Lately, It's Winter Season.

Chapter 55 -Epilogue: Special chapter 3

On a private plane heading to Los Angeles, we – the No Hope team – were preparing for a world-class tournament. There was me, Ger, North, Sket, and Mickey – the five main members – along with Johan, who saw North off at the airport and was also our main sponsor.

If you ask why Johan became a sponsor for our team, the answer is simple – because North is on the team. As for why Tiger isn't a sponsor, it's because after this tournament, whether we win or lose, Tiger and I have already planned to retire from competition. After all, we intend to have children.

All five of us would say this year has been incredibly tough. We had to participate in countless tournaments to accumulate enough points to qualify for the world championship, so we were completely exhausted. And finally, the day arrived – the day of the biggest tournament of the year, the match the whole world was waiting for. Our team was the only one entirely composed of Thai members selected to participate, so we received tremendous moral support, but also faced considerable pressure.

North and the rest will probably continue as esports players. I overheard them discussing it. Johan, who has always been a staunch supporter of North, even started his own company specialising in training esports players. It's a newly established company with strong financial resources. After I leave the team, North will probably become captain, and then they'll have to find replacements for Tiger and me.

"You're so excited, aren't you?" North said.

"Are you really going to leave the team? Without No How, what's the point of being No Hope anymore?"

"It's still 'No Hope,' of course," I replied. "The team name is cool, as long as they don't change it. Besides, there are a lot of people wanting to join the team now, so there's no shortage of talented players."

"I don't regret letting you go because you're so talented. There are definitely people more talented than you."

"Yeah."

"But sadly, we won't be able to play together anymore. We've been playing together since oh, what year was it?"

"It's not like I don't have any free time. I can still play games in my free time and stream them. But becoming a professional player is probably out of the question," I said.

Because being an esports player requires serious training and competition, you can't just play for fun. You need a plan and a clear training schedule. If I were to have children, I couldn't be an esports player at the same time because I want to dedicate as much time as possible to them.

So I decided to work as a game streamer, not applying to any companies, even though I initially considered applying to Johan's company. North did the same, not applying for any official jobs, and judging by his attitude, he'll probably pursue a career as a professional player for a long time. He's a great player, genuinely at the top of the country. If he wins this time, he'll definitely become a world-class player, and that won't just be empty talk anymore.

"That's great! I'm going to be an uncle soon. I'll drop by to visit often!"

"Remember to buy him some toys too."

"Okay!"

After a long flight to LA, we all went to our rooms to rest as soon as we arrived at the hotel because we were exhausted. The next day was the first day of competition. As soon as we entered the competition venue, we immediately became the centre of attention because we were the youngest team and were being watched very closely.

We sat in the back, on standby, reviewing our tactics one last time. We tried to encourage each other so we wouldn't get stressed or lose morale.

"This tournament might be world-class, but we've competed in so many before," I said as captain. "Whether it's a small or large tournament, at the local or national level, we've overcome them all. Even if we get a little confused, nervous, or disoriented sometimes, it doesn't matter."

"And as captain, I've already prayed to little Loon, so I'm confident we'll win!"

“…Haa” Everyone except Tiger and Johan sighed in unison.

"It's Loon again, you idiot. Did we really get this far thanks to Loon? Isn't it because we practised until our eyes almost fell out?"

"Yes, it's thanks to Loon," I said, then took out the adorable blue plush dinosaur that Tiger bought me when he went to Japan and placed it on the table in the middle.

"Loon will forever be our goddess of victory. Even if I'm no longer on the team, I hope Loon will always be by your side."

"That's actually true," Mickey said. "Loon is really lucky. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have won this far. Our team logo even features Loon."

"Exactly." North nodded, crossing his arms. "Amen, little Loon. By your divine power, please let us win this prize!"

"Hmm." Sket nodded in agreement, "Our captain is better at praying than turning the tide of battle, isn't he?"

"Don't talk to me like that," I argued. "And you, you weren't playing games last night, were you? Tell me, Mick, were Sket's eyes red last night?"

"I didn't see anything because he went straight to sleep as soon as he got back to his room. But I think I smelled a faint herbal scent."

"Damn it, I didn't do it!" Sket protested, "You guys keep falsely accusing me to the point where the fans think I'm high on weed. You're teasing me so much I'm almost going to get arrested, you crazy idiots!"

“Ha ha ha!” North burst out laughing, “You should control yourself a bit. Every time we play together, you throw a tantrum, telling me there are three of us. Are you crazy? Sometimes when the game is intense, you say ‘wait a minute,’ then smoke a cigarette as big as your arm. What do you think? Who says playing games is for stress relief? If your lungs are so inflated while you're playing, I give up!”

"Oh, teacher, who plays games without stress? We argue all the time when we play together," Sket retorted after being bombarded by his teammates. "Before, if you played badly, you'd die and still get to be a coach. Now, if you play badly and die, you're still just as stupid. You keep ordering me around. 'Go for that, go for this.' And you actually do it – out of the game altogether, you guys are so mean!"

"Get dressed up?"

"No, get out of that game, you idiot!"

"HAHAHAHA!" Mick burst out laughing.

"And you too!"

"Oh, is it my turn now?"

"They're all equally drunk. Playing support but acting like a god. Sometimes like a knight on a white horse, sometimes like a knight smoking a white horse, damn it. So drunk, teleporting into my lane to steal creeps and then disappearing. I yell, 'Mick, TP over to help me, I'm getting ganged up on!' and he says, 'I've run out of TP.' But you just TPed, damn it. Cut it down, it's nighttime, and your eyes are going to freeze."

"Ger is the same way."

"Huh?" Tiger, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly looked up. "Was I called, too?"

"No one is spared," North laughed.

"What did you call him, North?"

"A fool from birth."

"Exactly." Sket nodded slightly, "I don't understand what's wrong. He plays well, he knows how to play, but he refuses to. He has a brain but doesn't use it. He went to help, but Nao (Wasin) wasn't hurt at all, still playing perfectly fine in mid lane. Meanwhile, we were practically spitting blood. Tiger ran to shield Nao, which moved me to tears."

"I'm the only one in the mid lane, I'm worried my wife will be lonely."

"Mid lane is a solo lane, damn it!"

"What's wrong with Sket?" I chimed in, "Are you playing everyone?"

"You guys attacked me first!"

"Come on, our team is perfect: a captain who's better at praying than manipulating the game, a carry who plays stupidly while alive and still stupid after death, an offlane player who's been high on weed since birth, and a support who's a knight smoking a white horse. If we don't win the world championship with this team, then I give up!" Just as I finished speaking, someone knocked on the door and called us out to stand by to prepare for the match.

I held out my hand: "Let's fight!"

Everyone put their hands on it.

"Let's fight!!"

This tournament didn't just last one day; it spanned almost a week. None of the matches was easy because all the teams were incredibly strong to have made it this far. Every game was incredibly tense; we'd win and then immediately have to play again. In the end, we made it to the finals.

Social media went wild. In just a few days, we became famous worldwide within this gaming community. The final match would decide the champion. The moment the opponent's main turret exploded, my heart stopped beating. We won. We are already world champions.

“Aaaaahhh!!” I screamed with overwhelming joy, jumping up and hugging Tiger, who was sitting next to me. The other team members were also overjoyed, unable to contain themselves. Sket even burst into tears. Once everyone calmed down, the organisers invited us out of the glass room. The audience outside applauded and cheered loudly throughout the hall.

We shook hands with the opposing team to show respect, then walked up to receive the championship trophy. This time, Tiger was tasked with giving a speech on behalf of the team because he had to speak in English, and I wasn't very confident. When he finished speaking, the entire hall erupted in thunderous applause. We had made history – the Thai team became world champions in this game.

We returned with a large sum of prize money. From there, each of us had to go back to our own paths, continuing to compete. As for Tiger and me, we returned to start a family. The land next to my old house was for sale – what a wonderful coincidence. We contacted them immediately and started building our new home.

Having our own home, a place we call our family's haven, is something we are incredibly proud of. And what's even better is living next to Mom.

“Are you two planning to go to the orphanage today?” my mother asked as she set the food on the table. My mother and Nuea still live in the old house, which has been renovated quite a bit. My mother’s restaurant – “Mother Maeo” – is still operating as usual, even though her two sons can now earn enough money to support her. But my mother says she would be very sad if she didn’t run the restaurant, so she wants to continue doing it.

As for Nuea, after graduating and returning from Boston, he quickly landed a good job thanks to his impressive resume and outstanding abilities, making him highly sought after by many companies. However, Nuea says things aren't settled yet, so he's still looking for a job that truly suits him.

"Yes," I nodded in reply. Tiger and I had thought long and hard about having children, and finally we decided to adopt a child. "Mom and Nuea will be coming along too, right?"

"Of course, dear. She's my grandchild, and Nuea was so excited that she woke up early this morning."

I smiled and quickly ate my meal. Afterwards, all four of us went to the orphanage we had contacted beforehand. When we arrived, a young woman – one of the people in charge there – came to greet us.

"Hello, are you Duean Nao, the person who contacted us a few days ago?"

"Yes." I smiled warmly, "Thank you for letting us come here."

“We are the ones who should be thanking you,” she replied with a smile. “Thank you so much. All the children here are orphans, without a place to call home. They need a warm family, a place they can truly call home, and a bright future. We are sincerely grateful that you two were willing to bring that to them.”

Currently, there are about 20 children here, aged 3 to 15. Each child receives age-appropriate care and education from volunteer teachers,” she continued explaining as she led us into the playground. 

“It’s lunchtime now, so the children are out here playing. You can go in and play or chat with them. Please be gentle with them because the children here are very well-behaved.”

"Yes, thank you." I bowed slightly and went inside. The children playing in the yard rushed towards us when they saw us.

"Someone's here!" The children looked very excited. "Uncle, are you here to take us home?" I didn't answer, I just smiled lovingly.

"He's a very good boy, not mischievous at all. And he's a good student too!"

"That's amazing." I knelt to get a good look at the baby's face. "Is the baby really such a good child?"

"Yes, sir!"

"She's really cute and lively."

I turned to look at Tiger; he was glancing around, while Mom and Nuea were chatting with the other children. I usually thought I wasn't particularly interested in children. Still, standing among these adorable kids, my heart suddenly felt strangely warm, especially when I thought one of them might become ours.

"Miss," Tiger called softly.

"What's up?"

Tiger didn't answer immediately, but instead looked towards a little girl sitting alone under a tree.

"Her name is Fei," the child in front of me said. "Fei rarely plays with anyone, and she never talks to anyone."

"Oh, really." I stood up, walked over, and sat down beside the little girl. "Hello, dear."

“…”

"What's your name?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer. "Why are you sitting here alone? Aren't you playing with your friends?"

“…”

"Are you scared of me?" I decided to address her as "sister" because I didn't know what else to call her – "uncle" seemed a bit too much. "I'm not a scary person, okay?"

The little girl still didn't answer me. Her gaze was distant and unfocused – an empty, emotionless look that a five-year-old shouldn't have. Her face was indifferent, lacking the joy or radiance of other children. And that… made my heart ache.

“She’s not a very outgoing child,” the caregiver said as we settled into the living room of the building. “It’s quite sad. Fei is a poor child. She comes from a dysfunctional family, so she’s quiet and doesn’t socialise much. She has no friends. She’s always alone, it’s hard for her to open up to others, and it’s rare to hear her say a word.”

"Is that rare?" I asked again.

"Yes," she said, her lips pressed together, looking rather uncomfortable, "And the only word she ever says is 'sorry'."

“…”

We returned from the orphanage. Late at night, I lay in bed, my mind racing with thoughts. The image of that child kept swirling in my head, along with the story the caregiver had told me.

"Are you thinking about that child?" Tiger's voice rang out.

"Hmm." I turned to look at him, "I don't know why, but it keeps bothering me. They said she came from a bad family, and all she said was 

'I'm sorry..."

"That's right. She's only five years old, but it's as if she's already been through so much."

"Hmm..."

"It reminds me of my younger self."

"Really?"

"Yes," Tiger nodded.

"I've made my decision."

"Huh? What?"

"Let's adopt that little girl. We'll take good care of her, help her smile again, and make her feel happy. We'll help her forget the bad things that happened, and we'll be a real home for her."

"Yes." Tiger smiled affectionately.

"Thank you both so much," the caregiver said, trying to hold back tears. "I've always worried about Fei because the people who come here usually choose lively, cheerful children. I'm really worried about her, afraid that she'll end up leaving this place alone... *sobs*..."

Finally, she couldn't control her emotions and burst into tears. The centre director had to step over and pat her on the shoulder to comfort her.

"I'm sorry for crying... I... I'm really happy. Please treat Fei well."

"Yes," I replied. Shortly after, another caregiver led Fei into the room, holding her hand. Fei was carrying a small bag in her other hand.

"Fei, say hello to the uncles. From now on, they will be your new family."

Fei looked at us with a worried, even slightly frightened expression. But she slowly raised her hands, clasped them together, and bowed her head, her voice tiny and trembling.

"H-hello, sir."

"These are the baby's personal belongings – just a few everyday outfits and a few of her favourite toys."

"Yes," Tiger replied, then stepped forward to take the small bag. The four of us chatted with the manager for a while longer before heading home. This time, there weren't four of us anymore – there were five.

"Fei, my name is Maeo," my mother gently introduced herself in a sweet voice.

"Hmm... well then." Nuea thought for a moment and then said, "Ah, I guess it must be Uncle, right? You can call me Uncle Nuea."

“…”

“My name is Duen Nao,” I introduced myself. I thought for a long time about what Fei should call me, and finally I chose “Dad” because it sounded cute. “And you can call Tiger ‘Ger’ too. From now on, we’re a family.”

“…Yes.” Fei nodded slightly, her body tensing up. She sat huddled, not daring to move. We didn’t try to strike up a conversation either, seeing that she was uncomfortable. When the car stopped in front of the house, my mother leaned in and whispered in my ear:

"Nao, it might take some time, don't pressure her too much."

"Yes," I replied, then turned to look at Fei, who was too afraid to even get out of the car. I held out my hand and smiled—a smile I thought was the gentlest I could muster.

"Get out of the car, honey, let's go inside."

“…”

"Fei will get to see her new room. Dad and Tiger Dad prepared this room especially for Fei."

It took almost three minutes before Fei finally reached out and took my hand and got out of the car. I led Fei into our large house, past the back living room, the spacious kitchen, and up to the second floor, where there were two bedrooms, one of which had been prepared for our child. I opened the door to the room on the left – the room that Tiger and I had meticulously prepared.

"This is Fei's room," I said. "Fei's wardrobe, desk, and personal belongings are all here. If you need anything else, tell Uncle Tiger or me."

“…”

"Does Fei like this room?"

"T-thank you," Fei mumbled, lowering her head. That made me smile.

"You must be tired from the long journey, so if you want to rest, feel free to do so. Dad and Uncle Tiger will be downstairs, so remember to be careful when going up and down the stairs."

Fei nodded again. Then I went outside, closed the door, and went downstairs to find Tiger sitting on the sofa in the living room.

"How are you?" Tiger asked.

"I'd probably like it," I replied, sitting down next to him. "Now we have a child."

"Yes. That's my dream."

"Hmm?"

“You’ve always wanted a family, children, right? At first, I just thought I’d go along with your wishes. But today, I’m truly happy that I decided to adopt Fei. I don’t know… Having children isn’t easy, but I’ll try my best to be a good father. I won’t be like my father; I will raise this child – our child – to grow up happily.”

"Hmm... Let's try our best together." I leaned my head on Tiger's shoulder.

"YES."

That evening, all five of us sat down for dinner. Fei couldn't eat much because she still seemed nervous. She frowned and glanced around as if afraid she would do something wrong. When I saw that Fei had eaten a little, I didn't force her to eat more because I didn't want to upset her.

But just as Nuea and I were washing dishes, Fei came over and stood next to us.

"What's wrong, Fei?" I asked.

"I... Uh... I..." Fei seemed to have something to say but didn't dare, "I'm sorry..."

"Huh? What is Fei apologising for?" I frowned in confusion. Fei reached out to take the plate from my hand.

"I didn't do my job..."

"You mean… washing dishes?"

Fei nodded, her face looking like she was about to cry. I washed my hands and dried them with a kitchen towel, then gently stroked her head.

"It's alright, honey, Dad will wash up today. Fei, go outside and play with Dad Tiger for a bit, okay?"

I smiled and turned to Tiger: "Dad Tiger is waiting."

“B-but… I…” Fei clutched her dress, tense, “I have to… wash the dishes…”

“Fei…” I softly called her name.

"If... if not... I'll... be beaten... *sobs*..."

“Dad won’t hit you.” I immediately knelt to Fei’s eye level. “Dad will never hit you.” I pulled her into my arms and hugged her tightly. “Nobody hits you here. Nobody hurts you. I promise.”

"Sob... sob..."

Fei didn't answer; she just cried. All four of us adults tried to comfort her. Fei sobbed uncontrollably, crying until she could barely breathe, trembling with fear, crying until she was exhausted. I had to carry her back to her room to rest.

Then we sat down to discuss what had happened.

"Mom thinks Fei must have been beaten and abused a lot when she was in her previous family..."

"That's right," Nuea nodded in agreement. 

"It's like, if you don't do this or that, you'll be punished so severely that it'll haunt you. Fei's old family was really cruel."

“…” I remained silent, not saying anything because I was feeling extremely tense.

"Nao."

"Huh?"

"You must be very gentle with this child."

“Yes, Nao knows. That’s Nao’s responsibility as a father. Nao will take care of Fei until her emotional wounds heal.” I sighed again, feeling incredibly sad, “It’s truly cruel… Such a tiny child crying so hard that her whole body trembles. I can’t imagine what terrible things she must have gone through.”

I turned to look at Tiger – his eyes were filled with anger. I gently reached out and touched his hand, hoping to soothe his rage. We continued our discussion for a while longer before parting ways. My mother and Nuea returned to their old house to rest, while Tiger and I went to check on Fei. Seeing that she was sleeping soundly, we felt relieved and went back to our rooms.

"I've already sent someone to investigate Fei's former family."

"That was quick," I said. "How did it go?"

"It's just a broken family. The father is an alcoholic, and the mother is addicted to gambling. They probably had Fei unintentionally, so they abandoned her at an orphanage when she was only four years old and ran away."

"Hmm." I nodded, "There's no need to go looking for them."

“…”

"We don't need to waste our time on people like that. The person we need to focus on most right now is Fei. As for Fei's biological parents, let them face the consequences of their actions."

"YES."

"Okay, let's go to sleep."

"YES."

════[changbins_delulu_wife]════

I woke with a start at dawn, hearing something break downstairs. Tiger and I rushed down the stairs. We found Fei standing in the kitchen, an overturned pot on the floor, soup spilling everywhere. I immediately ran to Fei because she was sobbing uncontrollably.

"Fei! Fei, are you alright?"

Fei was crying so hard that her body was trembling. What Fei did next left Tiger and me stunned. Fei knelt, clasped her hands together, and bowed deeply to the ground.

"P-please forgive me... I didn't mean to... I didn't mean to... I didn't mean to. Please forgive me."

“…Fei,” I called her name gently, then helped her stand up and sit down on a chair. I looked around to check and saw that her hand was burned by hot water. Without saying anything more, I went to get the first-aid kit to treat the wound.

"P-p-please... please don't hit me... I didn't mean to..."

"I told you, nobody will hit you here," I said, stroking her head to comfort her. Her little face was wet with tears, and it made my heart ache. "Fei got up early to cook, right?"

"Sob... sob..."

"Fei is so good," I sincerely praised. "Fei is so young, yet she's already trying to cook for Daddy and Uncle Tiger. But Fei, don't overexert yourself. Next time, let's wake up and cook together, okay?"

"...I...have to cook..."

“Okay, next time Dad will wake up early and cook with you. I'm sure Fei is a great cook, but Dad doesn't know how to cook anything at all~” I pretended to pout, “So, Fei, can you teach Dad how to cook?”

“…”

"Okay? Teach Dad."

"Yes," Fei nodded slightly.