Laps, Laughter, and Something Else

It had only been a few days since the injury, but the doctors had already cleared her for swimming as a safe form of cardio. Ayaka welcomed the news; she was desperate for any sign of progress.

She was surprised to find the pool completely empty. The quiet felt like a gift. She let out a shout just to hear the echo bounce back at her. Childish, maybe, but the sound steadied her nerves. For a moment, as she looked around the vast, still water, it almost felt like she owned the place.

She slipped beneath the surface and began her laps. Her strokes were clean, disciplined; the same discipline her coaches had vouched for when they assured the doctors she could be trusted to handle rehab responsibly. Because of that, the physical therapist assigned to supervise her had been allowed to step away.

Instead, Kanae sat cross‑legged at the edge of the pool, sulking dramatically. They had told her she was not allowed in the water unless it was an emergency, and she clearly considered this a personal injustice.

Ayaka burst up from beneath the surface and sent a splash directly at Kanae. Instinct made Kanae lift her hand in defense.

“No amount of whining is going to change their minds, you know,” she said, grinning. “This pool is for injured athletes only.”

Kanae splashed her right back. “Don’t they understand my heart is injured just as much as your foot?”

“Oh, is it now?” Ayaka teased, drifting backward with an easy float.

She rolled onto her stomach and slipped back into her laps, letting the water cradle her. Her strokes lengthened, smoother, more deliberate; the way she imagined Hayasaka Kaito would swim for gold. In her mind, she matched his precision, his quiet intensity, gliding through the pool as if she were chasing the same invisible foe he always followed to first place.

When she finished the laps she had been assigned, Ayaka swam to the edge and let Kanae help her out of the pool. Kanae peeled back the protective cover from Ayaka’s soft cast with practiced care. Once Ayaka found her balance, Kanae handed over the crutches she was now forced to rely on.

As Kaito left the training pool, a familiar laugh echoed from the physical therapy side of the facility. His posture sharpened before he could stop himself, a sudden alertness that made the swimmers beside him glance over. He was never this reactive.

Ayaka emerged from the rehab pool area a moment later, balancing on crutches. He had heard she was injured, a passing comment from one of the guys. Seeing her in a cast, moving carefully down the hallway, hit him harder than he expected.

For a heartbeat, he lingered, watching her navigate the corridor with Kanae hovering protectively at her side.

Then, aware of the eyes around him, he smoothed his expression back into its usual calm and turned toward the other swimmers, slipping seamlessly into his reserved, unreadable self.

The physical therapist bent and rotated Ayaka’s leg and foot as she pleased, and Ayaka was surprised by how quickly she had gotten used to it. Kanae had left earlier for her own practice; Reiko had been kind enough to let her stay with Ayaka, but not kind enough to excuse her from the group sessions.

The therapist’s hands were steady, confident. She was clearly skilled; Ayaka barely registered most of the movements. Every now and then, a flicker of pain shot through her, but it was nothing compared to what she had felt just days before.

Eventually, Ayaka’s attention drifted upward. She stared at the ceiling tiles, letting her mind wander, barely aware of the woman working on her foot at all.

A burst of laughter echoed down the hallway before a group of skaters spilled into the room, arms full of snacks and drinks. Ayaka knew this was more a show of camaraderie than genuine worry, but she still put on a bright smile to greet them.

One girl stepped forward with a small bouquet. “I am really sorry for laughing with Emiri the other day. I did not realize your injury was serious.”

“She’s only apologizing so she doesn’t get stuck with extra training again,” another girl teased, nudging her.

The first girl shot her an exaggerated frown. “At least I apologized,” she huffed, as if calling the other out.

“Kanae’s jumps have been amazing lately,” one of the skaters chimed in. “Maybe you should stop talking to her to keep her motivated.”

Ayaka could not tell if it was a sly jab or harmless teasing. Before she could decide how to respond, Kanae’s voice rang out from the hallway.

“She would never do that to me.”

The room erupted in laughter. The girl who had made the comment shrank back with a shy smile, suddenly very interested in the snacks she had brought.

Kanae slowly herded the other girls out, insisting Ayaka needed rest. They each offered quick well‑wishes on their way out; a few sincere, a few hollow “we miss you,” and then the room finally settled into quiet again. The therapist wrapped up her work soon after and slipped out as well.

“Those young ones can be a handful,” Kanae said with a grin.

“I’m still young myself,” Ayaka protested.

Kanae raised an eyebrow. “We have coaches younger than you.”

“Reiko‑sensei is the only coach I know,” Ayaka replied flatly.

They shared a small smile at that. Kanae retrieved the crutches and handed them over, steadying Ayaka as she shifted upright once more.

The two of them made it back to their room, and Ayaka eased herself onto the bed. Kanae switched on the TV, then plopped down beside her. She handed Ayaka the remote, and Ayaka flipped through the channels with the same practiced ease she used in her routines, stopping the moment a familiar image caught her eye.

The broadcast had cut to Kaito. He was not even the one swimming; the camera was catching his reaction as he cheered for a teammate. Ayaka let out a soft laugh, imagining exactly how much he must hate the attention.

Kanae glanced over. “What’s so funny?”

“I was just imagining how awkward this must be for him,” Ayaka said. “He’s not comfortable in the spotlight.”

Kanae’s eyes widened, instantly sensing gossip. “Oh? Sounds like you got to know him more than you have been letting on.”

“Turning into a teenage girl, are we?” Ayaka replied, not looking away from the screen. “I sat next to him for an hour. I picked up a few things, that's all.”

“Sure, sure. You ‘picked up a few things,'” Kanae said, her tone dripping with implication.

Ayaka smacked her with a pillow. Kanae clutched her head dramatically.

“No fair! I can’t hit you back right now,” she whined.

“Maybe this injury has its bright side after all,” Ayaka said, settling back against the pillows.

They laughed together, enjoying being able to spend time like this. Then they both turned their attention to the screen, watching the swimmers glide through the water.

“But you know,” Kanae murmured, studying the topless Kaito with a thoughtful squint, “you could do worse.”

A pillow flew at her with perfect precision before she even had time to react.