Persistent Pursuit
Siwoo was baffled.
He only remembered stripping Hinazugaya of everything, even his soul, in the game just moments ago. And now, out of nowhere, a friend request and some affection ploy?
"He wants to get close," Siwoo said.
Ho-jong's voice carried a rough edge. Even he couldn't make sense of Hinazugaya.
Siwoo wondered if the guy really was a masochist—the kind who got sexual pleasure from pain.
Japan's subculture was so advanced that people split into sadists and masochists. It wasn't impossible.
Just his personal delusion, though.
"Should I reply?"
Siwoo pulled up the keyboard and typed into the chat. The Asia server had a built-in translation system, so no need for a separate translator.
> [KJ Siwoo-nim's Message] Hello.
The reply came instantly.
> [Hinazugaya-nim's Message] Nice to meet you, Siwoo! Your play was the best! It's exactly the style I've been chasing! Please teach me! I want to glimpse your talent!
Siwoo blinked. Teach him? As if he could. His style was all about instinctive focus in the moment—theory wasn't his strong suit.
And the biggest red flag: "Glimpse your talent." Didn't that mean stealing his playstyle without studying it himself?
This stuff you gotta figure out on your own...
His attitude felt rotten.
"Wants me to teach him."
"Yeah."
Ho-jong sounded incredulous too. Fair enough—adding a ranked opponent as a friend right away and spouting this stuff was weird.
"I'll send something vague."
Siwoo pulled up the keyboard again.
> [KJ Siwoo-nim's Message] ...Thanks for the interest, but I've gotta prep for practice games now. Catch you later.
> [Hinazugaya-nim's Message] Wait! Hold on! Siwoo-kun! I have so much more to say! I want to take your creativity!
Siwoo didn't even bother checking Hinazugaya's message. Not curious at all...
"Let's queue the next game."
They queued right away.
First game on Asia server, and they match a weirdo.
"No...!!"
Hinazugaya, having received the reply, fired off more chats. But no response came. He'd probably closed the message window entirely.
I want to get close to you!
Pro gamers naturally admired skilled players.
Hinazugaya had felt soulmate vibes in that game. That creative, cunning, precisely calculated play!
Watching him made him want to learn more, fix his flaws, reach higher heights. At twenty-four, Hinazugaya couldn't pull off that kind of creative play anymore.
The longer your pro career, the more habits formed, playstyles rigidified. It brought stability but stifled creativity.
That's why Hinazugaya felt fresh stimulation from him. Like a dried-up pro could get new life injected.
But Siwoo was...
Queuing... another game...?
Ignoring all his messages, straight into the next queue. Earlier he said scrims left no time to chat!
He could feel Siwoo finding him annoying. Fair—dumping praise on a first encounter like that would make anyone think "crazy."
...If he's dodging me, no choice.
Then he'd make dodging impossible.
The method...
"Coach!"
It was scrim time.
Five ranked games total.
Rifle debut: a success.
Unlike sniper, rifle attacker pushed frontline, so he died a few times—but the DPS output made it meaningful.
Ho-jong had said rifle attackers shouldn't fear death.
Anyway.
"This is good enough to sub you in for scrims today. No extra practice needed."
Coach's approval dropped.
"But these stats... monster level. And on Asia server? Sandbagged like this, how busted would you be on Korean server?"
Kim Yong-taek, quietly reviewing logs, frowned in awe. Siwoo's five-game total topped 100 kills.
"Why stick to sniper all this time? Wasting talent."
Soo-hyuk asked.
"Sniper was just easiest for winning."
"Crazy bastard. That's talent."
Soo-hyuk shook his head.
"Started VR games last winter, barely any games under your belt, and this... "
VR games were notoriously hard for newbies—real body movement required. Adaptation took time.
Overlant nearly flopped at launch. Only later, with adaptation and word-of-mouth, did it become the top game.
"Devilish talent for real."
Park Chan-seong let out a hollow laugh.
"I grinded thousands of games per season from streaming just to hit Master. You blast to Diamond day one, Challenger looming."
No helping it.
Total opposites.
"Yeah, some folks are wired different. God-tier senses like athletic prodigies. Siwoo, you crushed soccer in school, right?"
Ho-jong asked. Siwoo shook his head.
"Never played, no idea."
"No sports at all?"
"Pretty much. All studying..."
Siwoo never went out in school. Skipped class soccer, just books and workbooks.
"Letting this rot. Thank that capsule room buddy forever."
Ho-jong chuckled, slapping his shoulder. Siwoo scratched his head sheepishly.
Thanks to Cheolmin, yeah.
Without Han Cheolmin, no class tourney, no Series Cup.
Wonder how he's doing?
Dropped out abruptly, no meetup. No contact, who knows.
"Enough chit-chat. Scrim prep time. Today's opponent is tough."
"Who?"
Coach Shin Seung-hyun grinned.
"Sengoku Gaming. Made Masters top 4 last year."
Siwoo blinked.
Last year's Masters top 4...
"Hinazugaya's team?"
"Yeah, you know 'em."
What fate was this? Ranked yesterday, scrim today...
"They requested out of the blue. No idea why. Didn't think they cared about us."
Siwoo raised his hand.
"...Probably me."
"Something with them?"
"Yeah."
Recalling Hinazugaya, Siwoo grimaced and explained.
"Ran into him in ranked. He friended me outta nowhere. Seemed annoying, ignored it... Didn't expect a scrim request."
Shin Seung-hyun chuckled.
"Whatever, it's good for us. Hard to scrim Sengoku-level teams. Early season, we gotta sync and boost morale—top teams skip us otherwise. Waste of their practice."
True.
Minus pre-season GZ, only weak teams. No top dogs.
"Anyway, perfect. Overseas scrim hides our strats."
Practicing with foreigners concealed Siwoo's rifle—league wildcard.
"Alright, that's the plan. Time's up, let's scrim. Ready?"
"Yes."
"Warmed up."
"Let's go."
Shin clapped sharply.
"Straight in."
Siwoo and the team left dorms for practice room. Six capsules lined up.
"Strategy simple: max aggression. Siwoo's rifle lets us frontline fight more."
Players opened capsules. Hiss—white mist billowed.
"Just build data, no pressure."
"Got it."
"Start light."
Siwoo entered his capsule.
Lobby.
Ho-jong hopped in place, shaking hands.
"Whew, pumped."
"For what?"
"Scrimming Sengoku Gaming."
Ho-jong grinned.
"Last overseas top team scrim was ages ago. China days. Missed it after returning."
China meant his prime.
"Lots to learn. Let's crush."
"Sure."
Siwoo nodded casually.
Overseas top team scrim...
Would reveal Hinazugaya's true skill, overseas level.
And test if his own skills held internationally.
Ranked players sandbagged too much.
Exciting.
Sengoku Gaming.
Asia Masters top 4.
How good? Teammates too? Heart raced with anticipation.
And from now on, expect scrims like this.
Key point.
Scrimming Japan's Sengoku meant doors to other overseas teams.
Higher-level foes, higher growth.
Pre-international debut taste.
"Hoo."
A deep sigh. Siwoo turned.
Chan-seong meditated, eyes closed.
"Excited too, hyung?"
"Excited? Terrified."
Chan-seong sighed, head down.
"Struggled vs weak teams. Sengoku? How bad the thrashing... "
"..."
Siwoo had nothing to say.
Chan-seong might drag to Coach's "truth room" again today...
"...Hang in there."
"Gotta..."
Still, he'd grown post-last time. No more turmoil.
"Oh, opponents in."
Then—blue particles swirled in lobby, forming figures. Sengoku players entered private room.
"Siwoo! Siwoo-kun!"
Hinazugaya scanned on entry, spotted him, rushed over.
"Siwoo-kun! Wanted to meet you!"
Ah, such a pain.