Chapter 28: The Ultimate Afterparty Tier 1 Team

The scrim with Team 5 was over.

First off, to put it simply, it was a complete f*cking disaster.

We just got overwhelmingly crushed.

[-Emergency!! lolol]
[-Last place confirmed-yo lol]
[-Let’s just have a team dinner-yo, let’s just have a team dinner-yo, let’s just have a team dinner-yo]
[-Idiot, so f*cking bad lol (not badmouthing other streamers)]
[-Nani-ya, seriously, Irelia is not it. Let’s drop her.]
[-Why drop Irelia? If she drops her, her stream sense is truly dead]
[-Whoever says to drop Irelia, get out lol]
[-But the teammates were also pretty bad, let’s establish some discipline with a lion’s roar-yo]

“…….”

What do you mean, a lion’s roar?
I was f*cking bad too….

Actually, it was more than just skill; from the very draft, there was no way we could beat Team 5.

When the first scrim started and we entered the champion select, since it was the first game, we decided to each play our best champion.

And so, we picked.

[Me – Irelia]
[Erica – Ezreal]
[Daengyul – Lulu]

This was the composition.

In contrast, the enemy team, as if they had already thought of a composition before the scrim, came out with a composition centered around the sturdy tank Maokai, with two long-range champions who could clear lanes quickly.

‘…I kind of expected it from the draft.’

The game itself was quite one-sided.
In the early game, we were almost cruelly pinned to our tower and just got beaten up.

The only way to overcome a situation like this was to somehow endure it and then open up a good team fight.

But even when we tried to team fight, the enemy Maokai would latch onto me, and the two poke champions, who had built up a growth difference, would clean up the rest of our team, leading to a crushing defeat in the team fight as well.

With that momentum, a highway was punched through to our team’s turrets, and the game ended with our Nexus being pushed in less than 15 minutes.

‘Why is it ending so quickly!? XX!’

If this were a broadcasted match, you might have heard commentary like that.

“Ahaha, the opponent is a bit… good, aren’t they?”

“N-nice try!”

“I’ll do better from the next game. My hands aren’t warmed up yet… heehee.”

“Me too!”

Still, perhaps because it was the first game, everyone was flustered but hadn’t lost their smiles.

‘It’s good to be positive, but….’

Since I was originally a true League of Legends demon, I had watched every single League tournament that streamers on Chichi-jig participated in.

That’s why I know.

This is a very bad pattern.
If we go on a 5-game losing streak like this, it’s a pattern where the atmosphere will definitely be ruined.

Just trying hard isn’t enough for this!
The fundamental problem lies elsewhere!

‘It can’t be helped.’

Here, I have no choice but to step up.
As the Tier 1 of the team, I have to step up.

Alright.
Gangnani.
Coach mode, activate.

“Um… could you two please come to my stream screen? I think we need to work on our composition a bit.”

[-Huk]
[-Meet me on the roof]
[-But if we keep going like this, there’s really no answer-yo]
[-This is a team! (kicks a water bottle)]
[-The courage to be disliked… the courage to be disliked… the courage to be disliked…]

At my words, the two didn’t reply with, ‘I don’t want to,’ or, ‘Why should I?’, but answered that they would in a cheerful voice.

Yep, the atmosphere is good, so good.

I turned on the replay of the last game and said.

“Are you in?”

“Yep!”

Daengyul answered smartly, like a newly arrived trainee.

But Erica, for whatever reason, didn’t answer.

‘Hmm….’

No, why isn’t she answering?
If I ask again here, it’ll seem like I’m starting a power struggle!

But I can’t just keep waiting like this.

I asked Erica again.
As carefully as possible, so it wouldn’t feel like a power struggle.

“Erica-nim, are you in-yong?”

“Ah, ah… y-yes, I am-seumda!”

“…-seumda?”

“Ah! Th-that is, my pronunciation slipped for a moment… hehe.”

For a moment.
I felt a strange sense of unease from Erica’s speech.

‘What is this…?’

This unexplainable sense of unease.
Should I say it’s a voice I feel like I’ve heard somewhere before?

Well, that’s not what’s important right now.

“First, our team has two big problems.”

Click.

I adjusted the timeline and played the early 3v3 lane phase situation.

“As you can see now, the opponent is pushing the lane very fast, right? On the other hand, our composition can never push the lane fast.”

“Yep, Coach-nim. Heeh.”

As I was explaining, Daengyul had already changed my title and was calling me Coach-nim.

This foxy b*tch…!
Hah! You think I’ll feel good if you call me that!?

“C-Coach-nim… heheh. Yes! So we’re forced to be pinned to our tower, a growth difference occurs, and because of the enemy’s poke, our health gets chipped away, so even if we team fight, we’re forced to have a disadvantageous fight.”

The conclusion I drew from this is this.

“So… I think we need to pick champions that can push the lane quickly!”

[-Kyaa]
[-Gang-guson]
(TL Note: A portmanteau of Gangnani and Ferguson, as in the famous football manager Sir Alex Ferguson.)
[-Yep, that’s right]
[-Hmm]
[-Kyaaaa (is she that good?)]
[-This b*tch read the chat lol]

“Ugh, f*ck! What do you mean, read the chat… no, that’s not it! Hem hem.”

First, the answer to the first problem.

I felt it from that one game, but in this mode, champions who can push lanes quickly and have good poke are overwhelmingly advantageous in every aspect.

So at least one of us has to pick a champion with fast lane clear.

Of course, if each individual’s mechanics are good enough to pull off a circus act, the composition we just did might be okay, but there’s no need to raise the difficulty ourselves.

“Yep, yep! I agree!”

“I think so too, just like Daengyul-nim.”

Thankfully, the two of them agreed with me this time as well.

What is this… somehow, with strategies just flowing out of my mouth, I feel like a real coach.

Feels good.
Heheh.

“Coach-nim, then what’s the other problem?”

“Uh… um.”

The one remaining problem.
Actually, this is the biggest problem.

Because it’s a problem related to me rather than my teammates.

“I… I’ve only ever played Irelia.”

“”What?””

My teammates’ bewildered reply.
It was a tone that said, ‘so what?’.

I squeezed my eyes shut and said, as if confessing a sin.

“Th-that is, I’ve only ever played Irelia since I started playing League… so I think I’ll have to stick with Irelia! I’m sorry for being a trash player who can only play Irelia!”

[-lolol]
[-Ugh, the one-trick excuse lol]
[-Stream sense saved lol]
[-You guys have to change your champions-yo lol]
[-Nani-ya, what are you doing? You’re Tier 1, kid, puff out your chest (which is small) and say it proudly]
[-I’m sorry for being a one-trick… I’m sorry for being a one-trick… I’m sorry for being a one-trick…]

I had to ask for their understanding.
To point out champion pick issues and then say that I would only play Irelia, it’s a contradiction.

Moreover, it’s not an exaggeration to say that I’ve only played Irelia since I started playing League. It’s true. Because I’ve never even touched other champions.

And this is also my wish, but I want to play only Irelia in this tournament.

Because I’m most confident with her, and I want to show myself carrying with her.

It seemed my viewers also secretly wanted me to play Irelia.

But that’s just my side of the story.
In other words, from my teammates’ perspective, who gives a f*ck.

If they ask me to fit the composition here… it can’t be helped.

I’ll just have to stay up all night and practice other champions.

“Nani-nim.”

Just then, I heard Daengyul’s voice, devoid of laughter.

My body automatically flinches.

“You shouldn’t do that.”

“Uh… r-right? Haha… after the stream today, I’ll work hard and practice other champions—.”

“A trash player! You shouldn’t say things like that!”

“…What?”

A completely different answer from what I expected came out.

“Heehee, you don’t have to be so sorry. What’s wrong with playing the champion you’re best at? In the first place, I already knew you only played Irelia.”

“R-really…?”

While I was hesitating, this time Erica chimed in, supporting Daengyul’s words.

“M-me too! Seeing you play earlier, you’re amazing at Irelia. I think it’ll be fine even if you only play Irelia-seumda… no, I mean, you’re just that good!”

Her pronunciation slipping again was a bonus.

That aside.

‘Everyone… believes in me?’

Of course, it could just be a broadcast comment… but how should I put it.

Even if it’s an empty compliment, it feels good to be trusted like that!

Especially Daengyul.
Is this person a saint, by any chance?

It feels like she’s always coolly solving my problems or scratching my itches whenever I’m in trouble.

L-like this, I’m starting to feel sorry for calling her a foxy b*tch a little while ago!

“Huh? What if we get eliminated right away?”

Suddenly, Daengyul muttered to herself.

It seemed she was speaking after seeing a viewer’s donation or chat.

“Ahaha, it’s okay! If we get eliminated, Nani-nim will take responsibility, right!”

“…….”

I will correct my evaluation of Daengyul just now.

Th-this foxy b*tch…!
Don’t tell me this was a build-up to make me play Irelia and then naturally shift all the responsibility onto me!?

“Right? Nani-nim? Heeh.”

“…O-of course! I have to take all the responsibility! Haha.”

There’s no way I can say ‘no’ here.

I can only give an affirmative answer.

“Ooh! Really? Erica-nim, Erica-nim! Nani-nim says she’ll pay for our team dinner if we get eliminated!”

“Huh? When did we decide to have a team dinner-seum… I mean, did we really?”

“Ahaha, that’s a law that’s already set without even being said! You don’t know because you’re from another world, Erica-nim?”

“Oops… I see!”

[-The after-party is a must-go lol]
[-Three girls at a drinking party… ooh la la]
[-But since there’s a VTuber, they’ll do it off-stream anyway, so why are you guys so happy? I really don’t know]
[-Don’t you know the Chichi-jig national rule of explaining with Paint? lol]
[-Paint storytelling, let’s go lol]

The responsibility Daengyul was talking about was the team dinner expenses.

Casually announcing the team dinner is a bonus.

Well, an after-party is a national rule for these kinds of tournaments, and if the responsibility she’s talking about is the team dinner expenses, I can pay for it anytime.

…But.

Ugh!
My pride is hurt because it feels like I’ve been playing in that woman’s palm since a while ago!

I thought you were saying it with bad intentions, telling me to take all the blame!

The more I see her, the more subtle she is.
I can’t tell if she’s good or bad.

“Umm, but Nani-nim. You know….”

Daengyul called me.

Unlike her usual relaxed personality, her voice had a spoonful of shyness.

“Yes?”

“…Actually, my champion pool isn’t that wide either.”

So that’s what it was, she was saying her champion pool isn’t wide.

Well, it doesn’t matter.

In the first place, Daengyul is the lowest Tier 3.
A position with low expectations from the start.

“Ah, really? What can you play?”

“First off, my main position is support, and my champion pool is Lulu, which I played earlier, and Nami… I can use champions like these.”

“Ah… can you not play tank supports, by any chance?”

“No! I only like cute champions, so, heehee.”

I understood.
So she’s an enchanter support main.

Then I obviously can’t ask her to play a poke champion.

Next.

“Erica-nim, do you know how to play anything other than Ezreal, by any chance?”

“…I also only know how to play ADC champions.”

“Uh… um.”

She says she only knows how to play ADC.

Why is everyone’s champion pool so narrow!
You should play other champions normally!

…Of course, I’m absolutely not one to talk.

Anyway, let’s summarize the current situation.

I’m an Irelia one-trick.
Daengyul can only play utility supports (enchanter main).
Erica can only play ADC (spoon-fed).

So.

One-trick pony + spoon-fed + enchanter main.

Truly a fantastic combination.
Wow, wow, how is a combination like this possible!

For a moment, I thought about asking Erica to play a poke champion… but it’s impossible.

It’s not a matter of skill.

The composition is the problem.
I’m fixed on Irelia, and assuming Daengyul plays an enchanter champion, I imagined Erica coming in with a poke champion on top of that.
It seemed it would be worse than I could imagine.

No, it seems like it would be so f*cking bad.
A feeling that a team fight wouldn’t even be possible… that kind of feeling.

‘Think… Kang Bom!’

If possible, what would be the best combination when combining an ADC champion that Erica is good at, and an enchanter champion that Daengyul can play, with my Irelia?

Think.

Think!

What champion should I ask them to play!

‘Ah!’

At that moment, my mind flashed.
I had thought of a brilliant combination.

“Daengyul-nim.”

“Yes?”

“Can you play Yuumi, by any chance?”

The so-called f*cking cat.

I recommended to Daengyul a champion that can do her job just by riding on a champion, even while eating ramen with one hand.