Event!
'I trained much harder this time.' Michael thought.
Today was the day of the swim race, Michael walked into the swimming stadium feeling optimistic, he just finished his warm-up and was ready to perform.
"Oh hey Michael!" Michael heard a shout from behind him, turning around he saw his best friend, Kai.
"I was looking all around for you, are you hiding from me?" Kai said with a wide grin on his face.
*SMACK*
"No you idiot, I just came here after warming up"
"Ouch, why would you hit me like that? Are we even friends?" Kai said with a betrayed expression on his face.
" Stop acting like an idiot, I don't have effort to spare for your antics. I want to at least qualify this time." I said with a heavy sigh.
"C'mon man, You trained harder than anyone I know, even harder than me, I know you will do well today, God rewards people that work hard". Kai said, clearly trying to lift my mood up.
"Yeah, I get rewarded every year with fail-"
[PARTICIPANTS FROM HEAT 12, PLEASE GET IN LINE AT THE WAITING AREA]
[IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE THE WAITING AREA IS, PLEASE ASK ANY FELLOW SWIMMER OR STAFF MEMBER]
"That's my cue, see you after the race Kai"
"Alright, goodluck Mike!"
Strutting my way towards the pool, I feel no nervousness, I've already done this ten's of times already, the result always the same.
I always improve my time, but it's only by a few seconds, very inconsequential when you take in the fact that first place is never less than 2 minutes ahead of me.
'Who knows, maybe this is my moment to shine, or the moment that breaks, I don't think I can handle another loss. Not with how much I invested this time'
Bringing me out of my thoughts, me and the participants beside me arrive at the pool, with the previous heat already getting out of the pool.
The judges whistle for us to get ready, I climb up on the start.
[ON YOUR MARK]
...
[GO]
I jump into the pool and feel amazing. 'Maybe I can actually do something here.'
I eventually finish the 1500 meters, I'm out of breathe and can barely move my body.
I look up at the screen to see what time I got.
'No no no no no'
'How can this be? I felt that I was swimming so fast'
17 minutes and 29 seconds
A good time only if you're 14-15 years old. I'm already 22 years old
I feel like I'm suffocating, I suddenly get a boost of energy and jump out of the pool.
Everything felt like a blur, I suddenly find myself on the rooftop collapsed on my knees
"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" I scream in frustration.
"How?! I did everything right, I trained harder than even Kai, always ate the right foods, always practiced at least 6 hours a day!'
"I even lost my girlfriend because I wasn't spending any time with her!"
"What's even the point anymore?! Why do I keep making myself go through this suffering? Why is swimming the only thing that can keep me sane? I just want to quit.."
I crawl my way towards the ledge. I can see the entire city from up here, I can also see in the stadium people celebrating, I look at the big screen and I see that Kai just broke the world record by 5 seconds.
"How?! What does he do that I don't for him to break the world record? I don't get it."
I chuckle to myself at the stupid question
'Of course its talent, what can I do against people just born with a gift?'
'It's just pointless to continue trying'
'Maybe its pointless to try at all.. Why am I living this life of misery?'
I slowly stand up and look at my feet that halfway over the edge, I slowly raise my right leg and point it forward as if to walk on air.
[DING!]
Right before I was about to jump off I hear a noise that scares me and I fall backwards.
[CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN MET]
[PUT ALL YOUR EFFORT INTO A SPORT FOR A DECADE (COMPLETE)]
[FAIL EVERY TIME BUT NEVER GIVE UP (COMPLETE)]
[TRAIN HARDER THAN EVERY OTHER PARTICIPANT IN YOUR SPORT (COMPLETE]
[LOSE A RELATIONSHIP OVER YOUR OBSESSION WITH TRAINING (COMPLETE)]
[GIVE UP ON LIFE (COMPLETE)]
[??????? (COMPLETE)]
'What the hell is this?!'
[SYSTEM INITIALIZING]
[LOADING 1%]
[14%]
[27%]
[57%]
[99%]
[LOADING COMPLETE]
[WELCOME TO THE ULTIMATE SPORTS SYSTEM]
[PLEASE SAY 'STATUS' TO ACCESS THE THE SYSTEM INTERFACE]
'I completely lost my mind huh...'
'I really went insane after losing a swimming competition..'