Gold Lust
By Riley S
To say that Li Syaoran was pissed would be an understatement…he was furious, almost to the point of being livid. If it wasn't for the constant sound of clicking from photographers in the background he may have just as well have blown his cool. But always playing the well self assured athletic businessman he managed to keep himself in the cool.
Glancing at the large clock again he couldn't believe it. He had lost. The large letters were shining, with his name in the second place. Somehow Hiiragizawa had beaten him, by .05 of a second. He glanced over at his opponent and long time friend and managed to shake the surprise off of his face.
"It's about time." He half joked to Eriol. The man looked at him as he pulled the goggles off of his eyes.
"I know what you mean couz, I've been trying to beat you since we were ten!" He joked as he reached around for a hug even though the line divider was still in between them.
Syaoran managed to gulp down his anger and give him a hug, hearing the ever present clicking sound in the background echoing off the tiled walls. After their quick (but manly) hug he pulled a thin smile to the crowd around him raising two fingers into the air to signal his place.
After pulling himself out of the pool he looked over at his agent, Li Meiling his other cousin. She walked over to him with a towel wrapped in her arms. She was wearing a casual business suite with black flats. Her long black hair was tied up into a bun in the back of head, she said it made her look more professional.
He could hear the girls screaming in the background for Syaoran and Eriol to look their way. Not only were they considered to be the best swimmers, they were also the hottest.
"Dry off, the press wants a word." She smiled nicely at him, knowing that he was boiling inside.
"I can give them two." Syaoran said through grinded teeth.
"Be nice." She said before pulling his swimming cap off of his head, letting his chestnut hair fall in front of his eyes, making the girls scream even louder. "You did good Syaoran, don't forget that. Sometimes it's okay to let others win." She tried to reassure him, as they walked over to the line of press personal standing with microphones and cameras, all blinking away at him.
"All I can say is if it had to be someone….I'm glad it was him."
Sakura stared at the screen in front of her for a moment. Those numbers couldn't be right could they? She looked stunned for only a minute more before a smile burst onto her face and she looked across the track to her best friend and manager Tomoyo, who was jumping over the fence to giver her big hug. Sakura was too shocked to even hug her back.
"Did that really happen?" She asked as she looked at the screen again.
"Sakura!!" Tomoyo squealed, this time starting to jump up and down.
"Oh my god!!" Sakura screamed and started jumping with her friend before embrasing her for a hug. After a quick and excited hug she looked over to her competitor, who also had a large grin on her face, for she had finished second out of the ten. She quickly made her way over to Maki and gives her a hug and congratulations.
"You were amazing; I tried to hard to catch you but that kick of yours is just stunning!" Maki congratulated.
"Well if you hadn't kept such a good pace the first two miles I don't think I would have!" Sakura complemented back.
"Sakura, the press wants a word." Tomoyo smiled as she gave Maki a hug as well. "You were great, I was worried you had it for a bit there!" She joked with the runner, as Maki laughed along with her.
"Sakura!" The announcer said giving her a quick hug, "if you don't mind we need you, Maki and Nakoi to saw a quick word." He said as he escorted the three of them over to where the camera was currently waiting.
"Sakura how does it feel to know that you now officially have your tickets to the Olympics?" He asks as the camera zooms in on Sakura who is still trying to catch her breath after the commotion.
"Its amazing Josh, I never thought this day would come." Sakura smiled into the camera.
"Now you are considered to be the nicest competitor on the field." He started as Sakura laughed embarrassingly, "Do you think that could be why some of the others feel you might have been a push over in the race?"
"Nicest?" Sakura laughed again, "Oh I don't know, everyone is really very nice here; I don't think I am the nicest. But no, I don't, we all know that personality doesn't really have anything to do with performance. Its training and hard work, and I think the three of us trained really really hard to get here!"
"Now I understand that after this race you have to leave to compete in China, is that correct?" He asked looking over at Sakura.
"Yes, I have two races in Hong Kong I am going to be competing in, and I can't wait. I have never been so I think this will be a fun and exciting experience for me, as well as great preparation for the upcoming Olympics." Sakura smiled gracefully into the camera.
"Calm down will you!" Meiling screamed as they entered the condo.
"Calm down! Damnit Meiling, you don't get it do you?!" Syaoran screamed as he threw his bag onto the couch.
"Yes Syaoran I do, you don't like being beaten, I know that, hell the whole damned world knows that! But you need to keep your cool you almost lost it out there…again." She eyes him carefully. "We don't need a repeat of what happened back in France."
"He asked for it."
"That may have been, But you have a reputation to uphold Syaoran. Just because you're the coldest doesn't mean you have to be the least humble too." Meiling said as she picked her cell phone to check her messages. "In fact your mother and I have thought of a way to perhaps bring that temper and cockiness down a notch of two." She said not bothering to look at Syaoran but keep her eyes placed firmly onto her blackberry.
"What? What did you do?" Syaoran asked furious.
"We just want to melt a little of that ice around your heart, it could help you not sink so much. Its called a reality check, a good way for you to learn to act around other people."
"Meiling…"
"No, in fact her name is Sakura. She is the current record holder in Japan for the 5,000 meter and the 10,000 meter. I was just informed that she won the trials and will be competing in the Olympics, so you will have something to talk about, since you had just made the China team as well." She said now glancing at her nails as if it was nothing.
"A runner?" Syaoran said a little confused.
"Yes, she will be competing in a couple races here in Hong Kong. She and her manager is friend of mine from when I attended high school in Japan. I offered her your condo as a place to stay."
"YOU DID WHAT?!"
"Oh not just me, Aunty offered as well, considering she does pay for it, I guess that makes it hers. And she can choose who she wants and doesn't want to stay here." Meiling said carefully examining one of her nails.
"Meiling…so help me…"
"That's what I'm trying to do Syaoran! Help you! She is considered to be one of the nicest athletes. She is friendly and funny, and a damn good runner; you could learn a few things from her. Your mother and I expect you to be on your best behavior." She said now standing up and looking a very pissed off Syaoran straight in the eyes.
"I don't need mother's money for this condo, I can get my own. I have my own money!"
Syaoran fumed, his fists tightly clenching.
"No I suppose you don't. But unless you want to completely give up your dream of going to the Olympics I suggest you stay here and do as she says. Remember the agreement you made with the elders." Meiling warned reminding him of the compromise made when he was sixteen years old.
Syaoran thought back to then, it seemed like decades ago, not seven years. He had decided he wanted to give up his training in becoming the next leader of the Li clan and focus more on where his heart truly lead him, the pool. At sixteen he was in the top of his age group and could out swim the best. If it wasn't for that ankle injury right before the last Olympics he was sure he would have beaten the nine gold medal achievement made by Mark Spitz. After all he was competing in almost every swimming even there was.
The look of defeat flashed through his eyes for only a moment, but it was long enough for Meiling to catch it. "We are doing this for you Syaoran." She said gently. "You need to soften that heart of yours a little, it might surprise you what you could do with a little less ice guarding it."
Syaoran didn't answer instead sat himself on his leather couch and looked off into the large window he has surveying the city under him.
"She's not like other girls Syaoran, trust me. She won't bug you or pester you, or try to sleep in your bed like Mitsy did. She really has almost no clue as to who you are." She said setting a comforting hand unto his shoulder only to have it jerked off.
"Fine be that way. She will be here in five days." Meiling said with a sigh as she walked the room and out the door.
Eek! Okay I know I'm not suppose to be starting a new story….but I was reading a story on Michael Phelps and this just came in to my head.
So Syaoran is my version of Michael Phelps (Bc I imagine Syaoran to look that FINE in a speedo…all the girls should go look at Men's Journal drools)
And Sakura is my version of a (single) Kara Goucher. (Bc she always seems so nice and bubbly).
For those that don't know, those two are some of Americas Olympians. (Phelps for Swimming, Goucher for the 5k and 10k)
I myself and not a swimmer, so if my lingo or description is off please forgive me…I run, so I should be able to do okay on Sakura's end. If you have any questions about anything I said or referenced to in the athletic department don't be scared to ask!
The only lingo I think I used in this chapter was "Kick" A "Kick" Is what a runner uses to finish fast and strong, when they just speed up at the very end of the race and "Kick" everyone's butt (not a exact definition…my own)
I'm not sure where I am going with this story, I have no plan (I never do) so if you want me to continue it, please let me know, if not I will not go any further. (if i continue, the other chapters will be longer!)
And this has been a long enough AN…so
PLEASE REVIEW!!
Riley S
"Sakura and Syaoran are just two star cross lovers who's lives are intertwined by the Clow cards, to become the greatest romance of all time…"