They Say I Won the Championship by Selling Bromance [Esports]

[Blurb revised on September 10, 2026. Characterization unchanged. Expected to launch in 2027.]

TIG finished second at the world championship three years in a row, then finally won the title in their fourth year. Amid all the celebrations from fans who had changed from haters to supporters, the trolls were still at their keyboards, raging: "Do you even have a reputation to turn around? Fans, stop hyping them up. The mid and jungle only won after spending a whole year selling their relationship!"

You Cui saw the post and laughed. He immediately snapped a photo of Pei Zhengdu asleep and posted it on Weibo: "We just got our marriage license last night. What time does the captain need to wake up to cooperate with your claims that we're faking it?"

Trolls: ?

Team fans: ?

Ship fans: ...?? Aren't you serious?

TIG rushed out a statement, solemnly declaring that the jungler and midlaner's relationship had not affected any of their matches.

Of course it hadn't. You Cui had pursued Pei Zhengdu for half a season, and Pei Zhengdu had finally agreed on the night they won the championship.

The tension that had been wound tight for almost four years eased in the night breeze. Pei Zhengdu looked exhausted, dark circles beneath his eyes. At just twenty-two, the young man's shoulders had borne four years of pressure, leaving little trace of boyishness in his features. Under the moonlight, he nodded at You Cui's confession and said, "Okay."

The first year TIG lost, people said it was a shame, that they'd done their best and were only a little short of the championship.

The second year TIG lost, people were surprised by how closely the story resembled the previous year.

The third year TIG lost, people finally started raging: What kind of unbelievable gap was that? You don't even deserve to swim home. That night, not one of the team's cyber parents survived, and TIG earned the nickname "Perennial Runners-Up."

None of that stopped Pei Zhengdu from answering a reporter's question by saying that TIG's goal for next year was still to win the world championship.

A new year began amid chat spam calling it "the most promising year yet." TIG's veteran retired, a new player joined, and the new season got underway smoothly. Pei Zhengdu's already eventful life took another unexpected turn.

The club alerted him that a private account had appeared on Weibo, tracking him.

The account kept tabs on his daily life: "Third time this week. How many more times are you going to eat curry chicken?"

It followed his fashion choices: "You never zip up your team jacket. What does that mean?"

It even kept tabs on his friends: "I see you were in on taking him out for curry chicken too. 😅"

Most importantly, the account seemed to belong to one of his teammates: "He only said four sentences again during the scrim review."

Who was it? Pei Zhengdu secretly observed them. Was it the Korean top laner who looked away whenever their eyes met, the thoughtful support who roamed the map in perfect sync with him, the clingy little fanboy ADC who liked hugging everyone, or... the unruly new midlaner, a lone wolf who could take on ten people in a flame war?

Pei Zhengdu ruled out You Cui, the new midlaner who liked keeping to himself, first.

But as he and You Cui coordinated more and more on the battlefield, the account's posts grew stranger and stranger.

"What's wrong with curry chicken? It's delicious. I love it."

"You could go without the team jacket and the clothes underneath."

"... 😅"

Then, after something unexpected happened between him and You Cui, Pei Zhengdu woke up the next day naked, holding his head. He picked up his phone and saw that the account was...

arguing with a whole crowd of his haters.

After getting together with Pei Zhengdu, You Cui often thought back to the day he had dragged his suitcase into the TIG training facility. Pei Zhengdu had been leaning in a corner, smoking.

Once, this jungler had been so arrogant he seemed untouchable, with a whole string of titles to his name: a genius who came out of nowhere, best rookie, world's number-one jungler, highest-paid player, first SPL world championship MVP... But back then, the dim light had outlined his silent, exhausted figure. The pressure and responsibility had left him lonely and gaunt.

Fate had favored him by inflicting so much suffering, trying to make him bow his head and give in.

He insisted on telling fate no.

This story is also known as The Detective Esports Tale of Captain Pei Is Definitely Weird.

1. MOBA keyboard esports. (Formerly) wild and arrogant captain, (now) weary and aloof jungler gong x (early on) proud, straightforward man who gets frustrated with his teammate, (later) a feral midlaner who can't get enough of him shou.

Pei Zhengdu (Dodo) x You Cui (Swim). Bent gong, straight shou. The shou is turned gay by the gong, but takes the initiative to pursue him.

2. A brain-off, feel-good story focused on a protagonist who climbs out of a slump to pursue his dream. No matter how rough the road gets, he'll aim for the championship.

3. The protagonists are at the center of everyone's affections and grudges.

4. The characters aren't based on real people. The game takes inspiration from League of Legends. The author loves music, so expect tons of song lyrics and esports jokes.

5. The gong only smoked that one time, when he happened to be seen. He never smoked again after that.

Theme: Look, the goal is the brightest, farthest star.