Grand Slam Ambitions and Awkward Introductions
"Big goals are great, but I think they're way too pie-in-the-sky right from the start."
The man sitting next to him said it stone-faced. Siwoo nodded in agreement. What the hell is this guy talking about? He was just making his pro debut.
Of course, big goals were good.
Pros had to aim for the stars.
But if you only looked up, you couldn't handle the fall when you failed. The gap between dreams and reality was just too wide.
"Haha, pie-in-the-sky? I don't think so."
But Shin Seung-hyun showed no sign of backing down.
"Do you know what you all have in common? You probably don't. Some of you are new to pro gaming, and even if you've gone pro before, this is your first time on a team."
Shin Seung-hyun grinned.
"You all have insanely good mechanics. I hand-picked you for that."
He kept going.
"Good mechanics means you can win any game if you just play it. It means you have a shot against anyone if your strategy is even halfway decent."
Top-tier mechanics were like a razor-sharp blade—they trumped every other advantage.
Because if your reaction speed and split-second decisions were elite, you could always create variables. Game knowledge and strategy mattered, sure, but what good was a brilliant mind in a sluggish body?
"I'll fill in that strategy gap. I'm confident in game theory. You just learn, show off your mechanics, and play. That's it."
Shin Seung-hyun smiled softly.
"You all have confidence in your mechanics, right?"
The players nodded without a word. Siwoo did too. He wasn't exactly the type to rely on raw mechanics, but still.
"Good, looks like you're all on board. My max goal is the Grand Slam, and my minimum is a Worlds win. You're skeptical now, but as the season goes on, you'll see it's doable."
Clap!
Shin Seung-hyun clapped his hands.
"Alright! Since it's your first time officially on the team, let's do quick introductions. Some of you might not know each other. Lee Soo-hyuk, you first."
"Yessir."
Lee Soo-hyuk stood, chin held high like a soldier.
"I'm Lee Soo-hyuk, twenty-two years old. Position: supporter. My favorite anime is Fate, so keep that in mind."
What the hell is that, you weeb?
Siwoo bit his tongue. He'd have said it to a close friend, but not here.
For some reason, Lee Soo-hyuk seemed to think his top favorite anime was the most crucial info.
"Me next?"
The long-haired guy tying his hair back with a band stood up.
"Name's Park Chan-seong, twenty years old. Position: defender. I was streaming before this. First time going pro. Nice to meet you all!"
Siwoo snapped his head up, wondering if he'd misheard.
'Streamer?'
Not a trainee, but a streamer? That was a new path. Usually, people stuck to one route.
The surprise didn't last. The next guy stood.
"Hey, nice to meet you all. I'm Kim Ho-jong, twenty-seven. Position: attacker. Looking forward to it."
Kim Ho-jong.
Siwoo knew the name from the file Han Jiyeon had sent—a pro who'd peaked in China, come back home recently, and was now in a slump.
Fans called it "Kim Ho-jong's Last Dance," turning his annual "one more year" into a meme.
"Hyung, you're twenty-seven?"
"Whoa, you used to be the baby of the team back in the day."
"Time flies..."
And the real eye-opener was his age.
Twenty-seven: past prime, into twilight for a pro gamer. Retirement whispers were starting.
Mechanics like aim and reactions meant short careers, especially in a meta-shifting game like this.
Sure, Faker played into his thirties by adapting styles, but he was a freak of nature.
Hard training and self-care could extend it, but...
Twilight at twenty-seven was still twilight.
"I'm still active, kids."
Kim Ho-jong chuckled. He brushed off the touchy subject with grace—clearly a chill guy.
"Me next?"
The short-haired man stood.
"Kim Yong-taek here. Nineteen years old. Went pro last year, healer position. I specialize in sniper healing—keep that in mind."
Kim Yong-taek.
Another from Han Jiyeon's Excel file. Debut season, no nerves, godlike aim that blew up online.
'Oh, my turn.'
Siwoo snapped out of it, realizing the team and coach were staring. He shot up and bowed.
"Hi, I'm Lee Siwoo. In-game name's SniperSiwoo—Lee Siwoo. Position: attacker, main sniper. First time going pro. Nice to meet you."
Siwoo bowed deeply. They were all older or vets; no way he'd stand stiff.
"Whoa, that SniperSiwoo?"
"Hottest name right now."
"You're SniperSiwoo!"
Lee Siwoo was big among pros, not just from the recent Series Cup.
"Dude, we queued together in ranked! You're nuts."
"I have too! Siwoo, you're the real deal. Reactions were insane."
Kim Ho-jong and Kim Yong-taek chimed in. Siwoo scratched his head, grinning sheepishly.
"Haha, we probably queued a lot..."
He didn't remember. He never paid attention to teammates or enemies mid-game.
"Don't remember me?"
"Whoa, Ho-jong hyung. Even you have fans who don't know you now?"
"Guess I'm washed."
"Twenty-seven's grandpa territory."
"You got no filter with hyung, huh?"
The team chuckled. Strangers, but the vibe was already buddy-buddy.
'Makes sense—they've queued across teams plenty.'
The top ranks were a small village. Everyone knew someone who knew someone; even "first meets" had loose ties.
"Already cracking jokes? Atmosphere's solid."
Shin Seung-hyun grinned.
"Let's sync up, then?"
"Scrims already?"
Scrims.
Short for scrimmage: unofficial practice matches between teams.
"Yeah, you all chilled during stove league, right? Time to gel. Scrims at six—get ready."
Shin Seung-hyun dipped out.
Leaving the players alone in the dorm.
"……."
"……."
"……."
In the silence, a cute girl's voice rang out. Siwoo whipped around.
"……."
Lee Soo-hyuk had cracked and fired up anime already. This guy's something else. Playing that in this awkward air...
Wait, anime or game?
Even wilder: no one batted an eye.
Now Siwoo noticed—the others had scattered to their spots, scrolling shorts or Reels on phones. That was it.
Dead silence. Were they planning to bond? Scrims soon as teammates. Social skills nuked.
'What now.'
Siwoo felt the cringe.
'Missing Jiyeon.'
Siwoo shed invisible tears. The mood-maker, social butterfly queen was missed today.
Still, he and Kim Ho-jong needed attacker-supporter sync. Better to bond fast. Siwoo picked Ho-jong first.
"Hi, Ho-jong hyung. Cool to call you that?"
"Yeah, Siwoo. I'll drop formal too."
Kim Ho-jong chuckled. Age gave him easy poise. Pro life meant he'd seen all team types—this was nothing.
Good call mustering courage.
"Same attacker line—let's crush it."
"You too."
Kim Ho-jong offered a fist. Siwoo bumped it with a grin.
'First one's good...'
Siwoo turned to Lee Soo-hyuk.
Earphones in, lost in anime.
"Soo-hyuk hyung?"
"……."
"Soo-hyuk hyung."
"Huh? Oh."
Two calls to yank the earbuds. Siwoo sighed inwardly, forced a smile.
"Anyway, looking forward to working together. Attackers and supports are one unit."
"Same. Stick tight when I call shots. Big expectations."
"Haha, got it..."
Not bad from Lee Soo-hyuk.
Guy just overdid the Japan obsession; not antisocial.
Done with him and Ho-jong—next up, the rest. Siwoo shifted targets.
"Hi, Chan-seong hyung."
"Hey, Siwoo."
"Let's do great."
"You too."
Park Chan-seong patted his shoulder with a light laugh.
"Oh, right. Casual's fine?"
"Totally. Hit me up easy."
"Cool. I'm new to pro, so I'll suck at first—bear with me while I grind."
"I'm new too."
"You're already a hyped prodigy. I'm just some streamer from amateur wars."
Park Chan-seong had been ace in streamer civil wars like Annihilation Battles till recently.
Compared to Siwoo's ranked and Series Cup fame? Total amateur.
"Looking forward."
"Same."
Park seemed chill, chatty from streaming.
'Yong-taek hyung left...'
Kim Yong-taek was glued to his phone. Deep focus—no interrupting.
But zero chat before scrims? Nah.
Siwoo mustered again.
"Yong-taek hyung."
"……."
"Yong-taek hyung?"
"……."
What was this? Déjà vu?
Earphones again, like Soo-hyuk. No response. Peeking: cat videos. Siwoo shook his shoulder.
"Yong-taek hyung?"
"Huh? Oh."
"Let's do great."
"Yeah, you too."
Kim Yong-taek dove back in.
No follow-up. Wild—he had zero interest in chatting.
Scrims soon for sync, and no words exchanged? Made no sense.
Park Chan-seong, chatty earlier, back to phone...
Lee Soo-hyuk deep in weird idol girl anime...
Kim Yong-taek lost in cat vids...
"Haha, Siwoo's doing the heavy lifting."
Kim Ho-jong, who'd watched quietly, snickered.
"They all know each other loosely from games. Bond in scrims. Gamers aren't big talkers."
"Yeah, guess so..."
The team baby could only lean on twenty-seven-year-old Ho-jong hyung...