Hyunseung, who had returned to the United States once again, had been lying around listlessly for several days.
“Haa….”
That was because no matter what kind of input he put in, no output had been coming back.
Right.
Far from receiving contact from Duel, he had not even heard any news.
He had clearly conveyed, through Revolution Games, that he wanted to contact player Duel directly.
Was that all?
He had also revealed that the theme song was a tribute, the video he had intervened in had been released, and he had even posted on Stargram.
Yet even after no contact came, he had left a story saying, “Let’s meet in the finals,” and still.
“That’s too much.”
There was no response of any kind.
Of course.
Since the quarterfinals were now truly ahead, he knew Duel must be focusing on practice…
But even if a person is practicing, don’t they go to the bathroom and eat?
Ahh.
If he could not be reached, did other people think this way too?
Tak!
Just as Hyunseung set down his phone as if giving up.
Thud!
Kim Woohyun hurriedly ran into the studio.
It was the first time.
The first time he had ever come in without even knocking.
“What’s going on?”
Because of that, Hyunseung asked in surprise.
“Hah, hah, look, look at this.”
Without even having time to catch his breath, he swallowed dryly and held out his phone.
What he showed him was the Billboard chart newly updated that day.
[ Billboard Hot 100 ]
- Nevertheless, again (ft. HS X Vincent) – League of Legion
- And again – Daniel Parker
- shine bright – Daniel Parker
- it gets dark – Daniel Parker
- childhood – Daniel Parker
- I’ll leave it – HS
Looking at the chart, which had nothing surprising on it, Hyunseung asked.
“Don’t tell me you came running in this urgently just to tell me the theme song took first place?”
“No, that’s not it!”
“Then did you come to tell me Daniel is still holding his rank well, or something like that?”
“Geez, I said that’s not it.”
Then Kim Woohyun told him to wait, scrolled down the screen for quite a while, and held it out again.
.
.
- Luv, Luv, Luv – 4WAY
Hyunseung stared at the screen for a while.
“Hmm.”
Then he narrowed his eyes and let out a low sound of thought. It was because a name he had not expected at all had caught his eye.
“4WAY…”
No matter how much the name value of “HS” had risen within the United States, wasn’t the performer an idol group that was unknown among unknowns even in Korea?
Especially without any promotion or activities in the United States, climbing onto the Billboard chart was impossible.
“Isn’t this some kind of error?”
For that reason, the answer Hyunseung arrived at was this.
An error.
Literally, could there have been some kind of computer system error?
“I really thought my eyes must have gone wrong too, you know? So I looked into it a bit because I wondered how something like this could possibly happen.”
However, as if Kim Woohyun had already checked even that, he immediately opened another window and showed him.
“Look at this. It seems 4WAY’s song is currently being used a lot in Reels challenges in the United States. I think that influenced the Billboard chart.”
“Is this what they call beginner’s luck?”
“In Korea, they still haven’t even gotten into the top fifty, so what are Reels that they can even get them onto Billboard…”
“That’s how this field is, isn’t it? People suddenly disappear or suddenly blow up over ridiculous things.”
At those words, Kim Woohyun nodded for a moment.
“That’s true.”
Then, as if the real point started now, his eyes widened and he continued speaking.
“But do you know what makes even less sense here?”
“What is it?”
“The person who first started the challenge using 4WAY’s song is this person.”
“He looks very gangster-like.”
Hyunseung glanced at it from the corner of his eye, as if he had no interest at all, and answered dryly.
That was because what Kim Woohyun told him to look at was a sturdy man.
A Black man who looked like a rough hipster, no less.
“This person is a really famous influencer among young people in America these days.”
“And?”
“While looking through this person’s feed, I found something strange.”
Kim Woohyun must have fallen into playing detective, because he kept finding things and showing them.
Hyunseung found it somewhat bothersome, but as if playing along, he skimmed the man’s photo out of the corner of his eye.
“Mm?”
Soon, he noticed something strange.
“HS…?”
In the photo, the man was making a V-sign while wearing the uniform of a famous franchise burger restaurant.
And on the name tag attached to the chest of that uniform, the words “Mr. HS” were clearly engraved.
However…
Perhaps because the person in the photo was a “man,” Hyunseung did not feel any particular interest.
“It’s probably the initials of his name.”
He spoke as if brushing it off and lay back down on the sofa again.
“Seeing how his profile says Jamal, I don’t think they’re the initials of his name.”
“Then maybe it means high schooler?”
“Does this person look like a high schooler to you?”
“If you put it that way, Director Kim also looks like he’s in his thirties….”
At those words, Kim Woohyun flared up and cut him off.
“Forget it! That’s not the only strange thing. From the moment you announced that this Worlds theme song was a tribute, this person also started posting a ton of posts cheering for Duel.”
“Well, he might personally like player Duel.”
“No, that could be true, but….”
Then, as if he had run out of words to persuade him, he trailed off.
But Hyunseung poured out words like a rapid-fire gun.
“You’re looking down on player Duel right now, aren’t you? Well, of course, what would Mom, who doesn’t even play LoL, know?”
“No, that’s not what I mean…”
“Player Duel may be overshadowed by Face, but his skill absolutely does not fall behind other players, you know?”
“I get it, I get it….”
“In this Worlds too, team DRY will win centered around Duel.”
Kim Woohyun was extremely flustered because Hyunseung had suddenly started talking so much. He knew Hyunseung was serious about games, but it felt excessive.
However, there was nothing good to be gained by provoking Hyunseung when he was this excited, so he decided to humor him.
“Right, that friend called Duel or whatever will win.”
“You don’t believe what I’m saying right now, do you?”
“No, I believe you. He’ll win with a one hundred percent probability.”
Hyunseung lowered his eyes as if he could not believe him and glared sidelong at Kim Woohyun for a moment.
Whoosh.
Then he turned his body toward the inside of the sofa and stuck his head into the corner.
‘Good grief, this problem child!’
At the sight of Hyunseung seeming somehow sulky, Kim Woohyun wiped down his gaunt face and spoke as if suppressing himself.
“I told you not to sleep here.”
“Mom, I want to be alone.”
Hyunseung’s voice trembled, muffled against the sofa leather.
“Y-yeah. Get some rest.”
Kim Woohyun left the studio with a small sigh.
Of course.
The reason Hyunseung was acting like this was not because he was sulking or pouting.
“Ah, I need to set an alarm.”
It was to recover his strength for a short while, even if only so he could watch the quarterfinal match that night.
Meanwhile, ahead of the quarterfinal match that would be held shortly, Han Inhyeok remained alone in the waiting room with his eyes closed.
Others might think he was meditating.
But in his head, a fierce battle continued.
“Phew….”
He wanted to calmly collect himself for a short while, if only to control his condition, but he could not.
That was because the team they would face that day was “EN,” a team they had already faced once last season.
And in the quarterfinals, no less, just like today.
They had lost that day.
And not just lost.
They had suffered an enormous crushing defeat.
They lost every round and tasted humiliation.
However, that was nothing. After all, throughout his entire life, Kim Youngwoong had always taken first place from him.
He could not collapse just because he had lost one game.
His goal was to win anyway…
No.
It was to beat Kim Youngwoong.
Creeeak.
At that moment, a sound that disturbed his concentration reached his ears.
“Inhyeok.”
It was none other than the mountain he had to overcome.
“What are you doing alone?”
It was Kim Youngwoong.
“What are you doing here?”
Han Inhyeok asked in a gruff voice.
“What do you mean, what am I doing?”
If someone saw this, they might ask why he was acting so prickly toward someone who had come to cheer on a friend.
“I came to cheer you on.”
But that guy had never once come to cheer on his match.
Right.
He was a guy who would not even come near the arena unless it was a day when he had his own match.
And that guy was cheering him on?
Truly, it was something that would make even a passing dog laugh.
“Thanks.”
Then Han Inhyeok answered with a faint sneer.
Still, seeing that he had come to watch the match in person like this, it seemed Kim Youngwoong was also concerned about him.
That alone was satisfying.
He had always disliked the way Kim Youngwoong spoke to him as if being considerate, and the way he spoke as if feeling sorry.
“Inhyeok, this time, I think you’ll be able to win.”
“I’ll win even if you don’t say it.”
“Right. If you lose to EN again this time, that would be a bit much.”
Had he come to cheer him on, or had he come to gently scrape at his insides?
His words were hard to hear in a positive light.
“Don’t worry about me. Go and prepare hard for the semifinals.”
“I should.”
“You might as well prepare for the finals in advance too. You’ll be meeting me there.”
At his words, Kim Youngwoong’s eyebrow twitched faintly for a moment.
“If only that could happen, that would be nice.”
Then he smiled calmly and gave a light shrug.
“If you want to hear the theme song in person, shouldn’t you make it to the finals? They say it’s a tribute song for you, after all.”
As Han Inhyeok watched Kim Youngwoong like that, strength entered his clenched fist.
“Right. I hope you make it to the finals too.”
Then, loosening the strength in his body, he added languidly.
“It’s still a tribute song for a friend, so I should listen to it with you.”
At those words, Kim Youngwoong let out a small scoff for a moment, then soon clutched his stomach and burst into loud laughter.
“Ah, sorry. You said something so obvious as if it were encouragement, and I suddenly found it funny.”
“Laugh as much as you want now. You might not be able to laugh in the finals.”
But before long, a chill settled over his stiffened face. Han Inhyeok did not avoid Kim Youngwoong’s gaze either.
The eyes they fixed on each other were so heated that sparks seemed ready to fly in the air.
In the middle of that.
Kim Youngwoong was the first to withdraw his gaze and turn his body.
“Inhyeok.”
For a moment, he turned his head and called to him again.
Then he added in his characteristic flat tone.
“Don’t overdo it too much.”
That was what Han Inhyeok hated hearing most.
But for some reason, right now, those words kept making laughter threaten to burst out.
Soon.
Han Inhyeok barely held back the laughter that was about to escape and answered.
“You too.”
Because the mountain he had to overcome looked precarious.
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