Second part of the intro, here we go~

2 – rotten

Samezuka Academy truly was a haven – though Ayaka was also inclined to acknowledge it's potential to become a harem as well.

Ayaka had no shortage of appreciation for the all-boys school. She could concede it lacked a certain feminine charm, but the swimming team more than made up for it. As she stood beside Gou, gazing in at the indoor pool, she realised just why they were noted as a swimming powerhouse. She also noted the dominant absence of one Rin Matsuoka.

"They're gorgeous!" enthused Gou, mouth gaping.

Ayaka found it unnecessary to respond, particularly given the unfamiliar voice that addressed them so suddenly.

"Hey, so it's you," an approaching, red-haired boy said, "The one who's looking for her big brother?"

He was tall – Ayaka noted that with pleasure. He was tall, handsome, but his eyes were on Gou alone. She couldn't blame him, considering how even she acknowledged her friend's overall attractiveness.

"Oh, yes." Gou replied, nodding.

Ayaka positioned herself behind Gou, so that she could more easily observe the two. When the red-head's golden eyes fixed on her, Ayaka offered a brief smile and nod that proved sufficient enough. The boy returned to Gou, and as he stared, a strange look overcame him.

"Hold on," he exclaimed, "You know…you're pretty cute."

Her lips curved into an appreciative grin. "Thank you. I'm looking for Rin Matsuoka, my brother."

"Matsuoka?"

"He probably frowns a lot." added Ayaka unhelpfully.

The boy inclined his head slightly, and continued, "There's nobody named Matsuoka on the swim team."

"Huh?"

Ayaka, for the first time in a long while, felt an irritable scowl creep across her expression. "Then what is the point in attending Samezuka, if he's not going to swim? Idiot."

"I don't know if there's any way I can-" the red-headed man began, but was hastily cut off.

"Come on, Kou," Ayaka declared, "Let's go."

"Wait, your name is Kou?"

Gou held Ayaka back for just a moment longer. "Kou Matsuoka."

The red-head pointed to himself, smiling. "I'm Seijuro Mikoshiba, captain of the swim team."

"Are you a third year?" Ayaka interjected, breaking pattern by avoiding an introduction of herself.

"Yes."

"Then you're way too old for Kou." With that conclusive statement, she continued to extract herself and Gou from the room.

"Huh?" Seijuro muttered, before calling out to the departing figures, "See you around, then!"

Ayaka hoped, even prayed, that they wouldn't. He seemed nice enough, but she wasn't too sure if she was ready for Gou to be dating just yet. As always, she had grown protective of her friend, and close enough to her that Gou she even considered her to be something alike to a younger sister.

"Wait, why are we going so soon?" Gou exclaimed.

"No point wasting our time, is there?"

"Rin isn't a waste of time."

Golden-brown eyes turned to Gou, critical in their intention. "Except he's not here. I wouldn't argue if he was here because then I get to see his God-blessed body."

"Still, that really wasn't enough time…all those biceps!"

Ayaka nodded, grinning broadly. Her hair, an ashy blonde, was today bound back in a short ponytail. Gou's hair was worn in a similar style, despite the differences in colour and length. There were, surprisingly, quite a few similarities between herself and her brother. Notably, to Ayaka at least, she found they both possessed the same capacity for tenacity.

"Ayaka?"

"Yeah?"

"Why do you think he's not a swim team?"

"Matsuoka?"

Gou nodded, prompting Ayaka to continue blandly, "I don't know."

"But you've been in school with him, and Haruka, since you were a kid." Gou persisted, determined to elicit a reaction.

"Then," Ayaka paused for a long stretch of time, consumed by her thinking, "Maybe he just doesn't feel like it."

"That's not like him."

"No, well then, maybe it's also because it hasn't occurred to him that he should be on the swim team."

The two relied on Ayaka's memory, startlingly eidetic, to find their way out of Samezuka Academy. She easily retraced their steps, and given Gou's resignation, had also let the younger girl walk free of her grip. Gou kept pace easily, though the usual and figurative spring in her step was absent. Ayaka pretended not to notice.

"I just wish he'd stop ignoring me and mum. He never listens." Gou lamented.

"No big brother ever listens to their little sister, Gou, trust me. It's a fact of life."

For once, the 'Gou' instead of 'Kou' was overlooked. What the red-head chose to focus on was something else entirely. "Oh, that's right! I forgot you had an older brother!"

"Yeah, I live with him, and I hope you never met him."

"But don't you love him?"

"Sure, but I'm not interested in seeing him flirt with you."

Gou blinked widely, staring up at her friend as best she could as they walked. "I have this feeling that he's a lot like you."

"You're so clever, Kou!" enthused Ayaka, grinning and slinging her arm around her, "He's terribly, exactly like me – but only if I had no taste. He'll fall in 'love' with anything that so much as looks at him."

"Noted," Gou replied humorously, "If I meet him, I just won't make eye-contact."

"Take that advice and stick to it."

"Though, I wonder, is he…pretty like you?"

Ayaka's laughter caught in her throat, so that she almost choked. She braced herself against a wall, hacking out the rough giggling. Her shoulders shook so much she looked like she was crying, and Gou's first instinct was to offer what support she could.

"Come on, Ayaka, the door's just there." She comforted.

The taller girl had no idea, not even the vaguest, as to how fresh air would help her. The problem wasn't the laughter – it was Gou herself.

They stumbled out the door, just in time for Ayaka to take a long, calming breath in.

"You think I'm pretty?" she breathed, recovering from the fit.

Gou shot her a curious look. "Yes. And you're athletic-,"

"Actually, no-"

"So is you're brother athletic as well?"

"Not really."

The immediate response was a pout, before Gou's expression soothed into something plainer. "Oh."

"Disappointing, I know," Ayaka agreed sympathetically, "But it's always gonna be hard living up to me."

"You changed your opinion of yourself pretty quickly." Gou remarked coolly.

Fanning herself against the heat of the day, and also to effect of pulling a comical expression, Ayaka replied cheerfully, "That's the power you have over me! Once I was sure of your faith in me, how could I doubt it?"

"I think that's a compliment, so thank you."

"No problem." Ayaka assured casually.

The conversation, shortly thereafter, fell into silence. Ayaka was used to the silences, finding them common in the company of the introverted Satsuki, yet never had she felt one as heavy as this. It was as if there were a great many things in need of saying, that needed doing, yet hope of fulfilling those goals was a mere abstract dream. It was torment – until she decided to do something.

The pair was just heading down and out the path of Samezuka Academy, when Ayaka pulled her phone from her pocket. She was quick to type out the text.

Your heart will start rotting away soon, if you continue being rude to your family.

The recipient; Rin Matsuoka.

"I hope it gets warmer soon." Gou sighed, after a time.

Though it wasn't what was on her mind, Ayaka went along with it. "Doesn't worry me. My pool's heated and ready to go."

"You have a heated pool, Aya-chan?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Gou shook her head, as if something silly had just occurred to her. "I can't believe I didn't know. You, Satsuki and I have to use it when summer starts."

"Ha, well we'll have to hope Haruka doesn't find out, otherwise he's never gonna leave me alone – and I don't want to deal with Satsuki being jealous."

The chime of her message alert halted the conversation once more. Ignoring Gou's again curious expression, Ayaka took her phone out once more. She knew, even before reading the name, who it would be.

Her smile was bittersweet, just as much as Rin's reply.

I know.

Finally incorporating some canon events into this, which you probably won't see much of (apologies if you like reading canon scenes).

Also, again, I feel like I should explain some of the history to avoid confusion. Ayaka and Satsuki went to elementary school with Haruka, Makoto and Rin. During middleschool, they met Gou (who is a year below them) and it's during those times that Ayaka and Rin encounter each other (through the mutual acquaintance of Gou). They aren't particularly close, but Rin uses her to keep up with news about his sister and friends, while she just likes talking to him.

Just as a warning, there isn't going to be much of a plot outside of the relationship development between Rin/Ayaka (which means there is less for me to be self-critical about).

Thanks for reading and following you're all gems!