Chapter 24: Before Debut

The current time is 3:06 AM.

A suitable time for a professional gamer to be active.

“Those of you who held your breath until I came can breathe again.”

With my one sentence, the chat scrolls down.

[—Phew]
[—Did you think I wouldn’t be able to see it if you turned it on at this hour?]
[—No way]
[—I lived]
[—How did you survive without breathing for a week?]
[—lololol]
[—Lies are commonplace for these guys…]
[—This is why everyone and their dog is Grandmaster Challenger on the internet]
[—lololol]
[—So it’s your debut tomorrow, aren’t you going to sleep?]

“It’s still a long way off before I sleep. I’m going to sleep around five o’clock.”

[—The mindset of supplementing insufficient sleep at school lol]
[—Just LOCK average]
[—Don’t raise the average sigh]
[—It’s so hard to keep up with the average these days]
[—How is LOCK average a black-haired, beautiful middle school girl professional gamer]
[—lololol]
[—There’s no way]
[—House guards at dawn are crying]

“If you come to my stream right away at this hour, it’s already…I shouldn’t say that, right?”

[—Argh]
[—Getting hit with UFC]
[—Please stop… ]
[—But this girl has no tension]
[—So calm]
[—I told you she’s not really a rookie.]
[—Then is she a used rookie who’s been rolling around in a backwater league? Talking nonsense again]
[—Gasp]
[—It’s lewd]
[—[This comment has been blocked]]

As expected, because it was dawn, the condition of the people was at a level that could not be said.

Well, that part was something I had to consider from the moment I turned on the broadcast at this time, so I just casually and cleanly gave them a permanent ban.

Of course, it’s not a system-wide permanent ban, it’s a system where I can release it whenever I want.

“If you come to see my debut match tomorrow and write on a whiteboard that you want to be unbanned, I’ll do it.”

[—Public humiliation lololol]
[—’I’m the person who XXXed a middle school girl at 3 AM’]
[—Just the destructive power of the sentence is amazing]
[—lololol]
[—Just die (that’s really better)]
[—lololol]
[—It would be better to create a new account]
[—The fact is that there’s a high probability that that guy couldn’t even buy a ticket~]

“Why? Is it sold out?”

I’ve never seen a league where the 2nd division played sold out in my entire life, but in this world, even the 3rd division league is sold out.

I really felt that the status of LOC itself was on a different level.

And, I could feel my situation, which was completely different from when I first started broadcasting.

[—You told us to come]
[—I sold out the arena because I wanted to see your debut]
[—lololol]
[—The first purchase queue for the Master League lololol]
[—Legendary]
[—There are a thousand guys watching at this hour, so it’s bound to be full]
[—A middle school girl’s professional debut is precious]
[—But even though they usually only accept five hundred people, they expanded the arena this season to accommodate a thousand people]
[—True’s destructive power is no joke…]
[—Give me back the small-time True]
[—Uh uh, no]
[—If we go back to that time, in-game voice disclosure will be impossible forever]
[—lololol]

“Even so, there’s no way I would be like that in-game……”

Hmm. Is that not the case?

Thinking about when I was scrimming, there might be some controversy, even if there’s no swearing.

“Anyway, since you’re here, you’ll be cheering for ST3 a lot, right?”

[—Yes]
[—Even if I quit the game, I’ll support True]
[—Depending on how you do]
[—Can I really be fooled this time?]
[—Bang!]
[—The number of guys with broken heads is increasing~]
[—lololol]
[—Why is the team color of ST, whether it’s the 1st division or the 3rd division, like this]
[—It’s everyday life]
[—lol]
[—??? : What can you do besides cheer?]
[—But even if True throws and loses, if you see her face, it’ll be resolved for a few matches]

“You’re the ones who will tell me to get out, saying that if I lose two or three games in a row, I should just live off my face and why did I crawl into the LOCK scene, right?”

For reference, this is from experience.

After Fraud retired, people who came over from the idol fandom absorbed the characteristics of sports fans and evolved into darkness, and I heard a lot of novel insults until I won the LOC World Cup.

[—?????]
[—Why is it so detailed]
[—School violence report is 117]
[—We’re sorry…]

Perhaps because of the unnecessarily realistic additional description, the viewers seemed to think that I was adapting something I had experienced at school.

“But well, it’s something that won’t happen if I don’t lose anyway, right?”

Let’s try to win the Master League undefeated.

“So, please come to the stadium every day and cheer me on.”

[—Info) Half of the ticket sales revenue is distributed to each team]
[—If you’re an ST fan who suddenly feels like you have to go because of Fraud’s re-signing, give me a like]
[—lololol]
[—Ah lol You can see a middle school girl playing games and money is piled up in ST?]
[—lol can’t resist]
[—There were too many guys who couldn’t resist, so I couldn’t buy it]
[—2222]
[—333333]
[—But aren’t you nervous when there are a lot of people?]

“It’s nice when there are a lot of people. It feels like I’m being cheered on.”

It’s not my LOCK debut, but anyway, it’s the first time I’m standing in front of the audience as a pro in this life.

When I woke up after the game, I didn’t want the stadium to be quiet.

Inside the waiting room.

The rehearsal is over, and it’s usually time to go set up the seats, but thanks to the VR device that automatically adjusts to my dedicated settings when I put it on, it was a comfortable break time.

I put on my eye mask and reclined my chair, using the increasingly bustling sound of the stadium as background.

“…Isn’t that too comfortable of a position?”
“I have to be comfortable before the game. What more do you need?”

I said that without even taking off my eye mask, and lay down comfortably.

“Ah, come to think of it, it’s your debut too.”
“Did you forget?”
“Yeah.”
“……”

No, honestly, it’s a bit unfair.

As far as I remember, the guy in front of me was one of the monsters who ate LOCK wins like a meal after Fraud.

Therefore, the guy who is wandering around like this because he’s a little nervous about his debut is not Fluke yet to me.

“Are you nervous?”
“You say that as if you’re not.”
“Well, I still have a long way to go.”

Maybe when I debut in LOCK again.

I had no intention of getting caught up here.

“Just relax. Do as you always do. You know?”

I said that without even taking off my eye mask, and lay down on the chair again.

Certainly, since my body weight has become lighter, the chair supports it well.

“Eunseol, should I be quiet if you’re going to sleep?”

After a few scrims, the coach, who told me that he would just call in first-person experts and that I didn’t need feedback from him, seems to be supportive of whatever I do now.

“No, well, if you have any jinxes or routines, do as you please. I don’t care.”

At my words, the other teammates started doing their own thing only then.

Fluke moved the champion around with his keyboard and mouse, and Ox lifted dumbbells for some reason.

And the bottom duo brought a tablet and played air hockey together.

It seemed like there would be no problem with today’s game, at least, as they insisted that their shot was better.

So time passed, and one of the staff members entered the waiting room.

“Please get ready! We’ll start entering in five minutes!”

Only then did I slide my eye mask up to my head and stretch.

“Shall we go?”
“Guys, let’s get ready. We have to do a fighting cheer before we go.”

But for some reason, everyone except the coach sitting next to me was looking away.

“Ah.”

I guess I should ask for a size larger uniform next time.

[Now, the opening match of the League of Champions Master League, which starts energetically this season!]

[This is the arena where the capacity has doubled compared to the previous year due to the expansion of the stadium this time, but the fans also responded and it was sold out!]

The voices of the commentators and casters who are exciting before the game starts, and the colorful lights.

‘I’m back.’

I missed this lively appearance of this opening match.

“Okay, everyone, stand in a line by team in front…”
“Okay. I’ll give the signal to enter!”

It wasn’t hard to know what that signal was.

[The first match to shine in the opening match of the LOCK-affiliated Master League, ST vs. DS Gaming!]

[The players are entering! Please welcome them with a big round of applause!]

I, who was standing at the very front, looked back at my teammates for a moment and then started walking out.

[The promising player recruited by ST just before this season, nickname True!]

[She’s one of the players who has been talked about a lot internally, even though she hasn’t even been scrimming for two weeks, right?]

[Yes. She has recognition as a streamer, and haha. Yes, there are the fans cheering for True.]

I saw people with my nickname written in large letters on a large screen, cheering.

[But there was also quite a lot of talk internally about how that streamer-like appearance and her in-game appearance are completely different.]

[That’s right. There was a lot of talk in a good way.]

[Just by giving the captain’s armband to a player who hasn’t even been in the pro scene for a month at ST, it’s unconventional, but it also shows that the team fully trusts the player in terms of skill.]

[According to the words heard from the scrims, she boasts overwhelming carry power and is famous for being destructive and good at violating human rights, right? Now ST, led by True, has become a completely different team from the last-place team of the previous season.]

[In addition, she is the first female mid laner to include LOCK and its affiliated leagues, Grand and Master, and she is also the youngest by age!]

[She’s really sweeping all the records, and I’m looking forward to seeing if she can win today!]

For reference, Fluke is three months older than me, so I also got the title of youngest.

I don’t know if I can get the title of youngest in LOCK, but originally, gamers are happy with these minor achievements.

I listened to the familiar player introductions and climbed onto the stage.

“Why did you bring that?”
“I came up well without falling…what are you talking about?”
“That eye mask on your head.”

At Fluke’s words, I hurriedly touched my head, and I easily found the eye mask on my head.

[Haha. True, she finally takes off the eye mask from her head and throws it far away.]

[It’s okay. When I commentate at dawn, I sometimes do that too.]

[Could it be a hint of the champion she’ll play today?]

The laughter of the commentators, casters, and the audience continued.

“She’s already lifting and dropping the stage!”
“Praise the Great True!”
“Win two games quickly and turn on the stream, Noona!”

On one side of the audience, people who seemed to be the personification of the chat were cheering me on.

It seems like there’s no time to get sentimental.

“Okay, everyone, put on your devices. Let’s go in, check the voice, and do well.”

Everyone sat down and put on their devices while the happening happened, and the appearance of the stadium was no longer visible.

So, with the coach’s last fighting cheer, the familiar ban-pick window popped out in front of us.

In the meantime, the teammates didn’t forget to say a word.

“You pretended not to be nervous. You were very nervous.”
“Debut matches are all like that.”
“We’ll carry you. Just go even.”
“……”

I wonder if I was at a point where I could hear those words from them here.

Even if it’s dirty and cheap, I needed to carry this game.

Today, I needed more than victory.

“Since we have the first pick, let’s go as we prepared.”

Fortunately, the coach calmly led the ban-picks, unlike the giggling guys, and there were no obstacles.

[Now the ban-picks are over!]

[The players have moved to the Twisted Rift, and now the screen is coming up!]

It’s a Rift that still has a lot of room for change, but this was also familiar.

[Now, the opening match of the LOCK-affiliated Master League!]

[The match between ST and DS Gaming—starts now!]

“One, two, three!”
“ST fighting!”

With the cheers of the fans, we moved forward.