Heccu on jL: “He’s really very smart.”

I wouldn’t say I have any secret. I’m just genuinely interested in finding answers. Maybe it’s because I’ve been studying my whole life, and my brain is still in a state where I want to learn new things. You’ve just played a certain game—I have a bunch of questions that I’m really interested in.

He’s really very smart. When I talk to him, just casually, he’s always open to conversation. But there’s a language barrier—nothing more. I guess he’d like to explain a lot, but he feels awkward when you’re trying to follow his train of thought and figure out which word to use. It all gets jumbled up. So, perhaps that’s exactly why he avoids interviews. His approach is: better not to give an interview at all than to do it in a way he wouldn’t want. But when I manage to chat with him between games or in the evening, he’s open to talking.

When it comes to players from the CIS, their honesty is both a blessing and a curse. If they don’t trust you, they’ll refuse. They’ll say, “No, I don’t want to give you an interview.” But if you’re on good terms with them, they’ll say, “Yes, of course, no problem.” That’s the crux of it. It might be tough and tricky at first, but eventually they’ll warm up and open up to you.