Wait, Huh?
"Wait, huh?" Behind the huddle of college students filing in, there were some people who looked incredibly familiar. "!!!" The PD recognized the players of Team KL, and his jaw dropped.
It wasn't just MBS, the esports broadcasting specialist, that coveted Tae-hyun; major public networks like KBC felt exactly the same way. Before Tae-hyun formed his professional gaming team and officially entered the league, he had occasionally appeared on KBC's variety shows. Every single time he did, the viewership ratings shattered the ceiling, leaving the producers weeping tears of joy.
He was a guaranteed box-office hit, a literal cheat code for ratings who delivered absolute results the moment he stepped in front of a camera! ...The only problem was that despite possessing such natural star power, Tae-hyun had absolutely no desire to appear on television. While other players practically begged and pleaded for even a second of screen time, Tae-hyun wanted for nothing, meaning he wouldn't budge no matter how much the networks groveled.
In fact, they didn't even have to look far back. Just recently, at least four or five shows had tried to cast Tae-hyun or Team KL. They wanted to hear his thoughts on the World Cup, or simply secure a brief interview... Honestly, as long as Tae-hyun showed up, anything was fine. Just having him utter a few words would be more than enough to send the ratings soaring.
Wait, why is he here? To think that the very man who had coldly rejected every single broadcast request would suddenly show up on this set!
"Hey. Go over there where the Team KL players are and find out what's going on."
"Oh, come on, PD-nim..."
"?"
"Why would Team KL players be here? Stop talking nonsense."
"..."
At his subordinate's response, the PD rolled up a script in his hand. Thwack!
"Who do you think you're calling blind, you punk?! Get your butt over there right now!"
"I-I'm sorry!"
The staff member scrambled away in a panic. Of course, internally, he was grumbling, Did the PD eat something weird today? Why on earth would the legendary Kim Tae-hyun show up at a drama shoot?
...Huh???
?
"A-Are you... Player K-K-Kim Tae-hyun?"
"Yes, I'm Kim Tae-hyun."
Realizing it really was Tae-hyun, the staff member gasped in shock.
"What brings such a humble person to this precious place?!"
"...?"
"Aaaah! I said it backward! I mean, what brings such a precious person to this humble place...!"
"We came to watch because Cain's younger sister is appearing as an extra. As you know, Cain worries about his sister a lot."
"...!"
To think that hiring a college club recommended by a junior staff member because they needed extra bodies would lead to this! The staff member's hands trembled with sheer emotion. This is a massive scoop! He scurried back to the PD.
The PD was staring at him with intense curiosity. If there weren't so many eyes on him, he would have run over to ask himself.
"Why are they here?"
"They said Cain's younger sister is among the college students coming today, so they came to watch."
"...!!"
The world was small, but to think something like this would happen! The PD couldn't close his mouth.
"I was thinking of going to get an autograph. Should I get one for you too?"
"Sure... Wait, no, you idiot! Is this the time for that?!"
"?"
"Clean up inside! Make some space. Clear out the waiting room so they can rest!"
"Uh, didn't you say we didn't have any spare space, so we should just make them stand?"
"When did I ever say that?! Move your butt, now!"
The PD roared. The staff member felt wronged, but what could he do when the boss was like this? He had no choice but to grumble and start clearing a space.
"Make some room, and prepare some light refreshments too!"
"???"
Did he really eat something weird? Regardless of what his staff thought, the PD busied himself with the preparations. He absolutely could not afford to upset these VIPs!
"Huh? They're treating us way better than I expected," Cain remarked.
Kim Ye-ri replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"See? I told you. Stop worrying about weird things."
"A-Are you embarrassed of me?"
"I'm not embarrassed of you, but it's a bit awkward with everyone staring at us."
Kim Ye-ri wasn't wrong. Although there were several actors on set and even more staff members, everyone's eyes were glued to a single spot. The players of Team KL!
Why on earth are they here?
I heard one of the extras is someone's sibling?
Whoa, Kim Tae-hyun's sibling?! That's insane. Which one is it?
No, Cain's sister.
...Well, that's still pretty amazing.
A few quick-witted staff members had already managed to snag autographs. Even the director of photography had asked for one, claiming it was for his daughter!
"Excuse me, but would the Team KL players perhaps be willing to make a brief appearance?"
The PD asked cautiously. A cameo appearance by Team KL would be an unprecedented jackpot. If they agreed, it would generate an astronomical amount of buzz! His lips curled upward just imagining the news headlines featuring Team KL.
Ah, wait. What if they refuse? The moment the words left his mouth, he remembered that Tae-hyun was notoriously strict about these things. If he rejected the offer...
"Well, I don't see why not. We just need to show our faces for a moment, right? Acting is a bit out of our league, though."
Expecting Team KL to act was indeed asking too much. They simply didn't have that kind of talent. Listening from the side, Cain chimed in quietly.
"I, uh, might be able to handle a minor speaking role..."
"Stop talking nonsense and stay quiet."
"..."
Confronted by Tae-hyun's completely deadpan, dead-serious tone, Cain instantly shrank back.
"A-Are you really doing this?"
"Yes."
"Really, truly? You're not joking???"
"...Should we not do it?"
"No, no! You are incredibly welcome! Ah, by the way, a friend of mine is preparing a new variety show. Would you be interested in appearing on—"
"No."
"...Well, can't blame a guy for trying! Thank you so much for this!"
"Please don't misunderstand. We generally avoid appearing in fields where we lack expertise."
At Tae-hyun's words, the PD waved his hands dismissively.
"Not at all! You have a natural gift for variety shows, Player Kim Tae-hyun! I watched your last appearance, and it was just spectacular..."
"I wouldn't know about that... In any case, we do tend to avoid broadcasts, but seeing how warmly you treated the extras today, PD-nim, we felt it would be impolite of us to just stand by."
"..."
A cold sweat broke out down the PD's spine. He vividly remembered shouting, "Just shove them somewhere out of the way!" right before Tae-hyun arrived. ...He won't find out, right?
There are way too many loose lips around here... If even a single staff member let it slip to Tae-hyun, he would be completely exposed.
"I... I've always paid close attention to those kinds of details. Besides, those college students were brought in through a junior's recommendation, so how could I possibly make things hard for them?"
"????" The staff members passing by shot him bewildered looks. Is it storytime or what?
"Our schedule is incredibly tight, so I still feel terrible for not doing more for them. They're scheduled to appear in the next shoot as well, so I'll make sure we're much better prepared then!"
Wait, what...? A nearby staff member was stunned. There were absolutely no plans for those extras to appear in the next episode's shoot.
But from the PD's perspective, he had no choice. If Tae-hyun was willing to make an appearance because of that, he had to play along. As long as Tae-hyun and the Team KL players appeared, he would do absolutely anything.
The second round of the first match between the Korean and Japanese National Teams!
In truth, very few people had been surprised by the outcome of the first round. Sure, some were shocked by Tae-hyun's playstyle, the revamped strategy, and the map itself. But no one was surprised by the actual result. Absolutely no one had expected the Japanese team to win—not even the Japanese fans themselves.
However, the second round was a completely different story. Most of all...
"Won't Player Kim Tae-hyun be banned?"
"Yes. There is a ninety-nine percent chance that Kim Tae-hyun will be excluded."
The rules allowed each team to ban one player from the opposing roster! While Lee Se-yeon was undoubtedly an incredible player, a Necromancer had inherent limitations in the arena. And compared to Tae-hyun, who flashed all over the battlefield like a madman, disrupting formations and picking off players one by one, Lee Se-yeon was a much more manageable opponent. After all, she didn't charge straight into the enemy lines to assassinate players the second the match started!
"As expected, Player Kim Tae-hyun will not be participating in the second round!"
"The Korean National Team is sending out Great Axe Warrior instead."
"Great Axe Warrior is... a rather bold choice, wouldn't you say?"
"Indeed. He isn't exactly a well-known player, after all."
Tae-hyun had selected Great Axe Warrior because of his capacity for highly unorthodox plays, and more importantly, his unique mindset. A mindset perfectly optimized for screwing over his opponents! Even if he couldn't pull off flashy, high-skill maneuvers like Tae-hyun, he would easily pull his own weight while introducing wild, unpredictable variables into the match. However, to the uninformed public, the choice was baffling. No matter how amazing Tae-hyun and Lee Se-yeon were, it wasn't as if Korea lacked top-tier damage dealers. With so many elite players from the 1st Division available, why on earth would they choose the virtually unknown Great Axe Warrior?
"The Korean National Team's head coach is being incredibly bold. To replace a world-class player like Kim Tae-hyun with such an obscure player is quite the gamble."
"I must admit, I'm impressed as well. To be honest, the position of head coach for the Korean National Team is a poisoned chalice, isn't it? If they win, people scoff and say, 'Anyone could win with Kim Tae-hyun and Lee Se-yeon on their team, what a carried coach, smh.' But if they fail to perform, they get mocked with, 'How do you fail to win even with Kim Tae-hyun and Lee Se-yeon, what a trash coach, smh!'"
Yet, the man sitting in that hot seat had made such a daring decision. Honestly, it was admirable. Of course, the current National Team coach was merely a figurehead appointed by the association. Under Chairman Yoo's instructions, Tae-hyun and Lee Se-yeon held absolute authority, leaving the coach as little more than a nominal advisor. Hearing such high praise made the coach's face flush with embarrassment. I wasn't even the one who picked him...
"But a bold choice also means that if it fails, the backlash will be immense. If the player substituted in for Kim Tae-hyun fails to perform, the fallout will be multiplied several times over."
"Exactly. The disappointment from the fans would be staggering."
While the commentators chose their words carefully, the fans' reactions were far more blunt.
Reputation was a terrifying thing. The moment the rumor spread that Tae-hyun had handpicked him, people immediately shifted to, Wait, really? Then there must be something special about him! Ordinarily, the public would have complained, "Is Kim Tae-hyun letting his fame get to his head?" But sometimes, sheer reputation could flip public perception entirely on its head.
The audience watched with a mixture of anticipation and anxiety. The national team, spearheaded by the dual aces of Tae-hyun and Lee Se-yeon, had been absolute perfection. Even if this new player couldn't match their level, the fans hoped he could at least perform half as well.
Less than five minutes after the match began, the spectators began reacting in utter bewilderment. What in the world was this playstyle?!