The national table tennis team has recently recruited two new prodigies.
Both athletes are exceptionally skilled and good-looking. Word is that they've known each other since childhood and are unusually close.
With the National Games fast approaching, their names appeared on the official men's doubles roster, and the whole internet was eagerly anticipating their performance.
In pre-match interviews, when asked how they felt about teaming up for their first men's doubles competition, the two answered:
Cheng Yingxing: I was so happy to pair up with him, I couldn't sleep all night.
Bai Heng: He's very skilled. I'm looking forward to our upcoming matches.
With all eyes on them, they unexpectedly stumbled right from the start, leaving the audience dumbfounded.
But the two stayed calm, comforting each other and exchanging a high five. Then the spectators suddenly heard two inexplicable voices.
Bai Heng: With all these mistakes, how did he even make the national team?
Cheng Yingxing: I'd rather retire than play with him. I'm so mad I couldn't sleep all night, and now I'm exhausted.
Audience, horrified: Wh-who's talking?
With zero chemistry, they were ultimately eliminated in a shocking upset.
At the same time, their perfectly acted best-buddy relationship came spectacularly undone.
Not only that, people dug up the fact that the two had indeed known each other since childhood, but they'd spent the whole way from the junior team to the national team picking fights. On the court, they competed fiercely and showed no mercy. In training, they pushed themselves to the limit and never gave an inch.
Their next men's singles matches proved the point even more clearly.
The two played as if possessed, taking down one opponent after another. Their performance proved that they weren't the ones who sucked.
They thought the coaches would give up on making them teammates after that and focus on their singles events. But in every competition that followed, the two were never separated.
Luckily, their results kept getting better, though their relationship remained as bad as ever.
Then, on the eve of the Olympics, the truth about their fake best-buddy act was finally exposed online.
The audience was unfazed. They were only worried that the controversy would affect the pair's upcoming matches.
In the waiting area, the two sat expressionless, ignoring each other. Everyone guessed they'd probably given up pretending.
But the moment they stepped onto the court, those familiar voices rang out again.
Bai Heng: I couldn't help kissing him just now. Is he mad?
Cheng Yingxing: Ahhh, what did he mean by kissing me?! We're dating, right...
[Reading Guide]
1. They have a reason for pretending to be best buddies.
2. Their conflict is limited to off the court. They're serious about their matches; at first, they just needed time to learn to work together.
3. Romance and competitive spirit can go hand in hand.
4. The setting is fictional, with men's doubles at the Olympics.
Synopsis written on August 3, 2024
Theme: Strive and work hard
