GJOW 2

If it was going to be like this, I shouldn’t have dropped out of high school. Until recently, my friends envied me, but not anymore. Yoon Chorong, who dropped out of high school at seventeen, was now unemployed at the age of twenty. If I had known I’d become unemployed this early, the seventeen-year-old me wouldn’t have made that choice. Should I take the high school equivalency exam?

Jehooni: [What are you doing?]

It was my middle school friend, Go Jehoon, who snapped Yoon Chorong out of his daze as he lay blankly on his bed.

Yoon Chorong: [Just chilling.]

Jehooni: [Then come out. Lion, let’s go.]

Yoon Chorong: [Don’t wanna.]

Jehooni: [Get lost. Lion, let’s go.]

Jehooni: [Lion, go.]

Jehooni: [L-Y-O-N, go.]

Go Jehoon was always this pushy. Knowing he’d barge into my house if I refused, Yoon Chorong reluctantly got up. He pulled a cap low over his face and left the house. Heading to the Lion PC Café in the neighborhood, he spotted Go Jehoon in the building’s parking lot. His friend, living the gamer life after finishing the college entrance exam.

“You were gonna come anyway, so why act all reluctant?”

“Didn’t feel like leaving the house…”

Go Jehoon clicked his tongue at Yoon Chorong, who had his cap pulled low as if hiding from someone, and walked into the building.

“I’m saying this as your middle school buddy, but you need to toughen up a bit.”

“What did I do…”

“You’re so spaced out, you’re just asking to get hit from behind.”

“Should I just leave?”

“Leave where? Help me hit Platinum first.”

“I really don’t want to play games for a while.”

“Who said anything about playing? Work. Help me hit Plat, and I’ll pay you.”

His logic was that when you start college, you’d go to a PC café to bond with friends, but if you’re only Gold, you’d get mocked as a “Gold noob.” It was nonsense, but Yoon Chorong couldn’t ignore Go Jehoon’s insistence that he absolutely had to reach Platinum before college.

Lacking social skills, shy, and timid, Chorong had few friends. Go Jehoon was one of them, standing up for him against bullies and praising his gaming skills. Sure, his mouth was a bit crude, but… that’s why Chorong always got dragged along like this. Sighing deeply, Yoon Chorong sat down and logged into [War of Heroes].

The game, commonly called [WOH], is one of the AOS (Aeon of Strife) and MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) games. It originated from a popular user map in another well-known game and is the most popular in its genre. The proof? It has consistently held the top spot in PC café usage share since its release.

The gameplay isn’t much different from other AOS or MOBA games. Five gamers form a team, choosing lanes—Top, Mid, Bottom, or Jungle—and grow their characters in their main positions. They defeat monsters that grant skills, win skirmishes against enemies to level up their characters, and must destroy the enemy’s Crystal to win.

Among games of its kind, WOH has the most intuitive interface and fast-paced gameplay, captivating players worldwide. Even six years after its release, its popularity hasn’t waned; it’s only grown hotter. This year’s Worlds prize pool alone exceeds 20 billion won, making its professional league the largest of its kind.

“You really gonna retire like this?”

“…Probably.”

Until recently, Yoon Chorong was a player in the Korean [WOH] league, [WKC (War of Heroes Korea Championship)], playing as a Mid Laner for the Phoenix team. But with the team disbanding recently, he was now a free agent.

Recognized for his talent in a game he played for fun, he became a professional gamer at eighteen, but his pro career didn’t last beyond two years. On top of that, there were controversies when his team dissolved. Well aware of the poor evaluations of his performance, Yoon Chorong had essentially been forced into retirement.

That’s why he deeply regretted dropping out of high school to focus on the league schedule. Most professional gamers choose to drop out, but if you can’t sustain a career, that’s a big problem. With such a short career, he couldn’t even pivot to coaching.

“You’re just gonna help with ranked games.”

“Who’s saying otherwise?”

Go Jehoon said with a sour expression. If he hadn’t dragged Chorong here under the pretense of needing help, Chorong probably wouldn’t even glance at [WOH]. His skills hadn’t rusted yet, but Chorong was seriously considering retirement. A player without a team has no stage to perform on. As a friend who was thrilled when Chorong became a pro gamer, Go Jehoon found it heartbreaking to see him end his career like this, but there was nothing he could do.

“Hey, hyung will buy you ramen.”

“Later.”

“Dude, reject me for once.”

“Jehoon, just log in.”

Yoon Chorong logged in with his recently created ID, [winterchild].

“Your ID is so lame.”

“Why…”

“Accept the invite. What you playing?”

“Jungle.”

“Why’s a Mid Laner keep going Jungle?”

“I tried Jungle, and it’s fun.”

Soon, the queue popped. Chorong was Jungle, and Go Jehoon was Top. Go Jehoon’s current tier was Gold 1, a big climb from Gold 3.

“Gank, please.”

“Got it.”

“Do it for hyung’s Platinum.”

Yoon Chorong nodded and carefully chose his Jungle character. Mid and Jungle have different playstyles. While character roles shift with the meta, lately, Junglers have been leading the game. They need to monitor all lanes, knowing when to engage and retreat. It required far more intelligent play than expected.

Unlike Mid Laners, who maintain balance to keep the team from falling behind and hold the center, Junglers must operate the game even more meticulously. If Mid Laners prevent Top’s mess from reaching Bottom and Bottom’s mess from reaching Top, Junglers need to work even more closely with all lanes. They must spark plays, fill gaps in the team, and amplify advantages. This demands innate game sense and the ability to handle more champions than any other role.

That’s why Yoon Chorong, hooked on Jungle, carefully picked his character. This character, currently performing well, could transform into a snake. It had two CC skills and great mobility, making it ideal for ganking. Though often banned, limiting his playtime with it, that just proved its strength.

As a former Mid Laner, Chorong hadn’t used this character much, but after a few tries, he found it fun. Go Jehoon’s character, meanwhile, struggled early but had an ultimate that supported the ADC if grown well.

“Not a bad comp… Yo, check the enemy team.”

While checking the team composition, Yoon Chorong noticed the enemy’s champion.

“Is that their Mid?”

“Looks like Mid.”

The opponent’s chosen champion was Sylis, a sword-wielding dancer. An assassin champion with high lethality, it’s common in higher ranks but rare in the Bronze-Silver-Gold tier, often called the “Bro-Sil-Gold” range. Specialized in damage but fragile, it required sharp damage-dealing sense due to its melee nature. It was a high-skill champion, and the enemy picked it.

“Gotta smash them. Who do they think they are, picking a high-tier champ here?”

Ignoring Go Jehoon’s bravado, Yoon Chorong checked the enemy Mid’s nickname.

[GrapefruitJuice]

The nickname above Sylis, wearing the flashy Flower Hero skin, was rather cute. But their skill was intimidating.

“Huh?”

They dodged that?

It was the second time already. Chorong started thinking they were skilled a few minutes ago. He successfully ganked Top once, but soon after, GrapefruitJuice roamed and caught him. Judging by their speed, they must’ve rushed over the moment he appeared on the map. Chorong barely escaped, but his friend Go Jehoon racked up one death.

“What’s with this guy? They’re pretty good.”

Yoon Chorong thought the same while equipping items. Their roaming timing was spot-on, and their warding sense was exceptional. When Chorong went to gank Mid to help his team, GrapefruitJuice dodged his stun skill twice, making him frown. Sure, he was unemployed now, but just months ago, he was an active pro gamer. If someone could dodge him…

“Yo, is that guy a pro gamer too?”

Go Jehoon seemed to have the same thought.

“What’s with this dude? They’re not dying. A smurf? You know them?”

“First time seeing them.”

A pro gamer…

Thinking back to last year’s offseason, Chorong recalled sitting on an uncomfortable chair, gaming fifteen hours a day. Literally, except for eating, sleeping, and washing, it was all gaming. Even going for a walk required permission. He didn’t know about other teams, but that’s how Phoenix operated. From that experience, a pro wouldn’t have time to casually play in Gold tier before the season started.

And he’d never seen this ID before. Not even in scrims with other teams. Their gameplay was clean but occasionally felt oddly reckless.

Who is this person? While pondering, the game fell apart. While contesting a Troll, the enemy ADC scored a quadra-kill, and their Crystal was destroyed. The screen filled with the [Defeat] window.

“Damn, we lost that?”

“…”

“Former pro gamer, we lost that?”

“…Sorry…”

As the game ended, Go Jehoon exclaimed in disbelief. Yoon Chorong quietly checked the game stats. The enemy ADC dealt the second-highest damage, with GrapefruitJuice in first. Were they really a pro smurfing?

“Whatever…”

It’s not my concern anymore. I’m retired. Suppressing his curiosity, he sipped his drink. Then, a whisper came.

[Whisper/GrapefruitJuice: Jungle-nim]

Yoon Chorong flinched. The Mid Laner who just crushed them sent a whisper.

“This guy’s definitely a smurf… What’s this KDA? And this win rate? They’re in Gold because of low games played…”

Hearing Go Jehoon mutter while checking GrapefruitJuice’s match history, another message came.

[Whisper/GrapefruitJuice: WinterEye-nim.]

Should I reply? After hesitating, Yoon Chorong responded.

[Whisper/winterchild: Yes, hello.]

[Whisper/GrapefruitJuice: Wanna play together?]

[Whisper/winterchild: Huh?]

[Whisper/winterchild: Play a game together?]

[Whisper/GrapefruitJuice: Yeah. You got time?]

[Whisper/winterchild: No, I have time, but…]

A random whisper asking to play together? What’s going on?

“GrapefruitJuice!”

Yoon Chorong, staring blankly at the screen, jumped when Go Jehoon shouted beside him. Taking up half of Chorong’s seat, Go Jehoon pointed at the monitor.

“Say yes. Do it.”

“What?”

[Whisper/GrapefruitJuice: Why no reply?]

As Chorong stared, Go Jehoon quickly typed.

[Whisper/winterchild: Let’s play, go go]

Go Jehoon, answering for him, chuckled.

[Whisper/GrapefruitJuice: Got it.]

[Whisper/winterchild: You Mid, me Jungle?]

[Whisper/GrapefruitJuice: Yeah.]

[Whisper/winterchild: Accept invite]

Though Go Jehoon typed freely, Yoon Chorong didn’t stop him. Seeing Jehoon’s sly grin, aiming for Platinum or even Master 4, Chorong tilted his head.

Definitely feels like a pro…

That was the vibe. But if they were a pro, they wouldn’t have time to play casually with them. From his own pro experience, it was near impossible. Were they still unsigned? If not a pro, they had the skill to go pro soon. With that level, they could debut in no time.

…I’m jealous…

“You eating ramen now?”

“No, maybe later…”

Snapping out of it, Yoon Chorong paused mid-reply.

[Whisper/winterchild: Is this your smurf? Looks like a new ID.]

[Whisper/GrapefruitJuice: Yeah.]

[Whisper/winterchild: Are you a pro gamer?]

[Whisper/GrapefruitJuice: No.]

[Whisper/winterchild: For real?]

[Whisper/GrapefruitJuice: Yup.]

[Whisper/winterchild: You were so good, I almost freaked out.]

[Whisper/winterchild: Didn’t think we’d lose, but we did.]

[Whisper/winterchild: I’m kinda good too.]

[Whisper/winterchild: Got any pro tips? You don’t stream?]

[Whisper/GrapefruitJuice: I don’t.]

[Whisper/winterchild: I’m craving ramen. Can eat in 5 min. Wait up.]

[Whisper/GrapefruitJuice: Okay.]

So much chatting in such a short time? With my ID? Staring at GrapefruitJuice’s final [Okay.], Yoon Chorong glanced at Go Jehoon, slurping ramen.

“Want some?”

Shaking his head, Chorong rubbed his face. Jehoon’s rough around the edges but deep down a good friend. He had plenty of flaws but just as many strengths… Still, Chorong didn’t want to be mistaken for him.

[Whisper/winterchild: Um… GrapefruitJuice-nim…]

No reply from GrapefruitJuice.

[Whisper/winterchild: That convo wasn’t me… My friend typed without permission…]

[Whisper/winterchild: If you were offended…]

[Whisper/GrapefruitJuice: You mean TrygoAndBanThenThrow typed that?]

[Whisper/winterchild: Yes… ㅠㅠ]

Am I over-explaining? A million thoughts raced through his mind when a reply came seconds later.

[Whisper/GrapefruitJuice: Got it.]

Relieved to clear the misunderstanding, Chorong glanced at Jehoon. Having finished his noodles and gulping the broth, Go Jehoon didn’t notice the chat. Chorong quickly hit the queue button. The game started, and the trio moved to the champion select screen. A system message appeared at the top.

<Select your desired champion!>

First, players pick their preferred champions. True to his nickname, Go Jehoon chose [Trygo]. Trygo is a meerkat character in [WOH]. Notably small and cute, it’s also the origin of the term [Trygo enthusiast]. It’s fun for the player but infuriating for opponents.

“I’ll set traps perfectly later. Just gank. We’ll blow it up.”

Trygo’s ultimate sets explosive traps, but it’s rarely used in high tiers. Skilled players read movements and avoid traps easily. In higher tiers, vision wars are brutal, and most of the map is revealed. Traps are obvious—only a fool would step on them.

It’s decent in lower tiers but loses value as you climb. Picking a high-damage dealer would be better. Regardless of meta, Jehoon, who loves Trygo, applied a skin resembling his pet dog.