oh op i loved this so very much, everything about it ;; i'm echoing other folks in the comments, but it's so super cool how you mapped soonhao's performance unit dynamics onto this au; how you captured the feeling of weighing yourself against another person / trying to measure something as subjective as what it means to be the 'best;' and how you explore minghao's position as a chinese public figure representing a country that isn't his own. i loved the rivalry and i loved the tiny glimpses of intimacy/potential for friendship. i have no idea if you are an anime fan or not hahaha, but this piece gave me the same feeling as watching haikyuu and foolishly trying to root for both teams... ;;

on top of that, your writing style is so crisp and stunning!! these were my favorite parts:
> "Soonyoung still remembers Xu Minghao’s stunning score in last year’s All-Around qualifying, but also his crestfallen face as two others on the Chinese national team outscored him. [...] Enter the following year: Seo Myung-ho, South Korean national athlete."
> Minghao always looks so unguarded, his palm always up in offering, as if dreams have never crumbled in the heart of it. Two-per-country.

thank you for sharing this!