Life Made Anew

4: My Rival for Love

The next day, during the athletic period, I was standing at the shallow end of the pool with Kazama in the water in front of me.

"Come on, get in. It's just cold. It won't kill you if you just stand."

"A-all right..." The truth was that I was scared of the water. I've had bad experiences with polls even before the day before.

I slowly got in. Kazama held my hand. "I'll be here for you. I won't let go." He slowly pulled me the rest of the way in. "See, it isn't deep here. You can stand up and you'll be fine."

He directed my hands to the ledge. "Grab on and stick your legs out." I did as he told me. "Now start kicking your legs."

I did that and I noticed that the rest of my body stayed above water. "Ah! Is this right?"

He nodded in approval. "Correct, but don't let go. Then, you'd have to use your arms, which may tire you quickly for start."

I kept kicking my legs for a couple minutes. I was getting the hang of it. "Good," Kazama said. "You can stop now."

I stopped and stood in the pool. "Next," Kazama continued, "I want you to get used to having your face in the water. Don't worry about opening your eyes. It'll sting because of the chlorine."

"I don't need to worry about putting my face in. I'm used to it already." I folded my arms across my chest. "Now, you're just treating me like a kid."

He laughed. "You're so cute when you pout."

I blushed at that statement. "I-I'm not!"

"Whatever, just do it once for me."

"Fine." I put my face in the water and held my breath for about 5 seconds before he tapped on my shoulder.

"That's good enough. Now, one more thing, which we'll do for the rest of the time." He held out his hands. "Grab my hands and I'll guide you around the pool so you can get used to moving while kicking your legs."

I gabbed his hands. I put my legs out and started kicking them, just enough for my body to stay afloat, but not too hard that there would be huge waves. He started guiding me around.

His hands, they were strong, but gentle. He had a firm grip, but it wasn't at all painful. Why am I thinking about that right now? I thought. I need to focus on swimming.

Just then, some guys, who were playing volleyball in the pool, sent a spike our way. It wasn't a beach ball, but an actual volleyball. It had a high velocity, and hit Kazama straight on the head.

That guy was known for being strong. He was the captain of the guy's volleyball team and had a devastating spike. Kazama was knocked out. "Kazama!" I was in deeper water, and was struggling a bit to float.

Even so, I tried my best. I had to help him. I swam down as best I could, which wasn't too hard. I grabbed him and desperately kicked my legs to bring him back up. It was hard—very, very hard—but I managed to get him up.

Another person took him from my arms before my legs gave out, and I started to sink again. The volleyball captain got me and brought me back up.

I coughed out water when I surfaced. "Seriously, two days in a row where people almost drown. And this one was one I caused."

I didn't care to listen to him. I ran over to Kazama. I did the best I could to bring him back. I don't care if I die, just let him live! I thought. After several desperate attempts, he is revived.

The first thing I did after he got his breath back is kiss him. In front of both of our classes, we kissed each other.

After we broke the kiss, I saw a girl who I have never seen before this. I swear I saw her say this: "I should have helped him, not her."

She was so fair. Her skin was flawless, and her hair looked a silky, smooth blonde. The proportions on her body would make any guy want to be with her. She looked like a model, an actress, or something else. (Anyone reminded of Ami Kawashima from Toradora now?)

I was becoming wary of her, maybe even jealous of her body. I wanted to look more appealing to him, but I don't look anything like she does. I was rather small in my body size compared to her. I at least had height to my name, but my other sizes didn't match hers.
—
After class, I walked to Kazama's class and saw him talking to the new girl. They seemed to be having fun talking. He was laughing and having a good time. I couldn't tell if she was trying to seduce him or if she was being sincere.

"So Kamino, what did you do before coming to this school?" Kazama asked.

"I was, and still am, working as an actress after school days. I had to move here for a new movie that's being shot here in Akihabara," she said.

So she was an actress. With that body, no wonder she does that. Kazama finally noticed me. "Hey, Maki! Come here and meet, Kamino."

I walked in slowly. "Hi, Kamino. I'm Maki, Kazama's girlfriend."

"You didn't have to say the girlfriend part. I could tell after you kissed him in athletics. Oh, sorry. I'm Kamino Akazashi. Nice to meet you," she shook my hand. "I hope that we can become good friends."

"Yeah, I hope so too."

We all walked out of the classroom and headed out. When we got to the first floor. Kamino told Kazama to wait outside. She wanted to talk to me in private. I didn't feel so good about that. Kazama seemed wary about that as well, but he shrugged it off without too much worry.

She pinned me to a wall. "Listen here, do you really think you're worth his time."

"Huh...?"

"I'm saying that you shouldn't be with him. He's handsome, and I admit that you have a fairly nice body, but who do you think he'd rather pick: you, with your barely C chest; or me, with a much larger rack?"

"Who are you to tell me who should be with him? You don't know him in the slightest. He's gone through more than you, an actress with a good income and steady lifestyle, can even fathom."

"Unlike you, I can appeal to his musical interest more as well because I can actually play several instruments, including the piano, fairly well. What can you do? Sing? I don't really believe that that takes much talent to do.

"Why don't you scurry off to your family, leave him, and let me help with his family instead of you? I can do much more than your family with a business on the brink of failure," she concluded.

"How do you—?"

"I have my ways. Now, move along." She shooed me away.

I didn't know what to feel anymore. I felt so hurt, but I don't want to leave him. I decided to fight. "No, I'm not going to leave. I may not have a perfect body, and I may not be the best one to help his family, but I've already done more than he can repay me for—"

"But I can do more," she interrupted.

"No, you can't. Money can't buy the school's complete acceptance of him. I helped give him the acceptance on the school, which he deserves, with the help of his class. You haven't and can never do anything like that."

"Does that not make you question him actually loving you, though?" She asked.

"What makes you think that he doesn't truly love me?"

"I mean, he could be faking everything to make you help him. He may have liked it at the start, but now, he could be taking advantage of you. For all we know, he may not be in financial crisis."

That just set me off. "If he wasn't, he wouldn't have been bullied by everyone in the school. He wouldn't have been wearing the rags he had before then. How the heck could he fake all of that?!"

"I don't know. All I know is that I'm going to beat you in this game." She walked outside. She was right; she was making me doubt him. I couldn't stand it, so I ran. Ran far from him. I didn't even look at him as I ran by him to my house.

All I could do when I got to my house... Was cry. I may lose him... To her. That b****!! was the only thought in my head.
—
A/N the only thing this book was really missing... Was a love rival. Now, I finally added one.

I felt like writing last night, so I did, but I couldn't publish it until this morning.