The Golden Pear [YA - Featured]

♫~Notes 91~♫

 All eyes were on Ueno. Everybody held their breath, expecting a spectacular show. She stretched her arms and leaped into the air. Her body curled, doing back somersault three times before she slid into the water like an arrow.

More cheers came her way as she resurfaced a few paces away from the rushing rings of water. She gasped for air as she pushed her lungs to the limit. Everything was perfect. Sensei would give her more extra points for this. Not everybody dared to perform like this. Not even the boys dared to do more than a simple jump.

Her head turned, glancing Aiyoku clapped, and his brother did the same. Regardless their of past problems, this was one fine jump. Her eyes met with Freya's one, who gave her a wide smile. Ueno snapped her head away.

Aiyoku climbed the ladder next, reaching as far as Ueno, who got out of the water. More cheers came his way. After all, he had obtained the recognization from everybody for standing up to Ueno. He was their local hero.

At first, he walked on the board back and forth twice, before he nodded and dashed. His foot dug into the board that propelled him higher. Rotating his body like a hurricane inside a ballerina, he dived into the water.

All students gasped and clapped, except for Rigaku.

"What gives?" he roared once Aiyoku got out of the water. "That was dangerous! You could slip!"

"No worries, I calculated the risk." He put a palm on his chest and lifted the other one as if he was swearing on the dog's ears and cat's conscience*.

"You aren't that good in mathematics." Rigaku folded his arms. "I teach you."

Aiyoku shrugged his shoulders, giving his brother puppy eyes.

Freya tapped the oldest Kamini, pointing at the jumping point. Rigaku stepped back, pushing back his wet glasses.

"I'm... I don't do well with heights," he muttered.

Aiyoku gave him a sympathetic smile. "Ri is scared of heights, but not like Ka of water."

"I'm not scared." Rigaku narrowed his eyes, but a tint of red colored his cheeks. "I just find them uncomfortable."

"Yes, yes." Aiyoku nuzzled his cheek with his.

So many eyes watched them, but they didn't notice one pair that held fear in them. From the roof of the school, Kagetsu scanned the pool. He gulped, clasping the iron fence around it, engraving the wires into his fingers. 'Keep it together! It's just stupid water!'

His knees betrayed him, sending him crashing down. He gripped the fence, bending the wires as if he tried to rip them away. 'Dang it! Crab!'

He shut down his eyes, crushing his eyelids as he tried to force his body to move. An invisible hand pushed against his efforts, stopping him from standing up for himself.