The Beast of Team Korea
Cain avoided eye contact. There was only one reason why the players of Team Blue were glaring at him so intensely!
I don't know anything about this! I don't know anything! Kim Tae-hyun, you son of a bitch!
Team Blue's eyes burned with a fierce competitive spirit. Even the commentators seemed to notice the tension brewing on the stage below.
"Ah, Team Blue! They're glaring right at the Korean team. Love to see it! So much fighting spirit!"
"But wait, aren't they only glaring at one person? They're staring right at Cain, aren't they? What's going on?"
"We just got some inside info. Rumor has it that Cain declared war on them before the match started."
"What?! A declaration of war?!"
Cain's face turned pale. It was being broadcasted live to the entire world; there was absolutely no way out of this.
"Wow, Cain. He doesn't look the type, but that's incredibly bold of him."
"Are there many players who provoke their opponents like this before a match?"
"It happened back in our day too, but it's rare to see someone go up and declare war so openly. You need serious confidence to pull that off! If you lose after doing that, it's the ultimate embarrassment, isn't it?"
"We can really feel Cain's confidence! In a way, this is the real fun of tournaments—battles happening outside the game as well as inside!"
"Team Blue must be absolutely desperate to win now. Ah, did we talk too long? We'll ask more about this during the interview!"
Tae-hyun patted Cain on the shoulder. "You've got this!"
"#*!@#^&*^@*!"
All the participating teams drew their lots, and the tournament bracket was finalized. Matches were scheduled every two days, with four teams competing each day. It was a brutal structure where two teams were eliminated with each passing day!
However, Cain had no room to worry about the bracket or which team they might face next. The player interviews were starting right now.
Cain gulped, his legs shaking uncontrollably. Anyone looking at him could tell he was thinking, I'm the most nervous person in this entire arena!
Even Kim Su-a, who had walked over to conduct the interview, looked taken aback by his state.
"You don't have to be so nervous, Cain."
"Y-Y-Yes! I'm not nervous at all!"
It was the complete opposite of his rough, aggressive persona in Pan-On. Whispers immediately broke out among the spectators in the stands.
"Is that Cain?"
"I thought he'd be some hulking giant..."
"He looks so delicate. Like he couldn't even hurt a fly."
"Standing next to Kim Tae-hyun, they look like brothers."
"Hey. Snap out of it."
"Ack!"
Tae-hyun poked Cain in the ribs, keeping his hand hidden from the camera. Cain let out a sharp cough.
"Y-You bas..."
"Camera's on."
"...you thoughtful bastard... go easy on me..."
Kim Su-a laughed at their seemingly warm interaction. "You two must be really close."
"Yes. We're incredibly close."
Tae-hyun smiled warmly and slung his arm around Cain's shoulder. Normally, it would have looked like a neighborhood thug threatening someone with a quiet, "Hey, smile. I said smile," but the power of professional makeup was truly great. It worked like magic, making them look like genuine best friends.
The crowd reacted with appreciative murmurs.
"Actually, the way you two first met wasn't under the best of circumstances, right? It's amazing to see you so close now."
"Huh? How do you know that?"
"...Tae-hyun. I was the one who hosted your special broadcast..."
Except for Tae-hyun, all the team members sitting there stared blankly at him.
Even so, this is a bit much!
Right! That's too cruel!
But Tae-hyun remained completely unfazed.
"Ah, really? I don't really watch my own broadcasts."
"..."
What unshakable mental fortitude! Kim Su-a laughed inwardly. If nothing else, Kim Tae-hyun certainly had a distinct character.
"Well, you grow close through fighting. Actually, Cain is a bit... overly aggressive."
"What?"
Cain stared at Tae-hyun in sheer panic. What on earth was this bastard trying to say?
"Yeah. If he doesn't like how a conversation is going, he immediately challenges them to a duel... He's the most aggressive player on our team."
"He doesn't look like that at all?"
"That's why it's so surprising. The moment he logs into the game, he becomes a completely different person. Honestly, most of the conflicts I've been involved in within the game were because of Cain. I always try to resolve things peacefully, but Cain just loves solving everything with violence..."
Cain's jaw dropped. This bastard is shifting the blame to who?!
Tae-hyun was framing Cain just in case. Look! The Pan-On 2 Kim Tae-hyun is a peace-loving man! Completely different from the Pan-On 1 Kim Tae-hyun! All those rumors you heard are false!
Of course, to Cain, this was the most absurd nonsense he had ever heard.
"N-No! I..."
"It's fine, Cain!"
"That's right, Cain. As long as you have the skill, that kind of aggressiveness isn't a flaw for a pro gamer. Many fans actually love that."
The brother commentators chimed in, reassuring him. Cain felt like he was going to explode from frustration.
While Cain groaned in silent agony, unable to find the words to refute them, the questions moved on to the next person.
Kim Su-a asked Lee Se-yeon, Kim Chul-soo, and Do Dong-su in turn. They were simple, easy questions, asking for brief self-introductions and what type of players they were.
Lee Se-yeon, being a seasoned broadcast veteran, handled it flawlessly. Kim Chul-soo and Do Dong-su also had more than enough ability to answer such questions, having prepared and practiced beforehand.
"Now, let's ask a slightly tricky question. Which team in this tournament seems like the easiest opponent?"
"Is that a tricky question? Hahaha!"
The commentator laughed, as if he had thrown a real curveball. However, Tae-hyun didn't even understand why such a question was considered tricky.
"It's not really tricky—mmph!"
Before Tae-hyun could answer without a single second of hesitation, Lee Se-yeon quickly jabbed him in the side. It was a perfect attack executed entirely in the camera's blind spot.
Watching this, Cain was deeply moved. Ah, justice still exists in this world!
"There are no easy teams," Lee Se-yeon answered smoothly, without a single tremor in her voice. "Making it to the finals is proof that every team has potential and capability. We plan to do our absolute best in every single match."
It was the textbook definition of a perfect answer.
Lee Se-yeon knew exactly why they asked these kinds of questions.
They're just trying to generate content. Standing out here only brings trouble. Everyone, just stay quiet!
If the players provoked and kept each other in check, it would naturally generate hype. That was exactly what the broadcasting station wanted! They hoped a bold, fiery player would step up and create an entertaining situation.
But in Lee Se-yeon's eyes, this was a high-risk, low-reward move. If you talked big, saying things like "I'm the best" or "everyone else looks weak," and then ended up losing? It would be the ultimate humiliation. On top of that, you'd gain a massive army of anti-fans. Pretending to be humble was the safest and most sensible way to handle it.
"Aw, isn't that a bit too safe? Surely there's at least one team you have in mind?"
"There really isn't," Lee Se-yeon replied with a gentle smile.
Realizing that Lee Se-yeon was an immovable fortress, the commentator backed off and immediately switched targets.
In that case...
The most aggressive one...
Cain!
Like the brothers they were, the commentators read each other's minds instantly.
"Well then, what does Cain think?"
"W-Who, me? Uh..."
Cain glanced at Tae-hyun. Tae-hyun's eyes seemed to say:
Go for it! You already declared war anyway! Might as well commit to the character!
...Crazy bastard...
Cain turned his head to look at Lee Se-yeon. Her eyes said:
It's not too late! Just give a safe answer and move on!
It was like having an angel and a devil on his shoulders. After a moment of agonizing conflict, Cain spoke.
"...I, I think similarly."
"Oh? Really?"
"Yes!"
"Then what about the declaration of war you made to Team Blue earlier?"
"..."
"That's right. Everyone's talking about it. They said you boldly went up to them and declared war?"
"I-I didn't go that far..."
"So you did do it!"
"No... that is..."
Cain broke into a cold sweat, waving his hands in denial. But he was already cornered. As a broadcast amateur, there was no way he could escape the clutches of two veteran commentators.
Help me!
In the end, Cain turned to Tae-hyun, sending him a desperate plea with his eyes.
"Well, it's only natural for Cain to act like this," Tae-hyun chimed in.
"Oh? What do you mean by that, Kim Tae-hyun?"
"Cain is actually quite shy when you put him on the spot like this... but if you leave him be, he'll show you what he's got on the stage. He's an absolute beast. Honestly, just a straight-up animal..."
"Hey! Hey!! HEY!!!"
Completely forgetting that they were on live television, Cain lunged forward to cover Tae-hyun's mouth.
He had asked for help, and Tae-hyun had literally pushed him off a cliff!
The audience burst into uncontrollable laughter at the sight.
"Hahaha!"
"Did they prepare this beforehand? Their chemistry is amazing."
"Yeah, they must have prepared it for the interview."
"..."
Lee Da-bi watched the scene with a highly complicated expression. She knew for a fact that this wasn't scripted at all!
"Sis, did they really practice that?"
"No... that's just how they normally play."
Regardless, the effect was undeniable. The other players waiting in the wings clicked their tongues or wore deeply dissatisfied expressions.
Damn it. They're hogging all the spotlight.
I know Kim Tae-hyun and Lee Se-yeon basically carry MBS's Pan-On programming, but isn't this too much? They're favoring them way too much.
The players, completely ignorant of how broadcasting worked, assumed MBS had set this up beforehand. That was how natural Tae-hyun's performance had been.
But what they didn't realize was that the screen time being generated right now wasn't because MBS was favoring them—it was purely due to Tae-hyun's raw, chaotic talent! There was no way Tae-hyun, who hadn't even read the script properly, would have prepared anything beforehand.
"Haha... Shall we move on to the next question?"
Thanks to Tae-hyun and Cain, the atmosphere in the arena had turned incredibly lively and cheerful, putting the commentators in a great mood.
"The next question is... 'Honestly speaking, is there a teammate you don't like?' Wow, this is a spicy one!"
"Are we going to see infighting before the tournament even starts?"
The moment the question was asked, Lee Se-yeon immediately glared at Tae-hyun, sending him a silent warning.
Please keep your mouth shut!!
If it were any other team, they might have named someone as a joke, but not Tae-hyun. Do Dong-su would absolutely not take it as a joke!
But Tae-hyun was not the type of person to stay quiet just because he was told to. He immediately raised his hand to speak.
"Me! I don't like Do—"
"I hate Kim Tae-hyun!"
"..."
It was Cain who cut him off.
Lee Se-yeon let out a quiet sigh of relief. Good job, Cain! Keep dragging the attention away!
"Oh, Cain! May we ask why you hate him?"
"There are so many reasons! Starting from the very beginning..."
Cain began to rattle off an endless list of grievances. However, as they listened, the commentators' expressions turned increasingly bizarre.
The reasons were... incredibly petty and trivial.
Should we move on?
Yeah, let's move on. Who wants to listen to all of this?
"Alright! Moving on to the next question!"
"What?! But I still have so many left?!" Cain cried out in disappointment, but the commentators were merciless. Next question!
"This one is a bit easier than the last. Who is the player you're most wary of in this tournament?"
"Lee Se-yeon."
"...K-Kim Tae-hyun. Lee Se-yeon is on your team."