The Icon's Responsibility
Even Carbanog didn't stop him. It was far more satisfying to smash the thing to pieces than to watch him fuss over a tiny, complex mechanism.
Hmm. But still...
Tae-hyun fell into deep thought. Swinging his sword was satisfying, but when he thought about it, this was a loss. He was throwing away a prime opportunity to level up his Engineering skill!
Right. Let's try again.
......
Bored out of its mind, Carbanog began to yawn. Is this even going to end today?
"I'm telling you, this is the scoop of a lifetime! I swear on your honor, Senior!"
"Chang-uk is right... Wait, why are you swearing on my honor, you punk?"
Song Dae-seung, a veteran reporter, stared at Jo Chang-uk in sheer disbelief. Of all the things in the world to wager, why his honor?
"I'm serious! The number two of the Yuseong Group..."
The contact's position had somehow been inflated in the junior's mind. Song Dae-seung calmed his junior down and corrected him.
"He's not the number two, he's from the secretary's office. But you know how it is. The secretary's office is the absolute core of the Yuseong Group."
Serving as the brain of the Yuseong Group, the secretary's office was a prestigious hub where only the elite gathered. Since they had direct access to the chairman, their influence went without saying.
"And someone like that met with Kim Tae-hyun?"
"It wasn't just a casual meeting. They were talking with incredibly serious expressions and exchanging various documents. What do you think that means?"
"It means they weren't just testing the waters—the contract is practically a done deal...!"
The head of the entertainment department scratched his head, lost in thought. Jo Chang-uk was one thing, but Song Dae-seung wasn't the type to exaggerate.
I just wanted them to dig up some dating rumors about Kim Tae-hyun, but this complicates things...
He had sent them out on a whim, thinking there was maybe a one percent chance they'd bring back anything useful, but they had returned with an unimaginable scoop.
Kim Tae-hyun joining Yuseong Gaming? No, knowing Kim Tae-hyun's personality, there was no way he would just transfer quietly.
Honestly, without Kim Tae-hyun, Team KL has no reason to exist. They'd disband immediately.
People might argue that a team disbanding over a single player made no sense, but for Team KL, it was the absolute truth. Tae-hyun was the one who had built and nurtured the team from the ground up. Capital, lodging, sponsorships, expenses—he had secured every single bit of it through sheer legwork.
Whenever Team KL was mentioned on Pan-On broadcasts, the viewers were always left flabbergasted.
Even though it was common knowledge to those in the loop, the fact that people still gasped every time it was brought up proved just how absurd the story was. A single player creating an entire professional team!
Then is it really an acquisition??
If Yuseong Gaming acquired Team KL, it would create an absolutely unrivaled powerhouse in Korea. A super-elite team that transcended the level of mere prestigious clubs!
"Ah, Chief! If you don't want to publish it, I'll write it. Under my own name!"
"Someone shut this idiot's mouth."
The chief clicked his tongue and sighed.
"Under normal circumstances, I would have run the story immediately. There are two reasons why I'm holding back."
"What are they, Chief?"
"First, our opponent is the Yuseong Group. If we rub them the wrong way, they'll hit us with everything from pulling advertisements to all kinds of legal sanctions."
"..."
"..."
The two reporters' faces turned slightly pale. The Yuseong Group was one of the top conglomerates in the country. If they wanted to, they could crush ordinary journalists like ants. They could pressure affiliated companies to cut off ad revenue, slap them with lawsuits, and tie them up in court. The reputation of the Yuseong Group's legal team was terrifying. There were even rumors that they could get a murderer acquitted if they tried hard enough.
"But... still, this isn't exactly bad press for the Yuseong Group, is it?"
"Exactly. It's not like we're exposing the president's slush fund."
An acquisition rumor wasn't damaging to their corporate image. If anything, it might even boost their stock price.
"That's true. I'm not too worried about that part. It'll probably be fine. But what worries me more is the second reason. The other party is Kim Tae-hyun."
"...Why is that a problem?"
"He's the most popular player in the world right now, you idiots. If we publish a half-baked article and make a mistake, or if Kim Tae-hyun calls us out, his fans will march over here and burn our building down."
"Ah... come on. Surely not... Well, actually, maybe..."
The two couldn't entirely deny it. Tae-hyun's popularity was truly sky-high.
After some deliberation, the three reached a compromise.
"Let's just keep it vague like we usually do."
"Something like, 'According to an anonymous source, Kim Tae-hyun was spotted contacting an official from the Yuseong Group...'"
"Not bad. That should keep us out of the line of fire, right?"
"Sounds plausible."
It was a shame they couldn't use the evidence they had painstakingly gathered, but fear won out. Reporters were only human, and survival came first.
...Naturally, the public's reaction to the evidence-free article was ice-cold.
"What are you looking at?"
"Oh my god! This is huge! It looks like Team KL is being sold to Yuseong Gaming! What's going to happen next season?!"
Seeing the Canadian players fussing, the staff member acting as their translator and guide quickly chimed in.
"You don't need to believe that article. It's, well... basically a tabloid."
"Ah, I see."
Only then did the Canadian players let out a sigh of relief and nod. Currently, the Canadian national team was staying in Korea.
"We learned a lot from that last defeat."
"Yeah. We lost, but we definitely gained something."
Not long ago, the Korean national team had played against the Canadian team, right after their match with Japan. The result, of course, was a victory for Korea. Although Canada put up a better fight than Japan, they couldn't overcome the massive gap in overall strength.
In the second round, where Tae-hyun was banned, they managed to push Korea into a corner a couple of times, but Lee Se-yeon dragged her team to victory by the scruff of their necks, pulling off a dramatic comeback!
Despite the loss, the Canadian team wasn't particularly devastated. They had entered the match with the mindset of learning from the best. The atmosphere was completely different from that of Korea or China. In Korea and China...
...The expectations of the Korean fans were sky-high. To them, advancing to the main tournament was a given!
The Chinese fans were no different.
In fact, the atmosphere in China was much more brutal. Korea didn't have much government support, and their funding was lacking compared to overseas teams. The only reason they were doing so well was because of a few genius players, so they had plenty of excuses even if they lost.
In contrast, the Chinese government was actively pushing to make esports a national sport. Everyone knew that massive investments and tax dollars were being poured into it. At this point, there were no excuses left! The pressure was immense.
But unlike those two countries, Canada and Japan had a much warmer, more supportive atmosphere. Of all things, they would still get criticized if they lost, but the fans' expectations weren't that high to begin with.
Yet, despite this relaxed atmosphere, the Canadian team hadn't given up. As long as there was a sliver of hope, they would do their best!
"We currently have one loss. Assuming we beat Japan to get one win, we need to at least secure a draw against China."
The Canadian team's plan was as follows: they had lost to Korea, but they would secure a win against the relatively weaker Japanese team, and then aim for a draw against China. Korea hadn't played China yet, but if Korea won...
Korea would have three wins. China and Canada would both have one win, one loss, and one draw. In that case, the team with the higher tiebreaker points would advance to the main tournament.
Although China had won against Japan, they hadn't swept them. They had dropped a round and only secured the win in the third round. This put them at a disadvantage in terms of tiebreaker points.
"If Korea loses to China, or if they draw, or even if it goes to a third round, our plans will get messed up... but that's out of our hands. We just have to do our best under the assumption that Korea will crush China."
"Exactly."
Their goal now was simple: secure at least a draw against China. If the first and second rounds ended in a tie, it would be recorded as a draw in the qualifiers. To achieve this, the Canadian national team decided to seek guidance. And from none other than the strongest player of all!
"Please, come in."
"Thank you so much! I know the Korean national team must be incredibly busy, so we really appreciate you accepting our request..."
"Oh, I didn't do much. It was only possible because the players themselves agreed to it."
With a warm smile, the staff member guided the Canadian players inside. Waiting for them were Tae-hyun and the players of Team KL.
"But why did Tae-hyun agree to help the Canadian players? We're in the middle of a tournament, for crying out loud."
"Do you really have to ask?"
Choi Sang-yun looked at Cain. Cain thought about it for a second before replying bluntly.
"...Yeah. I have no idea."
"Tae-hyun is no longer just a regular player. He feels a sense of responsibility as the icon of Pan-On."
"What kind of nonsense is that?"
"Think about it. If he didn't feel that way, why would he have participated in this qualifier hosted by China in the first place?"
"Because they offered a ton of money?"
"...Well, yes, the money was great, but as a player competing at this level, he must have felt a duty to lead and guide the others."
"Wait, really...?"
Cain couldn't wrap his head around it. Why care about others when you could just focus on your own success? If someone asked Cain how to get better at Pan-On, he would immediately snap, "I'm not telling you!" If that person got stronger and surpassed him, he'd be sick with jealousy.
"Have you been with Tae-hyun since Pan-On 1?"
"Hey, don't pull the seniority card on me, you cheap bastard..."
"If you think back to Pan-On 1, it's still mind-boggling. He absolutely refused to do team play back then. He's really changed a lot."
Choi Sang-yun nodded, thoroughly satisfied with his own theory. These were sides of Tae-hyun that he would have never shown in the past. His friend was growing as a person, carrying more and more weight on his shoulders. Not just as a mere player, but as the true icon of Pan-On...
"Hey, Kim Tae-hyun. Are you really helping them out of a sense of responsibility?"
"?"
Tae-hyun stared at Cain as if he were speaking gibberish.
"I'm doing it because Canada promised to give us massive promotional support if we helped them."
"..."
Cain glared at Choi Sang-yun. Choi Sang-yun quickly looked away, pretending not to notice.