Do You Think I Don't Know Your Tricks, Boss?!
Do you think I don't know the boss's tricks?!
Calling up the little bastard of an employee who recommended Magu Magu to me right now. About to throw down for a match.
Why isn't this bastard answering, though?
"……"
Why isn't she answering, you ask?
Do I look like I'm slipping into Ttyuttya mode to you, Boss?
……Okay, fine, I am!
? This bastard says no?
The boss immediately snitched on me to the chat.
……
How many years do you think I've been working with the boss already?!
Ah, well, it's only been six months, technically.
Says she doesn't want to join because she knows I'll throw a bet and thrash her.
Hmm……
After a moment of thought, the boss's character wandered back toward the corner of the screen.
Why was that topic coming up here of all places……?
Didn't you say we don't do that sort of thing to protect the idols' images?
Well, that was true, but……
We really needed to calm down a little here……!
"Hawawa?!"
Th-this isn't right, Boss!
Bwooeeeng……!
Wheeeeeee──!
I frantically mashed the power button on my main rig.
My computer specs had gotten so good that a minute should have been plenty, but I wasn't taking any chances with possible variables.
I finished blasting off the company messages in a panic.
The second I did, the boss's character broke into a wide grin.
Hehe…… she's coming.
Says it'll take a bit so I should build up my deck first?
Should I? I'll just spend the same amount of money the employee used.
"Umm……"
I should warn you in advance: the boss is kind of lucky.
<Lv.7>
<Lv.7>
<Lv.7>
These enhancements are going really well? Is this a generous game or what?
"No……"
She landed three Lv.7s in a row when I hadn't managed a single one.
For reference, the base success rate for Lv.7 is 1%.
Even with a Lv.7 Challenge Ticket it only goes up to 5%.
And those tickets cost 6,000 won each on special, several times that at normal price.
Get in here already!! You bastard!!
"Ugh……"
Running away wasn't an option when the boss was literally in the next room, so I joined the voice chat.
Ding!
A familiar sound effect rang out as Woo Yeonha's profile picture popped up in the corner of the screen.
You here?
At the boss's greeting, I steeled myself and fired off a classic Woo Yeonha-style hello.
……It's me, you fuckers.
Of course,
After my real personality had been completely exposed on Jinwoo's stream, acting tough was completely meaningless.
Did you just call me a fucker, Yeonha?
……And with the boss piling on too, it was even worse.
"Hing……"
"D-don't! I'm not debuting!"
Who said anything about debuting?!
I'm making her. Just wait a bit, you bastards.
"Boss!!"
Why would you make a promise like that in front of everyone?!
You shut up and get in the game. I'm gonna thrash you.
"……I'm in already."
I fired up Magu Magu for now.
Friend request me.
"……Yes."
I sent the boss a friend request.
She accepted it right away.
"Hing hing……"
S.L KHN has invited you to an Exhibition Match.
I accepted the boss's invite and entered the room.
Naturally the inviting boss was Home. I was Away.
S.L KHN vs S.L WYH
Ah, Yeonha.
"Yes?"
While we're at it, let's throw a bet on the game.
"W-what kind of bet?"
A chill ran down my spine at the bet I'd already been expecting.
If you win, you get to do your next debut stream however you want. I won't interfere.
"Uh……"
Of course, if you want, slacking off or bailing entirely is allowed too.
"Oh……?"
It was far too tempting an offer to turn down.
"Th-then if I lose……?"
If you lose……
After temporarily blocking some of the nastier chat messages, the boss continued with a smile.
I get to decide your next stream content however I want.
"Umm……"
After a good talk with the viewers in my room.
"……"
In other words, we were fighting over Woo Yeonha's next stream content.
"Hmm……"
I thought about it for a moment.
……There was seriously no reason not to take it.
"Call!"
You said call?
"Call! Call! Call!!"
Does Magu Magu Woo Yeonha look like a joke to you, Boss?
Woo Yeonha's next stream is getting cancelled right here! Just you wait!
"Bring it!! Kang Haneul!!"
What was that, you bastard?!
Crap, I used her name without thinking……!
"B-bring it! Boss Kang!"
You're dead after this game. Fuck.
"S-save meee!"
And so began the friendly match against the boss.
"……"
Click click!
I quietly opened a random pitcher site.
Is that cheating, you ask?
Nope. It's not.
If you don't like it, pick yours in advance!
<Ryu Jinhyun>
The boss's pitcher was the left-handed ace known as the Korean Monster in the majors.
The pitcher, modeled after his real-life stocky build, lifted his leg and whipped his arm around, scattering the ball.
A slow fastball floated into the corner.
Thwack!
"Tsk……!"
I could clearly see it was a strike.
But it came in the exact opposite of where I'd been aiming, so I couldn't bring myself to swing.
Hitting in Magu Magu is literally 50% psychological warfare and 50% timing.
You move your hitting zone to where you think the opponent will throw, then swing on the timing when the ball comes in.
You can still hit one that comes on the opposite side, of course, but the chances of a hit or home run drop dramatically.
Better to just watch one go by than force a weak groundout for no reason.
Whoosh──!
The second pitch came flying in.
"Aargh……!"
Another slow curveball that planted itself on the opposite side of where I'd been looking.
What are you doing? Going easy on me because I'm the boss?
"I-it's still no outs, okay?!"
And then the third pitch came.
Ryu Jinhyun's signature pitch — the JH Changeup!
"Aargh!!"
Crack!
It wasn't where I was aiming, but with two strikes already I had to swing.
The ball soared high into the sky and stretched far, far out into the outfield.
Thup!
The ball got sucked straight into the left fielder's glove.
Alright, one out!
"I-it's still just one out!"
Then came the number two batter.
Crack──!
"Wh-what?"
Once again not a single pitch came where I was aiming, and it was two outs.
Crack──! Thup!
I had no idea why things had gone this way, but……
Locked in. You fucking bitch.
"Uh……"
……Something had gone very, very wrong.
"I-I have a good pitcher too, you know!"
<Kim Hyunkwang>
Just like Ryu Jinhyun, the left-handed pitcher who'd formed the national team's one-two punch──
Crack──!
Starting to wake up, Yeonha?
S.L KHN 1 : 0 S.L WYH
"……This is rigged."
……For real.
If you compared my Magu Magu stats with the boss's, it looked roughly like this.
Batting: ★★★★★
Pitching: ★★☆ (with random site help factored in)
Defense: ★★★
Woo Yeonha, with overwhelming reflexes and all stats dumped into offense, versus
Batting: ★★★
Pitching: ★★★
Defense: ★★☆
the boss with her reasonably hexagonal stats.
On paper the match should have been even or even favored me……
"Sh-shut up!!"
I glared at the monitor.
A sight that absolutely should not have been possible was right there.
S.L KHN 5 : 1 S.L WYH
"Th-this can't be happening……?"
The reason I was losing 5–1 to the boss was simple.
Luck: ☆
Luck: ★★★★★
Luck.
And a ridiculously massive luck gap at that.
Our boss was a luck pig.
Whether it was gacha or investments, everything she touched turned into a jackpot.
Every so often the pitches I threw landed right where the boss was aiming and gave up hits and home runs, whereas
the boss had only thrown a pitch into my zone once the entire game.
And the one time she did, I somehow managed to convert it into my single run.
What pitch should I throw where next~?
Already certain of her victory, the boss was picking her pitches like she was singing a song.
"Y-you turned on wallhacks, didn't you, Boss?!"
If I had wallhacks, would I have given up a run?
"Ugh……"
While I was arguing with the viewers, the number nine batter made another out.
You gonna get it together or what, Woo Yeonha?!
"Th-the balls aren't coming where I'm aiming!"
No excuses! You punk!!
Whoosh──!
"It's hacks!! This is!!"
How does not a single pitch come where I'm aiming!!
No, how does only one pitch come there the whole game!!
Goodbye……
Whoosh──!
The boss's closer threw the final pitch.
Crack──!
My batter made contact.
Of course, since I'd forced a swing on a pitch nowhere near my zone, the ball didn't travel far.
"Kyaaaaaaaaaa!!"
……And just like that, the game was over.
S.L KHN 5 : 1 S.L WYH
5–1.
My complete and utter defeat.
So then, Yeonha Yeonha?
"……"
……The loser has no right to speak.
Answer!
"……Yes."
……When the winner says jump, you jump.
Wash up well and get ready for the next content.
……I'll prepare something way beyond the usual plans you come up with.
"……"
Something had definitely gone very wrong here.
……For real.