“I don’t understand why I have to do this.”

Lee Sanghyuk, also known as the professional League of Legends player, Faker, tugged at the school-issued tie that was resting uncomfortably around his neck. He looked over to the rest of his team, the world-famous SK Telecom T1, all of whom looked equally uncomfortable.

Their coach, Kim Junggyun, grinned like the cat that ate the canary. “You boys are becoming superstars. You’re already more famous than some of those new boy bands out there. So, a lot of people have been asking if you’d do variety shows, like Running Man,” the team of e-Sports players made faces – they weren’t the most athletic of people, “and Hello Baby.” another face from the boys, especially Jang Kyunghwan, a.k.a. MaRin, who was probably the worst with kids.

Grumbling a bit, Lee “Wolf” Jaewan crossed his arms. “So instead, you chose to take time out of our schedule to send us to… high school.” The support player sounded entirely unamused, a sentiment which Sanghyuk agreed with.

“Boys, please. Just… this will get even more fans and more support in SKT’s favor! Remember that.” Coach paused as he looked at the school. “Besides, this school is used to having celebrities go here. You’ll fit in just fine.”

Kyunghwan heaved a sigh, looking just as reluctant as the rest of his team. “You said something about rules for our month-long stay here,” he said.

With a beam, Coach gestured to the cameras. “There are cameras following you at all times. You can talk to the camera, and before and after every day of school, you’ll do confessionals, which means you talk about your day. There are a few rules. You must socialize with other students, and you must join an after school club,” recited the older man, looking from player to player.

Groans from the seven e-Sports players, followed by loud complaints, met Sanghyuk’s ears as he shuffled his feet.

Most of them hadn’t gone to school since they began playing professional League of Legends. In fact, Sanghyuk hadn’t even gone to high school. After middle school, he’d entered the professional scene to train. A year later, he was placed onto the team of SK Telecom T1 K.

And he hadn’t gone to school since.

Biting his lip, he tugged at the collar that was uncomfortably tight around his neck. “Well… let’s just get this over with,” he said, trying to sound cheery. He walked forward to take his schoolbag from where it sat in front of his coach.

One by one, the rest of the team followed, falling in step with him as they travelled towards the front door. Sanghyuk’s grasp on the strap of his backpack tightened as the stairs leading into the school grew closer and closer.

“What class are you guys in?” asked Lee “Easyhoon” Jihoon. He looked at the paper he’d been handed in the car on the way to the school. “I’m in class 3-B. I guess I didn’t get score the top 20 percentile.”

Jaewan looked over. “Heh, you got into 3-B? I’m in 3-D.” At the looks from the rest of the group, he shrugged. “I’m not too smart. I know League of Legends and Japanese cartoons. Not much else,” he admitted nonchalantly.

Next was Kyunghwan, who announced, “I got placed in 3-A.” Which made a lot of sense. Kyunghwan was the one they liked to follow in game, because he was smart and could think on his feet. He was, perhaps, the most intelligent of the team. He was just quiet and introverted compared to the rest of them.

“I got into 3-B, with Jihoon.” Jihoon high-fived Bae “bengi” Seongung. The two would be fine together, especially since they worked together so well in game and out of game.

The quietest of the group, Lee “Piccaboo” Jongbeom, held up his paper. “3-D. Scores were low,” he admitted quietly, shuffling his feet as if he were embarrassed. Jaewan clapped a hand on his shoulder, as if trying to encourage his friend.

Bae “Bang” Junsik held up his paper with a beam. “I’m with my supports! 3-D!” He sounded both happy and relieved, pleased to know that he would not be alone and not be the only one with a low score on their high school entrance exams from almost four years ago. After the two exchanged a hug, all eyes turned to Sanghyuk.

He sighed. He hadn’t even taken a look at his paper. He knew that he was probably not in 3-A or 3-D. Which either mean he’d be with two of his close friends or he’d be alone. Pulling the paper from his pants pocket, he unfolded it.

“3-B.”

Although he wasn’t alone, he would still have to walk into that classroom, face students his age or younger who would judge him, and be a “normal” student, when he hadn’t been a student for a ridiculously long time. He had to make friends and try not to get on anyone’s bad side while shooting for this show.

To say he was nervous would be a gross understatement.

Sanghyuk definitely wouldn’t say he was stupid. He scored pretty high on his high school entrance exams. He knew how to play a strategy game that required reaction time and smarts, and he was good at it. But in front of the class of kids that was scrutinizing him and his friends, plus the cameras that would broadcast him to the world, he felt like he was smaller than a yordle.

He managed to stutter out his name with a bow to accompany it. His new classmates clapped to greet him, and he took his seat next to Jihoon. He sighed a heavy sigh, feeling so tired that he could’ve just fallen asleep right there and then.

In fact, several times throughout the day, he almost did.

Math was boring. Sanghyuk could barely understand a good portion of what the numbers were doing, what the letters were in equations for, or what even he was supposed to do to solve the equations. He was so lost that he ended up writing notes about some new champions he wanted to add to his pool.

History was boring. It wasn’t that he didn’t like history, which he didn’t, it was just that the subject itself didn’t make him care. It was boring and dull, unlike the lore of League of Legends. That always made him sit up a little straighter. Instead of listening and reading along, he started to design his own champion.

English was boring. But it was a class that he knew what he was doing in. He was already studying English for when he travelled overseas for tournaments. He mouthed along the answers to all of the teacher’s questions, but never tried to answer out loud. As he did so, he sketched a picture of the champion he was creating, his mind only half in the class.

Science was boring. Sanghyuk hated science. But he had to try to pay attention, because science was too hard for him to play catch-up in. His mind wandered, though, and it went to who else he could take into mid lane. Several times, he went from League to science and back to League. He just couldn’t concentrate.

Literature was boring. So, in that class, Sanghyuk actually fell asleep, despite being filmed.

“You actually fell asleep?” Jaewan laughed during lunch as he picked at his lunch. Flushing, Sanghyuk avoided his gaze. “That’s great! Our star player, best mid laner in the world, fell asleep reading about some poor guy in Pyongyang!”

Sanghyuk really wished he could just go home and tend to his flower pots. He could feel his shoulders tensing.

The rest of the day was just as slow and tiring as the first half, but somehow, Sanghyuk managed to stay awake, although just barely, by reminding himself of the cameras that filmed him.

What woke him up, really and truly, was Jihoon sliding a paper across his desk. He looked at it. It was a flyer for the school’s League of Legends competitive team. They were accepting new members at any point in time. Sanghyuk took the paper in his hands and looked up at Jihoon questioningly.

“They said we had to join an after school club. Kyunghwan was asking around at lunch, and he came up with this.” He shrugged, shouldering his bag with a bored look written all over his face. “I think it’s worth a try. If anything, we can just go and practice on our own in the back of the room.”

Sanghyuk took another look at the paper, then stood. “Okay. That sounds okay,” he replied. “Let’s go find everyone else.” He picked up his bag, hoisting it over his shoulder, and followed Jihoon and Seongung out of the room.

Pausing, Seongung looked to classroom 3-A. “I’ll go get Kyunghwan, and we’ll meet you guys there.” He dashed over to the other classroom.

The remaining two exchanged a look. Sanghyuk just shrugged. “Let’s go.”

As they passed classroom 3-D, Jaewan, Jongbeom, and Junsik joined them. Junsik looked markedly happier than he did before. “So, we’re going to this League of Legends Club?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows as he nudged Sanghyuk’s side.

Sanghyuk nodded, holding his bag strap tighter as he glanced at the camera that followed him.

He just hoped they club would be worth their time.

“Alright, everyone!” The group of six boys stepped inside the clubroom as a girl with long, black hair, the ends dip-dyed a royal purple, ordered the rest of the club, ten other people, “Draw a position!”

The SKT team, all of whom stood in the back of the room, the VJ sitting right in front of them, watched in interest as the ten people drew a slip of paper from a can, and each announced their position – top, jungle, mid, adc, support – as they walked towards a computer and took a seat on either side of the room, sitting at a computer that was marked with said position.

The girl flipped her hair back and turned to the whiteboard, where she scribbled something in blue marker. “The teams are limited to non-yordle female characters. It’s draft mode, so ban three, pick five. Got it?” The rest of the group chorused their agreement, and the girl moved to her own computer, typing something in as the game in Summoner’s Rift began.

She finally looked up to see the six boys, a grin forming on her face. “Well, look who we have here. The famous SK Telecom T1 team themselves.” She confidently marched up to them, holding her hand out. “I’m Jiae, senior class 3-A. Kyunghwan told me you guys would be coming.”

At his teammate’s gazes, the boy flushed red, grinning sheepishly. “Jiae is my table partner. She was the one who asked us to come in,” he confessed. He walked over to her and introduced his team, who, one-by-one, shook her hand in greeting. “So, you said you had a favor to ask of us?” he asked, looking down at the much shorter girl.

Jiae beamed. “I was just thinking that you guys are… nothing short of Gods to us.” She gestured to the ten teenagers who were currently smashing keys and clicking at a rapid pace in order to defeat their opponents in the game. “This team has been on a,” she hesitated, “losing streak lately. All our tournaments, we’ve gotten crushed. I figured that just seeing you guys would raise morale for them.”

With a small smile, Kyunghwan placed a hand on her shoulder and looked to his team. “I thought we’d volunteer to help coach the players for their next tournament. It’ll be good for us,” he said quietly, his eyes pleading with his team to agree with him.

After exchanging a look with Seongung, Sanghyuk was the first to step forward and offer his hand. “It’d be an honor to be your team’s coach for this short while.” His voice was quiet, but his words rang true.

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