<strong>KSM was a busy time for everyone.</strong>


    Viewers were engrossed in the constant barrage of action, finding joy, excitement, and stress relief in the never-ending skirmishes. Meanwhile, the 100 professional gamers vying for a spot on the 20-person South Korean national team were tirelessly pushing themselves to their limits. But it wasn''t just the yers and viewers—engineers were on edge, constantly maintaining the servers to prevent crashes, while the PR teams were working frantically, reaching out and making contacts.


    Ironically, even someone like Yu-jin, who had gained freedom a bit earlier than others, couldn’t escape the hustle and bustle.


    And so, this brings us to what’s happening now.


    "Hello! Congrattions on being pre-selected for the Korean national team! We’ve been following your gamey in the Dark Zone with great interest, and we’re thrilled to have the chance to interview you."


    "Thank you. It must have been a long trip for you all. I’ll do my best to answer whatever questions you have."


    An interview.


    Not just any interview, but one where the title “national representative” was now officially attached to her name. As mentioned before, the uing match would be the Asian qualifiers, and the yers selected through KSM would represent Korea in battles against the national teams from other countries.


    Normally, such interviews would only take ce after KSM had concluded, with 20 first-team representatives and 20 reserve members officially listed. However, Yu-jin’s early selection had changed the narrative.


    Moreover, she was the only yer without any other scheduled events aside from the exhibition match, and with over an hour left until the second match, the timing was perfect for an interview.


    "Let’s start with something light. First, you’ve been pre-selected for the national team after an undefeated run through KSM. How do you feel?"


    "Personally, I feel like I can finally rx and focus on preparations. It’s been a grueling period, going through the tournament rankings, scrims, and qualifiers. I think I’ll be able to approach the Asian qualifiers more calmly than before."


    "Haha, assuming you’ll continue with your intense training regimen, right?"


    "Of course. But it won’t be too boring, since there are a few others now."


    As she said that, the faces of a few individuals shed through her mind.


    There was Dice, who had been tearing through matches in thest few hours; Harmony, who had evolved beyond the limits of a typical user; and Blooming, a professional yer from SSM who had suddenly climbed into KSM, seemingly out of nowhere. It was as if anyone who crossed paths with her had been injected with some sort of stimnt, showing remarkable growth in theirbat prowess.


    The hosts, wearing somewhat awkward smiles, moved on to the next question.


    "For our second question: This was your first time participating in KSM. How was the overall environment? Did you experience anyg or server issues, and how were the yer rest areas?"


    "There weren’t any major issues overall. Even if there were, unless it was something extremely serious, I think yers just need to anticipate and adapt, so it’s not something I’d worry too much about."


    "Wow, that’s impressive. You think that way? We expected a simr response, especially since even minor differences can determine victory or defeat in these matches."


    "Well, in reality, things rarely go exactly the way you want. Personally, I believe you should always be prepared for the possibility that things won’t go as nned."


    Is that something most people can do?


    Of course, they didn’t voice this thought aloud.


    As the questions continued, the hosts were getting to know more about Yu-jin. There was something oddly warm about her personality. It wasn’t just about her professional demeanor; when asked more personal questions, there was a sense of depth. She was someone who kept her personal and professional lives distinctly separate.


    Or perhaps it was because Yu-jin’s knowledge of modernbat—especially in the Dark Zone—was so vast and specialized that whenever asked about it, her answers were astoundingly professional.


    "Let’s move on to the next question. Many people are excited about your meteoric rise in the scene, but do you n to continuepeting not only this year but also next year and beyond?"


    "I think I will."


    "Oh, you’re not entirely sure?"


    After a brief pause, Yu-jin added:


    "I believe I’ll continue to keep an eye on the overall flow of what’s referred to as thebat meta. Whether I’ll go all the way andpete for the championship, I’m not sure."


    "I see. That’s a bold answer. Do you n to keep showing off this level of physical performance?"


    "That’s the n."


    Nodding, the hosts moved on to the next question.


    There was nothing about her personal life, but the questions they needed to ask still piled up.


    "How much do you typically train each day?"


    "If I’m shooting a gun, that’s practice. Whether I’m working on the main mission, visiting the shooting range, or ying AP, it’s all practice."


    But that wasn’t the answer people wanted to hear, and Yu-jin seemed aware of that.


    "But when ites to honing skills, the amount of practice isn’t what’s important. What matters is how you practice and what you focus on. Skills improve when you break through limits, and that only happens when you achieve goals that are nearly impossible."


    "That’s incredible. Considering not only Dice but others trained by you are performing phenomenally, the weight of your words feels even greater. What kind of goals do you mean when you say ‘nearly impossible’?"


    "100% uracy while moving or hitting moving targets with 100% precision, for example."


    "Is that…even possible?"@@novelbin@@


    "You keep working at it until it is."


    Ah.


    She really was pure Sparta incarnate.


    One sheet of questions disappeared, and the format of the interview changed slightly. Now, the questions appeared in midair, and Yu-jin answered them directly. The hosts would asionally jump in with follow-up questions when more rification was needed.


    <strong>Q: Have you ever gotten angry during a match, or do you have any tips for managing your mental state?</strong>


    "It might sound harsh, but I believe a true professional shouldn’t let their emotions influence their actions duringbat. Even in the most critical situations, you must control yourself to achieve the results you want."


    There wasn’t even a hint of hesitation in her answer.


    It flowed out smoothly, as if it were something rehearsed, though the nuance was neither arrogant nor condescending. Rather, it was simply a statement of fact. Yu-jin’s conviction was clear—if you didn’t do this, you couldn’t win. Her words carried the precision of mathematics, not just confidence.


    <strong>Q: There’s a joke going around calling this year’s Korean national team “Yu-jin’s Fleet.” What do you think about that?</strong>


    "‘Yu-jin’s Fleet’? Haa…."


    The bizarre, ever-growing list of nicknames never seemed to end.


    As a deeply human sigh escaped her lips, the hosts tried to stifle theirughter. Of course, it was because of all the quirky nicknames Yu-jin had earned over time.


    There were already more than a dozen of them, each one as embarrassing to say out loud as the next.


    With a face that looked like she’d just bitten into a lemon, Yu-jin forced a smile and added:


    "…Anyway, each team has its own coach, so that’s not really something I can control. But if anyone’s interested, I could create a curriculum for them."


    "Haha, that’s understandable, given your track record."


    The host checked the remaining list of questions andughed.


    "It looks like we’re about ready to wrap up. We’ll ask a few more questions, then let you take a break. Is that okay with you?"


    "That’s fine."


    More questions appeared in midair.


    <strong>Q: Your short-term coaching role with SSM ends at the end of November. Do you have any ns to continue working as a coach or as a pro yer with SSM or another team?</strong>


    "I don’t have any ns right now. If I do continue, it’ll likely be in an external consultant role. And if I do, I might show up at a different team, not SSM."


    "Oh, I see! Is there a reason for that?"


    "Bnce must be maintained."


    "Ah…"


    What a strange reason.


    But understanding the minds of exceptional people was the job of other exceptional people. The hosts pushed their minds into overdrive to process Yu-jin’s reasoning and moved on to the final question.


    <strong>Q: Is there a yer you think will make it to the final championship? Or anyone you’d like to go with?</strong>


    "I can’t really speak to the first part, but as for the second… probably Dice. She’s my protégé, after all. I think it’d be good for her to make it to the finals and learn as much as she can."


    "Haha, we’re getting that vibe too. Anyway, thank you for your time! We’ll be back shortly after a break!"


    And with that, it was break time.


    The hosts slipped away, careful not to disturb the yer’s personal time, leaving Yu-jin alone again.


    As the five-minute timer quietly ticked down, Yu-jin brought up a clock to check the current time. About 20 minutes had passed since the interview started, so some results should being in soon.


    She retrieved the notes she had been using to analyze movement and popped up a screen to check if anyone was still ying. But instead of the fiery volcano ind she expected, a notification appeared on the screen.


    -[Notice: Atakaia Volcano Ind session has ended.]


    -[Notice: The winner is <Username: DICE>.]


    -[Notice: ‘DICE’ has been selected as the second pre-selection candidate!]


    <strong>Pop!</strong>


    "Yu-jin! I got pre-selected!"


    "Ah! What the—!"


    <strong>Thud!</strong>


    Before she could evenprehend what was happening, Yu-jin was tackled.


    Thest thing she felt was something soft against her face.


    "…Was she even allowed in here?"


    "I guess so. I didn’t know either, but maybe it’s because she’s been pre-selected. I think something simr happenedst year. There was a room where only pre-selected candidates could meet and talk."


    "Oh."


    The room that had once been Yu-jin’s private space now transformed into a snowy forest resembling somewhere in northern Europe. The cozy room,plete with a firece and white marble floors, set the scene as Dice and Yu-jin continued their conversation.


    Of course, they weren’t alone—the two hosts were still present.


    "Sorry for interrupting your interview. I’ll head out now."


    "Oh, don’t worry. Since you’re the second pre-selected candidate, how about we interview you next? We can have the questions ready in about 30 minutes."


    "Oh… Is that okay? What about Yu-jin?"


    "I’m fine with it."


    As Dice let out a sigh of relief, one of the hosts asked:


    "So, what’s the rtionship between you two?"


    "Well…."


    Yu-jin interrupted naturally.


    "Oh, right. Here, take this. It’s the match evaluation. I’ll be incorporating it into the curriculumter, so it’s good for you to know."


    "…Ugh."


    Dice, looking confused, took the paper and stared at it for a moment before turning to the hosts.


    "This is pretty much how it is. I’m constantly under her thumb. Someone, please save me."


    "Anyone who hears you would think I only give you tasks you can’t do."


    "You don’t, but you do always give me things that are just a step beyond myfort zone!"


    Ah, so that’s how it is.


    The two hosts quickly pieced together the dynamic between the two, even as Yu-jin and Dice continued their back-and-forth banter.


    Then Yu-jin made an offhandment.


    "Well, at least you can rx for a few days now. I need to start focusing on Blooming anyway."


    "Oh."


    As the two reached some sort of agreement, the host who had just witnessed Yu-jin’s actions asked another question.


    "So… Does that mean Blooming will now be evaluated in real-time like Dice?"


    "Most likely, yes."


    "Oh no."


    "Why the reaction?"


    "Just…."


    Thinking about Blooming being evaluated by both Yu-jin and Dice at the same time made him feel a bit dizzy, even though it wasn’t happening to him.


    But, of course, he couldn’t say that out loud.


    It was yet another peaceful moment during the chaos of KSM.