Season 3: Chapter 260. The Big Catch (1)
Just before Joseon's victory, Ju-Hyeok had been focused on selling items. Then, he became completely absorbed in the moment and his eyes opened wide. When they finally announced the victory, he jumped so high that he dropped all the turtle ship dolls in his arms.
"Oh, oh! We won! We wonnnn!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, but couldn't even hear his own voice.
The cheers from the crowd were so loud that they deafened him.
"Woohoooo!"
The spectators all stood, hugging and jumping with strangers. It felt like the stadium was shaking. However, Ju-Hyeok's consciousness was far removed from all of this.
'Huh...?'
He saw it.
The moment the game ended, Sang-Hyeon fell to his knees and screamed with all his might. The broadcast couldn’t capture the audio. It would have been drowned out by the crowd's roar anyway.
However, Ju-Hyeok felt like he could hear it. Was it sadness? He momentarily thought Sang-Hyeon was sad. It was a moment of immense joy, but the scream didn't seem to be just a cry of joy. No, it wasn't simply sadness either. It was like a gemstone that shone differently depending on the angle.
The layers of time built up in his heart, pressed down by immense force, had turned into a brilliant gem. That gem now shone, but was it joyful? Ju-Hyeok couldn't tell.
Perhaps Sang-Hyeon himself didn't know either. Ju-Hyeok just thought that, even so, it was a shining life. And perhaps that was why something glimmered at the corner of his own eye as well.
***
"... We won."
[Victory]
After confirming this word, Sa-Rang muttered as if she couldn't believe it.
'Almond did it?'
Almond had succeeded. He barely managed to capture Ringo within the allotted time.
"Hah."
A wave of relief washed over her. Her entire body felt weak for a moment and her vision blurred.
'No.'
She couldn't collapse just yet. Unfortunately, the game wasn't over yet. She had to maintain her role as Joseon's commander until she disappeared into the waiting room, out of sight from the spectators and other players.
'I have to hold on.'
She had to appear normal until then. From the moment she fled on horseback, her consciousness had been teetering on the edge, held together by the sheer determination to win.
She had won, but it wasn't over. Even her exit was part of the game. She approached the defeated players to shake hands and greeted the audience as she made her way to the waiting room.
The atmosphere felt festive with fireworks exploding and cheers echoing from all directions. Highlights from the five games replayed on the big screen, accompanied by the commentators' shouts. They were almost inaudible to her.
"Hah... ha..."
She only focused entirely on maintaining a calm expression while sitting in the wheelchair and moving toward the waiting room at a steady pace.
Whirr.
The time spent moving in the wheelchair felt like an eternity. She desperately wanted to speed up but couldn't. It wouldn't seem natural.
"Hah..."
Cold sweat dripped from her forehead. She probably wouldn't be able to participate in the next game. The doctor wouldn't allow it a second time. For her own health, it was time to step back. Cookie could take over from the semifinals onward.
"Hoo... ha..."
Even so, she wanted to perform her role until the end. In fact, she had to act even more now because she couldn't participate in future matches. The enemies couldn't know that she wouldn't be playing anymore.
Even if only Cookie appeared, the opponents had to think Joseon still had two commanders. She had to exist somewhere unseen, always present. Even her exit was part of the game.
As she approached the hallway leading to the waiting room, the stadium lights began to fade and shadows fell. The cheers from the crowd slowly faded and everyone’s attention turned to the other players.
'Finally.'
She had finally escaped the spectators' view. She entered a space where only Joseon's players roamed. As soon as she thought that—
'Oh.'
Ping.
With a sound like a screen turning off, her consciousness faded.
***
The players noisily entered the waiting room one by one. Some had already lost their voices from shouting too much on the field. Even so, smiles were plastered on everyone's faces. However, they were shocked as soon as they entered the waiting room.
"What, what is this?!"
"Oh my god..."
A woman lay collapsed on the sofa. It was Best Yi Sun-Shin, their commander.
"Is she dead?!"
Pang panicked.
"What?!"
She already looked somewhat sickly, so it seemed plausible.
"Aaaah! Why is no one here?!"
Pang grabbed his phone to call the emergency team.
"Hey! Hey! Calm down!"
Just then, Chi-Seung burst out of the door.
Pang yelled even louder, "Why?! Shouldn't we inform everyone?!"
"No, it's not that... she's just sleeping."
"... Sleeping?"
"Yes. She suddenly fell asleep."
Thunk.
Wan-Yong smacked Pang on the back of his head as he passed by.
"Stop making a fuss."
"But... you were surprised too..."
Grumbling about her frail health, Pang found a seat and sat down.
"Hah. Thank goodness."
Pang plopped down on the soft sofa in the waiting room and watched the broadcast.
[Joseon: 3]
[Japan: 2]
The still unbelievable numbers glittered on the screen.
'We really won.'
He had lost hope in games three and four due to Japan's well-known ability to turn the tide, Choi Sa-Rang's stamina issues, and Almond's endurance problems.
They had been on the brink of despair. They had even taken a step into it. He simply thought Joseon had done well to get this far.
'Indeed.'
Joseon was a weak team without their ace Almond, the first string players, and the commander's charisma and leadership. That was the truth. Once again, Almond and Best Yi Sun-Shin's relentless efforts until the end significantly contributed to their victory.
'Hah.'
In the next game, they would likely face challenges again. Pang couldn't just rejoice in their victory. He recalled the days before Almond and Best Yi Sun-Shin joined.
He knew the Joseon team before Cookie honed their combat concepts to perfection. That was why fear flickered in his eyes as he watched the broadcast. What would happen to the team if Almond and Best Yi Sun-Shin couldn't perform?
Then, a particular scene appeared in the broadcast highlights. The soldiers had gathered on the beach, arranging themselves. Pang didn't understand the scene at first. He had never seen it from this angle. He couldn't understand why this scene of soldiers constantly changing positions was in the highlights.
'...?'
Only after listening to the commentary did he realize that the soldiers had formed words.
[Trust Us]
His eyes trembled. So this was what it looked like from above. The highlights moved on to another scene when Pang desperately steered his ship into the Japanese vessel.
Next, it was the scene of him firing at his own ship and taking down the Japanese soldiers. Malatang's valiant efforts and scenes of countless soldiers carrying and firing cannons flew by.
Finally, he felt it.
'Trust us.'
It wasn't just a message to the commander. It wasn't just for the audience.
'...'
Perhaps the ones who needed to trust the most were...
"Hey! Ace!"
Lost in thought, Pang jumped up when someone entered the waiting room. It was Sang-Hyeon.
"You're here! Haha!"
Sang-Hyeon smiled back at him.
"You might get MVP this time, bro."
"What?"
"Your highlight scenes appeared the most."
"What's gotten into you? Have you gone mad after five games? Hahaha!"
***
The highlights finally ended.
"So! Who is the MVP?!"
Dun dun.
The MVP was revealed. First, the most outstanding scenes of the MVP played with accompanying music.
"Hold the line!"
In the chaotic battlefield, a powerful voice rang out when Joseon's archers faced the swordsmen in close combat. The owner of the voice appeared. It was Spam when he held off the swordsmen until Almond arrived. That was the most crucial moment.
[Game 1]
[MVP: Spam]
Spam had been selected as the MVP for the first game.
— Oh
— Spam!!
— What kind of name is Spam? lol
"Game one! Spam played with such tenacity!"
"Indeed, it would've been tough to finish the game if he hadn't held out with such determination!"
Next, the highlight from the second game showed a man silently drawing his bow in the forest.
— Oppenheimer
— Wow
— This must've been tough lol the commander did well too
— Whoa
— Wiping out workers lol
— The worker butcher lol
[Game 2]
[MVP: Almond]
In the second game, Almond single-handedly decimated the enemy workers and cut off Japan's additional troop production. He was the MVP.
"Game two! Almond! It's Almond!"
"Ah! He truly wreaked havoc like a nuclear bomb! He toyed with the main base!"
The next highlight was at sea.
Splash!
A ship cut through the white waves.
Swoosh.
There, Pang was steering the ship.
[Game 5]
[MVP: Pang]
The MVP of the final game was Pang.
"Wow! Pang!"
"Pang! Pang is the MVP! MVP of the fifth game!!"
— Wow
— After it's all over, only the fifth game remains in memory lol
— Whoa
— Without Pang in game five, we would've lost lol
— Pang finally ascended lol
— Escaped being a placeholder leader
— Spam, Pang, Almond!! This is the trio of archers
***
Meanwhile, in the waiting room...
"Oh... Oh?! It's really me?!"
Pang stood up in surprise. He walked back to the stadium in a daze. Cheers and bright lights welcomed him once more.
"Wowww!"
"Pang! Pang!"
The crowd in red uniforms chanted his name. The stadium was still packed even though the match had ended. Even the Japanese spectators mostly remained.
'Hah. To think I'd see a day like this...'
He laughed and raised his arms.
"It's a big catch!" he shouted.
The crowd went wild. He felt the cheers growing louder.
"Wowwww!"
The excitement pierced his heart. This was it. This was why they had endured all the hardships.