Thanks to all who are reading this! Neither Kuma, nor I, have posted in months. School has taken over our lives. We're still writing, just it's going to take a while for us to post sometimes. But it will never be this long ever again.

So enjoy Chapter 7!

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Chapter 7: Music Isn't good for Non-Swimmers

Both girls searched for Seishun Gakuen's tennis team, but their members had dispersed among the camp, and eventually the two gave up.

"Hey, I'm going to check out the tennis courts. You want to come?" Kuma asked her best friend.

"Um…actually, I'm going back to the cabin. I forgot my sunglasses. Then I'm going to look around. I'll catch up to you later," Mochi lied convincingly.

"Ugh! You never go anywhere without sunglasses! Fine…I guess I'll see you later," Kuma sighed.

"Awesome! Bye!" Mochi waved as she jogged off to where the housing units were.

I hate lying to you, Mochi thought, But even you can't find out.

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Mochi reached the cabin after about five minutes. Slowly creaking open the door, she peered inside. The only person there was Jirou, who was as usual, sleeping. Good, Mochi thought, There's no one here. Except Jirou, but he doesn't make a difference. She pulled a piece of paper out of her jeans pocket and unfolded it. After examining it carefully, she picked a spot and folded the map back up. Tezuka Mochi reached under the bunk she and Kuma were sharing and pulled out one of the bags she had brought. This one measured about two and a half feet in length by about one and a quarter in width. It was hard, and covered in black cloth with a zipper running down the middle. Mochi grabbed its handle and snuck out of the cabin.

Checking her watch, she walked on the cement path that led into the forest. After a couple minutes of travel, the cement path ended and came to a dirt fork in the road. She took the right one, and found herself at a sparkling lake. The sun was out, and its rays were causing the water to glimmer in kaleidoscope-like patterns. The dirt path led straight up to a wooden boat dock, long since used. On either side of the dock, two large oak trees stood. Mochi took her package and sat down at the base of one of the trees, finding a comfortable notch in its roots.

She laid the black case across her lap and unzipped it. Opening the lid, she smiled at what nestled inside. Lying on its back was a handcrafted mahogany violin. Mochi delicately picked the instrument up and laid it on her shoulder while taking care to remove the Brazil wood bow from its holder.

Holding the bow in her right hand, the youngest Tezuka dragged the horsehair across the metal strings of the violin, smiling slightly at the way the notes lingered in the empty air. The fact that there was no other human life nearby to disturb the atmosphere at the body of water pleased her. Moving the case off her lap, she set the instrument and bow in their places, then rummaged through a pocket in the case. Pulling out a stack of books and papers, Mochi leafed through them until she found the exact piece she was looking for. Propping the piece of music up against the case, the teenage girl once again picked up her violin and started to play something that had been written hundreds of years ago.

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"It's this way, Ryou-kun!" Kuma shouted, tugging on the arm of one of Hyotei's tennis players.

Shishido Ryou sighed. He had come across the Seigaku student while taking a look at the courts and had offered to take a look around campus with her. Now he was wandering through a forest with no clue as to where he was going, all thanks to this girl.

Echizen Kuma.

She claimed she heard music as they were walking, and now the young man was being dragged on a wile goose chase to find the source of the "music."

"I hear it again!" Kuma exclaimed, and Shishido froze in his tracks as he realized that he was hearing a sound. It was faint at first, but steadily built and grew as the notes moved through the octaves. Then suddenly, the volume dropped, as if someone had pressed the mute button on a remote, except the melody was there-- just faintly, barely making its way to Kuma and Ryou. Kuma bolted toward the source of the noise, Shishido not far behind her.

Mochi heard her best friend's shouts as she approached. She hid on the far side of the tree, her back to the path and the dock. Oddly enough, there was a second set of footsteps, along with another voice, a guy's. The Tezuka didn't dare sneak a glance around the other side of the tree. She didn't need to be seen and heard.

The sound of wood creaking reached Mochi's ears as she assumed Kuma stepped onto the dock. She froze. The dock looked old when Mochi had first seen it, and now her teammate was trying to walk on it?!

"Hey, um…Kuma-chan? That doesn't look safe," a guy's voice call out.

This was ignored, for Mochi heard Kuma's shout of, "I don't see anyone! Hmph, they must be hiding!"

Some more squealing noises followed as either the person accompanying Kuma got on the dock, or Kuma was getting off. A sickening crack and a scream ran through the air.

Mochi ran around the tree in time to see wood pillars splintering, shrapnel flying in all directions, and Kuma falling, falling, falling downward. For the second year, it was like watching an explosion on Mythbusters, in slow motion, so the viewers can see every little detail of the destruction. Except this was happening right in front of her, and she was running towards it. She dove into the water, but out of her peripheral vision something bright blue streaked by.

After Mochi hit the water, time went back to being normal. She came up for air and looked around for the person that had jumped in with her. She began to tread water as she realized she couldn't touch the bottom.

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Kuma felt herself sinking towards the bottom. She was fighting the water; which was the worst thing she could do. The eldest Echizen didn't know how long she could hold her breath. She saw her life flash before her eyes. God help me, she prayed.

Kuma suddenly felt hands around her waist. By then she couldn't hold her breath any longer and water rushed inside her lungs.

Kuma, you baka, don't die on me now! Ryou thought, pulling Kuma to the surface.

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Mochi watched as the Hyotei student dragged her best friend out of the water and onto the shore. She saw back to where she could touch, then ran out of the water to where Kuma lay, unconscious.

When the you Tezuka arrived, the rescuer was pumping her chest, trying to force Kuma to cough up the water she had inhaled. Mochi recognized the blue baseball cap immediately. Ryou? she thought curiously. He was the guy with Kuma?

Ryou let out an exasperated groan, "Ugh! Stupid girl! I'm going to have to do CPR now!" Then he turned to Mochi, "You don't mind if I do…do you?"

"Not at all. Anything to save her."

Ryou looked back at Kuma. "Good. 'Cause I was going to do it anyway." He tilted her chin up and back, and then parted her mouth. Pinching Kuma's nose shut with his right hand, Shishido leaned over, took and deep breath, and placed his mouth to hers.

Mochi listened to the transfer of air as Shishido pushed the breath he had just taken into Kuma. After all the air was gone, Ryou peeled his mouth away and pushed on Kuma's chest three times. He counted to five, then pumped her chest three more times. When there was no response, Ryou again tried to breath air into Kuma. Again, he pumped her chest, and on the second push, he felt Kuma shudder. He pushed one more time, and she began to cough violently.

Acting quickly, Shishido flipped Kuma onto her stomach, and supported her with his right arm. Using his left, he slapped Kuma on the back several times to help her clear out the rest of the water she had swallowed.

Thank god she's alive, Mochi sighed internally with relief. But is Ryou going to tell Kuma he basically lip-locked with her? She shrugged, Oh well. I guess it doesn't matter. As long as Kuma's alive, it's all good.

"Kuma you baka! You scared me to freaking death!" Mochi shouted at her best friend, restraining herself from doing any further damage to her.

Kuma clung to Ryou's Hyotei jacket for dear life, coughing profusely. "Sorry," she wheezed out.

Mochi sighed, "It's okay. Let's get you back to the cabin. Ryuzaki-sensei hopefully placed the uniforms inside."

Ryou helped Kuma off the shore so she could stand. "You want a piggyback ride?" he asked, crouching down a little. Kuma nodded and climbed onto the Dash Specialist's back.

Mochi glanced over to where she left her violin. It should be safe there; I'll come back after dinner and get it while everyone's sleeping, Mochi decided.

"Arigatou, Ryou-kun," Kuma said, her voice just above a whisper. All the water; dirty water I might add, had made Kuma's voice sound scratchy.

"No problem, you thought I would let you drown?" Ryou replied.

"I guess not," Kuma giggled, "But Mochi would!"

Mochi glared at her friend playfully, "Hey, I tried to save you!"

"Haha yeah, by the way, why were you out here? I thought you went to the gabing to get your sunglasses," Kuma said.

"I heard music playing and came to check it out," Mochi lied.

"Yeah! Ryou and I heard the music too!" Kuma exclaimed, well tried to.

"Next time we hear random music playing we are not going to go follow the source of it," Ryou declared.

"Agreed," Kuma muttered.