Swimming

 “Come to think of it, Juusaki doesn’t have a club, does he?” Akio remarks.

“Right! He doesn’t! Do you want to join my club?” Hibiki invites.

“What is the club?” Juusaki asks.

“Music club. We play strings mostly.”

“Ah, yes, the over-financed club in this school. Could you guess how much per month is their budget?” Akio cuts in.

Denji, Juusaki, Kyou, and Daichi shake their heads while Hibiki turns his eyes away.

“I can’t even guess. I wouldn’t know.”

“Then why accuse without basis?” Hibiki asks.

“I do have basis. You see that violin over there?” Akio points to a girl nearby holding up a violin. “That costs…”

“Costs what? Don’t tell me you do not know.”

“W—well, I know that violin is overpriced… for sure… in some way…”

Hibiki sighs, half in relief. “See? We are just like any other club in the school! It’s all equally distributed, isn’t it, President?” Hibiki looks at Denji for this question.

“Yes, that’s right. Also, stop with the baseless accusation, Akio, it’s pointless.”

“B—but I know it’s true! You see how he averted his eyes when I mentioned it?”

“What? I didn’t avert my eyes? And what could that possibly mean?”

The two boys bicker back and forth while the other four boys continue to the original topic.“How about to join me as a school secretary? You would be of great help especially with your amazing dexterity and the ability to effortlessly multitask.”

“Target offers connection,” Juusaki’s AI speaks to him. “Recommended action: Accept the offer.”

“I agree,” Juusaki responds to his AI and opens his mouth to speak, but something interrupts him.

“Hey, Daichi,” a slim, tan girl leans behind Daichi requiring his attention.

“What is it, Suzumiya-san?” Daichi’s face suddenly changes from a light-hearted expression to a serious one.

“Are we going to have swimming practice today?”

“Yes, we have practice today.”

“Alright, thank you. See ya there.”

Daichi nods in response and the girl walks away.

“Juusaki? Are you alright?” Denji nudges Juusaki slightly then follows Juusaki’s gaze. “Ah, I see. You like her?”

“Daichi, are you in the Swimming Club?” Juusaki asks.

“Yes, I am,” Daichi switches expressions again. “Anyway, I think Juusaki should be at the Literature Club!” Daichi chuckles.

“Just because he is quiet and smart, you will place him in that stereotype and assign him to be a librarian?” Akio stops his argument with Hibiki to ask this.

“Yeah! What’s wrong with you, Daichi? One of these days your joke will hurt someone.” Hibiki simultaneously detaches from his fight with Akio.

“Oh, come on, you guys. It won’t! And anyway, I was just kidding, well, only fifty percent.” Daichi rubs the back of his head.

“And you are still fifty percent ruder…” Akio sighs.

“Ruder? Is that a new word? Oh, you mean roader. Yeah, I want to be a roader someday… oh, rider!”

“Shut up. You are annoying,” Hibiki snaps.

“Well, guys, guys, it’s Juusaki’s decision if he will join a club or not. I’m sure you will join one, right, Juusaki?” Denji states.

Juusaki still stares blankly at where the girl has gone.

“Well, maybe not. But then, join the student council!” Denji weakly laughs.

“Eh? That boring council?” Daichi remarks.

“What so boring about it?” Denji responds coldly.

“I do agree it’s boring. Engineering Club is more fun than that paperwork office.” Akio states.“But isn’t the Engineering Club also full of paperwork?”

“I agree with Akio. Papers in his club are more fun than yours, and Music Club is the best club.” Hibiki adds in.

“Oh, cut me some slack guys. And your Music Club is the best because of its abundant funds.” Denji suddenly covers his mouth, though he intentionally slipped.

“Wait, I knew it!” Akio exclaims. “My club deserves those funds! Not some kind of hobbyist club like yours!”

“And what club are you calling a hobbyist club!?”

Sparks once again fly between Akio and Hibiki, but Juusaki gives no reaction and continues staring to where the girl has gone off.

The class bell rings signaling the conclusion of today’s classes, and Juusaki approaches Daichi who is hastily leaving. “Daichi-san, may I come with you to your club?”

“My club? Oh Swimming Club,” Daichi places his bag over his right shoulder and carries a sports bag on his left. “Sure, sure, whatever. Don’t mess stuff when you are in there, okay?”

“Understood, Daichi-san.”

The two ride the elevator which is currently going up to the indoor swimming pool’s floor.

“What is with you coming with me all of the sudden?” Daichi asks.

“I thought it would be beneficial to me if I visit the Swimming Club.”

“Helpful? Oh, you want to learn some techniques for survival swimming?”

“Well… more or less that.”

Daichi bobs his head in understanding, “I see, I see. A diligent man, eh? Oh, we are here.”

The elevator opens, and the two boys step out.

“Don’t run on the pool grounds! Only walk! And you can seat over there. And no eating or drinking at the poolside. You got that?” Daichi sternly warns with a tense face rather than with his light and cheerful face that he shows around his friends.

“Understood, Daichi-san.”

“Good,” Daichi then walks to the boy’s shower when the girl from the lunch earlier greets him.

“Daichi! You are finally here! I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Did you shower yet? Did you—”

“Yes, yes, I already ate, showered, warmed up, did stretches, and did breathing exercises. Yes, sir!” She reports enthusiastically.

“Good, good. Wait, for me. I’ll just take a shower.”

“Should I come in with you?”

“Of course not.” The joke goes over Daichi’s head. “Now get back in the pool.”

A few minutes pass and Daichi emerges from the shower room while his muscles shone though he is wearing a full-body swimsuit. He could be mistaken for a bodybuilder or a boxer, but he is a swimmer. Daichi does some stretches for a while before he slowly climbs down the pool’s ladder. After that, he does breathing exercises. “Alright, I’m ready,” he says to the girl.“I’m ready too! Let’s start!” The girl enthusiastically responds.

Surprisingly, Daichi’s body is streamlined in water able to compete with his girl partner. Though Daichi’s build suggests a heavier weight thus slowing him down in swimming, his experience in the pool is shown as his girl partner is barely a match for him.

“You should practice your breathing’s timing. That’s what is slowing you down.”

“Geez, how many problems do I have that you will tell me? Just say that you are talented in swimming!”

“If you don’t take swimming seriously, you would not be able to compete against me. Let alone others who are better than me. Swimming isn’t some kind of hobby. It’s a sport.”

“But I am the most serious than I have ever been!”

“That’s all you got? Then you still have a long way to go. One more time. Two laps, length-wise.”

The girl groans, “Yes, yes.”

Time passes as Juusaki watches and observes the duo, and occasionally the other swimmers. Although he is mostly focused on Daichi’s partner. The sun starts to set, and the swimmers in the pool start to leave it, and Daichi is among one of them.

“Good work, Suzumiya. ‘Till next week.”

“You too. ‘Till next week!” The girl returns enthusiastically as she heads to the girl’s shower.Incidentally, where Juusaki is seated is beside the shower, and the girl approaches his direction. The girl passes by Juusaki’s seat while he watched her intently. The girl as she notices his gaze shoots a condescending glance before she enters the shower room. A thud on the table in front of Juusaki distracts his concentration.

“Hey, hey, this isn’t the beach, pal. This is a pool. If you want to ogle, go to the beach,” Daichi looks at Juusaki coldly as he leans on the table. And Juusaki alertly looks with no expression at Daichi. “Well, that’s what I would have said if you were any other guy, but I see you have been observing her very well. Any thoughts?”

“She is beautiful—”

“Woah,” Daichi raises his hands in the air, “alright, you might be some other guy.”

Juusaki clears his throat. “Beautifully shaped. Compatible for the swimming sport, she is.”

“Oh, that’s what you meant.” Daichi looks at somewhere afar as his eyes sparkle. “Well, I know right? I wish I had her body,” Daichi quickly looks at Juusaki as he stares coldly at him, and Daichi quickly shakes his hands, “but I don’t mean it in a weird way! I would still wish I stay male but have her body size and shape. Man, it’s hard propelling this chunk of meat,” He says as he pats his biceps. Daichi then shows off his pecks as it moves on its own. “How do you like that? Check this out.” He sets his leg on a chair. “I don’t usually show my leg muscles, but I get to show it now!” Daichi’s quadriceps pulses while Juusaki looks intently studying every part.“That’s true…” Juusaki bobs his head. “I’m impressed.”

“I know right? I’d be impressed myself! Oh.” Daichi looks at his partner emerging from the shower room and his facial expression changes from cheerful to being serious.

“Still doing that act again? You know practice time’s over,” the girl snarls.

“Oh right,” Daichi sticks out a tongue while he puts his hand on the back of his head pretending to be shy about it.

“Creepy,” she comments.

“Creepy!? Okay, I’ll stop.” Daichi turns to Juusaki, “Anyway, Juusaki—”

“Will you be here in the pool tomorrow?” Juusaki asks.

“Nope, but what about it?”

“Can you teach me how to swim tomorrow?”

“Ah… wait, I can’t do tomorrow. How about next week?

“That will do fine.”

“Do you want to join the Swimming Club?” Daichi’s face turns serious and cold. “If you are, you should be serious about it. I won’t accept a person with no commitment to join.”

“Daichi, you are scaring him, and besides, not all members of our club take it this seriously.”

“They don’t!? How dare they! Anyway, if you were to join, I’d be training you harshly every day until I see that you are ready.”

“I understand. Thank you. Then, about my question.”

“Sure! No problem! Just make sure you have the proper swimwear, a full-body swimsuit!”

“You don’t have to do that,” she looks at Juusaki, “umm…?”

“Oh, his name is Juusaki Hachiko,” Daichi then turns to Juusaki, “and her name is Aimizu Suzumiya.”

Juusaki promptly stands up and bows to her, “Nice to meet you, Suzumiya-san”

“Nice to meet you too, Hachiko-kun,” Aimizu returns.

“Are you going to the pool tomorrow too?” Juusaki asks.

“Yes, I will be joining Daichi,” she replies.

“That’s great.” Something vibrates inside Juusaki’s pocket, and he pulls out his phone. “Excuse me, I have to take this call.” He moves a distance away from the two and answers the call.“The target is in danger, and we have no available Agents on sight. You are the closest one. Please go to the coordinates I have sent, over,” the caller ends the call and Juusaki checks his phone for the text. Upon seeing it, he rushes to the Kingdom Towers where Denji lives.He arrives at the twelfth floor of Tower B. Using the coordinates, he finds Denji’s room and knocks on its door, but no one answers.

“Denji, it’s Juusaki. Are you there?” Juusaki continues knocking but receives no response. Juusaki then wears his wireless earphones and glasses and mumbles, “Echolocation Protocol.” With his glasses, he can see four people in two pairs, and they are motionless.

“Analysis: Ongoing abduction,” his AI tells him.

“Identify the persons.”

“The persons include: Target, Kawamoto, unknown, and unknown. Recommended action: Use arm cast.”

“My cast?” Juusaki looks at his left arm that is still wearing the cast. “Right, it had that.” “Denji! I’m coming in!” Juusaki yells as he starts bodying the door, but after several attempts, it fails. “Activate Arm Protocol.” Suddenly, his arm’s cast takes a form of a fist, and Juusaki uses it to pound the door, this time successfully making a whole. He then uses the hole to unlock the door from the inside. “Denji, where are you?” But Juusaki knows exactly where he is and walks straight into the dining room where the two intruders waited on each side. Immediately, after Juusaki passes, the two intruders tackle him from both sides and disabled his movement. But Juusaki uses the arm-cast-turned-weapon to his advantage and punches one of the intruders to set himself free. Then he turns to the other one and flings him with his arm cast. The two intruders end up on the same side of the room.

“J—juusaki, th—that’s your healing arm!” Denji asks in bewilderment.

“It is done healing,” Juusaki replies.

“Watch out!” Nana points to the intrude who is pointing his gun at him.

“Laplace Auto-Protocol,” his AI prompts him as Juusaki uses his arm cast to block the bullet.The shooter looks in astonishment but soon overcomes it and starts emptying his pistol, but Juusaki with his superior abilities block all the bullets with the cast. “H—how?”

“You are under arrest, under the authority of Nana.” A static sparks at the end of Juusaki’s cast.

“Is that a taser too?” Denji quickly asks, but Juusaki doesn’t respond and proceeds to electrify both of the intruders.