I Became the Eldest Daughter of 10 Siblings - Chapter 122

The meeting room stiffened rigidly.

The numerous people packed tightly were looking at Coach Yoo Sangyeop without saying a word.

As if time had stopped.

The first to break the silence was CEO Yoo Hyunsu.

"Wait a moment..."

His expression was clearly bewildered.

It was a rare sight.

He seemed to be organizing his thoughts in his head while tapping the table lightly with his fingernails.

"So... Coach Yoo Sangyeop, who was a player who consistently performed as a one-club man for our team and even won the individual league twice..."

Yoo Hyunsu couldn't continue speaking.

Everyone in the room, including me, could predict what the rest of that sentence would be.

That he was the culprit behind the build leak.

"Yes, that's right."

This time, Manager Yang Myunghyun asked in a low voice while fiddling with his sparse beard:

"The evidence?"

Instead of answering, I turned off the lights in the meeting room and opened my laptop.

As the projector activated, the laptop desktop bloomed on the stark white screen.

I immediately played the prepared replays.

Twenty replays.

A small commotion arose in the meeting room.

"What? There wasn't just one replay?"

"Don't tell me all the replays sent to us were different replays?"

As if cutting through the unsettled air, I moved the mouse to zoom in on a specific scene in the replay.

More precisely, the layout of my main base buildings.

When I magnified the replays that looked identical like copies with a magnifying glass, differences could be seen.

Very small differences of 10 pixel units.

Actually, I had constructed buildings in slightly different positions for each game.

It was a detail that could be distinguished by eye, but was difficult to catch unless you looked carefully with keen eyes.

Except for me.

And the building positions in the replay sent to Yoo Sangyeop matched the building positions in the replay uploaded to the black market site.

Gil Taesung, who had been staring blankly at the screen, couldn't close his mouth.

"So... actually all the replays sent to us were different replays, and each file had a hidden watermark?"

"The watermark expression is good. Anyone would think you're a college graduate, not a middle school dropout."

"I told you I'm a high school graduate..."

Actually, this was an idea I got from watching Hyun Junho's games before.

And using watermarks like this to prevent leaks is common in the entertainment industry too.

I heard that before singers release new songs, they secretly insert noise into the songs to prevent leaks.

If the song leaks, the agency can trace the leak path by seeing at which second the noise was inserted.

"Jung Hyuntak-ssi."

"...Yes?"

Jung Hyuntak, who had been squinting at the screen, flinched in surprise at my voice.

"Ah, should I call you former coach?"

"The title doesn't matter."

"Yes, anyway... Is it really Coach Yoo?"

Jung Hyuntak hesitated for a moment, then carefully opened his mouth.

"Yes, it is."

Then he glanced sideways at Yoo Sangyeop.

"I once accidentally saw Coach Yoo accessing a replay black market site. When I confronted him about it, he denied it. But the next day, I received a notice from the team."

"What kind of notice?"

"Well, of course this."

He made a gesture of cutting his neck.

It meant he received a notice of recommended resignation from the company.

There was probably intervention from Yoo Sangyeop.

Good. The puzzle is all put together.

Now all that's left is to hear a direct confession from Yoo Sangyeop's mouth.

Everyone seemed to have the same thought as me, as all gazes focused on Yoo Sangyeop like artillery fire.

"You're amazing, Han Yujin..."

Yoo Sangyeop exhaled deeply and wearily rubbed his face.

Then he smiled faintly and said:

"It's perfect, to the point where you don't even give room for excuses."

It was essentially a confession.

Just as people were letting out sighs.

"You bastard!"

Park Mutae suddenly stood up and roughly grabbed Yoo Sangyeop's collar.

"Did you really do it? Is this really what you did?!"

"You heard it, Mutae."

"I'm asking again because I thought I must have heard wrong when they said Yoo Sangyeop did it. You weren't this kind of person. Were you threatened or something?"

"No."

"Then you really..."

At that, Yoo Sangyeop smiled bitterly and spoke calmly:

"That's right. The traitor who sold teammates' replays and leaked strategies to other teams is your friend."

"...Why."

The hand that had fiercely gripped the collar fell limply.

Park Mutae asked in a dejected voice:

"Why, why did you do it? You're not such a lowlife. You used to spend your own money to feed the younger players and stay behind alone to the end signing autographs for fans who came to watch."

Hearing those words, Yoo Sangyeop tilted his head slightly and avoided eye contact.

"Why? It's just a common sob story."

"...Sob story?"

"My father's business failed. My mother fell ill. That's all."

"...Huh?"

"I did it to make money in a dirty way. When my family was shaken, my heart shook along with it, that's all."

Yoo Sangyeop's voice was light.

But the helplessness underlying it was strangely heavy.

"Sportsmanship, professionalism, fair play... they're all good. But humans, when it seems like their life is falling apart, end up weighing what's in their hands. I chose greed over conscience, and the balance collapsed."

The words about balance collapsing.

Hearing those words, my heart sank.

Yoo Sangyeop bowed his head in front of the ELF staff and apologized.

"I'm sorry. I'm so ashamed. I'll pack my bags right away. I'll accept any legal proceedings gladly."

After finishing his words of apology as if pouring them out, Yoo Sangyeop left the meeting room as if fleeing.

A pungent silence fell again.

And.

Hyun Junho, whose eyes had been downcast since earlier, stood up from his seat and followed after Yoo Sangyeop.

ELF building smoking area.

Murky cigarette smoke scattered in the cold winter wind.

Yoo Sangyeop threw away the burnt-out cigarette butt.

He had a detached and complicated expression, like someone who had just smoked their last cigarette of their life.

At that moment.

"Sangyeop hyung."

Hearing the familiar voice, Yoo Sangyeop stopped his sluggish steps and turned his head.

Hyun Junho approached holding a canned coffee.

"Oh, Junho..."

Yoo Sangyeop answered in a low voice, avoiding Hyun Junho's gaze with an uncomfortable look.

"I told you to quit smoking."

"..."

"You never listen."

Hyun Junho handed the canned coffee to Yoo Sangyeop and asked:

"Hyung. Did you also tell the opponents the builds for the games where I got second place?"

At those words, Yoo Sangyeop shook his head firmly.

"I know it'll be hard for you to believe anything I say now, being the traitor bastard I am... but that absolutely never happened."

"Really?"

Hearing the answer, Hyun Junho laughed dejectedly.

"I wish hyung had leaked the strategies. Then I would have had an excuse or justification. That I got second place because I was betrayed, that I didn't get second place because of my skills, something like that."

"..."

"Since you firmly say it's not true, it feels even more miserable, like my fate is destined for second place."

"...I see."

Hyun Junho looked up at the cloudless sky and asked softly:

"Hyung, do you remember that time?"

"When?"

Hyun Junho's eyes shone clearly.

"When was it. You were the captain and I was a rookie, so about 6 or 7 years ago."

"...Which game?"

Hyun Junho snapped his fingers brightly.

"Right. It was when we played against SUC. The situation was 2:2 full score. The battlefield was Planetarium. You came out like a great general for the final ace match, remember?"

"Ah, I can't forget that game."

"That's right. It's vivid for me too. After a 40-minute bloody battle, you had a big clash with the enemy forces in the center, but you were pushed back by a paper-thin margin."

"Yeah. That's how it was."

Yoo Sangyeop awkwardly rolled the canned coffee in his hand and asked casually:

"But why bring that up suddenly..."

At those words, Hyun Junho smiled bitterly.

"The surprising part was what happened after."

"...After?"

Yoo Sangyeop tilted his head.

"Suddenly there was a problem with the computer and a blue screen appeared. At that time, the tournament rules allowed for a rematch clause to be invoked if a game was interrupted due to computer problems."

"...Yeah."

"But you didn't have a rematch and conscientiously accepted the result. You could have easily gotten another chance and continued to a rematch, but you didn't."

"..."

"From then on, you started being called a great person and your fan cafe membership skyrocketed, right?"

"...I had a conscience back then."

"When I saw that, I realized something. Ah, that player is the coolest in the world. I should play games righteously to the end like that player."

Yoo Sangyeop lowered his head.

His shoulders, silently staring at the ground, trembled slightly.

He couldn't meet his junior's eyes at all.

Because he felt so ugly and ashamed of himself.

He acutely felt how despicable and cowardly his choice had been.

The warm canned coffee gradually cooled in the winter wind, becoming lukewarm like the relationship between the two.

After a long silence, Hyun Junho threw away the canned coffee and stood up.

And he said in a lonely voice:

"Goodbye, hyung."

"..."

Yoo Sangyeop stared blankly at Hyun Junho's retreating back, then painfully opened his mouth.

"Junho."

"Yes, hyung."

"I'm sorry for disappointing you."

"..."

Yoo Sangyeop said in a cracked voice:

"Make sure you win."

Hearing those words, Hyun Junho stopped in his tracks.

And he swallowed thickly and answered:

"...Yes."

The darkened meeting room had become a space dominated by helplessness.

It felt gloomy, as if invisible dark clouds were floating on the ceiling.

Perhaps because only the blue light of the beam projector flickered, the atmosphere was even more depressing.

The shockwave was naturally huge.

It was understandable, given Coach Yoo Sangyeop's position and reputation in this team.

Thanks to that, I became depressed too.

"..."

Then suddenly, Coach Yoo Sangyeop's last words started swirling in my head.

The words about weighing what's in your hands and choosing one, causing the balance to collapse.

A chill runs down my spine.

Because I feel like I'll end up like that someday too.

Like I'll let go of being a man from my hands and end up living as a woman.

Like I'll be pickled by reality and forever forget the original scent and taste I had.

So I'm scared, lost, and in pain.

"Ah..."

No! Get a hold of yourself, Han Yujin!

I slammed the table hard.

At the thud sound, the deflated meeting room that had lost its drive momentarily stirred.

"Ah, you startled me!"

"I got scared!"

"Hey, Han Yujin! Are you crazy?"

Yes! I am crazy!

I took a deep breath and shouted:

"What are you all doing? How can you be like this, as if the world has ended?!"

Then, Park Mutae, holding his forehead, said with a disinterested expression:

"Hey, you chick. How can we have energy when the team's legend has been revealed as Judas? I've never wanted to quit being a player more than today."

"But we finally caught that Judas! And you still have me on the team!"

"Come on. Who are you?"

"HaYoo-nim above God."

"...Right. You're so great."

I said, trying hard to act bright:

"Come on, everyone focus!"

At my words, heads that had been hanging in the darkness slowly lifted one by one.

I ran the presentation file I had prepared overnight.

When I pressed the presenter to turn the slide once, the cover of the PPT I made appeared.

[24-25 ELF Championship Plan]

"I came to this team to win. If anyone doesn't want to win, pack your bags and leave this meeting room right now. Go work part-time at McDonald's or do personal broadcasts."

As I said that, I carefully observed people's expressions.

They changed subtly, as if their fighting spirit had risen.

"Good. No one's leaving, right?"

Just as I was confidently shouting that.

I felt like the pop-up window I saw in the morning was flickering in front of my eyes again.

[Do you want to continue like this?]

[Y / N]

"..."

Oh, this is strange.

If it was me from earlier, I think I would have firmly answered 'No'.

But now the feeling is quite different.

Somehow, I want to continue.

Human hearts really are...

This is why it's interesting.

I said, leaning on the table:

"Then I'll continue."