Ten years ago
"Kick from the hips, not just the legs."
From above the pool, Wu Zhaoyi watched the woman as she swam, giving her advice on how to improve her technique, while holding a timer and keeping track of her progress.
"Use the power from the pull to come out of the water to breath," Wu Zhaoyi said again observing Shanshan's body position while doing the butterfly stroke, one of the most difficult swimming strokes that requires precise technique in addition to good rhythm. This stroke is arguably the most pleasing to the eye, a balance between power and grace.
"Keep your elbows higher than your hands," Wu Zhaoyi commented again when he saw Shanshan's weak arm movements. "Make sure your palms face outward so that your thumbs enter the water first."
Aside from them, several people in the pool were also practicing on their own, either with a coach or free practice. They seemed unperturbed by Wu Zhaoyi's voice or Shanshan who was making big waves towards them because of her increasingly rough movements.
On the other hand, the three women who were standing near the chair in their full swimsuits were quite different. Despite it being almost noon, they looked as if they hadn't even touched the water yet, their skin remained completely dry. Instead of enjoying the pool, they were absorbed in gossip and watching two individuals who were practicing swimming back and forth. They whispered to each other, forming their own opinions on what was going on between the pair.
Luo Xieshan, the subject of all the gossip, tuned out all the noise around her and focused only on Zhaoyi's words. As for the chatter of the others in the room, she simply didn't care and didn't see the need to waste her time trying to understand what they were saying behind her back instead of confronting her directly.
At Zhaoyi's request, Shanshan had been there since morning for an intensive training session before his departure to Japan. Since Zhaoyi was away for the next few weeks, Shanshan had to train alone without her usual partner. Although they had been training together for almost a year, they didn't really spend the whole day together because the training venues they used were different. Shanshan would officially move into the dorms and train with other professional athletes after graduating from high school in a month. For now, she would still use her high school's swimming pool facilities to train every day.
As for training with Zhaoyi, he actually dedicated extra time in the afternoon after completing his own training sessions to be with Shanshan. This dedication did not go unnoticed by others, as it was not only uncommon for Zhaoyi to provide special training. But also because of the distance between his dormitory and Shanshan's school that took an hour each way for Zhaoyi to commute every day, just to monitor Shanshan's progress for almost a year. This surely sparked gossip among the people there, such sacrifices were unusual and worthy of discussion.
"I've seen many training sessions and this is by far the worst for someone of your level as an almost professional athlete."
Even though grueling training sessions were nothing new for Shanshan, she felt exceptionally exhausted that day. It could have been because her training lasted longer than usual or maybe because she is not feeling well physically. As she completed the final lap, the discomfort in her back intensified and became increasingly unbearable.
"Let's call it a day."
Wu Zhaoyi, who was above the pool wearing a jacket and training pants, saw Shanshan climbing out of the water using a ladder nearby. Seeing her walk to the chair to get a towel, Zhaoyi began to suspect that something was wrong with her. However, what came out of his mouth was the opposite of what he wanted to say.
"Today, I have dedicated all of my time to teaching you something new," Zhaoyi said as he approached Shanshan and observed the woman taking off her swimming goggles. "However, it seems like you're not very pleased about it."
Shanshan takes off her cap and grabs the neatly folded towel from the chair. "I'm just exhausted. Plus, I believe I exceeded my limit during this morning's training session." She explained.
She only gave Zhaoyi those reasons, not mentioning the injury on her back that was causing problems at the time.
"Are you tired from going out with Mahe yesterday?" Zhaoyi asked disdainfully, "Or because you want to practice with Mahe this afternoon?"
Shanshan, who was drying her hair with a towel, stopped and looked at Zhaoyi with a frown. "What did you just say?"
Zhaoyi stepped closer and said, "Didn't you contact Mahe a few days ago to come here and teach you backstroke?"
Throughout the week, Shanshan was unaware of how embarrassed Zhaoyi felt about the text she had sent to Mahe, one of the male swimmers who was also his arch rival. It was no longer a secret that he was Shanshan's mentor and would always accompany her to practice every day, but now that Shanshan had asked someone else to teach her, it seemed as though she no longer trusted Zhaoyi's abilities. This sparked wild speculation among his friends, who enjoyed teasing Zhaoyi during practice sessions.
"Wait.." Something crossed Shanshan's mind, "Don't tell me you purposely wasted your time all day, just because you don't want me to train with Senior Mahe?"
Zhaoyi took a deep breath, then spoke in the calmest voice possible. "Do you think I'm that idle to do something like that?"
Shanshan nodded her head a few times, "That's good." Her comment seemed indifferent and she went back to focusing on drying her body. "Because the information is incorrect."
"Which one is incorrect?" Zhaoyi raised an eyebrow.
"All," Shanshan said immediately. "Also, I think you should verify this with Senior Mahe, whether the person who contacted him was me or the other Shanshan. Because so far I have never met or even contacted him, plus I don't have his contact either."
Zhaoyi's facial expression immediately changed, as if the burden on his shoulders for the past week had disappeared without a trace.
"If you don't believe me, just ask the people here, whether they saw me and Senior Mahe or not." That statement indirectly shows that Shanshan has always been in that place, because she who aspires to become a professional athlete must sacrifice all her time and energy to focus on training every day. So this place is more suitable to be called her home than the house she lives in with her adopted family.
"It's fine," Zhaoyi replied in a nonchalant manner, but his mood was much better.
"Since you're leaving tomorrow, shouldn't there be a lot of things you need to prepare?" Shanshan suddenly asked, "Since my practice is over today, I think you can go and take care of it."
Shanshan made a valid point and Zhaoyi couldn't ignore the fact that there were still many tasks he needed to handle before leaving tomorrow, whether it was related to the competition or other matters. Now that he had addressed the issue that had been occupying his thoughts for so long, he decided to follow Shanshan's advice.
"Alright, I'll go first." He said, ending their conversation and meeting for the day. "Let's train well when I get back."
Zhaoyi turned and walked slowly through the pool area towards the back door, which would take him faster to the parking lot where the man always parked his car. However, at that moment when she saw Zhaoyi's back that seemed to be getting farther away, a kind of gloomy feeling came over Shanshan. The same feeling she had when she saw Wu Zhaoxing back then, as if that would be the last time she would see him.
When Wu Zhaoyi actually left the large room, Shanshan took a walk towards the three women who were still standing in the corner of the pool chatting while looking at her and then looked surprised when she actually stopped in front of them.
"Hey, Three Monkeys," Shanshan called out to all of them who were wearing colorful swimsuits as if they were going to a pool party, not to practice swimming. She took a step forward and immediately made the three women take a few steps back with slightly scared faces. "Once again I hear you guys causing trouble like this, I won't forgive it." Shanshan exclaimed while narrowing her eyes, uttering words full of threats that of course the three women understood in the context of what she was talking about.
Then when Shanshan had turned around and was about to leave, the voice of one of the three women stopped her steps and made her turn back to face them. "You.. You.." said the woman standing in the middle with a little hesitation, who was the leader of the group there. "When you win a medal in the Olympics later, you must remember to mention our names." Her words sounded like a plea.
"Right, you must remember how we sacrificed to accompany you to train all this time." Added another woman standing on the right who had the most muscular body and the loudest voice, but spoke in a slightly fearful tone. "How am I supposed to wake up every morning just to accompany you jogging in the field and doing weight training?"
"Me too!" The tallest woman on the left interrupted, not wanting to be outdone, "You should remember who your daily swimming sparring partner was before Wu Zhaoyi, to the point where I had to spend hours in the pool even in the winter."
Stunned by what they said, Shanshan suddenly realized why the three of them were acting like this. It turned out that it was all because they felt that Shanshan had forgotten about them all since she met Zhaoyi, who was previously her training partner.
Their relationship was far from that of close friends, and they only spent time together because their coach instructed them to. Yet, it didn't change the fact that they were some of the people who had stood by Shanshan's side until she reached her current position. However, with Shanshan moving into the dormitory, they would never see each other again.
"I will do it," Shanshan said confidently, "And thank you for the sacrifices you all have given me."
Shanshan spoke those words with a depth of emotion that could only come from her heart. In that moment, she realized the countless people who had fought alongside her to make her dreams come true. She hoped that they would all find success and happiness, perhaps even surpassing her own in the future.
***
A text message came into Wu Zhaoyi's phone while he was in the hotel lounge provided for athletes who had just arrived in Japan, who would compete in a few days. A faint smile appeared on his lips, reading the question sent by Shanshan.
'Do you think you will win the gold medal?'
The woman always went straight to the point whenever she asked him something, not seeming to try to make small talk or try to open the conversation with something else first.
'Do you think I don't deserve a gold medal?'
Zhaoyi replied and pressed the send button on his phone. However, that was the striking difference between Shanshan and other women. Where she felt it was enough to talk only as necessary and as important as that.
'At least one gold medal wouldn't be too bad, right?'
Zhaoyi's smile grew wider, not feeling offended by the question.
'What if I could win two gold medals?'
In a matter of seconds, Shanshan's reply came back to his phone. This time it made Zhaoyi laugh for a moment, amused by the girl's answer. However, without his realizing it, the reply actually caught the attention of a young woman standing in the doorway, who was wearing a Chinese committee badge like the others.
"I think it's time to go," The woman said to everyone there, then one by one the athletes put their phones into the box the woman was holding, as was the routine they had to do when facing a big match like this. Which made them all isolated for a few days from the outside world to minimize distractions so they could focus better.
Zhaoyi was the last to leave the room, which made him realize that the woman's words were directed at him. "Don't play too hard, because when you get too comfortable. It will make you forget your real goal."
He understood the meaning of Tang Jinjing's words, which referred to his relationship with Shanshan. It seemed that she could guess the reason why he approached Shanshan, something that Zhaoyi had never done in his entire life.
Choosing to ignore those words, Zhaoyi passed through the door and walked out following the others.
"Don't forget about our engagement after the competition." Zhaoyi's steps paused for a moment and his expression looked a little uncomfortable. "I hope you win the gold medal."
When he heard those words, Zhaoyi felt something inside him boil as if it offended his pride. However, a second later he realized that those words might sound more polite than Shanshan's previous words, but why did he feel the opposite? When something might offend him but when said by Shanshan, it would sound like a joke to Zhaoyi. Yet if someone else were to say the same thing, it would be perceived differently in Zhaoyi's mind.
Were Jinjing's words true? Had he been playing with her too much, causing him to become too relaxed around her and forget his initial intentions of pursuing her?
***