Chapter 91: Directly Watching

Junhyeok: It’s a ticket for the season opener.

I really hope you can come and watch.

Kayak: Are you going to play Camilla?

You have to keep your promise.

Junhyeok: Come and see for yourself. ^^

It was a Discord message I received one lunchtime.

After visiting Fusion Gaming’s team facility, Junhyeok, the team captain, was the only one I added as a friend.

The reason was the continuous feedback I had given him about Camilla.

He would occasionally message me about her, asking things like, “Why is this like this?” or “How about this trait in this situation?”

Checking Discord for unread messages became a fun little routine.

It kept me from ever feeling bored.

Every now and then, I’d get a message, and as expected of a pro gamer, his questions often made me think deeply.

And now, I had received a ticket for the season opener.

I had already planned to go, but getting a ticket like this made me feel like I had no choice but to attend.

Lately, I had been feeling too lazy to go out.

Unless it was something really important, I barely left the house.

There wasn’t any particular problem.

If there was one, it was the weather.

I couldn’t help but admire people who continued their outdoor activities despite the biting cold winds.

If it came down to it, I had considered either getting the broadcast rights to watch with my viewers or simply watching the official stream from home.

But now, I had no choice but to go to the stadium.

The ticket Junhyeok sent me felt like a subtle reprimand for my laziness.

Yeah, going is the right thing to do.

After all, this might be the first time Camilla gets played in the league.

If I didn’t see that in person, then what kind of game would I even bother watching live?

If I ended up watching such a historic moment from home, I’d probably regret it for a long time.

Thinking about it like this, the idea of staying home was flawed from the start.

The fact that I even considered it felt downright stupid now.

Of course, there was no guarantee that Junhyeok or any of the Fusion Gaming players would actually play Camilla.

I had made a promise and even leveraged their professional pride to pressure them, but in the end, it was just a verbal agreement.

There was no legal binding to my words, and they had no real reason to keep their promise.

We weren’t close enough to have that kind of loyalty.

If they completely ignored the agreement and acted like it never happened, I wouldn’t have anything to say.

And honestly, while I’d be disappointed if they didn’t pick Camilla, I would understand.

A pro team’s top priority is winning.

If they chose not to use her, there would be a good reason—maybe she performed poorly in scrims, or perhaps she just didn’t fit the team’s composition.

Since victory was the most important thing in professional matches, I wouldn’t hold a grudge if they didn’t pick her.

I’d just be a little disappointed.

If she appears, great.

If not, oh well.

I had already let go of any expectations that Camilla would be played.

I just decided to go and enjoy myself.

When I looked into it, Fusion Gaming’s popularity was beyond imagination.

More than 500 seats sold out in an instant every time.

And the season opener was even more popular than other matches.

When I saw that scalped tickets were going for four times the original price, I was shocked.

That’s when I realized—I had been given something truly valuable.

And at the same time, a small but significant dilemma arose.

Junhyeok: Just in case, I put in two tickets.

It’s rare for people to come to the stadium alone.

Now, the question was—who should I go with?

It was a small yet crucial decision.

I considered giving the extra ticket away or selling it, but after realizing how valuable it was, that option disappeared.

It would be a waste to throw it away.

If it ended up in the hands of someone who truly appreciated its worth, it would shine even brighter.

Was there anyone who’d be a good fit…?

Yushia: Gasp!

Boss! ㅠㅠ

I really want to go, but I have something that day. ㅠㅠㅠ

Kim Jae joon: I’m sorry. It’s a really valuable ticket, and it’s a match I really want to see… but unfortunately, it’s my friend’s birthday that day.

I had a great idea, but it ended in failure.

I just wanted to take care of my hardworking editors.

Kind of like an in-house benefit.

Since I was in a position of power, the first and easiest candidates to invite were the people who worked for me.

But now that my initial recruitment attempt had failed, there weren’t many people left who I could actually ask to go to the season opener with me.

My social circle was too small for that.

The only people I really interacted with were a few streamers I had gotten close to through broadcasts and the neighborhood kid, Si-hyun.

If I had to go with someone, who should it be?

The unexpected dilemma only deepened.

Tap, tap, tap—

“Hmm….”

Tap, tap—

The sound of typing on a phone keyboard.

A young woman lay sprawled on her bed, holding her phone and repeatedly typing and deleting messages.

Streamer Lily, real name Lee Dahee.

She stared at the screen, slightly furrowing her brows as if she wasn’t satisfied with what she had written.

“Is this too cliché…? But this one makes me look like I have nothing better to do…”

– Teacher, are you free on Saturday? Haha… It’s nothing serious, but I was wondering if—

– Want to hang out on Saturday???

Lily groaned, clutching her phone, continuously tweaking the message.

Why was she agonizing so much over something so trivial?

‘Even when I was dating back in school, I wasn’t this nervous….’

With her pretty looks, Lily had received plenty of attention from guys since she was young.

She was always the one being chased, never the one doing the chasing.

So this was unfamiliar territory—she had no idea how to approach it.

A complete reversal of roles.

Of course, Kayak himself wouldn’t see it that way, but that was just how relationships worked.

The one who wanted something more was always the one who got nervous and ended up in a weaker position.

And in this case, Lily was the one eager to get closer to Kayak, which naturally put her at a disadvantage.

‘He usually takes breaks on Saturdays or Tuesdays….’

If I ask him to hang out… he’ll probably take a break and come, right?

He’d make time for me, right?

After all, he did say I could call him if I was bored.

For the past three months, Lily had been analyzing Kayak’s streaming break schedule.

Now, with a confident nod, she set her plan into motion.

She let her imagination run wild.

As one of Kayak’s longtime fans, she had often indulged in little fantasies about hanging out with him.

And now, this was her first real attempt at building a closer connection.

Carefully, she crafted a message expressing her desire to spend time with him over the weekend.

Lee Dahee: Are you free this weekend?? Want to grab a drink on Saturday?

‘It doesn’t sound weird, right? Yeah, I think this works. It doesn’t seem clingy….’

After several revisions, she finally managed to come up with a message that struck a balance.

It didn’t seem too desperate, but it still carried a hint of curiosity.

She even forced herself to use informal speech, recalling that Kayak had once told her to talk more casually.

It felt a little awkward, but it made her seem friendlier.

It didn’t seem too bad.

Originally, she had planned to suggest dinner, but she decided to go with drinks instead.

Last time, he seemed to enjoy drinking quite a bit.

Though, in the end, it was Lily who got drunk because she couldn’t pace herself.

‘This time, I won’t make that mistake. No, I can’t make that mistake.’

Recalling their last drinking session, Lily’s ears burned with embarrassment.

This time, she was determined to show the flawless side of herself that she had failed to display back then.

Of course, Kayak didn’t really care whether Lily got drunk or not.

But for her, she only wanted to show her idol the best version of herself.

Lily clenched her fists in determination.

Just then, the number “1” next to her message disappeared.

He read it!

Kayak had seen her message.

Lily held her breath.

She anxiously waited for his reply, and soon enough, a response came through.

Kayak: Sorry, I have plans on Saturday.

“Ah…”

Her excitement plummeted in an instant.

Lily pouted slightly before moving her fingers to type a reply.

Lee Dahee: Ah, haha, you have plans… That’s okay! Let’s grab a drink next time!

“I switched back to formal speech…”

Maybe it was because she felt a little disappointed.

Without realizing it, she had reverted to polite speech.

This was exactly why she had to double-check her messages before sending them.

Should she send another message?

Maybe one in casual speech, saying it was really fine?

Kayak: Um, Lily….

Lee Dahee: Yes?

But Kayak trailed off, as if he had something to say.

Then, after a pause, he finally replied.

Kayak: Never mind, see you next time. I’ll treat you then.

“What…?”

Lily wondered what he had been about to say.

But in the end, she was too happy about securing a future meeting to dwell on it.

She kicked her blanket in excitement.