Chapter 40 Part 2

Yi Yang slapped his arm. “Good news! Listen, a couple days ago at that offline tourney, I ran into this beast of a top laner. He’s on some no-name startup team, no real backing. Tell Lao Xun to snag him for us.”

“You got beef with me or something?”

Yi Yang didn’t hold back. “Nah, it’s just your prime’s winding down. KRO’s future’s gotta go to us young bloods, right? Time to start grooming.”

“Get outta here,” Jiu Ke snapped. “Who the hell’s prime is winding down?”

“You’ll be twenty-five after New Year.”

“You think I need the reminder?” Jiu Ke smacked the back of Yi Yang’s head. “You little schemer—I’m still kicking, and you’re already lining up my replacement?”

Yi Yang fired back without fear. “Old timers gotta make way.”

Jiu Ke walloped him again, seething. “Your old man here can still throw down at thirty.”

Yi Yang pursed his lips, clearly not buying it.

Jiu Ke saw the defiance and wasn’t about to let him off easy. Before long, he deliberately circled back. “Anyway, we’ve been scouting new talent for a while. Got a monster at the base now. When I hang it up, it ain’t going to just anybody.”

Yi Yang perked right up. “Oh yeah, I know! The one Brother Jin bought? From SK? Saw it in the news.”

“Yeah.” Jiu Ke’s tone was glum.

Yi Yang couldn’t wrap his head around it. When the news broke, he’d figured his bro must’ve taken a kick to the head to make such a rash call. “Why shell out for a support? Rong Rong’s solid—total all-rounder. And thirty mil for one? Rong Rong wouldn’t even dream of asking that in a transfer.”

Jiu Ke shrugged. “Lots of insider stuff. You wouldn’t get it.”

The two kept chatting about it.

Soon enough, the others started trickling downstairs.

Mealtime rolled around.

It was a rest day, so everyone had slept in late.

The living room filled with chatter and chaos in no time. Some guys shuffled down with total bedhead, not bothering to fix themselves up. No girls around meant zero incentive to groom—casual as it gets.

The moment they spotted Yi Yang, every one of them hit him with the same needling line: “Yo, young master’s gracing us. How many days you sticking around before you bail this time?”

Yi Yang snapped back, “Piss off, you cheap-mouthed lot.”

They ribbed him. “Whoa, Wase—Yangyang calling somebody else’s mouth cheap for once.”

Yi Yang ignored them and started upstairs to find Yu Jin.

Right then, Yu Jin came down. Yi Yang dropped it all and trotted over with a grin. “Bro.”

Yi Yang was on the short side, like he’d hit a growth spurt roadblock—hard to find anyone shorter at the base. But crank up the volume on that voice alone, and you’d swear it belonged to a six-footer.

Yu Jin glanced at him as he descended. “You’re back.”

Yi Yang trailed after him, talking a mile a minute. “Just rolled in. Korean Server tourney next month—any shot I make starting roster?”

“Ask Ziwu,” Yu Jin said. He’d long grown used to Yi Yang’s burning drive for a starting spot. “Whether you’ve even got a shot at competing depends on him.”

“He’s past it already,” Yi Yang said eagerly. “And I’ve apologized to Ziwu.”

“Where?”

“Text,” Yi Yang said, deflating a bit. “That’s huge for me—you know I can’t do it face-to-face.”

“If your pride means more than playing, then stick to texting your apologies.”

Yu Jin reached the cabinet, scooped up the cat lounging on top, set it on the floor, and headed for the gym on the other side.

Yi Yang followed him in. “Bro, I’ve apologized already. Why you still on my case? Ziwu’s forgiven me—it’s just you. You holding a grudge or what?”

Yu Jin hopped on the treadmill, fired it up, and started jogging at an easy pace, his breathing steady. “Can anybody else see that text apology? You have any idea what happens when you poison team harmony?”

Many esports teams failed to go the distance precisely because of personal conflicts, and Yu Jin hated that sort of thing the most. Yi Yang knew it well enough. Everything else about KRO was fine, but Yu Jin enforced this rule with an iron fist. Yi Yang was still young, convinced that strength ruled all and everything else was just smoke and mirrors. He believed he could carry Chole to victory single-handedly, which proved that raw power was all that mattered.

Clearly, the two men disagreed on this point.

That was why Yi Yang hadn’t seen anything wrong with butting heads with Ziwu. It was just his usual willful, arrogant kid act.

“I know,” Yi Yang said, gripping the treadmill’s handrail as he leaned halfway against the machine. “But you want me to apologize to him in front of everyone? Wouldn’t that just make me look ridiculous?”

“You made a mistake,” Yu Jin replied. “Isn’t owning up to it the right thing to do? What do you mean, ‘look ridiculous’?”

“So many people watching,” Yi Yang wheedled. “Come on, bro, I’m begging you—don’t make this hard on me. I swear I won’t spout off again. And wasn’t I right anyway? Ziwu does like guys.”

“That’s his business,” Yu Jin shot back. “What does it have to do with you? Quit yapping and get to the point. If you can’t see your own problem, go back to the Second Team.”

Yi Yang saw that Yu Jin wasn’t budging and let go of his pride. “Fine, fine, I’ll apologize to him. But you have to promise me one thing—stop coaching only Liu Ying. You’ve never properly guided me. Got a problem with me or what? I’m just eighteen; don’t I have a longer peak ahead than Liu Ying? When you guys burn out, you’ll be counting on me.”

“Say that again? That I haven’t guided you?”

“A couple words here and there count?” Yi Yang grumbled, full of resentment. “Liu Ying sits right next to you every day, picking up tips like crazy. I ask a question or two, and you’re not even willing. Total favoritism.”

“That’s because he’s on the Starting Roster,” Yu Jin said. “If you made the starting roster, I’d sit by you and teach you properly too.”

“That’s not how it works. I’m young, but don’t try to fool me. You teach me right, then I make the roster. Don’t mix up cause and effect.”

“Enough griping,” Yu Jin said, growing impatient. “Ziwu should be up by now. Go deal with your own stuff.”

Yi Yang wasn’t done yet, itching to say more, but Yu Jin clearly wasn’t in the mood. He glanced at him and tossed out an unrelated jab: “Your body’s already this ripped—why keep grinding? Not doing promo, not dating. Just for your own viewing pleasure?”

Yu Jin’s patience snapped. “Scram.”

That familiar tone told Yi Yang he’d be out the door for good if he lingered. He beat a hasty retreat from the gym.

Half an hour into his run, Yu Jin slowed to a walk. To his surprise, a certain image lingered in his mind, his gaze darkening. Moments later, he hit the stop button on the treadmill and stared out at the courtyard scenery, lost in thought.

At lunch, the group chatted about where to head that afternoon. They invited Yu Jin too, knowing he had no business scheduled.

“I’m sitting this one out,” Yu Jin said as he took his seat. “You all take Yi Yang around.”

Yi Yang was at that fun-loving age, but as a young master, what hadn’t he already tried? Hearing Yu Jin had no plans, he piped up: “Then come practice with me, bro. I don’t wanna go out.”

Yu Jin turned him down flat. “No time.”

“You said you had no business.”

“Personal matters.” Yu Jin picked up his chopsticks and left it at that.

Yi Yang sulked, jabbing at his food without eating.

Liu Ying picked up on his mood and coaxed him out, promising to duo queue with him later. That finally brightened Yi Yang’s face.

Yu Jin glanced around and noticed fewer people. He turned to Chang Shu beside him. “Where’s Yun Qi?”

“Haven’t seen him come down,” Chang Shu replied. “Probably still sleeping.”

Yu Jin set down his chopsticks and headed out.

Seeing Yu Jin’s reaction, Yi Yang asked Liu Ying if Yun Qi was the new guy. Liu Ying confirmed it.

Yu Jin left the dining hall and went upstairs to Yun Qi’s room. He raised his hand and knocked.

No response from inside.

He frowned and knocked twice more. Just as he started worrying something was wrong, the door finally creaked open.

Yun Qi stood there in his pajamas, his shorts revealing a pair of straight, slender legs glistening with what looked like whitening lotion. He wore open-toed slippers, his toes small and rounded. Yu Jin’s gaze traveled upward: a stray lock of hair stuck up on Yun Qi’s head, his face unwashed, eyes heavy-lidded and faintly sickly. He didn’t look well at all.

“What’s up?” Yun Qi asked, leaning against the doorframe. His eyes were usually bright and beautiful, but today they seemed dry and dull.

“Just wake up?” Yu Jin asked.

Yun Qi sidestepped the question. “Isn’t today a rest day?” Had he gotten the schedule wrong?

Yu Jin replied, “It is. You skip meals on rest days?”

“Oh,” Yun Qi said, then explained, “I don’t have the habit of eating breakfast.”

Yu Jin lowered his eyes and spotted the pale pink skin of Yun Qi’s knee, marked with what looked like scratches. That gaze made Yun Qi press his legs together a little tighter.

Noticing the movement, Yu Jin lifted his gaze back to that sickly pale face. “It’s already eleven o’clock. You overslept?”

Yun Qi glanced back over his shoulder. “Eleven already?”

“What were you up to last night?” Yu Jin asked.

There was no way Yun Qi could tell him. He’d only fallen asleep at dawn, and after exhausting himself all night, the restlessness churning inside him had finally settled. Lying came easily now, smooth and natural. “I had insomnia.”

He truly hadn’t slept well, but it wasn’t from insomnia the whole night. He’d used the sleepless hours to do plenty of things—things no one could ever know about.

Yun Qi noticed Yu Jin staring at his leg. His knee had gotten scraped last night by accident, and his shorts offered no way to hide it. “Did you call me down for lunch? I’m not hungry. You guys go ahead and eat.”

He started to close the door, but Yu Jin slapped a palm against it, holding it open.

Yun Qi looked up at him.

“What did I tell you yesterday?” Yu Jin demanded, clearly annoyed. Yun Qi’s reaction made it feel like his words had gone in one ear and out the other.

Yun Qi glanced at the door beside his hand. “No, I heard you. I just…”

“Change your clothes and come down for lunch,” Yu Jin cut him off. “This afternoon, I’m taking Tata to the Cat Shelter.”

With that, Yu Jin didn’t linger at the door. He turned and headed off.

Yun Qi watched him descend the stairs. Tata was nowhere to be seen—probably downstairs already. They’d agreed yesterday that he’d tag along, and today, no matter what, Yun Qi couldn’t go back on his word. He might not have rested well, but that sharp look from Yu Jin had chased away his drowsiness anyway.

Fine.

His plan to steer clear today was off the table.