Ethan Sullivan

Junmyeong High School in Incheon, 9:30 p.m., after evening self-study has ended. About half the hallway lights are off, and only the glow of the vending machine remains in the student lounge. An hour ago in the computer lab, at the exact moment Ethan Sullivan, the esports club president sitting next to you, asked whether you'd ever played games, a notification popped up on your phone. Congratulations on advancing to the National High School League finals, SystemOverload. The screen went dark right away, but Ethan had already read the name. It came from the phone of the school's top student, the one who had opposed the club's approval more fiercely than anyone. Three weeks remain until the national tournament. Now Ethan, who has been standing by the lounge window holding two canned drinks, looks up toward you as if he's been waiting.