Little Mermaid (Free! X Reader)

Ch.13: Prefecturals (Prt.1)

-Prefecturals-
"Mako-chan! Haru-chan! N/N-chan! Over here!" Nagisa shouted happily with a closed eyed smile as he waved to the trio with Rei by his side.
"Good morning Nagi-kun!" Y/N greeted in her low tone, tackling the blond into a hug which he cheerfully returned.
"Hey, hey, check this out!" Nagisa grinned, letting go of Y/N and pointing to the dark circles around Rei's eyes. "Rei-chan was so nervous that he didn't get any sleep!"
"I wish I had nerves of steel like you." Rei bluntly replied, obviously not amused.
"You'll get there soon enough! Just relax." Nagisa smiled encouragingly.
"That's right!" Y/N smiled and nodded in agreement with the blond swimmer.
"Y/N, you look just as tired though." Makoto smiled as he pointed out the matching dark circles under Y/N's eyes.
"Ok, it's time for the tournament!" Y/N's exclaimed, her voice was actually slightly over a normal tone, and began marching in the direction of sign ups.

____Quick Time Skip____
After the group checked in, Y/N was walking a small distance behind the others, looking around in awe.
"That reminds me." Nagisa suddenly began to talk. "When we have our names at a tournament in grade school, they started checking the girls' list."
"You're right." Makoto agreed, looking slightly ashamed at the memory.
"Rei-chan also has a girly name, so it's too bad." Nagisa continued.
"What's too bad?" Rei retorted. "I don't understand what you're saying." He said while Nagisa chuckled.
Y/N paused at the entrance of the building where the other teams were, looking a little bit uncomfortable at all of the people that were in the room.
Y/N clung onto Haru's jacket sleeve, causing said male to look at her in surprise, before sighing and patting her head assuringly.
The group continued to walk, Y/N continuing to cling onto Haru like a scared child, until they walked out to the bleachers where the pool was.
Y/N reluctantly let go and ran up to the metal railing, staring at the large body of water in awe.

___Quick Time Skip___
"These are the timings for the tournaments. They're starting with Free in the morning. Haruka-Senpai is in the fourth heat." Gou explained while the Iwatobi team crowded around her and looked at the schedule.
"Haru-chan and Rin-chan are in neighboring lanes." Nagisa pointed out what anyone with eyes could see.
"The heats were drawn based on qualifying times, right?" Makoto asked Gou.
"Hai." Gou nodded.
"That means they're even." Y/N, whom had learned a lot of swimming slang thanks to Gou, pointed out.
"The eight fastest times from each event advance to the final and qualify for regionals." Gou continued to explain.
The five swimmers looked equally nervous, especially Rei and Y/N, whom had never swam competitively before.
"You'll be fine. No need to get nervous. Just swim the way you usually do. The most important thing is to never give up." Miss Amakata spoke up from the bleacher above the team, her umbrella in one hand and blocking her from the sunlight. "There's a quote from Napoleon: Five minutes make the difference between victory and defeat!"
Y/N was glad she wasn't the only one confused by the swim team's sponsor.
"Five minutes?" Nagisa asked.
"Miss Amakata, that's too long." Gou insisted.
"Well guys, do the best you can in each event. Let's make sure we can leave with no regrets!" Makoto encouragingly exclaimed.
"Ok!" Everyone agreed.
"Alright!" Gou exclaimed after explaining the five minute thing to Miss Amakata, turning back to the rest of the team. She pulled out her notebook and began to point out certain teams. "That's Oga South High School, known as Oga South. They have a swimmer who's known as the Whitebait of the Sea of Japan."
"Whitebait?" Y/N murmured, scrunching her nose up at the image of the slimy sardine like fish.
"They have someone with that nickname?" Nagisa asked in awe.
"And over there is Saijouin High School. They have a swimmer who's known as Joe the Flying Fish." Gou pointed out a team, where one swimmer was jumping up and down on his toes. "He's an incredible vertical." She insisted.
"That seems kind of cool." Y/N said.
"I want a nickname, too!" Nagisa exclaimed.
"You always stretched yourself out more near the end of a race." Makoto said.
"How about Bamboo Nagisa, then?" Gou suggested.
"Wait, why bamboo? Bamboo has nothing to do with swimming." Nagisa complained, causing Y/N to giggle.
"Did you collect all of that data by yourself?" Rei asked Gou.
"Well I am the manager." Gou stated, showing the team a very detailed lay out in her journal.
Y/N stared in complete awe. While she didn't know what half of the information was, she was impressed by how much Gou had written out.
"You even have notes on their muscles." Rei stressed out.
"But many things can't be expressed through notes." Gou sighed, looking away with a dramatic pause, before rushing to the railing and gawking at all of the other swimmers. "Muscles are best in the flesh!" She exclaimed, causing Y/N and the others to sweatdrop. "So many muscles simultaneously in one place! Wonderful! Marvelous!" Gou fangirled.
"Hey, Gou-kun!" A sudden shout caught the team's attention to a male with spikey orangish-red hair.
"It's Rin-chan's captain." Nagisa said in surprise.
"Huh?" Y/N asked in surprise. "How do you know him, Kou?" She asked the red haired female curiously.
"We had a joint practice once." Makoto explained.
"I told him to stop calling me Gou-kun." Gou sighed as the male continued to try and catch her attention.
"I don't see Rin." Makoto suddenly pointed out.
Y/N watched surprised as Haru suddenly began to walk away.
"Leave him be, Y/N." Makoto insisted, grabbing the female's wrist as she attempted to follow the other male. "He'll be fine." He assured her with a smile.
Y/N, hesitantly, nodded in agreement. Unfortunately, she had a feeling in her stomach that something bad was about to occur.

___Quick Time Skip brought to you by I'm so sorry there's so many QTS___
"Look! Haru-chan and Rin-chan are up next!" Nagisa eagerly pointed out the swimmers who were about to swim.
"Who are you rooting for, Matsuoka-chan?" Miss Amakata asked.
"Both of them!" Gou earnestly replied.
"Haru-chan! Fight!" Nagisa called out.
Y/N eagerly watched the two swimmers get on the block, nervously she chewed on the end of her hair, a habit she had started soon after becoming human.
"They're fast!" Rin exclaimed as the swimmers dived into the water.
"Rin-chan's gotten a lot faster!" Nagisa called out in surprise. "He's pulling ahead of Haru-chan!"
"Haru's falling behind in the first leg?" Makoto asked in surprise.
Y/N's eyes never left either swimmer as she anxiously watched for the hidden outcome.
"Haru-chan's catching up!" Nagisa stated.
"Haru/Haruka-Senpai!" Both Makoto and Rei cheered.
"Haru lost..." Makoto murmured as soon as the two had touched the wall, Haru just seconds after Rin.
"No way." Nagisa, just as shocked, murmured.
"N/N-chan?" Gou murmured, noticing how the (H/C) female was shaking like a freezing chihuahua.
This can't be happening...not again! Y/N thought, everything beginning to turn into winding shapes and she began feeling nauseous.
"N/N-chan?!" Gou shouted as the other female stumbled away from the group.
Before anyone could stop her, Y/N was out of sight.

[A/N: I just wanted to point out that Seijuro will not be a crush choice, simply because I really like the idea of him ending up with Gou. I will have Momotaru, his brother, be an option though.]