End of Break, SIU Promise
The vacation flew by in a flash.
Catching up with friends after so long wiped out the first day entirely, and before he knew it, time spent relaxing at home with his family had brought it all to an end.
It was a blissful stretch that melted away all the built-up fatigue and stress.
They hit karaoke bars, scoured food hotspots, and even piled into a capsule room for some five-man queues together...
And just like that, he was back at the team headquarters.
"Have a good break?"
Kim Ho-jong asked from the first-floor cafe, iced Americano in hand.
"Eh, it was alright."
"You meet up with that girlfriend of yours?"
"She's not my girlfriend."
"Looks like she will be soon enough."
Ho-jong leaned in with a sly grin.
"So, how far'd you get?"
"Get where?"
"You know, progress! Progress!"
This guy's estrogen levels must be off the charts, Siwoo thought. Every vacation, it's always dating talk.
"No progress to make. It was just a hangout with the Series Cup crew."
"Aw, man. Bummer..."
Ho-jong slumped his shoulders and took a sip of his Americano. No way he'd been waiting the whole break just for this gossip, right?
"What're you two yapping about?"
Lee Soo-hyuk strolled up with his drink in hand.
"Love advice for a lifelong singleton."
"Hey! I'm a romance drama and movie buff!"
"But still a singleton, yeah?"
Ho-jong bristled, but Siwoo didn't budge.
"Hyung, quit chasing skirts and just watch your dramas."
"I've seen all the good ones. Nothing left."
"Then try anime? Tons of romance masterpieces."
Soo-hyuk seized the opening to pitch.
"Netflix and Lafte have 'em all now. Pick what suits your taste—no brainer. The emotional arcs are killer."
Ho-jong's eyes narrowed.
"...Yeah?"
"Totally. Wanna try some anime?"
"...Maybe later."
"Start now. My recs are..."
Siwoo slipped away quietly. No interest in otaku deep dives—Soo-hyuk went full throttle, and it never ended.
Time to hit training.
No scrims today since they'd just returned from break. Personal practice to shake off rust with ranked games.
Basically a light conditioning day. Crucial to recalibrate senses and check physical form before matches.
Ding.
Siwoo zoned out in the elevator, watching the floors tick up, then snapped to.
New weapon practice? Or grind more?
New weapon.
He'd drilled rifles plenty and proven them in tourneys. Time to branch out—maybe assassin or close-range attacker.
What'd suit best?
Rifles had broad synergy, viable in any comp.
Close/assassin attackers? Comp-dependent. They pushed frontlines with the team, unlike backline riflers.
Gun katars were too situational too.
Ho-jong hyung thinks my mains are rifle and sniper...
Siwoo mulled it over.
Team balance was solid, but no one picked melee attackers.
Go melee?
Unlike assassins or gun katars, melee meshed decently with rifle attackers. Tanky frames held up front.
Give melee a shot.
No one to coach up close like with rifles, but worth trying. More options, better picks.
Ding.
The elevator halted.
Practice room: Park Chan-seong deep in feedback, coach Shin Seung-hyun in full rant mode.
"Chan-seong, why didn't you push up there? Your pos made it perfect for easing our attacker's life."
"Didn't spot ally positions..."
"Can't do that. Track allies religiously—briefings have limits. Keep checking over your shoulder. And..."
Chan-seong was getting reamed again. Tough break, but nothing Siwoo could do. Skill gap was real.
At best, moral support.
They were lost in it, oblivious to his arrival.
Better not interrupt.
Siwoo crept to a corner pod.
"Hey."
Kim Yong-taek, already there, greeted him.
"When'd you get here?"
"Morning."
"Early bird."
Afternoon two o'clock. Morning start meant at least four hours in.
"You grind hard, hyung."
"Effort guy, me."
Yong-taek chuckled.
"Sitting still makes me antsy. Woke up, straight here. You starting now?"
"Yeah."
Siwoo fired up his pod and settled in. Quick warmup needed.
"Gonna drill a new weapon this time."
"New one? Not rifle? Which?"
"Melee attacker."
"Hmm."
Yong-taek's brow arched.
"Shouldn't you focus rifle and sniper over widening arsenal? Save other attackers for round end."
He continued.
"Two matches left—no need now. By round two, enemies'll have counters analyzed. Pull it then."
Fair point.
Two games to go; no melee picks needed. Rifle/sniper already overwhelmed foes.
"Chat melee with coach and Ho-jong hyung later. Sync with me now—still adjusting to rifle attacker tempo."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Tough matching your pace. Scrims were bad, tourney worse. Need duo queues."
Siwoo teased.
"Just farming my points, huh?"
"Busted?"
Yong-taek laughed, nudging his shoulder.
"Kidding. Your tempo's killer. Gotta dial back the aggression."
"Hm."
True—his dives hit half a beat faster than pros. High-risk plays demanded bold pos.
Needed sync work. Yong-taek covered him and Chan-seong most.
Siwoo nodded.
"Alright. Melee later."
"Cool. Duo up. Log in."
"On it."
Variety practice wasn't bad occasionally. Solo queues got stale.
A bit—no, a lot—embarrassing, but for memories with Jiyeon? Worth it.
Whatever, one time.
That entertainer vibe—nicknamed "Primate GOAT"—was Korean tradition anyway. Fans would eat it up.
Siwoo chuckled to himself.
Can tell she's thrilled just from Kakao.
Such reactions made it easy. Minor black history be damned.