Hi everyone, I'm a 12-year vet T-fan who went to the Mercedes-Benz fan meeting. I usually just lurk on FM Korea during the '24-'25 Stove League, but today I finally signed up and wrote a post. The experience was so moving that I had to write this humble review.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Since 2017, I've been stuck in the Hellish Life Combo (school, mandatory military service, extracurriculars, work), so going to live events, let alone fan meetings, was impossible. As the fandom grew, the ticketing became insane, so I had practically given up. But I thought, 'F*ck it, let's apply,' and somehow, thankfully, I won! Since I could bring a plus one, I took a younger college buddy who is also a T-fan.
I was kind of bummed because we were assigned the second-to-last row, but I consoled myself thinking, 'Hey, at least I get to see the players.' The pre-events were rich enough to make up for the bad seating. They had custom functional tees, keychain making, fan letter writing, and a lucky draw—lots of stuff to do and grab. They even had catering to fill our hungry bellies. I just didn't take many photos, wandering around like a country bumpkin who just came to the big city, haha.
Right before the main event, the cheers were insane every time a player entered, starting with Faker. I wanted to get closer and take photos, but I didn't want to be rude to the players, so I couldn't muster the courage easily. Ended up deciding to take pictures during the main event... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [View from the second-to-last row seat]
"A 17-1" Just getting here was huge luck, but disappointment is disappointment. I got seats right at the very end of the second-to-last row via lottery. What can you do? I had to blame my own 'poop hands' for drawing those specific seats. But little did I know, this seat would become the lucky seat.
[T1 Fan Meeting Hosting GOAT]
Then the main event started with the smooth hosting of announcer Bae Hye-ji and commentator Go Su-jin. The players entered from the back of Section A in order: Doran, Oner, Faker, Keria, and Peyz. Since the entry started right behind me, I got to see the players up close. As I enjoy photography, I slammed the shutter button on my everyday Fuji camera, trying to capture the emotion of the moment. However, due to 'shaking issues' and 'skill issues,' most photos were blurry and went straight to the trash... BUT! Thankfully! Faker's entrance was captured clearly on camera.
As those who watched the livestream know, this fan meeting was packed. We got to hear witty banter and stories from the players during post-talks and focused discussions about the 2025 Worlds highlights. There were also plenty of raffle events for various merchandise, which was great fun. Since there were easily over 200 fans, being chosen to go up on stage was like grabbing a star from the sky. I really wanted to meet Faker face-to-face, but the chances were slim. So I went in with the mindset: 'I'll definitely not get picked anyway. Since I'm here, I'll just soak it all up and enjoy it.' Just attending was luck enough.
[Source: MercedesBenzKorea_Official] Well, as the famous meme says, 'Never' doesn't exist. In the second raffle event, after the note event, I was 'called' by the Inverse Celestial Demon (?) and got a 1v1 game match. That was the moment the seat I thought was the worst turned into the lucky seat. When you actually go up and meet the players face-to-face, your mind goes completely blank, literally snow-white. Maybe it's just me, but that's how I felt.
[Source: MercedesBenzKorea_Official] Once the game started, I'm pretty competitive, so I think I gritted my teeth and played hard. I didn't even think about using two hands like Keria does, but when I came to my senses, I had won.
[Source: MercedesBenzKorea_Official] The souvenir was a '25 season uniform. As an aside, Keria offered me a handshake, but I subconsciously threw up a fist bump. Thankfully, he quickly changed his pose and returned the fist bump. I already thought this was incredible luck. This short moment and the uniform were huge fortune, and I even got to play a game with a player. I wondered if I'd ever get this lucky again. That's what I thought at the time.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- They say you never know how life will turn out. The T-fan’s prediction that this kind of luck would never happen again was beautifully contradicted by Dae Sang Hyeok's fan letter 'Banpick' (selection).
[Source: MercedesBenzKorea_Official] Those who read this post probably already noticed my writing isn't great. The fan letter content wasn't spectacular either. However, when writing it, I tried to focus on 'paying respect and gratitude to the one I've admired for 12 years,' writing every character carefully on the small piece of paper. His 'overcoming adversity, hardship, and endless challenges' shown during the '23, '24, and '25 Worlds was a massive motivator for me as I struggled through challenges and failures after my military discharge. I respect him not just as a player but as a role model. Hearing 'A 17-1' called out felt like a dream. I was so stunned that I barely remember walking up to the stage.
[Source: MercedesBenzKorea_Official]
...The moment of T-fan Nirvana... I spent a short time agonizing over whether to do the heart pose or the shhh pose. I finally chose the 'shhh pose' to show respect to the player. :) As an aside, maybe it's the lighting, but Faker's face looks hazy, which I think gives it a cool 'halo' effect. I'm looking forward to getting the original files the photographer shot via email.
On top of all that, Mercedes-Benz kept the 'It's not over yet!' prizes coming, showering us with wireless keyboards, mice, and Mercedes-Benz car models in the raffle... They clearly prepared a ton.
For reference, everyone who attended got a calendar and a Britz Bluetooth speaker as a gift. I expected the calendar based on the packaging, but the speaker really blindsided me... Mercedes, just how much did you prepare for this?! The fan meeting ended after a group photo and a final round of fist bumps with the players. I recorded the fist bumps on video, but I was so excited that my greeting came out like rapid-fire chatter;; (Please excuse me). I didn't even think of a proper greeting, so I just blurted out 'Happy New Year'—oops.
"Everyone is super jealous that OP, the 'Poop Hands' owner, pulled the ultimate flex: winning a game against a pro AND having Faker choose his heartfelt fan letter. Congrats on achieving T-fan Nirvana!"
#FunContinue Browsing
![[Weeb] Aris eating rice cake soup](https://kcomm-assets.b-cdn.net/thumbnails/thumb_17d7fa9ad7cbdf8a.webp)
