Flood

Pool season has started, which means summer is really here. As a perfectly normal adolescent boy, like how my mom would say it, I get 'excited' seeing girls in their swimsuits, even if it's a school uniform. The sad thing about having classes while using the pool is that boys and girls are separated. I think every guy in this class is sadden by this situation. Well, not if Jirai has anything to say about it.

"Guys! Gather around!" Jirai stood up and called everyone's attention while the teacher was not yet around. We were already at the outdoor pool waiting while the girls were having their swimming class in the indoor pool. "I don't think I have to remind everyone about our failure last time. We were deprived of our right as adolescent males to indulge in this world's pleasures."

"Yeah!" The guys responded enthusiastically. I did, too.

"Now, another opportunity has been given to us. The walls that hinder us from gazing upon such delicate flowers will not stop us this time. Will we seize this opportunity?" There he goes again. Jirai is leading us into war. Everyone's morale is high.

"Yeah!"

"Will we not let anyone or anything get in our way?"

"Yeah!"

"Are you with me?!"

"Yeah!"

"Then let us go to war!"

"YEAH!"

"Hey! What is this screaming all about?!" Our teacher finally arrived.

"Sir, we are about to go to war."

"Hmm..." The teacher suddenly became quiet and pondered something for a moment. "I see." He looked at Jirai. He then grabbed him in the shoulders. "I remember the time when I led my men to the battlefield as well during highschool." What? "That is why I became a teacher, to fulfil my lifelong dream. Now go. Your generation carries the will of those who came before you. Carry out your destiny! I will be here awaiting your news of victory." Wow. If he were the one who caught us in the hot springs, maybe, just maybe we would have succeeded.

"Yes, sir!" After saluting our heroic teacher, everyone ran towards the indoor pool.

As expected, it was closed. The doors were locked, the windows sealed tight. We all searched for any opening, any glimmer of hope to see what's inside this building. As we were busy looking, one of our classmates called my attention.

"Why are you even here, Takaiyama?"

"What do you mean? I'm here because of the reason why all of you are here."

"What, you ok with us peeping at your girlfriend or something?"

"Huh?"

"Or you're so greedy you want to see every girl in a bathing suit? You should just be contented with Hiroisora-sama! Leave some for us, you bastard!" Everyone then looked at me as if they were thinking the same thing as this guy. So, now everyone really hates me?

"Stop it! We shouldn't fight amongst ourselves! Focus on the goal at hand! Everyone here is the same! We all have the same wishes! Let's just keep on searching and talk about this later, ok?" Jirai came between us. After hearing him talk, everyone went back to looking.

"Thanks."

"What's important to me is to accomplish this mission and deliver everyone to the promised land."

"Of course."

"But make no mistake, if I hadn't known the truth, I would have punched you for going with us. You greedy letch." Now I'm glad I told him the truth. But maybe I should punch him for calling me names? That's not a bad idea. Someday.

After a while, someone finally found something.

"Guys! Look, there's an open window!" And there it was. A single open window. A window of hope.

Everyone started to make a human pyramid, just like what we did back at the hot springs. We were a lot faster now. We knew what to do. As Jirai was reaching the top of the pyramid, an unfortunate incident happened. The window was suddenly closed from the inside.

"No!" Jirai screamed. Everyone's hopes were shattered. We went back to our class with disappointed faces. Even our teacher was sad for us. What a nice guy. He should be a role model to all teachers.

---

Yesterday was a sad day for all of us guys. The most disappointed was Jirai, since he was our leader. I saw him earlier in class and he was blankly staring in the air. It affected him so much, huh.

Classes were over and I was hurrying up to leave, as to avoid people I don't want to see. While I was packing, Jirai came up to me.

"Takaiyama."

"Yeah?"

"Where are you going?"

"Home. Why?"

"What do you mean why? You're not going home. Oh, no."

"What are you talking about?"

"We'll go scouting."

"Scouting? For what?" I don't like where this is going.

"An opportunity, of course! We failed yesterday, and that was my fault. We went to war unprepared. Now, I've come up with a plan." That's what he looks like when he is thinking? He stares into space? "If we can't find an opening, we have to create it ourselves. Hehehe..." When he's decided on something, he really will pursue it. I admire that. "And as my right-hand man, you have to go with me. Let's go."

I wanted to argue that last part, but what the heck. Maybe this will help me get my mind off things.

---

We were sneaking outside the building of the indoor pool.

"What's the plan?" I can't believe I asked him that.

"You go inside the pool, check if anyone is inside. Once we're clear, go back outside and call me. Then I go inside. I'll do my magic then."

"Why do I have to go inside first? What if someone sees me and asks me why I'm there?"

"I'm sending you in this mission because I know only you can do it."

"Even if you sugar-coat it, I don't want to do it."

"I see. An act of insubordination. Well, maybe I should just ask the other guys. I'm sure they'd be glad to do it once I tell them you are really not with Hiroisora and that you're just using her to make yourself more popular."

"We both know that last part is not true. So go ahead."

"Yes, we both know it's not true. But they don't. Do you seriously think you can go home in one piece once they hear that? That you are using Hiroisora-sama? They would never believe whatever that will come out of your mouth." Damn this bastard, he is cunning.

"I-I'll be going inside now, commander." I saluted him reluctantly. His power of persuasion is scary, that's for sure.

---

I went inside slowly. What's surprising is the door isn't locked. As I walked carefully to avoid making noise, I heard something. I stopped and listened for a while. It sounded like water splashing. Someone was using the pool. I turned around slowly, and then I heard something different. A scream. I ran towards the pool. Someone was drowning. It was a girl. I removed my shoes then jumped into the pool. I held her by the waist and dragged her near the edge of the pool.

"Are you ok?" I looked at her and asked her as she grabbed the edge to prevent herself from sinking.

"Yeah... Thank you..." She was out of breath. When she calmed down a bit, she looked at me. "Takaiyama-san...?" What the... Hiroisora?

We both got out of the pool. She sat at the bench while drying herself. I sat beside her, dripping wet. After a few minutes of silence from both of us, she suddenly spoke.

"Do you have your P.E. uniform with you? I could get it for you, before your clothes dry up." She wasn't looking at me.

"Yeah, it's in my bag in our classroom." I didn't look at her as well.

"Ok, I'll get it now." She wore her P.E. uniform over her swimsuit and ran outside. After a few minutes, she came back with my clothes. I changed inside the shower rooms. When I finished, I wasn't expecting for her to be still there. I don't know why, but I sat beside her again. There was an awkward silence, but she broke it up.

"You saved me again. Thanks." She slightly looked at me. "It's amazing that you're always there to help me..."

"Just a coincidence." I still wasn't looking at her.

"By the way, why did you go inside here?"

"Um, someone needed something and, um, I was helping." More like blackmailed. "Anyway, what were you doing here alone?"

"I don't know how to swim. I wanted to practice swimming."

"Why?"

"There's a practical exam after the summer break. I want to pass that. Since I don't know how to swim, I thought I would start practicing as early as now."

"Well, that was careless. You shouldn't have gone to the deep part."

"Thanks for lecturing me. I think I learned my lesson now. Hehe."

"Since you're okay now, I'll be going on ahead."

"Um, wait!" She faced toward me. "About... what I said back at the aquarium, I know it was weird and out of the blue, so I'm sorry." She bowed down. I don't know what to say to that. "You've been a very nice friend to me, and due to my circumstances and selfishness I said something I shouldn't have." Selfishness, huh? I got pissed because of my selfish reasons, too... "I hope we can be friends again."

"..." I thought for a moment before I answered her. "I'm sorry, too. I didn't consider your situation and think why you would say those things. I just avoided you and I know it was immature."

"No! No... I'm at fault, here..." She started to cry.

"Hey! I don't want to get into the habit of making you cry!"

"Hehe... It makes you look like a bad boyfriend, right?" She was joking while crying.

"Huh?!"

"Hehehe. Is that really that upsetting to you?"

"No, it was just weird coming from you. Also, why haven't you denied those rumors? Surely if it came from you, they'd believe it."

"About that..." Hiroisora then told me about Nariyuki's dream and all that. "...it was helping Kosui-san recruit more members. Even if you weren't around recently, new members still signed up. We told them that you were busy on some personal matters." Nariyuki is still using me up until now. I can't believe it. "But I won't blame you if you don't come back to the club."

"I'd like to help Nariyuki, too. Even though I feel like I'm being used, I still owe her."

"So you'll come back?!"

"Yeah. Why not?"

"But it also means... that you'll have to play along with those rumors. Is that alright with you?" It feels weird that she is asking me that and not the other way around.

"If it's okay with you, then I'm okay with it. We're helping a friend, anyway." Also, we can pretend to be a couple while Elizabeth-san is observing us. Two birds with one stone, I say.

When we finished talking and went outside, it was already evening.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow. Good night, Takaiyama-kun!" She waved goodbye. I noticed something different from her just now unlike these past few days. She was smiling again.

---

The next day, I was in a good mood. Maybe because of what happened yesterday, something heavy was lifted from my shoulders. I was walking towards the entrance gate of the school, when someone greeted me.

"Good morning, Takaiyama-kun!" Hiroisora greeted me with a smile.

"Good morning." We walked together until we reached our classroom. Everyone was looking at us. Even if us being a couple is just an act, the boys' jealousy is real. My lifespan may have just shortened.

When I got to my seat, I felt an incredible aura behind me.

"Where did you go, huh, Takaiyama? You went AWOL." Jirai is somewhat pissed.

"Well, you see, there was an incident, and I, um, had to help."

"And what incident would that be? Please enlighten me." He was cracking his knuckles, waiting for my stupid response and his license to punch me.

"Thanks for yesterday, Takaiyama-kun. You really helped me out. Well, see you later at the club." Hiroisora passed by us to thank me and went back to her seat.

"What was that, huh, Takaiyama?! I thought the rumors weren't true?!"

"Well, now it's somewhat real. Hahaha..."