Ho-eun, a well-known caster for the Infinity Black League, had a daily post-work routine: checking the popular posts on gaming community forums.
He didn’t do it because he found the forums fun.
At his age, he had become an older man, and mingling with the younger crowd had its limitations.
However, to stay informed about fan trends, he made a conscious effort to regularly browse the communities.
He didn’t need to read every post.
It was enough to look for content related to the professional scene or posts that were getting a lot of attention.
Once he was done with his community rounds, he moved on to internet broadcasts and video platforms.
Especially the streams of professional players—it was good to at least skim through the highlights.
Mentioning notable incidents during the official broadcast could generate a positive reaction.
‘It might seem like the official broadcasts are stubborn, but in reality, we’re constantly keeping an eye on what the fans think.’
In this era, you had to treat fans as if they were your boss to survive!
Ho-eun’s philosophy was that anyone who got too close to the fans in the eSports scene wouldn’t last long.
However, he also believed that keeping too much distance could be a problem.
That’s why it was essential to stay aware of what was happening in the community.
You had to avoid sensitive issues and catch the ones that could work to your advantage before it was too late.
Even if you acted all dignified in front of the fans, behind the scenes, you had to keep swimming to stay afloat.
In this way, he could spot trends naturally.
More specifically, he could identify what was driving those trends.
[Top Posts]
- Gawol Playoff Review.review
- Tteokbokki Mukbang Highlights Compilation
- Reasons why the rumor about Gawol preparing for pro is spreading
- So we’re going to let another Phantom situation slip through?
Gawol.
Since she ignited the Arena, the flame hadn’t dimmed for a single moment.
There were rarely mentions of her on official broadcasts, but she was a name everyone needed to know now.
In Ho-eun’s case, he had even gone out of his way to check pre-Arena evaluations due to his personal interest.
Compared to her near-mysterious past, Gawol had been appearing much more frequently lately.
Her performance in the Arena was still vivid in people’s memories…
Who would be calling at this hour?
“Yes, this is Ho-eun.”
He frowned slightly, but as a seasoned worker, his voice remained as polite as ever.
However, the content of the call wasn’t something he could easily accept.
With only a week left before the league semifinals, suddenly replacing the guest commentator wasn’t a situation he could take lightly.
“On such short notice?”
The frustration from receiving a call after work quickly turned into curiosity.
A hot breath escaped his lips.
“Come on, one more time!”
“Ugh, aaaargh…!”
A sharp pull in my lower abdomen.
Heat surged through my entire body, rising before swirling around, lost inside me.
I strained, putting all my strength into my core.
“Just a little more, a little more, a little more!”
“Ugh—huuuuuuhp!”
“You’re doing great! Just one more time!”
This was strange.
It felt like this one last time had been repeated too many times.
I shot a resentful glance at the trainer, but she simply smiled brightly.
“For real this time—one last time, okay? You can do it!”
“Hnnnngh!”
At first glance, she had seemed like such a kind person.
But, like a devil hiding behind a woman’s kindness, she had tormented me mercilessly for the entire 60-minute session.
“Really, this is the last time—”
“I can’t do any more!”
“Okay, then we’ll stop here!”
“Haaah...”
Finally reaching my limit, my body collapsed onto the floor.
My chest heaved up and down as I panted from the aftereffects of the intense abdominal workout.
My breathing was heavy, my chest rising and falling repeatedly with each exhale and inhale.
Sweat poured down my back like rain.
Actually, it flowed from most parts of my body, soaking through my leggings.
It felt slightly sticky, which was a bit annoying.
I had initially resisted wearing leggings because they clung too tightly.
But the trainer had convinced me that loose clothing could cause friction and damage my skin.
She also pointed out that fitted clothes would show my range of motion better, and I couldn’t argue with that.
After all, I only exercised at Sigma’s private gym.
Not many people were around to be embarrassed by.
“Well done today. See you next Monday!”
“Yeah...”
“Don’t forget to send me pictures of the food you eat.”
“Ah, right. Got it.”
After the trainer left with a friendly smile, I lay on the floor for a while, catching my breath.
I admit what I have to admit.
As a woman, there’s nothing wrong with my body.
From my hair to my skin and even my looks—there’s not a single feature that wouldn’t inspire envy.
And I had a secret.
I didn’t grow any hair—none at all.
My armpits, my groin, my arms and legs—completely smooth and hairless, as if my body had decided that such things didn’t align with its quest for perfection.
It was amazing how my body had held up despite my previously ruined lifestyle.
It had survived the kind of shut-in existence that would have worn down even the most dedicated pro athletes.
If it weren’t for my disabled left leg, I could honestly call this body a blessing.
But there was one problem.
“I can’t seem to build any muscle…”
It wasn’t that my workouts weren’t showing results.
Ever since Sigma had supported me in starting regular exercise, my body had noticeably improved.
I had more stamina, and my body felt livelier.
But the direction of the changes...
Instead of building muscle, I felt like I was just becoming more feminine.
My body, once soft all over, showed no signs of hardening.
I hadn’t wanted a bulky, muscular build, but I didn’t expect things to stay like this either.
Well, I had started exercising for my health, so maybe I shouldn’t be too picky.
Just as my breathing steadied, I glanced at my phone.
[You’ve got mail: From Infinity Co...]
“Ugh.”
It’s probably just another advertisement, right?
Ever since receiving emails about the connection device issue, I had started dreading messages from the game company.
I had to mentally prepare myself before opening them.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t just a simple ad.
But neither was it a new message from the security team.
[Subject: Invitation to Guest Commentate for Infinity Official League]
Something serious had come in.
What should I do in this situation…?
Help me, Luce.
“Don’t worry about it. In fact, if there’s no special reason, I think it would be a good idea to go.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. It’s a great opportunity for you too. There’s no reason to avoid it.”
Across the table, Luce was munching on a salad.
Ours were a bit different, but we were both eating greens.
My tastes had changed, so even these simple dishes tasted pretty good.
“I know what you’re worried about. But just because you’re in the same company doesn’t mean everyone shares the same views.
The security team’s interests and the league operations team’s interests might not align.”
“Even within the same company?”
“Each team has different goals. The league operations team probably wants you to play, very badly.”
Is that possible?
I thought everyone in the same company was on the same side.
Maybe that was just a misunderstanding because I’d never worked in a company.
Well, if Luce said it, I could trust her.
Her perspective would be much more accurate than my assumptions.
“Alright, I’ll accept the offer. Thanks for the advice.”
“You don’t have to thank me. I’m the one who persuaded you to go this far, so it’s only natural that I help. Oh, but wait, just one more thing.”
I was about to get up, having finished my meal, but Luce stopped me for a moment.
“I know you’re working hard already, but I want to speed up your recruitment process a bit.”
“Did something happen?”
“There’s talk that foreign players might be allowed in the Summer League.
Up until now, they’ve been hesitant about it, but something urgent seems to have happened.”
“Well… I’m fine with that.”
“Great, thank you.”
I wasn’t sure who was thanking whom.
But whatever it was, it was good news for me.
The sooner, the better.
Even just a little faster.
I wanted to return to the game and stand proudly on the pro stage—it was bound to be a beautiful sight.
A few days later, I stepped into the official studio for the pro league.
Very reasonable. The security team just doesn't want Gawol to croak and die and end up with either a lawsuit or public shaming that leads to a drop in the stock price. League Operations Team probably gets a bonus depending on the number of viewers.