Chen Jin-Yang rose to her feet with a sudden burst of energy. She had suddenly realised that with Ming-shen’s retirement speech, there would have been enough time for a certain Jungler from the opposition team to change and be waiting outside again for Tong Yao.
And with what she had learnt about him (since meeting Tong Yao and from her) Jin-Yang was almost certain that he would be waiting for her. “Yao-Yao, time to go.”
Tong Yao merely sighed however as she rose, putting her phone away. “If he’s there, I can’t avoid him, Jin’er. There are too many people around, too many cam…e.. ras!”
JIn-Yang actually smiled at that as they began to exit their row, linking her arm in her smaller friend’s as they reached the exit way. “Suddenly remembered that camera caught us on the main screen, mei-mei?”
Tong Yao leaned into her friend to say softly. “Suddenly remembered this is the first time in public since my retirement speech.” Jin-Yang laughed equally softly in response but before she could say anything, a familiar voice suddenly called out “Tong Yao!”
Both girls sighed and rolled their eyes even as Jin-Yang said, “Called it! I’ll meet you at the door, call me if you need anything.”
With that, she deliberately pushed her way past Jian Yang, glaring at him.
“I still don’t understand how you are friends with her.”
“Who are you to comment on my friends?” Tong Yao shot back immediately. She had a strong feeling she already knew how this conversation was going to go – it also didn’t help with how his girl fans were glaring at her and the comments she could hear. “Who exactly are you?”
Jian Yang grabbed her by the arm, “Come with me, I want to talk to you!”, before dragging the clearly reluctant Tong Yao behind down the corridor to a stairwell door.
Pushing it open, he pulled her in.
“Let go of me!” Digging her nails into his arm and aiming a kick at his leg, Tong Yao freed herself from his grip (even as footsteps came to a halt above them on the staircase.) “You have no right to treat me like this, Jian Yang.”
“Did you really sign for ZGDX? Why aren’t you in training for your World’s?” He threw at her.
Tong Yao took a deep breath, doing her best to remain calm, “Because I don’t do that anymore and yes, they should be making it known any moment now.”
“WHY?” He just about shouted at her. “You weren’t that impressed when I started playing, why would you want to play yourself?”
She shook her head. “I wasn’t impressed because you weren’t taking it seriously, it wasn’t really your dream,” she pushed him away from where he had drawn closer. “You just wanted to get out of University!”
“It’s not your ‘dream’ either,” He repeated sarcastically, “So again, why are you suddenly about to become a professional.”
“Because sometimes you have to put down your original dream, Jian Yang!” She threw back. “And I’m finally happy with the choice I’ve made.”
“But why ZGDX? Why didn’t you tell me if you wanted to be a professional? You could have signed to my team?” He grabbed her arm again and shook it violently.
She shook it off, “Do that again and I’ll make you regret it, and just why would I tell you I’m going to play professionally, or even go to your team?”
“Because our team has ME!” He threw his hands in the air.
“And that’s reason enough NOT to join CK Gaming!” She shot back without a second thought. “I repeat what I told you earlier today, you have absolutely nothing to do with me anymore.”
She tried to walk away again but he threw his arm in front of her. “You listen to me, Tong Yao, I taught you how to play this game, I even downloaded it onto your computer. If you are going to start playing professionally, you owe it to me to play for my team.”
She turned and pressed her back against the wall, holding herself away from him. “And let me make it quite clear to you: Firstly, the computer you downloaded the game to belonged to my room-mate’s, you never even realised that I had two, one for school, the other for the game.”
“Secondly, and more importantly, I knew how to play the game long before you ‘taught’ me.” She poked him hard in the chest. “And the person who taught me was down there on the stage tonight!”
“Tong Yao are you trying to make me angry! Who are you talking about?”
“You’d know if you ever paid attention to anything I have ever said and believe me, it’s not that hard to make you angry,” She shot back, “Because you’re doing the same to me! Look Jian Yang, just try to do your job professionally, and word of advice, try not to embarrass yourself the way you did in the first game, which was pretty offensive the way you died three times.”
“If I had thought you were serious about joining them and being a professional, I would have gifted you the Championship for your new bosses!”
The slap echoed around the stairwell, so loud even the silent owner of the footsteps risked looking down to see what had happened.
The arguing pair were standing apart, Jian Yang holding his hand to his slapped cheek and the smaller Tong Yao looking at her hand as if for a moment not believing what she had just done.
She took a deep breath and then turned a fiery gaze on him. “That has to be one of the most insulting things you have ever said, Jian Yang. ZGDX do not need your condescending help to win, circumstances beyond their control took it from them today, and WE…” Her belief in her new team literally shone through. “We will win in the future.”
“Yao-Yao…” A small hand raised in the air as if to slap him again and he quickly took a step back, “I mean, Tong Yao, can’t we talk this out. It feels as if joining ZGDX is your way of getting back at me!”
Tong Yao took a deep breath, calming herself down and then spoke, clearly and determined.
“We have nothing to talk about, Jian Yang. For the third and final time today, I have chosen to play professionally, it is quite simply that, my choice, my new dream, you have absolutely nothing to do with me or any decisions I make anymore.”
She then turned and grabbed the door handle, opening it slightly just as he shot back at her, clearly still angry. “Fine! But I’m warning you, if its going to be like this, I won’t go easy on you when we meet in future matches.”
She looked back over her shoulder at him and shrugged slightly. “That’s how it should be if you’re a true e-sports gamer. I hope you enjoy dying.”
With that farewell, she opened the door fully and walked away, leaving him steaming, unaware of the salt that was about to be rubbed into the wound she had just struck.
YOU ARE READING
Always In Your Smile
FanfictionWhat if it wasn't her ex-boyfriend who had taught her about the League? What if it was a Cousin - a cousin who was already a member of ZGDX? Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, the original storyline or the series - I am merely borrowing them...
