118. The Interview Challenge
After the match ended, the PER waiting room was buzzing with rare excitement for once.
"Whoa!! Chang-hyun! You did it again!"
Maybe it was because most of their recent games had been straightforward. Coach Lee Jong-gyu welcomed him with an enthusiastic hug.
"Come on... It's not like this is our first or second game. What's with you, seriously."
The rest of the PER team members, who had been waiting in the room for the match to finish, cheered just as wildly—everyone except him.
"But man, I really thought we were done for this time. Sorry about that, Chang-hyun."
"That early slice from Lee Jun-seo right at the start? Whatever... We won anyway, and when the opponent comes prepared with tactics, the ones reacting are always at a disadvantage."
There were definitely plays that needed feedback, but Yoon Han-gyeol running into Lee Jun-seo was just bad luck. Since it was 2nd Division, this was par for the course—but from now on, they'd face stuff like this more often, so adaptation was key.
"Of course, that doesn't mean there weren't ways to deal with it."
"Huh...? Really?"
Yoon Han-gyeol stared at him with wide-eyed surprise, clearly dying to know what he meant, but...
"Don't ask this time—figure it out yourself. Situations like this where I can't spoon-feed you will only increase from here."
They needed to learn to think for themselves, to realize things on their own.
"Tch, getting sliced by a guy like that. Hey, what if I'd been there instead of Han-gyeol?"
"You'd have eye-flashed them into oblivion?"
A few PER members chuckled at his words. Still, it was true—Kim Do-jun probably would've held up better than Yoon Han-gyeol.
"Hah. Fine. I've got more than a couple tricks prepped for my 2nd Division debut anyway~ Dang~"
From the way he said it, he must've prepared something. 'Hopefully not another viral meme like that Eye-Blinding Villain sensation last time...'
His playstyle and image had shifted so much from before the regression that it was impossible to predict.
Whatever. Kim Yu-hyeon had performed well enough in this match, so there was no regret about the lineup.
'Maybe swap Yi Gil-han for Kim Do-jun next time...'
With the team growing, selecting members based on combinations, synergy, and opponents was crucial. For now, it was just one change, but still.
"By the way, who's the MVP this match?"
Kim Do-jun hadn't even played from the waiting room, yet he was curious about the MVP. What a guy—unpredictable as ever.
MVP, huh... If he had to pick, wasn't it him? The highlight-reel moment was obviously that final fight. While Han Ji-su and Ryu Jae-jun played decoy and fled, he'd picked off one by one with covering fire. Then dueled and dispatched the enemy ace Lee Jun-seo. Clean finish. What more was there?
"Who else? MVP's obviously me. Wouldn't make sense if they didn't give it to me."
Thinking about it, there must be killer highlight footage too. As he straightened his clothes and mentally prepped answers for the interview, a staffer opened the waiting room door.
"Congratulations on the win. MVP interview for Lee Yeon-ju, please."
"?"
"?"
"Pfft... Heh heh heh heh."
Kim Do-jun laughed at him. 'Dang... The world, man...'
Lee Yeon-ju, who had been standing there dazed and confused, was led out by the staffer.
***
Lee Yeon-ju.
She'd been on PER since their 3rd Division winless streak, yet she'd never once gotten MVP.
So when the interview request came, she couldn't help but feel stunned. 'Why me...? I didn't even take down a single enemy for real...'
This match, she'd at least been more helpful than usual. But the reason became clear from the broadcaster's explanation echoing down the hall as she left the waiting room.
[Caster]: Ah... This match's MVP! PER's Lee Yeon-ju has been selected! She edged out Lee Chang-hyun by one vote.
[Commentator]: Lee Chang-hyun's brilliance is a given at this point. But Lee Yeon-ju showed massive growth compared to before, which probably earned her the bonus points. She turned the tide with the Anti-Mana Stone she found and her chain of Binding supports—they were lethal.
In short, Lee Chang-hyun had set the bar so high that he had to outperform his past self just to match expectations.
She got it for a moment—Ah, I see—but then panic set in. 'So... what do I even say...?'
Standing in front of so many people, answering questions—it wasn't her thing. Her head spun.
Still, she followed the staffer and soon reached the caster. Cheers erupted from the stands. It wasn't her first time hearing them, but being the center of it alone? Her head dipped instinctively. The flashing lights and roaring energy made her soul feel sucked right out.
The caster spoke first. "Lee Yeon-ju... you okay? Can we start the interview?" She must've looked pale.
But honestly... it wasn't bad condition. 'My heart's pounding like crazy...'
She shook during matches too, but this was double. Backing out now without a word felt worse, though.
"...Yeah, I'm fine."
She steadied her breath. One, two. This spot was meant for Lee Chang-hyun maybe—she had to do it right, make him proud.
[Caster]: This match was called the most dangerous in 2nd Division. LTD came prepared. How did you feel, Lee Yeon-ju?
Simple question. But she wanted to nail the answer. How do you answer well?
She thought of Lee Chang-hyun, always stirring up storms in interviews and media days. 'What would Chang-hyun say...?'
She gripped the mic tight. Channel confidence. Show guts.
[Lee Yeon-ju]: Hm. They weren't a pushover.
[Caster]: As expected. LTD's power was impressive this time—
Before he could finish, she cut in.
[Lee Yeon-ju]: It's fine. I'm even less of a pushover.
Hm. Not bad. Chang-hyun would've said something like that, right? Smoother and more confident than her usual self—she liked it.
Then she saw the live viewer reactions. Chaos.
Her face burned. 'Was it that bad...?'
But the caster, true pro, ignored it and pressed on.
[Caster]: Your play this match was the talk of the town—skirting enemies at the start, rummaging relics without joining right away. Oddly, you found plenty but left most behind. Why?
Obvious answer. But... 'How to say it...'
She'd already turned chat into a laugh fest. Stick to the bit? Her head whirled.
Then, a memory surfaced—Lee Chang-hyun during one-on-one training. 'Head not turning? Just think, what would I do? You've watched me long enough.'
Not about interviews, but matches. Still, it steadied her. 'Yeah. Changing now would just look half-assed...'
And maybe she admired his bold, confident vibe a bit.
So she said it.
[Lee Yeon-ju]: Why leave the other relics? Simple. No need for a cow-killing knife when you're just catching a chicken...
It didn't fit her, even to her own ears—the tail end trailed off.
Real reason? 'LTD might turtle if we grabbed too many relics early...'
But Chang-hyun never would've said that.
This time, reactions exploded even harder.
[Caster]: Ah... I see. PER's confidence, then. Even pinned down by LTD, you had poise. Very veteran for a fresh 2nd Div team. Gotta say, Lee Yeon-ju—you're awesome.
'Oh... really?' Seemed... positive?
[Caster]: Final question. After grabbing all relics, you went full stealth with Invisible Cloak and mana jammer, supporting purely with Binding. Who planned that? Expect more?
Ah. The play she'd prepped with Chang-hyun. No combat, just Joker-style foot-holding. Probably why she got MVP—let them mop up LTD without backups.
'Yeah... that skill's my lucky break in this career.' Not even originally hers. She wanted to shine with it longer.
Cheers from the stands. Energized vibe. A bit embarrassing... but fun spot.
She'd work hard.
[Lee Yeon-ju]: I'll keep Binding 'em from the shadows. Thanks.