We warmed up, then stepped foot-by-foot into the pool.
“Yeah, the cold’s amazing.”
“On a day like today, yes.”
“Glad we came.”
We chatted while we played around. The pool was full of families and couples. Tokyo Aqualand has the water slides, the jacuzzis, the sauna — plenty to do for hours.
There’s also a summer-only outdoor area, but it’s mostly an extra; the indoor pool occupies roughly eighty percent of the floorspace.
”…Hey, they’ve got two different water slides.”
“Yeah — the long one and the short one.”
“Want to do both.”
Apparently the short slide actually gets you going faster than the long one, so the preference splits by person.
“There’s no line right now — wanna try the short one first?”
“Yeah, just swimming was starting to get old.”
“Seconded.”
We climbed out and headed for the short slide. The line moves fast on it — short descent plus two parallel tracks — so the throughput is excellent.
“All right, going.”
“Have fun.”
“I’m watching from up here, Ryouya.”
I lay down on the track and shot down. Just as advertised, the lying-down position was fast — I splashed down almost immediately.
I climbed out on the side and waited for Reona to come down next. As expected, she came down in the lying position at high speed — but on splashdown, catastrophe.
“Oh, are you—!?”
The impact had popped the top of Reona’s red bikini clean off. Reona, realizing her situation, went bright red and dove underwater in a panic, hunting for the missing top.
I jumped in to help. Lucky for everyone, we found it almost immediately — I handed it back to Reona without looking.
“I did not expect the strap to come off, I’m in shock. I tied it carefully in the changing room and everything.”
“Lesson: don’t get complacent. Honestly, didn’t expect Reona to panic that much, was kinda surprising.”
“I am also a girl, you know — of course I’d panic.”
“You stripped naked in front of me at the sleepover without any apparent issue, though?”
When the two of them had stripped naked in the bathroom that night, I’d assumed they had some sort of relevant kink.
“Being seen by random strangers is obviously different.”
“Ah. Fair.”
That line could also be read as “you’re not a problem if it’s you,” but that interpretation was terrifying so I did not pursue it.
“By the way, Ryouya-kun — did you just see my chest?”
”…No.”
“Not even a glance?”
“Yeah. I was panicking too, no time.”
The truth was I did get the briefest look, but admitting that would result in being branded pervert, so I was taking that to my grave. After that, Riona came down the slide without incident, and the three of us went to the jacuzzi.
“Warm. Feels good.”
“Yeah, this’ll cancel out the last few weeks’ worth of fatigue in five minutes.”
“Ryouya’s talking like an old man.”
“You’ll get it when you’re my age.”
“Ryouya-kun, we’re the same age.”
We bantered about nonsense and basked in the warm water. A pile of stuff had happened in close succession lately, and at some point I’d be due for a collapse if I didn’t actually rest.
I’d done enough hospital time from the stabbing for a while; please, no more. Then again, I had no reason to assume I’d be involved in any further incidents of that magnitude. After the jacuzzi we did the lazy river and the sauna.
”…Already three hours since we started swimming?”
“Genuinely flew by.”
“That’s how fun it was.”
We had that conversation as we waited in the line for the long slide. Lesson learned from earlier, both Reona and Riona were firmly securing their bikinis this time, so it was safe to assume no repeat performances.
“I’ll go first this time. If Nee-chan’s bikini comes off again, I’ll find it.”
“I told you so many times, this time we’re fine. Do you really not trust me?”
“Nee-chan repeats the same mistake from way back — honestly, can’t trust.”
“That’s harsh, isn’t it?!”
Riona had cleanly demolished Reona’s argument. I cracked up watching the exchange, and Reona shot me a look that made me hastily turn away. We made it to the front of the line.
“I’ll meet you down there.”
Riona, lying-down-position rejected, took the slide sitting up.
“My turn now.”
“Don’t lose the top this time.”
“I know. Ryouya-kun, you’re terrible.”
Reona, still a little red from the reminder, took the slide lying down — and made it through without incident.
After Reona made it safely down, the attendant signaled me to go. I’d retied the drawstring on my swim trunks too, just in case, so an embarrassing wardrobe failure was off the table. So I’d thought.
“Oh no—!?”