Professional Players Don't Date [Esports]

[The author's first book. Read with caution, and thanks for reading.]

[Up next: My Teammate Is My Hater [Esports], now serializing. Please add it to your reading list~]

[Gentle, mature, fatherly captain top x solitary, aloof, softhearted and sincere streamer bottom]

On the second day of Chi Zhao's livestreaming career, he received a private message from professional player Yu Chen. The other man asked him, "Streamer, are you of age?"

Chi Zhao thought the guy was crazy.

Then he joined ST and became Yu Chen's teammate.

As one of the KPL's four powerhouse teams, ST had come under fire after a disappointing spring split. Just then, they signed a rookie ADC.

Rumor had it he was a streamer signed from some platform.

Before the season started, the whole of ST kept their new marksman under wraps, but word that he was a small-time streamer on a certain platform still got around.

Before ST's first match of the autumn split:

ST fans: They're our team, so we'll support them even if we have to get on our knees. Please, just make it to the playoffs.

Other KPL teams: Has ST really given up??? Shouldn't they be training right now?

Casual viewers: They get worse every year. Poor God Yu, carrying four people on his own.

After ST's first round of regular-season matches in the autumn split:

ST fans: Is this really our team? We're actually fans of the prestigious first-place team in Group S! ST is back!!!

Other KPL teams: We were too naive. ST was hiding their real strength all along!

Viewers: Are rookies really this strong now?

In an interview, someone asked Chi Zhao: "I've heard a lot of fans have been confessing to Chi Zao lately. Chi Zao, what do you have to say about that?"

The cool, upright young man showed little warmth. Holding the microphone, he answered expressionlessly: "Professional players don't date."

After the autumn split ended, captain Yu Chen cornered Chi Zhao behind the door of a small practice room. "You don't date?"

Chi Zhao shook his head, ears red, and stammered, "N-no, that's not what I meant."

[The top is a doting, fatherly type. The bottom doesn't talk much but is direct. The romantic tension takes a while to build. 1v1, both are each other's first and only.

The ending is rather rushed. Read with caution. If that's not your thing, don't start.]

Up next: Professional Players Can Date

[Blunt, stubborn, quick-to-lose-his-temper puppy-like pure-love top VS cool, distant, stern and beautiful captain bottom]

The veteran team ST suddenly brought in a new top laner.

The new top laner had no professional experience. Rumor had it he was a young master who had returned from overseas.

A young master was still a young master. On his very first day at ST, he shut captain Shen Zhiyun out of the team house twice.

He refused to follow orders, ignored instructions, and challenged the captain.

Rumors that the team was at odds spread everywhere. But the young master's skill was astonishing, and his fans took after him, flaming and picking fights. Fans of the other teams were furious.

After one match, the voice comms replay was played.

"Jungler, don't come over," the young master said, looking fierce.

Captain Shen Zhiyun gave a derisive "Hmph" and didn't indulge him in the least. "Okay."

Comments: Proof they're at odds.

The next second, the young master looked awkward and stubborn. "You're really not coming over? It wasn't on purpose last night... (beep)."

Comments: Young master, care to elaborate?

Feng Yan was Shen Zhiyun's hater, and had been for years.

He'd even joined a Shen Zhiyun hater group.

After joining ST, he was determined to dig up even more dirt on Shen Zhiyun.

But not long after he joined ST...

One day, the haters in the group were introducing the new member to Shen Zhiyun's past scandals.

Hater: Nobody can seriously be unaware that Shen Zhiyun disrespects the game, right?

Feng Yan: That's false.

Hater: Not only that, he bullies his teammates and picks on older players.

Feng Yan: That's false.

Hater: Well, at least you can't deny that he likes men, right?

Feng Yan: ...That one's true.

The haters were delighted.

Then Feng Yan slowly typed out a line.

"I'm his boyfriend."

/

Shen Zhiyun's career was the stuff of legends.

He reached the summit as soon as he debuted and became a living legend at the peak of the league. Then, all at once, he fell to the bottom and never recovered.

He stayed down for an entire season.

His former teammates retired, veteran players transferred, and his new teammates were rookies or players promoted from the academy. ST endured a whole season of upheaval.

During the off-season, Shen Zhiyun learned that the team had recruited a new free agent.

He was nowhere to be found on the peak-rank ladder, and his previous season-end rank had only been Diamond.

Shen Zhiyun didn't care that the team had recruited such an unknown. "Have finance handle his salary. Put him in the academy team. The manager doesn't need to tell me."

It was just some rich young master dreaming of a career in esports.

The manager stammered, "Captain Shen, the team recruited him as a... starter."

"He's starting, and I'm going to the bench?" Shen Zhiyun laughed in anger. He had just looked at the newcomer's match history, where all his most-used heroes were junglers.

At first, Shen Zhiyun was prejudiced against the young master Feng Yan. And whenever the young master ran into Shen Zhiyun, he was just as prickly. Later...

"Captain Shen, how did I do today? Don't I get a reward?"

"What do you want?" Shen Zhiyun asked, his expression unchanged.

For once, the usually brazen young master looked nervous.

"Would you go out with me? I want to be your boyfriend."

[Top laner top x jungler bottom]

Theme: Growing and supporting each other through the heat of competition.