Evil Geniuses finished the group stage of the LCS Spring 2020 in 2nd place overall – An unexpected achievement for the members of this team. Bang – the number 1 star of EG, is probably enjoying a short break after a successful group stage, took the opportunity to send a heartfelt letter to his fans back home in South Korea.
In the letter, he shared a lot about his current life, but above all, it was an expression of his longing for T1 – The team to which he dedicated his youth to contribute and together with teammates achieve all the most prestigious glories.
‘A letter sent from afar.
Hello. I am Bae Joon-sik. Tonight is longer again. In America, Covid-19 is making everything worse. How is everyone? I’ve been practicing indoors for three weeks now. Even when I go out to the market, everyone has to wear masks and stand in long lines, but you can’t buy much. The most refreshing thing right now is being able to go outside a little to pick up food that’s been delivered.’
This is also the first time Bang has shared about life in America after a year and a half away from home. He talked about how expensive rent is in Los Angeles, “with the same amount of money, I could rent a cozy apartment in Seoul instead of a two-bedroom room. I don’t have to pay rent, but it’s still too expensive.”
“Food is not an issue; I can choose any Korean dish through Amazon or Korean supermarkets here. Also, now I’m doing yoga at home because all the gyms are closed.”
“I’m playing for EG, and indeed it’s a lucrative contract, but honestly, I really like this lineup. We have a jungler from C9, and especially, Zeyzal, from the practice stage, I felt this kid has the same playstyle and personality as Jae-wan (Wolf), and thus we quickly synced together. He is a reliable teammate.”
Bang devoted quite a bit of time in the letter to talk about his new teammates, how he feels when criticized for inconsistent play, as well as EG’s impressive transformation in the second half of the LCS Spring 2020.
However, what made this ADC’s fans tear up is when he talked about his decision to leave LCK and his dream of once again wearing the T1 jersey:
“I still often talk to Coach Kim Jung-gyun (kkOma). Communication can also be quite difficult. If someone disappears from KakaoTalk, the coach will call directly. Sometimes we chat for 20 minutes. We share about the good things as well as the difficulties, but always try to end the conversation on a very positive note.
Until now, Coach kkOma has always been my strongest support. Even if we can’t talk on the phone every day, he is always the first person I think of whenever I feel the most tired or the happiest. It seems like there has been an inseparable bond between us in life.
Sometimes I still dream of a beautiful dream, when I come back to wear the T1 jersey. Teddy is defeated, and I will replace him from the bench. I always watch T1 compete and often dream about that scenario; it really excites me.
Now, I feel more like a fan of T1, but whatever position, it still brings a lot of emotions.
Thank you everyone for always supporting me. Watching the performances and enjoying the encouragement from the fans has always been a wonderful experience. Words are not enough for me to express my desire to reciprocate everyone’s feelings. Sending heartfelt thanks to all of you.”
It seems that after more than a year away from T1, Bang’s heart is still directed towards his old team, even though everything has changed now, with kkOma also having left, only Faker remains as the last connection between Bang and an “old SKT”.
Bang’s mixed emotions and “strange” dreams are something that fans can understand, as he has loved SKT – T1 from the bottom of his heart, which is also where the most beautiful memories of this legendary player’s career were recorded.
However, realistically, the hope of Bang returning to the T1 jersey as a player is quite slim, but who knows, in the future, he may still become a part of T1 in another role, such as a coach or… a shareholder perhaps.