A Self-Inflicted Trap
At that moment, Tae-hyun and Lee Se-yeon locked eyes.
Tae-hyun smirked. Seeing that grin, Lee Se-yeon instantly sensed that something was terribly wrong. Uh-oh!
"Alright, Team KL, please show us your board!"
Tae-hyun raised his whiteboard. Not a single name was written on it.
"?"
"??"
"Haha. We believe that since we've made it to the main tournament, every single team is a formidable opponent that we must worry about. We intend to do our absolute best."
"Ah! So that's what you meant!" the MC marveled.
The other players, who already held Tae-hyun in high regard, looked on in admiration. Is this the attitude of the undisputed number one, never satisfied and always striving for self-improvement!
Of course, Lee Se-yeon was the exception. She saw right through his pitch-black, scheming heart.
That... that jerk! He just didn't want to write my name!
Se-yeon clenched her fists. How could someone be so incredibly petty? She glared at him in protest, but Tae-hyun shamelessly shrugged his shoulders.
"As expected, Team KL's determination is on another level!"
"Haha. Thank you."
After that, the broadcast proceeded smoothly. They discussed what the key strategy for this tournament would be (everyone unanimously answered "items"), and whether there were any inconveniences to being a pro gamer in a gaming house (Cain complained that his room was too big and cleaning it was a chore, earning him a barrage of glares)...
"Great work, everyone!"
"Wow, today's broadcast went incredibly well."
Once the cameras stopped rolling, the PD came over to praise them. Pro gamers were often awkward on camera despite their in-game skills, so the crew had been worried, but the shoot had gone much better than expected.
The MC's skilled hosting played a part, but veteran broadcasters like Tae-hyun and Lee Se-yeon were a massive help. Plus, they had wild cards like Cain delivering completely unpredictable answers.
Excellent. Simply excellent...
"Oh, by the way, Player Kim Tae-hyun."
"?"
"I heard CEO Lee Dong-pal is launching a new project soon. It sounds like you'll be playing a major role in it."
"Ah, yes... Wait, what?"
Tae-hyun, who had answered automatically, suddenly realized something was off. Why would an entertainment agency CEO need his help for a new project?
"Ah. You heard. Phew. Yes, well, I was planning on bringing it up eventually."
He looks flustered, Tae-hyun thought, spotting a single bead of sweat rolling down Lee Dong-pal's forehead. It wasn't even a warm day.
"You know how much SI Entertainment treasures you, right, Tae-hyun? You're one of our absolute flagship stars. To be the face of the company among so many talented people is truly remarkable. When you first signed with us, I never imagined you'd grow this big..."
"I've heard that spiel plenty of times. You say it every single time we meet."
Look at your popularity! If you just go on this show, it'll be a massive hit! You're so popular, shouldn't you do just one more broadcast? Tae-hyun regularly received text messages carrying that exact nuance. Fortunately, he had the perfect excuse of needing to play Pan-On to prepare for the tournament; otherwise, it would have been incredibly difficult to turn him down.
"Which is exactly why it's time for you to start looking after your juniors, don't you think?"
"Juniors? Is SI Entertainment recruiting new players? Well, pro gamers are highly popular these days, so..."
As Pan-On's popularity soared, anyone associated with the game naturally saw their stock rise. Just look at Tae-hyun—his popularity kept growing even though he did nothing but play the game.
"No, no. Recruiting new players at this stage is a bit... Besides, we already have you and Se-yeon. Why expand further? Believe it or not, I prefer a small, elite roster. One well-raised star can feed the entire company, after all."
From SI Entertainment's perspective, other players probably didn't measure up anyway. Tae-hyun and Lee Se-yeon were already dominating the scene with overwhelming performances.
"Then what is it? If it's not players, I don't see how I can help..."
Tae-hyun was genuinely puzzled. If they weren't Pan-On players, what could he possibly teach them? He certainly couldn't teach singers or actors how to do their jobs.
Is he going to ask me to train them physically or something?
"If there is a way, would you be willing to help?"
"...Well, let me hear it first."
"I'll take that as a yes! Excellent. Let me tell you about my ambitious plan. You must not breathe a word of this to anyone."
"?"
"I'm planning to create an idol gaming team."
"......"
Tae-hyun stood up. He turned around and headed straight for the door.
Slap!
"Wait! At least hear me out!"
"Are you out of your mind? What kind of nonsense is that?!"
"Listen to me! Idols are incredibly popular, right? They draw massive crowds!"
"Sure..."
"And what about gaming teams? They're also incredibly popular right now!"
"......"
"Both are highly popular, so imagine the synergy if we combine them!"
"I think they'll just end up mediocre at both and flop miserably."
"Don't be so pessimistic! We just have to make sure that doesn't happen. Dancing, singing, acting... and gaming. They'll do it all!"
Is this man insane?
Tae-hyun gave Lee Dong-pal a skeptical look, scanning him from head to toe. Had the recent success of SI Entertainment driven him to hard drugs?
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"No... It's nothing."
Lee Dong-pal looked one hundred percent serious. His absolute sincerity actually made Tae-hyun hesitate. This was a man with far more experience in the entertainment industry than him. Surely he had calculated the risks and benefits, right?
"Well, come to think of it, it's your project. Even if it flops, you're the one taking the fall, so I have no reason to stop you."
"Exactly... Wait. Did you just say it's going to flop?"
"But why did you call me here?"
"Ah, I wanted to ask you to help train them in the game..."
"I'm leaving."
"Just a little! Just a tiny bit! Just the basics and some control mechanics!"
"I'm busy enough to die as it is. What are you trying to make me do?"
"That's why I said just a little! Even just basic training would be a huge help! And I know you're busy with the tournament! You can start after it's over!"
Tae-hyun let out a deep sigh and sat back down.
"But aren't there plenty of coaches out there? The market is practically overflowing with Pan-On coaches."
With gaming teams popping up like mushrooms after rain, there was no shortage of people looking to become coaches or directors. Most of them were older, former pro gamers from the previous generation.
"Don't you know my motto? Always choose the absolute best whenever possible."
"Get Lee Se-yeon to do it. Lee Se-yeon."
"I tried, but she... what do you call it? A ranged caster? She said she's only ever played those classes and doesn't know anything else, so it would be too difficult. She's willing to help if they play mages, but she said anything else is out of her depth. So, for the other classes, we really need you, Tae-hyun..."
"Ah."
Tae-hyun instantly understood. From Pan-On 1 to Pan-On 2, Lee Se-yeon had been a die-hard, pure-blooded Necromancer. And even among magic classes, Necromancers had a highly unique playstyle. They had to command summons while simultaneously casting curses—a notoriously difficult class to master. Because of that, she would naturally be reluctant to teach melee classes.
"I'll think about it after the tournament."
"Do you promise?!"
"I said I'd think about it, not that I'd do it."
"...So that happened. Have you eaten something weird lately?"
"...No, I haven't."
Lee Se-yeon stared at Tae-hyun as if he had lost his mind. She was resting in the company's styling room while getting her makeup touched up when Tae-hyun had suddenly barged in.
"My uncle has a plan. He didn't just throw this together. Pan-On is so popular right now that it's a highly viable project. The trainees are already solidifying their singing and dancing skills, so we just need to add Pan-On to the mix."
"It sounds plausible when you put it that way, but why does it still sound like utter madness?"
"Well, innovative ideas rarely make sense to ordinary people at first."
"......"
Se-yeon shot a provocative glare at Tae-hyun. It was her way of paying him back for his stunt during the broadcast.
"I-I also thought it was innovative, okay?"
"I actually think it's worth a shot. I saw the trainees they're preparing, and their singing and dancing are pretty good. Now they just need to get good at the game."
Se-yeon genuinely believed that. However, she differed from CEO Lee Dong-pal on one crucial point.
My uncle probably wants to generate hype by marketing the fact that they're being trained by me and Kim Tae-hyun, but I don't really want to do that. Hiring regular coaches would be more than enough.
Though they bickered constantly, Se-yeon and Tae-hyun shared the exact same sentiment on one thing: Teaching someone is a massive pain!
Even when celebrities appearing on the same shows casually asked, "Haha, let's play Pan-On together sometime! I'd love to learn from you!" she had always politely deflected. The thought of seriously training trainees was a nightmare. Unlike casual celebrities, she would be responsible for these trainees until they actually made it. But she couldn't just refuse.
"My niece is the absolute best! Mwahaha!"
"..."
"I'll have to ask Kim Tae-hyun as well. If the two of you teach them together, they'll be unstoppable!"
"!"
At that moment, Se-yeon had realized something. Even if she didn't refuse, Tae-hyun would undoubtedly reject the offer on his own! There was no way someone like Tae-hyun would accept such a tedious task. If Tae-hyun refused, Lee Dong-pal would have to find a melee coach anyway. Then, Se-yeon could easily back out by saying, "Well, in that case, it's probably better to have a single coach handle everything."
Se-yeon had placed her absolute trust in Tae-hyun. There's no way you'd accept!
"So, since you rejected the offer, what did my uncle... I mean, the CEO say?"
"Huh? I didn't reject it. I told him I'd think about it."
"WHY?!?!?!"
"He was practically begging me while spouting that crazy plan... And since you already agreed to teach them, and he said we'd do it after the tournament according to my schedule, it felt wrong to just flat out refuse. So I said I'd consider it. In the past, I would've said no, but I have to lead a gaming house now. I figured it could serve as good promotion for us. Blood is thicker than water, after all. Once they debut, they'll probably do a lot of collaborations with our team."
"......"
Se-yeon's jaw dropped. Things were spiraling in a completely unexpected direction. This... this makes no sense... She never expected that self-centered, arrogant jerk to actually think about the bigger picture!
"By the way, your reaction just now was a bit strange."
"W-what? What do you mean?"
"Did you... accept the offer because you assumed I would reject it?"
"W-what are you talking about? Why would I do that?"
"Rankers rarely enjoy teaching others. It's a distraction that offers zero benefits. You're looking highly suspicious right now..."
Seeing the tremor in Se-yeon's eyes, Tae-hyun was absolutely certain. This girl accepted the offer thinking I'd refuse, just so she could use me as an excuse!
"I-I told you, that's not it."
"Sure. Well, it doesn't matter. I'm going to accept the offer anyway."
"......"
Se-yeon's pupils dilated in pure panic. Tae-hyun grinned and stood up.
"Well, I'll be off then."
"...You... you absolute jerk!"
After Tae-hyun left, Se-yeon stomped her feet in sheer frustration. She had dug her own grave. Watching her, the stylist asked, "Are you two really dating?"
"Unni, do you have eyes? How can you even ask that after witnessing what just happened?!"
"S-sorry. I was just curious..."
Hmm. No matter how I look at it, an idol gaming team sounds like a terrible idea...
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
"Hey! Watch your hands! You're going to smash your own fingers!"
Cain shrieked in terror as he watched Tae-hyun mindlessly swing his hammer, pounding away at a steel plate without even looking. But Tae-hyun casually pulled his hand away just in time. It was the master-level craftsmanship of a veteran blacksmith who could finish a job blindfolded! Even with dozens of thoughts swirling in his head, his hands moved with flawless precision.
Currently, Tae-hyun was up on the capital's city walls, helping the local blacksmiths with some odd jobs.
"But, you know..."
"Yeah?"
"When are you going to have your coronation?" Cain whispered.
Even though he whispered, everyone nearby heard him perfectly.
"!"
"!!!"
The moment the words left his mouth, every NPC and player in the vicinity turned to look at Tae-hyun with eyes full of intense anticipation. Everyone was dying to know. When exactly would Kim Tae-hyun officially ascend the throne as the King of the Atali Kingdom?