Bonded By Love

Two Dreams, Two Seperate Paths

Practice ran really late today. With regionals right around the corner, we would stay until dark.

"Are you boys still practicing?" Ms. Ama asked.

"Ms. Ama!"

She walked up to us. "The guidance counselor will scold you for staying past the school's closing time, you know."

"Regionals are next week, so we want to use every moment we can to train." Makoto answered.

"The more we practice our exchanges, the better we'll perform." Nagisa added on.

Haru and Rei were currently in the pool practicing their exchanges. Makoto and Nagisa were taking a break.

"Practice your exchanges?" Ms. Ama questioned.

"That's right. Our only chance at surpassing the top schools is by shaving off enough time from our exchanges. We need to learn to anticipate the timing of the person before that we're already starting to move into our dives by the time they touch the platform. We'll ideally have zero seconds between touch and dive." Makoto explained.

"But if you cut the timing that close, what if you dive in before the touch?"

"We'd be disqualified. But we can't let ourselves be afraid of that." Nagisa said.

"If we can master this timing, we can cut our time down further." Makoto said.

"Oh, you're still practicing at this hour?" A voice said.

"The guidance counselor?" I said softly.

"And the principal too?! W-we're sorry! We were just getting ready to leave!" Ms. Ama

"No, no, you're fine." The guidance counselor waved off.

"More importantly, Nanase, Kirishima, we hear that the scouts have been contacting you. That's very impressive! Kirishima, we hear that art schools are practically fighting over you. You both are the pride of our school. We're all looking forward to your performance at regionals. Give it your all!" The principal stated.

"Yes sir..." I said softly.

"Okay." Haru replied.

We were done with practice, and Makoto closed the club room. When Kou spoke up.

"That reminds me, it looks like at regionals, Nitori-kun will more likely be on Samezuka's relay team."

"I get to battle against Ai-chan? I can't wait!"

"Really? I'm glad. He really wants to swim on the relay team. But our biggest opponents are still Rin and Yamazaki-kun..." I trailed off as I remembered what Kisumi told us the other day.

"Airi-senpai, what's the matter?" Kou asked.

"Oh, it's nothing...Kou, have you heard anything about Yamazaki-kun?" I inquired.

"Like what?"

"Well, it's fine if you haven't heard anything. I was just curious."

The others made their way home and it was me, Haru, and Makoto left. We decided to stop and sit near the beach.

"I wonder if what Kisumi told us is true." Makoto thought.

"Who knows. It doesn't matter either way. If he can swim, he must be fine." Haru blankly stated.

"...unless he's ignoring the pain." I spoke up.

They both looked at me.

"It's just that, during the relay at prefecturals, I noticed Yamazaki-kun slowed down for a second. It could've just been my imagination, or maybe something else was on his mind." I confessed.