The Professional Fanboy
While President Yoon was busy self-reflecting and repenting, Kim Tae-hyun slipped inside with Lee Da-bi. The moment Tae-hyun disappeared indoors, the commotion vanished as if it had all been a lie. The massive crowd that had gathered dispersed in an instant, everyone returning to their respective places. The event staff looked utterly bewildered. They were relieved that the situation had been resolved, but they never expected it to happen so quickly and effortlessly.
"Did... did it go well?"
"For now, I guess...?"
"Where is the President? Where did he go?"
"Isn't it actually a relief? At least he didn't have to see this mess..."
"What mess did I not have to see?"
"Gasp! President Yoon!"
The staff member jumped in fright. President Yoon had appeared out of nowhere, sporting an inexplicably displeased expression. There was only one logical conclusion: He saw everything!
"I-I'm so sorry! We should have handled the situation much faster!"
"..."
President Yoon's expression soured even further. How utterly tactless... Seeing that look, the staff member grew even more terrified. To make matters worse, President Yoon was notorious for his dislike of gaming and esports. He was the type of man who openly grumbled, "If we're going to invest, we have baseball. Why waste money on video games?" Yet, of all things, this charity event was specifically organized for Pandemonium Online players...
"W-what should we do?"
"What do you mean, 'what should we do'? We have to salvage this as much as possible! Do you want to get fired with me? To make up for the delayed schedule, let's cut a few segments from the event."
"B-but is that okay? The fans will be furious."
"Sure, the fans will be mad. But they can't fire us. The man standing right over there, however, absolutely can. Now, choose. What are we cutting?"
"...We're cutting segments! Hey! Hey! What can we drop right now?"
"Uh, first, the player-fan meet-and-greet..."
"Skip that! Skip it and move straight to the next—"
Right at that moment, President Yoon's anger exploded. Having listened in while pretending not to pay attention, he barked fiercely, "What do you think of the fans?!"
"Pardon?"
"The only reason we can host a charity event like this, and the only reason LK Galaxy can even exist, is all thanks to the fans! And yet, you dare to deceive them? Is that something a person in charge should ever say?!"
"I-I'm terribly sorry!"
"???"
The other staff members nearby stared at President Yoon in utter bewilderment. This was the same man who, whenever he opened his mouth, would complain, Why are we spending money on games like this? or I'll never understand the tastes of young people these days, or We should be pouring money into baseball instead. Had he eaten something bad?
"Why is he acting like that?"
"Do you think he had a drink before coming here?"
"No, I don't smell any alcohol."
"Let's just play along with him for now."
Quickly wrapping up their hushed conversation, the staff spoke up again.
"I-in that case, we will proceed as scheduled."
"No. We cannot afford any delays, so let's cut the opening speech."
"Uh, but that's the speech you were supposed to give, President Yoon."
"Which is exactly why it's fine to cut it."
"????"
Did he really get drunk? Normally, President Yoon was a man who took immense pleasure in torturing people with his long-winded speeches at events like this. For him to give up such a joy was unprecedented.
"In that case, we should have some time left over. It would be excellent to have the players come up and briefly introduce themselves."
"Ah, that sounds like a wonderful idea, sir. The fans will love it."
"I shall stand right beside them, introduce each one personally, and lead the applause."
"President Yoon, there's really no need for you to go that far. You don't have to..."
"No. I must take responsibility."
The staff were completely flabbergasted by his insistence. Why was a man who usually wouldn't spare a single glance at video games acting like this?
Should we stop him?
Of course we should. Who knows what kind of backlash we'll face if we don't?
"As expected of you, President Yoon! Your dedication to meticulously overseeing every detail of this tournament has truly moved me!"
"However, please leave such tedious tasks to us! You don't need to trouble yourself..."
"I said, I will do it!!"
"?!?!"
"Did only the two of you come? Where are the others?"
"Well, this tournament is for teams of two."
"But you still could have brought your other two teammates along."
"Ah. I suppose we could have."
Tae-hyun replied with a smile to the questions of the surrounding players.
"But they don't have time for that."
"..."
"..."
There wasn't a single trace of jest in his voice—he was one hundred percent serious! The players quickly changed the subject.
"Mr. Kim Tae-hyun, if you ever have the chance in the future, would you consider appearing on my personal stream?"
"I'm quite busy with quests, so I doubt I'll have the time."
"We can completely adjust to your schedule! Just say the word, and no matter what we're doing, we'll drop everything and run!"
"Hmm. In that case, I'll think about..."
"!"
"!!!"
The eyes of the players chatting nearby sparkled. They had fully expected Tae-hyun to reject the offer outright, but he said he would think about it!
"Mr. Kim Tae-hyun! I can run over too!"
"Me too!"
Though they were all considered famous players in their own right, compared to Tae-hyun, they were mere fireflies before a full moon. When they streamed, they mostly drew in domestic fans; when Tae-hyun streamed, viewers flocked from all over the globe.
"You already do the same kind of stream! Why would Kim Tae-hyun want to appear on something like that?!"
"What's wrong with that? The fans would love it! Besides, while Kim Tae-hyun would be great, imagine how hilarious it would be if Cain appeared too. Everyone would look forward to it!"
"Ugh... I can't argue with that."
"Mr. Kim Tae-hyun, I run a stream where I speedrun high-difficulty dungeons in Pan-On. If you were to appear, you could show the fans a class that is on a completely different level..."
While the players bickered and clamored around him, Tae-hyun exchanged greetings with a familiar face.
"Hello, Mr. Kim Chul-soo. It's been a while."
"It has been a while, Mr. Kim Tae-hyun."
This was the ranker Priest who had first teamed up with Tae-hyun during the tournament and was now playing for Yuseong Gaming! While his skills were top-notch, his most incredible trait was his shining personality. Even when Lee Se-yeon and Tae-hyun were constantly at each other's throats and Do Dong-su was acting up, Chul-soo had held the team together with infinite patience. It was a talent Tae-hyun could never hope to replicate.
"What is Lee Se-yeon up to these days?"
"She strictly forbade me from telling you, Mr. Kim Tae-hyun. I'm sorry."
"..."
Tae-hyun wasn't flustered. He had fully expected as much!
"Well, judging by your reaction, she's probably still trying to hunt down that Ancient Giant."
"..."
Spot on. Tae-hyun could understand Lee Se-yeon's feelings. If he hadn't been able to defeat the Ancient Giant himself, he wouldn't have backed down easily either; he would have mobilized every method at his disposal. It was the pride of a top-tier ranker!
"Still, hearing that Lee Se-yeon is struggling over there puts a smile on my face."
"..."
Kim Chul-soo remained silent. Lee Se-yeon had also suffered from a severe case of jealousy whenever she heard about Tae-hyun's quests succeeding. ...I definitely shouldn't mention that.
"By the way, didn't the President of LK seem a bit strange? He held onto my hand for an unusually long time during our handshake."
"Hmm. Now that you mention it..."
Tae-hyun recalled what had transpired during the introductions earlier. It had certainly been peculiar.
Usually, at charity events like this, the host would deliver a long-winded speech, but he had started with just those two sentences! The gathered players had been so bewildered they could only exchange confused glances. Was the President just incredibly busy?
But what followed was even stranger. The President had proceeded to call up each player one by one, introducing them and leading the applause. From the players' perspective, it was honestly touching. Such meticulous consideration, and from the president of a major conglomerate, no less! And he had been particularly long-winded when introducing Tae-hyun.
"Hmm. Thinking back on it, it definitely was bizarre."
It was so confusing that one couldn't tell if it was a charity tournament or a Kim Tae-hyun fan meeting!
"Could the President be a fan of yours, Mr. Kim Tae-hyun?"
"I doubt it. I heard from someone I know that he actually dislikes Pan-On."
It was information that had trickled down from Chairman Yoo!
"But that introduction earlier... it's hard to imagine anyone who doesn't love Pan-On giving a speech like that."
"That's just what it means to be a professional. Since he's hosting an esports charity tournament, he's probably doing his absolute best to show interest, even if he doesn't personally care for it."
"Oh..."
Kim Chul-soo found that explanation quite plausible.
"He did mention wanting to chat separately later if there's time, but he was probably just being polite."
"Now that you put it that way, it does seem likely. We should already be grateful that he hosted this charity event; we shouldn't trouble him any further."
If President Yoon had been standing nearby to hear their conversation, he would have clutched the back of his neck in sheer frustration.
Lee Da-bi clenched her fists tightly, her expression tense. While Tae-hyun didn't even recognize half of the players present, Lee Da-bi knew every single one of them inside out.
That player over there is the famous Bard who recently broke into the top ten streaming ranks. That one is the Painter player who consistently delivers solid results. And that one is the player who recently gained massive popularity by streaming himself blowing his entire fortune in the Valley...
"You're Ms. Lee Da-bi, right? Wow, you look exactly the same as your in-game avatar!"
"Ah, hello."
Lee Da-bi grew slightly nervous as players famous for their good looks began striking up conversations with her.
"I'm a huge fan! If you don't mind, could you sign my uniform?"
"Sure. Let me get Tae-hyun—"
"No, I want your autograph, Ms. Lee Da-bi!"
"??? Why?"
Are they planning to use my autograph to impersonate me to the Power Warrior Guild members? ...The thought crossed her mind, but Lee Da-bi quickly calmed herself. Come to think of it, the members of the Power Warrior Guild were not so gullible as to be fooled by a mere signature. They were the type to remain suspicious to the very end until they saw their Guild Leader's face with their own eyes!
"Uh... because I'm a fan?"
"Ah, I see. You're planning to sell it, right? But a uniform with my autograph won't fetch a very high price. Naturally, Tae-hyun's uniform would be the most expensive, followed by Mr. Cain's..."
The players, who had been listening in bewilderment, burst into laughter all at once.
"You certainly have a great sense of humor, Ms. Lee Da-bi."
"Hahaha! Exactly. As if Cain's uniform would be expensive."
"Your uniform would definitely be worth more. What a funny joke."
"Oh, is Mr. Cain's uniform not that expensive? I thought his popularity..."
Despite everything, Cain was actually quite popular. Most fans didn't know the exact inner workings of the guild. On the surface, Cain was a diligent and devoted tank. Though he did get some flak for his domestic chores...
"No, it's not a matter of popularity. It's just that Mr. Cain hands out autographs so frequently that his signed uniforms aren't worth much..."
"Exactly. I heard he even signs things for people who aren't even his fans the moment he spots them."
He was the king of fan service, forcing his signatures upon even those who didn't ask for them!
"...I-I see."
"And I'm not trying to sell it. I'm genuinely a fan of yours, unni. You probably don't know me, but you're my role model..."
"Ah, I know you. Nixia-san. You're a Level 198 Bard, and you recently cleared a quest and earned 8,300 gold."
"..."