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A quick spray of cologne, a final hair check, and I was ready. I was dressed in grey denim jeans paired with a plain top under a t-shirt with an abstract pattern that gave a subtle flair to my outfit. I grabbed my phone and wallet before stepping out into the cool morning air.
The walk to the fountain wasn’t long. I spotted Yoko immediately; her colourful gown fluttered in the breeze, hugging her frame in just the right places. She looked up from her phone and smiled as I approached.
“Hope you haven’t been waiting too long?” I asked.
“Not at all,” she said with a shake of her head. “I got here just a few minutes ago.” She moved closer, her hands casually clasped in front of her.
“Shall we?” I gestured toward the school gate.
“Yep.” She fell into step beside me.
The stroll to the train station was calm. We arrived at the station and boarded the train heading to Tsuruhashi Station. The thirty-minute ride passed uneventfully; Yoko mostly scrolled through her phone, occasionally chuckling. I didn’t mind, as it gave me a chance to watch the city roll by.
At Tsuruhashi, we had roughly ten minutes to wait for our connecting train. During the wait, Yoko returned from a vending machine with two packs of snacks and handed me one.
“Here. Thought you might like this.”
“Thanks,” I said with a small smile. I wasn’t hungry, but I appreciated the gesture.
When the train arrived, we boarded and made the short trip to Shin-Imamiya Station. From there, we walked to our destination: .
“I texted Amelie; she’s already inside,” Yoko said, checking her phone.
“Let’s not keep them waiting.”
The reception area was buzzing. We scanned the crowd until we saw Amelie with three other girls.
“Amelie!” I called.
She turned, beaming. “Hey, guys! Welcome to ! This is your first time here, right?”
Yoko and I nodded.
Amelie’s cheerful, relaxed demeanour surprised me. Gone was the stoic, serious personality I’d heard so much about. Instead, she was energetic, joyful, and utterly relaxed. I guess this is what Diya was talking about.
“Don’t worry,” she said, clapping her hands. “I’ll make sure everyone has a good time.”
One of the girls giggled, prompting Amelie to turn toward her before facing us again. “Yoko, Marcus, meet Kameko, Azumi, and Alaina.”
We exchanged quick greetings, and I noted the names and faces. It was a bit odd that Harley wasn’t with Kameko, given that they were close friends, but apparently, she was arriving later with Larry, and I let the thought go.
“Let’s get this day started!” Amelie said, clapping her hands before leading us to the reception desk.
“Hello,” she greeted the receptionist.
“Good morning, Miss Solace. How may we assist you today?” the receptionist replied warmly.
“I have a reservation under my name,” Amelie said.
The receptionist checked her screen. “Found it. A reservation for nine people for the custom all-day plan.” She retrieved wristbands from under the desk.
“Three of our group aren’t here yet. Could you hold onto their wristbands?” Amelie asked.
“Of course,” the receptionist said, handing her the rest.
Amelie passed them out, and after a quick adjustment to the snug fit, we were set.
“Since the others aren’t here yet, let’s start with the pool,” she suggested, hands on her hips.
We agreed, and Amelie led us through the winding halls to the changing rooms. After a quick change, I waited outside for the others.
Walking with the group into the expansive pool area, I couldn’t help but feel a little self-conscious being the only guy. But Azumi and the others seemed completely unfazed, chatting casually as we entered.
Amelie turned to the group and clapped her hands. “Alright, everyone, let’s hit the pool!”
“I can’t really swim,” Azumi admitted, shifting awkwardly. “So I’ll just sit at the edge.”
Her excuse seemed odd to me, considering the pool wasn’t very deep—just enough for the slides to be functional. Still, no one protested, and I decided it was best to keep my thoughts to myself.
After a quick rinse in the showers, I approached the edge of the pool. Taking a breath, I eased into the water, the chill sending a shiver through me. My arms spread wide as I pushed off, diving below the surface. The water enveloped me, drowning out the sounds of the world above. I remained submerged for a few moments, savouring the calm, before propelling myself forward and bursting out of the water a few metres away.
Applause drew my attention. Amelie was clapping with a grin before jumping in, followed by the others. Everyone except Azumi, who sat at the edge, legs dangling and kicking absently at the water.
“So cold,” Yoko said, hugging herself.
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We spent some time splashing around and exploring the pool. Eventually, I swam to the edge to rest, letting the water lap at my shoulders.
“Do you take swimming classes?” a voice asked.
I turned to see Azumi still sitting at the edge, her legs swaying gently and stirring small ripples in the water.
Though relaxed, her gaze was sharp as she watched me. I couldn't help but note how her toned figure seemed sculpted for athleticism, a detail Diya had casually mentioned before—something about morning workouts.
“Not at the moment,” I said with a shrug.
Her countenance changed slightly, showing some scepticism as her eyes briefly swept over me before she spoke again. “Your strokes are smooth and precise. You’ve clearly had training.”
I hesitated before elaborating. “I took lessons when I was younger, but it’s been a while.”
Azumi nodded. “That explains it. Muscle memory, then.”
“Something like that,” I replied with a small chuckle.
“That’s still impressive,” she said, leaning back on her palms.
“What about you? Ever try learning?”
Her lips pressed into a line before she gestured toward the pool. “Alaina’s tried to teach me. More than once.” We both watched as Alaina launched herself off a slide and landed in the water with chaotic energy. “But I’m hopeless. I sink every time.”
I laughed at the mental image, though Azumi’s serious expression made me bite it back. What could I say here? I considered suggesting she try a different teacher, but even with this short exchange, I could tell she’d take it as a slight against Alaina when really, it might just be a matter of teaching compatibility. What a conundrum.
“You gave up?” I asked, tilting my head.
“Pretty much,” she said flatly.
“Have you at least tried the slides?” I asked, gesturing toward the towering structure.
“Nope,” she replied, her expression unreadable.
Her short responses hinted that she wasn’t eager to continue the conversation, but before I could change the subject, Amelie appeared, her voice cutting in cheerfully.
“Hey! Am I interrupting something?”
Azumi didn’t answer, but I shook my head. “No, we were just wrapping up.”
“Perfect! We’ve got a plan,” she said, pointing toward the biggest slide at the pool's far end. “We’re hitting the big one over there. You’re coming, right?”
“Seems fun,” I said, standing and shaking water from my hair. Without waiting for Azumi’s reply, I followed Amelie.
But something didn’t sit right. Something about leaving Azumi behind felt wrong. I barely knew her, but her refusal lingered with me. The pool had shallow areas safe enough even for non-swimmers, so why was she so adamant about staying out of it? It couldn’t be aquaphobia; if it were, she wouldn’t have come here in the first place.
As much as I wanted to pull her along and force her to have fun, I knew it would only make things worse. I needed a better approach.
“Azumi says she can’t swim, but I don’t get why that keeps her from trying the slide,” I said to Amelie.
“Right? I was just thinking of dragging her over myself,” she replied with a mischievous grin.
It seems that we were on the same wavelength. I nodded. “Honestly, that might work. Let’s get Alaina in on it; she might know how to convince her.”
We approached Aliana, who was with Kameko and Yuko near the shallow end. She spotted us first and waved. “You guys are finally here! Let’s hit the slide already!”
“Feels incomplete without Azumi,” I said, testing the waters.
Kameko, lounging nearby, glanced over. “The others missing make it incomplete too,” she said, referring to Harley, Sullivan, and Larry.
“You know what he meant,” Yuko added, rolling her eyes and jumping to my defence.
“Anyway,” I continued, “I think we shouldn’t leave Azumi out. Don’t you agree, Aliana?”
Aliana smiled knowingly. “Definitely. She can be a little stubborn, sure, but she doesn’t mean any harm. Let’s go get her. It’s about time someone dragged her onto a ride.”
With Aliana in the lead, we headed back toward Azumi. She looked up as we neared, already suspicious.
“What’s going on?” she asked warily.
“We came to get you,” Aliana said, flashing a mischievous grin.
Azumi’s expression darkened as frustration flickered across her face. “I don’t want to,” she replied firmly, crossing her arms across her chest.
“I never said there was a choice,” Aliana replied, then turned to me. “Marcus, you’re strong enough to carry her, right?”
“What?!” Azumi and I exclaimed together.
“Why do I have to carry her?” I asked.
“Because she’s not going to come otherwise,” Aliana said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“That’s not a real reason,” I objected.
“If you try to carry me, I’ll bite you,” Azumi warned, narrowing her eyes.
“You see? She’s violent,” I said, stepping back.
Aliana waved off the threat. “Relax; those are empty threats. She’s all bark and no bite.”
“Aliana,” Azumi muttered, clearly frustrated.
“Come on, Marcus, be a man about it,” Aliana teased, eyes glinting with mischief.
“Marcus! Marcus! Marcus!” Aliana and Yuko chanted. Amelie joined in, giggling and clapping. Kameko, on the other hand, stayed silent. Meanwhile, Azumi’s face turned a vivid shade of red.
“What am I getting myself into?” I muttered as I walked toward Azumi.
“Marcus, don’t,” she said weakly, stretching out a hand in a half-hearted attempt to stop me. Her resistance lacked any real force.
“Don’t blame me for this,” I said, crouching down. In one motion, I slipped my arm under her knees and lifted her. She let out a startled yelp, hands flying to her face as I carried her into the pool.
Cheers erupted, with Aliana and Yuko clapping the loudest. To my surprise, Azumi didn’t lash out. There was no kicking, no screaming, and no biting as she had threatened earlier. She just buried her face deeper into her hands, her crimson cheeks peeking through her fingers.
“Damn, looks like we missed something,” a voice drawled. I turned to see Harley approaching, flanked by a guy I assumed was Larry. Both were already in swimsuits.
“Marcus is entertaining us with a princess carry,” Aliana laughed.
“Oh, is that what’s going on?” Larry asked, grinning as he stepped into the water. “Mind if I join in?”
“The situation is being wildly misrepresented,” I said, trying to set the record straight. Larry, however, was already eyeing the group with mischief.
His eyes landed on Yuko. He smirked and waded over. “You ready?” he asked, his tone playful.
“Wait, why me?” Yuko exclaimed, backing up and nearly stumbling.
“You were the closest,” Larry said smoothly, though his grin gave him away.
“That’s a lie! You walked right past Amelie—” Her protest cut off with a scream as Larry effortlessly snatched her up and cradled her in his arms. Her hands flew to his neck, clinging hard for balance as she stared at him.
“That’s the spirit!” Aliana cheered.
I shook my head at the ridiculousness of the scenario. “This is escalating way too fast,” I muttered, glancing at Azumi. Her face was still red, but now her eyes peeked through her fingers.
“Uh, Marcus...” she whispered. “Can you... let me down?”
“Right. Of course.” I gently set her down.
She took a quick step back and, with both hands, she instinctively covered her cheeks, trying to hide her embarrassment. Then, with a small huff, she began fussing with her hair, brushing it behind her ears, and tugging lightly at the hem of her swimsuit to straighten it.
She let out a breath and gave herself a moment to collect her thoughts. When she finally looked up again, her expression softened as she offered a faint smile.
“I blame Aliana,” she said, her voice still slightly flustered. “So... it’s fine.”
We both glanced over at Aliana, still laughing as Larry paraded Yuko through the shallow end like a prize.
“At least I’m off the hook,” I said.
Azumi shook her head. “Sorry for being a downer. I know you’re all just trying to help, but...” She trailed off, and she turned away, her fingers lightly tapping against her thigh.
She paused, taking a deep breath. “Let’s just say I’m afraid of embarrassing myself,” she said, looking away.
“But…” I wanted to counter her point; however, I noticed from her body language that she didn't really want this. “Alright then, I'll tell the others.”
Her shoulders eased, and she gave a small smile. “Thank you.”
I didn’t push. Some walls weren’t meant to be knocked down in one go.
“Alright, you two!” Aliana’s voice cut through. “Let’s hit the big slide already!”
“Azumi’s not up for it; she’s scared of heights,” I said as I walked over.
“Uh, she isn’t—” Aliana started to protest, but I took her hand and tugged her toward the slide.
“Let’s go conquer that slide,” I said. She blinked, confused, but eventually followed.
The seven of us, Harley, Larry, Yuko, Amelie, Aliana, Kameko, and I, headed for the towering slide, its twists promising a wild ride.