Divine Madness [Free!] [2]

🌸 Chapter 14 🌸

The following day, Heisuke joined Haruka, Makoto and Gou as the four of them found Nagisa that afternoon. Nagisa had been watching Rei, who was currently stretching before he attempted at his pole vault. Heisuke walked over to take a seat next to Haruka as they sat down on the bench, too.

"You haven't given up yet?" Makoto asked the young blond, whose magenta eyes were still stuck on the bespectacled male off in the grounds of the school. Heisuke looked curious, too.

"Of course not," Nagisa said as Rei stretched. "But it looks like Rei-Chan... is feeling much better,"

Heisuke watched quietly as Rei ran ahead, and it was clear to her that he did this without any calculations for the very first time. And he went up into the air, spread wide out but rather than correcting himself to land properly, he fell heavily. She realised that he was imitating Haruka.

It was clear to her that he was trying to replicate that sight in the air.

"He fell," Makoto said as he, Nagisa, Gou, and even Haruka looked at the boy in surprise – but Heisuke wasn't the least bit shocked or concerned. She knew what he was checking to see.

"Huh?" Nagisa asked suddenly. "He's coming over here," He was right – Rei had gotten up from the mattress and was making his way to them, putting his glasses back on.

Rei came to a stop in front of Haruka, looking down at him, "I want to be like you, Nanase Senpai,"

"What do you mean?" Gou asked as they stared up at him.

"I want that kind of freedom," Rei replied.

"It's not freedom," Haruka interjected as others looked at him surprised. Heisuke glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, knowing what was coming – "It's freestyle,"

"F-Freestyle..." Rei repeated with a stammer before gathering himself and correcting his already-correct glasses. "Anyway, I would like to formally..." He took a huge breath in and bowed to them –

"Join the swim club!"

"What?" Nagisa asked as he and Gou both gasped simultaneously. He quickly gathered himself as well and jumped to his feet in excitement. "Really...?!"

Heisuke looked toward Haruka and he caught sight of her turquoise eyes, coming out of his surprise at the younger male. He looked away, mumbling, "If you want to swim, go ahead,"

"It's all settled then," Heisuke said with her usual bright smile. "Welcome to the Swim Club, Ryugazaki Rei-Chan! It's wonderful to have you, let's all work hard from now on,"

"Yep," Gou agreed while Makoto smiled, too.

"Haru-Chan!" Nagisa said, and Rei turned to look at him.

"However, you were the one who initially invited me to join," Rei said to the blond. "I expect you to take responsibility, Nagisa-Kun," Nagisa broke out into a grin before jumping over to him.

"Sure!" Nagisa exclaimed excitedly. "You can count on me!" He swung his arm around the bespectacled male and pulled him down to his small height.

"Hey, watch it!" Rei shouted as his back almost broke while Heisuke, Makoto and Gou laughed. Haruka watched them do so, his eyes mostly lingering onto the pink-haired girl.

🌸

Heisuke carefully and neatly tied the green bow around her neck before pulling on the light grey sweater vest over her white shirt. She straightened her similarly grey skirt and made sure her socks weren't bunched up. She left the mirror to head downstairs, tying her hair up into a half-up, half-down ponytail with her long, pink hair.