I Walk My Own Path
The soybean paste stew I made was actually quite delicious.
Maybe the fact that I cooked it myself gave it a massive bonus?
Or perhaps it was only natural, since I had seasoned it to suit my own taste.
It wasn't even a special occasion, but my family, who were usually too busy to see each other, had all gathered around the table.
I was never one to talk much, even in front of my family.
Even if an introvert like me was considered relatively normal in our household, it didn't magically conjure up social skills I didn't have.
My parents and my sister didn't really try to force a conversation, either.
Still, today was a rare treat. The corners of my mouth kept twitching upward at the shower of compliments.
"Nabi made this stew?"
"I'm telling you, she did. She learned it step-by-step from me."
"She did a great job. It's delicious. For a first try, it suits my palate perfectly."
"Really...? Hehe."
I could happily accept this level of fuss.
But as expected, parents never knew when to stop.
The culprit was my sister... no, my eonni. I wondered when I would ever get used to that word.
Anyway, the root of the problem was that I hadn't told them about the Challengers Cup before.
Perhaps it had bred a seed of distrust, because they seemed to have been searching for news about me in their spare time.
They had even found out about 'Climb to Glory,' the promotional video centered around me.
No, seriously, it wasn't like I was trying to hide it.
I just didn't think it was necessary to tell them every little detail.
It definitely wasn't because I anticipated this exact reaction and kept my mouth shut.
"Oh my. Our Nabi looks so pretty. Our daughter is very photogenic, isn't she?"
"Isn't that outfit a bit much, though?"
"Oh, come on, it's like a stage costume. You need that much to grab people's attention."
"Still. I'm only saying this because I worry."
"Actually, I think it's great that she's bold enough to wear clothes like that."
Scratch that.
I should have hidden it. I was never going to tell my parents anything ever again.
"S-stop it. You can look at that after we finish eating. You always tell me not to look at my phone during meals!"
"I'm eating just fine. Besides, you never listened to me anyway. You used to stare at your phone every single dinner, so why are you only nagging your mother?"
"..."
Wait, my karma is coming back to bite me like this? Is this the power of a practicing lawyer?
My mouth was instantly shut. Completely dumbfounded, I opened my mouth but couldn't make a sound, just gaping like a fish.
"Oh, look at this. Are you close with this Na Jia person?"
"We went out to eat together before. She asked me to help her pick out some clothes."
"..."
"Doesn't it hurt when you fight like this?"
"She said it just stings a bit. It's not like it's excruciatingly painful, so don't worry."
"Well, that's a relief."
I'm never cooking again. I'm never eating dinner at home again. I'm never stepping foot out of my room again.
...The next day, I learned how to make kimchi stew.
Time stops for no one.
They say time crawls when you're going through a rough patch.
But when you're so busy you can barely catch your breath, the days fly by like arrows.
A week felt like a single day, and a month felt like a week.
Ever since I became a trainee for SnowWitch, I had worked so hard that I could hold my head high before anyone.
While I was acquiring the skills needed to be a pro gamer one by one, the regular league season didn't stand still either.
"Drizzle is diving in at incredible speed! The skirmish is looking extremely favorable for Blue Serpent!"
"A Fighter simply cannot withstand focused fire. Ah, is the Vanguard going down here as well?"
"They've secured two kills, and that's it! Instead of overextending, they're pulling back to regroup."
"That player's weight class is definitely on another level."
"Not only is her combat ability superb, but her split-second decision-making is outstanding. Just now, she pierced through their defense at the exact moment they were vulnerable."
Seul-bi had been performing brilliantly ever since her debut.
She was easily the first name mentioned when discussing the most eye-catching players in the current Academy League.
She was almost treated like an invasive species disrupting the ecosystem.
Her caliber was definitely not suited to remain in the second tier.
Although she was clearly a rookie, watching her play made her seem more experienced than most veterans.
Combined with her calm interviews, she seemed to have cultivated the public image of a cold, composed elite.
Honestly, it was hard to get used to, considering how much she chattered when she was with me.
But watching her matches brought the reality home every single time.
Yet, I couldn't just sit back and admire her.
I was running forward as a trainee for SnowWitch, while Seul-bi had become the rising star of Blue Serpent.
In other words, Seul-bi had become a wall I would eventually have to scale.
"You know that Lee Seul-bi girl, right?"
"Yes..."
"There's no need to be discouraged. Having a friend on the opposing team is a common occurrence. Sometimes you even face former teammates you used to share a roof with in the finals."
Coming from Hero, it carried a strange weight of conviction.
After all, she had married the very rival she had clashed with throughout her entire active career.
Since she was someone who fought with a literal intent to kill in the league, her words couldn't have been more genuine.
By the way, a rather random thought crossed my mind.
What happens when the head coach and the director have a domestic dispute?
I could picture a truly spectacular scene, but I didn't dare ask.
I'd get scolded. And not just a light scolding, but a massive one.
Am I already a lost cause for even wondering about this?
"You two look to be around the same age. Keep your mind steady. Don't rush, and keep the mindset of walking your own path. A pro career is long. No one knows what will happen down the road."
The match entered a brief lull as Lee Seul-bi and Blue Serpent avoided skirmishes.
Seizing the moment, Hero briefly shared a story of her own.
She had started her professional career in a mid-tier team in the IKL.
Apparently, Korea's international prowess was quite formidable back then.
But as the golden age dragged on, the stagnant industry began to rot.
Verbal abuse from coaches and senior players was a daily occurrence.
She said she was constantly told to quit because she had neither talent nor hope.
To make matters worse, she was constantly compared to a peer from her trainee days who was rising rapidly.
The existence of that peer was what gave her the hardest time.
Because it truly felt like she was walking a path with no future.
She admitted there were times she thought about giving up because their harsh words sounded like the absolute truth.
But I knew the truth.
Her old in-game name, W Titans Hero, eventually became North America's nightmare and pride.
During Hero's active years, North America, along with Europe, dominated the World Championship.
"If you build it up slowly, piece by piece, it eventually becomes something. It feels like you're doing something meaningless because the progress is so minuscule, but when you look down one day, you realize it wasn't in vain."
In the end, Hero succeeded in taking revenge on the team, the seniors, and the coaches who had tormented her.
She recalled that it was an overwhelming difference in strength.
So much so that it made her feel foolish for ever contemplating giving up because of such petty people.
I think I understood why Hero was telling me this.
The peer who had driven her to the brink during her rookie days.
That was a story that applied directly to me right now.
Of course, Hero would never verbally abuse me.
And I didn't have any seniors who bullied me with harsh words yet.
But public evaluation was a cold, harsh thing, and the day would inevitably come when I would be compared to Seul-bi.
"If you fought Drizzle right now, you would lose, Nabi."
"Yes. I know."
"It'll be the same even after you debut as a player. You'll lose so much that you'll get sick of it, and you'll lose so bitterly that tears will well up in your eyes."
"I-is it that bad?"
"Honestly, her level is good enough to put her in the first division right away. We wanted to recruit her too, but Blue Serpent snatched her up in a heartbeat. This is why a team's brand value is so important."
Having said that, Hero lightly grabbed both of my shoulders.
She gave them a firm squeeze as if to cheer me on. Hands that were about the same size as mine kneaded my shoulders.
"But there's no need to be discouraged. What did I just say?"
"With the mindset of walking my own path..."
"Exactly. I guarantee it. If you keep doing that, the day you win will surely come. So don't waver, and keep working hard."
No wonder she had asked me to watch the Academy League match with her today. This was what Hero had wanted to say all along.
I felt a sudden surge of emotion welling up deep inside my chest.
"Watch this match closely, as there's a lot to learn from it. Interestingly, Drizzle is a bruiser with the exact opposite playstyle to yours. And extremes always have a lot to learn from each other."
I specialized in reading observed facts.
The opponent's movements, the angle of their weapon, the system values, the measured timing—I synthesized these elements to reach my conclusions.
But Lee Seul-bi read the opponent's thoughts themselves.
She was a master of wicked psychological warfare, never letting the enemy do what they wanted while unfailingly executing what they hated most.
Her method was to pierce through the gaps created when complex thoughts and decisions intersected.
"Let's erase all other emotions and take away only what we need. What I'm going to teach you today is how to analyze another player's gameplay."