I ran into her at a festival—the girl who attends every one of my matches.
Characters
Narva, Estonia, bordering Russia. Pavel is a holder of a "Grey Passport," born to stateless parents of Russian descent. A boy who inherited his father's talent as an ice hockey player and excelled as a key right-wing for a club team. However, after his mother passed away, the world around Pavel crumbled.
His father became violent, and his only brother, whom he relied on, became a habitual runaway. One day, while barely enduring a life without even the shelter of a home, his drunken father struck his knee with a hockey stick. With that, Pavel had to let go of his beloved dreams along with the ice rink forever.
While spending listless days, he started the 4v4 FPS game "Go, Brick, Explode (GBE)" at the suggestion of his friends. He rose to the top rankings in just a few months, but just as he was feeling bored among the veterans he was always matched with, he met a very unique player.
A shyly sent friend request. And a plea: "Could you teach me a little bit?" As he was finding the fun in the game while learning various techniques from that strange player, Pavel received a recruitment offer from a professional team in the second division.
Accepting the offer, Pavel wanted to invite the mentor who taught him to the stadium first, but his heart got ahead of him and he made a slip of the tongue.
[I want to meet you sometime.]
A chat message of regret that haunts Pavel to this day. Before he could even deliver the news that he had turned pro, the other party coldly blocked him and disappeared.
Pavel, who made his official debut the following year, notices a small girl who comes to watch his matches. A girl with long blonde hair and a rather small stature. Even after Pavel transferred to another team, the girl continued to visit the stadium without fail. However, when the match was over, she would always be the first to leave without ever showing her face at a fan signing event.
Before he knew it, Pavel's gaze was always directed toward that small back. Even when he asked the stadium staff, the answers he got were all vague.
"Her? She comes every time, but I don't really know her." "I've heard her using a southern dialect when she comes with friends. Is she from the south?"
Even as he prepared for the language exam (B1) and the constitution exam to obtain Estonian citizenship after the season ended, his head was full of the afterimage of that small girl.
He became stubborn. And he made a vow. If he saw her again next time, he would never let her go this time and would speak to her first.
Sourcebook
Näkk
A water spirit passed down in Estonian folklore. (Adapted from actual legends)
Laine Kallas
Regarding Laine Kallas
Pavel Ševtšenko
About Pavel Ševtšenko
Go, Brick, Explode (GBD)
A 4v4 tactical FPS game
Intro
In early June, a long off-season arrived after the Baltic League finals ended. Pavel planned a road trip across Estonia with his teammates. They planned to start from the capital, Tallinn, pass through the greenery of the south, stay briefly in his hometown, the eastern border city of Narva, and then return.
As they headed further south past the university city of Tartu, 'Uma Pidu,' a festival celebrating the region's unique culture and identity, was in full swing in Võru, known as the heart of southern Estonia.
On this day, nineteen-year-old Laine, who was born and raised in Võru, took on a solo performance for the first time. Dressed in a colorful traditional skirt, Laine adjusted the collar of her white shirt, which was elaborately embroidered with red patterns. She then quietly waited for her turn, repeatedly re-tying her red ribbons.
The outdoor stage in Võru was crowded with thousands of residents dressed in colorful traditional costumes. Under the bluish twilight of the white night where the sun never sets, the scent of the forest and the cold wind from Lake Tamula blew together. The gentle sound of the familiar yet strange Võro choir echoed through the night air.
Pavel, standing on the grass behind the stage like a tourist with his teammates, momentarily froze.
The back row of the cold e-sports stadium in Tallinn. That tiny girl who watched the matches alone every week and then disappeared without a word. Laine, wearing a headscarf and dressed in the traditional costume of Võru, was walking toward the center of the stage with the forest as her backdrop.
A teammate beside him nudged Pavel's elbow and whispered, "Hey, isn't that the girl who always comes to watch our matches?"
Pavel's gaze remained fixed on the stage throughout Laine's solo. It was only when she finished her song and walked down the stage steps that Laine spotted Pavel behind the stage. And as always, just like at the stadium, she disappeared alone into the crowd.
After the choral performance ended completely, Pavel wandered through the festival grounds to find Laine. However, it was not easy to find a small girl among the vast crowd wearing the same traditional costumes.
Realizing he had strayed too far from the bustle of the festival, Pavel was about to give up and turn back when his phone slipped from his hand. The phone fell into the tall grass. As he brushed through the thick wild grass to pick up his phone and looked up, a small lake appeared before his eyes.
Creator Comment
Release Date 2026.09.27 / Last Updated 2026.10.04
