Lee "Flash" Young-ho advanced to the Round of 16 as the first-place finisher in Group E of the Google Play ASL Season 21 Round of 24, held on March 31st at FreecUP Studio in Samseong-dong, Seoul. In Group E, which consisted entirely of Terran players, Lee comfortably defeated Lee Young-woong in his opening match and then Lim Jin-mook in the winners’ match to secure first place in the group.

Below is the full transcript of Flash’s post-match victory interview.

Q. How do you feel about advancing to the Round of 16 as the first-place finisher in your group?

I’m happy to advance, and since it’s been six years, it really feels like it’s been a very long time. My arm isn’t in good shape, but I prepared hard while getting pain-relief injections. I’ll work hard to go even further.

Q. The last time you played in ASL, you competed as Random. This time, you chose Terran. Why?

Back then, I thought I was truly overwhelming. Now, I’m not quite at that level anymore (laughs). Still, I think I’m in contention to win, and if I prepare well enough, I think I can aim for the title. If I win, I might try Random again.

Q. With Kim Min-chul eliminated, you’re now the only player still in the running to win a fifth title.

I got my fourth title pretty early and then took a long break. Honestly, I didn’t think other players would catch up. Personally, I really want that fifth championship.

Q. What led you to decide to come back?

The fans really wanted it. I thought about it a lot, and that’s why I decided to return. CEO Seo Soo-gil also told me three times that I should come back and play. If my arm is okay, I’d like to keep competing going forward. The fans always wanted me to play in tournaments, and I wanted to give them that.

Q. Is there a player you’d like to face in the Round of 16?

I think playing against Jaedong or Kim Taek-yong would be fun, and I also want to face Park Sang-hyun. I’m generally confident. I think it would also be good to meet Jang Yoon-chul.

Q. Lim Jin-mook advanced to the winners’ match. He probably wasn’t an easy opponent to predict. Did you make any changes to your prepared build orders or to the way you approached the match?

I had prepared different builds for each opponent. So against Lim Jin-mook, I used the build I had prepared for him.

Q. You started doing YouTube little by little about a year ago, right?

Once I started resting, I just kept resting. Even now, I’m not the type to stream that much on my personal broadcast. I worked for a long time from a young age, and now that I’m in my mid-30s, when I rest, I want to really rest. But when it comes to tournaments, I’m completely serious, and I’m preparing hard.

Q. What does ASL mean to you personally?

It’s a really special tournament. The first ASL tournament was held when I started personal streaming. It was also the stage where I performed at my best, and even after retiring as a pro gamer, it was the tournament that let me feel those emotions from that era again. It’s been really fun coming back after so long, and I’d also like to play on an outdoor stage.

This article was translated from the original that appeared on INVEN.