Warmth and determination before the finals
When the news of their advancement to the finals broke, the AY team's training room erupted in long-awaited cheers. But the joy didn't last long. The next morning, the coach walked in, holding the latest training footage from the ZT team. He said sternly, "Don't think you're guaranteed a spot in the finals. ZT's Lao Xia and Aze are practicing mid-jungle synergy every day. We have to stay in shape, with at least two practice matches a day. We can't let up."
The team members nodded, and the tense atmosphere in the training room quickly returned to normal. But after the training, Lin Yu quietly pulled Su Ran's clothes and said, "Come on, I'll take you somewhere."
Su Ran was a little confused, but she followed him out of the training base. The evening sun dyed the sky orange, and the breeze, with its cool autumn air, felt particularly comfortable on his face. Lin Yu took him to the park near the base. This was where they often went when they first participated in the professional selection. Back then, before they were selected by the team, they would come here for a walk after practice every day and talk about their aspirations for the future.
Su Ran kicked the pebbles on the side of the road, his shadow stretched long by the setting sun. He suddenly stopped and looked at Lin Yu with a smile: "Do you remember the first time we came here? Back then, we had just participated in the professional selection, but the list hadn't been released yet. You were sitting on the bench over there, saying it would be great if we could play professionally together."
Lin Yu looked in the direction he pointed. The bench was still there, just a little older. He walked over, sat on it, and took Su Ran's hand, asking him to sit next to him. "How could you not remember? Back then, you were worried you wouldn't be selected, so you hid behind the bench and cried secretly. I caught you red-handed, and you still insisted that the wind and sand blinded you."
"Who's crying?" Su Ran's cheeks flushed instantly. She reached out and gently pushed Lin Yu. "It was spring, where did the wind and sand come from? Don't make it up."
Lin Yu smiled and grabbed his hand, placing it on his lap: "Okay, okay, I didn't cry, it was the wind and sand that blinded me." He looked at the smile in Su Ran's eyes, his heart filled with warmth - from two young men with dreams in the beginning, to teammates and lovers standing side by side at the door of the finals, they had gone through too many difficult days together, and were finally about to fulfill their original promise.
After a moment of silence, Lin Yu pulled out a small velvet box from his pocket and handed it to Su Ran: "This is for you. A gift to cheer you on for the finals."
Su Ran took the box with some surprise and opened it. Inside was a plain silver ring with two small letters engraved on the inside - "L" and "R", the initials of his and Lin Yu's names. He gently stroked the ring with his fingertips, his voice choking with sobs: "This is..."
"When we win the championship," Lin Yu held his hand, his eyes serious and determined, "I will propose to you with a real ring. Now, this is our promise - to stand on the highest stage together and realize our original dream together."
Su Ran nodded vigorously, put the ring on her ring finger, and then held Lin Yu's hand tightly: "We will definitely win the championship, we will." The light of the setting sun shone on them, and the ring reflected a faint light, as if witnessing this promise that belonged to them.
It was already eight o'clock in the evening when they returned to the training base. Most of their teammates had already gone to bed, leaving them alone in the training room. Lin Yu turned on his computer and pulled up a recent ZT team match recording. "Let's analyze their tactics again. Lao Xia's mage recently developed a new flanking route, so we need to be prepared for it."
Su Ran sat beside him, staring at the screen intently. "Look here, when ZT Team is in a teamfight, Lao Xia's Mai Shiranui will first have the support scout the area, then go around from the flank. Aze's jungler will save his skills to protect him and prevent us from cutting into the backline. Next time we encounter this situation, I'll use Wang Zhaojun's Ice Wall to contain Lao Xia, and you go cut into their marksman. Without the marksman's damage output, it will be very difficult for them to win the teamfight."
Lin Yu nodded and quickly wrote down something in his notebook: "Their shooter relies heavily on the support's protection. As long as we kill the support first, the shooter will be easy to deal with. During training tomorrow, we can have Xiao Zhou's support deliberately expose a flaw to attract their attention, and then I can go around and cut off the shooter."
The two of them analyzed the footage and simulated tactics, occasionally arguing over details but quickly reaching a consensus. Before they knew it, the clock had already struck eleven. Su Ran yawned and rubbed her sore eyes. Seeing this, Lin Yu reached over and turned off the computer: "Don't stay up anymore. You have training tomorrow. Go to bed early."
Su Ran nodded, but when he stood up, he felt a little dizzy from sitting for so long. Lin Yu immediately supported him and said, "Slow down, I'll take you back to the dormitory." Under the moonlight, the two walked side by side in the corridor, their footsteps particularly clear in the quiet corridor. When they reached the door of Su Ran's dormitory, Lin Yu hugged him gently and said, "Good night, do your best tomorrow."
"Good night." Su Ran hugged him back, feeling safe.
During the second day of practice, the teammates clearly noticed that Lin Yu and Su Ran were in exceptional form. Whether it was the speed of their mid-jungle synergy or their coordination in teamfights, they were even more in sync than before. During one practice match, Lin Yu's Lan flanked and cut into the backline, while Su Ran's Wang Zhaojun anticipated the situation and used an ice wall to block ZT Team's support. The two of them combined to score a double kill, and their teammates couldn't help but cheer.
Chen Yang, the jungler, came over and teased with a smile, "Did you two secretly practice some special moves? You seem to be more powerful than before, especially Brother Yu. I almost killed him alone yesterday, why are you suddenly so strong today?"
Lin Yu and Su Ran smiled at each other without explanation - there are some powers that only they know about, which come from the belief in the agreement and the trust in each other.
The day before the finals, the team held their final tactical meeting. In the training room, everyone sat bolt upright, their gaze fixed on the tactical board held by the coach. The coach crossed out the name "ZT Team" on the board and wrote "Champion" in red ink. He spoke firmly, "Tomorrow's match, we have no opponents. We have only one goal: to win the championship. This is not just for ourselves, but also for all the fans who support us and for all our hard work over the past few months."
His eyes swept over everyone present, finally landing on Lin Yu and Su Ran: "Lin Yu, Su Ran, you are the core of the team, you must lead everyone to charge. I believe in you, and I believe in our entire team."
Lin Yu and Su Ran stood up at the same time, their eyes determined and their voices loud: "We will definitely go all out!"
After the meeting, Lin Yu and Su Ran stayed in the training room and checked their competition equipment again. Su Ran looked at the silver ring on her finger and suddenly said, "After the game tomorrow, regardless of whether we win or lose, let's go out for a good meal."
Lin Yu smiled and nodded, reaching out to ruffle his hair: "Okay, you can eat whatever you want. But we will definitely win."
Su Ran nodded, his eyes full of anticipation. He knew that tomorrow's game would be difficult. The ZT team was very strong, and Lao Xia and Aze had a tacit understanding. But he also believed that as long as he and Lin Yu fought side by side, and as long as the entire team was united, they would definitely be able to defeat their opponents and win the championship trophy that belonged to them.
Under the lights of the training room, the two sat side by side in front of their computers, their screens displaying ZT Team match footage. There was no fear in their eyes, only a desire for victory and a determination for the future. Tomorrow, they would stand on the finals stage, giving their all for their dreams and their promise.
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