LPL didn't want me? I joined SKT instead!

It was a mini Coca-Cola bottle with only 250 ml of liquid.

These small bottles are usually only available during supermarket promotions or as free gifts; very few people would specifically buy such small ones.

"Hidden so well, the label's still on..." Xiao Yan looked at the bottle of cola in his hand and couldn't help but laugh. "Brother Xianghe, how frugal are you? You're hiding a bottle of soda like this, are you planning to save it for the New Year?"

He weighed the can of cola in his hand, and a brilliant plan had already formed in his mind.

Xiao Yan didn't put the cola back. Instead, he swaggered out of Faker's room with it and went straight to the training room.

The only sound in the training room was the clatter of keyboards. Faker was intently focused on the screen, controlling Ryze to farm minions in the mid lane, his focused expression making it seem like he was playing in the World Championship finals.

Xiao Yan tiptoed quietly to the chair behind Faker. He didn't rush to speak, but patiently waited for Faker to finish pushing the minion wave and recall.

As Ryze on the screen began casting to recall, Faker picked up the water glass on the table and took a sip of warm water.

Just then, a hand suddenly reached out from the side, holding a bottle of dark brown liquid.

"Sang-hyeok hyung, you must be exhausted from playing ranked games. How about a Coke to perk you up?"

Xiao Yan's voice was full of temptation, like the serpent tempting Eve to eat the apple.

Faker paused for a moment, turned his head, and his gaze fell on the small bottle of Coke.

In that instant, Xiao Yan clearly saw Faker's Adam's apple move extremely subtly.

For someone as disciplined and frugal as Faker, sugary drinks like cola are usually strictly forbidden. But the more forbidden it is, the stronger the craving becomes.

Faker's gaze lingered on the cola for 0.5 seconds before quickly shifting away, resuming his placid expression.

"No, thank you." Faker pushed up his glasses and declined in a flat tone. "I don't like carbonated drinks. They're bad for your health and affect your reaction speed. Drinking water is healthier."

While saying this, Faker was thinking: "Hmph, trying to bribe me with a bottle of Coke? No way. Besides, I have a bottle hidden in my closet. I'll sneak it out and drink it after everyone's asleep tonight; that's the most delicious one."

Thinking about this made Faker feel much better.

He glanced at the cola in Xiao Yan's hand again, and frowned slightly.

Strange, the size of this bottle... it looks kind of familiar?

This 250ml mini bottle looks like the same one I keep hidden deep in my closet.

However, Faker quickly dismissed the idea. These kinds of cola are everywhere in supermarkets, and they all look the same; it's perfectly normal. Xiao Yan probably just bought it on a whim.

"Really not going to drink it?" Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow and asked again to confirm. "This is ice-cold... oh no, room-temperature soda, you know. One sip and you'll feel refreshed and exhilarated."

"I'm not drinking." Faker turned around, preparing to continue playing Ryze who had just left the room. "Take it away, don't disturb my training."

"Oh, that's such a pity."

Xiao Yan sighed, but a wicked smile appeared on his face.

He didn't leave, but instead leaned against the table next to Faker.

"Since Sang-hyeok-hyung is so health-conscious, then I won't stand on ceremony. After all, wasting food is shameful, right?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Yan gripped the bottle cap with his slender fingers right in front of Faker.

"Sizzle—"

A crisp, pleasant sound of gas being released rang out in the quiet training room.

Faker's hand holding the mouse trembled slightly, and Ryze missed a last hit.

Then came even more cruel sounds.

"Glug, glug, glug..."

Xiao Yan tilted his head back, the bottle opening to his lips, his Adam's apple bobbing. The dark brown liquid flowed into his mouth from the bottle opening, the sound of bubbles bursting seemingly echoing in Faker's ears.

Although Faker's eyes were fixed on the screen, his peripheral vision was involuntarily drawn to the commotion around him.

Listening to the swallowing sound, he could almost feel the sweet, stimulating taste of the cola exploding in his mouth, the refreshing sensation of the bubbles washing over his throat...

Damn, I'm even thirstier now.

Without stopping, Xiao Yan drank the entire 250 ml of cola in one go.

"ha--!"

After finishing it, he deliberately let out an extremely exaggerated and satisfied sigh, as if he had just drunk not cola, but nectar.

"Cool!"

Xiao Yan wiped his mouth, shook the empty bottle in his hand, and looked at Faker's slightly stiff back, saying with a smile:

"Sang-hyeok hyung, you really missed out on a fortune. This Coke tastes exceptionally good, sweeter than any I've ever had before."

Faker pursed his lips, forcibly controlling his expression, and said calmly, "It's just a mixture of sugar and carbon dioxide, nothing special."

"Really?" Xiao Yan gently placed the empty bottle on the corner of Faker's table, leaned closer, and lowered his voice, saying, "Maybe it's because this is 'stolen' happiness that it tastes so good."

Faker frowned, about to ask what "stolen happiness" meant, when suddenly his gaze froze on the empty bottle.

There is a very fine crease on one corner of the plastic label on the bottle.

That is……

That was a scratch he made with his fingernail when he bought this bottle of Coke last time!

Faker's pupils dilated instantly.

and many more!

This bottle... these creases...

An ominous premonition instantly enveloped Faker. He abruptly turned to look at Xiao Yan, only to find the kid staring at him with a wicked grin, his eyes seeming to say:

Yes, just as you think.

Xiao Yan did not directly answer Faker's trembling question.

He simply turned around, giving Faker a meaningful look from behind, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

Then, ignoring Faker who was frozen in place, he skillfully logged into his Korean server account and clicked on ranked to find a match.

"What should I play this time? Since I need to farm armor penetration, I'll play Teemo top lane with Ignite and Exhaust to torture the enemy." Xiao Yan muttered to himself as he rubbed his hands together, ready to have a big fight in the Rift and harvest armor penetration from random players.

Faker stood there, watching Xiao Yan's nonchalant "deed done, done" demeanor, and a sense of unease grew wildly in his heart like weeds.

Impossible... I hid it at the very back of the closet, covered with two winter down jackets... How could he possibly find it?

It must be a coincidence; this kid must be bluffing me.

Faker took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He glanced suspiciously at Xiao Yan, who was humming a tune while selecting a hero, still clinging to a last sliver of hope.

"I'm going to the restroom."

Faker made an excuse, but his pace quickened involuntarily as he walked towards his dormitory room.

Pushing open the door, Faker rushed to the wardrobe in three quick steps.

His hands trembled slightly as he abruptly pulled open the wardrobe door, then quickly pulled aside the several heavy down jackets hanging in front, reaching towards that familiar corner—