An Offer Too Generous
"This offer is... a bit too generous."
Lee Se-yeon was bewildered. She wasn't the type of person to blindly accept a good offer with a goofy "Hehe, thank you!" like Cain would. There was always a catch to an offer that was too good to be true!
Understanding the cause of her hesitation, Chairman Yu nodded. He was a formidable figure himself, easily seeing right through her thoughts.
"A blank check, along with absolute authority over the team's operations, management, and training..."
"And bringing up my family... does that mean you might entrust me with affairs regarding the Yuseong Group as well?"
"I won't deny it."
In a way, this offer involved far more money than any standard pro-gamer contract ever could.
"...It really is too much. I was taught never to accept an offer that is excessively generous."
"Hmm..."
Chairman Yu fell into brief contemplation. How should he handle Lee Se-yeon? There were people you dealt with using power and authority, and there were people you had to approach with absolute sincerity. Lee Se-yeon belonged to the latter.
"Sigh... Very well. I shall tell you the reason. But you must promise never to speak of this to anyone else."
"I am not so ill-mannered as to go around spreading other people's secrets. You have nothing to worry about."
"...!"
Chairman Yu was momentarily deeply moved. Having dealt with a rascal like Kim Tae-hyun day in and day out, meeting someone as polite, upright, and well-mannered as Lee Se-yeon was a breath of fresh air. They were polar opposites in every way.
To think such exemplary youths still exist in this world!
Then again, it's just that Kim Tae-hyun fellow who is exceptionally rude...
"Chairman?"
"Ah, cough. My apologies. I was lost in thought for a moment... Yes, the reason. The truth is, lately... I've been playing Pan-On."
"...Pardon?"
"I said I play Pan-On!" Chairman Yu shouted, his face flushing slightly.
"Ah, I-I see. Well, many people play Pan-On these days..."
Lee Se-yeon assumed he was just playing casually. Many elderly people used it as a way to experience virtual sports, after all.
"Yes. And I happened to play alongside that rascal, Kim Tae-hyun..."
"Pfft!"
Startled, Lee Se-yeon choked back a sudden spit-take.
"Ah, I-I'm so sorry."
"No, it's fine. It is quite shocking."
Playing alongside Kim Tae-hyun was no small matter. Kim Tae-hyun was a high ranker who only cleared massive, high-level quests. To run with him meant Chairman Yu possessed a level of skill that allowed him to keep up.
Just what level is the Chairman?!
"While tagging along with him, I realized just how incredibly fun Pan-On is..."
"Ah, yes."
He's way more of a hardcore gamer than I thought.
"And I started watching the tournaments too."
"..."
Chairman Yu was starting to sound more and more like a grandfather bragging about his grandson!
"Having found such joy in it, I thought about resurrecting the Yuseong Group's gaming team."
"Ah, it was disbanded once, wasn't it?"
Disbanded after setting a legendary losing streak that would go down in esports history!
"Back then, I didn't understand the appeal of games. I feel quite ashamed of it now."
Chairman Yu was actually admitting his own mistake! Lee Se-yeon was astonished. It was rare for someone of his stature to admit such a thing.
"Oh, no, not at all. With a losing streak like that, anyone would have disbanded... Ah, oops."
"...Anyway, but that rascal!"
"Yes?"
"Ah, I skipped ahead. Having discovered the joy of gaming, I wanted to bring the team back to life. I wanted to sincerely support them."
"..."
To think the Chairman himself fell so hard for Pan-On that he's sponsoring a team as a hobby. Lee Se-yeon struggled to maintain a straight face.
"Rebuilding a disbanded team is far more troublesome than starting a new one from scratch. We need a massive impact, something strong enough to make everyone forget our past failures. That is why I wanted to recruit a star player like Kim Tae-hyun or yourself. I thought things were going rather well with Kim Tae-hyun, but..."
"But... Kim Tae-hyun went and formed his own independent team, didn't he?"
"Exactly! I thought he was joking!" Chairman Yu fumed with indignation. "Do you have any idea how I feel? I had my eyes on him for so long, and he just coldly rejected me and walked away!"
"...I know exactly how you feel!" For once, Lee Se-yeon raised her voice in agreement.
Shared sorrow! After putting on such a legendary match in Pan-On 1, Kim Tae-hyun had rejected her guild invitation and quit the game!
"That jerk has always been like that!"
"Right! He really is that kind of guy!"
"He turns people's stomachs upside down whenever he's bored!"
"Exactly!"
Nothing bonds people faster than sharing a mutual hatred! Lee Se-yeon and Chairman Yu continued to trash-talk Tae-hyun as if they were old friends of over a decade.
"Player Lee Se-yeon. On the surface, I want you because I need a star player to lead our resurrected team. But my true, deepest desire... is to knock that arrogant Kim Tae-hyun down a peg!"
"Chairman...!"
Lee Se-yeon felt her blood boil with excitement for the first time in a long while. The two shook hands firmly. Clap!
"I accept your offer!"
With that, the resurrection of Yuseong Gaming was officially set in stone. Because they had started later than other teams, they hadn't secured many star players yet, but they had the outstanding Lee Se-yeon and the full, unyielding backing of the Yuseong Group. They were a formidable dark horse!
"The new Pan-On tournament scheduled for early next year. Aim for that. Show them what we're made of!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Ah, and my granddaughter is a huge fan of yours. Would it be possible to get an autograph?"
"Pardon?"
"Haha, I'm not just saying this because she's my granddaughter, but she has a wonderful personality and is exceptionally smart... She took the CSAT recently and got a perfect score, you know?"
The infinite affection for his granddaughter was palpable in just those few words! Lee Se-yeon cast a lukewarm gaze at Chairman Yu, who was acting like a total fool for his grandchild.
"Ah, yes. That's wonderful."
"Isn't it?"
"Which university did she decide to attend?"
"Korea University, of course. It is the finest university in the country, after all."
"Ah, I see. What a pleasant surprise. I also attended Korea University... Oh, come to think of it, which department is she entering?"
"...The Department of Korean Language and Literature."
"Pardon?"
"The... Department of Korean Language and Literature..."
"Was that her choice?"
"Indeed it was."
An undeniable trace of disappointment lingered on Chairman Yu's face. However, Lee Se-yeon spoke casually.
"It's always best to do what one wants. I'm glad it worked out."
For a split second, Chairman Yu felt as if a halo was shining behind Lee Se-yeon. He felt ashamed of his own materialistic thinking.
"W-Well, yes... That is true... Anyway, that's in the past, so it doesn't matter. The point is, my granddaughter is a huge fan of yours. Would you mind meeting her once?"
"Of course not."
Lee Se-yeon nodded, though she felt a slight pang of worry deep down.
Will this be okay?
If she was the granddaughter of the Yuseong Group, raised under the doting, spoiling eyes of the Chairman, her personality might be a bit difficult.
But Lee Se-yeon composed herself. She was a survivor of the brutal entertainment industry. She could handle a few difficult people with ease—especially if they were younger than her.
"H-H-Hello!"
"...?!"
However, Yu Ji-soo was completely different from what Lee Se-yeon had feared.
"Ah. Yes, hello."
"I-I've been a huge fan! It's an honor to meet you!"
She was far sweeter and kinder than expected! Thanks to that, Lee Se-yeon quickly bonded with Yu Ji-soo. Perhaps because she was a genuine Pan-On fan, Yu Ji-soo eagerly peppered her with questions.
"You said you were a Necromancer in Pan-On 1. How did you manage your undead?"
"How should a ranged class fight when facing multiple opponents?"
"I heard you faced Player Kim Tae-hyun in Pan-On 1. What kind of player was he?"
"What does Player Kim Tae-hyun like?"
"Do you know anything else about Player Kim Tae-hyun...?"
"I saw an article recently saying you and Player Kim Tae-hyun were in that kind of relationship... Is it true?"
"Absolutely not."
"Ah, my apologies."
Aside from the moment she had turned dead serious to deny the rumor, the conversation was mostly delightful.
"You said you're preparing for the tournament as the team leader. Which tournament are you aiming for?"
She really does love Pan-On.
Having taken a liking to Yu Ji-soo, Lee Se-yeon gave her various tips.
"If you'd like, would you like to play Pan-On together? I can accept you into my guild."
"Ah, n-no thank you. I'm already in a guild. They've helped me out a lot!"
Lee Se-yeon's elite, small-scale guild was a place every Pan-On player dreamed of joining.
...Except for one person, of course!
Seeing Yu Ji-soo politely decline an invitation to such a prestigious guild out of loyalty to the people who had taken care of her, Lee Se-yeon's opinion of her soared even higher. Now this is how a decent person should behave!
"Miss Se-yeon. There's something I'm curious about..."
"Feel free to ask."
"Um, there's someone I want..."
"Ah, are we talking about the game?"
"Pardon? Yes, yes!"
As Yu Ji-soo spoke with a blush, Lee Se-yeon nodded understandingly. Recruiting guild members was a daily occurrence in Pan-On. Top-tier guilds were also top-tier at poaching members from other guilds! One of a guild leader's core capabilities was retaining and gathering members.
"You must use any means necessary," Lee Se-yeon said firmly.
"Any... means necessary? That's a bit..."
"No, it isn't! Being soft is a habit of losers."
As she spoke, Lee Se-yeon wondered, Is it really okay to say this to a girl who's barely turning twenty? But she decided to go ahead. After all, the sooner one learned the harsh truths of the world, the better!
"Do everything you can within the rules! That is the secret to victory. The reason I was able to reach Rank 1 in Pan-On 1 was because I was absolutely ruthless in this regard."
"...I see!" Yu Ji-soo's eyes sparkled.
Lee Se-yeon suddenly felt an inexplicable chill run down her spine.
Huh? What is this?
It felt as if she had failed to properly complete a quest, accidentally creating a future boss monster!
"A-Anyway, if you want to recruit someone into your guild, you must first understand them. Using any means necessary comes after that. What kind of person are they? What do they want? What is their weakness?"
"Their weakness too?"
"Sometimes you have to exploit their weaknesses. In any case, you thoroughly investigate them and devise a plan."
"If I use these methods, can I definitely get them?"
"Almost... yes? Though nothing is ever absolute."
There were always those rare individuals who refused to budge no matter what you did.
"Ah, why are my ears so itchy?"
"Maybe someone is talking trash about you?"
"That sounds too plausible for me to deny. Anyway, guys! Gather round!"
Having returned from his photoshoot, Tae-hyun called together everyone in the lodging. Cain, Choi Sang-yun, and Jeong Su-hyeok trooped in.
"Where's Lee Da-bi?"
"I called her. She'll be here soon."
"Hey, isn't it a bit rude to call people over at this hour?" Cain bravely raised his hand and pointed out. It was already nearly midnight!
"Quiet. I just realized we've been overlooking something crucial."
"...?"
"What is it, senior?"
"We... haven't been practicing."
"..."
"..."
"...Oh, you're right." Cain's dazed voice echoed in the room.
Choi Sang-yun asked, looking utterly incredulous.
"Wait, I thought you guys were already practicing without me?"
"We were too busy doing quests."
"Hey! Why did you recruit me to a team that's already falling apart?!"
"We haven't fallen apart yet. Anyway, let's look at the schedule. Early next year is the Dungeon Clear Tournament, mid-year is the Team Arena Pro League, and late next year is the Individual Tournament."
All of these were official global tournaments sponsored by the developers of Pan-On. The tournament schedule truly reflected the game's staggering popularity.
"From what I hear, even if other gaming teams participate in all of them, they each have a specific tournament they're focusing on."
"Should we do the same?"
"Hmm. First of all, let's skip the Individual Tournament..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
At Tae-hyun's words, the other three instantly slumped in disappointment.