Enjoy~
Summer.
It had finally come. Summer holidays meant no school —not counting summer assignments and those in cram school. Summer meant the pool. That was why Yuiki Yaya was leaning over the edge of the concrete deck and looking into the clear, cool, blue waters of the tiled pool, debating whether to jump into the pool or not. She had a bright pink duck inner tube held securely around her waist so she could stay afloat in the water if she ever decided to get in.
It wasn't that Yaya couldn't swim —she could and had passed the swim test earlier that month to prove it— it was just that she wasn't... She wasn't sure of herself. Taking a deep breath, Yaya leaned back over the water's edge to stare into its seemingly endless clear-blue depths. In all reality, the water was a little over four feet deep —which could still be pretty frightening to the ten-year old that Yaya was.
The sun glinted off the lapping waters as a few other kids and parents splashed around, temporarily blinding the auburn haired girl. She envied the small children splashing about in the area that was cordoned off as the 'kiddie section'. Her mother was there playing with her baby brother, Tsubasa. She had wanted to play over there, too, where the water was warmer and shallow, but her mother had said that Yaya was, "too big to play in the baby area" and to, "go swim with daddy". Her dad wasn't even swimming. Instead, Yuiki Daisuke was lounging on the bench behind her, reading. He had told her that she was, "big enough to swim by herself" and to, "just get in; the water wouldn't hurt her". But Yaya wasn't completely convinced. She looked over to her left, shielding her eyes from the sun with the back of her hand as she looked at the lifeguard sitting up in his chair. With his dark shades on and the umbrella shielding him from the sun and the prying eyes of the visitors, Yaya couldn't tell if the lifeguard was actually doing his job or just asleep. She didn't want to take any chances.
Yaya was about to turn away from the pool when she felt strong hands press into her back and push her forward. Splash! Into the pool Yuiki Yaya went.
"Daddy!" Yaya spluttered as she wiped the water off her lips and onto the back of her equally wet arm. Yuiki Daisuke crouched on the pool deck, grinning at his daughter.
"I told you the water wouldn't hurt." Yaya stuck her lips out in a pout, earning an eye-roll from her dad. He sighed and flopped his arms out in an exaggerated manner before slipping into the pool with Yaya. "You get your drama from me, for sure, Yaya." Yuiki Daisuke held his arms out to gesture for Yaya to come get a hug. Yaya paddled over to her dad, her duck floaty sticking up in the air as she swam. Once she was close enough, Yuiki enveloped Yaya in a strong hug and brought her the rest of the way to him. Yaya let herself sink into her dad's embrace, her wet head rested against his sun-warmed, dry chest.
The water wasn't so bad after all.
Happy Father's Day!