Chapter Ten:
"C'mon, you gotta do better if you wanna win!" Sasabe shouted from the side of the pool.
After Saturday evening's festivities, we returned to school that week to hear that Rin would be swimming against the boys at the regional tournament. Out of desperation, they contacted their former coach for help in their training. And only a day had passed that they began to regret doing so. The only person far from fretting was Samantha. She was more than determined to have our team participate with the boys', as she had convinced Coach Sasabe to take us on as well. While I had no qualms about training twice as much, Ella, unsurprisingly, wasn't as assured.
"Look! The girls are out-lapping you! And they haven't even been swimming as long!" he harped.
"If I hear this old man say one more thing about us-"
Samantha stopped beside us at the pool wall. "Ella-chan, don't go swervin' down that path."
"Sammy! I can't take this anymore!" Ella moaned.
"Ella-chan, I don't believe he is saying these things derogatorily," I said.
"It doesn't matter. It feels weird for him to keep pointing out that we're still new at this."
"But shouldn't we be proud of that?" Kasumi added, swimming up to the ladder of the pool. "We've come a long way."
"...I can't stay mad at that cute face!" Ella said, reaching out to squeeze Kasumi's cheek.
"Wait-stop! Sam-"
"It is kinda cute, isn't it?" Samantha laughed.
Kasumi turned to me for help. I opened my mouth to speak, but then Riichi suddenly cried out in delight.
"Can you make tapes on all of them for me?" our manager asked.
"For the love of all humanity, don't you dare give that pervert anything!" Ella and Samantha demanded, falling over themselves to climb out of the pool.
I looked to Kasumi for some explanation. She paled as Riichi said, "Sasabe-san brought his best recording cameras-better than mine, no less-So why can't he make video copies of you girls swimming?"
Ella moved toward him, and I scrambled onto the pool's ladder. I caught her fist in time to save Riichi. But instead of silence, he continued, "It's perfectly fine. It's my job to make sure you girls are-"
"It's your job to shut your mouth!" Ella snapped.
"Sasabe-san," said Samantha. "Please run before you're too deep in this conversation."
"Uh...sure. Boys! Let's see some hustle!"
Samantha pulled Riichi aside for another "talk." As I quieted Ella, I saw Sasabe stand next to the boys' group. Beside him, Rei watched Nanase swim to the other end of the pool. Nanase looked to be improving on his freestyle form, yet Rei seemed disappointed. I had overheard him in the past talk about the way Nanase's form was a thing of beauty. And it was, for what felt like a lifetime ago. Even then I could appreciate his natural grace, but all of us needed change. The regional tournament would be even more difficult than the district's, and we had barely passed that. There was always something to improve upon.
Kasumi dove in after Nanase returned to his team. Sasabe called out to her, cheering and pointing out her faults. He spared no feelings for us girls, of course. My friend, however, took his words in stride, focusing on the water and her goal. I was elated to see her improve. Her form was also something to admire. Our free-stylists were both idols of beauty, as far as I saw it.
After the day's practice, and changing into our regular clothes, Ella leaned close to ask me, "Hey, Michi-chan?"
"Yes?" I answered, closing my locker door.
"Did you get permission to go out tomorrow?"
"Yes. Why do you ask?"
" 'Cuz we changed houses. We're all goin' over to Sasabe's now."
"Really?"
"I know, right? I don't wanna go to his house. It'd be so awkward to come across a pile of dirty magazines in the sitting room-"
"That's just gross, Ella-chan," Samantha said with a tone meant to correct her.
"I know. Why can't we-?"
"The walls are thin on this side, girls," said a muffled voice from the other room. My cheeks could not have been any redder.
"Excuse us, Coach," said Samantha.
"Wow! I had no idea the walls were that thin!" laughed Hazuki.
Ella gaped at the wall with a red face.
"Aww! You guys discovered my favorite secret!" said Riichi. "These walls are also great for-"
I hadn't any clue as to how Ella could run so fast, but suddenly she disappeared from my side, and then a horrible shriek came from the other room.
"Ella! Don't kill him now! We need him for regionals!" called Samantha, running out the door.
Any color in my cheeks was blanched by the shrieking that continued next door. I looked to Kasumi, the only one still left in the room with me. She sat in a bare corner muttering to herself, "...can hear us through the wall. The boys can hear us through the wall. Haru-kun can hear me through the wall...".
The door to our room sprang open so suddenly that I gave a frightened scream.
"M'lady!" said both Noritaka and Hyousuke. "We heard your scream and came as fast as we could!"
"O-oh! Hyousuke-san! Noritaka-san!" I breathed in relief. "It's only you..."
Another shriek came from the other room.
"That wasn't our lady screaming?" asked Noritaka before the opposite door burst open.
"Michiko-chan? Did something happen?" Rei said in the doorway. My cheeks grew alight with shame for his use of my name in front of my butler and follower. They stepped beside me protectively, telling Rei," Why don't you go check up on your friend in the other room?"
Kasumi gasped aloud. "There-there're-I'm-not-decent!"
Rei immediately excused himself before Hyousuke and Noritaka did. Kasumi jumped to her feet as soon as they were gone and began to quickly fix her stockings up her legs.
"I'm very sorry about that," I said to her with an apologetic bow.
"It-It's not your fault. I was just-just...surprised. I didn't think that they would barge in like that. Or...Ryugazaki-kun, either..."
I nodded in understanding. Hyousuke and Noritaka acted on the moment, thinking that I was in danger. As my teammate, I didn't believe Rei would do the same.
And if I was the one indecent at the time...
"Are you feverish, Michiko-chan? You look flushed," said Kasumi.
"Er, no. I don't believe so..." Though the only illness I had was of my thoughts.
"Please be careful, then. We can't have you getting sick now. Your health is essential to your swimming!"
I smiled, nodding. With such a firm, caring heart, Kasumi was bound to succeed at the tournament. And while I would worry about her and her rival meeting in due time, I was hopeful of her to make the right decision, whatever she may choose to do.
The next day, Hyousuke drove the girls' team and me to Sasabe's house. The boys' team met us at the front door in time to be invited in by Sasabe himself.
The house itself was small inside, sparsely colored and slightly thinner of space than Ella's. Sasabe led us through a tiny, modern-like hallway toward a sliding door at the left end. Past it was a sitting room meant for two, forced to be shifted for the dozen of us. We girls sat on the outdoor porch that overlooked mild bushes in the backyard as the boys filled the main room.
"Why does it have to be so hot in here?" whined Hazuki.
"Because medical science says it's necessary for you," Sasabe repeated from his earlier statement.
"But the girls have the better seats!"
Samantha gave a scoffing laugh. "No, we don't."
The four of us girls fanned ourselves as the heat from our bowls and sitting room overwhelmed us. The temperature from outside, even the breeze, did nothing to help our perspiration. Ella leaned against me with her hot pot against mine, groaning.
"I'm gonna pass out or something if I have to eat any more of this crap," she moaned.
"Then I can help you with that!"
Hazuki swooped in from behind us and plucked a piece of lobster from her bowl.
"No! That's the best part! Give it back!" Ella demanded, moving to retrieve her food. As they fought for it, their bowls clashed together. And splashed over my head.
My gasp turned into an outcry, and from the bushes, something sprang.
"How dare you attack Michiko-sama!" Noritaka said. "You lookin' to fight, punks?"
"Michiko-chan, are you okay?" Rei asked as he knelt at my side.
"I-I'm fine, really..."
Samantha rose from her seat at the same time Makoto did so, calling out to Hazuki and Ella. The team captains took the two aside. Noritaka rushed to my side as Rei offered me his handkerchief.
"Your dirty rag isn't suitable to be in her presence, let alone clean her head!" said Noritaka. "Step aside, commoner."
" 'Commoner'?" said Rei.
"It's alright, Noritaka-s-"
"Hey, what are you doing on my lawn?!" said Sasabe.
From all of the chaos, Ms. Ama screamed. And suddenly, Hyousuke jumped out from the other bush, exclaiming," Noritaka! Our lady is still in trouble, and you've done nothing to help her!"
"It's not our lady this time, you deaf slave!"
"I'm not a slave! I'm a butler, you puffed-petty thief!"
"I'm not a thief! I'm a ya-"
"Stop it!" I demanded. "You're disrupting the neighbors!"
Everyone drew quiet at the sound of my voice. Even Rei froze by my side.
"Forgive me," said Hyousuke and Noritaka.
"E-Excuse me..."
By Sasabe's instructions, I walked out of the room and down the hall. There was a small sliding door that closed off the toilet and sink. Sitting on the closed lid, I put my face in my hands to hide my ashamed tears.
How did all of that happen? I asked myself. How did I suddenly snap like that?!
A knock came from the door.
"Ryuko-san," Ms. Ama said. "Are you alright?"
"Y-Yes, thank you."
"That's good. We're almost ready to put aside the hot pot for some watermelon. Take your time, if you'd like. We'll all be outside. "
I waited until her footsteps could no longer be heard before getting up. In the mirror's reflection, soup stains had frozen in my hairline and speckled my glasses. Using the tap water, I scrubbed as much of the smell of seafood and vegetables out of my hair and tied it in an up knot with a spare tie from my purse.
Before the door, I stopped. I wasn't sure how well I'd be received. My raising my voice...wasn't something ordinary. I'd been taught that a respectable woman should never do so. "A lady of honor can silence a room without ever saying a word," as Grandmother once said.
Does that mean that my friends will feel uncomfortable around me? Will the boys?...And Rei?
Another knock came at the door.
"Michiko-chan?" came a soft voice.
I opened the door to find Kasumi standing there.
"Er, hello, Kasumi-chan," I said.
"Hi...umm, are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm better, thank you."
"That's a relief. I got scared when the hotpot...well, I guess everything else after..."
My cheeks burned with my shame. "Yes, I suppose that incident was a bit surprising."
"Well, a nice surprise, I guess. I mean, nobody expected Hyousuke-san and Noritaka-san to be in the bushes...but..."
"I-I am so sorry!"
I bowed low in apology to my teammate. She immediately piped in surprise," You don't have to go that far!"
"Michiko-chan," she continued as I righted myself," please don't be hard on yourself because of what happened. Ella-chan and Nagisa-kun weren't careful around you. There's no reason to be embarrassed because they ruined your pretty clothes."
"Excuse me?"
"Huh? You weren't upset about your clothes?"
"N-no..."
Kasumi's cheeks flushed before she bowed in apology. "I'm so sorry. I misunderstood you!"
"Oh, Kasumi-chan, please don't apologize!"
She rose with confusion twisting her brow. I moved to bow in apology, but the two of us looked at each other and began to smile in amusement.
"This seems a bit silly, no?" I said.
"Yeah, I guess so. Michiko-chan?"
"Yes?"
"What...were you ashamed of?"
"Oh, err...now that I think about it, the reason is too foolish to say aloud."
Kasumi smiled again. "Okay. Well, did you want to go eat some watermelon?"
"Yes, please."
The two of us walked back to the sitting room where the hotpot was no longer churning heat. Instead, watermelon slices sat on the porch beside half the club sitting down, the other half up and lighting firecrackers.
"My lady, please be careful while they are handling these fire hazards," said Hyousuke.
"Oh, that's alright. I'll be off to the side, Hyousuke-san."
He nodded, but then appended, "Lady Ryuko, I must apologize for my earlier behavior."
"No, I must apologize," said Noritaka. "I have failed Michiko-sama as her father's best kobun."
"You two are gonna make me look bad if you don't stop," added Ella as she approached me. "Michi-chan, I'm so sorry for being a total jerk."
"Me, too," said Hazuki. "I'm sorry, Michi-chan."
I smiled. "Thank you, everyone. And my actions were uncalled for, as well. I hope we can overlook this minor detail."
"No problem," Ella said. She grabbed me by the arm and pulled into the backyard. "Let's go play with some 'fire hazards' while the night is young."
I was relieved that my friend accepted my apology, and my other teammates, as well. The fear of embarrassing myself in front of my friends was all too ridiculous to think of at the moment. Once again, I was amazed by how my friends could overlook something as shocking as I what I had been taught to avoid. And I would positively constrain myself from repeating that action, but nonetheless, it made our friendship even more gratifying to me than before.
Out of the blue, Ella placed a stick of sparklers in my hand for Samantha to light. I jumped at the tiny crackles it gave before coming to life. Ella laughed as she bounced around me, drawing hearts and names in mid-air in front of us. Hazuki chased her with his sparkling stick, using it to mock a sword battle with her. Our team captains moved to stop them from hurting themselves, with I close behind.
But before doing so, Ella and Hazuki ran toward me; holding out the sparklers in their hands. I tried to duck out of the way in time. My other elbow struck something behind me, startling someone. They shielded me from the havoc as it passed, and as Samantha and Makoto caught the mischief makers.
"Are you alright, Michiko-chan?" Rei asked.
I looked at his arm still outstretched before me, and then to him. Words evaded me. Even while Rei took back his arm, I could still sense the warmth he gave. But the shocking event was brief.
"The Lady's sparkler is lighting the grass on fire!" Noritaka exclaimed before stomping its light out.
Rei and I stepped away from him when Rei's shoe snagged on the grass. He fell back, and I could only grasp his shirt in an attempt to help him. The two of us went colliding to the ground, my arm bursting with pain on impact.
At first, I grimaced at the discomfort. But seeing Rei sit up and speak to me brought a small fit of laughter to me.
"What...are you laughing at, Michiko-chan?" Rei asked. "Is-is there something on me?"
"No," I said. "It's-this entire thing. A few measly sparklers have us jumping about and tumbling over!"
While looking to Hyousuke and Noritaka who stared daggers at Rei, I added, "Though...it might not be as amusing, now that I think about it."
Rei paused and then gave a chuckle. The two of us rose from the ground, tittering between the other, and dusted ourselves off. Hyousuke and Noritaka confiscated the rest of our fireworks shortly after, and the for the time being the rest of us sat down to bide our time glimpsing at Sasabe's yearbooks.
I glanced at Rei ever so often, noticing how he tensed at the mention of Rin's name. The moment between us faded off elsewhere, to my dismay, and in its place sat the curious jealousy of the Samezuka swimmer from the town festival. I had hoped that Rei would have moved on from the bitter, toxic feelings, but for the rest of the evening, until we said our goodbyes, I sensed the storm of emotion clouding Rei's actions.
A good night's rest should have proven to dissuade him from acting out, to clear his thoughts. But the next day, I strolled to the next building where our luncheon gatherings were held up top. Rei peeked around the concealment of the sakura tree by the entrance gates and fell back. I snuck behind him, wary not to give away his position, and asked, "Is everything alright, Rei-kun?"
Rei stifled a surprised gasp, turning to me. "Oh-oh! Michiko-chan. Er, hello..."
He glanced at the others passing by with a worried expression. For a moment I believed that Rei was in trouble, and moved closer to ask him, "Is someone looking for you, Rei-kun?"
"N-no. I'm...not in that kind of trouble. I need to leave school early today to see-er, I mean,...I've been feeling a bit ill."
"Oh?...Would you like to borrow my notes tomorrow, then?"
"That...would be great. Thank you."
I smiled at him. "Take care, Rei-kun."
He nodded, albeit perplexed. As he left, Hyousuke approached me.
"Is everything alright, M'lady?"
"Yes..."
Rei, I thought. Why? Why are you going to see Rin?
I looked at my butler. "Hyousuke-san?"
"Yes, M'lady?"
"Can you drive me to Samezuka Academy?"
"You want to leave school early?"
"Yes...I want to follow my friend."