Diving Donuts
or
Hina at the Olympics!
Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa or any of the characters therein. I bought two copies of the first game though…
Summary: Aoi Asahina is given the opportunity of a lifetime; the honor and prestige of representing Japan at the Olympic Games!
"Holy cow…I'm actually here…" Aoi 'Hina' Asahina whispered to herself as she surveyed the gigantic pool she was about to swim in…or rather compete in. "It almost…doesn't feel real…"
For Aoi Asahina, being here at this moment was mind-blowing. It felt like only yesterday that she received her official letter of acceptance into the Summer Olympics. Hina had shouted and squealed so loudly that everyone in the dorms had heard her jubilated screams…and earned her a write-up from Taka for screaming and running down the halls. She had been beyond honored and accepted immediately, having to restructure her training regimen and class schedule to prepare herself for the upcoming event. Her classmates had been incredibly supportive, especially Sakura, who served as her personal trainer up until arriving at the competition grounds. And, of course, her classmates had promised to be there when she competed for the honor and prestige of their country.
Even so…it still felt so surreal, being there in the swimming arena, getting ready for the first event.
Hina and her teammates, representing Japan's finest swimmers, prepared for their first event together: the 200-meter team relay. The Ultimate Swimming Pro had been incredibly nervous when she'd first met her teammates. Being only sixteen, the youngest on the team, she had feared that they might resent her, especially considering she was from Hope's Peak Academy. She had heard that a lot of athletes that competed in the Olympics resented Hope's Peak students who competed, saying it was unfair and that they had a 'competitive edge' over the 'normal' Olympians.
Fortunately, her teammates had been nothing but supportive and encouraging. Some admitted to being envious of her talents…and even questioned how she could swim so well with a such large breasts…but none of them showed her any contempt. In fact, they even offered advice that she'd never considered! Thanks to them, she might take home a gold medal in the singles competition that would take place the next day!
"Right! I got this!" she psyched herself up as she walked alongside her teammates, feeling more and more excited as they reached the water's edge.
Inhaling the familiar scent of chlorine and staring at the calm horizon of the water, Hina felt a rush of adrenaline as she psyched herself up. It had been almost a full day since she'd last gotten to swim and already she felt dried out. She wanted to jump in and swim a few laps just to get warmed up, but knew that would only disqualify her from the competition.
"But I just can't help it!" she told herself as she stared, almost longingly at the water. "I only swam fifty laps yesterday! I can't believe our coach told us we needed to quit after such a short session! Sakura had me doing at least one-hundred laps a day! But I guess the coach was worried about overworking us before the competition today…"
"Asahina! Hurry it up! Quit staring at the water and get ready!" Team Japan's swimming coach shouted to her, snapping the water loving girl out of her trance.
"R-Right! On my way!" she shouted with a spring her step, racing over to prepare for the relay.
As she and her teammates began putting on their goggles and swim caps, Hina took a moment to survey the crowd. The stadium was completely crowded, not a seat unfilled. For a moment, she feared that her classmates might not be able to get seats, only to remember that a certain Ultimate Affluent Progeny had access to a private viewing box, which he'd graciously reserved for him and his classmates to watch the spectacle from. Hina would have thanked Byakuya for being a considerate human being, for once, had he not been a total jerk and told her not to disgrace herself by placing anything less than first!
A heavy sigh escaped her as Hina smiled up at the private box her friends were no doubt settling into. "Still…I hope they're enjoying it…"
"Whoa…we're actually here!" Makoto shouted as he examined the large booth he and his classmates would be viewing the competition from. "I've never been outside of Japan before! This is pretty awesome!"
The Ultimate Lucky Student pressed his hands up to the glass of the Togami Curation's private box, staring down at the arena, already trying to spot Hina in the crowd of competitors. Behind him, all of his classmates milled around as they made their way to their seats.
Leon complained that he hadn't been selected for the baseball Olympic team, only for Sayaka to remind him that this particular Olympic season decided against having baseball as an event. Meanwhile, while waiting for the event to start, Mondo challenged Taka to an arm wrestling competition, with Chihiro acting as the judge. Celeste chuckled to herself as she tallied all of the wages she'd made with several underground gambling participants who betted on the outcome of each event. Right beside her, serving a fresh pot of Milk Tea, Hifumi dutifully attended to the Ultimate Gambler's needs, having little interest in the Olympics themselves. Hiro gazed into his crystal ball and had the grave misfortune of suggesting that Hina would lose the first competition…to which the fortune-teller discovered was a fatal mistake when he noticed Sakura angrily glaring at him, cracking her knuckles. Junko laughed at the clairvoyant's despair while simultaneously proclaiming she was excited to see the despair-filled faces of those who received silver rather than gold medals. Mukuro nodded along with her sister, glancing out into the arena from time to time.
All the while, Makoto excitedly looked around the room, marveling at the fully stocked snack trays and various drinks that were made available for all of them.
"This is so cool! I can't believe we're actually here!" he practically shouted, unable to contain his elation any longer.
"Can you go nowhere without making a scene?" Byakuya's mocking tone instantly stifled the lucky student's chipper mood. Turning around, the lucky student found himself face to face with the Ultimate Affluent Progeny. "Shouting excitedly while boarding a plane, telling everyone on the plane how 'pretty the ocean' was, being so elated over something as common as the Olympics…honestly, you make such a fuss over the most trivial of things."
"T-Trivial?!" a flabbergasted Makoto stammered, visible shocked. "Before this, I had never been on the plane before! And yeah…it was cool seeing the ocean from my seat on the plane…but still any normal person would be floored by how cool getting to go to the Olympics is!"
With a cocky smirk, Byakuya pushed up his glasses and said, "I suppose I should have expected as much from a commoner like yourself. After all, promising to watch Hina perform at the Olympics only to realize you had no way of getting there is exactly what I've come to expect of you."
Burning red from embarrassment, Makoto quickly shook it off as he reluctantly objected, "…Yeah, well…I would have found a way to get here anyway! I would never miss Hina's Olympic debut!"
"Is that so?" Byakuya answered with a huff, before smirking at him. "Remind me again who paid for this little outing of ours?"
"…You."
"Indeed, and what was it I asked in return for such kindness?" the Togami Heir questioned, his face suddenly stern.
Sighing and speaking as if quoting a contract, Makoto answered, "…To not embarrass Japan or the Togami Corporation in any way while attending the Olympics…"
"Correct, and thus far, you have done nothing but embarrass yourself, which is why I have not objected." Pushing up his glasses and folding his arms behind his back, the Togami Heir glared down his nose at the lucky student. "Do try not to embarrasses our country while we're here. I'd rather not waste valuable time and resources clearing up any misfortunes that may have followed after you…"
Sulking a bit, Makoto slumped his shoulders, feeling more than a bit embarrassed that he'd gotten so excited. However, all of that faded as a stoic voice entered the conversation.
"You say that, but you did front the cost of bringing our entire class along for the festivities," Kyoko Kirigiri reminded him, gesturing toward their classmates, all of whom were getting settled into the spacious area that the Togami Corporation had reserved for them. Giving Makoto a quick smile, which the lucky student reciprocated, the Ultimate Detective soon turned her fierce gaze toward their wealthy classmate. "Frankly, I'm surprised at your generosity. Doesn't it hurt your pride to publicly associate yourself with 'commoners' such as ourselves?"
With a superior sounding huff, the Affluent Progeny briskly walked past both of them and took his seat in the center of a row of chairs. Sitting there, as if seated upon a throne, Byakuya scoffed as he glanced down at the competitors.
"It would take far more than Makoto's pathetic display to damage my pride," he snidely answered before smirking at his classmates. "I'd fund a trip to Disneyland if it would mean a little peace and quiet for a change. Besides, anything was better than listening to Makoto whine because he almost wasn't able to fulfill his promise to Asahina."
"I-I wasn't whining! I was just worried is all!" Makoto tried to defend but only ended up embarrassing himself more. "Besides, we're all here now and that's what—".
Suddenly, he ceased talking and began scanning the room, his eyes counting all of his classmates. When it seemed that he was finished, his eyes widened, something that Kyoko instantly took note of.
"What's wrong, Makoto?" she asked sternly, giving him no room for argument.
"…I think…we're missing someone!" the lucky student confided, panic in his voice. "Toko! Has anyone seen Toko?!"
At this, everyone turned to him and began looking around, unable to find their missing classmate. As a wave of uncertainly began to wash over them, an almost elated Byakuya broke the silence.
"Oh, yes, where could Toko have disappeared to…?" Byakuya's smirk widened into an almost malicious grin. "I believe I told her to wash herself just before leaving the hotel. After all, I refuse to share a small space with someone who refuses to bath regularly."
"Wait a second…you told her to wash up just before leaving the hotel?" Kyoko abruptly questioned, a deep frown settling on her face. "Wouldn't that mean that we left her behind and she would have no way of catching up to us?"
"Oh, is that a fact? I never considered that might happen…" Byakuya gleefully answered, not a hint of remorse in his voice. "Isn't that troubling…and without my presence to guarantee her access into the arena, I suppose she may miss the entire event."
Most of the class glared angrily at him for his blatant abuse of power and authority, except for Junko, who reveled in the despair that Toko was surely feeling at that very moment—
"Excuse me, Mr. Togami?" an attendant called out from the doorway.
"What is it? Can't you see my associates and I are about to enjoy the festivities?" Byakuya asked, not even bothering to stand or even look their way.
"My sincerest apologizes…but security has detained a young woman who claims to be associated with your group," the attendant continued, their words making the Togami Heir flinch. "I believe her name is Miss 'Toko Fukawa'. She claims to be a classmate of yours and—".
"I see…you may let her through…" Byakuya reluctantly told the attendant, his voice somber and full of disappointment, much to Junko's excitement.
In fact, most of the class openly laughed at Byakuya sudden misfortune, with the Affluent Progeny himself scowling deeply as he waited for the object of his torment to catch up with him. Unsurprisingly, less than a minute later, a certain Ultimate Writing Prodigy burst into the private room, panting and sweating heavily. Taking a moment to adjust her glasses, she scanned the room until she found the object of her desire.
"M-M-Master! I apologize f-f-for my tardiness!" Toko shouted as she practically dashed toward her Prince. "I had to use m-m-most of my travel money, and had to deal with a few s-shady taxi drivers…but th-thanks to the m-m-map Makoto forgot back at the hotel, I was a-a-able to find my way here!"
"Oh, well that was lucky, wasn't it?" the Ultimate Lucky Student concurred, happy his classmate had made it in time for the event. However, the instant those words left his mouth, he felt a pair of sinister eyes glaring at him.
"Makoto…I hold you personally responsible for this," Byakuya suddenly seethed at the lucky student, who flinched and hid behind Kyoko. Before the Togami Heir could further threaten his classmate, Toko appeared right in front of him, prostrating herself at his feet while staring up at him.
"I promise n-n-never to leave your side a-a-again, Master!" she shouted at him, bits of spittle hitting his face. Slowly, he wiped away her saliva from his cheek and scoffed.
"Could you not have done something about the putrid stench that oozes from your oral orifice?" he seethed, sharply turning away from her, his face twisting in disgust.
"B-But I did l-l-like you asked! I washed e-e-everything! Even my naughty b-b-bits—"
"I didn't ask for an update, now will you please be silent…I'd prefer to watch the competition in peace," Byakuya interrupted, irritation encompassing his entire being. "Take your seat, preferable far from mine."
"Y-Y-Yes, Master!"
Without another word, Toko leapt to her feet and selected a seat in the row just behind Byakuya, dreamily staring at the back of his head instead of down at the competition. Then again, it was obvious that she wasn't interested in the event regardless…
"Well, now that everyone is here, shall we settle in for the event?" Kyoko proposed, gently smiling at Makoto, who only now came out from behind her.
"Y-Yeah! Let's all cheer Hina on from here!" the lucky student insisted, pumping his fist into the air.
His enthusiasm was infectious, as most of the class cheered with him, while those that didn't couldn't keep themselves from smiling. Slowly, everyone settled into their seats and prepared to watch their friend and classmate dominate her first event as an Olympic competitor.
As the roar of the crowd began to engulf the arena, Hina could feel butterflies dancing in her stomach.
This event would be a 4x200 meter freestyle team relay, consisting of four swimmers, with her as the final swimmer. Even though she was going to be the last swimmer in the relay, or perhaps because of that, Hina was feeling incredibly nervous. It was her very first competition at the Olympics and she wanted her team to take home the gold! Her cap tight and comfortable on her head, and her goggles already in place, the Ultimate Swimming Pro felt ready to take on her first event!
"Let's do our best, Asahina!" the lead swimmer called to her before she took her position at the front of their lane.
"R-Right!" Hina shouted back, readying herself for the start of the event.
"Yeah, just focus on getting the best time that you can," the second swimmer told her, positioning herself just behind their leader.
"O-Okay!" she answered swiftly taking the advice to heart.
"And if we happen to lose a few seconds, do your best to make up for them, okay?" the swimmer just before her jokingly added, giving her a playful wave.
"Uh…sure…" Hina said softly, her nerves suddenly refusing to settle.
Even though a part of her knew her teammate was only joking with her, Hina couldn't help but feel a heavy responsibility may have been inadvertently pushed upon her. As the final swimmer…it actually was her responsibility to make up for lost time! Not to mention that if her team was in first place by the time it got to her turn, she'd need to be even faster just to keep from losing their position!
Glancing up at the scoreboard high above her head, the Ultimate Swimming Pro decided it was best to keep an eye on how her team was doing while simultaneously waiting for her turn. However, just as she looked up, a loud whistle blew, startling her and refocusing her attention back to their lane just in time to see her team's lead swimmer dive into the water.
"Oh, they're starting!" Chihiro shouted, bouncing a bit in her seat as she watched the start of the relay. "Wait…where's Hina?"
"I think she's the last one in this particular relay," Taka informed her, spying their classmate at the back of the line. "It's actually uncommon for a new competitor to go last. Usually, they have first time competitors go first, so that the veterans can pick up the slack later in the relay. For them to put Hina as their last swimmer…they must have a great deal of confidence in her!"
"Well, that's no surprise!" Mondo enthusiastically shouted, slapping his knee emphatically. "With how amazing she is at swimming; they could have let her do the whole relay by herself!"
"Except that it would be cheating…" Leon muttered under his breath, earning himself an elbow jab from Sayaka, who was seated beside him.
"I hope you won't act like that during the single's competition she'll be competing in later today," the pop idol said with a huff before turning her attention back to the event. "Look! The first swimmer's already on her way back! Wow…I never knew this went by so fast!"
Straightening up, and not wanting to be jabbed again, the baseball star chuckled as he informed her, "Relays like this are over pretty quick. Like two or three minutes tops!"
Just as Leon finished, the first swimmer made it back to the start of their lane and the second swimmer dove in over them, along with most of their competitors.
Staring up at the scoreboard, Hina flinched as she saw that her team was currently in second, trailing behind the USA team by only half a second.
"Okay…I can make that up! Half a second is nothing! I totally got this!" Hina psyched herself up, as she watched her second teammate glide through the water.
Unfortunately, Hina could also see that said teammate was slowly but surely falling behind the USA team. She'd started out ahead but was quickly losing steam and slowly got overtaken by the other swimmers. By the time she'd turned around and was headed back to their side of the pool, she was reduced to third place.
"D-Doesn't she know to start off easy and push yourself on the second half?! I mean, Sakura taught me that and she doesn't even do competitive swimming!" Hina frantically thought, feeling more than bit guilty for judging her teammate.
However, given the fact that she now had to make up at least four seconds during her turn, she couldn't stop herself from mentally criticizing her teammate. She could only hope that the girl in front of her would be able to shave off at least of couple of those seconds and make it easier for their team to take the lead in the last two laps.
As the second swimmer crossed the threshold and reached the end of her lap, Hina watched as the third swimmer dove in overtop their teammate. Unfortunately, the Ultimate Swimming Pro couldn't help but notice that the USA team had left just half a second before the third swimmer departed…meaning they were still falling behind.
And no matter how much Hina tried to steady herself, she just couldn't keep her nerves steady as she awaited her upcoming lap.
"What are those idiots thinking?!" Celeste suddenly roared, leaping out of her chair before angrily smashing her teacup into the floor and stomping it's remains with her heel. "Don't they realize that if they don't come in first certain people might be more than a little upset!"
Breathing heavily for a few moments, the Ultimate Gambler flinched as she glanced over to see her entire class staring bewildered at her. Like a deer in headlights, she gazed back at them absently for a second before plastering her usual passive mask across her face.
"Pardonne moi," she excused herself politely, sitting back down without paying her classmates any more heed. However, she did take a moment to breathe some more and continued, "I simply expected more from Japan's finest swimmers. Hina will have quite a difficult time making up for her teammates' failures…"
"Indeed, especially considering that she's up next and the girl in front of her is in third," Hifumi off-handedly commented, making an already perturbed Celeste narrow her gaze at him. Taking note of the gambler's irritated glare, the fanfic creator quickly continued, "B-But I'm sure that Hina will make that up! Even if her breasts will hinder her because of their large volume—".
Before he could finish, Celeste's slender hand shot up and grabbed onto his face, her black fingernails digging into his cheeks. With gritted teeth and a deep growl, she seethed, "No one asked for your opinion on her boobs, jackass!"
As the fanfic creator whimpered, he looked past the infuriated Celeste to see Junko taking pictures of his despairingly sad situation with her phone. The fanfic creator silently begged for help from beneath Celeste's hand, his eyes pleading for assistance. Upon noticing that he'd seen her, the Fashionista flashed him a peace sign and gave a Cheshire-like grin. Immediately, the despair of being abandoned to his fate overwhelmed Hifumi…but earned an elated moan from Junko.
"Ahhhhh, yes! Give me more! Despair for your mistake! Despair for not winning your bet! Despair for the sake of my pleasure! There is soooo much despair here!" the Ultimate Despair excitedly mewled, her free hand running down the length of her body and reached down low.
By this point, the entirety of the 78th class had grown accustomed to Junko's fits of despairing pleasure. It seemed harmless enough, especially since they never saw her doing anything too sinister…
Mukuro gave a light sigh, obviously a bit disappointed that her sister wasn't paying her, or the competition, any mind. However, the soldier occupied her time between glancing down at the competition and steal glances at Makoto, who was smiling obliviously at the excitement of the event.
Just then, the Ultimate Soldier glanced up at the scoreboard and tapped her sister on the shoulder. Like a lion being torn from its meal, Junko spun around and angrily shouted at her sister.
"Stupid, ugly, Mukuro! Can't you see I'm in the middle of—".
"Japan's trailing pretty badly…" the soldier quickly told her, pointing to the scoreboard.
Suddenly, Junko's face lit up as she focused her attention on the competition once more, practically absorbing the tension and uncomfortable feels of despair that emanated from the crowd as their country's team fell behind. It was even more enjoyable because it was her country that was trailing behind, after having an initially good start.
It was just as the third swimmer was close to finishing their lap that Junko caught a glimpse of Hina…a wide smirk erupting on her face as she could taste the despair her classmate was radiating.
"Six seconds! I have to make up six seconds if we're gonna have any hope of coming in first!" Hina screamed at herself, sucking in desperate ragged breaths.
From her position on the diving board, the Ultimate Swimming Pro felt sweat trickle down her back as her eyes darted between staring at her oncoming teammate and glancing up at the scoreboard. Her legs trembled as the weight of her responsibility assaulted her mind with negative thoughts…especially when she saw that most of the other teams final swimmers had already dived into the pool!
"Now we're waaaay behind! How the heck I am supposed to make up six seconds?! Even with my fastest run I've only ever made up two or three seconds before! Who do they think I am?! I'm not Aquaman! Or Aquawoman…is there an Aquawoman?! Why am I thinking about that right now?! Oh crap!"
At that moment, her teammate crossed the threshold, and it was time for Hina to dive over her. Desperately trying to push away all of her anxiety, Hina leapt off the edge, easily clearing her teammate, and dove deeply into the water. As her body recognized the cool water, her instincts ignited and she began kicking her legs and pushing aside the water with her arms. Luckily, this was a freestyle competition, which she excelled at, and she quickly began gliding through the water at a remarkable pace.
However, no matter how much she tried, she couldn't stop thinking about the six seconds she needed to make up out. It pushed her to swim faster and faster and faster and faster than she'd ever swam before! Trying to use that as motivation, she pushed her body harder than she ever had before, using all of her strength from the beginning to try and overtake the lead swimmers.
"Just a little more! I can go faster than this! I can make up that six seconds!"
Soon enough, she neared the other side of the pool and prepared to flip herself around underwater and push off the wall. She had practiced her turn around so many times, she could do it in her sleep! And once that was out of the way, she could continue to push forward and push ahead of her competition!
Unfortunately, the instant she twisted her body and kicked off the opposing wall, a sharp and abrupt pain shot through her left leg…
"Whoa, look at that!" Hiro elatedly shouted, pointing at the speeding bullet that was Aoi Asahina as she practically dashed through the water. "She's pulling ahead! I didn't think she was gonna be able to do it…guess my prediction that she was going to face tragedy was wrong after all! She's got us back in second place!"
The Ultimate Clairvoyant laughed heartily, despite the angry glares his classmates sent him for his inconsiderate comments. However, one of them couldn't tear their eyes away from the event just to glare at the incorrigible Hiro. Sakura Ogami stared down at her best friend throughout her entire run…a deep pit forming in her stomach.
"Why…is Hina behaving so recklessly?" she said aloud, making everyone turn to her. "She's been pushing herself this entire time, using her full strength since the start instead of saving her energy for the second half of the lap…"
"Wait…you can tell that just by looking at her?" Hiro questioned, glancing down at Hina before shrugging. "She seems fine to me—".
"I can assure you she is not 'fine'," the Ultimate Martial Artist interrupted, more than a little irritated. Concern flooded Sakura's eyes as she nervously watched her friend approach the turnaround point. "In fact, if she keeps performing like that, she's bound to—".
The instant that Hina flipped underwater and kicked off the wall, Sakura leapt to her feet, a deep gasp escaping her throat. Then, almost instantly, a powerful aura rose up all around the martial artist as she angrily screamed. Startled, the rest of the class nervously glanced to her, frightened by the intimidating aura that radiated off of her.
"S-Sakura! What's wrong?!" Makoto immediately asked, jumping out of his seat and bravely approaching her.
The powerful aura around Sakura's body slowly diminished as she recognized the voice of her classmate, turning his way with a fierce gaze. However, behind that ferocity, Makoto could see earnest fear behind the martial artist's eyes as she slowly spoke.
"…Hina, she's injured herself!"
"Dammit! A cramp?! Why now?!" Hina panicked as the pain shot through her leg and extended up to her hip. "Owww! God, it hurts! But I can't let this stop me! Not now! I gotta make up that…six seconds!"
Despite the overwhelming agony she was in, Hina pushed her body even further than before, using ever last ounce of strength to speed through the water. As she pressed onward, the pain in her leg only intensified, forcing her to close her eyes just to bear the misery she was putting herself through. Each kick sent of jolt of pain through her entire body, like a shark was biting off her leg! Not only that, her arms were beyond tired and were becoming numb as she forced her body to continue, despite how badly it wanted to break down. However, Hina knew that she was close to the end, she just needed to give one final push!
Stretching her arms out, she desperately prayed that her hand would slap against the tiled wall of the pool's edge. And miraculously, it did just that, with Hina only realizing she'd finished when her body collided with the wall at the pool's edge. Bursting out of the water, fighting the pain while gasping for air she'd forgotten to come up for, she tore her goggles from her head and stared up at the scoreboard, her eyes scanning for her team's final placing. And when she found it…her eyes widened.
…Team Japan – Second Place…
Hina's breath caught in her throat as that fateful score burned into her brown irises.
"I…I failed…I couldn't…make up the time…It's all my fault…I'm the reason we didn't get the gold…I'm so freaking useless!"
All of her strength faded and she slowly averted her gaze from the board, bobbing up and down in the water aimlessly. Her mind began to collapse, with even the pain of her injured leg dulled by the cold hard truth that she couldn't escape.
"Asahina! That was…are you alright?" the coach asked as she approached, seeing the dejected look on Hina's face. Stretching out her hand, the coach prepared to help the swimming pro out of the pool.
Momentarily snapping out of her depressed trance, Hina lifted her gaze up and absentmindedly answered, "Y-Yeah…"
Grabbing onto the coach's hand, she allowed the coach to help pull her out of the water and back onto land. However, the instant she tried to stand on her left leg, the sharp pain that had momentarily dulled returned in full force. Falling onto her side and clutching her injured leg, the Ultimate Swimming Pro cried out in pain, tears flowing from her eyes.
…No one could know that it wasn't the physical pain that had caused her to shed tears.
"HINA!" Sakura shouted, her hands pressed against the glass as she watched her best friend crumple to the ground. Without hesitation, the martial artist turned on a heel and sped toward the door, only to be accosted by a firm voice.
"And where do you think you're going?"
The cruel tone of Byakuya's voice brought Sakura to an abrupt halt, with the gargantuan woman glaring fiercely over her shoulder at him. However, the Togami Heir showed no fear, rising from his seat and matching her gaze without the slightest hint of intimidation.
"Don't try to stop me! Hina needs me! And I refuse to abandon her in her time of need!" Sakura protested, preparing to depart once more.
"Fool. They would never allow a commoner like yourself to get near the competitors," Byakuya harshly contradicted her, pushing up his glasses as he spoke.
"I know that!" the martial artist insisted, closing her hands into fists. "But I cannot just—".
"Fortunately for you, I am not a simple commoner," the Ultimate Affluent Progeny interrupted, already making his way past her and toward the door. Startled by his assertion, Sakura's eyes widened as he glanced over his shoulder and back at her. "The very name Togami grants me access wherever I please. So be a dear and don't make a scene until after we get to down there."
Although his voice was dripping with sarcasm and wit, there was an undeniable concern buried deep within his mocking tone. Turning away from her, he marched over to the door and opened it, calling out to a nearby attendant before disappearing into the hall. Standing there, almost shell-shocked by his out-of-character gesture, Sakura found herself frozen in place.
Just then, a hand reached up and patted her shoulder. Shifting her gaze to behind her, the martial artist was stunned to see her entire class was on their feet, seemingly ready to follow after her. Glancing down, she saw that the one who had tapped her was none other than the Ultimate Lucky Student.
"C'mon! Let's go see Hina!" Makoto encouraged, a bright smile on his face. "Even if Japan didn't get first, she needs to know she's golden in our eyes!"
"…How are you not totally embarrassed saying stuff like that?" Junko Enoshima sneered, obviously disliking the amount of hope that had seeped into the room.
"That's just how he is," Sayaka effortlessly explained, winking at Makoto playfully, making him blush.
"True," Kyoko concurred, standing by Makoto's side, allowing him to draw strength from her. "And we all feel the same. Regardless of what any judge may say, they cannot truly judge her like we can."
"Damn straight!" Mondo shouted in agreement, raising a fist into the air. "Now enough of this waiting around! Let's get going already!"
Drinking in her classmates determined expressions and warm visages, Sakura couldn't help but smile herself as she said, "Thank you, everyone…Now, let us be off—!"
"Wh-What's this?! Everyone! We must hurry to Miss Asahina at once!"
The startled voice of Hifumi drew everyone's attention, watching as he pointed to the large monitor that displayed all of the swimmer's times. Following his indication, they all took a moment to glance at the screen before their eyes collectively widened. The only one among them that managed to keep their surprise in check, mostly because she couldn't help but grin to herself, was Celeste.
"Well, it seems I may not have lost that bet after all…"
Limping back toward the locker rooms, Hina couldn't help but feel completely humiliated for her pathetic display. She refused proper medical attention, insisting it was only a cramp and just needed to be worked out. However, it was mostly a cover…just to allow herself to be excused from the arena and away from the prying eyes of the spectators. Her teammates had been kind and offered to help escort her back to the locker room but she couldn't bring herself to let them…she had been the one to let them down, after all.
Making her way back all on her own, unbearable shame consumed her very soul.
Not only did she fail to secure the first place for her team, she had injured herself and collapsed after only her first event! Her coach scolded her for being so reckless and insisted that she head back and rest up in preparation for the singles relay she was supposed to compete in later that day. However, Hina was less than motivated to compete now. She could feel so many eyes on her, judging her for her failure.
…And they had every right to. After all, if she hadn't of panicked and pushed herself so hard, she might have been able to make up the time without injuring herself! This was the most embarrassing moment of her life!
And to make matters worse, the paparazzi swarmed her the instant they saw her:
"…"
"Miss Asahina! Miss Asahina! What went through your mind as you competed?!"
"…ugh…"
"Miss Asahina! Miss Asahina! What was it like being the youngest swimmer for the Japan Team?!"
"…hrrrr…!"
"Miss Asahina! Miss Asahina! Will you still be competing in this afternoon's 100-meter single relay?!"
"…gahrrrrr…!"
"Miss Asahina! Miss Asahina! Tell us, how do you feel right now?!"
"…Rrrrahhhh!"
As that last question reached her ears, Aoi Asahina's rage broke through and she whirled around and screamed at the poor reporter, "Just how do you think I feel?! HUH?!"
Her ferocious voice echoed down the hall as all of the reporters reared back in fear, giving Hina just enough time to limp her way over to the locker room door and push her way inside. She couldn't care less how arrogant or unruly she must have seemed to them. Right now, all she wanted to do was curl up into a tiny ball and weep until her tears ceased to flow.
Taking a seat on one of the benches, water still dripping off her tight swimsuit, Hina lowered her head and began to sob. Sniffling and fighting to take a full breath, she barely noticed the door to the locker room being pushed open.
"Hina!"
Gasping, the swimmer's eyes widened as she slowly looked up to see Sakura—no, all of her classmates, standing in front of her. However, taking in their concerned visages only tormented the anguished Hina even more, causing her to drop her head down to keep from looking at them. Choking back her sobs, she couldn't bring herself to ask why they were there…she already knew, they must be so ashamed of her—
"Who's the jackass that made you cry?!" Mondo slammed his fists together menacingly while cracking his neck. "Was it one of those dudes with the cameras?! You just point him out! In fact, I'll beat the living shit outta all of them for ya, if ya want!"
"No Bro! Violence is never the answer!" Taka insisted before pulling out a notepad. "Instead, let us file a report and have whomever is guilty be brought to justice!"
"No one did anything to her!" Chihiro tried to reason with them, grabbing onto each of their arms to try and deter them. "She just got hurt while swimming or something!"
"…Oh, seriously? Then why is she in here bawling her eyes out?" Mondo couldn't stop himself from asking, clearly not understanding their reason for visiting their classmate.
As the concern and mild confusion spun around the room, Hina audibly sobbed, drawing everyone's attention back to her. With her head still angled toward the floor, she took in a shaky breath and tried to clear her throat.
"I'm…I'm so sorry everyone!" she shouted at them, keeping her eyes downcast to avoid their gazes. "I…I…I failed! I failed all of you! I failed…Japan! I couldn't…I couldn't make up…those six seconds!"
Her heartfelt and painful words struck every one of her classmates, making all of them gasp in shock. And although Junko seemed to be enjoying the despair of Hina's 'failure', the rest of the class felt compelled to do all they could to ease her suffering.
Suddenly, a large figure took a seat next to her and draped a muscular arm over her shoulder.
"Hina…you have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. You performed admirably…" Sakura's soft but deep tone resonated in her ears. Pulling the smaller girl into a hug, the martial artist held onto her tightly as she continued to sob. "And you haven't failed anyone…"
Snapping her head up, Hina felt a bit betrayed as she shouted, "But I did! I did fail everyone! We only took second! If I had just been a bit faster, then I could have—!"
"Honestly, how long do you plan on sulking?" Byakuya sharply commented, drawing various glares from his classmates. Hina, in particular, gritted her teeth at him, biting back a snarl. Paying them no mind, the Affluent Progeny scoffed and finished, "It's embarrassing to even be associated with you in your current state. A certain level of professionalism would be appreciated, considering you represent all of Japan in this competition."
Her temper flaring, Hina shrugged off Sakura's arm and shot up to her feet, ignoring the pain in her leg. "Embarrassing?! What the hell would you know about embarrassing?! You're part of the reason this happened!"
Raising an eyebrow at her, and stealing glances at the accusatory glares of his classmates, the Togami Heir adjusted his glasses as he calmly asked, "And how exactly is your embarrassment my fault?"
"You were the one who told me not to 'embarrass Japan by getting anything less than first place'!" Hina seethed, tears stinging her eyes as her own failures were revisited upon her. "If you had just kept your big mouth shut, I may not have been so freaked out and—".
"—Broke a world record?"
Hina eyes widened as those words invaded her ears, even if they were spoken by the arrogant tone of Byakuya. For a few moments, the Ultimate Swimming Pro just stood there, blinking rapidly as her brain tried to process the information she was just given. However, when she found herself unable to fully comprehend what she'd been told, she slowly opened her mouth, having trouble forming words.
"…W-What…?"
"I would gladly take credit for your breaking a world record," Byakuya smugly jeered before an almost kind smile overtook his lips. "However, just this once, I shall remain in the background and allow you the honor of victory."
Ignoring the Togami Heir's pointed comment for the moment, Hina looked around the room at the rest of her classmates. All of them shared the same expression of shock, seeming even more surprised than she was, but obviously for very different reason.
"You mean…you didn't know?" Makoto cautiously asked, trying to be sensitive.
"Well, she was injured and being attended to when they made the announcement. So it's very possible this is the first she's heard of her own accomplishment," Kyoko surmised, a tiny congratulatory smile on her lips.
"A-Accomplishment…?!" the shell-shocked Hina stammered, utterly confused.
"Yeah, it was totally awesome! You shot through the water like a freaking shark!" Leon insisted, miming swimming motions for emphasis.
"You overtook all but the lead swimmer in only a few seconds," Sayaka chimed in, a bright smile on her face. "If the USA team swimmer hadn't of had such a big lead, you would have overtaken them in the last few seconds!"
"It was close indeed," Celeste concurred, chuckling sweetly. "And thanks to that, I was able to pull in a larger profit than I had imagined. Even though I did lose a miniscule amount due to your team not…performing as well as yourself…I still made a larger sum by taking a personal bet on who would have the fastest time. Naturally, you did not let me down…"
"I wouldn't be surprised if they made a manga dedicated to your amazing true story! In fact, I may be tempted to pen it myself!" Hifumi pronounced, placing his hands on his hips and shouting dramatically before abruptly sulking. "Although…sports manga tend to be hit or miss…"
"Great work…" Mukuro calmly told her, not having much more to add.
"…There's too much hope in here," Junko complained, leaning against the wall and huffing in boredom. "I liked it better when you thought you hadn't done something that no one else has ever been able to accomplish…"
"Wait, wait, wait, wait!" Hina abruptly shouted, feeling overwhelmed by all the praise. "Y-You mean…even though I failed…I still…"
"How long do you plan to keep your own pity party going?" Byakuya cruelly cut her off, making her narrow her eyes at him. As if empowered by her seething glare, the Togami Heir smirked as he said, "Or are you not content with the fame and glory such an honor bestows?"
Flabbergasted by his backhanded compliment, Hina stuttered, "B-But…but…you were the one who told me not to—!"
"I told you not to embarrass Japan by being anything less than the best competitor in the competition," he recounted from his own recollection, choosing his wording purposefully. "In that sense, breaking a world record is expected of you…and you performed your duty admirably."
Before Hina had a chance to react, the voice of a certain writing prodigy called out.
"H-Hey! M-M-Master praised your a-actions! You s-should be grateful and offer h-him your thanks…idiot record breaker!" Toko suddenly shouted from behind Byakuya before lowering her gaze and slightly seething. "A-After all…not a-all of us are f-fortunate enough to get p-praise from Master…"
Startled by Byakuya's outright praise and Toko's partially kind sentiment, Hina stood there completely stunned…until the pain in her leg returned and she fell back toward the bench. Fortunately, the powerful arms of Sakura wrapped around her and helped her back down. Slowly turning her head to look at her best friend, Hina felt tears sting her eyes once more, but for very different reasons this time.
Noticing this, Sakura wiped away her tears and gave her a gentle smile and said, "As I said…you performed admirably, Hina…"
Holding in her joyful tears, the Ultimate Swimming Pro finally let a bright and warm smile decorate her face as she said, "…Thank you…everyone!"
Without being told, everyone quickly moved in until a massive group hug was formed. And even though Byakuya tried to escape, only to be held firmly in place by the likes of Toko and Makoto, it was obvious to Hina that even though she hadn't won a gold…she'd gotten something far more precious to hold in her heart.
…Unfortunately, no one seemed to notice that one of their classmates was missing.
"I'm telling you! I'm a part of the Togami group! I swear!"
Hiro shouted as security surrounded him, with attendants belonging to the Togami Corporation shrugging when asked if they knew him. And since Byakuya was not there to vouch for him, the Ultimate Clairvoyant found himself being roughly escorted out of the main arena.
"You gotta be kidding me! What did I do to deserve this?!"
And since Byakuya was not there to vouch for him, the Ultimate Clairvoyant found himself being roughly escorted out of the main arena.
In the end…Yasuhiro Hagakure was left outside…because no one likes him…
Throughout the course of the Summer Olympics, Aoi Asahina won a total of seven gold medals. And although she only received a single silver medal, for that first relay, to her, it shined brighter than any of the golden ones she earned from the rest of the competition.
To this day, it hangs from her bedpost, a reminder of her accomplishments.
The End!
Greetings, my beautiful readers! This is a nice little one-shot I had while watching the Olympics. Plus, at the beginning of DR 1, Makoto mentioned that Hina had been scouted for the Olympics. So, I figured that I'd make that dream of hers come true. Hina is definitely one of my favorite characters and the idea of her winning the gold made me smile!
[Shameless plugs ahoy!]
For anyone who is a 'Never Say Never' reader, the update will be next week.
For anyone who is not a 'Never Say Never' reader, of course I hope that you check that out. It is an alternate retelling of the first killing game but without any of the character's dying. Mukuro is heavily focused upon in that story but it also gives insight in all of the characters. It's a very different kind of story than this one-shot but give it a look if you liked this story!
As always, leave me a review/comment to let me know if you enjoyed the story and keep on smiling my beautiful readers.