A Father's Raging Confidence
Cain started grabbing even the students who said they didn't want one to give them autographs. It was hard to believe where such strength came from his small frame.
"Heh, hehe, hehehe! Autographs! Who hasn't gotten an autograph yet?!"
"Stop it, you lunatic."
Tae-hyun subdued Cain. Cain let out a squeak as he was pinned.
"Th-thank you."
"Please understand. He's just excited. He absolutely loves meeting fans."
"I see!"
In the students' minds, Cain was forever branded as 'a man born for fan service, who goes wild with joy upon meeting fans.'
"What's all this racket?"
"Heck, Boss."
One of the students, who was actually a part-timer, gasped in surprise. It seemed the part-timer had also joined the crowd to get Tae-hyun's autograph.
"How can you leave your post and make such a fuss instead of working?"
"Boss, it's not that. Professional gamer Kim Tae-hyun is here."
"I don't care if a pro gamer or the president of a pro gaming team comes, you shouldn't leave your post!"
The owner scolded the part-timer with a strict attitude. Then he turned his head to look at Cain.
"This guy is Kim Tae-hyun? He looks pretty scrawny, though?"
"No, that's not..."
"What do you mean it's not? Don't make excuses! Even if they're pro gamers, they shouldn't come here and make such a racket. Got it?"
"I-I'm sorry."
Cain, snapping back to his senses, bowed his head deeply and apologized. The owner clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction.
"You're disrupting the other customers' gaming."
"B-but there's no one around us..."
"How dare you talk back when an adult is speaking!"
"I-I'm sorry."
Tap, tap.
Tae-hyun, who had been listening to their conversation, tapped the owner's shoulder. The owner snapped sharply,
"What?"
"That's Cain, and I'm Kim Tae-hyun."
"So what... gasp!"
The owner blinked, staring at Tae-hyun. Then, his face turned pale, and he shut his mouth.
"?"
"??"
Everyone tilted their heads in confusion. After a brief pause, the owner spoke again.
"Haha, well, it's only natural for young folks to get a bit noisy when they're having fun!"
"......???"
"Have a great time. Hey, bring them some free drinks!"
"Huh?"
The part-timer tilted his head, unable to comprehend the sudden shift in attitude.
"They're pro gamers! Since such famous people visited our PC Bang, we have to treat them well!"
With that, the owner hurriedly retreated.
"Wh-what? Why is he acting like that?" Cain muttered, utterly baffled.
Tae-hyun shrugged.
"Because he recognizes my face."
"What does recognizing your face have to do with... gasp! He knows you have a terrible personality!"
"......That's not it...... Never mind."
Tae-hyun started to explain but stopped himself. The PC Bang owner had clearly recognized Tae-hyun as the son of Kim Tae-san, the owner of this very building. Before playing Pan-On, Kim Tae-san had been a regular customer at this PC Bang...
'Well, at least we can play in peace.'
Tae-hyun could feel the owner stealing glances at him from a distance, looking trembling and anxious.
"It failed."
"What?! No way!"
"Things didn't go the way I expected, so there was nothing I could do."
"How could he reject such terms?"
"It happens. I learned a lot. Oh, and I also met Cain."
"Oh, Cain? He's a decent player, right? How was it? Did you talk to him?"
"We spoke briefly, but he rejected me flat out. It seems he intends to stick with Kim Tae-hyun."
If Cain had heard this, he would have screamed, 'No! I want to go to America!! I'm great at living in a team house! Please take me!' But unfortunately, they were talking from afar.
"Impressive. Is their synergy in-game so good because they have such a strong bond?"
"Perhaps."
"Anyway, good work. Come back and get some rest. We should keep this a secret, right?"
"No. There's no need to keep it a secret."
"?"
"Spread it subtly. So the other teams won't even dare to try."
McKinley said with a smile. Of course, he didn't think Tae-hyun would accept anyone else's offer. But in business, the more certain, the better. If rumors spread that the New York Lions made an astronomical offer and Tae-hyun rejected it, other teams wouldn't even dream of approaching him. What a foolproof method!
McKinley's calculation was spot on. Although not explicitly announced, rumors that the New York Lions had offered Tae-hyun a staggering multi-million dollar salary, only to be rejected, began to circulate in the esports industry. Naturally, everyone reacted with disbelief.
If Tae-hyun had heard this, he would have gone '???', but since he wasn't there, he couldn't react. People began to let their imaginations run wild as they pleased. If nothing else, one thing was certain: the remaining gaming teams didn't even dare to make Tae-hyun an offer.
With less than a week left until the charity tournament, Tae-hyun was just as busy as Chairman Yoo, who couldn't even log into Pan-On. He had to craft the motorcycle to be used as a prize (he extorted the necessary materials from Chairman Yoo in exchange for grain), and he had to practice Fantasy Craft with Cain.
"The price of grain still hasn't dropped?"
"Yes. It seems they bought up what you sold, Tae-hyun, and are holding out, expecting it to rise even further."
"How fearless. They don't even know when the rabbit problem will be resolved."
Now that the cold had passed, agricultural production was bound to skyrocket once the rabbit problem was solved.
'Come to think of it, what should I do with all those rabbits?'
He had left the rest of the undead to the Lich before returning, but he had brought the undead rabbits back with him. Since the rabbits could dig tunnels underground to move, they weren't easily seen under normal circumstances. Currently, they were quietly holding their breath beneath Tae-hyun's territory!
At that moment, a whisper from Lee Se-yeon suddenly arrived.
Tae-hyun shut his mouth, having nothing to say. For some reason, he felt a bit indignant. Of course, when asked about broadcasts, Tae-hyun had given a lukewarm response: 'I'm busy gaming, can't we delay it? I have to participate in the charity tournament too... I'll think about it after that. What kind of show do I want to go on? I don't really have a preference, just recommend something and I'll think about it.'
Tae-hyun hadn't realized it yet. Appearing together with Lee Se-yeon meant...
...they would be competing to see who could clear the game first on the show!
Tae-hyun had no idea what kind of chaos this would unleash.
Crack, crack.
"?!"
The day of the tournament. Waking up in the morning, Tae-hyun was startled to see someone striking a pose in the living room. Of course, that person was Kim Tae-san.
"Fufu...... The time has finally come."
"Uh, Father?"
"What is it?"
"Surely you're not striking a pose like that just because of the charity tournament today, right?"
"I am, though?"
"......"
Tae-hyun stared at Kim Tae-san with pity, but Kim Tae-san was different from Cain. He possessed a proud, unyielding confidence!
"My son."
"Yes?"
"Pray that you don't run into me. Because the moment you do, you'll be utterly crushed."
A wild, raging confidence! Tae-hyun deeply regretted that this couldn't be broadcast live. If it were, his father would have become an instant star!
"......If possible, I hope we're on opposite sides of the bracket."
"Kwahahaha! Indeed. Get in. I'll drive you."
Kim Tae-san, already in high spirits, offered to drive Tae-hyun. Pulling his Audi R8 out of the garage, Kim Tae-san sat in the driver's seat and said,
"CEO Lee told me you've been practicing hard lately. As expected, you're scared, aren't you? You rascal, you."
"Father...... maybe you should tone it down a bit......"
Tae-hyun was starting to feel embarrassed just listening to him!
"Bwahahaha! Victory is mine!"
Kim Tae-san's confidence wasn't entirely baseless. Compared to other young players, Kim Tae-san had dedicated an overwhelmingly larger portion of his youth to Fantasy Craft. A confidence forged by time!
"By the way, Father, you do know that there are special guest stars appearing at this charity tournament, right?"
"Huh? Who? Is some celebrity coming?"
The commentator brothers, Bae Joong-hwan and Bae Joong-yeol. They were former Fantasy Craft pro-gamers. Looking at Kim Tae-san's expression, it was clear he had no idea.
"Commentators Bae Joong-hwan and Bae Joong-yeol are coming as guests."
"Wh-what?! Those two are coming? Why?!"
"The Chairman probably invited them."
"No, how can they invite pros! To a place where pure amateurs are supposed to test their skills!"
Kim Tae-san shouted in anger. It felt as if two tigers had suddenly invaded a territory he was sure he had conquered.
"Surely...... it's not that you're afraid you can't win?"
"N-no. Of course not. Naturally, I'm confident I'll win."
Kim Tae-san cleared his throat as he spoke. Tae-hyun chuckled. He was indeed his father.
"I'll show everyone what I'm truly made of today."
"Father, you can't pull the other player's LAN cable just because you're losing."
"Wh-when did I ever do that!"
"And you can't swear in the chat either. This is a charity tournament, but it's being broadcasted, so everything will be recorded."
"I-is that so?"
Kim Tae-san actually felt a bit guilty. He hadn't realized it would be broadcasted. If he had remained ignorant, he might have seriously contemplated swearing in the chat.
"No, even so, why would I do such a thing at such a wonderful tournament..."
"Father, I grew up watching you play games when I was a kid."
"Ahem, cough, cough."
Having nothing left to say, Kim Tae-san cleared his throat and looked away.