Chapter 92: The Opening Match

There were a few conditions for a companion to attend a live game with me.

First, they shouldn’t be someone I feel too awkward with.

This is such an obvious reason that it barely even qualifies as a condition.

If there’s an uncomfortable silence and we have nothing to talk about while hanging out, I’d rather just go alone.

So, people I was acquainted with and somewhat friendly with—but not close enough that being alone together felt slightly awkward—were excluded from my list of candidates.

Second, they shouldn’t be a well-known celebrity.

Among my acquaintances, there were quite a few well-known figures.

The majority of my rather small social circle was made up of streamers, as most of these connections had been formed when I started streaming myself.

Even if they weren’t famous enough to be instantly recognized by everyone, those who knew would know.

Especially in a stadium full of people who came to watch a professional match.

Many of the gamers attending the match would likely be viewers of online streams as well.

That’s why I had to avoid going with fellow streamers.

If they were a no-cam streamer like me, it wouldn’t be an issue.

But unfortunately, all of my acquaintances streamed with their cameras on, so they weren’t viable companions.

That was why I told Liliyang, who had reached out to me at the time, that I already had plans.

I hesitated briefly, but ultimately, Liliyang was quite a popular streamer with a large fanbase.

The chances of someone recognizing her were high.

If that happened, then naturally, attention would also fall on the person next to her.

People would start speculating about who I was, and I might end up being identified as “that streamer who looks like Camilla,” leading to my face being exposed.

That was the reason I avoided attending live matches with celebrities—it was for my own privacy.

That said, it wasn’t like I had sworn to never reveal my face.

Sometimes, I even entertained the thought that I might turn on my camera someday while streaming.

It’s not like I’d lose anything by showing my face, and occasionally, I had the urge to show off.

The fact that I looked exactly like Camilla.

The fact that, in a way, I was more beautiful than anyone else.

Honestly, I’m pretty.

Every morning, when I look at myself in the bathroom mirror, I think that.

It almost felt like a waste for only me to see this face.

That was a long preamble, but in any case, those were the two main conditions for my companion.

Someone I wouldn’t feel awkward with and someone who wasn’t famous enough to be recognized by the public.

After carefully considering these two conditions, I eventually found someone in my circle who fit the criteria perfectly.

“Uh, do you want to go see something fun with me, unnie?”

Maybe it was because I wasn’t used to calling someone “unnie,” but even I could tell my smile looked awkward.

It probably looked pretty funny to the person in front of me, too.

“Hmm…”

My chosen companion narrowed her eyes at me, looking skeptical.

She placed her hands on her hips and studied me closely.

That person was none other than my mature yet still-young neighbor, Han Si-hyun.

“They told us at school not to go with people who talk like this…”

Wow, they really taught her well.

Well, I couldn’t blame her—if someone suddenly approached me and asked me to go see something fun, I’d also find it suspicious.

I mean, what kind of cliché line was that?

It sounded like something a kidnapper would say.

Then again, most kidnappers are acquaintances of their victims.

So, I had to commend Si-hyun’s sharp instincts for not immediately agreeing just because she knew me.

But despite my admiration, I found myself in a bit of a pickle.

If she rejected me, I really wouldn’t have anyone else to go with.

Would I have to leave the extra ticket unused and let the seat go empty…?

Just as I was sinking into worry, Si-hyun, who had been standing rigid, suddenly relaxed her posture.

Then, as if teasing me, she poked my side with her elbow.

“So, what fun thing are we going to see?”

The smirk on her face made me realize—

I’d been played.

But at least, I had successfully secured my companion.

I had been so flustered, thinking she was about to refuse.

Seriously, for someone so young, she had such a sly side to her.

I could already tell she was going to tease a lot of people when she grew up.

With that face and that way of speaking, it felt like I was seeing a glimpse of her future.

“Sigh…”

Anyway, I had secured my companion.

The fire on my feet had been put out, at least for now.

Of course, I wasn’t sure if Si-hyun, who didn’t know much about Abyss, would actually enjoy watching the match…

But live sports games are supposed to be fun regardless of whether you understand them or not, aren’t they?

Having experienced it myself, I was quite confident.

I was sure Si-hyun would come to appreciate the appeal of Abyss.

“I’ve got my outfit ready, checked the transportation…”

All preparations were complete.

Now, all that was left was to wait for tomorrow.

For some reason, I was really looking forward to the next day.

“So, is she coming?”

“What is?”

Min-hyung responded indifferently to the sudden question.

For some reason, the people in the club had a habit of omitting subjects when they spoke, so this kind of exchange was quite common.

The difference this time was the attitude of the person asking.

Tae-wan, the youngest member of the team and a trainee, hesitated unusually before continuing his words.

“You know… that person. The one who looks like Camilla…”

“Oh, Kayak? Hmm, I’m not sure. But she probably will, right?”

They were talking about the match happening in just a few hours.

It was the season opener, scheduled for tomorrow.

Kayak had received two tickets as a reward for helping with practice.

Min-hyung wondered why Tae-wan was so concerned about it, though.

‘He’s not really the type to be interested in girls, though…’

Tae-wan was, to put it nicely, a practice fanatic.

To put it bluntly, he was a lunatic who only cared about gaming.

Even though he hadn’t yet debuted in an official match, he was always more nervous than the actual players whenever there was a game.

He would sit on the bench, watching the matches in real-time, analyzing them, and constantly providing feedback.

A young man overflowing with passion for his profession as a pro gamer.

That was Min-hyung’s impression of Kim Tae-wan.

And yet, now he was asking about something unrelated to the match?

‘What’s up with him?’

Min-hyung studied Tae-wan curiously.

Then, he noticed the boy’s tightly clenched fist and immediately understood.

It was because of that day.

The day Kayak had come.

The day she had defeated nearly every player except for Jun-hyuk.

Kayak had become Tae-wan’s rival.

That’s why he was acting like this now.

‘Well, it was a shock.’

That day was a vivid memory for Min-hyung as well.

It was likely a match he would never forget, not for the rest of his career—maybe not even for the rest of his life.

At a time when his confidence had soared beyond the clouds, that match had humbled him.

For Tae-wan, it seemed to have served as a motivator instead.

Even if she did come today, they wouldn’t be able to have a rematch right then and there.

But even so, Tae-wan clearly wanted her to be there.

‘I hope she comes too.’

Min-hyung shared the same sentiment.

He, too, wanted to face Kayak in a rematch.

However, Min-hyung’s desire for her to come was for a different reason.

‘I want her to see for herself what we’ve prepared.’

And he wanted to hear her thoughts on it.

Whether it was an honest critique or pure admiration, anything would do.

After that practice session, under Jun-hyuk’s full leadership, Fusion Gaming had prepared something incredible.

For their opponents, it would be an unexpected bombshell.

But if Kayak came to watch, it would be a surprise gift for her.

Min-hyung was curious about how she would react.

What would someone of her caliber, an authority in the field, think when she saw it?

Meanwhile, Min-hyung wasn’t the only one who reacted to Kayak’s name.

“What? Kayak’s coming?”

“Did she reply saying she’s coming?”

“Come on, we gave her a ticket—she has to come.”

It seemed that after meeting her that day, many of the players had become her fans.

Especially those who had already been watching her streams.

They were practically worshipping her now.

A stark contrast to how they had teased her as a “sweaty tryhard” before her visit.

“Uh, well… I don’t know.”

“So, you didn’t get a definite answer?”

“Jun-hyuk was the one messaging her in the first place.

I only heard bits and pieces of the feedback he relayed.”

In the end, if they wanted to know whether Kayak was coming, they had to ask Jun-hyuk, the team captain.

But no one dared to go up to him and ask.

Right now, he was completely focused on preparing for the match happening in just a few hours.

It was part of a pro player’s routine—

The rituals they followed to ease their nerves and maintain peak performance.

In the midst of all the noise in the room, Jun-hyuk sat alone, eyes closed in deep meditation.

A sight befitting a player called a world-class competitor, Korea’s best, and even “The God of Abyss.”

The players who had momentarily turned to glance at him soon looked away, regaining their focus for the match ahead.

‘Is she really coming…?’

But what they didn’t know—

Was that Jun-hyuk was just as interested in Kayak’s whereabouts as they were.