FBPP C13

Chapter 13

Seo Ji-han didn’t particularly believe in things like fate or coincidence. He wasn’t religious, and despite being a pianist, his emotional sensitivity was dry as parchment. People often imagined that a “genius pianist” must be a delicate flower brimming with sentiment, but for Seo Ji-han, whatever sensitivity he had expressed itself in exactly one place—the piano.

So, even if this wasn’t the small, closed pool of five hundred players constantly running into each other at the top ranks, but the overcrowded Platinum tier, where somehow he kept bumping into the same player, someone with inconsistent login times no less, and even ran into that very same person in the first guild he had ever joined in his life—

Seo Ji-han was—

Absolutely—

Not going to care… or at least, that’s what he wanted.

But fuck, he couldn’t.

[Guild] AkashaPhilban: lol? Are my eyes deceiving me?
[Guild] JiniHaniJihani: What the fuck are you doing here?

The provocation came instantly, leaving Ji-han dizzy. He couldn’t even quit for a week—meaning he’d be stuck seeing this asshole every single day?

[Guild] MondaytoSunday: Huh? You two know each other??
**[Guild] AkashaPhilban: Why’d you even let him in? He’s a *.
[Guild] JiniHaniJihani: You insane? lol you were the one who started shit first, stop grabbing innocent people.
[Guild] AkashaPhilban: Even shamelessness has its limits lol. Monday, did you even check his age?

Were those two friends? Ji-han let out a bitter laugh. He thought he was joining a guild with no cliques, but this was worse than cliques. Sometimes, it was worse to be stuck with someone your enemy was close to than with people who were just distant strangers.

[Guild] JiniHaniJihani: That’s my line, dipshit. Why are you even logged in if you’re not playing? lol
[Guild] AkashaPhilban: I don’t queue just so I won’t run into you.
[Guild] MondaytoSunday: Uh… guys…;
[Guild] JiniHaniJihani: lmao then why not just quit? No, actually, just hang on. You’re a perma-Plat scrub anyway. Once I climb, we won’t meet again.
[Guild] AkashaPhilban: Platinum’s already more than you deserve. Dream bigger, huh lol.
[Guild] JiniHaniJihani: Yeah, keep barking, loser. When I climb, bow that dumb head of yours lolol.

At this point, Ji-han no longer cared why this guy hated him. The curiosity had burned out. Now it was just fighting for the sake of fighting. Ignore him? Impossible—they were in the same guild now. All he wanted was to piss the guy off, and he’d do anything to achieve that.

[Guild] JiniHaniJihani: If you’ve got a problem, say it straight, you creep. Don’t just skulk around picking fights without reasons. It says everything about your pathetic life.
[Guild] AkashaPhilban: lol I learned it all from you~
[Guild] MondaytoSunday: Guys…
[Guild] JiniHaniJihani: The fuck are you babbling about? What, you schizophrenic? Dreaming shit up? If you’re seeing and hearing things, go to a hospital, retard.
[Guild] AkashaPhilban: Maybe it’s you with dementia. Judging by your fingers, you’re too old to even keep playing properly lol.

“Finger age? What the fuck?”

He probably just meant to say Ji-han was bad at games, but Ji-han was far more rattled than he’d expected. To him, fingers weren’t just for gaming—they were the very tools he’d dedicated his life to as a pianist.

[Guild] JiniHaniJihani: Oh yeah? Those ‘old’ fingers of mine stomped your team into the ground. Why don’t you shut it.
[Guild] AkashaPhilban: Keep bragging about carrying in a 5v5. You even an adult?
[Guild] JiniHaniJihani: Should you even be allowed outside? Just stay locked in a hospital bed, doped up on sedatives. Or are you on death’s door already, hallucinating?

[Guild Notice by MondaytoSunday]: Please stop fighting. You’re not the only two in the guild.

[Guild] MondaytoSunday: ㅠㅠ I don’t know what happened between you two, but please take it to whispers or party chat. You’re in the same guild now, so please try to make peaceㅠ
[Guild] JiniHaniJihani: Make peace? I’m the one he started shit with.
[Guild] AkashaPhilban: lol? Dementia again? Or you’ve stirred up so much shit you can’t even remember anymore.
[Guild] JiniHaniJihani: I told you a hundred times, if you’ve got an issue, say it. And I asked a thousand times if you even know me, you dumb fuck!
[Guild] AkashaPhilban: Can’t even count, huh?

[Guild Notice by MondaytoSunday]: Please stop fighting. You’re not the only two in the guild.
[Guild Notice by MondaytoSunday]: Please stop fighting. You’re not the only two in the guild.

[Guild] MondaytoSunday: Please, I’m begging you, stop.

MondaytoSunday was practically pleading. Afraid the notices would get buried, he kept spamming the guild announcement button while typing.

[Guild Notice by MondaytoSunday]: Please stop fighting. You’re not the only two in the guild.

That “Can’t even count?” jab from AkashaPhilban gnawed at Ji-han, but he deleted the wall of curses he’d typed out.

There were more than five guild members online. He didn’t want to look like he was on the same level as that asshole, not when he’d just joined.

He’d be stuck here for at least a week. Best not to invite unnecessary misunderstandings.

“God, this pisses me off.”

Biting his lip, Ji-han queued up again. He’d channel this endless rage into gameplay and climb.

If there was one good thing about Platinum, it was the queue times. In the top ranks, you waited twenty minutes minimum for a match, but here, queues popped in under ten minutes. Slower for ADC, apparently, but Ji-han queued as all roles anyway.

This time, he landed as support. Four OP champs were pre-banned.

Player 1: What the hell, we got double ADC. Is there enough damage?

By design, melee carries had higher damage coefficients than ranged carries. Of course—they had to dive into enemy lines with paper-thin defenses, so if their damage wasn’t higher, they’d be worthless.

To match the damage output of a melee+ADC comp with two ADCs, they needed champions with raw, overwhelming damage. But those champs were slow-footed or had pathetically short range—hardly “ranged” at all. Worse, a support couldn’t protect two fragile carries at once, making team comp messy.

And high-damage ADCs were few to begin with, and their synergy even fewer, so the viable picks were very limited.

Player 1 was essentially asking: Can either of you handle a slow-footed, high-damage ADC properly?

Player 3: The only slow-foot I can play is Dominiqueㅠ Please don’t ban it.

Most ADCs avoided slow-footed champs. No mobility meant they had to entrust their life completely to their support—and in lower tiers, that trust was nonexistent.

By Platinum, players usually had settled into their main role and their top two or three champs, but compared to the top ranks, champion pools were still narrow, and comp awareness was lacking. Double-ADC comps often led to disaster.

Player 1: Dominique’s not a first pick this game.

Strategically, ADCs weren’t picked first unless deliberate. With poor melee defense, they were vulnerable to counters. Dominique, in particular, was a sitting duck—once engaged, she had no way to escape. If she was first-picked, she’d be instantly countered.

A Dominique pick essentially telegraphed the team’s entire game plan: late-game scaling with a focus on protecting her, forcing the support to lock into peel, and tanks into anti-dive picks. It was a free info dump for the enemy.

That was Dominique.

Player 1: Double ADC is just bad.

While the anonymous debate raged, the Blue side first-picked a standard tank.

Now it was Red side’s turn.

Player 2: Any of the ADCs willing to swap roles?
Player 3: Sorry, I can only play ADC, guys…
Player 2: What about Player 4?
Player 4: Tank or support.

Suddenly, a role restructuring was in progress, with Player 2 taking the lead.

Player 2: I can’t play damage. Then Player 1, can you?
Player 1: I can play ADC, but I said double ADC is bad.

Fifteen seconds left to pick.

Player 2: Well, what can you do? I’ll pick for now.

Player 2 locked in another standard tank—safe for the moment.

Zenox’s ban-pick was notoriously convoluted compared to other AOS games.

Each team’s first player pre-banned two champs, chosen by majority vote among five suggestions. Ties were broken by Player 1. Teams alternated picks, then the second ban phase came after three picks per team, this time purely by team vote.

It was meant to mimic pro tournaments, while also accounting for the reality that solo queue teams were total strangers. A clumsy attempt at “democracy.”

Player 2: Then what about Player 5? Melee or ADC?

Leaning on his chin, Ji-han typed lazily.

Player 5 (JiniHaniJihani): Melee’s fine.
Player 2: Then let’s swap 4 and 5. Nice and fair.

“What is he, a kindergarten teacher?”

The gentle coaxing and patient coordination was suspiciously practiced. Player 4 requested the change.

Role Change Request: Player 4 ADC → Tank

Unlike other roles, support was restricted to one slot. Ji-han already held it, so the swap had to pass through.

Unanimous approval: Player 4 shifted to Tank.

Role Change Request: Player 5 Support → Melee
Role Change Request: Player 4 Tank → Support