I Became the Eldest Daughter of 10 Siblings - Chapter 110

"9th floor."

Ding, the elevator doors opened.

When I came to my senses, I was in front of the CEO's office.

Coming to the top floor, it felt like the air density had changed. I felt my ears pop as if I'd climbed to the top of a mountain.

My footsteps were neither heavy nor light.

I couldn't even guess why the team owner had called me here.

What reason could he have for calling me?

I hope it's not for a bad reason.

Before knocking, I lightly dusted off my collar as if shaking off stray thoughts.

"Ahem-"

I cleared my dry throat with a small cough.

I knocked and entered the CEO's office.

"Hello."

"Ah, you're here?"

This was my first time seeing him in person.

ELF's team owner, Yoo Hyunsu.

His bespectacled appearance gave him an intellectual look. Dressed in semi-formal attire, he looked more suited for Pangyo Techno Valley than the CEO of a pro gaming team.

He set aside the documents he was reading and said:

"You look intimidated, like a student called to the teacher's office. I didn't call you here to scold you, so relax."

How can I relax in this situation?

"I saw the news. I'd heard rumors about Yeon Sangho through the grapevine, but I didn't think they were true. Anyway, you did a good thing."

"Ahahaha, thank you..."

"No, we should be thanking you. Thanks to Han Yujin, our stock price skyrocketed like hitting the jackpot. Is there anything you need?"

I waved my hands as soon as I heard that.

"No! I'm fine!"

"It's not from me, but from my father, so don't feel burdened. He kept praising how the Han family is keeping the company afloat, not the Yoo family."

"I didn't do it expecting anything in return."

"Don't say that, feel free to ask for something."

"I'm really okay..."

"We're not okay with that."

He's quite persistent.

There is a way to end this back-and-forth at once.

"Well, in that case..."

I put my hand to my lips, pretending to think, and spoke up.

"An apartment in Gangnam."

"Excuse me?"

"And if possible, a penthouse."

"...?"

"...?"

CEO Yoo Hyunsu cleared his throat. He averted his gaze from me, chewing on his lip.

"That might be a bit difficult..."

"Then never mind."

As expected. Being shameless is best when refusing.

I glanced around the CEO's office.

It's not the suffocating, cramped CEO's office you see in dramas or movies. Rather, it's the opposite. The large floor-to-ceiling windows create an open feeling, giving it a fairly bright atmosphere.

And on the opposite side where sunlight doesn't reach, there's a fish tank.

"...Oh!"

I let out an exclamation and ran to the fish tank.

"Wow!"

Under the soft blue lighting, various saltwater fish were swimming as if dancing.

Sebae clownfish, yellow tang, blue tang...

But what caught my eye was a plump false percula clownfish.

"It's a false percula clownfish!"

One clownfish was fluttering around, busily feeding an anemone.

Ah, damn...

Something this cute should be illegal.

CEO Yoo Hyunsu asked quietly:

"Do you like saltwater fish?"

"Yes! I used to keep them!"

Of course, that was when I was a man. Back then, I was an only son so my family was quite well-off.

Now that I've become a woman, I can't even dream of keeping aquariums. I have nine younger siblings to feed.

I need to quickly raise my precious babies and get them to move out on their own.

I pressed my face against the transparent aquarium glass and muttered:

"You must be wearing out your fins trying to feed your kids too, huh?"

The clownfish gave no reply, just earnestly wagging its tail.

...Damn it.

This little fish is just like me.

It's a hardy species that survives even in poor conditions, just like me.

The clownfish's other name is "clown fish", and I'm a clown too since I work as a streamer.

Above all, clownfish...

Change gender. Just like me.

I let out a deep sigh, tore my eyes away from the aquarium, and sat down.

"Please, have some."

Yoo Hyunsu placed a teacup in front of me.

"It's warm red bean tea."

"Ah, thank you."

I took a sip of the steaming red bean tea. The rich flavor of red beans filled my mouth. It made me feel warm inside.

"Does it suit your taste?"

"Yes! It's delicious!"

"I'm glad. I've been drinking only this red bean tea instead of coffee for the past few years."

"Why?"

"Red beans are supposed to be the best for driving away ghosts, right? I've been diligently drinking it alone, hoping to chase away the 2nd place ghost that's stuck to us like a surveillance sticker."

Yoo Hyunsu took a breath and spoke again.

"But I'm not going to drink it anymore. It's just superstition."

"...Huh?"

I tilted my head at his puzzling words.

Yoo Hyunsu asked with a wistful expression:

"How do you think our team will do this season?"

I nearly burned my tongue at the unexpected question.

I looked at CEO Yoo Hyunsu's face, pondering how to answer.

His expression betrayed complex emotions.

After a brief deliberation, I decided to be honest.

CEO Yoo Hyunsu was known for his great affection for the team.

I took a sip of red bean tea and carefully spoke up.

"We're in last place, but I think it's encouraging. Our ace player Hyun Junho is still in top form, and our 1-win cards are solid. Our team's rising star Yena is already standing out in internal ranking matches..."

"And?"

"And... I'm here too."

Yoo Hyunsu tilted his head.

"Then why are we in last place?"

"It's not because our team is performing poorly. As you know, there's someone leaking our team's strategies."

It's not just simple replay leaks.

When ELF goes into league matches with builds we've painstakingly refined, the opposing teams somehow respond with perfectly tailored builds.

As if they know exactly what we've prepared.

Unless they consulted some skilled fortune teller, it means someone is leaking information to our rival teams.

We don't know who's doing it or for what purpose yet.

Because of this, ELF hasn't been able to make strategic gambles at crucial moments.

In Galaxy War where a single build can determine victory or defeat, it was like having our hands and feet cut off.

"So if we just catch this build leaker, we can win the championship, is that what you're saying?"

"Well..."

I hesitated for a moment before answering.

"Yes. We can do it."

CEO Yoo Hyunsu laughed out loud.

Then he took off his foggy glasses and wiped them forcefully with a cloth as he spoke:

"It's fascinating. Watching Han Yujin reminds me of the old days. I used to have that kind of confidence when I first entered this industry."

CEO Yoo Hyunsu changed the subject.

"I'm still wavering, so from now on, could you refute me if there's anything wrong with what I say?"

"Yes, I understand."

He smiled faintly and opened his mouth.

"A team that hasn't won a championship in over 10 years."

"..."

That's true.

"A team that always falters at the threshold of victory, like false hope."

"..."

This too.

"A team with a Trojan horse inside, ruining the atmosphere."

"..."

This as well.

"A team whose so-called ace player has never won an individual league championship."

"..."

Hyun Junho would weep if he heard this.

Anyway, it was all true.

"I can't refute any of it since it's all facts."

"But you say we can win the championship?"

Silence fell over the CEO's office.

When I remained silent, CEO Yoo Hyunsu cut to the chase.

"Root out the internal traitor, unite as one and win no matter what... Well, I didn't call Han Yujin here to burden you with that kind of pressure."

Then?

If not that, why did he call me?

"We're going to disband our gaming team."

"...What?"

It felt like my heart plummeted to the floor.

So the rumors of disbandment were true.

CEO Yoo Hyunsu spoke with a relaxed expression, his fingers interlaced:

"We signed a 1-year ultra-short contract with Han Yujin, right?"

"Yes. A one season contract."

"That works out well. Our team is going to disband after this season anyway. I guess this is what they call 'making the best of a bad situation'?"

I came hoping to eat rice cakes of victory, but I didn't expect to attend a funeral.

"So Han Yujin doesn't need to get too worked up about winning, as if her life depended on it. I called you here to give that kind of encouragement."

It wasn't encouraging at all.

Rather, it felt suffocating, like cold water had been poured over me.

I suppressed my emotions and asked calmly:

"I don't understand why a perfectly fine team is suddenly disbanding."

"A perfectly fine team?"

"No, I mean... There may be a build leaker, but that's not enough reason to disband. If you do this suddenly, there will be a huge backlash from fans."

"Suddenly?"

He gave an empty laugh.

"After 10 years of wholehearted support, it's not sudden. I think 10 years is patient enough."

"Still... I can't accept this."

At my words, CEO Yoo Hyunsu tapped the sofa armrest, lost in thought.

Soon, he bit his lip as if making a decision and said:

"At the executive meeting, there were opinions that it would be better to withdraw from running the gaming team while we're still profitable. They were concerned about being cemented as a second-rate company image compared to our competitor SUC."

I suppose.

If you search for ELF online now, people are gleefully mocking us with memes like "bean line" and "king of no titles".

And that pathetic report card may have led to fears it could affect people's consumer psychology.

"Ah..."

A sigh I'd been holding back escaped. My hands on my thighs clenched.

I was angry.

Not because of the sudden decision to disband.

I was angry because every word coming out of CEO Yoo Hyunsu's mouth was correct.

"To be honest, I'm disappointed too. Even if we have to go, I wanted to win the championship decisively at least once. It's really hard to end on a high note."

He gave a bitter smile.

"6 second place finishes in 10 years. This is beyond unrealistic."

The word "unrealistic" stuck in my heart like a thorn.

It really is unrealistic.

Just when I thought they might throw me a carrot, reality kept whipping me mercilessly.

To the point where I resented the world.

Cruelly. Painfully.

Feeling stifled, I downed the still warm red bean tea like a shot of alcohol.

"...Isn't it hot?"

Surprised, Yoo Hyunsu asked with wide eyes.

"CEO."

"Yes?"

After hesitating while rolling the empty teacup in my hands, I opened my mouth resolutely.

"I think it would be sad to end like this."

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize Han Yujin had such affection for our team."

"No. I mean you, CEO."

Yoo Hyunsu asked incredulously:

"Sad? Me?"

"Yes. If you quit here, you'll hate this game for the rest of your life."

I recalled CEO Yoo Hyunsu's story that I had quickly read before coming to his office.

"I looked into your background. You fell in love with Galaxy War by chance and even considered becoming a pro gamer, right?"

"That's right. Back in the day, I even lived in PC bangs, giving up on my grades. I'm from the generation before Kang Yohan. Though I quickly gave up since I had no talent."

"And you even persuaded the company to found the team, creating the current ELF."

"Yes. I barely convinced my father by calculating the ROI, prepared to be disowned."

"Someone like that shouldn't exit so miserably. If you end it here, you'll never be able to look back on this game fondly."

Hearing my words, CEO Yoo Hyunsu fell silent.

His expression was a tangle of many emotions.

"If that was going to happen,"

He said, clenching his fist tightly.

"If that was going to happen, we should have won at least once. We should have brought home a trophy before my passion cooled completely."

Yoo Hyunsu's lower lip trembled briefly, before his expression hardened.

Looking at him like this...

Second place really does seem to hurt many people.

I barely opened my frozen lips and spoke:

"You asked if I needed anything, right?"

"Did you think of something?"

"Can I say it?"

"Yes, go ahead."

I took a deep breath and spoke:

"If we win the championship this season, I'd like you to reconsider the decision to disband."

"That's..."

Before the silence could deepen, I added:

"I'll bring you the championship trophy by any means necessary. So please think about it one more time. For the fans too."

Yoo Hyunsu looked at me silently.

"And for your own sake as well."

A heavy silence hung in the air for a while.

Finally, he answered in a low voice:

"...I can't give you a definite answer yet."

"I understand."

It was an ambiguous answer that left things up in the air, but I let out a light sigh and got up, satisfied.

"Ah, that's right."

As I was about to step out the door, I suddenly remembered something and turned back to say:

"You said second place was unrealistic, right?"

Yoo Hyunsu blinked.

"Hm? Ah, yes, I did say that."

"Then I should show you something too."

"What's that?"

I said with a faint smile:

"Something beyond unreality - surreality."

"Going down."

After confirming the elevator doors had closed, I slumped down.

Worry welled up in my chest.

The worry of whether we could really win the championship, even though I'd said those bold words.

"...I'm starting to get tired."

My mood was plummeting vertically, just like the direction of the elevator.

Because whenever I solved one problem, another inevitably piled up.

And I've developed an obsessive fixation on always having to give the right answers.

So I feel uneasy, like I'm walking on a knife's edge.

So I feel tormented, like I'm lying on thumbtacks.

Even though I'm clearly walking straight,

I feel like if I slip up, I'll sink into the cold depths like a skipping stone.

Will I be okay?

I've endured all the incidents so far, so I should be fine going forward, right?

But what if I'm not okay?

What if I mess up this time after doing well until now?

...What do I do then?

Anxiety overwhelms me.

Just as invisible fear extends its blade-like tongue, about to swallow me whole.

The elevator doors opened.

"Yujin, what are you doing here?"

"Ah! You startled me. Are you sick, unnie?"

"...Huh?"

It disappeared. The anxiety.

I looked up to see Hyun Junho and Son Yena looking down at me with worried expressions.

"Are you hungry? We're on our way to get food, want to join us?"

"Oppa. I don't think that's it."

"Then what is it?"

"Well... that time of the month for women, you know."

"She looks like she's in pain though?"

"The pain is different for everyone."

Hyun Junho came close and crouched down to meet my eye level.

"Are you in pain?"

"...No."

I felt a gentle touch on my forehead.

"You don't have a fever."

"No, um, uh, wha, what..."

Son Yena next to me snickered and said:

"Oppa. I think it's her head, not her legs. She's speaking all jumbled up."

"Is that so?"

"...Pff!"

A laugh that had been hiding escaped my lips.

Hyun Junho scratched his head with a puzzled expression.

"Yena. Is my face funny?"

"This unnie is probably imagining how to tease you again in her mind."

"That's not it."

I took a deep breath and stood up again.

I pushed the tower of worries and anxieties to a corner of my mind.

As I did so, I straightened out my relaxed mindset.

Let's not get swept away even if strong winds blow, I told myself. What's important is having an unbreakable spirit.

Let's solve the piled up problems one by one.

Just as I made that resolution while stepping out,

My phone rang.

It was my younger brother, Han Sejun.

-Noona!

His voice was urgent.

"Yes, Sejun?"

-Qui-quickly come home!

What's with this situation?

"Noona's busy right now."

-No, this is more urgent!

"What on earth is it that you're making such a fuss?"

That's when.

I heard a baby crying on the other end.

-We have a baby!

In that moment, all the strength drained from my body.

My phone fell to the floor with a thud.

What the hell is he talking about now?!