The Pro Gamer's Proposal

"I'm really embarrassed, Lene…"

"Ah, I'm not going to do it…?"

[…What?]

Startled. What kind of nonsense is this person saying…

★ Current New Dimension PVP and AOS Rank 1. PVP Korean and World Championship winner. AOS Korean and World Championship winner. AOS Korean and World Championship Final MVP and overall season MVP. The undisputed pinnacle of New Dimension, the pro gamer "Gaeun," needed no further introduction.

That didn't mean Gaeun ignored New Dimension's RPG aspects. He had been part of the first party to clear the Tagirion raid, showing his genuine passion for the game, and was still working toward clearing the Albion subjugation. Because of this, Gaeun's reputation and position within New Dimension were absolute. Even players who disliked PVP and AOS modes, preferring pure open-world RPG gameplay for various reasons, acknowledged him.

Gaeun was someone who could judge himself quite objectively.

"Well… she'll obviously accept, right?"

The undisputed pinnacle that everyone acknowledged—barring any absurd circumstances—was appearing on his stream and offering a team contract. Gaeun was already convinced in his heart that no one could refuse such an offer.

"Of course, there are additional conditions… but they probably won't matter to this person."

Anyway, Gaeun believed Lene's joining was confirmed, and that judgment would never have been wrong under normal circumstances.

Even Lene's chat window was filled with nothing but opinions that she should accept.

…However.

This time, the opponent was bad. The opponent was Lene, a player who could never be considered normal in New Dimension.

"…What?"

Gaeun's hollow voice echoed.

"No. Everyone… That person, Gaeun, being good at the game and me accepting that offer are, wow, completely different issues, aren't they…?"

Something… something was happening. I was refusing because I didn't want to, so why were the Lene-boomers making such a fuss…?

"Still, I'm definitely not going to do it…"

"Uh, um… It's not that…"

"Um, well… you know…?"

There wasn't really any other reason. It wasn't even about the problem of my gender being discovered or anything.

"Being a pro gamer means appearing in front of people a lot, right…?"

The veteran Lene-boomers already seemed to understand what I was about to say.

"Sorry, but I'm a hikikomori, so… appearing in front of other people is a bit…"

The chat atmosphere was becoming solemn. No, why. What's wrong with being a hikikomori. You guys already know anyway. That I'm a hikikomori…. I've said it several times on stream. It's not even about making eye contact or anything. So even if that got fixed, I still wouldn't do it. Because I'm a hikikomori!

"S-Sir? No, would it be better to call you Gaeun…?"

"S-Sorry, but… people who are really shy and hikikomori absolutely can't do things like appearing in front of people…"

"In the first place, how can someone who's shy approach and talk to someone they've never met like Gaeun does…. Real people absolutely can't do that…"

Even when I first went to Tyuni, even though it was just chatting in-game, I had worried about it an awful lot. And that was with someone I'd already talked to before. But this person had suggested using voice chat from the very beginning. How was that being shy…. It was complete deception….

If I hadn't gotten used to it through streaming, I would've still been talking only through chat right now….

The chat had already shifted to an atmosphere defending me. As expected of Lene-boomers. You guys are the same kind as me too.

"Yep…"

"L-Let's hear it…?"

In this kind of atmosphere, I wondered what would happen if I refused. Honestly curious. Well, I didn't really intend to refuse anyway. In the first place, I had planned to do PVP today.

"Understood…"

★ From the beginning, what Gaeun had been looking forward to most wasn't Lene joining, but the PVP against Lene. If he could only choose one between Lene joining and PVP, he would definitely choose the latter.

Someone hearing this might have no choice but to ask, why on earth? But pride and competitive spirit are emotions that gamers cannot discard. And among such gamers, those at the pinnacle—those who call themselves pros—naturally had pride and competitive spirit dozens of times greater than ordinary gamers.

"Huu…"

Gaeun quietly caught his breath and looked at the jet-black figure before his eyes. A pressure that felt suffocating slowly but strongly enveloped him.

"Even if I win, I won't really gain anything."

But if he lost, countless suspicious glances would definitely fall upon him. That was the pressure that someone standing at the pinnacle had to endure. The weight of the crown, which was never light, enough to crush an ordinary person.

But his competitive spirit as a gamer made even that bearable for Gaeun.

I don't want to lose. I want to win. No, I will win.

In hindsight, it was just a meaningless pride, but that single pride was inflated enough to stake all the honor he had built up until now. A gambler challenging such an absurd match. That was the true identity of the pro gamer "Gaeun."

"The format will be best of five. No weapon changes in between. Random field. How about it?"

As if it didn't matter either way. A gentle yet soft and transparent voice tickled Gaeun's ears. Was that proof of confidence that he could definitely win? Or was it evidence of resignation that it didn't matter since he would lose anyway? Gaeun personally hoped it was the former. There was nothing more boring than an opponent who did nothing.

But as if wanting to mock even that thought of Gaeun's—

Lene fell twice in a row, barely able to do anything. So miserably that calling it defeat felt insufficient.

Beyond the headphones, only a breath devoid of any emotion echoed.