Episode 04
The Overland Series Cup.
It was a tournament Siu was already familiar with.
He had seen it mentioned countless times on Overlandt YouTube channels and official broadcasts.
But—
This wasn’t just any competition.
It was practically a proving ground for elite trainees from professional teams.
High-tier players filled the brackets—
Even players already signed to teams participated.
And now—
He was supposed to enter that?
“….”
Honestly—
He thought it was meaningless.
He’d probably be eliminated in the first match.
On top of that—
He was about to become a second-year.
Reviewing and studying were essential.
He couldn’t afford private academies, which meant he had to work twice as hard as everyone else.
If it was just a tournament where he’d get knocked out immediately—
Wouldn’t it be better to skip it and focus on preparing for school?
But—
He wanted to enter.
He wanted to feel it again.
That thrill.
The cheers of viewers shouting his name.
The excitement on his friends’ faces.
“What do you think? Of course, I’m not forcing you! If you don’t want to, it’s totally fine! Though… we’d really like it if you joined.”
Han Jiyeon asked carefully, watching his reaction.
For her—
Having Siwoo on the team would be everything.
A sniper that even Grandmasters couldn’t handle.
Siwoo hesitated—
Then met her eyes and spoke quietly.
“……I’ll do it.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Sounds fun.”
He smiled awkwardly.
But despite his answer—
There were countless worries.
What would he tell his mom and sister?
What about his studies?
Still—
For now—
He decided to be honest with himself.
A few days of gaming wouldn’t erase everything he’d worked for.
“Thank goodness! I’ll contact you later! Oh—can I get your number? Come to think of it, I don’t have it.”
Jiyeon handed him her phone, smiling brightly.
“Put your number in.”
And just like that—
They exchanged numbers.
They already had a class group chat—
But Siwoo didn’t refuse.
“I saved it.”
“Okay! Thanks!”
And so—
He ended up entering the tournament.
Well—
After getting his older sister’s permission.
*
Right after the class tournament ended—
It was time for the MVP interview.
“The final MVP of the Saseong High School Class Tournament! Sniper Lee Siwoo! Welcome!”
“Haha… hello.”
Siwoo greeted awkwardly.
- See you in OCK next??ㅋㅋ
- Come join Redforceㅠㅠ
- It’s just a school match, calm down
- Did you SEE his aim??
- Here comes the buzzkill again
The chat was on fire.
Naturally—
He had been the highlight of the entire event.
Pajukjuk asked:
“That was an incredible performance! Honestly, it’s hard to believe you’re a high school student! Especially that mid-air hook shot—how did you do that?!”
Siwoo answered honestly.
“There’s no special trick. It’s just… instinct. When you’re in the air, there’s a certain floating sensation—if you shoot at that moment, it usually hits.”
The chat exploded.
- ???
- What does that even mean
- “Genius confirmed”
-ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Talent monster
Pajukjuk blinked.
What… was that answer?
Was he being arrogant?
No—
His expression didn’t suggest that at all.
‘Now this is interesting…’
Pajukjuk had seen countless pro players.
And he knew—
This kid… has the aura of a once-in-a-generation genius.
“Wow… is this how geniuses see the game?! Then I have to ask—have you ever considered becoming a pro gamer?”
It was the question everyone wanted answered.
“I’m not really thinking about going pro. I just play games for fun.”
“…What?”
Pajukjuk froze.
- ???
- Not going pro??
- With THAT aim??
- What a waste of talent
Even the viewers were stunned.
“Y-You’re not considering going pro… with that level of skill?”
Maybe—
Saying someone should go pro after a school tournament was excessive.
But—
He had shown it.
Perfect aim.
Unreal mechanics.
Survival sense under pressure.
He was someone who had to go pro.
“Well… aren’t pro players even better than this?”
Siwoo smiled awkwardly.
- No. Not even close
- Redforce needs youㅠㅠ
- Are you trolling???
- Look at our international results and say that again
The chat scrolled wildly.
“Ah… that’s unfortunate to hear. But you’re still young—plenty of time to think about it! Let’s move on!”
Pajukjuk quickly cooled things down.
Forcing a high schooler into the pro scene—
Wasn’t right.
“You entered as a substitute due to an academy issue—and ended up winning the whole tournament! Anything you’d like to say to your teammates?”
Siwoo smiled.
“First… I want to thank my friends for trusting me. And I hope we can stay close even after the tournament ends.”
“Simple and sincere! Then—”
The interview continued—
And just like that,
Siwoo finished his first tournament.
*
7 PM.
The time his older sister returned from work.
Siwoo sat in the living room—
On his knees.
Like a criminal awaiting judgment.
“What are you doing?”
Lee Siyeon tilted her head after coming out of the shower.
His older sister.
Siwoo glanced at her nervously—
Then spoke.
“Sis… can I enter a game tournament?”
“A game tournament?”
She blinked.
“Since when do you even play games?”
“Yeah… my friends play a lot.”
He deliberately added that part.
He knew—
She was sacrificing herself for the family.
“Well, go for it. You’re not even in your second year yet. If you were a senior, I’d stop you.”
“…Really?”
“Yeah. Why? Need guardian consent?”
“No, it’s not that.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“…Nothing, really.”
Contrary to his worries—
She agreed easily.
Siu let out a quiet breath of relief.
If his sister agreed—
His mom would too.
“So what tournament is it?”
She asked curiously.
“Overland Cup.”
“Ah, Overland? Yeah, everyone’s playing that these days.”
Even she knew the game—
It had become a global phenomenon after VR launched.
“But are you good? It’s a tournament—won’t there be really strong players?”
“Yeah… I think I’m decent. My friends said so too. We even won prize money in the class tournament.”
“Wow, high school events have prize money now? Back in my day, it was just burgers.”
“Yeah… it just happened.”
He didn’t explain further.
There was too much to say.
She found the hairdryer and headed to her room.
“Anyway, do your best. If you win, treat me to something nice.”
“Got it.”
Click.
The door closed.
Siwoo exhaled deeply.
“Phew…”
He had expected resistance—
But instead, he got approval.
And now—
A tournament.
He looked out the window.
“Will I be able to feel that again?”
He didn’t know if he’d perform well.
But he hoped so.
That was why he entered in the first place.
*
After school—
Siu and a few classmates remained in the classroom.
They were the ones entering the tournament together.
One girl.
Two boys.
The atmosphere was awkward—
Until someone spoke.
“You’re Lee Siwoo, right?”
“Uh… yeah?”
The boy asked:
“Do you know who I am?”
“No…?”
“I’m Park Jongsoo! We faced each other in the first match!”
“Ah—Class 1’s Grandmaster?”
“Yep!”
Park Jongsoo grinned brightly—
And grabbed Siwoo’s hand enthusiastically.
“You’re insane! I’ve played with pros and all kinds of players—but I’ve never seen someone with your aim tracking!”
It was the same thing Jiyeon said.
Siwoo smiled awkwardly.
“Really?”
“Yeah! You should seriously go pro!”
Again—
That phrase.
“Hey, introduce yourselves too! Siwoo doesn’t know you guys!”
Park Jongsoo turned to the others.
Finally releasing his hand.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Lee Jinsung from Class 4. Master 400 points. Attacker.”
“Kim Jungin from Class 3. Master. Support main—attacker secondary.”
“And I’m Park Jongsoo, Class 1. Defender. Grandmaster, 540 points.”
They were all known for high ranks.
This was practically—
A first-year all-star lineup.
Park Jongsoo smirked.
“Everyone here is at least Master. Some even got offers from pro teams. The lowest is Master 0 points—which barely counts.”
Kim Jungin snapped.
“Hey! Zero points is still Master!”
“Nope. That’s basically Diamond.”
“That’s not the same level!”
“It is.”
“Who do you think you are?”
“Grandmaster. Hit 500 and talk.”
“…Damn it!”
“Skill gap.”
Silence.
Tier didn’t lie.
“Anyway, let’s do well. We’re the best first-years in this school.”
Confidence radiated from him.
Understandably so.
Grandmaster—
Just below Challenger.
“…Yeah.”
Siwoo nodded.
Facing pro trainees—
He wasn’t sure.
But—
It might be possible.
Then—
The classroom door slid open.
“Sorry! Got held up with a teacher!”
Han Jiyeon.
The one who assembled the team.
“Did everyone introduce themselves?”
“Yep.”
“And Siwoo?”
“Of course. He carried the whole tournament.”
Jongsoo smirked.
Jiyeon clapped happily.
“Great! Then let’s go practice. My uncle reserved a capsule room for us.”
“Your uncle… Pajukjuk? He rented one?”
“Not rented. He runs a few capsule rooms as a side business.”
“Seriously? That’s insane.”
“He just loves games.”
Impressive.
Streaming alone was demanding—
Yet he ran a business too.
“Anyway, enough talk—let’s go play. We’re bringing home the championship this vacation!”
She led the way.
“Let’s crush them!”
“Gotta pass qualifiers first!”
“We can make tournament stage for sure!”
The others followed.
Siwoo stood up as well.
No need to worry about money—
He still had his share of the prize.
Let’s do it.
So I can feel that again.
With a firm expression—
He walked out of the classroom.
