Vi’s dad finished “interviewing” Yuel and they proceeded to Vi’s room, the so-called “Den of Videocrafting”. There was no sign of Vi’s mom anywhere.

  “She’s still sleeping,” Vi said. “Yesterday, as always, she braved through the depths of the night to unleash her art on the world, for she is the Nightowl Designer!”

  “So, she pulled an all-nighter?”

  “Indeed.” Vi nodded. “She works from home, so her schedule get quite peculiar indeed.”

  “But, she will wake up at some point during the day, right?”

  “Indeed, indeed. Fret not, for we shall be able to borrow her advice if we find so necessary.”

  “Good.”

  They reached Vi’s room.

  “Wele to the produ studio!” Vi stretched both arms to present his room as if it was some big agency. “Please, e inside. Don’t be shy.”

  “Sure.” Yuel stepped in. A loud and colorful sight assaulted him immediately.

  No walls.

  There were none.

  This room had no walls anywhere in sight.

  Well, that wasn’t accurate. Of course, the room teically had walls. However, none of them were visible. Why? Because tless posters covered them from head to toe.

  There were many different colorful posters of eastern cartoons, the ones Vi referred to as “ahe entire background was so stacked with images, to the point it was impossible to tell the actual color of the walls.

  “How do you like my shrine?”

  “It’s... colorful, I guess.” Yuel instinctively took a step back. This room was as loud as its owner. It had this uny ability to make Yuel shudder.

  “By the way, have you watched the anime I reended?” Vi poi one of the posters. “Here, you know whie this is?”

  “Um...” Yuel had no idea. He didn’t have the time to check out any of these shows. There was nothing wrong with admitting that, so he should just give a straight answer.

  With that said, being inside Vi’s territory made that difficult. All the colorful huge eyes on the were staring at Yuel, judging him with their smirks and smiles.

  “So, you haven’t watched them,” Vi cluded.

  “Sorry, I haven’t,” Yuel apologized. Not sure why I’m apologizing, though.

  “This is Kill Note,” Vi expihe poster showed a man holding a notebook, with some grotesque creature standing behind him.

  What kind of show was it? Knowing Vi, it robably something about a boy summoning demons from a cursed notebook.

  “This is Psycho Lise.” Vi poi another poster. This one had people holding ically oversized guns. It looked like some sort of a flick, just drawn in ayle. It robably all a and no substahe worst kind of shows.

  “And this is Mono Piece.” Vi tinued presenting more and more posters, trying to get Yuel tempted to watething, anything.

  I’m not going to bite. Yuel resisted. We didn’t meet up to do an aour.

  “Then, how about we watch the first few episodes together?” Vi suggested. “I’m sure you’ll love it! It’s a brilliant series of suspense and mind-games!”

  “I’ll watch it when I have the time,” Yuel made ay promise. “I’m here for the review video, not to watch shows.”

  “Worry not, for we have the entire day ahead of us! One episode is but 20 minutes long.”

  “That sounds like something a procrastinator would say,” Yuel remarked. “It starts with a small distra, but then time flies by and you haven’t even started.”

  “Sounds like you have personal experieh that.”

  “That’s basically every group study ever.” Yuel sighed.

  Many kids, and even teachers, raved about studying in groups. However, in Yuel’s experie was always a recipe for disaster.

  Every study group he joined was a circus. The other kids were more busy messing around, thinking they got plenty of time on their hands. Then, before they realized it, the group study was over and they hadn’t done a sihing.

  What Vi suggested was dangerously close to that mentality. In theory, they had at least 10 hours to work on the video. It sounded like a tremendous amount of time that’d be enough to aplish about anything.

  But, the moment you got sidetracked, it always took an indefinite amount of time to get ba track. Even though Vi said each episode was “only 20 minutes”, that was a trap. It was going to tempt them to watch more episodes, whi turn will waste many precious hours of their day.

  “It’s just another 20 minutes, no problem.” Vi will surely say after every single episode.

  I already imagine how the ehing will py out. Yuel shuddered.

  In the hypothetical alternative timeline, in which he agrees to wat episode, they will waste at least five hours on that side-activity. As a result, they won’t finish the video in time and the match review will bee a disaster. Due to that, the team won’t improve fast enough and they will eventually face StormBlitz unprepared at the regionals, leading to their crushi.

  That’s oure I absolutely ’t allow. Yuel gulped. “No, we’re not watg anything. Let’s get started on the video.”

  “I see, I see. Uptight as ever.” Vi nodded in uanding. “Truly, such overwhelming seriousness, befitting the supervilin known as Chessmaster!”

  A vilin...? Yuel decided not to ask, to avoid further sidetrag.

  It felt like Vi was always searg for the best ways to derail versations. He py man as long as he could spout his over-the-top nonsense.

  That’s why I ’t give him any opportuo start anything. Yuel steeled himself. I have to be straight to the point. This is like dealing with a wild animal that attack at any moment.

  “Very well then.” Vi sat down in front of the puter. “Let us begin our videocrafting!”

  “I sent you the timestamps yesterday,” Yuel said. “Did you see them?”

  “‘Did I see them?’ Kukuku, who do you take me for? I’m the man known as Information Bckhole! As soon as you decided oimestamps, I already kheir exact tents! Yes, that’s right, I was aware of them before you evehem to me!”

  “That’s an impressive skill.” Yuel oo bad it’s all nonsense.

  With that said, Vi at least glossed over the timestamps dot. It was already open on his PC before they came into the room. And, the video editing software was also ready.

  Despite how hard the was trying to procrastinate a moment ago, he was uedly prepared. He was raring to go, just like Yuel. In fact, this happy-go-lucky evehe extra mile.

  “These marked timestamps...” Yuel mumbled.

  “Kukuku, so you have noticed! Such a sharp eye, as expected from the one who tell others’ weak a gnce!”

  What sharp eye? I’d have to be blind to not notice all these marked timestamps. They’re literally bolded, italicized, and marked in yellow. And, these timestamps... aren’t mine.

  “They’re my additions,” Vi expined. “Just as you dedicated your precious time for the noble cause of analyzing the repy and finding the greatest of moments, so have I. bined, our timestamps shall reveal all the truths of that fateful match!”

  “You did all that?” Yuel blinked.

  There were many marked timestamps and they had brief descriptions attached to them, simir to how Yuel anized his own timestamps. Vi clearly poured hours into piling all of this. That was so ued.

  This duality of Vi always made the guy difficult to read. Was he a zy bum who only cared about messing around and procrastinating? Or, was he a serious hard-worker who did everything in his power to help the team? He was both aher. Truly, a mysterious existehat followed alien logic.

  “Wait, these timestamps...” The descriptions attached to them were a little odd. They were stuff like “VanishingFlower strikes down the unsuspeg Dark Knight!” and “Gunz exhibits his skills as the Insa of the Apocalypse and strikes down DragonMaster! The defender bees the victim!”

  The timestamps had bombastiames that sounded like clickbait titles. And, in a cssit fashion, they were filled with many silly terms. Yuel’s brain was losing cells just from skimming through this tent.

  But, silly titles alone were still alright. What really bugged Yuel about these timestamps was the tent. There was an odd sistent theme for all of them.

  “None of these are mispys by our team.”

  “Ihey are not,” Vi agreed. “On the trary! These are glorious moments of victory! The first time VanishingFlower overcame her stage-fright and correctly gahe Dark Knight. Or, that oime Beat quered her anger and taught TheLegend a hard lesson! Those were all amazing fateful moments!”

  “But, sihey were good pys, there’s no much to criticize about them. There’s no point reviewing them.”

  “Oh, that’s where I vehemently disagree with you, o cold-hearted Chessmaster,” Vi objected. “Reliving your moments of defeat is definitely insightful, but reliving your moments of victory is just as important!”

  “I don’t see how.”

  “If you only focus your attention on your mistakes, you’ll start believing you pyed terribly the ech. It will shatter your fidence as a pyer and will make you lose faith in your own skill. Not to mention, it could be detrimental to your future performance as well. It might spell doom for your eure career!”

  “That’s an exaggeration if I ever heard one,” Yuel said. “Nobody is going to think they’re bad just because you show them their mistakes. If they’re serious about improving, they’ll accept the criticism and learn from it.”

  “Such heartlessness, as expected from a supervilin.” Vi nodded. “In theory, you’re correct. A serious pyer wouldn’t get depressed over a single piece of criticism. But, what if they gh aire session filled with nothing but criticism toward them and their teammates? Isn’t that depressing beyond belief!?”

  “No, I don’t think it is. Mistakes were made and we’re going to discuss them. That’s all there is to it.”

  “Indeed, mistakes were made,” Vi agreed. “However, imagihis se: You’re being shown one mistake. Then, another mistake. And then another, and another, and another. Before long, the ech will be painted as a pile of mistakes. The eeam will look like a dysfunal unit capable only of itting mistakes. Is that the kind of grim picture you wish to paint with your match review?”

  “No, of course not,” Yuel said. “All I want is to discuss the mistakes. I’m n to say we pyed poorly. We won, so everybody should already know we performed well overall.”

  “Just because they’re aware of such truths at the back of their heads doesn’t mean they’ll remember them throughout the match review. If you hammer them with nothing but showcases of their mistakes, all that ivity will fill up their brains to the brim. Before long, they’ll start thinking that they severely underperformed and that their victory was but a fluke.

  “I think you’re exaggerating,” Yuel argued back but he wasn’t too fident. There might be some truth to Vi’s words.

  Going over repys of a pyer’s mistakes was simir to scolding them over and over. At some point, the target might start seeing the scolder as a “vilin” whose entire purpose in life was to scold. Even if all that scolding actually had good iions behind it, none of it will reach the target audience.

  For example, there was Yuel’s bumpy retionship with Julia. “Frankly, that ancer pyed terribly.” That’s how Yuel criticized Julia’s performahe first time they met.

  It sounded brutal and Yuel probably should’ve phrased it better, but he had no ill iion. He simply wao make it clear that Lars was losing in that 2v2 game due to Julia’s shortings as a Support. It wasn’t his iion to belittle her or anything like that. He simply pointed out her mistakes in the hope she learns from them.

  But, Julia didn’t see it that way. She thought Yuel was ag like a jackass who was looking down on her.

  If Yuel just presented his criticism better and mixed in a couple of praises iween, then Julia’s first impression of him would have been far more positive. Perhaps, they would’ve started out on much better terms and could avoid dramatic fights like the ohat tore their friendship apart.

  “Okay, you may have a point,” Yuel ceded. “We include a couple of good pys in the video.”

  “Indeed, we shall! It will boost the team’s morale through the roof!”

  “But, let’s not overdo it,” Yuel insisted. “We don’t have time to pile all the good and bad pys together. We o foispys that teach us valuable lessons.”

  “Worry not, for I’ve already begun my craft yesterday!” Vi dramatically zigzagged with his mouse, passing through many folders at lightning speed. “Behold, the fruits of my bor!”

  He opened a video, showing the first sample from his big list of “good pys”. It captured the moment Nia successfully snuck up to the Dark Knight and killed the guy. It was definitely an important turning point in that game, an occasion to celebrate. Nia will probably feel good if she watched this, but...

  “This is definitely something...” Yuel wasn’t sure how to respond to the editing work on this video.

  The footage started with Nia creeping toward Top Lane. So far, so good.

  But then, dramatiinous music started pying in the background, apanied by Vi’s narration. “VanishingFlower is slowly but surely making her way to Top Lane. Is the enemy aware of this ining rotation!?”

  The video cut to the Dark Knight. The guy ying fidently on the hout showing any hints of caution. “It appears not! DragonMaster isn’t expeg it in the slightest!”

  The video cut back to Nia and the music escated. It turned into a full-blown a theme as Nia appeared on the ne and assaulted DragonMaster.

  “AND IT’S A KILL!!! Six and a half minutes into the game, Stratus draws first blood! Will that bee the first step toward their victory!?”

  The video ended on that cliffhanger.

  “So, how was it?” Vi asked with a fident smile.

  “It was... well done, actually,” Yuel admitted. “I’m not a fan of ventited entary, but it work well when it’s in small doses like that.”

  “Right? Right!?”

  “The cuts bad forth were also nicely dohey created a nice ematic experience. I’m sure Nia will be happy to see it.”

  “Oh, stop it. Your words are too kind for little old me.” Vi wore an embarrassed smile.

  “But.”

  “Oh lordy, there’s always a ‘but’, isn't there?” Vi’s shoulders slumped. “Very well. Hit me with your worst criticism! Is it the quality of the voice rec? Or, do the cuts feel a little forced? Simply inform me of my wrongdoings and I shall fix them post-haste!”

  “There’s nothing particurly wrong with the video itself,” Yuel said. “The produ is det.”

  “But of course it is! My mother personally supervised the birth of this piece of art. She would not miss a siail!”

  He’s getting way too defensive before I even said anything. Yuel smiled wryly. “Listen, It’s not about the quality of the video. Well, teically, it IS about the quality, but-”

  “Indeed, I’m aware! It’s not 4k. That’s one of your pints, isn’t it? I wished for it to 4k as well, but mom said it’ll take ay to process it and the video will weigh more than a tank. So, as I didn’t have much time on my hands, I had to cut ers and produce it in 1080p. I’m terribly sorry for such a low-quality produ!”

  “Low quality?” Yuel narrowed his eyes. “1080p is HD, literally ‘high definition’. That’s not low quality by any means. Just calm down. I wasn’t actually going to criticize your video.”

  “Nay, impossible! Lies a! There’s no way the bearer of the Mystic Eyes of Weakness Perception would not find numerous faults with something he ys his eyes on!”

  “There is one big fault and it’s in the amount of effort put into this video. Tell me, how long did you spend making it?”

  “It was a bor of many hours.” Vi puffed his chest proudly. “For example, this segment here had to be recorded thrice to deliver three different perspectives. Then, I had to slice them and bihem with perfect timing. Oh, and the narration! That took a couple of shots, but I believe it turned out well. And of course, the musid some visual effects, and...!”

  “That’s my problem with it,” Yuel cut in. “You created something great, but you’ve spent way too much time on this one py. Don’t tell me you pn to spend that much time on ead every py.”

  “Such was my iion,” Vi admitted. “I’m already halfway doh the sed py on my list. I’m certain that, by the end of the day, I’ll finish produg all the pys from both our lists!”

  “No, you won’t. Not if you put that much time into every single py. We don’t have time for that. All we need is to record the repy at the important moments and stitch these recs together. No need for special cuts, music, or narration.”

  “B-But what about the impact!? Moments of glory should feel epic, whereas moments of failure should feel devastating! Isn’t it so!?”

  “You’re right, it’s o have extra effects. But, there’s no time for that. I’m pnning to do the match review tomorrow while the scrimmage is still fresh in everybody’s memory, so we have to finish it by then.”

  “So, we’re not doing any narration?”

  “No. I’ll hahe expnation during the presentation.”

  “T-Then, how about some dramatic music, at least!?”

  “Unnecessary. Besides, I believe it always be added ter.”

  “Ihat’s true. Alright, then no music or narration. But, we’ll still shoy from multiple perspectives for maximum impact, right? Right!?”

  “It’d be there’s no time to pn it out. All I’m asking for is a simple pition video. Please.”

  “But, but...!” Vi was desperately trying to e up with something. He couldn’t imagihese videos delivering maximum impact without all the fshy elements.

  The videos had to be memorable! They had to burn themselves into the pyers’ minds and be desirable for rewatg, to make the pyers revisit both fortunate and unfortunate moments alike! That was the ultimate videocrafting teique...!

  “Vinnie, give it a rest.” A woman’s voivaded the room. The Nightowl Designer made her entrance!

  What a plicated mess this was turning into. Yuel merely came here to create a basipition video, but hings kept popping up oer another. We haven’t even started and I’m already getting tired...

  DarkestCymore