Chapter 65
Chapter 65
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: Jeon Jeonseol! Kuaaaaaa!
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Jeon Jeonseol! Kuaaaaaa!
4 PM. For pro gaming team Ascend, it was dinner time combined with free time during their daily schedule.
The team members gathered around Victory.
"Mr. Jeon Woo-seung, who calls himself Jeon Jeonseol's friend. What do you think about the incident that happened at dawn today?"
"......"
"Breaking news! Victory, aka Jeon Woo-seung, 19-year-old male pro gamer. Revealed to have been the only one feeling any inner closeness—total shock!"
"Why'd you go that far for someone whose face you've never even seen?"
The karma stack built up from Jeon Jeonseol's surprise drunken broadcast at dawn.
It hadn't only come back to bite her.
Arrows flew toward Victory too—the guy who called himself her friend, who went so far as to stake his pro gamer reputation on a cheating explanation stream for her sake.
In a normal friendship, wouldn't you just stay quiet? Or at most, quietly cheer them on if you were closer?
Publicly declaring support and explaining on their behalf? That basically meant you saw yourselves as a destined duo.
But the person in question gets drunk, turns on her stream, and whines about being lonely with no friends.
Even if she meant 'no friends who make time to hang out with me,' it still looked ridiculous.
People don't usually peek inside someone else's mental parentheses.
The team members, barely into their twenties and still clinging to memories of their school cafeteria days.
They didn't miss the chance to relentlessly tease Victory.
This wasn't the first time something like this had happened.
It was the second, after Jeon Jeonseol was revealed to actually be a woman.
"I guess I didn't play with you enough. You might've felt neglected."
Victory, drunk on the theatrical thrill, had secretly lurked in her Magical Fight stream.
He'd been immediately caught, knew it from the DM that flew in, but still desperately denied it. Maybe that hurt her feelings?
Yeah, that could be it. Victory decided to understand her.
"Buddha has descended! Such great compassion!"
"You two dating or what?"
"He's not gay!?"
The team members' barrage wasn't over yet.
The teasing kept pouring out.
"If I did something wrong, sure—but dating? Gay? Obviously not! Why would you even say that?"
"What'd you do wrong? What happened?"
"Every single one of your actions reeks of ulterior motives."
"You put up such a steel wall with female fans, so it's a reasonable suspicion. But seeing how you act with Miss Jeonseol? Nah, you've just never had a girl catch your eye before."
"Miss?"
"She's from a rich family, voice all soft and gentle—that's where the nickname stuck."
"Se-woong's been watching her evening streams a lot lately too."
"Miss, pfft! What kinda boomer word choice is that?"
"We don't even know if she's a noona or dongsaeng. Calling her 'that woman' feels cold."
"Woo-seung-ah, so is she a noona or dongsaeng?"
"Hm, it's a secret."
"A secret just you two know!?"
"Nah, she doesn't say it herself, so I figure it's best I don't either."
"As expected of the undisputed top pro gamer!"
"Learn from him, you punk."
"You could at least tell us that much between bros!"
"That's how info leaks start."
Chatting away like that, they all watched the stream together.
Finally, the stream disguised as "communication" but really just the host getting roasted wrapped up, and the Teamfight Arena stream began.
"Ah, time to queue up."
"Let's go, let's go."
"Yahoo."
"Wait, why are you all suddenly queuing as a group?"
"Just normal viewer participation."
And with that, all five started queuing together.
Victory wanted to stop them, but he had no real excuse.
Who stops pro gamers from practicing even during free time?
He'd been doing it himself all along anyway.
That's when the game started.
💬 In-Game Chat <Anonymous> 9 out of 10 are pros wtf <Anonymous> Whoa, this is real top-tier heaven broadcast <Anonymous> Jeon Jeonseol! Jeon Jeonseol! Jeon Jeonseol! —"The game's not even started yet—why the cheers already?"
"Her voice is killer, though."
"Hey, hey, Joo-an hyung! Enemy team! Turn off the stream! Gonna report for stream sniping!"
"Game hasn't started—lemme listen a bit more!"
"I'm on her team, so I get to hear it the whole time~"
<Anonymous> 4 Ascend lmao they watching the stream too right? <Anonymous> Ascend/drama/downgrade <Anonymous> They say it's all coincidence~ <Anonymous> 4 Ascend caught but Victory's missing <Anonymous> Breaking news) Ran into Victory and Wild in adjacent queue <Anonymous> Snipers lololololololol <Anonymous> Pretending not to watch then sniping is hilarious <Anonymous> These guys are real friends <Anonymous> Wanted to play together but why'd just those two get split <Anonymous> Rankers all queuing to hit top queue lolol <Anonymous> Jeon Jeonseol effect? <Anonymous> Rank 97 is too low to get caught? What kinda queue is this lolol <Anonymous> Habitual NTR <Anonymous> Victory always loses rank points when queuing? Overwhelming #1 means small gains big losses <Anonymous> You think Victory's some rank-preserved bug like you? Jeon Jeonseol's rank was 97.
Victory was 1st, Wild 2nd.
With Victory, Wild, and at least 8 other top rankers queuing, the queues split—and the two couldn't match with Jeon Jeonseol.
Of course, it wasn't like all these rankers were Jeon Jeonseol fans sniping her.
Rankers just benefit from queuing when as many high-rankers as possible are online.
The game itself rewards playing against experts to test and improve skills.
Outside of that, low queues—where others are way below your rank—mean tiny gains on wins and huge drops on losses. Brutal.
Sniping among top rankers in heaven tier? Totally normal.
Sniping itself isn't bad.
Targeting streamers is the issue—because they act sus to show it off. Play normally at your best? No problem.
Anyway, conclusion: Victory and Wild headed off to their own ranker league again, while Jeon Jeonseol got matched with 4 from Ascend.
Ascend's members split back into 2v2.
Golden balance or something?
<Anonymous> Selen takedown! Tae-won takedown! Victory come out! <Anonymous> Jeon Jeonseol! Jeon Jeonseol! Jeon Jeonseol! <Anonymous> Mom when I grow up I wanna marry Jeon Jeonseol mom when I grow up I wanna marry Jeon Jeonseol mom when I grow up I wanna marry Jeon Jeonseol — ??? Even if, probably not? Pro level and she'll just get wiped (actual quote) <Anonymous> Pro level matters in 5v5 team games lol solo queue seriously comparing to pros? Ragequitters <Anonymous> Above guy seems really mad... scary... <Anonymous> Winning team Ascend losing team Ascend why mad? (Genuine question) <Anonymous> Why's chat a cow intestine mess <Anonymous> Breaking news) Selen settles at 88th 'Definitely... pretty... good.'
Selen, Choi Joo-an. 24. The team's eldest.
Until now, he'd thought Victory's high praise for Jeon Jeonseol was exaggerated.
Memories always get beautified, prettier than reality.
Even if they'd once stood at the top together in the same game, no guarantee she'd adapt well to others.
But after losing once, he got it—yeah, she was a genius worth Victory obsessing over.
And the next game.
<Anonymous> Aaah! Player Jeon Jeonseol! Winrate piercing the heavens! — ??? It's all bubble anyway climbs then pops (actual quote) <Anonymous> Personally fending off haters and proving it.... straight GOAT <Anonymous> Jeon Jeonseol is a god <Anonymous> This is why I watch streams kyaaaa <Anonymous> This is why I can't quit this stream lol found my drug Selen. Two brutal losses.
'Just win once.'
"Hyung, aren't you going to eat?"
"I'll order in."
Lose a game? No dinner.
Keep going till you win.
If you're not that type, you can't be a pro gamer.
1 win.
But not a 1v1 enemy win—with Jeon Jeonseol as teammate.
Jeon Jeonseol: 3 wins 0 losses.
Selen: 1 win 2 losses. (1 win with Jeon Jeonseol)
"......"
Bubble bubble bubble bubble.
His insides boiled like a kettle.
About to overflow and pop the lid clean off?
"Hyung. Time for scrims soon, right?"
But what can you do?
Curse the clock nearing 7 PM, scarf down the uneaten dinner, prep for scrims—what else?
Can't ditch scrims just 'cause you're obsessed with one streamer and keep solo sniping.
Job's pro gamer. Can't just play or not on a whim.
And so Selen Choi Joo-an headed to scrims, guts bubbling furiously.
'Jeon Jeonseol! Kuaaaaaa!'
But Jeon Jeonseol had no clue about any of this.
Chat told her she'd matched with pros again, but how could she imagine one of them had fixated on her?