[TS] The Return of The Gamer - Chapter 87

Director Choi Taedal stared blankly at the fallen cigarette with a momentarily vacant expression.

As the cigarette smoke swirled and reached his nose, a voice emerged from Director Choi Taedal's parted lips.

"...What on earth are you talking about? Your mother told you not to?"

"Yes."

"Ugh..."

Of course, due to the nature of the profession of a pro gamer, those who dream of it are usually young.

As it is an extreme profession where retirement is mentioned before the mid-twenties, it's only natural that the preparation period is much faster than in other jobs.

Therefore, the involvement of parents in important matters like contracts wasn't particularly special or strange.

However,

No matter how it is, in Director Choi Taedal's experience, there aren't many parents who block their child's dream.

Moreover, hasn't he barely reached this position after overcoming countless competitions?

"Isn't that woman crazy?! She's blocking her child who wants to do this?!"

"Even so, the words are a bit..."

"The words, what, am I your friend? Stop back-talking me so often."

"...I'm sorry."

"Ugh... I'll be out for a moment, so persuade Yujin or whatever her name is."

Director Choi Taedal stood up from his seat, as if pondering something, and then shook his head.

"...No, just stay still. I'll take care of everything. Don't say anything silly. Got it?! Looking at how you're acting, I knew you'd cause trouble."

"Yes."

"Ugh, geez..."

Director Choi Taedal put on his coat and left the director's office as he was.

-Bang!

Coach Park Taehyeong, staring blankly at the violently shut door of the director's office, clenched his fist so hard the veins in his arm stood out.

"Damn bastard."

Outlaw's decision not to sign with YSG was, whether he knew it or not, most likely due to the terrible conditions of YSG's 2nd team practice room.

But Director Choi Taedal was blaming Coach Park Taehyeong for this problem, so even the good-natured Coach Park Taehyeong couldn't help but curse.

'Even I wouldn't join this kind of team.'

Coach Park Taehyeong himself had his own problems, so he had no choice but to join this kind of team, but Outlaw's situation was different.

A star.

Outlaw is a star that can shine alone even in the dark, moonless night sky.

Naturally, Outlaw was too valuable for this team.

'...It would be a lie if I didn't feel regret.'

If Outlaw played for YSG, hope would be born in this despairing team.

But it was already spilled water.

"Sigh..."

Coach Park Taehyeong, sighing deeply, left the director's office with a weary gait.

The tightly closed door wouldn't open easily, as if it were broken.

* * *

It was about six hours later when Director Choi Taedal returned to the accommodation.

"Tell Park Taehyeong to come in!"

Coach Park Taehyeong, who was summoned as soon as Director Choi Taedal returned, doubted his ears.

"Write the preliminary contract right away. Raise the annual salary to 100 million won, and add a special clause to the contract that allows the player to suspend the contract at any time if they wish. And abolish all clauses related to team transfers."

"...Yes?"

"I mean, add a condition that the player can leave the team at any time if they want. Don't you understand!?"

"No, I understood that, but..."

"Then why so many words! It's already been decided with the team manager and the CEO. Just do as you're told."

Coach Park Taehyeong was dumbfounded after hearing the story.

If what he said was true, couldn't the player leave the team at any time, even during the season?

Even though it was a preliminary contract, to proceed with a contract with an amateur who is about to debut with such an absurd special clause?

'...Did he drink?'

Come to think of it, it smelled a bit of alcohol.

Coach Park Taehyeong realized what was going on only after hearing the reprimand, as he never dreamed that the personification of preserving his position would put forward such a provocative and poisonous clause.

Originally, Director Choi Taedal doesn't reprimand Coach Park Taehyeong like this.

That also meant that Director Choi Taedal was very concerned about this matter.

"What are you doing?! Hurry up and move!"

"...J-Just a moment! This doesn't make sense. If you put in those conditions─"

"Do you think I don't know that? You just do as you're told. Don't you know that things turned out this way because you couldn't do as you were told?!"

Coach Park Taehyeong's eyes narrowed at Director Choi Taedal's impatience.

'...Ugh.'

A contract unilaterally favorable to the player, to the point where its intention was questionable.

This was a contract that could only come out if the player was a "super-star."

'Is he trying to catch Outlaw even by offering these conditions? It's not something Director Choi Taedal would think of...'

Professionals speak with money.

In other words, to catch a superstar, you need to treat them accordingly.

But unfortunately, YSG doesn't have the funds to attract a new franchise star.

Then the only bargaining chip left is the conditions.

In that sense, these conditions were overtly favorable to the player.

From Outlaw's point of view, even if he proceeds with the contract with YSG, according to the special clause, the contract would be overturned if he changed his mind tomorrow.

'...Does he really have confidence in catching Outlaw even with such a clause?'

Even though the player could leave the team with a whim of the day?

If that happens, what are the risks the team has to bear?

It's not for nothing that the team, when signing contracts with players, sets the minimum unit to be 6 months or 1 year, allowing the player to play for at least one season.

At least once they're registered on the roster, shouldn't they play in that season, or even in that round?

'This is absurd.'

Coach Park Taehyeong truly thought so, but that didn't mean he could ignore Director Choi Taedal's words.

"...Understood."

"Go quickly. It's late today, so contact them politely around lunchtime tomorrow."

"...Yes."

Coach Park Taehyeong, who left the director's office, was lost in thought.

What on earth does Director Choi Taedal believe in, to even offer such conditions?

After repeated thoughts, Coach Park Taehyeong was able to reach one conclusion.

'He's trying to catch him with the bait of a starting position.'

All professionals want to be starters.

But the path to becoming a starter in other teams is extremely difficult.

In teams like SY or SCV, the so-called prestigious teams, only the outstanding ones from not only the 2nd team but also the academy system can surpass the 1st team and be selected as starters.

In those places, even debuting as a real pro gamer isn't easy.

But, here at YSG?

There is also competition here.

But the competition here is incomparable to that of other teams, and moreover, Outlaw has already proven himself to some extent in that competition.

Although there will be opposition from the existing 1st team players, as initially expected, from Outlaw's perspective, he can enter with a guaranteed starting position, and if the promise isn't kept, he can just leave the team.

'From Director Choi Taedal's point of view, there's no reason not to make him a starter, so he doesn't need to break the promise either.'

If Coach Park Taehyeong's guess is correct, Director Choi Taedal would have reason to show such confidence.

A relatively high annual salary for a newcomer.

A promised starting position.

Absolute conditions that can be undone if something goes wrong.

'If this is the case... Outlaw might really accept.'

Especially, the fact that the contract itself could be undone if necessary.

From Outlaw's point of view, there was no risk, so it could instill the confidence to give it a try.

"Sigh..."

It's complicated.

Holding his smartphone, Coach Park Taehyeong felt the same uneasiness as before.

He hoped Outlaw would accept.

But he hoped he wouldn't.

"...I don't know."

In the inner conflict that he couldn't even understand himself, Coach Park Taehyeong pressed the smartphone.

* * *

On the day I first received the contract, after returning home, my mother, who saw me wavering, said this.

「"If you can't make a decision easily, just refuse it for now. If they really want you, they will offer other conditions. I checked out that company a bit, and it's not a completely bad place. ...The rumors are a bit bad though."」

And today, after a few days.

"...He really came."

"My words were right, weren't they?"

A message came from Coach Park Taehyeong.

It was about abolishing some clauses from the existing contract and adding some special clauses.

And those special clauses were quite groundbreaking, even to me, who doesn't know much.

"Umm."

"Why? What do you think?"

My mother, who had been carefully examining the message, looked at me and smiled.

"It's not too bad. ...It's a good condition for you, for now."

"Really?"

If my mother said that, it really was the case.

Of course, I still wasn't completely satisfied with the annual salary, but you can't have everything at once.

"But still, I don't want you to go to this team."

"Why?"

"It feels fishy."

"Actually, I don't want to go that much either."

"Right?"

My mother smiled kindly.

It was a smile that was hard to see these days, but it feels strangely stable after a long time.

-Click!

Then, my smartphone rang again. This time, it was an unknown number.

[Hello. This is YSG director Choi Taedal. I would like to meet you in person and speak, but unfortunately, I cannot, and I feel apologetic about it.]

The protagonist of the message was none other than YSG's director, Director Choi Taedal.

The messages kept coming.

[I think you've already heard about the changes to the contract. Nevertheless, the reason I'm contacting player Lee Yujin separately is that I have something to tell player Lee Yujin, apart from the contract.]

[I know that player Lee Yujin showed very excellent skills during the tryout. And we at YSG have no doubt that if Lee Yujin is with us, he will be able to set foot on the Red Cup stage.]

[If you proceed with the contract with us, I, as the director, will promise Lee Yujin a spot on the roster from round 2, as well as the opportunity to play as a starter.]

[As you can see in the already modified special clauses, if I change my words in the middle, player Lee Yujin can do as he wishes. I mean, I will definitely keep the promise.]

[Of course, this is based on my high regard for Lee Yujin's skills, and I hope you make a wise choice. Thank you.]

'...A starter?'

I, who was prepared to live a trainee life for a few months no matter which team I went to.

But suddenly, a promise of a starting position?

Thinking about it along with the previous contract clauses, it's true that I suddenly felt my heart move.

"What's wrong?"

"Look at this."

My mother's expression was strangely colored after checking the contents of the message.

"Umm... What do you want to do?"

"...To be honest, I actually want to try it once. There's no risk, isn't it? I also want to check it out."

I have seen and felt a few things while conducting the tryout at YSG this time.

Therefore, I want to be sure of that feeling while working in a pro team.

Truly... whether it's right for me to enter a "team owned by others."

The fact that I have virtually ignored offers from other teams after I achieved Grand Master was in the same context.

I needed a time of verification.

"There's no risk at all. Wait a moment."

My mother, taking my smartphone, directly requested that some conditions be added to Director Choi Taedal's number.

One of the noticeable clauses among them was that the copyright of all video materials or photos, etc., featuring my appearance, would be entrusted entirely to me, and that the consent of myself or my legal representative must be obtained when used.

"...Is this really necessary?"

"It is."

My mother was firm.

[Okay. Let's proceed with the contract right away. I'll be waiting.]

The reply came quite quickly.

"They seem to be in a hurry. My daughter must have had quite a bit of ability?"

"...I guess so."

Although it was a little awkward, there was nothing wrong since I had agreed.

'A week. Let's just do it for a week.'

And I'll check it out myself.

What is the life of a pro gamer that I truly want.