Chiharu and Nami were interviewed by the media following their earlier loss to Shengshu and Tan Ning. Chiharu was seen tearing up as she expressed her dissatisfaction with her performance.
It pained many of Chiharu’s new-found fans to see her cry on air, with a number leaving comforting comments cheering her on.
“She’s so pretty even when she’s crying,” was the sentiment shared by many netizens.
The duo would go on to win against Malaysian duo Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan in the race for bronze.
Funnily enough, Malaysians found themselves rather conflicted during the match. While they rooted for their countrymen, many admitted that they wished to “support both teams”, all because they were captivated by Chiharu’s beauty.
“My heart belongs to Malaysia, but my body belongs to Chiharu,” joked one netizen.
It didn’t go unnoticed by many that the cameraman seemed to be focused on Chiharu too. She had many close-ups during the match, with the camera perfectly capturing a variety of her expressions during the game.
It’s no wonder she has gone viral online.
A quick scroll through Chiharu’s Instagram comments also sees many netizens calling her their “wife”, with others declaring their undying support for her.