GJOW 3
by soapa[JamongJuice: Give me five minutes.]
[winterchild: Sure!]
While waiting for JamongJuice, Yoon Chorong browsed skins. His main account had all champions and a few skins, but his smurf account had none purchased. Hesitating briefly, Chorong looked at some skins he often used during his pro days.
In any game, dressing up characters is part of the fun. Yoon Chorong’s main account had most skins, and JamongJuice seemed to own nearly all of them too, wearing one every game. The only time he didn’t use a skin was when playing support, a role he rarely took.
This sparked a bit of greed for his account. Initially, Yoon Chorong had planned to stop playing after getting Ko Jehoon to Platinum, but here he was, still gaming. Should he buy a skin? He pondered briefly.
“I kind of want it.”
WOH releases championship skins annually for the World Championship-winning team. Among them, a skin from three years ago, when Hansung Gaming (HS), one of Korea’s top teams, won the championship, caught his eye.
The vampire champion [Vlad VI], dressed in HS’s jersey, was played by [Master], considered one of the world’s best mid-laners alongside GX’s mid-laner [Cutie].
For Yoon Chorong, this champion held deep memories. The first skin he ever bought was Vlad VI, purchased by his grandmother. He’d worn it during his Phoenix tryouts. It was no longer just HS’s championship skin to him—it was a gift from his grandmother.
Should he close his eyes and buy it? Yeah, let’s do it.
Deciding it was all about self-satisfaction, he bought the skin. After purchasing one, he felt a bit unsatisfied, so he bought all the championship skins from that year. His time with HS wasn’t exactly pleasant, but that wasn’t HS’s fault. Of course… he skipped anything related to his idol, Master.
[JamongJuice: Go.]
[winterchild: Yes!]
As the jungler, Yoon Chorong confidently picked a champion from the championship skin line from three years ago. It wasn’t meta anymore, but it wasn’t a bad pick for the team composition. Wearing the skin after so long brought back memories, and he gave a bittersweet smile as JamongJuice spoke up.
[JamongJuice: People still use that?]
[winterchild: I just bought it!]
[JamongJuice: Not my thing.]
[winterchild: Why? The character’s not the prettiest, but…]
[JamongJuice: Number one fan?]
No.1 was HS’s jungler who played the champion Chorong picked.
[winterchild: No…]
[JamongJuice: Then Hansung?]
[winterchild: I used to like them.]
[JamongJuice: So not anymore?]
[winterchild: I liked Hansung.]
[winterchild: I like them, but…]
[JamongJuice: Master too?]
As he asked, JamongJuice picked Vlad VI from the same HS championship skin line and equipped the skin, just like Yoon Chorong.
Chorong hesitated. [HS Master], the towering figure who stood in front of [PXG Chorong]. That day came back to him.
‘Why are you crying so much?’
That voice, as if he couldn’t comprehend it.
[winterchild: Not Master.]
[winterchild: I have some bad personal memories…]
[JamongJuice: Bad memories?]
[winterchild: Uh…;;; Let’s start the game, Jamong-nim. I’ll focus!]
He regretted bringing it up. Playing silently, his condition wasn’t great. They won, but it wasn’t a satisfying performance.
[JamongJuice: Winter.]
[winterchild: Yes?]
Noticing this, instead of suggesting another game, JamongJuice called out to Yoon Chorong after the match.
[JamongJuice: What’s the bad memory?]
[winterchild: Well…]
[JamongJuice: You know Choi Jeonghyeon personally?]
Choi Jeonghyeon was [Master]’s real name.
[winterchild: No. Well…]
[winterchild: I know him, but he probably doesn’t know me.]
[winterchild: I mean, he could know… but he probably doesn’t.]
Choi Jeonghyeon likely didn’t find him worth remembering.
[JamongJuice: ? Speak clearly.]
Yoon Chorong hesitated. He couldn’t tell anyone about what happened between him and Master. He didn’t usually have these conversations… Was JamongJuice a Choi Jeonghyeon fan? It was possible. Most WOH players loved Choi Jeonghyeon. He had plenty of antis, but even more fans.
[winterchild: Just… we crossed paths once…]
[winterchild: It wasn’t a big deal…]
[JamongJuice: Not a big deal?]
[winterchild: Just… it was… a bit scary.]
I was really scared that day. Staring at the chat he typed and deleted, Chorong sighed. Though his feet were on the ground, he felt like he was floating in midair, so he pulled them up.
[JamongJuice: He’s known for being kind of a jerk.]
[JamongJuice: I look him up sometimes.]
Lost in old memories, Yoon Chorong gave a faint smile. He used to look him up too. A compilation of Master saying, “I’m the best,” while crushing other teams.
[winterchild: I used to look him up a lot too.]
[winterchild: A pro can have that kind of pride.]
[JamongJuice: Choi Hyeomseong compilation.]
Oh. It seems JamongJuice was watching different videos.
[JamongJuice: ?]
[winterchild: ?]
[winterchild: No, I mean;]
[JamongJuice: I was defending you, and this is how you react?]
[winterchild: Oh!]
[JamongJuice: …]
[winterchild: But he’s not really that bad.]
Maybe? Tilting his head, a chat came up.
[JamongJuice: Asked for an autograph and got rejected?]
[winterchild: ;;;;]
[JamongJuice: Asked for a photo and got told to get lost?]
[JamongJuice: Probably didn’t tell you not to dream of going pro with your skill.]
[winterchild: It’s not like that;;;;]
Uncharacteristically, JamongJuice was persistent. Then again, disliking Choi Jeonghyeon, one of Korea’s highest-paid pros… plenty of people do, don’t they? His personality makes him a fair share of enemies. Pondering, Chorong thought for a moment.
[winterchild: It’s probably something he wouldn’t even care about.]
[JamongJuice: That makes me more curious.]
[JamongJuice: I’m not usually curious, but I am now.]
[JamongJuice: First time in three years I’ve been this curious.]
But Chorong couldn’t tell JamongJuice about it. Doing so would mean revealing he was Phoenix’s Yoon Chorong.
“If he knew I was Chorong…”
He might even stop playing with him.
[winterchild: It’s just something personal.]
[JamongJuice: …]
JamongJuice didn’t ask further.
They parted early that day. Logging off, Yoon Chorong lay on his bed.
Jehoon
You eat?
Mom’s asking if the side dishes are good.
Ate yet?
Checking a KakaoTalk from Ko Jehoon, he felt he should eat and headed to the table. He took out some side dishes from Jehoon’s mom and opened the rice cooker. Seeing the stale-smelling rice, he closed the lid.
About to wash rice to cook, Yoon Chorong paused and sat at the table. Staring at his phone, he opened YouTube. He skimmed the latest videos. As a former pro gamer, most of his subscriptions were gaming channels.
“Choi Jeonghyeon highlights from the Amazon Cup disaster”
“The journey to becoming the world’s best”
Many videos on gaming channels featured Choi Jeonghyeon. Before debuting, he won an event tournament on a streaming platform and said it was boring due to the low level. After rejecting countless team offers, he joined HS and made a name for himself globally—a video Chorong had seen years ago.
“Master’s personality controversy. Stove League failure because of Master?”
“Master’s repeated interview controversies. The need for pro gamer personality training”
“Choi Jeonghyeon’s hallway fight with Cutie exposed!”
“All about e-sports rebel Choi Jeonghyeon”
The videos JamongJuice likely saw were probably like these. Known more as Master than Choi Jeonghyeon, he was nicknamed Choi Hyeomseong (Choi Hateful) and Choi Inseong (Choi Personality) for his exceptional skill matched by an equally bold attitude.
“You can’t say a Challenger rank 1 will do well in pro matches. How arrogant must he be for his personality to be talked about since his debut? I don’t know how his team evaluates him, but his attitude toward reporters and league staff makes you think his skill’s overrated. Are kids these days just immature? Most gamers are like that, right? Oh, am I not supposed to say that?”
Scrolling, Chorong accidentally clicked a video, and an interview played. A mosaic-covered league committee staff member was talking about Choi Jeonghyeon.
“So arrogant, but GX won. Funny, right? Even staff dislike him. He’s probably an outcast on his team. I heard rumors. He’s just popular because of his looks, not skill.”
This interview from a major YouTuber caused a storm over Choi Jeonghyeon’s personality. It later came out that the staff posted defamatory comments on a site and was a part-time worker, not even full-time. They were caught leaking league info despite a confidentiality agreement, calming the controversy.
But debates about Choi Jeonghyeon’s blunt speech never died down. When asked about it, his response was:
“Some nobody said that, and I’m supposed to explain or fix what? What’s there to fix? What facts are in that interview? Should I care about that?”
This press interview sparked another issue. His unclear pronunciation of “that stuff” sounded like “that crap” to some, fueling more controversy. Of course, Choi Jeonghyeon didn’t care. Before reaching the top, he was compared to others and told at press conferences that his looks inflated his reputation.
Hitting back, Yoon Chorong checked the video list.
“Is Master okay like this? Outrage over reckless remarks”
“Master meets Cutie in solo queue”
“Hansung Gaming! Did internal conflict cause their quarterfinal exit? Master again?”
“Master, the center of controversy. No more!”
“Is HS jungler No.1’s wrist injury real?”
“GX’s legendary mid-laner Cutie’s solo queue montage”
“Why did Hansung use Together instead of No.1 in the quarterfinals?”
“Where’s Master, missing from solo queue lately?”
“Master montage”
“WOH new champion announcement soon?”
“Stove League transfer rumors! Could China’s JG Starlord join Hansung as jungler?”
Skimming titles, Chorong searched for [WKC Season 2 Phoenix].
“20**0815 WKC Season 2 Round 2 HS vs PXG”
The WKC league holds Season 1 in spring and Season 2 in summer, also called spring and summer seasons, though officially Regular Season 1 and 2.
The video Chorong found was from this summer’s Season 2, Round 2. It might’ve been his last regular season match. Hesitating, his breathing quickened. Would it be okay now? He’d started playing again after avoiding it, even getting greedy for tiers. He was rediscovering the fun of gaming… It should be fine now, right? Reassuring himself, he clicked the match he hadn’t rewatched until now.
Yoon Chorong’s Phoenix team was:
PXG Bluemoon Top
PXG Tokki Jungle
PXG Chorong Mid
PXG Bottle ADC
PXG Pjwon Support
The opposing HS team was:
HS Captain Top
HS No.1 Jungle
HS Master Mid
HS Maker ADC
HS Wony Support
Korea, an e-sports powerhouse, has several top teams. In WOH, two teams dominate. Daehan Group’s GX has won the world championship twice.
The other top team is Hansung Group’s HS, also with two world titles. Always clashing in finals, HS is considered slightly stronger recently, having won the latest world championship among Korean teams, except this year. HS’s star player was their mid-laner, Master.
Debuting four years ago, Choi Jeonghyeon took second in the World Championship his first year and won the next two. As HS’s key player, he delivered dazzling plays to secure finals victories.
One of the living legends, Master, Choi Jeonghyeon, is hailed as the world’s and history’s greatest gamer. As popular as he is controversial, he’s been criticized for his interviews but undeniable in skill.
During his two years as a pro, Chorong faced him several times and never won. He took one set once, but lost the match. They say only Min Woojoo at his peak could beat him. This summer’s season saw Chorong’s worst game.
Chorong pressed play. The highlight reel mostly featured his mistakes. He died to an invade at the start, gave Master a solo kill at level 2, and died again when Master hit level 6, barely landing a skill.
“No chance of winning! Phoenix tried grabbing a troll, but it’s not enough.”
“They’re crumbling too easily. They weren’t this bad…”
“It’s a miracle they got this far! Last year, Chorong carried them.”
“Is this really the same Yoon Chorong, falling apart like this?”
Yoon Chorong’s deaths passed eight. For early game, this was beyond throwing. He died placing a ward, clearing a ward, and in lane with a guardian. Master’s level was three ahead of Chorong’s.
“I shouldn’t say this, but… it’s hard to watch.”
“No way teammates can fix this. They turned the already monstrous Master into a super ultra monster. Look, Master’s roaming and destroying other lanes.”
“Chorong can’t even secure vision.”
“No way Phoenix wins this.”
“Let’s talk about how HS could lose. Even if HS makes every mistake possible, they win!”
“And as we speak…”
“Oh… there it goes again…”
With a sigh, the scene showed Yoon Chorong, rushing late to a Yormungand teamfight, getting killed by Master.
“You shouldn’t think this watching a game, but… it’s brutal.”
“It’s a bit heartbreaking. His mental state… it’s concerning.”
“I’ve never said this, but… I wish Master would stop…”
“Hahaha, you can’t say that. It’s a competition.”
“I know it’s a competition, but HS took Yormungand too… It’s a massacre. No stopping it. All controls are down? How many minutes in?”
“This might set a WKC shortest match record.”
“Is Chorong… crying?”
“They stopped showing him on camera earlier…”
“The screen went down at the venue for a reason…”
“His face is a mess…”
“This match…”
The top-voted comments on the video read:
Came from Worlds… HS’s quarterfinal exit is Chorong’s curse… ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
Is this where HS got cursed?
This is the game proving Choi Jeonghyeon’s bad personality, right?
No issue with Choi Jeonghyeon’s personality?
I didn’t curse anyone… Are they saying that now? Chorong checked the replies below.
Why was Chorong crying like that?
Thought he could beat Master?
Dreaming…
I dreamed… of beating Choi Jeonghyeon…
It’s kinda brutal lololol
What’s so brutal? In the pro world, if you’re not good, you lose.
Didn’t Choi Jeonghyeon say that?
To be exact, “If you’re not good, you lose.”
And its counterpart, “To win, you have to be good.”
Followed by, “But since I’m the best, I win.”
Undeniable world-class gamer vibes lolol
There’s also that interview: “If you want to beat HS, you have to beat me. Think you can?”
Ugh, Master fans are so annoying. Didn’t your team get knocked out in the quarterfinals this time?
Honestly, Master did fine in the quarters. The other lanes were the issue.
The jungler was the main culprit in the quarters.
It’s true Master didn’t carry. With all his big talk, he should’ve pulled off a super play to drag them to the finals lolol Master fans are so intense.
I can’t understand why No.1 didn’t play.
Blaming the jungler now?
Stop playing detective. Next year’s trophy is ours anyway.
Who’s “ours”? I’m not an HS fan. Hope they crash and burn.
Next year’s win will go to a team with Toxi or Daesu lolol
Phoenix disbanded after that match…
Not disbanded. Just Chorong got kicked lolol
The sponsor changed, so the team name went from Phoenix to AG, but the coach, staff, and most players stayed.
Chorong got absolutely destroyed lolol
What’s “destroyed”? Don’t use fancy words before explaining stuff like dismemberment.
But it’s kinda harsh… His form dipped in the summer, but he was decent in Season 1.
I’m shocked too. Same team, and they trash him like that for losing?
They knew it was going on air.
Bluemoon: That bastard, I really wanna rip him apart!
Did he really curse?
His lips clearly said “fucking bastard” lolol
Bluemoon’s meltdown confirmed.
Did Chorong cry because of the cursing?
No, he kept screwing up mid, so of course they got pissed. I totally get Bluemoon.
In that situation, Chorong not chasing them down and smashing their heads was already restraint.
But why cry so hard?
That was legit orphan-level sobbing.
Joking about parents like that lolol But doesn’t Chorong really not have parents? I heard he lived with his grandma.
Whoa, really?
This is wild…
How do people know about his parents passing?
Tokki said on stream Chorong got a lot of hate and mentioned it.
If Chorong came back, it’d be epic. Teasing him was so fun.
Who’d take him lolol That guy as a pro? lolol
Reading up to that point, Yoon Chorong took a deep breath. The damage wasn’t as bad as he’d expected. Matches can be won or lost. Compared to HS, his Phoenix team wasn’t strong. He wanted to win, but he never beat HS, not once.
That was fine. He knew his performance that day was poor. His teammates weren’t exactly friendly, so he understood the cursing. Honestly, he didn’t even notice the cursing at the time. He could barely hear anything, but one voice stuck out, piercing his ears.
After the match, players shake hands. The winning team walks to the losing team’s side to offer handshakes, and that day was no different.
HS players approached Phoenix’s side, extending their hands, but Yoon Chorong wasn’t in a state to reciprocate. Shaking, biting his lip to hold back sobs, he heard a particularly cold voice.
“Why are you crying so much?”
Wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, Yoon Chorong looked up. Choi Jeonghyeon asked with a genuinely puzzled expression.
“Did you think you could win?”
He stared into those eyes. Tears blurred his vision, but as a player behind urged Choi Jeonghyeon to move along, he stepped back. Breathing shakily, Yoon Chorong felt the cold glares of his teammates.
“That fucking bastard.”
“Hyung, don’t curse.”
“Tell the broadcast to fuck off. That asshole did it on purpose. Trying to screw us over. I’d break every finger and still not feel satisfied.”
“Hyuuung.”
Dazed, Yoon Chorong stood there until all the players left. When staff asked him to clear his station, he belatedly packed up his monitor and mouse and hurried out of the venue.
Yeah, that’s how it was.
A few days later.
[winterchild: Good game!]
[JamongJuice: Let’s hit promos tomorrow.]
[winterchild: Yes!]
Playing often with JamongJuice, Yoon Chorong’s tier reached Platinum 1. He felt he could hit Master in a few days.
[JamongJuice: I’m out then.]
[winterchild: Bye!]
Since their conversation about HS, JamongJuice hadn’t asked more. Maybe because he was two years older, he seemed mature, not prying when Chorong showed discomfort. Ko Jehoon would’ve clung to him, trying to dig out every detail.
After the game, Yoon Chorong browsed the skin shop, then prepared a simple dinner. The jangjorim from Jehoon’s mom was perfectly seasoned, making him finish a bowl of rice. Too lazy to cook, he’d bought instant rice a few days ago, and it was coming in handy. He mixed soy sauce broth with warm rice, topped it with meat, and finished with green onion kimchi.
Ate dinner.
It’s good.
After reporting to Jehoon, Yoon Chorong sat back at his computer. Bored and looking for something to watch, he logged into Twitch.
“Oh.”
Familiar names were live. Recently, pro players started streaming online. Yoon Chorong followed all the team players streaming, including HS ones.
“Master is live.”
Choi Jeonghyeon, who’d taken a break after the All-Star event in early December, was back. His stream, just started, already had over 60,000 viewers. As expected from the player with the most followers.
Hesitating, Yoon Chorong moved his mouse and clicked after some thought. After a brief buffer, Choi Jeonghyeon’s face filled the screen.
“What am I doing today? Hmm, don’t feel like doing anything.”
It seemed the stream had just begun.
“What did I do on break? Played games. Solo queue? My main account gets too much attention. Not sharing my nickname or tier. Why’s that interesting? Dinner? Why do you care? You guys are curious about weird stuff. I ate jeyuk bokkeum today. Why are you asking me about Captain’s stream…”
Then, a door opened.
“Because I missed you, that’s why!”
It was Captain. Looking at Captain, hidden off-screen, Master said.
“If you’re gonna watch my stream, start your own.”
“Nah, I’m not streaming today. I’m a mess.”
Captain waved his hand into view.
“I’m streaming tomorrow. Prep if you want a mid-lane match.”
“Mid-lane match?”
A mid-lane match in WOH is a 1v1 game. It uses the same 5v5 map but sets teams to 1v1, facing off in the central mid-lane.
“Yeah, it’s year-end, so I’m giving out gift cards. Huh? No, I’ll buy them. I’m giving them out. Kill me, and you get one.”
A donation voice chimed in.
— Isn’t that actually an HS tryout?
Captain laughed.
“Is it? Nah, killing me isn’t that big a deal. Maybe Jeonghyeon.”
“You know it.”
“Every time you talk like that, I lose respect.”
“I don’t have any to lose.”
“You guys, he talks like this, but we’re kinda close.”
“Baseless claims…”
“I’d let you guys slide, but Jeonghyeon doesn’t. So don’t do a mid-match with him.”
“Get out, it’s my stream.”
“Get out, it’s my stream. So annoying.”
“…”
“Weh-heh-heh.”
Choi Jeonghyeon glanced at Captain off-screen.
“Look at that glare. So scary. This guy’s Halloween 365 days a year. Don’t hype him up as a cool guy or whatever. He’ll believe it.”
“It’s true.”
“God, so annoying. Why do people like him? I wouldn’t want this jerk around. You guys think he’s fine from afar, but he’s a real pain. Always acting superior, throwing out harsh truths like it’s nothing.”
“Shut up and get out so I can stream.”
Initially hesitant, Captain waved to the viewers and left.
“Finally some peace.”
A donation chimed.
— Seriously curious, do weirdos play top lane, or does playing top make you a weirdo?
“I’ve wondered that myself.”
Another donation.
— Top laners are supposed to be weirdos. A non-weirdo top isn’t a top.
“But that guy’s a weirdo regardless of lane. Why? Why’s that funny? It’s true. Mid-match? You want a mid-match? You guys think you can beat me?”
The chat flooded with mid-match challenges. Choi Jeonghyeon smirked. Watching from behind the screen, Yoon Chorong shivered at that smile. A donation said, “Winning is impossible.” Choi Jeonghyeon replied.
“You know it. But they want a mid-match. You guys really want to lose to me.”
Choi Jeonghyeon logged into the game, and the screen switched to WOH’s lobby.
“Whisper if you want to play.”
Propping his chin on his knee, Chorong bit his nails.
“Nothing below Platinum.”
Staring at Choi Jeonghyeon, Yoon Chorong typed. Sending a whisper to Master’s ID was impulsive.
[winterchild: Hand.]
[VelvetIceCream: Hand.]
[lovelovemina: Hand.]
“Hmm, winterchild-nim, you’re up.”
Raising his hand but not expecting to be picked, Yoon Chorong panicked slightly.
“Nickname’s winterchild. Born in winter?”
Tensing at Choi Jeonghyeon’s words, Yoon Chorong straightened up. Choi Jeonghyeon created a game room and invited him. Swallowing hard, Chorong accepted. Feeling a slight tremble in the lobby, he typed.
[winterchild: Hello.]
[Master: Hello.]
[winterchild: Is it… a mirror match?]
[Master: Mirror’s fine.]
[winterchild: I’m okay with anything…]
[Master: Got a champion you want?]
[winterchild: Uh…]
[Master: Your choice.]
[winterchild: Hmm…]
He hesitated. Who’d have thought he’d face Choi Jeonghyeon like this again? He raised his hand, but didn’t expect to be chosen among countless others. Regretting it slightly… that voice came back.
“Did you think you could win?”
In Ko Jehoon’s words, he was gentle, clueless, without malice, betrayed by teammates… but still.
[winterchild: Kaluna.]
[Master: Kaluna?]
The chat went wild. Kaluna, a new assassin ninja champion from earlier this year, was tough to master but offered explosive damage and mobility when played well. It was currently Master’s favorite champion.
[Master: Really?]
[winterchild: Yes.]
Losing didn’t matter. In Season 2, Master’s Kaluna shredded him. Today wasn’t that day, so it’d be better. Yoon Chorong picked Kaluna.
[winterchild: Runes?]
[Master: Your choice.]
[winterchild: Okay.]
He built Kaluna’s runes, all-in on damage. Choi Jeonghyeon did the same. It was a pure damage-dealer duel.
Captain, real name Han Yongho, who’d popped into Master’s stream, plopped onto the HS team dorm’s living room couch. Photos of their back-to-back championship wins hung on one side.
Next to a picture of a beaming Choi Jeonghyeon with the trophy, an HS emblem with blue diamonds was displayed. Several boxes that arrived today were stacked in a corner.
“They said they sorted out the food, so check later.”
“Okay.”
HS fans had sent year-end gifts. Each box had a player’s name.
Captain
Han Yongho
Master
Choi Jeonghyeon
No.1
Kang Jaewoo
Maker
Seo Jiho
Wony
Park Juwon
Together
Ma Dojun
Illusion
Lee Youngjun
Summer
Moon Sejun
Sparrow
Choi Kyeol
Jjamong
Ryu Sunghyun
“Hey, Coach.”
The person sorting Jjamong’s box looked up.
“What?”
“When are we getting another jungler? Saw a video on YouTube saying Starlord’s coming.”
The coach, sitting nearby, took a bite of freshly bought tteokbokki.
“Nothing’s confirmed yet.”
“Hmm, guess it’s not him. Got any players in mind?”
“Wait a few days.”
“Got it… Oh? Jeonghyeon’s doing a mid-match.”
“Mid-match? What’s gotten into him?”
“Right? He’s facing someone named winterchild with Kaluna.”
“winterchild?”
The intrigued coach leaned over Captain’s shoulder.
“Hey, Coach, use your phone.”
“It’s charging…”
“Hope Jeonghyeon goes easy. Though it’s an honor even if you lose.”
“…”
The coach focused on the screen in silence.
Calming his trembling breath, Yoon Chorong bought items in the shop and rushed to mid-lane. Master’s Kaluna champion was already there, moving side to side.
It felt like the Season 2 match. Across from him, Master’s Kaluna wore the [K-Pop Idol] skin, just like back then. The difference was that Yoon Chorong was now playing Kaluna with the same skin. Watching Master’s movements, Yoon Chorong mirrored them, moving left and right.
As allied soldiers reached the lane and clashed with enemy soldiers, both champions began poking. They farmed minions for gold and experience, leveling up skills. Early on, they focused on chipping away at each other’s health.
Chorong’s laning was top-tier even in his pro days, so he wasn’t falling behind Master now. In regular games, vision control was crucial, but in a mirror match, with the opponent right in front, there was no need to focus on anything else. It was purely a test of physical skill and game sense between players. Chorong leaned forward.
To grab a cannon minion, he stepped in slightly but dodged back as Master unleashed a skill. His health dropped significantly, so he used a potion.
“Did you think you could win?”
He bit his lip. Just once. Could he dare to want to win just once? He’d been forced to retire as a pro, left with nothing. Call it a pro gamer’s pointless pride.
Winning a mid-match, not even a real game, wouldn’t change reality. Nothing would change… but did he have to discard his ambition too? Win or lose. Yeah, losing didn’t matter. Losing to the world’s best, a gaming god, was natural. But if he got lucky and won!
Sweat pooled in his palm gripping the mouse. Feinting a side step, Yoon Chorong landed a basic attack. Master took the hit, but Chorong, at a slight disadvantage, used a gap-closing skill to chip Master’s health, then quickly deployed a smokescreen.
He hid in the spreading smoke. Thinking Chorong would flee, Master fired a linear skill to the edge. But Chorong was right beside him.
Confirming Master missed a skill, Chorong threw a shuriken for a stun, then activated his level 6 ultimate the moment he hit it. The skill dealt damage with a dash, retreated out of range, and returned for more damage. The farther he retreated, the higher the damage, so Chorong calculated and dashed toward the enemy guardian.
Going to his side of the map would leave him open to Master’s counterattack. If Master turned back quickly, hugged the guardian, and used a skill, Chorong would die—but who cared? He was just a viewer!
Taking a hit from the guardian didn’t matter! With that mindset, he swiftly returned, dealing damage to Choi Jeonghyeon. As Choi sidestepped, Chorong landed a linear skill, retreated, then charged back for more damage.
The results flashed. The chat went wild.
????
????????????
Whoa!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What’s this???
Love shot?
It’s a love shot!
Love shot, insane!!!!
Insane!!!
Holy shit!!!!
????
?????????
What the hell just happened????
Crazy?
What the fuck lol love shot lolol
Two Kaluna corpses lololololol
Zoom in, they’re probably holding hands.
Never seen this before lolol
Look at our Choi Inseong’s face.
He looks pissed.
Lolol love shot lolol he’s got reason to be pissed lolol
Congrats on Master’s humiliation!!!
This is a life-or-death love shot lololol
LOOOOOOOVE SHAAAAAAAAT!!!!!!!
Simultaneously, a donation voice rang out.
— TryoutNinja donated 10,000 won. Congrats on passing the HS tryout, Winter-nim lolol
— Anonymous donated 50,000 won. Laughed so hard lol you know how to put on a show lol
Startled, Chorong looked at Choi Jeonghyeon on screen. The camera was smaller due to the game, but his expression was clear—much stiffer than before.
“Wow, Choi Jeonghyeon! Crazy bastard love shot!!!”
Han Yongho, watching the stream, burst through the door. Overjoyed, he grabbed Choi Jeonghyeon’s shoulders, shaking them, jumping around like a maniac.
“Where’s Winter아이-nim, who crushed this arrogant guy’s ego? East side? West side? Oh, in the monitor! Still there? Thank you. Thank you.”
Captain’s dramatic bow to the monitor sent the donation and chat into a frenzy.
— ChoiInseongHumiliation donated 1,000 won. December 15, Master’s humiliation day/Captain’s happiness day.
— Anonymous donated 1,000 won. lolololololololololololol
— StopIt donated 1,000 won. Stop it. Look at Master’s face. Chill.
Master’s sleeping tonight.
Best of three, it’s what gamers do.
Lol what if Master loses a best of three?
Then swap mid, duh.
Reason they got knocked out in quarters lolol
World’s Best Mid 10) Hand over the title.
His form’s trash.
Haters, get lost.
Lolol when was he world’s best?
Retire already.
Having fun, why so serious?
Obviously he went easy, and people are taking it seriously.
Retire.
Chorong might play better than you now.
Seeing his name amid the flood of Master criticism in the chat, a panicked Chorong shut off his computer. His heart raced, his hands and feet turned ice-cold, and cold sweat ran down his back. He buried his face in the desk.
“I’m screwed…”
This was bad. He’d caused a disaster.
HS is one of Korea’s most popular teams, and Master is its most famous and beloved player. Not just in Korea—HS and Master have a huge global following. Since the WOH league began, HS has been a top contender. Master, the team’s superstar, is its core.
People half-jokingly say Master should be added to Korea’s list of 100 historical figures. So… that meant Chorong had just taken down the superstar of an e-sports team with the world’s biggest fanbase.
Why did he do it in front of tens of thousands of viewers? After being crushed by Master as Phoenix’s mid, Chorong faced a flood of mocking posts and memes, overwhelming gaming sites. The ridicule continued until he retired and went silent.
Even now, he’s known as WKC’s most pathetic player. The unbreakable formula: Yoon Chorong, the world’s most pitiful.
So, Yoon Chorong hadn’t logged into the game for days. After the match with Choi Jeonghyeon, during his grandmother’s funeral and return to the dorm, the mocking whispers that flooded his inbox were vivid.
His chat filled with taunts from people mocking him and curses from Phoenix fans. He blocked and blocked until he couldn’t anymore and turned off chat entirely.
He had to practice, so he kept playing. Scrims were better, but in solo queue, some fans who recognized him trolled on purpose. When Chorong didn’t react, they spammed warning pings and threw games.
That’s why he stopped logging in after leaving the team. Even when Ko Jehoon begged him to climb to Platinum, he didn’t use his main [PXG chorong] or smurf [wintercarol], creating a new account instead. Now, he’d have to abandon this one too.
[winterchild]
He didn’t care about the ID, but he worried about JamongJuice. Checking his phone after days offline, it was 1 PM. Lately, his rhythm synced with his usual gaming time.
Was JamongJuice waiting? Did he know about the mid-match with Master? News likely spread on WOH-related sites, so if JamongJuice was active in communities, he’d know.
“Sigh…”
Should he log in for five minutes to say he couldn’t use this ID anymore? He hesitated, lacking the courage. Curled up like a cocoon in bed, Yoon Chorong hugged his blanket tighter. Fiddling with his phone, he bit his lip, took a deep breath. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as he thought?
After much deliberation, Yoon Chorong sat at his computer. It was 1:05 PM. As he pressed the power button, his phone rang. It was Ko Jehoon.
“Hey, Jehoon.”
— You crazy bastard, why aren’t you logging in?
“Huh?”
He was on a family trip to Jeju for his grandma’s 70th, so what was this about?
“Logging in… you playing WoW?”
— No, I’m at a PC bang—never mind.
“Aren’t you with your relatives?”
— I’m gaming with my hyungs, but that’s not the point. Log into the game or check your email. No, do both.
“Jehoon, I don’t want to play…”
— Not about playing! Ugh, you’re so dense! You should’ve told me about this! Whatever, just log in!
Startled by Jehoon’s shouting, Chorong dropped his phone slightly and sighed. He was about to log in to meet JamongJuice anyway. Entering his ID and password, the game started loading.
“It’s patching now.”
— Then check your email. Hurry!
“Alright…”
He opened a new browser window, entered his email, and logged in.
— You idiot. Didn’t you think what’d happen after beating Master? How’d you let whispers get sent to me? I gave them your email yesterday, but you didn’t check, so I got another whisper, you moron. They asked for your number, but I called to check with you first!
“Who?”
— Ugh, so frustrating. Who else? Check your email!
Yoon Chorong sighed. There were a few new emails. He clicked to check. The top email’s subject caught his eye.
— You know how shocked I was when they contacted me? I thought they were calling me for a tryout.
Jehoon’s nagging voice faded. Feeling unreal, Chorong blinked, unsure if this was a cruel prank. Who knew the email he used during his pro days to send this?
No… could it be… Yoon Chorong clicked the email.
From: Kang Yuju
Hello, Yoon Chorong-nim. This is the HS WOH team contacting you.
Hello, winterchild-nim! No, Yoon Chorong-nim!
I’m Kang Yuju, a staff member of the HS WOH team. I’m sorry for contacting you so suddenly.
While looking for a way to reach you, I checked your game history and contacted your friend [TrigoBanHamyonDunjim], who gave me this email address. I heard it’s a new email. At first, I didn’t know who winterchild-nim was. I was shocked when your friend shared your real name.
Winterchild-nim is Phoenix’s Yoon Chorong-nim!
You can’t imagine how thrilled I was. I screamed so loud I startled your friend!
What an amazing coincidence ^-^
When Chorong-nim ranked 24th in Season 3 Challenger, our HS team had an internal meeting. We considered offering tryouts to several prospects, including you.
Your clean play was too good for a sub, so Coach Whisper suggested a position change to make you a starter. I remember, days before contacting you… we saw you joined Phoenix. It was disappointing, but we sincerely wished you a bright future as a pro gamer.
I’ll get to the point.
Would you be interested in joining Hansung Gaming? We understand you became a free agent after your team disbanded. We heard through your friend that you’ve received offers from other teams. We hope we’re not too late this time.
We apologize for contacting you urgently via email. Please call us upon review. We’d like to discuss details in person. We hope you’ll consider it positively ^-^
Have a great day.
We eagerly await your response.
000-0000-0000
Kang Yuju, HS WOH Team
“Is this a prank?”
— You just saw it? You idiot.
“Jehoon, this seems like a mistake…”
— A mistake? You beat Choi Jeonghyeon in a mid-match, of course they’d contact you! You know how many whispers I got? Not just HS—other teams asked if I’m your friend. They’re desperate to reach you…
“No way…”
Staring at the screen in disbelief, the game finished patching, and a notification showed new messages in his inbox. Entranced, he clicked.
Hello, winterchild-nim. This is HS. We don’t have your contact, so we’re messaging here. Please reach out.
Hello, winterchild-nim! This is Phoenix, now AG. We’re contacting you about your mid-match with Master. It’s regarding a tryout. Please call.
Winter아이-nim lolololol epic shot lolol
Are you the world’s best mid who crushed Master?
Hello, winterchild-nim! This is GX. Please call 000-000-0000 regarding a tryout.
Hello, Yoon Chorong-nim. This is HS. We sent an email, please check and contact us. ^-^ We eagerly await.
His inbox was flooded with messages from his time offline. Among the chaotic messages, a familiar nickname appeared.
JamongJuice
Why aren’t you logging in?
Hmm.
Should’ve gotten your email.
You’re not ghosting for a whole week, right?
Then, a whisper popped up in the chat.
[Jjamong: Hmm.]
[Jjamong: Still offline?]
[Jjamong: Oh!]
The new message was from Jjamong.
[Jjamong: Finally connected.]
[Jjamong: Hello, Yoon Chorong-nim.]
[Jjamong: This is Hansung’s coach, Jjamong, Ryu Sunghyun.]
He knew. Jjamong. HS’s coach Ryu Sunghyun? Yoon Chorong’s head spun.
What is happening?