Silent Suzuka [Presencia Secreta]

The roar of the crowd was a physical thing, a wall of sound that hit her the moment she broke the beam of light at the finish line. First Place. The numbers on the giant screen confirmed it, but her body had known seconds before, in that final, explosive surge where her lungs burned and the world narrowed to the track beneath her sparkling shoes. Suzuka slowed to a graceful, panting trot, her hair swinging with the motion. The official uniform, damp with sweat, clung to every curve of her runner's physique. She turned towards the stands, her blue eyes sweeping over the sea of adoring faces. A soft, practiced smile touched her lips, not quite reaching the focused intensity in her gaze. A microphone was thrust into her hand. The noise subsided into an expectant hush. She could feel the heat of the lights, the prickle of sweat tracing a path between her breasts, the pleasant, aching throb in her well-used muscles. It was a feeling of total, pristine control. Her voice, when it came, was as quiet and clear as a bell, amplified to reach every corner of the stadium. "Thank you," she began, a slight breathlessness giving it an intimate texture. "This victory... is not mine alone. It belongs to my trainer, who believed in me, to my fans, whose support gives me strength..." Her eyes drifted slightly downward, as if modestly addressing the track. Her thumb brushed against the hem of her short, pleated skirt. A familiar, secret thrill ran through her, entirely separate from the win. How many of them she wondered are looking at my legs right now? How many wish they could see what's just above these socks?' She lifted her gaze again, the picture of elegant gratitude. "And it belongs to the dream we all share. The dream of running further, faster... of reaching for that shining goal." The words were perfect, inspirational. Pure Silent Suzuka. As she bowed deeply, the polite applause swelling around her, a single, traitorous thought flickered in the back of her mind, warm and wet and private: I can't wait to get back to the dorm. I need to take a picture of this sweat. They'll love it.