Chapter 6: Sealing the Deal
Just like what Natsuya messaged to the five of them, they came to the pool in the beginning of the golden week. And like always, Haru, Makoto, and Tomoya walked side by side and following their usual route to reached the school.
"Everyone, line up!" Natsuya called out towards his club's members.
"Yes!"
They wasted no time to gather in front of their captain and backing the pool–clad in Iwatobi Swimming Club jacket covering their swimsuits and goggles hanging around their neck.
"Today, we've got some new club members." Natsuya announced as he looked at his club members. "I'm sure the second and third years already know, but there's a practice tournament with Sano Middle School coming up. And then after that, there's a real tournament. The first years will also be participating, so don't slack off!"
"Yes!"
"Now then, these are the new first years." The older boy continued as he looked at Asahi, Ikuya, Makoto, Tomoya, and Haruka who stood at his right side. "Now, go ahead and introduce yourselves."
Asahi was the first one to stepped forwards. He titled his chin high and blush could be seen blooming on his cheeks, he looked stiff as he introduced himself. "Shiina Asahi! I'm a first year!"
"Hey! We already knew you're a first year." Natsuya teased the poor boy, making his blush deepened while the other club members laughed.
"Ah! Umm… I moved here this spring. I went to a SC where I used to live, and I'm good at butterfly. I plan to become even faster! Nice to meet you!" Asahi finished and bowed as the members clapped, appreciating his introduction.
It was supposed to be Ikuya's turn to introduce himself but the said boy didn't say a word. Natsuya, who noticed this, whispered to the boy.
"Ikuya, introduce yourself."
He frowned. "I'm Kirishima Ikuya. I swim breaststroke." He said curtly. The members looked at each other in confusion before clapping at Ikuya's introduction.
"I'm Tachibana Makoto. I swam backstroke at Iwatobi SC. Nice to meet you!" Makoto said and ended it up with bowing. Beside him, Tomoya fiddled with her swimming cap–cheeks painted in pink color. It's not her fault that she's never been good at introducing herself to many people.
"Tomo-chan, it's you turn." Makoto whispered right beside her ear.
"Y- yes!" she squeaked which made the other club members laughed, including Natsuya. Tomoya could feel warmth consumed her face and she wished the ground could just swallow her whole.
Tomoya inhaled and straightened herself. "I-I'm Otohaku Tomoya. I swim butterfly stroke and freestyle in Iwatobi SC! A-And um…"
"Do you ever compete in events?" Natsuya chipped, trying to help the poor girl. He smiled as he saw her stiff shoulders loosened.
"Y-yes! I got first place in 100m butterfly and third place in 100m freestyle in regionals." She said which got several awes from the others, which sending another blush to conquer her face. "T-That's all! Please take care of me!"
She bowed deeply as the other members clapped.
"I'm Nanase Haruka. I only swim freestyle." Haru said. Tomoya immediately elbowed him.
"Polite speech…" Makoto said to him.
"Desu." He finally said as he received the same claps as the others.
"Hm? Your strokes are balanced well." Natsuya commented. "You'll be able to enter the medley relay for your year group and Tomoya will swim solo."
Tomoya had her face downcast as she tightened her grip on her swimming cap. It's always about relay again. What she didn't know that a certain upperclassman with light lavender hair looked at her from a far.
"I'll only participate in solo events (desu)." Haru said without hesitation. "And I'll only swim free."
"Huh?" all of them were surprised by Haru's outburst.
"Haruka…" Natsuya called, the tone he used already made the other members felt uncomfortable.
"Don't call me by my name." Haru muttered, protesting quietly about how Natsuya could call his name so casually.
"What are you mumbling about?" Natsuya asked as he walked towards Haru. Ikuya and Asahi looked at the boy in disbelief; either how straightforward he could be or how brave he was to say that without thinking of the consequences.
"More importantly, as your captain I can't accept that you're only entering solo events and only swimming freestyle!" Natsuya stood in front of Haru. "You refuse, no matter what?"
Haru nodded firmly, which made Natsuya's frown deepened. Uncomfortable reaction from the other club member should have been a signal for the boy to not challenge the captain, but Haruka gave none of it.
"Haruka," Natsuya lowered his head so he could look at Haruka straight in the eye–blue clashed with amber. "Don't be so full of yourself."
"Get in the pool right now." The older boy commanded, which caught Haru off guard. "Come on. Race me for 50m,"
The other members could only shake their head and sighed in defeat at their captain's decision. They began to cleared up the area, spreading to watch the match from different angle. Natsuya himself shrugged of his Iwatobi jacket, before moving to removed his sleeveless black shirt.
"In freestyle!" he declared as he threw his shirt.
Haru didn't say anything but immediately removed his PE shirt with a frown on his face. He shoved his shirt to Tomoya's hand who startled and positioned her hand so she could hold it in the right way, preventing it from falling. The black-haired boy walked towards the starting block while wearing his swimming cap and googles, accepting the captain's challenge.
"Umm, hold on!"
"Haru–"
That was what Makoto and Tomoya wanted to say, to negotiate about it, but an older boy with light lavender hair and a pair of lemon green eyes stopped them by holding a hand up.
"Our captain won't listen once he gets like that." He said almost apologetically. "Just give up."
"Eeeh!?" both Makoto and Tomoya shrieked as the two of the watched Natsuya and Haru warming up.
"Haruka, I'll have to put you to the test." Natsuya said as he stepped onto the starting block and wore his yellow lensed googles. "Try and beat me."
"Don't call me by my name." Haruka muttered while wearing his purple lensed googles and stepped on the starting block.
"There are more important problems here, Haru!" Makoto and Tomoya shrieked.
"Nao, you'll call it." Natsuya said looking at the boy with lavender hair whose name was Nao.
"Yeah, yeah. Get ready." Nao said as he held his whistle close to his mouth. Both Natsuya and Haru dipped their body down until their hands could hold the starting block.
"Ready." The two of them dipped their head down next, other members were watching them as spectators while Makoto and Tomoya were worried about the outcome and the two of them.
Then the whistle blew.
Natsuya and Haru immediately kick the starting block to jumped into the pool, slicing through the water with freestyle. Asahi, who looked from the right side of the pool gasped and Ikuya did the same as the two watched how Haru swim.
"That guy is fast!" a club member commented.
"He's neck-and-neck with the captain!"
Just in a matter of seconds the two reached the turn and kick the wall.
"They're entering the turn…"
"That first year is still keeping up with the captain!"
Asahi looked shock at the performance which made Tomoya glanced at him and narrowed her eyes, feeling uneasy with what came after the match.
"Oh! They're tied!"
Neither Nastuya nor Haru wanted to lower their speed. The two got closer to the starting block and smacked the wall at the same time. The crowd were amazed with the two. Natsuya removed his googles and swimming cap as he panted, Haru did the same–the race tire the both of them. Nao kneeled beside the starting block near Natsuya.
"You both finished at the same time." He said.
"I see. Damn it." Natsuya ruffled his tresses before turning to Haru and thrust out his hand, which earn a stare from the said boy.
"You really are fast. Fine, you can just swim free. But since we tied, you're going to have to enter the relay." Natsuya said. Haru thrust out his hand in hesitation but Natsuya immediately grab a hold of it. "And next time I'm going to win!"
Responding his declaration, Haru nodded firmly and the two tightened their grip on each other's hand in a rivalry way. Natsuya let go of Haru's hand and pushed himself out of the pool. Makoto and Tomoya walked towards Haru and thrust their hands out to pull him out.
"Haru." Makoto called and he and Tomoya pulled the boy out of the pool. Tomoya immediately put a towel around his neck.
"You had me worry right there." She commented looking at him in relief while her hands still lingered on the towel draped around Haru's neck. Haru hold her hand in his and gave it a squeeze in reassurance before letting it go. Tomoya, who feel grateful with the gesture, gave him a smile.
"Alright! Let's start practice!" Natsuya announced.
"Yes!"
Nao rested his gaze on Makoto and Tomoya's form as the two of them interacted with Haru. Asahi and Ikuya approached the three of them.
"You're fast." Ikuya commented.
"I'm normal." Haru replied.
"You're so good, Haru!" Asahi complemented, but it was clear that his tone and expression was a little off. "It really surprised me!"
Come on! First years over here!" Natsuya called the five of them, signaling them to approach the place he stood. Beside him stood Nao who wore a smile.
"This is Serizawa Nao, a third year." Natsuya introduced the male beside him. "Right now, he's primarily the manager. I'm putting him in charge of you first years. So, please let him teach you."
"Yes!"
"Nice to meet you." Nao said as he looked at them one after another. "Asahi, Ikuya, Makoto, Tomoya, Haruka."
The black-haired boy furrowed his eyebrows, definitely uncomfortable with how the upperclassman called him by his name casually.
"Calling me by my name again…"
"Do you really hate being called by your name that much?" Natsuya commented as he put his hands on his hips. "That's too bad, though! All members of the club are called by their names! It's not negotiable!"
The words made both Asahi and Ikuya surprised and then looked at each other annoyed.
"That's right, swimming has a lot of individual events, so people tend to only think about themselves. But, that's bad for a club. This helps deepen the bonds between our club members." Nao explained as the five of them looked at each other.
"Well, then, Nao. I'll the rest to you." Natsuya said as he walked away.
"Now, I've been put in charge of your training, but I guess I should show you around first." Nao said as he began his tour.
He showed the five of them equipment room–where there're kicking boards hanging on a rack tidily, chlorine bottles on the top of a shelve, ropes, cleaning equipment, and many things put inside the place. The next one was an outdoor shower and then they moved to boy's changing room, which made Tomoya had to wait outside while the boys were inside. The same treatment was applied to the boys, who had to wait outside while Nao explained the girl's changing room to Tomoya.
After the tour, five of them began their exercise of extending their arms and knees bend alternately with Nao watched them. Next, they did back-ups in pair using the mattress from the equipment room. While Makoto hold Haru's feet, Ikuya hold Asahi's feet, and Tomoya was assisted by Nao himself.
After that they had jumps exercise which resulting Asahi almost fell to the ground because he slipped. Fortunately, Makoto and Nao were quick enough to prevent him from hitting the ground. Haru and Ikuya only looked at him while Tomoya sighed in relief.
Finally, they moved to swimming. Nao instructed each of them as they entered the pool one by one. The older boy followed them as they swim their stroke from the other side of the pool. Time sure fly by and they reached the end of the club session.
"Alright, shall we make a straight 200m swim our last exercise for the day?" Nao suggested. "It's just a cool down, so you don't have to go at full speed. Next, use freestyle, okay? And Tomoya, you could use the lane next to this."
"Yes." Makoto said as he wore his googles and slicing through the water with freestyle. Tomoya did the same and swim away from the starting block.
"Alright, next!" Ikuya was next. When the boy swam quite far, it was Haru's turn after Nao gave him the signal.
"Alright, next!" and Haru started to swim away. Finally, it's Asahi's turn.
"Alright, next!"
"Okay!" Asahi said as he dipped into the water and slicing through. But once he lifted his arm to do freestyle, he seemed to slapped the water–not paddling it in a right way. The same goes to his feet, who couldn't move like freestyle was supposed to. He almost slapped Makoto who swam towards him. Nao, sensing there's something wrong, walked closer to look at the boy.
Asahi still tried but just flapping and slapping his hand to the water in a mess.
"Come on, Asahi. Don't play around." Nao scolded the boy.
Asahi laughed. "Sorry!" the he tried it again. The result was the same, he wasn't moving forwards.
Ikuya who saw this stopped on his tracks and stood in the pool. When Ikuya stopped, so did Haru who asked the boy in front of him.
"What is it?"
"Well…" Ikuya, who couldn't quite explain it to Haru, looked at Asahi. Haru followed the boy's gaze. Tomoya, who swam in the next lane, heard weird noises of slapping the water and approached the source–which was Asahi–and stopped not far away from him.
The red-head eventually gave up and stood in the pool, removing his googles and swimming cap and looking at the water with wide eyes and disbelief. Haru, Ikuya, Makoto, and Tomoya approached him.
"Asahi?" Makoto called.
"What? Are you playing around?" Ikuya asked.
"Are you not feeling well?" Tomoya asked in a worried tone.
"I…" he stuttered before looking at the sky and yelled out.
"I CAN'T SWIM FREE ANYMORE!"
"EH!?"
.
.
In the boy's changing room, Nao and Natsuya decided to confront Asahi about the problem. Currently, the said boy was sitting on the floor with a towel covering his head. He wore a somber expression.
"Hmm… You really just suddenly became unable to swim it?" Natsuya asked the younger boy.
Asahi nodded. "Yeah."
Natsuya and Nao looked at each with worry etched on their face. Suddenly, Ikuya asked.
"Isn't it that you just plain can't swim free?"
Asahi lifted his head and retorted. "No!" he stood up.
"I can swim it! But… But… today, when I tried to swim… I just couldn't. UGH!" the boy yelled out in frustration and leaned at one of the shelves while resting his head on it, backing his friends.
"But why so suddenly?" Makoto asked.
"Like I know!"
"Hmm, it's probably mental problem." Nao guessed.
"Mental?" Asahi questioned and a hand landed on his shoulder, which made him turned back and looked at Natsuya.
"It's okay." The older boy said. "If you were able to swim before, then it will instinctively come back to you soon enough."
Hearing words of support from Natsuya, Asahi's mood managed to climb back up. The boy managed to curled up a smile.
"Okay!" On the corner of his eye, Ikuya saw it and looked away. His past memory immediately flooded his mind.
Little Ikuya couldn't do his breaststroke in the right way; which made him stopped in the middle of the lane. He pouted, feeling frustrated at how he couldn't swim right. And suddenly a hand rested on his shoulder.
"Ikuya," it was his brother's – Natsuya's hand. "You're getting way better than you were before! It's okay! You'll figure it out soon enough. So, keep trying, Ikuya!"
It was his older brother's words of support, compliment, and his smile. It was the one who managed to made Ikuya forget about his inability swim that time. Natsuya believed in him and it was enough.
"Nii-chan…" he looked at him with wide eyes before smiling widely. "Okay!"
Ikuya frowned at the uninvited memory which sent his temper to spike up. He clutched his bag and pull it forcefully, sending a basket to toppled onto the floor. The sound managed to gain everyone's attention, who looked at the boy. Ikuya walked out from the changing room.
"Hey, Ikuya." Natsuya called and walked towards his younger brother. But the said boy ignored it and hurried his steps so he could out of the room fast. "Ikuya!"
The dark sea green-haired boy slammed the door and walked past Tomoya who startled at the sound. The turquoise eyed girl could only watch the boy's back as he walked away. She sighed as she leaned her back on the wall while looking at the sky. Tomoya furrowed her eyebrows and the sighed.
"It looks like I'm being left out like always." She mumbled to herself.
In the changing room, Natsuya stopped on his tracks and could only look at the door.
"What's with that guy?" Asahi questioned but immediately closed his mouth when he saw Natsuya's somber expression as he shrugged–signaling that he didn't want to talk about it. Makoto and Haru could only look without saying anything.
.
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The club was over and Makoto, Haru, and Tomoya walked home together. The three stood on the sidewalk as they waited for the light to turn green, indicating that they could walk across the road safely. The sky was turning orange and decorated with grey clouds, signaling that in a few hours, night will fall.
"I wonder if Asahi is okay?" Makoto wondered about the red-head's well-being.
"Don't know." Haru remarked.
"I wonder if Natsuya-senpai and Ikuya-kun don't get along…"
"Don't know."
"Haru, you're too uncaring."
The three walked across the road as the conversation continued. Tomoya, who stayed silent as the two talk, finally choose to ask.
"What's going on? Umm… besides Asahi's problem in swimming freestyle." She lifted her head to look at Makoto.
"Eh? You don't know, Tomo-chan?" the said girl sighed at Makoto's question.
"You talked about it with Natsuya-senpai and Nao-senpai in boy's changing room, right? Of course, I couldn't hear it. Girls aren't allowed to enter the boy's changing room."
"Ah! Sorry about that, Tomo-chan!"
.
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Once they arrived at Iwatobi SC, they immediately greeted by Nagisa after they finished changing into their swimsuit and walked to the pool area. The blonde boy waved at with green swimming cap in hand. His wet hair indicated that he's just finished a lane.
"Hello! Haru-chan, Mako-chan, Tomo-chan! You're late!" he jogged towards the three.
"Yeah. Haru, Tomo-chan, and I joined the school's swimming club." Makoto explained to the younger boy.
"Swimming club?" Nagisa questioned.
"Our school requires everyone to join a club."
"Hmm…"
Noticing Nagisa's plain expression, Makoto immediately added. "We're still going to come here as often as we can."
Those words managed to lit up a smile on Nagisa's face. "Yeah! You better!"
"Oh, that's right. The coach told me a little while ago, that in the next tournament, I'll be swimming in the 50m and 100m breaststroke races!" Nagisa declared in excitement.
"That's great, Nagisa!" Makoto complimented.
"Congratulations, Nagisa!" Tomoya opened her arms and immediately Nagisa jumped on her as he squealed like a bundle of energy he was, hugging her tightly as she returned the hug.
"Yeah!" he moved away from the girl before looking at the three. "What about you, Mako-chan, Haru-chan, Tomo-chan?"
"Hmm… well, they said our school club has its own tournaments." Makoto said as he put a finger under his chin. "I'll probably participate in those instead."
"I'm the same with Mako-chan, but maybe a different one than I used to enter." Tomoya said.
"Really? What about you, Haru-chan?"
"I won't enter either." Haru stated.
"I see…"
Haru, who felt bad about what he said to the younger boy, immediately said. "We'll come cheer for you."
"Yeah, we'll have to see you win." Makoto added with a smile, Tomoya also nodded.
"Really!? Yes!" he cheered in excitement and he looked at Tomoya. "You'll bring me the cookies if I win, right!?"
"Only if you win!" the girl announced with a smile.
"I'll try my best!" Nagisa yelled out as he jogged towards the pool. Haru could only watched him go.
"Nagisa! I told you to be quiet and not to run!" Coach Sasabe's voice boomed through the building.
"Sorry!" the younger boy squeaked.
.
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Meanwhile, Asahi decided to find a way to sorted out this 'mental' problem Nao talked about. He headed to the public library. The place was quite filled; people stood in front of the shelves with a book in hand, some of them sat on the green sofa lined up while reading books or newspaper, a few walked around to find the book they're looking for.
Currently, Asahi was kneeling on the floor while his eyes scanning the books lining up before him. All of the books were about mental, which gave the boy a trouble of choosing.
"Mental, mental." He said to himself. "Why are these so many? Which one should I choose!?"
"Please, be a little quieter." Someone scolded him, disturbed by his loud voice. Asahi looked to his left, finding a boy–the same age as him–with dark blue hair and a pair of purple eyes behind red framed glasses he wore.
"Ah, sorry!" Asahi apologized. The boy didn't reply. He only fixed his glasses before resuming on reading the book on his hand, which was about track sports. The red-haired boy looked at him for a second before straightening himself to face him.
"Hey! Do you like books!?" Asahi's sudden outburst was startling the blue haired boy and receiving stares from other library visitors.
"Ah, wah, you're really loud…" he complained. "What's with that sudden question?"
"I just thought since you're wearing glasses, you must be like books." Asahi replied with honesty.
"You're jumping to conclusions too quickly."
"Hey, please help me! I don't know which one to pick, I'm really in a bind!" the red-head pleaded as he clasped his hands in front of his face.
The blue-haired boy stiffened then he looked with Asahi with a sour expression before he sighed in defeat. He closed his book and faced the red-head.
"What kind of books are you looking for?" the blue-haired boy asked. "I might be able to be some of assistance."
"Really!?" Asahi exclaimed. "I want to be able to swim! I'm looking for a book to help me with that!"
The blue-haired boy looked away. "If there were a book for that, then I'd want it!" he grumbled.
"Huh? What did you say?"
"Nothing." The boy fixed his glasses. "What did you mean by that? I can't really see how those things go together."
"Ah, I see." Asahi said. "Umm… I was able to swim crawl just fine until yesterday, but, today suddenly I couldn't anymore."
"Huh? Is that sort of thing possible?" the blue-haired boy questioned.
"It is. I'm not lying." Asahi insisted.
"No, could that really happen?" the boy put a finger to his mouth as he started to mumble. "Well, there is a possibility… If his mental state affecting his body, then…"
"What are you mumbling about?" Asahi asked, confused by his action.
"I'm trying to think of a way to help you." The blue haired boy stated as he walked closer to shelve and started to pulled out a few books; the first one was in blue color, the second one was in white with pale red and blue striped, and the last one was in green color decorated with orange color.
"Why don't you begin with your mental state?" the boy suggested as he showed Asahi the books he managed to gather.
"Thank you!" Asahi exclaimed, clearly feeling grateful and happy about it. The blue-haired boy looked at him in wide eyes before his pride stopped himself.
"Mental training books are fine, but I think you need to start by taking a good look at yourself first." He continued.
"Thank you very much! You're a life saver!" Asahi thanked him and started to walked away. The blue-haired boy jumped into reality.
"Listen until I finished talking!" he protested, but Asahi ignored him. The boy's face fell and he turned away, only to hear buzzing sound.
"Ah, ah, what?" he heard Asahi's voice surprised. The boy walked out from the row of shelves to look at what happened–Asahi was being held by a man for not checking the books first.
"You didn't check that book out. Come over here!"
Surely that gained everyone's attention as Asahi dragged away by the man.
"Eh? Wait!"
The boy with blue hair could only watched the scene in disbelief.
.
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Night came to put the day to end. The once orange tinted sky turned into darker shades of blue, the sun was already disappearing into the horizon and replaced by the moon. In Shiina's household, Asahi was standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom. The books he borrowed were stacker on the washing machine
"I'm a genius. I'm a genius. I'm a genius." He chanted as he looked at his reflection in the mirror.
He repeated it many times until his tone got higher. "I'm a genius!" he yelled out finally, his voice echoing through the empty house.
"Shut up, stupid Asahi!" his sister yelled at him.
.
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Tomoya stood in front of the stove clad in a frilly light blue apron. She had her sleeves rolled up and holding a bowl filled with melted chocolate. She stirred the chocolate until it's perfectly melted. The girl then kneeled down, checking the oven which was on and filled with trays of biscuits on bake.
"If you keep staring at it, it won't finish you, you know." Her mother, who's not far from her, teased. In her hand was a bowl filled with marshmallow fluff.
"I know, but it took so long." Tomoya pouted. "I'm getting bored."
"You're always like this when we're baking."
Tomoya decided to ignore her and stare at the oven which emit heat and glowing yellow light.
"So, how's school?" her mother asked.
"It's quite fun and I joined the swimming club with Mako-chan and Haru."
"But, didn't an upperclassman offer you to join gymnastics?"
"Well… there's some circumstances and…"
"Oh, I know, I know. You want to stay with Haru that badly, huh?"
"Mom!"
