Hadji Roots for Yue Even at The Cost of His Own Dreams

In the name of the game, there are always two sides: one has to lose and walk away with their dreams crushed, while the other gets to emerge victorious and take it all.

But what makes losing even harder is finding yourself at the crossroads with someone you once shared the journey with, knowing just how much they wanted that same victory, even at the cost of your own dreams. This is the tale of Hadji and Yue.

As Yue finally got his hands on the elusive MPL Philippines championship he had been chasing for years, Hadji found himself caught between two conflicting emotions. He was genuinely happy for his former teammate, but the defeat also served as a painful reminder of his own unfinished business.

Despite the heartbreak of losing the Season 18 grand finals, Hadji made sure to give Yue his flowers.

“Nag-champion na siya, masaya ako para sa kaniya! Gusto ko pa rin mag-champion, masakit pa rin para sa akin. So ayun, congrats kay Yue na nakapag-champion na siya sa MPL,” Hadji told ALL-STAR.

“Gagalingan namin sa M8! Babawian namin sila sa M8!” he added.

Back in their Blacklist International days in Season 12, Hadji and Yue shared the same championship aspirations, but winning a title together remained beyond their reach.

Although Hadji had already tasted championship glory in MPL Seasons 8 and 10, he and Yue never managed to capture an MPL, MSC, or M-Series title as teammates.

For Yue, the journey to the top was particularly long and painful.

Three years after making his MPL debut with Blacklist International in Season 11, where he was named Best Rookie of the Season, Yue finally captured his first MPL championship in his fifth Grand Finals appearance with Aurora Gaming.

His first taste of heartbreak came in Season 11, when Blacklist International suffered a sweep at the hands of ECHO. The following season, another opportunity slipped away as AP.Bren denied the Codebreakers their shot at redemption.

After several seasons, Yue returned to the Grand Finals in Season 14 with Aurora Gaming. However, ONIC PH outclassed the Northern Lights, handing him another painful runner-up finish. That repeated in Season 16 after being swept by Team Liquid.

But this time, Yue refused to let history repeat itself.

After years of heartbreak, Yue finally had the elusive MPL championship he had long dreamed of lifting. And as the realization sank in, Yue could not hide how happy he was, while the supporters who had stood by him through years of heartbreak were the ones shedding tears of joy.

Even in the middle of his own celebration, however, Yue did not forget Hadji, a former teammate whom he continues to treat like a brother, despite standing on opposite sides of the stage.

True to his kind and down-to-earth nature, the newly crowned champion also acknowledged Hadji and Team Falcons PH for giving everything they had in the championship showdown.

“Parehas naming binigay best namin pero at the end of the day, isa lang talaga magcha-champion. Maganda rin ‘yung pinakita ni Hadji and ‘yung Team Falcons,” Yue told ALL-STAR.

“Excited ako na makaharap ka ulit and sana sa grand finals tayo magharap ulit,” he added.

Yue’s championship journey is a testament to the resilience of a dreamer who refused to let years of heartbreak dictate how his story would end.

After coming agonizingly close time and time again, he finally proved that sometimes, all it takes is one more chance to turn years of disappointment into a moment worth celebrating.

And while Yue has finally fulfilled one of his biggest dreams, Hadji’s pursuit remains far from over, in his heart, he still has a lot to prove.