Revised on 06/06/2019, 21:58 GMT
"The water's scent makes me drowsy and the tiny rippling waves were sure to take me over"
By Linnado Mikkado
I don't own GA, only the plot
Italics mean either thoughts or flashbacks :)
蔡徐坤
Love is like water, We can fall in it, We can drown in it;
And we can't live without it
蔡徐坤
In the pool and around the sides were bustling with students, men with tight caps tight enough to stop their blood pumping and speedos pulled up their thighs prepared to dive into the 7ft deep pool stinking of chlorine. On the sides stood Mikan Sakura who watched over a swimmer, her clipboard was held tightly on her chest and an old stopwatch hung loosely from her neck.
The swimmer in question was Natsume Hyuuga who, said Mikan to Hotaru the day before, was "a guy who needed a pole stuck up his arse". He was doing the freestyle across the 40m pool but was doing it in such an over-expressive manner that it looked more like he was trying to not get wet in water than swimming.
Geh, Mikan thought disgustingly in her head, stuck up brat.
She was hopping slightly from foot to foot on the tiled floor impatiently as she waited for him to finish his final lap around the pool, it had taken him 5 minutes which was extraordinary for a boy his age but he was qualifying for the finals and...
For god's sake, he's sure taking his time today.
Her trail of irked thoughts was cut off by a clearly annoyed Sumire Shoda (known as Permy throughout the club) who just joined yesterday and she already had quite a, well, solid reputation for herself. Her arms failed around and in them, she clutched a black stopwatch. Her tomato red face bobbed about as her permed hair (which was tied quite messily into 2 mini pigtails) swung around.
No-one really liked Sumire around the club, they all thought she just joined to get closer to Natsume.
"MIKAN!" Shouted Sumire quite blatantly while, once again, paying no attention to her surroundings. "WE'RE ONE STOPWATCH SHORT, GIMME YOURS!"
Mikan looked away from the new assistant manager and sighed angrily, she dropped her clipboard beside her and faced Sumire with a tight smile on her face. "Oh yeah, we've only had one stopwatch for some reason..." And by some reason, I meant that you 'accidentally' dropped it in the pool while flirting with Natsume. "Here, you can take mine." Sumire smiled and stuck her hand out for Mikan to place the watch on.
"Give it here then" demanded Permy as she flipped her hair around.
Mikan's smile grew tighter that if it got any tighter her cheeks would rip, does this dumb twat actually expect me to give it to her?
Mikan ran her hands through her messy ponytail to relieve her anger and reluctantly moved from her post. A fuzzy feeling spread throughout her legs and immobalised her, making every move more painful than the one before.
Her balance grew unstable by the second and soon she was toppling in for the pool. Sumire's shrivelling scream sent piercing waves around the club, the attention was now on Mikan as her terrified eyes were just mere millimetres from hitting the water's surface.
Oh Lord save me now before I-
Her thoughts were cut off as a tight grip was felt on her arm. Cold water trickled down sending a tingling sensation throughout her body all the way to her chest as she shivered. Her jaw dropped once she opened her tightly shut eyes to face her saviour. "Great catch Natsume!" Squealed Sumire as she ran up to hold Natsume's other hand (once again NOT paying attention to the pool's rules).
Mikan eyed the raven-haired 1st year with a suspicious eye, wondering when he got out of the pool. His slick raven hair was soaked and water dripped down and onto either the tiled floor or his chiselled chest. "Thanks" she grumbled under her breath as she pulled her arm away. Half of her wanted to smile at him and give him more than 'thanks' (but Hell would have to freeze over before that happened). Another swimmer came up behind her and threw himself onto her, a wide smile fixed his face as they came on the same level.
"Mi-kan!" Said Koko cheerfully, "time me please~~", ignoring the piercing stare from Natsume he played with the stopwatch around Mikan's neck. Mikan's eyes darted to and from the boys before nodding carelessly and walked off with him to the west side of the pool. Natsume continued to stand there, his red ringed eyes eyed Mikan and had no intention of stopping.
"Natsume!" wailed Sumire in that annoying nasally voice of hers that sounded l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶p̶i̶g̶ ̶g̶i̶v̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶b̶i̶r̶t̶h̶ worse than a pig giving birth. Her long fingernails dug deep into his tanned skin and the other swimmers wondered how he managed to remain unaffected. To be fair, Natsume was more of a "mysterious guy who doesn't feel any pain" than a "cry-baby like-you-know-who". Instead of answering back like he normally did when thirsty girls clung to him, he pulled a Harold Holt and disappeared under the water.
Sumire was left alone like a ho without her sugar daddy (and she deserved it).
蔡徐坤
"Ahhhhh" gushed Koko as he held his blushing face, "Natsume is so cool when he's stripped down to nothing but his trunks, he's so gorgeous!" Mikan slapped his back and struggled to hide her smile at the beet red boy who was wrapped up in a snug red towel.
"Koko, don't let it take over you, okay?" She said as she ruffled his hair, she nearly wanted spank him on the butt but soon realised how weird it would seem to the others as they didn't know about Koko and his... fantasies. The two were currently sitting at the sides drinking Anna's special pink lemonade (made with lemonade and cherries), Koko said that he wanted to sit down to take a good look at his love.
What did I seriously expect from Koko?
"Natsume normally looks like your typical mega attractive high schooler, but when he's all wet with water dripping down his juicy abs he instantly looks like a different person!"
"Koko, you've been binge-watching Jeffree Star again, haven't you?" Asked Mikan as she threw her empty bottle in the bin, "I ain't judging but you need to focus more on your studies than YouTube."
"Mikan, shut up! You don't understand my emotions right now" he accusingly pointed at Mikan as he fanned himself, "Jeffree Star is my hero, and Natsume..." his eyes dilated as he looked at the raven-haired teen, "he's MY hunky Idol!"
The cheers filled the hall and only one name was heard above all. Natsume got ready to dive as he bent his legs and arched his back, getting ready to spring off the board. The 16-year-old paid no attention to his supporters as he dived gracefully into the blue water. His figure mesmerised everyone, his arms were perfectly arched as they sliced the water creating sparkles everywhere, and as the clear water splashed around he looked like a mermaid of some sort, elegant yet swift.
"Yeah whatever" muttered Mikan, the water ripples drowned the noise and the smell of the water intoxicated her once again. All eyes were on Natsume as he turned back to complete the 2nd lap.
I'm envious...
蔡徐坤
It was after school hours, the once busy pool was now desolate with nothing but the sound of the waves hitting the pool's sides and the- "MIKAN! WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH THIS KEY? IT'S, LIKE, REALLY BUGGING ME AND I NEED TO GET HOME BECAUSE MY, LIKE, MASCARA IS DRYING UP OR SOMETHING!" Or it was nothing but the sound of the waves.
When Mikan joined the club as a 2nd year last year, she expected serenity while being surrounded by the vast body of water, not a whiny brat who wanted to be treated like royalty. "It's alright" she sighed, "I'm leaving last so I'll lock up." Sumire smirked and mouthed a 'thanks love' as she threw the key on the table near the exit and ran off to collect her Michael Kors bag from the lockers.
Snorting out of disbelief, Mikan sat by the pool's edge making sure that she didn't come into contact with the water. Finally, alone she could do anything that her heart desired and right now she wanted to feel the soothing atmosphere of the pool on this hot Summer's day. People these days, SHEESH! Can't a girl catch a break?
A boy with raven hair (that was soaked from the steamy shower he took earlier, yum) strolled confidently by Mikan's side. His white top hung tightly onto his toned body due to the humidity of the place, in his hands he held a black object tangled in some thread, he half-laughed once he noticed his manager staring intensely into the pool's water. "Mikan" his deep voice rumbled, "the captain told me to return this to you."
"N-Nat?" Stammered Mikan as she twisted her head round to eye the hot teen.
("ANOTHER REASON WHY I HATE HIM," ranted Mikan to Hotaru during a lengthy Facetime, "IS THAT HE ALWAYS POPS OUT OF NOWHERE, LIKE, WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS? A FIT DYNAMO?")
He handed her a stopwatch tangled in white earphones, both cringed at the mess in their palms.
"What's this?" Asked Mikan, she frowned deeply causing her face to stretch a little.
("Don't frown," said Hotaru to Mikan on her 12th birthday, "do you know why a Blobfish looks ugly?" Mikan shook her little head, "it's because they frown a lot. That's why they live at the bottom of the sea, the sadness got to their friends and killed them all." Mikan Sakura was traumatised for life.)
"It looks like Sumire when she fell into the pool the other day, an ugly mess."
Natsume smirked slightly as he handed the object to her, "untangle it".
Mikan glared at him for a bit but shrugged carelessly and bit her lips to avoid herself from blushing because the last thing she wanted was for him to think that she liked him, and hunny, that ain't happening. "It's a lil bit broken" she emphasised the 'lil' as she pointed to the battery case of the stopwatch, "but I can untangle it for you if, you want a broken stopwatch that is." One nod from Natsume and Mikan got to work, she didn't fix it (there's only so much one girl can do) but he seemed happy with the results (if keeping a straight face is considered happiness).
"You should've pushed the earbud that way, you've just broken it more than you did before, idiot," stated Natsume, "talk about being unprofessional."
Mikan gaped at him, "um, excuse me? Who are you calling unprofessional? As if you're one to talk, mind you, I was awarded the 'nicest student' award back in elementary and here I am talking to a guy who can't appreciate the small things in life." She clicked her tongue and was starting to act like Sumire. "At least I'm smart enough to know that when you're swimming it messes up your hair anyway so why do you even bother carrying hair gel around with you?."
Natsume rolled his eyes and muttered, "don't really want to hear that from a woman who can't swim to save her life, thanks." Mikan eyed him and despite her being a head shorter than him she heard him - you should never underestimate the power of the midgets.
"What did you just say?" Asked Mikan as she flipped her ponytail, "I demand an answer right now Natsume Hyuuga."
He closed in on her and said it right to her face, his words showed no hesitation despite her being 2 years older than him, "you. can't. swim" he stated and smirked as she whipped her head up to face him, "so why bother managing the swimming club?"
Mikan opened her mouth to talk back at him but nothing came out, instead, she ended up looking like Nemo with her eyes bulging out and her mouth wide enough to fit a fistful of coral.
"Well," she started.
She needed to get out of this one.
蔡徐坤
5 YEARS AGO
The fear started when Mikan's best friend for 10 years, Hotaru Imai, decided to leave for England. She wasn't the most attractive girl in the world, (and she knew that), but she had a brain smart enough to name her Einstein 2.0. The school they went to discovered her talent in making artwork from scruffy bits of metal and with her success came the school's success, so what did they do? Send her to London of course where they thought she would thrive and come back as a rich and talented student, just so they could brag about it.
It was about a day before her flight from Haneda Airport to Heathrow, and Mikan, being Mikan, wanted to make their last 24 hours together memorable.
"I want to watch Finding Nemo," demanded Hotaru Imai as she munched on a Custard Cream, the 13 year old's lunch was disturbed by a rather eager brunette haired kid in a pink dress covered in mud, Mikan tightened her fist at her tone but told herself that they're best friends so it shouldn't be a problem, right? So she told Hotaru 'no problemo best friendo' and rummaged through her decade-old collection of Disney movies (courtesy of Hotaru's brother for giving her the movie for her birthday) and the two sat down in the living room to watch - sadly without the popcorn, but hey, crisps work too.
"Mikan," said Hotaru, her voice was slightly muted due to her mouth being filled with food, "she reminds me of you." Mikan perked her head up and followed the monotone teen's finger to a blue fish named Dory on the screen. Her eyes sparkled with childlike innocence and she puffed her cheeks out making her pale skin appear strawberry red.
SHE'S SO CUTE! She glanced at Hotaru and smiled gleefully, IS THIS A MIRACLE? IS HOTARU ACTUALLY CALLING ME CUTE?
"Aw shucks Hot-a-ruuuuu!" She imitated Minnie Mouse and held her cheeks, "thanks for calling me cute!"
Hotaru choked on her water and stared at her "friend" with a questioning stare, "I'm calling you dumb, you noodle", she ignored the crestfallen look Mikan portrayed on her face as she picked on the carpeted floor, "but I guess she is kind of cute... In a way." She paused the movie and looked at Mikan, a sigh escaped from her mouth and she pulled her hair, "wanna go to the swimming pool? It's open today and it's free for students from our school." Asked Hotaru in an attempt to cheer her gloomy friend up.
Mikan yelped in pain but nodded her head fervently, "YES! LET'S GO!"
"Be careful though, I heard that Bruce the shark lives in the pool and he feeds on little girls." Joked Hotaru as she went into the kitchen, "we don't want you dying now do we?"
Mikan gulped and went as pale as a sheet of paper.
And that's why she never learned how to swim.
蔡徐坤
"Natsume, it's really rude to ask your manager such a personal question." Mikan chuckled nervously as she took multiple steps back, "as your SENPAI and manager I recommend that you take a nice cold shower, how about that?"
He shrugged indifferently, "it's kinda obvious."
Mikan staggered backwards and with each step, she was getting nearer to the pool, "WELL, I think that- WOAH!"
Natsume was thrown into the pool after Mikan grabbed him. His entire body caused a massive splash, soaking everything. He glared at Mikan who managed to stay on the side and remain dry, his eyes narrowed and water dripped from his hair down to the scowl painted on his handsome face. Mikan couldn't help smiling, she could imagine the thoughts running through his head like:
What a shitty day or I should've gone home when I had the chance, damn it or even...
"Damn brat, you better apologise" he growled.
"Oh my God, I'm SO sorry Natsume-kun, I did it out of reflex," she smiled sweetly and apologised but it had so much sarcasm oozing out of her words that Natsume rolled his eyes, "by the way, how'd you know that..." She lowered her voice to a whisper in case there were any swimmers left around the place, "that I can't swim?"
Unfortunately for poor Mikan he swam away from her, to be fair she shouldn't have expected an answer in the first place:
("Don't bother talking to him," said Anna to Mikan during lunch, "he never answers anyone and it's a surprise that he even has fans". "Yeah," chimed in Nonoko, "it's like the only good thing about him are his heavenly good looks" she munched on a fry before adding in a quick "not that I like him of course.")
She closed her eyes and huffed "aren't you gonna answer me?"
"It's hot" replied Natsume as he grabbed his shirt and attempted to fan himself.
("OH, and when you do ask him something" continued Anna "he just changes the subject. Like, what the fuck Natsume Hyuuga, I'm talking to you and the nicest thing you could do is answer.")
Despite being submerged under the chlorinated pool that people secretly secrete in during races, his tall torso and muscular arms were still visible even under his t-shirt.
Mikan felt irritation rise in her system.
DID THIS DUNCE JUST CHANGE THE SUBJECT?
She pinched herself on the arm to encourage positive thoughts. Keep calm Sakura, might as well keep this rare conversation flowing.
"Yeah it's pretty hot isn't it?" She sat down on the side so her feet were fully covered by the cool water.
This little piece of shit.
"Do you like summer Natsume?"
He kept on splashing around, creating tiny ripples forming on the water's surface. Every few strokes he did caused new mesmerising waves to form, each one moving symmetrically with the other as dancers might, graceful and intricate.
"It feels gross when I start sweating," he said, it seemed like he didn't really want to answer as he closed his eyes in annoyance, "and the humidity makes it hard to-"
"Breath normally, right?" He glared a little at Mikan for interrupting the rare moment where Natsume Hyuuga actually answered someone, she smiled playfully and looked at him with a gleam in her eyes, "I never expected you to swim ya know? When you first came a lot of people thought you were a model of some sort, because of your height and legs... I heard some members talk about how Narumi-sensei once complimented your artwork so I thought you were interested in it."
That made me sound like a complete nonce, way to go Mikan.
He floated on his back and looked up at the ceiling, there was no expression on his face and water dripped down from his soaked hair to the water below, "really now?" Although she couldn't see his face, Mikan could hear him click his tongue and grumble some incoherent words.
She stared at him, "I'm the manager you know, I've been looking over you since you joined the team." Her eyes drifted to his face which was covered by his dark locks, "do you even like swimming?" Instead of answering as he had done previously, he dived under the water causing Mikan to eep in surprise, water from the action splashed everywhere soaking Mikan's hair making her sigh in discontent. "You bastard..." she muttered, "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?"
He emerged in front of Mikan and smirked but his eyes didn't reflect the same emotion that was portrayed on his face. He reached out for her hand and held it tightly in his.
"If I didn't" he breathed out, "then why do you think I'm here?"
She was speechless, all she could feel were the chills running down her spine from the cool temperature of the water touching her skin, his eyes looked as if they were peering into her soul and at this moment she got her first full view of his face.
He has really nice eyes... WAIT, STOP.
"Natsume," she gritted her teeth and tried to pull her hand away but he wouldn't budge, "can you no-"
He ignored her and climbed up the ladder to where she was, "I'm taking you home," he said, his tone was firm as if he wasn't going to accept a no, "just because I'm leaving too and I wouldn't want this little baby manager of mine to be walking home alone."
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A BABY?"
"Nice bra by the way" he pointed out as he grabbed a towel from the side, "the red dots really stand out through your wet top".
"YOU PERVERT!" She screamed as she stood up abruptly to follow him.
I HATE THIS KID SO MUCH!
蔡徐坤
He sat on a leather chair opposite the huge mahogany desk filled with files, on the wall behind him was a cabinet filled with trophies and medals of different sizes and shapes varying from stars to circles. A 15-year-old boy sat in front of the desk on a cream coloured chair, his facial expression was calm and poised but inside, his stomach did flips and turns.
"You know why you're here, right?" Asked the man on the leather chair. The boy nodded slowly before opening his mouth to speak, crimson eyes clashed with crimson.
"Yeah" he replied, "and I've been telling you for the past few days that I've already applied for Nasitra Academy in central Tokyo, it's..." He paused and glanced at the man in front of him who's stare remained unfazed, "an Institute of Art and Design, Ruka says he'll go if I go and since it's pretty well known around the area I took the exam."
The man sighed and the boy leaned back slightly, posture rigid and hands clung tightly onto his seat. "We've been through this before, and it still seems like you want to go to Nasitra Academy," the boy nodded.
"Yeah, I do." The man closed his eyes and held the bridge of his nose before sliding a pamphlet across his desk.
"Here," he said, the boy took the pamphlet and scanned through it, "I want you to forget about Nasitra Academy and your clown hobby. The pamphlet you're holding right now is all about Alice Academy, it's situated in the east of Tokyo and all of their students excel at something useful" his voice was hard and full of authority - clearly, no wasn't an option.
The boy placed the pamphlet down and looked up at him, "I said that I've already-" he was immediately cut off by the terrifying figure of the grown man in front of him, the man's expression wasn't calm anymore, his eyes glared at the young boy in front of him. He stood up from his seat and tried to intimidate him.
"Natsume" he stressed the name out as if he was tired of saying the same thing over and over again, "I'm doing this for your own good. Art isn't going to get you anywhere in life." He picked up the pamphlet and threw it in his face, causing him to flinch slightly, "do you really think that your art is something to be proud of?" The boy stayed silent. The man sighed long and hard before walking towards the exit, "even though the school is known to rank high every single year, it also specialises in sports - mainly swimming. I want you to go there and become the ace of that school so you can beat Ruka Nogi, did you know that he topped the national leader boards? It was in the newspaper and my blood boiled when I saw that because my nephew is so incompetent that he can't even beat that feminine doll." He opened the door and stepped out, "your father and I joined the swim team and we won every single competition in Japan and I expect the same from you." He stared at the trophies before sighing, "don't bring the Hyuuga name your parents tried so hard to maintain to shame."
Natsume clicked his tongue and stood up to face him, "you're not my dad, you can't tell me what to do!"
But the man paid no attention to him and slammed the door shut and left him alone. He was only 15.
蔡徐坤
"It's 'cause of my friend," said Mikan as she licked her popsicle. She and Natsume were on their way home when an ice-cream van decided to stop outside of the school, Mikan (being Mikan) decided to treat her junior thinking that if she did he would finally respect her. "She told me that the pool had a shark in it, so I kinda..." She laughed nervously at the boy whose main focus was on trying to prevent his hair from sticking to the lolly.
"Hey! Are you even listening to me?"
Natsume's eyes focused on her, "even now you're still pretty stupid." Mikan sucked in some air and breathed out roughly before scowling.
"ARGH!" She threw her bag on the floor and massaged her shoulder while keeping the ice lolly between her teeth, "Jesus that was heavy, BUT HOW'D YOU KNOW THAT I CAN'T-" She covered her mouth and widened her eyes, Natsume just carried on eating, "that I can't swim?"
Natsume took the lolly out revealing his blue tongue, he then grinned saucily at her, "you're too easy to read, feel lucky that it was me who found out and not someone else." He popped the popsicle back into his mouth but the smirk was still visible. Mikan rolled her eyes and huffed.
"Yeah, gee, thanks," she replied sarcastically, "but it's not like I was hiding it or anything, I just..."
Natsume crouched down on the floor and looked at her from below, the girl looked troubled as she mindlessly twirled her hair while ignoring the blue raspberry lolly which was melting quickly in her hands, the blue dripped onto the floor and stained the pavement just to go unnoticed by Mikan. She sighed slowly, "it's just a little bit embarrassing I guess, I mean have you-" She was cut off by Natsume completing her sentence for her.
"Ever heard of a swimming manager who can't swim?" He smirked at her 'ugh' face, he continued, "isn't it weird how we finish each other's sentences? That must mean that we're compatible."
Mikan clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes, "yeah sure, in case you didn't know I'm 2 years older than you AND I'm applying for uni soon. Your fans are gonna call me a thief if I date you, plus" she glared at him, "I don't like you."
He waved the lolly in front of her face before popping it back in his mouth and walked off, "you never know. I might take it if it's you, Mikan senpai" he stressed the 'senpai' part as he spoke over his shoulder, Mikan fumed at the boy who was already disappearing in front of her.
"YOU GOD DAMN PLAYBOY!" She screamed causing the birds around them to fly off in fright, "AND PAY ME BACK, I PAID FOR THE POPSICLE YA KNOW!"
FUCKING TWAT, SMOOTH TALKER! Uhhh... SON OF A BITCH!
The evening sun left the peach coloured sky and the cotton candy clouds drifted away revealing the stars hiding behind. All was peaceful apart from the angry murmuring of an 18-year-old girl who was cursing quietly at someone who was no-where to be seen. She was going to deal with him tomorrow - which was unlikely.
蔡徐坤
The next day:
"Mikaaaan~" whined a sweaty Koko, he made the face of a puppy and frowned slightly to get empathy from Mikan who was happily watching from the sides, "why are you making me swim so much? It's not like I'm going to get abs like Natsume from doing this," he looked at his stomach and played around with the fat before sighing.
"And I don't think you're ever going to get them" replied Mikan as she raised her brow while eyeing his stomach, Koko gasped loudly and held his chest in a dramatic manner, his actions pretty much summed up his emotions at that moment.
"What did you just say?" He overexaggerated his actions as he looked at her square in the eyes and Mikan had to cover her mouth to prevent herself from laughing, "I MAY BE A BIT PLUMP HERE AND THERE BUT IT AIN'T LIKE IM NEVER GONNA GET ABS!"
Mikan laughed causing Koko's cheeks to sport a tinge of pink, "stop contradicting yourself, idiot!" Koko (although he quite liked the way she smiled) sat by the edge of the pool with his arms crossed and his lips in a slight pout, not daring to look at her.
"Who are you calling an idiot, you kid leader?" He grumbled as he ignored the puzzling look on his manager's face, "you look like a nonce with that baby face of yours".
Mikan puffed her cheeks out and slapped him on the back causing him to welp, "gotta go Koko Pops! Manager duty calls, see you 'round!" She speed walked outta there (because unlike Sumire the drama queen of GA's Swim Team, Mikan Sakura follows the rules) partially ignoring the shouts from Koko as he wailed stuff like:
'What about me you cold-hearted brat!?' and 'STOP CALLING ME KOKO POPS!'
Ah, I love calling him that.
蔡徐坤
The dark corridor leading up to the school's very own "supreme"-
("which surprisingly stinks worse than a submarine," said Anna as she held her chin, "funny ain't it? Cuz I expected a school as rich as this to actually have decent smelling corridors")
-changing rooms looked like something from a horror movie. Along the chipping walls, which acted as a breeding place for mould, stood worn out lockers with boxers and trunks of varying sizes thrown all over the place, mostly missing the doors but hey, at least it gave the place a more homely feel right?
I really need to stop looking on the bright side of life thought Mikan as she held the tip of her nose in an attempt to block the disgusting smell of the place, this place reeks.
From the corner of her eyes, she noticed two boys who were, err... A̶p̶p̶r̶o̶x̶i̶m̶a̶t̶e̶l̶y̶, definitely taller than her with juicy abs leaning against the wall, both were absorbed in their own conversation and so was Mikan - not in what they were talking about but something else (͠ ͜ʖ͠)
God, yummy men really do make a place like this bearable, now I can see why Sumire drools so much, she wiped the side of her mouth and fixed her hair before walking up to them. "Hey, guys! Skipping practise, huh? You rebels," she grinned slightly at the look on their faces.
"Hi Sakura," replied one of the men, his blonde hair was swept to the side as he pulled his trunks up, "we were just talking a bit, nothing bad I promise," even though he looked like Leonardo DiCaprio back when he was hot, he didn't sway Mikan that much.
"And dogs can fly," she replied sarcastically as she grabbed a clump of her hair and moved it out of her face, "I'm not buying it guys."
The other guy who was an inch taller than the other butted in, his artificially dyed hair that looked like blue seaweed matched the blue star tattoo underneath his eye. "Seriously Mikan, we were just having a bit of fun, it's not like we missed much anyway," his blue eyes went back and forth between his friend and Mikan, "want to hear something interesting?" Mikan tilted her head but stayed quiet, "remember manager Luna and Reo from class A and how they withdrew from the club on the SAME day?"
Mikan nodded, "and this is relevant because..."
The boy continued, "apparently it was because manager Yuu found them having sex in one of the shower stalls." Mikan cringed at this, how kinky.
Blonde Leonardo DiCaprio intercepted, "he snitched on them and told Jinno sensei, that's why the no dating rule took place, because manager Yuu, for some strange reason, has never seen porn before in his life." The other dude nodded.
"Jesus, it's because of him we can't date any of the hot managers in this club. My love life is almost non-existent now. Fuck, don't they understand that I'm a guy with needs?" He sighed, "I too want a hot girlfriend".
"Yeah cool," replied Mikan, I hope they realise that Luna left because she stole Natsume's trunks because she wanted to smell them and Reo because he moved, it was just pure coincidence that they left on the same day. "Well then guys, you do you and I'll be on my way" she smiled at them both before stepping away to escape.
"What are you guys talkin' about?" Asked a deep masculine voice, "and Tsubasa, why are you wearing my spare trunks?"
Mikan froze and cursed in her head, not this fucking money-stealing brat. "Nat, it's cuz your trunks are neat" replied tattoo boy, Natsume looked unamused, "by the way, did you know that manager Yuu was the cause for the no dating ban?"
Natsume's muscles glistened as the water on them reflected the light from the lamps above, his wet body made Mikan feel like squeezing them. "Yeah" replied Natusme as he looked at Mikan's conflicted face, she noticed how they contracted as he looked at her, "so?"
I want to squeeze his muscles, does this mean that I have a muscle fetish?
"I bet you're sulking inside," said the other, "you probably have a crush on one of the managers like everyone else does". They snickered slightly as they nudged each other, both eyes were on Mikan and her sweaty, hot face.
Natsume rolled his eyes as he got the message, "yeah so what about it? A guy can't keep it in for long enough you know?" He smirked suggestively as he watched Mikan squirm in her place, her fists shook as her face moulded into one which looked like she wanted to hide.
What does he mean by he can't keep it in for long enough? Does he mean what I think he means?
"Okay, guys that's enough!" Shouted Mikan as she nervously laughed, "you guys can keep your sexual innuendos away from the club and AWAY from my virgin ears, thank you very much", she pointed accusingly at Natsume, "and that includes you too Hyuuga, now don't you start smiling at me because it's NOT funny". She huffed slightly as she turned around to leave.
Boys will always be boys, my poor ears have been tainted by such atrocity.
蔡徐坤
Natsume
She hurried out of the room as she hopped slightly, it's a sign that she's uncomfortable and I know this 'cause whenever she's faced with a difficult situation she starts hopping slightly like a rabbit.
He smirked, cute.
Ruka and Tsubasa leaned against the wall of the dim room but even in this lighting the expressions on their faces were clear - it was amusement.
"So you like Sakura huh?" Asked Ruka in an attempt to start a conversation, "she's cute", he nodded with satisfaction as he looked at his best friend.
Tsubasa covered his eyes and laughed, both Ruka and Natsume stared at him in bewilderment (although it really wasn't that obvious on Natsume's face).
"So that's the type of girl you like Natsu?" He raked his blue hair and smiled, "she's hot, not to mention hardworking and funny, might take her while you're not looking" he stuck his tongue out and winked.
Yuck.
"You wouldn't fucking dare, baldy" spat Natsume as he glared at him in disgust, "she's mine."
Ruka smiled nervously, "how are you even going to date her if we have a dating ban? You know Sakura, she hates to break the rules". Natsume closed his eyes and sighed, when he opened them again the crimson colour in them seemed to have gotten brighter and he smirked deviously at them.
"I'm a rule breaker, Ruka," he said as he tapped his foot on the floor, "and a very convincing guy, I thank my good looks for that." He licked his lips and swallowed, whatever he did he did it with confidence which made him not only look 10x hotter but also hard to beat.
"Oh jeez, this is getting interesting!" Said Tsubasa as he grinned from ear to ear, "haven't seen you this fired up since that art competition back in Middle School, heck, I remember when you stayed up all night for-" He immediately shut up when he noticed the brooding expression on Natsume's face, and how Ruka nervously bit his lip as he glanced at his best friend. "You know what?" Asked Tsubasa, "Imma just shut up now, haha..." He laughed nervously as he tried to lighten the mood.
Natsume punched the wall next to him, "if I could burn you right now I would, old man" before he walked out to the swimming pool, Ruka looked at Tsubasa and shook his head.
"You seriously messed up, that topic is forbidden remember?"
Tsubasa nodded mindlessly not paying any attention to what Ruka just said, "by the way, even if Natsume confesses, somehow magically, do you think that Mikan would even accept him?" His eyes went to the door Natsume left from, a frown fixed on his face as he did so.
"Who knows" replied Ruka as he shrugged, "I guess it's all up to them".
蔡徐坤
Mikan speed walked outta there like Usain Bolt on crack, her thin hands clutched her face as it grew warmer by the second, the scene before replayed in her head like a gif on loop and it just wouldn't leave.
Holy shit, Holy shit, Ho-Lee Shiiiiit
What did he mean by that?
Why was he looking at meeee?
Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.
"I think I'm suffering from some mental disorder, somebody help me" whined Mikan silently as she moved around the rim of the pool, "I don't even understand my own teammates, why were they looking at me? Why did he smirk at me? I think I need another shot of Anna's lemonade ASAP!" She lifted a hand to her head to massage her scalp, she was stopped by a warm hand clutching her arm. Mikan nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden contact, she gulped as she looked up and her guess was right.
"What?" Replied Natsume as Mikan pulled a 'where the fuck did you come from?' face. "Close your mouth polka dots, I know that I'm good looking," he said proudly as he pretended to check her out, "too bad I'm exclusive".
Mikan shut her mouth and pushed him away from her, "yeah well too bad you're not my type, pervert." She turned around and prepared to leave before Natsume called her out.
"Mikan" his voice erupted a feeling in her chest but Mikan threw it aside and identified it as disgust, yeah this feeling must be just plain ol' disgust. She didn't turn around fearing that she might accidentally-on-purpose push him head first into the pool if she did.
"What?" she replied, irritation laced her tone, if I look at him in the face I'll probably either have the urge to push a bible down his throat or soak him in holy water.
Natsume sighed silently as he raked a hand through his hair, messing it up in the process (even though it made him look hotter than ever). "You know" he paused as he stared at her back, "the finals are tomorrow and-"
Mikan cut him off, she turned around lazily and puffed her cheeks out before exhaling all that air. "No shit Natsume, I'm the swimming club's manager and I'm pretty sure I know this stuff" she replied sarcastically as she smiled at the end.
The raven teen rolled his eyes and sighed heavily, making it obvious to the world that he was highly irritated by the brunette in front of him. "You know what Polka Dots? Why don't you just shut up for a minute and let me fucking talk?"
Mikan raised her brows and compressed her lips into a thin line, "oh okay, I'll shut up, sure I'm fine with it, definitely." She crossed her arms as she cocked her head to the side as she waited for him to talk.
"Well, Hyuuga? Aren't you gonna talk?."
蔡徐坤
Natsume - Fast forward a day hey hey
"NATSUME-SAMMAAA!" Yelled a permed haired as she waved her 'I ️LOVE NATSUME' banner around, "I KNOW YOU'LL WIIIIN! COME ON! DO YOUR BEST!"
Natsume snorted out of disbelief at the fan who was literally screaming his name out of her mouth, there were about 100 more carbon copies of her sitting at the viewing seats waiting for the competition to begin.
Dumbasses, thought Natsume as he sucked the water out of his water bottle, I couldn't care less whether they were here or not.
He squished the plastic and threw it next to his towel before walking off to the waiting room where all the other members of the club were resting, waiting anxiously for their turn to dive into the blue.
As his eyes wandered to the crowd, his mind went back to the day before and the conversation he had with his manager:
蔡徐坤
Natsume Hyuuga inhaled deeply through his gritted teeth making the hissing sound as he rubbed the back of his neck in an attempt to help him think - it didn't work but a guy's gotta keep on trying. It was probably the 1st time in his life that Natsume Freaking Hyuuga tried to choose his words carefully in order to not make a girl feel like killing him because right now (although she looked innocently cute) Mikan Sakura could well try to kick him the balls.
"Well, Hyuuga?" The brunette stared at him, she tried her hand at glaring like he's done multiple times but it just made her look like a deranged racoon, "aren't you gonna talk? Because..." She imitated the hissing noise he made earlier, "I have a lot of things I could be doing right now and sadly talking to you isn't one of them." She faked a smile.
"It could be one" he bit his lip seductively and whispered hotly into her ear, "if you want it to be."
A fury of red covered her face as she harshly pushed him away, "listen here you fuckboy, if you're just here to play with me then I think you should kindly fuck off." She turned around to leave, making sure to hit him with her ponytail as she did so for added effect.
"I can hear you, you know" shouted the raven-haired boy at her retreating figure, hearing him speak made Mikan freeze in her place. "I might be a fuckboy to you but I really did..." he tilted his head from side-to-side as he licked his lips "appreciate it when you cheered for me last time."
She finally turned around to face him, he looked at her square in the eyes before finally adding:
"Out of all the cheers in the room only your voice reaches my ears" he swallowed nervously, "please cheer for me this time too."
He turned around swiftly and walked away, missing the small smile that adorned her face.
蔡徐坤
After the competition
"We seem to always meet when the pool's empty huh?" Her eyes gazed over the pool. The soft light from the evening sun was accompanied by the splashing of the water against the pool-side tiles.
The boy looked at her side portrait and scoffed before lying down, his soaked raven hair sprawled out on the white tiles as he quietly breathed out. "I told you that I could hear you" he tried to do his infamous smirk to mask his disappointment, his eyes drooped slowly as his heart pounded at a steady pace but with each one stabbing his chest.
She stiffened slightly, "it's not like that..." she paused briefly, "I just didn't think you'd hear me since you have so many fans".
He chuckled slightly, his deep voice sent a rumbling through her heart, "you're different" he said.
I always seem to hear you
蔡徐坤
It was the day of the competition and here Mikan was in the changing room having a conflict between her heart and head, to go or not to go? That is the question.
"Like, should I go?" Mikan spoke to herself as if she could give herself an answer, "I mean, I'm his senpai and I guess we're friends so I should support him, right? But then again, just because he told me to cheer for him doesn't mean that I must, it's not part of my job to attend the competition anyway." She sighed and hit her head against a locker door, "why am I such an idiot? Mikan, you should obviously go, I mean he practically came and asked you too."
She walked towards the door leading to the pool, the screams of countless fans (male and female alike) could be heard, the name 'Natsume Hyuuga' definitely dominated the pool.
Her grip on the handle slowly loosened, she stepped back and huffed.
"Yeah, maybe not."
蔡徐坤
She punched him lightly on the arm, "I swear to god Natsume, do you have to flirt with every girl you meet?" She asked him teasingly, the boy, on the other hand, didn't look as jolly. Instead, he remained quiet, as soon as Mikan noticed this she stopped and smiled nervously. "Are you okay Natsume?"
"Do you have to flirt with every guy you meet?" He asked, but his tone was bitter stirring up more confusion in Mikan's head.
She furrowed her eyebrows and stared at him, "what are you on about? I haven't flirted with anyone and even if I have why are you so mad? It's just a joke you asswipe."
'To you, yeah', he grumbled, "use what's left of your tiny brain to think, polka-dots."
She licked and pursed her lips before shaking her head, a scoff escaped as she spoke, "oh no you JUST didn't!"
He raised an eyebrow.
After all, she clearly didn't understand what had happened a few hours before.
蔡徐坤
"Hey, Mikan!" Yelled a strangely high-pitched yet masculine voice behind her. She rotated her head slightly to peek over her shoulders and was (practically) thrown to the wall by the said person as he hugged her tightly. "Manager Mik, I thought you said you weren't coming, guess you couldn't stay away from my man but lemme tell you something sis, he's mine." He made 'the face' and let go.
"KOKO! I DO NOT LIKE HIM."
He raised both eyebrows, "never said you did".
She smiled nervously and cleared her throat but the blush was still evident, "by the way, why are you here? You aren't even qualified to take part in the competition so..." She viewed him from head to toe, "explanation s'il vous plait merci beaucoup."
He touched her hair and stroked it (meow), "wow Mikan, do you use Pantene? Your hair is super soft and perfect for-" He went blank for a moment and made an 'o' face and went back to the conversation, "yeah I'm actually here to support my hunky husband Natsume Hyuuga as he strips down naked on the diving board and shows off his juicy 8 pack god-like abs before skinny-dipping into the pool, actually." Now it was her turn to make an 'o' face, "who am I kidding Mikan? I can't even approach him!"
He started to let out a groan as he rested his head comfortably on her shoulder. "Koko, I think you should make friends with him first, you know, so you can at least know what he's like and I can assure you, he's ugly."
"No Mikan, you just don't understand. I don't even think he likes me! HE HATES ME!"
"And why do you think that?" She asked him as he raised his head.
"Because! Because because because, Mikan, he always glares at me! It's like those dagger glares which says 'I'll kill you' in a deep ass voice and it's driving me nuts!" He groaned, "I'M 365 SO STRESSED!"
He quickly piped in, "do you think he knows that I like him? Does he hate me because of that? Do you think that he knows that I have dreams about him?" He widened his eyes and looked at her in fear before adding in a quieter voice, "could it be that he's taken?"
She blinked, "what?" Even though the pool was just behind the door at the end of the hallway, the screams were deafening and it made it hard to hear, it was actually a miracle that Mikan could even hear the conversation so far.
He faced her and their faces were so close that anyone who stood behind them would think that they were kissing, "I think he's dating that blonde Greek god." He whispered. He leaned in closer and it was Mikan's turn to realise what was happening, no wonder he was around him all the time.
"Fuck, he's gay too."
And all of this didn't go unnoticed by the guy standing near the door behind the pair with a towel wrapped around his neck.
蔡徐坤
"I think I just did", he replied dryly. His head was tilted to the side as he watched her succumb into a fury, normally he would've found this quite funny to watch if he hadn't seen what had happened earlier.
She clicked her tongue, "you know what Natsume? You have this strange ability to make me feel like killing you every time we're together, it's actually pretty amazing how I haven't drowned you yet." She faked a smile, "and I wonder why I haven't."
"Blessed to know that you like me enough to not drown me", he said with his famous straight face (which only irritated her more).
"Yeah, Natsume, what's actually wrong with you? You're not acting like yourself."
He side-eyed her for a second and muttered, "what do you know about me?"
She pouted slightly, "we're friends Natsume, well... I think of you as a friend, I don't know about you... but I know that we don't know much about each other's backgrounds yet but the Natsume I know wouldn't be acting like some moody dumbass right now."
He just grunted and remained silent.
She let out a huge 'UGH' and began to shake him while shouting because that's what Mikan Sakura does best, "do you ALWAYS have to be SO godamN annoying?" She groaned before breathing out heavily and looked at him, "if you want to say something, then say it. Please! You have a mouth for a reason and it would make my life SO much easier!"
He covered his ears and rolled his eyes, "I'm talking to you right now."
She mentally face-palmed herself and massaged her temples, "way to go smartass, no wonder you always top the leaderboards when it's exam season."
Natsume shifted near her slightly and raked a hand through his wet hair, "and now I know why you always come last."
"You-" She was about to retort back when a glimmer from the water caught her eye. The setting sun filtered in hues of purple, orange and red through the glass roof which reflected across the pool's surface. The sight took her breath away and accompanied by the soft sound of the water, it was truly paradise. "Woah," her eyes sparkled, "look Natsume, it's like we're inside a piece of artwork." He didn't turn his head round to where she was pointing but instead continued to look at her, his eyes softened slightly and he leaned back comfortably with his feet dipped into the pool. "What's that painting called again?" She asked without taking her eyes off the pool, "that one painting president Yuu was talking about in assembly."
"Claude Monet Water-Lily Pond in the Evening." He said in a single breath, his voice low to match the mood he was feeling right now.
She nodded slowly, "yeah," she breathed out carefully, "it's just like that. Really pretty isn't it?"
"Yeah," he muttered while still looking at her, "it really is pretty."
"Eh?" His words took her off guard as she noticed that he wasn't even looking at the water. She felt her face heat up and silently hoped that it was dark enough so that he wouldn't see her blush. "What did you say?" She hoped that she had just misheard him as her stomach starting acting up again.
He raised a brow slightly and licked his lips.
Realising that he had just completely broken the romantic atmosphere he was going for by saying something that was only meant to be said in his head, Natusme came up with a quick reply to save himself from embarrassment. "If you think it's so pretty why don't you jump in?"
"Natsume what-?" Her eyes grew as big as saucers as 2 muscular arms pushed her hard enough to make her fall back. She tightly shut and sent an ear piercing scream while repeating numerous prayers inside her head, hoping that today wasn't going to be her death day.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"Can you shut up?"
Not feeling any water on her skin Mikan slowly opened her eyes and a chill went down her spine. Natsume's face was incredibly close to hers and water dripped down from the tip of his nose onto her cheek. His face looked slightly concerned but what confused Mikan the most was the way his arms were snaked around her waist and legs.
In short, Natsume Hyuuga, the apple of the eyes of many girls, was holding Mikan Sakura, his senpai and manager, bridal style. In the pool. With him soaking wet.
"YOU!" Mikan shouted at the top of her lungs which made him cringe, "LET GO OF ME RIGHT NOW THIS IS SEXUAL ASSAULT!"
He rolled his eyes and started walking towards the deeper end of the pool, "Jesus Christ, you never fail to surprise me with how loud you can get."
She puffed her cheeks childishly and tried to push him away from her, "okay now you're REALLY testing my patience, let. Me. Go. RIGHT NOW!"
"So you want me to let you go?" He asked teasingly as he pulled her away from his chest, thinking that he was going to drop her Mikan shook her head ferociously as she dug her nails into his back.
"NO! NO! NO! DON'T YOU DARE YOU BASTARD!" Yelled the brunette as she clung onto him tightly, "IF YOU DO I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL ACTUALLY-"
He chuckled quietly at her actions making Mikan look at him questionably, she had seen him smile before but not when his goddamn godly looking chiselled face was right in front of her.
Holy crap I hope my breath isn't stinky or anything, he's so annoyingly good looking ugh. Wait good looking? No, he's ugly, yes, ugly. The only good looking person in this world is Kim Myungsoo and only Kim Myungsoo, Natsume is nothing compared to him, yes, nothing.
"Finished thinking yet? The sudden silence is actually annoying me".
She rolled her eyes and glared at him, "I wasn't thinking of you so go away."
He smirked, 'never said you did idiot,' and with a whisper, he leaned in close to her ear and said, "really?"
She gulped and avoided eye contact, butterflies threatened to rip out of her stomach and she could feel the blood pump in her temple as she spoke. "Don't drop me" she pleaded quietly against his ear, the hotness and closeness of the brunette made his ear twitch, "if you do I swear to god you'll regret it."
She will never admit it but it was nice to be held by him, even though the pool was cold, he seemed to radiate his own heat. He had a homely feeling, like an 'I'm gonna protect you so don't worry' kind of feeling and not a 'I'm being forced to carry you and you're heavy' kind of feeling.
His chest ached, from not pain but pleasure, as he whispered back to her, "I'm taking you back to the side, I won't drop you so stop mumbling polka dots."
And this time she didn't complain but kept quiet as he slowly swam back to the sides. Looking down at her he smiled inwardly and his chest kept on poking him painfully. Now was a good time, he thought, but was it? She was probably dating that guy who sticks to her like glue, after all, they looked like they were going to kiss earlier and if Natsume saw that, it wouldn't have been pretty.
After a long sigh and a quick fix of his hair, Natsume Hyuuga made up his mind.
Fuck this, I only live once.
"Oi Mikan!" He shouted at her quite harshly causing the dazed girl to snap her head up.
"What?"
She subconsciously bit her lips as his crimson eyes looked intently at hers. They had been at the pool for nearly 2 hours now and the sun had completely set, the only light was that from the moon which made him look even more breathtaking. Cold water dripped from his hair as it covered his right eye, the water glistened on his skin and reflected the moonlight.
It was at this time that Mikan finally had a good look at Natsume, he was definitely not ugly, for sure. She noticed how both of his eyes were crimson, that was an obvious fact, but not a shade that was easy to describe. They were both a rich shade of the colour, a darker shade in the centre but a slightly lighter one creeping around the edges of the iris as if it was trying to take over.
His hair, though wet and limp, contrasted against his slightly pale skin. His hair was not too long, not too short. Not too straight nor too curly, but what she found so lovely about them was that they were so perfectly jet black. The shade was so dark with bright shines creating a great contrast. They were thin and soaked, but she could still tell each strand apart from another.
Her heart was going crazy, or maybe she was crazy. Looking at her junior in such an indecent way while they were still in the pool. He was standing up, cold water dripping down could be heard as each droplet hit the pool's surface, and he was holding on to her tightly as they stood near the deep end of the pool. His red trunks that matched his eyes stood out in the water, his red towel fell off his shoulder as he dove into the pool was floating on the surface. In fact, Mikan noticed that most of his swimming gear was red.
So he likes red. She noted, she would have to remember that for future reference.
He blinked once at her and continued to stare intently at her face as if trying to read her. She melted in them and felt her breathing getting heavier, he wasn't talking and that was weirding her out her.
"Nat- Natsume," she stammered, "stop looking at me like that, it's..." She shyly looked away and loosened her hold on his skin, "it's embarrassing." Her voice was quiet and meek as she softly let the last few words roll out. Natsume clicked his tongue and looked away, he seemed annoyed and slightly conflicted.
"Nat-"
"Let's go," his voice was rough as he walked over to the end of the pool, "it's getting dark."
She tightened her grip on him, "w- wait, didn't you have something to say?"
He looked at her briefly before setting her on the side, "it's nothing."
Then why do you look so disappointed?
NOTES!
I sadly can't link the painting Natsume and Mikan were talking about :( But if you search up 'Water-Lily Pond, Evening (left panel) by Claude Monet' it should come up :)