A Question of Preference

The other reporters stared at Tae-hyun with bewildered eyes. Although Tae-hyun himself didn't deliberately try to maintain an air of mystery, he was widely considered the most elusive player among all the pros. He was someone who appeared on broadcasts so rarely that it drove his fans crazy! If he would at least do a personal stream, they would rush over in a heartbeat to pledge their absolute loyalty, but Tae-hyun barely did even that. Fans were driven to the point of scouring Power Warrior's account or the streams of other nearby players just to catch a glimpse of him. So when a guy like that casually said, "Ah, yeah, well, it wouldn't be bad," they couldn't help but be flabbergasted.

Is that really Kim Tae-hyun?? Come to think of it, even his play in this match had been unusually stable for someone like him. Maybe he really wasn't Kim Tae-hyun... Ah, wait. What kind of crazy thoughts am I having?

"Player Kim Tae-hyun. Did I hear you correctly? You're saying it wouldn't be bad to appear on a broadcast?"

"Yes."

"That broadcast... as in, the kind where you stand in front of a camera and it gets beamed all over the world...?"

"...What exactly are you asking?" Tae-hyun shot back, looking utterly baffled. What is this guy doing? The surrounding reporters also began to scold their colleague. "What are you doing? Right in front of Kim Tae-hyun, of all people?"

Ignoring the jeers of the foreign reporters echoing from behind, the reporter pressed on.

"Are you truly planning to appear?"

"Uh... well, if you're telling me not to, I won't."

"No, no! It would be an absolute honor to have you!" the reporter blurted out in a panic. If Tae-hyun backed out of a broadcast appearance because of him, his superiors might literally strangle him.

It's a hassle, but it's something that needs to be done. Surprisingly, Tae-hyun was making a perfectly rational judgment. Since he had joined the national team, a certain level of public relations was an obligation. Since there were other players to consider, he planned to be mindful of them rather than just prioritizing his own preferences.

"Come to think of it, I'm quite close with a PD working at SBC. If you haven't decided on a station yet, should I put in a word with him?" the reporter asked as the thought struck him. If that PD had been watching, he would have shed tears of deep emotion, crying, 'Reporter Kim! You're the only one I can count on!' What kind of miraculous gift was this?

Tae-hyun was about to casually say, "Sure, why not?" but the surrounding reporters weren't about to let that slide.

"Player Kim Tae-hyun! There's absolutely no need to decide right this second. SBC is a fine station, but I happen to know a director at KBC. If you and the team appear, they will clear out a prime-time slot specifically for you!"

"Player Kim Tae-hyun, don't listen to those people. Come to NBS!"

"...Wait. NBS isn't even a Korean station, is it? Isn't that a foreign broadcaster?"

"Tsk. Caught me."

"Why, you sneaky bastard, pretending to be a Korean reporter!"

"Drag him out!"

The foreign reporter who had tried to slip into the conversation clicked his tongue as he was kicked out. The Korean players watched the spectacle with incredibly awkward expressions. What on earth are they doing...?

As the situation threatened to devolve into utter chaos, Lee Se-yeon stepped in to wrap things up.

"We will discuss which broadcast to appear on internally and let you know once a decision is made. We are also looking forward to connecting and talking with our fans, so please look forward to it."

Having spent a long time in the public eye, Se-yeon's response was textbook perfect—enough to make even the rowdy reporters nod in agreement.

Only after the war-like interview finally concluded were the players able to escape the venue.

"Great job, everyone. Go inside and get some good rest today."

"Thank you for your hard work."

"Tae-hyun. Tae-hyun."

"?" When Se-yeon called his name in a quiet voice, Tae-hyun looked puzzled. "What is it?"

"It's nothing major. I just wanted to quickly go over the analysis of today's match."

"Right now? Sure, why not."

Anyone else would have whined, 'Can't we just rest today?' but Tae-hyun was actually glad to get it over with. The sooner, the better! The two of them laid out the details of today's match and dove into the analysis. Which parts went well, which parts were lacking, who made a mistake where...

"I'm really glad Chu Ye-ji did better than expected."

"Yeah. It made things a lot easier."

"Was it better when you played with me, or when you played with Chu Ye-ji?"

"……."

Tae-hyun, who had been focused on the match footage, raised his head. Se-yeon was still looking down at the screen, but... something felt strangely off. What is this? Is it a trap?

"Is this by any chance a trap question with a predetermined correct answer?"

"What are you talking about? I'm just asking for our future strategies. For the sake of the team."

"Oh, is that so? My mistake then."

"So, was it better with me, or with Chu Ye-ji?"

"...No, I swear there's something weird about the way you're asking..." Tae-hyun's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sharp instincts were screaming at him. There was definitely something hidden in this question!

"Uh... what is this?"

What greeted Tae-hyun as he stepped out of his capsule was a massive feast laid out on ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the table. Cain wiped under his nose with a smug grin.

"I prepared this to celebrate the national team making it to the main tournament."

"...You did?"

For the first time in a long while, Tae-hyun felt a chill of pure terror. Cain?? No, this bastard... I've been treating him so well lately. Tae-hyun stared at him with eyes full of deep disappointment. Cain immediately caught the meaning behind that look.

"Aren't you being way too harsh?! It's because you guys keep treating my cooking like garbage that my skills never improve!"

However, the players of Team KL were utterly cold-blooded.

"Are we your lab rats? If you want to feed us, go build up your skills first."

"The dining table of Team KL is a place to prove your prepared skills, not a place for you to practice, Cain."

"……."

Cain looked like he was about to burst into tears at any moment, but he swallowed his sorrow and pressed on.

"I have to cook for my girlfriend in the future, so please just eat some."

"Cain, I think literally every single part of that sentence you just said is wrong..." Jeong Su-hyeok quickly clamped his hand over Choi Sang-yun's mouth. He knew that if Sang-yun finished that sentence, Cain would actually start sobbing. The three of them exchanged silent glances.

As the three of them remained silent, only exchanging frantic glances, Cain glared at them. "You guys are talking with your eyes right now, aren't you?"

Look at him, getting all quick-witted only at times like this. Tae-hyun let out a sigh. "Fine. Let's all eat together."

"No, Senior. You worked so hard today, so the two of us will eat it instead." Choi Sang-yun's face stiffened at Jeong Su-hyeok's words. Why are you dragging me into this?!

"Forget it. It's not like it's going to kill us." Tae-hyun scanned the table. It wasn't some luxurious feast that even professional chefs would struggle to make; it was just a standard celebratory spread for which you could find a hundred different recipes with a simple search. Rolled omelets, braised short ribs, glass noodles...

"...Wait, why is there seaweed soup?"

"He probably searched for 'how to cook a birthday meal' and just copied that."

The three of them sat down and took a bite.

"Mmm!"

"Mmm-hmm!"

"Uh-huh!"

Unlike in the game, there were no system message windows in reality. They had to express their thoughts out loud.

"It's really... not terribly made, but it's not delicious either. It's right on that incredibly subtle... borderline."

"Making something so precisely, barely unpalatable is honestly a talent in itself."

"He certainly spared the seasoning."

Surprisingly, Cain's cooking wasn't completely inedible. The taste was a bit ambiguous, but it was something they could manage to swallow!

"Isn't this actually worse? If it tasted awful, we could just throw it away, but since it's not quite that bad, we have to finish all of this."

"Shh. If Cain hears you, he might actually cry."

"I spent my own money to provide this lodging and went to the tournament with you guys, and yet here I am eating this. So shut up and eat," Tae-hyun grumbled. At his words, the other two fell into a solemn silence. We're sorry, Boss...!

Just as they finished their meal, the doorbell rang, and Lee Da-bi walked in. Seeing her, Cain's face lit up. Another test subject—no, another person to evaluate his cooking had arrived.

"Da-bi! You're just in time!"

"...Is this a trap??"

"No... not a trap. I cooked some food, and since I want to treat my girlfriend to a meal later, I need an objective review." At that, Da-bi wore a troubled expression.

"I don't think I'm the right person for that..."

"Why?!"

"I honestly eat just about anything without really caring how it tastes."

"……."

Now that her streams were a massive hit and her career as a player was on a smooth path, she could afford to buy premium instant ramen without waiting for a sale. But Da-bi was someone who had suffered from poverty for most of her life. Frugality was engraved into her very bones. To someone like her, complaining about taste was nothing but a luxury.

"S-Still, just give it a try."

"If you don't mind."

"No. I'll cook something fresh for you. You worked hard, so you should have a proper, hearty meal. Besides, there isn't much left anyway," Tae-hyun said, rising from his seat. Cain immediately protested.

"What do you mean? I made a ton, so there's plenty left!"

"I said there isn't much left. Sang-yun ate most of it."

Tae-hyun possessed a unique talent for making two people feel utterly wronged with a single sentence. Choi Sang-yun stared at him with an incredibly aggrieved look. Who said I ate a lot of that?! Cain was equally frustrated. There was clearly a lot left...

"Look! There's tons left!"

Thud!

"Now there isn't much left, right?"

"...C-Come to think of it, I guess there really isn't much left... We should probably cook something new..."

Tae-hyun nodded and patted Cain on the shoulder. It was a silent command to shut his mouth and stay quiet.

"I'm really fine, though."

"No, just sit down. You need to eat well. Your younger sisters told me that you keep skipping proper meals and just eating whatever's quick."

"Those little brats, seriously... No, it's not like that. I'm eating much better than I used to." Tae-hyun ignored Da-bi's protests. His standard of "eating well" was entirely different from hers.

"Then let me at least help you."

"There's really nothing to help with."

"Still, let me."

"Alright. Then come stand by my side."

Choi Sang-yun and Jeong Su-hyeok, who were currently suffering from an incredibly unsatisfying fullness, felt even more wronged as the savory aroma of bubbling kimchi stew began to waft through the air. If they had just eaten this, they would have had a warm, satisfying meal. Instead, because of a certain lunatic, they had stuffed themselves with mediocre food.

"But hey, wasn't it still pretty good?"

"...If I hold his arms, will you beat him up?"

"Hey, quiet down. Get ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠into your capsules ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and level up your skills. Looking at the Chinese players, none of them are pushovers. If you guys keep slacking off like this, you'll be crying tears of blood next season."

"……."

"……."

As Tae-hyun's nagging began, the players quietly stood up and headed toward their capsules. Listening to his nagging versus going to grind skill levels? It was a no-brainer.

"Should... Should I also go practice?"

"You're already doing great. Here, eat." Tae-hyun guided Da-bi to a seat and set the table for her. His movements were fluid and seamless, completely natural. His level of experience was on an entirely different dimension compared to Cain's!

"Oh, right. Da-bi, listen while you eat. About the broadcast."

"Ah, yes."

The Korean national team's advancement to the main tournament had become a massive sensation. The ironic situation of China's elimination was merely one of the factors. There were simply too many talking points surrounding their qualification to single out just one.

When Tae-hyun announced his willingness to appear on a broadcast, the network executives immediately grabbed each other by the collars and fought to the death... No, they didn't. Instead, they held serious discussions. If one station monopolized the broadcast, it would likely result in multiple executives having to write formal apologies, and the competition would become far too heated. Thus, they decided to compromise and cooperate. After all, broadcasting was ultimately meant to bring joy to the viewers, not to serve as a battlefield for network rivalries.

This bastard, starting off like this right from the get-go...