Welcome to the Deep End

Ayaka opened the doors slowly, peeking her head in first. The chlorine hung so thick in the air that even the swimmers’ supportive shouts seemed muted beneath it. She had been invited, but the fear of being an outsider still crept over her.

She stepped inside and closed the door gently, as if afraid to disturb some unfamiliar peace. As she made her way toward the bleachers behind the swimmers, one of the coaches noticed her and offered a welcoming bow.

The gesture eased her worries just enough for her to take her place within the scene.

It only took a few minutes for her to join the cheers; she was shouting out names of swimmers she did not really know, matching the cadence of the teammate in front of her. A smile spread across her face as she felt, for the first time in weeks, like she was part of a team again.

Hearing her voice behind him, Kaito turned and was struck by her expression. He had seen her smile many times, but never one this carefree. The sight of it eased something in him, and he turned back to the pool to cheer on his friends with renewed vigor.

As Kaito prepared to take his laps, Ayaka stood up to watch.

“Go for it, Hayasaka san!” she shouted, louder and more enthusiastic than before.

Kaito turned, his expression matching her energy, and gave her a thumbs up, a gesture he usually reserved only for his grandmother. Then he faced the pool again, his posture shifting into a seriousness Ayaka wished she could see from the front.

When the signal rang through the air, Kaito launched into the pool with a power that shocked Ayaka, given his usually reserved personality. He surged ahead of the other swimmer, reminding her that he was an Olympic gold medalist after all.

Her cheers rose above the others, her energy unmatched in that moment. Each time he turned at the wall, he felt her voice pushing him forward, faster than he had moved in weeks. Thoughts of his lingering injury vanished.

Daichi glanced up at Ayaka with unrestrained happiness and bowed his head in thanks. She did not know why he was bowing, but she paused her cheering long enough to bow back before jumping right back into her supportive role.

As Kaito finished his last lap, he burst out of the water like he was in one of his commercials. He slicked his hair back, then slapped the surface with both hands in pure, unfiltered joy. For the first time since his injury, he felt completely at home in the pool, as if he had finally returned to being himself.

His teammates rushed over, cheering and gathering around him in celebration of his return to form. He appreciated their support; these were people who had been with him for years. However, his eyes drifted past them to a small figure skater in a Team Japan boot, someone he had known for only a few months.

Daichi pulled Kaito to the side, giving him some final coaching advice, or at least that was what Ayaka assumed. Two swimmers had just finished their set, and she caught them sprinting toward the bleachers from the corner of her eye.

They barely managed to stop without crashing into her, wobbling together as they steadied each other.

“The coaches said we’d have a visitor,” the first one said.

The second finished the thought. “I can’t believe it’s the Fujimoto Ayaka.”

Ayaka nodded. “Yep. The Fujimoto Ayaka, in the flesh.”

The swimmers exchanged a delighted look; she seemed far more approachable than they had imagined. In their experience, top athletes usually kept their distance.

“I heard it might be hard for you to make All Japan this year,” the first said, genuine worry in his voice. “Is that true?”

Ayaka glanced down at her boot, twisting it a few times as if presenting the problem. Their cheerful expressions dimmed as they stared at her injured foot.

“Nope,” she said at last. “That gold already has my name on it.”

Their faces lit right back up at her confidence. The second swimmer leaned forward, flexing as if to show off.

“I’ll be your support when the time comes,” he declared, his own strange way of comforting her.

Ayaka covered her mouth and laughed as the first swimmer yanked him back.

“He means we all will,” he said, clamping a hand over his teammate’s mouth. “You’re officially part of the team now.”

Kaito appeared behind them. “Once a team member, always a team member.”

Both swimmers jumped; neither had noticed him approach. Ayaka, feeling more at ease with him nearby, let out a laugh she did not bother to control. The second swimmer shoved Kaito’s shoulder playfully.

“Make some more noise, will ya?” he said, the closeness in his voice unmistakable.

The other swimmer ruffled Kaito’s hair in retaliation. Ayaka felt a quiet relief settle in her chest; at least he was not alone when he was with his team. Kaito simply fixed his hair without complaint.

“This is Shirogane Ren,” he said, pointing to the first swimmer.

Ayaka dipped her head. “Shirogane san.”

He returned the gesture. “Fujimoto san.”

Kaito pointed to the muscular one. “Fujii Takeru.”

“Fujii san, I’ll appreciate your future support.” Ayaka smiled, more at Kaito than at Fujii, as she said it.

Takeru, missing the implication entirely, puffed up with enthusiasm. “You can count on me!”

Ren smacked him on the back of the head. Takeru clutched the spot, bewildered as he tried to figure out what he had done wrong. Ayaka could not believe how often she was finding herself laughing in a strange new environment.

“Did the change of scenery help?” Kaito wondered aloud.

Ayaka nodded, and he could see how a cloud seemed to have lifted from her.

“This is the best day I’ve had since my injury,” she admitted.

A quiet pride bloomed in Kaito’s chest; he had helped her in the same way she had helped him. The feeling lasted only a moment before it folded into his usual embarrassment, his shoulders shrinking as if looking for a place to hide. Ayaka had always been drawn to confident people, but maybe having one shy friend was not so bad.

Takeru broke the moment. “Was the scenery at the rink that bad?”

Both Kaito and Ren smacked him on the head this time. He snapped upright, still unsure what he had done wrong. Ayaka found herself laughing freely, without care, for a little while longer.