Aika Sakata stood backstage, looking like a nervous wreck as she watched her opponent go out to the ring. She gulped loudly, letting out a small whine of worry. She was tall and powerful looking, but her demeanor didn't reflect that at all. She was, in fact, ready to just completely melt down right here and now.
"Boy, you look nervous," said the girl beside her, looking at her phone, taking a selfie all of a sudden. It was fellow wrestler, Capri Clarke.
Aika looked over at the girl she had only known for a couple days now, nodding a bit.
"Y-yes! It's my first match, and I don't know what I'm doing and--"
"And I think you're worrying too much," said Capri with a big smile.
"You'll do great, I'm sure! How hard can it be?"
Thinking for only a moment, Sakata then answered,
"Well, statistically, there are only so many wrestlers in the world compared to various other professions, so to truly be considered good, you need to clear a skill floor that--"
"Nuh uh, nope. I think you're focusing entirely too much on the negatives and not enough on the positives right now," interrupted Clarke, lackadaisically putting her arm around her taller partner and smiling happily.
"A selfie, though, that will make you feel better."
Looking confused, Aika looked down at Capri and asked,
"Why would a selfie make me feel better?"
Capri had a confused look on her face for a moment before saying matter-of-factly,
"...Why wouldn't you make you feel better? Now smiiiiiile!" She smiled cheerfully while Aika mustered a truly awful looking smile as they took their selfie together. Clarke took a look at it and made a face, recoiling from the smile.
"...Ugh. Well, I can fix it with a filter or something. Now good luck! Your music just started!" said Capri, giving Aika a slap on the butt.
"Eep! O-okay!" said Sakata, holding her behind before gulping and making her way out to the stage. She emerged as
Knock Me Out by Street Drum Corps played. She shielded her eyes briefly as the lights flashed all around her before slowly walking down to the ring, waving at the crowd. There were so many people around... The arena really did look a lot bigger when you were inside it. And she couldn't help feel that they were all watching her. Of course they were, they were here to watch her. Not
her specifically, but at least right now she was at least one half of the people they were going to watch at this specific moment.
Aika was dressed in a black, short top and orange shorts with her underwear straps jutting out just over them. She figured she needed to at least look attractive--she had calculated that there was a bigger chance of popularity if the wrestler looked more attractive. She gulped before she went up the steps and then got on the apron. She went to go under them, but she felt it was too uncomfortable, and then tried to step over the top, letting out a soft, frustrated groan. Once more under the bottom... but that still didn't feel right. She was too tall. So finally, she pushed down on the top rope and the stepped one foot over it, then the other. She would then stumble as she tried to clear it with the second foot, staggering forward before balancing herself.
The Japanese girl would then look around at the crowd again, then back at the big screen over the stage. Sakata looked a little surprised--she looked particularly ripped. Her chiseled abs and strong muscles on full display. The lighting was doing her all the favors. After a few moments of that, she looked over at her opponent, Guen Haru. Waving, she said,
"Hi! Good luck! I'm sure we're going to do great!" Well, at least she was sure one of them would. She was just trying to take Capri's positivity and run with it. Aika would then give her opponent a thumbs up as she waited for... whatever would start this match up.
