Free –HighSpeed! Reunion
Chapter 9: One Style Final!
Our week long training camp was over and now there were only 5 days till the prefectural tournament started. The guys were swimming laps in the pool, Gou was timing them whilst I wrote them down on the clipboard since training had began Gou and I had made a table recording the guys' time so we could make a comparison to see if they were getting any faster. The guys had finished another lap and Gou looked pleased with the times, "Amazing, Haruka-senpai! That's another personal best!" she complimented, "The training camp from hell paid off!"
Nagisa was in the next lane and dove under to join Haruka-san, "What about me?" he asked, I looked at his times on the clipboard and then on the stopwatch.
"You need to work a little harder, Nagisa-kun." I answered
"Still, I think we've all come a long way in such a short time. And Rei's been improving his butterfly time." Makoto-san stated
"It helps that Rei-kun is pretty built from the pole vaulting he's done." Gou added, Ryugazaki-kun was in the last lane swimming another lap, his butterfly has been improving, "But! That's not good enough! We must aim higher! Find a proper coach!" Gou stated
"What? Find a coach now?" Nagisa asked
"It's never too late to start. Even if someone can provide some last minute conditioning, we'll be in better condition for the tournament!" Gou stated
"A coach would certainly help but there's nobody available-" Makoto added
"That's why we have to look harder!" Gou turned and yelled
"Kou-chan, don't take it out on Makoto-san!" I intervened, Haruka-san then approached
"Not necessary." Haruka-san said bluntly.
"Yeah, Haru probably doesn't need a coach." Makoto-san explained as Haruka-san stood on the podium diving into the pool once again.
The next day…
It was lunchtime, I was heading for the roof to eat lunch I can't wait I have tamagoyaki left over from dinner last night, I was humming to myself until, "Ah, Zaki-senpai!" I heard a voice calling me and I turned to see Gou running towards me.
"Kou-chan, what's up?" I asked as she was panting for breath
"I printed out the pictures from the training camp! I was trying to find the guys to show them, do you have any idea where they could be?" she asked
"Hm…Knowing them, they're probably on the roof. I was heading up there myself, I'll come with you." I answered and I walked up with Gou up to the roof
"Oh, by the way I got a couple of shots of you in your swimsuit~" Gou said mischievously and I couldn't help but blush
"What's with that expression? Wait you didn't print them out did you?!" I squeaked
"I did. But I left them at home; I can give them to you at some point." She answered
"I'd rather you shred and delete them." I replied as I opened the door to the roof to find the guys eating their lunch in the shade.
"Everyone, I printed out the pictures from our training camp." Gou stated as we sat in front of the guys.
"Lemme see!" Nagisa requested and put down his lunch to kneel in front of Gou. The others leaned closer to look at the photos I couldn't wait to see them. Gou laid them out on the floor for us all to look at.
"Yes, yes." She answered
"You took a whole bunch." Nagisa stated
"Everybody's having fun." Makoto-san added
"Look at this! Haru-chan has a funny look on his face!" Nagisa exclaimed
"And he's actually looking at the camera for once." Makoto-san stated, Haruka-san didn't look impressed by their comments whilst Ryugazaki-kun was trembling slightly whilst looking at one photo.
"What's wrong, Ryugazaki-kun?" I asked
"What is with this picture?! It's not beautiful at all!" He exclaimed and he passed me the picture it was Ryugazaki-kun wearing yellow armbands and Nagisa was adjusting his back float. I couldn't help but giggle.
"Um, preserving the moment?" Gou answered which clearly frustrated Ryugazaki-kun even more
"Anyway, look here." Nagisa asked, "There's something behind Mako-chan!" Makoto-san then yelped. It was a picture of Makoto-san and Nagisa posing and in the background…Miss Ama-chan
"Oh, that's Miss Amakata wearing a hyaluronic acid pack." Gou explained
"Hyalu what?" Nagisa repeated
"Hyaluronic acid." Ryugazaki-kun corrected him
"Don't scare me, Nagisa!" Makoto shouted
"Sorry about that." He apologised and he then screamed which caused Makoto-san to scream in turn. Amongst all the screaming, one photo had interested Haruka-san
"Can you guys keep it down?" Ryugazaki-kun asked
"Is this Samezuka's swim team?" Nagisa asked looking at the photo Haruka-san picked up
"When you take this, Kou-chan?" I asked
She giggled, "I did some scouting on the second day." She answered
"Wow, that's our capable manager." Makoto-san complimented and I couldn't help but pout, Makoto-san noticed my expression and panicked, "I mean you are just as capable, Zaki-chan!"
"Did you use your sex appeal agai-" Nagisa asked
"No sex appeal involved!" Gou retorted, "And I got plenty of data in addition to the pictures. These are swimmers who will be in the 100m and 200m breast with Nagisa-kun." She added then she pointed to another photo of the Samezuka swimmers, "These are the swimmers in backstroke with Makoto-senpai. This is who will do butterfly with Rei-kun." She grabbed her data book, "I'll have their individual swimming styles and other information recorded in this secret book by tournament time. Oh, and my brother is in..."
"The 100m free." Haruka-san finished, Gou was surprised but smiled
"Yes." She answered, "He didn't enter any other events, just so he could focus on his race with you." Whilst Gou was speaking Nagisa was whispering something into Makoto-san's ear…
The breeze began to pick up and blew the picture of Rin-san out of Haruka-san's hand whilst Ryugazaki-kun, Makoto-san and I gathered all of the other pictures to make sure they wouldn't blow away, I looked up at Haruka-san's face I wonder what's up with him?
After school, we decided to go to the shrine to wish for good luck for the upcoming competition, Makoto-san, Nagisa-kun and Ryugazaki-kun were giving offerings whilst Gou-chan, Haruka-san and I were drawing omikuji. We shook the box a few times and drew out the stick, I got the number 9 and took the fortune out of the draw.
"Aww, I got a small blessing!" Gou stated, "What did you get Haruka-senpai?" she asked and took a peek over Haruka-san's shoulder, "Huh? What is this, Haruka-senpai?"
"What? What's wrong?" I asked
"Half luck?" Gou exclaimed, "What did you get Zaki-senpai?"
I opened my own fortune to find…Great blessing…I'm happy but I'm not the one who needs luck right now.
"Why are you so quiet?" Gou asked and looked at my fortune, "Huh? Why did you get the "Great Blessing" when Haruka-senpai is the one in need of luck right now?!" Gou cried
"I don't know!" I retorted
"Huh? What's going on?" Nagisa asked as he, Makoto-san and Ryugazaki-kun walked over from the shrine
"Half luck? Never seen that before." Makoto uttered
"Does that mean half your luck is good?" Ryugazaki asked
"What's the other half?" Gou asked
"Nice!" Nagisa answered
"That doesn't seem to make sense?" Ryugazaki pointed out
"What? I think it does." Nagisa retorted
Haruka-san looked at his fortune which stated all the things that may happen and the ways to maintain his luck, I looked at my own stating I would have achieve good health and find great fortune in love, why did I receive such a fortune; when I don't need it right now…
That evening…
I was lying on my bed clutching my heart-shaped pillow to my chest, still dwelling on my fortune "have luck in love" an image of him*, went through my mind and suddenly I felt my face turn red, "What am I thinking?!" as I rolled around on my bed
Sho-nii then barged through the door, "Hey Aki, shut up!" he shouted, "What the hell are you whining about?!"
"None of your business! And I told you to knock before you enter!" as I threw the pillow at him but by that point he had shut the door, the pillow bounced of the door and landed on the floor.
What's wrong with me?
Today is the big day, the day of prefecturals.
A couple of nights ago…
"Aki, I'll drop you off at Prefecturals" Sho-nii stated
"Huh?" At the time I was sat in my room, watching videos of our rivals from previous competitions on my laptop and I found myself dumbfounded by his statement, "What brought this on all of a sudden?" I asked
"I realised you must be pretty nervous for your team…" as he was saying this a little blush was creeping onto his face, "Anyways, I'll take you there on my motorbike so you're there on time! Good night!" he shouted and slammed the door behind him
"Was that his way of apologising?" I muttered
Present…
Sho-nii had dropped me off and I placed the helmet I was wearing in the case attached at the back of the bike, "Hey Aki." He muttered as I looked up, "Wish them luck today, I'll see you later."
"Sho-nii…are you sick or something? Don't tell me you're dying?!" I asked
"What the hell?! I am trying to be a good brother here!" He yelled
"I know but it's so unlike you." I retorted
"Fine! Whatever, I'll see you later!" He shouted putting his helmet back on and driving off…I am questioning whether or not he is sick…
"Zaki-senpai!" I heard someone call my name, I turned around to find Gou running towards me, "Good morning, Zaki-senpai."
"Good morning" I replied, "Have any of the guys arrived yet?"
"No, not yet I think they'll all arrive together." She answered, "I have the programme for today, we should find seats and wait for the guys to arrive."
"Good idea" I responded
Later the guys and Ama-chan-sensei arrived, Gou and I went over the programme with them, "Here's the program for the first day. They're starting with the free in the morning." Gou stated, "Haruka-senpai is in the fourth heat."
"Wait. Haru-chan and Rin-chan are in neighbouring lanes." Nagisa pointed out
"The heats were drawn based on qualifying times, right?" Makoto asked
"Yes, that's right." I answered
"That means they're even." Nagisa affirmed
"The eight fastest times from each event advance to the final and qualify for regionals." I explained, the guys expression then turned to panic
"It'll be fine. No need to get nervous." Ama-chan-sensei encouraged, "Just swim the way you usually do. The most important thing is to never give up. There's a quote from Napoleon, "Five minutes make the difference between victory and defeat!""
"Five minutes?" Nagisa muttered
"Miss Amakata, that's too long." Gou expressed
"Huh?" she replied
"Well, guys. Do the best you can in each event." Makoto said encouraging Nagisa and Ryugazaki, "Let's make sure we can leave with no regrets!"
"Yeah!" The three of them cheered
Gou begun to go through the competition with everyone, "That's Oga South High School, known as Oga South.", she explained, "They have a swimmer who's known as the Whitebait of the Sea of Japan."
"They have someone with that nickname?" Nagisa asked
Gou then pointed over to another group of boys wearing white t-shirts, "And over there is Saijouin High School. They have a swimmer who's known as Joe the Flying Fish. He has an incredible vertical."
"That seems kind of cool." Nagisa muttered, "I want a nickname too."
"You always stretch yourself out more near the end of a race." Makoto pointed out
"How about Bamboo Nagisa, then?" Gou asked
"Wait, why bamboo?" Nagisa cried, "Bamboo has nothing to do with swimming."
"Did you collect all that data by yourself?" Ryugazaki asked
"Well, we are your managers; so we split the rivals between us and compiled the data into this notebook." Gou explained, "Zaki-senpai watched videos of old competitions and gave me her notes."
"Well, Kou-chan added her own stuff into my notes." I pointed out, "She added notes on their muscles."
"But many things can't be expressed through notes." Gou rushed towards the railing, "Muscles are best in the flesh! All of these muscles simultaneously in one place! Wonderful! Marvellous!"
"Hey, Gou-kun!" it was Samezuka's captain, "Over here, Gou-kun!"
"It's Rin-chan's captain!" Nagisa mentioned
"I told him to stop calling me Gou-kun" Gou muttered, as the captain was trying to grab Gou-chan's attention the rest of the Samezuka team were walking up behind him but…
"Where's Rin-san?" I muttered
Makoto noticed and pulled out his watch, "Maybe he already headed over to the assembly area." As Makoto was saying that Haruka-san grabbed his goggles and swim cap and begun to walk away, "Haru…Win your race!"
I looked up at Makoto, and back at Haruka's retreating figure, is Haruka alright?
"Haru-chan and Rin-chan are up next!" Nagisa shouted pointing at the two of them
"Who are you cheering for, Matsuoka-san?" Miss Ama-chan inquired
"Both of them!" Gou replied
"Haru-chan! Fight!" Nagisa cheered
The race was beginning soon, all the competitors were stepping up onto the podiums, "Set." All racers went into diving position, "Go!"
Haruka and Rin were fast but it looked as though Rin was pulling ahead, "They're fast." Ryugazaki mumbled
"Rin-chan's gotten a lot faster!" Nagisa commented, "He's pulling ahead of Haru-chan!"
"Haru's falling behind in the first leg?" Makoto murmured
"They're entering the turn!" Ryugazaki announced, Rin was the first one to turn Haruka hadn't even made the turn and the two passed one another
"He's catching up!" I cried
"Haru!"
"Haruka-senpai!"
They both touched the edge of the pool, gasping for air in that moment it felt as though time was going so slowly waiting for those results to flash on the screen…the 1 appeared by Rin's name… in that moment I felt my heart sunk
"Haru lost…" Makoto whispered
"No way." Nagisa mumbled
"And he didn't advance." Gou remarked, I think we were all in shock whereas Rin…
"Yes!" He cheered splashing the water,"Yes!"
"Way to go, Matsuoka!" Samezuka cheered
Rin got out of the pool, I couldn't hear what he was saying to Haru but the whole time…he had a smug look on his face, I looked down at Haruka but I couldn't see his face…
I honestly don't know what I was expecting from this race but it felt like at that moment my heart was sinking further and further...
Sorry for such long periods between chapters! I have recently finished my A level exams so I'll try do as much writing as I can for now! Sorry if it's terrible, I am trying to get back into the swing of things!
*I purposely didn't say who Aki was thinking about but I will leave it to your imagination.
