Chapter 81: Reunion of the Challenger Trio After 9 Years

I checked the community forum.

Since I hadn’t been able to properly browse during the training camp, there were a ton of trending posts I’d missed.

<Those Mid-tier Wannabes Got Wrecked LOL>

The Gap Between Pros and Amateurs, Blah Blah
Wrecked Immediately LOLLLLL

– Those bratty fans are having a field day.
ㄴ???: Guys, team games and solo queue are different. No matter how good an amateur is, they can’t beat us in a team game.
Look who’s whining.
ㄴ They’re getting triggered like crazy? LOL Go cry in your own forum.

<Did they just lose because the “Retirement Club” built the wrong team comp?>

Even for Han Yurim, controlling five characters at once is tough.

She even tanked an entire skill rotation once, but we barely lost because we didn’t have enough damage.

If it had been a 2-tank setup instead of 3 tanks, we would’ve won easily.

– They lost trying to fight head-on in a standard comp, now they’re making excuses LOL.
– If you don’t get it, go rewatch Game 1 and see how it played out with the other comp.

The recent match between V-TV and Mirinae had blown up in the community.

Especially because it went to five full sets and was filled with impressive plays.

For days, the forums had been on fire over it.

<If Han Yurim had been in control from the start, it would’ve been a total stomp.>

Shouldn’t it be “Han Yurim Saves the World” instead of “Iron Saves the World”?

– Honestly, Iron did his job. Thanks to him, we won a few sets.

There was also plenty of praise for Fullppang and Chae Narin.

This was the true value of Elympics: giving underrated streamers a chance to shine.

As a result, both Chae Narin and Fullppang had gained a lot of new viewers during the tournament.

How long they could keep those viewers depended on their own abilities.

<Are they doing an afterparty?>
Will they stream it?

– No way, there are three VTubers in the group. They probably won’t stream.
– Bunnyrun was originally a cam streamer, and even Han Yurim does outdoor streams occasionally.
ㄴ But Chae Narin is a VTuber. They likely won’t stream. Plus, setting up a VR filter for an outdoor event like this is too much of a hassle.

Streamer afterparties usually fall into two categories: dinner gatherings and gaming sessions.

Sometimes they do both, but usually, they have dinner first to break the ice, then play games afterward for better content.

Contrary to viewers’ expectations, though, we had no plans for a dinner gathering.

After spending so much time together during training camp, we didn’t see the point.

[No dinner? Really?]

“Wait, Paepae, were you planning on doing one?”

At my question, Paepae looked at me in disbelief, like she couldn’t believe what she just heard.

[Of course, I was planning to. There’s no real reason not to, right?]

“But there’s no merit in having one now.”

[I don’t know why you’re looking for ‘merit’ in a dinner, but if there were supposed to be any, what would it have been?]

“Well, it’s not like you or Malrang will look at me and say, ‘Wow, Han Yurim, you’re so pretty!’ since you’ve both already seen me in person.”

[Don’t worry about that.]

“Why not?”

I tilted my head in confusion. Was she offering to act surprised or something?

Paepae smirked and gave her answer, her voice quiet but confident.

[Because Lumen hasn’t seen you yet.]

“Ohhh.”

That settled it.

Team Iron Saves the World decided to have a dinner after all.

Under the in-game nickname “Lumen”, formerly known as “BbangbbangFan,” he glanced in the mirror.

Sports fans often use the term face-fan, referring to those who cheer for athletes because of their looks.

Lumen had plenty of those fans.

On top of that, his skill was top-tier, making him one of the most popular Eternal World pros.

‘Not bad.’

He adjusted his simple, clean-cut outfit, the kind he preferred.

Let’s be honest—gamers rarely have a solid grasp of fashion.

At best, they aim for something neutral that doesn’t stand out, which tends to work well enough.

After tidying his hair one last time, Lumen headed to the parking lot.

Beep.

Unlocking his car remotely, he climbed into his Italian sports car—a fitting choice for a player earning tens of billions of won a year at such a young age.

If Han Yurim had seen it, she probably would’ve teased him, saying, “Wow, Bbangbbang, always so worried about appearances!”

But luckily for him, he was alone for now, driving off to the meeting spot in good spirits.

The location was a fine-dining restaurant with private rooms.

A far cry from the usual barbecue joints for team dinners.

When asked why, Han Yurim had simply said, “I got the idea from watching a variety show.”

Though her reasoning was unclear, no one complained—especially since she was footing the bill as the team leader.

After parking near the restaurant, Lumen checked his reflection in the side mirror one last time.

“What are you doing?”

A voice interrupted him from behind.

“You’re here?”

“What’s with all the grooming? Got a blind date or something?”

“Do you have to be on a date to want to look decent? And I’m not ‘grooming,’ just tidying up a bit.”

As he turned around, he saw Paepae standing there with her usual unimpressed expression.

‘What’s with her?’

“Did Han Yurim punch you or something?”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

“Then why do you look so annoyed?”

“You think I look annoyed? That’s ridiculous. I don’t—what the heck?”

“It’s your face, that’s what.”

When Lumen switched his phone to selfie mode and held it up to Paepae, her reaction was priceless.

Clearly, she hadn’t realized how much her thoughts were showing on her face.

She sighed softly and spoke again.

“…I’ve just had a lot on my mind. It’s not like I’m mad or anything.”

“I see.”

Knowing she often got lost in thought, Lumen decided not to press further.

Together, they walked toward the restaurant.

“Good evening, everyone!”

Waiting outside were Moss and ChocoFullppang.

As Lumen approached, he asked, “Why aren’t you going in?”

“We just met up. We were about to head in.”

With that, the four of them entered the reserved private room under Han Yurim’s name.

As soon as they sat down, silence fell over the group—not from awkwardness, but because they’d already talked so much over the past few days that there wasn’t much left to say.

Considering how quickly they’d grown close, Lumen couldn’t help but think to himself, ‘This must be thanks to Han Yurim.’

Han Yurim’s antics served as a lubricant, forcing closeness even when it wasn’t wanted.

“She said she’s on her way now.”

At Moss’s words, Lumen nodded and took a sip of water. Lowering the cup, he exhaled quietly.

His relationship with Han Yurim went back a long way.

To retrace their connection, one would have to go back nine years.

Middle school. At the time, Lumen’s dream was to become a professional gamer.

He had watched Faker, the living legend of League of Legends and the GOAT, claim yet another championship in 2023.

Witnessing that moment in person, he had thought to himself, I want to be like that someday.

From the very beginning, he played games with the goal of going pro.

He analyzed every stat in the game, absorbing it into his brain, while pondering the differences between team play and solo rank games.

He even chose the support position because it gave him the highest odds of turning professional.

Looking back, his icy objectivity would’ve suited a mid-laner better, but regardless, Lumen approached the game with that mindset and quickly climbed to Challenger rank.

It was then that he met Han Yurim.

PureUnicornLove: Have you considered playing a carry support instead?

Origin: ?

Anyone who’s played League of Legends knows that comments like that in the middle of a game are usually meant to provoke.

It’s often interpreted as saying, “You’re so bad, just quit the game.”

A typical player might have responded with a colorful inquiry about the other person’s parents, but Lumen, who aspired to be a professional, was mindful of his behavior. Naturally, he replied politely.

Origin: Carry supports don’t suit me.

PureUnicornLove: A tool talking back? Now that’s rare talent. I’m sending you a friend request. Accept it.

Looking back, she really was a strange person.

The group chat she invited him to after he accepted her friend request was even stranger.

DefeatMainCharacterDefeatComfort: Who’s this?

PureUnicornLove: I see potential in them, so I brought them in.

DefeatMainCharacterDefeatComfort: Potential? Their nickname reeks of something suspicious.

PureUnicornLove: Sure, the name’s bad, but the potential is overflowing.

Origin: You’re one to talk about bad nicknames.

Lumen’s polite facade crumbled after that first interaction, and he soon found himself having deep conversations with the two. They grew close quickly.

He even adjusted his nickname to match theirs.

PureUnicornLove: Do you really like that character, though?

Origin: …Yeah.

PureUnicornLove: Hmmmmm…

Origin: It’s true.

‘BbangbbangLover’ was a nickname entirely influenced by Han Yurim and DefeatMainCharacterDefeatComfort. Their endless discussions about subcultures drew him in, inspiring the name.

BbangbbangLover: Do you guys want to meet in real life?

PureUnicornLove: If Bbangbbang wants it, I’m fine with it.

DefeatMainCharacterDefeatComfort: Before you say that, maybe accept my voice chat request first.

Same age. Same interests. Comparable skills.

The three of them became incredibly close thanks to this trifecta.

Even now, thinking about those days brought a smile to his face.

It had felt like those times would last forever.

But, as with all things, the end came without warning.

PureUnicornLove: I’ve realized all there is to know about League of Legends. It’s time for me to start making games.

BbangbbangLover: Huh?

At first, he didn’t understand.

He already knew through their conversations that Han Yurim was involved in game development.

So when she said, “I’m going to start making games,” he thought it was something she was already doing.

BbangbbangLover: Yurim, here’s my voice chat ID: bbangbbang1357#9822. If you see this, send me a friend request.

If he had realized that this was her way of saying she was quitting League of Legends, cutting ties, and disappearing like a mirage, he would have scrambled to get her personal contact information.

Seriously.

Even now, she was impossible to predict.

But then again…

What does Han Yurim actually look like?

Lumen’s mind wandered, creating an image of her on its own.

‘Given her mature way of speaking, maybe she has a cool, older sister vibe…?’

“Ah!”

Lumen shook his head quickly. It felt improper to have such thoughts about a friend.

If Han Yurim saw this, she’d probably say:

“Bbangbbang, you’re still so innocent in some ways.”

Suddenly, a voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

Startled, Lumen looked up and met the speaker’s eyes.

And froze.

It was her.

“Han Yurim?”

Nine years had passed since their middle school Challenger trio days.

Their reunion was finally beginning.