Thinking of him brings a faint smile to my lips. He doesn’t talk much, but he’s incredibly skilled—solid in his gameplay and always looking out for his teammates.
"As you can see, I have a new teammate now," I said. "Let’s go our separate ways."
Gian scoffed, his face full of disbelief. "Katty, have you lost your mind? I'm the number one fielding player in all of New York. Who could you possibly find to replace me?"
Gian's expression turned cold. "From now on, Winda will take your place and you’ll be the substitute. When you realize your mistake, come back and apologize."
Mr. Joffin was delighted when Gian suddenly insisted on bringing Winda into the lineup. With a newcomer taking my place, Mr. Joffin no longer paid much attention to my withdrawal from the team. However, since the tournament was approaching, he still arranged for me to stay on as a substitute, allowing me to remain close to the team and giving Gian and Winda a transition period.
As I settled into the gaming chair, a teammate muttered, "Katty, I heard you quit the team on your own. Are you crazy? Gian is the number one player in New York."
I merely adjusted my headset. "Let’s start."
This practice match was being live-streamed to hype up the audience before the official tournament.
The moment the stream opened, the chat exploded with comments.
[Gian No. 1!]
[Who’s the new support, Winda?]
[Isn’t Winda Gian’s girlfriend? I saw them together in the grove last time. They were… well, you know.]
Scanning the chat, I realized that many people already knew about them. My misplaced trust had become a weapon used against me.
Winda, clearly overjoyed, still feigned unease. "Katty, this position was originally yours. If you want to come back, I can step aside. I don’t want to make things difficult for you and Gian."
Gian scoffed. "Winda, don’t worry about her. She left on her own. Now, you are my teammate."
The last part was said in a soft, affectionate tone, directed only at Winda.
She blushed and responded sweetly, "Gian, I’ll follow your lead."
Halfway through the match, I found myself low on health, surrounded by two enemies. Winda hesitated. "Gian, should I go help Katty? But I don’t want to leave you…"
Gian shot me a glance and ordered, "Ignore her. Let her die. The rest of you, just focus on farming."
The chat caught on quickly.
[Shouldn’t Gian be helping Katty right now?]
[I heard Katty was a desperate third wheel, clinging to Gian. Even after everything, he still treats her like trash.]
[Look at how much Gian is protecting Winda.]
Winda turned to me with a sly smile. "Kat, you’re not playing well today. How about you let us take your resources? You don’t mind, right?"
The live camera was still on. I kept my expression composed. "I don’t mind."
Just then, Winda let out a dramatic gasp. Her screen turned gray—she had been killed.
"I was trying to help you! Why did you betray me?" she whimpered, her eyes welling with fake tears.
In the game, I had barely escaped with a sliver of health, while Winda had died. I could have easily gotten out on my own, but Winda insisted on coming over—only to walk straight into the enemy’s attack and get herself killed.
Gian’s voice turned ice-cold with fury. "Katty, are you done messing around? First, you refuse to cooperate and now you let Winda die? Get lost. I don’t want to see you before the tournament."
Winda sniffled, barely holding back her tears. "Gian, don’t be mad. It’s my fault… I shouldn’t have insisted on playing despite my lack of skill… it’s all my fault."
