Chapter 99: What’s that big deal?

“W-What did you just say?”

“I’m not signing the contract.”

Park Kyung-tae first looked confused, as if he had misheard me.

Then, his expression twisted into one of disbelief.

“Why? You don’t like the terms? You won’t find a better offer than this.”

It’s not the contract that bothers me—it’s you.

I came here to join an esports team, so why does this feel like I walked into an entertainment agency?

“Okay, fine. You win. I’ve never gone this far for a rookie before, but I know you’re worth it. Let’s bump your signing bonus from 60 million to 80 million.”

“It’s not about the contract terms.”

“Then what is it? Look, I’m a busy man. Let’s cut the games and get to the point.”

Annoyed, Park loosened his tie, while Coach Kim, who had been sitting quietly with his head lowered, suddenly looked at me with sharp eyes.

“I came to Titan Underrock because I want to play the game—not become a celebrity.”

“Oh, of course, of course. Pro gamer. Our club is perfect for debuting pros.”

His tone made it obvious.

To him, once I signed, my career path was no longer his concern.

“No, you don’t get it. You don’t understand what I’m saying or why I’m rejecting this contract. Not one bit.”

I took a deep breath.

“I’m a gamer, not an entertainer. I don’t want to do ads or promotional videos.

Even if I ever did, it wouldn’t be on these terms.”

For a brief moment, I imagined it.

The kind of life Park was talking about.

Bright spotlights shining down on me.

The constant clicking of camera shutters.

Wearing makeup I never wanted,

Dressing in clothes I didn’t choose,

Forcing a fake smile for the audience.

Sure, experiencing a celebrity lifestyle might be interesting for a moment.

But I couldn’t see it as my life.

People have different paths,

And I intended to be the owner of mine.

“…So you’re saying you only want to be a pro gamer and nothing else? No external activities, no promotions?”

“If I had to sum it up—yes.”

Maybe I could agree to one or two requests.

But people like him?

The best way to handle them was to give them nothing at all.

This time, Park actually understood what I was saying.

His expression darkened.

“Hah. With that face?”

“That ridiculously beautiful face that could wipe the floor with most actresses?

You’re really not going to use it?”

Well, I don’t even consider this face mine to begin with.

It was given to me, so I never placed much value on it.

It was just a convenient social advantage, nothing more.

But more than that—

Where does this guy get off talking down to me like this?

My tolerance for him was hitting rock bottom.

“Let’s not make this difficult. If you go against me, you won’t be able to sign with any other team.”

“I have connections with every Division 2 owner.

You’re obviously not going to the Division 1 men’s league,

and you don’t seem interested in the women’s league.

Keep this up, and you might not get to be a pro at all, Ji-eun.”

Is he trying to negotiate or threaten me?

Pick one, buddy.

Not that it mattered.

I wasn’t going to fold.

If anything, his attitude only strengthened my resolve.

“Then I won’t go pro.”

Screw it.

It’s not like I’ll die if I don’t do it.

Park’s face turned red with anger.

He didn’t expect me to throw away the opportunity so easily.

“If it wasn’t for your face, I wouldn’t have even considered signing you!”

“If you weren’t so marketable, I wouldn’t be wasting my time like this! You get that?!”

What a load of crap.

I just wiped the floor with his team’s scrim players.

In any other situation, I wouldn’t even dignify a guy like this with a response.

But today?

For some reason, his words really irritated me.

“You should probably work on your ability to evaluate players, Owner Park.”

“…What?”

“A team owner, and you can’t even tell how good the player you’re signing is?

With that kind of judgment, no wonder this team is struggling.”

Across the table, Coach Kim Kwang-chul looked visibly satisfied.

Like someone who had been waiting to hear those words for years.

It was obvious how he and the other players had been treated.

To Park, the players weren’t athletes—they were merchandise.

No wonder Titan Underrock had fallen so far.

“The deal’s off. I’m not signing. That’s final.”

I got up, leaving Park speechless.

As I walked out, I felt his glare burning into my back.

Coach Kim hesitated, as if wanting to say something—

but in the end, he let me go.

The only one who reacted was Park.

“Hey! HEY! You stop right there!”

“YOU HEAR ME?! COME BACK HERE!”

His angry shouts echoed behind me.

But I kept walking.

I left without looking back.

“What the hell was that…?!”

Park slammed his fist on the table.

His face was red, his hands shaking with rage.

Across from him, Coach Kim Kwang-chul sat calmly, watching him lose his temper.

“I told you this wouldn’t work.

Ji-eun genuinely wanted to be a player.

But you didn’t even listen to me.

Now look what happened.”

“Shut up. My head hurts.”

The way he said it—so dismissively—

Kim just stared at him.

Park threw away an S-tier player, all because he only cared about her appearance.

And now?

He was acting like it was nothing.

A part of Kim wanted to be furious.

But at this point?

He just felt tired.

“There’s no future for Titan Underrock.”

Kim had already been considering leaving.

And now?

He was closer than ever to making that decision.

Kim Kwang-chul had hoped that recruiting Molru would save the team.

But in the end, it had all fallen apart.

His contract was already expired.

The only reason he had stayed was out of loyalty to the team.

“I need to find another team.”

With his experience as a player, coach, and director,

there were plenty of teams that would be willing to take him in.

He was already planning to leave Titan Underrock,

taking a few trusted players with him.

Meanwhile, Park Kyung-tae had no idea what was going on in Kim’s mind.

He was still fuming over Molru’s rejection.

“That brat dared to disrespect me?”

No one had ever spoken to him like that.

He had built a business empire, and everyone treated him with respect.

And yet, some internet streamer had the audacity to reject him?

He had been generous, he had offered her more than any other rookie—

And not only had she refused, she had even mocked him.

“I can’t let this go. No way in hell.”

“I need to get back at her.”

His blood boiled as he thought of a way to humiliate her.

Then, an idea struck him.

“Right… she never publicly revealed her face.”

It made no sense to him,

but apparently, that was her choice.

Even earlier, it was obvious that Molru was hesitant about showing her face.

So what if he forced her to reveal it?

Wouldn’t that be the best revenge?

Smirking, Park picked up his phone.

He called the PR department—

the people responsible for team publicity.

“Hey, it’s me. Get ready to publish an article.”

His tone dripped with malice.

“We just signed a monster rookie at Titan Underrock.”

“And while we’re at it…”

“Let’s put some people on it.”

[Is this our favorite streamer?]

(A blurry photo of a beautiful woman talking to someone inside the Titan Underrock building.)

Some random person uploaded a photo of a woman at Titan Underrock on Molru’s off-day.

User A: Wait, is this actually her?

User B: LMAO, not this again.

User C: Why is this greasy bastard starting rumors?

User D: The pic’s blurry as hell, but damn, she looks gorgeous.

User E: Where’s the proof that it’s Molru? Just because she wasn’t streaming that day? That’s weak evidence.

[And then there’s this…]

– Titan Underrock is on the verge of signing the world’s first female pro gamer in the men’s league.

– After conducting a tryout on the 8th, Titan Underrock has hinted at positive results.

– If the signing is successful, this will mark the first time in history that a woman competes in a male-dominated pro league.

– The player in question is said to be a beautiful internet streamer with an amateur esports background…

User F: Wait, so Molru is going pro for real? What happens to her stream?

User G: So that photo really is her?

User H: Y’all are falling for PR stunts again. This is just Titan Underrock hyping themselves up. Seen this a million times.

User I: “A beautiful player”… The wording makes it sound suspiciously real.

User J: Didn’t people who met her at events say she’s crazy beautiful?

User K: Who does she even look like, then? Stop hyping it up without details.

User L: Titan Underrock staff here. That photo is real—it’s her.

User M: No proof, no trust.

[Can we stop with these stupid rumors?]

User N: I think Molru occasionally checks the forum. Imagine how annoyed she must be right now.

User O: She hates personal exposure, yet people keep doing this.

User P: If the photo is really her, let her deal with it.

User Q: LMAO, these people are acting like clowns.

User R: Aren’t you curious, though? Everyone who’s seen her says she’s stunning.

User S: “Curious” is fine, but being obsessive about it makes you a nuisance.

[Even the fan café is in chaos.]

User T: They’re just rewording the same rumors and posting them everywhere.

User U: Damn, I was enjoying the streams, and now she’s probably gonna go on another break.

User V: Just reading this drama is giving me a headache.

User W: How many times does she have to explain herself?

User X: And it’s always about her face.

User Y: At this point, she should just reveal it out of spite.

“What the hell is this now?”

I muttered as I scrolled through the burning forum.

[Author’s Note]

Seems like the face reveal is getting closer.

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