“Water’s a nice temperature.”
“Heated pool — not too cold. Big plus.”
Kano had dipped a finger in and made the comment; I responded. School pool memories of cold-water hesitation came rushing back. The teacher yelling at us to get in always followed — also traumatic, like the hell shower.
“Let’s hit the flowing pool.”
“Yes — let’s.”
“Lead the way.”
She slipped her arm through mine and pressed in. Multiple parts touching — bad on the self-control front.
“W-what was that for?”
“Don’t want to get separated in the crowd.”
”…You didn’t need to link arms for that.”
Holding hands would’ve sufficed. She looked down for half a beat and said quietly:
“I wanted to be touching Yuito. Is that not okay?”
“It’s okay.”
That was a foul. No man on earth says no after that line.
We walked, arm-linked, to the outdoor flowing pool.
“You going to a uni open campus over the break?”
“This year there’s a write a report on an open campus assignment, so at least one, yeah.”
“They’re making you do that? In my year there wasn’t.”
“Last year’s third-years had super-low open-campus attendance, so it was decided in a faculty meeting — rumor.”
The school wants attendance, so the report is the lever. The reports themselves are a hassle — please spare me. The teachers grading them must also suffer. Nobody wins.
“Decided where to visit?”
“Sahoda and Heisei, candidates.”
Sahoda (where Kano goes) is Japan’s most competitive private. Heisei is a tier below but also a top private.
For me Sahoda is a reach; Heisei’s the realistic goal. On the recent mock, Sahoda was a D-grade, Heisei a B.
“Come to Sahoda — I’ll personally show you around.”
“With you guiding it sounds fun.”
“Settled. Apply via the homepage later.”
“Got it.”
So my summer plans began to fill. As we talked we’d reached the flowing pool. We rented a two-person inner tube and floated off.
“Floating pools — being just carried is somehow great.”
“Right? Mellowest possible activity.”
Life has its share of bad stuff — stress release like this is necessary maintenance.
“Yuito, this time next year you’ll be deep in exam study, so enjoy now.”
“Don’t remind me.”
“Sorry, sorry — want me to let you touch my boobs as an apology?”
She whispered it in my ear and I jolted, lost my balance, and fell off the inner tube.
“Oh — you okay?”
“My nose and mouth full of water — not okay.”
I gave her a flat stare. She breezed past. She’s good at this.
“Take my hand.”
“Thanks.”
I grabbed her hand and climbed back on. Before, taking her hand would have embarrassed me — not anymore.
That’s the emotional distance shrinking. And a question rose: if it had been Suzuno, would I have taken her hand without hesitation?
While I was internalized, she gently flicked my forehead.
“Thinking about other girls on a date with me is against the rules.”
”…How did you know?”
“Woman’s intuition.”
The intuition is real. (Or maybe just her — she nailed the Suzuno-scent thing too.) Probably nothing gets past Kano.