Internal Conflict (4)
- Ah, Shining Star. Is it the overwhelming pressure of the 3rd Division stage? Their performance just isn't recovering at all.
- It's not just performance—something weird is going on with teamwork between the players. There's zero coordination or camaraderie. They weren't like this in the Academy League. Shining Star meant teamwork, and teamwork meant Shining Star, but that strength is completely gone now.
- It's pretty common for rookie teams to lose their edge once stage fright kicks in. Looks like that's what's happening here.
- And right as you say that, the nexus falls!
- GG~
Shining Star had charged up to the 3rd Division with such momentum.
I'd believed without a doubt that solidifying their teamwork would carry them straight to the 1st Division in a blaze of glory—and the players had the potential for it.
The five players I, Kang Yuseong, had coached overflowed with passion and drive, never skimping on effort.
Our young—almost childish—wings seemed unbreakable, but now they were snapped, leaving us writhing bloodied on the ground, unable to fly.
0 wins, 3 losses.
Just two weeks into the season, we'd dropped all three regular matches 0:2 and plummeted to last place in the 3rd Division.
These were the players who, after their first official loss in the promotion playoffs, had wept bitterly at the taste of defeat.
Now, they just packed their bags in stony silence, faces hardened—no more outbursts of frustration after losses.
To be precise, they were frustrated.
But internal team issues kept it bottled up.
And the root of that suppression? Two people: Hayoung and Seona.
"Yeah, Mom... I'm fine. Nothing happened. Just... a slump, I guess. Yeah... thanks..."
I had plenty to say to Seona, but she was on the phone right now.
I brushed past her and approached Hayoung.
"Lee Hayoung."
"Yes."
She stopped packing and looked up at my call.
"In that teamfight earlier at top, why'd you heal the wrong spot? Wasn't Seona the one who needed it most? What were you thinking, wasting it on Sera when her health was fine?"
"......"
"No answer?"
"...Sorry."
"Why'd you pick her as the heal target?"
"...Sorry."
It was always like this.
In real life, practice, and tournaments, Hayoung blatantly ignored Seona—no words, no heals, no spell shields.
Even in situations where saving Seona alone would clinch the win, Hayoung refused. And it kept sparking our losses.
Seona, who died too easily without calls, was trying to adapt but was devolving into a midlaner who did nothing at all.
Yuna raged, Eunjae and Sera persuaded, and even one-on-ones with me changed nothing.
And... I struggled to come down hard on Hayoung myself.
No matter that Seona wasn't directly involved, her family was still the enemy who'd destroyed Hayoung's father. Facing her daily, especially after treating her like a best friend only to learn the truth from others... I could only imagine Hayoung's betrayal.
I'd coaxed her as coach, scolded her—but once derailed, Hayoung was uncontrollable.
It wasn't skill errors; it was deliberate. Scolding wouldn't fix that.
I wanted to snap that personal grudges shouldn't bleed into pro play, but...
This was family—her late father—and she was an emotional 18-year-old girl. Would yelling about separating personal and professional even work? I couldn't bring myself to say it.
Under Hayoung's strike-not-strike, we steadily racked up losses. I sighed and headed to the underground parking lot with the team.
Back at the dorm, I called Eunjae to the meeting room.
"You called?"
"How's it going between those two?"
Before the season, after the incident, I'd asked Eunjae—same age as Hayoung and Seona—to mediate when they were at the dorm.
But Eunjae shook her head glumly.
"Seona just cries if you bring it up. She wants to talk it out, but..."
"Hayoung's the problem?"
"Her face turns scary like a ghost the second Seona's name comes up. And she tells me to get lost if I'm gonna say that crap. Can't even start a conversation."
As expected. Resentments like this don't vanish easily.
Staring at this tangled knot with no clear way to unravel it left me utterly lost. Even managing Yuna's temper or Eunjae's old thug brawls hadn't been this bad.
I'd never dealt with infighting this severe, so I had no clue where to start.
"Sigh... Get Hayoung for now."
"Okay..."
Eunjae left, and soon Hayoung entered the meeting room.
"You called?"
"Sit. We need to talk."
"...Okay."
She sat with a reluctant expression.
Beating around the bush was pointless—a month had passed since that day. I cut straight to it.
"How long are you gonna keep this up?"
"......"
"A month's gone by, season's started. We're 0-3. You okay sinking to last like this? Don't you feel bad for the others? I'm not saying forgive her, but at least basic comms with Seona—"
"Even you... you're taking that bitch's side?"
Seona's name set Hayoung's eyes ablaze. Her voice trembled instantly.
"Is that it...? That bitch's family ruined ours, and you want me to act like nothing happened and keep smiling with her? Am I the bad guy? Is that why even you're taking her side...?"
"Hayoung, that's not what I—"
"No... I hate it, hate it! Coach, you... you have to be on my side. Right? You used to take me out everywhere to cheer me up. You said the breakup wasn't my fault, that being poor wasn't my fault.
Those words kept me going with hope. But even you... even you're taking her side? No, I won't allow it! Please... you have to take my side... At least you, Coach... anyone but you..."
She wrapped her arms around my shoulders, trembling and sobbing. Hayoung hadn't called Seona by name in ages—always "that bitch," "that thing," "her."
How could I push reconciliation now? She'd snap for real.
Feeling even more helpless, I calmed her first.
"I'm not taking Seona's side. Got it? Calm down. No crying."
"Hic... Coach, you have to... be on my side..."
"I got you, I got you. Rest in the dorm and cool off. And... think calmly if you're gonna keep striking like today."
In the end, I couldn't say what I wanted and just soothed her tears before sending her off.
Afterward, I replayed today's match for analysis but soon gave up.
Feedback was meaningless now. What more could I even do?
Rubbing my throbbing head, I called for Seona, the other root of our issues. But she wasn't in the practice room.
"Where's Seona?"
"Unnie headed to the dorm a bit ago."
"The dorm?"
Hayoung had gone there too, just minutes earlier.
The other three were here in the practice room.
Twenty minutes since the match—meaning those two had been alone in the dorm that whole time... in this atmosphere?
Bad vibes.
"Come with me to the dorm quick."
"Me too?"
"I don't know your door lock code."
At the dorm door, I heard a loud crash inside—like something toppling over.
Hayoung left the meeting room and returned to the dorm.
No drive left for more practice, no energy.
She knew it herself. She was the cause of their recent losses.
But before that, she hated Kim Seona too much to bear.
The deceived friendship, the betrayal, the resentment built since childhood—it all exploded, killing any will to talk.
She lay blankly on the bed, staring at the ceiling for minutes.
Suddenly, the door opened.
Hayoung slowly lifted her torso and turned. Her face twisted like she'd bitten a bug.
Seona stood in the doorway.
"Hayoung, talk to me."
A full month since any conversation. Hayoung ignored her, avoided eye contact, stood, and tried to leave.
Seona grabbed her arm.
"Talk."
"Let go."
"Let's talk."
"Let. Go."
"Talk, and I will."
"Nothing to say."
Seona tightened her grip and raised her voice slightly.
"How long you gonna do this? We're 0-3 already. Outside, avoid me, curse me, point fingers—I don't care! But dragging it into games? That's too much."
"Who are you to lecture me?"
"What about Yuna-unnie, Eunjae, Sera? They were so hyped for 3rd Division— this isn't how we lose! Coach too..."
"Don't say his name."
Hayoung's voice carried murderous intent beyond hostility. Seona paused.
Then, resolute, she asked:
"What do I have to do?"
"......"
"What'll make you feel better? Kneel and apologize? Name it. If I can—"
"Get out."
"...Huh?"
"Get out. Quit the team. Can't stand looking at you."
Hayoung's venom shocked Seona like a hammer to the head. She hadn't realized the hatred ran this deep. But...
"That's... no."
"......"
"Sorry. But not that. I decided to go pro for real. Won't quit till 1st Division and TIC. So that much, I—"
"Ha, haha! Ahahaha!"
Hayoung burst into mad laughter.
"No? Gonna keep pro and stay on the team? Your dad kills people, refuses compensation—now you pull the same 'name it' crap but can't deliver? Like father, like daughter."
"Anything else, I'll do it. Everything you say. Just not that—"
"What, your dad hates you going pro? Crawl back under him now? Walk the red carpet you were born on, be a good dog, get treated like company princess.
That suits your life better, right? Oh, and bonus: learn from Daddy how to kill someone and blame the dead. Yeah?"
"......"
"Anything else? Then bring my dad back. Can't? Shut your mouth. I don't wanna hear that from you SA Group scum—makes me sick."
Hayoung's total transformation left Seona speechless. Hayoung mistook it for guilt and felt a tiny relief.
But she didn't know.
That telling her to grovel like a dog had struck Seona's reverse scale.
That after near-disownment by her father, Seona's body and mind were utterly exhausted for a month.
Seona wasn't silent from guilt—her reason had snapped.
"...Pardon?"
"What?"
"What happened to your family—is that my fault?"
Seona looked up, face flushed with rage, locking eyes with Hayoung.
"I was eight too! A kid who knew nothing about the company or what happened! I only learned about it that workshop day! You have any idea how much it festered inside me!?
How to tell you, if you'd even accept it—I agonized over it! But you won't even listen! Your dad became that way 'cause mine was a bastard—not me! Why keep raging at me? Ever think of my side!?"
"...So since you weren't directly involved, fooling me for two months is fine?"
"...Forget it. I kept trying to talk, but you just force your side and ignore mine? I'm done too. Idiot."
Slap!
Hayoung backhanded Seona. But unlike before, Seona didn't tear up in guilt—instead, she whipped her head back with venomous glare.
"Don't talk shit. You, raised pampered in the house that stole someone else's happiness—know what hardship even is?"
"Think I don't have my own struggles just 'cause I whine about mine? You think I'll just take hits?"
"Won't stay quiet?"
Slap!
Seona's right hand flew, turning Hayoung's head. Hayoung glared back with blazing eyes.
"Bring it?"
"Ignore talking but react to this? Guess you need more?"
Sera and I burst into the wrecked dorm, each grabbing one—me on Hayoung, Sera on Seona.
We pinned them from behind to stop the rampage.
They thrashed wildly to break free.
I had Hayoung under control with some ease, but Sera grunted, struggling to hook her arms under Seona's and yank back hard.
"Fuckin' bitch... won't let you off!"
"Whatcha gonna do!"
"You crazies! Stay still!"
Exhausted from struggling—or maybe my thunderous roar—they slowed. I wedged between them to prevent more nonsense.
They looked wrecked. Hair-pulling had scattered Hayoung's black bob and Seona's brown waves across the floor.
Cheeks swollen red from slaps, scratches and bloodstains everywhere.
Good thing my gut dragged us here—alone, they might've killed each other.
"Lee Hayoung, Kim Seona. Both grounded. Hayoung, you sleep in the meeting room from now on. Seona, empty room next to capsule room. I'll get mattresses—you two pack bedding and essentials and get out. Showers in practice room only. Meals: I'll ask auntie for two portions delivered here. Eat in practice room. Step outside without my say-so before grounding lifts, and you're done. One more brawl like this, contracts terminated that day. Got it?"
"......"
"......"
"Got it!!!"
"Yes, yes!"
"Y-yeah!"
The knot wasn't untangling—it was tangling worse.
Back in the meeting room, I leaned back in my chair.
No answers. Nothing I could do alone.
"This is driving me nuts... No solution? We'll all crash like this... Gotta fix those two somehow, but how..."
Muttering to myself, a faint glow flickered beside the desk monitor.
I squinted at the sudden light. A small orb was shining.
[Unresolvable Difficulty Detected.]
[Would you like to use Passfinder?]
Then it hit me—the forgotten gift from memory.
Passfinder.
The status window that'd half-jokingly set my Academy League 1st place goal and delivered.
It appeared in my pocket one day, but no usage instructions for the mysterious crystal orb.
Like with the initial goal, it reacted to my words and now prompted use.
[Would you like to use Passfinder?]
"Yeah."
Like a trance, like grasping at straws, I leaned on Passfinder.
Right—this reward was from raising the girls well. Help out now!
My words ended, a brighter glow burst from it—the orb vanished cleanly from the desk.
Nothing seemed changed... No way it scammed me?
Ding-dong-ding-dong.
Phew, no scam. The status window's affirm chime—not in my head like usual, but from behind.
I turned. My phone blinked green on the meeting room desk.
I reached, unlocked the screen.
The green blink shifted across the phone screen.
Calls.
Contacts.
S.
It stopped at one contact.
[Seona's Mother]