, sorry.”
The reporters excitedly took down the players' words. It was already a highly anticipated situation, but now Kim Tae-hyun was involved! To the media, Kim Tae-hyun was practically a guaranteed hit. It was to the point where a guide titled 'Tips on How to Squeeze Kim Tae-hyun's Name into Any Article' was circulating among reporters!
[Exclusive] Internal Strife Intensifies After Shocking Defeat... Rumors of Coach Dismissal. Is the Reason 'Kim Tae-hyun' After All?
[Focus] Aggressive Territory Construction Following Massive Investment... What Lies Ahead for the Auston Kingdom? Kim Tae-hyun States, 'I Don't Really Care'
[Shock] Famous Ranker Gary's Hidden Relationship with Kim Tae-hyun Shocks Everyone... Turns out they just passed each other once...
Of course, these articles were flooded with hundreds of angry comments.
But this time, it was the real deal! The reporters eagerly typed away. They had to publish it faster than anyone else, before anyone else!
“Ugh... My blood pressure...”
“General Manager! Please calm down!”
“What did I tell you! Huh?! Didn't I say it would be dangerous if the Toronto team brought in Kim Tae-hyun as a coach?!”
The general manager of the opposing team stomped around in a frenzy.
The staff had no excuses. To be honest, when the general manager had warned them, they had secretly doubted it. No way, would Kim Tae-hyun actually go? How could someone as busy as Kim Tae-hyun find the time to coach? Furthermore, they didn't think that even if Kim Tae-hyun did coach them, the effects would show so immediately. Kim Tae-hyun was a human, not a god, so how could there be an instant transformation? ...But it really had happened. And of all times, it had to be against them! The results were so dramatic that they were left utterly speechless. With the players' weaknesses completely patched up, their combat power had skyrocketed.
“What did you say before? Take responsibility!”
“Pardon? What did I say?”
"General Manager, we will absolutely bring Kim Tae-hyun on board!"
"If the Maple Bears are recruiting him, we must recruit him as well!"
The staff members' faces turned pale. Come to think of it, they had said that!
“W-Well, General Manager, that was...”
“Keep your word!”
“T-That's impossible! We don't have the budget for that!”
“Does everything have to be solved with money?! Sincerity! Solve it with absolute sincerity!”
“What era do you think we're living in? That doesn't work anymore! You can't solve this without money! Haven't you read the articles about the Toronto team? They said they poured a fortune just to get a single coaching session! Not to mention, their head coach and general manager visited him multiple times to beg him!”
Of course, it was a complete rumor. The reporters had gotten excited and blown it out of proportion! Tae-hyun had simply done it as a favor for an acquaintance, but the articles were screaming things like: 'The Toronto Maple Bears turned the world-class player's heart with an astronomical offer and treatment! Their choice was correct!' It sounded so plausible that even the staff members misunderstood, thinking, So that's how they won him over! and Well, of course it would take that much!
“I'll go and personally kneel before him!”
The general manager was a highly passionate man. Although their budget was constantly being slashed and the gaming team was treated like an afterthought within the conglomerate, he possessed a fierce determination to achieve results and prove himself! He might not know much about games, but his willpower was extraordinary.
“General Manager, our head coach has a lot of pride...”
“Tell him to tag along if he doesn't want to get fired!”
“...But still, the budget...”
“Krrr...!”
The general manager gnashed his teeth. Other major gaming teams were running with massive support from their parent companies, while they had to tighten their belts... Lately, he was incredibly envious of Yuseong Gaming. Just what had happened within the Yuseong Group for them to make such a massive investment? There were rumors ranging from the chairman going crazy to the chairman playing Pan-On himself, but those had to be nonsense... They must have predicted how massively Pan-On would grow and prepared in advance! As expected, the talents of Yuseong Group are incredible...! They had accurately predicted Pan-On's marketability and successfully generated results through massive investment! The brand promotion effect Yuseong Gaming was currently generating through its achievements was astronomical. We should have done that too!
“Hello, Chairman.”
“Ah. It's been a while, President Yoon.”
President Yoon of the LK Group greeted Chairman Yu with deep respect. Given the age difference, Chairman Yu was treated as one of the elder statesmen of the business world. There were very few people who wouldn't be polite in front of him.
Is this man aging backward? President Yoon wondered as he looked at Chairman Yu. Ever since they last met, the chairman's complexion had improved, and he seemed much healthier.
Well, everything he touches turns to gold these days...
As the heir to the LK Group, President Yoon did not like the Yuseong Group. To him, Yuseong Group was the number one rival that had to be overthrown! As long as Yuseong Group existed, LK Group could never rise above second place.
“What did you bring today?”
“Yes. I brought a celadon tea set crafted by a master artisan.”
The reason the business tycoons had gathered today was for a charity auction. With the year drawing to a close, they gathered to auction off items they had brought and donate the proceeds. It was a heartwarming and noble event, but even here, competition existed. It was a battle of who could bring the rarest and finest item. A pride war of sorts! They couldn't bring something so rare it bordered on a cultural heritage, nor could they bring something blatantly and gaudily expensive. Because of this, the presidents and chairmen racked their brains to select the perfect item. President Yoon was highly confident in his choice. A celadon tea set personally fired by a famous master! Just looking at it, it exuded elegance. Everyone was bound to marvel at it.
“Oh... That sounds nice, President Yoon. By any chance, is that pottery made by Master Kim of Doseong?”
“H-How did you know?”
“Because I have one at home too...? He is indeed a great man.”
President Yoon felt deflated at Chairman Yu's words. He thought he had chosen something completely unexpected, but Chairman Yu had guessed it just by hearing the description. What in the world...! Not yet... It's not over. It could still be better than what the others brought.
“What did you bring, Chairman?”
“Ah, I...”
Chairman Yu blushed slightly, looking somewhat embarrassed.
“?”
What on earth did he bring to react like that?
“Ahem. I brought a uniform signed by the Pan-On players.”
“...”
For a moment, President Yoon had to suppress a sudden urge to laugh and sneer at the same time. A uniform signed by Pan-On players! Who would even want that! It's not even baseball or soccer, just Pan-On... Good grief... President Yoon mocked Chairman Yu inwardly. No matter how well Yuseong Group's gaming team was doing, bringing that to an event like this was absurd. He's going to embarrass himself today!