FBPP C15

Chapter 15

Player 4 was AkashaPhilban? That bastard actually knew how to talk without picking a fight?

Clicking his tongue, Ji-han opened up a match-history site.

AkashaPhilban / Platinum 3 / Last game: 3 days ago / Previous season: Platinum 1.

Three days ago—that was exactly when he’d been brawling with Ji-han over whispers like rabid dogs. The guy who barely even played happened to log in today, and the moment Ji-han joined a guild and tried to blow off steam with a game… he ran into this bastard again for the first time in three days.

How the hell was that possible, with all the players in Platinum?

Sure, running into the same person across consecutive matches happened now and then. But the fact that this guy wasn’t even active was the kicker.

From his perspective, every time he queued up, there Ji-han was—JiniHaniJihani, like a curse.

“Wow. Seriously. For fuck’s sake. I do not want to see this asshole again.”

He didn’t even want to look at the username anymore.

The first time they’d met, AkashaPhilban had picked melee, but the game ended before he showed anything. After that, they always ran into each other on other roles. So even if Ji-han wanted to go in fired up—“this time I’ll show him the essence of melee”—he was already way past the point of wanting to have anything to do with this guy.

And it was worse because this match had looked promising for once.

He prayed that at least one out of ten would disconnect, but no. The loading screen showed every player loading in, one by one, until it was full.

Finally, the barrier lifted, and five characters appeared in the base. Among them, a blond boy with flowing locks, nine tails swaying behind him.

[Team] RiceAndNothingButRice (Gaien): Hey, sub-tank and melee are duo queue.
[Team] ChouxCreamLatte (Inegro): Don’t know about melee, but sub-tank’s a BJ.

A BJ? Ji-han opened the info tab.

[Team] Class1Grade4 (Bark): “Halmi Flower”? Is this their alt?
[Team] ChouxCreamLatte (Inegro): Yep, yep. Main account’s Master 3, I think.

While clearing minions and heading left for the tower trade, Ji-han typed in chat.

[Team] JiniHaniJihani (Nasarun): What’s their main IGN?
[Team] ChouxCreamLatte (Inegro): “Rose Flower.”

Master 3—that was enough to have overlapped with HanJiHanJang in matchmaking. Ji-han thought he might recognize the guy, but nothing came to mind.

If they’d been insanely good or hilariously bad but arrogant, he would’ve remembered. So either they’d never been matched, or the guy was utterly unremarkable.

“This is driving me insane.”

The Nasarun Ji-han had picked needed help from a support or sub-tank. He couldn’t always drag a sub-tank around, which meant AkashaPhilban had to cooperate. But given his behavior, there was no way Ji-han could expect that.

Especially since the enemy’s most annoying champ wasn’t even a Platinum local but some Master-tier player. Charging in alone would be suicide.

After finishing the tower trade, Ji-han rotated to clear the right lane. And who trailed after him?

None other than AkashaPhilban.

What the hell was this guy doing? Ji-han had expected him to start bitching the moment they loaded in. Instead, he stayed quiet and even followed behind, shadowing Ji-han’s movements.

Normally, melee cleared the right lane solo early. The fact that AkashaPhilban followed meant he was providing vision—covering against potential ambushes.

“Overprotective much…?” Ji-han thought at first. But then he remembered: this idiot firmly believed there was something wrong with Ji-han’s fingers. God knows what gave him that idea, but suddenly it made sense.

The bastard was following to make sure Ji-han didn’t die stupidly while clearing minions.

“Unbelievable. Absolutely unreal.”

Still, it was better than starting a fight. No point bickering again.

Looking at the minimap, Ji-han saw the tanks clashing in mid while Inegro was locked in a deadly lane duel with the enemy ADC. Neither side’s minions crossed midline—they were shredded the moment they stepped forward.

Your tower is under attack.
You are attacking the enemy tower.

Then the enemy melee appeared on the map—and instantly, a 3v4 skirmish broke out mid.

The moment they realized Ji-han and support had rotated right, the enemy melee abandoned lane and collapsed mid.

An ally has been slain.
An ally has been slain.

Both main and sub-tank hit the scoreboard. While the sub-tank had been diving the enemy’s main tank, their melee swooped in and shredded them. They spared the ADC, deciding tanks were easier targets under the tower. Either way, the team’s defense line collapsed, and the mid tower’s health started melting.

For Platinum, their decision-making was sharp—but what stunned Ji-han was the speed of their shot-calling.

[Team] RiceAndNothingButRice (Gaien): Their backup’s insane. Must be on voice comms.
[Team] Class1Grade4 (Bark): Calm down, friends. We just didn’t see it coming. Happens early.
[Team] ChouxCreamLatte (Inegro): Do we just give mid? The loss is huge.

Ding!

A retreat ping hit mid tower. From AkashaPhilban.

[Team] AkashaPhilban (Chaplin): Mid’s no good anyway. Our melee’s got no angles—Nasarun’s linear, no dash, blocked by terrain.
[Team] AkashaPhilban (Chaplin): If we fight,

Ding! Ding!

He pinged the two side paths off mid tower.

[Team] AkashaPhilban (Chaplin): These are best. Otherwise, don’t engage first. Let them come, catch them, grow our melee.
[Team] AkashaPhilban (Chaplin): Once melee’s got defensive items, I’ll handle initiation.

It was so rational Ji-han almost forgot this was the guy who’d pissed him off.

An allied tower has been destroyed.

Clearing a hidden side-camp, Ji-han stepped back out—only to be surprised again.

AkashaPhilban had gathered scattered minions from across the map, kiting them like the Pied Piper.

Thanks to that, Ji-han cleared six in one skill, pocketing 600 gold, the cheerful jingle echoing through his headset.

The saying was true: one good act outweighed ten shitty ones. If he’d just skipped the toxic chatter, Ji-han would’ve been grateful. Now, he was just suspicious.

[He almost typed: “Why the sudden change of heart?” but deleted it.]

Forget it. Just play the game, treat him like a stranger, win, and go separate ways.

With AkashaPhilban sticking close and granting vision, Ji-han’s Nasarun scaled quickly. At one point, the enemy ADC tested him with a poke, but Ji-han dodged instantly, and AkashaPhilban knocked the guy down in response.

It could’ve snowballed into a teamfight, but their melee was clearing on the opposite side, so it fizzled into a standoff.

The enemy clearly realized Ji-han wasn’t some random. Their reaction slowed; they weren’t about to force initiation recklessly.

Both comps were built for late-game, so the teams focused on scaling. And from how coordinated the enemy looked, Ji-han was sure the Master-tier player was shot-calling.

Ding! Ding!

[Team] JiniHaniJihani (Nasarun): Tanks, don’t overlap vision. Their engage is lightning-fast.
[Team] JiniHaniJihani (Nasarun): We’ve got longer range—don’t waste it. Watch the flanks.

Then the unignorable buff monster spawned.

The Flames of Radiere engulf the battlefield!

With fewer towers, Radiere spawned closer to their side, right of mid.

Ding! Ding!

[Team] Class1Grade4 (Bark): Don’t hit it. Teamfight first. Inegro, ult items up?
[Team] ChouxCreamLatte (Inegro): Yep. Shadow item’s done too.
[Team] RiceAndNothingButRice (Gaien): Then I’m pushing forward.

Their sub-tank left Inegro’s side, climbing top. The main tank shifted right from mid.

When the enemy tank and support appeared in vision, Ji-han shoved the right lane deeper, flooding enemy side with minions. Meanwhile, AkashaPhilban dropped a vision stone in the side path.

This forced the enemy to approach either head-on through mid, through the destroyed tower gap, or by circling far left—too slow to matter.

Initiation came from AkashaPhilban. The enemy support, staring down the main tank, got knocked down. Inegro leapt onto a crate and unloaded damage. He couldn’t kill the tanky support, but the pressure was real.

Ji-han gulped a speed potion and rotated through the warded side path.

JiniHaniJihani is approaching the target.

Seeing the melee’s signal, the tanks surged forward. The main tank slammed down, pinning the half-HP enemy support.

“For fuck’s sake. These tanks think ults are gap-closers.”

Burning a powerful initiation ult just to dive a support? Ridiculous. In high ranks, the enemy melee would’ve torn them apart for it.

The enemy ADC dumped everything to peel for their support, but the sub-tank piled on, walling ADC and support together. So far, so good.

Gaien: Let’s have some fun!
Inegro: Dance the dance of death with me!

“What the—? Why are you both diving? Are you insane?”

Ding! Ding!

JiniHaniJihani signals: Catherine is alive.
JiniHaniJihani signals: Dennis is alive.

You lunatics—the sub-tank and melee aren’t even on the map!

Disaster. Losing Gaien’s AOE spin ult was one thing, but Inegro’s chaos-inducing ultimate too? Massive blow. With both gone, Ji-han couldn’t just dive blindly, not with the two danger champs missing.

The fight was already lost.

Glancing at the support’s item build, Ji-han made his call.

Whether it ended 4 deaths or 5, Radiere was gone. Lose the buff monster, and the last two outer towers would crumble.

JiniHaniJihani is approaching the target.
JiniHaniJihani requests assistance.

“AkashaPhilban, you precious little shit. Please, for once in your life, understand me.”