Season 5: Chapter 88. According to Plan (3)

‘Huh?’

There had been a condition like that? The Smart Young Man would call the shots.

‘For now, hold my tongue.’

The opposing coach hadn't even appeared yet. It would be inappropriate to start acting like a coach beforehand. Sa-Rang stared quietly at the empty coach seat that remained.

Sweet Radish, realizing she had noticed, knocked himself on the head. "Ah, right. Why hasn't he come out yet? Haha... I'll give him a call."

***

"Hah..." Tortilla, an active Tier 2 league coach, just sat there blankly with his mouth hanging open.

‘What happened?’

As an active coach, he couldn't figure out how he'd just lost. Did this even make sense? As the shock gradually faded, a creeping sense of dejection took its place.

‘Who is that woman?’

He'd just lost to someone he'd never heard of in the entire industry. The loss hadn’t even been as a player, but his actual current profession as a coach.

Of course, coaching involved other important aspects like player development and mental support, which weren't represented here. Still, the feeling of being completely overwhelmed in live tactical command was beyond words.

‘Why does she look so calm?’

What struck him most was her expression after winning, as if something inevitable simply occurred. Years of competing had given him the ability to read someone's mood just from their face. That was the expression of someone who had assumed they would win all along, but why?

‘Why is this... expected for her?’

Tortilla rewound the replay and went through the plays again. Nothing had gone wrong. His ban-pick had been better. The champions hadn't been purely meta either. They perfectly compensated each other in the strategy.

After winning against something like this, the opponent would usually show some surprise. It always played out like that from Tortilla’s years of professional experience. However, Sa-Rang had accepted the win like it was nothing.

‘I was supposed to lose like this? How?’

It felt like he simply couldn't see one puzzle piece.

Sweet Radish called out to him, “Hey. Torti.”

"Ah... Huh?"

“Come out. Man.”

"Ah, just a second."

“Come out and watch. Just come.”

Sweet Radish knew exactly what Tortilla was doing.

‘Reviewing, obviously.’

Even as a player, he'd always obsessively reviewed after every game. Now, as a coach, it would be even more compulsive. After a loss like this, the review wouldn’t end easily.

"Ah damn... I feel like I'm going to get absolutely destroyed."

“Ha.” Sweet Radish laughed and urged him along. “Exactly, so come out. Let them roast you. I need the money too.”

They had lost the bet, so they had to at least pull in some one-thousand-won donations from people ragging on his friend. Why? Because the viewers were also very upset right now.

— god damn it I lost all my points too lmaooo

— How do you lose that?

— Just quit

— How does an active Tier 2 coach lose???

— I mean CK is genuinely legendary even in simulation, they keep winning things they shouldn't be able to lmao

— This has to be scripted

The streamers had bet with chips, but viewers had bet with points too. Naturally, the vast majority of viewers had gone with the active professional league coach. Many had lost a lot of money. All of that frustration had nowhere to go except to Tortilla.

Whoosh.

Tortilla was summoned back to This World.

"Ah... I'm sorry, everyone..."

His welcoming committee was already waiting.

Ding! Ding!

Condemnation donations rolled in from Sweet Radish's channel.

[Annihilating has donated 3,000 won.]

[At least BokChoy has a base to go back to. Where does Tortilla go?]

— LOL

— lmao fr

— Better off just being a soldier...

— Getting absolutely demolished like this

[YesYes has donated 2,000 won.]

[Tier 2 league... good to know. See you in Tier 3~]

[Frustrated has donated 3,000 won.]

[You lose because of your hipster ban-pick. Just go straight high value instead of trying to introduce mobility in mid. Genuinely asking because I don't get it]

‘...’

The donations were aimed at Sweet Radish's channel, but Tortilla was invited and could see it all.

"Haah..." Tortilla could only sigh with nothing to say.

He wanted to make excuses, but would need to understand how he lost first.

— Deep sigh lmaooo

— Hang in there...

— Single elimination is always a gamble lmao

— though losing to an all CK roster is a bit legendary

— This one does sting though lmao

Being a professional coach and losing a straight head-to-head like this could even affect his career.

Choi Sa-Rang walked up and extended a hand to him. "It was fun."

"Ah, yes..."

Tortilla was at a loss for how to act around her. After getting beaten, a hierarchy usually formed. She suddenly became difficult to face.

‘Is she really not a pro?’

He started to doubt whether she had any professional background or not.

‘A women's pro league basically doesn't exist.’

The evidence was right there, plain as day. Choi Sa-Rang was a woman. Female LIL professional players were extremely rare. In all of history, exactly five had existed. All of them had disappeared quickly, and none had ever transitioned to coach or direct.

She couldn't possibly have active professional experience. Even if she were one of those five, it didn't add up.

‘If she were, I'd recognize her face.’

Choi Sa-Rang was an unfamiliar face. She definitely had no professional background.

‘I genuinely just got demolished by an amateur.’

The sense of defeat deepened.

"Alright, the outcome is settled." Sweet Radish stepped in and moved things along. "Our coach has been decided. It’s Choi Sa-Rang! Thank you to all the coaches who participated!"

"YEAAAH! Thank you~!"

Clap clap clap.

Tortilla applauded with a rueful expression. He wasn’t lamenting the coaching spot. That was his actual job. What was there to miss? Surprisingly, he was feeling something else entirely right now, a different kind of wanting.

‘I want to do this again.’

Tortilla wanted a rematch against her. He had to understand this loss to have a shot at becoming good enough to reach the Tier 1 coaching ranks.

When Sweet Radish asked for his thoughts, this came out.

"Ah... there were good and bad parts. The bad part is that I'm an active professional and losing is a bit embarrassing."

— lmaooo what do you do

— Tier 2 is still good!

— That's because it's Tier 2 :)

— Oh no...

— Off to Tier 3 we go~

— Are you getting fired?? Lmao

— At least this isn't transfer season

— Team performance is fine though

Sweet Radish knew Tortilla had been somewhat reluctant about this coaching role in the first place. "Then, what's the good part? You didn't get the coaching position?"

The opposite came out entirely.

"The good part is... I want to try again."

"?"

"I originally didn't think much about the Platform War. Now, I want to do it."

"?"

Sweet Radish looked puzzled and clarified. "You can't. You're out, Tortilla."

— lmaooooo

— That's rough LOL

— lmaooo

— Fair but...

— He wants a rematch? LOL

— Rematch?

— You want to do this again?

Sweet Radish and the viewers both misunderstood Tortilla. They thought he was asking to play again right now. That wasn't what he meant.

"Ah, no. There are still plenty of teams that haven't found coaches. I’ll go put myself out there..."

"What?!" Sweet Radish's eyes went wide. "Wait, you're applying to other teams?"

"Yes."

Sweet Radish genuinely looked a little disappointed. "Wow. That's a shame."

— You don't want to give him away??

— Oh...

— Fr???

— Even at Tier 2 it'd be a waste for him to go to another team lmao

— He seemed a bit unenthusiastic at first lol

"So, what made you want to do that?"

Tortilla looked toward Choi Sa-Rang. "Because I want to face her again."

Choi Sa-Rang tilted her head with what seemed like genuine curiosity. "Is that right? Against me?"

"Yes."

She observed Tortilla with a subtle expression. Had he noticed something? No, he wasn't from that generation.

— Why are you staring like that lmao

— Tortilla's averting his eyes

— Wow...

— I've never dated, but did Tortilla just flirt? genuinely don't know

— He must be so upset about losing lmao

Others might not have understood, but Choi Sa-Rang knew exactly why he wanted a rematch. The way pros thought always ran along similar channels. He'd lost in a way that he hadn't anticipated. Regret and hypotheticals would be running wild in his head.

‘What if I'd played it the way I originally intended? Would that have done it?’

"Alright. See you around."

If he willingly wanted to, Sa-Rang had no reason to refuse.

***

With that, the coach selection tournament wrapped up.

"Then, we hope to see you in the actual competition!"

"Take care!"

"Reporting out~."

The remaining candidates disappeared, leaving only the Knight Order and Choi Sa-Rang.

An awkward silence settled in.

Sa-Rang broke the ice first. "Now that I'm officially the coach..."

Suddenly, Almond interrupted her. "Thank you, everyone. Since command has been entrusted to me, I'll do my very best..."

He knew what Sa-Rang was about to say and tried to get ahead of it.

— He's doing it again LOL

— There he goes again

— This nut had a plan!

— What is he doing LOL

— I thought Choi Sa-Rang was speaking lmao

Sa-Rang clapped her hands and cut him off. "I'm the coach now, right?"

"Yes!"

Everyone gave her looks that pleaded, ‘Please, just give the order.’

‘I can't say it right now, though. It was still a promise.’

Almond had placed first in the bet, hadn't he? He'd even gone all in on her. Stripping that away immediately would be too much. She needed sufficient grounds first.

"We're short on time. Could I just watch a match for now? Let's do a team ranked Survival game."

"Yes!"

The other Knight Order members sensed their moment and agreed. They disappeared in rapid succession.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

"Oh..." Almond scratched his head.

Tch.

This was looking dangerous for the shot-calling rights.

"What are you waiting for? Hurry up, Smart Young Man."

"Ahem. A promise is a promise, coach."

"I know, so get in there."

— Smart Young Man lmaooo

— This is like dealing with a difficult coworker

— lmaooooo

— She called him Smart Young Man... she said it...

— But how does she know the nickname?

Whoosh!

Almond had no choice but to go into the game. This was effectively the first practice session with the coach observing.

In the matchmaking lobby, Almond switched to his viewer-only channel and whispered, "I'll have to prove it through my play and show why I should be the one calling the shots."

— Say it to her face lmao

— Why are you whispering lol

— He's actually a little nervous haha

— He has a conscience! Almond!

— lmaooooooo the whispering is so funny

"Wow, it’s been such a long time since team ranked."

Next to Almond, Black Tea seemed excited and completely unaware of what scheme he was cooking up.

Black Tea joked and laughed. "Will everyone we match with be like a streamer team?"

Survival team ranked wasn't exactly popular content. The odds of that happening were actually quite high.

[25/50]

[Searching for match...]

While they waited, Sweet Radish quietly nudged Sweet Potato. "Don't get caught up in Almond's schemes."

"Got it."

Sweet Radish was strategizing like usual. He knew exactly who to watch out for.

***

Meanwhile, a few hours passed on Paprika. They hadn't selected their members through Cheese Village. The platform had run a vote-and-discussion process to distribute streamers into teams, which had taken a while. For most of them, today was the first team meeting.

LetMeTank was no different.

‘I'm nervous.’

She was also finding out who her teammates were today.

Whoosh.

"Hello~"

"Hey."

"Nice to meet you."

Looking at the faces coming in one by one and setting aside their streaming profiles entirely...

‘Wait. This is basically an ace team?’

Extremely high-ranked players had gathered together.

‘Paprika did say they were making a few ace teams...’

Given this was a head-to-head competition, the general talk had been that they'd make a handful of all-star teams and lump everyone else together. LetMeTank had ended up on one of those ace teams.

‘I thought Paprika had too many high-rankers to include me.’

She was Master tier, but hadn't expected to be on an ace team. Paprika genuinely had so many skilled streamers.

The team's highest ranking player, former pro KnifeSlash, seemed surprised. "Wow. Our rank is really high, isn't it?"

He had retired from pro play, but still consistently ranked in the top ten. Despite his name, his mastery of blade champions as a pro had actually been relatively low. He performed exceptionally well on every other champion, though.

"It says I'm the team captain."

"Oh..."

Paprika had even pre-assigned team captains based on rank, streaming profile, and apparently even age. Each team's This World also had something like a rulebook displayed in the message channel.

[1. After extensive review, KnifeSlash has been selected as team captain.

2. Team members will support the captain in leading the team.

3. The captain will take the lead in scheduling practices and meetings.

4. The captain is responsible for finding a coach.

...]

KnifeSlash tilted his head and reread the fourth item. "The captain has to find the coach...?"

The team members stirred.

"Suddenly?"

"Where do you even find one?"

They'd assumed a coach would be assigned, but this part turned out to be self-managed. Everyone looked a little thrown off.

KnifeSlash wasn't. "Well... I think I can get someone."

As it happened, someone had contacted him just recently.

"Do you know a guy called Tortilla? He was decent back in the day and also reached out to me a few hours ago out of nowhere."

— Wow

— Fr?

— Oh

— Tortilla?? lmao what a throwback

— What?!

— Wait he's an active coach lmao

— doesn't that break the balance??