Nightfall. In a corner of a tatami room that will soon double as the dining room of the Ikeda family home, Kiyoni took some time to pray to her favored goddess and honored ancestors. A teacup full of cold, fresh water joined two lit candles in ombre shades of blue, burning incense of saltwater and sea breeze, and a framed, landscape photo of the ocean from the Mushiyori City Bay to adorn the altar of Yemoja. Her image was made out of a porcelain base and was perched on an opened aquamarine-colored clam shell, her hair in two perfectly-coiffed afro puffs that held a crown and veil made of sea shells and pearls that also doubled as an attachment to a double-stranded pearl and conch shell necklace that defined the shape of her bare breasts. Since the ornament doubled as an automatic fountain, two streams of water will flow from Yemoja's open palms into a feeding bowl that represents Yemoja's dominion. A mermaid fin in dazzling shades of blue from ocean to teal to sapphire to arctic completed the art piece.

"Ancestors of my blood, I honor you. Praise and honor to my goddess, Yemaya. I seek guidance. I seek advice. I seek assistance. Please fill my heart and mind with the knowledge necessary to continue with my soul's journey. Asé," to further her prayer, Kiyoni pours the water into the bowl as an offering, "Asé, asé, asé."

Mother Ikeda, named Ava, noticed her daughter's activities and checked in, "Kiyoni?"

Ava was a considerably tall woman compared to her husband who could pass for a distant relative of American actress, Cassandra Freeman if anyone knew. Her cobalt blue, overnight dress or muumuu with a dashiki print trim draped over her slightly voluptuous figure leaving the contents underneath for her partner's eyes and his eyes only. The fresh micro braids she wore were all pinned up in a bun to keep out of sight while she cooked dinner. Traces of cooked spinach and chopped tomato on a wooden spoon gave away a clue as to what's on the menu this evening. Tonight's meal was going to be efo riro, a stew-like dish made with spinach, kale, tomato, bell pepper, onion, and beans. Fufu (a dough-like side dish made of rice and corn meal due to local availability) and tempura-style chicken will be added to the feast as well.

"Hi, mom," Kiyoni acknowledged.

"Everything alright?"

Kiyoni confessed in a concerned tone, "...No."

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know what it is but I'm sensing something big. Something mind-changing."

Mom was leaning against the door frame of Kiyoni's bedroom by the time Kiyoni opened up. Playing the role of a listening ear, Ava stepped in.

"Yemoja must be watching over you, sharing her gift with you. What do you think it is?"

"Something happened between Minamino and I."

"Minamino? Oh! Did you apologize to him?"

"Yeah. I gave him a bracelet I made and everything."

"How did he take it?"

"That's where my weird feelings come into play. On the way home after practice, he told me about some dreams he had. Dreams that involved him being a merman."

"He's on the swim team, right?"

"Yeah."

"That's probably what it is then."

"No, mom. It's something else. Something bigger."

"Such as?"

"I'm not sure. Just as unsure as to why I care."

It was time for motherly intuition to kick in once again, "Could it be that…you like him?"

"What?! No! No way! He has a creep for a friend. No way!"

Ava found her daughter's response typical and adorable but refused to push, "Okay. If you say so, Kiyoni. While you're in denial, come help me finish dinner."

Kiyoni didn't buy it for a second as she followed her mom, "Yes, mama, but…I'm not in denial…"

The following day, permitted and able students of Meiou Academy boarded a bus headed for a high school in a different part of the city. Kiyoni joined her fellow volleyball teammate, Mei, for moral support. The girls were in the middle of another daily conversation when Kuronue got on board. He expected quite an amount of girls attending given who the swim team's captain is. What he didn't expect was Kiyoni to be one of them.

"Ikeda," he called in a surprised tone. "What are you doing here?"

"Eh, I did say that I was going to this thing," Kiyoni confirmed, "You were there when I said it, remember?"

"Yeah but…I didn't think you would actually show up."

"Minamino could diversify his friendly tastes, you know. That is allowed."

"Oh and you're just the one for the job?"

At that point, Kiyoni almost blurted out her conversation with Shuichi yesterday for context. On a second thought, she didn't given the confidentiality agreement she indirectly made with him.

Because of that, she said, "...Maybe. I think I'm capable."

"Duh, of course you are," Mei endorsed, "Besides, we're here for the team. Not just for one person."

"Well, you might as well join team Minamino," Kuronue confidently declared, "It's obvious we're gonna breeze through this tournament because of him."

"That confident, eh," Kiyoni gestured.

"Yep. Been confident ever since we were ten."

"That long?" Mei affirmed.

"Hm? Oh! Minamino has been swimming ever since we were ten. We go back much further."

"How much further?"

"Since Pre-K. We met when we were neighbors."

"Aww, that's so cute," Mei commented.

"So what was he doing before that," Kiyoni wondered.

"Ha! Don't let that sweet smile and those innocently good looks fool you," Kuronue warned. "Minamino was a little shit just like me back then. We'd get into fights, get in trouble with some of the street vendors. We were badasses. Things changed over time."

"What happened?"

"My family moved. That's one," Kuronue melancholically replied, "We still attended the same school but hanging out outside of it was a bit difficult. Number two, swimming lessons. Did you know Shuichi almost drowned once?"

Both girls jolted in shock, "What?!"

Kiyoni challenged, "Minamino? Drowning? Yeah, right."

Kuronue avowed, "It's the truth. It happened where his parents worked. The docks? Anyway, Shuichi got bored waiting for his parents so he decided to hang out by the water. Next thing he knew…he fell in. His mom…his mom was in hysterics. Once he was cleared from the hospital, his parents signed him up for classes right after. The guy's been married to the water ever since."

"That's so unfortunate but a cool ending," Mei admitted while her mind is in fangirl mode, "I can't wait to see him swim."

Kiyoni had a moment of clarity. Shuichi could be into aquaphilia or thalassophilia. It's possible he's been that way ever since he was a child. Even before his accident. That moment could also explain Shuichi's dreams and subsequent behavior from them considering how traumatic it was. PTSD does come in many forms and can range from light to heavy, simple to extreme. Like Mei, Kiyoni has never seen Shuichi swim before. Today will be that day.

A round of applause greeted the competing teams as they entered the natatorium of Naroma Private Academy. Other than the home team, a total of eight schools were in attendance including Meiou Academy and while it wasn't the Olympics, it felt like it for the contestants. Parents and students sat a few feet away from the 50m long pool in anticipation of the qualifying round with some of them rocking the colors, practicing their choreographed cheers, and carrying items of pompoms, horns, inflated thundersticks, and decorated hand fans of their respective schools. Meiou Academy were among the thunder stick crowd and Kuronue made sure to include Kiyoni and Mei in what to do and say.

"There he is," Mei discovered amongst the cheering crowd, "He looks so cool!"

Meanwhile, the audience performed their cheering routine, [Boom. Boom-boom. Boomboomboomboomboomboom] "LET'S GO, MEI-OU!"

"Yeah…" Kiyoni sarcastically agreed while watching Shuichi throw some water over his arms, "if you're into types like…what was his name? Michael Phelps?"

"He's starting?" Kuronue worried.

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Yeah. For a race like this, Shuichi is usually the anchor. He shouldn't be starting."

"Eh, how is that a bad thing?"

"Shuichi is the fastest swimmer on the relay team and usually the one to bring up the rear because of it. Especially if our team is losing."

Mei argued, "But if he's the first and the fastest, he can set a standard for the rest of the team to follow."

"Trust me. It doesn't always work that way."

Since the races of the swim meet are programmed in ascending order by distance, the first team race Shuichi will be competing in will be the 4x100m medley relay. Teams of four will compete using four different swimming styles; backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and freestyle in that order. Per Kuronue's suggestion, Shuichi is typically the anchor of the team, swimming freestyle. This time, Karasu will handle that role with Shuichi as the starter, swimming the backstroke. The reason for the switch is unknown and too late to learn right now.

Total silence.

The intercom called the race, "...Set…"

Every starter for each team took their mark, hanging from a set of silver blue platforms. With very little time, Shuichi prayed to whoever would listen that this race and the ones afterward, will go well.

I can do this…I can do this…Just focus, Shuichi.

With the sounds of a horn, the race begins. Lanes 1 and 2 are immediately neck and neck with Shuichi as a very convincing third in lane four but inching into second. Halfway in, he's in second place only to take first after the first turn. Within the group of spectators, Kuronue cheered him on.

"Yes, yes, yes! Go, go, go!"

"You've seen him swim before?" Kiyoni affirmed.

"Of course! He's a beast! A monster in the water. That's why it's weird for him to start a race like this."

"What would you say is his best race?"

The crowd cheers again, [Boom. Boom-boom. Boomboomboomboomboomboom] "LET'S GO, MEI-OU!"

"Any race that involves freestyle or backstroke," Kuronue informed, "Breaststroke and butterfly…nah. Watch. When it comes time for his individual heat races, you'll see."

Kuronue was in his own zone, knowing the run down of this tournament. Other than the current race, Shuichi was to compete in a 100m individual backstroke, the 100m individual freestyle, and a 400m freestyle relay. At least Shuichi was conditioned for it. Meanwhile, as Shuichi watched his team compete, an itch developed along his right inner thigh. Upon closer inspection, what should've been a reddish mark from all the scratching was actually purplish in color. A bruise? Shuichi didn't hit anything as far as he knew.

Unfortunately, Meiou lost the first race by just a few milliseconds, placing the school in second place overall. Fortunately, the girls made up for it by winning their respective heats. Karasu took things further by winning a 100m butterfly stroke. By intermission, Meiou Academy sat at the top with a cool, two-minute, collective lead. In a locker room for the away team, Shuichi was still contemplating the sudden bruise on his leg.

"Ew. That looks pretty ugly," Karasu observed, "What happened?"

"I'm not sure," Shuichi responded, "It showed up after our medley race."

"Well, I'd rather you have a bruise than…" Karasu mocked, "'Fins, fins! My feet are fins!'"

Shuichi shook his head despite his teammates finding the comment funny. Now wasn't the time to get upset. His next heat was coming up right after break.

Another round of applause and choreographed cheers welcomed the teams as they entered. During warmups for the 100m freestyle, Shuichi was approached by his coach.

"Minamino?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Hey," the coach snapped, "Look at me. Are we here? Are we good? I don't want a repeat of yesterday."

"I'm fine, coach. Really. I'm ready to do this."

"You better be. We're so close to the finish line."

"I'm aware. I'll do my best."

"Also…what are you gonna do about that bruise?"

"It's nothing, coach. I can assure you that. I'll be fine."

"Alright. Bring us home, Minamino."

In the audience section, Mei, Kiyoni, and Kuronue all noticed Shuichi's "injury". It was hard not to.

"Say where did that come from," Kiyoni instigated.

"Beats me," Kuronue concluded, "Doesn't look like he's too phased about it. YOU GOT THIS, MINAMINO!"

That caught Shuichi's attention. A quick glance to the right provided a peek at Kiyoni's appearance.

She made it, he thought.

"Is it me or is it his level of focus that's doing it for me," Mei admired.

"It's you," Kiyoni finished.

"What is wrong with you, Ikeda," Mei countered while the race started to a hyped up crowd.

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? You're not the least bit…attracted? He could be a pop idol if he wanted to."

"Let's see." Kiyoni listed, "Unless he's Yamamoto Daichi, Jimmy of Psychic Fever, Elly, or the gods Jimin or Jungkook, I don't want it."

"Aww."

After the girls finished their races of the day, it was up to Shuichi to reel the team into victory. Naroma Academy had played their trump cards leaving the school to shrink the overall lead to just a minute.

"Is anyone else nervous or is it just me," Kiyoni surveyed.

"I thought this wasn't interesting to you," Mei teased.

"It's not, it's just…I mean…it's for the team. You know? Go team."

Kiyoni, please admit your feelings so you can sleep better at night, Mei wished.

Final race, the men's 400-meter freestyle relay. Shuichi is known to coast through a race like this so team confidence is high. As he stepped onto the podium for his swimming lane, Shuichi simply stared at the water. It was still active from the last run but that's nothing new. What made Shuichi focus was what the water was doing, acting as if it was putting Shuichi into a trance-like state. Mentally, he wasn't at a high school pool. He was by the ocean. The same ocean where his accident occurred so many years ago. He remembered the visions he saw once he fell in, the sight of his arms and hands reaching for the surface as he sank and the moments where he realized when he was in danger only to embrace his surroundings. He remembered the voices he heard coming from the surface of those crying out to him only to be replaced with the sounds of the water flowing around his ears. He recollected the feeling of his lungs running out of fresh air only to be okay with that as if the water was his lifeline. All of that ended once he was pulled from the water to be embraced by his mother. It ended again when another horn blast brought Shuichi back to reality…to show out and win for his team. Kuronue along with Kiyoni and Mei watched with bated breath all the while.

Qualifying round ends with Meiou Academy moving on. Shuichi's three second victory over second place pushes the team to the prefecture round. Coach was highly pleased with both Minamino and his team. After helping out with the post-match clean up, Kiyoni boarded the bus to create and post an update on her TikTok account over what just happened with Mei and Kuronue in the background.

"Onto the quarterfinals," she announced.

"The prefecture round," Kuronue clarified.

"Onto the prefecture round! Go Meiou go!"

"So…?"

"So what?"

"Did I tell you or did I tell you? Shuichi is a beast!"

"I don't know. He did lose a couple of races."

"And you're gonna hold him to that? If you're so perfect, how come you're only the vice-captain and not the captain of the volleyball team, eh?"

"Because the captain is a relative of a member of the school board. She paid her way into that spot," Mei informed. "Maybe you should come to our game tomorrow and see. If you say Minamino is a beast, Kiyoni is an absolute monster."

"Aww, Mei," Kiyoni gushed.

"Yeah, yeah," Kuroune dismissed, "Whatever."

Returning to Meiou's campus, Shuichi ultimately found Kiyoni making her way home. She was still around Mei and Kuronue by the time Shuichi discovered her.

"Ay," Kuronue shouted, "Ariel!"

"Enough with that," Shuichi aggrevatingly declined, "I'm not Ariel."

"This coming from the guy who single-handedly advanced his team to the prefecture round? The national championship title is as good as ours."

"Always appreciate the votes of confidence, Kuronue."

"Hey, Minamino," Kiyoni greeted.

"Ikeda, you came."

"I said I would. I don't make promises I can't keep."

"Right. Oh," from his bag, Shuichi pulled out a book with a yellow hardcover, "Here. Thanks for letting me borrow it. I read it on the way to Naroma."

"Oh, no problem. Did it help at all?"

"It did. Now that the initial jitters about today are out of the way, I think I can sleep a bit better tonight. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Before Kiyoni could even think to put the book away, Kuronue snatched it, "What the heck is this?"

"Ah! You jerk! Give that back! That's a dream dictionary! My dream dictionary!"

"Dream dictionary? Are you sure it's not your…dream diary," Kuronue teased, flipping through the pages hoping to see anything that resembled a journal.

"It's not a…" Kiyoni clarified as she struggled with Kuronue, "diary. It's a dictionary. Obviously, something you have no…concept of."

"Nyah, nyah," thank goodness for a height advantage in Kuronue's case, "Ooh, you're cute when you're feisty. This is getting kinda fun."

That did it. It was time for another approach, Kiyoni-style.

"Kuronue, give that back," Shuichi encouraged.

"Yeah," Mei agreed, "Quit playing around."

"No," Kuronue stated, "I'm actually having some fun. Whoa! Almost had me there. Besides, I've always wanted to get close to someone like her."

"Is that right," Kiyoni confirmed.

"Yeah. In case you didn't know, I've had a serious crush on you ever since the first year. You really are a cutie. How about a date?"

Gears had turned in Kiyoni's head by now, "A date?"

"Yeah. Movies, arcade?"

Kiyoni slyly laughed the offer off. How dare someone like Kuronue make such a proposal after acting like a total asshole? Even Shuichi had better taste. How on earth are those two boys such good friends?

"Okay," Kiyoni said, "If you want to go on a date with me, you'll have to take care of four things."

"Wait, four?"

"Yep."

"And they are…?"

"They are…" taking inspiration from famed American actress Sandra Bullock in the movie, Miss Congeniality, Kiyoni made her move, "the…solar plexus…instep…nose…groin!"

Kuronue immediately fell to the ground after taking a hit in those areas, dropping the book in the process, "My nose…! Ah, my…my nuts…! Ah, you…you…!"

Vindicated, Kiyoni picked up her book and taunted, "What do you know? I guess there is a reason to fear the number four. Your dumb ass made that way too easy for me. As I've said before, I don't entertain creeps. Thanks for giving me my book back. Minamino, would you mind walking me home again?"

"Sure thing," Shuichi stated, feeling somewhat justified over what happened to Kuronue.

"Wait for me," Mei insisted as the pair walked off.

"Oi," Kuronue called, "You asshole! Aren't you gonna help me?"

Shuichi looked back and simply said, "No. Consider us even. See ya."

"You asshole! Minamino, you asshole!"

"You did good today, Shuichi," Kiyoni relented, "Congratulations."

"Those two losses would disagree," Shuichi said, full of relief, "I can't wait to see you in your element tomorrow."

"You're gonna be blown away," Mei advertised, "She's a monster just like you."

Shuichi glanced while Kiyoni blushed in silence, "Is that so? Well that amplifies my interest."

First, it was Shuichi with the pregame jitters. Now, it's Kiyoni's turn. However, internally, Kiyoni reminded herself to be on the top of her game tomorrow. There's no way in hell she's going to be embarrassed with Shuichi watching.