Author's Notes: Just a bit of silliness written for the saiun_challenge LJ community's May Birthday Challenge, based on the prompt, "Oops." This is set right after Shuurei leaves the party in the archives during the final episode of season one.
…
As Advisor Sou looked in puzzlement at the fan that had flown at his head from the archives' shadows, Shuuei excused himself and hurried outside to rescue Hakumei and Kouyuu from their involuntary mid-winter swim.
Hakumei coughed as he was pulled from the water but looked far more concerned about his idol, who was flailing a small distance from the water's edge. "Please help Kouyuu-sama! He's going further into the pond!" A snowflake landed on his nose and he shivered as the night air made his wet clothes even colder.
"Don't worry. I'm used to saving Kouyuu from his lack of direction." Shuuei chuckled. "You should go back inside."
After one more worried glance, Hakumei returned to the archives.
Shuuei called to his friend whose agitated movements were causing the koi to flee to calmer waters. "Kouyuu, you're going the wrong way." He continued teasingly, "No sense of direction, as usual. You even get lost in a little pond like this."
"I am not lost!" Kouyuu angrily turned around and sloshed through the chest-high water. "It's not my fault Advisor Sou threw me out a window without warning!" He took the hand Shuuei offered, slightly tempted to pull his annoying friend into the chilly waters.
Suddenly, Ryuuren climbed out one of the archives' windows, brandishing his flute. "Foolish elder brother number four and foolish elder brother number four's friend are frightening all the fish. I will play a melody I have just composed to calm them!"
The two horrified shouts of "No!" went unheeded.
With a running start and a great leap, Ryuuren landed precisely on a rock in the middle of the pond and proceeded to play a tune that was not calming at all.
"Ryuuren don't—!" Distracted, Shuuei lost his balance and tumbled into the pond with a large splash, knocking Kouyuu over.
An unhappy Kouyuu resurfaced with a sputter and grabbed Shuuei's robes. "Can't you do something about that crazy brother of yours?"
The older Ran pushed drenched hair away from his eyes with a frustrated sigh. "You know how Ryuuren is." He retrieved his hat which was bobbing near a carp swimming in disoriented circles. The billowy sleeves of his soaked court robes somewhat resembled fins and he felt a bit like one of the unlucky fish in the pond.
Sensing Kouyuu's shivers, he detached himself from his friend's grip and changed the subject. "Let's get back inside and out of these wet clothes before you catch a cold." Shuuei climbed back onto the shore and helped Kouyuu out of the pond.
They wrung out their dripping robes and retreated to the archives, leaving Ryuuren to his music.
Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, Shouka was waiting for them with a pile of blankets and a freshly brewed pot of his tea.